PASTOR’S ANNUAL REPORT – APRIL 2014
“And he gave the apostles, the
prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip
the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…” (Ephesians 4:11-12).
Four
years ago we began our labor together as Mary Ann and I ended our final “home
assignment” with WorldVenture and came to Boothbay. On the one hand, it is hard to believe that we
have been here such a short time, as we feel very connected with you,
our church family! On the other hand,
it’s passed quickly, and I am excited to see what God will do during this fifth
year of our serving together.
One of the things I have enjoyed is seeing
leaders rise up within our church family. The elders have been serious about
sharing in the shepherding responsibility of the church, and the deacons and
deaconesses have worked with them in this ministry. We need to watch out for one another, and as
needs arise, we need to bear one another’s burdens. These leaders have been a
key link in that process. Our Word of Life ministry has also been a setting
where team work and shared leadership has done well. As we seek to allow leaders to find their
calling, I have particularly enjoyed the opportunity to tutor one of our men in
New Testament Greek, and I am excited to see him now take the step of beginning
seminary study. I would love to see us offer a meaningful internship experience
to members like this who sense God is calling them toward full time Christian
service. This would allow us to help encourage and guide them as they discover
and develop areas of giftedness, and perhaps pursue more formal training in
theology and ministry.
As we evaluate our connectedness
within the church, I would love to see our small group ministry expand to
include everyone in the body. There is
just no substitute for the deepening of relationships that develop when we
spend time together. Some of our groups
cease their regular weekly meetings in the summer, others may continue year
round. If you are not yet a part of a group I urge you to speak with me or one
of the elders about the possibility.
The ministry mapping process we went
through last year laid a foundation that has allowed us to sharpen the focus of
our mission and our vision as a church. We agreed that our mission is “to know
God and to make Him known,” and that “We envision a community of Christ
followers, rooted in the Word, treasuring God as supremely valuable, and
proclaiming the riches of His grace to the world.” The Bible uses several different metaphors to
describe the church, one of the most instructive is the idea that we are a
“body,” with each member contributing in a vital way to the working together of
the whole (see I Cor 12:4-27). The overriding theme of that passage is that
we are all an important and necessary part of the body. We complement one
another. That mutual interdependence is part of God’s design. We are stronger
and more effective in carrying out our mission together than any of us could
possibly be alone.
The verse at the top of this page
reflects a key aspect of what I view to be my calling as a pastor/teacher:
equipping the saints (the church) for service, for the building up of the body
of Christ. In a sense, we are all “ministers” as we use our gifts together to
carry out the mission of the church. I
pray that our current preaching series in the Book of Acts will serve to deepen
our understanding of our mission and the part that we each have in it. The
church in Acts was not built by programs or personalities. It was built by
Jesus, as He worked through believers filled by His Spirit and committed to
being His witnesses. Our church motto is “A lighthouse of God’s grace and
truth.” May it be that we as a church, and each of us as we live in the sphere
of influence in which God has placed us, take that attitude to heart!
I continue to be available to
counsel with individuals and couples, and have enjoyed sitting in as an ex officio member of some of our
committees. Teaching once a week at New
England Bible College has been a good opportunity to have a part in equipping
leaders, most of whom are serving right here in churches in Maine. God has been using this church for over 200
years. May those who come behind us find us faithful!
Your co-workers in Christ,
Pastor Steve and Mary Ann
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