On
December 29, 2015, when the papers were signed at the title company, the first
chapter of the story of the North Block was completed. It is a chapter of faith
and sacrifice by the many who gave towards the down payment and other funds
needed. It is one of trust given to leaders by people who embraced a vision for
connecting with Salem in a new way, and of waiting on God for His timing to see
the purchase completed.
As
we move to the next chapter, God is continuing to work and show us how to
implement the vision He has given us. Chapter 2 opens with meeting, through one
of our church members, Craig and Carol Morgan who are wonderful Followers of
Christ. They own Salem Paint and needed a new location for their store. We
agreed to lease the building on the northwest corner of the block and they were
able to move in on the Saturday of Easter weekend. They are excited about this
new home for their business.
A
few weeks later, we had a spring cleaning party at the church. More than 80
people brought rakes, shovels and wheel barrows to not only work around the
church and the CLC but to help clean up the North Block. Over 5,200 pounds of
grass, dirt, tree limbs and other debris was hauled off as the North Block
sparkled with clean parking lots, mowed lawns and new bark chips in the flower
beds. It was a powerful statement to the neighborhood about how we want to be
good neighbors and the enthusiasm in which our congregation works together.
We
are now working to implement the vision of Enterprise Ministries as we prepare
First Lube Plus for its opening day. Many of you have told me that you are
ready to be its first customer. Thank you. We are looking for the right person
to be its manager and look forward to announcing opening day soon. In addition
we are determining what we can do with other pieces of the property based on
city codes and the cost of making the other buildings usable. Thank you for
your patience as we work through these issues.
All
of the above has been exciting and encouraging to see happen and be part of,
but what has impacted me the most is the way in which God has already used the
North Block to create new connections in the community. My work on the North
Block has given me the opportunity to meet with elected officials, public
agencies and private businesses and tell them our story and vision. It is met
with excitement and encouragement and, most often, their question of “What can
I do to help?”
Many
of us have been praying that God would show us how to use the North Block to
bless our city. As I see it, that prayer has been and is being answered. Please
continue to pray that God will sharpen our focus on how to best implement His
purpose for the North Block and He will be the author of many new chapters in
this ongoing story.
--Steve
Hunter
.
Stepping
into something new can be terrifying and exciting all at the same time: Having
a child for the first time, looking at retiring, dropping a kid off at college,
saying “yes” to something when you have no idea what that “yes” really means.
Each
week many new faces walk into our church. Some come just to check us out
because they were passing by. Some come because they have been invited by many
of you. Some are not even sure why they came. A few weeks ago one of those new
faces decided to walk up to our information center and ask to get connected
with someone. She had lots of questions and Jeff Poush handled each of them
like a pro. He got her contact info, talked with her a little bit, and then
told her he would find someone to meet with her.
I
happened to be walking in the church office on Monday and Jeff stopped me. He
asked if I would be willing to meet with a young girl that had introduced
herself as someone new to the church. Without hesitation I said,
"Yes." Jeff gave me her info, and I walked away. As I left I was
thinking to myself, what have
I done? All those fears of possibly not being able to answer this
girl's questions came flooding into my head. But I decided to contact this girl
anyway and set up a time to get together. I was excited. I was nervous. I was
scared. Yet I knew that I could lay every feeling I had down at Jesus feet in
prayer and confidently go and meet with this young lady. So I did.
You
know what I found out. I found out that loving others and sharing what God has
done in my life was not as hard as I thought. I found out that when this young
girl asked a tough question, and I admitted to her that “I don’t know”, walls
were broken down and the two of us got to go look for the answer together,
digging into the Word of God. I found out that as our friendship was
building God was working in not only this young girl's life but He was
showing me how He was using me for His glory in this situation. And lastly, I
found out that getting out of my comfort zone can be terrifying and exciting
all at the same time.
Take
that leap God is asking you to do. Ask that neighbor to come with you on
Sunday. Say “Yes” to meeting with a new person in our church when asked. Look
around and love those God is asking you to love. Purposefully pray daily for
those God has laid on your heart. Join me in saying “Yes” and letting God use
you for His glory right here in our church and in our city.
--Kristi
Pierce
TOWN
HALL--Celebrating the Work of God
Last
Sunday night we gathered for our annual Town Hall. It was a celebration
of the work of God and sharing the vision of God for our future. We
invite you to go to our website to read through the presentation and to watch
video's of God's transformation in the lives of our church.
Be
encouraged,
www.fbcsalem.org
God
is at work. His Spirit is on earth giving us a special message and assignment
from the Father (John 16). God is at work building His Kingdom. I’ve tried to
personalize this truth in my own life. Can I actually join God’s Spirit in His
work of bringing His Kingdom to Earth? In John 4:34 Jesus said, “My food is to
do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work” and John 17:18, “As the
Father has sent me into the world, so I send you, my disciples, into the
world.” I am to imitate Christ, for God will give me daily work to do, as
regularly as I eat food.
In
my own journey of faith, I’ve experienced “getting” a specific job to do that I
attribute to the Spirit’s message from the Father. I believe that these
messages are from God because 1) they have outcomes which build God’s kingdom;
2) they have come as a direct result of Spiritual disciplines practiced:
prayer, reading the Bible, and listening to the preaching of the Word of God;
and 3) they are connected to a need which has arisen in a sphere of influence
in my life. A simple recent example was connected to the prayer, “God,
build your kingdom in my neighborhood.” On Saturday, after a long work day in
Portland, I pulled up to my house and noticed a moving van 2 driveways down:
new neighbors. As much as I wanted to go crash on the couch, the Spirit said,
“Go help them move.” This was no garden of Gethsemane moment, but I still had
trouble saying, “Your will be done.” I did obey. I don’t know how God is going
to use it in His plan, but at the very least, God’s love has spilled out of
this Christian and blessed someone who had a small need.
When
God has given me tasks, they always require a step of faith. Reaching out is
scary. Faith is running down a path towards “His Kingdom Come” risking loss. My
part is to run down that path trusting God that the outcome is in His hand.
Isn’t that why Christ said: “Your will be done”?
God
is at work. Where? Wherever I am right now. God is working in my life, in my
family, in my neighborhood, in my job, and in my church. He is at work where I
am because His Spirit is there indwelling me! Yet He has condescended His plan
to depend in part on you and me. Jesus said, “All authority has been given to
me. Therefore go and make disciples.” I remind myself, “Don’t waste the Spirit
of God in my life because I am so concerned with my agenda, my comfort, my
entertainment, and my peace.” God is at work. He has specific jobs for you to
advance His Kingdom. Ask Him what He wants you to do, and then join Him.
--Randy Bartsch
I
have always enjoyed the stories that Jesus tells of lost things being found.
Maybe you are familiar with them as well; a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost
son all being sought after and all being found as read in Luke 15. There is so
much that resonates with me in these images the Master Storyteller describes
for the Pharisees and teachers of the time. Like the sheep who finds itself
separated from the flock wondering how did I get here—been there. Or the coin
that doesn’t even know it’s lost—been there. Then there is the son who
willfully gets lost and comes to his senses—been there. But even more than
seeing myself in the stories I love the response to each being
found—Celebration! The neighbors are called, the fat calf is put on the BBQ and
the party starts. There is just something about a good party for a good reason.
Have
you noticed we become more of the life of the party depending how much the
person or thing at the center of the celebration means to us? This can even be
compounded if the journey for the reason for cheering has been a rigorous one.
In these stories I’d have to say the ones leading the rejoicing are the
shepherd, the woman, and the father who have the most invested. This becomes
even more amazing when you get Jesus is the one leading the celebration of us
sinners repenting; He is the life of the party. And like the shepherd, woman,
and father, Jesus doesn’t celebrate alone. The rejoicing is contagious as we
read in verses seven and ten that heaven gets involved in the festivities. I wish
I could see these celebrations but am glad in our own way we get to join in
this side of heaven. There is just something about a good party for a good
reason and I can’t think of better one than the salvation of friends.
Every
week it seems like new names are being read from the “book of life” and it so
fun to cheer and applaud. I hope we never get tired of this. Recently in Thrive
and Fusion we started a celebration wall. It’s a few strings of lights mounted
to the wall with the bulbs taken out. The thought was when a student commits
their life to Christ they would write their initials on a bulb with the date
and screw it into the wall, symbolizing them coming from darkness to the light.
We started this wall along with our series we are teaching called Winsome. It
comes out of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 where he talks about
becoming all things to all people to win some. We wanted not only a visual for
celebration but one of expectation that when the Gospel is lived out it has
power and Jesus is mighty to save. Since we have started this wall nine
light bulbs have been put in and come to life! Just last Tuesday one of our
students named Andrew who has been seeking with us for awhile gave his life to
Jesus and put a bulb in the wall. It was such a joy to watch as the leaders,
his friends and life group were all cheering and then tell him the party going
on in heaven was even bigger. It’s fun and a blessing to have celebration a
part of our culture at Salem First Baptist. May the party never end for those
being saved.
--Pastor Brian
