I realize as the New Year approaches I will be moving into my ninthh year as your Director of Missions.  I have learned a lot while serving the churches of the association over that time. I have strengthened my knowledge base and proficiencies in a myriad of areas: mobilizing healthy churches, revitalizing declining churches, planting new churches, church conflict resolution, missions strategies, leadership development, promoting missions and ministries, nurturing fellowship among churches and leaders, navigating administrative challenges, managing the many facilities of the association, working with key community leaders, conducting funerals, sheparding pastors and their families, instructing pastor search committees, guiding churches in uncertain times, filling the pulpit, strategizing and vision casting, managing budgets, speaking to every area of church life, offering counseling, eating meals with key leaders, laughing with, crying with, and loving and serving God’s people, and a host of others things too numerous to list. God has stretched me and given me a love for the local church more profound than ever before. The local church, the bride of Christ, is God’s plan A. There is no plan B. I realize that our ministry here at the association is wholly        focused on helping the local church succeed in her mission of glorifying God and carrying the Gospel to the Nations. We are always a work in progress. We are always seeking ways to improve and to be better in every area of associational life. We are always refining our processes, gauging our successes and failures, rethinking, reevaluating, and recalibrating in relation with the changing times. We are a work in progress, just like our churches. I’m excited as we move into the new year about the awesome possibilities that await us. Our cooperative efforts for the Gospel in the coming year is the glue that binds us together as Southern Baptist. I hope and pray that you and your church will see and embrace the great value of     working hand in hand with other like-minded churches. The approach of Christ is soon, let us rise up in   Holy Ghost power and work together like never before to see His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Serving the king Together,

Eric