Welcome to the Monthly Dose, where I will take about a page's worth of space to give you a review of our month within the church, some wins, and some things the Lord is showing and challenging me that may also encourage or challenge you. Thank you for any time you spend reading this. I pray it is helpful and encouraging.
Each year, August is one of the most exciting times as summer break comes to an end and we see the promotion of graded small groups and a restart of Wednesday night groups. This year has been an incredible start, probably the best start to any August in my time as pastor at MBC. We saw 513 people attend our services on August 2, praise the Lord, and through the course of the month we averaged 260 in Small Group and 426 in our worship services. Stacy and Janet Hutcheson launched a small group for young career adults, especially those who are not married but established in their careers. Our church had the joy of welcoming six new members: Hadleigh & Nolan Brown, Michael Knight, Diane & William O'Cain, and Benjamin West. Michael Knight and Reagan Pollard were baptized in July, and Benjamin West was baptized in August, both were great celebrations for our church.
In August we also began our study through the book of Luke, covering the first two chapters in a series titled Good News for Ordinary People. It was a great series that reminded us: we can trust God, nothing is impossible with God, we can obey God because we can trust God, the gospel is for ALL people, and that Jesus perfectly kept God's law and is therefore the perfect and permanent sacrifice. We closed the series by taking communion together.
I mentioned that Wednesday nights got off to a great start. The youth and kids have brought such vibrancy and energy to the church on Wednesday nights, and it's truly a joy to see their excitement and hear their laughter each week. Our women's group has begun a study through the book of Genesis and would love for you to join them this month as they continue. Our men have been working through a study on prayer, which has been enlightening and challenging as the men of our church continue to step forward and lead through prayer.
In other exciting news, the Building Exploration Committee presented renderings for a potential addition to our existing building. The team has been gathering feedback and continues to work through it, evaluating the best function for the existing building and new addition. These are exciting times, and I'm asking everyone at our church to stop and pray every day at 1:01. Our church address is 101 Woodlawn Road, so it seemed appropriate that we'd pause, whether early in the morning or at midday, to lift up our church, its leaders, and the future ministry the Lord is going to do through the men and women of our church in this season and for years to come.
In closing, I shared at our monthly church conference the way the Lord has been challenging me. I've continually come back to the same statement all month: "Lord, I need You, like I really need You." I was reminded of John 16:5-15, where Jesus encourages us that He would send "the Counselor" to us, a word translated counselor, helper, comforter, and even advocate. I found great comfort in this verse, but also great conviction, because if I'm honest, there are too many times when I look to other places for comfort, help, and counsel when the reality is I've already been given what I need through the Holy Spirit. I have been challenged to seek first the Holy Spirit’s voice in my life and allow the full effect of the comfort, counsel, help, and advocacy to take place in my life. We all need help but are we walking in step with the one who was given to help us?
Thank you for reading, and thank you in advance for joining together in prayer at 1:01 each day this month. It’s clear the Lord working at MBC, and I'm grateful to walk through it with you.
Pastor Neal
1 Kings 2:3-4
