Another Pastoral Epistle 1/2/19

Happy New Year!

I came across this poem which I found to be very appropriate to this time of year when resolutions are made.

I spent a fortune on a trampoline,
A stationary bike
And a rowing machine;

Complete with gadgets
To read my pulse,
And gadgets to prove
My progress results,

And others to show
The miles I have charted,
But they left off the gadget
To get me started.

Know the feeling? Companies and corporations pay considerable money for consultants to come in and fire up their personnel. They continue to look for ways to get their employees motivated. A little motivation can go a long way. What motivates you? As a follower of Christ, what should motivate you?

We will look at motivation as we come to stewardship month. What is stewardship month? It is to follow the logic of our existence and to whom we owe it. The God who owns it all and is the Creator of all has given us the awesome yet sobering privilege of caring for that which He has given us. That includes our money and possessions, but not only our money and possessions. He has given us abilities, time, spiritual gifts, experiences, people under our care, all to be used for Him. We are stewards and care takers of all that he has given us.

While I know that you are disappointed we are continuing our break from our study in Revelation, I hope you can share the excitement with me in looking at the Old Testament book of Haggai. This is a great book that ties into stewardship month. But in a different way than you may think. It speaks to motivation. It challenges our priorities. It calls us to step up for it is time to give God first place, rather than what is left over. It answers, “what’s next” for the people of God.

You will be hearing more about our “what’s next campaign.” You will be hearing about buildings, expansion, facility upgrades, but it is all connected to our vision as a church. What is next for EBC in growing deeper and having greater impact? What’s next for the church to grow and for each of us to grow in our relationship with Christ, in our spiritual disciplines, closer to each other, and grow in our efforts to reach the lost for Christ? Those questions are the reason for addressing facility needs. Our facility facilitates our goals, objectives, and resolutions.

As we turn the page to 2019, let’s get started on what we believe God wants of us. More than that, let’s stay with it to completion. Not sure who said it, but it has stuck with me: “The greatness of a person is determined not by what it takes to get him going, but by what it takes to stop him.”

Staying the course,
Pastor Brian