MIDDLE VALLEY BAPTIST

October 7, 2018

Dear Friends of MVBC,

Let me be one of the first to wish you a “Happy and Blessed New Year.” We are trusting God to bless MVBC in 2014. I’m sure that you will want to know the things that will be happening in our fellowship as we begin this New Year.

The Elders and Deacons are working hard to develop our new leadership structure. Please pray for us as we seek to provide excellent care and nurture for our congregation. As leaders, we want to focus less on “leaders meetings together” and more on “ministry to the congregation.” Please mark Sunday evening, January 26 on your calendar; this will be our first Neighborhood Congregation for the year. We will all gather together at the church for a fellowship meal at 5 PM. You won’t want to miss the Ordination and Installation of our new Elders and Deacons. We will also announce the leaders and groupings for the New Year. Each group will have an Elder and deacons to care for and nurture them. Don’t miss this critical time that we trust will shape the year to come.

You might want to know about the preaching plan for the beginning of the Year. Pastor Mickey will preach the first Sunday in January (Pastor Gary will away be doing a wedding in Denver). On Sunday January 12, Pastor Gary will do a special message on how to take a stand for sexual purity in a culture that interprets any moral restraints as intolerant. Starting January 19, there will be a six-week series on how Christ wants us to relate to and serve each other in our fellowship. March will be Missions Month; we will all be challenged to engage in local and global mission.

I am very excited about “The Truth Project” that will begin Wednesday, January 15. Few Christians have developed a thoughtful and Biblical worldview (how you make sense of life in this world). This is your opportunity to correct this deficiency. Each session will feature a presentation by Dell Tacket on one area of worldview thinking and will be followed by a group discussion and dialogue. It will begin at 6:30 PM and end at 8:30 PM; we will meet in the Chapel. This has the potential to be life changing for those who will commit to learn and grow together.

One new development has been very exciting to me personally; you might be interested as well. A number of local pastors have met together to form a Bible Institute to train leaders from our churches to better equip them to do ministry. Plans for curriculum and teachers are already being discussed. Another meeting in early January should bring more clarity. Pray for God’s blessing on this project.

We face a challenge in the coming year to faithfully support the ministry that God has raised up at MVBC. We need each one of you to fully support our fellowship with you prayers, presence, spiritual gifts, and regular financial support. Our budget for the coming year includes some deep cuts that affect important ministry areas. With your help we can reverse this trend and develop a sound financial base. In fact we are developing a team of about 12 to 14 people to assess our indebtedness and develop a financial plan that will strengthen ministry at MVBC. We are trusting God to bring unity and passion to embody the kingdom right here in Middle Valley.

I am so thankful to God that you are part of our fellowship at MVBC. I look forward to serving you in the days ahead. Let’s trust God that the best days are still ahead for MVBC.

By His Grace and For His Glory,

Pastor Gary L Scott