Pastor David Pniewski
What’s New For 2022!
My friends as disciples of Jesus Christ we are always on a new journey day after day, ever since that day we asked the Lord to forgive us and said I believe in you Lord, you are my Savior, you died on a cross to save me from all the punishment of my sins, you washed me clean. Day after day your spirit transforms my heart and guides me on my Christian journey of newness and awareness, as I seek to bring glory to your kingdom.
My friends I believe that 2022 is an important year for our Church growth, especially if we think about how our lives, have all been turned upside down over these past two years. We know that the Lords Holy Spirit will provide us with many new opportunities to serve God’s kingdom throughout the new year. It’s important we understand that the Lords Spirit is always working and is always way out in front of us softening the ground to help us achieve Christ great commission.
In 2022, we will focus on a new growth plan for our Church that will leverage our belief in Jesus Christ (as our Cornerstone) by allowing Christ transforming Spirit to use us as His living stones (as His Disciples).
Our new growth plan for 2022 will follow five church building blocks that will transform are thoughts, our messages, our teams, and our actions as we work together (hand in hand) with Christ Spirit to build Gods Kingdom (RFCC) one living stone at a time. The five church building blocks are as follows:
- Invitation – The Lord’s Spirit will encourage each of us to regularly invite all those we know, love and those whose paths we cross, to come to the Christ Church. As disciples we will invite all people to experience the new way’s we worship the Lord at RFCC.
- Opportunities – As Christ Disciples we will focus our efforts on all the new possibilities / opportunities that Christ Spirit offers us each day rather than focus on the shortfalls, the world would say is wrong with our church.
- Commitment – As Christ Disciple we will to take ownership of our Church Covenant with Christ and one another.
- Our Congregational Way – We will leverage God’s discerning spirit which gives us the unique ability to listen and to ask questions of one another, about our thoughts, knowing that our minds are guided by God’s compassion and love for one another rather than (turning away) in disagreement. To know we can agree (to disagree) and still be loving brothers and sisters in Christ.
- To Use Our Gifts – We will forever focus on using our special gifts for the betterment of Christ Church (these are the gifts that we are blessed to have) rather than focusing on those things we don’t have (what the world considers as deficiencies). Do you know what your gifts are? How are you using your gifts to help Christ Church today?
In closing my friends, we are all on a new journey in 2022 with the help of the Lords Spirit. Is the Lords Spirit standing at your door, knocking on it, saying here I Am. How can I help you in 2022? Our 2022 church growth plans include the Lord’s spirit, it includes our willingness to invite others to our church, it includes our willingness to take on new opportunities, it includes our ownership of the Church Covenant, it includes our Congregational Way to agree or (to disagree) with love for one another, and lastly it includes our willingness to use our gifts for Christ Church. My Friends when we do all these things in Christ name, we will be victorious, we will bring glory to Christ Kingdom, by serving God and one another day by day. Amen
In Christ We Serve,
Pastor Dave
What is the Spirit Saying Now!
I recently read an excellent article about a biblical professor named Ben Witherington. When he was interviewed by Mark Ward from Bible Study Magazine. He was asked many different types of questions. The first question he asked Ben was, how do you apply Bible text when you know that different scholars disagree about its meaning? Ben answered with this, that he always like to say a text without context is just a pretext, or what ever you want it to mean. Ultimately meaning that there are many different people with lots of different perspectives of their own liking. This article certainly made me think. There was one certain quote that Ben made that really stuck with me, when he said these words, “I need to be open to listening to what the Spirit is saying now through the body of Christ.” Meaning God’s Spirit says all kinds of things to us today, through his body of believers. Are We Listening?
My friends our Church is considered the body of Christ. The Lords Holy Spirit is speaking to each of us individually every day in different ways. It kind of reminds me of a carton I saw, where a young man was given a hardcover book to read from a librarian. The young man was not sure what to do with the book. The librarian notice that the boy was puzzled, so she said to him. Instead of powering it up, you just turn the cover to get started! And instead of clicking on the “next page” all you need to do is just turn it! Pretty cool, Ay!
As individual believers of Jesus the Christ, I think it is important that we too need to understand and accept that The Lords Holy Spirit is trying to communicate with all of us every day. The question is this, are we listening? Are we taking notes? Are we open to sharing and acting on those spiritual thoughts? Can those spiritual feelings help flourish and grow this body of Christ? We all know that God’s Holy Spirit can reveal to us all kinds of things, regardless of where we are on our Christian journeys. Here’s another thought, are we confident enough and faithful enough to share them with the body of Christ, to talk about them, or even act upon them?
As Ben stated in his article… Are we open to listening to what the Spirit is saying now thorough the body of Christ? Or will we be puzzled by these new communications (like the young man) with his first book. Eventually he learns that instead of powering it up, he just needs to open the cover and turn the page (to get started!) As a believer of Christ, we must do our part by trusting in the Lord’s encouraging Holy Spirit when things are reveled to us to try something different. It’s also important that we realize that the Lords Holy Spirit is speaking thorough the body of Christ, Are We Listening, Ay!
Prayers for Many Thoughts & Blessings, Pastor Dave
