On Sunday, April 19 a busload of caring FBC church members traveled 45 minutes to celebrate the 10th pastoral Anniversary of Dr. Chris Brauns. It brought my heart great joy to witness so many First Baptist Church members hop on a church bus in effort to show the love of Christ to a like-minded church in Stillman Valley.
As a leadership team you hope and pray that the Lord's people will manifest an "others-orientated" mindset as Paul so commends in Philippians 2:1-4. Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Make no mistake about it, the revitalization progress at First Baptist, Freeport has been a team effort. God has deployed a number of local churches and pastors in the larger NW Illinois area to help us grow in the knowledge and grace of the Savior. We have received so much over the past seven years. In view of this, I reminded our church family of the words of Jesus who said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35) and our people responded accordingly.
This special flock has always been willing to help meet the spiritual and physical needs of others in the spirit of 2 Corinthians 8-10. To paraphrase the words of the apostle John, "I have no greater joy than to witness my children walking in the truth." (3 John 4)
