3/19/23 A Note From Pastor Ben
Friends and Family,
Last Sunday, I made a big announcement—on Easter we’re going to meet at the Performing Arts Center at Enterprise High School. We still don’t know when the HVAC issue in the sanctuary will be resolved. However, we’ve been saying that God is in the interruptions. Indeed He is. I believe this is going to be such an awesome Easter. I’ve talked with several folks who have been members for a long time and they’ve all agreed that it was sometime in the 1980s that we transitioned to two services. That means for the first time in close to 40 years, besides the few times when Christmas fell on a Sunday and perhaps other small Sundays, First Baptist Enterprise will meet for one service! Just consider the weightiness of this unique moment in our 130-year history. The people who can remember one gathering on Easter are at minimum middle-aged now! It’s an understatement to say that I can’t wait!
Here’s the main reason I’m so excited about this: It will be good for our souls and good for our church. Whenever we gather and sing and read the Bible and pray and hear the Bible preached, God shows up. The Holy Spirit uses corporate worship gatherings to encourage the fainthearted, convict the straying, and spur on all toward love and good works. As we meditate on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, God tends to minister in ways we can’t manufacture. So get up, dress up—and by all means, show up! Even if you don’t dress up and even if you’re still kinda sleepy, show up and watch how the Lord uses this service to feed hungry souls. I think this is going to be good for our church as a whole because it will help those who go to different services to see one another. Some of the comments I’ve heard repeatedly since we’ve been meeting in the Fellowship Hall go something like this: “I love seeing all these young people,” or, “It’s been great to connect with people I don’t normally see.” These comments reveal that we’re creatures of habit and have certain paths we go in the church building; therefore, we only see the same faces, who are really just a fraction of the church. I’ve responded to the, ones who say, “I love seeing these young people” by simply pointing out that we’ve had a ton of young people for a long time now, but we just don’t always see each other. The main thing that these comments reveal, however, is the fact that you are a loving church, First Baptist. You love each other and want to be around each other. There is no doubt about it. You care for your fellow church members, which is evidence that Jesus is at work: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
Here’s what I want you to do as we approach Easter:
1. Pray. Pray for God’s hand to move in a mighty way as He convicts and encourages by the Holy Spirit.
2. Invite. Invite a lost person or friend/neighbor who doesn’t have a church home. This is a great opportunity because those who might feel insecure about walking into a church building may feel a little more at ease by going to the high school.
3. Get excited. It’s going to be a sweet Sunday because all of us will gather together in one service and reflect on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I can’t wait! There is no place on planet earth I’d rather be than gathering with you, First Baptist.
Last Sunday, I made a big announcement—on Easter we’re going to meet at the Performing Arts Center at Enterprise High School. We still don’t know when the HVAC issue in the sanctuary will be resolved. However, we’ve been saying that God is in the interruptions. Indeed He is. I believe this is going to be such an awesome Easter. I’ve talked with several folks who have been members for a long time and they’ve all agreed that it was sometime in the 1980s that we transitioned to two services. That means for the first time in close to 40 years, besides the few times when Christmas fell on a Sunday and perhaps other small Sundays, First Baptist Enterprise will meet for one service! Just consider the weightiness of this unique moment in our 130-year history. The people who can remember one gathering on Easter are at minimum middle-aged now! It’s an understatement to say that I can’t wait!
Here’s the main reason I’m so excited about this: It will be good for our souls and good for our church. Whenever we gather and sing and read the Bible and pray and hear the Bible preached, God shows up. The Holy Spirit uses corporate worship gatherings to encourage the fainthearted, convict the straying, and spur on all toward love and good works. As we meditate on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, God tends to minister in ways we can’t manufacture. So get up, dress up—and by all means, show up! Even if you don’t dress up and even if you’re still kinda sleepy, show up and watch how the Lord uses this service to feed hungry souls. I think this is going to be good for our church as a whole because it will help those who go to different services to see one another. Some of the comments I’ve heard repeatedly since we’ve been meeting in the Fellowship Hall go something like this: “I love seeing all these young people,” or, “It’s been great to connect with people I don’t normally see.” These comments reveal that we’re creatures of habit and have certain paths we go in the church building; therefore, we only see the same faces, who are really just a fraction of the church. I’ve responded to the, ones who say, “I love seeing these young people” by simply pointing out that we’ve had a ton of young people for a long time now, but we just don’t always see each other. The main thing that these comments reveal, however, is the fact that you are a loving church, First Baptist. You love each other and want to be around each other. There is no doubt about it. You care for your fellow church members, which is evidence that Jesus is at work: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
Here’s what I want you to do as we approach Easter:
1. Pray. Pray for God’s hand to move in a mighty way as He convicts and encourages by the Holy Spirit.
2. Invite. Invite a lost person or friend/neighbor who doesn’t have a church home. This is a great opportunity because those who might feel insecure about walking into a church building may feel a little more at ease by going to the high school.
3. Get excited. It’s going to be a sweet Sunday because all of us will gather together in one service and reflect on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I can’t wait! There is no place on planet earth I’d rather be than gathering with you, First Baptist.
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