Pastor’s Message for August 2024

“Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord.
-Haggai 1:8 (NIV)

Greetings, Friends!

     One of the many dedicated and hard-working committees of our church is the Trustees. It is the responsibility of these men and women to make sure that our church property is maintained and properly insured. Trustees are stewards of the property which God has entrusted to our congregation. They supervise and maintain the property, ensuring that it is used in accordance with all legal, denominational, and local requirements. Trustees are people who care deeply about the members of our congregation and want to make sure that our building and grounds are open to everyone, regardless of any physical disability or status.

     Before I began serving in ministry, I was asked to serve on the board of trustees of my local church. After serving a year in which we had to put a new roof on our building I was asked by the pastor to serve as chairperson of the trustees. I told Pastor Bruce that I am not handy and can barely pound a nail. But Bruce insisted that I was the one for the job. He said it would help me in my ministry to have that experience. During my tenure as trustee chair I prayed that nothing serious would breakdown or need replaced until I was no longer the trustee chairperson. But God has a funny way of working things out! It wasn’t long before the water heater in the fellowship hall stopped working. I was thankful there were people on the committee who I could trust to help me find a new hot water tank and find the right people to get it installed.

     As I began my ministry I prayed that I would never have to deal with putting a new roof on a church building again! But once again God has a sense of humor. During my tenure at Eldersville church we had to replace the roof on the church and the Parsonage. At Trinity Church we had a building project to add a new wing onto the church building. In all of these circumstances I was glad to have a team of trustworthy men and women to make the projects successful. And now (because we plan and God laughs) we find ourselves in need of a new roof on the Aliquippa church building. Thankfully we have a great team of trustees to guide us through this latest project. There is a significant cost to make the repairs, but with God’s help we will rise to the occasion to meet this need.

     Becoming a member of the trustees is a great responsibility and honor. We are always looking for trustworthy men and women to answer the call to serve in this important role in the church. I am living proof that one does not need to be handy to be able to serve in this way. God is just looking for folks who are willing to step up. If you are willing to serve as a trustee, and feel God’s calling in this area, I would love to have that conversation with you!

God love you, and so do I,
Pastor Jim