Pastor Mike updates from Marseille, France

LBC’s vision of Good News for the World is all about partnering with local churches around the world to invite people to follow Jesus.

After wrapping up two weeks of vacation, Mike and Molly are encouraging the churches of the International Christian Community network.

Mike gives us an update, fresh off preaching at ICC - Marseille. He then introduces us to a few of our brothers and sisters in Marseille! As you watch, enjoy the people of the church talking and laughing in the background then pray for their work and witness among the people of Marseille. Even though they are small, their impact is great and far reaching.

Meet Nardous, whose family is living in Marseille and working with Ethiopian Airlines.

Meet Richard Chenette, current Pastor of ICC - Marseille and former elder from the Virginia area.

Meet Dan Painter, Founder and President Emeritus of ICC.

Pastor Transition Update

This month we turn the page and begin a new chapter in the Lake Baldwin Church story. You have a significant role as part of the LBC family, so we wanted to give you the latest information.

Brian Lum Shue Chan becomes Senior Pastor this month

We’re so thankful that God has brought Brian, Debbie, and their family our way. We believe Brian has the gifts and experience to lead us in this next chapter. Brian will officially join our staff on July 18th. He will be preaching on July 24th and will be installed as Senior Pastor on July 31st. Bring your whole family and your friends for the event on July 31st. We’ll have a church-wide picnic (with water slides for the kids) right after the service. 

Mike Tilley will take on Assistant Pastor duties

Based on good conversations with Brian and our elders, I will be supporting Brian’s leadership with responsibility for outreach, small group discipleship, helping with ministry operations, and other pastoral functions. This will continue at least until the end of the year.

After an initial orientation for Brian, Molly and I will leave town for much of the early fall. This will allow for some much needed rest followed by some work with church partners overseas. We believe this will also be a good season for our church to make the change to Brian’s leadership.

We encourage you to renew your financial giving

One of the highlights of Brian’s installation will be the vows that he makes, and the vows that we make. Among those is a promise that we will support Brian and his family financially. If each person participates with consistent giving, then we believe God will provide for our church as he has in the past. If you can also give a special one-time gift at this time it will reduce the shortfall that we often experience at this time of year. Simply go to www.lakebaldwinchurch.com to give a secure gift. We are so grateful for your financial partnership.

By God’s grace we are in a season of growth

God has been answering prayers, and we continue to see an abundance of gospel fruit through the efforts of our congregation. With this exciting time of transition we continue to look to God for his enduring grace.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6)

Much love and appreciation to each of you.

Mike Tilley
Senior Pastor

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Serving Front-Line Pastors in Europe

We refer to it as the greatest story never told: the story of how God is using international churches  around the world to reach expats, immigrants, and in-country nationals. Molly and I had a front-row seat at the annual Pastors’ Retreat in Germany September 13-18.

The vision of our LBC Global Missions Team is to “partner with the global church to bring the gospel to the nations.” As part of this vision we partner with the International Christian Community (ICC). For several years I have served as chairman of the board for the organization, while working alongside leaders in Europe to craft and implement the strategic plan for the ministry. Molly joins me in this effort as we seek to encourage front-line pastors and their wives.

Here are six highlights from the ICC Pastors’ Retreat, held this year in Teisendorf, Germany, near the Austrian border.

1. Covid is not stopping the spread of the gospel. One of the field reports was from the church in Leipzig, Germany, where two people were recently baptized. One was from the former east Germany, and the other was from a Muslim background in Egypt. Pastors across Europe continue their work despite COVID restrictions.

2. New church planting is on the radar. Steve Liston is a former foreign service officer and international businessman who is preparing to assist with a new church plant in Madrid, Spain. Steve is currently an elder at the historic Fourth Presbyterian Church near Washington, DC, one of the supporting churches for ICC. He will likely  be assisted by Vlad, a Romanian who has been serving with our affiliate in Lyon, France to prepare for a future role as pastor.

3. Pastors with ICC are adapting their discipleship plans for a unique context. International churches in Europe are brimming with potential because the nations of the world are moving to the cities of Europe. That said, international business people only stick around for 2-3 years. In light of this challenge, I was asked to lead a workshop on building healthy disciples in the church. I was able to contextualize the new LBC “Grow” booklet for the European context, with case studies from churches in Bordeaux, France and Landstuhl, Germany.

4. Pastors and wives were encouraged by solid biblical teaching and rich fellowship. This is especially important because of the sense of isolation in their ministry struggles. Our guest speaker was Toby DuBose, a PCA pastor serving in Germany. He did a fabulous job teaching the book of Jonah. This is part of why Molly and I receive encouragement from the annual ICC Pastors’ Retreat!

5. Challenges abound. The church in Marseilles, France lost half of their attendance during COVID. They are just now rebuilding. There are churches in Prague and Monaco with empty pulpits. Some churches face conflict and division, and this leaves the pastors needing support and a listening ear. Marriages are tested. Turnover takes a toll, as happened this past year at our affiliate in Budapest.

6. There is hope for the future. After the retreat the leaders of ICC met in Munich to update our future plans. We talked about developing new leaders, forming an internship program for younger pastors to learn the ropes, and our plans to partner with other organizations. Despite the challenges, we are trusting God for new, gospel-centered churches to be established in the cities of Europe.

Molly and I appreciate the support of Lake Baldwin Church and our Global Missions Team as we serve in this part of God’s harvest.

You can learn more about ICC at: icceurasia.com 

Mike Tilley
Senior Pastor

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Interview with our Missionary Partners - The Meyers!

During Community Life two Sundays ago, we got a taste of Jason Weimer's Zoom call with Ross and Aislinn, our friends and missionary partners serving with Serge in London. Today we'll debut the extended version, click here or the link below to watch their full conversation! 

Exclusive interview with the Meyer family, our beloved missionaries serving in London!

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Interview with our Missionary Partners - The Jean-Rejouis Family!

During Community Life a few Sundays ago, we were able to tune in for a portion of Sarah Bergeson's Zoom call with Katie and Davidson Jean-Rejouis, our friends and missionary partners serving with MTW in Toulouse, France. This week you'll get exclusive access to the extended version, click here or the link below to watch their full conversation! 

Exclusive interview with the Jean-Rejouis family, our beloved missionaries serving in Toulouse, France! Feat. the one and only Sarah Bergeson...

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Black Voices Speak: Racial Brokenness

Having offered our own church statement, this week we invite you to join us as we listen to the ways in which African American leaders within our denomination are discussing and thinking through racial unrest and brokenness. Click here or below to watch the MNA webinar panel discussion on Racial Brokenness in America and Our Gospel Response.

How do God's people "bind up the brokenhearted" in Jesus' name in a society as torn apart by violence, oppression, and strife as ours is currently? While tak...

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For additional reading, please click here to read a statement from PCA Coordinators and Presidents.

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Update from the Bowles in Bangkok

The words “depart for America” are scribbled out in dark, black ink on our kitchen calendar. A summer furlough seems a small casualty but still a loss among this season of COVID. And so, life goes on, here in Bangkok, as in the rest of our rapidly shrinking world. 

Back in late January, the night before Chloe and I flew out to KL, Malaysia for a conference, I asked John to google “Corona Virus.” The conference would have about 3,000+ Chinese people and news was just beginning to escalate about a virus from Wuhan. I figured I’d guard my thoughts from phrases and statistics and just let my husband determine if the travel would be safe. And so we went. In hindsight, I thank God for protection and health, especially considering Chloe (no doubt) shared toys and whatever else in the childcare.

As the numbers of COVID cases rose, Bangkok fell like a domino with the rest of the world in shutting down schools, malls (a BIG deal here) and other businesses, temples, churches, etc. as well as the design firm John works for. After the initial shock subsided, we did what people do, we adapted. 

For me personally, there’s a lot of silver lining that comes with shelter in place, social distancing and newfound space to reflect and consider mortality. I’ve found this to be true also among our neighbors and church family in Bangkok. A friend from our church once shared with me about her staunch Taoist parents. She’d gone on a visit to a mausoleum with her father. The annual ritual was to honor their ancestors with incense, chanting and intercession for their souls. She described the scene as chaotic and desperate. However, she was able to direct her father’s attention to the stark contrast of the other half of the mausoleum, where Christians are laid to rest. There, it was quiet, still, even peaceful. She pointed to Christ in that moment, bearing witness to her father about His finished, redemptive work and  the peace that she’s come to know by His grace. Now since fear and uncertainty have raged with the pandemic, she told me that for the first time her parents have really listened and asked questions about their daughter’s peculiar faith. What’s more, her fiance has felt more comfortable to join in online attendance of Grace City Bangkok (GCB).

Recently, we met with our GCB small group. My friend was sharing about God’s work in her life during COVID. She grew up in a small town far from Bangkok. By God’s grace, she did an exchange program her Junior year of high school, lived with a pastor and his family in Lubbock, TX and converted from Buddhism to Christianity in that time. She married a Texan and though they lived in the suburbs of Lubbock for some years, she never shook the burden of knowing her sisters and parents back in Thailand had next to no knowledge of Christ, much less, a personal reference for what it means to love Jesus. And so a decade later, she and her husband moved their young, growing family back to BKK. When news of COVID spread, they retreated with their 3 kids from their small apartment in the city, back to her childhood home…a sort of family compound in rural Thailand. She shared with our group that through the tension of close quarters and the impending pandemic, she experienced some long prayed for reconciliation with her sisters and parents. In her characteristically calm and gracious way, she told us about how her Father had paid her the extremely rare compliment. In short, he was struck by her marriage and their parenting in a way that can only be explained in light of a daughters’ prayer for her father to see “something different;” something different in their family dynamic because they are grounded in God’s grace.  My friend naturally parlayed the compliment to point to the grace of God she knows as His child. 

Finally, The ThaiBowles, my family and I, make our home here in BKK as a hybrid role with Mission to the World and a local (“premiere”!) design/branding agency. In other words, we took the Perspectives Class, raised our hands and done uprooted our lives in America to be a part of the world gospel movement. We do this largely through church planting, full time work with the design agency and well, normal life in community as we would have in say, Orlando, FL. After 5 years of working side by side, and many invitations, John’s co-worker had just begun showing up in the GCB lobby.  It seems his fiancée decided she wants to attend Grace City for “convenience.” She identifies as Christian, he does not. It should be noted that they have asked John to officiate their wedding in December. (No, he’s not ordained, but this is Thailand! This is our life now.) So that was very exciting, and then with COVID, things moved online. It’s always a small thrill to see his personal logo (“JD”) show up in the matrix of Zoom attendees. 

This is nothing new, God is at work despite ourselves. Though we often live our lives under a false pretense of predictability, and calculated expectations, it takes a pandemic to remind us that the veil between life and death is thin. And I’m thankful for that weight.

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Julie is originally from Atlanta and part of her heart is still in Decatur. She’s married to John and they have two kids, Jonah (8) and Chloe (4). They’ve been in Thailand for 5 years. She’s a lifelong learner & lover of The Gospel and culture. In addition to the endlessly interesting backdrop of Bangkok, sparks of life for her include: Spotify, live shows, reading, yoga, riding bikes with Chloe and mostly: porch sitting and drinking with John. 

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Navigating the Upside Down: A Guide to Living in Strange(r) Times

Navigating the Covid-19 crisis has been an emotional rollercoaster. So the first thing I want you to know is this: you’re not crazy, and you’re not alone! It is absolutely normal to have emotions gone haywire, strained relationships or even to feel like you are barely hanging by a thread. I only have to reflect on the last twenty-four hours to recognize that my anger burns quicker, my patience wears thinner and my tears well up more unexpectedly than ever before. I feel anxious and jittery and the temptation to mindlessly numb-out in front of Netflix or another distraction is strong. This is a time of BIG feelings. And no wonder: society has experienced a complete upheaval. We face uncertainty and loss, we are uncomfortable, disrupted, confused, lonely and isolated. Many of us have developed symptoms of anxiety and depression which can be unsettling and scary, especially if we have never struggled in this way before. 

Your feelings are valid. Pay attention to them. Try not to judge, minimize or compare them by thinking “I shouldn’t feel this way”, “I’m just weak” or “others have it worse”. We often try to repress or numb our feelings. Sometimes, we are so good at avoiding them that we can’t even name them. You could print out a feeling wheel or this soul words list and stick it to your fridge. Use it to increase you emotional awareness – turning towards your feelings with curiosity and acceptance. The Gottman Institute has a helpful 6-step process for this (see below).

One of the big emotions that we are all experiencing is grief, and to grieve well is to name our losses, and allow ourselves to feel the associated anger, sadness or fear. Some losses are more tangible and painful such as the death of a loved one, the loss of a job or financial security, the loss of community (at church, school, work…) or of celebration (weddings, birthdays, graduations and other significant life events). These might lead to less tangible losses of self-worth, happiness, or purpose. Other losses may seem less significant, but are nonetheless important to process: the loss of routine, of face-to-face connection, of time to yourself or stress-free shopping.

Our upturned circumstances also have us facing future-losses. We might call this anticipatory grief, which is more like anxiety. This goes beyond cancelled vacation plans to the loss of safety or of the future that we had mapped out for ourselves. We might also experience anxiety associated with the pressures of working from home, being a key worker on the frontlines or with job or financial uncertainty. We might be struggling with our faith and finding it hard to connect with the Lord in the midst of the messiness. On top of this, we might be managing our own (or others’) expectations of how we should be navigating this season, or measuring ourselves against others on social media who seem to be achieving more, functioning better and downright thriving while we feel like we are barely surviving. 

If you like to journal (and even if you don’t!), it can be helpful to list these losses: you might identify with some of the ones I named, and be able to add your own. 

This allows us to move towards accepting and then adapting to our new normal. Then, list your strengths, coping skills and sources of support. Think about times in the past when you navigated a challenging transition or painful experience. What helped you make it through? 

Some other suggestions:

• Breathe. When we are anxious or angry, we often take short shallow breaths. Practicing deep breathing instead increases the oxygen to our brains, slows our heartbeat and lowers our blood pressure and stress. To do this, sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor (or lie on your back), closing your eyes if you want to. Breathe in deeply through your nose for a count of 4, hold for 4, then exhale for 4 through your mouth. Keep going until you feel calmer.

• Ground yourself. If you are feeling numb or agitated bring your awareness to your surroundings by naming things you can see, hear, feel, smell and taste. This provides an anchor to your body and the present moment. 

• Keep a gratitude journal. Start by listing 3 things you are grateful for each day. This shifts our thoughts and feelings towards things that are positive and valuable and can help us gain perspective on our stress and worries. 

• Stay connected. It can be easy to retreat and disconnect from others because our usual ways of connecting are not possible, so be creative: make a phone call, text, video chat, use social media or pick up a pen and write a card. Check in on those you love and ask others to do the same for you. 

• Pray. Tell the Lord how you are feeling. 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you.” If you can’t find the words to say, pray the Psalms. If you’re feeling creative you might even want to write your own! Adam Young has some great podcasts and resources to help with this.

Finally, your current feelings and worries might trigger past traumas. It might be harder to navigate this season because of the echoes of hurts or abuses in your past. If this is true for you, please do not walk through this alone. There is no shame in reaching out for help. You can talk to a friend, community group leader, elder or staff member and Orlando is blessed with a fantastic community of good counselors. You are also welcome to reach out to me at aimee.mckinney@lakebaldwinchurch.com. I would be happy to meet with you or provide you with a referral. 

Hang in there, be gentle with yourselves and may you know the Lord’s kindness and peace at this time.

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Aimée is married to Mark (LBC Director of Youth Ministries) and together they have a daughter, Anna, who is 17 months old and keeps them on their toes! Aimée is a registered mental health counseling intern, having graduated from RTS with an MA in Counseling last May. She juggles her time between being a stay-at-home mum and meeting with clients on a voluntary basis at the church. She loves to bake, craft and spend time outside and is passionate about connecting with people and hearing their stories.

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Lake Baldwin Church Statement on Racism

We affirm that all people are created in the image of God. We affirm the dignity and value of every human life, from the womb to the tomb.

We lament and grieve the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and all others, killings made worse when part of a pattern of racism. In all these cases we pray for justice, and for the families of the victims.

We hear the words of Proverbs 31:8-9-- “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” As we speak up for the unborn, we speak up for all those who are unjustly treated, including those who are people of color.

We believe in original sin, and acknowledge our many sins against God and neighbor. We acknowledge that racism is not only part of original sin, but is abhorrent to God. We believe that God has called us, not only to general repentance, but to repentance of particular sins. So we turn from the evil of racism in our country and in our hearts.

We affirm the right and legitimacy of peaceful protest, and stand with those who cry out for an end to systemic injustice. We deplore any form of violence and destruction.

We deplore the degrading actions of some police officers, who have sworn to uphold the law and to protect citizens. But we also give thanks for the police officers who daily risk their lives to protect us, and who today are being exposed to danger when protests turn violent.

We affirm the words of Jesus, who said that sin originates in the human heart. “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.” (Mark 7:21-22). We also affirm the good news of the gospel, that through his death and resurrection, Christ cleanses our hearts from sin and renews our hearts to love God and neighbor.

As those redeemed by God through Christ, we weep with those who weep, and mourn with those who mourn. We come alongside and stand with our brothers and sisters who are people of color. We hear and believe their stories of both subtle and overt racism, of ill treatment and fear. We embrace them as part of our community of faith, where Christ has not only bridged the gap between God and humankind, but has torn down the dividing wall between people of all ethnicities. (Ephesians 2)

We believe that God has given us the home for the instruction and care of children. So we call on parents to raise their children to respect the dignity of all people created in the image of God.

We believe that God has given the government to use its authority to oppose evil and to protect the innocent. So we call on political leaders at every level to uphold our laws and to change laws that are unjust.

We believe that God has given the church as an instrument of his peace in a broken world. So we call on the church to offer the hope of the gospel and to work on behalf of the widow and the orphan, and for all the marginalized, without partiality. (James 1:27)

We hear and heed the words of the prophet Micah: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

We pray and live and hope in light of the promise of Revelation 7:9-- “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one can number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”

How He Comforts Me

 In early May, I received a sweet card from Kayla Oliver. She quoted James Bryant Smith, and wrote that she hoped this would be like “balm for my soul,” as it has been for her:

“I am one in whom Christ delights and dwells.

I live in the strong and unshakable Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom is not in trouble and neither am I.”

Little did Kayla know how much I needed to hear that, and how very fitting it was for me, given all that has been happening with my job due to the pandemic.

I have been working as a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, or Ultrasound Technologist, for over forty years. I was fortunate in the mid 1970’s to bring the first US machine to Pierce County in Washington state. It was an exciting time, and I truly love what I get to do. 

Since moving to Orlando in 1988, I have been offered many growth opportunities in the field of women and children’s applications for ultrasound. I have had plenty of ups and downs in my career, but never have I experienced anything like this pandemic.

We began to prepare once we saw what was occurring in New York, since we do provide direct patient care. Near the end of March, I was directly exposed to an employee who was hospitalized that same week for COVID-19. This was stunning, and brought home the reality that the coronavirus was here, too. Thankfully, I have been blessed with no symptoms to date. 

As the public was told to isolate, both our inpatient and outpatient volumes dropped dramatically. Then, in mid-April, the leadership at the hospital gave us 2 days to redeploy 20% of our staff; which meant 20% of all of Radiology, and this included the Support Staff. 

Somewhere in the midst of this, I noticed a pattern in my prayer life. I had been praying earnestly for my team, for our health, and that there would be no exposure and plenty of PPE. But all at once I realized that I was exclusively praying these prayers in the mornings before work, and in the evenings at the close of the day. I never took the time to pray during or throughout the day, which was startling to me. How could I forget to remember God in the middle of all this? I shared this with my community group (for which I am so very grateful we have continued to meet, now twice per week via Zoom). I felt their prayers strengthen me, even as my manager and other imaging supervisors sought to determine who would be redeployed. We could not, and still cannot, assure anyone that their jobs are going to still be here when this is all over.  

Our Central Florida region hit its peak in COVID cases 3-4 weeks ago. In the last two weeks, our patient volumes have increased and we have been able to bring some team members back; however, the administration has been very clear that this is temporary. None of us know if the virus will resurge, and if it does, this would make redeployment necessary once again. In the hospital we are not only aware of COVID lurking, but the insecurity of the times for the entire medical environment. What is it ultimately going to look like?

As I reach out to those of my team members on redeployment, I pray that I can offer them something encouraging. I want to give them hope, while still being honest that we really don’t know what things will look like. I pray that they will trust me, and know that I am hopeful to bring them back. I have had so many sleepless nights, and visions of their hurt and disappointed faces. I have no control. Which of course, none of us do. 

Recently I, along with other employees over 62 years of age and in ‘good standing’ were offered an early retirement. I was in turmoil, and I thought this offer was going to be a directive. I worked on my budget all night long, I hardly slept but tried to pray. The next the morning, I was unexpectedly reminded of the truth: that no matter what comes, I will be alright. God will provide. It was only after this realization that I heard the early retirement was being offered as an option. I was so relieved, and I felt again, like ‘ye of little faith.’ He doesn’t leave us, though we so easily wander and worry ourselves away.

All of my frailties have been emphasized in my own mind these past months. Yet all the while, our shared study of the Psalms and such wonderful encouragement and love from my community group has trully sustained and comforted me. I am so grateful for our loving God.

My go-to verse for years has always been John 14:18, which I find to be so incredibly relevant for all of us during this time: “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you…”, a reminder that we are to call upon Him when we are fearful, for He is and always will be our hope…

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Olga was born in Bergen, Norway. In the 1950's, her parents immigrated to Tacoma, Washington, in order to be near her father's brother. She had a very Norwegian, old-fashioned upbringing. She and her sister were sent to Sunday School with the neighbors, since her parents, and particularly her mother, were not church-goers (though her dad would go with me if she asked him). The most profound change in her life came upon moving to Florida, evidenced not only by the fact that now she sees sunshine almost every day, but also because it is here that she found her faith, through a wonderful coworker and friend at ORMC. She had no idea of the relationship that the Lord wants with us, and so she often says that her life was literally saved once she moved to Orlando. 

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Survey Results and Next Steps

This week in our “Voices” series we want to share the highlights of our congregational survey on reopening the church. We’re grateful for the “voices” of those 175 people who provided information that will be helpful as we prepare for return to public worship.

We also want to update you on the plan that is developing as we pray and consult with elders, deacons, staff, and our church family.

Highlights of the Congregational Survey on Reopening The Church

Here are six takeaways that stood out:

• Given CDC recommendations and best practices for safety, 57% of those who responded would be comfortable returning to worship by early June. 30% are still unsure, and 11% are not ready to return in the foreseeable future.

• The biggest felt need is for fellowship and community: 62%. We also see significant numbers of people battling stress (32%) or loneliness (18%).

• Most households, 66%, have found the COVID season to be hard overall. 19% feel that it has been about the same.

• Of those in Community Groups, 2/3 are willing to attend in person, while 1/3 would say not right away.

• With regard to children, 34% are ready to send elementary age children to SPLASH anytime, with 30% preferring to wait until schools reopen. For nursery age, 22% are ready now, while 46% simply do not know yet.

• For families having middle or high school students, 77% would be comfortable with their teenagers attending youth group anytime or when church resumes public worship.

Benchmarks for Returning to Public Worship

Churches in our city are all over the map on this, with some starting in June and others waiting until the fall. In our case, there is an added challenge: venue.  As you know, our normal worship location is in an Orange County Public School, which has not yet granted access. 

That said, our reopening plan lists several criteria.

• CDC and other guidelines, including phases in the reopening of public events. Phase 1 involves groups under 10; Phase 2 groups under 50; and Phase 3 larger groups. So we are preparing to return to public worship in Phase 3.

• Love for neighbor—adhering to safety measures and phases so that our church does not unwittingly contribute to the spread of new cases.

• Gospel shaped deference toward those who disagree. While our society is locked in debate, Christians have a gospel ethic that leads us to hold differences with grace and respect toward others. Our heart is to be good neighbors, to love one another, and to have gospel humility if the timeline is not our ideal.

Next Steps

While we do not yet have a date certain (see above in regard to public schools and phases), we do want to have forward movement toward more in-person fellowship and community. We do not have to wait to begin taking steps. In fact, we believe that God in his providence still calls us to “be the church” in our homes and communities. While our lockdown in no way compares to the limits imposed on the persecuted church around the world, we chafe at limits.

We view our congregation as adults with the wisdom and responsibility to make their own decisions. We have no plans to dictate or limit what people can do. We can only be clear about what Lake Baldwin Church can offer in each phase.

It’s helpful to think of our plan in light of public phases for the reopening of restaurants, sporting venues, schools, etc. So here are some steps we can take in each phase:

• Phase 1 —Gatherings under 10

  • Online worship

  • Community groups and other gatherings by Zoom

  • Discipleship among youth and adults in 1-1 settings, with social distancing.

• Phase 2 —Gatherings under 50

  • Online Sunday services continue

  • Community groups encouraged to meet in person if that is their wish

  • Informal fellowship for Sunday services with friends or neighbors

  • Conceivably we could offer classes

• Phase 3 —Larger public gatherings

• Return to public worship for those who are ready

• Online worship continues for those who are at risk or who prefer to worship at home for any reason 

• The worship environment would be prepared with safety in mind, adhering to CDC guidelines and best practices

As with any church, the return to public worship will involve careful and safe re-engagement with willing volunteers.

We will learn a lot during the coming weeks, as restrictions are relaxed and as (some) churches begin to meet. A spike in COVID cases would obviously slow or change the process.

In summary…

We appreciate your patience, prayers, and support during this process. We thank the congregation for how so many have responded to this season in so many ways.

If you have questions or input, please do not hesitate to reach out to the elders, the deacons, or the staff.

We have a heart of love for our church family, and, like you, we yearn to gather again, to come into his presence with joyful singing. May we continue to go from strength to strength as we pass through this “Valley of Baca.”

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Mike Tilley

Senior Pastor

mike.tilley@lakebaldwinchurch.com

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Engaging with God in the Aches and Unknown

I walked myself down the makeshift aisle of baby’s breath in front of the city park’s lake, grasping the bouquet of daisies, white ranunculus and asters. Peter looked as handsome as ever in his suit with a wine-colored shirt, white tie and white pocket square. I couldn’t stop beaming. “I am getting married!” I rejoiced internally. “The moment is here!” 

And, yet, I also wanted to weep. Sob. Ugly cry. 

Our nieces and nephews hadn’t stolen the show as our precious flower girls and adorable ring bearers. 

My Dad wasn’t escorting me down the aisle with tears in his eyes. My Mom didn’t button my dress and adjust my ivory veil to make my hair frame my face just-so. 

Our dearest friends and siblings weren’t waiting at the end of the aisle to stand with us as we covenanted before God. 

I didn’t have a celebration to look forward to later that night with 133 of our closest friends and family. No specially-planned dinner. No dancing. No toasts. 

Yes, we were getting married, and hallelujah! There was so, so much to celebrate. But there was simultaneously much to mourn. 

Grief and gratitude 

The two weeks leading up to our March 22 wedding were fraught with rapid, daily developments in our new pandemic reality. 

Six days before our wedding, we requested that our families and friends not travel to Orlando. We requested they stay home, stay healthy and watch from a livestream. We postponed the entire wedding and reception, and we decided to have a tiny makeshift ceremony in a city park.

Peter and I were heartbroken. It’s not that we didn’t want our family and our friends to be with us. We simply needed to be responsible. 

It’s been seven weeks since our wedding, and it has been a season of holding the tension of grief and gratitude before the Lord. 

I’m grateful for our Orlando-based wedding party who pulled off our makeshift wedding marvelously. I’m grateful we could live stream our wedding for our family and friends. I’m grateful I get to walk through this pandemic with Peter, my husband, who is a good and perfect gift from God. 

But, I’m grieving that our nearest and dearest weren’t here physically to witness and celebrate the start of our marriage. I’m grieving that we can’t even celebrate now with our people in person. I’m aching to be in this new season in relationship with others.

Looking ahead into the unknown 

As I look ahead, I find myself wanting to know what’s coming and when. I want to know when the things that I’m grieving so acutely will be resolved, when the relational connections that I’m aching for will be realized. 

When will I see my family and embrace them as a married woman? When can I let my 9-year-old niece try on my veil? When can my parents hug Peter and welcome him as their son-in-law? When can I sit with some girlfriends, laughing and crying and throwing back some LaCroix as we process our lives and marriages together? 

I don’t know. 

That’s the painful truth. I just don’t know. And life is chock full of so many “I don’t know” situations right now that I find myself desperately clawing for something I can know. 

I had a biopsy done on my nose recently for possible skin cancer, and the doctor said I would have the results in less than two weeks. “Less than two weeks?!” My heart sang because I finally had a definite, dependable timetable for something. (The test came back benign, hallelujah.)

But, as for the longings of my heart and even the state of the world as I know it, there’s no definite timetable. I don’t know what tomorrow will look like, let alone three months or three years from now. I don’t know what life will be like for me, for my family, for my church body, for this nation, for the world. And I don’t like that. The unknown is unsettling. 

To whom would I go? 

I don’t know about you but, in the face of unknowns, I tend to shift my heart away from God. If I’m honest, I disengage with God more often than I would like you to know. Maybe it’s for a few days, for an hour, for several minutes. Cold shoulder, hard heart. “God, if You’re not going to give me the answers and timetable that I want, then I definitely don’t want You.” 

I’m reminded of the words of Peter. In John 6, Jesus gives a hard teaching, and a lot of His followers leave Him. Jesus turns to His 12 disciples and asks if they too will leave Him. But, Peter, bless him. Peter says, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.” 

I’ve asked myself where, with my aches and the unknowns, can I go? Where can I turn? I can’t turn to the comfort of relationships because I physically can’t meet with anyone. I can’t turn to the comfort of future plans because I literally don’t know what tomorrow holds. I can’t turn to the comfort of Twistee Treat because it’s not worth the risk (or calories) to daily venture out and drown my sorrows in soft serve. I can’t turn to myself because I know the depths of my own brokenness enough to know that I’m woefully insufficient on my own. 

To whom can I turn but God? 

Let me be clear. In my hurt, I don’t want to turn to God. I don’t want to be dependent on Him. I don’t want to surrender to Him. But, I’m desperate. And in desperation, I am choosing to turn to Him not because it feels good. I am choosing to turn to Him because nothing else is an option.  

Raw emotions and all 

Sometimes I feel like if I’m going to choose to turn to God and engage my heart with Him, I need to clean my feelings up, put on my Sunday best and have a presentable heart. I hear, “Don’t bring your sorrow before Him. He doesn’t want it.”

But, I’m comforted by so many of the Psalms (and I was thrilled this is our current sermon series). I’m comforted to read the cries of lament. The language of heartache. The crying out to God. The raw emotions. Notice that the psalmists don’t try to explain their ache with apologies and shame saying, “God, I’m sorry I feel alone and abandoned. I shouldn’t feel this way. If I really trusted you, I wouldn’t hurt right now.” No. The psalmists feel. And they bravely move toward God in their pain, to which they put such beautiful and broken language. 

And so I’ve been trying to bring my heart before God, to wrestle with Him, to invite Him in. When I journal out my prayers each day, it’s not very pretty. Here’s some of what I wrote on April 30: 

“I find myself not wanting to hope for the future, not wanting to look forward to when we’ve postponed our wedding celebration next year, not wanting to plan to see my family because I’m afraid. I’m afraid that You’ll take away something good, something wonderful that I had planned for, hoped for, longed for. I don’t want my heart to be deadened to hope, but I don’t want to be heartbroken again. I’m grateful I can be real with You. I’m still angry that we didn’t have our wedding how we planned. I’m angry we haven’t been able to be married around nearest and dearest. Being afraid to plan and hope is probably self-protection. And I know I need You in that. My heart feels messy… I’m just sad. I don’t want to need You in this process. I just want to be apart from You, to not invite you into these feelings. I feel a little betrayed. And yet I’m comforted that you aren’t surprised by this pandemic. Lord, please make my heart tender toward You. You know it’s not tender right now. My heart is sad, aching, calloused.” 

Raw, honest, not pretty. But, it’s engaging with Him, it’s inviting Him in.

This isn’t my first “faith in the midst of crisis” rodeo. I know from crises of the past that some days I simply don’t have the words. Some days I simply don’t have the capacity to show up and to give language to the depths of what I’m feeling. Some days I simply don’t have the energy to go there quite so deeply with God. 

On those days, I can choose between the cold shoulder/hard heart combo or offering God the little I muster. And on the days I choose to offer what little I can muster, my prayers often simply sound like, “God, please help me to rest in You today. Please help me to trust You for tomorrow. I’m struggling. I can’t do this on my own.” 

Regardless of if I have many words or few, I know that eventually God will give resolution to my ache. And like so many Psalms of lament, I’ll be able to reaffirm who God is, how incredible He is. I will look back at this season and say, “Wow. God, I see Your faithfulness and goodness.” But right now, I’m in the middle of wrestling with Him. I’m in process. And that’s OK. I’m giving myself permission to lament. And in good time I will be renewed. 

 In this season

In this season, I pray God would help us to face both our grief and our gratitude, to gaze ahead into the unknown, which is frighteningly out of our control. I pray God would help us to engage with Him, to open our hurting hearts to Him, to have language for our lament and to choose to move toward Him. Where else can we go? And I pray we would be able to look back on this season, saying, “Oh, what a season when I engaged my aching heart with God and when I eventually saw God’s goodness and faithfulness.”

God, please help us to rest in You today. And, please help us to trust You for tomorrow. We can’t do this on our own.

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Katie and her husband, Peter, have been married for just seven weeks. Katie started attending Lake Baldwin Church this fall when it became clear she and Peter didn't want to worship apart from each other on Sundays. 

By day, Katie is a writer for a non-profit organization. By night, she's a craft ninja. She loves nature, the nations, creating and journaling. She and Peter like to spend time together baking, playing board games and going on dog walks with Wilbur, their 6-year-old Brittany Spaniel.

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Q + A at the Hostetter House

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Q: How are you and Susanne doing during this time of COVID-19?

Susanne and I are extremely fortunate, and we confess that we have been able to enjoy the prolonged social isolation. I’ve been reading more Puritan literature and a biography of John Newton, while Susanne has been painting constantly and reading one of my own personal favorites, Evangelical Theology by A. A. Hodge. We’ve been tending our flower garden, and have cultivated another sprawling vegetable garden with our daughter, June, which is flourishing in her own backyard. 

Never in our lives have we been granted such an extended length of time together, and alone, for so long. When we were both young, with children and a busy legal career, there never seemed to be enough time. It is only now, with enforced isolation, that we have both been afforded the space to reflect, rejoice and give thanks for the wonderful things God has done for us. 

We can’t begin to describe how sweet the mercy of Christ has been to us, our children, grandchildren and friends, and most especially our friends at LBC. We have loved “virtual worship,” although we desperately miss the opportunity to gather together and fellowship with the saints. 

Q: Many of us are looking to gather again to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. What are your thoughts on the value and benefit of waiting until we gather in person to serve communion?

Last week, as we were approaching the month of May, Susanne and I were reminded of the fact that we as a Church would miss the Lord’s Supper. We look forward to the first Sunday of the month, which is of course ordinarily our opportunity to participate in this sacrament together, and reflect on the sacrifice of Christ as a community. This caused us to reflect further, and consider the true purpose of Communion.

When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, each person has the privilege of individually “communing” with Christ. Christ in His full divinity and humanity is “present” with us, in and through the bread and wine. As we partake of His Supper, we “feast” on Him, and He in turn blesses us with His presence. It is a means of grace not only to, but also for us. 

I was struck while reading 1 Corinthians 11 by a footnote in the Reformation Study Bible, which states that “the Lord’s Supper has a past reference to Christ’s death...it has a present reference to our corporate participation in Him through faith… [and] it has a future reference in that it is a pledge of His return”.  

When we are together, we celebrate as a community of believers. When Jesus inaugurated His Supper, He distributed the bread and cup to His disciples so that they would partake together of the loaf and cup. This is our intention, and why we continue to practice this sacrament at Lake Baldwin Church as well. It is also representative of the idea that we are all a part of the “body” of the Lord Jesus Christ (I Cor: 12:27) and one with Him and with the Father (John 17: 20-23). 

These are difficult and trying times for each of us in so many different ways, and we grieve the loss of celebrating our Lord’s special meal together as we’ve grown accustomed to doing. Though we are separated from each other physically, let us use this time apart to heighten our anticipation for when we are able to come together again, to celebrate His Supper as a family and as the body of Christ; namely, the Church.

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Richard and Susanne have been married for almost 57 years. They spent the first 3 years of their marriage in Atlanta where Richard attended Emory law school and Susanne paid his way while working in Speech Therapy! They spent the next 33 years living on Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, TN where Richard practiced law. In 1999 they moved to Orlando to become part of some investment companies sponsored by CNL. After CNL sold the companies, Richard joined an Orlando start-up devoted to raising capital through a special program (EB-5) sponsored by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. He continues today as President of that group. 

While in Chattanooga they became active helping found Chattanooga Christian School. Richard served as a board member with a number of Christian organizations, including for many years, the Boards of Covenant College and Ligonier Ministries. He was ordained an Elder in the Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church in 1975. He served as Moderator of the PCA for the 21st General Assembly and currently serves as an Elder at LBC.  

Susanne and Richard have three children and four grandchildren: their daughter June Huggins (a member of LBC) is the mother of two grown daughters, Allie and Sarah; Richard, Jr., lives with his wife and two boys, Ryan and Alan in Lake Oswego, OR and Jennifer Hostetter lives in Orlando and is an Adjunct Professor in the Rosen School of Hospitality at UCF. 

Susanne enjoys painting, reading and gardening, particularly rooting new plants from the wide variety in their yard. Richard loves reading and golf and laboring for Susanne in the garden!!

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Practicing Gratitude

Three weeks ago, as this crisis began ramping up in the US, I quickly found myself worrying. Low-grade anxiety has been a constant companion of mine, so I wasn’t surprised by my default response. But the intensity and speed with which my anxiety ramped up mirrored the pace of the escalating crisis, and I knew that, left unchecked, my fear would soon leave me unable to function. Something had to be done, so I returned, as I often have over the years, to Philippians 4. 

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:4-7, NIV) 

I pulled out my phone and set an alarm for noon each day, and named it simply: Give Thanks. 

* * *

When I first encountered this passage, a young college student juggling work and classes and existential life questions, I felt frustrated. “What if I don’t always feel joyful or gentle? Wait, I can’t just will myself not to be anxious! I am praying. And praying. And praying. Where is this promised peace?” I wrestled and wondered and waited, returning to this chapter again and again over months and years, hoping to take hold of the transcendent peace it offered. 

Over time, one little phrase began to stand out to me: “with thanksgiving.” Stuck right in the middle of these verses, it seemed to me that this was the pin on which the whole notion hinged. Perhaps this was the practice that would usher in the promise.  

Prior to this, my prayers sounded like rehearsed anxiety. “God, I’m worried about this assignment. God, the future is so uncertain - I’m freaking out! Hello, God? You do realize I would like to eventually meet the love of my life, right? Sooner rather than later, please!” There was a definite lack of thanks-giving, and a definite lack of joy and peace. But if I was understanding this passage correctly, gratitude and joy were connected. Maybe instead of bringing God only my fears and concerns, I could bring Him my thanks and praise too. Maybe that would change something. 

* * *

A few years later I was newly married, overwhelmed by my first “real” job, and worried every month that despite our best efforts we would not be able to conceive. Life felt heavy, and God felt far. I had this nagging recollection of Philippians 4:6, which in my mind sounded something like: “Stop being anxious! Pray more! And don’t forget to say thank you!” Fortunately, I decided to take another look. I noticed again that there seemed to be a connection between the “prayers with thanksgiving” of verse 6 and the abiding joy and guarding peace that bookended the verse. 

It was around that time I was introduced to the work of Ann Voskamp, who, as it turned out, has written an actual book about the connection between thanks and joy. “As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible. Joy is always possible….Here in the messy, piercing ache of now, joy might be - unbelievably - possible!” Voskamp wrote (One Thousand Gifts, p. 33). Count the gifts, she encouraged. So I pulled out my journal and started counting: 

1 - My name, Pure One, which continues to teach me new things about myself and my God.

2 - Glitter filled balloons and being surrounded by friends to ring in a new year.

169 - A breakfast smoothie

170 - Kitchen kisses

276 - BFP [big fat positive] yesterday - ohmygosh! 

277 - Sheriffe’s reaction today - so precious!

* * *

Fast-forward again and I am now in the thick of motherhood - two toddlers at home, a third on the way. The news of a third boy brings me to full-blown panic. I am already struggling with just two - how will I survive a third? Questions swirl and tears fall as I wrestle with reality. 

Reality is my daily interactions with my family are not characterized by gentleness - I am far too often irritable and angry. Peace is elusive, at best, and gratitude has (once again) disappeared from my vocabulary. Still, from the midst of my internal chaos, a refrain begins to echo: “The Lord is near." 

I am terrified I’m failing at this motherhood gig.

The Lord is near. 

I'm scared I’ll never feel like a human person again.

The Lord is near. 

I think you made a big mistake God.

The Lord is near. 

My heart is so weak that any thanks I give seems hollow. Nevertheless, the Lord is near. 

We name our third son John: God’s gracious gift. 

* * *

Which brings us back to now, to the alarm on my phone: Give Thanks. 

Now, in the midst of a global pandemic, my natural inclination is still to rehearse my fears. But I know from experience where that leads, and I know from experience there’s a better way. Philippians 4 has become an anchor for me, offering new grace each time I have revisited it over the years.  

In this season, I’m finding myself encouraged and challenged by verse 8, the “think on these things” verse. Instead of rehearsing fear, could I rehearse truth? How can I daily “Set my mind on things above,” as Paul encourages the Colossians (Col. 3:2)? 

So I set an alarm, and every day at noon our whole family stops to count gifts. “I’m thankful for playing in the dirt outside!” my oldest exclaims. My middle chimes in: “I’m thankful for cheese sticks!” “What are you thankful for Mommy?” they ask, expectantly. 

And so we keep counting, daily tuning our hearts to the grace of God, and moment by moment taking hold of the promise that, as Paul writes in Philippians 4:9, “The God of peace will be with you.”

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Kayla and her husband, Sheriffe, have been married for 8 years and have attended Lake Baldwin Church for just over four years. Together they have three boys, Josiah (5), Jude (3), and Asa (1). Yes - their hands are full - in the best way! 

Kayla enjoys being a (mostly) stay-at-home mom, and working part-time with SPLASH. For fun, Kayla likes to read, write, and craft (she’s tried everything from coloring to quilting)! Things that are saving her life right now: waking up before the kids, getting outside every day, and grocery delivery. She also loves to connect with people, and can talk all day about being a #boymom, an Enneagram 9, and a recovering perfectionist.

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Generosity During Times of Need

About a month ago, my weekly screen time report on my iPhone started surging. Not from binge watching videos or upping my email game, but from reading an excessive number of news articles. As news of the exponential spread of coronavirus reached our shores, I found myself bouncing from one article to the next – trying to determine what my reaction should be for my family, not wanting to over- or under-react.  

My obsession soon shifted as I tried to understand what the impact would be on our economy. Reading the daily reports about the stock market collapsing, predictions of how much the GDP would contract this year, and the number of layoffs occurring each day were hard to fathom.

I remember first reading about the various components of the stimulus bills that were being contemplated, one version which included direct payments of cash to households to serve as a defibrillator to our economy. I assumed this would be targeted for those who lost their jobs or were already in the “low-income” category. As I read more, much to my surprise, as a family with 3 kids with an adequate income, I would likely be receiving a meaningful check in the mail.

Naturally, I started thinking through how I would use the money. We’re in the middle of a patio renovation so we could do a little more than originally planned. We could make a special 529 contribution for our kid’s education and capitalize on the down market. We could splurge on some nice outings or a vacation and help the industries that have been hit hardest.

Then, I started hearing stories from people in our church. Those who already lost their jobs. Others who had their income cut in half with a low probability of it returning this year. And others who were facing the hard reality of laying off dozens of people overnight just to keep their business afloat.

Since hearing those stories and beginning to pray about how we will use whatever amount of stimulus money we receive, Acts 4:32-37 has regularly been on my mind. In this passage, Luke makes three powerful statements about the generosity that marked the early church:

v32 “No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.”

v33 “And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.”

v34 “…from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.”

Prior to these statements Luke notes that “…all the believers were one in heart and mind.” They cared deeply for one another. There was tremendous unity. Their lives were integrated with one another’s. And they joyfully provided for one another, even at the expense of their own wealth and possessions.

In our present circumstances, I believe we have a great opportunity as a local church to demonstrate the Gospel to one another with a generosity that reflects the early church in Acts and points us towards Christ. The “needy” in this passage did not deserve or earn the provisions, but they freely received a gift of love from their brothers and sisters in Christ.

For some of us, we are experiencing incredible financial hardship and have significant, immediate needs right now. After a tithe, any money we may receive from the stimulus package should likely go towards putting food on the table, paying our rent, meeting other basic needs, or replenishing an emergency fund.  (See 1 Timothy 5:8)

For others, we may be forfeiting a bonus or a pay raise this year, but our finances are relatively intact. We can probably each come up with ten responsible ways to spend this money in about 30 seconds. Most of which are appropriate and reasonable. However, we may be prone to only think about or own needs and wants, and not those of others.

What would it look like for us to consider giving a portion, or all of our stimulus check away to ensure there is no needy person among us? Some open-handed time in prayer with the Provider of all things can help us be good stewards of what He has entrusted to us – whether He leads us to give, save or spend. Entrusting what we have received from Him back to Him also helps us give joyfully rather than out of compulsion (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Similar to what is described in this passage in Acts, LBC has developed a Relief Fund administered by the Deacons for the purpose of assisting those facing substantial financial needs during this time. If you are interested in giving to this fund, visit our GIVE page and select the “Deacon’s Relief Fund.”

Considering there are those among us who will be unable to tithe in the same capacity this year, you could also consider making an extra contribution to the general operating expenses of the church by selecting the “General” dropdown option on the Give page noted above.

For a little more reading on the topic, a brief article that I found helpful can be found HERE.

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Originally from California and raised in Orlando, TJ is only a few years shy of being a true Florida native.  A graduate of the University of Florida, TJ spends his time trying to bring restoration to our broken world through holistic relationships and his love for construction. TJ and his wife, Anna, have been members of LBC since 2010 and have added 3 kids to their family in the process (Adalyn 5, Luke 3, and Raegan 1).  As an elder at LBC, TJ loves seeing people flourish through a meaningful relationship with God and His church body.  If you ask, TJ will have a hard time turning down a game of beach volleyball, waterskiing, or escaping to the mountains for a few days.

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Walking with God through Pandemic

Some of us have read and heard enough about the coronavirus pandemic from the “experts,” prognosticators, skeptics, doomsayers, humorists, friends and others along the spectrum from helpful to absurd, in every media form and channel, in-your-face-constantly, that we want to scream, Turn off the noise!

And yet, the reality is inescapable. The possibilities are dizzying and discouraging. So we read on. We watch the “news”. We endure. We track the numbers. We speculate. We plan. We socially-distance. And we pray.

I don’t wish to add to the noise with this blog. I do hope to share about a resource that has been most encouraging and helpful to me in these last few weeks. If that mere statement is enough incentive for you to get that same resource, there is no need to read the rest of this blog. Go directly to Amazon or Christianbook.com and buy the book, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller.

Even if you’re not yet inclined to get the book, I hope you’ll read on. But please don’t let my brief review here serve as a substitute for reading the book itself! That would be a real loss.

For the last few days of January, Judy and I were in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a conference with 3,500 Christian leaders from mainland China. (This was a few days after the government of China had quarantined the entire province of Hubei – 60 million people – too late to prevent the spread to the other provinces). For four days we learned, worshiped and prayed together. Thirty days later it was reported that NOT ONE PERSON attending the conference had contracted the Coronavirus. A remarkable answer to prayer, and work of God!

While I was there, I purchased several books, including the book by Keller, Walking with God through Pain and Suffering. I did not buy it with any thought that the coronavirus would spread to the US, or that it would cause any widespread suffering. And I began to read it before I had any sense that a spread was likely. Providential timing!

In Keller’s introduction, he quotes the agnostic, Ernest Becker, whose words from 50+ years ago seem eerily prescient:

“I think that taking life seriously means something like this: that whatever man does on this planet has to be done in the lived truth of the terror of creation … of the rumble of panic underneath everything. Otherwise it is false.”

(Keller, Timothy. Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, Riverhead Books, 2013. Excerpt taken from Introduction, quoting Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death.)

That “rumble of panic” is caused by the reality that all will suffer, and all will die. That “rumble” is more evident globally now than in any season of the lives of most of us living today. For those without gospel hope in Christ, that panic is also reasonable. It conforms to reality, to truth … when there is pandemic and when not.

But you need not suffer this panic, having entrusted your very life to Christ, and being now one with him, in his strong arms, promised and sealed for eternal life. Even so, you are likely to suffer loss, perhaps even very serious loss to this pandemic and its economic maelstrom. May I encourage you to prepare yourself for this suffering season … to better endure it, to more helpfully love others in it, to grow in character through it, to gain joy and peace, and thereby to glorify God in it? (Did I mention that one way to do this is to read this book? 😊)

Keller addresses the matter of suffering through the image of a fiery furnace – a forge. The furnace, used properly can be used to refine, shape, strengthen and even beautify materials. The same furnace used improperly can destroy. So it is with suffering. It can refine us or destroy us. It depends, and it does not depend upon chance!

The 16 chapters of the book are organized under three headings: understanding the furnace, facing the furnace and walking with God in the furnace. The introduction invites readers who are already in the midst of suffering to skip directly to the parts two and three, which I did (not because I was suffering at the time, but because I succumbed to the temptation to take a shortcut). But upon finishing the last section, I was so encouraged by it that I immediately read it all from the beginning, with considerable reward.

Keller’s treatment of this universal issue is thoughtful, compassionate and realistic. He addresses the tough questions both philosophical and personal. He covers the major causes of suffering and the various kinds of suffering … and offers biblical, wise ways to think about and to walk through each kind. And he provides practical help to those who want to help others in their suffering.

To further summarize Keller on this vital topic would be to waste words, and your time. Permit me to simply give you a taste, by way of a few direct quotes:

“I want to help readers live life well and even joyfully against the background of these terrible realities. The loss of loves ones, debilitating and fatal illnesses, personal betrayals, financial reversal, and moral failures [he could have added, pandemic!] – all of these will eventually come upon you if you live out a normal life span. No one is immune …. Human life is fatally fragile and subject to forces beyond our power to manage. Life is tragic.”

“As C.S. Lewis famously put it, ‘God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain’”.

“… the central figure of the whole Scripture, Jesus Christ, is a man of sorrows. The Bible, therefore, is about suffering as much as it is about anything.”

“… the great theme of the Bible itself is how God brings fullness of joy not just despite, but through suffering, just as Jesus saves us not in spite of but because of what he endured on the cross. And so there is a peculiar, rich, and poignant joy that seems to come to us only through and in suffering.”

“Suffering, then, actually can use evil against itself. It can thwart the destructive purposes of evil and bring light and life out of darkness and death.”

“He plunged himself into our furnace so that, when we find ourselves in the fire, we can turn to him and know we will not be consumed but will be made into people great and beautiful. ‘I will be with you, your troubles to bless, and sanctify to you your deepest distress.’”

“Christianity teaches that, contra fatalism, suffering is overwhelming; contra Buddhism, suffering is real; contra karma, suffering is often unfair; but contra secularism, suffering is meaningful. There is a purpose to it, and if faced rightly, it can drive us like a nail deep into the love of God and into more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine …. While other world views lead us to sit in the midst of life’s joys, foreseeing the coming sorrows, Christianity empowers its people to sit in the midst of this world’s sorrows, tasting the coming joy.”

“When suffering, believing in God thinly, or in the abstract, is worse than not believing in God at all.”

And finally, Keller quotes Henri Frederic Ameil,

“You desire to know the art of living, my friend? It is contained in one phrase: make use of suffering.”

Let Keller help you “make use of suffering”. Read the book … don’t settle for this poor summary of it! 

Click to purchase the book – hardcopy or e-book

Can’t afford it right now? email me at bart@bartjohnson.net and include your shipping address or choose e-book.

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Bart became a Jesus-follower as a pre-teen, which, by God’s grace, shaped everything since. Marrying (way over his head, according to those who know him best) his forever best friend, Judy, then graduating from Oral Roberts University with a business degree, he has spent most of his vocational life in the technology business sphere. He has enjoyed serving as a PCA ruling elder for 30 years (the last 15 at LBC), led a dozen mission trips to Asia, managed a non-profit church planter training organization, and now helps lead ministry focused on developing indigenized teaching and training resources for Christian educators in a major Asian country. Bart’s favorite “hobby” is backpacking in high, rugged, remote and isolated wilderness areas of the far west.

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Call to Pray and Fast

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the elders of Lake Baldwin Church have called for a Day of Prayer and Fasting on Good Friday, April 10th. We are uniting with churches across the country to turn from our sins, seek the Lord, and call on him for healing and revival. Click here for a brief description of the vision for this day, along with links to helpful resources.

Fasting

Why fast? As David Kakish writes, "It acknowledges our weakness and reliance on God's strength as we wait for him to intervene." For some excellent teaching on fasting, check out the Guide to Prayer and Fasting by Richard Pratt, using the link in the attached article. Feel free to fast an entire day, or one meal, or not at all.

Some Prayer Prompts (especially if your day is busy with work or kids)

Morning (15-30 minutes) Read Psalm 107, praising God for his history of rescuing his people in distress. Add a stanza of your own, thanking God for specific ways he has rescued you.

Mid-day (15-30 minutes) Read 2 Chronicles 7:13-14. Take some time to confess the sins of our nation, the sins of the church, and personal sins. This is a time for humility, turning from sin and seeking God. Pray for the healing of our world, for revival in the church, and for an awakening among the lost.

6:00 pm--Good Friday online service. Use this time to enter into the darkness and suffering of Jesus and to behold his finished work for us on the cross. Prepare your heart for Sunday, when we see the risen Christ, the first fruits of all who will receive new life in him.

If you have more time, please see the attached article with links to prayer resources and specific requests for our nation and world.

Let us unite our hearts as we join with the larger body of Christ to turn to our Heavenly Father in prayer.

Mike Tilley

Senior Pastor
mike.tilley@lakebaldwinchurch.com

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One of the Most Terrifying Moments of Our Entire Lives

I think a year from now we'll look back on this season with mixed feelings. Wishing we had never experienced such a time as this, but also being deeply blessed by the growth, the stillness, the togetherness.

We have two children with congenital heart disease and one with a blood disorder. As the situation with COVID-19 progressed, we were told by physicians that at least one of our children was in the “greatest risk” category for complications related to the virus. James continues to work on the front lines with the fire department, while I am still seeing patients in the office and the hospital, so this has been a challenging time of balance for both of us.

Last week our daughter Jade underwent a necessary surgery to treat infection and repair a part of her inner ear that had already been damaged by infection. According to Jade’s surgeon, everything went extremely well, and we were discharged to recover safely at home. Having undergone over a dozen surgeries together, we have a routine set up for lots of cuddles in Mom’s bed, treats, movies and medicine. 

This time coming home just didn’t feel quite like the same. I had a God and gut instinct that I needed to stay near her and not let her rest alone.

Just a few minutes after leaving the room to get her medication, I returned to find Jade in respiratory arrest, not breathing and blue. It was one of the most terrifying moments of our entire lives. James battled between his Firefighter/EMT mode and terrified father pleading with his baby girl to breathe. For five of the longest minutes of our lives, we were completely helpless. We had little to nothing to offer Jade except our pleadings for her to wake up and breathe. To be honest, between talking to the 911 operator and directing the paramedics, I had little to offer God in prayer but those same pleadings for him to breathe breath back into our Jade. 

During these moments I was receiving messages from family and friends asking how Jade’s surgery went. I could only muster the same text: “Not good, not breathing, please pray.” Prayer chains were initiated far beyond our little circle. Our friends, our family, strangers - they prayed for us what I could not pray for myself. It was a community that surrounded us, even in quarantine, that felt so near. We had dinner delivered to our doorstep. We’ve had calls and texts checking in. We’ve felt very close during a time of social distancing.

God’s overwhelming grace in this situation is that Jade is ok. We are still waiting on certain details to figure out what happened in regard to the anesthesia, but she is healing well. If you know the rest of her story, this is just another miracle in this precious child’s life.

If I’m being honest I will tell you that Jade is ok, but I am not. I am still struggling with so many of the “what ifs” in this situation.  What if I had not gone back into the room? What if we lost her? Maybe many of you are feeling the same right now.  The COVID-19 situation is so fluid and it changes almost hourly. 

These burdens and anxieties are meant to be shared. We first cast our cares on Him because he cares for us, but I believe too that God gave us a community to share these fears when we are struggling to express them. 

I believe we have been given a unique time as Christians to show the love of our Savior. Churches across the nation typically have well-prepared grand services celebrating Holy Week and Easter. While we can still have virtual services and powerful sermons, we must remember that without love during this season it is nothing more than adding to the “noise” of this world. I was so blessed by Joe White’s Palm Sunday sermon on love, and it has challenged me to share the love of Christ that is for me, and the love we have been shown this past week by our community. I hope we all will seek out tangible ways to show love this Easter to those that are anxious and burdened by COVID-19.

Tara Fussell is a podiatrist here in Orlando, conducting podiatric surgery and wound care through Advent Health. Her husband James is a firefighter with the city of Orlando, and they have four children — Jackson, Juliet, Jade and Jett.

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Three Hidden Blessings

Social distancing. Self-isolation. Overcrowded hospitals and desperate shortages of essential healthcare supplies. Economic meltdown. Fear for self or loved ones at high risk. Closure or suspension of so many cultural expressions that bring depth and joy to life ⎯ sports, concerts, museums, restaurants. The list of negative effects unleashed by the global Coronavirus pandemic can stretch for pages. Around the world, civilization as we knew it has largely ground to a sudden, screeching and violent halt.

But, though all may seem bleak and fearful right now, it is not. Simmering beneath the surface turbulence of anxiety and confusion and daily doses of grave news are hidden blessings from God, opportunities within which His people can find great hope and even counterintuitive joy.

Three of these blessings follow; undoubtedly there are many more. The first, I think, is the most stirring, and perhaps most crucial for the global body of Christ to grasp: 

1. An Explosion of Gospel Opportunity

In his latest book, Reappearing Church, pastor and astute cultural commentator Mark Sayers writes, “God allows cultural crises to drive us back to Him.” A historical pattern, detectable in both the Old Testament and the Church Age, repeats itself over and over: individuals, or entire cultures and nations, turn to God in faith and flourish, but over time this faith stagnates and erodes, leading to some form of chaos and despair. It’s in these low moments that we see God move, bringing revival as people call upon God in their pain. Sayers writes, “Crises, and the transitions that they bring, are one of the critical ways that God uses to move us.” Or, as C.S. Lewis once put it, “God…shouts in our pain: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

American missiologist Ralph Winter, in an article titled “The Kingdom Strikes Back: Ten Epochs of Redemptive History,”  described how crises, often the direct or indirect results of a decline of faith or missional inactivity, are a predominant means through which God has sparked renewal in the Church and propelled the Gospel to the ends of the earth. A biblical example is the “great persecution” in Acts 8 that scatters the young Church beyond its’ Jerusalem hub. But instead of eradicating this new, seemingly fragile faith, the crisis leads to its explosion throughout the Roman Empire. Other crises through the years ⎯ the Fall of Rome, the Viking incursions into Europe, the Black Plague, the moral declines that preceded the first and second Great Awakenings ⎯ have a similar effect, seasons where the light of Christ cuts through the surrounding darkness, enabling new regions and people groups to hear the Gospel. 

Mark Sayers wrote Reappearing Church before the word “coronavirus” entered our everyday vernacular. He saw the cultural upheavals of our recent decades ⎯ the rise of political nationalism, epidemic loneliness and anxiety, the climate crisis, increasing social polarization, secularism solidifying into the predominant worldview of the West, and more ⎯ as rolling crises creating broad disillusionment and instability, conditions upon which a coming spiritual renewal may be built. It’s entirely plausible that this global pandemic will push things past the tipping point. Sayers even postulated this: “If we endured a global flu pandemic, like the one in the early part of the twentieth century…how we view and process our personal potentials and possibilities would be deeply shaken.” Our fragility and lack of control would be exposed, birthing intense fear and forcing a worldview reevaluation. Is this not precisely what we see happening around the globe?

Just as the crisis of persecution paved the way for the Gospel to penetrate the Roman Empire, and the Black Plague ushered in a number of social and religious dynamics that formed a seedbed for the Reformation in Europe, perhaps the coronavirus pandemic will become kindling for a new spiritual inferno.

Curiously, the Gospel has been introduced to nearly every people group in the world. The Great Commission is nearly fulfilled, in the sense of disciples being made in all nations, so the next missional wave could, according to human logic at least, be a fuller penetration of the Gospel into all peoples. Water spilled out onto porous pavement will find its way into even the tiniest pockets and fissures; so may the Gospel saturate the globe through the next great revival.

And like water flowing into every nook and cranny, coronavirus-induced social distancing and quarantine has dispersed the Church in ways not seen before. For the last few Sundays, and for a still-unknown time into the future, believers worldwide have gathered virtually, streaming church into their living rooms and offices. Instead of gathering in central locations, the body of Christ is scattered across cities and neighborhoods, local incarnations in closer proximity to the non-believing world than any Sunday gathering. 

The missional potential of this new dynamic is astronomical. Not only is technology streaming millions of church services toward anyone with an internet connection, smaller communities of believers ⎯ families, neighbors, close friends ⎯ can boldly step outside their doors to love their neighbors and point them toward Christ in this time of severe anxiety and confusion. In order to do so, however, we must be willing to embrace:

2. An Acute Experience of Discomfort

Discomfort may not seem like a hidden blessing, but it offers deeper affiliation with our Savior, who had “nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). Jesus told His disciples that they’d experience trouble and suffering in this world (John 16:33), and Paul repeatedly wrote about how suffering, weakness and sharing in Christ’s afflictions produced a more joyous dependence on Christ, as well as comfort and new life in others (Romans 5:3-5, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, 12:9-10, Colossians 1:24).

Paul D. Miller noted in a recent article, “Simply living inside the bubble of our tech-powered civilization is a form of fabulous, God-blinding wealth.” The modern world offers all manner of comforts and conveniences that give an illusion of control and security. Most of these, from a 401(k) to a smartphone that enables us to siphon part of a local supermarket’s abundance directly to our doorstep, aren’t evil in and of themselves, but our cultural affluence works as a sedative to reliance on God. Idolatry and the delusion that humans don’t need God, that we’re capable of controlling our world and providing for our own security, follow.

Reckoning with the precarious nature of the underpinnings of our cultural “affluenza,” even if only for a time, is a blessing for Christians and non-Christians alike. The coronavirus acts as a bracing wind of truth, sweeping away the fog of our self-sufficiency and allowing all humanity to see clearly our place in the world. Gone is the insulation offered by our comforts and measures of control, and each person is now given the gift of facing their own mortality. It’s a gift because it prepares the heart to embrace the need for, and the wonderful blessing of, true comfort and security in the arms of the Creator who laid down His life for them.

For Christians, this clear wind of truth brings the opportunity to refocus on our heavenly citizenship. We are not meant to find comfort in this world; we’re exiles in it, strangers passing through as ambassadors for our heavenly King. Experiencing the discomfort of our current moment, whether that comes in the form of cancelled vacations or loss of work or becoming ill, or any of the myriad hardships the pandemic will introduce, is good for our souls. It offers the opportunity to repent of whatever we have made an idol, the divine comfort of Christ meeting us in suffering, the chance to draw near to God, be renewed in our hearts, and be moved in prayer and action to contend for broader, global renewal in Christ.

This would include taking risk upon ourselves. Part of the explanation for Christianity’s global expansion down through the centuries is the role Christians played in caring for the sick, the lonely, the forgotten. As pandemics routinely plagued the ancient world, Christians gained a reputation for their willingness to minister to the sick and bury the dead, even if it meant their own sickness or death. The actions were tangible expressions of Christ’s sacrificial love. This doesn’t mean Christians should dismiss social distancing protocols or other preventative practices, but it might mean taking actions like shopping for groceries so an elderly neighbor can stay home, or volunteering in a food pantry or homeless shelter whose volunteers dwindle due to isolation measures. 

Embodying this risky, scattered, countercultural faith offers the third hidden blessing of the pandemic:

3. A Deeper Solidarity with the Persecuted Church

While engaging in my church’s virtual service on Facebook live this past Sunday, I was struck by how similar “social distancing church” is to the hidden, persecuted church: gathering in homes “in secret,” yearning for the warmth and joy of in-person community, living in a time of fear and uncertainty, loss of a right to worship in public. This is a constant reality for millions of Christians around the world, and our own small taste can engender empathy, prayer and advocacy for our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

The invitation to assume personal risk in order to share our faith is also an invitation to walk as our persecuted family walks. Believers in hostile environments boldly declare Christ when doing so may lead to physical harm or death; our risks of contracting a virus or experiencing a reputation hit through extending social media invitations to join our virtual church services are in most cases not so serious. But stepping into them can also deepen our love for our easily forgotten family members.

As we venture through the uncertain months ahead, I hope these three hidden blessings can buoy you. God is on the move, and through our prayers and our actions, both public and private, we have the opportunity to step into what could become another global awakening of faith in Christ.

May it be so.

Jason Weimer has served as a staff member with Cru for 18 years. He is co-author, with Roger Hershey, of The Finishers: Completing the Mission of Christ in Your Generation (find out more here) and currently serves as a writer and editor in Content and Communications Strategy at Cru’s global headquarters in Orlando.

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Our own stories are powerful, and even more so once shared. As Fred Rogers put it, "never underestimate the impact that your mere existence can have on another human being."

Here with Voices, you'll have the chance to read stories from various members of our church family, each chronicling what it feels and looks like now that so many things have changed. If you’d like to comment or learn more about this series, you can reach out to us at hello@lakebaldwinchurch.com.

Here's Where Things Stand

What we're up to:

• Weekly online prayer as a church:  Click here  to join us this Wednesday, at 8:00 PM on Zoom for a half hour of prayer for our church, our city, and the world. We hope to see you there!

• Worship: We know some folks have had trouble connecting live on our Facebook page, so in efforts to make this as easy as possible, we have a link that will take you right to the live service this week. Click here next Sunday morning to join us FB live! And remember, if you’re having trouble connecting to the Facebook live, you can view the service on our homepage as well at lakebaldwinchurch.com

• Prayer requests: Please reach out to your elder, deacon, or community group leader if you have questions, prayer requests, special needs, or just want to check in. We are here for you! If you want the staff and elders to be praying for you specifically, click here to let us know how we can be supporting you. 

• Youth: Tune in for an Irish accent plus encouraging daily devotionals focused on the book of Psalms. In this time of isolation, we hope to challenge both students and adults alike to make time to be with the Lord each day, and respond to His Word in new ways. You can click the image above or here to start listening now!

• SPLASH: Bedtime stories are in full swing, check in this Wednesday for the latest!
  
  from your local,
  
  
  Lake Baldwin Church Staff