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VALLEY CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

In Praise of the Imperfect!

1/12/2013

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There have been in recent years a plethora of books and articles written which identify what is wrong with the church and how to fix it; writings that remind us we do not always get it right.  There is often a pessimism / negativism that permeate such writings.  No wonder many in the church feel beat up.

We are not always going to get it right! We are going to make some mistakes along the way, do some things we might later wish we had done differently or say some things we might later wish we had not said.  This should not surprise us – we are an imperfect people; together we form an imperfect church!   

Valley is led by an imperfect pastor, who is surrounded by an imperfect Leadership Team and imperfect ministry teams.  And yet, there is a beauty and wonder about the church as these imperfect beings come together to worship and serve our God.

At Valley we see this every Sunday as we gather for worship; the joy of being together again; you can hear it our voices and see it on our faces.  You can  feel it in a warm embrace and hear it in the words ‘I’ll be praying for you’.  We have a wonderful spirit of unity at Valley—it is not perfect but it is good; it is very good!

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.  (Psalm 133:1)

Beyond this spirit of togetherness, we also enjoy a wonderful spirit of worship.  Again, it is not perfect but it is good.  Some songs, some aspects of our Worship Gathering will touch us more deeply than others, but as we come with hearts determined to enter into worship and respond to our God, we will continue to be  blessed; our hearts and spirits will be lifted and our faith encouraged.

For an imperfect church, Valley has sought to make a difference in the lives of one another, in our communities and around the world as we give and serve and pray.  We have shared in the blessing of serving others and praying for one another.  

Are there some things we can improve upon?  Is there room for us to grow?  Without question!  But, I want to celebrate the imperfect!  That God would put us together and allow us to share the joy and blessings we experience at Valley is a gift;  a wonderful gift from a gracious God to an imperfect people!

As we continue to worship and serve and pray together I want to encourage  you to cherish and protect the spirit of unity we enjoy; guard your words, manage carefully any criticism you may have (we do need critical feedback) , give generously and devote yourself; your time and talents and resources to the things of the God / His church.

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
(Hebrews 10:24)
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    Author

    Ken Clarke has been the Pastor at Valley since 2007. He lives in the Oliver area 
    with his wife Janice. They have three adult children, Lisa, Scott & Tiffany (Riley, Charlie), Andrea & Jason (Noah, Luke).

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4312 Black Sage Road Box 1235 Oliver, BC V0H 1T0 250-498-4829 valleyccc@hotmail.com