The President's announcement was politically shrewd and morally vacuous. It came when he was convinced we had reached a tipping point in American opinion. He is now sure that more than half of our citizens would say they are pleased with his support for gay marriage. The consequences of his coming out of the West Wing closet on this issue would be less costly politically than his "I'm still making up my mind" argument.

His Twitter feed was a shout out to younger voters for whom this is a non-issue. "What's all the fuss about?" "Is there even an argument against gay marriage?" "Don't we Americans believe in liberty and justice for all?" "Live and let live." Most Americans under thirty would say they are proud of the President.

While this was a political maneuver, it was not without far-reaching moral implications. The president was using the prestige of the Oval Office to add legitimacy to a way of life that for millennia has been rejected as immoral  by virtually all faith traditions. The President professes to be a Christian. Doubtless he believes he is acting in accordance with Jesus' teaching to "love your neighbor as yourself." A biblically faithful response to that would be that it is possible to love, to serve and to respect the humanity of our gay neighbors without endorsing their lifestyle.

Mr. Obama is among those who want to interpret the Bible in light of evolving social mores. (He wants to interpret the U.S. Constitution the same way.) This is, of course, a moral slippery slope which leads to everyone "doing what is right in their own eyes."

To accept homosexual practice as legitimate is to sweep aside 2000 years of orthodox Christian teaching. It is to reject the ultimate authority of the Bible. It is to set aside the moral law of God as a regulating principle for life.

People who re-interpret the Bible to fit their lifestyle are proud of our President. People who interpret human experience in light of the Bible are probably disheartened and concerned about the kind of America we are handing off to our grandchildren.

To those who say, "It's nobody's business what I do in the privacy of my own bedroom," we must answer, "That's where you're wrong. It is indeed somebody's business. Your Creator has spoken clearly on this. His opinion is the one that matters. Not the President's. Mr Obama is wrong on this issue. Very wrong. And no, I'm not proud of him at all. But I am praying for him."

With sadness,
Pastor Randy

Judas was with Jesus and the other disciples when they went to the home of Mary and Martha and Lazarus for a dinner party. This scene is described in John 12. Mary took a pound of expensive perfume and anointed Jesus’ feet as an act of devotion. The whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Judas, the infamous traitor, exclaimed, “Why on earth wasn’t this perfume sold? The money could have been given to the poor!”

John’s observation about this reveals the greedy hidden motives of Judas. He said that Judas was dishonest. In his management of the disciples’ money, he used to help himself from the contents of the purse. In other words, he was an embezzler!

So Judas didn’t really care about the poor; he wanted to give the impression that he did. To him poverty was an abstract issue. He saw almsgiving as a legal responsibility, not as an act of love. Perhaps he thought that concern for the poor was something that was universally shared and that his words would make a good impression. (It isn’t, and they didn’t.)

Jesus said that poverty is a persistent problem. It will never go away. This leaves us with the impression that this side of the millennium, we will never solve the problem of poverty. Our concern for the poor should be in response to a real, not an abstract or a theoretical need.

There are many ways to use money to serve God. Helping the poor is one of them, but not the only one. Mary’s sacrifice was an extravagant display of devotion to Jesus. Our Lord accepted her generous sacrifice of love, even though it did nothing to alleviate human suffering or the persistent problem of poverty.

How are we to think about our own response to human need? Here at the church, this issue is presented to us on a regular basis when people appeal to us for benevolence help, or when we as individuals are made aware of acquaintances who have financial needs. For that matter, we regularly see people soliciting funds (begging) holding up cardboard signs at busy intersections. Do we make eye contact? If we give them money, for what purposes will it be used? Are we to give to all of them or to some who look especially pitiable? Do we say to ourselves, “I do my giving through the church”?

Two stories that Jesus told may give us some help. In the story of the Good Samaritan, religious hypocrites practically had to step over a seriously wounded man who lay on a roadside. They were on their way to attend to religious duties, and they were too busy to help.

The Samaritan, on the other hand, allowed himself to be inconvenienced. His schedule was interrupted, and he gave of his own financial resources to pay for the man’s ongoing care. Best of all, he showed personal compassion. The lesson to me is that this was a real emergency, and the need was impossible to ignore. Jesus’ clear lesson was that this is the way we love our neighbors as ourselves, and this pleases God.

A second example is the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man in the story saw a poor beggar, Lazarus, who lay at his doorstep day after day. He never showed him any kindness or provided any care. This lack of compassion was a clear sign that the rich man was not a citizen of God’s kingdom.

In these stories, it wasn’t the abstract issues of poverty in general or worldwide injustice that Jesus was talking about. It was the lack of personal concern by one person for another. The theme was individual responsibility.

Lately, our pastoral staff has been reading the book Radical, by David Platt. It is a challenge to American materialism and affluence. Platt’s very pointed exhortations to the American church have caused us to think deeply about our motives for ministry and our personal and corporate concern for the poor. This has been on our minds a lot the last few weeks. We find ourselves agreeing with some and disagreeing with other of Platt’s arguments.

As I have thought about this, I have been reviewing some basic principles which I think are true, and I have tried to follow.

1. I cannot and should not try to help everybody who may have a need.
2. There are many ways to use money to serve God. Helping the poor is one of them, but not the only one.
3. I should regularly pray that God will make me sensitive to the needs of those around me, and if He leads me to do so, I should be ready to help them without expectation of repayment, recognition or a tax write-off.
4. I don’t want Woody Guthrie’s indictment to be true of me: “How many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn’t see?”
5. God cares about the poor, and He wants me to care about those He has put in my path. I don’t want to give the impression that I care. I want to care.

The Apostle Paul has given us some important guidelines which may be interpreted both broadly and personally: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:17-19)

Sincerely,

Pastor Randy

In this section of his letter to his protégé, Paul encouraged him to concentrate on his reading, teaching and preaching. He told him not to neglect the use of the special gift conferred when the elders ordained him by laying their hands on him. What was that special gift? Perhaps it was the gift of pastoral authority, the recognition by the whole church that he was qualified, called and gifted to be a spokesman for God.

The reminder to devote himself to “reading” doubtless refers to the public reading of scripture in the services of worship. I wonder if it could also refer to the private study and preparation by the pastor for public proclamation of the Word. This may be true.

May God help me to give my whole attention, all my energies to these things as Paul said to Timothy. I want to continue to grow.  Here’s some ways you can help your pastor continue to grow:

• Protect his time. In order to teach with authority, one must have ample time to study and pray. I certainly want to be available to help people, but I do not want to waste time on trivial matters.
• Pray for your pastor. Pray that God will grant me insight and wisdom from His Word.
• Pay attention and learn from the Word, when it is taught. Ask God to help you to apply it to your life and put it into practice.

You are good at this. I watch you as I am teaching. It is always encouraging to me when I see you with your Bibles open, and I see you taking notes, and I observe your rapt attention to the ministry of the Word. I promise to give myself wholly to these things. I hope you will, too.

Thank you for your many expressions of concern and for your prayers. I hope this goes away for good. Maybe the too-late vaccination for shingles will prevent a reoccurrence.

Your comments, posted on my blog about my illness, were an encouragement to me. Thanks!

Pastor Randy

There are pastors in our community, some of them friends of mine, who believe they should use their pulpits to tell their people who to vote for. They seem to believe this is an effective way to get Christians elected to public office.

If it were 1976, I wonder if these activist pastors would line up behind born-again Jimmy Carter. I wonder if in 1992 they were endorsing Bill Clinton because he was a member of a Southern Baptist Church. I doubt if they’d support either of them today. Who would those Oklahoma pastors support for president if someday the choice were between a conservative Buddhist and liberal Baptist?

It’s a good thing for Christians, and for qualified people of other faiths, to run for office and to let their moral values influence their decisions. But believers should not be elected on the basis of their religious preferences alone. Nor should they serve in government to seek a favored position for one religion over another. They are in public service to work for justice for all citizens, whatever their religious beliefs.

If you and I want to project Christian influence into the political process, and we should, here are some ways to do it.

• Prayer. Pray daily for our president and his family. Pray for all the candidates. There is much to admire about these dedicated people who are willing to sacrifice so much for the country. Pray for God’s will to be done in the primaries and in the November elections.
• Humility. None of us has all the answers to the vexing problems facing America. From immigration to the limits of government, from education to economics, a fresh crisis is thrust at our leaders every day. How would you like to occupy the Oval Office?
• Service. It is a documented fact that faith-based and religiously-affiliated non-profits frequently accomplish far more with fewer resources than their government-sponsored counterparts. Spiritually-motivated volunteers are changing the world. Get involved in serving others in the name of Jesus.
• Civility. Make a promise to yourself that you will not slander or demonize people who disagree with you politically.  Jesus’ words, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you. ...Treat people exactly as you would like them to treat you,” have not been suspended during the current political campaign. The circular firing squad that is the primary election season has made me nostalgic for President Ronald Reagan’s eleventh commandment which applies to all public discourse.
• Thinking. Don’t let the TV talking heads shape your convictions. Their main job is to find an angle to keep you watching so they can sell advertising! Don’t let the pompous pundits on talk radio do your thinking for you. Instead read the candidates’ positions on the key issues and prayerfully make up your own mind.
• Voting. Don’t boycott the ballot box if you don’t find a candidate who matches up with your beliefs on everything. Vote for the candidate who will do what is best for America. As you seek the wisdom of God, be guided by your mind as well as your emotions.

As citizens who are motivated by Christian values, we need to remember the Lord’s Word to the Jewish exiles in Babylon: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (Jeremiah 29:7). For the seventy years of the Babylonian captivity, the Jewish people were forced to live in a pagan society ruled by men whose religious beliefs differed from theirs in every way possible.

Yet the Lord took care of them, heard their prayers and blessed them in an alien culture. I believe the Lord will do the same for us as we seek the peace and prosperity of post-Christian America, whether the U.S. president is a Christian or not.

Pastor Randy

I am in pain. Three weeks ago in a doctor’s office I was told I have shingles, and I should expect this piercing, burning pain of the nerves to last awhile, perhaps weeks, or months, or longer.

When people who know I’ve been sick ask me how I’m doing, I’ve been saying, “Well, if I tell you I’m okay, I’d be lying, and if I tell you how I feel, I’d be complaining. So maybe I’d better not say anything.” Of course my kind-hearted friends are sincerely sympathetic, and they say, “No – I really want to know how you’re doing. It’s not complaining if I ask you.”

Thus begins a disquisition on shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia, and the scary potential side effects of the medications. No, talking about it doesn’t make me feel better. I hurt all the time.

I’ve been told that a blog is supposed to be about the writer’s personal story. It’s not supposed to read like a sermon or a devotional book. Right now, my story is that I seem to be preoccupied with physical discomfort.

I’ve had quite a few conversations with God about this. The pain hasn’t gone away, so I assume He has other purposes in mind than my immediate healing: to make me a more sympathetic pastor as I work with people who are in greater pain than I; to get me to slow down, to change my routine, to pay attention to the signals my body is sending; to get me thinking more deeply about the meaning of suffering; or it may be that the lesson for me is to “man up,” shut up, buck up, stop whining and keep going. Plenty of people live with pain, and it doesn’t stop them.

Freelance writer LaShawn Barber expressed this in her own way inWorld Magazine: “I endure the discomfort and uncertainty, pray, and keep busy. Writing something, even if it doesn’t sell, almost always helps.”

Maybe writing this will help me in some way, whether or not anyone reads it. If you, dear reader, are really there, don’t send get well cards or offer sympathy; just write your thoughts about God’s purposes for pain in the comment boxes below. Maybe your reflections can help me be a better pastor and better understand what’s happening.

Thanks,
Pastor Randy

He broke down as he told Matt about a friend of his who is an atheist who needs to know of the love of God. “I want a passion for God,” he said. “When I am telling my friend how to love God, I want to be loving God myself!” Matt went on to talk and pray with him about his personal commitment to studying God’s Word and discovering God’s will.

The thing that impresses me about this conversation is that this young man is a high school sophomore who is expressing a deep desire to grow in the knowledge of God and to make Christ known to his friend. Oh, that that were true of every one of us! Our attendance in worship, our singing, our praying, our reading the scriptures are all intended to change our lives and to equip us to influence others for Jesus in this world. James 1:22 says there is a whole lot more to the Christian life than just listening to the teaching. We must also put it into practice! In this case, one of our young people is leading the way!

Pastor Randy

Because of the church’s vision and faith we have solid relationships with strategic ministries all over the world. These ministries, supported by our faith promise missions fund and by the designated contributions of the Lord’s people, are involved in evangelism, disciple-making, and church planting.

I have enjoyed going to places like Guatemala, Haiti, Peru, Korea, Eastern Europe, and to the African countries of Nigeria and Ethiopia. God has enabled me to teach his Word, to be involved in evangelism and to personally witness the great things He is doing through His missionaries. I hope and believe that the church’s sending me on ministry trips such as these has been helpful and encouraging to missionaries and national church leaders.

In his book Evangelism and Missions: Strategies for Outreach in the 21st Century, Professor Ron Blue has written an entire chapter on the role of pastors in leading their churches in support of world missions. One way to do this is through overseas mission trips. He says, “A missions-minded church almost always has a missions-minded pastor.” That is what I want to be, a missions-minded pastor.

He continues, “Churches should give top priority to sending their pastors overseas....The missionaries visited will be encouraged. The people with whom the missionaries serve will be enriched, especially if the pastor is given the opportunity to minister. The pastor will be exposed to the needs and advances in the country he visits. Most of all the church will be enlightened through first-hand reports of all that God is doing. Everyone benefits in this endeavor.”

The Lord has opened a door for me to travel to India in ministry with my friend Kent Humphreys of Oklahoma City. I will be addressing three large gatherings of pastors in three different cities, speaking on the subject of discipleship. In addition, I hope to see Julie Heidebrecht. She has asked me to meet with her team of fellow-workers who serve with Student Mobilization.

Later this year I plan to use some of my vacation time to minister with the Word of Life Bible Institute in Jeju Island, Korea. They have invited me to teach there for a week in June, the Lord willing. Thank you for your faithful gifts and prayers which make this possible. You are a blessing to me in these efforts. Through your faithfulness, I hope to be a blessing where the Lord sends me as your representative.

Pastor Randy

When Poland was a part of the Soviet Communist empire, there were faithful Bible-believing Christians continuing to carry on the work of the gospel in spite of oppression. When freedom came to Poland and the other eastern bloc countries, I had the joy of teaching and serving some of these religious workers who were affiliated with “The Evangelical Foundation,” a Polish mission organization.

One of their projects was “The Mission to Evangelize Children” (MED). Our church supports one of their workers through our faith promise mission fund. That was in 1990 and again in 1991.

I have been invited to return to Poland as the speaker for their annual conference. I will be the Bible teacher for the main sessions and will also speak in two breakout sessions during the seminars. I am also scheduled to speak in a local church on Sunday, February 12.

This conference will be for ministry staff and volunteers from all over Poland. I will need the wisdom and strength that comes only from the Spirit of the Lord. I hope you will pray for me that my teaching and example might help these dedicated servants of Christ in their work for Him.

Thanks to all who have given generously to make this short term mission trip a possibility.

Pastor Randy

The coming of the New Year reminds us of the passage of time. For some people, the thought of life ebbing away is depressing, even terrifying. Some people expect no existence beyond this life, no eternity beyond time. For them, a New Year’s Eve celebration expresses the ancient philosophy: “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”

Those who have trusted Christ as Savior have been delivered from such hopelessness. Christians are given a different perspective on the passage of time: “Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11). Or, in the words of Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase: “God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work He began when we first believed” (The Message). For those who know Jesus, every day brings us a little closer to the satisfaction of every good hope and the fulfillment of the potential for which we were created. Those who look forward to Christ’s return, realize that the passage of time means that we’re nearer home than when we first believed.

Several years ago, the J. Walter Thompson advertising firm in Chicago posted ads saying: “You have 24 hours to live.” In smaller type below, the ad continued: “Today that is.”

So God has entrusted to each one of us the stewardship (management) of time. He calls us to serve Him today as we look forward to the great tomorrow when time will be absorbed by the splendor of eternity. Happy New Year!

Pastor Randy

Dear Metropolitan Church Family:

On behalf of our pastoral team, I want to wish you a very happy celebration of our Lord's birth! As you know, Christmas Day falls on Sunday, the Lord's Day, this year. Months ago, our pastors decided to combine our two services into one special Christmas service on Christmas Sunday this year, and to forego our traditional Christmas Eve service. We hope you will be present at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Christmas is (or should be) a "holy-day." This is a test of our motivations. Is Christmas really all about Jesus? Or is it mainly about toys, Santa, feasting and NBA basketball? We here at Metropolitan Baptist Church want to emphasize the Christ-centered nature of the day. That is why we have decided to offer a special one hour service with great music and the ministry of the Word of God.

You will remember, of course, our worship of Jesus has not been limited to one or two days, but has continued throughout this season of Advent. Pastor Purifoy prepared three consecutive Sunday nights of glorious music. The Christmas Sampler brought the church family together in inter-generational fellowship. My messages for the past month have drawn attention to the narratives of the birth of Jesus in Matthew's gospel.

As reported recently in the newspaper, quite a few churches in our area have decided to cancel Sunday services altogether. We didn't want to do that, but we also realized that asking people to come on Saturday night and then again on Sunday morning might not be realistic, especially for families with small children. With neighborhood celebrations, multiple Christmas parties to attend, shopping, school programs, in addition to the normal stuff of life, many young families are extremely busy. So it is our prayer that this Sunday's worship service will refresh and renew you in your love of Jesus Christ and your love for one another.

May God bless you and your family with a joyful Christmas. Connie and I wish you the very best now and in the coming new year.

Cordially,
Pastor Randy

P.S. I was interviewed for an article that is to appear in the "Life" section of the Oklahoman on Christmas Day. There should also be a video of my grandsons and me on the Oklahoman's website or Facebook page, along with Pastor Rick Thompson of Council Road Baptist Church.

I’m thinking that the Holy Spirit has been involved in some of my experiences this Christmas season. Last Saturday morning I participated in the Whiz Kids’ and Angel Tree Christmas party downtown at Olivet Baptist. Maurice Ferris had recruited a large team of volunteers who welcomed and loved the boys and girls. The children enjoyed games, entertainment, good food, gifts and a visit from Santa. Best of all, they were reminded about Jesus. It was thrilling to see so many of our Metropolitan members serving the Lord as His Spirit worked through them to share God’s love.

Then on Saturday evening Connie and I attended the dinner party for our Sunday School class at the beautiful home of Jim and Lorna English. I was looking forward to enjoying a great meal with good friends. But I have to confess I wasn’t terribly excited about another ornament exchange! (I’m just a guy. What do I know?)

Well, once again I was surprised by the Holy Spirit. Jim asked each couple to share a blessing from the past year as they opened the packages containing their ornaments. Wow! It was a powerful experience listening to one testimony after another of God’s faithfulness in trouble, answers to prayer, new opportunities, and many expressions of love for one another.

I was ashamed of myself for grousing about the ornament exchange. The Spirit of God was there, speaking to all of us: “This is what the church should be; loving and caring for one another.”

Then on Sunday evening the Chapel Choir and orchestra led us all in praise to Jesus by beautifully presenting the glorious arrangements of Christmas carols by John Rutter. That marriage of truth and beauty was a vehicle for God’s Spirit to speak to my heart at a very deep level. I continue to thank the Lord for Paul Purifoy and all the excellent musicians who make up our music ministry. We may not be the biggest, but who can deny that we enjoy the best, week after week? That’s because our musicians are not mere performers. They are Spirit-filled Christians!

The best way to experience the spirit of Christmas is to invite the Spirit of Jesus Christ to fill your life.

Pastor Randy

But something surprising happened: British soldiers raised “Merry Christmas” signs above trenches, and soon Christmas carols could be heard from the British and German trenches alike.

Christmas dawned with unarmed soldiers leaving their trenches, though officers on both sides tried unsuccessfully to stop the troops from meeting the enemy in the middle of no man’s land for songs and conversation. Exchanging gifts – mostly sweets and cigars – they passed Christmas Day peacefully along miles of the front.

At one spot the British played soccer with the Germans, who won 3-2. In some spaces the spontaneous truce continued the next day as neither side was willing to fire the first shot. Finally, the war resumed when fresh troops arrived, and the high command of both armies that further “informal understandings” with the enemy would be punishable as treason.

When angels announced the birth of Jesus, they said that His coming would bring “peace among men” (Luke 2:14). That is precisely the effect of Jesus’ coming. Through His gospel, He offers peace with God. He holds out the promise of an earthly peace in His kingdom when He comes again. In our daily experience, when we worship Christ and submit to His will, He brings His peace to our lives. As we live together in love and unity as members of one body, the peace of Christ rules in our hearts.

Yet we know many people do not have this kind of peace. We live in a world of fractured relationships and broken hearts. The Christmas message of peace is centered in Jesus, the Christ. Those who do not know Him cannot know His peace.

J. Vernon McGee wrote: “Christmas has nothing to do with Santa, sleigh bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, trees, wreaths, bunting, and a white Christmas. I’m not even dreaming of a white Christmas. They are nice, but that is not what Christmas is all about. Christmas is ‘God with us.’ They called Him Jesus because He would save His people from their sins. He came to ‘give His life a ransom for many.’ The stable and manger are empty now. So is the tomb. He has gone back home, but He is coming again.”

When Jesus comes again, it will be as the “Prince of Peace.” The nations will “hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war” (Isaiah 2:4).

This is the biblical teaching of reconciliation with God. It is at the heart of the Christmas message. It is the good news of God’s peace among men. Let’s share this good news with people who are yearning for peace.

Pastor Randy

The president of the university, Graham B. Spanier, was also fired, along with other high level administrators who allegedly knew about Sandusky’s reputation.

This is a solemn warning to anyone who works with children, especially teachers and church workers. It is the duty of church leaders to do whatever they can to safeguard the children and young people who are entrusted to their care.

The sad truth is that people are not always what they appear to be. The epistle of Jude, verse 4, warns against some who insinuate themselves into churches and try to use grace as an excuse for immoral behavior. Jesus warned His followers against religious hypocrites who do not practice what they preach (Matthew 23:3).

For this reason, it has been the policy of Metropolitan Baptist Church for many years to require background checks to be carried out on all volunteers who serve in our children’s and youth ministries. There are no exceptions to this policy. The same is true for our Whiz Kids ministry downtown.

We have a “Children and Youth Ministry Handbook” which is required reading for all children’s ministry volunteer leaders. It explicitly defines appropriate physical contact between children and their leaders. Children’s workers in the church are responsible to protect children from inappropriate touching by anyone.

If there is any suspicion of child abuse or exploitation of any kind, we are obligated by law to report this to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services or law enforcement agencies. The handbook gives the OKDHS hotline number. Children’s workers are also required to inform church leaders if there is any threat or danger to children, whether by physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse or emotional abuse. We want to be vigilant to safeguard the flock of God which has been entrusted to our care as the New Testament requires (Acts 20:28-29). The requirement to report suspected abuse to law enforcement authorities is in line with the teaching of scripture which says that “everyone must submit to the governing authorities…the authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted” (Romans 13:1-2).

The sad news coming out of “Happy Valley” in Pennsylvania reminds us that it is the responsibility of every Christian, every Christian leader, and every Christian institution to adhere to the highest standards of ethics and best practices. For the honor and glory of Jesus Christ, Metropolitan Baptist Church must always be a safe place for children and young people.

Sincerely,
Pastor Randall Faulkner

As the first deacons in Acts 6, your MBC Deacons are carefully administering the tangible, physical properties and finances of the church. As the first deacons, they see their ministry as a spiritual one, relying on the Holy Spirit. As the first deacons, they are people of wisdom and faith.

Lately they have accomplished a lot. You have observed the re-sealing and striping of our parking lot. This recent improvement enhances the appearance of our campus and helps create a good first impression. Perhaps you also have noticed the beautiful, new grass that has been planted on the south and west sides of our church building. Entrance ramps for the handicapped will make it easier for people in wheelchairs to enter the doors on the north side of the church building. Thank you, Deacons, for these recent improvements to our facilities.

In addition, our Deacons serve the church by administering communion and serving those who are candidates for baptism. Under the leadership of Chairman Tyle North, our Deacons have been faithful and effective in serving the church. Take time to say thank you to a Deacon.

Rod Ferguson	Johnny Hughes	Bruce Smith
Pat Fuller	Tyle North	Carl Stitt
Kendall Galegor	Merlyn Pearson	Fred Thorwart
David Heald, Sr	Tim Puckett	Greg Vaughn
Scott Hooper	Lannie Risinger	Clarence Voth

During this season of the year, the Deacons are involved in finalizing the development of a budget for the next church year, and in receiving recommendations and reports from various committees including the Personnel Committee, Building Committee, Missions Committee, and Finance Committee.

Cordially,
Pastor Randy

In recent months, your elders and pastors have been engaged in an in-depth study of all aspects of our church’s physical, financial, and human resources. We have been gathering lots of valuable information about our church’s demographics, perceived needs, and potential for ministry in the future. We have been helped in this process by Dr. Mike Lawson of Dallas Theological Seminary.

This planning work will continue as we gather for a retreat October 28-29 to spend extended time in prayer and thinking creatively about the future. Our research has led us to concentrate on five major initiatives: Our facilities for the Christian education of children; a complete evaluation of our worship services; how we as a church can make disciples for Jesus Christ through family ministries; how we can improve our assimilation of new people into our church; and developing points of contact with our community and reaching new people for Christ.

We are learning a lot as we research these important themes and develop action plans for implementing ministries in the future. We are deeply grateful for the scores and scores of committed people who are using their spiritual gifts in ministries in and through our church. We are thankful for our church’s impact on the community, and we want to see that grow.

Like you, our elders and pastors love our church and want to do what we can to keep it strong and effective for many years to come. As you pray for us in our work as church leaders, together we can help Metropolitan Baptist Church make the greatest possible impact for Jesus Christ in our generation.

Pastor Randall Faulkner