“Give me that old time religion” says the late 19th century Gospel song because “it’s good enough for me.” But is it, really? What do you think of when you hear the word “religion”? Does it make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Does it conjure up feelings of love and acceptance and good times?
Now that the doors of Hope Chapel Hill Country were closed forever I put all my eggs in one basket by hoping against all hope, that the congregation of Community Church of the Hills in Johnson City, Texas, would want me as their pastor. The YES/NO vote was scheduled for Sunday, August 30, 2015. But before the people voted, this is what I told them they could expect from me…. Please start this series at Part 1 by clicking here.
(If you’d like to skip this part and go to part 5, then click here.)
Here is the “talk” I gave before the private ballot vote that would determine whether I would continue in vocational ministry as a pastor. (Click to find out what “Vote for Pedro means.)
A Vision for Community Church of the Hills
8/30/15
I want to start off this morning by saying thank you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to preach the past seven weeks and for allowing me to get to know a little of this body of believers in this fellowship called Community Church of the Hills.
My New Bi-Weekly Newspaper Column
I get to write a “Faith” article, (or whatever I want), every other week for our local paper, The Johnson City Record Courier…and I don’t have to pay for it. (I told you that every door is opening in Johnson City for me.) It’s a local broadsheet that covers all the local news—and a must-read for anyone who lives in Johnson City. My hope is that people will read it and want to visit our fellowship, Community Church of the Hills. Maybe you will, too. The column will be called “Pastor’s P.O.V.”
5 Reasons for NOT Going to Church
By Pastor Steve Sanchez
People gave five reasons for not going to church according to a recent survey I read. For the most part, I have heard these given at one time or another. When I was a drug addict, con artist and general ne’er-do-well, these were my reasons, too, plus many more. Now, as the new pastor of Community Church of the Hills here in Johnson City, I wanted to address each reason and perhaps convince you to give “goin’ to church” one more chance. If you don’t know of a good church near you, I may have a suggestion. What do ya say?
Reason #1: The Church is Irrelevant: As a non-denominational, non-Pentecostal Christian fellowship we are committed to expository preaching, that is, teaching the Bible, verse-by-verse, in a way that is practical, relatable and understandable to today’s culture. God’s Word speaks to every circumstance of life and we’ll prove it to you!
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