Friday, January 25, 2008

The State of the Church 2008

The Annual Pastoral Report
Pastor Matt Mitchell
Year in Review: 2007

Dear Church Family,

Thank you for allowing me to serve you as your pastor. We are nearing a decade of fruitful partnership between flock and shepherd that has been a joy and a great privilege. I am thankful for you!

I am also thankful for the other elected and appointed leaders that have served you faithfully this last year. I’m especially grateful for the 2007 Leadership Board chaired by Tom Hampton and our dedicated part-time staff, Holly Lockwood and Cindy Green. It has been a joy to work shoulder-to-shoulder with them.

WHO WAS HERE IN 2007?

2007 was full of comings and goings. We took in eight new members: Jeff & Nancie Banghart, Curt & Pat McKnight, John & Marilynn Kristofits, and Bob & Lois Owens. But we said goodbye to 14 former members (some who had been gone for some time but had not changed their membership status). We also had several regular attenders leave the area for new jobs.

This affected our attendance. The average weekly attendance for 2007 was 123.5 people (down about 4 people on average each week from 2006). We also had new people coming all Fall, so many, in fact, that it’s hard to keep track of everyone who needs assimilated!

We also welcomed new babies and baptized five believers at the end of year: Abbi Houston, Emigh Modzel, Nathan and Lucas Kristofits, and Kay Knaul.

By God’s grace, LEFC is a dynamic body of believers growing as disciples of Jesus Christ.

WHAT WAS NEW IN 2007?

Though most of what we did this year was the every-day, every-week, faithful “meat and potatoes” of ministry, there were a number of new dishes that God served us.

For example:

• Each of our Leadership Board Members gave their testimony in the Worship Service. This was an encouraging time for the whole church family and helped many people to get to know our leaders better.

• We changed the time of our Worship Celebrations and Sunday School to 9:00am and 10:00am in hopes of serving our church families and community better.

• Our website: lansefree.org was revised and updated with a new look. In 2008, we hope to add “podcasting” of recent sermons so that people can download and listen to them directly from the website.

• Our women’s ministry held a Ladies’ Spring Banquet and started a Secret Sisters Ministry to encourage each other during the year.

• Our new Connection Team began its ministry of linking our church family together in closer fellowship.

• Our sister-church plant, Crew Community Church led by Pastor Josh Perry, donated a video projector for us to use in ministry.

• We had a missions mobilizer, Roger Dorris, present a special seminar weekend on short-term missions. We’re hopeful that this will be a stimulus for a growing ministry of short-term teams from our church.

• We celebrated 115 years of God’s faithfulness to us as a church and had a special visit from former Pastor Jack Kelly & his wife Cheryl.

WHAT DID I DO IN 2007?

My definition of pastoral ministry involves three primary functions: Preach the Word, Equip the Saints, and Shepherd the Flock. I try to focus my ministry efforts in ways that fit into one of those prioritized categories.

1. Preach the Word.

We had only two sermon series this year. For most of the year, we journeyed with Israel from Mount Sinai to the Jordan River. Numbers: Life in the Wilderness was the third series in a multi-year effort (on odd-numbered years) to Big Story of the Old Testament. I think we were happily surprised to find out how applicable those obscure stories and censuses really are!

This Fall, I preached on Real Christians. This series was an attempt to go “back-to-the-basics” of the Christian life and make sure that each of us are genuine Christ-followers.

I also got to represent you as the guest preacher in several different churches this year. I spoke at our sister EFCA churches CORE Community Church in Shelby, Ohio and Crossroads Community Church in Duncansville, PA, as well as, First Baptist Church of Philipsburg. And in our own community, I was the speaker at the 2007 West Branch Community Thanksgiving Eve Service.

On the few occasions that I was out of the pulpit, you were aptly served by Tim McGill, Jim Culbertson, Josh Perry, Jeff Powell, Blair Murray, Wally Kephart, Tom Hampton, Ralph Magill, and Bruce Weatherly.

We are going to begin 2008 with a series on the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Pray for wise preparation for me and open hearts for our church family!

2. Equip the Saints.

A large portion of my time is spent working with leaders, ministries, and committees to effectively serve the church family. As you read the other reports in this Annual Report, you will see the fruit of their labors, and I’m glad to provide resources, support, encouragement, and leadership to them.

3. Shepherd the Flock

Ministering directly to people is one of my favorite things about my calling to be a pastor. I love visitation, counseling, and hospitality. We had many of you in our homes, and many of you invited me (and sometimes our whole family!) into your home this year. It is a privilege to be a part of your lives in times of celebration and sickness, birth and deaths, and other major and minor events. Thank you for including us in your lives!

A Personal Word

This last Summer, the Leadership Board granted me a three week mini-sabbatical to refresh and refocus for ministry. I spent most of the time re-organizing my office for peace of mind and better efficiency. I gave away 250 books, threw away two 30 gallon trash-bags full of paper, and deleted 5,000 emails! I was also able to be home with my family almost every night for 3 weeks (that never happens!). And I was able to give my wife a few “breathers,” including a 24 hour personal retreat and a planning day for Fall homeschooling. It was a truly great time and a gift to my family that came just the right time, as both my grandfather and Heather’s grandmother had recently died and we were experiencing the strong effects of personal grief. My mini-sabbatical was also a time for me to set some new life-goals for myself including losing 50 pounds and regaining cardiovascular strength. I even topped it off by shaving off a decade-old beard!

Strangely enough, however, the most major change for me and my ministry came, not during my mini-sabbatical, but at the annual Pastors & Wives Retreat in late September. It was there that God spoke very clearly to my heart that I have been failing to effectively lead our church with vision and perseverance because of personal fears and laziness. I was “laid low” by this realization, but came to repent of these sins and re-commit myself to leading you with vision and love. I have made several changes to my lifestyle and ministry since October (including a monthly personal prayer retreat day) and have a number to go.

Heather and I really appreciate your prayers for us as a family and your many expressions of love and appreciation throughout the year. It is a joy to be your pastor!

HOW DID WE DO ON OUR 2007 GOALS?

At the beginning of last year, we set out 4 new areas of goals to REACH for.

#1. IN-REACH.

Our Connection Team began in 2007 to enhance fellowship connections between participants in Lanse Free Church. Connection Team members are providing a personal touch to a group of people (both established families and families needing assimilated) and passing on vital information to the leadership (Ephesians 4:16). The Connection Team is like a “nervous system” for the Body of Christ at LEFC.

While this team (along with our hospitality and deaconess teams) have already helped us in the area of fellowship, the Connection Team still needs at least 2-3 more couples or singles to really function effectively. We have a number of new people at LEFC, and we really need to work hard to make sure everyone is included in the community life of the church.

Another key In-Reach goal was for the Leadership Board is to come to a resolution and direction concerning some suggested changes to our leadership structure. Our board has been working diligently on this and has some new directions to present at this Annual Reports meeting.

#2. OUT-REACH

I think we made some significant strides in this area in 2007.

We got outside of our “four walls” again with an Outreach Booth for the West Branch Community Days.

I wrote articles for EFCA Today on reaching our “Samaria” and a book-review of The Externally Focused Church. For me personally, one of the upshots of this focus has been a new ministry for me–participating in Meals on Wheels on Thursdays–trying to reach the last, the least, and the lost.

We grew in prayer for the lost by putting out a Fish Bowl with the names of unsaved folks that we are praying to trust in Jesus. We still need to keep praying for a strong gospel-centered church to be birthed in Philipsburg!

#3. DOWN-REACH.

I think one of the most amazing things God did among us in 2007 was down-size our debt. We paid off around $30,000 on our line-of-credit and got our cash-flow back on a reasonable basis again! You folks “reached down” into your pockets and gave cheerfully–and without making it a “focus”– saw God basically eliminate our indebtedness! Praise God from Whom all blessing flow!

#4. UP-REACH.

Prayer continued to be a major emphasis for Lanse Free Church. I know that our people pray, and while we didn’t see everything happen that we asked for, I know that God answered our prayers this year with His unbelievable wisdom, power, and love.

WHAT IS AHEAD FOR 2008?

In October, our Leadership Board set six new specific goals that will take us into 2008:

1. We’re praying and working towards establishing 5 Active Link Groups by June 2008. A Link Group is two or more people associated with Lanse Evangelical Free Church who are primarily led by a commissioned Link Group Leader and meet together at least once a month for the purpose of spiritual growth in biblical community. We have 2 active Link Groups now and want to see at least 3 more in place by June.

Are you in a Link Group?

2. We’re praying and working towards holding 2 Servant Outreach Events by June 2008. A Servant Outreach is when we go OUT into our community and serve people in Jesus’ name and build bridges for the gospel. We believe that good works build good will for the good news. To get these outreaches going, we’ve established an Outreach Ideas Team whose job is to come up with ideas for Servant Outreaches (big or small) and help us to implement them.

Would you like to join the Outreach Ideas Team?

3. We are praying and working towards an Allegheny District Church Planting Prayer and Support Team with 30 adults praying and raising $300/month. We are serving as a guinea pig for this initiative to pray for and fund church planting throughout our District (the district goal is 1,000 praying people and $120,000). So far already, we have 20 adults praying and more than $300 per month has been coming in! Praise God!

Is God calling you to join the Prayer & Support Team?

4. We are praying and working towards Totally Eliminating Our Debt. With just a little over $3,000 to go, this goal is right within our reach!

5. We are praying and working towards Developing a Master-Plan for the Next Three Years. We are hoping to get every leader and ministry involved in developing vision, goals, and plans for furthering the ministry here at Lanse. We want to make sure that we are ready for the future that God has for us. I am hopeful that by next year’s Annual Report, we have a comprehensive plan in place and operating, a plan that is Cross-Centered, Prayer-Driven, and full of Vision.

6. We are praying and working towards a Leadership Restructuring Completed and Approved by June 2008. As I mentioned above, we have been working on this for around 3 years and now have some specific proposals to work through with the whole church family. I am hopeful that we can have all of the changes proposed by our April meeting and ready to be put into effect by June or July. I think these will significantly help us to grow into the church God wants us to be.

It’s important for us to make goals. And even more important for us to allow the Lord to lead us every step of the way. “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD” (Proverbs 21:31).

I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but I know that God has good things in store for us! I’m hoping to work alongside you in ministry for the next decade!

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

In His Grip,
Pastor Matt

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