“Moving Forward”

“Moving Forward” Isaiah 58:12 (NIV) “Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” We are thankful for the grace God has given the Second Nazareth Baptist Church Family! Truly, God has been good to us as He has brought us through another year of ministry. We have grown spiritually and numerically and we are strong in our commitment to Christ and Kingdom building. Let us move forward into the new year continuing in the spirit of our theme “Eagerly and Enthusiastically Equipping the Saints for Ministry” (Ephesians 4:11-12). I believe God has called Second Nazareth to rebuild, repair, and restore our community. In seeking God direction I believe our Purpose Motto should change to reflect our current conviction and concern to win the world for Christ. Evangelism and care for humanity should be the priority of the church and I feel the words of our new Purpose Motto capture and reflect what we are to be about: “The Church in the Heart of the Community, with the Community In Its Heart” These words are the embodiment of who we are and how we feel about the community we minister to. I am excited about our transformation into a true “community church”. When the public thinks of Second Nazareth we want them to feel the depth of our care and concern for the people we serve. It is fully in keeping with what Jesus says when He declares the theme of His ministry in Luke 4:18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Jesus basically expresses His concern for His “community” and those affected by stigmas and situations befalling them in life. Since the poor, brokenhearted, captives, blind, and bruised people are a part of our present day society it becomes our duty as followers of Christ to minister to their needs. In so doing we fulfill our mandate and carry out actions pleasing to our Christ. The great work we are doing through the Edgewood Foundation has extended our reach and is leaving our unique touch on everyone within our borders and sphere of influence. Since Second Nazareth is a “purpose driven church” from time to time we must ask ourselves are we doing what God has purposed for us to do? Then we must ensure our Mission Statement states in simple clear, concise words our priorities as a church family. In retrospect on what God has allowed us to accomplish I believe our newly refined Mission Statement should read: “The mission of Second Nazareth Baptist Church is to be an instrument of the power and love of Jesus Christ, to our congregation and our community, while leading those we encounter into a personal relationship with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit to equip them for mission and ministry in the world.” In “moving forward”, while we carry out the “work of the church” by the command of Christ we are guided by several goals this year: Increasing church growth thru evangelism and redirect main focus of church to evangelism and soul winning Cultivating and equipping mature Christians in the church thru prayer, teaching, and preaching Establishing Edgewood Foundation board, bylaws, policies and procedures Actively seek partnerships with sister churches and organizations with like minded goals Developing confident and competent Christian leaders, lay teachers, and ministers Strengthening stewardship through tithe and offering for financial support of the church Finalizing plans for new worship facility Maintaining current facilities inside and out Supporting of home and foreign missions and involvement 10. Providing stability and improvement in all existing ministries and structuring/establishing new ministries to meet the needs of the church 11. Creating a website complete with online store and ability to accept online transactions for donations, tithe and offerings 12. Publishing a policies and procedures manual with job descriptions These are very ambitious goals for the church to achieve, however I am confident with fervent prayer, coupled with a strong faith, we can accomplish everything God has placed in our hearts to do. Thus far we have become repairers of broken walls and restorer of streets where our people live. I thank God for including Second Nazareth in His plans for humanity, and through our response to His call we will find hope and success leading to a bright future as we “move forward” in Christ’s name. With Vision and Love I Remain, Your Pastor and Friend For Life, Rev. Johnny Ray Noble, Ph.D