The year 2006 had a disheartening beginning but by Fall had became more encouraging. At Christmas we were all guardedly enthusiastic that at long last things had turned around here. Now in the Spring of 2007, we are confident that God is blessing our church with sustainable growth and that these new folks are being discipled.
     A few statistics: Attendance has increased 94% over this time last year (or the six prior years). We have 23 active children and youth now where we had five a year ago (and zero when I came just about seven years ago). Three new Sunday School classes began about six months ago—two of them children’s classes. The adult class is doing a discipleship study that’s been a great way to get these new folks grounded in a substantial knowledge of the Word. Our leadership made a decision to not allow new membership unless they have gone through this program of discipling. It’s beginning to pay off now. We used to have a backdoor problem but now a much greater percentage of folks are sticking around.
     People are now beginning to join the church who I feel much more confident will be active and stick around—because they are in love with God and not just this church.
     I believe that all of this is in answer to prayer. Looking back, God, as usual, was answering our prayers beyond our expectations. I’d like to address these prayer requests one-by-one, in order to both encourage you and challenge you in what remains of the year. If you were here then, you will recall that in July of 2005, a new prayer focus called Praying the Sevens was introduced to Graham Friends. The church was encouraged to pray for different things each day, each tied somehow to the number seven. Since more than a year has elapsed, it is high-time we reviewed each of those, as a way of encouraging your further prayers.

     You were asked to pray for those less than 7-years old on Mondays. Our Childrens’ Chat each Sunday morning has, as expected, become a favorite of the Church. I try to tie the Chat in with the theme of the morning while giving the children latitude to say what’s on their minds. It is typical now that we have 10-15 children come forward for this time in each service. Pray that the Holy Spirit will use this time as foundational with Sunday School for strong adult Christians...and that our children know they are an important part of the Church.

    You were asked to pray for those over 70 years old on Tuesdays. About two years ago, a morning Bible study was added to our Wednesdays, since many of our seniors have a difficult time getting out and driving after dark. Lunch was included in the affair and things took off from there. The police were also asked to join us for lunch. As a result, we typically have 14-15 from the police department join the 12-14 for lunch who are present for Bible study. Another note of interest is our Bible studies are not just for our church; we have six churches represented between the morning and evening studies. In all, we have roughly 45 out each Wednesday for our studies and meals. This benefits our seniors in that they have something to look forward to besides Sunday-go-to-Meeting and perhaps a doctor visit. Now they have new people to interact with, a hot meal, and a variety of Christian education. Pray our seniors will continue to have their needs met at Graham Friends.

     You were asked to pray for those between 7 and 70 on Wednesdays. This group is a fairly new one for our church. Just a few years ago, seniors were the majority of our crowd. When I came to Graham Friends in 2000, the average age of our congregation was 68. Our average age is now 41. Please continue to pray with me for this growing age group at Graham Friends.

     You were asked to pray on Thursdays for an average of 70 persons in worship. In the past 6 weeks, attendance at church has increased 70%. We’ve gone from an average of 40 to 68 people in worship. After such a slow start to the year, when the first quarter attendance average was 35, we slowly edged up to a second quarter average of 41 and a third quarter average of 55. This is in no small way attributable to the chaplaincy work with the Graham Police, which interestingly enough, I began to do in earnest in the first month of the second quarter of the year.
     So, we have yet to reach an average of 70 in worship – but we’re close. Since Homecoming, we have averaged 69 in worship. Pray with me that our active members would attend each week and we will see this prayer answered. We have 90 active folks but average 68 on Sunday mornings. In other words, it is not God who is not answering this prayer – it’s us!

     You were asked to pray on Fridays for 7 decisions for Christ. Though we have had no formal declarations of faith, we have seen many rededicate their lives to Christ. To quote one such brother, “I love my Christ and I love my Church.” Pray with me that the many new folks at Graham Friends will find their own ways to express a newfound love for God.

     You were asked to pray on Saturdays for 7 new member families. The Sheldon, McGilvray, Rogers, Stewart, Dunnagan, Velez, Vines, Hall, Young, Pavia, Talley, Fitch, Whitley, Parks, Foxvog, Aderholt, Bradshaw, Cipperley, and Andrews families have been attending regularly. The issue here is not having new families who would join but making certain those folks know what they’re joining. The Elders feel it is important to have discipleship tied to membership. As such, I am using Sunday School as a way to disciple our new people. Those who have elected to participate are presently doing a 4-week overview of the New Testament so they understand the basic message of the gospel. This will be followed by a 10-week “Basics of the Faith” curriculum that will be similar to the 8-week sermon series I did plus some specific materials about our church. They will then be given the opportunity to join.      Please continue to pray for our new folks, that they would take the steps from visitors to disciples to members.

     You were asked to pray on Sundays for 7 children in Sunday School. Honey Foxvog recently began a new children’s class that already has 8 children. She is expecting that number to double soon. The class has two different age groups and Miriam Ryman has agreed to teach the younger class. Pray with me that spiritual foundations will be laid down in these young lives and that our teachers are blessed and appreciated.

     The Lord is doing a good work at Graham Friends. Let that thought inspire your prayers. In case you need more concrete evidence of that than all of the above, rejoice in a recent email I received:

pastor, i would like to express my sincere liking of your church. it is truly like no other church i have attended. not knocking the [denomination removed] church (which is what i grew up in), but all they seem to do anymore is tell jokes and ask for money. your sermons are very thought provoking and i get something out of each one. i only wish i was possible for me to attend each sunday. thank you so much for being you and preaching straight and to the point without worrying about making someone mad. this country needs more churches and pastors like you and yours. thanks again.

     One final note: of the 90 people who are active in Graham Friends Church, 45 are not members. I believe your prayers will make a difference in the lives of these persons and in the life of Graham Friends Church. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if by our Centennial Homecoming on September 9, 2007, that number had climbed to over 100! One person for every year...

Think about it...and pray.
Pastor Mark

Addendum: Well, we didn't hit 100 people by Homecoming last September. In fact, by the end of the year, we had lost 31 of the folks who had been regularly attending at the beginning of the year. One of them went back to his previous church after they got a new pastor, seven moved out of the state, and the rest could not make the commitment.
     We have instituted a discipleship program in the hopes of helping people learn early that this is a place where faith is taken very seriously. Hopefully the Lord will honor this initiative by sending us people who are interested in learning to walk like Jesus.
     Additionally, we all need to take just as seriously the need to build relationships with the people the Lord sends to us. We must not simply expect them to show up. We need to show up in their lives—calling them, inviting them over or out to a meal, and the other things that real friends do for each other. I believe this will help them with a commitment to Christ.
     As far as not making the goal of 100 people by our 100th year celebration... We did have 214 worshipers at Homecoming 2007. That's more than anyone present could recall being here for Homecomings. And we did end up having an average Sunday attendance of 62, which is more than a 20% increase over 2006's average.
     So far in 2007, giving is up by roughly the same percentage even though attendance is down to 51 worshipers per Sunday (in 2008 so far) and despite having missed a Sunday due to weather. It looks like some folks have stepped up their stewardship commitment. Our Sunday School classes also grew last year, adding two children's classes and two adult classes. Our Sunday School attendance is 65% of our worship attendance.
     By the end of the year we got focused on missions again though I'm afraid our missionaries suffered while we were struggling to keep the vision. If our missionary committee will meet regularly in 2008, I believe we can stay on track.
     About ten people are reading through the Bible in 90 days and they are enthused about the big picture of the scripture they are getting. Others are reading through in a year. Further, our two weekly Bible classes and meals have been a solid boon to Christian education and fellowship.
     So what can be said to sum up 2007 and the beginning of 2008? Even though it can look like we lost ground with the absence of 31 folks, Graham Friends is slowly growing in all measurable ways. Slow and steady growth is probably better over the course of another century than explosive growth. By our next centennial, God willing, Graham Friends will still be here or Christ will have come for his Church. If the former, I will hazard that most of the fast-growing mega-churches will have bit the dust, the fad having died out.
     More important than statistics, people are growing in Christ here and ultimately, that's what it's all about. So what should we do in 2008? Keep the faith. Keep on relying on God instead of programs and fads. And whether there are 50 or 100 people coming to worship, "preach the word...in season and out of season" (2Ti 4:2) and rely on God to give the increase. (1Co 3:7)

Pastor Mark
February 7, 2008

Click photo for Pastor Mark's biography.

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