22 Reasons I Love Lebanon Road

I am a firm believer that a preacher should love the congregation for which he preaches. While there are going to be moments that are unpleasant, difficult, and even downright sorry, the relationship between the preacher and the congregation is so important.

I was blessed for almost 7 years to work with the great 9th Avenue congregation in Haleyville, Alabama. We love that congregation, and some of our heart is still there.

The Lord then gave us another blessing by helping us come to Lebanon Road in Nashville. Obviously, when starting a new work, you think you know what to expect, but you never do. (The same is true about the congregation’s view of the preacher, too!) Over the last 27+ months, though, we have continued to be impressed by this congregation. Our home is here, as is our heart. We want to serve and work as best we can, in part because of the wonderful attitude and stand we see here.

I wish I could just list every person who works and worships here and say they are the reason we love it here (because that would be true), but I’ll refrain from specific names. Here are 22 ‘general” reasons why we love this congregation.

1. We Love the Truth.

2. We Have 9 Elders Who Care, Tend, and Pray.

3. We Have 24 Deacons Who Serve.

4. We Have Older Members Who are Still Active.

5. We Have Middle-Aged Members Who Put God First.

6. We Have a Young Adult Group That is Second-to-None.

7. Our Teens and Kids are Some of the Finest in the World.

8. The Church Lets Us–the Preacher’s Family–Just Be “Members,” Instead of Being “Over” Everything.

9. We Are a Family.

10. We Aren’t Afraid to Admit Mistakes, and to Move On with God’s Help.

11. Our Worship is Uplifting, and Those Who Lead Really Put Forth Effort.

12. We Do More Together than Worship; We are Part of Each Other’s Lives.

13. We Have Goals for Each Year that We Seek to Meet.

14. We are Spread All Over the Nashville Metro Area, but We are United in Christ.

15. Our Bible Class Program Teaches the Bible, and Does So in Helpful and Exciting Ways, but With Our Own Curriculum and Materials.

16. We Seek Ways to Reach Out to the Hurting and Lost in Our Area.

17. We are the Friendliest Congregation On Earth! (Just try to get out of here without shaking a hand!!!)

18. We Support Missionaries with More Than Just Money.

19. We Don’t “Half-Do” Anything; We Go All Out!

20. We Spend Serious Time in Prayer.

22. All Members of Our Staff Are on the “Same Page,” and Help Each Other Often.

21. They Let Me Fail Often as a Preacher, but ALWAYS Offer Encouragement!

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I know this is a very personal post, but I hope it offers you some words of encouragement. No matter where you attend, I hope you see wonderful qualities in your congregation. We aren’t perfect people at Lebanon Road, but we strive to do all we can to God’s glory. May God be praised for any good we mi

ght do in His Name.