The First Day: A Letter to West Franklin

West Franklin Family,

Tomorrow. February 27th, 2022. The first day of the rest of our life together as a church.

Tomorrow promises to be a massive day for West Franklin. Huge. I’ve had this day circled on my calendar for a while.

We will officially move into the newly renovated worship space. We will observe the Lord’s Supper. A one-day Discover class will be offered for the many guests who have been attending. We will come back tomorrow night for a fun-filled, action-packed Family Gathering. Mike Glenn. Aaron Bryant. Chuy’s. Nothing Bundt Cakes. Lord, have mercy. I will announce who our new (and first ever full-time) NextGen minister will be.

Tomorrow. A big day to be sure. The first day of the rest of our life together as a church.

In a sense, it feels like we are becoming new. Like a butterfly bursting its way out of a cramped cocoon. Not just because of the renovated space, though that’s definitely part. But it seems, two years after the beginning of COVID, we are new. A different congregation. We now have six (six!) full-time staff on the team: Kiersten Wolff, Dave Kruse, Brad Cleveland, Josh Lynn, NextGen, and myself. No more part-time ministerial roles. Add to this the fact I have had lunch or coffee with more guests to our church in recent days than ever before. Yes. It feels like we are becoming new.

Now comes the part where I am supposed to rally us win Franklin to Christ. I should challenge us with the reality that we now have no excuses. New building. Full-time staff. New people. Nothing should hold us back! Now’s the part where probably a good (normal?) pastor would cheer us on toward big and mighty things for God.

To be sure, I definitely desire to see Franklin won for Christ. And yes, I feel the healthy pressure of having “no excuses.” I believe wholeheartedly we are going to see and participate with God in doing incredible and glorious things in the days ahead. Without a doubt, West Franklin is primed and ready.

As we gather tomorrow for the first day of the rest of our life together as a church, however, I want our chief desire to be God. I don’t want to pressure us into doing great things for God. God is the One doing. I want us to seek Him, be with Him, join Him, worship Him, obey Him, be transformed by Him, recognize and respond to His presence. The building will be old in ten years. The staff will probably change. New people will come and go. But you and I, and everyone we meet, will always and forever need God. God will, always and forever, be what our hearts long for and desire. The God of the Bible, the One revealed throughout the pages of the sixty-six books, is Who and what your neighbor needs. He’s Who Franklin needs. He’s Who you need. He’s Who our church needs. Most everyone you meet has a distorted understanding of God. I long for this to change. It will change when you and I make and keep our chief desire knowing and worshiping Him. That’s what I want. For me. For you. For our church.

By God’s abundant grace toward us, we are in a very healthy and extremely exciting position as a church. Hallelujah. But let’s never forget that the church is God’s household, people of the living God. And let’s always remember that God is the only Sovereign, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, to him be honor and eternal power. In other words, it’s all from Him, for Him, and about Him. Tomorrow, and every day following – let’s worship God. It’s the first day of the rest of our life together as a church.

I’ll see you in the new space, with my Bible open to John 4. We’ll sing. Pray. Give. Sit under the Word. Take the Lord’s Supper. Yes – we’ll worship together.

For God So Loved,

Pastor Matt

Brentwood Baptist leadership is in contact with our missionary personnel in the Ukraine and with other entities as to how we can best help our fellow humans and believers in the Ukraine. More information forthcoming. In the meantime, go here to learn more and go here for specific ways to pray.

PURSUE – Go here to learn more about how and why to faithfully give for future Gospel impact in Middle Tennessee.