Dear Cobham Park Church Family,
Hello Team! Today we’re revisiting an old sports analogy. After all, Northern Neckers are serious about their baseball (and that’s an understatement). Many of you know more about this game than I could hope to learn in three lifetimes. I also know that some of you prefer other sports, or you may not be into sports at all. Even so, we all can learn a thing or two about church from baseball.
First of all, the members of God’s church form a team. Unfortunately, many Christians show up at their church-game thinking they are fans. They find good seats, make themselves comfortable, and expect to be served as they watch others. They may occasionally buy tickets by dropping something into the offering plate, but that’s the extent of their effort. Meanwhile, the team members (church leaders) work hard to entertain fans and win games under the leadership of their manager-pastor. When these players are hitting home-runs and wowing their fans, everybody cheers. But if the team isn’t performing as expected, church fans freely voice their displeasure from the stands. They might stop paying admission or demand a new manager. A church fan might even switch team loyalties or stop going to games altogether. Welcome to the great American church pastime. Does any of this sound familiar to you?
Here at Cobham Park, however, that’s not how we roll. Like I said, we’re the team—not the fans. This is why I insert the phrase “Every Member a Minister” under my name in church publications. In fact, showcasing God’s work in you is one of my main motives for publishing our monthly newsletters. Skim the following pages, and you’ll see evidence of a team winning with Jesus—not merely a pastor or a few star players. A ball team has a large number of positions, from pitcher to batboy. In the same way, each member of this church should be finding ways to serve Jesus, who is our real team manager. Every one of us has been uniquely gifted by God to serve in some way. “So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…(Romans 12:5-6a; ESV).”
I want you to be free to take initiative as you play hard on this team. Don’t feel like you always have to wait on me to make the first move. As your pastor, I’m a little like a baseball coach assisting his team manager. I serve Jesus as I help Him to lead, coordinate, and equip this team for service—not to play the game by myself (Ephesians 4:12). Meanwhile, the world is in the stands watching. Will they see the Lord’s love in us? They may cheer or boo, but we aren’t playing for them in the end. With Jesus, we want to please our team’s owner: our Father-God and the Creator of heaven and earth. Let’s play ball!
In His Love,
Pastor Keith
Leave a Reply