We are slightly into our 10th year of ministry here at the Floyd Church of God and I can honestly say that I am just as excited today about the future of this ministry as I was the day that we arrived. Much has changed with our family since we moved here. Our kids that were once tiny, have grown and are becoming every day more and more of what God designed them to be. I believe the church parallels that growth. I believe that since I became your pastor this church has grown in many ways, and is becoming more and more of what God has designed it to be. What an exciting process to watch both in the lives of my children and in the lives of God’s church. Just as they have had to learn and grow mentally, spiritually, and physically as they experience the life that God gave them, so the church must learn and grow mentally, spiritually, and physically as it experiences the life that God has given it. There have been growing pains, the occasional injury, some challenges, and a few victories, and all together this makes up life both for the church and for each of us as individuals.
I have noticed with my older children that no matter how big or grown up they get, they still have room to grow, and they still look forward to the future with great anticipation. I believe that this too is characteristic of the church. No matter how much we have grown there is still room to grow, and the future will hold far greater adventures than the past. We must never lose the sense of excitement that comes from not knowing exactly what is around the next corner. We can make plans, and we can do our best to speculate but Psalm 33 helps us to put our plans in perspective:
10 The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes. 15 He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do. 11 But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. 12 What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance. 13 The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. 14 From his throne he observes all who live on the earth.
God truly does understand all that we do and His plans stand firm forever. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t plan at all, just that God’s plans take priority. It is my sincere desire that we continue to discover His plan for the Floyd Church of God, and execute it with all the faith we have.
I have been excited over the past year to see some of the good things that have happened: Our Outreach and InReach teams continue to work hard both to make contact with the community and to welcome them once they come. The Board of Trustees has worked hard to maintain our building and grounds and to prepare for upcoming changes such as the city water coming in (have faith it will happen someday:). The Board of CE has continued to staff our Sunday school and oversee our children’s and youth ministries, which is a big task, and requires the recruiting of many volunteers. They have done well, and I would encourage you to pray hard if you are asked to help in some way so that you don’t miss an opportunity to be a part of God’s plan here at Floyd. The Social Committee and Benevolence Committee continue to carry out their duties with great efficiency, and have each poured many hours into the work that they do. You, the congregation, have been faithful with your tithes and offerings, and have supported the ministry of this church at a level that has allowed us to operate in the black financially, at a time when many churches are dangerously low on income…Thank You!
The one group that struggled this year to fulfill its duties is the Pastoral Advisory Team, which failed to meet this year. Part of the responsibility is mine, and the Council has encouraged me to make an effort this year to encourage the Team to try again. We are planning to meet for organization the Monday night after our Annual Meeting and will do our best to get a regular meeting schedule in place. To those on the Team, please accept my sincere apology for not doing my part to make this Team work as it should.
The Church Council under my direction is bringing some by-laws changes for your consideration at the Annual Business Meeting, to be voted on at a later date. Some of the changes are to simply fix what is broken…in other words to put in our by-laws what is already our practice, and in some cases, has been for years. Some of the other changes are to try and help us as we transition from a medium size church to a large church (yes…statistically churches of 250-300 are on the brink of being labeled large) where we must streamline some of our processes and trust the leaders that we appoint even more. In a church our size it is not possible or practical for every member to be involved in every decision related to the operation of the church. Pastor Bill and myself have the responsibility as defined in scripture to care for God’s Flock, and to me that means doing what is best for the church, even when that means making changes that may be a little uncomfortable at first. More will be said about the by-laws changes at the meeting, but let me assure you that change is here to stay. As long as we are healthy, we will grow, and as we grow, we must grow on the inside and the outside. Imagine if Caleb, our oldest son, who was 6 years old when we moved here grew to his current size, but his skeletal structure refused to grow, and remained the same size and strength that it was in 2000. Not only would he look ridiculous but he wouldn’t be able to function very well either. When a church grows but does not address the changes to our skeletal structure or organizational structure that are needed…we too will look ridiculous, and we won’t be able to function well at all.
Through it all, God is with us. I have learned over the years that I can trust you, and I hope that you have learned that you can trust me. Together we will move forward and see His “kingdom come,” And His “will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”