Just about a year ago, I started posting regular Pastor’s Updates on our website. God was in the process of breaking me down and rebuilding me. And I wanted to share what God was teaching me with all of you. As I have looked back over this past year, I am totally amazed at how radically God has changed me. I am not the man I was a year ago, or even 6 months ago. God has been at work in me and I do not want it to stop.

 

I guess the most significant change in me has been a greater dependency on the Lord. This past year has brought me to me knees and into God’s presence over and over again. I have gained a new appreciation for what God can do when we are entirely desperate for Him to move, totally dependant on Him to work, and concerned enough to take it to God in prayer. In the past, in my insecurities, I have often been dependant on people (or on a personal need for their approval). Over this year, God has taught me to be desperately dependant on Him every day. 

 

It seems like every single week for over a year now, I find myself wrestling with what God would have me preach. And every week I find myself hitting my knees asking God to direct me in my sermon prep and preaching. And week after week, God comes through. I find myself desperately dependant on God in prayer to lead me in next steps for our church. I realize how desperately lost we are if God does not provide us with His direction and His power to bring it about. I want to be doing what God wants me to be doing, whatever that might cost me. And sometimes that cost is really high. God sometimes requires that I give up what may be most precious to me, because it is that very thing that is hindering God’s process of growth in me or is keeping me from effectively ministering where God wants me to be serving Him. But time after time, God proves the price has been worth it.

 

Just look at where we are as a church. A year ago, I never would have imagined that we would have hired a pastoral intern to help us improve our worship and youth ministries. But that’s exactly where God has been leading us. In May, I had no idea what God had in store for us next; I just knew it was probably time for another step. The Deacons and I talked about several ideas, but none of them seemed right. So we asked for input from our congregation in the form of a survey. I poured over the responses and took them to the Lord in prayer. I believe He revealed a direction forward (hire a pastoral intern to help improve our worship and have a unified worship team). But we didn’t have any of the resources necessary. No one played keyboard/piano or percussion any more, Henrietta (our organist) was going to be out with surgery soon, and no one had the time (or skill) to pull something like that off. So I began to pray.

 

A week later, Nic approached me and told me that God was leading him to come and serve in our church for a year. I was thrilled, and it was totally unexpected. That same week the Deacons discussed it and were fully supportive. The next week, Heather offered to play drums for us (she had been practicing and really felt God calling her to that). That same week someone offered to donate electronic drums to the church if we could use them. The week after that Linda Ruland offered to play piano as long as we needed (and she offered just a few days before Henrietta would be out for surgery – God’s timing for sure). The next week the Music Committee met to discuss this and fully supported it as well. And since then others have offered their musical gifts as well. At the Advisory Council, Quarterly and Special Business meetings, the congregation and many other leaders demonstrated overwhelming support as well. Of course, we couldn’t support Nic fully and he would have to find another job. But God provided for that too. A week after arriving home, Nic found a job that fit his schedule perfectly. And he started at the church, and at his other job, on the very same day. That’s a God thing.