Last year was momentous, both for the congregation of Grace and for my family and myself. After a prolonged search, the Lord answered the prayers of the church by providing a pastor. By God's grace, this will mark the beginning of a time of spiritual growth and prosperity for the congregation. Of course, the Lord answered Robyn and my prayers as well - that I would find a church to pastor! When I first began the process of looking for a call, we were ready to move anywhere and excited to discover the place where the Lord would lead us. We are very thankful that he has called us here to Norman and we pray that God will establish us here and make our presence and my ministry truly edifying for the saints of Grace.

On the evening of November 7th, I was ordained as a minister of the gospel in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and installed as the pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church. This was a special evening for all of us, for it meant the culmination and answer to your prayers for a pastor, and the culmination of several years of study and preparation for me to become a pastor.

We can be greatly encouraged by what the Lord has done for us so far. Personally, I have been encouraged by the fellowship at Grace and by the faithfulness and commitment on the part of her members and friends to see the work established. As a new minister, it has been heartening to be able to pastor a congregation that is supportive and willing to go forward with the Lord's work. We can be thankful for what God has provided us - a strong nucleus of faithful families and individuals with a variety of gifts, a building in which to worship, fellowship with other like-minded churches, a very well-done website, and many other blessings that other churches lack. Most of all, we can be thankful that God promises to bless the ministry of Word and Sacrament. Our hope is in his grace and favor as we, by the strength he supplies, seek to honor faithfully him in all that we do.

The heartbeat of the life of the church is her worship. Most Sundays, we have both morning and evening services. This should be seen as a tremendous blessing - an opportunity to "book-end" the Lord's Day with worship and fellowship together. I have been preaching through the Gospel of Mark in the mornings. I trust that the glories of our Savior, who he is and what he has done for us, have been impressed upon our hearts as we work our way through this wonderful book. In the evenings, I have been working through a series of sermons on 1 Samuel. In looking closer at this epic account of David's rise to king, we are reminded of the majesty and power of our sovereign God, and of his wisdom and goodness in preparing a way for the coming of the Son of David, Jesus Christ.

Our adult Sunday School class studied Dr. Sinclair Ferguson's edifying little book, "Grow in Grace." Many of us were able to hear the author in person as he spoke in Dallas for a Reformation Day service. At least one person has said that the book has been life-changing for him. Ferguson has the gift of uncanny insight into the Christian life, and I hope his book has been a source of encouragement for the church. The children's Sunday School continues to cover basic Bible teaching for preschoolers.

The other times when we meet together have been an opportunity to encourage one another in our life of faith. The Wednesday evening prayer meetings, Saturday morning Men's prayer breakfasts, and Saturday morning Women's Bible studies have all seen steady attendance.

The Lord has seen fit to bless us with a constant stream of visitors. Some have been quite regular in their attendance, and some have expressed a desire to unite with the congregation. While we do not subordinate fidelity to Christ to numerical growth, we certainly rejoice when the Lord is pleased to add to our church body.

In 2003 many of our people went through major life experiences and life changes. Some have gone out of state, including overseas, to serve with our military. Others have continued their studies away at college. Some are planning to begin new work in 2004 that will take them away from Norman. Some of our members have moved. One member, Dave Guild, lost his wife of over 20 years. Through all of these changes, it is the Lord that sustains his people and it is his invisible hand that guides our lives under his providence. No doubt 2004 will also see its share of both expected and unexpected life changes. Thankfully, our God never changes, and he will never leave or forsake the sheep that he purchased with his own blood.

Let keep our eyes fixed upon our faithful Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord be pleased to guide and bless us as we serve and worship him this coming year.

In Christ,
Scott Johnson