"Changes & Choices"

Dear Friends,
This month represents change in many of those in our congregation.
Graduation from high school or college is just around the corner for many young people who are seniors from these age groups.
Change affecting our congregation represents those graduating from kindergarten to those of our congregation that are downsizing and moving from a house to an apartment or even another town with a new address!  And the reverse is true on another scale, a young married couple moving from an apartment or rental property to their first new home.
Change fights for our attention from politicians to resetting our clocks for day light savings time!
Not long ago in my morning devotions I came across Philippians 2:9-11 this verse declares “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”  This verse reminds me that in the midst of all the change we face, some good some bad, and all the uncertainty that can loom around us, that someday Jesus Christ will step into the world scene and bring all of this to a conclusion.  His presence and appearance will bring all of us to our knees.  I’m not sure when it will happen, I’m not sure how it will happen, but I am certain it will happen!
Every person who leaves this life will bow before Jesus.  You will account for yourself.  You will answer for the choices you have made.
We can recover eternally despite some bad choices, but we cannot get this one wrong.  We can avoid God but not for more than an earthly lifetime!  Jesus Christ is Lord, and someday every knee will bow to Him as the Master.  The ultimate authority.
If life is about one thing, it’s about getting this ultimate authority relationship figured out!   Who is really in charge!?  Of my life? My choices? My changes? I pray it is Jesus Christ your Lord!  No matter what we accomplish in this world, if we don’t get this figured out, we will have nothing!
The ultimate test of lordship is not the crisis of your deciding to believe, but the process of submitting your will to His will!  Whose will wins: yours or His?
Everybody serves somebody!
What do you bow down to?  You’ll find the answer to whom you serve in your response!
What does your choice look like?  If it doesn’t include Jesus Christ, there is still time to change your choice! Do it today!

Blessings!
Pastor Wayne

“Love Letters”

     Scattered in the top drawer of my desk in my office are colored and crumpled post-it-notes that reveal a child’s handwriting. They are notes from my grandchildren and one in particular!

     In the only way a child could express themselves, they reveal love, encouragement and compassion! They also tell of a relationship between a granddaughter and her grandpa!

     I save them for a couple of reasons.

     First, they remind me that I am not alone. I have grandchildren that love me.

     Second, when I open my drawer looking for something else, they are an unexpected surprise that pop up to bring a smile to my face when I reread their little messages.  They bring back memories of a little face missing two teeth smiling back at me!

     These “love letters” are also precious to me because I know that they will end. I know as the years go by they won’t get written as frequently as they did.

     Does that mean my grandchildren don’t love me as much as they used too? No. It just means that as their lives get pressed with more activities it’s quicker to call or to text!

     And so these notes become more precious to me than gold coins!

     As we celebrate Easter this month, I am reminded of God’s love for his children. That is you and me! I am reminded that God sent his Son, Jesus, so that we might have life!  I am reminded that I am loved! I am reminded that I am not alone. “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16

     Easter reminds us that as a child of a living God that our Creator wants a relationship with us. The cross of Christ, his death and resurrection, bridges the gap that sin wedged between our God and who we are as individuals who need salvation.

     Maybe it has been a long time since you have had a conversation with God that expressed your child like faith or maybe life has bruised you and pressed your relationship with God into a distant shell of what it used to be. If you have felt this way, it is not too late to reach out to Him!

     This Easter may you praise God for his resurrection power that includes you in His plan of salvation through Christ!

     Now that is the ultimate post-it-note!

     Have a Blessed Easter!

Pastor Wayne Sneller

“Be Intentional With Your Words”

Dear Friends,

          The Bible says, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path.”  Psalm 119:105

          Much of our lives are spent communicating with others.  We learn at an early age to speak.  We learn that our actions combined with our words are a powerful tool.

          This month our church and schools begin another journey of training children and young people in the path of learning.

          This process of learning is not limited to children, adults are reminded to use the power of words for the glory of God and to build each other up.

          Recently, I read a devotional by Rick Warren.  I’d like to pass a few of his thoughts along.

          “Sometimes our words are like a sledge hammer, we swing away without thinking, and all of a sudden we look around, and all we’ve got is relational rubble.  When you thoughtlessly sling your words around, your relationships are going to suffer.”

          One time I went into my garage and grabbed a manual for a power saw.  As I read through the directions, I was struck by how it related to another tool God gave us: our mouths.  The directions said:

          1.   Know your power tool.

          2.   Keep the guard in place.

          3.   Be careful around children.   

          4.   Store idle tools when not in use.

          5. Never use in an explosive atmosphere.

          As we begin another year of school and church education, let us be reminded to talk less and listen more.  Let us be intentional on building up each other.  We all know we all could use a little more encouragement and a smile!

          And who knows the impact of how God will use you to make a difference in a persons life!

          Come to think of it, God does!

          Have a great September!

Pastor Wayne

STICK TO IT!

Dear Friends,

          Recently I read an article about how the aviation industry is working with NASA to deal with the problem of bugs sticking to the wings of airplanes.  It is believed that millions upon millions of dollars can be saved on fuel by reducing the “bug” drag on the wings of airplanes. It seems that if some kind of surface can be found that allows bugs to slide off the front of the wings instead of sticking to them, the airline industry would have a higher profit margin.

          You talk about the power of “stick-to-it-ness”!  As we enter into education and the fall activity mode of the church, I think of all the good intentions and fresh opportunities we will have to learn about our God and His love for us.

          How well does that “stick” as we lead by example and desire?

          I encourage you to take and opportunity to find out how the Lord can enrich your life!  Be an example to your child and teach with your actions the importance of learning God’s word.

          Romans 12:9 say, “Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil, cling to what is good.” 

          Let me close with this illustration on how we learn to cling to God’s word.

          Cling in its purest sense means to “hold on tightly.”

          One day last week, it was much cooler than normal but on this particular morning when I got into the truck to go to a meeting, I noticed the flies stuck to my antenna. (Not confused with the dead corn moths splattered on the windshield.) Those flies cling to anything warmer and barely move.  I think I got up to 50 mph before the last fly grudgingly let go and flew off.

          My friends let us hold on tightly to the truth God gives us and learn a few lessons from some sticky bugs and stubborn flies in the process!

          Have a great transition into August!

Blessings!

Pastor Wayne

Top 10: Alive vs. Dead Churches

Dear Friends,

     Recently a well-known comedian retired from doing his long time late show. I normally do not refer to these TV personalities but there was a portion of his routine that was a staple of his show and was popular with his viewers. It was called the top ten questions of which you could fill basically any subject. 

     I thought of this as I reflected on what characteristics would make the top ten of a church that was alive and was faithfully serving God’s Kingdom. The following is a compilation of my “top ten” of alive churches vs dead churches. Caution: I had a little fun in putting this together and had some help from some past resources.

     1. A live church moves out in faith; a dead church lives totally by sight.

     2. A live church is filled with tithers; a dead church is filled with tippers

     3. A live church has parking problems; a dead church has empty spaces

     4. A live church has changing programs and ministries; a dead church says, “We have always done it that way.”

     5. A live church has lots of noisy children and youth; a dead church is quiet.

     6. A live church welcomes new people into leadership; a dead church is cold to new people.

     7. A live church often changes the way things are done; a dead church doesn’t have to.

     8. A live church sees challenges and opportunities; a dead church sees problems and dangers.

     9. A live church uses its traditions and facilities to serve people; a dead church uses people to preserve facilities and traditions.

     And Number 10.  A live church dares to dream great dreams for God’s Kingdom; a dead church has nightmares!

    Where do you think we are alive and where could we be headed for the cemetery? Food for thought!

     Allow God to cause us to dream dreams and put His people into action! 

     Have a great June!

Blessings!

Pastor Wayne

"Impacting Lives for Christ"

Dear Friends,
          One of the tasks of the new year that I have in my home is putting up the new calendars that reflect the approaching year.
          The trusty kitchen calendar is the main frame of our home.  On this calendar, church dates, meetings, birthdays, taxes due, etc are recorded.  Everything is run through this calendar that helps my wife and I to coordinate the who, what, when and where of the Sneller family.
          Our church also operates in this mode of being prepared on God’s time for us.
          Recently I read an article on characteristics of churches that have effective ministry.
          It listed four key points that were evident in churches that did ministry well.
          Key #1 – Churches with a future pray for their pastor.
                    God places dreams and visions upon a pastors heart that fine tunes the balance of leading and encouraging a church to own a vision for their future in Christ.  A prayed for leadership is essential!
          Key #2 – Churches with a future maintain a positive sanctuary.
                    Within the first 120 seconds of entering a church sanctuary, most first time visitors develop one of two opinions.  The church is either warm or cold and I’m not talking about the temperature of the sanctuary.  We need to be friendly, open and a genuinely caring place to come.
          Key #3 – Churches with a future provide education and fellowship experiences.
                    We need to know what our God has promised to do.  We do this by meeting the everyday needs of our community and applying the Bible to our everyday lives.
          Key #4 – Churches with a future have a mission!
                    We cannot afford to discontinue mission from our local community.  It’s personal.  It’s your neighbor.  It’s the reason we exist as a church. It’s the drive for inviting and sharing Christ with others.
          Our calendars and our church events show where our priorities are lived.  May they both reflect the mission statement of First Reformed “Impacting Lives for Christ” in 2015 and beyond.

Blessings!

Pastor Wayne

"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