Written on the top of every council, commission, and board agenda is the mission statement of this congregation: “The mission of the Shippensburg Church of the Brethren is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ at home and abroad and to develop the spiritual life of its members in accord with the standards and teachings of the New Testament.”These are the guiding principles under which the ministry of the congregation is carried out. This statement also helps us evaluate how well we are doing ministry in this place and around the world.
It is one year in May that we dedicated our Family Life Center (FLC), and this facility has provided new opportunities for us to implement our mission. Getting to this place in our life together requires a review of what is very important for us to remember. Looking back at that history there were significant moments in time which demonstrates what God can do with those who are willing to have faith. Let this be a reminder of how God worked through us during the past several years.
Following our council meeting when the vote was taken to proceed with our plans to build the FLC, it was announced that we were to receive $95,250 from the Virginia S. Martin estate. The timing of this gift was so amazing that those in attendance said, “Could this be God’s doing?”
But the story does not end there. Shortly before our May ground breaking, we received another notification that we would receive another $298,230 from the same estate. When this was announced following ground breaking, there was a sense of disbelief, but then these words, “This must be God’s doing!”
Now that the FLC is in use, we can see with eyes of faith that God has blessed us through these financial gifts and the generosity of those among us who gave so freely of their money and time. There is a long list of activities which are held in this new addition, and some of them provide new challenges as to how we can fulfill our mission. Keep these unfolding opportunities in your prayers, and watch out because God can do great things if we remain faithful. Yes, this was God’s doing!
Pastor Jerry