Steadfast in the Journey

Oftentimes, we go through special services like revivals, conferences, or even camps, and retreats hearing soul stirring preaching and being challenged by the songs and the very Word of God to make a decision, vow, or commitment to be…   But, how long do we remain steadfast in our new found journey?

In Philippians 3:14, we read, “…I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus…”  This verse, in context, is about not being high-minded and thinking you have arrived,  forgetting about the things which are past and focusing on what lies ahead, and earnestly striving to reach the goal that Jesus Christ has placed for your life which is his divine will.  And in reaching the goal, i.e. discerning the calling of God on your life (both his general will and specific will), there is much joy as in receiving a prize.

This verse doesn’t say that we should press toward the mark for a week, or maybe 2, or maybe even a month or so.  There is no time limit given here.  Today, at Calais Independent Baptist Church, we will be having a special service to commemorate and make public a very specific vow that our teens, who attended the Great Awakening Youth Conference this summer, made to God.  This vow was made about 3 weeks ago and it pains me to contemplate the prayer, the will power, and determination that has already been required to remain steadfast in their new found journey.   There were many other commitments/vows/decisions to God made that week as there have been numerous others both before and since all around the world.  The question comes down to this, Are we being steadfast in the Journey?

We can’t do it on our own.  If we make a decision, vow or commitment to God based on the genuine leading of the Holy Spirit and honest desire to discern the will of God for our individual lives, the devil will tempt us and sometimes God will test us.  Remaining steadfast in the journey requires prayer with much supplication.  It also requires staying close to God and resting in His Word.  Just like the runner in a race, without strength and endurance, we may end up injured instead of winning or even finishing the race.  As Christians, our source of strength and endurance is Jesus Christ himself.

My challenge to you all this morning is that you remain steadfast in the journey to which God has called you.

Coming closer to the times

Good afternoon,

This is the first, of hopefully many, blog update I have been able to do from the office at the church (instead of trying to remember to do one once i got home). We have finally moved a little closer to the current decade and now have high-speed wireless internet at our church here in Calais. Can't use your cell phone still (no towers close by), but you can get on the web if you need to :).

Things are getting busy as the summer swings into full bloom here at Calais. I picked the bus up today from getting repaired after breaking down during our teen trip last month, and it will go right into use beginning this Sunday morning for our weekly bus ministry! Excited that we will be kicking off a new outreach ministry for our area, the bus ministry. We are praying that many visitors, children and families, take advantage of the opportunity to catch a ride to come to church and hear the gospel. VBS is also just around the corner, as it kicks off on 7/17. Lots of last minute details to wrap up, but praising God for the volunteers already signed up and planning on breaking our attendance record since I became pastor. (for all you out there that didn't get the intended joke, I have only been pastor here at Calais for 1 yr and a month) We had 82 different children attend last year through the week, with an average of 110 counting the adults each night. This year I am challenging our people to reach a goal of 100 different children! Not just for numbers sake, but that they may be exposed to the truth of God's Word, and see what our church is like. I am praying that we will get at least one family from VBS, faithfully start attending our church, get saved serving in our church after VBS, like we did last year. It's great to set goals and strive to reach them, but it is more important to share the gospel with them that they might get saved. Pray for us as we strive to be good stewards of what God has given us at Calais and as we carry out the VBS program from AIG, Gold Rush, this year.

Also, be praying for a purity ceremony that we have scheduled for Sunday, July 17th AM where our teens can make public there vows made to God during the Great Awakening Youth Conference last month regarding remaining pure until Christian marriage.

You'ns have a great remainder of the week and make sure to share the good news with someone today!

Long Overdue Update!

It has been a very busy Spring and beginning of Summer here at Calais Church. Sorry it has been so long since the last update.

We took the teens to The Great Awakening Youth Conference at Morning Star Baptist Church June 22-24 and stopped in Kentucky at New Grace Baptist Church, Pastor Todd Lockyer and his wife Amanda were there to welcome us, to do some mission work on our way back home. Great time of fellowship, got the church cleaned up and ready for the Teens and Adults from Cornerstone Independent Baptist Church from Rocky Mount, NC to come up and do Vacation Bible School this week! The conference and mission work was great and an adventure, but God must have thought we needed even more as the bus broke down 2.5 hrs. from home. Thanks to some awesome church members who gave of their time and drove their vehicles down to shuttle our teens/leaders and the luggage back home we were all safe in bed by 1am on Sunday. Check out the video recap of the week on the church website www.calaisindependentbaptist.com under our teen ministries tab. The sermons from the conference are also available on the media tab of our website.

Lots of fun and exciting things coming up this summer. VBS is only 3 Sundays away! We are very excited to be using AIG's Gold Rush as our program this year and are looking for even more children to be impacted for the Lord. If you remember, last year we averaged about 110 each night (adult/teen workers included) and had a total of 82 different children throughout the week of VBS (many were repeat attenders during the week).

Our bus ministry kicks off, Lord willing and all repairs complete, on Sunday July 10th. Be praying that we will have good reception as we go out in the surrounding communities to pick up children and families that wouldn't otherwise be able or inclined to attend church. Pray also that the Lord will give the drivers and workers the strength, energy and endurance needed to give this ministry our best!

We have some fun services and different things planned for our Sundays during this summer and I, as pastor, am issuing monthly challenges to the church as a whole, our teens, and our children throughout the remainder of the year. May the Lord give me wisdom as I choose how to stretch and equip the flock over which he is allowing me the privilege to be under shepherd. The first teen challenge is to memorize 50 verses (from a book of 100 verses every Christian should know - received at the Conference) by 1st Sunday in August, and our church-wide challenge to be revealed this Sunday morning is 2-fold, first to read the entire New Testament by the end of July (only 8-9 chapters a day)and then to kick it off by committing to a 2 day fast from TV, XBox, and other technology that seems to crowd our time. Pastor is leading by example in this one, as well as the Teen challenge, by shutting off the Satellite service at the house (yep, it is disconnected and getting ready to be shipped back to Dish). Sometimes you just have to get radical about your Christianity ;). The children's challenge is yet to be determined. Why issue challenges to the church, well part of my task as Pastor is to disciple and equip the saints, and these challenges are a part of meeting that responsibility. Feel free to join along with us as we strive to meet and exceed these challenges.

Attendance at worship services continues to remain steady and slightly above last year's average. We have been able to add 2 missionaries so far this year, and have several more to come through on deputation. We have purchased a church bus, begun to have it painted, and have also purchased and installed A/C in our annex building wiht much appreciation from our nursery, Sunday school, Jr. Church,Chilren's Ministry, Youth Ministry and VBS workers (all who use this building and have done so with no A/C for several years).

I think God still has big plans for our little country church out here in Calais,OH. Be in prayer as we endeavor to do our best to stay in the will of God and impact our surrounding areas for the Gospel.

Appologies in advance if the next update is a little while in coming. Y'all (you'ns) have a great Summer!