Moving Forward

Well, the Christmas season is winding down and we are getting ready to move on at EHBC. We kind of did Christmas by the seat of our pants. I was feeling out the congregation for what they wanted with our Christmas Celebration and they were looking to see what I was going to do next. Next year will be smoother... I'm sure!

Now, it's time to start thinking about our big evangelism promotion for the spring, getting the Master Strategy Plan in place, and getting back in the sanctuary on Easter. Believe me... that's a lot for just a few months.

Personally, I will have to cut my hours at Wal-Mart. If we are to move forward, the church needs me operating at more than I am now. The trick will be getting Wal-Mart to go along with that without losing the job altogether.

Secondly, Jan and I will ramp up our search for a home in the Fairfax area.

All in all, the new year should be pretty exciting!

Baptism!

As we prepare for our first baptism event at EHBC it reminds me a lot of the mission field. First, we had to borrow a portable baptistry from Axiom Church in Goshen. I've baptised in rivers but never in a portable (new experience = missions). Driving the portable from Axiom to EHBC was an experience... driving a stick shift (Pastor Rays truck)is something we did all the time in Poland... but not in Ohio. I'm glad I didn't drop P-Rays transmission!

I'm also glad that Jan and I can take the wonderful people of EHBC on this journey. They are so used to having a nice baptistry and everything being somewhat easy. Well, since the baptistry in our sanctuary is totally inoperable, and will take some doing to get up and running, this is a different experience for them also! Different = Missions!! Harder = Missions!!

Yippee for Missions... Yippee for Baptisms... Praise the Lord!

Prayer Jog

With the upcoming God's Plan for Sharing Across Greater Cincinnati and the "Find it Here" campaigns right around the corner, I have been talking about Prayer Walking/Jogging/Driving in our prayer group and will also start mentioning it on Sunday mornings soon.

I can't just talk about it and not do it... so yesterday morning I parked the car at the church and took off jogging. I went for an hour so I was able to make several loops around Fairfax and Madisonville. Wow... is it hilly over there! That Fairfax Bike Trail is like a roller coaster going up and down.

I prayed for the church members as I jogged by their houses (I only know where a few live over there). And I also prayed in particular for the homes that had children as I went by. But my main prayer was that God would sweep over the area and that many people would come to Christ. I prayed that a movement of God would start in the area and EHBC would be the epicenter.

I also asked God to lead me as to where Jan and I should live down there. I have always felt like we should live where we ministered. Now, in Goshen, we live over a half hour from Fairfax/Madisonville. Shoot... what's one more move in a lifetime of moves?

So, every Wednesday morning (weather permitting) will be my EHBC prayer jog. I look forward to knowing every street in the area around EHBC and claiming it for Christ!

Main Lesson So Far

Being a bi-vocational pastor is a real trip. It's about 10 times harder than I expected. Here's the reason why: the last two ministry positions I had were both full time positions. As a pastor at Mallard Point Baptist Church in Georgetown, Ky and as a missionary to Poland I was able to give 100% of my work energy towards those positions.

Now, I have a secular job that is demanding way beyond what it pays!! You ask... why don't you get another job? Do you know hard it is for a 56 year old guy to get a job in this economy? I'm going to stay with what I've got for now.

Here is the main problem. I still have "full-time pastor eyes" and I see all of the things that need to be done and I still have a desire to do them... but I just don't have the time nor the energy to do them all. That's one of the reason my blogging has slipped lately. It just doesn't seem as important as some of the things I could be doing with my available resources. I have a "to do" list that is as long as my right arm... sigh :(

Somebody the other day said, "Why don't you delegate?" I would, but the members of our small church are already overworked.

So, what's the answer? Just as Jan and I had to do in Poland when we had extreme difficulty learning the language, we are going to have to relearn how to trust in God. I will have to turn my "to do" list over to Jesus. And here's the hardest part.. I'll have to be satisfied with that. If I don't get everything done, if I don't go to every meeting, if I don't make every phone call, if I don't write every letter, if I don't make every visit, if I don't take on every project... well... I'll have to be OK with that.

And here's the main thing I've got to remember... God's movement does not depend on my busyness. God is stirring the waters at EHBC despite my self imposed guilt.

Wow, that's a really good thing!!

Stand in the Gap

I've been thinking a lot about the wonderful turnout we had last Sunday for Homecoming. Many of the people who were in attendance were people who fled the church when things started going south.

I've been really convicted about this. I would have probably done the same thing... get off of the sinking ship! I also thank God for those who stayed and manned the bilge pumps!!

But it comes down to this: we have to rebuild trust. People must be confident that their church is ALWAYS going to do the right thing... in relationships... in finances... in ministry. The church (starting with the pastor) has got to be rock solid. Seriously, the phrase "above reproach" comes into mind.

So, just as the Lord was looking for someone to stand in the gap on behalf of the land in Ezekiel 22, He is now looking for someone to stand on behalf of EHBC as we rebuild trust.

I'll speak to our Prayer Group tonight about this.

Bad Start, Good Finish

I blogged earlier that I had a bad start to the week... well, that was resolved with a nice meeting yesterday.

And... I received some good news today! Jackie Jump, a dear friend of ours from another Baptist Church in the area, has agreed to come and spend 6 months helping us with our music. Kind of like a mission assignment.

Jackie will play the piano and Hasso can move to the guitar for our hymn singing. Also, Jackie has experience leading a choir... so... if God sends us some voices we can restart the EHBC choir!

Jackie will start the first week of October! I can't wait! Yippee!

Bad Start to the Week

I was rather shocked to receive some unexpected and severe criticism on my preaching this week. The way it was delivered was also somewhat hurtful.

I thought the honeymoon would last longer.