1st John 1:1-4

It has been a while since I last posted anything.  Like most of you, I have had a crazy summer.

For my friends at J.C.C., there are few words that I could find that would accurately describe my excitement about what is going on at J.C.C..  A little over six years ago I met Eddy at a Central Ohio Preacher’s Association breakfast.  Eddy and I later met, and he told me that the Church of Christ at Johnstown needed me to be their minister.  At the time I thought that wouldn’t work.  Things were going great at the Milford Church of Christ.   However, God kept working on me and aligning the situation in such a way that I had to come to Johnstown. I really wondered how the church was going to be able to support my family and I.  I also know that many in the church were wondering the same thing.

I still remember that first Sunday that I preached at Johnstown.   There were, maybe, 35 people in the room, and as many of 10 of them were family members of mine.   I knew after that first Sunday of preaching at Johnstown, that this was the place that God had called me to preach.   This was a huge step of faith for everyone involved.   The church was going to pay a full-time preacher off of annual budget of around $21,000, but the church made that leap of faith.   Over the past five and a half years we have seen so many things take place at J.C.C.   We have grown from an average of 26 people in 2004, to now averaging 115.  Our annual giving has increased from $21,000 to $115,000.   This year we have had the privilege of baptizing 7 people.  We have seen people who have long written church off as a waste of time come and experience the life changing power of the Gospel of Christ.     We have added a part-time children’s minister.  Becky Thompson has done an outstanding job in this ministry, and there is no doubt in my mind that she will continue to do so.   We are planning on starting a Saturday night service on the 25th of September.   When you really sit back and think about all that God has done through J.C.C. it is enough to make you want to shout “hallelujah”.

What next?

God has taken us a long way, and I believe that this is really just the beginning.   This coming Sunday we are going to vote to affirm the elder’s decision to call Tommy Baker as our first full-time student minister.   Tommy has a God given ability to connect with teenagers, and a desire to preach and teach God’s Word for the rest of his life.   I know that this is a huge step of faith for us as a church.   However, for a church that has already taken a huge step of faith and seen God bless that trust, why would we not want to take that leap again and watch God work it out?

The facts are that we are losing our kids to the world.    Please understand, I don’t think that it is the church’s job to raise kids spiritually.  However, I do believe that we have a responsibility to assist families in all aspects of life, most importantly the spiritual formation of young people.   By the time many young people reach high school they have already decided that they are going to leave the church as soon as they get a chance.  Unlike the past generations of young people that came back once they had a family of their own, this generation is leaving forever.   I don’t want to be that kind of church!  I want to the kind of church where young people come to be excited about growing in the Lord.  I want to be the kind of church that young people invite their friends to.   I want to be the kind of church that welcomes kids in the name of Jesus Christ.   (Matthew 19:13-15)  In my way of thinking, it’s not enough just to welcome them, we have to go and get them.

There have been a few momentum changing moments in the history of the church here at Johnstown.  This Sunday is one of those moments.  I know there are fears about being able to support a full-time youth minister.   However, we know what God can do through a group of people that really don’t have it all figured out but are going to trust Him to work out the details.   Look what He did with the early church.   I am excited to see what is going to take place at J.C.C. in the coming weeks, months and years.  Eddy died shortly after I started at the Johnstown Christian Church.   One thing that Eddy said to me before I started was:  ”We are going to do whatever it takes to make sure that there is a Church of Christ at Johnstown.”   I would love to see the look on Eddy’s face with what is going on now at J.C.C..  We need to keep that mentality going:  We are going to do whatever it takes to make sure the Gospel of Christ is proclaimed from J.C.C..

Larry

Preached by Larry Hiles 7/11/2010

We have had a great few days at the Fireman’s Festival in Johnstown.  We are in need of at least six volunteers to work our tent today.  We are passing out popsicles to kids and invitation cards for VBS.   If we don’t get the volunteers needed we are going to have close down our tent.   If you are able to work one of these shifts please call 740.398.0282.

We need 3 volunteers 2 – 5 PM

We need 3 volunteers 5 – 8 PM

We are going to close the tent up at 8 PM.