Life's mix of joy and pain

I've ministered to many this year who have lost a parent, their spouse or a child. As I type this, I'm prayerfully preparing for a funeral service of a dear lady in our church. The emotional flux of joy and loss is difficult to define or express. This lady was saved. She had trusted in Christ years ago and is now in the presence of Jesus her Savior. But the family deals with the pain. This year is ending with several families suffering the loss of loved ones. So pray with me... pray for them and pray for me as I strive to minister to their needs. Pray to that I'll have wisdom in the juggling of family responsibilities with pastoral ministry responsibilities.

God is good all the time. At times we forget that and at times we get depressed and down. It is then that we look to Him and count the blessings we have in Christ.

Thoughts on Christmas

I love to watch and listen to people. That is especially true this time of year. I watch as adults get giddy with anticipation of family members and firends that are gathering. I see or hear those in love; young and old who are gleeful in anticipation as they bestow just that one special gift for that one special person. There is that excited expectation of the giver for the look of surprise, wonder, indefinable joy. Love's like that. It desires to give by virtue of its integrity, intensity and intimacy. Love desires to express itself in the giving of itself regardless the cost or sacrifice. I've received many great gifts in the course of my lifetime, but the greatest is God's gift of Christ. God delights to see my indefinable, inexplicable joy as I my eyes and heart open in wonder at the magnitude of His gift to me in Christ. His gift still moves me to desire to express appreciation and gratitude through thanksgiving and praise. That gift makes me dersire to pledge my loyalty, love and devotion eveidenced through faithful service. It motivates me to delight myself in
God and in His gift of grace through Christ Jesus. And as God sees all the myriad of thoughts and emotions etched upon my face, reflected in my eyes and treasured and clutched in my heart; He smiles at me and basks in the glow of my worship, adoration and praise which are the evidences of a grateful and reciprocated love for Him.

New Ministry

Our church took a step out on faith and voted to sponsor a new seminary school for the churches of the American Baptist Association for our state and for this region of our nation. There are many fine schools in our work, two from which I have degrees. I appreciate the dedicated and devoted missionaries and pastors who have sowed the seeds for this vision and watered them through shared hearts and prayer. These men felt that LBC was the church that should sponsor this new work. I'm thankful for the people I pastor and their willingness to pray and then act to meeting the ministry opportunities that God presents to us. They have faithfully and devotedly prayed, worked, and evidenced God's working in our midst. Now comes the challenge and glorious opportunity to help instruct and train men to the work of ministry through missions planting and pastoral leadership. More will be said as this work begins to progress toward reality. Our desire and hope is that first and foremost God be glorified and secondly that men be trained as missionaries and pastors for new works in our state, our nation, and the impact of the school will reach internationally. We covet your prayers and support for this new work. If you would like to know more, please don't hesitate to give me a call.

Snow

The first heavy snowfall of the winter season is upon us. We awoke to seven inches! I love the change in weather. There is something clean and crisp about the winter. The temperatures have been in the single digits, and the air smells clean and vibrant. I love the smell of the air on such days. As the brilliance of the snow reflects the light in the world around it, I can't help but think of how God's forgiveness does the same. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, my sins are washed whiter than snow. As a consequence, the light of God's glory and grace are reflected outward for all to see as a tribute to His glory and praise.

Christmas

I'm excited about all that this holiday represents. How awesome is it that God would provide in Himself a sacrifice for our forgiveness and redemption from sin and its consequence? How wonderful His grace is toward me and bountiful His blessings in Christ. Why is it that the world seems bent upon contradicting and refuting the claims and message of Christ? Why is it that the reason for the season is now caught up in the hype of materialism and sensuality rather than in the attitude of gratitude and appreciation for God in His provision? In this world where self assertion, promotion and gratification it is inspiring and refreshing to know that Jesus came to serve. He stated that His life purpose was to minister to the needs of man, and in so doing, fulfill God's purpose and plan for His life. May we each seek out God's purpose for our lives and apply ourselves to obediently fulfill it in loving service to Him. In light of all we have in Christ, it is our reasonable service.

Friends and Holidays

Cathy, Tim and I enjoyed our Thanksgiving this year with Adam and Rebecca Johnson. Adam is our newest staff member at LBC. He's been such a blessing as has Becca and God is using them in our worship service. Adam is Director of Music. It's awesome to see God working in the lives of His people at LBC. Our Thanksgiving was spent reflecting upon family, building new friendships and memories with an eye to future blessings and promise. I did rather well staying to my diet. The turkey was great as was all the food God provided for our meal. The only thing that could have made it better was the presence of Mandy and Andy and Jonathan and Kristine. We are going to look forward to seeing them at Christmas. In the meantime, we count our many blessings. Second to the salvation God provided me in Christ is the blessing of a loving and loyal wife. Indeed Cathy is my helpmeet and friend in life and in ministry.

Thankful

Sunday was tough in that Cathy and I waited for news. We awoke to the news of the devastation in Evansville. That's where our daughter and her husband live. My heart goes out to the families who have suffered the loss of loved ones as well as to those who've suffered material loss as well. We were relieved to hear that our loved ones were ok. I appreciated the concern of my church family and friends who called asking about Mandy and Andy. They are safe and sustained no damage to any of their belongings.

This is just one more thing for which I must give praise and thanks to God. I am thankful that I'm saved, forgiven and have a home in heaven. I am thankful for a loving wife and for my children who are serving the Lord faithfully. I am humbled and awed at God's blessing and calling upon my life. What an awesome God we serve!

In Awe

I stand in awe of God's majesty and glory. Days are usually filled with ups and downs. Pastors celebrate victories with their people. On the same day they may weep with others of the church family as they deal with life storms. Then there is the small fire which has the potential of great devastation if neglected and untended. These need to be dealt with in a timely and godly manner. I feel overwhelmed with the influx of emotions that run the gamut of the human experience. Frustration and anxiety usually are the expectations of such a day; I seemed pulled in so many ways. But then there are those who call. The unexpected call of a Christian excited at sharing her faith at work and the simple request that I pray for her and her lost friend. The church members who resolve issues Biblically and douse the fire and thwart the enemy's attempt at creating disharmony and breach the fellowship and unity. I watch in awe as God works on the lives of those in our church, in my family, in me. And I marvel at God's handiwork of grace. Can you imagine the swings of emotions and experience Jesus dealt with during His personal ministry among us? Yet He exudes love, joy and peace and wishes it for us. What was the key to His success at dealing with the frustrations that permeate this thing called life? He constantly sought and longed for the presence of His Father through the discipline of prayer. He kept His priority of life to honor and glorify Him who had sent Him to minister to a lost and dying race. How do we get through all the stuff? By being a people of prayer and focus; by emulating our Savior who set the example for us.

Eyeing the Goal

One of the frustrations I'm having is my inability to edit this site and get the duplicates deleted. It's so easy to let minor things become majors. I apologize for the duplications, but then sometimes things happen.

One on One...

I am enjoying our new men's ministry, "One on One." It gives me an opportunity to engage in mentoring and Bible study with the men of our church who have signed on for this ministry. The time spent in prayer, study and friendship building as well as in encouraging each other and sharpening each other has been a blessing. I believe that it will also be invaluable to our church family as well. I've encouraged these men to expand our time of One on One together with their teenage sons or co-workers. Some have taken on that challenge. The consequence is time spent in God's Word and in the molding and building of friendships and fellowship within our church family as well as in our individual families. I've been greatly encouraged by those who have taken part and am praying for more opportunities with others in our church and community. I hope that you'll make this a matter of prayer. I am also considering doing this via long-distance phone calls to my son in Little Rock and my son-in-law in Evansville.

Catching Up...

It has been awhile since I've last written anything. God's been awesome in His dealings with me and with my family. Cathy enjoyed a great time away to relax, rest and recourse. The Lord is opening great opportunities for our church at Anderson. I'm praying for wisdom in dealing with the ministries we're already doing, and for those opportunities He seems to be leading us toward in the near future. I'm asking my family and friends to keep my in their prayers; that God will make known clearly His will and direction and supply the wisdom in the coming weeks and months. Our youth ministries this fall have started out with a bang. If the initial attendance and enthusiasm is any indication, we're going to have a banner year! Our AWANA workers and B3 leaders are doing a great job. The teen group and workers are especially an exciting group to watch and our youth leaders are doing a great job thus far with them. Adam and Rebecca Johnson, our new music leader is doing a great job as well, and has a good number of dedicated people who are involved with the choir. I believe that God will greatly use this couple in our church. They've been a great asset and fit for LBC. I am also excited with our new men's ministry called "One on One." It is a time to build fellowship and accountability with those men of the church who choose to meet with me one on one. As you can see, there is a lot going on and it keeps me busy. But what a privilege it is to be in ministry working for the Lord and His glory. I'm thankful and humbled at the honor I've been given to serve as Pastor of one of His churches.

Mission Conference and Revival

What a great time we had in our 2005 Mission Conference. We were blessed and challenged by what God is doing in and through His people. I am humbled to think of how God has allowed me the blessed privilege of pastoring such a mission minded people. I'm overwhelmed by the readiness of LBC to take up the challenges of sponsoring missionaries and supporting missions in our nation and the world. There are some other areas that God is moving and burdening my heart. One of those is in sponsoring and sending a missionary stateside. Whether that is in our state of Indiana, or some other area of our nation isn't clear yet. But I have begun praying that God would burden our hearts for the place and prepare and send the man He would have us to send out as our missionary. I am also burdened for a school in our state for the training of pastors and Christian workers. There are pastors and missionaries whom God is burdening about the need in our state for a school. Too many who surrender to Christian ministry and service are leaving our state for training abroad. The fact is that they are staying abroad once they leave. While we understand that there is a great need for pastors, missionaries and Christian workers all over the world, we need them here as well. Please make these two things a matter of prayer.

The revival is going well and the people at Landmark, LaPorte are a blessing. We are being challenged, and I am being revived and fed by the opportunity to worship, praise and preach with the good people here. I pray that God will use this time together to grow us and that we might truly see revival of hearts, home and nation.

Mission Conference

We had a great conference this year. The prayer time, praise time and preaching time were all awesome. We were challenged, fed and nourished by Missionaries Jerry Chandler, Rusty Teer and Mike Prince. We experienced the power of God's presence and clarity of purpose for our lives and church. We pray that God will continue to make us more mission minded by giving us a heart for missions and eyes for the harvest. Pray with us that we will again step out in faith to seek out the next area of missions for our church. Pray for our ministries as the AWANA year begins. Pray too for my new mentoring ministry One on One. I also want to begin our Hearth and Home small group this fall.

The Proud Parents
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Proud Parents X 2
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Safe Arrival

Brent and Tawm have arrived safely to the States and also to their new home in Texas. Both Brent and Tawm are attending Texas Baptist Institute. They are planning on a one or two year course of study to enable them to better serve the people of Thailand and our missionary Nicky Barnett.

I would also like to ask that you pray for the Barnetts who are taking on the added responsibilities and roles that Brent and Tawm were handling. Pray too for the Teer family who are planning to be in Thailand with the Barnetts as they begin their ministry there with Nicky's help and guidance. Their target date is January 2006.

Business or Busyness

I have reflected back on the past couple of weeks. I have lost a friend and church member, and have ministered to that family. I've been busy with wedding plans and arrangements as well. The paradox of grief and joy being able to encompass our thoughts and hearts is at times a cundundrum that face us. Pastors are always asked to answer questions and riddles of life that seem unanswerable. These are times that press our faith to move ever deeper in commitment to God and His eternal purpose and will. We are not asked to understand or know, but we are called to trust Him. The wedding was beautiful, and my daughter radiant. We worshipped together at the altar of God. I took special joy in watching both Andy and Mandy worship Him. I enjoyed watching my wife sing, and then looking over to Andy's parents and seeing them rejoice and sing praise to God. How awesome is that! I continue to pray for Andy and Mandy as they seek out the will of God on that grand adventure we call life with all its turns and surprises.

It's a rush...

Well the family and friends are gathering. The wedding plans are coming together and being finalized. There are yet many things to be done, and their is a gammut of emotions that ebb and flow. There is the tension of last minute details yet to be done, and then the joy of seeing family and friends that have been too long absent. It's always wonderful and stressful working a wedding. It is the more so when you are both pastor and father of the bride. We did this just last year with Jonathan, and now with Mandy. The dynamics are different when you're the father of the bride. I'm just thankful that both Mandy and Andy are dedicated Christians who are seeking and desiring God's will and glory. Both Cathy and I are proud of our children and pray that God will use them to fulfill His purpose and mission through them. They are such a blessing. We are still waiting for more family and friends to drive in safely.

Just Checking

Well I've been negligent in keeping this site updated. There's much going on in our world. I've been dealing with minor health issues all summer but have finally turned a corner. I'm feeling much better. God is good... all the time. We've been busy with plans for my daughter's upcoming wedding next week, and Vacation Bible School this week. I'm also preparing for Revival services the third week of August and the plans for the Mission Conference in two weeks. Jonathan's doing great in his summer internship at Faith in North Little Rock and I'm praying for both he and his wife, Kristine. Timothy is looking to enroll at a local Community College and stick around for a few years yet. He's a good guy to have around. Cathy's great as always and I am blessed in having her as my life partner and co-laborer. She's had an awesome week in VBS teaching the younger kids. Her class has averaged 24 students this week.

Adam Johnson is our new Director of Music. He and his wife Rebeca are going to be a great asset to the church. I'm so thankful God has answered our prayers in sending them our way. We still need to be praying for the man God would have to be the Associate Pastor over the Youth Ministries here. I know that God has the man for the job. I'm just needing to wait upon him and keep myself in the work.

It's just awesome that God allows me to be a part of His kingdom work. I pray that God will continue to use me, and give me the wisdom to know His will, do His will and not get in the way of His blessing our church ministries. Pray for us.

Pastor Gary, Cathy and Tim
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Marketing the Church

Pastoring brings a conglomerate of cundundrums that can beset a church leader. There are calls for compromise of doctrine or polity to placate society and better market the church to the community. There are a variety of sources that help or promote church growth, and many use the stratagem of business models to market church ministries or products. Church marketing is useful, but the pressures placed upon growth of the church and ministries must be weighed by the cost. Not the cost in money, but rather the cost that may come much higher, the cost of compromise through the erosion of doctrine, faith and practice. Churches should be exemplary in their demeanor and conduct within the community they serve, but they can never match the marketing dollars that are inundating our society today. What they are we to do? We are to "market" Jesus Christ on the placards of our hearts and make Him the central focus and therefore the centrist of effective growth, change and discipleship one person at a time.

God's Kingdom work

I am amazed at the working of God in a willing heart. As a pastor, I have a front row seat to watch the growth of those in my church. While some struggle, there are those times when a person just blossoms into a committed and faithful Christian. What a joy those people are. They usually are quiet and dedicated, working with love and peace. I have the privilege of many of these in our church who are growing and stepping out on faith. They are witnessing to co-workers or customers and making possible the opportunity for me to follow up on their efforts and water the seeds they have planted. I see them step out further into the water of commitment motivated out of love for Jesus and faith in Him. What a job! I get to see Christ grow in the hearts of people, and get to be a part of it as well. Sure there are setbacks and disappointments, but the rewards far outweigh the negative distractions. God is so good!

Family

I have spent an enjoyable evening reflecting on how much God has blessed my life. Working in the kitchen, she looks up as I approach and I look into those eyes that had first drawn me. I'm amazed at the fullness of the love I feel when I'm with her. I am awed as I spend time planning on the video for Tim's life video. We had one made for each of our children. It's a time of planning and working together going through the pictures of the past seventeen years. The laughter, the tears and the memories flood my soul and remind me of how good God has been to our family. As we listen to the different background songs for the video, I see the young man that he has become and wonder at what God is going to have for him. I pray that he might remain close to God's heart and look for His direction. I'm proud of him. And as I leave the room, I reflect upon the upcoming wedding for our daughter Mandy, and the good Christian young man, Andy, that God sent to our family to love her and I am again amazed and overwhelmed at his goodness. I contemplate on the honor that Jonathan received at school, and the church that has embraced him and is using him to help him learn the stuff of ministry and bow with fullness of heart and say, Thank you Lord, for all your goodness. Truly I am blessed. And that's just family. What of friends whom God has sent our way, who fill our hearts and become part of our extended family. Truly God is good, and greatly to be praised. May we continue to seek Him and His direction. May His Spirit fill us and cause us to be about the kingdom work for which He has called us to be engaged.

Contemplation

This summer proves to be a busy one with Mandy's wedding upcoming. Cathy and I are so thankful for Andy and his love for our daughter. We received word from Jonathan that he won a scholarship and was recognized at school. Way to go Jonathan! Timothy prepares for his upcoming graduation from High School and is praying and thinking of what's ahead. I reflect upon my life; of goals accomplished and those yet to achieve; of personal and pastoral victories as well as myriad defeats and let downs. I thank God for His abundant grace and goodness. I'm thankful to be in ministry and in partnership with others who are impacting the world with the Gospel of Christ. But most of all, I am thankful for a good and loving wife, my friend and partner and for the children God has blessed our union with. I am proud of their accomplishments and of the men and woman they have become in Christ. Of all the things I've accomplished, being a faithful husband and loving father heads the list. A pastor's family can make or break his ministry. As a matter of fact, Paul makes it clear that the family can be a reason to disqualify a man from serving. I've made plenty of mistakes as husband and father. I've had to seek forgiveness and offer apology more than once. I'm by no means perfect. But I'm grateful and thankful for the family I'm blessed with and will strive to continue to be a loving and faithful husband, father and pastor.

Indiana State Meeting

We had a good state meeting in Bloomfield. The fellowship was sweet and we were challenged and encouraged. I had the privilege of preaching on Friday and used Acts 15:26 as a base text. I appreciate those who "hazard" their lives for the cause of Christ. I am in debt to those who have given much and sacrificed much on behalf of Christ and His people. Many who serve faithfully are not recognized for their effort and selfless service. God knows these faithful missionaries and pastors who continue to methodically and effecitively serve out of love for Christ and commitment to the kingdom work. May God richly bless their lives and ministries.

The Job of Pastor

Pastoring is not anything like what I thought it would be. I have found it to be both enriching and frightening; both extraordinary and exasperating. It is wondrously awe inspiring as well as heavy and budensome. These are the paradoxes that define being a pastor. It is by no means dull and the privilege of serving my Savior and His people is beyond measure. It has been quiet a ride with plenty of highs and lows. We deal with people who fail to embrace Christ or the truths of His Word. Then suddenly you take part and play a role in the wonder of leading a person to Christ, or teaching someone for whom the lightswitch clicks on and who in response earnestly embraces God's truth. Suddenly they find help, healing and restoration for their life and soul. There are times it all happens in a day, back to back, from one session to another. There are times the pastor is called to the hospital. On one floor a family rejoices while on another the family is saying good-bye to a loved one. The gammut of the emotions can take a toll on your soul, and sometimes the extreems make it hard for us to relate to our families. Yet I'm overwhelmed by the wonder which far surpasses the heaviness of the mantel of a pastor. How thankful I am to be a part of the kingdom work. What an awesome God we serve.

Adversity

In dealing with adversity, I find that God gives grace and peace sufficient in our time of need. He indeed is faithful. We are facing a time of crisis, and yet we have peace. I am trusting God and leaning on the scripture that states that God keeps us in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him. I pray that we will continue to look to Him for the faith and courage to continue to live for Him. I know that all is in God's hands and in His control. I am encouraged by the myriad of answered prayer and praise. One of our church families found out that her mother, whom the doctors were sure had cancer, doesn't. Another pastor who was a former member here stated that he was enjoying his new church, and that souls were saved. Another told me of the souls saved at a service they had last week. I can only ask that God will use me to reach the lost in this community. I also pray that He will continue to use our missionaries who are so faithfully serving Him on the foreign fields.

I'm hoping to use this forum in the future as a means of providing daily thoughts for our church website. Looks promising.