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| Pastors Page
We at First Baptist Church Mt Vernon/Burlington are a fellowship of people committed to being Christ-like, Christ-led and Christ-filled. My dream as a pastor is to see each person equipped to excel in faith, to excel in love and to excel in the grace of giving. 2 Corinthians 8:7 Since the quality of our lives is based on the quality of our relationships, I dream of a church where people are transparent, vulnerable and real with one another. Our church will not be based on rules and regulations but on deep personal relationships with self, others and God. This of course, was our Lord’s plan when Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself and love the Lord your God with all the enthusiasm you can muster!” I recall the little girl who came home from Sunday school and discussed with her mother her disappointment with the class’s reaction after the day’s lesson. “We were taught to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations,” she said, “but we just sat.” I dream of a church that doesn’t sit but that literally becomes the church of “Acts”. With the power of the Holy Spirit, with vision and discipleship we will become like Paul in Acts 16:9. “That night Paul had a vision which said, ‘Come over here and help us’ and he did.” 16:10 “We could only conclude that God was sending us to preach the Good News there.” On your mark – Get set – Go with God! I dream of a church with many dreamers and many dream mates who are willing to get out of the boat of our comfort zones and to minister in the waters of a fast changing world. I believe in a church that believes parachutes work best when they are open; in other words, open minds, flexibility and grace trump rigidness, legalism and small thinking! Our mission is to become a Biblically functioning church that shares the Good News of Christ in word and deed. So I conclude – Dreamers wanted – Join us in a Volunteer Ministry that expects great things from God and seeks to make dreams happen!
The Cross Triumphs in Recession
God’s Stimulus Plan for Today
Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and God will give you the desires of your heart.”
Today all churches in America, all families in America and all individuals in America are facing one of the biggest challenges in our history! Some have even called it, the Pearl Harbor of financial crises. In other words, it’s serious, it’s very serious. How will we as a church and as Christians respond? One method is to retreat and isolate. That’s not Christ’s method, nor our method. Jesus met head on the challenges of Satan, sin and shock and stress through the cross and was victorious. Yet today we are more than facing a financial crisis, we are staring down a crisis of fear! How will we respond? This is our response, “Fear knocked! Faith in Jesus Christ answered!” We answer in faith by our commitment to prayer and meditation in God’s word. We don’t need more “me time”, we need more “knee time”. We need more the bending of our hearts and lives in humble obedience to Christ. Fear knocked! Faith in Jesus Christ answered! We answer in faith by a renewed, deep commitment to church involvement. (church attendance included) Hebrews 10:25 “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is and exhorting one another!” As each of us further invests in a group Bible study, our worship services, our Wednesday night prayer meeting and our church missions and service ministries, we will more then turn around this church; we will turn around this community, yes even this world! Fear knocked! Faith in Jesus Christ answered! Those of us who are fortunate enough to have jobs and hold a stable income need to thank God by investing in our current church budget and mission challenge. This means a radical commitment to weekly and daily time, talent and treasure discipleship responsibilities. For those who have in the past, for whatever reason, limited your involvement, God needs you now to step up to the plate. As your pastor, on behalf of the Diaconate Board and the Finance Committee, we are asking each of you to come along side us to renew, in this Lenten season, our vows of commitment to Christ and the church and to act on them. Follow up contacts will be made by Pastor Ron and our church to encourage our renewed faith response! Fear knocked! Faith in Jesus Christ answered! As Jesus faced the cross boldly, so we are also encouraged to take up our crosses. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Jesus bids us to follow him, he bids us to come and die!” Apart from suffering, there is no crown! In this financial recession I pledge that as a church we will not have a spiritual recession but a spiritual ascension! The further the stock market goes down, the higher our faith commitment will go up. We in our church are not in a “bear spiritual market” we are in a “bull spiritual market”. Our youth group is sizzling hot with the Wednesday night gym filled with teenagers and children and adults. Our men’s group is thriving and our Saturday morning Men’s Bible Study is solid as a rock. Many people are considering being baptized at Easter and our Stuck to Unstuck is restoring addicts to spiritual health. Our Famine Fast offering was over $500. Thank you! Look at the outside of our building in Mount Vernon and our property is being landscaped and improved. First Baptist Church Burlington is planning a carpeting renovation! Yes, inside and outside exciting things are happening. Fear knocked! Faith in Jesus Christ answered! Please join us together in a new “team Holy Spirit” as we move ahead. God needs each of us! 1 Corinthians 15:20 “But now has Christ risen from the dead!” Fear knocked! Faith in Jesus Christ answered!
See you in church! See you and I being the church daily!
Sincerely in Christ, Rev. Ronald J. Deegan |
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fbc@fbc-mvbur.org with questions or comments about this web site.
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