​Happy second quarter dear friends!
 
I want to “cede the ground” of my monthly news-letter article to write instead a more-or-less announcement regarding SONquest, our children’s ministry!  As many of you know, perhaps all too well, that I am not nearly as gifted at engaging the little ones as Luke Long is, but this is certainly an area of ministry about which I am very passionate.  The “next generation” is not the future of our church; it is our very present.  If we want to be a New Testament church, we should naturally strive toward a cradle-to-grave ministry ideology.  Multi-generational discipleship is not just an effective strategy; it is a biblical model.  We should want great-grandchildren learning, growing, maturing, and lifting high the name of their Savior in song on the very same pew as their great-grandparents!  We must always invest in our senior adults, our middle adults, our young adults, and the “next generation”.  Experts in christian education refer to “next generation” ministry, and I’m not certain why that is the best new term to describe everyone of not-yet-majority age, but I think the best explanation is that they are the “next generation” of leaders!  I’ll devote some real estate to a discussion of IMPACT student ministry in the future, but in this space, I’ll keep it to children’s ministry.
 
When we stood up the SONquest brand in 2014, we did so to provide a comprehensive ministry from birth until a kid matriculates into middle school.  We knew then that safety was important.  Since that time, we have read of more and more churches falling victim to the work of abusers.  All of our volunteers are vetted, we have secure facilities, and check-in/check-out procedures.  We want parents and guardians to rest assured that their little ones are in good hands here within the First Baptist Church.  Thanks to the visionary leadership of Anthony and Marchelle Brown, and their previous leadership experiences within the First Assembly of God (Winston-Salem), we very intentionally created the SONquest brand to raise up godly young people, learning how to pray, study God’s Word, serve one another, give, and worship the Lord together!  Indeed God providentially sent the Browns to us at that time to help us take hold of that vision!  Though we might debate upon how to define “success”, it’s pretty clear that SONquest has been incredibly successful!  It would be foolish though, to think of this success as complete.  We are always experimenting, re-evaluating, improving, growing, and working to improve all areas of ministry, including our ministries to children.
 
For clarity, I’d like to dispel a misconception of what “SONquest” is.  It is not “what happens down stairs from 11:00-12:00 on Sundays.”  It includes a children’s worship service, yes, but it also includes other components: Sunday School classes, Wednesday evening bible studies, special out-reach events (like Easter Egg Hunts, Trunk-r-Treat events, programs near Christmas, or Vacation Bible School), and ordinary out-reaches into the New Life Center!  This includes nursery care for our littlest ones, pre-school groupings, elementary age groupings, and transitioning fourth- and fifth-grade kids into “big church”!  It should go without saying, but I’ll write it anyway: this is an exciting vision to take hold of, and we want to do whatever it takes to make all of these things as robust and healthy as possible!
 
I very much hope that EVERYone in our church family was able to take in our Treat Night / Candle-light Service hybrid event this-past month.  Did anyone else count that we had TWENTY-FIVE “next generation” leaders take part in that program!?!  It is also worth noting that we did not engage the New Life Center children for that event; we made a conscious decision to specifically include our own children/grandchildren/great-grandchildren.  Imagine what it might be this-coming year after we have had months of head-on engagement with the New Life Center.  That’s right, in 2022, we are working to re-establish weekly chapel services with the New Life Center children as a way to intentionally draw them – and their families – into our church!
 
I’ve had a number of conversations with SONquest volunteers in recent months to think through some subtle changes we can make to strengthen several aspects of our ministries.  If you are a volunteer, and I haven’t YET pinned you down for a discussion, come see me!  We’ve begun to think through curriculum, personnel, and facilities issues, and correctly order the “dominoes” before we knock them over!  If you have been sensing that perhaps God is calling you to serve in some way, and have never volunteered with our children’s ministries, please come see me about that too, because we are looking to reinforce our volunteer teams in the days ahead.  Please join me in thanking God for what He is doing in our church.  Join me in being excited for what the coming months will bring.  Join me in prioritizing Spirit-filled, scripture-fed, worship-based discipleship across all areas of our church’s ministries.  Join me in praying that God will mold and fashion these little ones into spiritually mature ladies, husbands, grandparents, and citizens that have a burning desire to share the great good news of Jesus’ salvation with a lost world!
 
We promise to be faithful, and teach them all Your ways;
help us to live before them lives they can only praise;
tho’ they will not remember what we have done this day,
each day we’ll shape their future by all we do and say.
--A.J.

​Hello again folks!
 
I have much to be thankful for.  I was challenged in seminary by this thought: what if every time we failed to be thankful for a blessing from God, He took it away.  I tend to take things for granted, and not be as appreciative as I ought to be.  Most of you know at this point, that my father’s father passed at the end of October.  Perhaps more stressful than getting through the funeral, were the logistics of getting to and from Florida for it, haha!  My family and I were so glad that he had moved assisted living facilities back in the spring, allowing us to visit him a bit more freely.  I spent three days with him in early August while vacating.  My father was able to get down to Florida before he passed.  Being 92 years old, and in declining physical health, we have little about which to complain.  Rather, we have many blessings to begin to count.  In 1968, he retired from the Air Force to Orlando, so as a child, I only ever saw my father’s parents two or three times per year.  He was a tough old guy, and I tended to perceive him as a bit of a grumpy curmudgeon [perhaps that’s where I get it from!].  Being a poor graduate school student, visiting family in Florida over spring break was the closest thing I could afford to a real vacation.  It was during this season that I got to share man-to-man conversations.  I heard about his childhood, his military career, his struggles when my grandmother got sick and had to go into a nursing home, and his sustaining faith.  He told me about getting baptized alongside my father, and he told me how proud he was that I was becoming a pastor.  In 2018, he happened to visit North Carolina around his birth day.  It was the only time I was able to be with him on his birth day.  One of the great joys of my life was when he and Pastor Jim got to meet one another over breakfast during that trip, what would be his last trip home to North Carolina.  I shared a bit of his military feats during our veterans’ recognition evening this-past month.  I am so grateful for God’s many blessings during this season.  You didn’t start reading this article to read the biography of a man you’ve never met; I know.  There’s a point, I promise!
 
Through this season, I am also thankful to the love I have received from my church family.  I have been overwhelmed by how many cards I have received from you.  I have received notes from individuals, families, small groups, and our dear Choir.  It’s a heart-warming reminder to me that I am not just a “hired gun” around here, but a true part of your family too, and I thank you.  I haven’t even suffered losing a first-degree relative, and you still have been so kind to me!  I am so proud of how we care for one another.  I look at the recent passings of U.G. Miller and Anthony Brown’s father (William).  Whether a member of our church or not, we work hard to care for each other.  We put our money where our mouth is when we practice the biblical principle of rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who mourn.  As a first-hand recipient of your love, let me first brag about how proud of you I am, and second, thank you for it.
 
Several months back, I wrote about the three key components of biblical discipleship: learning, fellowship, and missions.  Roy Busick expressed the same three principles when it comes to what makes a healthy group/class.  True fellowship is rooted in living life together.  When we walk together as brothers and sisters in Christ, we naturally find ourselves bearing one another’s burdens.  These can be physical, emotional, relational, financial, even psychological.  When we care for one another, share our struggles, lift one another up in prayer, hold one another accountable, and encourage one another during difficulty, this is the kind of high-quality relationship that godly discipleship builds.  I am so thankful that we do these things well, and I very much hope we can make it even better.  It’ll be better as we grow in quality and quantity.  May more and more souls want to be a part of the love that we share as a church family!!  I hope many more will be blessed in the ways that I have been.  Thank you again!
 
O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
and keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills in this world and the next!
--A.J.

​Greetings and salutations dear friends!
 
I’d like to take a moment and give us all a refresher history lesson on the reformations.  That’s right, it should be plural.  Some of you know that November 1 is observed as All Halloweds’ Day.  Our Catholic friends know about this much better than we do, but in recent years “Halloweds” has fallen out of use and most refer to it as All Saints’ Day.  It is a traditional feast day within Catholicism where all the saints that don’t have their own days (like St. Patrick, St. Nicholas, St. Valentine, etc.) are memorialized together.  All Souls’ Day follows on November 2, and for our rather traditional Catholic friends (most of whom live in other countries now), it makes for quite a two-day celebration period each year.
 
It was on All Halloweds’ Eve (this has since been corrupted into the word “halloween”) that a German monk by the name of Martin Luther nailed an essay to a cathedral door in 1517.  That night, Luther publically posted his essay and the next morning, when everyone in town gathered for a church service, they were made aware of his work.  These “95 Theses” were a list of grievances that he had against the Roman Catholic church in general, and the Pope and other officials in particular.  Most church history scholars boil the theses down to five main points.  “Sola” is the Latin word meaning “alone” or “only”.  The five solas are “sola scriptura” (scripture alone), “solus Christus” (Christ alone), “sola fide” (faith alone), “sola gratia” (grace alone), and “soli Deo gloria” (glory to God alone).
 
For this reason, October 31 has become known as Reformation Day, as news of Dr. Luther’s writings quickly made their way to Rome, earning him the ire of the Pope himself.  Though the Swiss and Czech reformations had already begun, with varied successes, and the English reformation was yet to come, having very different reasons, it was these “solas” around which the various stripes of reformers cemented.  Even though we have many different kinds of protestant denominations, networks, groups, and expressions, these central tenants are what all protestants can base their belief systems.
 
First, whatever we believe should be able to be articulated as a result of revelation from God through His Word.  Scripture is our sole source of authority.  If Pastor Jim or I preach our opinion to you, fire us.  We preach because we have a book from which to preach.  We proclaim the truths of God’s Word, not some secret vision He has given to us on Saturday night.  The great Good News that God commissions us to tell to the world has been given to us in print.  If we are not squarely grounded in scripture, we aren’t really grounded at all.  By extension, if we attempt to ground ourselves in scripture AND anything else, we declare that God’s Word on its own is not good enough.
 
Second, the Christ, the Messiah, the man Jesus, born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, is our sole source of salvation.  He lived a life, never committing a sin.  This positioned Him – uniquely – to serve as an atoning sacrifice.  He died, a most gruesome, painful death, bearing our sins.  He was a substitution in our place, receiving the wrath of God that we deserve.  Two days later, He overcame sin and its consequence, being raised to life again, HALLELUJAH!  There is no other source of salvation.  Not yourself, not a priest, not an institution, not a tradition, not a family heritage, not a series of good works; Jesus the Christ is the only source of salvation in this sinful world.
 
Third, faith is the only method for mankind to receive this salvation.  To place our trust in the work of Jesus, we must remove our trust in our sin of the flesh – this is repentance.  We turn from our sin and toward the Messiah.  We believe that He is who the bible says He is, and we accept Him as our Savior, and we yield our life to Him as Lord.  That’s it.  That is the only way we receive salvation from Him.  We don’t have to pray a specifically scripted prayer, or recite something a number of times.  We don’t have to light a candle or be sprinkled by a holy man.  No one gets to add requirements or stipulations, or anything else.  It is a simple, childlike, faith that God asks for, and He freely gives us everlasting life!
 
Fourth, for the folks that struggle leaning into the idea that faith is some kind of “good work” that we “do”, we are reminded that salvation is by grace alone.  The undeserved love of God is the only reason for salvation.  We don’t earn it; He doesn’t owe it.  He freely, willfully chooses to bestow salvation upon us as a free gift.  How amazing is that?
 
Fifth, why does God save us?  Why does God give us His Word?  Why did God Himself choose to become a human being, born of a virgin and laid in a manger?  Why doesn’t God add more strings to this process?  Why doesn’t He make us clean up our own selves before we’re ready to receive His gift?  Why doesn’t He punish us like we deserve?  Why does He create us in the first place?  All of this is solely for His glory!  He makes us, He calls us, He redeems us, He makes us co-heirs with the Christ!  He loves us.  He wants to have a relationship with us!  He makes a way for us to come back to Him, because He wants us to be His children.  Nothing in the universe brings God more joy than when we love Him back!  He delights in our praise and He wants us to be with Him!  For this reason, our obedience is the first act of worship.  We glorify Him in our lives, for we have been bought at a price.  It’s all about giving Him the glory!
 
He is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!
--A.J.

​Hello brethren, and Happy New Year!
 
It doesn’t take a high degree of biblical literacy to understand that God created us.  Psalm 139 (verses 13-16 specifically) and many other passages of scripture teach us about God’s knowledge of – and love for – those not yet born.  All bible-believing people can agree that life begins before a baby is born.  Many of us even refer to the “sanctity of life.”  If we claim that human life is sacred, we must be extremely clear and unapologetic about why we believe this to be so: because mankind, human beings, even those unborn, are made in the image of God.  This is abundantly clear in Genesis 1:27.  Our IMPACT students and I have had a couple of fun conversations in recent days about what this means and the implications thereof.  Our middle school students do not completely understand it.  I don’t completely understand it.  Moses, King David, and Isaiah didn’t completely understand it.  It seems to me that Adam and Eve, even before sin entered the picture, didn’t understand it either.
 
Though we do not, and probably can not, know exactly what it means to bear the image of God, we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt several implications of this crucial truth.  One of those implications is a decidedly pro-life stance.  The Church, across time, has always been a womb-to-tomb defender of the defenseless.  Even under the persecution of the Roman Empire, we cared for orphans, not just our own, but orphans of our own Roman persecutors.  It ought go without saying that we are a pro-life church.  We choose to take part in decidedly pro-life denominational structures.  I hope our church, and many others, will put our money where our mouth is and do whatever it takes to protect those in need, from the womb to their tomb!
 
Obviously there are many applications of being pro-life.  Indeed, I believe that there are many end-of-life applications to this biblical world view that tend to get over looked.  I would very much like to discuss some of these at another time, but in this article, I’d like to look at one particular pro-life application.  If we may, let’s narrow our focus to the issues of aborting pregnancies.  I would submit that abortion is a great scourge across our society and a great moral stain on our country.  A stain for which, we will be held to account one day.  I believe abortion is sinful, destructive to those committing the sin, lamentable, and though its presence might anger us, it should all the more sadden us and break our hearts.
 
Politically, I am no fan of out-lawing sin.  I think it’s a fool’s errand to attempt to legislate my version of morality.  It’s plain ol’ legalism, and it breeds a Puritanism that falls far short of changing hearts and lives.  I’ve said before – from our pulpit – and I’ll say again that my goal is not to make abortion illegal, rather, my goal is to make abortion obsolete.  When the love of Jesus, and the great good news of salvation in Him change people’s souls, I’m quite frankly indifferent about what laws allow them to do.  That being said, I will always support legal efforts to reduce abortion in hopes of seeing it end one day.  I’m sure many of you have by now heard about the new law of Texas regarding pregnancy termination.  As many of you well know, I’m a consummate skeptic, and I’m more convinced that the law is a political ploy than it is a good-faith attempt to save lives.  R. Albert Mohler, Jr. says it is “awkwardly worded”, and I’m very curious how the enforcement mechanism will stand the test of legal review.  However, I commend Texans for making such a bold attempt to protect life!
 
The Supreme Court’s decision regarding Roe vs. Wade in 1973 and 1992’s Planned Parenthood vs. Casey decision are not infallible.  I believe strongly that both are subject to review and could very well be over turned one day, however, assuming the so-called “Roe/Casey legal framework”, I think it’s possible for bible-believing people to affect change that will protect the lives of babies.  In various evangelical circles, including within the Southern Baptist Convention, there is an ongoing discussion whether it’s better to be abolitionist or incrementalist in our thinking [please ask me about how this played out at the Convention meeting in Tennessee I attended in June!].  I would humbly submit to you that any effort, great or small, to hem in abortion is good.  If any baby is saved, it’s worth the effort.  Given the horrors taking place in so many states, it would be wise to quickly identify areas of public support and incrementally reign in the availability of abortion (which methods are allowed, how far along can women abort for any reason, which reasons are disallowed from the start, what happens with fetal tissues post-abortion, etc.) and cease granting incentives to providors.
 
I would like to commend to you the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.  They have done much good work in this realm of public policy.  We ought be proud of their efforts to proactively allow Christian ethics to flourish in this country, and they have a high commitment to biblical fidelity!  In our own back yard, The Pregnancy Network in Greensboro and Winston-Salem is a Christ-centered non-profit organization providing free medical care to women, and actively working to give ladies alternative choices to abortion.  I hope that in the months ahead, we’ll have more opportunities to partner alongside this wonderful organization.  It will certainly give us a chance to walk the talk of being pro-life.  From providing adoption avenues, to mentoring young mothers during and after pregnancy, to discipling parents and children, may God’s Church stand up and protect the pre-born, and those already born, regardless of age!  We do this, because we bear His image, and they do too!
 
Rescue the perishing, duty demands it; strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
back to the narrow way, patiently win them, tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died!
--A.J.

​Greetings friends,
 
In recent weeks, our "From Now to Eternity: the Church in the Last Days" sermon mini-series in Revelation has caused me to do some thinking.  I read passages like we've preached in chapters 4 or 5, and I think to myself 'come quickly, Lord Jesus!'  Couple this with the news we see, and I long even more for the Christ to make all things new.  Particularly the passages containing the letters to the churches cause me to pause and realize that our Savior has left us here with a purpose, a Great Commission in fact.  I think as we long to spend eternity in the glory of God, it hastens us in our mission to make disciples while we still have the chance.  As we catch glimpses of an eternal ecstasy, it ought strengthen our resolve to evangelize between now and then.  Here's why: if we want to share in the everlasting joy of being co-heirs with the Messiah, we should want others to join us!
 
It would take a pretty sorry believer to take hold of the free grace of God, turn around, and actively deny it to others.  That's a pretty uncontroversial take.  My next opinion might be a bit more controversial.  When we gather in our holy hudles, enjoy learning and studying together, return to the comfort of our own homes, and neglect our Christian responsibility to make disciples of all nations, we are passively - and perhaps quite unintentionally - doing just what we abhorred above.  May God have mercy if we aren't willing to step outside out comfort zone and serve our neighbors.  May God have mercy upon us if we are too busy enjoying "doing church" to get out of the building and "be the church!"
 
I pray that my toes are not the only ones being stepped on right now.  The Holy Spirit has convicted me recently in this issue, because of several current events.  Let's think about the Great Commission in simpler and more digestable context: within Stokes County.  We're a predominantly middle and upper-middle class, white church.  What if God leads us to own the lostness of the poorest neighbors in our county?  What if God leads us serve neighborhoods around Walnut Cove that are nearly exclusively black?  I'll confess to you, I'm already outside my comfort zone in several ways.  What if the federal government uses Meadows as a hub for a relocation program for refugees from Cuba?  The presence of signage and businesses alone catering to Spanish speakers might drive some of us crazy!  What if Dry Hollow were set up as a hub for the relocation of Afganis fleeing the Taliban?  Are we willing to cater to these new neighbors, serve them, and love them, sharing the good message of salvation in Jesus' name?  Even if these hypothetical refugees were American-friendly and even served our military personnel as translators, it would be a difficult blow to our comfort level.
 
I type these words to challenge you in your current comfort zone.  These are hypothetical situations, but it may very well prove a realistic possibility in the months to come.  I want to challenge us all, because I have been greatly convicted in recent days.  First, I have been greatly convicted about my own willingness to take for granted the liberties we share in this great Union of states, specifically the religious liberties we are directly given in our Constitution's first amendment.  We have millions of brothers and sisters across the globe that share no such liberties, and they practice faith and obedience to God's Word at tremendous personal cost.  Second, I am convicted about my own neglect of King Jesus' Great Commission.  It's pretty easy for me to spend a day in my office doing "church work", go home, put my feet up, and have never done anything of Kingdom value.  I need to better steward my time so that I can be meeting more people, cultivating new friendships, and having conversations about spiritual things.
 
Third, my soul has been wrecked in this sermon series because of the cost of my own salvation.  It's pretty easy for me to desire - in theory - the evangelism of our Afgan friends being tortured by the Taliban.  It's a bit more difficult for me to desire the evangelism of that Islamist soldier.  It's a bit more difficult for me to desire the evangelism of the communist leaders in China actively engaged in the genocide of their own countrymen.  It's a bit more difficult for me to desire the evangelism of the Castros.  O that I might take to heart that I am no more worthy of God's grace than these.  I don't deserve to hear and respond to the good message of salvation any more than them.  It is only by God's merciful love that I was born here to parents that brought be to church, taught me to pray, and instilled biblical values in our home.  May we never allow our desire for biblical justice to eclipse our desire for souls to be saved and lives to be changed.  May we never grow complacent thinking that God's good news is for those of us that are "better".  May we never allow our love of country, or cultural comforts, to stifle our love for others, or our willingness to reach them with the great Good News!
 
Behold the Lamb, behold the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.
For sinners crucified, o holy sacrifice, behold the Lamb of God, behold the Lamb!
--A.J.

Hello folks!
 
As many of you know, back in June, I attended the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention.  Last month, I took a Wednesday bible study session to give a report about the Convention.  Allow me to commend our Mid-Week Bible Study video on YouTube to you if you are interested in watching my report.  Since that evening, I have received a number of questions regarding the Convention, and our denominational affiliations more broadly.  I would bunch these questions into one of three “buckets”.
 
The first grouping would include the questions I have received about the mechanics of our denominational affiliation.  Because Baptist churches are independent, our group dynamics are unique compared to all other kinds of denominations in the world.  Nothing decided upon at the Convention is binding upon our church.  We don’t owe any entity any money; anything we give is because we freely choose to do so.  We are a member church of A) the Pilot Mountain Baptist Association, B) the Baptist State Convention, and C) the Southern Baptist Convention.  We could opt out of any one or more of the three at any time.  It’s confusing for some of us to understand; I know!
 
The second grouping of questions I have received, deal with critical theories (Critical Race Theory in particular).  Some in our denomination are specifically concerned about these theories being taught in our seminaries.  Let me echo a statement made by Dr. Daniel L. Akin, the head of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (shared alma mater of Luke and me).  He made clear that no critical theories are being espoused or endorsed by any of our seminary professors or administrators.  He highlighted the various ways in which students are being equipped as much as possible to deal with any and all world views in their evangelism, especially on the international mission field.  He finally reminded us that all truth is God’s truth, and that even deeply flawed ways to think about the world, can rightly identify problems that ought grieve our souls.  I am incredibly encouraged that our seminaries produce the quality of education that they do, and that we have the leaders like these in our institutions.
 
The third grouping of questions I have received, are of a socio-political nature.  It should go without saying that words like “liberal”, “conservative”, “moderate”, and “fundamentalist” are loaded terms.  Labels like these are not always helpful when discussing issues with clarity and nuance.  It should also be said that “theological conservatism” and “political conservatism” are not the same thing at all.  It is obvious that the Southern Baptist Convention is an unapologetically theologically conservative denomination.  We have been, and will continue to be, pro-life.  We are unequivocal in how we view the Word of God.  This book affects all areas of life, but doesn’t limit us to specific political strategies.  Nor does it dictate which candidate or party to endorse, or whether to endorse anyone.  There is a [loud] minority within the Southern Baptist Convention that think anyone [including me] that doesn’t share their political views, has given up on the authority of scripture.  This has caused labels to be unfairly thrown around, a secular press to question whether a denominational split is looming, and infighting to take our “eye off the ball” of missions.  As Pastor Jim preached so well on July 18, we cannot afford to become married to the culture.  This can occur in multiple directions, but may God have mercy upon us if we are known more for what our political opinions are instead of being who He has called us to be: a group of broken people, serving as a refuge for other broken people.  I am not worried at all about the Southern Baptist Convention’s strength, because what binds us together is what has always bound us together: the Great Commission.  Our International Mission Board and North American Mission Board are the two greatest ways to spend a dollar and see it used to proclaim the name of Jesus across this planet.  I am greatly encouraged to know that we are working hard to produce together the greatest mission force in history.  This is what our denomination is known for, and I hope this is what our church is known to be!  May we all be the hands and feet He’s called us to be; may God keep us “unstained from the world” (James 1:27); and may God magnify our witness in Walnut Cove and beyond!
 
Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
back to the narrow way, patiently win them,
tell the poor wanderer a Savior has died.
 
Rescue the perishing, care for the dying; Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save!
--A.J.

​Greetings again dear friends,
 
In May 2020, Pastor Jim, Luke, and I spent the better part of three weeks articulating and clarifying what the Colonel called our "decision-making matrix".  In it, we tried to outline a series of phases, and decide which things need to occur in which order as we began, and then continued, the process of returning to "normal" [as if things will ever return completely].  We all agreed, and the Deacons agreed, that the last thing to return to normal would be the presence of a Choir in our corporate worship.  The nature of projecting vocal air broadly, in close quarters with other people, would have been the highest-risk thing we could do just a few months ago.
 
I am so thankful for the grace of God in our church over the past year.  Though [according to my last count] over 30 of us contracted the corona virus in the past fifteen months, we have been blessed with no spread across our church family.  I would like to thank all of you that were willing to bear with the measures our leaders put in place, even when you thought they might have been too stringent.  Because of these measures, our church did not experience a viral out-break, and by Easter, over 85% of us were comfortable gathering together in-person once again!  Our measured, patient responses have worked to keep us safe, but even more importantly, they have served to maintain humble unity across our church body.  In April, SONquest returned to weekly children's church services.  In May, we returned to Wednesday evening activities, and in June our Sunday School classes returned.  In the past six weeks, we also amended our face covering policy from "expected" to "respected".  More and more of you are comfortable sitting close together, shaking hands, and even hugging.  In all of these things, I am so thankful that God has kept us safe, and that He has protected us from factions and divisions.
 
I am so glad that "F.B.C. in July" this year allows us the opportunity to celebrate a return to a sense of normalcy.  In the past, "F.B.C. in July" has been about taking a break from some events, allowing us to "do" less church and freeing us up to better "be" the church!  This year, we can return to full slate of events, and in doing so, we want to encourage more and more people to join with us in "being the church" together!  If you, or someone in your family, has been less than fully engaged in our church over recent months, let me encourage you to get back into the habit of joining us on Sundays.  Join me engaging those we haven't seen lately, and encouraging them to take part in our sweet fellowship.  Consider inviting your "One" or another neighbor to worship with us.
 
July will mark the return of our monthly Prayer Meeting and the Choir will begin practicing.  I do not believe you'll see the Choir right away on Sunday morning, because it may take a couple of practices to get us ready again, but trust me, it'll come.  There are few things in my life that warm my heart the way my heart is warmed on Wednesdays at 8:00, when we don't have to perform, but can simply lift our voices together to praise the name of Jesus!  If you haven't been part of the Choir before, or haven't been in a long time, please consider joining us!  You don't have to audition; you don't have to read music; you don't have to be particularly adept at singing harmony parts; you do have to love the Lord Jesus and want to praise Him with your voice!
 
Now that we are in summer, let's raise the spiritual temperature of our hearts.  I humbly challenge you to A) dedicate 10 new minutes per day and spend time in prayer; B) seek out one person with whom to have a conversation about spiritual things this month; C) hold a time of worship, including a song and bible study, with your spouse and/or children one time per week.  Pick one of these things and commit to raising the spiritual temperature across your home and family.  If we all do this, our church will be used by God to raise the overall spiritual temperature of our town!  As we charge ahead with a calendar of events - including students' and children's ministries - if we have a renewed fervor toward biblical faithfulness, then our "doing" church will have a broader and deeper impact across Walnut Cove.
 
Under the shadow of Thy throne Thy saints have dewlt secure;
sufficient is Thine arm alone, and our defense is sure.
 
A thousand ages in Thy sight are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night before the rising sun.
--A.J.​​

Hey friends,

Allow me to humbly recommend to you my thoughts from last month’s news-letter.  In that article, I discussed a biblical sense of community and fellowship.  I’d like to build this month’s thoughts upon this theme.  Biblical community is one of three important aspects of discipleship.  If someone claims to be a “Christian” but isn’t a committed disciple of Jesus, striving to make further disciples, their Christianity is just that – a claim.  Discipleship is not just “a thing” that we do as a church, it is “the thing” for which the Church should be known.  Think of it this way: for several decades, churches have viewed discipleship to be an “application” that they run on their device.  A more biblical understanding is that discipleship ought to be the device’s operating system, upon which all the “apps” run!

Is discipleship practiced on Sunday mornings in the Sanctuary?  Assuming that the Word of God is being faithfully preached, yes, but it is limited.  Can we practice discipleship better on Wednesday evenings, or in Sunday School classes?  Perhaps, but there are still great limitations as we practice both of these things.  The reason there are such limitations is because of a difficulty in working out all three aspects of true discipleship: learning, community, and mission.

Last month, I shared my thoughts about what genuine community should entail.  Learning should be rather self-explanatory, but I would make an emphasis on the differences between passive and active learning.  Sitting in a pew and listening is the epitome of passive learning.  Reading, writing, discussing, and homework are all aspects of active learning.  Having a copy of God’s Word in our hands is an essential pre-requisite to having His Word in our hearts.  Taking notes of a sermon is good, taking your own notes with your thoughts on a passage, or journaling through your personal prayer life are better.  Talking through scripture, or spiritual precepts, is an important part of internalizing and applying God’s Word.  I think we might all agree that to know what the bible teaches is good, but to walk in obedience to the truths of scripture is even better.  It doesn’t take much thought to recognize the limitations to active learning during a corporate worship service, or even a mid-week bible study or Sunday School class.  What can we do to cultivate better opportunities for folks to learn in an active posture?  What can you do to be more engaged in active learning?

The third aspect of discipleship is mission.  Over-achievers reading this might immediately think of “go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.”  Jesus gave us this Great COMMISSION (Matthew 28:19)!  If we aren’t making disciples, then we aren’t obeying the mission.  If we aren’t engaged in missions, then we aren’t really being faithful disciples.  I don’t really make much of the distinction between discipleship and evangelism, because evangelism is simply pre-discipleship.  If we aren’t actively sharing our faith, with brothers/sisters AND unsaved neighbors, then we aren’t as engaged in discipleship we ought to be [don’t be mad at me; I just stepped on my own toes too!].  Again, I assume you read my last article.  Are we experiencing in-depth community?  Do we need to avail more opportunities to you so that you might experience it more fully?  Is there someone in our church family that may not have as much fellowship with others as you?  What can you do to draw them in more deeply?  Who’s Your One?  Whose path do you cross regularly that doesn’t have a church home, or a relationship with Jesus at all?

I am encouraged that our church promotes discipleship, but our heads are in the sand if we think we have no room for improvement.  Many high-quality Christian ministries promote one of the three aspects of biblical discipleship.  A few healthy churches promote two really well.  Few and far between are the churches that have a robust practice of all three aspects, and we want to be one!  If any of my above questions have piqued your attention, or caused you to think, PLEASE tell me.  If you have an idea of how we can better fulfill the Christ’s commission, or would like to help us come up with ideas, my door is always open to you!

So Spirit come, put strength in every stride, give grace for every hurdle,
that we may run, with faith to win the prize, of a servant good and faithful.
--A.J.

​Salutations again friends,
 
As some of you know, my tendancy is to write these articles as a result of what lessons God has been teaching me lately.  I'm pretty hard-headed and don't always pay attention as keenly as the Lord would like me to, but often times writing these forces me to process and synthesize my scattered thoughts into a more coherent point.  I must admit that I don't really know where I am going this month, but I humbly ask you to join me for this journey!
 
I have been mulling over the meaning of "community" in recent days.  This word means different things to different people, and means something very different in a biblical context.  The mayor of my home town said a week or two ago "the Greensboro community".  I don't know how 250,000 people can be in one community.  I have read many articles in recent months referring to "the black community".  I freely acknowledge that I am [very] white, and could never empathize with some of the experiences many of our black neighbors have shared, but I find it difficult to lump 42,000,000 people scattered across 50 different states into one "community".  I have also recently read about several of the rifts cutting through "the L.G.B.T.Q.+ community".  This seems to be the height of irony to me, because if groups are becoming increasingly divided, why would we refer to a singular "community" at all.  I think "the Walnut Cove community" has a bit more standing; first, 4,000 people seem a more appropriate size to be described by this word, and second, because roots tend to run a bit deeper here, cultivating a sense of identity.
 
Though I tend to reject many of the world's uses of "community", I do think that the themes of identifying and solidarity are important.  Let's circle back to "the black community": as fellow members of a particular racial minority, our black neighbors may genuinely experience a bond to and with one another that is quite foreign to us as white folks in the majority.  I don't want to discount this sense of identity at all, but I would argue that our increasingly globalized society suffers from a tendency to lump people according to which boxes they check rather than getting to know people as individuals.  In an age of digital communication, people can choose to become part of a group (enter "the Fortnite community"), engaging with one another online around common interests, all the while becoming more and more isolated, lacking genuine friendship.
 
Let's contrast this secular use of "community" with a biblical one.  Scripture teaches us that to know one another and be known by one another is very important.  Not only does this assume individualization, it drives toward intimacy.  It’s one thing to know something about someone; it’s something entirely different to know someone as a brother in Christ.  Genuine community is something that we all crave.  In this sense, the world gets it right, because we all desire to be loved and accepted.  We will never, however, find the love and acceptance we all need apart from the true unity found in the love of God.
 
Romans 1:11-12 gives us a picture of Christian community - strengthening and encouraging each other by practicing spiritual gifts.  Hebrews 10:24-25 also help us understand a biblical "community" encouraging one another, provoking each other to love and good works.  This carries even more weight in light of verses 19-23: holding onto our confession and drawing near as we enter the sanctuary.  As we draw near to the Christ, it stands to reason that we would naturally draw near to one another as brothers and sisters.  Couple these ideas with the most common New Testament word to describe Christian community: koinonia.  This is the share which one has in anything, joint participation, fellowship.  When we celebrate with those who rejoice, and weep with those who mourn, we are living out biblical community.
 
After 13 months of lacking much of what makes "community" biblical, and living in a culture where these truths are increasingly misunderstood, or even dismissed, I have found myself craving true community.  I long for prayer gatherings where we bear burdens together before the Lord.  I miss three-hour lunches where I get to know people at a much deeper level, or where old friends hold me accountable, challenge me, and encourage me all in one!  I miss "bro hugs".  I miss friends knowing what I was struggling with last week, or sharing excitement with me this week.
 
As we continue the process of regathering, our children's ministries will be operating with more regularity.  This will enable us to resume Wednesday activities, move toward holding Sunday School classes again, begin more small groups, and RESTART THE CHOIR!!!!!  As we do, let me leave you with two more thoughts.  First, biblical community results in life transformation.  We should strive for high-quality life-on-life intentional relationships, study of God's Word, and outward reaching mission emphasis.  If we neglect to strive for any of these three, we won't achieve full life transformation.  Second, deeper friendships, accountability relationships, spiritual growth environments, maximum participation, and missional opportunity are all more robust as this sense of community is smaller and more tightly-knit.  Therefore, reproducing small groups are the best vehicle to experience biblical community.  Pray about how God might lead you to commit to this sense of community in the months ahead as we continue the regathering process!
 
Let us sing now everyone; let us feel His love begun;
let us join our hands that the world will know we are one in the bond of love!
--A.J.

​Greetings and salutations dear friends!
 
It's the least wonderful time of the year - in my opinion, anyway.  Wait, that isn't the lyric!  O well, for those of you that enjoy spring, I am glad for you.  Really, I am!  I just don't want to hear about all the excitement.  For all of you that call me Scrooge around Christmas, I will give twice as many "ba humbug" replies in the days ahead.  I loathe involuntary sweating, so as the temperatures rise, I will be more and more uncomfortable.  Pastor Jim and I always joke around this time of year "we'll be comfortable again in November!"  The pollen is a wonderful thing; honey bees are some of the world's most fascinating creatures.  Every year, I am in awe when Loyd Cline teaches me about the bees, but I do not enjoy inhaling the pollen!  Don't even get me started on so-called "Daylight-Saving" time.  My father jokes every year that it's like 'cutting a six-inch strip off of the bottom of a blanket, sewing it across the top, and calling the blanket "longer".'  I am convinced that arbitrarily leaving standard time (for longer than six months) is the biggest sham in modern society.  I do not like eating supper in broad day light, the "we're saving energy" argument has been thoroughly debunked, and folks on the internet still say "Eastern Standard Time" furthering the confusion!  I have a beautiful map as the background image on my computer with all the time zones across the globe, so my wrist watches and Jeep are going to remain in ours where we belong!
 
Now that I have begun to articulate why I dislike this time of the year, let me attempt to pique your interest and have you join me in getting excited about its - perhaps sole - redeeming characteristic: EASTER!  Easter is my favorite day of the year.  Easter doesn't just make spring bearable; it makes bearable life itself.  Easter makes funerals bearable.  Easter makes watching news reports highlighting the horrors of this broken world bearable.  Easter makes strained, or even fractured, relationships bearable.  Easter - literally - makes even our own sin bearable!  Without Easter, our church is useless, our system of beliefs is pointless, and sin is just as powerful as the Creator Himself.  Easter is not just a redeeming quality for a season of the year; it entails the very essence of the redeeming of our immortal souls!  Are we getting excited yet!?!
 
Easter is the single day of the year that I want to wake up before the sun rises.  I am glad our church holds a service in our Cemetery, and I am especially glad our Cemetery is positioned up on a hill.  When we stand among graves, it gives us a greater appreciation of I Corinthians 15.  Just as God the Son left his grave on Resurrection Sunday, our loved ones' graves will be made empty one day too!!  On Thursday evening, the Christ instituted the symbol of His New Covenant.  On Friday, I was on His mind as He paid for my sin; the wages of sin are His death.  The second day was quiet, but the third was loud.  Jesus, the Messiah, breathed new life again!  He arose from death; He arose from the grave; He resurrected!  This is a foreshadow of a resurrection that we can all look forward to if we trust in Him as Savior and Lord!  God the Son condescended to become a human.  He lived a life free from sin, uniquely qualifying Him to pay for my sin and yours.  He bears our sin on the cross of Calvary, and gives us life eternal in its place!  Whether anyone else needed this redemption or not, I do.  Whether or not you needed salvation, He did it for me. My sin alone was more than enough to make Him lay down His own life.  He did it for me!!!  The God of the universe loves ME that much, and He loves you that much too!!!
 
I don't cry very often, but I nearly weep just typing these powerful truths.  I am not sad, which messes with my brain, but overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.  As the 'music guy', a particular portion of my job is devoted to corporate worship.  In my opinion, the best way to explain biblical worship as a corporate - or personal - lifestyle is this: response to who God is and what God does.  Given my last paragraph, let's respond to what the Messiah has done for us.  We as a church must do this week in and week out, but let me challenge you to personally do this day in and day out!  Worship is evangelism; worship is reading the bible; worship is prayer; worship is singing; worship is sitting quietly and contemplating these things and lifting our unworthy heart to the Lord and weeping in grateful joy.  God is certainly worthy of our worship whether or not Easter happened, but as a singular event, nothing should make us want to worship God more than Easter does.  Join me this spring by walking in the glorious hope of the resurrection, and living your life in response to these truths!
 
Guilty, vile, and helpless we; spotless Lamb of God was He;
full atonement!  Can it be?  Hallelujah, what a Savior!
--A.J.