The Pastor's Corner - September 2008

As this church calendar year comes to a close and a new one begins, I find myself in a strongly reflective mode. Ministry in Taos always brings unique challenges, some difficult, some strange, but mostly rewarding.

I think back on this past year and remember that our church sent a team on an international mission trip that God used in such powerful ways for everyone involved, from the those who supported it financially and prayerfully, to the team members who traveled, to the host church where we ministered.

I think of how a young man in our church came to the realization of his salvation experience through involvement in our Youth ministry and a mission trip to Chicago and has since been re-baptized, this time as a believer.

I think of the man who strayed into our Sunday morning service, full of the alcohol from a mouthwash, but empty of every sense of worth or value he has as a human being and how he came to a renewed sense of his worth and God’s love for him through the love and personal investment into his life by some of our members and has now gone on to bigger and better things.

I remember that God has brought us several new people who have sensed God’s call to become members of this church and begin working for his Kingdom with us. I think of all of the fellowships we’ve had together and how I can see a genuine sense of Christian community that has been so positively commented on by church members who remember when it wasn’t there, as well as by lost folk who attended the fellowships and were touched by the presence of God in our midst. Our worship services are such a blessing to everyone attending and have been praised by visitors more times than I can remember.

It’s been an incredible year for us in so many ways. Now, we’re faced with another year of opportunity to minister for Christ in this place of so much hurt and need.

May God give us the best year we’ve ever had !!

Calling the Church to Prayer

We are still calling on everyone to join us in prayer for God to move in our hearts and lives to show us His vision for how our church is to move forward into His plan for our future. There is a definite need to relocate the church facilities, but there is an even greater need for all of our members to be united in the conviction that God does have a definite plan for His Church to walk in faith and take bold steps for His glory.

To this end, we have started a BUILDING FUND that everyone can begin giving to as a “first step” of faith in the work of FBC moving into the future God has designed for us. We are heavily focused on prayer in our church regarding the vision God has for us and ask you to join us in daily prayers.

Also, The budget team needs to begin their work of meeting together for prayer, planning, and preparation of the church budget for the 2008-2009 calendar year. Please remember our budget team in your prayers as they seek to discern the will of God regarding the ministries He has planned for this church over the next twelve months. We always work to prepare a budget based on the will of God, never on the circumstances or plans of man. There are so many possibilities and so much need in our town, so pray for their wisdom.

The Old and New News

OLD - We continue to need children’s Sunday school teachers.  Please pray with us that God will lead the right people to us to work in this most important ministry.

NEW - The time slot for Youth Sunday school has been changed back to 10 am on Sunday mornings.

NEW - Our Wednesday evening service for adults will resume again on August 13th at 7:00 pm. Please join us on Wed. nights for a time of prayer and devotion that will encourage your heart and rejuvenate your spirit!

NEW - Our church is calling on all of the men and young men to join us for a “prayer breakfast” on August 13th at 8:00 am in the fellowship hall. Immediately following the meal, we will enter into a time of prayer to seek God’s vision for our church and to seek His direction for our place of service here.

Focused Prayer at First Baptist

We have started our Wednesday night prayer meetings again and are asking our members to come and join us for a time of prayer focused on the vision and future of FBC, Taos. There is a short time of devotional thought from the Scriptures and then we begin our time of prayer.

While we briefly mention personal concerns that are also an important matter of prayer, we are using this time for the expressed purpose of kneeling before God to ask for His guidance and the outpouring of His Spirit on our church and through our church upon our community. Please come out and join us in this great work of ministry in prayer.

Sunday Summer Nights

Our Sunday night fellowship times are coming to a close this month, but what a blessing they’ve been in the life of our church! We are looking at having one final, big, blowout Sunday night fellowship this month.

One suggestion has been made that we all invite everyone from the community who helped support our team on its mission trip to Romania to come over and watch the video footage of the trip with us and then join us for the food, fun, and games. That sounds like a good idea!

Whatever we do for the last big event, we need to begin thinking about what our Sunday night format is going to look like from October to next September. We could do small group bible studies in church members homes on a variety of topics so you would have some options to choose from or we could use the time for an hour or so ministry into the community. Be thinking about it.

Food for Thought

“The Hymn for our Times”

I came across this hymn, unknown by me personally, but certainly one American believers in today’s world need to reflect on.

We are God’s People
Bryan Jeffery Leech

“We are God’s people, the chosen of the Lord
Born of His Spirit, established by His Word;
Our cornerstone is Christ alone, and strong in Him we stand,
O let us live transparently, and walk heart to heart and hand to hand.

We are God’s loved ones, the Bride of Christ our Lord,
For we have known it, the love of God out-poured
Now let us learn how to return the gift of love once given;
O let us share each joy and care, and live with a zeal that pleases Heaven.

We are the Body of which the Lord is Head,
Called to obey Him, now risen from the dead;
He wills us be a family Diverse yet truly one;
O let us give our gift to God, and so shall His work on earth be done!

We are a Temple, the Spirit’s dwelling place,
Formed in great weakness, a cup to hold God’s grace
We die alone, for on its own each ember loses fire;
Yet joined in one flame burns on to give warmth and light and to inspire.”

At a time where what is undoubtedly one of the most important presidential elections in the history of our country, believers need to unite in their passion for God’s glory and in their unflinching commitment to live as salt and light before our fellow countrymen and the watching world who don’t know the truth of the Gospel. May we remember that We Are God’s People and begin to act accordingly so that God may change the course of our country back towards Him!