This year has been a blur. With Easter falling in late March, there was not much time between Christmas and Easter. During that time, I taught a membership class and did the follow-up. I led a small group and personally discipled two men. Our Church also had two families come who were considering being on staff, and we finally hired one of them. Every day this year has been full of positive activity for the kingdom of God.

Easter is the pinnacle of spring in the Church. Attendance is the highest it will be all year. We always collect a considerable offering and give half to a mission we support. Numerous people step up to serve and perform special songs during our worship. This year, lots of people have taken the step of baptism, along with others placing their membership. Mother’s Day is only a few weeks away, and the wave of growth, both numerically and spiritually, will carry us till Memorial Day.

Every month this year has been incredibly exciting. Each week, I meet with someone who wants to serve, get baptized, grow, join, or connect.

While I am excited, I am also a little frightened. Every time the Church begins to move the kingdom of God forward in a significant way, evil rears its ugly head to try and stop it. So here are a few things in my heart that I hope you will pray about with me.

1. Health. Often, evil will attack the health of Church leaders and key people or bring some tragedy in an effort to get people to take their eyes off Jesus.
2. Unity. One way to bring down a Church is to tear it apart from the inside. All week, I have been thinking about how everyone needs to understand that we are on the same team.
3. Leadership. As we are adding a new staff person and a new leader this spring, pray that God opens doors for them to move forward without delay in helping our Church.
4. Outreach. Hundreds of people have passed through the doors of our Church this year so far, and many are returning after a long absence while others are brand new. Pray that God will continue to work on their hearts and bring them back to worship. May this be the year that God does something incredible in the lives of these people who are taking their fledgling steps of faith.
5. The Pastor. [Me] Many days lately, it feels like I am under attack. I have been struggling with exhaustion, loneliness, and temptation in every way. Pray that I, along with every pastor, can lead with the power of the Holy Spirit through this spring and into the future.

The Lord has been doing great things in our Church and across numerous Churches. Pray that this post-Easter season will continue to have a dramatic impact on the lives of people as they live for Jesus.