The following was a letter given to the congregation on the "Evening of Blessing" hosted by Pastor Brian and his family:

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Dear Friends,

    Welcome to the "Evening of Blessing" here on the 12th anniversary of our wedding day. Ruth and I are delighted that you have accepted our invitation to come and join us for this special time tonight. You are the guests of honour tonight, the precious flock which God has called me to pastor. This evening is a tangible way to show our love for you. It is also a time for me to impart the vision to you that God has given me for our church at this time. I have spent much time in prayer before the Lord regarding the direction for our church. I am reminded of the exhortation in Habakkuk 2:1-3:

"I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved. Then the Lord answered me and said, ‘Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay’." (Emphasis mine)

    The Lord has shown me a picture of our church as a bridge, connecting the Body of Christ in this area of Wallaceburg and Walpole Island to reach our community with the "whole message of this life" (Acts 5:20). The word "bridge" also stands for 6 key characteristics that must be present for us to fulfill our vision. These are as follows:

    Bible-based teaching and preaching
    Relationship building with other churches
    Intercessory prayer
    Disciplined living
    Growth group ministry
    Evangelism


    Bible-based teaching and preaching is the bedrock of our foundation. We hold the Bible to be the inerrant, authoritative Word of God. There can be absolutely NO compromise from this stance. I am committed to digging deep into God’s Word each week in order to bring to you an anointed message from the Bible each Sunday morning. I am also committee to reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on God’s Word on a continual basis so that I can minister it to you in Bible studies, small group gatherings, one-on-one conversations, teaching letters (Fresh Oil), and any other time the Word is shared. You can take this to the bank! I’ll never waver. I endeavour to be ready in season and out of season, all the time (see 2 Tim. 4:2).

    Relationship building with the other churches in this community is vital if the area is to be saturated with the life-giving message of Christ’ gospel. We can’t get the job done alone, and neither can any other church. We need them and they need us. We need to set aside any "non-vital" differences and work together. I have sought to have some joint services with our brothers and sisters in Christ in order to foster a cooperative spirit as together we seek to reach this community. Reconciliation with our brothers and sisters who left us in 1992, Faith Baptist Church, is also very important. This mending in its full measure will be entirely the work of the Holy Spirit, but when prompted to do or say anything, we must quickly act. The 1992 split was a blemish on this community and the Lord will work to remove it, in HIS way and in HIS time. However, we must pray this through.

    Speaking of prayer, intercessory prayer is the heartbeat of the church. When believers meet together to call on the name of the Lord, stuff happens. The Scriptures are full of accounts where God’s people cried out to Him in prayer and He heard them and answered. I know I’ve been sounding like a broken record about wanting you to come out to Wednesday night prayer meeting, but the fact is, this is where the real work gets done. There is no area of the church that the Lord has impressed upon me more than the Wednesday night prayer meeting. He has made it clear to me, and as you pastor, I can’t keep silent about this. Please make Wednesday night prayer meeting a priority!

    Disciplined living is simply the act of living out our faith in the workplace and on the street. Those in our community who are outside of the faith aren’t impressed by big buildings, fancy talk, and bumper stickers. They need to see proof of our faith in the lives we live. Each of us is on display. I can’t do your job, and you can’t do mine. We need to quit making excuses and start living as if Jesus was coming tonight. Enough said!

    The growth group ministry is nothing new in churches today. I have had this on my mind for a few years now, but it wasn’t until this year that I really felt peace from the Lord to get it started. I see this ministry as a training camp for us to learn to care for one another, pray for each other, and develop hands-on pastoral skills which we can take into our various spheres of influence. The combination of Bible study, prayer, and fellowship in the intimate setting of a small house group is perfect for leadership development and building up the body (the church). As this concept catches on and more groups form, we will become more well-rounded and trained as a church and ready to fulfill our calling. Perseverance and commitment are necessary for the growth groups to work, but the Lord will add His blessing and make it all worthwhile.

    Evangelism is the process of multiplying disciples so that the work of spreading the gospel will accelerate. Primarily, this won’t be done with large crusades or special events, although there is merit for this tape of evangelism. In a small, friendly community such as ours I see most evangelism on the "coffee shop" level. We love our donuts and coffee here in Wallaceburg, don’t we? I’ve provided you with some gift certificates to help you in this outreach. Simply take a friend out for coffee and a donut. Tell him or her that you just want to be a blessing. They’ll likely wonder why and then the Lord will help you reach out to them. Invite them to attend church with you. C’mon, it’s not that hard, but I can’t do this for you. I don’t work where you work, so it’s not me they know and trust. You must reach out if you want to see our church grow.

    So, there are the 6 characteristics of the First Baptist "bridge". It will take effort and cooperation to see these 6 areas operating effectively. I love you and care about you. I am your pastor and have your best interests at heart. All I ask is that you trust me to lead you. God has called me to be your pastor at such a time as this and I am listening to His voice of command. As we work together, we’ll see good results in our labour.

    Love,
Pastor Brian