Church Board Prayers - Week 3

Change and Confidence

I John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of him.

I've been thinking about two big "C" words.....Change and Confidence. Concerning change...well...that is inevitable. As for confidence, you either have it or you don't. As a new creature in Christ, along with reading God's Word, I read books from leading Christian authors. One theme I picked up on was how important it is to have self-confidence. But since I was not raised in a home where that was nurtured, I struggled with this for years. Finally, as I grew in faith and my relationship with my Heavenly Father, I came to the conclusion that it is not so important that I have confidence in myself, as it is to have unwavering confidence in God. Through all the seasons of my life, God has been faithful to guide my life and family even when we did not know what the future would hold. I am confident that He will direct our fellowship of believers through this pastoral transition. Let us have the confidence in Him that will enable us to be cooperative in His plan.

God has been faithful to this beautiful Body of Christ in the 30 years we have sojourned here. We have been blessed with Pastors that any congregation would be proud of and now I believe God is preparing us for a smooth transition as we trust in Him and in the leadership He has provided for us. I thank God for good, godly leaders that are not self-concerned or self-centered. Believe me--that type of leader does exist. Our pastors have poured out their lives for the sake of Christ, His Church, and the lost. We are so blessed to be the recipients of their loving, shepherding care and the inspiration of visionary leadership the Holy Spirit has given them.

Let me encourage you, Brothers and Sisters, to trust our Father God and the committed, visionary pastors He has gifted our fellowship with and equipped for the mission of leading us to be kingdom builders.

This I believe--in Christ--the best is yet to come. Let us love our Triune God, our families, the Body of Christ (worldwide), and those who do not yet know Christ. If there is anything more important in this world, I challenge you to point it out. Manteno Nazarene is one of the great loves of my life.

So blessed to journey with you,
Sharon Bellomy