Living a New History
by Joe Gaydos
When I read the bible, and now listen to it, I always visualize what it must have been like being there because putting everything in context is so important to truly understand the message. And as I live my life I wonder what message I am to learn in my current context.
I think about the hard times that the Israelites went through from abundance to slavery to wandering through the desert, always wondering whether they were doing the right thing. And I think about how difficult it was for Moses to keep them focused.
I think about Joseph betrayed by his brothers, sold to slavery, and with patient faithfulness rising to a position of power and teaching the people how, in times of feast, to prepare for and endure through the times of famine.
I think of the many teaching moments when Jesus tried to enlighten his disciples and the crowds following him, but they just could not comprehend the depth and breadth of his knowledge, even when he came right out and directly told them. It gives me chills - and pause - to think about what I would have done had I had the chance to be in the physical presence of Jesus.
And I think about my personal situations where my life plans are turned upside down and abrupt career changes force so many difficult decisions that I really don’t want to make, even though we are more blessed than we deserve.
And I think about our church in its transforming life with so many changes happening and seeing so many more coming down the road; and in the midst of it we are thrown curve balls and have to make many difficult decisions that we really don’t want to make – at least not right now.
And I wonder . . . are we the Israelites of today, wondering why these things are happening to us without being able to see the promised land or understand how to get there? Do we have the patient faithfulness of Joseph knowing that God will always provide for us when the time is right? Are we able to comprehend the meaning of the message right before us that we are living through right now?
We have had many difficult times these past several years and we are facing more difficult times. Our plans for this church year were ambitious to have a healthy budget, grow the church, take care of many things that had been deferred and branch out in new directions that we have wanted to do for a long time. So far this year we have done a lot of wonderful things, but we have fallen short of our own ambitions. As the saying goes, if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans.
We are living through the context of new history that will be looked back upon in the future and wonder whether we learned the lesson well. I hope that our difficult times are not in biblical proportions, but I am sure that the lessons we will learn will be just as valuable. And I have faith in our church that God’s will and the Holy Spirit will be our leading beacon and conviction.
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
by Roland DuBay, TBC Stewardship Team
What a friend we have in Jesus. “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing: but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:11-15)
The following is a condensed story told by Col. John W. Mansur during his time in Vietnam at the height of the war:
“I heard this story when I was in Vietnam, and it was told to me as fact. I have no way of knowing for sure that it is true, but I do know that stranger things have happened in war.
Whatever their planned target, the mortar rounds landed in an orphanage run by a missionary group in the small Vietnamese village. The missionaries and one or two children were killed outright, and several more children were wounded, including one young girl, about eight years old.
People from the village requested medical help. An American Navy doctor and nurse arrived in a jeep with only their medical kits. They established that the girl was the most critically injured. Without quick action, she would die of shock and loss of blood. A transfusion was imperative, and a donor with a matching blood type was required. Neither American had the correct type, but several of the uninjured orphans did.
The doctor spoke some broken Vietnamese, and the nurse a smattering of high-school French. Using that combination, together with sign language, they tried to explain to their young, frightened audience that unless they could replace some of the girl’s lost blood, she would certainly die. They asked if anyone would be willing to give blood.
After several long moments, a small hand slowly and waveringly went up, dropped back down, and then went up again.
“Oh, thank you,” the nurse said in French. “What is your name?”
“Heng,” came back the reply.
Heng was quickly laid on a pallet, his arm swabbed with alcohol, and a needle inserted in his vein. Through this ordeal Heng lay still and silent. After a moment, he let out a shuddering sob, quickly covering his face with his free hand.
“Is it hurting, Heng?” the doctor asked. Heng shook his head, but after a few moments another sob escaped, and once more he tried to cover up his crying. Again the doctor asked him if the needle hurt, and again Heng shook his head.
His occasional sobs gave way to a steady, silent crying, his eyes screwed tightly shut, his fist in his mouth to stifle his sobs.
The medical team was concerned. At this point a Vietnamese nurse arrived to help. Seeing the little one’s distress, she spoke to him rapidly in Vietnamese, listened to his reply and answered him in a soothing voice. The patient stopped crying and looked at the questioning nurse. When she nodded, a look of great relief spread over his face.
Glancing up, the nurse said quietly to the Americans, “He thought he was dying. He misunderstood you. He thought you had asked him to give all his blood so the little girl could live.”
“But why would he be willing to do that?” asked the Navy nurse.
The Vietnamese nurse repeated the question to the little boy, who answered simply, “She’s my friend.”
Greater love has no man than this that he lay down his life for a friend.
Dear Lord, for most of us you have not asked us to lay down our lives, but to follow you with all our hearts, body, and mind. As I reflect on the young Vietnamese “friend,” and on Golgotha, what are you asking of me?
As Trinity Baptist Church and your family of believers hears your call, what are you asking of us? As we look at the breadth and depth of the ministries that you have given us that your sheep may be gathered for the coming age, what are you asking of us?
It is my fervent prayer whatever you ask of us, O Lord, we shall give it … for I know you shall never ask for more than we can give. It is my fervent prayer that as a friend we give with all our heart, body, and mind. It is my fervent prayer that we strive to fulfill your call upon your church to spread the gospel message throughout our community and the world. Let us give thanks to you, O Lord, with tithes and offerings that our joy may be full. What a friend we have in Jesus. Amen.
Reflections on Stewardship
by Ed Howie
Over the last several weeks I have had the opportunity to be a part of multiple team meetings. And I truly and genuinely mean “opportunity.” These meetings are meetings with many of the lay leaders we as a church “called” into service. These leaders are investing much time and even more brain power discussing and deliberating on how we as a church can do all we can to be effective stewards of all that God has blessed and provided us.
God has connected us as a caring family committed to doing His work. God has led us to commit to a very aggressive ministry plan that perhaps exceeds logic. God has inspired us to give more than we have given in the recent past.
I often fall into the trap of equating stewardship with check writing. Over the last several weeks, these meetings have extended far beyond money talk and into service talk. These discussions have been about how we can find ways to spend our money more effectively so that we are more efficient in our ministry efforts. These discussions have been about how we as a family can challenge each other to creatively figure out how to do what we have been called to do right now.
My family and I are proud members of Trinity. By being a part of these many discussions, I am even more proud of our collective desire for, and commitment to, faithful stewardship being a central element of all we do. And it’s a lot more that just trying to hit our overall budgeted dollars.
God is leading us to a point where we each have to decide to each give more or to consider doing less than we set out to do.
God is at work at Trinity. And we the people of Trinity have a long-lasting tradition of faithfully responding to God’s call.
God is able and we will steward His call.
“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20
Reflections on Stewardship
by Mark Outlaw
Last fall, our church family enthusiastically supported a Ministry Plan for our 2009-2010 fiscal year that focused on our goal “To Grow Spiritually and Numerically”. In facilitating this goal, the Ministry Plan encompassed a church budget that would require an increase in Tithes & Offerings of almost 28%. Again, the church enthusiastically endorsed this challenge by approving the Ministry Plan budget for 2009-2010 that reflected this amount.
The Trinity family has responded to our Ministry Plan with year-to-date giving that is almost 9% ahead of the same period last year. Praise God!
While our giving is up this year by 9%, the T&O amount required to support the budget is 28% as noted earlier. Therefore, at this time, we are running behind the amount needed to fully support the Ministry Plan budget for this year.
Several ministry areas and staff have met to address this challenge. First and foremost is the desire to meet the challenge through our giving. The Stewardship team and church staff are working diligently on that plan. The second part of that effort is reviewing our budget expenses to see how those could be adjusted and improved for the rest of the year. The Finance team is working with staff and appropriate ministry teams to address that area. Our discussions have been sincere, gracious and positive.
In addressing this situation, the observation has been made that our 2009-10 Ministry Plan encompasses many long-term goals. Some of these may actually take longer than a year to implement and accomplish. Yet our current Ministry Plan was the place to start! So from an expense standpoint, it just may be that we need to stretch these expenses over a longer period of time while working towards the goals of our Ministry Plan. I feel that is the approach that the Ministry teams and staff are using to address the expense side of our budget.
I praise God for this challenge. I am thankful for the Trinity family. I ask for your prayers as we address this challenge and continue to grow the kingdom of God through Trinity Baptist.
“My God will meet all of your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
Reflections on Stewardship
by Julian Stewart, TBC Stewardship Team
We have a major challenge that God can and will overcome working through each one of us. Our 2009-2010 tithes and offerings giving is approximately $500,000 under budget after five months into the fiscal year. Our giving to date presents two problems, our need to make-up the shortfall and our need to increase our giving for the remaining seven months of this budget year.
One of the most historical days in the life of our church was the day we approved the 2009-2010 budget which represented a 28% increase over the previous year, by far the greatest year to year increase in Trinity’s giving history. The majority of the increase was to do what we feel we must do in Missions and Ministries. We should be extremely proud for this demonstration of faith by our church family.
Dear friends, we have talked the talk, now we must walk the walk. Let us each ask God to convict us to do our part.