Happy New Year from Mary and I. Thank you for allowing me to serve you in this capacity and for supporting the BMA work in Missouri with your prayers, finances and loyalty to God. Things are looking good as we enter 2019 as far as the possibilities of seeing churches find pastors and the potential of planting a new church or two.
Pray for the Special Missions Committees of our State Association and the Meramec Association as they will have a joint meeting before you get this edition of the paper to discuss the possibilities in
our state. We desire to be sensitive to God’s leadership in all matters, including planting new congregations and strengthening those who are struggling.
Our offerings continue to be sufficient to meet present needs, but if we start supporting a missionary or two the needs will be greater and more churches will need to send regular offerings. Please pray for our host pastor and myself as we plan the program for our annual Missions Symposium for this May. Host Pastor is Bro. Gary Longstaff of Grandview Baptist Church in Springfield and the date is May 17 for the Symposium and May 18 for the Mid-Year Meeting of our Association. Our annual meeting will be October 12 at Bethel Baptist Church in Sikeston.
I believe it is Scriptural for Churches to work together and God will bless our efforts if we are willing to cooperate with one another and support each other as we labor for the Lord. It seems to be an accepted practice today for pastors and churches to be self-centered and not put our much effort to work together. Let’s work to change this and see how God will bless if we let Him! If you have any suggestions for a program for the Missions we would love to hear from you, but we need your suggestions soon as we need to contact speakers and other who might be involved and give them plenty of time to adjust their schedules and prepare their parts. Hopefully, by February 15th we can have a program prepared and make the necessary contacts. Thanks for any input you can give us about this matter.
A Word About the Article “A Christmas Tie” I hope you have already read this article, if not stop and read it now. This came to me too late for the December issue so I have included it in this issue in an effort to inspire us to focus on the far reaching results of doing God’s will.
When I was a young boy Bro. W. S. Gordon was pastor of Chambers Park Church in St. Louis which is now Lindsay Lane Baptist Church in Florissant. Sometimes we forget we are involved in work that LASTS. Let’s do our BEST!
