A Step of Faith (Part 4) by Brad Cox

Twenty-eight years ago, Wayne Lumpkin received a call from Francis “Babs” Roper commissioning him to design and build a stain glass window in honor of her recently departed husband Nolan, the founder and owner of Roper’s Flowers. The elaborate project was not intended for use in the Roper home, but rather, upon completion, to be used as the centerpiece above the baptistry in the new Twickenham Church of Christ sanctuary. Babs was not a member of the newly assembled church, but she and Nolan thought so much of the preacher, Bob Anderson, that she wanted to give this window as a tribute to both men.

Lumpkin would later recall about the project, “A church commission is always a great challenge as it must combine the thoughts and ideas of many people; church committees, architects, donor of memorial windows, and the window designers.” Consultations with Mrs. Roper and the church committee took place over many weeks to arrive at the final design. The bottom panel was designed as a floral tribute to Mr. Roper while the center panel is a tranquil scene highlighted by a beautiful dogwood tree. At the top is a very simple cross. The window, covering an area of sixty square feet, consists of over eleven hundred individual pieces of glass coming together to create a feeling of peace and rest.


This past year, Dennis and Rebecca Botts were looking for a church home. After searching for quite awhile and attending many different churches, a friend told them about Twickenham. After attending our worship time, Rebecca recalls that it just seemed like home and she felt connected to the family here immediately. Rebecca and Dennis quickly joined the Twickenham family. When telling family and friends about her new church home, her brother Wayne told her, “You know I designed and built the stained glass window in their sanctuary.”

I catch myself getting so caught up in the issues and cares of the day that sometimes I forget the impact our actions will have in the future. The sacrifices, efforts, and investments made today will bring forth a rich harvest in the days to come (Psalm 107:37-38). This past Sunday, Mayor Tommy Battle shared with us some very exciting things that will be happening in Huntsville over the next few years. I believe the Lord has provided this church a unique opportunity to make a difference in our community. May we each prayerfully consider how we too can sacrifice to bless others both now and in years to come.

Audio: To replay the sermon presented on Sunday, August 23rd click HERE.