Discovering Your Soul Purpose

What is your soul?  It doesn’t show up on an x-ray or sonogram. It is not listed as one of the major organs of the human body in your anatomy textbook.  And yet the Bible describes the soul as something that can be lost and found, a part of you that can yearn and be satisfied, your receptor for grief and for joy, a facet of your existence that can be expended and restored.

In the creation story, the origin of human life is described this way: And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7 KJV

Based on various biblical references to the soul, C.S. Lewis succinctly summarized, "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” 

During September, we begin a new series on Soul Purpose. On Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings we will be examining many of the Bible passages about the soul and how we interact with God.

On Sunday evening, September 11 we will meet in Pleitz Chapel at six o’clock to observe the 10^th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that occurred in 2001.  Members of our FBCP family will be sharing their personal stories related to the events of 9/11.

On September 18, we will join with other churches around the country in emphasizing Back to Church Sunday.  For a variety of reasons, church members can become disconnected from their church family.  Identify someone you know who hasn’t been involved in church and invite them to come with you during September.

On September 25 we will share in a Combined Worship Service at 10:30 in the sanctuary.  Bible Study will begin at 9 a.m.  Prior to worship we will share in our second annual Congregational Meeting where we will affirm our 2011-2012 ministry budget, and hear brief mission and ministry updates. 

Then on Sunday afternoon, we will meet at 3:30 at Bayview Park for our annual Church Picnic. 

I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study during September.

Series: Soul Purpose

Sep4   “Discovering Your Soul Purpose” Deuteronomy 6:1-9, Matthew 22:36-38

Sep7   “Restoring Your Soul” Psalm 23, III John 1-2         

Sep11“Soul Considerations” Psalm 35:9-10, I Peter I:3-9
Sep14“Soul Competency”

Sep18 “Pushing Up Daisies” Psalm 116:15, Mark 8:35-37

Sep21 “An Anchor for Your Soul” Hebrews 6:18-20

Sep25 “Soul Searching”  Psalm 139:1-4, 7-8, 13-14, 23-24
Sep28 Mission Fair

What It Means To Be a Pastor

I have been reading several good books this summer but one has inspired me to re-think and re-affirm my calling.  The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene Peterson is an inspiring autobiographical account of what it means to be called to pastoral ministry and to live out that vocation in a unique community.

While Peterson is known to many primarily for his popular Bible translation called The Message, for me his greatest contribution has been his writings about pastoral work.  Years ago I read three of Peterson’s books about pastoral ministry:  Five Smooth Stones of Pastoral Work, The Contemplative Pastor, and Under the Unpredictable Plant.  In a church world that looks to the pastor to be the CEO, a chaplain-on-demand, or an ecclesial entrepreneur, Peterson reminds ministers and churches that a pastor is a spiritual director, a calling to be a “soul friend who walks alongside others pointing out what God is doing in their life.”

In a fast paced world, where a competitive consumerist culture has invaded the church, pastors are often expected to be an idealistic combination of captivating motivational speaker, savvy executive/administrator, and extraordinary counselor.  But the call to be a pastor is unique.  There is no other vocation like it.

For Peterson, the call to be a pastor is a call to spiritual discernment and caring within a unique local congregation and community.  It is not a “one size fits all” occupation that functions uniformly in cookie cutter churches.

In Peterson’s Memoir, he summarizes his understanding of the biblical role of a pastor:

The pastor is “not someone who ‘gets things done’ but rather the person placed in the community to pay attention and call attention to ‘what is going on right now’ between men and women, with one another and with God—this kingdom of God that is primarily local, relentlessly personal, and prayerful ‘without ceasing.’

Each of us is responsible to God for fulfilling our calling. Thirty-five years ago I confirmed my calling to be a pastor, and I am still learning and growing and understanding more of what it means to provide spiritual direction to a congregation.  Being a pastor is more than what I do. It is who I am called to be.

This Sunday we will be looking at Psalm 100 which encourages us to prioritize “A Time to Worship.”  On Sunday evening we will meet in Chipley Hall at 6 p.m. for the final August Concert presented by our Worship Team and Worship Band.

I count it a privilege to serve alongside you as your pastor, and I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday.

Know the God of Wonders

The heavens declare the glory of God;
   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

-Psalm 19: 1 NIV

When we marvel at the wonders of the universe, we discover that the awesome wonders of God inspire and invite us to know the God of wonders.  Renowned astronaut Neil Armstrong once said, “Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.”

This Sunday, as we continue our series on Awesome Wonder, we will be focused on Psalm 19 and our opportunity to “Know the God of Wonders.”

This Sunday is also Back to School Sunday.  You are invited to come dressed casually wearing your school colors.  In each of our worship services we will be recognizing our students and teachers, and we will share in a season of prayer for the coming school year.

Our annual Beach Baptism is scheduled for this Sunday afternoon at four o’clock at 501 Panferio behind the Shell’s home at Pensacola Beach.  At this point we have 11 candidates scheduled for baptism.  If you or a member of your family have recently made a commitment to Christ or a decision regarding church membership, please contact me or one of our staff ministers to prepare for baptism.

Pray for our Children’s Minister Search Team as we deepen our search for our next Minister of Children.  Ms. Jean provided excellent leadership and left big shoes to fill, but we believe God will lead us to someone who will build on the great foundation that is already in place.

We are also grateful to Lauren Sansing who is filling in temporarily as the Ministry Assistant in the Children’s Department.  We hope to have a new Ministry Assistant in the office within a couple of weeks.

We are extremely grateful to have a team of devoted laypersons who will be providing leadership during the interim season.  Mike Hudson will be the leader of the interim team.  Pray for Mike and our interim leadership team as they plan and coordinate fall events and activities.   (For more information regarding Children’s Ministry and the search for a Children’s Minister, please check out the Children’s Ministry FAQ at www.fbcp.org.)

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday in worship and Bible study as we deepen our faith in the God of wonders.

Making Large Gifts Even Larger

Excitement was evident last Sunday as I was privileged to announce the receipt of two extraordinary gifts toward the ministries of First Baptist Church.  The first was a gift from Dr. James Pleitz, our beloved pastor emeritus, who went home to be with the Lord this past May.  Dr. Pleitz planned to give a sizable gift toward the payment of the Paul Royal Recreation and Outreach Center.  He gave the first portion of that gift several months ago, and his children, Nancy Hinson and Danny Pleitz, fulfilled their father’s wishes by presenting the final portion of that gift in memory of James and Margaret Ann Pleitz, a few days ago. 

The second gift comes from the Nellums Estate.  Bill and Sibyl Nellums joined First Baptist Church in 1962.  During their tenure, they were faithful and active in many areas of ministry.  The gift from the Nellums has two components.  First, in addition to leaving gifts to their family members and to the Baptist Hospital Foundation, they bequeathed a $420,000 cash gift that was presented to our church by their nephew a few weeks ago.  In addition to the monetary gift, they left their house at

420 South 2^nd Street

. Our corporate directors have received title to that property and it is now on the market.  Bill and Sibyl’s wishes were for these gifts to be used in a way that advances the mission and ministries of First Baptist Church.  While every gift, no matter how small or large, is significant to the work of the kingdom, to my knowledge, the Nellums’ gift is the largest one time gift ever received by First Baptist Church.

As we covenant to be good stewards of these gifts, our church family offers our heartfelt gratitude to the Pleitz Family and the Nellums Family for their generosity and their vision.

The work on the Paul Royal Recreation and Outreach Center was completed in February 2008 at a cost of $3.2 million. The gift from Dr. Pleitz reduced the remaining balance on the ROC to $641,000. 

As our Finance Committee, in consultation with staff and leadership, designated the monetary gift from the Nellums Estate, they have provided appropriations to areas that the Nellums were passionate about such as Transportation and History and Archives.

Because Bill and Sibyl were vitally interested in reaching children, students, and families for the future, we have appropriated $320,000, approximately half of the balance on the ROC, as we call upon the congregation to “match” the other half and pay off the balance on the ROC by December of this year.

Is this an attainable goal?  Absolutely!  You and I can make these large gifts from our senior saints even larger by bringing our generous and sacrificial gifts to complete the payment for the ROC.  And we can begin 2012 as a debt-free congregation.   Together, we can meet and surpass this goal.

This Sunday we continue our Awesome Wonder series as we explore “When Cymbals Clash” from Psalm 150.  At the beginning of the Midmorning Service, we will be celebrating the baptism of new believers.

On Sunday evening, the second August Concert, Praise God with the Harps! begins at six o’clock in the sanctuary.

These are exciting days to be a part of what God is doing at FBCP.  I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday.

Awesome Wonder

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder

Consider all the works Thy hands have made.

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

                        - Carl G. Boberg and R.J. Hughes”

This Sunday we begin our August series on Awesome Wonder. While emotional forces such as anger, guilt, or fear may motivate you for a short season, the most sustainable and prevailing motivating force for a human being is to sense the awesome wonder of God’s initiatives.  What God has done and is actively doing inspires me toward consistency while fleeting emotions tend to deceive.

On Sunday mornings during August we will look at a variety of Old Testament songs that call our attention to the awesome nature of God and the awesome wonder of God’s creation and re-creation.

This Sunday morning we begin the series with “What an Awesome God!” from Psalm 68:24-35, an encouraging word about the places we experience the awe-inspiring nature of God.

On Sunday evening we share in the first August Concert…A Staff Affair…featuring members of our FBCP Ministry Team and their families.

Also there is big news!  This Sunday morning at the beginning of each of our morning worship services I will be sharing briefly about a couple of extraordinary gifts that have been given to our FBC Pensacola family, and I will let you know how you can make that gift even more significant.

During the past several days, Amanda and I enjoyed a great visit to the National Parks of northern California.  Thank you for providing generous vacation time for me to rest, refresh, and re-energize.

I look forward to seeing you in worship and Bible study this Sunday morning as we explore the awesome wonder of God.

Series: Awesome Wonder

Aug7     “What an Awesome God!” Psalm 68:24-35

Aug 14 “When Cymbals Clash” Psalm 150

Aug 21 “Know the God of Wonders” Psalm 19

Aug 28 “Now Is the Time to Worship” Psalm 100

Finding the Right Size of Hammer

There has been a lot of hammering going on this week…and I mean the best kind of hammering.

On Monday morning of last week as our World Changers were loading the bus to head to Birmingham, one of the dads was sharing with me that his daughter was excited to be going on a trip where she could use a hammer.  When he got out his hammer for her to take on the trip, he realized that his hammer was probably too heavy for his daughter.  So he went and bought a smaller hammer that was just the right size for her.  Her excitement increased to be going on a mission trip where she could use her own hammer.

Birmingham wasn’t the only place where there was a lot of hammering going on.  This past Saturday, a great group showed up to work on our Habitat House.  The home, at

1008 W. LaRua Street

, is being constructed for our very own Jeannie Shields.  The next Habitat Work Day is August 20.

On Tuesday night, the Alabama Re-Build Team met again to complete the construction on the walls for the partnership home we are building in Sipsey, Alabama. The walls and trusses are being constructed in a warehouse in Pensacola and will be transported to Alabama for final assembly.  Did you know that we can build a “Katrina style” house for approximately $12,000?  We currently have about $32,000 in our Alabama Re-Build Fund.   The more we give, the more homes we can help re-build after the devastation of the spring tornadoes.

The ministry of the hammer is one of many ways we participate in the building of God’s kingdom.  In reality, hammers are a lot like the roles and responsibilities we fill in life.  They are not “one size fits all.”  We are each called to employ our unique gifts and talents in service to the Lord. Isn’t it great to be a part of a congregation where everyone needs to find the right size of hammer?

This week Amanda and I will be beginning a few days of vacation.  I am grateful that our church provides vacation time for me to re-charge my batteries. Pray for our travels to be safe, and for me to “disconnect” from my daily responsibilities for a few days in order to “re-engage” with renewed energy.

On Sunday July 24, Chris Ziglar will be preaching on “A Good Purpose” from Genesis 11:1-9.  Chris and Stacey, our resident missionaries who are preparing to depart for Brazil, have been adopted as a part of our church family during their year here.

On Sunday, July 31, Dr. Ross Lankford will be preaching on “Our Good Shepherd” from Psalm 23.

I look forward to returning to the pulpit on August 7 as we kick off our August series on “Awesome Wonder.”

Thank you for your faithfulness during the summer months…in worship and Bible study…in giving…and in the ministry of the hammer.

A Tribute to Jean Ingram

On August 12, 1987 Jean Ingram joined the staff of First Baptist Church.  Jean began her tenure here as director of our Mother’s Day Out program.  Later she became our Interim Children’s Ministries Coordinator.  And eventually she was asked to become the permanent Minister of Children.

Last month, Jean Ingram shared with our church family her plans to retire in July of this year.   

This Sunday, July 17, is Jean Ingram Day at First Baptist Church.  During each of the morning worship services prior to the sermon, a couple of folks will share a few stories about Jean’s influence.  Then on Sunday afternoon, we will celebrate Jean’s ministry during a reception from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in Chipley Hall. 

As we look back with gratitude across Jean’s ministry here, I have invited a few folks to share a tribute to Jean:

Jean has been and will continue to be a true friend, which is the greatest of all blessings.              -Reginia Barrow

 What a wonderful spirit; perfectly matched to work with children. What a blessing to me and to my children and grandson. Thanks Jean.                      -Andy White

Jean has played the major role in developing a Children's Ministry that literally has become a "front door" to our church for new members. She ministers to not only the children, but to their whole family as well.

                                                -Bob Morrison

Mrs. Jean is so loving and she cares about me and others.                             -Mitchell Keyes

For the past 24 years Jean Ingram has touched the lives of more children and parents at FBC Pensacola and the surrounding community than anyone I know.  Her Christian influence and the results of her work is immeasurable but we know it will continue to impact families for generations to come.  Well done faithful servant”                                  -Ron Jackson

I think it was to a young Dwight L. Moody that someone once said "the world has not yet seen what can be accomplished by a person totally committed to Christ." That may be true, but with Ms. Jean we have definitely had a glimpse.                 -Mike Hudson

Jean demonstrates what it means to love the Lord with all your heart.                        -Sara Shiell

Mrs. Jean was and is my inspiration for wanting to have a career in the mission field.                     -Eden Gafford

Mrs. Jean is so sweet, loving and kind.  She is very cool to be around.                                  -Margaret Ann Vinson

I am glad that Jean and Al will continue to be a part of our church family in the years ahead. Thank you Jean for 24 faithful and effective years of ministry.  The seeds you have planted will bear fruit for generations to come.  And we look forward to growing in faith and friendship alongside you in the years ahead.

This Sunday, we are looking at Proverbs 3:21-24 as we emphasize the importance of “Getting a Good Night’s Sleep.”