Pastor's Thoughts: November

Church family, I have to begin by saying thank you for your generous gifts for Pastor Appreciation Day. You are such a blessing to me and my family! I am truly grateful to be your pastor. I was greatly encouraged by the surprise fellowship and enjoyed all that you did for me. I love my church, and I know that my church loves me. Thank you again.

For the past three years, we have hosted a Trunk or Treat event on Halloween on our parking lot. Every year seemed to grow a little. A few more families from the community would come by, and a few more families from the church would show up to serve. However, this year, Dawn wanted to do a Fall Fest, which was an excellent idea. The goal was to be a place for people to come and spend some time at our event, rather than just going through the line and leaving. While the number of guests from the community was down, the support from the church was way up. It was amazing to see all of you out there, fellowshipping and serving together. It was a blessing to watch our church come together to serve our community. There is such a strong sense of support and unity in our church, and I am praising God for that.

Even though fewer guests from the community showed up, I still believe that it was a success. Sometimes, with events like this, people do not attend. However, I also want you to realize that we cannot count the impact that we had on all the people who drove by and saw us out there serving our community. The impact of our outreach may be far greater than we realize. Ultimately, when we feel led to reach out to our community, our success is found in our obedience, not our turnout.

The Fall Fest was an excellent event. I am looking forward to continuing the Fall Fest in the years to come and seeing how God uses it. I want to encourage everyone to plan on being a part next time as well. Thank you to everyone who showed up to serve, and thank you, Dawn Gracy, for all the work that you put into this event.

At our past Members Meeting, in October, the deacons presented the motion for the Foundations Team. The motion received a second and was tabled until the next Members Meeting in January, when it will be discussed and voted on. In case you missed it, I would like to share the motion, projected process, and speak to the purpose of the motion.

The Deacon Body moves that the church task the Nominating Committee with selecting an ad hoc team, to be called the Foundations Team. This team will review, revise, and, when necessary, rewrite or create new documents for New Hope Baptist Church in order to ensure that all documents align with the teachings of Scripture. These documents will include the church bylaws, operational policies, and any other documents or policies deemed necessary.

Oct. 12, 2025: Present the motion as new business and table the motion until the next Members Meeting.
Jan. 11, 2026: Bring motion forward for discussion and vote by the congregation.
April 12, 2026: Nominating Committee presents Foundations Team to the congregation for a vote.
2026: Foundations Team reviews, revises, rewrites, and creates bylaws, policies, and other documents to give New Hope Baptist Church strong structures that align with the Bible.
2027: The Foundations Team presents their recommendations to the congregation, and the church votes on the proposed documents.
2028: Dissolve the Foundations Team.

Over the last two years, we’ve amended our bylaws several times so that New Hope can operate in a healthier way. Those changes have helped, but they’ve mostly been “Band-Aid fixes” to a structure that really needs a complete, prayerful rebuild. It’s time to create bylaws and policies that truly protect and strengthen New Hope for the future. That is the purpose of the Foundations Team.

Protecting New Hope
New Hope is still operating under bylaws written in 1989. They served our church well then, but the world has changed dramatically. No one in 1989 imagined the legal and cultural challenges we’d face in 2025 — including issues like same-sex marriage, gender ideology, and other societal pressures on churches.
If we want to remain faithful to Scripture and legally protected as a church, we need bylaws built for today. This is why our deacons and I are recommending the formation of a Foundations Team.

Building Up New Hope
This process isn’t only about protection — it’s about strengthening our future. Think of the Foundations Team as architects building a trellis: a strong, biblical structure that supports the vine of ministry God has planned for New Hope.

One key part of this trellis will be moving to an elder-led congregational model. This means:

• A group of biblically qualified elders will lead and shepherd the church.
• Elders will make recommendations and handle day-to-day leadership.
• The congregation will remain the final earthly authority under Christ.

This model reflects the New Testament pattern of plural elder leadership, provides stronger and more diverse leadership, and ensures accountability for those who shepherd God’s people. No single pastor is gifted in every area or should lead without spiritual brothers walking alongside him.

Looking Ahead Together
The Foundations Team will craft bylaws rooted in Scripture and built to support healthy, growing ministry. Their task is to help us create a strong, clear, biblical structure — not for bureaucracy, but for mission, discipleship, accountability, and future fruit.
Let’s pray together as we take this important step. We believe the Lord is preparing New Hope for a faithful future, and this team will help us build the framework to support the ministry He is calling us to do.

Dear Heavenly Father,

You are wonderfully sovereign over all things. You are worthy of all praise, glory, and honor. You are the one whom we serve. We exist for your eternal glory. Lord, please help us be the church that you want us to be. Give us wisdom to build the right structures for the church so that we can do the work of ministry that You have for us to do. May we always bring You glory in all that we do.

In Christ,
Pastor Ben