It's a little long, but for those interested, here is my pastor's report for Grace Presbyterian's annual congregational meeting this Sunday:
Pastor's Report
Pastor Scott Johnson
Grace Presbyterian Church
Norman, Oklahoma
January 2007
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58)
In downtown Oklahoma City, next to the Bricktown Canal, there is a statue of a man who is pushing a large boulder up a hill. The man’s name is Sisyphus, and according to Greek mythology, he was forced to spend his eternity pushing the rock up to the top of a mountain. As soon as it reached the top, the boulder would roll right back down to the bottom and poor Sisyphus would have to start all over again. And this was to go on forever. What an awful but perfect illustration of what it means to work in vain! Sisyphus’ hard work was ultimately futile and meaningless, and it was this pointless labor that was his curse.
How completely different is it for the Christian! The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians that their work for the sake of Jesus Christ is most assuredly not in vain. Paul had just spent an entire chapter discussing the glory of the resurrection of Christ and the subsequent hope of the Christian’s victory over death and the grave. In light of these truths, Paul reasons, no work in the Lord can ever be in vain. Christ is risen, He is building His Kingdom, and He is working through His Church by His Word and Spirit. Labor in the Lord, then, is never in vain. It will bear fruit, sooner or later.
This is a promise we must hold onto as we labor for the sake of Christ’s Kingdom at Grace Presbyterian Church. Growth is slow and visible fruit is not as abundant as we would like. Discouragement follows, and then the temptation to wonder, “Is it all in vain?” The answer, of course, is no, our labor has not been in vain. Christ’s Kingdom has been advanced, but in ways that may be hidden now and only revealed later at the coming again of Jesus.
I hope these thoughts are an encouragement to you as I reflect with you on the year 2006 at Grace Presbyterian Church. As you know, there have been discouragements – visitors have not always returned, people have moved away, and the finances of the church have suffered. We must remember that, at the end of the day, this promise still stands: my word…shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11). Inasmuch as we, by the grace of God, have been faithful to minister God’s Word to one another and to others, that Word will accomplish God’s purposes.
With these thoughts in mind, here is a recap of the year 2006 at Grace Presbyterian:
At the heart of who we are as God’s people, and all that we do as Christ’s disciples, is worship. By the grace of God, we met each Lord’s Day for public and corporate worship. Much of my preaching was from the book of Genesis. During the summer months, I preached a series of sermons on the parables of Jesus. On Sunday evenings, we were fed in a variety of ways, including two series of messages on videotape, one on Reformed Theology and one on biblical child rearing, and two series of messages that I delivered, one on “The Basics of the Gospel,” and another based on the book, “Learning to Love Like Jesus.”
We were blessed to have guest preachers from time to time, including OPC missionaries Rev. Murray and Tsuruko Uomoto, who shared with us the advance of the gospel in Japan. Also, on four Sunday evenings throughout the year, we joined with other area believers for a joint hymn sing. Grace hosted these hymn sings twice, once in January and once in December.
For adult Sunday School, I led a study of the doctrine of the church, focusing on how we can be faithful as members of Christ’s body to minister to one another. And coinciding with the release of the movie, “The Da Vinci Code,” I taught a short series of classes on the errors of the book by the same name. Elder John Mantooth then began a study of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, using G.I. Williamson’s commentary as a guide. John also, with Robin, shared with us about their short-term missionary trip to Nigeria with Rafiki.
The children were taught Sunday School by Marilyn Doerfel and Faithann Basore. They have used the materials provided by Great Commission Publications. I appreciate very much their faithfulness in instructing our covenant youth Sunday by Sunday.
Again in 2006, we helped organize the Oklahoma City Conference on Reformed Theology, which took place in October. Our speaker, Dr. Michael Horton of Westminster Seminary in CA, happens to be the uncle of one of our members, Faithanne Basore. His messages were excellent and brought back again and again to the cross of Christ.
The people of Grace continued to meet during the week for regular times of fellowship and prayer. The Wednesday night prayer meeting met at our home. The women met regularly to study the Scriptures together and encourage one another. For a time, they were also meeting for more informal times of fellowship. The men met once a month for a prayer breakfast at the church. Also, the church had two social gatherings during the summer: an ice-cream social and a trip to an OKC Redhawks baseball game.
Some of our people also participated in the presbytery gatherings of the Young People’s Camp in July, and the Fall Retreat in October.
In 2006, we engaged in various methods of outreach to the larger community. I “pounded the pavement” a couple of times this summer, distributing about 250 door hangers to different Norman neighborhoods. Approximately 1,500 letters of introduction were sent to those who had recently moved to (or within) Norman. Also, I and a friend of the church, Bill Shaw, manned a table at a new-student fair on the campus of the University of Oklahoma. We were able to hand out about 300 bookmarks with church information, in addition to many good booklets on Reformed theology and Christian living. We also advertised in the OU newspaper. And this summer, in conjunction with Knox OPC in Oklahoma City, and with our presbytery’s Home Missions Committee, we began a regular radio advertisement on a local Christian radio station. It airs following R.C. Sproul’s program, “Renewing Your Mind.” Finally, I wrote two or three devotional articles printed in the Norman Transcript.
Grace continued to help sponsor Eric Pyle as a Wycliffe Missionary. Eric works at the Dallas campus developing software for use by Wycliffe missionaries on the field.
Some highlights from the year include John Mantooth’s ordination as a ruling elder in April, elder Dave Guild’s (bilingual!) wedding to Mai Nguyen in May, and the privilege of being the temporary church home for Dutch exchange student Anne-Marije Staat, who spent the semester in Norman studying at OU. Some challenges we faced included many hospital admissions for various reasons, and several men who found themselves looking for employment in 2006.
Last year was busy for me personally. In addition to my regular activities as a pastor, such as sermon and lesson preparation, visiting members and friends of the church, calling on visitors, etc., I met once a week with one to three men to discuss John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. This has been a very rewarding experience for me, and I’ve very much enjoyed the fellowship and learning it has afforded. I also continued to serve as the chairman of the presbytery’s Diaconal Committee. For the first time, I served as a commissioner to the General Assembly of the OPC in June.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of my wife, our family hosted many different people last year for meals. We also have enjoyed having singles and others come to our home for dinner on Wednesday nights before the prayer meeting.
Though this is largely a record of what we have “done”, we acknowledge that any faithfulness or service on our part at Grace Presbyterian is a solely due to the gracious work of the Spirit of Christ in us, who works out His purposes in and through us according to His good pleasure. May all that takes place in the life of Grace be to the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ!
In Christ,
Scott Johnson
It's been a very busy few days. I've wanted to get something written on my blog, but haven't gotten to it. Instead, I'll post my annual Pastor's Report that I give to our congregation each January. I know it's long, but for those who are interested here it is:
Pastor's Report
Pastor Scott Johnson
Grace Presbyterian Church
Norman, Oklahoma
January 2006
?so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)
God?s declaration to send forth his Word with power to accomplish his purposes is a precious promise for his people to hold onto as they undertake to serve him in the life of the church. If we measure God?s work in and through us only in terms of visible fruit, how quickly we can lose heart! However, if we remember that the Holy Spirit is actively working through the faithful ministry of his people in ways that may remain unknown to us until glory, our hearts are strengthened and we carry on joyfully, knowing that our ?labor is not in vain? (1 Cor. 15:58).
As I reflect back on 2005, I believe that God has used in ways we may not imagine. We?ve had many visitors that didn?t return a second time. But maybe some word spoken in the service or in conversation later will bear fruit in a changed life years from now? We patiently work with our covenant children, seeing only incremental growth from week to week. But who is to say how profoundly their lives will be shaped and formed by the ministry they received here at Grace while in their youth? Christ promised to build his church, but his building program is according to a blueprint that only he knows!
However, we can also see the evidences of God?s faithfulness to our small fellowship this past year. Members and friends of the church have used their gifts for the edification of the body of Christ. Covenant children were baptized. We have participated in various kinds of fellowship activities, both with each other and with other believers. We have gathered for worship each Lord?s Day, and it has been my privilege to preach the Word of God. We have ministered to one another in a variety of ways. ?We? may be doing these things, but ultimately it is the Spirit working through our service to build up Christ?s Kingdom. What an honor to be his instruments for this holy purpose, no matter how weak and halting our service may be at times!
During our worship services, I have preached from the following portions of Scripture: the Gospel of Mark, Colossians, Genesis, the 10 Commandments, the Psalms, and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23). During the evening services, we have been instructed by a series of R. C. Sproul teaching videos. We continued to receive the Lord?s Supper monthly, and I trust this sacrament has nourished our souls along with his Word. We also had the joy and privilege to see two covenant baby boys baptized: Sander Timothy on 2/27, and Samuel Lilly on 6/5.
We have studied the following during the adult Sunday School hour: the Christian hope in the face of evil, prayer, and the biblical doctrines of the Christian life and the church. Marilyn Doerfel and Faithann Basore have faithfully taught our children during their Sunday School time.
2005 saw an increase in outreach to the community. First, about 300 door hangers were distributed to different neighborhoods. A direct mail piece welcoming people to visit our church was sent to about 800 homes. In August, we took part in the annual ?OU Sooner Kickoff,? distributing about 350 Grace Presbyterian bookmarks and some Christian and Reformed literature to incoming freshmen. Eric Pyle and John Doerfel have been faithful to maintain Grace?s website. And, I began a Men?s Breakfast Bible study on Romans (which has been subsequently put on hold).
Remember that the fruit of such efforts is seen only after a time of patient and consistent outreach. Don?t be discouraged if we don?t see many visitors right away from this sort of outreach. Diligence in this area will pay off as, Lord willing, awareness of our church is slowly raised in the community. As with everything else, we rely upon the grace of God to bring success in outreach.
Growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ was pursued as the people of Grace met regularly for our prayer meetings and Bible studies. Our Wednesday evening dinner for singles before the prayer meeting has been the occasion of introducing many to our fellowship. Fellowship meals were served both at church and in people?s homes. In August, several of us met for a Redhawks baseball game. We also continued our fellowship with other area Christians at our periodic hymn sings, which we sometimes hosted. Some members of Grace took advantage of fellowship opportunities outside Oklahoma with the Young People?s Camp in July and the OPC Fall Retreat in October.
We were blessed to receive five new members (two non-communicant) during 2005. However, we also lost some members due to transfer or removal. I urge you to pray and reach out to those members who have been absent for some time from the life of the church. We have seen both members and friends of the church go through times of great difficulty, some due to surgeries and other medical problems. I trust we have been able to bring some encouragement to those who have suffered.
In 2005 we hosted the fall meeting of presbytery, which took much planning and teamwork. We give thanks to the Lord that it did go well. We were also involved with the hosting of the 2005 OKC Conference on Reformed Theology in September and October. In December, Rev. Stephen Atkinson of Christian Witness to Israel reminded us of the great need to take the gospel to the Jews as he visited and preached at Grace. Eric Pyle, our missionary with Wycliffe Bible Translators, continued to serve as a software developer with that organization.
My ministry included two firsts in 2005: training a candidate for ruling elder, and providing pre-marital counseling for a couple associated with Grace. In addition, I conducted one new member?s class, and I continued to serve as the Chairman of the Diaconal Committee for our presbytery.
Forgive the impersonal nature of this, but I?d like to express my appreciation to all those who have served the church in various ways. Though we are a small church, we have a wide variety of gifts and it is always encouraging when they are exercised for the benefit of all.
In all of this, we recognize our dependence on Christ to do any real good for his sake (John 15:5). Please join me in praying that the Lord will make our service fruitful for the sake of his Kingdom. May the Lord be pleased to guide and bless Grace Presbyterian Church throughout this New Year.
In Christ,
Scott Johnson
Pastor's Report Pastor Scott Johnson Grace Presbyterian Church Norman, Oklahoma January 2005
Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 106:1)
As I reflect upon the past year, I give thanks for the steadfast love of the Lord for our congregation. He has both blessed our church and sustained us throughout the year. Though I certainly pray that the Lord would pour out many more blessings upon us as we look to a new year, I am thankful for his constant care over us and grace towards us.
For starters, God has nourished us this past year by the Word and sacrament. We have seen up-close the words and deeds of our Savior Jesus Christ as I have preached from the Gospel of Mark during the morning services. In the evening services, I concluded a sermon series through the book of 1 Samuel and began a new series on the Ten Commandments. For the evening service during the summer months, we studied together the first chapter of Pauls letter to the Ephesians. Throughout the year, we have been fed as well by our monthly observance of the Lords Supper. What a privilege we have as Gods people to hear each week the words of eternal life (John 6:68) and to feed spiritually on Christ in the sacrament!
In 2004, the people of Grace continued to meet regularly for other times of mutual edification and encouragement. The Wednesday evening prayer meeting, the Womens Bible study, and the Mens prayer breakfast all met throughout the year. Also, in August we had a church picnic and in December we gathered for a special Christmas Eve service. In addition, we often met after the evening service for dinner at some familys house.
With our joint hymn sings, we had opportunity to worship with and be encouraged by other believers in the area. This sort of inter-church fellowship was also facilitated by our participation in the 2004 OKC Conference on Reformed Theology. Also, many of our people took part in the presbyterys College and Career Camp and Young Peoples Camp last year. I am looking forward to our continued involvement with these kinds of gatherings and events in 2005, as well.
One new practice we started in 2004 was to take up a diaconal offering each time we observe the Lords Supper. This will increase our ability to minister to the material and physical needs of our people (and others, as well) as those needs arise. This is an important part of the churchs ministry, and Im glad that we are now setting aside some funds to enable us to serve more effectively in this way.
In 2004, we kept the work of Foreign Missions close to our hearts. Each month we prayed for a different foreign missionary family serving with the OPC. Also, we were blessed by a visit in March from Rev. Doug Clawson, who serves on the OPC Foreign Missions Committee. He spoke to us and the people of Knox OPC (OKC) about our denominations missionary endeavors. In addition, we sent our very own missionary to the field in 2004! In December, Eric Pyle began his language software development work with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Dallas after spending much of the year raising support.
God blessed us with new members and births in 2004. Caleb Nathaniel Basore was born on January 19th, and was baptized in March. Also in March, Jordan Doerfel was received as a communicant member of the church, and Shane and Rebecca Smith united with the congregation. In August, Brennan Tucker Milligan was born to Pete and Denean Milligan.
In May, the ordination and installation of Mr. Dave Guild to the office of ruling elder took place. The Lord Jesus shepherds and leads his people through those he has called to this office, so it is a blessing for the church when he raises up another man to serve in that capacity.
One of my hopes for Grace is that we will be faithful in reaching out with the gospel to the people of our community. In fact, we did do some outreach in 2004. We had a table at the new student orientation fair at OU, during which we handed out many bookmarks with Graces information on it in addition to other church materials and Reformed literature. I put together about 500 door hangers and those were distributed in area neighborhoods. I trust that, Lord willing, these sorts of outreach efforts will eventually bear fruit in increased visitors to our services.
One way in which 2004 was a challenging year for the church was that many people went out from our midst last year for various reasons. Some of them moved away from the area for employment reasons. Sunny, our dear sister from South Korea, returned back home last year. And although he was not in Norman before he left, Jon Rula began a tour of duty in Iraq last fall.
However, we were thankful to see the safe return of John Mantooth after several months of service with the Army in Afghanistan. And in July we rejoiced in the marriage of two members who had earlier left Oklahoma, John and Sarah Evans. They are now living in Michigan.
As I reflect upon this upcoming year, my prayer is that the Lord will continue to bless our church. I pray that together we will grow in the joy of our salvation, that we will increase in our love for and active participation in our worship on the Lords Day, that we will abound in thankful obedience to our heavenly Father for his grace, that we will further mature as the body of Christ, and that we will become more effective in reaching out with the gospel to others. Unlike other, larger, churches, we dont have the luxury to be satisfied with the status quo (though that should never be true of any church!). As God gives us grace, we need to pray and work for the spiritual prosperity and growth of our congregation.
Of course, it is Christ who builds his church (Matthew 16:18). Ultimately the growth comes from him, and we give thanks to him for it. But he builds the church as each member is doing his or her own part (Ephesians 4:16). As the pastor, I plan, by Gods grace, to continue working hard for the edification and strengthening of our church. However, the pastor can only do so much. Genuine growth, in every sense, will come only as each of us gives of himself and herself sacrificially to the life of the church. Remember Pauls words: The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully (2 Cor. 9:6). In what ways can you sow your resources, time, and talents for the increase of the church?
May the Lord pour out his richest blessings upon us in 2005, and may all we do be to the glory of our precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!
In Christ,
Scott Johnson