Exhortation, November 13

Churches have a life-cycle just as individuals do. Both individuals and churches begin life in helpless dependence, slowly learn to do things for ourselves, and eventually take responsibility not only for ourselves but for others.

Trinity Reformed church was born in August 2003 as a church plant from Christ Church. We had no members of our own, no elders of our own, no budget of our own. Now, a little over two years later, we have nearly 190 members in over seventy households; we have witnessed 23 baptisms (11 in the last year alone); we have our own liturgy, our own budget, and are developing our own schedule of regular meetings and events. We have the same elders and deacons we started with, but they are now our elders and deacons.

In October, we were admitted as a full member church to the CREC, and this is an important part of our maturation. Though we will continue to rely on Christ Church for advice and assistance, we are officially a sister church rather than a daughter church. We have certainly not reached maturity, or even puberty. But, by the grace of God, we are no longer infants and we are developing a personality of our own.

With maturity comes responsibility. From the beginning, we have been called to live together as a body of believers, but that vocation has become more specific and intense as we reach this milestone. Especially now, God calls all of us to look for opportunities to use our gifts for the edification of the whole church.

We are all called to use whatever gifts we have to minister to others in Trinity Reformed Church. But we are also called to seek opportunities to serve the saints in our sister church; they have sowed among us, and we should see to it that they enjoy the harvest along with us. Some of you may be called to serve the wider body of believers in the CREC, or to minister to and with other churches in Moscow-Pullman.

As Paul said, you have all received the Spirit, and “to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Do not quench that Spirit.