In twelve years of full-time
pastoral ministry my first twelve plus weeks at Lake Country Bible Church have been
the most rewarding months of my life (and some of the fullest). For this, Andrea and I praise and thank the
Lord!
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| Lake Country Bible Church |
After nine challenging years of church revitalization, God (still) owed me nothing; for pastoral ministry is
always a mercy. Having said that, the
difficult places and low valleys in pastoral ministry often help one to more
fully appreciate the 'good times' and mountain peaks. This is certainly true of our recent experience at Lake Country Bible Church.
Though Lake Country Bible
Church is not the largest congregation in the area it is one of most hungry,
welcoming, loving, and passionate ministries we have ever served in. Evidence to support this statement abound: From intentional acts of congregational kindness
(1 Thess. 5:12-13); to active ministry involvement (Eph. 4:12; at Lake Country Bible 80% of the church serves in a variety of ministries); to an intense hunger for the pure Word (1 Pet. 2:2; when I
accidentally preached for 60 minutes a few months ago I didn’t hear a single
word of complaint minus my own); to a gracious compensation
package (1 Tim. 5:17-18); to responsive hearts to biblical leadership (2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Cor. 11:1; Prov. 27:17; almost every single adult male signed up for an intense men’s
leadership ministry that was recently started); to stirring congregational
worship (Psalm 150). With each passing week our
praise list continues to grow!
Every time I speak with my predecessor (and founding pastor) Sal Massa I thank him for the privilege of succeeding him at such a special place. LCBC is not a perfect church (there is no such thing this side of eternity) but it’s certainly a very special church! This is not to suggest that there have not been any trials (for example our home in Illinois remains unsold), but these challenges have been small in comparison with the recent blessings. Andrea and I have repeatedly pinched ourselves when reflecting upon the Lord’s kindness in bringing us to Lake Country.
It is our prayer that “He who began a good work will be faithful to complete it” “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Christ, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature, which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Phil. 1:6; Eph. 4:11-16).
Every time I speak with my predecessor (and founding pastor) Sal Massa I thank him for the privilege of succeeding him at such a special place. LCBC is not a perfect church (there is no such thing this side of eternity) but it’s certainly a very special church! This is not to suggest that there have not been any trials (for example our home in Illinois remains unsold), but these challenges have been small in comparison with the recent blessings. Andrea and I have repeatedly pinched ourselves when reflecting upon the Lord’s kindness in bringing us to Lake Country.
It is our prayer that “He who began a good work will be faithful to complete it” “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Christ, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature, which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Phil. 1:6; Eph. 4:11-16).
"To Him be glory in the Church forever" (Eph. 3:21)!
