If I were to sum up 2023 with one word, it would be growth.

It’s been an exciting year seeing this church grow in its desire to know God. This is reflected in an eagerness in our members to build each other up in their spiritual walks – exactly as the body should be working. This has been a great source of encouragement to me and I thank God for what he’s been doing in us.

I’m especially encouraged to see our young people grow in their faith and their enthusiasm to reach out, both to God and to others in the church. It’s a privilege to walk alongside them as they mature in their faith and lives and I pray that we can continue to grow together for many years to come.

I’ve continued my studies this year, auditing one paper per semester at Carey: prophets in semester one, and the Psalms and wisdom books in semester two. I’ve enjoyed learning from the Old Testament and it’s helped me see how Jesus’ ministry fits into the bigger picture of God’s story.

I want to encourage you to be proactive in being examples to the younger generations. I often quote 1 Timothy 4:12: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” The same is true the other way round: as their elders, we also ought to be setting an example for them. The kind of church you want them to grow up in is the kind of church we need to be building up.

Looking ahead, my primary focus will still be on equipping our students and wider congregation members to be knowledgeable and skillful leaders who love God.  

May God bless you through and through.

Pastor Jonathan