I was grateful the other week when one of the deacons reminded me that last year our focus was on engaging, the first part of our church’s vision statement: God calls Central Baptist to engage, encourage, and empower families and individuals to follow Christ.
There were a lot of ways in which engagement took place last year. We engaged the Holy Spirit in seeking direction with the Dawnings process, which produced the Initiatives we affirmed last week. We engaged the community in a number of mission projects, some of which are familiar parts of our church year, and others of which are new, like helping at the food pantry at United Brethren in Christ.
We also engaged the community through Lifetree Café, which has welcomed people from the community with open arms. We engaged the necessity of healing broken relationships. And even though it was painful, we took the first steps of engaging our financial responsibilities by deciding to place the camp for sale. And there were other ways. Even though we didn’t keep the theme in front of the church all the time, it was a year of engaging.
And as we think through this next year that lies ahead of us, it is not time at this moment for new initiatives or new plans. This needs to be a year for us to encourage one another as we seek to follow through and live into the plans and ministries we engaged last year. Encouragement is such a critical part of voluntary faith communities like ours. Being encouraged and lifted up as an individual, and being encouraged to carry out the plans and concepts that we have agreed upon as a church is critical.
Encouragement means letting someone know when they have done something meaningful and helpful, that you appreciate them. Encouragement means helping someone to get over the hump spiritually or in a commitment that they don’t think they can get through.
But also, sometimes encouragement means holding our tongue when harsh critique is all we can think of, until we find the words can be found that communicate love and caring.
In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul speaks these words: “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing… Admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.” So here’s to a year of encouragement – may we find ways to build our community of faith by lifting one another up.
Blessings to you, and may worship be filled with the Spirit for you.
Blessings, Sonny
386.255.2588
secretary@centralbc.org
