I grew up attending church with my family. I found Jesus in a church. Moreover, I have encountered some of the nicest people on planet Earth in church. Over the years I developed a deep love and appreciation for the church, her people, and her mission. My love for the church led me on a path to become a pastor. During my pastoral tenure I have become passionate about nurturing and growing the church. This task is not without difficulty. Given current social trends it is not surprising that so many churches are struggling to keep their doors open. Meanwhile, such struggling churches focus almost all of their resources on surviving, thus they lose sight of their mission of service and ministry that had once been such a vital role of the church’s story. Somewhere along the way, the church has lost its vision.
The arrival of 2019 provides the church a great opportunity to think about her future. What dreams and goals do we have as a church? What is it that God wants from us in the years ahead? And how are we going to get there? These are the kinds of questions that weren’t answered in seminary. Being a visionary leader in the church is not a recommendation; it is a requirement! As the Scripture says, “Where there is no prophetic vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18) We must hone in and commit ourselves to the church’s future. Pray for your church, her leaders, and that the vision becomes crystal clear. And get ready for a fun and fruitful 2019.
-Micah Spicer