Dear Church,
It is an honor and privilege to be the pastor of Firestone Park Baptist Church. I thank you all for trusting me with this position, and I pray that God will be blessed as we move forward in the year to come.
In these few short months that I have been the pastor of FPBC, I know that I am blessed to be your pastor. God has been good to the church over the years, and you all have been a large part of God’s plans and purposes here. I am humbled at the gifts and talents that are represented here at the church. Your gifts and talents have made my first few months at the church much easier. God has used you in good ways over the last year, and He will continue to use your giftings as we move forward.
As I reflect over these few months, I have many thoughts that come to my mind. Thoughts of appreciation for each of you, and how you contribute to the church. I am grateful to the heritage of the church that has kept its physical structure in excellent condition: this is a great church to worship in because of how you have cared for it over the years. I have been grateful to you for your warmth and acceptance of me, especially as I learn how to best minister to you. It is great to proclaim God’s Word to you on Sundays. It has been wonderful to hear your stories of faith. It is a privilege to pray for you and your families.
I had several goals over these first months. First, I wanted to give the church a sense of “rest” in making the transition to a new pastor. Pastoral searches are difficult. They are filled with unknown and stress. Second, I wanted to give a sense of stability: the future of the church is bright. Any notions of the church closing, I wanted to be re-written as we embrace faith and the fact that Christ will build His church in Firestone Park. Third, I wanted to show the path forward is one of outreach. Here I thank you for walking a path of outreach in unique ways. You all have been great in cheering at community events whether at the marathon, election, or Christmas. Let us never forget that our faith requires that we give and share in the same proportions that we have received.
As we look to the new year, I would like for us to continue to move forward in many of the same ways. We have been loved by God, and we need to be ministers of that love. May we aspire to this end:
--to love God more!
--to love one another more!
--to love our neighbor more!
Our Savior made it very clear: it is by our love that people will know we are the real deal!
Let’s do it! Let the world know that FPBC is about God and His love for all!
Pastor Tim
January 3, 2013
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