We wanted to give you an update on one noteworthy item that is taking place behind
the scenes so that you can be informed of what is going on here at our church
AND how you can pray...
To our Church Family of FBCM, thank you for your support, your service, your finances, and mostly for your prayers!!! There is much to be excited about here at FBCM. Although we are on a journey none of us could have possibly dreamed of, one thing is clear: GOD IS RIGHT BY OUR SIDE! May He receive all the praise, glory, and honor!
We have created this webpage to bring you updates on FBCM’s story as we continue walking the journey set before us. So this first article brings you the information announced during our services on Sunday, July 19th. We wanted to give you an update on one noteworthy item that is taking place behind the scenes so that you can be informed of what is going on here at our church AND how you can pray about this item for those involved in it. The difficult part of this announcement is that since we are a large church family, we are a family encompassing a wide variety of emotions, thoughts, and dynamics in our lives. Some desire to move forward, feeling the passion to see “Greater things have yet to come” while others are hurting, still grieving, and desire to just wait a while longer.
It is with the utmost love and care that we inform you of what is taking place. We’ve heard a number of you ask questions as to what is going on with respect to the process for looking for a new Senior Pastor. Here is that answer. The Personnel Team has asked a number of leaders of our Church to pray and then provide names that God laid on each of their hearts as possible candidates to be on this Search Committee.
That list of names is being prayed over by the Personnel Team, the Deacons, and the Leadership Team. Based on input from these three groups, we will select our nominees for the Search Committee. This Search Committee will consist of five members and two alternate members. The Personnel Team will call these individuals and ask them to pray, seeking God’s directive, if they are called to participate in this manner or not.
When this process is completed, it will be announced to the congregation who these seven individuals are. We will have two listening sessions for you to discuss any issues or thoughts you might have concerning any of these candidates. Following these two listening sessions, there will be a congregational vote to support this committee or vote it down. If the vote is positive and affirms the work of the various groups involved so far, things are turned over to them, and their job will begin at that time. If all goes according to schedule, we will see this Search Committee begin its work around October. God is the only one who knows how long this process will take. We as a Church must prepare ourselves both emotionally and spiritually to embrace a new leader. With this process bathed in prayer, we fully believe God will help us look past any preferences to see not what man sees, but what God sees.
We are letting you know what is happening now so that you can PRAY FOR THIS PROCESS. Clearly, this will be the biggest decision our church has made in a very long time. With all that is at stake, we feel that you should be informed SO THAT YOU CAN PRAY along with us in this process. Please pray now. We believe that God can already begin working in your heart ahead of time through your prayer life, so that, if you are one of the seven to receive that call asking you to pray for God’s direction whether you are to be on this Search Committee, you will more than likely have already heard from God, and your prayer time at that point might be more of a confirmation of this request.
In closing, we do not have an easy path before us. It is very difficult for people to say goodbye to the familiar way of how things were done, say goodbye to the fond relationship and emotional bonds with Pastor Fred, and THEN be able to embrace a new way of doing things.
That’s A LOT of change.
This is why we feel that once the Search Committee is in place, we could very well be looking at a process that will last another 12 to 24+ months. Here is our discernment for the previous sentence. We believe it’s going to take a while to appropriately say goodbye to “the way things were” AND for God to prepare a hunger in us to want to embrace the new. This is the CRITICAL component for all of us to be aware of AND to pray for: a heart that is ready and desires to embrace the new that God is working on right now. That will only happen with the passage of time. On March 15th, Dr. Meredith exhorted us with the thought that a “new normal” would eventually take place. We are in the process of seeing that happen, and God, in His timing, will bring us that new leader to guide our church into its next chapter.
May we all gear up for the journey we now face. We truly believe “FOR GREATER THINGS HAVE YET TO COME” will occur for our Church. Already we are seeing our attendance significantly up, baptisms are up, and our finances are the strongest that they’ve been in a long time. God is stirring us, His people, toward something special. May we collectively seek God’s face through prayer, exhibit His patience as we continue on, and live our lives with passionate purpose. We want to thank you for the prayers you have offered on our behalf as a Leadership Team, and covet your continued steadfastness in this area. Our desire is to simply hear GOD’S VOICE and follow GOD’S LEAD.
“Now to Him who is able to do abundantly beyond ALL that we ask or imagine,” may HE guide, lead, direct, and empower all that we do FOR HIS GLORY.
Serving You and Our Lord,
The Leadership Team of FBCM
