What God’s People Can Do In One Year

Whew!  What a year we have had together.  As we are putting together this summer issue of our newsletter, I cannot help but think back to a year ago as we were just getting to know one another as pastor and congregation.  I cannot adequately express Mollie’s and my gratitude for the warmth and welcome you have shown our family over these last 12 months.

And to say that the Spirit has been at work during this last year is a bit of an understatement.  Over the last year, we have witnessed one of the most dramatic eras of growth in our church’s history.  God has been doing a wonderful work in and through us.  Consider these signs of life in our congregation since June 2009:

·  A new vision statement: Seek God. Love People. Live in Hope.

  • Our regular Sunday attendance is up by around 30%
  • We have added over 100 new members to our church family
  • A capital campaign with pledges of over $1,500,000
  • A record-breaking year in terms of regular tithes and offerings
  • A new Wednesday night Bible Study with around 40-50 in regular attendance
  • A new Youth Center in the Southpark Village Shopping Center
  • A newly formatted website, newsletter, and worship bulletin
  • Over 160 children in Vacation Bible School, and…
  • We bought a shopping center!

Witnessing God’s faithfulness to us has truly been one of the most powerful experiences of my life, and I cannot wait to see what will happen in the next 12 months if we remain true to our purpose as the Body of Christ.  As I write this, the architectural engineers are finalizing our renovation plans for the former Winn-Dixie, so that we will be on track to begin construction in early September.  This will mean we can occupy our new space by mid-February—next Easter will be a celebration of new life indeed!

Also, Pastor Denise and I have been hard at work prayerfully preparing our sermon series through the coming year.  We are doing our best to ensure that worship 1) glorifies the Living God; 2) exposes folks to the Word; and 3) provides practical and life-changing ways to incorporate faith into the daily struggles of life.  We’ll kick off our Fall Series, “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” on Sunday, August 8.

While we have much to look back on with gratitude, the mark of a healthy church is that it never dwells in the past.  Our work now is to face the future, and to step boldly into God’s calling for us.  We need to reach more people who do not know Christ’s love.  We need to be in service to those who are suffering in our community.  We need to strengthen family ties, repair broken relationships, and restore hope to those who are struggling to make it.

Can we do these things?  Probably not.  But if I have learned anything from you this past year, it is that there is no end to what God can do.  What will God do next?  Let’s find out together.

Blessings,

Brian