2012 was a year of transition and growth at First Baptist Church. We were blessed to see lives changed and many people come to the knowledge of Christ.
These are highlights of the blessings of God upon His church in 2012.
We finally put the difficult Katrina years behind us. In every category of statistical record keeping, we exceeded the year before Hurricane Katrina. Our average worship attendance and our average Bible Study attendance reached the highest numbers ever in 2012.
At the same time, we set a record for baptisms and giving in 2012 as well.
We are thankful to God for these blessings and we are grateful to look back with joy on 2012.
But churches are living bodies. We belong to Christ.
We must ask where we believe God is leading in 2013.
Here are emphases where I perceive God is leading.
We must take as many people to heaven with us as possible. Christ may return soon. We need to help the people around us to know God. And, of course, to know God is to know His ways. This is what “making disciples” means.
We must add value to families. Families need God and need the church. We can be allies for families in raising Godly children. We want to continue to grow our recreation ministry even as we strengthen our discipleship with children and families.
We must help people live for Christ in a crooked generation. We believe God wants us to equip people, particularly our youngest believers, to live for Christ and honor Him with their lives.
We must make it possible for people to meet together for fellowship and to hear from God and His Word. Therefore, we need new facilities to house the people who want to hear from God. During the year we hope to present to the congregation a plan to move forward with new educational facilities.
These are broad plans that will be fleshed out as we move through the year. In order to make this happen, we all must live lives of faith and obedience, seeking God and submitting to His direction for our lives and for our church.
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One Response
Sounds also like you are asking for the scales for fall from our eyes, the eyes of leadership, to see what God has already provided and is being overlooked.
The appearance of Evil overcoming good has always had a comparatively short time horizon in the scheme of things. That Evil has any success at all only shows how far we have yet to mature as a Body of Believers.
The model is a challenge. Familiarity does expose the chinks in the armor of each. Without such exposure combined with understanding our Purpose and employing patience and perseverance we never will develop our potential as outlined in Romans 12, etc.
Your emphasis is on Heaven and that is good. ‘Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done on earth as It is in Heaven’ is the Goal which only can be accomplished employing Him, as He stated and Paul laid out the architect’s plan for His New Temple here.
I will do what money can buy, but what money cannot buy is what is needed to Glorify Him, who is the Author and Finisher of every Good work.
Blessings.