God Moving At Maranatha

Taking on the Challenge of a New Year

As we prepare to launch into 2023, you may find yourself reflecting on the past year and wondering what your new year holds. You may even set some goals for yourself (if only to lose the weight you gained over Christmas!).

We are going through a similar process as a church as we start the new year together. During this Sunday’s worship service, we will watch a video highlighting the many blessings of the past year while remembering members of our community who are no longer with us. We will hear a message aimed at helping us embrace the challenge of the year ahead.

Personally, I am full of hope for what lies before us. At the start of 2022 our church adopted a visionary plan called Join the Journey. We have already seen many good things flow from it, including a revitalized prayer ministry, an expanded social media ministry, a growing young adult ministry, a vibrant approach to welcoming guests, a full complement of staff, a new second pastor, and more.

The reason I am so hopeful for the year ahead is that the same God who guided us this far promises to lead us into the future. I sincerely believe we have only begun to see all that God has planned for us. Partnering with God in His mission is like watching a flower grow—the initial sprout is a promise of a greater miracle to follow.

The key for us as a church is to walk in prayerful trust, while at the same time being confident that nothing is impossible with God. If we are willing to follow, God will lead us to see “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).

- Pastor Tom