Thoughts From the Pastor
A Month of Change
As the month of August begins, our minds start to switch to the many changes that will be taking place in our lives over the next month. August is the month of back-to-school shopping, registering for school and finally, starting school. Depending on the age of the student, it may mean a new teacher and a new class, a completely new school, or starting that adventure that is college-life. For parents, it means trying to get your children back into the school-year routines. For teachers, it means new faces to see and new names to learn.
This year, we throw another change into the mix. August 2006 will be a time of preparation for the coming of a new pastor. For you who are part of North Baptist Church, this time can be either exciting or a little scary. For those who have served on the Staff Selection Committee, it will probably be busy. For me, the new pastor, it will be a time of packing, saying goodbye, and moving to an almost completely new life.
Any time a new pastor comes to a church, there are many questions about change. Questions like: “What will he change about our church?” “What will he change about our worship service?” “How will he be different from Pastor _____?” “Will I like him?” “Will he like us?” And many other questions that may be going through your minds.
Someone once said that “the only constant in life is change.” So I am not going to tell you that nothing will change when I get to North. The very fact that I will be your pastor is a change. My style of preaching may be different from anything you have experienced before so that may be a change. There will be a pastor in the office on a full-time basis, that will be a change from the interim time. Beyond that, I cannot tell you what changes we will experience together. But I promise that any changes that I propose will come only after observation, prayer, and discussion with the leadership of your congregation. The ultimate question will always be, “How does God want us to go about doing the ministries that God has given us to do?”
So as we contemplate the upcoming changes, we may begin to feel a little fear, or at least a little nervous. That is natural. But we can weather all of the changes in life by relying on our loving Heavenly Father. In Psalm 46 we read, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Peter instructs us to, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
During this next month, as you prepare for all of the changes that will be happening in your life, and in the life of North Baptist, remember to cast all of your worries and anxieties on Jesus through prayer. Begin praying now that God will bless the ministries of North Baptist. I also ask that you begin praying now for me. A pastor is only as effective as the prayer support that is behind him. So I ask for and challenge some of you to dedicate yourself to praying for your pastor on a daily basis. The most important thing you can do for me, and for North Baptist Church, is to pray. And I will join you in prayer so that together we will hear the voice of God leading us toward the future that God has for us.
May God bless all of you as we eagerly anticipate the beginning of a new stage in the life of North Baptist Church.
Pastor Robert
