I am preaching in Texas today in a town that has 22 Baptist churches. None are exactly like the one I’m preaching in with its heavy emphasis on giving to missions (almost $300k given to missions by a church about our size!), but still… that’s a lot of Baptist churches.
Last week, a few of us attended the National Church Planting Conference in Oklahoma City, and you can see the information that Bro. Christian put together to show how we were involved in churches being started all over this country. But California is by far the most unchurched state of all, especially when you compare it to the kind of town I am in right now.
The population here is about 40,000, and there’s almost literally a church on every corner. This creates its own set of problems for pastors who really do want to see the work of Christ go forward, because they can’t find lost people! They go door-knocking and every person they talk to is already Baptist, or their grandpa was a Baptist preacher, or they already tried that church.
We don’t have that problem. And I’m thankful. I appreciate so much about Calvary Baptist Church, but I especially love my home church when I compare it to anywhere else.
I love that you attend because you want to and need to. Not because you have to.
I love that you serve because you love the Lord and you love people. Not because you feel obligated.
I love that we have baptisms and new Christians and changed lives. I’m not saying other churches don’t have that, but God is working here in wonderful ways.
I love that church life can be biblical. Not just social. Some people attend church because that’s what they’ve always done, or because family expects them to, but I love that you are part of the body in a biblical way.
Never lose that. I sure miss being there today, but I’m praying you have some great services! See you on Wednesday.
–Pastor Ryan