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
