Dear Church Requel family,
I am so very blessed to be able to write you each Friday morning. This morning I prayed the most sincere prayer of thanksgiving to our Lord for you. I love being your pastor. I appreciate the opportunity to serve here in this city Mary Kay and I have called home for the past 35 years. I am overwhelmed by your faithfulness and your obedience to our Lord... as well as by your love for Mary Kay and me. I'm excited about our future in Mansfield together. God is growing me. And I know He is growing you.
Exciting announcement Sunday. Along the lines of our growth in God's blessings, I have some very special news to share with you this weekend. I must wait to tell you, because this is the kind of news you really deserve to hear in person. Most news I can tell you in a letter. But big news... church life-changing news... well, that deserves the personal touch. This good news comes as the result of our leadership team meeting last evening. I think they are even more excited than I am to share it with you. So make sure you come Sunday at 11am so you can hear it for yourself.
Four More... No, not four more years. Four more laws of sowing and reaping. That's what we'll be learning about this coming Sunday morning. What have we learned so far? (1) Everything starts as a seed. Church Requel began as the seed of an idea. What seed does God wish to plant in your life? (2) Nothing happens until the seed is planted. You may be waiting for God to get you that special relationship or increase your income, but God may be waiting for you to plant the seeds of opportunity. (3) Whatever I sow is what I will reap. This is the law you hear the most. If you plant seeds of distrust, criticism, harshness, arrogance and pride, then you shouldn't be surprised when people, in turn, treat you the same way. But if you plant seeds of kindness, encouragement, love and grace, then your life will often grow in the light of those same positive attributes. (4) I'm not the only sower. We are also reaping what other people have sown. Not only that, but I am not the only reaper. When we sow hurtful seeds, we are not the only ones who are hurt. There's a fallout that goes far beyond what we could imagine. (5) It's time to start planting now. Each and every day God gives us opportunities to sow seeds. We don't wait for all the lights to turn green. Perfection paralyzes potential. That's what we learned last week. If you missed it, you can listen to it or watch it here.
Building a Team... Team Working On The Building. I love that we are building a team that will last here at Church Requel. We may not be the fastest, but we are building for the long haul. I'm confident that the people who have joined up with the CR staff will be here for a long time. Some of us have actually "retired" into ministry - giving our retirement lives to God's service. No rocking chairs for us, thank you very much!
This photo on the left is of Pastor Steve wiring in our new security cameras so graciously donated by Randy Craig. You'll notice these cameras throughout the church, especially in the children's ministry areas.
Steve tells me he has several other projects in mind for the coming weeks including (1) moving the sanctuary light dimmer switch to the tech booth, (2) installing a new latch for the tech booth hatch, (3) making a new table for our nursery kids, (4) installing a level pad for the mouse in the tech booth, and (5) lashing together a cross for our very special upcoming Easter service. If you'd like to join Steve in the "No Rocking Chair For Me Thank You Very Much Team," just send Steve an email. He'd love to include you in the fun!
Belong Membership Class. We have a really great Belong Class shaping up for a week from Saturday, March 22nd. It's not too late for you to join the class! Joining the class doesn't mean you join the church. However, the Belong Class is a must if you do wish to join the church. We teach this class twice a year so that those who want to know about us can discover who we are and where we are going. You'll hear about our history. You'll learn our core values. You'll discover our strategy. It's a terrific opportunity to have some one-on-one time with your pastor. Yes, I teach the class personally - it's just that important! You can sign up this Sunday morning if you haven't already done so. Registration and breakfast begins at 8:00 am. The class begins at 8:30 am and lasts until 1:30 pm.
Game Night. The church that plays together stays together. Well, actually it's supposed to be the church that prays together stays together, right? And we do plenty of praying together. But it's a good idea for us to play together every now and again too. Two weeks from tonight we'll have the opportunity to do just that. Plan on bringing games and snacks to share. Plan on having a fun time. Plan on meeting new friends.
I think that is more than enough for this long love letter from pastor to parishioner. I hope you enjoy a fantastic weekend. And really - I hope you come this Sunday morning to hear the good news. I'm busting at the seams to tell you!
"A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart,
and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle."
Proverbs 15:30 MSG
With a twinkle in my eye this morning, Pastor Mark
