Update from The Pastor’s Desk 9-17-20

“A REWARD FOR FAITHFULNESS”
September 17, 2020

“Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).

 
Notwithstanding the fact that our church facilities have been closed for six months, St. John is doing well because we have God who is faithful and others who are faithful.  First, we have some faithful Essential Workers.  (Some of these individuals are paid, and some are not.)  Whether paid or not, they are faithfully working in the vineyard of St. John despite even health perils.Secondly, we have some faithful Servant Leaders.  These individuals are providing leadership for St. John ministries, and they are doing all they can to keep everyone engaged and edified.  They meet online monthly with the pastor to receive encouragement and direction in order to return to the ministry that they are leading with fresh ideas and inspiration.

Thirdly, we have some faithful Bible Teachers.  These individuals voluntarily teach weekly in Sunday School and Bible Study.  They prepare and present quality lessons with an aim to motivate students to study and apply God’s word to their personal lives.

Fourthly, we have some faithful Parishioners.  These individuals are not just in the church but also of the church.  They have been born again, and they are committed to St. John.  They love St. John and enjoy doing all that they can to enable St. John to thrive, and they will not allow others (especially outsiders) to talk badly about their pastor or church.

Fifthly, we have some faithful Patrons of Tithes and Offerings.  These individuals (which include the pastor who leads by example especially financially) contribute regularly to St. John because we enjoy obeying and loving God by giving according to His word.  Because of these patrons, St. John is still in business and still pursuing our vision to build a Family Life Center.  We give currently by mailing or dropping off our Tithes and Offerings to our St. John South Campus (662 South 52nd Street—Richmond, CA  94804) or by giving online through our website (sjmbc.org).  As the pastor, I thank those of us who are financially supporting St. John, and I encourage others (who are financially able) to do likewise if you have not been financially supporting St. John.

Being faithful is rewarding!  Our ascended Christ informs us in Revelation 2:10 that Jesus will reward believers with a crown of life when we are faithful unto death.  Hence, I encourage everyone to strive to be faithful even amid this pandemic because God will generously reward us.

In addition to being faithful, we need to be connected.  For the next few weeks, I will be reaching out to fellowship (chat) online with as many St. John parishioners as possible.  I have not seen most of you in over six months, and I miss seeing everyone.  As your pastor, I need to see your face and hear your voice, and you need to see my face and hear my voice; however, we cannot do this as we did prior to the month of March.  Instead, we can do it creatively online, so I have instructed each Servant Leader to reach out to every person in their ministry with information regarding a particular time to fellowship with the pastor.  In case someone is unable to reach you, you can review the schedule, access the virtual meeting room by visiting our website (sjmbc.org), and click the green “Schedule & Chat Access” button on the home page. You can also click one of the buttons below. If you are a St. John member but not involved in any of the listed ministries, you are welcome to still join in with any ministry.
 
SCHEDULE & CHAT ACCESS (Via Computer)

Remember, our Church Mission Statement:  “St. John exists, as ‘A Kingdom Building Church In Two Communities,’ to EVANGELIZE the Sinner and to EQUIP the Saints, who are EDIFYING and ENJOYING one another, in order to EXALT the Savior” (Mt. 28:18-20).  Let’s edify and enjoy one another through these Online Fellowships with the Pastor.