2005 Church Christmas Letter

The following is a copy of our 2005 Church Christmas Letter:

The Christmas season is upon us. A season in which there is much thought and concern put into the concept of gifts. Many children (and not a few adults) focus upon and delight in the anticipation of what gifts they may get during this season. Many adults run around from store to store consumed with getting the "right" gifts for all of those on their lists.

Too often in the hustle and bustle of what is going on at this season, we forget the most important gift of all - Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us in John 3:16 that "God so loved the world that He gaveHis only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Bible relates to us the wonderful truth that Jesus Christ came to save us from our sin and that he lived a perfect, sinless life and died a cruel death on the cross of Calvary to be our Substitute and our Savior.

This is an exciting time at Messiah Baptist Fellowship. It is exciting to see new families coming out to church. It is also exciting because of the Lord's answer to prayer regarding a building. As of December 9, we have entered into an agreement to buy a new building. We are thankful to God for this answer to prayer and are looking forward to moving into the new building after the beginning of the year.

This is also a time of opportunities. It is a time for us to use the opportunities of this season to share with others the true meaning of Christmas. It is a time for us to use the opportunities of this season to gather together and worship "the new born King."

Whether you are a regular attender or whether you have not been out for awhile, we also have some specific opportunities and events at Messiah that we would like to encourage you to attend during this season.

Christmas Caroling and Fellowship. We will be going Christmas Caroling starting at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17. We will meet at the club house of the Greens at Schumaker Pond - just off Beaglin Park Drive on College Lane. If you can't make the caroling, but would like to still come to the Fellowship, you can meet at the clubhouse at around 5:30 p.m. Call if you need directions.

Special Christmas Morning Service. We will be having our Christmas morning service at 10:45 a.m. and are looking forward to a blessed time as we enjoy a children's program and celebrate with a special Christmas Candlelight Communion as part of our service.

Special Building Fund Offering. On January 8, we will be having a special offering to help pay for the new building. Please prayerfully consider what you could give on that date. Also, if you would like to give toward the building before the end of the year (for tax purposes, etc.), you can mark it "Building Fund" and we will count it as part of the Special Offering.

May God give you a Blessed Christmas in which the Gift of Christ remains foremost in your mind.


In Christ,

Pastor Frank Sansone



(This is also being cross-posted at Pastor's personal blog - A Thinking Man's Thoughts)

Praise the Lord!!

Praise the Lord!

Since The Pastor's Pen is my Pastoral blog designed mostly with our church people and friends in mind, most of you reading this are probably already aware of the fact that we have been praying about a specific building situation for our church, as I mentioned in a previous post.

For those unfamiliar with our situation, I will provide just a brief summary here:

The church celebrated its seventh anniversary in October. For the majority of those seven years, the church has been meeting next to the Red Door Sub Shop in the South Salisbury Plaza in Salisbury and we have been praying for God to provide us with a building or some property that we could use for His glory.

For the last few months we have been praying for a specific church building here in Salisbury that was/is occupied by a church that is moving to a different location. This building has a good location that is easily accessible and not too far from our current location. The building itself is in pretty good shape and has room for us to grow as well as rooms for us to have Sunday School, fellowships, children's ministries, and offices. It even has a kitchen and our own bathrooms (that will make more sense to our own people than to most others who may read this).

Anyway, during the last month or so, we have been in negotiations for and praying for this specific building. We have been praying that God's will would be done and that God would provide us this building if it was His will.

Well, the Pastor of the selling church has called said that they had decided to sign our contract!! Praise the Lord!!! I am excited. I am sure if you are part of this church you are excited. I am also sure that those of you who have been praying with us are excited for us, as well.

We still have the normal aspects to deal with regarding the buying of the property (e.g. the seller has a contingency regarding the building they are buying, financing needs to be finalized, etc.), but at this point it is a go and I praise the Lord for His working in this situation.

Thank you to all of you who have been praying with us for this building.

In Christ,

Pastor Frank Sansone

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow we celebrate a day of Thanksgiving here in the United States of America. While we ought to give thanks in everything, I appreciate the yearly special emphasis that our country puts on Thanksgiving. The following is some of my reflections at this time of thanksgiving.

1. I am thankful to God for the gift of salvation that comes from faith in Jesus Christ. Apart from Christ, I am a miserable, guilty sinner destined for an eternity in Hell and separated from God forever. In Christ, I am still a sinner, but one whose sins are forgiven and washed in the blood of the Lamb of God, a sinner, but one who is saved by grace and who has been given all that pertains to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him.

2. I am thankful to God for the gift of my wife. In the Garden of Eden, God declared that it was not good that man should be alone. I am thankful that God has given me my wife, Missy, who has a desire to serve Christ and to live for Him. I am thankful that she stands by me and supports me and is eager to see God work in our lives, in the lives of our family and church, and in the lives of those with whom we have contact.

3. I am thankful to God for the gift of my family. God has given to me three precious children whom I love dearly. Each one is unique and precious. Each one is a reflection of the image of God. Each one is a soul for whom Christ died. Through them God has taught me much about the love of a father and helped me to reflect in a greater way upon His love for me.

4. I am thankful to God for the gift of our church. In a few days it will be one year since God officially brought us to Messiah Baptist Fellowship in Salisbury, Maryland. In that time, God has knit my heart to these people. I have had the opportunity to mourn with those that mourn, as well as to rejoice with those that rejoice. I have been challenged, encouraged, and, most of all, blessed to be the Pastor to these fine people. I look forward to what God is going to do in and through us in the coming days.

5. I am thankful to God for the gift of friends and acquaintances, both near and far. God, in His providence, started my life with much moving. Now, in ministry, He has also given me the opportunity and challenge of knowing many for short periods of time - whether from traveling on Minutemen, preaching at camps and churches, or from just meeting and having fellowship with some at various meetings and conferences. I fondly hold to friendships with some who have influenced me for years, as well as some who I have not seen in years, as well as (thanks to the online world) some whom I have only met via typed words read from a computer monitor

6. I am thankful to God for this country that he has allowed me to call my earthly home. While I recognize and rejoice that I have a "heavenly country" in which my citizenship ultimately lies, I am glad that God has given me a country where I have the freedom to worship without fear of persecution (yet).

7. I am thankful to God for a myriad of other blessings which I have not the time to delineate in this space. I am thankful for blessings both large and general and blessings small and private. I am thankful for blessings that have brought the appropriate response of praise and thankfulness and blessings that I have neglectfully allowed to pass without a word of recognition. I am thankful for blessings that have even come disguised as difficulties and trials over the years.

In Christ,

Pastor Frank Sansone

A good finish to a great week

Tonight marked the end of our special meetings with Evangelist J. Mark Kittrell at Messiah Baptist Fellowship. We had another good turn-out tonight and it was good to see some visitors come out again. I believe that God used the preaching again and I think it has been good for our church to have these meetings. Since this is the first time of hosting meetings for me as Pastor, I was not really sure what to expect when I started planning things. A big part of me wishes I would have went ahead and scheduled the meetings for the whole week, instead of just until Wednesday.

Tonight's meesage was on I Thessalonians 5:1-11. Mr. Kittrell dealt with the Characteristics of the Day of the Lord - it is unexpected (in the idea of timing, not in the idea that no one knows it is going to happen) and unavoidable, the Character we are to have in light of the Day of the Lord - being awake, sober, watchful, and clothed with the armor mentioned in the passage, and the Comforting of each other in regards to the Day of the Lord that we are to do. (Sorry for the very short synopsis, I am writing this without my Bible and notes handy at 4 something in the morning after a storm woke me up and the dog needed out). It has been good to hear Mr. Kittrell preach again this week. I always enjoyed the seriousness and the thoroughness with which he preached the Word when I traveled with him on the Minutemen Evangelistic Team back in 1991.

Tonight in particular was a little bittersweet. Saying "Good-bye" is such a hard thing for Missy and I and after finally re-acquainting ourselves with some "old" friends, it is hard to imagine that the week is already over. God speed to you, Kittrell family, may God continue to show Himself strong to you and through you.

In Christ,

Pastor Frank Sansone

Tuesday Night's Meeting

We had a lower turn-out tonight at the meeting with Evangelist Mark Kittrell than we had on Sunday or Monday, but the message tonight was another great message and was particularly relevant for our congregation.

Mr. Kittrell preached tonight on John Chapter 4:31-38. Most of the time when people are addressing those verses, the emphasis is on the need to get out into the harvest, etc. Obviously that is a legitimate concept to take out of this passage, especially in light of v. 35. Tonight, however, Mark (it feels weird for me to call him "Mark" since it was always "Mr. Kittrell" when we traveled)went a little further than what I was expecting when he asked us to turn to this passage. His topic was on "Our Motivations in Being Missionaries for Christ."

The first point that Mark developed was the fact that we must maintain a Spiritual Focus in everything we do. In particular on this point he dealt with the immediate context of the disciples going to get meat and Jesus' own thirst. Even though there are legitimate physical needs, it must not interfere with the spiritual focus we are to have. The reality is that while living on this earth requires us to be involved in the day to day things of life, we must keep spiritual things as our priorities even in the midst of the "busyness" of life.

The second point focused on the need to maintain a Spiritual Readiness. This is where he dealt with v. 35 - "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." (KJV). Part of the challenge here was to not be a "four month" Christian, thinking constantly that "in four months down the road, I will do this or that, etc." Too many times we tend to put off our service or our obedience and many times never get to it at all. He also dealt with the need that is pressing - the fields are already white to harvest.

The third point dealt with the Spiritual Reward. The key to the spiritual reward is not not about "what have I accomplished" but rather about "teamwork" - one sows, one reaps, etc. If we all do our responsibilities, we can leave the results to God.

Anyway, I felt it was an excellent message with particular relevance to our church.

In Christ,

Pasor Frank Sansone

Note: As per all week, this post is being cross-posted to my personal blog at A Thinking Man's Thoughts.

Another great message by Evangelist Mark Kittrell

I have needed this week. It seems that it is so easy as a Pastor to spend my time and focus on ministering to others, that the concept of being ministered to never even comes up, but this week has been a good week for me to be recharged as well.

Last night, Mr. Kittrell preached another great message, this time on "Passing the Test of Obedience." The text from which he preached was Genesis 22 - the passage that tells of Abraham's obedience in offering Isaac.

Focusing on Abraham's obedient faith, Mr. Kittrell reminded us that obedience demands Attentiveness, Promptness, Work, Faith, and Sacrifice. I am always struck by Abraham's complete trust and consideration of God's Words when I think of this story. Abraham knew that God would not deny Himself and that gave him the confidence that he would return with his son - even after going to sacrifice his son.

I also found it interesting that my eight-year old son took some unexpected applications out of the sermon. In the process of putting him down for bed last night and praying with him and tucking him in, I asked him to do something and he responded by mentioning his need to obey with promptness.

Looking forward to two more nights.

In Christ,

Pastor Frank Sansone

Note: This entry is also cross-posted at my personal blog A Thinking Man's Thoughts.

Excellent Messages by Evangelist Mark Kittrell

Note: This post is being cross-posted at my personal blog (www.athinkingmansthoughts.blogspot.com as well).

Wow! We had a really good first day of special meetings with Evangelist J. Mark Kittrell. It was good to see Mark and Tammisue Kittrell again after a number of years. It was also good to meet their three boys, Kaleb, Zachary, and Micah.

On Sunday morning, Evangelist Kittrell preached a very good message on Ephesians 2:1-10 on The Walk of the Past vs. The Walk of the Future and What Makes the Difference. He very clearly laid out the difference between the life without Christ and the life in Christ.

On Sunday evening, he preached one of the best messages I have heard in a very long time. He preached from Hosea 14 and he dealt with the concept of "Returning to the Lord." I was greatly blessed and challenged by this message and I plan on listening to it again on tape.

I greatly appreciate a number of things regarding Mark Kittrell's ministry. One of those things is that when he preaches, he does not fall into the trap of some evangelists of simply telling a lot of stories around a Biblical truth, but rather he takes the time to develop and explain THE SCRIPTURE PASSAGE. To me, that is one of the keys to proper preaching that I strive for as I preach and that I greatly appreciate from Mark Kittrell. A second thing that I particularly appreciate is his way of dealing with invitations. Mark makes it a point to give an opportunity for people to respond, but he does not do any type of high-pressure tactics or drag out the invitation.

In Christ,

Pastor Frank Sansone

A Time to Pray

These next couple of weeks could be a very eventful time in the history of Messiah Baptist Fellowship.

First, we are hosting special meetings with Evangelist J. Mark Kittrell that begin on Sunday, November 6. I am looking foward to seeimg Mr. Kittrell again and I am excited to see what God is going to do through these meetings. If you do not already come to Messiah Baptist Fellowship, I urge you to make some time to come out to these meetings. If you do come to Messiah, I urge you to do two things. 1. Pray for these meetings, that God would be glorified through them and that God's Word would run and have free course (2 Thessalonians 3:1) and 2. invite other people to the meetings.

Second, please pray concerning our search for a building or property for a church. We are looking at a situation currently and need God's wisdom and provision as we follow this path.

In Christ,

Pastor Frank Sansone

Upcoming Special Meetings

I am really excited about the upcoming Special Meetings we are hosting at Messiah Baptist Fellowship with Evangelist J. Mark Kittrell. Evangelist Mark Kittrell is a great preacher whom I really respect as a man of God.

I had the priviledge of traveling with Mr. Kittrell and his wife, Tammisue, in the summer of 1991 as part of the Minutemen Evangelistic Team. Mr. Kittrell showed himself to a man of prayer, a man of holiness, and a man of God in his ministry as well as in his personal interactions. I believe if you come out for these meetings, you will find yourself challenged and encouraged from the Word of God.

Evangelist Kittrell will speak for our regular Sunday services at 10:45 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. He will also speak on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m.

Please make plans to join us for as many of the services as you can come.

In Christ,

Pastor Frank Sansone

September 11th Remembrance

Yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of the tragic attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. As a church, we took a time in our service to remember these events and we spent a little time examining the concept of disasters and difficulties.

It was good to see a number of people come out to church yesterday including some friends from out of town. I pray that the sermon (entitled "Disasters and Difficulties - God's Reasons and Our Response) was a blessing and encouragement to those who were there.

God is good and God is doing some great things in our little church. Please pray that God continues to use us and mold us into the image of His dear Son and that God privileges us to be able to have an impact for Christ in the Salisbury area.

Making progress with the Pastor's Pen

After some significant "tweaking", I have finally figured out how to post this so that it is kept at the same address as our church's website. I plan on adding a link from our church's webpage after I have gotten a little more used to blogging.

An Introduction from Pastor

This is the first post of The Pastor's Pen.

It is my desire for The Pastor's Pen to be a place of information and challenge, both to the folks at Messiah Baptist Fellowship as well as to family, friends and acquaintances wherever they may be.

If you happen to come upon this blog and live in Salisbury, Maryland or the surrounding area, I would love for you to visit us at Messiah Baptist Fellowship. We currently meet at 800 S. Salisbury Blvd., suites E & F (right next to the Red Door Sub Shop).