Two Year Reflection

April 1 marked my second anniversary as pastor of Northside Drive. Over the past two years my family and I relocated from North Carolina to Atlanta and rooted ourselves in this community.  We have become residents of Buckhead, members of the Georgia Aquarium, occasional riders of MARTA, spectators of the Peachtree Road Race, connoisseurs of Buford Highway eateries, and walkers of the Beltline.  

In short, Atlanta has become our home.   

And Northside Drive has become our family.   

 In the past two years, we have eaten together, prayed together, laughed together, struggled together, marched together, worshipped together, and learned to love together.  And there is so much more to come.   

 I have come to believe that ours is a church that cannot fail.  It cannot fail because we have a message that the world needs.  We have a mission.  And there are not many churches like ours!  Specifically, there are not many churches that welcome all people. Sure, they might say they welcome all people but they really don’t.  And that bait and switch (we love you, now change!) is deceitful, unChristlike, and deeply hurtful.  Our church cannot fail because the world needs our (very Christlike) message of love, welcome, justice and hope.  This is a message that must be shared- from the rooftops if necessary!  

 And on the road ahead, much will be required of us.  We will need to do more ‘outside the box’ thinking than we’ve done before.  We will need engagement and input from all corners of the church.  And we will need to dig deep into our faith in God. 

 The best days of Northside Drive Baptist Church are NOT behind us.  There are new challenges and new opportunities which we will engage together.  And in the end, our faith and the mission of our church will lead us forward into the future. 

 And, friends, we will do it together!