Vision

This is my favorite time of the year! You can feel and smell the weather change. The temperature is cooler, the leaves are changing, Georgia snow (cotton) is everywhere, it's hunting season, and most importantly College Football is in full swing. Fall is the best time of year, but it's also the busiest time of year. We are busy with fall festivals, Thanksgiving meals, and before you know it we will be busy with Christmas shopping and New Year celebrations. Being busy can be a good thing. It can result in production-getting things done. If we just sit around and don't busy ourselves then nothing will get accomplished. However, being busy can also be distracting. It can cause you to lose focus on what's really important in life. I can't tell you how many times I totally forgot to do something important (like pay a bill on-time) because I was too busy with other things. This is exactly what has happened to the local church. Many people think the busier the church the more we can accomplish. That may be true to a level but that is not what God's Word teaches us. God's Word gave us a clear vision and direction of what Christ wanted the church to accomplish. In Acts 2 we see the first church model for us what we are supposed to focus on. It says they were busy with 3 things. They worshiped together in the temple. They connected with God by worshiping Him. It also says, they devoted themselves to the apostles teachings and to fellowship in small groups in homes. They connected with each other by spending time together in small groups. Many churches today do this on Sunday morning and call it Sunday School. At Bethany, we offer Small Groups on Sunday morning and during the week for those who can't make Sunday morning, or prefer to connect with a group during the week. Acts 2 goes on to say, they were committed to ministering to the needs of each other. They put the needs of others over their own. This is called Ministry. They connected with ministry. THIS IS THE PRECISE VISION FOR BETHANY BAPTIST CHURCH. God showed me that He wants us focusing on these 3 things and not becoming so busy we lose sight of our original purpose for existing. We strive to Connect with God, Connect with others, and Connect with ministry. If you are a Bethany Member, have you bought in to this vision? If no, it's not too late. Start with committing to attend worship regularly, then find a small group to connect with and start doing life with other believers. Once you have done this, connect with a ministry where you can serve others. Let's Do This!!

Pastor Appreciation

I was having a conversation with a couple of our staff members this morning and the topic of October being Pastor Appreciation Month came up. In our discussion I asked the question, "Who came up with Pastor Appreciation Month?" As I reflected on that question a little more, I began to think to myself, how does a church member show, or demonstrate, appreciation for their Pastor? So I jotted some thoughts down and thought I would share with you, how a member can show appreciation to their Pastor. First, don't confine your appreciation to one month out of twelve. Doing ministry together is a twelve months a year thing. There are many times during the rest of the year that your Pastor struggles, works hard with helping the flock, puts in hours when everyone else is sleeping and he gets physically, emotionally, and spiritually worn out. Showing appreciation to him throughout the year can go a long way in encouraging, strengthening, and supporting him. Second, whatever you do to demonstrate appreciation, make sure it's from your heart. Pastor's know their flock and they can detect if it's sincere or not. Sometimes people demonstrate appreciation out of obligation, maybe because someone else did, or they are trying to woo the Pastor. The act of appreciation is no where as important as the motive behind it. Your heart is what matters to your Pastor. Last, being a Biblical church member is the best way to show appreciation to your Pastor. A Pastor knows he can't do it all. Ministry is a team effort and it needs everyone doing their part. The Pastor can't, and can't be expected, to do it all. God have us all different gift sets, talents, and abilities. Each member, including the Pastor, needs to appreciate each other and function together. So there it is. If you love your Pastor listen to the heart of one and go for it.