A Father’s perspective…….
Several weeks ago, Gaylen was filling in for Pastor Greg. In preparation for celebrating the Lord’s supper he asked if two of the elders would pray before we received the bread and cup. I said that I would and began to think about what that prayer would be. Immediately, as I usually do, I thought of the horrible suffering Christ endured on our behalf. But then I began to think about the suffering of the Father as well. I would bet most parents would tell you that the most painful times they will experience are the times they have watched their children suffer, be it during sickness, injury, or even disappointments. There is nothing more heart breaking. We will do anything for our children to lessen their pain. And so, when we think of the suffering that had to occur when we were purchased and gifted with eternal life, let us not forget what the Father endured. I believe that scripture clearly tells us that the Father had to separate himself from the Son during this time, leaving Jesus to take the punishment for us all without that connection. That separation from God is Hell. But how horrible it must have been for the Father as well with his Son crying out in wonder. Such was the ransom required to atone for the sin of mankind. God does not tolerate sin and as new creations in his Son, we should not either, no matter what the world may dictate as acceptable in the world today. Jesus said that if we love him we will obey his commandments. How are we doing?
One of the core values of our church is the commitment to prayer. As part of that focus, the board wants to be in prayer for every attender here at ACEFC. We have assigned an elder to pray for each person on an ongoing basis so don’t be surprised if you are contacted soon by an elder so he can “check in” for any prayer requests or just to see how you are doing. Don’t be shy about giving us feedback also about anything on your mind!
We are excited to report that the we have had a strong turnout in the Men’s Ministry group meetings recently. Pastor Greg is providing a class on discipleship as a first step towards making sure we are equipped going forward.
We would also like to thank Stephanie Zaruba for taking over the leadership position with Women’s Ministry. It sounds like they are putting a strong group together, so we are very excited about that as well.
We are working on a strategy to consolidate some of our ministry teams to improve communication and reduce the “load” on some of the ministry team leaders. More on that to come.
Finally, we appreciate the efforts of our Associate Pastor Search committee as they move forward to find the man that God is preparing for us. We are hopeful and praying that our church finances will rebound this fall so we can stay on track with our plans.
-Ted