"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain!"Psalm 127:1

One day on my summer vacation, I watched a rowboat on a lake.  What I saw revealed to me an example of how a healthy church should do ministry. The lesson came from how the rowboat made its progress in the water. What I noticed was that the person rowing sat with his back to the front (the bow) of the boat and rowed forward while looking backward.

As I transfer this application to an example that fits the church, I believe healthy congregations should have their eyes on where they have been but concentrate on going forward. This is often a delicate balance in progressive ministry.

As your pastor, I see the progress that we have made as a congregation in bringing vision to a reality.

Your support of the Legacy Building project has been tremendous! The ministry that has been done in our new addition has blessed both the church and the community. This is our goal. May we wear out the building that was built in doing ministry for the Lord!

Are we done? By no means! We recognize that our task as a church is to grow spiritually strong in the Lord and to reproduce spiritual disciples. This is as basic as knowing the source of our salvation in Jesus Christ and sharing it.

Ministry is exciting! Mission has moved next door to us. Our goal is to be prepared to meet the needs of our neighbors and the world in Christ.

As you look over the report this year, you will find that our church does not stay the same. There are births, deaths, professions of faith, marriages and transfers. Our church does not stay the same because it cannot stay the same because it is a living community!

What moves our church ahead? Several years ago I read that established churches are bound together by rules, regulations and rituals while growing churches are bound together by a sense of purpose and mission. Ralph Neighbour, a church growth author, states that the seven last words of the church are “We’ve never done it that way before.”

May this report today reveal that we are moving ahead for the Lord Jesus Christ as we equally celebrate where we have been.

All of our plans, programs, and procedures are worthless without God’s anointing. “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain!” Psalm 127:1

In Christ,

Pastor Wayne

Paying It Forward

Several years ago there was a movie entitled, “Pay It Forward”.  The plot of this movie was built on the theme that we can make the world a better place by doing good to others when we have experienced a good deed ourselves.

               Now, that is not an original concept by any means.  The Bible teaches us to “go the second mile” and to love others in the name of Jesus and to pass it on!

               This did get me to thinking of a rich tradition First Reformed has had in hiring interns for the summer.  In fact this practice goes back almost fifty years.

               Looking back at church record, the first summer student was first introduced to the ministry of First Reformed in 1966.

               Over the years at least 13 student pastors from Western Theological Seminary served summer assignments at Sully Reformed! (Tammy and I served in this capacity at Sully Reformed in 1979!)

               First Reformed continued to build on this ministry by employing summer interns from its congregational body.  Over the years, many young people from this church have developed their spiritual gifts by serving Christ in their home congregation.

               I believe this sends a message to youth and to the church that we are ready and willing to mentor each other in ministry gifts that will bless generations yet to come – “paying it forward” if you will!

               We welcome our interns for the summer of 2014 – Clayton Larson, Mikayla Vos, Lyndsay Terpstra and Andrew Scholten.  In invite you to take time to check out their pictures and biographies in this addition of the Informer.

               They put into perspective the bible verse that I believe symbolizes what we do when we let God lead.

               “Cast your bread upon the waters and it will return unto you.”  Ecclesiastes 11:11

               Welcome interns!

In Christ,

Pastor Wayne

Put God First

Have you ever watched the TV show “Hoarders”?  Each episode concentrates on people who won’t let go of their material possessions.

            In some cases, the possessions literally threaten the health of those individuals living in their homes.  At the least, this condition limits a person’s freedom and they are held hostage both emotionally and physically by the things they once controlled.

            I thought of this condition when I was doing some spring cleaning last week.  I’ve had some old jackets that have served me well.  They hang on hooks where I placed them five years ago!  I haven’t used them.  “Maybe it was time to get rid of them,” I mused. “But then again maybe I’ll need an old jacket for a dirty job and they would be perfect!”

            In the end, I kept two and disposed of two!  That’s a nice compromise I thought to myself!

            In reality, I hadn’t quite let go of everything that needed to be discarded!  However, I did feel a freeing power that proved to myself I could get rid of things!

            In our Christian walk, I have noticed some similarities with the things of this world we try to hold on to while we live our Christian witness.

            To be quite honest, it’s difficult and leaves the witness of Christ gasping for breath frustrated by what we are trying to do with the things we are packing on our journey.

            The Bible says it quite clearly.  “No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”  Matthew 6:24

            This month we celebrate graduation!  I urge our graduates to remember what to serve when they begin their journey in life.

            This isn’t limited to graduates either.  May we take a close examination at what we are doing with our life and how we are living it for God.

            God doesn’t take a back seat to anything or anyone!

            Put Him first!

            You will have a much lighter journey in this life!  You will also enjoy the things that will take on the real meaning of what to keep and what to throw away!

            Know your Master!

Have a Great May!

Blessings in Christ!

Pastor Wayne

Why We Celebrate Easter

Dear Friends,

            “In the beginning…” are the first words that reveal the amazing story of God’s love for us.  These words are the words of God to the world he created with the intention that the creatures He made would worship Him.

            As we prepare for Easter, my prayer as your pastor, is that every person who hears the Easter story would recognize the love of God in a personal application.

            That love was made personal by a Savior, Jesus Christ, God’s Son so that we could be reconciled, that is brought back, to the relationship that sin broke between God and mankind!

            We celebrate at Easter Christ’s death and resurrection!  This action by our Savior gave us a new life and purpose for living for today!

            What is the purpose of the church and her mission?

            You need to go back to the beginning!

            This reminded me of an example of how successful companies recognize goals and expectations in promoting their product.

            For example, most soda manufacturing companies were shut down during WWII because sugar was in short supply, but the chairman of Coca-Cola convinced the U.S. Government that soldiers needed Coke as a morale booster.  Hence, Coke was distributed to all the theaters of battle.  After the war, Coke had an immediate foothold in overseas markets because they were instantly recognized!

            What does this have to do with our church, Easter and your spiritual life?

            There are two fronts in the church today where the church is being especially challenged.

            The first is to communicate the love of Jesus.  It’s basic but it involves the obvious.  How do we show Christian love modeled through Christ?

            You see successful companies were masters at communicating expectations.  At Sully Reformed, our goal should be to communicate, in various ways and means, the value of relationships built on Jesus Christ.

            The second front, that we as a church should be actively addressing, is the ability to envision a goal in Christ.

            Basically, this means to develop plans to “run the race for Christ” in a way that connects our mission with the needs our community and world we face today and tomorrow!

            I see so many dead, stagnant and lethargic churches populated with members content to be the last one to “turn the light out”! Pray that we never embrace that direction.

            Easter is a time to return “to the beginning” and celebrate being a church that is not self serving, but serving for Christ!

Have a Blessed Easter!

In Christ,

Work Faithfully & Diligently

Dear Friends,

            I spent several evenings last week watching the Winter Olympics. 

            I am amazed at the skills demonstrated by the athletes as they participated in their particular winter sports event.

            What also generated my interest, are the stories that are often behind the athletes medals of gold, silver or bronze.

            One of my favorite stories this year is of the USA’s snowboarding bronze medalist, Alex Deibold.  He was an unknown behind the scenes Olympic participant that no one knew!

            In the last winter Olympics, he went as a snowboard technician.  This means he would wax and scrape and grind the snowboards for his teammates who were participants in the events.

            This year he stood on the ceremony podium representing the USA as a bronze medalist.

            This reminded me of Elisha’s servant Gehazi.  He worked alongside the greatly respected and God-anointed prophet Elisha.

            Gehazi was often charged to go to difficult situations.  Remember the widow whose son had died?  Gehazi was there but nothing happened when Gehazi was on the scene.  Enter Elisha.  A miracle occurs.  The child was raised.

            Later on in the chapter (2 Kings 4), a famine struck the area.  Gehazi was told to make stew. Inadvertently poisonous plants were used to make the stew and everybody cried out they were going to die!  Again Elisha shows up to fix the problem.

            Gehazi had done all the work and Elisha gets all the credit!  So it is with serving today!  It is so easy to feel used and unappreciated!

            I want to thank all those who serve behind the scenes in ministry.  You work faithfully and diligently, yet someone else gets the praise and attention!  Your efforts make the individual or program a success!

            Our God who rewards in secret will never overlook your commitment.

            Thank you again to all of you who serve the Lord and his church in so many unseen but powerful ways!

I love the verse, “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love you have shown towards His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints!”  Hebrews 6:10

Have a great day in the Lord!

Pastor Wayne

Mercy, Hospitality and Listening – Care Ministry

Dear Friends,

                Sunday (January 19) we began a new era of caring ministry in our congregation.

                We commissioned twelve new care teams that will aid our 7 elder and deacon teams.  This makes nineteen teams that will be using their gifts of care and nurture for Christ’s church in the body we call Sully First Reformed.

                As your pastor, this has been one of my dreams to help develop and disciple our congregation into a caring and loving body of believers.

                The care team ministry was developed so that there is not one person who is inadvertently missing the Christian care and love that we desire to show one another.

                It also is an opportunity to allow members to use their gifts of mercy, hospitality and listening.

                Our care teams will compliment the care of the elders and deacons that has and will continue to be so faithfully done but will give everyone a greater opportunity to serve.

                As your pastor, I am aware of the needs that a congregation of our size represents as well as the great possibilities of service that God has in store for us if we are willing to serve together and refresh ourselves.

                I am reminded of this example of coming together and refueling our care service.

                The Strategic Air Command – our nations’ defense system – operates 24 hours a day as a shield of protection for our nation.  That means that at any point in a given day there are planes carrying nuclear warheads in the air over our country.  If these planes fly constantly, how do they keep them full of fuel?  In the military, they do what’s called mid-flight refueling.  A refueling plane actually flies up next to the Strategic Air Command plane, docks in, and refuels in flight.

                We know together we can provide the care needed for each other as we help one another care for one another in Christ.

                “For this reasons we never become discouraged … yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day.”  2 Corinthians 4:16

                May we be ready to receive the Lord’s blessings as we love and care for one another in Christ!

Blessings!

Pastor Wayne