Welcome and Merry Christmas! We are halfway through our celebration of Christmas, and a brand new year is upon us yet again. The birth of Jesus signals a turning point in history, a new beginning of sorts. Similarly, the New Year prompts us to reflect on the pass and thank the Lord for his many blessings he has bestowed upon us in this past year. It is also a time for new beginnings. How fitting that the new year should fall just days after we celebrate the birth of Jesus!
As we rapidly approach the end of another year, we as a staff are praying and seeking the Lord’s will for the year that will soon be upon us.
Setting a budget for our church means that we take the time to evaluate the programs that we have been running, explore new possibilities, and talk with our finance people about what it will take to accomplish our goals in the new year.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
–Proverbs 22:6
Teachers are like pastors: you assume the responsibility and privilege of sharing God’s Word in a way that makes it easy for others to understand. Explaining scripture to children, especially, is neither a small or easy task. On the contrary, the task of relating the abstract or challenging aspects of our Creator is one that requires a special set of gifts from the Lord, and I, for one, am thankful that you have put your spiritual gifts to use so willingly over the years.
I know there have been many hours of prayer, study, and thoughtful discussion taking place during this search for a new pastor. I know that the committee has been working hard to listen to and follow God’s leading. To serve on the committee requires one to put aside their own interests in order to spiritually discern what is right and best and God’s true calling for the church. After all, you are seeking the Lord’s guidance and direction on who it is, exactly, that He is calling to be the next pastor of CHURCH NAME. We trust that, through Christ’s leading, the committee has found/will find the right person will come to serve CHURCH NAME as our new pastor.
Pastors and teachers both assume the awesome honor and responsibility of providing adults with deeper insight and understanding of God’s Word. As we both know, this job is satisfying, demanding, and challenging.
Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
–Proverbs 9:9
