Emmanuel's Financial Review After 14 Years (#2)

"All the church ever talks about is money!" We've all heard that statement before. I used to have a difficult time talking about money, receiving special offerings, etc. It wasn't until I became a Senior Pastor that I truly realized how much money it takes to do ministry. Jesus often talked about money and stated that our perspectives on and use of money reveals our true heart. A few biblical stewardship lessons include: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21; “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." - Matthew 6:24; "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil..."-1 Timothy 6:10; and so many others. Some of my favorite passages concerning stewardship are found in Matthew 18:23-35, 20:1-16; 25:14-30; and 1 Timothy 5:18. God even setup a GREAT plan for funding the work of the church... it's called tithing. In the Old Testament Law, we were introduced to the tithe and it was equitable for everyone. In the New Testament, the stakes are raised and we are taught "grace giving" which exceeds the Law. The bottom-line is that God doesn't need our money, but we need God's blessings that come through obedience!

When I first arrived at Emmanuel Baptist Church, the church was having financial difficulty. One of my heroes, James Faile, told me of special prayer meetings regarding finances; nights of weeping over lack of funds; a bond campaign that he and Sally coordinated on their kitchen table; E.Jack Smith helping to float EBC through financial difficulty after the fires; etc. In 2002, EBC averaged approx 300 people and had a monthly mortgage payment of $15,000. They had built a $4 million building, were encumbered by the debt, and were struggling to maintain some other areas of the campus. I'll never forget the words of my friend and a local church Business Manager as we looked at the financial statements of EBC, he said, "You've got a mess on your hands." Well, we did; but it wasn't too big for God! The whole church sacrificed and God blessed our efforts. We emphasized stewardship, we refinanced our mortgage several times, we adjusted our annual budget, with new members came more money, and the list goes on. The Deacons and I offered a "Money Back Guarantee" to those who would tithe. It went like this, "If after one year of tithing, you can honestly say that God did not bless you for your obedience, then we will refund whatever the amount you gave to EBC." Our people took the challenge, but we never had to refund a dime. Instead, people learned of God's faithfulness and there were stories of how God blessed obedience. You see, God doesn't need our money, but we need His blessings!

So, what did God do financially at EBC over the past 14 years?
- Cash was paid for all of the improvements listed in my previous blog post.
- Money has already been saved and earmarked to replace carpet and A/C units in the Worship Center, to build a pavilion and soccer building, and other future enhancements.
- Our $1.7 million debt was paid off and EBC now has approx $1.5 million in the bank.
- The loan that ECS took to make it through the 2002-03 school year was paid off.
- ECS has finished the past several years with large surpluses.
- An emergency operational fund has been setup for both EBC and ECS.
- A college scholarship fund was established for EBC students.
- We doubled our missions giving.
- $50,000 was given to missionaries, in addition to regular giving, during our 2016 missions conference.
- A policy of saving in advance and making cash purchases was established.
- Our school faculty salaries have nearly doubled, but still need to increase.
- Our church staff salaries increased and are in line with the other Baptist churches in our community.
- Staff & faculty now receive FULL benefits.
- The list goes on and so do the blessings. God proved that His Word is true as stated in Malachi 3:10, God blesses obedience!

God has so blessed Emmanuel Church and School. We have beautiful, updated facilities; money in the bank; surplus and emergency funds; well-paid staff; abundant money to use toward ministry; and so much more! God brought us from lean financial times to a place of excess. Leaders including Winston Churchill, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and even Spider Man made statements such as, "With great power comes great responsibility." I would compare that statement to the challenge given in Luke 12:48, "...to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." So, to Emmanuel Baptist Church family I say, thank you for giving to the Lord, now be faithful stewards of the blessings God has given to you.

Emmanuel's Campus Improvements Over 14 Years (#1)

It is amazing how time flies. It seems like yesterday that our youngest daughter was introducing herself to the people of Emmanuel Baptist Church by saying, "Hi. I'm Lindsay. I'm 5." Next month, she'll turn 20! Where did the time go? I remember my first Sunday preaching at EBC and asking myself, as I fell back into the couch that night, "What have I done?" The room was filled with gray hair, the entire kids ministry had as many children as my wife's 2nd grade Sunday School class at our last church, the new praise choruses consisted of songs already printed in the hymnal, and the choir wore robes on Sunday nights. Nothing wrong with any of that, except it was VERY different from what we were used to in our contemporary South Florida church. The parking lots had potholes that you could lose a VW Bug in, there were no signs on the buildings, the carpet and ceilings were stained from previous roof leaks. You get the picture.

Well, God blessed us with wonderful people who realized the need to address some issues. Between their generosity, their willingness to work, and God's provision; we were able to accomplish so much. Realizing that sometimes we forget where we came from, I thought I'd list some of the changes specifically made to the Emmanuel Campus over the past 14 years:

WORSHIP CENTER: Created a Missions display room; Moved the sound booth downstairs; Renovated the sound and lighting systems; Addition of projection system; Extended the platform; Replaced the roof; Repaired water stains on ceiling; Painted entire interior of Worship Center; Complete renovation of Nursery area; Renovated the Prayer Room; Replaced carpeted section of lobby with tile; Put stamped concrete on front porch; Buried the corrugated drain pipes that were laying across the grass; Added baby changing stations in the lobby restrooms; Added a restroom in the balcony; Purchased a golf cart to shuttle people on Sundays; Saved money to purchase new center screen, projector, and computer that will be installed in the near future; and changed all sidewalk lighting to LED from metal halide fixtures.

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING: Replaced the carpet throughout; Painted every wall in the building; Complete renovation of church offices; Complete renovation of school offices (including addition of restroom); Renovation of library (moved all shelves around the perimeter); Replaced accordion curtain with a permanent insulated wall; Renovation of Fellowship Hall (removed wagon wheel chandeliers, added new sound system and video projection); Purchased new tables and chairs; Renovated the main restrooms in the lobby; Renovated Parlor (added shelving, flooring, etc.); Modernized by replacing wooden doors with glass doors; Built brick wall around the dumpster; Poured sidewalk from driveway to back door of cafeteria; New phone system; Replaced intercom system; Replaced clocks that were stuck on 7:10; Installed new cable internet vs. ONE(1) dial-up PCU when we arrived; Installed new surveillance/security system across the campus. Replaced the ice machine; Rebuilt the fridge and freezer, Added an additional small fridge and freezer; and Replaced A/C units.

100 & 200 BUILDINGS: Painted every interior wall; Painted lockers; Painted all storage cabinets; Replaced carpet with tile in hallways; Replaced all classroom carpet twice; Added smart board technology; Added a computer for every teacher; Replaced all computers in lab & purchased mobile computer cart; Replaced chalkboards with whiteboards; Replaced old student desks with new student desks; Removed round concrete sinks & replaced with automated sinks; Renovated restrooms with new fixtures & stalls; Added both a portable wall in 203-204 and built additional classroom walls; Added advertising boards; Added Internet capabilities; Added security system, and Repaired intercom system.

GYMNASIUM: Replaced roof; Replaced shingles on mansard; Replaced A/C's; Added skylights; Replaced wood floor; Purchased floor cover; Replaced bleachers; Replaced lighting over playing area; Added new backboards; Painted entire gym; Added glass doors from lobby into gym; Added gym divider curtain; Added black curtain on stage; Added sound baffles; Renovated stage for use with E-Street; Renovated concession area (kitchen and glass front on serving area); Added tile and serving booths in lobby; Renovated restrooms in lobby; Repaired showers; and Built the weight room.

GROUNDS PROJECTS: Installed digital sign at entrance; Installed all directional signage; Paved all parking lots; Paved back road; Installed covered walkways; Installed cover over pastor's office back door; Poured a new sidewalk from WC to gym; Added light pole banners; Added the preschool playground and recently installed new equipment; Removed old concrete light pole bases; Added green pavilion next to main playground for class picnics; Removed decaying McDonald's playground equipment and utilized pieces for new slide, shade area, etc.; Added brand new playground equipment to both playgrounds; Planted Crepe Myrtles around campus; Built baseball and softball dugouts (backstops, fencing, storage rooms, etc.); Built handgun range, ropes course, and added paintball field.

MONEY IS ALREADY SAVED FOR: We recently ordered a brand-new Activity/Travel Bus; Money is in the bank for new carpet in the Worship Center; New projection/screen in the Worship Center; Computer upgrades to allow live-streaming of the services; New soccer building (storage, team covers, media platform); New pavilion with restrooms on the soccer field; New fountain in front of the Worship Center; and several other various projects! In addition, we have established both an emergency fund for Emmanuel Baptist Church and Emmanuel Christian School.

None of this would have been possible without people willing to roll up their sleeves and to generously open their wallets. God has truly blessed EBC financially and brought us from a point of barely being able to pay our bills, to a point of affluence and excess. That could be a dangerous place, if we begin to rely our ourselves and forget that everything comes from God. "Thank you, Lord, for YOUR provisions and abundant blessings. Help us never to forget from where YOU brought us!"

TRUE FRIENDS ARE A RARE FIND

The Bible speaks much to the topic of friendship. Specifically, there are 115 verses that reference friend, friends, or friendship. One of my favorites is found in Proverbs 17:17 - "A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity." True friends are those who know everything about you and still love you. As one person said, "A true friend accepts you, 'warts and all.'" Friends are people you can count on through the good and the bad times.

Those who know me, realize that I am not a fair-weather fan. I've been a Miami Dolphin fan since I was a small child. Raised in Miami, I remember watching through the fence as the Dolphins practiced at Pace High School. I remember the excitement watching players and collecting trading cards for players like Bob Griese, Paul Warfield, Larry Csonka, Nick Buoniconti, and others. I can still sing the Dolphin theme song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIcIPd9bDBI). I remember when the Dolphin logo actually looked tough, rather than the metro-sexual thing we have now. I remember learning Bible verses and my Sunday School teacher, Bob Green (Anita Bryant's husband) would occasionally reward us with tickets to the Dolphin games. My list of memories goes on, but my point is this... the last time the Dolphins went to the Superbowl was 1985 and the last time they won was 1973. So what does this have to do with anything about friendship? True fans remain loyal during both the winning and the losing seasons. The same is true with real friends!

My wife and I are so blessed to have many real friends, but one couple stands out. We became friends with Bill and Leigh when our daughters were young. I remember nights at their house playing board games, days on the lake enjoying water sports, traveling literally around the world, and so many other great memories! These are the kind of friends that you may not see for a while, but you just pickup right where you left off. Recently, my wife and I had been through a time of discouragement and these friends knew that we were hurting. They called and invited us to spend some time with them and they ministered to us. It was so refreshing and exactly what we needed. Thank God for real friends!

On the flip side, there are those who call themselves friends; but will put a knife in your back if it helps their cause. I remember one of our children being betrayed by someone she felt was her dearest friend. I've been betrayed by those I thought were friends. I've watched church members love the preacher, then shortly thereafter stand in the lobby slandering him. You've probably experienced it, as it seems to happen everywhere. Teammates become opponents, classmates become rivals, marriage partners become enemies, and friends become foes. How that must break the heart of God. Psalm 15:1-3 - "Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? 2 He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; 3 He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend."

I pray that you have some dear friends like Flora and I do. It's in the difficult times that you'll know who those friends are. When it seems lonely and the friends seem few, remember Proverbs 18:24b - "...there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother," and John 15:13 - "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." Jesus is that friend!

So, I close with these questions... Do you know Jesus as your Savior and Lord? Do you know Him personally, as a close friend? Do you take time to comfort others who are hurting? Do you look for ministry opportunities to those who are in need? Do you take time to befriend the outcast, the one forgotten in the nursing home, the shut-in? Let Luke 4:18 challenge you, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed." Look for someone who needs a friend and allow God to use YOU to minister to them, regardless of their 'warts' or what they can do for you.

God is Faithful

"Great is Thy Faithfulness," "Your Love Never Fails," "Faithful One," "What a Faithful God," "He is Faithful" are just a few of the many, many songs about God's faithfulness. We sing them, but do we really stop to ponder them. When things are good, we quickly close our eyes and raise our hands as we tout God's faithfulness; but what about in the valley? Do we sing about God's faithfulness when life seemingly turns on us... we lose a job, get betrayed by a friend, hit rock bottom, receive a poor diagnosis, or any of thousands of other issues that people encounter each day? The truth is that God IS faithful and His promises are everlasting. It's so easy to walk away from a church, to turn our back on God, or to return to our old ways when things don't go our way; but remember that God is faithful. I'm reminded of Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." What a great reminder that God is still in control and has a plan for each of us.

One of my favorite hymn stories is associated with the hymn "It is Well With My Soul." Horatio Spafford penned the words to this hymn after several traumatic events in his life. Spafford was a very successful lawyer who had made substantial real estate investments in Chicago. The first tragedy was the death of his two year old, followed by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which destroyed much of his real estate and ruined him financially. In 1873, he planned a boat trip to Europe for a much needed vacation with his wife and four daughters. Spafford sent the family ahead while he stayed behind to finish some last minute business. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after colliding with another vessel and all four of Spafford's daughters died. Only his wife, Anna, survived and sent him a telegram, "Saved alone …". Shortly thereafter, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to pen the words to "It is Well With My Soul" as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.

We will all encounter difficulties in this life... in fact, Jesus predicted it in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” It is in the times of danger that the chicks run to gather under the mother hen's wings. Likewise, it is in life's difficulties that we are drawn back into the arms of our Heavenly Father. So, whatever comes your way, remember that God is faithful! You can count on Him to fulfill the dreams and the plan He has for you!

October was a great month at Emmanuel

October was a great month for spiritual decisions at EBC. In addition to the wonderful things that occurred during Judgement House, we have seen 6 people saved, 6 baptized, and 18 new members added to the church during the past four weeks. Being in a small town, we don't take that for granted. Instead, we thank God for what He is doing and for allowing us to be part of it.

In addition to spiritual decisions, we had a great time connecting with our community. Last Sunday night EBC hosted "Trunk-or-Treat." Over 2,000+ came out to enjoy decorated trunks, concessions, ponies, and inflatable bounce houses. The kids enjoyed the candy and we enjoyed giving the Gospel.

Thank you, God, for allowing us to reach out to our community and blessing our efforts.

Carolinas Baptist Bible Fellowship

Yesterday, we had our quarterly CBBF meeting. Pastors from across NC and SC gathered at Central Baptist Church in Dunn, NC. The church did a wonderful job in hosting the meeting and provided some great BBQ and homemade desserts. The key speaker for the day was Evangelist, Jr. Hill and special music was provided by the Hayes family.

The preachers from across the Carolinas gather quarterly to be encouraged through preaching, to fellowship, pray for each other, to gather insights for doing ministry, and of course to eat. The main reason that the CBBF exists if for the purpose of starting new churches. During this meeting we heard from Joey Baynes, the pastor of Restoration Church which just kicked off in Greensboro, NC; and we heard from Greg Hales, the pastor of Coastal Community Baptist Church in Wilmington, NC. Both churches are doing well and exist, in part, due to the co-operative efforts of the churches involved in the Carolinas Baptist Bible Fellowship.

Our next meeting is going to be held on January 17 at Crossroads Baptist Church in Gilbert, SC. For more information about upcoming meetings, please visit www.carolinasbbf.com.

Judgement House 2012

This was the 10th anniversary of Judgement House at Emmanuel Baptist Church. When Kevin Matias introduced JH to EBC, it was a BIG stretch outside the box; but it has become the largest evangelistic event we host. Now under the direction of Justin Facenda, JH has grown to new levels, spans over two weekends, and impacts eternity beyond what we ever could have imagined.

Judgement House is a walk-through drama that causes people to consider where they will spend eternity. This year's script was an original entitled, Masquerade, and written by our own Brian Geddes. The story was based on the testimony of the a man who traveled with JH and served as a deacon, Sunday School teacher, member of the pastor search committee, etc. He was a man who one day realized that he knew a lot about God, but that he did not know God.

It takes nearly 100 people from our church family to produce Judgement House, but the results are worth it.  This year, 2067 people walked through in just 4 nights with 276 making decisions for salvation and 173 recommitting their lives to Christ. We have already seen people baptized in our church and we are hearing stories of others taking that step in their local church.

My thanks to all in our church family who participated in JH. I appreciate a church family that is willing to do whatever it takes to reach people with the Gospel. I also thank those who took time to bring a group to JH. May God bless your efforts!

Is Green Bay Loss an indicator of our society?

First, let me clarify that I am neither a Packers fan, nor a Seahawks fan. I am a huge sports fan and especially a football junkie. I will admit that I am an Aaron Rodgers fan and have a great respect for his character, testimony, and talent.

This morning, I've been watching the sports channels, reading blogs, seeing the posts on various news sites and wondering how professional athletes making millions of dollars can blame the replacement referees for their failure to win a ball game. I have been a player, coach and umpire. I've been on both sides of the calls and admit to making both good and bad ones. In all cases, I have coached my teams and taught my children that the referee never wins or loses the ball game. If a team outplays and out scores the other team, then they will beat their opponent.

Today, fans and players have forgotten that there is a total of 60 minutes in a football game. They have forgotten that Aaron Rodgers was sacked 8 times in one half. They forgot that he slipped and fell with no one around him. They forgot that the league MVP threw no TD passes in 60 minutes and only averaged 4.7 yards passing. They forgot that the Packers only had a total of 84 yards rushing. The Packers didn't look very good last night and their offensive line was getting blown off the ball by the Seahawks' defense.

In "conveniently" forgetting their failures and focusing only on the failures of others (in this case the referee's), the Packers are a great illustration of the condition of our society. There is a mentality that refuses to admit personal failure and accept personal responsibility. Whether an athletic loss, job loss, a divorce, a bankruptcy, an auto accident, a bad test grade, or any other myriad of failures --- it is always the other person's fault -- it is never our fault.

Could this mindset be one of the reasons that it is so difficult for people to see their need for a Savior?  Could this mentality be robbing us of the common sense needed to admit when we are wrong, to confess our faults, and to ask for forgiveness? Could this be a contributing factor for church splits and the refusal to reconcile relationships with other believers? Could this all stem from the basic sin of PRIDE? 

The bottom-line is that referees (regular or replacements) will make mistakes, players will make mistakes, and people will make mistakes. I challenge you to admit your personal failures, to learn from them, and to correct them. I also remind you that God loves us in spite of our failures -- He loved us "while we were still sinners." In addition, remember 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  Thank you, Lord, for giving us second chances!

Pray for Cindy (Our Missionary)

EBC is blessed to be the sending church for our home-grown missionary, Cindy. Through God's providential hand, Cindy returned home earlier this year to visit with her father, whose health was failing -- or so she (and we) thought. God used that circumstance to get Cindy off the field, only a few days prior to a government coup and uprising by Al Queda  rebels in her country of Mali.  I am happy to tell you that her father has recovered and Cindy is safe. On the other hand, hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled the country and many are starving and their living conditions are very poor. Just as Romans 8:28 promises, God took a circumstance that looked bad, and used it to accomplish His good.

Last week, Cindy met with our deacons to discuss and pray over a date for her return to the mission field.  After looking at the political situation, discussing it with her mission board, talking to believers inside the country, and not sensing the peace of God; our deacons have asked Cindy to wait until the end of the year  before returning to her field of ministry. At that time, we will evaluate the situation, before making a final decision. I would ask you to pray with us that God will give very clear direction and make our hearts sensitive to listening to His Spirit.

Cindy's situation and the recent attacks against Americans abroad, serve as reminders for us to pray for the safety of those carrying the good news to foreign countries.

Restoration Church Launched - 9.9.12

Yesterday, my family and the Brown family drove to Greensboro, NC to help launch a new church plant. Joey & Nicole Baynes, along with a team of nearly 40 people have been laying the groundwork for Restoration Church for almost a year. They have been meeting for Bible studies in homes, praying, visiting, planning, seeking God's direction, and hosting preview services. The core group consists of families have relocated, some in Greensboro who feel led to help, and some who are newly saved and ready to reach others.

The excitement on launch day was amazing! They really had it together and God blessed their efforts with over 280 people attending the service, and 3 making decisions for salvation! It is exciting to see a solid church starting and to have had a part in helping them. Restoration Church is receiving support from various church planting organizations; and our church supports two of them. I pray that EBC continues to see these success stories and will continue to help start new churches!

For more info about Restoration Church visit www.restorationgso.com