At the start of this year the band experienced an exodus.  We had a number of long serving members called away, due to jobs, moving, etc.  I thought we would have a time similar to when I first started serving at LCC, some Sunday’s we had a guitar and a piano, many Sunday’s we did not have a drummer and we only had horns for special occasions, not as part of our team.

God blessed this ministry and we experienced a season of growth, the band went from a handful to currently 17 members. The first Sunday I had a big band, Pastor Andy told me it appeared that half the congregation was on stage.

I thought with the loss of members we would have a season of needs again, but God had other plans.  For every member who was called away God brought another forward to take their place, not before or at some point after, but right at the time they were needed.  It has been amazing to witness.  His timing is perfect; He replaced talent with talent so we are just as strong now as before.  In fact we have more people that would like to serve than we have places for. 

Replacing talent with talent is only a portion of what was lost.  We still have long relationships that have ended and new ones to be formed.  We are not a performance band, we are a ministry that serves the Body, and the band is a small group, a small body of Christ.

A band has always appeared to me to be a very good example of this, as Paul explains in 1 Co 12:12 “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body.” The band is a unit made up of many parts but with the same purpose, to worship God.  Many times we form small groups that are made up of people from the same walk of life.  Our band is made up of people from all stages life.  Our youngest member is 15 and our oldest member is not, but the age spans 40 + years.  Our small group includes singles, young married, mature married, young parents, parents of teens, grandparents, etc.  To see God bring these people together for one purpose is very powerful to me.  It is a group that one can both mentor and be mentored by.

In closing I thank God for the ones who were called away, I thank Him for the new members He has brought to us, and I pray for new relationships to be formed and to grow.

I have just finished counting the offering, we are thousands short of our weekly need, and this has been a regular occurrence this year.  The difference is that now I no longer worry about it.  The reason is that during this time we have always had just the amount of money needed to pay each and every bill when due without fail.  This I have come to trust and count on, God does provide.  I have learned that I cannot analyze or trend God’s gifts.  In other words I have found little correlation with the number in attendance and the offering; we have received the most with the fewest in attendance, and received the least with the most in attendance. The only thing I can now predict is that when we have an obligation God provides us with just the amount of money we need to pay it.

A song we teach to kids says “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

The Bible also tells us not to worry and that God will provide, see Matthew 6:25 – 34.  There are many things I believe because the Bible tells me so, but have not seen.  I am thankful and blessed that I get to see God’s hand at work with our finances.

A prayer I included on the financial summary report last year as the LCC financial prayer is from Proverbs 30:8-9 and says, “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’  “Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

God has certainly answered this prayer for us this year.  He has given us neither poverty nor riches but has given us only our daily bread.  Thank you Father. 

-Bill Banghart