One Pastor's Perspective

Over two decades ago, I answered a call to God.  Left a promising career in information technology to pursue whatever God called me to and wherever He called me to go.  It took this young family from Easley, SC, to Tigerville, SC, for nine months and then to New Orleans, LA, for three years.  CULTURE SHOCK!!  It would be bad enough to move from Easley to the Big Easy, but from TIGERVILLE???  Wow.  And that is an understatement.

God led us from North Greenville College (now UNIVERSITY) to the Gentilly area of New Orleans East and the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.  Any time I tell natives I lived in New Orleans East, they look twice at me and the respect level goes up!!  It was FAR from an “easy” place to be!!

Diana, Krissy, and I moved down there with little more than the promise that God was calling us down there and HE was in control.  And it was one of the greatest times in my life!!  We saw His hand working DAILY in our survival!!  Nothing will ever replace that experience.

Over the past few weeks (and especially the last two), circumstances have me and several other staff members working hard with the Youth Council to continue youth ministry.  We have been without a youth pastor since early October, and the natives are getting restless.  And so are all of us!!  I can assure you that all of this job is not as easy as it looks … and if you thought Justin, or Wes, or Sidney, or any other youth minister at Ebenezer in years past DID NOT work hard — YOU ARE WRONG.  And I am reminded of that RIGHT NOW.

But, with all of that written, there is one more truth to share in this blog entry:  I AM CONFIDENT that GOD has the PERFECT PERSON to be our next youth pastor.  And I am also confident that the best thing we can do is BE PATIENT and WAIT ON GOD.  Rest assured that we and the personnel team are working as hard as God will allow us to work on this!!    And we are dedicated to getting it right … not just putting a warm body in the job.

And I guess my time in New Orleans taught me this:  God WILL NOT FORSAKE US.  He has a plan.  Wait on Him.  Encourage your youth (if you have any) to do the same.  I promise if we wait on Him and get it right, it will be WELL WORTH the wait!!!

New Years Resolution from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

Have I told you lately that I am proud of you??  I think that is allowed!!  In this day and age of economic stress YOU have been faithful to God and I am now able to write something that many pastors cannot write:  WE HAVE EXCEEDED OUR BUDGET IN GIVING FOR THE YEAR!!  And the fiscal year is not quite closed!!!

You are continuing to be faithful to God financially, spiritually, and physically in your service.  And, as your pastor, I am proud!!  Keep praying for our church and all that God is doing.  Keep seeking YOUR ROLE and doing it as well as you can!!  Don’t forget that Jesus Christ PROMISED to be with us in all things!  Do not fear, the Holy Spirit walks with you into every situation!!

All things considered, this is a great way to end the calendar year!!!  Have a great and safe New Year!!

At the end of each worship service today I did two things:  I thanked Paige Self for her hard work, serving as a youth intern with us since March.  During our youth ministry vacancy, she has filled many gaps to keep things going.  We are thankful for her and commit to pray for her and (after THIS Saturday) her HUSBAND Patrick McCabe as they move to Wake Forest, NC, where Patrick is enrolled at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Marriage is never easy, and seminary presents an entirely different set of stressers for them.  So pray for them!!!!

SECOND, PRAY FOR OUR YOUTH PASTOR SEARCH!!  God has the right person out there for us.  Already chosen by His hand.  Our personnel team is working as hard as we can, but God will do this in HIS timing and not ours.  Many people are starting to get antsy … Honestly, I am the antsiest of all!!  But we MUST allow God to do this in His timing.  Not ours.  We don’t need to hire someone … We need to FIND GOD’S CHOSEN ONE FOR THIS MOST IMPORTANT ROLE!!

Filling the Gaps from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

All I want for Christmas from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

WHOEVER from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

One of the most important facets of a church is leadership.  Helping the right people accomplish the right things to build the kingdom of God.  Who determines the right people??  Who determines the right things??  GOD.  This is the first building block in getting the bus going in the right direction.

Several years ago I read a book by Jim Collins called Good to Great.  I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot.  In this work, Collins studied several corporations in the US and analyzed what set them above others in their respective industries.  One of the most powerful ideas in this book was the concept of getting the right people into the right seats on the bus!!

I preach this and BEG the ministry selection team and nominating ministry team of Ebenezer to always find the right people for the right seats on the bus.  HOW DO WE DO THIS??  Pray.  Evaluate.  Pray more.  Open our eyes and ears to what is going on.  In order to help the right people find the right seats on the bus, you have to see and hear what is going on around you.  Getting the wrong people into the seat can be disastrous for a team called to accomplish a specific mission.  In my decades of church work, I’ve heard it before:  “I don’t know why they put me on the Sports Committee.  I HATE sports.”  A situation like that will make for a miserable time serving and a reluctance to serve again.  Find the right people for the right seats on the bus and GET THEM ON THERE!!!

I am thankful for our staff right now.  It’s Christmastime (one of the most stressful times of the year for us), we are short-staffed right now, and yet morale is good and everyone is pitching in to help.  Life goes on, and so does the church.  I came into the office today a little overwhelmed by all ahead of me this week, and it is nice to look around and see people that I know have my back.  The right people in the right seats.  That is why it is SOOO important to find the right person … God’s person … for our student ministry vacancy.

Pray for us.  And I’ll pray for you.  And, if you don’t have a seat on the bus, pray and ask God what He wants you to do.  And let me know!!!!!

Rocking around Christmas Tree from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.

Have you ever wanted to know what REALLY goes on around the church office during the week???

Sled Race from Ebenezer BC on Vimeo.