I’m asking everyone to read today’s Lagniappe.

It’s important for the Lead Pastor of the church to communicate with the congregation. As I’ve often said: “Churches do well with communication and poorly without it.”

With a large congregation (or a small one), communication is difficult.

Here’s the way I seek to communicate with the church.

I write a “Lagniappe” article every week. Even when I’m not in town preaching, I write the Lagniappe article. I write it on vacation. That’s how important I see communicating with the church.

I want to ask you to read my article each week. It’s about 300 words and can be read in less than two minutes. If you miss the Lagniappe you can find it on my website (waylonbailey.com) each Saturday (the day before it is distributed to the congregation). It is archived on the website so that you can read it at almost anytime.

By the way, today marks my 26th anniversary at FBC Covington. I’ve only missed a handful of times to write for the church.

What do I write about? Mainly, the vision and direction of the church. Next week’s Lagniappe will be about our next (very important) congregational meeting which will take place Wednesday, May 20, at 6:15 PM in the Worship Center.

I also communicate with the congregation at our four congregational meetings each year. At each meeting, part of the agenda is “Pastor’s Comments.” I use this forum to place before you important information about what’s happening now and what we are facing in the future.

A third way I communicate is to meet regularly with our deacons, trustees, and the three administrative committees of the church (finance, personnel, and property). These meetings all contain times to “ask me anything you need to know.”

I try to use my teaching times (Weekend worship services, Wednesday night verse by verse Bible Study, Tuesday Men’s Breakfast) to minister with the Word rather than to use it for church wide communication. Though sometimes the subject is so significant I must use those forums for communication about church needs.

Let me make a pledge to you: I promise to do my best to give the congregation important and appropriate information in a timely manner.

Let me ask you to pledge to me: I promise to attend worship weekly and to take advantage of church communications (such as Lagniappe or Waylon’s blog, and congregational meetings).