Greetings friends!
This is your "Transitional Navigator" Jared Heaton coming to you one last time over the friendly "web-waves" as I write my last installment in the NHA blog. This Sunday will be my last with NHA as I've taken a position with a Converge church in Minnesota as their senior high youth pastor. The church is called First Baptist Church and its in the small town of Cambridge. I know, the name is kind of generic, not nearly as hip and fresh as New Hope Ashland, but they've actually got a daughter church in town named New Hope so that name is already taken. And I'm rambling...
So, because this is my last Sunday, I wanted to leave you all with something that's very special to me, a sermon that truly comes from my heart. When I was in Haiti a few months ago, I allowed myself to get so consumed by the work of the ministry that I failed to nurture the relationship that begets the ministry. With my personal relationship with God weakened, I returned from the trip exhausted and without the focus required to lead others in spiritual growth. Luckily, I had prepared thoughts and notes for the upcoming Sunday sermons before the trip and by the following Sunday, I was encouraged and ready to bring the Word. It was a close call though and a real wake up call to keep my eyes where they need to be first and foremost. In order for any of us to be effective witnesses of Christ in this life, we have to train our eyes on Christ alone. Hebrews 12:2 speaks to this in that, the reason we look only on Jesus is because he is the creator and sustainer of our faith. Without our eyes on Christ, all our service lacks meaning and true motivation. I can point to multiple times in my life where I have taken my focus off of Jesus and all of a sudden I'm feeling exhausted and unproductive. Have you ever felt like this? Join us this Sunday to hear the rest of what Christ has to tell us about his life-giving power and to hear some examples of people who learned this lesson the hard way.
Also this Sunday, Dan Peterson from Converge will be back with us to worship with us and to lead the second Town Hall meeting of all NHA members/attendees. Last month, Dan collected input from all of you and this Sunday he's going to deliver the information gleaned from that input and help us map a future for NHA. Your participation is vital to the future of NHA. This is YOUR church. God has brought you here to work through you. We'll meet following the worship service and we'll provide pizza and pop for lunch. See you then, my brothers and sisters!
Heaton, out.
