May has been a great month at Broadmoor as we celebrate unique Marker Moments and Milestones in the lives of many of our families. From graduation celebrations, to Mother’s Day recognitions, to Parent/Child Dedications, May is a month that provides a window for all of us to look through to see the power of Faith at Home. Over the next two Sundays Dr. Tate Cockrell (our Family Pastor) and Gary Maze (our Associate Pastor), will be sharing more about cultivating faith at home. You will not want to miss it. These next few weeks are the countdown to Summer and we are looking forward to a great Summer of ministry!

As I write I am sitting in a waiting area at JFK International Airport in New York. In just a few hours I will be teaching, preaching, and sharing with church leaders and others in Odessa, Ukraine. As I wait, I am spending some time in prayer about all that God might want to teach me in this experience. Not unlike moments of walking with the Lord on mission in the past, I feel the unique mixture of excitement, uncertainty, curiosity, and the awareness of my complete dependence on the Lord as I step squarely outside of my comfort zone. I would appreciate your prayers for me over the next week. Pray that I would hear God’s voice clearly, would be used of Him strategically, and that I would rely on Him completely. I look forward to sharing with you when I get back.

"But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might befully proclaimed"  2 Timothy 4:17

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 3:12-14

We are out of the blocks and running into a new year! This first week of 2011 is almost over and you have survived! Way to go! It’s not easy to make the adjustment from a few days of holiday leisure back to the responsibilities of real life, but I am confident that we can not only survive but also thrive! I am looking forward to all the 2011 holds for each of us and our church family.

Over the last few weeks God has been speaking to my heart about how to best prepare for this new year. I have shared some of this in messages the last two Sundays but I thought I might take a minute to hit some of the highlights of what God is teaching me.

• Start Where You Are  |  To begin any journey you have to be clear about where you are. Take some time to talk with God about where you are in your life in some key areas.  For example, where are you physically, emotionally, spiritually? Where are you in regard to the primary relationships of your life? Where are you vocationally and financially? You get the idea.
• Pray About Where You Are Going  |  When you know where you are you can then begin focusing on a direction for the future. What are your goals for this coming year? What are your hopes for your family, your job, your friendships? How is God leading you in your life? God is willing to speak to us. Make sure to spend some time listening. 
• Count the Cost and Pay the Price  |  What will it cost to go from where you are to where you feel like God is leading you? Anything of value will always have a cost. 
• Enjoy the Journey  |  Don’t just endure your life, experience and enjoy your life! Be fully present in relationships, responsibilities, pursuits, and each moment. Be wide-eyed to see God’s activity around you and in you as you walk forward! 

Those are just a few thoughts that I hope might help you navigate the new year! Remember, you are perfectly positioned to take a positive next step toward God’s preferred future for you!

This Sunday morning I will start a new series called Leveraging Life. I hope to see you then!  

By His Grace,

Rob Futral

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  - John 3:16  

So simple. So profound.  The words of John 3:16 beautifully capture the heart of our great God. God still loves the world. This week is the first week of the advent season, the week that focuses on the hope that accompanies the reality of Jesus coming into this world. Max Lucado once described John 3:16 as the “hope diamond of all of the jewels in Scripture.” There is no doubt that our hope is anchored in God’s great love. The gift of his love is life-changing and life-sustaining. We can never fully search out the depths of His love or soar to its heights. It is as vast as the sea and as limitless as space. Even so, it is available to be experienced by you and by me. As we venture into the Christmas season, take time to remember His great love for you.  

Christmas Impact

As we live in His love, we are always reminded that God desires for each of us not only to receive His love, but also to share it with others. In the weeks approaching Christmas there are many opportunities to share the love of Christ in tangible ways. Let me share two of those with you.  

1. Local Impact  |  We have the opportunity to partner with several organizations in our city to make Christmas a time of celebration for individuals and families. From providing gifts for families to simply ringing a bell to support the work of the Salvation Army, there are opportunities for all of us. You can find out more about these opportunities on the rest of our website, in Life Groups, or by calling 601.898.4969.  

2. Global Impact: Week of Prayer for International Missions and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering  |  Another way that we can Impact the World is through praying for and supporting missionaries who are sharing the good news of God’s love around the globe. We are blessed to be involved in a church that is actively involved in God’s work globally in a number of parnerships around the world. Beyond these that we often hear about or see, we are also able to touch places and people in the world that we will never know about this side of heaven by our support of the over 5,000 missionaries serving through the International Mission Board. This Sunday prayer guides will be available for a special week of prayer for Global Missions. We will also have an opportunity to give through the remainder of the year to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering that completely goes to support missionaries on the field.

Over the past two weeks we have had the opportunity to see and hear from two missionary couples. This Sunday I am excited that Jason and Kelly Cox will be sharing with us in our morning worship services.  The Cox’s serve in the Arabian Peninsula region of the world. Jason and I went to college together and I can’t wait for you to hear how God is working in that part of the world.  

Let’s make this Christmas Impact the biggest yet, both in our own hearts as we live in the love of God and in the lives of others as we share His love!  

Your Pastor,

Rob Futral

I’d like to add one more thought on the question I asked you to consider a few weeks back. The question comes from the book The Externally Focused Quest and is about churches who desire to look beyond their walls to the needs of the world. Here is the question, “How can we be the best church FOR our community?” I love that question and how it challenges me to think new thoughts about how we carry out the mission of the church. I love it because it leads me back to Jesus’ marching orders for the church that we find in Matthew 28:19-20, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Regardless of the place that a body of believers is located, we all have the same mission, to make disciples.

So, my final thought (at least for the moment) on “Broadmoor at Our Best” is we are at our best when we are living out the mission of the church. We are at our best when we are gathered for moments of worship and the study of God’s Word. We are at our best when we are gathered in smaller gatherings, sharing life, opening the Word, encouraging one another, challenging one another, and loving one another. We are at our best when we are outside the four walls of the church living out our faith in a way that is attractive and compelling to those who have yet to follow Christ. We are at our best when we are burdened by the needs of others around us every day and for those that live in places far away. When we are committed to the work of making disciples we will always find that Jesus is right there with us! Why? Because when we are making disciples we find that we are co-workers with Christ in this work. When we are involved, we find that we are simply joining Him in the work in which He is constantly committed.

May God continue to allow us the privilege of being on mission with Him!

Rob

Have you ever thought about what we do best as a church? Every local church is a unique collection of followers of Christ who are uniquely gifted to serve Him. Every week I am amazed at the incredibly gifted group of people that God has assembled at Broadmoor and the willingness of our body to work together for a common purpose. While we are certainly not a perfect people or place, every week I am encouraged and blessed to see God at work in and through our church.

Over the past few months I have reading an interesting book called The Externally Focused Quest: Becoming the Best Church FOR the Community. The book is a compilation of characteristics that “Externally Focused” churches share in common. A simple definition of an Externally Focused church is one that strives to develop “missional disciples” who are learning about and living out their faith rather than simply being religious consumers.  I believe the book describes a great deal of what we are about as a church but one question in particular has captivated, challenged, and concentrated my thinking in regards to the Church in general, and our church in particular. Read the following excerpt and see what you think:

“Most churches, blatantly or subtly, have an unspoken objective—“How can we be the best church in the community?”—and they staff, budget, and plan accordingly. How a church answers that question determines its entire approach to its members, staff, prayers, finances, time, technology, and facilities. Becoming an externally focused church is not about becoming the best church in the community. The externally focused church asks, ‘How can we be the best church FOR our community?’ That one little preposition changes everything.”

Take a minute to think about the seismic difference that single preposition makes in shaping our mindset about who we are and what we are called to do.

With this question in mind I want to share over the next few weeks some specific ways that I think that Broadmoor is at our best, because we are being the best church FOR our community and for the world. I will share two specific ways this week that highlight experiences from the last week of ministry.

1. We are at our Best When We Serve Together Outside the Walls  |  I have two specific examples that come to mind on this one. Mission Possible is the first. I have been blown away by the team effort at building a house for the Warren family in under three weeks! We will have the opportunity to celebrate and pray with this family on November 14th at their home but I just want to say a huge thank you for being the church! The second is Fun Fest. I don’t know exactly how many people attended Fun Fest on Sunday night ( I have heard estimates from 2,000 to 3,000), but I do know that it was a great event that demonstrated to everyone the intergenerational servant heart of our church family. Sometimes a first step on our campus becomes, in time, the strategic step toward faith in Christ. Thank you for providing such a great experience for our community of faith and the community around us.

2. We are at our Best When We Care About Each Other  |  Over the last few weeks I have seen the beauty of a church living out what Paul encouraged the church to do. Remember when he wrote in Romans 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” I have seen tears shed together over losses, as well as tears that have flowed in moments of celebration. I have seen Life Groups gather for prayer with a family in a moment of great challenge while others have celebrated the birth of a child. I just love to see the church being the church to one another. When we care about each other we will always find the Spirit of Christ in our midst.

Well, I’m just getting started and it is time to stop. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we worship together. Sunday will be a great day with our children and students taking a big part in our worship time together. Also, remember this Sunday is Tim Moak and his family’s last Sunday with us at Broadmoor before taking on their new assignment at Petal Harvey Baptist Church. Sunday will be a special day!

Your Pastor,

Rob

MISSION POSSIBLE

On Tuesday our staff had the opportunity to volunteer at our Mission Possible construction site. One week after the official start, the house was framed, roofed, sided, and the outside had the first coat of paint. The sheetrock is in and nearly ready to be painted. We are tremendously blessed with capable, servant-hearted volunteers. If you’ve not had an opportunity to serve at the site, there’s still time! Our crews will be working now through October 30. Contact the Impact Ministry at 601.898.4969 or CLICK HERE for details.

YOUR STORY, GOD’S GLORY

God is faithfully using the testimony of so many through this sermon series, Your Story, God’s Glory. A common thread in all of our stories is the presence of real need, often painful, that moves us to find a fresh dependency on God. He is the God of redemption and healing and delights in putting needy, broken people back together. This week’s message and story are going to, once again, remind us of the way God loves us for His Glory. Don’t miss it!

THE TAYLORS

One of our precious families, Jeff and Becky Taylor, and their children Shelby, Delaney, and Brennan, are in the midst of a difficult season in their story. Becky will be having surgery at M.D. Anderson on Friday morning, October 22. I’ve assured the Taylors that the Broadmoor family will be praying, not just Friday, but faithfully throughout this time. Kelsey Carroll, who sang Healer and shared her testimony in our service on September 26, is Becky’s niece. Join me as we continue to lift these and so many others up to our Father.

It is a privilege to pastor such a wonderful praying, serving, and giving Church family.

Gratefully,

Rob Futral

MISSION POSSIBLE

I'm happy to report that we are off to a great start with the launch of Mission Possible! Many of our Broadmoor family are participating, and I want to encourage you to pick a day or more, bring your Life Group and friends, and be a part of changing the story of the Warren family for God’s glory. You will always remember the time you invest in this project, and this family’s legacy will be changed forever. Learn more about Mission Possible by CLICKING HERE.

REVIVAL IN PRENTISS, MS

This week, I am privileged to be leading in revival at Prentiss Baptist Church. It is always encouraging to see God faithfully at work in and around our state and world. While I am enjoying my time with these great folks in Prentiss, I am also looking forward to being with you this Sunday as we explore God’s redeeming work in the lives of some of our Broadmoor family. See you in worship! CLICK HERE to learn about Sunday morning.

Your Pastor,

Rob Futral