Pastor's Report 2014

A long time ago, I read an article on the subject of church growth and it said something incredibly simple that has always stuck with me. Why would something this simple and this obvious even need to be written in a publication for ministers?  I don’t know.  I guess it just proves that sometimes we miss what is obvious.

I cannot give an exact quote of the article—in fact, I cannot recall the source any longer—but it basically said words to this effect:  People come to church because they want to encounter God.

Hard to believe this would have to be written to ministers, huh?

People come to church because they want to encounter God.  That’s like finding this line in a trade journal for restaurants:  People who go to restaurants have some minor interest in eating food.

I get it, though.  I understand that this type of thing can happen because in church work it is possible to get so caught up in the details of running a church that we can lose sight of the basics. We can subtly, gradually start to think that the church is about sermons, board meetings, classes, musical performances, issues involving the physical facility, administrative issues, etc., rather than understanding that these are tools which God uses to facilitate the main thing. 

The main thing is an authentic encounter with Him.

I want you to know it is my desire to continue to authentically walk with God on a daily basis because that is the source of real life.  Also, it is my desire that our church will be a place where many, many people from different backgrounds and walks of life can encounter the living, risen Lord Jesus Christ, the source of salvation and source of true life!

With much love,

Dan