Recently I had a wonderful conversation with my daughter, Abigail, who will be graduating from high school this month. We talked a lot about achievements and honors and how incredibly proud I am of everything she has accomplished. We talked about how things come to an end and how new beginnings can be challenging and exciting. After our conversation, I reflected on how thankful I am that God entrusted Marni and me to equip our children for whatever He has planned for them. I am sure we don’t always get it right, but maybe they can learn from our mistakes, as well.
Many of you as pastors are also entrusted with equipping the saints for the work of ministry. During our ENCOUNTER Prep meeting in April, we reflected on how well we are doing in this area. My hope is that you are all joyfully completing the task of equipping those in your care. There are times when challenges arise. When that happens, know that you are not alone.
We are now only four months away from ENCOUNTER. If you have not already begun to promote this area wide harvest revival in your church, please do so. Encourage all of your church members to set aside July 30th as the Most Important Day of ENCOUNTER. On that day, we will all meet at FBC Barnesville to hear from Jon Reed about how each of us can engage the lost effectively. This is not just for church leaders or pastors. This is a day for every church member who wants to see people they know get saved. There will also be a time on that same day for training those who will be helping during the decision time. More details will be available soon.
It is also time for our ministry teams to begin planning for ENCOUNTER. We still need churches to take on the responsibilities of the following teams: Children’s Care, Follow-Up, and Publicity. If your church would like to fill one of these roles, please contact me as soon as possible.
Even as we look toward the future, let us not forget what is going on right around the corner. The Bible Reading Marathon and National Day of Prayer will be the first week of this month. The Quarterly Lunch Fellowship will be the second week. Baccalaureates for our graduates will be coming up after that. And then we are all busy with Vacation Bible Schools, mission trips, and summer activities. May the Lord bless your efforts as you seek to reach people with the life-changing message of Jesus and His gift of salvation.
In His Name,
Steve Laughman
