Planning with Purpose

Knowing where to go and how to get there requires planning. Later this year the DeSilva family is planning to visit friends and family in the United States. While Michelle is excited with anticipation of reconnecting with loved ones, yours truly is busy mapping out a plan which includes a travel itinerary, lodging locations, and the all-important vacation budget. I’m not one to throw caution to the wind, I’m challenged by impulse and spontaneity.  For me to be happy, I need a plan! Call it boring, I confess! I like details and information that allows my travel companions to thoroughly enjoy their vacation. My joy comes from planning so that my loved ones can capture life-long memories. 
   
The Bride of Christ, His Church requires a plan. Imagine with me for a second showing up on a Sabbath morning where Sabbath School and the Worship Service are planned in the lobby. I believe that some would thoroughly enjoy a spontaneous morning of study, worship, and praise, but I venture to guess that most of us would consider it a one-week experiment never to be repeated. Planning for worship, and church ministries is a sacred responsibility given to every worship participant and believer. In planning we desire to give God our best, we seek to declare His worth, and acknowledge Him as the Great I Am. Sabbath School facilitators study and prepare their lessons in advance, praise teams practice their praise sets, and preachers prepare all week long a message that will fill and feed a hungry congregation. Yes, worship requires a plan. 
   
Every year, the first Sabbath of February is set aside to share our church’s ministry plan/vision for the rest of the calendar year. At College Park, we call it the Church Family Business Meeting. This year the meeting will be held on Sabbath, February 4 at 4:30 pm. The meeting’s agenda will consist of a devotional thought, departmental ministry reports, a season of prayer, membership updates, financial budget reports and an evangelistic plan for 2023. The meeting usually concludes with light refreshments in the church lobby.  Every member is invited to attend and this meeting when announced for two consecutive weeks represents the highest voting authority in the local church. The church board which administers the church from month to month is subservient in governance to the voted decisions of the yearly Church Family Business Meeting. 
   
Over the next three Sabbaths, the Pastoral Staff of CPC will preach sermons aligned with our proposed mission and one Adult Sabbath School class (February 4) will be dedicated to teaching and educating our membership on the importance of witnessing and soul-winning. Our proposed mission for 2023 is “Love God, Love Others, Share the Gospel, and Serve the World.” This morning my message is entitled, “I Love the Lord”, next Sabbath Pastor Martin Perez will preach on the theme of loving others. Sabbath School next Sabbath will be led out by Kingsway College Bible teacher Elder Jared Browne, his seminar is entitled, “How do I know if I am witnessing?” Pastor Rui Oliveira will conclude the three-week series with a message regarding the importance of Christian service. 
   
I conclude this pastor’s corner with three pearls of wisdom from Solomon, a leader of God’s people who saw of the necessity of planning; “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. “(Proverbs 16:3); “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord established his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9); “Without counsel, plans fail, but with many advisors, they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:2). May our plans always align with God’s desire for us.