Saturday, April 6, 2019

Pastor's Report Preview: April 2019

The following is a first draft of my report for the Annual Meeting of Boothbay Baptist Church, SN]


"You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven… (Matthew 5:14,16)
Pastor’s Annual Report – April 2019
       The motto our church adopted several years ago says that Boothbay Baptist Church is “A lighthouse of God’s Grace and Truth.” That evokes the words of Jesus at the top of this page, we are the light of the world, in that we let the light of the Gospel shine into our community through our life and witness, which ultimately will bring glory of God. It’s a privilege to have a part in God’s mission! Let’s continue to live out our vision to be “A community of the Christ-followers, rooted in the Word, treasuring God as supremely valuable, proclaiming the riches of His grace to the world.
      We’ve had a great time on Thursday nights with the Word of Life Olympians, taking turns leading games, doing reviews, and teaching. We are thankful for the volunteers who join with us to make this ministry a priority. I’ve been leading the adult Sunday School class most weeks over the last year, guiding our discussions of some excellent video material, and more recently, leading our series on the Book Isaiah, focusing on the messianic prophecies so central to the book. In relation to that, the CE committee is going to raise for discussion once again the issue of Sunday School over the summer.  Mary Ann and I both feel that it would be beneficial to those currently carrying the teaching load to have a break, and so we would like to propose not having Sunday School for the summer quarter (dates to be determined). This issue has been raised before, and though some would like to continue through the summer, there has been a shortage of volunteers to take the classes. Our preparation for and involvement in VBS might be a better use of our people as we look ahead to restarting Sunday School in September, after Labor Day.
       Over the last year (or two!) I’ve enjoyed preaching through the Gospel of Mark in our Sunday morning services. I’ve been learning in my study each week, and hope you have increasingly been astonished by the Cross as we’ve looked at Mark’s answer to three questions: 1) Who is Jesus?; 2) Why did He come?; and 3) What does it mean to follow Him? My hope is that this series has also equipped you to share your faith more effectively, and also to use those Christ-centered questions as a guide to reading the Gospel of Mark with a friend or neighbor. Our calling is to make disciples! Our Wednesday night Bible and Prayer meeting in the parsonage discusses the teaching of the Sunday sermon. We hope to switch again to a “Church on the Go” format for the summer.
       Today the elders will propose some of our attendees for membership, with other possibilities on the near horizon. We have had some newer folks coming regularly and getting involved in the life and ministries of the church and we hope more of them will agree to formally become part of this local church.  It is important to commit to mutual support and accountability in this way.
       I continue to lead a prayer and coffee time for men at 6:30 AM on Tuesday mornings, which has been a small meeting, but a good time in which we look ahead at the passage I plan to preach on the next week. If you are an early riser, I’d love to have more men join the discussion! I also continue to be available for counselling for individuals and for couples. The stresses of life in our fallen world can challenge our faith, and it is God’s plan that we bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ.
       With Resurrection Sunday approaching, let me close with a quotation from the end of I Corinthians 15, verses 57,58, But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Your coworkers in Christ,
Pastor Steve and Mary Ann

No comments:

Post a Comment