As we kick off this first News Letter from the First Baptist Church / New Beginnings, Church of Ogden, I would like to extend some well deserved thanks to all of our family members worshiping God in our church on the corner. We have been blessed with a spirit of service and unity visiting upon virtually everyone in our congregation. From building maintenance (considerable indeed), plus cleaning, Sunday preparation activities, bulletins, music and Praise Voices, snow removal, to Game Night (Team Building), Men’s and Women’s activities, prayer concerns for others, and outreach activities like the Food Pantry and Praise Dogs, we are faithfully serving God and His children from this corner of the world. Thank you!
And yet, church is even more than service only. We are a Bible based church that focusses on God’s word not man’s for guidance, resolutions to life’s challenges, maturing, growth, and walking in our faith in Him who created us. We have been made to praise, glorify, and magnify God’s Holy and Precious Name above all others. We do this through our worship on Sundays, our study throughout the week, plus when we show our love for each other, and look outside our church for opportunities to serve God’s creation before ourselves. I believe we are on our way as a family, in learning to love the Lord, each other, and people who do not know God or have not had our blessings of a relationship in Him yet. For all of you open to the promptings of the Spirit, and showing it by your consideration, kindness, and care for others. Thank you!
This year, the beginning of March brings in the time of Lent. Lent is a time frame of forty days, not counting Sundays. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (6 March this year) and ends on Easter Saturday right in between Crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord. Lent is an Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means “spring time of the year.” As Wednesday is forty days before Easter and represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry. This is a time of, self reflection, deep prayer, and repentance, as we await the coming of Easter. Today, many Christians in the church will focus on their relationship with God, and commit to give up something like a luxury or volunteer to serve others, even more than usual. For those of you that will spend this time thinking outside of your selves; thank you!
I can’t begin to tell you how honored and excited I am to be a Pastor in this church serving God and you, and God bless you!
Pastor Steve