PASTORAL EMPHASIS 2023-2024

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Greetings in the Gracious, Great, and Glorious name of our Lord, King, and Savior, Jesus Christ!

 

First, let me thank God for counting me worthy to serve in this wonderful historical sanctuary, Zion Baptist Church, where His Spirit has guarded and guided for 158 years.  Serving as your pastor, for thirty (30) years now, I have been blessed abundantly with His grace and mercy, and for this I am everlastingly grateful.

 

I praise God for the membership and ministries of our Church.  Every one of you, by your faithful witness, love, prayers, and support, have enabled us to serve our God, this Community, City, and country, effectively and efficiently. I say with a heart of humility, “I am the happiest pastor in all the world, not because of where I sit, but because of who I sit and serve with”. God has afforded me the blessed privilege to sit and serve with some of the greatest saints on this side of Heaven.

 

With COVID-19 in the rear view mirror, by God’s grace and mercy, we are facing a new church year.  We enter this “New Church Year”, with a tremendous amount of thanksgiving and gratitude, and with “Joyful Expectations”.  This past year, we have encountered changes, challenges, joys, and sorrows, but thank God, we made it!

 

Our Church Theme this year is, “Living A Cross-Shaped Life”

(Matthew 16:24) “Then Said Jesus Unto His Disciples, If Any Man Will Come After Me, Let Him Deny Himself, And Take Up His Cross, And Follow Me”.  Our theme mandates us to serve as God’s connection with people in making disciples for Jesus Christ.  This is a call for our Church to move from the “Pause” to the “Reset Button”.  We must serve both “Vertically” and “Horizontally”. 

 

     Vertically – This means that we must consider our relationship with God, what God has done for us, the love flowing from God to us, connecting us to God in Heaven.  This is simply reminding us to always look up to God. (Psalm 121:1-2)

 

      Horizontally – This means that we should also consider our relationship with people, what we must do for others, love flowing from us to others, going out in to the world, from east to west, spreading the Good News of the Gospel.  It simply means “Practical Christian Living”.  It calls for us to always look around. (1 John 3:17)

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Living A Cross-Shaped Life does not mean perfect living, but rather “Intentional Gospel-Center Living”.  It means living a life that points people to Jesus by reflecting the Gospel.  Our theme is both attainable and practical, it petitions us to “Win People For Christ” – “Train People To Serve Christ” – and “Equip People To Go For Christ”!

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May the Peace, Power, and Presence of God give us the Persistence to accomplish His mandate for His Church, as we lift up the theme: “Living A Cross-Shaped Life”!

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