Reframe Your Problems
A Message from Pastor Jamey
Hey everybody,
Life is full of problems, isn’t it? My mom used to say that “Life is a series of adjustments.” We adjust to one problem as it comes our way, and then we adjust to the next one and the one after that. Depending on your problem, it can feel very overwhelming. Relational problems fall into that category. They can be draining. If you are in a marriage that is struggling or you have some strained friendships, you know how daunting that can feel.
I like what Pastor Rick Warren says about problems. He says that “life is a series of problem-solving opportunities. The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you, depending on how you respond to them.” There is something hopeful about viewing problems as “problem-solving opportunities.”
Suppose you don’t have enough money for your budget. In that case, finding ways to cut the budget or creatively increase income with a side job is an opportunity. A marriage in crisis could be an opportunity to bring healing, health, and strength through the right decisions.
When I think about how I spend most of my time at work, outside of writing messages, I probably spend the most time in meetings identifying and trying to resolve various problems that come up. One of my favorite problems that I’ve had to grapple with lately is the problem of church growth. Believers has grown significantly over the last year!
Get this, Believers Kids has experienced nearly 24% growth in the last year. We are so excited about this! Champions Club, our ministry to families with special needs, is bursting at the seams and ready to go to two services. It’s such a great opportunity. The challenge is that while attendance has grown 24%, the percentage of those serving on an Impact TEAM in BK has remained steady. No growth. In fact, they’re working with fewer volunteers in 2023 than they were in 2022!
We’re experiencing similar “problems” with the number of group leaders, greeters, café workers, parking lot attendants, etc. Overall attendance at Believers is up 31% when comparing the first two months of 2023 to 2022. This is a GREAT problem…but it is a problem. We are working on finding creative solutions to these problems, but the reality is that YOU are part of the solution.
Since you’re reading this, there is a good chance that you are already plugged into Believers. You probably serve on an Impact TEAM, participate in a BeGroup, and attend services regularly. Assuming that is true, you could help us find solutions to this problem by:
Praying for 5 people that you could invite to serve where you serve. Maybe someone is in your BeGroup, and you know that they don’t currently serve. Or maybe it’s someone in your family. All of us who attend regularly know people who aren’t currently serving. Invite them to join you.
Pray about who you will invite to Easter. I know; it sounds counterintuitive. If we are struggling to keep up, how is inviting even more people to attend going to help? The more people who are here, the greater pool we have to draw from. There are people who would LOVE to be a part of serving in their community. Let’s invite them here. Easter is April 9th. Get someone here with you that day.
If you aren’t currently serving or have taken a break…prayerfully consider jumping back in now. We have opportunities everywhere, but when someone asks me about our greatest need, I would say it’s in NextGen. Help prepare the next generation to follow Jesus! We’ll help you to succeed!
This Sunday, we conclude the Re|Engage series…God is up to something big at Believers, and I am grateful you’re a part of it!
See you Sunday!!
Pastor Jamey