“So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers” (Acts 16:5, NIV).
Two major events will soon be upon us at Living Stones Fellowship Church in August. Do you know what those two events will be? Can you name it? It’s one of the most exciting times for our church, and it may have long term spiritual impact on us and even on our lives.
Our church has invited Pastor Loren Chong as a person-of-interest in filling the Senior Pastor position. He and his wife will be with us on August 22nd to August 25th. He will be preaching and teaching. He will be sharing his heart with us. Is it important for you to be there that weekend? Is it more important than flying or driving your daughter to college or go on that vacation before summer ends?
Your feedback to the Pastor Search Committee and the Church Leader may well determine whether we will extend or not extend a call for Pastor Loren to be our new Senior Pastor. If that invitation is extended to Pastor Loren, he will be shepherding our church and ministering the Word to you/to us for years to come. How high is that priority to you?
The following week is our 2024 Church Retreat over Labor Day Weekend with Dr. Aaron Son. “What, two weekends in a roll!”, you say to yourself. “It’s one or the other, but not both!”
As I ponder these two back-to-back events, God has designed these two events for us to spend the following weekend in praying for discerning the Lord’s will for Pastor Loren. Dr. Sun will be speaking on “Transitions.” Is that a coincident or is that God’s guidance? Those two events are integral to the life of our church. They are not two separate events, but one event with two parts to it!
“But Kingston, I have not gone on vacation this summer yet!”, you say to me. I understand for we haven’t gone on vacation this summer. Like many of you, I have spent the summer helping with Children’s Worship, teaching the Adult Class, attending Friday Nights, and yes, even working out in the hot summer days to help another brother in the Lord. We have jobs and we deserve that vacation. I have postponed our vacation to the Fall, if I can work it out so that I don’t have to drive my grandchildren to school.
Is it really that important that I/we need to be present on those two weekends? I believe so. Those two weekends has the possibility to transform our church. It may well be that you and I are strengthened in faith and that we are to prepare for the numerical grow in number with the consideration of the new Senior Pastor. I will be at those two events by the grace of God. Will you join me and join us in seeking the face of God that may well transform our church? I hope to see you at the life transforming meetings that will soon be upon us.
Lord’s blessing on you,
Kingston Tong
August 2024