The First Baptist Church of Redlands
T A PE S T R Y
aug 2021
Wo v e n To g e t h e r I n L o v e : C o l o s s i a n s 2 : 2
Issue No. 8
VISIONS, DREAMS, AND PLANS A Message from Pastor Shawn
Your young will see visions. Your elders will dream dreams. (Acts 2:17b – CEB) I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the LORD; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. (Jeremiah 29:11, 12 – CEB)
There is no time like the present to begin to explore the visions, dreams, and plans that God has for us! Many things are coming together for us as a congregation at this moment in time. • We are just coming out of a pandemic that caused us to adapt, learn and try new things. Even though we are now worshiping in-person in our church sanctuary things will never be the same. • We have a group that is exploring how we as a church can “grow young.” We want to be a church whose average age is not growing older each year. We have a lot to build on, including a wonderful group of children and young people who call FBCR their church family. • We have been blessed with incredible resources: finances, skills and talents, vitality, and creativity. • We have a wonderful facility in the very heart of Redlands. • We have a history of innovation in ministry and we have been used by God to impact our community, according to its need, over and over again for more than a century.
So, we ask the question: Where do we go from here? • For the rest of the summer we are exploring visions, dreams, and plans in the scriptures during our times of worship. • We have brought together a taskforce that will design, plan, and organize focus groups for everyone to have an opportunity to share their dreams for the church and our ministry. These groups will take place in August. Be sure to take the opportunity to participate in one of these focus groups. • The taskforce will report their findings to the Executive Council and then to the Congregation for next steps in the process of envisioning our present and our future ministry and mission as a church. Let’s share our visions, dreams, and plans with one another. Let’s listen for the Spirit’s voice as we explore, fail and/or succeed (or both), and adapt. Please be in prayer with me as we wait on God for the visions, dreams, and plans God has for us. Grace and peace in Christ, Pastor Shawn
