Pastor’s Corner: Moving Forward as a Church

Happy Sabbath everyone,

The Nominating Committee will begin the work God has called them to do next week. Let us pray for them as they embark on this great work. We have learned a lot over the last few weeks about spiritual gifts. If you have not returned your “spiritual gift card”, please do so as soon as possible. God has called us to work side by side with Him. One of my professors, Joseph Kidder, at Andrews University, said these words, “The influence of a committed believer is beyond measure. No one can be where you are, and no one can influence your family and friends as well as you can. Church growth happens best when believers are proud of their church and passionate about their Lord. Four significant components must work together to make the church an exciting place. They are leadership that believes in the God of the impossible and is willing to train and cast the vision for evangelism; the power of prayer that moves on the hearts and leads people to Jesus; active laity that shares their faith joyfully; and a church in which God is holy, honored, and worshipped with awe and reverence.” What can we, as a church, do to move forward? How can we be transformed into an exciting place where God is glorified and the members are on fire for Him?

1. Pray, pray, and pray. An amazing future for our church begins with prayer. Pray for the Nominating Committee. To labor without earnest prayer, no matter how intelligent or diligent our efforts, will result in more of the same: human-size attainments and a nagging sense that there’s got to be something more to church than this. If we take the word of the Lord earnestly, then we will heed His message in Zechariah 4:6: “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Prayer is a nonnegotiable first step to church renewal and growth. In addition to our regular devotional practices, we must devote time every day to praying for each other and the community for beautiful blessings from God. Pray for wisdom and a vision from the Lord about His dreams for our congregation. Ask God to show us how He wants to glorify Himself through our church.
2. Cultivate spirituality. An emphasis on spirituality and revival should be the main work of our church, and this calls for a much more significant investment in the spiritual development of our pastors, leaders, and members. The most crucial earthly asset that the church has is its people. They will do great things for God when they are spiritually healthy, growing, trained, and equipped. As vividly described in the book of Acts, fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ will joyfully give everything to God and His purpose. Cultivating spirituality is approaching the church’s work— from Vacation Bible School to Sabbath school teachers’ meetings to work bees—as essentially kingdom work. We must have a sense of excitement and sacredness as we do our tasks. Above all, keep reminding yourself and others that the church’s ministry is essential and eternal.
3. Embrace faith-based optimism. God can do unique and extraordinary things. He created the universe and continues to uphold it by the power of His word (Heb. 1:3), so doing wonderful deeds is precisely what He specializes in. Faith in the living God and His powerful Word makes a difference in the health and direction of the church. So, embrace the hopeful expectation that your Christian faith provides and pass it along to every other member of your faith community. Convey this faith-based optimism in all of your official and unofficial communications. Tell and retell the facts of the situation: “God can do the impossible—and He wants to do it here!”
4. Cast the vision of the dream church. God has a dream for this church. This church is where people are experiencing the gospel, a community filled with prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit, an agent of eternal change in our local community, a church in which worship is exciting and everyone is willing to share with those in need. In your prayers, ask God for a vision of how our congregation could be improved through Him. Be a part of this great work.
5. Build up relationships. Please ensure we are on the same team for the same goal. Let us build strong relationships and be leader-makers. Nothing will happen without leaders. They are those inspiring individuals who do ministry, strengthen the church system, organize the group’s efforts, cast the vision, and mentor and train the members. Without leaders and their teams for children’s ministries, for example, there will be no one to envision or dream, no one to plan the curriculum, no one to teach, no one in charge of the crafts and no one to ensure that goals are met. And if building up leaders seems too time-intensive or troublesome, remember that Jesus invested the bulk of His earthly ministry in the lives of a small group of His disciples, and those disciples led the church in the power of the Holy Spirit after His death.
6. Utilize critical thinking. We must reflect on one’s ministry and the congregation’s progress toward God’s vision. The church’s challenges today are varied and serious, yet as we consider how to move forward in the future, we must understand that our greatest need can be supplied by only one source: the Lord Jesus Christ. May God empower the Nominating Committee to do His work as we pray for them. God bless you!

Pastor Evadne Henry

Excerpts from “Joseph S. Kidder, (The Big Four. Review and Herald); Publishing Association. Kindle Edition.