Dear Church Family,

            The beautiful colors of fall will be on full display this month. I love to see the brilliant reds, oranges, yellows, and even purples as the leaves change. The beauty we see is the indication of change and the trees going into hibernation for the winter. As much as we enjoy the beautiful colors, we do not often think about the changes in the trees.

            We go through similar cycles during our lives. There are times when we shed the old so we can prepare for the new. We may rid ourselves of old clothing to purchase new. We may distance ourselves from some of our friends so we can make new ones. We do away with old habits to start new ones that are better for us. We may think these things are painful, but they are for our good.

            God also works within us to transform us from who we are to be the person he desires us to be. He helps us shed the old self so we can put on the new self. He doesn’t do it all at once. It is a process we go through throughout our lives. Some of us can look back and see how God has done this in our lives. Others are still going the through the process.

            The same is true of the church. As we look back over history, the church has gone through many changes. There have been times of awesome growth and times of pruning. As we remember the lesson Jesus stated in His parable of the true vine, we remember that He stated those who are doing well are pruned so they can produce more. We may very well be going through just such a time. What are we to do about it?

            Our mission is the same, spread the gospel of Jesus and win hearts for Him. During a time of pruning, just as vine does, we are to be preparing for the growth. We need to do what needs done to welcome new people. Part of that preparation is prayer. We should be praying for discernment to understand what needs to be done to prepare for new people coming to the church. That praying cannot be a “one off” prayer. It needs to be an everyday prayer. Pray that God continues to work in the church, that leaders know what preparations need done, and that we are ready to receive them when they come.

            Being pruned is not comfortable. Growing is not easy. We must be willing to endure the pain and rely on God to give us the strength to do the work. The bottom line in all of this is, we must be in constant prayer and lean on God for direction. Our faith must not waiver, rather it must grow stronger. In the end, God will triumph and we must believe that.

John 15:4: “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.”