Every church needs local leadership, and if the congregation is too small to afford a full-time pastor, then the leader must of necessity be a qualified volunteer, a lay pastor.
"Lay" is no reference to his ability--it refers only to his employment status. Some lay pastors will actually be retired ministers, fully trained, able to serve as experienced pastors. Others will have jobs in the community, and do their pastoral work on their own time.
Our lay-pastor program is encouraging to me. I ask you to pray for its success. In November we will be screening potential lay pastors. In December will be our initial training session. Please ask God to guide us, all to his honor and glory. Page 1.
Daily average mail income in October was $130,182, the lowest figure for the year.
If November does not significantly rebound as we hope, we may need to once again downsize operational budgets, a painful experience. Your prayers are requested for the rebound of the average daily mail income numbers.
We are far enough along in the year that we can begin to project year-end balances with a degree of precision. It appears that we will run a deficit of about $1 million.
The church plans to introduce a pledge program in December. The pledge is anonymous, with no one, not even the pastor, knowing how much the pledger commits to give. The system was developed with input from regional pastors and Los Angeles members. Page 3.
Youth magazine has a new owner and continues to point teens to Christ.
The new owners are Art and Carl Muselman, and Art's daughter, Karen Thomas, a Christian family. Karen wants the magazine to continue to share and promote Christian values and ethics.
Rick Shallenberger, a local church elder in the Evansville, Indiana, church, remains as editor, and is associate publisher.
Roger Lippross, a local elder in Pasadena, is also an associate publisher.
The magazine will use many writers from the Worldwide Church of God as well as several other Christian writers. Page 6.
Something noteworthy is happening in our fellowship. We are experiencing a marked increase in the number of congregations or groups of brethren who have expressed determination to show love and support to other brethren.
In our fellowship the concept of brethren helping brethren is nothing new. We are a giving church.
However, the increased desire for one group of brethren to walk in a sister church relationship with another is a manifestation of the spiritual transformation that Christ is accomplishing in us.
The church has received enough inquiries that Randal Dick devotes his "Window on the World" column to the subject of sister churches. Page 7.
Nov. 19, 1996, Worldwide News, page two
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