Soul Rejuvenation
The 23rd Psalm reminds us that the Lord who is our Shepherd “restores my soul.”
Everyone needs to have their soul and spirit refreshed and revitalized. That is especially true of ministers. While I am grateful that God called me to serve as a pastor, and while I enjoy almost everything about the work of ministry, I recognize that after 33 years of serving on a church staff as a pastor or associate, for me to serve effectively well into the future, my soul and my body need a season of rest and refreshing.
Although our church made provision long ago for pastors of FBCP to go on a “sabbatical,” two years ago our Personnel Committee, our Administrative Counsel, and our Deacons endorsed and encouraged me to prepare for such a season. In collaboration with a Sabbatical Team (Ron Jackson, Allen Turner, Andy White, Steve Shell, and Mary Powell) appointed by our Deacon Chair, we applied for a “Clergy Renewal Grant” from the Lilly Endowment. Last September, we were notified that we were being awarded a generous grant as a part of Lilly’s Ministerial Excellence program.
The grant provides an allotment for the pastor to “rest, refresh, and re-tool” during a sabbatical season, and it provides funding for speakers, workshops, and activities to strengthen and encourage the church while the pastor is away.
The sabbatical presents some great opportunities for me, but it also stirs some anxiety. First, I like being engaged in the weekly work of the church. Second, I like sleeping, bathing, and eating at my house. My idea of travel is 3-5 nights on the road and then come home. And third, I feel a deep sense of responsibility for the pastoral ministry of our congregation.
Taking a sabbatical moves me way out of my comfort zone. But I am convinced that now is the right time for me and for the congregation to devote several weeks to “soul rejuvenation.”
As I prepare to depart for sabbatical, I have a deep sense of peace about the Lord’s leadership, a great sense of confidence in our team of staff ministers, and a real sense of excitement about the summer schedule at FBCP. (See list of speakers)
While I am away I am asking you to do three things:
1. Pray for me to disconnect from the work of ministry for now, so that I can return to the work of ministry with renewed vitality and vision.
2. Be faithful in worship and Bible study during the summer months every week. When in town, be in your place at FBCP. When on the road, visit a church wherever you are and bring a bulletin back to put on the summer bulletin board.
3. Encourage each other. Just as you have been an encouragement to me, “Encourage one another even more….”
I am looking forward to some time to rest, and I look forward to returning with a fresh perspective so that I can be a better pastor to this great congregation. Thank you in advance for your prayers and your summer faithfulness.
Summer Schedule:
June 3 Sweet Beginnings Ice Cream Fellowship
June 10 Rick Spencer
June 17 From a Father’s Heart
Early Service: Fed Barona, Kelly Small, Rev. Hicks
Midmorning Service: David Sansing, Mark Eubanks, Vick Vickery
June 24 Charlie Wilson
July 1 Darren Stennett
July 8 Don Minton
July 15 Rebecca Andrews Adrian
July 22 Brian Harbour
July 29 Bob Greene
Aug 5 Bill Shiell
Aug 12 Randel Everett
Aug 19 Jody Gambrell (Back to School Sunday)
Aug 26 Charlie Johnson
Sept 2 Ross Lankford
Have a Fun and Faithful Summer!
For many folks, Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer. Summer brings exciting opportunities for recreation, travel, and family visits.
Our theme for this summer is Rejuvenate! During the weeks that I am away on sabbatical to rest and re-tool, our worship services and activities are being designed to refresh and encourage our church family.
For our First Baptist Family, summer is always a busy time of the year when our church calendar is always packed with events. In addition to our weekly opportunities for worship and Bible study, during the next 12 weeks there will be many ways to get involved in fellowship, discipleship, ministry, or mission involvement. Here are just a few: Sweet Beginnings Ice Cream Fellowship, Chapel Choir International Tour, Amazing Wonders (VBS), FBC On Wheels, Russia Mission Trip, Children’s Camp, Costa Rica Mission Trip, World Changers, Student Leadership Retreat, August Concert Series, and Beach Baptism.
That means a lot of our folks are going to be extremely busy; so busy that if we are not careful, we will miss the important stuff while we are chasing after the less important stuff.
My hope and prayer is that we will make it a fun and faithful summer…enjoying healthy recreation, engaging in a meaningful mission project, and being faithful in worship and Bible study.
Kick off summer with us this Sunday as we gather for our Combined Service of Worship on our annual Senior Recognition Day as we consider Sacred Responsibility #5: To engage in a good work.
(Stay tuned next week our pastor will be sharing the details of our summer “Rejuvenate!” series.)
Getting E-Connected to FBCP
At First Baptist, we want people to get connected and stay connected with God and with each other. One way to get connected with the important people in your life is through a variety of e-connection opportunities. Each week I get e-correspondence from church members of all ages. We have a terrific group of students who are becoming highly skilled in e-technology at an early age. We also have a progressive, forward thinking group of adults who are becoming more and more e-connected. No one is too old to “connect.” In fact, our oldest and longest tenured married couple watches our worship service via “live streaming” every Sunday.
At First Baptist, we are constantly working to better utilize technology, to help each other stay connected and stay informed:
- We are continually upgrading our web site.
- We send our weekly newsletter, The E-Builder, by email (as well as a printed copy to those who request it).
- We send periodic e-reminders for major church events.
- We can now provide an online version of the new church pictorial directory.
- Many of our Bible study groups and prayers groups have an email database through which to share events, devotional material, or prayer concerns.
- We provide opportunities for E-giving and online registration for camps, retreats, and other activities.
- We provide both live streaming and web casting of 10:45 worship service.
- We occasionally utilize Twitter to post highlights from our worship services.
If you do not have email or internet access, do not feel left out or intimated by technology. We continue to provide printed copies of almost everything you need to be an active and informed member of First Baptist Church. But if you want to learn to utilize new communication and information technology, it is not too late to begin.
As we continue to grow in faith and friendship, I hope that you will help those in your life to get connected and stay connected with God and with our FBCP family.
(Check out the following FBCP-related web sites:
www.fbcp.org – This is our primary church web site.
www.fbcpnotes.wordpress.com – This blog offers brief notes and outlines from the pastor’s sermons and studies
www.barrysnotes.wordpress.com – This is the pastor’s blog for articles on faith and culture.
At First Baptist Church, we are grateful for the past and excited about the future. This Sunday is Heritage Day at First Baptist. During each worship service, we will recognize members of our Heritage Club, individuals who have been members of First Baptist Church for 50 years or more. We are the beneficiaries of a great heritage of mission and ministry because of the investment of these veteran Christians who have served the Lord faithfully across the generations, serving as our living examples of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
As we approach Heritage Day, we are reminded that our history and our future are birthed from the same Spirit, but they are not identical twins. At First Baptist we celebrate our heritage by appreciating our senior saints and giving thanks to God for the effective ministries of years gone by. We can embrace our future by listening to the Spirit’s creative leadership for our day and by seizing the God-given opportunities for our day.
In May we are continuing our series on Sacred Responsibilities: Doing the Most Important Things in Life. This week we are focused on the following biblical truth: We have a responsibility to honor God in the way that we manage all of the resources placed in our care.
On Sunday evening we will meet in the sanctuary at six o’clock for the Spring Children’s Choirs Concert.
As we celebrate our heritage and embrace our future, I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday.
The following are among the facts of life for a Christian:
- You were created for a purpose.
- You are going to die.
- After you die you will give an account to God on judgment day.
In II Corinthians 5:10 Paul reminds believers that, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
If I know that I have been created for a good purpose, that I am going to die eventually, and that I will stand before God in judgment, that should drastically affect the way I choose to live my life. Those realities should determine how and why I do the things I do.
This Sunday we are starting a new series entitled, Sacred Responsibilities: Doing What Is Important in Life.
What are our sacred responsibilities? Here are five specific duties that I identified in the Bible that are given to every follower of Jesus:
1. To build up the body of Christ.
2. To exercise stewardship over everything in our care.
3. To nurture and strengthen family.
4. To practice healthy self-care.
5. To engage in a good work.
We will begin the series this Sunday by talking about “Being Bold in Building Up the Body of Christ” from Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13.
Invite a friend to join you this Sunday in worship and Bible study as we talk about the most important things in life.
Bob Morrison: Celebrating 25 Years of Ministry
This Sunday, April 22, we will be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Bob Morrison as Minister of Music at First Baptist Church of Pensacola. Bob was actually called to FBCP on March 15, 1987. I invite you to join me in writing your personal words of appreciation for Bob’s ministry. Then bring your card, note, or letter to place in the basket at the reception in Chipley Hall.
As you reflect on your gratitude for the positive impact of Bob’s years at FBCP, I want to share these words that others have offered in tribute to Bob Morrison:
We all stand amazed, Bob, at your strong leadership and seemingly endless supply of physical energy. I appreciate your high expectations in all facets of your work. We have learned to expect only the best when we come to observe and listen to programs in which you lead. -Bill Santo
To my mentor and my friend, Congratulations on an amazing 25 years of ministry. Thank you for all you do to share the love of Jesus through music. Blessings for many more years! -Tina Helms
It has truly been a blessing and an honor to sing under and be discipled by Mr. Morrison. My experience in Chapel Choir made a profound impact on my growing faith and I will always remember the deep friendships and memories made in choir. –Leslie Hutcherson
Bob Morrison exemplifies the title of Music Minister. Through his dedication and service to God he has impacted the lives of entire families inspiring love of music and love of God. –Jim Durr
I am blessed beyond measure to have the privilege to work under Bob’s leadership. There can be no better mentor nor finer example of a minister of music devoted wholeheartedly to excellence and Christian service.
–Casey Henry
Worshiping God through His Gift of Music with Bob Morrison is a Blessing I thank God for everyday.
-Lynne Lauderdale
Every week, no matter how hard he works us, I’m grateful for Mr. Morrison. The drive for brilliance, the push for perfection, and the overall passion for music truly boils down to an insatiable desire to glorify God, and to serve others in doing so. -Robert Turnage
Mr. Morrison is a man of integrity, love, and mostly a Man of God. He is a father-figure and someone I can always talk to. His passion to continue chapel choir each year has given me an opportunity that I might have not otherwise had. He has provided me friends and memories that I will remember for the rest of my life. He has provided for me an outlet that has helped me stay strong in my faith. I love you, Mr. Mo!!
-Macy Jayne Clay
My official position with the music ministry is “designated listener” and I love my job! Thanks Bob, “you’re just too marvelous for words.” -Toni Clevenger
You have been minister to so many through the process of “offering our best gifts to God.” Sitting on this side of the desk has given me new appreciation for your ministry. I continue to hold great hope for the church as we know it. Your stewardship of that which has been entrusted to you continues to leave a legacy. Count me as one of the cloud of faithful witnesses. -Bill Shiell
When I arrived in Pensacola, Dr. Pleitz told me that “your music man is the best of the best.” What Dr. Pleitz said is no exaggeration. I count it a privilege to co-labor with the “best of the best,” a colleague who is first and foremost a minister, and as a bonus, brings excellence to music. Congratulations Bob on 25 years of faithful service to the Lord and to the church! -Barry Howard
I look forward to seeing you this Sunday for worship, Bible study, and a great day of celebration.
Stewardship: Managing the Ups and Downs
How do maximize your resources and minimize your anxiety when the market is up one day and down the next. Some analysts believe that we are progressing in our economic recovery while others caution that the lifespan of this recession will be longer than many experts expected. How do you find financial, emotional, and spiritual stability in an unstable economy? The only way I know is by practicing the principles of Christian stewardship, and there are no shortcuts.
Christian stewardship is a pragmatic spiritual discipline…a management responsibility which applies to every facet of life. As believers and worshippers, we are accountable to God for how we exercise that managerial responsibility over all of our resources, especially our time, our spiritual gifts, our opportunities, and our finances.
Although we began seeing signs of an economic shift shortly after the successive storms of 2004-2005, the turbulence has gone global, leading some of the major international economies into a period of re-structuring or re-visioning. Now we are in 2012, and though the market has regained some of its vitality, a spirit of anxiety and uncertainty still hovers over Wall Street.
We do not know how long these recession conditions will last, we do know that God’s economic guidelines bring stability during all of the seasons of life. In his book, Full Disclosure: Everything the Bible Says about Financial Giving, Dave Bell writes, “Stewardship is not just an opportunity to enter into God’s service but an opportunity for God to enter into you.” I believe that for those who dare to practice biblical stewardship, giving becomes a fun part of our management responsibility. Paul gives us a vivid description of a believer’s attitude toward God’s economic plan when he writes, “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” II Corinthians 9:7 NIV
God’s plan for economics begins by calling us to a positive and proactive attitude toward managing. A primary step toward managing all of your God-given resources is to present the firstfruits, or the first tenth of your increase, as a tithe unto the Lord. The prophet Malachi probably has the most emphatic words to say about giving: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:8-10 NIV
Herb Mather, author of Don’t Shoot the Horse (Until You Know How to Drive the Tractor), proposes that “The vertical relationship to God and the horizontal relationship to neighbor come together in the act of giving.” In other words, that cheerful spirit of managing and appropriating our resources for kingdom purposes cultivates within us a passion for mission and ministry.
How do you begin, or continue, the practice of Christian stewardship?
- Understand that all resources are a trust from God, and we are charged to be good managers.
- Prioritize your tithes and offerings.
- Provide for your family with gratitude and careful management strategy.
- Adopt a lifestyle of enjoying simple gifts.
- Be ethical and honest in all transactions.
- Limit credit liability and strive to eliminate debt.
- Invest in the future through a savings and investment plan.
During these tough economic times God’s principles of stewardship can bring stability to our homes and our businesses, as well as the ministries of our church.
As we grow stronger in faith and friendship, let us commit to also grow as managers so that we can maximize all that God has given into our care.
