Pastor's Weekly Update

MARCH 23, 2023

Lakeshore Friends,

It’s been five weeks since my Achilles surgery, and while the hardest part is over, I still have another couple of months of being in an ankle boot.  Hopefully, in a month or so, I can begin putting some weight on it.  This will be a slow and gradual process… I just hope it ends so I can play golf in June. :-). And the best news is that Sue and I still love each other deeply after all my requests for help.  She is amazing!

I want to thank you for all the cards, texts, messages, meals, etc. you have sent me during this time.  Seeing some of you last Sunday was very moving and encouraging.  It’s really hard to express how much love I have felt from you during this time away.  In reality, it is the same love you have always shown me.  All I can say is that your love inspires me to love you and others more than I do.  To have a church filled with so many loving people is not as common as you might think, and neither I nor any of our staff take that for granted.  It helps us work as a united body of people who can most effectively “invest and invite” others to a healthy church filled with great people and (hopefully) a great service that connects with people from the curious to the convinced and committed.

With Easter approaching, we can show this same love to the many new guests we will see over the next few weeks.  Our 50,000+ piece direct mail has been sent out and we’re praying for it to draw in many people.  We can also invite people to Easter services with the invite cards available throughout the atrium.  I’ve already started and as the pastors taught in the just completed Mission Possible series, if we all invest and invite one person who attends, our church would impact hundreds more lives with the love of Jesus.

So thanks again.  You inspire me to lead you with my best efforts and with biblical integrity.

Love,
Vince

MARCH 16, 2023

Hi Lakeshore,

I’ve been thinking about the word CONFIDENCE over the past few weeks... a lot.  I am playing the guitar in a pit orchestra for a local school musical in late April and some of the songs utilize a style of guitar playing called slide guitar.

Now, I’ve been playing the guitar for more than 40 years, but for one reason or another I never properly learned this style of playing.  So, when I started learning the music for the show, my confidence level was extremely low.  But over time as I’ve watched some YouTube videos and listened to different slide guitar players, I’ve learned a few things to improve my technique.  While I am not super confident in my slide guitar playing just yet, I am certainly more confident than I was previously because I spent time doing it. 

"THE MORE WE DO IT AND THE MORE WE WATCH OTHERS DO IT, THE BETTER WE GET AT IT."

And so it is with sharing our faith and making disciples.  It can be really awkward at first, but the more we do it and the more we watch others do it, the better we get at it.  And we should strive to get better at sharing our faith and making disciples because Jesus commanded us to do so in the Great Commission. 

This Sunday, we will wrap up the Mission Possible series and take a look at how Jesus gives us the confidence we need to make the Great Commission our personal mission.  I hope you’ll join us at either 9 or 11am.

Make a great day!
Frank D.

MARCH 9, 2023

Hey Lakeshore,

What if I told you that YOU, as a disciple, are commanded to teach other believers to obey the things that Christ has commanded?

How would that change the way that you are currently living your life? WOULD it change the way that you are living? Would it change the way that you interact with others around you? Would it change how you treat your family? Would it change the things that you do on a day-to-day basis? Would it change how often it is that you serve in Lakeshore and in the community of Rochester? How much of your everyday life would change if you knew that it was YOUR responsibility as a disciple, to teach?

"WOULD IT CHANGE THE WAY THAT YOU ARE LIVING?"

Because it is. Jesus, in Matthew 28:19, says that we are to teach other disciples to obey those things that he has commanded. It isn’t a suggestion, it is a commandment for every single disciple, regardless of who you are or how long it is that you have been a Christian. This is what we are supposed to do in order to take part in this Great Commission that Christ has given.

I can’t wait to unpack this more on Sunday! I hope to see you there!

Pastor Antoine