Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Join Us for a Special Sunday!
Dear Friends,
No one should walk through life alone. That’s why this Sunday is a going to be a special day at Victory of the Lamb. At our regular 9:30 service at Showtime Cinema we’re going to be installing our new part-time pastor, Andy Glende, and we want to invite you to be there for it. We’ve called Pastor Andy and given him the responsibility to help make sure that in our church family “no one walks alone.”
You see, God has been really good to Victory of the Lamb over the past couple of years. By the grace of God I’ve seen us grow from a small group of less than 10 people to a community of over 150 people from all different backgrounds. By the grace of God many of these people are people who didn’t grow up going to church, weren’t Christians, or haven’t been connected to a church in a long time. That’s amazing! I’m talking about people who’ve now been baptized, people who’ve been confirmed after going through Bible 101-301 classes wherever we could meet, people who I first met going door to door or at one of our community events like Hallepalooza!, Soccer Bible Camp, or Christmas for Kids.
And now together we’re learning more about Jesus each week and how we can continue to share His victory with our community. Our Sunday morning Bible Quest kids’ ministry is thriving. Our new Quest teen group has gotten off to a great start. And even as I type this out, there are some awesome “victory stories” going on in some of your lives and so I’m pumped to get to play an ongoing part in them!
So as a church we praise God for all these blessings! Yet at the same time we recognize that we’re at a bit of a crossroads. We’re at that point where it could be all too easy for us to become comfortable and complacent. Like every church we also face the trap of becoming inwardly focused on what we want instead of outwardly focused on what others need—the gospel. Like every church we face the danger of losing our love for the people in our community who don’t know Christ.
But we’re not going to let that happen! And that’s why we’re so excited about bringing Pastor Andy on board. Our people are important. Pastor Andy is going to do all that he can in 25 hours a week to get our people connected not only to God’s Word but also to each other because God doesn’t want anyone to walk alone. And so we want to help everyone get connected and grow in their faith so that even as our church keeps growing bigger, it’ll stay feeling small. And that’s what Pastor Andy’s going to do as he gathers small groups in their living rooms, around their kitchen tables, and in other places around town where we can meet and grow together.
Then also I’m going to stay focused on furthering the outreach mission of our church, teaching Bible 101-301 classes, preaching, worship planning, and helping new people meet Jesus by taking the time meet them where they are.
In one of my favorite books in the Bible, the New Testament book of Acts, we get a glimpse of how the first Christians practically lived their faith. They met regularly in public and in people’s homes. They were devoted to God’s Word. They enjoyed meals together and prayed. They showed their love for each other in practical, concrete ways. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). And that’s finally what we’re all about at Victory of the Lamb!
So you are invited! Join us this Sunday morning at 9:30 am at Showtime Cinema here in Franklin. Come early to enjoy some free coffee and treats in the lobby and to register your kids ages 1-10 for Bible Quest. We’d love to see you there!
In Jesus,
Pastor Ben
No one should walk through life alone. That’s why this Sunday is a going to be a special day at Victory of the Lamb. At our regular 9:30 service at Showtime Cinema we’re going to be installing our new part-time pastor, Andy Glende, and we want to invite you to be there for it. We’ve called Pastor Andy and given him the responsibility to help make sure that in our church family “no one walks alone.”
You see, God has been really good to Victory of the Lamb over the past couple of years. By the grace of God I’ve seen us grow from a small group of less than 10 people to a community of over 150 people from all different backgrounds. By the grace of God many of these people are people who didn’t grow up going to church, weren’t Christians, or haven’t been connected to a church in a long time. That’s amazing! I’m talking about people who’ve now been baptized, people who’ve been confirmed after going through Bible 101-301 classes wherever we could meet, people who I first met going door to door or at one of our community events like Hallepalooza!, Soccer Bible Camp, or Christmas for Kids.
And now together we’re learning more about Jesus each week and how we can continue to share His victory with our community. Our Sunday morning Bible Quest kids’ ministry is thriving. Our new Quest teen group has gotten off to a great start. And even as I type this out, there are some awesome “victory stories” going on in some of your lives and so I’m pumped to get to play an ongoing part in them!
So as a church we praise God for all these blessings! Yet at the same time we recognize that we’re at a bit of a crossroads. We’re at that point where it could be all too easy for us to become comfortable and complacent. Like every church we also face the trap of becoming inwardly focused on what we want instead of outwardly focused on what others need—the gospel. Like every church we face the danger of losing our love for the people in our community who don’t know Christ.
But we’re not going to let that happen! And that’s why we’re so excited about bringing Pastor Andy on board. Our people are important. Pastor Andy is going to do all that he can in 25 hours a week to get our people connected not only to God’s Word but also to each other because God doesn’t want anyone to walk alone. And so we want to help everyone get connected and grow in their faith so that even as our church keeps growing bigger, it’ll stay feeling small. And that’s what Pastor Andy’s going to do as he gathers small groups in their living rooms, around their kitchen tables, and in other places around town where we can meet and grow together.
Then also I’m going to stay focused on furthering the outreach mission of our church, teaching Bible 101-301 classes, preaching, worship planning, and helping new people meet Jesus by taking the time meet them where they are.
In one of my favorite books in the Bible, the New Testament book of Acts, we get a glimpse of how the first Christians practically lived their faith. They met regularly in public and in people’s homes. They were devoted to God’s Word. They enjoyed meals together and prayed. They showed their love for each other in practical, concrete ways. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). And that’s finally what we’re all about at Victory of the Lamb!
So you are invited! Join us this Sunday morning at 9:30 am at Showtime Cinema here in Franklin. Come early to enjoy some free coffee and treats in the lobby and to register your kids ages 1-10 for Bible Quest. We’d love to see you there!
In Jesus,
Pastor Ben
