We have been given an incredible opportunity to be involved in the process of
selecting our new pastor. Elder Ralph Watts, our conference president, and
Gerry Christman, our conference secretary and ministerial director, met with
the Lawai Valley and the Kapaa church boards and encouraged them to start
praying for unity and that God will lead us to the “right” person. They also
said to submit names of possible candidates to board members or directly to
them. email Brian Tuzon or call Brian at 808-337-1926. Or email Ralph Watts.
Selecting a pastor is something like selecting a marriage partner.
In marriage,
the goal should not be on finding the “right” person, as much as it is on
“being” the “right” person for our spouse.
When it comes to a marriage between a pastor and a church, instead of putting
all of our emphasis on finding the “right” pastor, maybe we should first
concentrate on growing together and being the “right” church—or churches. With
this emphasis, we would be answering Jesus’ prayer in John 17:11 and 21, that
His disciples would be one like Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit are one. Only
when we experience this unity are we going to be ready for the pastor that God
has selected for us.
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| Make us ONE |
It’s time to begin praying together for unity. We desire a Pentecost
experience, thinking the pastor is the key, but in reality, not until we have
lain down our selfish desires and truly loved others like Jesus loves
us—unconditionally—are we going to be ready for the amazing pastor that God has
in mind for us.
So, in this spirit, please come pray with us after the Lawai Valley church
service. We will begin praying in earnest that God will make us ready for our
new leader. We desire that nothing less than 100% unity be the criteria for
selecting our next pastor.
| Sandra Roberts, President of SE Calif. Conference |
Impossible, you say! Wait a minute. What about all the times that Jesus reminds
us that “nothing is impossible with God?” Just checkout Mark 10:27, Luke 18:27,
Mark 9:23, Mark 14:36, Matthew 17:20, Luke 1:37, and Matthew 19:26.
Our desire is to find a pastor who is willing to put down roots and stay with
us dedicating our babies, baptizing our young people, marrying our couples and
sadly to say, burying our loved ones. If God selects the pastor, He is mighty
enough to speak to each member’s heart, so the acceptance of our pastor is
unanimous. Anything less than 100% commitment to love and respect God’s choice,
will mean division in our churches and will certainly cause the pastor a major
pastoral headache! In other words, if it's not 100% on the first choice--maybe
we better go back to our knees and keep looking for God's choice.
Let's put the selection of our pastor in the Hands of God
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| And putting our church in the hands of God |
If our desire for unity is the spirit in which we enter into the process of
selecting a pastor, then instead of looking for specific characteristics WE
want, our emphasis should be on praying for characteristics and skills that God
wants for us in order that we can grow and reach God’s goal of having two
vibrant, healthy churches here on Kauai. In other words, you may want a
pastor who can dazzle us with unforgettable theologically astute sermons and
play a mean piano for praise time, BUT . . . the question is, what do we need?
A small group of Lawai Valley church members got together last night to talk about
pastor possibilities. The tone of the discussion changed when Uncle Brian
quoted Matthew 6:32-34: “For after all these things the Gentiles seek… (what to
eat, drink and wear) …your heavenly Father knows that you need all these
things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these
things shall be added to you.” This is the list they
came up with:
We NEED a pastor who. .
.
1. Seeks first the Kingdom of God and can lead us (both churches) as
a united body into a closer relationship with Christ—and each other.
2. Models, trains, leads and inspires us into deeper Bible study.
3. Believes in the power of prayer and models the kind of faith that
“moves mountains.”
4. Loves people with God’s agape love and has a heart for winning
souls. One who is willing to meet the people where they are, get involved in
the community and be of service to others.
5. Encourages every member to have a ministry and to use their
spiritual gifts to the fullest.
If each one of our members would begin praying in
private, in their families, and in small groups, what a difference it would
make. God will impress someone, somewhere with just the right name for the
person He wants for our pastor.
Our meeting last night closed with this thought in Matthew 7:7: “Ask, and it
will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to
you.”
Are you ready to take God at His Word?
Please post your opinions, reactions and creative ideas.
God needs all of us to be involved in this most important decision.
