The year 2011 has been one of sadness, injury and death for our church. I’ve shared about this before on my blog. This week another pillar of our church went to be with his God. Prior to 2011, our church had some struggles with our previous pastor. God has kept this group of believers. We are strong and we are continuing to follow has He leads. Our numbers appear to me to be growing as well. It seems as if every time we turn around, we are dealt another hurtful blow, but we keep stepping up to the plate and facing the issue, the hurt, the sadness head on.
I am proud of my church family. I am pleased to know them and be a part of this body of believers.
I said to a friend the other day that God is causing us to grow. He is raising us up and changing and challenging us in a way we haven’t been before. (at least not in the time I’ve been in attendance) We have been milk drinkers, bench warmers and couch potatoes. We asked our leadership for more discipleship. I know they are working in that direction. We asked our God (obviously) to teach us and train us, because He is. Life itself is teaching and training us.
I believe we have become a people who are no longer content with milk; we want some meat!
Our men, strong in their faith, men who have served their church and their fellow believers have been taken home to be with their Lord and Savior. These men are pillars and they aren’t here to hold us up anymore. We have their legacy to go on, but now we really have to do the work. We can’t just ride on the coat-tails of these individuals. I’m not saying we were just riding, but there is that tendency to take the easy way, right?
My thoughts then move forward. What does God have in store for us? What great thing are we, as a body of believers, going to do for His glory, for His kingdom? As we can see from the examples we’ve been given (in the men who have served and gone on ahead of us), God’s word does not return void. He is going to do something great through us.
I see so many examples in our church already. Plans for a DVBS. Serving the homeless in a neighboring community. Discipleship training programs. And so much potential, yet untapped. I can’t wait for the years to come and I pray that God allows me and my family to stay in this community to see the potential sprung in the future!
As sad as we are, with the loss of another good and faithful servant, I am excited. I am so happy for them to be with their Lord. And I am excited to see what God is going to take us, what He is going to grow in and through us.
People of MBC, take heart. God is with us. He will continue to sustain us.
Praise His HOLY Name.
Striving to learn and live God's purposes,
