Here are some of the ladies who were wearing hats so that Tammy Richardson (top center) wouldn’t be the only one wearing a hat at church. A good Sunday at church Last Sunday was a good day for showing love and appreciation at Colquitt United Methodist Church.

It started early Sunday morning when Tammy Richardson, who has been undergoing chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, told her family she might miss Sunday School. She just wasn't feeling up to par. Tammy has been taking treatments for several weeks and only has two more to go. In spite of her cheerful nature, the chemo is working on her. If you ask Tammy how she feels, it’s gone from “great” to “I’m doing fine.”

Her daughter, Joanna, wouldn’t hear of her mother staying home from church and assured her she would get to feeling better. Like the good Christian she is, Tammy headed on to church in spite of not feeling her personal best.

Three generations in hats on Sunday were (l-r) Betty Jo Toole, Tammy Richardson and Joanna Richardson. As a side effect of the chemo treatments, she was told that she would lose her hair. She did, but she just got some caps, hats and a wig. She likes the caps and hats the most, and that's what she usually wears to church.

This Sunday morning when Tammy started down the hall at the church, she noticed that several ladies had on hats. Then when Sunday School turned out, she saw more ladies and girls wearing hats. As she entered the choir loft, she looked out on a sanctuary full of women in hats of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

During the worship service, the Rev. David Thompson explained the sudden hat craze when he told the congregation, “Today we honor one of our own, Tammy Richardson. Today, she is not the only one in church with a hat on.”

Tearfully, Tammy expressed her appreciation to the ladies of the church for their show of support by donning hats. She also thanked everyone for all the deeds of love and kindness that have been expressed to her and her family since her diagnosis. She said no one had felt more love and compassion than she and her family had. She is especially grateful to everyone for the many prayers on her behalf. Tammy ended her remarks by saying she might have lost her hair and a few body parts, but those are only physical losses. She has gained so much more spiritually.

Also on the program of worship was recognition of the church nursery workers who have gone from taking care of two babies to 23 babies. The young people in the church are going by The Word and going forth to reproduce. The pastor offered words of appreciation to nursery workers, Gail Miller, Crystal Leonard, and Angela Chandler, for their dedicated service and presented each with a gift. Mandy Long, the nursery coordinator, was also praised for her leadership and hard work.

From the Sunday School lesson, children’s church and the sermon to honoring individuals and groups, everything this past Sunday at Colquitt United Methodist Church focused on doing good and helping others. Matthew 25:44-48 was the selected scripture: “They also will answer, ‘Lord when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’”

As part of the sermon, everyone was invited to come help with the Food Bank. On the third Thursday of the month, the food is packed, and on the following Saturday, it is distributed to over 250-350 needy families. Many volunteers make this ministry possible. It is a community effort as is the Agape Store, where the donated items sold pay for the food distributed at the Food Bank.

As the pastor said, we can't do everything we want to do, but what we can do, we should do.

The service concluded with a fund-raising luncheon held to honor the nursery workers and volunteers and to raise funds for the upcoming the mission trip.

Nine church members from Colquitt United Methodist and two others who have grandparents in the local church will be leaving for Honduras on a mission trip Saturday, June 19 and will return on Sunday, June 27. The team will go to help missionaries, Chuck and Joyce Harper and some of their family who are working with Mission on the Move in Honduras.