Vision 2021 - Nehemiah's Strategy for Rebuilding

 

Last Sunday, I used the story of Nehemiah to cast the 2021 vision for our church. Nehemiah saw the need and motivated the people to “rebuild.”  Rebuilding is exactly what pastors and local churches will be doing in 2021.  The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges and difficulties to the Church world-wide; BUT God is faithful and will reward the efforts of HIS people.

Consider the story of Nehemiah as an example for rebuilding in 2021.

 First, Nehemiah went to the people & was moved with compassion (1:2-4).  We cannot know the personal needs of people, unless we spend time with them. In the post-COVID era, pastors will find it essential to move away from the CEO model and return to a pastoral care model.  The pandemic has left people anxious, with both general and spiritual questions. In a time of uncertainty, people need stability and pastors (and all believers) have a great opportunity to meet this need.

Second, Nehemiah went to God in prayer seeking direction and blessing (1:4-11). Too often, we act first then pray later. Nehemiah took time to seek God’s heart, before he started. Too often, ministries and ministers find themselves in trouble because they did not seek the Lord. In a rush to meet physical needs, spiritual needs are often overlooked. With God’s help and guidance, we can make an eternal impact, rather than just a temporary one.

Third, Nehemiah went to the King (his boss) for help with the mission (2:1-3). His testimony and relationship with the King made it possible for him to ask his employer for help and to receive even more than he asked for. Christians should always be the hardest working, most ethical and most reliable employees! I guarantee you that others are watching.

Fourth, Nehemiah went to the local authorities where he encountered opposition (2:9-10). Jews have always been a target for the opposition and now Christian churches are experiencing some of that same resistance and opposition.  Our local & state leaders here in South Florida have been wonderful to work with and they have been very supportive of the faith community.  Other states & countries have not experienced such good leadership, so we need to keep them in prayer.

Fifth, Nehemiah went back to the drawing board (Chap 3).  COVID-19 has caused ministries to evaluate budgets and spending. It has also caused churches to evaluate their effectiveness and efficiency.  As a result of the pandemic, ministries are reshaping their organization chart and restructuring for success.  Many ministry teams are being down-sized and dead limbs are being pruned.  Lazy preachers (a pet peeve of mine) will be applying to work at local retailers, rather than living lazily from the financial gifts of God’s people.  Many ministries will be restructuring and adding new positions to meet the needs of online audiences and creative teams to help recreate the “look” of the church in a post-COVID era.  Thank God that the Gospel is once again the focal point for most churches!

Finally, Nehemiah went for deeper commitment and got people personally involved (3:23-24). Nehemiah assigned people the task of rebuilding the section of wall nearest their homes. Nehemiah knew that people work best when they are personally invested. Over the last 30 years, the Church has lost its moorings. We forgot that we don’t go to church… we are the church!  We are engaged in a spiritual war and we must put on the armor of God, just as those building the wall worked with a sword near their side. Christianity is not about comfort… it is about commitment!

I see the Church of 2021 returning to its God-given mission. Here at Grace we have and will continue to Exalt the Lord… to Equip the saints (Eph. 4:12)… and to Evangelize the world.  The souls of men are hanging in the balance and the day of Christ’s return has never been closer!

As I close, please realize that I do NOT believe a magical switch will be flipped at the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2021 and Coronavirus, racism, rioting, political differences, and the other nonsense of 2020 will magically disappear. I do, however, believe that 2021 will bring great opportunities to advance the Gospel and will be a great year to do ministry! I hope you will join me and let’s do all we can to IMPACT ETERNITY in 2021.

 

Nov.-Dec. Celebration & Praise Report

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! While so many people set their focus on the difficulties of 2020, it takes only a little effort to see God’s blessings. The blessings have been flowing here at Grace Church and Highlands Christian Academy, so we felt it would be good to share some of them with you. As you read the items below, take a moment to thank God for continuing to use this ministry as a funnel of blessing to serve our church & school families, as well as, our surrounding communities.

I’ll start by listing the blessings chronologically, BUT the biggest blessings are found toward the end – so don’t stop reading…

1. On November 1, we were blessed to welcome our new Youth Pastor, Craig Stephens. Craig & Shannon are both native Floridians, have family in Davie & Cooper City, and they both love and understand the SoFlo culture. Craig has 10 years of ministry experience and is already connecting well with our students.
   
   
2. Another November blessing was to see our church family engage in Operation Christmas Child in spite of COVID-19. The Grace & Highlands family packed a total of 1277 shoeboxes this year, and hats-off to our Brazilian Ministry which packed 300 shoeboxes! They held yard sales to help raise money for supplies and to cover the shipping costs. Thank you, Pastor Alex, for your leadership! We also want to thank Cami Peek for her continued leadership and passion for the OCC ministry. Finally, thank you to all of our volunteers, as we could not have done it without you!
   
   
3. In November, the long-awaited S.T.E.M. building was complete and the Certificate of Occupancy granted. If you have not seen it, look for Building “H,” just west of the gym.
   
   
4. In Nov. & Dec., our Grace family has been blessed to celebrate 3 baby dedications! Continue to pray for the Seagrave’s, Taylor’s and Ingraham’s. Thank God for continuing to bring young families into our church and filling our nursery!
   
   
5. December has looked a little different this year. We’ve missed the BIG school Christmas programs, but our HCA Band and Choir did kick-off the Christmas season on Sunday, Dec. 6. The concert was a way to highlight the students and a great way to invite HCA families to hear the Gospel. Grace Church is thankful to God for allowing us the blessing of having a Christian School as part of our ministry!
   
   
6. December 10 was the 3^rd anniversary of our service in Kreyòl (Creole). The Haitian ministry was very strong pre-COVID, and the weekly attendance continues to increase and move back toward normal. Pray for this wonderful ministry and join me in thanking God for bringing Pastor Jean-Marc Desire’ to us!
   
   
7. The Grace Spanish Ministry continues to flourish and is the only service back to pre-COVID attendance numbers. Pastor Samuel is excited about the renovations that will soon begin in the Upper Room and he continues to take a group to help feed the homeless on the last Saturday of each month at The Lord’s Gift House, and everyone is invited to join in.
   
   
8. The biggest blessings of all have been the salvation decisions! We have seen people saved in every language service here at Grace during Nov. & Dec. In addition, Coach Pridemore informed me that 4 of his HCA basketball players placed their faith in Jesus! In chapel, 6 students were saved recently when our SCORE missionary, John Zoeller, spoke to our students. Mr. Smith shared in Prayer Meeting of a young lady who was saved. Finally, we received a letter in the mail from a lady named Ivory, telling us that she placed her faith in Jesus after reading a Gospel tract that had Grace’s contact information on it.
   
   
9. There have also been other spiritual decisions, including baptisms in the English, Spanish and Portuguese services; as well as, 2 new church members from the Brazilian ministry and 15 new members in the English services.
   
   
10. Finally, we have been blessed to be meeting in-person since May. Thanks to all who have put their personal preferences aside and complied with the COVID-19 safety precautions for the sake of others. Making people feel safe & comfortable is a key in helping to get people back into our services.
    

We are so blessed and say “thank you” for the continued, faithful support of our members, attendees and those joining us online. Your financial gifts made possible the blessings you just read about and your investment has impacted eternity! Thank you for your faithfulness.

Yes… 2020 has brought new challenges and a world-wide pandemic; but as Ed Stetzer stated, “The moment we are in does not pause the mission we are on.”  Join us in asking God to use the ministries of Grace & Highlands in ways beyond what we can even imagine in 2021.