My Dreams and Hopes for 2009

Here we are - last day of the year 2008.

Ministry wise, this has been a tough year.

I hate being a part of a church that's not growing and thriving. I don't do stagnation and not growing very well. And that's where we've been for the past two and half years.

A lot of that has to do with my leadership. I must become a better leader and pastor for our church to grow. I need to become a better preacher and communicator. I need to help our church to be more organized. But most of all, I need to pray for our church more.

So those are things that I resolve to do in the coming year. I will read and study to become a better leader for TPC and for Christ. I will read and study to become a better preacher and communicator. But most of all, I commit to praying more for our church and for God's leadership.

I don't want to go through another year like this ever again. I want to see God at work. I want to see lives get changed. I want to see God leading us in such a way that people's lives are actually being impacted and the Kingdom is growing in its influence.

I dream of being a part of a church that is sold out to seeing people get healed.

I dream of being a part of a church where the broken souls are ministered;
where the resources of the church's time, talents, and finances are committed to alleviate suffering in our local communities as well as the greater world;
where Christ-followers cannot help but weep and be broken by the hopelessness in our communities.

I dream of being a part of a church where Christ-followers are all over the business of rescuing hell-bound eternities.

I dream of being a part of a church that is sold out and committed to making this Kingdom vision a reality here on earth as it will be in heaven.

I dream of being a part of a church that is actually making a difference in the local community for the Kingdom of God.

And I am foolish enough to believe that this is not only a reality for Trinity Presbyterian Church, but that this is what Jesus had in mind when He began the entire "Follow Me" thing to begin with.

Oh how I long to be a part of a church like that.

God help me to be a leader for such a church.