What Will the New Year Bring?

We stand on the precipice of a new year, 2022.  What will the new year bring?  Maybe for the first time in our lives, we really have no clue.  After all, our plans for 2020 and 2021 had to be rather drastically altered at times to adjust to the mandates and health concerns of our own church families. Often, goals, events, and typical outreaches planned for our churches had to be scrapped or adjusted because of new realities.  Most pastors have been living on untried ground not really knowing what to anticipate next simply responding in faithfulness as an opportunity to minister presented itself or scrapping long-term goals to shorter more manageable time frames…..BUT, maybe this is not a bad thing!

Could it be that God would have us relearn a lesson long forgotten? We are not in control of our times, “our times are in His hands.”  Maybe in our setting of goals and ministry agendas, we have been anticipating the future will of God and the needs of our communities rather than walking constantly sensitive to the Holy Spirit and His nudge. Maybe, just maybe, we have operated on some utopian broad view of ministry when the goal of God was much more immediate and minute.  Maybe God wants us to live and minister in a much more nimble fashion.  Maybe God wants to amaze us as we walk in sensitivity to Him and our people day by day.

I don’t know what 2022 holds.  Maybe it will be His return!  I only know this.  It will be an exciting journey and one that none of us should fear or dread.  We know some things that are game-changers.  We know that “underneath are the everlasting arms of God.”  We know “the God who has called us is faithful.”  We know “He will never leave us nor forsake us.”!  It’s ok to be uncertain of what this year will bring but you can be certain that the Holy Spirit will walk with you.

“What then shall we do?”  Let me make a few suggestions.  1. Stay in the prayer closet mostly listening.  2. Develop a keen sensitivity to the nudge of the Spirit.  3. Listen to people.  They will let you know what their real needs are.  4. Dream big but work small.  5. Focus on discipleship.  6. Send laborers into the harvest.  7. Be ready to pivot quickly to alternative means and venues to accomplish ministry.

Minister, you were called for this time and God has uniquely gifted you for this time.  If what God has called you to do takes on a different form than that of your predecessors, it’s ok to be different! To borrow the old slogan from Nike, “just do it”.

Be Faithful!

Bishop White