God Moving At Maranatha

Facing our Future

This is a critical time in the life of our church.  We will be joined this weekend by Pastor Mike Nanninga and his wife Loretta. We must decide whether we believe God is calling Mike to be our Pastor of Discipleship. If we choose to extend a call to him, it will be up to him to determine if God is leading him to say “yes”. A lot hangs in the balance.

As a congregation, we have seen God steadily filling in the picture of the future we describe in our vision document, Join the Journey.  A key part of our plan hinges on finding the right person to be our Pastor of Discipleship. This person will impact our church’s future in the short-term and long-term. 

In the next months and years, this person will shape our intentional relationship and discipleship ministries.  “Intentional relationships” focuses especially on small groups—we want everyone at Maranatha to be able to say that they have at least three or four people they are investing in, and who, encouraging and supporting them in turn.  The second area, discipleship, goes to the heart of our calling to be—and to make—growing followers of Jesus Christ.  This person will have to have the ability to encourage and recruit, teach and plan.

But the Pastor of Discipleship will impact, even more significantly, Maranatha’s long-range future.  Our hopeful expectation is that he will become our Lead Pastor after several years.

By the end of this weekend Pastor Mike and Loretta will have had many opportunities to get to know our church and community.  They will have spent time alone with Janet and me, toured the city, and enjoyed a meal with our Search Team, Council chair, and their spouses.  Pastor Mike will preach on Sunday and, shortly after the service, we will hear from Mike about his life and ministry. The congregation will be given the opportunity to ask questions.

Here is how you can play your important role this important process:  Read the information about Pastor Mike and the calling process provided in your mail slots. Be sure to watch Sunday’s service in person or online, and take in the interview after the service. Above all pray!  Next Sunday, May 8, we will cast our vote.  –Pastor Tom