Why I’m excited about 2013!

As I contemplate stepping into 2013 and leading this great church for another year I am filled with a sense of excitement and anticipation at what God is going to do in and through us.

I am excited that on 13 January we will be commissioning Pastor Doug and Claire and about sixty other Rosebankers to replant and revive the Parkhurst Baptist Church and to reach people in the Parkhurst area with the gospel of Jesus. We will miss them and feel a sense of loss at their going, but we believe this is best for God’s kingdom and we eagerly anticipate that their going will create opportunities for more people at Rosebank to get involved in ministry, and that the Lord (with your involvement!) will bring new people to us. Someone once said that when we shovel out, God shovels in . . . and his shovel is bigger than ours! The Parkhurst church plant is a God-given opportunity for us to be a Redemptive Influence.

I am excited…

… at the thought of a Ministry Fair on 20 and 27 January where all our ministries will be showcased and at which new people will have an opportunity to learn more about the ministries and sign up to get involved. Sacrificial Service is one of the hallmarks of a disciple of Jesus.

I am excited…

… by the prospect of hundreds of members of our church family doing the Gospel-Centred Life study together in their Community Groups between now and Easter. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience Significant Community and to be saturated with what it means to live a gospel-centred life in the real world.

I am excited…

… by the opportunity I will have on Sunday 27 January to further unpack the concept of ‘Moving to the Right’ and of seeking to embed this idea into our discipleship thinking and vocabulary at RUC. You will see how both Personal Devotion and Redemptive Influence involve ‘Moving to the Right.’ Read more about “Moving to the Right” in Pastor Gerhard’s article

I am excited…

… by the challenge of selecting a basic method of sharing the gospel and of training the whole church to use it easily and effectively. If we are going to be a Redemptive Influence where we live, work, and play we must know the gospel well enough to share it clearly and comfortably. As leaders we are in the process of selecting a method that we can all learn well enough to share in our sleep!

I am excited…

… by the thought of leading you to know Jesus better as we continue our exploration of the Gospel of John in early February. The more we get to know him, the more our Personal Devotion will increase and the richer and more Christ-exalting our Corporate Worship will be.

After Jesus had graciously restored Peter, who had denied him three times, he predicted that Peter would die a martyr’s death. Seeing John nearby, Peter asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus’ answer is worth pondering and practicing as we move into 2013. He said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? YOU MUST FOLLOW ME” (John 21:15-22). For each of us 2013 must be about following Jesus. “Never mind the path I am leading others on,” he says, “YOU MUST FOLLOW ME!”

May 2013 be a year in which we all follow him more ardently.

Your friend and pastor,

Leigh