As we turn the calendar on the new year 2009, we enter one of the most significant moments of history as a congregation. With our worship on January 4th we begin our 10th year of existence which will culminate in a big celebration in January 2010. Not to be understated, we are five months away from completion of our first building—a process that began way back in the Spring of 2003. We, also, welcome our new, full-time Director of Celebrative Worship, Paul Odenwelder. Along with this we are partnering with Holy Cross and Carmel Lutheran to start a new church in the Noblesville area. What an exciting time! It is fun to watch how the Lord has blessed us as a church and how we have experienced growth, both inward and external.

Yet, while we experience this blessing, we are keenly aware of the economic trouble around us for many families in our community, state, and nation. We realize that not all youth are reached and nurtured with good role models. We see some troubling breakdown of moral values and responsible living in our communities and nation. However, could there ever be a better time than this to be alive and be involved in carrying the good news out to our community. No matter how large and intimidating the problems, our God and Savior has the bigger power and plan to bring deliverance.

We are given a unique privilege to be at this point. It will take all of us working together in prayer and effort to make it happen. It will involve everyone of us taking on the responsibility to reach out to unchurched friends and neighbors. It will involve each of us seeing the need to be trained in God’s Word and committing to be in a Bible study sometime during each week. It will require courage, faith, and vision. But most of all it will require God. It is not our size or planning or programs that will make it happen. It is our God and Savior “who is able to do far more than we can imagine or think.”

So are you ready? Let’s launch out in the deep and cast our nets. Let’s trust that God has the financial resources available and ready to give through each of us. Let’s make a personal commitment to bring at least one person, who doesn’t have a church home, to worship during the first quarter of this year. Do you have the faith and trust that God can get all that done through you. . . . . . That’s something to think about!

~Pastor Tim