IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

As the month of March unfolds we are approaching the one year anniversary of Covid being declared a global pandemic. So much has happened in the past year and yet so much has not happened either. The way in which we go about our daily living and interaction with other people has changed significantly. We have experienced levels of higher anxiety and uncertainty because of Covid. In addition, we recognize the financial difficulties that have challenged us and the political differences which have created conflict and chaos. It leaves us begging to ask the question, “will there ever be peace again in 2021?”

When we look to the world for peace, we will always come away disappointed. How many times have you heard someone declare their one wish for humankind and say, “world peace?” It is important for us to realize that sin and peace cannot co-exist. Allow me to redirect our focus and attention to the one who sustains us and gives us everlasting peace. It is Jesus who said,

 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. “ John 14:27

 

Take a look with me for a moment at the Hebrew word Jesus uses for peace which is Shalom. At the heart of the definition of this Hebrew word is the thought of harmony & wholeness with God and with one another. Sin is the opposite of this definition. When we talk about sin we focus on the brokenness of our relationship with God. We can look at the chaos that sin has caused in our lives, and in humanity from a historical perspective. As long as sin is present in the world there will never be harmony and there will never be world peace.

 

But once again Jesus is not just talking about outward peacefulness but He is directing our attention to the inner peace within. Most fundamentally, Shalom means reconciliation with God. God can give us peace with Himself or remove it. “I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises  peace to his people, his faithful servants.” Psalm 85:8 God gives perfect peace or Shalom. God gives us as the hymnwriter so eloquently penned the ability to say , “ Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say it is well, it is well with my soul !”

 

I began the year by challenging you to “Be The One in 20201.” Be the one to take the next step in your faith in God. Be the one to grow in full devotion. Be the one to embrace someone else and be a difference maker in their life. Over the course of February, I invited you to go on the journey of the love challenge and we examined the importance of loving one another. I hope that was as fulfilling for you as it was for me. Now, I invite you to be the one to embrace peace during the month of March. To discover what God actually promises we will receive when we look to Him. Take some time to really dive into the words of the great hymn “It Is Well With My Soul.” Examine the verses, study the theology  embedded in those words and together we will be able to say with confidence, “it is well with my soul. Join us in-person or online on Sunday mornings at 11am as we take a deeper look at Shalom.

 

Moments of peace are precious. When we find them in this world let us hold on tight and pray they last. But let us also discover a  peace that goes beyond our understanding—beyond the pain and fear we face today. If you've been missing peace lately, come discover it with us and learn to once again say, “It is well with my soul.”

Peace, Pastor Kevin

 

 

 

 

 

 

BE THE ONE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER IN 2021

During January we have approached each new day with God directing our steps one day at a time. We have committed to “Be The One in 2021.” We reminded ourselves of the importance of prayer as we embrace this year long process. We recognized that we are one in the body of Christ, His church with Christ as the head. We also emphasized that each and every one matters to God. Each one of us is uniquely gifted to accomplish together the one mission that God has given us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. In addition, we talked about praying for one person that God would place on your heart to share his love and his salvation message. Who’s your one? Are you praying?

There is still much uncertainty about what lies in the days ahead? As the gospel writer reminds us the words which Jesus spoke himself. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 Amen to those wise words. We take each day as a gift given to us by God. We are to treasure the gift and live life to the best of our ability in obedience to God’s commands. A command found in John 13:34 reminds us

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:                                   just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

 

Jesus goes on to say that the reason we do this is in order for the world to know that we are Christ followers. So I pause and ask myself the question, “would the world know that I follow Jesus because of my love for others?” Would those within my family, my friends my church, within any of the environments I find myself in, know that I follow Jesus Christ because of my love for them? Jesus even told us to love our enemies. Well how are we supposed to do that? In our humanness, that can be a tall order but with the help and strength of Christ we can do all things.

 

As God challenges us to “Be The One” to take a step for Him in 2021, we recognize at the top of our list is the opportunity to Love One Another. Jesus commanded us to care for one another, show kindness and express love for our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as for those in our world. One of the unfortunate results of Covid is the separation that many of us feel from those whom we love. We recognize the strain this has put on many relationships and we can help reduce this problem as we reach out to communicate with those we care about. I want to invite you to take the “Love Challenge” with me for the month of February.

 

The “Love Challenge” is a daily challenge to help equip us a church to connect with each other and those in our world. What if there as an easy way, a simple way, a fun way to build relationships back up. For the 28 days of February you have the opportunity, if you are able, to show love and care to the people God has placed in your life. As you can see below, there is a challenge for each day of the week and we will repeat the process weekly for 4 weeks.  Simply do your best to follow the daily challenge. Will you consider being a part of the love challenge? Will you reach out to connect and encourage others in your life. I think we all need this and can do this. I hope you will accept the Love Challenge and by this, the world will know you are a  follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Love one another as I have loved you.”

 

May we be of one heart and one mind as we embrace the future God has in store for us. A future of promise and possibilities!

Pastor Kevin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BE THE ONE IN 2021

 

We can emphatically state 2020 did not turn out like any of us planned but it did turn out exactly as God planned with his purposes in mind. As Proverbs 19:21 reminds us, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”  We can now look forward to 2021 and focus on discovering the purposes God has for us. The calendar gives us a new opportunity to focus our hearts and minds on the mission God has given us.

In Genesis 1:14 God stated, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and year." A season or year has now concluded. We can put the past where it belongs, in the past. There's only one moment for us to live, and that is the present moment in the present month and present year. None of us ever know what the future holds but we can take the lessons we have learned from the past and apply them to our daily living. We can look to God’s faithfulness and trust in his promises for the future.

Frances Ridley Havergal penned these poetic words that were later incorporated into a hymn,

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in heaven, another year for Thee.

As we begin a new year, we are a church positioned exactly where God wants us to be to further impact Canton, Ohio for His Kingdom. The truth of Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. One might say we are a church experiencing difficulties as we grow in full devotion to Christ. Yes, the last year has been a painful and tough year for every church and every Christian. I am thankful that God has given us the ability to adapt and the strength to persevere and thrive. What we do now is take one step forward in obedience to God’s call to follow Christ and rediscover our purpose. I want to ask you to “Be The One In 2021.” This will be our theme of motivation.

There is power, a lot of power, in one. The apostle Paul points out in Ephesians 4, ““For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.”  God desires unity within the body, and he wants each person to do their part in guarding it, maintaining it, working to develop it, because there is only one body. I am asking that each of us step up to be one as God gives us new opportunities in the new year.

We will be planning for a new start, a fresh start for Full Devotion—FBC. Many of the hopes and aspirations we had envisioned for the church last year will once again be at the forefront of our minds. I am asking you to “Be The One” and to begin I am asking you to step up and join together in prayer. Let us journey together for 21 days of prayer, January 4-24. You will find a  page in this newsletter with our prayer guide including topics and scripture readings. I will also be sharing daily reminders within our social media platforms. Spend a few minutes each day in prayer.   

As we expect to resume a more normal state of living in 2021, I will be sharing many other challenges asking you to “Be The One” to help our church rebuild. May we be of one heart and one mind as we embrace the future God has in store for us. A future of promise and possibilities!

 

Pastor Kevin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Isn’t Cancelled

Christmas Isn’t Cancelled

We now enter the holiday season and looking back at this year, we think about all the moments we encountered which were very different than in the past. Many activities and normal events were cancelled due to the pandemic. Those moments missed bring a few tears to my eyes as I am sure it does yours? We also  recognize many of our life’s experiences test our patience and can threaten to take away the joy that comes with the gospel story of Christmas. Perhaps, more than ever, we may find ourselves longing and looking forward to the big event.  After all, Christmas reminds us that God is at work even in the struggle and beauty of life. Despite difficult circumstances, Christmas isn’t, and will never be, cancelled.

As a reminder we are currently hosting our Sunday worship online only. All in-person services have been suspended until further notice but that does not mean that we will not celebrate Advent and Christmas. We will return to in-person worship as soon as possible and will notify you when that time comes. Until then, let me encourage you to explore how and why we come together virtually to worship the Christ child at Christmas.

 Think about that first Christmas when God entered the world through his son Jesus. John 1:14 says,

 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  

In that Bethlehem moment, everything changed for all of eternity. When Jesus was born, we beheld the glory of God in-person. When Jesus was born, He gave us the chance to be known, accepted, and forgiven. When he was born, God was expressing His love to all humanity by sending us a gift that would free all people from their sin. When you and I experience His love, internalize that love, the natural outpouring of our hearts is to come and worship Him just like the Shepherds and the Magi. Recall the words of Matthew 2:2, 

"Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

I invite you on a journey this Christmas to express your worship to God. During our message series we will examine how we worship God in different ways including lifting your hands, bringing your gifts, pouring our your heart, and bowing before Him.

After all, the joy and the wonder of Christmas is not really about the tree, the decorations, the presents, the family gatherings, the concerts, etc. Don’t get me wrong, those things are all very festive and enjoyable, but the true wonder of Christmas is the understanding that Jesus is Emmanuel-God with us.  God provided us with hope so that mankind wouldn’t always feel so painfully alone. Jesus promised to never leave us or forsake us. He promised to be with us always no matter the circumstances. That reassurance is most definitely the message we all need to hear this Christmas!

Wishing You All A Wondrous Christmas!

Pastor Kevin, Michi & Family

 

Overwhelmed and Thankful

 

Overwhelmed & Thankful

Overwhelmed is not a word I use lightly or very often, but that is exactly how I feel. This past month you as a church have gone above and beyond to express your appreciation to my family and me. We have been blown away by your expressions of kindness shown to us in a variety of ways through greeting cards, gifts, tasty desserts and homemade meals. Michi and I feel treasured by you and we consider it a true privilege to serve the congregation of Full Devotion–FBC. Please allow my family and I do express our deepest gratitude for your thoughtfulness.

In this month of November, I think about what it means for us to approach life with a spirit of thanksgiving. I recognize that even during this challenging year of 2020 we can still be thankful. All of our lives have been upended by Covid-19 in some shape or form and we have had to make the necessary adjustments. Still all of us, if we pause to take inventory, can find room to be thankful.

Thanksgiving is a combination of two words, thanks and giving. Would you please join me in person or online for our November sermon series as we address how we can develop a heart of gratitude to God, which in turn leads to generous giving. Thankfulness is not an occasional act limited to a particular month or holiday. Thankfulness is a lifestyle of intentional and spontaneous appreciation that leads us into the presence of God, empowers us to be grateful in all circumstances, and generates an overflow of generosity. I truly believe this perspective will help us have a better understanding of what it means to live with an attitude of thanksgiving.

During the final months of the year, we have some necessary business to complete. I want to stress how thankful I am that you have continued to support the church with your tithes and offerings. We have been able to maintain our commitments to staff, organizations, missionaries and as well keep up with the needs of our own church facility. I ask that you please continue to support the church as we close out the year of 2020. As is required in November of each year, we must hold a congregational meeting to approve the church budget for 2021. Typically this is held on a Wednesday evening following a meal. With no Wednesday meetings being held because of Covid-19, we will hold this business meeting on Sunday, November 15 at 12:15 following the morning worship service. I ask that if all possible, you make it a priority to attend and let your vote be counted.

 

As we enter the Holiday season we have made plans to host two Christmas Eve Candlelight services.  This will enable us to bring more people in the building to experience one of our beloved holiday traditions while still following guidelines that have been established for us to operate safely. At 5:00 we will have a very “Traditional” Christmas service with pre-service music beginning at 4:30. The traditional service will conclude by 5:45 in order for the building to be cleared and sanitization to occur. At 6:45 doors will open again for a more “Contemporary” Christmas service that will end by 8:00. We ask that you help us with keeping attendance numbers appropriate for each service by reserving your spot at the church website. Fill out the form and we will hold your spot. Please get your reservations in early as once the spots have filled up for a particular service we will close the online registration. If you do not have internet access, please call the church office to make a reservation.

 

I also want to thank our church leadership for their insight and guidance during this year. Together, we have made some difficult and necessary decisions. I want to announce that as 2021 begins our Vision Board has unanimously supported a change in our Sunday morning schedule. In conjunction with our vision to “See People Growing in Full Devotion,” we absolutely believe God is leading us to improve our discipleship and education ministry. Beginning on January 3rd, we invite you to join us for classes beginning at 9:30am and ending at 10:15. As time draws near we will be laying out our plans for children, youth and adult classes. As a result of this new time, our worship service time will move to 10:30am and this worship service will be for everyone. We hope as we get on the other side of Covid that we can come together as a church to worship our loving God. Our worship service will continue to be live streamed online. I will be available to answer any questions you might have regarding our new schedule. Please, just give me a call.

With sincere and deepest gratitude—Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Pastor Kevin

 

 

 

 

Embracing Change

 

Every season exhibits change. In Ecclesiastes 3:1 we find these words, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Fall signifies its change through the different colors we see on the leaves, cooler temperatures in the air and the harvesting of crops. Fall along with every other season regularly reminds us to expect change. Often we don’t like it. Often we fight it every step of the way. But like it or not, the one constant in life is change. We all face changes every day and one thing we have learned about 2020 is that change can happen more rapidly than we ever thought possible.

As a church, it’s important that we continue to ask God what he requires of us. Part of asking what he requires of us is asking the question, “What needs to change in us?” We take time to pray and ask for God’s leading. We take time to reflect and evaluate where we have been in order to know where we are heading? God calls us to holiness. God calls us to change. As your pastor, I ask each of you to continue pursuing your calling as we have talked about this past month. Remember this, who we are in Christ is way more important than what we do for Christ. I would say it’s of utmost urgency for us to become more like Christ in our everyday living and that requires change in us.

Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. “

This year has been a year like none other in my 27 years of professional ministry. Your church leadership has been seeking God’s will for His church. We have embraced the digital opportunities God has given us with our streaming service, Zoom bible study and the expansion of our social media ministry. We will continue to seek out new technology and opportunities. I sound a little bit like the Star Trek introduction, but in reality, we are going places and doing things we have never done before. In doing so we recognize the message of God’s love and His plan of redemption will never change but the method in which we convey it absolutely will. This pattern has been happening for thousands of years and it will happen long after we have gone on to our heavenly reward.

Speaking of change, we have one coming on Sunday, October 4th. You should have received an email or noticed online our plan to reopen children’s and youth ministry during our 11am worship service. This one hour programming will run concurrent with our worship service. If you have not received the details or are unable to access it online at our Full Devotion Facebook community page, please contact the church office and we will send you the information via U.S. mail.

I know some of you have asked about other future changes regarding worship times and ministries. Allow me to assure you that we continue to pray and seek God’s leading as well as evaluate current information regarding Covid-19. As we are aware, things can change by the hour, day, week or even month and some things we just don’t know when or if they will happen again. I have certainly appreciated your patience during this time. What I can tell you is that Covid-19 has forced us to evaluate our current model of ministry and ask ourselves what needs to be different as we move into the future. We must come to terms with the realization that things will never be the same. I recently heard a quote of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus that emphasized this reality, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.“ How true  that statement is!

Within this newsletter you will find some additional opportunities coming in October for you to engage and connect with your church community. Additionally, I hope you will join us during our Sunday mornings. In fact, on the first Sunday of the month, we will have some incredible news to share with you that you don’t want to miss. This news is going to help us take our ministry to the next level and give all of us new opportunities to “Grow in Full Devotion to Christ!”

Once again, I hope to see you in-person or online in the month ahead. You are all dearly loved!

Pastor Kevin