The Next Chapter Begins

  

Nobody likes change. But it’s necessary. Nobody likes to feel as though they are losing something. And that’s understandable. If in fact something was lost. 

There is a difference between losing something… And changing something. 

Sometimes you didn’t lose anything at all. It just doesn’t have the same form. Like a book ending… or a chapter ending. One is definitive and the other is just turning to the next page. 

Last night we came together as a church and voted an overwhelming yes to simply turn to the next page. To start the next chapter in the history of the church. 

Glad Tidings Church has an incredible story. It’s 82 years of lives changed and missionaries sent. Many churches have been built. And it has filled its hallways with incredible people. There have been many Pastors who have come through and all have built something incredible. The elders throughout the years have had one agenda in mind… God’s agenda. To see lives forever changed. We are forever grateful for those who have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into this church. We stand on your shoulders as we see into the future. And last night we put the final period in the Chapter for GTC. 

We put a period on that chapter… Not a “The End.”

The Next Chapter has begun. A new day is here. A new vision and clarity of the people we are to reach. God is doing incredible things in the lives of the people here. We have already seen just under 200 Salvations in the first half of 2015! 

We know with great clarity that we have been called to reach young families who are either “unchurched” or “dechurched”, meaning these people have never encountered Jesus… Or they have walked away from faith at some point and are looking to return. Our target is not church people moving from place to place. We are a church of spiritual producers… not spiritual consumers. 

We know that 2/3rds of the people in Coastal Virginia do not attend church anywhere. That’s over 1 Million people. THEY are who we are called to reach. And we are pumped that God has given us the opportunity to do so. 

The name of the next chapter: Coastal Virginia Church!

And our prayer is that God will be as gracious to us in this chapter as he was in the 82 year old chapter of GTC. 

We are CVC… And we are out to make a difference!

Love you all!

Brandon Hester