Important Prayer Points for our October 25 Family Meeting

When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present,
with the power of the Lord Jesus… (1 Corinthians 5:4)

As we have been learning in our study of Ephesians, we have been brought together into one body through the blood of Jesus. With God as our Father, we are brothers and sisters in Christ. That is, we are family. And as family, we gather together regularly on the Lord’s Day for worship and edification. Additionally, we meet occasionally to address family matters. Some churches call these types of gatherings “business” meetings because they view them as the time when the congregation decides the “business” of the church. But that’s neither a helpful or biblical understanding of congregational government. Other churches, ourselves included, tend to call these gatherings members’ meetings, and they are. They are a meeting for members only. So, technically, that’s right. However, let me propose a better name – family meetings.

Sunday mornings are our main time for family worship. It’s when we all come together to worship our God and build one another up by speaking the truth in love to one another (Ephesians 4:7-16). Before the Coronavirus pandemic, Sunday evenings were our main family night. It was a time when we shared family news (engagements, pregnancies, transitions) and asked for family prayer (concerning evangelism, the ministry of the church, our mission). Our members’ meetings were our main family administration time – the time when we shared news about membership, discipline, leadership, and finances. But, since we are presently not meeting on Sunday nights, and since we’re not sure when we will resume our regular Sunday schedule, we want to combine our main family and administrative times. That’s why I think calling our “members’ meetings” family meetings is helpful.

This Sunday night at 5:00 p.m., October 25, we will have our regularly scheduled members’ meeting – I mean, our family meeting. During this time, in addition to our normal agenda, we will also have times of prayer and announcements. We will give away some books. And we will celebrate what the Lord is doing at High Pointe. I’m looking forward to this family meeting, and I hope you are too. Here are some ways you can be praying.

1.  Elder Affirmation: The elders will be presenting Otis Fields, John Thompson, and Jonathan Oskins for your affirmation as elders. They were nominated two months ago, and you’ve had that time to pray about their nomination and ask questions. We rejoice in how the Lord is raising up faithful men at High Pointe who are able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).

2.  Integrated Auxiliary: The elders will be asking you to approve the establishment of an integrated auxiliary for the purpose of identifying and funding gospel work in the United States and the world. I will be sending a separate email to members only explaining the nature of integrated auxiliaries and the reason we believe we should establish one as a church.

3.  Membership: Even during this season, the Lord continues to grow High Pointe. We will have the joy of presenting 12 new member candidates for your affirmation.

4.  Stewardship: As always, the elders will offer a financial report for our stewardship as a church. We rejoice in being able to celebrate your faithful generosity and the Lord’s continued favor.

5.  SBTC Messengers: This November, the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) annual meeting will take place in Austin at Hyde Park Baptist Church. If you would like to serve as a messenger (you’ll need to attend the two-day meeting), please let pastor Davey Davis know. We are only allowed a certain number of messengers, so we will receive them on a first-come, first-served basis. We will explain what it means to serve as a messenger at the family meeting. However, if you’re interested and would like your questions answered, we are happy to answer your questions.

It is a joy to serve together as the family of God. You, High Pointe, are a joy to your elders, and we look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us in the months and years ahead. Please continue to bow your knees “before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19).

Love,

Pastor Juan