At the end of another year, I am both amazed at bow quickly time passes and grateful for what the Lord has done in my life and the opportunities I have had for ministry. For a variety of reasons, this has been a difficult year both personally and professionally, yet the Lord has once again shown His faithfulness. As Deuteronomy 31:6 says: "The Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." God does not promise a life without difficulty, but He does promise His presence and help. I am grateful for Pastor Mark, ás he once again taught me much this year about pastoral ministry and has been a particular soUrce of comfort and guidance throughout the year. I am grateful for his partnership and friendship, and I trust that the congregation realizes the blessing we have in the senior pastor the Lord has given us.

I see many signs of growth in the congregation in the past year, and that is encouraging. The general level of spiritual maturity and leadership in the church seems to be growing, and many people are participating in Bible studies, Sunday school, and other opportunities for spiritual growth. There is also a growing desire for outreach and evangelism, both to our community and beyond. This has particularly been seen in the one-day mission opportunities that have happened and the team planning for our first-ever adult mission trip to Kentucky in August 2002. I am also encouraged by the new people the Lord is bringing to our church, according to His wisdom. Many new people are getting involved in the life and ministry of the church and thereby strengthening the church as a whole.

Another very positive development in the past year is the conclusion of the Strategic Planning Process, which is really just the beginning of an ongoing process. Through the work of this team, we have taken a careful look at who God has made us as a church, and this lays the foundation as we think about the direction God desires for us in the future. There is a growing sense of people looking for how we can be even more faithful and effective for the Lord, rather than resting comfortably in a stable budget and healthy attendance numbers. In the coming year, we will need to continue to grapple with how our mission as a church should affect a number of issues, including staffing, facilities, programs, etc.

There are also some wonderful opportunities this coming year. Prominent among these is the planned sabbatical for Pastor Mark. Knowing now a little about the stresses and difficulties of pastoral ministry, I recognize that this time of spiritual rest, reflection, and renewal is very important and long overdue after Mark's 15 years of ministry here at Friedens. I am excited about how this time will be a benefit to Mark personally and professionally, as well as a meaningful time for his family, who sacrifice so much to support and participate in Mark's ministry. With the Lord's help, I am ready and willing to assume primary pastoral leadership during the 2 months of the sabbatical. I also believe that this will be a time of growth for the congregation, as our lay leadership will need to "step up to the plate" even more during these months. In addition, Paul Kopp will be doing his pastoral internship at the church as part of his ongoing seminary training for ministry. I look forward to working with Paul, benefiting from his ministry contributions, and helping him in his preparation for ministry. My appreciation extends to the church Council and congregation for recognizing the importance of a sabbatical for Mark at this time.

Another opportunity and challenge before us this year is the question of how we are going to interact with the growing numbers of people the Lord is sending our way. We need to go out of our way to welcome unfamiliar faces and expand our circles of fellowship. We need to be flexible in our approach to the church's ministry, realizing that this is Christ's church and His desire is to reach out to others for as long as there are people who do not know Him.

As well as growing in terms of the numbers of lives we touch with Christ, we also need to continue to grow in passion for Christ. As we seek to reach out further into the surrounding communities for Christ, our light must burn more brightly. We have seen greater numbers of people becoming passionate about growing in their relationship with Christ through Bible study, prayer, worship, and ministry, and this trend needs to continue and even pick up pace. My prayer is that this will be so in the coming year. This is needed for people of all ages in our church, but it is the adults who must set the example for our children and youth.

Another challenge that lies before us is ministering to people that commonly "fall through the cracks" of our current ministries. This would include singles, post-high school young adults, and, to some degree, senior citizens. We must find ways of either expanding current ministries or starting new ones in order to more effectively minister to these people.

My feeling is that in many ways, Friedens Church is standing on the edge of something much greater, which is both frightening and exciting. The question is open before us whether we will faithfully follow the Lord forward into a place of much greater impact for our Lord Jesus Christ, or whether we will shrink back. As the well-know hymn Amazing Grace says, "The Lord has led [ safe thus far, and He will lead [ home." We need but to trust in our faithful God.

Thank you all for the privilege of serving you another year as pastor. You continue to grow more dear to me, and I am pleased and excited by what the Lord is doing here at Friedens.