Time for Thanksgiving Table Talk…
Faith Baptist of Zephyrhills
Wed, Nov 24, 2021
Happy Thanksgiving, Church!
Do you have a Thanksgiving tradition? Our family does. Before we give the blessing and start eating our Thanksgiving meal, we take time to go around the table to share what we are most thankful for. It is a time to hit the pause button and to give voice to our heart of gratitude.
It is a healthy thing to do. Gratitude is the healthiest human emotion. And all of us have reasons to be thankful! There are always a few thanksgiving tears shed and a few laughs as we reminisce over the past year. It is a very special time that makes the meal so much more meaningful. I encourage you to do something similar. Even if you are not with others to share your thoughts, you can make a phone call, write a note, send a text or write an email.
Right now I am siting at my dining room table and thinking about the many things to give God thanks for at Faith:
God’s Protection: As we approach the two year anniversary of Covid 19, no one associated with our church has died from the virus. Not one. That includes both full time residents, those who attend in the winter months and the missionaries that we support. Thank you, God!
New Friends: Healthy things grow, and the Faith Fellowship is growing. It is awesome to see new faces nearly every week at Faith. We are having our highest Sunday morning attendance in over 14 years. And the age diversity is the best it has been in over 30 years! We will begin having two Sunday morning services on December 19th to accommodate all! Thank you, God!
New Faith: This past year a number of people exercised saving faith! We are looking forward to having our second baptism of 2021 on December 5th. Thank you, God!
Food Donations: On Monday we were able to distribute a sizable amount of food to 11 families/individuals and another local ministry because of your generous donations! Thank you, God!
The Faith Facility: because of a lot of “blood, sweat, and tears” and generous giving over the past 6 years, our church facility is taking “shape” and is being used more and more for ministry. We have a new platform, a new roof, renovated lobby, offices, all new multimedia (projectors, sound board, mics) equipment and ministry, new bathrooms, new kitchen appliances, new playground, a new fellowship hall flooring, two new ac units and many other improvements… WE HAVE COME A LONG WAYS! Thank you, God!
Greater Vision: We are not done. We are just getting started. Our city and local community is growing rapidly, and we are preparing for a greater ministry. We have drafted a new mission policy and proposed solar panels to lessen our energy costs. As of today, over $4,000 has been committed to the project by 7 individuals. That is a great start! I know that we can do this, if all of us do what we can. Some can give a $100, some $1,000 and others $10,000. Every gift is valuable and needed to make this Faith Project a reality. Please pray and ask God what He wants you to do. I have attached the commitment card for those who are listening online. Thank you, God.
Again, I encourage you to have some Thanksgiving Table Talk! Put aside politics, football games, black Friday deals, gossip, the weather and other topics of conversation for a little while and talk about the Goodness of our God. He is Good…
In His Gracious Grip,
Pastor Mike
PS: I love and appreciate all of you so much! We are better together!