Grateful Living
Open Doors Finale: Celebrating God's Story
Over the last several weeks we have reflected on the story that is Hervey Bay Baptist Church. From humble beginnings to the modern day successes, we have remembered how good God has been to us. Jesus declared that He would build His church and that has indeed been the story here.
Each generation has been faithful in ministering the Gospel into the community of Hervey Bay. Faithful pastors, leaders, members, and servers have each written their chapter in the life of this story, and it has been wonderful to reflect back.
Through the seasons we have seen how God has led us. As the church has grown, God has opened up new opportunities and new ways of doing things. Each new challenge that has arisen was met with trust in God and as the people prayed and worked together, God led them by showing them what to do. There have been several times in our church’s life where there has been a shift in church vision, sometimes brought on by practical need such as outgrowing a facility, sometimes by ideas that God has awakened within the church family, and sometimes even by crisis. All through this journey, we have learned that God can truly be trusted if we are willing to keep in step with Him.
We now stand as a light on a hill (literally) as the largest Christian church in the Bay, carrying the privilege of so many ministry opportunities, both within the church and outside the church. Recently, God has done an amazing work by bringing in a flood of new people. Some of them have moved recently to the Bay, but many have also come because they are seeking God anew.
With this new work of God, a fresh energy and a new season is upon us. Not only has it brought us to a place of having a ‘capacity’ discussion, but I also believe, even more importantly, that God has brought us all these people in order to ready us for the next season in our church’s life. Perhaps we are at the cusp of a whole new era of ministry impact. So, it is the time for us to look forward, to listen, to be of one mind and one heart, to be ready to let go of what we are comfortable with and trust God into the next phase of our church life. Do we grow bigger? Or do we spread out? This is the question we are dealing with right now. God will show us what to do as He has always done.
I hope that you all, together with me, can feel a sense of honour, privilege, and responsibility in being handed a tremendous opportunity by the faithful people who have gone before us; we have been entrusted by God to walk with Him into this next journey ahead.
Brett Wilson
Each generation has been faithful in ministering the Gospel into the community of Hervey Bay. Faithful pastors, leaders, members, and servers have each written their chapter in the life of this story, and it has been wonderful to reflect back.
Through the seasons we have seen how God has led us. As the church has grown, God has opened up new opportunities and new ways of doing things. Each new challenge that has arisen was met with trust in God and as the people prayed and worked together, God led them by showing them what to do. There have been several times in our church’s life where there has been a shift in church vision, sometimes brought on by practical need such as outgrowing a facility, sometimes by ideas that God has awakened within the church family, and sometimes even by crisis. All through this journey, we have learned that God can truly be trusted if we are willing to keep in step with Him.
We now stand as a light on a hill (literally) as the largest Christian church in the Bay, carrying the privilege of so many ministry opportunities, both within the church and outside the church. Recently, God has done an amazing work by bringing in a flood of new people. Some of them have moved recently to the Bay, but many have also come because they are seeking God anew.
With this new work of God, a fresh energy and a new season is upon us. Not only has it brought us to a place of having a ‘capacity’ discussion, but I also believe, even more importantly, that God has brought us all these people in order to ready us for the next season in our church’s life. Perhaps we are at the cusp of a whole new era of ministry impact. So, it is the time for us to look forward, to listen, to be of one mind and one heart, to be ready to let go of what we are comfortable with and trust God into the next phase of our church life. Do we grow bigger? Or do we spread out? This is the question we are dealing with right now. God will show us what to do as He has always done.
I hope that you all, together with me, can feel a sense of honour, privilege, and responsibility in being handed a tremendous opportunity by the faithful people who have gone before us; we have been entrusted by God to walk with Him into this next journey ahead.
Brett Wilson