Rounding First
I loved playing baseball when I was younger (I still love it now, but it hurts too much). I was never a power hitter, but rather a guy with a lot of speed that could turn a routine ground ball into a single, a single into a double, or a double into a triple. 
I always hustled to first base with an eye on the ball and the intention that I was continuing on to second. While the average parent in the stands was cheering the hit and a clear single…my mind and the path of my approach to first base was setting me up for a double. I had to be prepared to turn the corner and go at the right time. If I wasn’t prepared, I would be stuck with a single, or worse yet, make a panic and unprepared move and get thrown out somewhere between first and second base.
Preparation is often overlooked. We are people who like to see progress. However, there is often much groundwork that has to be done and in place before a foundation can be laid, a structure erected, and systems installed. It is only when that process has fully taken place that effective use of a building can happen.
Last Saturday (December 7th) the elders met for an eight-hour session laying the groundwork for the future ministry of Grace Bible Church. Rod Huxman, Jim Sugars, Pastor Don and I spent the day working through our church constitution. There are parts we clarified, parts we deleted, parts we added, and parts that we wondered “how on earth do we put this into words?”. We agreed, we disagreed, we wrestled over words and phrases. We looked up scripture, discussed interpretation, valued the weight of different verses and theological perspectives. We considered ministry context of today, the past, and the future. We discussed current laws, lawyers, and the threats and dangers of a hostile culture. We discussed opportunity for discipleship, outreach, and fellowship. We discussed unity, like mindedness, and grace for differences.
At the end of the day, we were excited. Excited to see where God is taking us a church. Excited to see how He has been faithful to bring us this far into the journey. Excited to see the new faces that have joined our fellowship as well as the faces of familiarity who have stayed the course through time. We are excited to introduce the 2024 Revised Edition of the Grace Bible Church Constitution at the January Annual Business Meeting on January 19th.
Yes, just like that young boy running to first base, we have our eyes on the ball and reading the play so that we can round the corner and head to second base at the right opportunity. The months of planning. The hours dedicated to finishing our legal documentation of governing structure. It doesn’t look too exciting to the average onlooker, but, it has us prepared us to be ready to push forward toward the next goal.
Thanks for being with us on this journey toward Jesus!
Pastor Dwight