Dear Friends:

I am excited! I’m excited for all I can see God doing in the lives of people in our church. I am excited about the synergy that God graciously creates when His purposes intersect with His people seeking the will of God.

We have seen God graciously feeding and nurturing the life of the Spirit in our church. There is life! There’s more than just a sense of hope. There’s a spiritual spring taking hold in our lives that is translated through all that happens. Some examples are in order:

For years we struggled in a spirit of malaise. Life here was like trying to dance in mud, broken from time to time with squabbles to gain control and political maneuvering that left us all hurt and empty. When God delivered us from the tradition of man-centered religion, we entered a phase of peacefulness, but also of recovery. We could hardly walk, much less handle the rigors of renewal.

In December 1998, we repented for our past, looked toward the future, and entered into a Covenant of Rededication. We then began to hear God speaking in a fresh way through His Word to us. We discovered that God takes covenants seriously.

We’ve emphasized the building of redemptive relationships, opening the church to people who need God (Luke 14: 13 – 14). Many churches have been places where pharisaical people have wielded political power to be in control rather than minister to those with needs. We are seeking our church to be a Safe Harbor for people who know brokenness and seek the wholeness a saving relationship with Jesus Christ offers. Several years ago we received Psalm 68: 5 – 6 as a theme verse for our church’s ministry.

We’re seeing evangelism flow naturally from friendships. We are seeking to allow the seed of the Word to spread in our community. We want to bless, to befriend and to offer our love as a picture of God’s love for people. Then, our community will possess a Secure Hope for their future in Christ (Hebrews 6: 19).

We have sought to open worship. Worship is our privilege: to come boldly before the God of heaven and bring our personal and corporate praise to Him. We want to involve our whole congregation. For us, worship is not the job of a few leaders, but the passion of every child of God.

We are beginning again to strategize toward deeper involvement in missions. Youth and adults will continue to take steps to offer themselves to the nations. We have seen just a bit of God’s heart for His people, and we are moved by that vision. We desire to bring a Spiritual Harvest (Luke 14: 23) from every corner of the world of lives saved and transformed by the Gospel we preach.

God has led a number of people to undertake renovation projects on our church facility. We launched a Restoration Fund in the spring of 2001, but we have accomplished far more than those dollars could do. Years ago, we might have been squabbling over what we lacked, even though we were amply supplied. Today, with considerably less, so much more is being done happily and with wonderful enthusiasm.

I think you’ll agree; our church has 'turned a corner'. We are experiencing the rare gift of renewal in our fellowship, in our own lives, and in the way God deals with us. That’s why I am excited today, and why I look toward 2002 with anticipation of what our God will do next.

Are you excited as well? I believe that 2002 will not only be a year of great expectations, but a year of great fulfillment. We will discover more about First Baptist Church of Pocasset’s call by God to be ... a Safe Harbor for those in life’s storms, offering a Secure Hope in Jesus Christ, toward a Spiritual Harvest for our King.

In Jesus’ wonderful Name,

Pastor Ed de la Cour