Rooted in Faith, Growing In Excellence - 
A Genuinely Successful Beginning!

Our theme verses for this campaign are from the prophet Jeremiah's encouragement to God's people, calling them to choose to follow God. Those who do not follow God's laws, whose hearts have turned away from God, Jeremiah says, are like "shrubs" in the desert, living in "parched places in the wilderness," in "an uninhabited salt land" (vs. 17:6).
 
Now, I'm NOT saying that our hearts have turned from God - far from it, in fact. But just maybe... it's time to deliberately turn our hearts TOWARDS God. To make conscious, deliberate efforts to focus our attention on what and who God calls us to be as his people. Here is the promise, and our theme verses, for those who do turn to God:
 
"Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water... their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8

So, I intend to use these three years pastorally to do exactly that: turn our hearts towards God. I don't want to be a shrub! And neither do you! "Parched places" and "uninhabited salt land" are NOT good descriptions of what a church should be, of what Trinity should be!  As we turn our hearts towards God, I'd like us to look at this as a change of seasons.
 
In Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 we read, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted..."  As I think about Trinity's ministry over the next three years, I see three Seasons that I would like to lead Trinity into as we turn our hearts toward God.
 
Year One - A Season of Planting Seeds for Growth.
Rather than just tossing seeds all over and expecting something to happen, let's make some deliberate choices of what seeds to sow and how we're going to plant them. In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9), Jesus warned about sowing seeds on the path (where birds could eat them), on rocky ground (where there was not much good soil), and among thorns (which would choke out the new growth). 
 
During this first year we need to decide what seeds to sow - that is, what do we feel led to become as a congregation of God's people? We've already made the decision to grow and deepen our congregation - now we ask ourselves, "What shall we do?" Let's dream a little! Let's dream a LOT! How can we discover the heart of God and bring it into our church, our lives, our community?
 
I've often preached the message that if we want to know the heart of God, we simply need to look to Jesus. What did He do? How did he respond the need around him?  As we look to Jesus, we discover what it means to turn our hearts to God. He led the way! We ne ed to follow!
 
This first year we'll revisit our Vision and Mission statements and take a new look at them for our day, in our community. To keep with the theme, we'll ask ourselves about our past, our present, and what kind of future we believe God wants to lead us into. We'll look at the needs of our community - maybe even ASK what is needed and ask how we can help! AND we'll begin to plan - we're looking at doing three major projects per year to accomplish this outreach into the community. It will be an opening, a transformative moment in Trinity's life and the community. Year one is for re-thinking, making the choice to grow, to bear fruit, and to BEGIN TO GROW!

Year Two - A Season to Encourage Growth
This year we explore growth in the sense that we deepen our sense of following Christ into the community. From Ephesians 5:1-2, Paul writes, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." If we really WANT to grow, it has to come by following Jesus' example of sacrificial service in our community. 

Again, Paul writes in Philippians 2, that we should have the same mind as Jesus, giving ourselves in humble service. THAT, brothers and sisters, is what will help us grow and what will literally change the world. Jesus' presence has a way of doing that. People will know, not just by what we say, but what we do, that Jesus is here at Trinity and that he loves them. We will have begun to seriously move "out of the box." There's no going back!
 
Year Three - A Season of Growth: Service, Spiritual Gifts, Deepened Spirituality
Finally in the third year we pull it all together, with the activities of each of the first two years continuing and building, we experience the growth and depth that comes from putting our gifts for service into practice. Spiritual gifts, mentioned in 2nd Corinthians 12:4-11, are all given to help us be the presence of Christ in our community. During this year we are OUT of the box, engaged in life-giving, miracle-causing ministry in our community. Lives being touched in love, strangers welcomed, children drawn to Jesus, healing taking place.
 
With hearts turned fully toward God we experience Jesus fully present among us and through us!  THAT is what brings growth and depth! NO SHRUBS ALLOWED! Rich, vibrant, fruit-bearing trees... that's what we are called to be!
 
Even now, plans are in the early stages to put together the first projects that will focus our efforts in love and service. The season at Trinity is about to change! Can you feel it?
 
Pastor Larry