Why I Am Encouraged

I am greatly encouraged, and I want you to know why.

Here are some things I am encouraged about as should you, but they are not the reason for my writing this today.

I am encouraged by – –

     Our attendance. Since the first of March both our worship and Connect Groups attendance has exceeded the average attendance in the same time period pre-Covid. You may recall that we were at one time looking for 101% of our previous attendance. Now we have finally exceeded that 101%. 

     Our attendance for Easter weekend. It was an all-time high attendance for Easter. I know that the attendance on Easter encouraged you as well. I heard that over and over.

     The giving to our anchored campaign. Over 400 families pledging more than $4 million is allowing us to make progress on a number of fronts as we get ready for the future.

All of these things are encouraging, but my greatest encouragement comes from the way I see our people working and how I see God working. 

I was amazed and overjoyed to see how you invited family and friends to worship. That is one reason for our high attendance, but you invited them not to set an attendance record but to hear the gospel.

I am encouraged to see boldness that has been demonstrated in so many of you. You have prayed, invited, and encouraged other people to hear the gospel and to know Christ. I actually think that the turmoil we are seeing in the country is being used of God to draw people to Himself. I think other people recognize that they’ve tried everything looking for peace and joy but cannot find it. You are helping them find it through your faithful Christian witness.

Finally, I am encouraged to hear other people in other churches making the same estimates about their own churches. Continue to pray for FBC Covington and let us deliberately pray for other churches around us and for the church worldwide

May God continue to bless His church. 

 -Dr. Waylon Bailey