“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you!” Matthew 7:7
For several years there was a television series by the name, “In Search of…,” during which the host gathered various experts, opinions, and evidence to try to explain mysterious events and hypotheses. The episodes provided interesting facts and ideas but rarely, if ever, actually came to any definitive conclusions.
Thankfully, as we walk in faith as Followers of Jesus, we do not live in a world that dwells on the lack of conclusive evidence but we live in a world of hope and confidence in the Lord’s presence to guide us, renew us, and give us direction. Jesus was clear about this in his Sermon on the Mount. He said, “ask, seek, knock!” And, he expected that we would “receive, find, and be answered!” We can count on this dynamic of faithful prayer as we search for a new pastor in the life of Poplar Springs Baptist Church.
Such a faithful prayer dynamic is expected of our Pastor Search Committee but it is also expected from each one of our members as we are in search of the pastor God is preparing to serve with us. This past Sunday Brother Clyde and the Search Committee asked us to intentionally pray for them as they serve using the following as a guide:
Sunday – pray for the entire Search Committee and the process of discernment into which they have entered with us and on our behalf!
Monday—pray for Ava Bryson and a powerful unity and oneness of spirit within the team.
Tuesday – pray for Clay Putnam and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit as they serve.
Wednesday – pray for Clyde Buckner and the discernment, wisdom, and strength they need.
Thursday – pray for John Harmon and clear direction as the team dialogues with candidates.
Friday – pray for Leslie Queen and a vision for God’s timetable in the search.
Saturday – pray for Tara Hayes and our future pastor and family to have absolute certainty in their sense of call to our church.
The Search Committee’s call to prayer is one way that our entire congregation is part of the journey of discernment that is before us. Be sure to complete the surveys they are sending you over these next weeks and return them as requested. And, like completing the surveys, know that your daily prayers will help them be ready to communicate who we are and what we are doing here at Poplar Springs Baptist Church. Questions for which the next pastor will want to hear answers. Answers that will ultimately lead us to be the church God intends for us to be in his Kingdom work!
As you are praying for the Pastor Search Committee and our pastoral search, note these prompts as you bow in God’s presence:
- Pray that the interim pastoral period will be a time our church learns to seek God Himself more than anything else – “Lord, teach us to draw closer to Jesus and trust Him as the head of the church, His body.”
- Pray for patience as we await God’s timing toward the discernment of his will for our church.
- Pray for openness in our hearts to embrace new days of ministry and mission which position us to impact our community with the Gospel.
- Pray for strength, consistency, and focus for our present ministries as God empowers our staff and members in our journey of discipleship together.
- Pray for great unity in calling our new pastor and in a commitment to renewing our hearts for ministry in preparation for the pastor’s coming to serve alongside us.
While we live “in search of” our next pastor, we live with confidence that “he who began a good work in us will carry it out to completion!” (Phil. 1:6) And, we are thankful!
In the Love of Jesus,
Tony Tench