Isaiah 55:10-11:
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
God’s word touched hearts and changed lives yesterday. It always does, but yesterday we were able to see with our human eyes more fruit than normal. Two older women accepted Jesus as their savior, while several others joined the church, requested baptism, and prayed at the altar. People spoke to me in tears because they were burdened for lost loved ones.
Pray for God to do a great work this coming Sunday. It is “Join the Church Sunday” and I’m going to challenge people to commit to be an active member of God’s local family called First Baptist Church. So invite people to attend with you.
Our first Leadership Rally was well attended last night. Over 100 ministry leaders gathered to hear information and testimonies. It was a great opportunity for us to talk about challenges, opportunities and ministry plans going forward. The response has been positive and I’m thankful for each person who showed up.
One of our new members who briefly shared last night was Michael Gillespie. When talking about those who impacted him when he first showed up at FBC he told us that we say “no” to people when we don’t introduce ourselves, don’t welcome them, and don’t take time to talk to them. He was thankful some people had said “yes” to him at FBC. Another new member, who drives 45 minutes to be part of FBC, explained that she moved to SC for a new job. After being here she realized God brought her to SC so she could be part of FBC, the “best church” she has ever been a part of.
We also introduced two new interns yesterday morning. Jonathan and Quincy are Winthrop Students who will be serving in our Music and Worship ministry. We’ve implemented this new program in partnership with Jack Blankenship, the Baptist Campus Ministry Director at Winthrop. In addition to the students blessing us with their talents, we invest in them via mentoring and a small salary. Another intern, Chelsea, is already serving in our children’s ministry.
I can’t wait to see what God does this week.
Pastor Steve Hogg
PS Here are some scenes from last night’s Leadership Rally
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