Brothers and Sisters,
I love playing board games. I get it—not everyone does. But do you remember the excitement of buying a new game? You get home, take out all the pieces, unfold the board, and then ask yourself, Now, where do all these things go? Somewhere, tossed aside in haste, is the stapled rulebook. You have to read it step by step to understand where the pieces go, what you can do on your turn, how the game ends, who goes first, and who wins.
No one likes reading the rules. It’s slow, and it’s not even playing the game. But without the rules, you wouldn’t even know where to start. Sometimes, it takes 30 minutes just to wrap your mind around a simple game—let alone some of the larger, more complex ones. But you put in the time because the game is worth it. The next time you play, you may still need to reference the rulebook, but maybe not at all. Either way, it’s there when you need it as you become more accustomed to the game.
So why am I talking about board games and their rulebooks?
Last night was our Church Business Meeting. As our bylaws state, we follow Robert’s Rules of Order. I remember walking into my first business meeting and thinking, What in the world are these people doing? The phrases were strange, and the process was hard to understand. However, these rules exist so a group of people can work together, ensure everyone is heard, and conduct business in unity.
If you weren’t there, the church decided on two new orders of business:
1. Standing up the Youth/Worship search team.
2. Standing up the Bylaws revision team, with a new member added and a request for me to weigh in on the changes.
Both of these teams had been put on hold until the new pastor arrived to oversee them. I’m so thankful for our previous pastor, Bro. Ray, for his wisdom in waiting.
During our meeting, there was no arguing and no major differences of opinion. But sometimes, you have to go back to the rulebook. We had motions, seconds, discussions, votes, amendments to motions, and more votes. The process can feel tedious and, at times, even frustrating. But here was the outcome: both motions passed with 100% approval.
Thank you with your patience with me. As your pastor I serve as the Moderator of our business meetings. I am not allowed to vote or sway things one way or the other. Im doing my best to read the rule book. Taking time to improve my skills as a moderator. This is a big area of weakness for me, and I will continue to grow in this area.
Everyone worked together as one united body. Two unanimous votes are rare. There will be times when we vote and have differences, but unity in Christ is greater than any vote. We can stand for or against something, but we can leave unified as one body.
Romans 12:5 - So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
God is doing great things at Fellowship Baptist Church.
Tom has a motion… Motion to adjourn.
In Christ,
Travis Smith
Servant of Jesus Christ
Lead Pastor, Fellowship Baptist Church
