THE SHEPHERD’S CORNER

One of the things about you that I appreciate is your simplicity. I know many of you have stories to tell—illustrious stories about your successes and victories. But, you choose not to tell. Instead, you keep these stories private—between you and God. You know that everything you received was merely a gift from God. So, there is nothing to brag about; there is only plenty to be thankful for.

I believe a church should be simple but vibrant. What touches people and what can make a difference in the lives of others is our simplicity. Appropriately, the physical building of our church reflects the inner character that you all exemplify: simple! As you might have noticed we just expanded the courtyard and the concrete area on the side. It now looks clean, no more clutter on the side, but as you can see, the church still looks simple.

You see, what makes a church vibrant is not the building, it’s not the music, it’s not the program, it’s not the amount of offering, it’s not even the preaching. What makes a church vibrant is the people who inhabit the church week after week. When people love Jesus, and try to obey Him in everything they do, they become vibrant. And, when they are vibrant, the church will become vibrant.

Talking about “vibrant,” the word comes from the Latin word, vibrare, which means shaking or moving rapidly to and fro. From it we get the English word, “vibrate.” Now the word, “vibrant,” carries the meaning of “full of energy and enthusiasm.” Talking about energy and enthusiasm, I cannot help but think about fathers. Yes, it is mothers who bring love and care to the children, but it is fathers who bring energy and enthusiasm to the children. It is fathers who “move and shake” children so they become vibrant.

Pastor Paul