Reflections on 2021 and a prayer for 2022

As 2021 winds into its final hours, it seems appropriate to pause and look back at all that has happened in and through Compass Church. Here are a few highlights from the past year:

• 52 weeks of livestream services
• Connection Groups resume in person
• 1200+ meals served through Loaves and Fishes
• Compass Houses served five families
• Hand motions help with Biblical Theology
• Galatians and the power of gospel freedom
• Good Friday parking lot stations of the cross
• New staff member
• New families
• Baptism!
• Summer picnics in the park
• Golf outreach
• Family Night Live
• From the Great Room podcast
• Compass Classical Service
• Coffee is back on Sunday mornings!
• The beginning of a new chapter – installation of Pastor Craig Kidder
• Advent celebrations

 

In just a few hours we will see the dawn of a brand new year. The leadership at Compass has charted a course for our church family and we hope, by God’s grace to see even more growth and transformation in the coming year. Here are a few things we are looking forward to in 2022:

• Compass Care Ministry – Pastor Troy will help lead a new Core Compass Ministry that will include Connection Groups, GriefShare, Visitation, Hospitality, Benevolence, and Stephen Ministry which is a one to one ministry that trains people to come alongside others as they navigate loss and difficulty in life.
• COMPASS core values and Retreats
• More Family Night Live
• Focused Leadership Training
• Continuation of the Malphurs Process
• More baptisms
• More great preaching
• More lives transformed by the Gospel
• More people coming to know and love God

A Prayer for the New Year

Gracious God,

As we reflect on 2021 we see Your faithfulness. We remember the turmoil and disorientation that we felt in 2020 and the fears that followed us into the beginning of the past year. This year that began with the pandemic in full swing, our church without a senior pastor, questions about budget, giving and attendance going forward, not knowing if we'd have to go virtual again. As we traveled through each month we saw Your divine providence in meeting the financial needs of the church, and in blessing us with new and returning families. We celebrated Your goodness each Sunday and experienced Your presence in powerful ways through the sermons and worship times.

As we look forward to 2022 we ask for Your help. We need wisdom for the course we are charting. We need energy to faithfully fulfill the mission You’re calling us to. We need a richer connection to Your faithful love to be the gravity that keeps us from drifting off course or losing heart. Help us to appropriately hold our plans with open hands but to grasp tightly to You and to Your promises. May we faithfully steward and joyfully fill the days that you’ve appointed for us in this coming year.

 

Amen.