It’s been a summer of crazy. The Pastors have got a a bit of rest and family time recently – but now everyone is headed back to begin looking at the year ahead of us, and we need your help.
There are needs you probably don’t know about, and may be ready to help with. 
Coming up at First Baptist Church of Los Lunas!
1. Family picnic coming up on August 27th.
2. FLL Christian Academy starts up September 5th.
Now, we have a lot of other work to do!
Call, email or speak to us when you’re ready to help.
- Our Awana program needs serious support, as it begins September 10th.
- The Fall Festival cannot happen without more workers, leaders and direction.
- Young parents would deeply appreciate the monthly Parents Night Out opportunity where we provide childcare again.
- Those who visit us need to know they are welcomed and to receive a follow up visit or call from more than the Pastor.
- The 2nd grade Sunday School class has no permanent teacher right now.
- The nursery is once again in desperate need of new workers – preferably older women who no longer have children living at home. Our young moms need a break at church.
- Our Tuesday night tutoring is supposed to start up again.
- Deep cleaning always a need.
Who is doing the work?
- Did you know that we have a few volunteers who do basic cleaning of the church building? They need a break.
- Trenton Bock takes care of any and all repair work and grounds-keeping in addition to his daily care of several elderly in our church.
- The Pastor has been functioning as both Pastor and Music Minister, Sunday School Teacher and much more.
- Pastor Brandon has become the ministry Jack-of-All-Trades as well, and spends a good part of his time helping at The Branch too.
- Thalia often works 15 hour days running The Branch.
- And when a need arises – it’s one of a few people who respond to the call. We won’t name those who have stepped up time and again. That’s not why they do it. But please know they would appreciate someone else being available.
What happens when few help?
- The church garden has almost failed this year because of a lack of involvement. We’ve worked hard for 4 years to make it a valuable producer for our church family, the food pantry and The Branch – of tomatoes, peppers, corn, squash, root vegetables and herbs. The Pastor has been nearly alone in its care for the last two years – and the loss of his father in June set off a series of events that have kept us away much of the summer, so it is full of weeds. We’ve lost all the tomatoes, squash, etc.
- On top of all this, our beautiful ministry – The Branch – needs to be remodeled, but we lack money, time and workers. And we always need solid employees!
- Plus, several men have expressed interest in becoming pastors. These men need prayer, encouragement and support from our church family.
What do we do?
Believe it or not, this list continues on my desk. I just finished cleaning OFF of my bulletin board 15 possible ministries I wanted to work on. I just do not have the time.
In all its 80 years, this church has never been wealthy – but it has cared for its own, the elderly, the poor, the sick, the lost, the lonely, and the helpless. We’ve supported countless other ministries and never hesitated to give of ourselves in any way God enabled us. All this has been done because of our faith in HIM!
We know His Word says:
In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22
Read below for more from His Word.
I have other ideas for ministry.
I can hear the pastors sigh and see them roll their eyes in frustration as I write this. All around us are paths to lifting up our community through training, basic care, instructing in both education and the things of God. We need a full time prayer ministry, care ministry, music ministry, cleaning crew, missions ministry, school board, big event team, security team, okay – I’ll quit. Read on.
- We could do Back-to-School haircuts here in September.
- We could teach parenting classes after hours at The Branch.
- We could teach canning and preserving here at the church.
- We could open up times for free counseling for those struggling with addiction – or for those who’ve been abused.
- We could teach marriage classes one Friday a month before allowing the parents a couple hours of babysitting for a night out.
- We could provide yard work and home care to older adults who would like to stay at their homes but need a hand.
- We could start a mentoring program for youth who have no solid example in their lives.
- We could start a music school and teach piano, flute, trombone, drums, guitar, etc from the church building itself – this is already happening in part through The Branch, but we could structure it as an individual ministry and market it to schools.
- We could have teaching/discussion Roundtables for students who need to learn to reason through debate about religion and politics without emotional reaction.
- We could have teaching/discussion Roundtables for young moms from older moms who have home remedies and stay-at-home or working mom solutions for keeping a home.
- We could have teaching/discussion Roundtables for older marrieds teaching newly marrieds.
- We could do a version of Dress for Success here, to help men and women getting a job, to have the self-care training and a few pieces of clothing they need to look ready for the job.
- We could do manners training for young boys and girls, so that all civilized behavior is not lost here.
I’ll stop (now you know why the guys are rolling their eyes).
You see how much work we could do in the name of Christ. Much could be done. Many things should be done. But only a small portion can be done because only a few are doing the work. Please pray. Ask God to clearly show you how you can help, what you can support.
Faith and Works from James 2:14-26
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith save him?
If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself.
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe—and they shudder.
Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was perfected. So the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by a different route? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.