Dear GPBC Family,
Stock photo / Pixabay
Let me share a little bit about what 2021 was like from my perspective.
First, my view from the pulpit. It was a privilege to preach the Word to you week after week in 2021. Last year the Lord was working in me to stress less and trust more. As a result, though preaching is still hard work, and I am often aware of my shortcomings, I am going about it with more freedom and joy. I have also been grateful in 2021 for Dennis Laughlin using his gifts in the pulpit.
Here’s a rough outline of what I preached in 2021:
January — April: “Doctrines for Life” (begun in 2020), a series exploring the basic Christian doctrine outlined in our church’s statement of faith.
May: Mission. Through the first year of the pandemic many things felt in limbo. How can we get on with knowing Christ and making Christ known?
One of my highlights from the year was the outdoor service in May when I asked you all to share some of the dreams you have for how our church can know Christ and make Christ known. Some wonderful ideas were generated, and some action is now happening with those ideas (even if it has been slowed by COVID).
June — August: Proverbs. I enjoyed leading us through a lesser-known part of God’s word which can help us learn to walk on the path of wisdom (aka following Jesus).
September & October: “In This Together,” a series about the body of Christ, through the lens of our church membership covenant.
December: Advent with the Prophets. I found these passages foretelling Jesus in Jeremiah, Micah and Zephaniah rich with hope for our weary lives.
I invite you to reflect on how the preached Word changed you in 2021.
Second, my view from the meeting room (or zoom screen!). Read the reports in the following pages to see some of the work our boards and committees accomplished in 2021. From my perspective, people worked well together and sought the Lord’s will for our church. There were some hard conversations as the Deacons wrestled with a few difficult topics, and as the Trustees and JMMY Board discussed putting in the skating rink. Thankfully, our unity in Christ prevailed. I want to thank Brian Kinsman for his excellent leadership of the Deacon board and Colin Conger for his faithful and wise leadership of the Trustees. I also thank the Lord for Sarah Williams, who began work as the church Administrative Assistant last year. With her servant-hearted nature, her joy, and her computer/media skills, she improved everything she touched.
In 2021 we made a significant change to our membership practices which attempts to bring our long-held Membership Covenant back into its proper focus. This change was the fruit of many months of reflection, discussion and prayer by me and the bylaws committee, upon which we invited the whole church’s feedback. In September we held our first Membership Covenant Renewal Sunday, which will now take place every three years. It was also a blessing this year to welcome several new members to the church.
Third, my view from pastoring. One of my consistent prayers for our church in 2021 was that God would grow us in our maturity in Christ. I’m not sure how to measure this. Some evidence of the Spirit’s work was that we got to baptize seven people in 2021 and welcome several more new members. At least 5 small groups met consistently through 2021 for Bible study and prayer (some on Zoom, some in person). Sunday School teachers adapted through ever-shifting COVID factors and invested in our children. I saw the church come together to help brothers and sisters in need. I saw evidence of people being humble and transparent in their struggles with sin. For all this I am grateful. May the Lord continue to root our lives deeper in his love.
And—oh yeah—we also had this thing called the Coronavirus pandemic to deal with in 2021. This was an ongoing stressor for all of us and it continued to take its toll on our church by pushing some people to the margins and limiting our opportunities for being together. Yet I am grateful that we held our course, and did not descend into arguments about masks or vaccines or politics. Praise Jesus.
In 2021 I felt my own need for spiritual growth as a person and a pastor. In October I began a learning cohort with 5 other ministry leaders called Gravity Leadership Academy. It is a year-long program that meets weekly over Zoom to learn how to center our lives and leadership in the love of Christ. I am already seeing fruit from this, and the current sermon series is an attempt to pass on what I am learning.
Finally, my view looking ahead. As COVID has taught us so well, we need to hold our plans in an open hand. Here’s what is in my open hand for the year:
Preaching:
In February we will finish our series “7 Axioms for Actual Change.” I hope this will give us new perspectives and tools to grow deeper in Christ this year.
In March, we will begin a journey through the book of Exodus. This wonderful, challenging, and surprising book reveals so much about God’s character and what it looks like to be his covenant people. This will carry us through to September.
In the Fall, I will begin preaching through the Gospel of Mark.
Faith and Work focus:
After Easter, we will restart the “Faith and Work” focus that we began in 2020. This will include regular testimonies from the church family about how your faith comes to bear on your vocation, several sermons on faith and work, and several special Sundays when we invite community members from different fields of work to show our appreciation for them (for example, one Sunday will be for health care workers, one for educators, one for farmers, etc).
Taking action on dreams for our church:
For the rest of the winter, let’s take advantage of the skating rink to try to connect with local families and welcome them to our space.
As soon as it is safe, we will begin hosting monthly senior dinners for community members. Sarah Williams will be leading this project. Ask how you can help!
The Deacons, Missions Committee, and other groups will be continuing to work on action points for some of the dreams shared in 2021.
Any good and lasting fruit that our church has done over the past year, or will accomplish this year, is only that which is done in and through Jesus. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). I think he meant it. Whatever this year holds, may we be branches connected to the vine and bearing much fruit.
In Christ,
Pastor Tyler