To God’s Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
Happy New Year!
I love the entrance into a New Year and the hope that it brings of change and the anticipation of what might come. Entering into a New Year is a great time to evaluate what we are thankful for in the past year, and what we long to accomplish in the coming year.
What will your focus be in 2024? What will our focus be?
How will you make sure that as you focus on those things, you are able to actually put long term feet on the goals you set?
My New Year always starts with a continued passion to be WORD SATURATED, a longing to grow in Gospel impact, and working on the two key marks of a follower of Jesus (holiness and love). As a goal oriented person it is fun for me to set goals, and then see if I have managed to keep them, or at least moved the ball down the field…some of you are less joyful in this process and have found other ways more conducive to your personality to grow in godliness...that is okay as long as you are moving in the right direction :)
This New Year is another opportunity to evaluate in thanksgiving where you have come from, and anticipate with hope where God wants you to go.
If you set goals, here are some helpful tips to help you keep them.
- Make sure they are directional to where you want to go in terms of character and behavior.
- Write them down.
- Share them with some other people.
- Have a process by which to evaluate your progress on a regular basis (weekly, or monthly works).
- Set S.M.A.R.T. goals.
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Time Related
It is with great joy I look back at the past year and thank God for being at work in our church family, seeing eternity changed, and many joining us. I will miss many who left our family community, or were promoted to eternity.
It is with great hope I look forward to the coming year, and seeking to glorify God with you as partners in the Gospel.
This year, my hope is the each person who calls CBC home will share the Gospel at least twice by next December (some many many more times) with a non-believer.
This year, my hope is that we will have a regular attendance at our monthly prayer meetings of over 40 and growing.
This year, my hope is that we will all increase our time in God’s Word by at least 5 minutes a day, so that by the end of the year we will have moved forward in Word saturation as a family, seeking to apply it to our lives.
This year it is my hope that 30% of people who call this church home will memorize the verse of the month.
I am excited about 2024, and partnering with you in the Gospel. May God use us to build His church, reach His people, and love the world.
Welcome to 2024,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Pastor Rob