March 12, 2017
Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:
We are so blessed to have Dr. Bruce Bickel filling our pulpit for the month of March. Last week, I discovered that Dr. Bickel has been part of our church family since 1986, more than 30 years! As Dr. Bickel shares God's Word with us in this season of transition, seeking a new lead pastor, it's comforting to know that he has been with MLEPC through other seasons of transition, and we are grateful for his wisdom, experience, and knowledge of our church family.
We have much to think about after last week's sermon, "God Alone is Adequate." Dr. Bickel encouraged us to be "aggressive responders to what God is doing around us," telling a story of how God worked in his own life to begin a Bible study at PNC Bank that has been held every Thursday for the past 29 years. Dr. Bickel said that he was simply an "aggressive responder" to a coworker who came to him because she noticed he was different, asking questions about salvation. After he talked with her and answered her questions, she said she had friends who would be interested in hearing what Dr. Bickel told her. He told her to come and bring her friends the next Thursday, and these Thursday Bible studies began. Dr. Bickel gave us an acrostic for faith: "Forsaking All, I Trust Him." and one for grace: God's Resources At Christ's Expense.
So last week's sermon made me think - what is God doing around us and how do we need to be aggressive responders? Many things come to mind, but let me just highlight a few:
- February's Fired-Up Friday, our once-a-month Friday evening program for elementary school age children, drew 137 kids. On March 3, we had 124. Each month, only a small number of those children were from MLEPC.
- Two of our members, single moms, have begun a "Single Moms Fellowship" that includes fellowship, prayer and Bible study. We've been praying about this group as it has been in the works for several months. Last week on Friday evening, it blossomed, with several women in attendance while some of their children were in the building being part of Fired Up Friday. One participant came from Canonsburg and another all the way from Natrona Heights!
- At our "family-friendly" Ash Wednesday service, there were three rows of middle and high school youth sitting with our new youth director, Brant Toulouse. Our message was done "children's sermon" style, and I didn't take a count, but there were probably 25 children up front. After our worship time, we journeyed to five different stations to experience significant themes of Lent in a hands-on way: mortality, sacrifice, giving, confession, and prayer. The only negative I heard was that the stations were too crowded and if we do this again, we need to give people more space! But do continue to share your thoughts with Pastor Steve and me, because as we try some new and different things in this Lenten season, we want to make sure we are doing so in a way that draws people closer to Jesus.
- And one last one, I continue to meet visitors at each of our worship services, and I hope you do too. Before, during our greeting times, and after worship, please look for those visitors and greet them. I met two new young families this past Sunday, one at each service, and I'm sure there were more.
We as staff will continue to ponder the question, "How can we be aggressive responders to what God is doing around us?" But this is not our church, or even your church, it's Christ's church. Please help us in this effort even as you continue your own Lenten journey to the cross, drawing closer to Jesus. Several of our members who receive this letter are unable to be with us on Sundays for worship and you might wonder what you can do? PRAY! In a book titled, Comeback Churches, the number one thing that caused churches to grow was prayer. Imagine that!
Continuing to pray with you, in Christ's love,
Pastor Linda Pokrajac, Director of Congregational Care
|
