Pastor Matt enjoys the big change that came into his own family this past year – a son Peter. PHOTO BY ROBERT McROBERTS.
“Are you open to change?” asked Pastor Matt Rudd on a recent Sunday. “Or does it scare you?”
Good questions to ask, particularly since it was two years ago that big changes were introduced at our church. It was approaching the summer of 2010 when the people at Calvary extended a call to Matt and Angela Rudd to minister among our community of faith. They took up the challenge and have not regretted it. Nor have we, who are prone to be scared of change.
Asked what he thought was a key to introduce change, Pastor Matt said he and his wife “were blown away by the willingness of the congregation to change. Maybe (there had been) preaching on willingness to change before we came.”
Much of the willingness toward change had to do with the humble attitude of Pastor Matt and Angela.
“We didn’t want to bowl people over,” he said. “We wanted to respect people, the elders (in leadership), and proceed with caution. There has to be a reverence, especially in reaching youth. One wants to be cutting edge but change must be reverent and theologically sound. How gracious the congregation has been.”
The subject of change was accentuated in Pastor Matt’s Easter sermon.
“But there is something that should change our lives more than anything else–the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” he said.
The cross was the point in Christ’s life where He displayed His deepest love for us. The cross was the place where He lay down His life for us. The cross was the penalty He bore for our sin. The resurrection was the proof that His sacrifice had been accepted by a gracious God.
Will you believe this? We trust you are open to change if you do not yet believe.
