Now that budget season is well behind us, Iโm taking a little time to reflect on the budget process in my current church. It can be challenging to anticipate how an entire year will unfold, much less try to do so months before that year even begins. We all know too well that things can change very quickly (yepโฆIโm still thinking about the impact of Covid among other things) and in ways that simply cannot be anticipated.
A few days ago I shared across my social media accounts that I have concluded my role as Executive Pastor at Flat Creek Baptist Church. It was not an easy decision, but one we believe aligns with Godโs will for our lives and the church.
In a world that seems to be evolving at an ever-accelerating pace, Southern Baptist churches face their own unique set of challenges as we look ahead to the next two decades. As believers, it is essential to approach these challenges with a positive and thoughtful mindset, fueled by a steadfast commitment to the gospel and an unwavering trust in the providence of God.
Transitions can be both exciting and challenging, especially when it comes to moving from one ministry to another. It can be an emotional time as you say goodbye to the people and work that you have been invested in, and prepare to move on to new challenges and opportunities. I understand both aspects of this firsthand, having begun a new ministry on January 1st of this year.
Since announcing we were entering a time of transition, our family has received hundreds and hundreds of phone calls (yepโฆ still a thing!), emails, text messages, and encouraging words across a variety of social media platforms, all wishing us well.
It is with some sadness that we announced my resignation as Administration Pastor of this wonderful church this evening. As Northside is the first church where I have served on staff, the transition to a new place of service will be another first for us.
Iโve started to write this and stoppedโฆand started again and stoppedโฆoh, letโs just say more times than I want to admit. I knew the first year would be challenging, but I had nothing to compare it to and, if Iโm being honest, didnโt really know how to ask someone else about it. You know, how do ask someone, โtell me how you dealt with that first year after one of your parents died?โ
I had thought I would be writing about ministries resuming, in-person gatherings growing, the 2020 election campaigns behind us, and the end of the global pandemic in sight. I still want to write on those topics but I have paused any writing I might do so that I might process the events of January 6, 2021, in Washington DC, the hurried events that followed, and the revelations about famed apologist Ravi Zacharias.
If there is someone who wants to resume on-campus worship services more than our team, I donโt know him! Seriously, since our church last met on March 15th for worship, we have been closely following the guidance of our local, state, and national leaders working hard to keep the members of our congregation safe.
Today I want to share a very good way to help save your church money year after year. Iโm not talking about something that only larger churches can do either! Nope, this one is for churches of just about any size, assuming you have computers in use in your church. Iโm talking about computer software.