God is Faithful

RON HAMILTON, CCCC CONFERENCE MINISTER

These are interesting and challenging times as we move past the restrictions of the pandemic and our churches and ministries reopen. I’ve had conversations with many of our pastors and they all agree that the next few months of ministry will be full of special challenges. A recent Barna study indicated that as many as one-third of regular church goers have stopped attending church in the past year.  We wonder if these people will return to church and what it will take to reengage our congregations in the work of the Gospel.

I love the teaching of 1 Corinthians 1:

⁴ I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. ⁵ For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— ⁶ God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. ⁷ Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. ⁸ He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:4-9)

We have relied on the faithfulness of God is various ways in the past year. Many of the normal activities of faith and life drastically changed during the pandemic. Pastors and church leaders were forced to create new pathways of ministry. We found God to be faithful in the midst of this. We can trust in the faithfulness of God to carry us out of this.

I believe that the flip side of challenge is opportunity. I remember the teaching of the Network study that I used years ago that said, “You can make a kingdom impact for eternity!” I believe that there’s never been a greater time to make an impact. People are suffering, are lonely, and are looking for answers. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He will use pastors and the church to make a kingdom impact that will touch and change the lives of many people. And God will faithfully guide us in these challenging times.