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Pastor's Points July 2019

Dear Church Family,

I am so thankful to be back with my church family!  Thank you church family for allowing me this time to reflect on and rest from the daily responsibilities of ministry.  It was truly a blessing.  But I also experienced another blessing as I listened online to our pastors as they filled the pulpit each week.  Thank you to Pastors Bryan, Nick, and Brian for faithfully filling the pulpit while I was away.  And of course, thank you to Pastor Jared for what he does so faithfully every Sunday that we gather.  Our church is blessed to have these men of God on our church staff.  I thank God for you all!

People have been asking me what I learned while I was away. In general, I learned or was reminded of a few things… the value and necessity of rest, the blessing of a wife who is truly my partner in life, and of my deep and abiding love for my church family.  I also met with five pastors whom God used in magnificent ways.  I was able to ask questions and learn from them on my quest to become a more effective and god honoring pastor here in our church family.

As God would have it I read the book, Leading in Love, by Andrew Strauch while I was away, and God used it in connection with my Bible reading to speak to me on the value and necessity of love in the life of a follower of Jesus.  Out of this time I am going to start a new series of messages on July 7^th titled, “The Real Thing”.  In these messages we will deal with the reality that love makes all the difference in the world.  As a part of this series we will look at I Corinthians 13 which is also known as the “love chapter” to many.  Often, we hear this text at weddings, but the content of this truth goes way beyond the marriage ceremony.  These truths are for all of life.  I am very excited for this series of messages.

As I returned from sabbatical, we jumped right into Vacation Bible School, and let me just say that it was a wonderful week of ministry to children.  Thank you to all the volunteers that made it happen!  A special thanks to Pastor Bryan and Kristi for the countless hours they invested to bring VBS to life.  Pastor Bryan you led well and we are   thankful for you!  It was all worth it.  We have several children that we are currently following up with who prayed to receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord!  So thankful for everyone that made this special week a reality.

We also have more ministry to come this summer.  On July 14^th two big things are going to begin.  We will have the first worship service of our Hispanic church plant at 6:00 pm in the fellowship hall.  While this service is going on, our summer discipleship classes will meet in other parts of our building.  At the conclusion of our classes and the Hispanic church service, we will all gather in the gym at 7:30 pm for a fellowship to celebrate the beginning of our Hispanic church.  It is going to be a special night and I pray to see you in one of our classes and at the fellowship afterwards.

I am so excited to see all that God has for us in the future!

I love you and I love being your pastor

Pastor's Points - June 2019

How to Pray for Pastor Alan While He is on His Sabbatical
(Excerpts taken from “8 Prayers You Should Pray for Your Pastor” by Stephen Altrogge)

In some ways, pastors are sustained by the prayers of their people. Obviously, God is the one who ultimately sustains pastors, but one of his primary means is through the prayers for pastors. When it comes to why you should pray for your pastor, take the words of Charles Spurgeon to heart: “No man can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me.” Do your pastor a true kindness today. Pray for your pastor.

#1 – For Protection From Satan - (1 Peter 5:8) - If Satan can take down a shepherd of God’s people, the odds are much higher that God’s people will scatter. That they’ll  become bitter and disenfranchised. They will question everything they’ve ever been taught by that pastor. Satan targets pastors because the damage is exponential if they fall. Pray for your pastor that he would be kept safe from Satan.

#2 – For Protection Against His Own Sinful Heart - (James 1:14-15) - Pastors don’t fall because one day, out of the blue, they decide to dive headlong into sin. The slide into sin happens slowly, over time, in small increments, as the pastor believes the lies presented to him by his flesh. Pray for your pastor that he would be on guard against the lies of sin. Pray that he would have a proper fear of God.

#3 – For Deep Spiritual Encouragement - (Romans 1:11-12) - Pastoral ministry can be brutal, discouraging work. Pastors find themselves in the midst of terrible situations on a regular basis – divorce, death, apostasy, and much more. It’s also challenging because they don’t see progress in the sense that other jobs do. Christians are always in progress. Because of this, discouragement and depression can be a regular companion of the minister. Pray for your pastor to be encouraged.

#4 – For Wisdom - (James 1:5) - Many elements of pastoral ministry are not black and white. A husband and wife are in serious conflict, and the husband has one story while the wife has another. A church member needs financial  support but has a history of mismanaged finances. A young man struggles with same-sex attraction while still wanting to follow Jesus. Pastors need God’s wisdom to navigate these gray areas.

#5 – For Doctrinal Faithfulness - (2 Timothy 1:14) - Pastors can be tempted to modify or even abandon biblical  doctrines for a variety of reasons. Cultural pressures, vocal church members, even legal actions can press hard upon pastors, making them feel that the only way out is to give up the clear teaching of Scripture. They need God’s grace to stay faithful to the good deposit of God’s word.

#6 – For A Healthy Body - (1 Corinthians 9:27) - Ministry can take a tremendous toll on a pastor’s body. Yes, our bodies are temples, but they are often broken temples. Long nights at the hospital, high-stress situations, and ever-present discouragement can quickly lead to burnout and body betrayal. Not only do pastor’s need spiritual strength, they need physical strength as well. Pray for your pastor that he would be sustained in body and mind.

#7 – For A Strong Marriage and Family - (1 Timothy 3:2-6) - Church history is littered with the skeletons of pastors whose marriages and families fell apart under the strain of pastoral ministry. And as 1 Timothy states, if a pastor can’t manage his family, how can he manage the church of God? Satan loves to sabotage a pastor’s family, and your pastor needs prayer that God will give him a healthy marriage and family.

#8 – For Meaningful Friendships - (Proverbs 18:24) - Pastoral ministry can be surprisingly lonely. Something about being in a position of leadership isolates the man. People look to him to be a teacher and leader, not be their close friend. Pastors need close friends who will encourage them, hold them accountable, and push them toward Christ.