God is unchanging, always faithful, and has a plan

by Rob Howlett, Burnham on Sea, Minister

September 2022 will certainly go down in history, especially the first week of the month. As a country, the UK has experienced great change; a new Prime Minister (Liz Truss), a new Government Cabinet, and a new Monarch (King Charles III).

As a church we have welcomed new members, a new minister (me!) and launched a number of new initiatives including Alpha and Encounter Homegroups. For me personally I have been ordained this month as a Newly Accredited Baptist Minister (NAM) with the Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB) as well as obtained a BA (Hons) in Theology, Ministry, and Mission (no more College!).

There is a lot to celebrate and thank God for but with all this change happening all at once it can easily feel overwhelming and potentially quite unsettling. While I may be super excited about all the change, I am acutely aware that others may be struggling.

Be encouraged though. ‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens’ Ecclesiastes 3:1. Change can often be a very challenging time, but we serve a God who is unchanging, always faithful, and has a plan. His timing is always perfect, and I take great comfort in knowing this. I am reminded of the wonderful hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness which is based on Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness”.

I feel truly blessed to be the new full-time minister at Burnham on Sea Baptist Church knowing that I serve a faithful, loving God, a diverse and growing church community, and a wonderful town full of opportunity to share the love of Jesus. As we start this new beginning together, let us look forward expectantly to encounter Jesus in all that we do.

God bless.