Bulletin for December
Most of us no doubt do all we can to avoid problems, there are however some problems we should welcome.
One such problem is too many people at church; wouldn’t it be good if we couldn’t fit everyone in for the service. While we have experienced numerical growth over the years, there is room for more. Being preoccupied with numbers is carnal and dangerous, but could it not also be said that disinterest in growth is also carnal and dangerous; we should want to see others come to the knowledge of the truth and join us. Let us be those who through prayer, the evangelistic ministry of the church and our own personal witness seek to bring to Southern Districts this welcome problem.
Another welcome problem is the need for more church officers. It is the fruit of growth. Thankfully this has become the case for us. For many years now we have had the same number of officers and we are increasingly finding ourselves stretched. As a church we need to start giving ourselves to earnest prayer – that the Lord would raise up suitable men who want to serve in the eldership and diaconate. The men in the church should ask themselves the question – could this be me. If there are areas which need to be addressed in order to satisfy the Biblical requirements, then set about addressing them. The standards for elders and deacons ought to be the standards we all aspire to.
One other good problem to have on a personal level is busyness. Similar to my second point, the fact that our days are full is a good thing; it is healthy to be busy. There is nothing virtuous about idleness. Of course we can become too busy and consequently areas in our life suffer. Wisdom is needed to handle the demands which come upon us; we must rest and have family time; we should not neglect daily devotions. Importantly, a part of our busyness should include labours and involvement in the context of the church. There are numerous avenues through which we can be involved and we are looking to explore others in the New Year. We need to prayerfully consider how we might make a meaningful contribution to the life of the church. Let us tackle the challenge of busyness not by withdrawing but by Godly management.
Problems create headaches and work, but not all problems are bad. Some problems are the result of the Lord’s blessing. May He grant such problems to us and the wisdom and energy to meet them head on.