I want to thank my church family for being so incredibly supportive to my nuclear family as we took three boys into foster care this month. Our home was quite lively with boys ages 7, 6, 5, 18 months and 2 months! Without your kindness demonstrated in the form of clothes, meals, babysitting, prayers, etc., the ministry would be significantly more burdensome. But it's not, because of you. Thank you! Be in prayer for those boys, as they have been ordered into care with a grandparent. We miss them, but entrust them to the Lord!
I also want to thank you for your participation in our business meeting this past Sunday night. Taking all things into consideration (current needs, future needs, financial realities, etc.), I believe the best way to proceed is to make immediate plans to renovate the South Ministries Center into a fully functioning worship auditorium, and to present a finalized plan to the congregation as soon as possible. Among other things, renovating the South Ministries Center:
- Communicates to our members and guests the high value we place on corporate worship.
- Reflects our commitment to biblical stewardship of financial resources in uncertain economic times, both by not taking on a significant debt and by saving resources for needs in other buildings and the church property at large. It also allows us to properly fund all of our ministries, something that we have not been able to do in previous years. It also means that our facilities will not keep us from growth and can facilitate multiple services and Sunday Schools when necessary.
- Means that a children's education facility and a smaller (though awesome!) student ministry addition must be the first new buildings we consider in the near future.
- Causes us to reconsider our options for sports-oriented ministry to children other than Upward Basketball (i.e., making improvements to our field space to do Upward Soccer or Football instead).
- Causes us to consider a future renovation of the youth/drama building as a Family Life Center.
I look forward to seeing these plans come together and presenting them to you as early as possible so that work can begin right away. If you'd like to begin contributing financially to any of these renovations or building projects above and beyond your normal tithes and offerings, you may do so by marking your check for "Future Development," or by going online here (be sure to choose "future development" instead of "general tithe").
While site plans and building projects are "church business," they are not the "business of the church." Ephesians 4:11-12 tells us exactly what my role and your role should be in the church: "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers (that's ME) to equip the saints (that's YOU) for the work of ministry (that's the business of the church), for building up the body of Christ" (that's the result of us doing what we're supposed to be doing). The Bible could not be more clear about what we are to give ourselves to in the roles we play: ministry that builds up the body. Let us pray and make every effort to be a church that exists for the lost and builds its ministries primarily around this need.
Speaking of ministry, the summer ministry calendar at LMBC is absolutely amazing to read through. Children, youth, mission trips, sermon-based small groups, church-wide fellowships: the list goes on and on. Take time to read through your entire newsletter, as it contains vital information about a myriad of ministries and events. Especially take time to read David Rainer's article that explains how our sermon-based small groups will work this summer, and how we are working to align all of our many events throughout the year into a cohesive plan for outreach through Life Groups and Sunday school.
Finally, I wanted to share with you a brief thought I was first exposed to in my friendship with Michael Kelley, author of the book "Wednesdays Were Pretty Normal: a Boy, Cancer, and God." The very existence of the book is due to Michael's conviction that we are to be good stewards of our experiences. While it is common for Christians to practice good stewardship with resources such as time, talent, and money, it is less common for us to be good stewards of experiences. Michael proved to be a faithful steward of his experience as dad of a son with Leukemia by writing this fantastic book. My challenge to you is to be an excellent steward of your experiences in your life by sharing them with others. You will be amazed at how God uses those sharing moments to make much of Himself in your life and in the lives of others.
Blessings to you this summer as you live for His Name and His Renown!
Pastor Rob
