Pastor’s
Report 2022
“And all nations will hate you because you are
my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved.” Spoken by
Jesus to His followers, Matthew 10:22
I know.
That’s not a very bright and cheery way to begin a pastor’s report. But I
figured if I start like that there’s nowhere to go but more and more cheerful!
I was
thinking and praying about the pastor’s report and nothing was coming to mind.
Don’t worry, that’s what happens every year the first 4 or 5 times I sit down
at the keypad and try to write it.
But then
as I was praying, this Matthew 10:22 verse came to mind. I figured, “This must
be from God because it is not something I would typically use to start a report.”
Frankly, I
believe it came to mind—at least in part—because I have had a few reminders,
recently, that when the church does what it is supposed to do there will be
some people who will not like it.
“People
won’t like a church, Dan?!? Get out of here!!!”
Well,
it’s true.
Our
church has helped people in areas of life that involve emotional, relational,
mental health, financial, physical and spiritual matters. And I frequently
receive earnest words of gratitude for the many ways in which our church
reaches out and ministers to people in the name of Jesus.
But every
now and then people are upset about Jesus, the message of Jesus, the truth of
Jesus, and they let that be known.
When this
happens, I have to remind myself, number one, of verses like Matthew 10:22,
quoted above, in which the Lord told us, long ago, to be ready for this
reality.
And,
number two, I remind myself to remain faithful.
Jesus
calls us to remain faithful.
Before I
was born, this congregation that I now pastor, was in existence. They were one
of many local expressions of the body of Christ that followed the Lord Jesus,
faithfully. I am grateful for the faithfulness of those sturdy, sincere,
diligent folks.
Fast
forward a bit. When I was a kid, this congregation, was in existence. It
faithfully ministered the truth of Jesus to my family and myself. Jesus used
this church to make a profound difference in our lives. It ministered to many
others, as well. They were faithful.
Now here
we are in 2022. We have had a couple of interesting years, recently.
(Particularly in 2020.) Yet, you, the people of this church love the Lord and
you remain faithful to Him. After many, many years this church is still
faithful. I love it! You are an inspiration and an amazing encouragement to me.
I was
talking with an old friend, recently, and she remarked that it bothered her
that in the past couple of years a number of people seem to have given up on
church. This is definitely true throughout the United States, I suspect it’s
true in other countries, as well.
That
reality makes your faithfulness all the more special, all the more important
and all the more encouraging to me. (By the way, don’t worry, God is not
defeated. He will always have a people. See? The optimism is increasing!)
Thank you
for your obedience and faithfulness to Jesus. Part of being faithful to Jesus means
being committed to His bride, the church. Your commitment inspires me!
Umm…let’s
see…I don’t really know any other way to work another subject into this report
except to just awkwardly say: Now, I’m going to change the subject!
So…now
I’m going to change the subject.
We were
blessed to have Collin Glatz intern with the church this summer and that was
one of the highlights of the year for me. I’ve known Collin his whole life. In
fact, I’ve known Collin’s family since long before he was born. Collin is a
brilliant young man who is gifted in a number of ways but he also has this
important factor: A genuine heart for God. That truth blesses my heart beyond
words.
Collin
taught in several different contexts; preached; served Communion; went on
visitation with me; participated in groups like our Tuesday prayer team; put a
new transmission in my van; vanquished a dragon; and helped out in other ways.
(Just kidding about the transmission in the van and the dragon.)
He is a
wonderful young man who is seeking God’s guidance regarding His calling. We
trust that God is going to work through Collin in powerful ways.
Some
folks have asked me: “Dan, will Collin be coming back this coming summer?”
My
answer: I don’t know Collin’s plans and I suspect Collin may not even know his
plans for the coming summer yet. But we can pray, right?
I love
you all very much. You are a tremendous blessing to me.
…And did
I mention that I love you? Oh, I did? Well, I thought it was worth repeating.
Love and
blessings,
Dan
First Church of God
Oak Lawn, IL
