Important Announcement: This Family is Growing

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Important Announcement: This Family is Growing

We are incredibly excited to share that Harbor Community Church from Lakeview is becoming a part of the Vintage Church Family. Pastor James Welch will be accepting a call to become the next Lead Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale in Florida. As he transitions to this great opportunity and new ministry the Harbor Church family is going to become Vintage Church family. 

Pastor James and his family have faithfully served in New Orleans for over 13 years. In fact, James was actually our sending pastor and church when Pastor Rob Wilton and Annabeth were sent out to plant Vintage Church in Uptown. His church and ministry have impacted many lives in our region over the years. Through the years Pastor James has been an incredible friend, partner, and encourager for our church family, Pastor Rob, and our leadership team. We as a leadership team and church family are truly grateful for his faithfulness and friendship.

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Thank You from a Vintage Church Foster Parent

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Thank You from a Vintage Church Foster Parent

Dear Church,

Initially I was invited to contribute a parenting article from the perspective of a Foster Mom. The more I thought about what I wanted to share, the more I felt gratitude toward you, the body of Christ. So I would like to take a moment to thank you for all the ways you’ve made this journey possible.

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Watch Your Step

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Watch Your Step

Today is Tuesday.  On Tuesday mornings, I run.  This morning while I was running with my partner in crime/running buddy on St. Charles, I rolled my foot on a small patch of grass on the streetcar line.  I kept going because I wasn’t in any pain and I felt fine —  well, you know, besides the fact that it is a million degrees in New Orleans, even at 6am — but I was fine.  Or so I thought.  

I did my normal morning routine and went to the office.  I had a two-hour conference call this afternoon and when I stood up from my desk, I was overwhelmed with pain — it hurt to put any pressure on my foot.  (It should be noted that I am a person with a high pain tolerance, but y’all, this pain was next level.)  I limped to my car at the end of the day and was hopeful that the pain would be gone by the time I got to the coffee shop where I was meeting my friend.  Nope.  The pain had actually gotten worse — even while sitting — so there goes that optimism.  Fast forward a few hours to the present and I am sitting on my couch, my foot propped up, and an ice pack and a set of crutches nearby.   

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The Joy of Giving Back

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The Joy of Giving Back

The launch of the early church was an incredible time! When Jesus ascended to heaven after his death and resurrection, he sent his Holy Spirit to stir the hearts of his followers and spread the movement of the gospel. When we search through the Bible looking for examples of the unity within the church, the early church in the book of Acts stands out. The early church understood what it took to be on the same page. It doesn’t mean that they were perfect, but it does mean that they strived for unity through the Spirit of God. One way that the early church was unified was in their giving. The verses above represent a collection of believers coming together, equally and obediently sacrificing to the work of God and the needs of others. The text says that things were “distributed to each as any had need.” This is a difficult concept to grasp for us today because there seems to be so many needs around us.

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One Another

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One Another

Christianity has always been a communal religion. In our Western American culture, we celebrate independence. The more isolated the better. Needing help is a sign of weakness. This independence is foreign to the Bible. From the beginning the church gathered together regularly, loving and caring for one another. The church in Acts worshipped together, ate together, and shared their things together. They knew that they needed one another.

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Gathering for Gladness

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Gathering for Gladness

Tomorrow is Sunday, a day each week where we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The church has set aside Sunday for worship and rest for nearly 2,000 years. As we approach Sunday, can we declare with the psalmist, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’” Psalm 122 is a unique psalm in that it is a Psalm of Ascent. These psalms were sung mostly during pilgrimage festivals when the people of Israel would go to Jerusalem to worship the Lord. They are called Psalms of Ascent because regardless of where you are coming from, you have to ascend to Jerusalem as the city sits on a hill. The Temple in Jerusalem was the most important building in Israel. It was important because in the Temple the presence of God resided. Thus to go to the house of Lord was a big deal. There the people of Israel would be closest to God.

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Close Enough to Confess

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Close Enough to Confess

Tomorrow is Sunday, the day when the church gathers to worship Jesus, be equipped for ministry, and encourages one another. While we need to make Sundays a priority every week, during Lent Sundays are a day of celebration in the midst of repentance and reflection. In the midst of all of this, however, confession is one of the crucial elements of the Christian life we have lost. I think most Christians recognize the importance of regular confession to God, but we fail to heed what James tells us: “confess your sins to one another.”

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Gathering for Purpose

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Gathering for Purpose

We were created for community. Our sin draws us into isolation. In our busy day-to-day lives it’s rather easy to get so consumed with everything we have to do that we fail to remember our need for community. When we are struggling, the moment we need community most, we often push those closest away from us. In Hebrews 10:24–25, we are told to consider how we might encourage one another to love and good works. How are we to do this when we begin to neglect to meet together? Hebrews 10:24–25 reminds us of the truth that we need one another to survive. We need the daily, weekly, and monthly encouragement. 

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Encouragement in Christ

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Encouragement in Christ

Today is Saturday. Tomorrow is Sunday. Sunday is an important day. It’s the Lord’s Day, the day each week the church has gathered to worship Jesus for almost 2,000 years. Two things are very important. First, during this season of Lent we cannot take our eyes off of Jesus. Scriptures like Philippians 2:1–11 are such great reminders of the person and work of Jesus. Paul tells us so much about Jesus. He tells us of Jesus’s divinity (“he was in the form of God”). He shares that, despite his divinity, Jesus chose to humble himself, become human, and come to earth. Jesus humbled himself in the most profound way—execution by means of crucifixion, a death penalty reserved for the worst of criminals. Remember, Jesus was innocent; yet he chose to humbly die for you and I. During this season, let us not forget the sacrifice of Christ, and its glorious result of freeing us from sin.

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You're Not Joining Your Local Club

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You're Not Joining Your Local Club

For the last few weeks, we’ve been investigating church membership—what it is, why it is important, and other important questions. If you’ve missed the previous posts, you can check them out here:

This week we wrap up our series on church membership by getting very practical—how do we become a member of a church?

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