Pastor's Corner

Pastor’s September Notes

Why have a car show? Why have any of the activities we host here at church? Many organizations do good things, fun things, and interesting things. When we follow Christ, we allow God to transform our normal, everyday lives into opportunities to share God’s love. I once heard from a preacher: “you are not a teacher, you are an ambassador for Christ, cleverly disguised as a teacher. You are not a steel worker, you are an ambassador for Christ, cleverly disguised as a steel worker.” All that we give our time and attention to can be a chance to show other people the love of God. We had over 60 cars of all eras and types at our First Car Show. The area Model A club which meets in our church came with eight cars! We learned ways to do a car show more effectively in the future. We raised money for the Food Bank as well as Meals on Wheels, through donations and food sales which our Faith Builder Team hosted. We tried something we had never done. But the point of it was to give something to our community, bring people together and interact with folks outside our regular membership. In this way we showed the love of God. What is ahead? Our “What If Church” campaign gave us tons of ideas. Now it is up to our leaders to discern what God is calling us to be and do. Everything we decide to do should give opportunity to demonstrate God’s love through Jesus Christ, either overtly or more subtly.

Children and youth are in need. This church has gone from having a half-time paid position in Christian Education, to a volunteer director, to none currently. Finances make it difficult to fund a paid position again. The church council is in discernment for how to grow our church and reach the public across the board, while being fiscally responsible. We have advertised for Sunday School teachers to begin September 9^th for K-5^th and 6-8^th grades, with only one person coming forward. We are in a critical juncture in our church where we stand to lose our ability to educate families with children at home in the love of God through Bible teaching. A church this size normally has a youth group meeting regularly as well as active and full Sunday School classes. The Family Resource Center and Happy House preschool use our building, and this is great, but this is not specifically Christian education. Perhaps there are other way to reach out to our community. Please keep all this in prayer and come forward with any ideas you may have, as well as any offers to help with the teaching and leading. Let us together find ways to expand our reach with God’s love.

Christian Stewardship is a main calling for the church, especially in mainline denominations in America. This means we take care of all that God has given us as though we are caring for God’s house. Our trustees do a great job of caring for the properties, but they rely on the help of many. Our lawns are mowed with a team of volunteers, saving the church money. Painting and minor repairs are often done behind the scenes while larger projects are being prioritized with funds raised for them. Our investment committee stewards our holdings, managing them for the best returns and overseeing their use. I encourage us all to take a larger view of all that God has blessed us with so we can bless others through those gifts, in the love of God.

In Ministry with you, Pastor Jeff McDowell