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Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:13, NRSV)

Leadership includes seeing future needs and preparing for them as faithfully as possible. A few years ago at New College, Oxford (England), the beautiful old oak beams in the dining hall were found to be infested with the deathwatch beetle. There was no alternative but to replace the massive beams. Yet finding oak large enough to rebuild the ceiling seemed both physically and financially impossible.

One of the junior fellows suggested that perhaps the extensive grounds of the college itself might provide the needed timber. When the college forester was asked if such a possibility existed, he calmly replied, “Well, sir, we was wonderin’ when you’d be askin’.”

It turns out that when the college was founded in 1379, a grove of oak trees had been planted specifically for the future replacement of those beams should such an infestation ever occur. The founders understood from experience that the need would eventually arise. For centuries, each generation of foresters faithfully passed along the knowledge of the grove’s purpose so that, when the time came, the needs of the college community could be met. —Malcolm Warfield, Recruiting Seminary Trustees(Association of Governing Boards, 1985), 12–13.

Friends, I came across this story while preparing for a sermon, and it speaks clearly to our present season as a church. We prepare today for tomorrow’s needs and tomorrow’s ministry

We are now mid-year in our church finances, and it takes all of us working together to prepare faithfully for the days ahead. I truly believe we will meet our financial obligations, continue paying our conference apportionments and monthly expenses, and finish the year in a positive and fruitful manner. Yet I would be remiss if I did not remind us where we have been.

My family and I arrived on July 1, 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Prior to arriving, I personally contracted the virus during March–April of that year. Lakeway UMC was facing difficult challenges. The absence of in-house worship dramatically affected church giving, participation, Sunday School, choir, and community activities. The church was struggling on many levels.

Yet, in both worship services, I encountered faithful people who refused to give up—people determined to persevere and become the church God intended us to be despite difficult circumstances.

Remember, we eventually merged two worship services into one. We had to furlough staff and outsource certain responsibilities because finances were becoming depleted and unsustainable. Yet volunteerism rose up from within the congregation to meet the needs of the church: choir leadership, office assistance, yard maintenance, building care, and much more. Out of a very difficult season came a deeper sense of responsibility—not only for the church property, but for the ministry itself.

Then came October 2020, when a broken water line flooded the sanctuary and surrounding rooms. A simple $10 plumbing line resulted in more than $200,000 in insurance repairs. Yet through it all, the spirit of the church continued to grow—hopeful, inviting, hospitable, and faithful. The church truly became the church: one body under Christ with many members (1 Corinthians 12).

Many of you will continue telling this story. More importantly, you will help write new stories of new beginnings. Hold on to hope, faith, and love. “And the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).  

In closing, I trust God with my whole heart. I love the church, and I am honored to serve as pastor of this historic—and history-making—church. Together, with the help of God, all things are possible. KEEP THE VISION. KEEP PRAYING!

Blessings from Pottsboro, Pastor Frank
(alegria@lakewayumc.org)