Part of our assembly’s governance includes pastoral terms. Our current term concludes in June which means we had to make the decision to either leave the assembly or allow the congregation to welcome us into another term through a membership vote.  It’s a unique process – one that assumes both the pastor and congregation are seeking the will of God and deciding and voting accordingly.  It’s a theocracy, not a democracy.  In a healthy context, the pastor and congregation will pray and arrive at the same godly conclusion, whether they personally agree or not.

After prayerful consideration, we, as a family, realized that God wasn’t finished with our ministry in Bay Roberts and thus allowed the congregation to welcome us into another term.  This past week, the vote took place and, with 88% voting in favour of our ministry, we have been invited to enter into another term commencing in June. This is my letter to that wonderful congregation…

Dear Congregation:

Thank you for praying – it’s that simple.

The past three years have brought us in many new directions.  We have established a mission statement; we have discontinued, continued and created ministries which align with that mission; and have pushed us to grow together by thinking “outside of the box”.

We’ve taken on risk, and tried new things; however, without prayer and the desire to grow as disciples of Jesus, the tendency to vote democratically increases dramatically.  With 88% support, the opposite must be true.  Thank you for voting theocratically (that is, voting based on God’s will rather than your own). It’s not only a blessing to receive such a vote, it also acknowledges the growth and success of our labour thus far.  Let’s continue to pray as we help build God’s Kingdom.

For those of you who were looking for a change in leadership, I invite your feedback.  Please let us know what you’re missing, let us know how we can improve, and most importantly, please let us know if we have wronged you in any way.  We are about Kingdom growth and never wish to see believers fall behind in their journey of faith because no one was willing to listen.  We are more than willing to listen as we grow together!  Continue to pray for loving relationships.

We look forward to our next three years together!

With our mission statement leading the way, this year will be about shaping our values! And as we move forward, our vision of being an assembly known for truly living out our faith will be fueled and protected by our mission and values.  With God’s help and a desire to GROW as His disciples, I believe we will be amazed with how far we will go in three years!  Continue to pray for a desire to grow.

Our journey towards true WORSHIP, LOVE, and SERVANT-HOOD will take on new forms.  We will continue to explore and find new ways to draw nearer to God; love those around us, in our community and around the world; and, continue to discover selfless leadership and servanthood.  Continue to pray as we live out our mission.

RENO21 (our accessibility renovation project) will prove to be more than an expense. It will be a tool to carry out our mission, values and vision.  The expansion will launch us into a new era of growing ministry!  Continue to pray for its success.

Our ministries will need to take our mission to the next level by strategically planning ways to GROW, WORSHIP, LOVE and SERVE.  Continue to pray for our church ministries as they embrace our mission.

I’m humbled to be your leader and excited to see what God has in store!  Through prayer, discipleship based on scripture, and a focus on our mission, God will build and shape His Church!

So, thank you for paying – it’s that simple.

For the Kingdom,

p.AtH