I heard two people ask recently “why hasn’t God blessed us with growth? We have been doing everything we can to reach people.” That is a very fair question….and a natural one. I’ve told you before that I have not seen anyone who works as hard as the people of Church on the Bluff. After every event you are rightfully exhausted. You are willing to try almost anything new or different to better reach people. And, God knows, you are the most loving and accepting people I have ever met. No one….no one…ever visits this church and goes away without being spoken to and loved on.

So why? Why haven’t we grown? First of all, we have grown. Look around on Sunday mornings and you will see several faces you didn’t see a few years ago. The fact is, though, that we have lost more by mobilization (folks moving away) and death, than we have gained. That isn’t an excuse, though.  We still haven’t seen the growth we should be seeing. So let me list a few things we should consider.

Perhaps we aren’t offering what people want. That, in itself, is not a bad thing if people are looking for the wrong thing. But I have to believe that we are offering the right things….a saving relationship through Jesus Christ, a closer walk with God, and personal spiritual growth that affects our life and our lifestyle. It could very well be that we simply aren’t through building the foundation for growth. If a church is to succeed in the eyes of God there has to be a good foundation. The infrastructure has to be right.  So we will be taking a closer look at that.

It could also be that you have an old fuddy-duddy, stick-in-the-mud, dinosaur of a pastor. I sincerely hope that is not it; I’m about as hip and happening as I’m going to get. But I promise not to give up, and I know you won’t either. As long as the Lord allows me to pastor I will preach that sin is real and hell is hot. I will preach righteous living,  commitment and dedication to the Lord through His church, and spreading the love of God through the gospel to all people. We may not be “Culturally correct” but we will be scripturally correct; whatever our size, we will strive to be obedient to God.

Don’t give up and don’t despair ….God isn’t through  with us yet. Not by a long shot.

Bro. Tony