No matter what your opinion regarding McDonald’s cuisine, you cannot argue with their success.  The key ingredient in Ray Kroc’s recipe for the success of McDonald’s was consistency.  Through innovation and efficiency he sought to give his customers a consistent experience – every time at every location.  While innovation is important, consistency made McDonald’s what it is.

Likewise, the health of any church is tied to its consistency in making diligent use of the ordinary means of grace given to it through biblical worship, faithful teaching, meaningful ministry and authentic community.   The temptation is great to constantly tweek our identity or innovate our ministry in order to “remain relevant.”  But the Lord calls us to hold consistently and tenaciously to the identity and ministry given to us by Christ himself.  Only this will enable us to be a thermostat, rather than a thermometer for our culture.  Consistency and perseverance are essential.  The author of Hebrews reminds of this when he writes.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith… Hebrews 12:1-2

We seek to plant River City Reformed in Little Rock as a church committed to consistency with the identity, calling, and mission Christ established for us.  Pray with us in the following ways as we seek to do so.

• Thanksgiving for many new contacts with families and individuals during July who are interested in our vision of planting a Reformed Church committed to ordinary means evangelism, confessionally Reformed worship and family-integrated ministry, worship and discipleship.
• Thanksgiving for the continued growth and development of strategic partnerships with other Reformed church planting pastors and groups in Little Rock.
• For the growth of our Thursday morning, Men’s Bible Study, Lessons from Nehemiah, that it may be effective in discipleship and outreach.
• For our families as they exercise their spiritual gifts to engage those in their sphere of influence who are unbelievers, disbelievers or disconnected believers.
• For Pastor Wheeler’s family following the death of his wife’s mother, Marium Oates, in July after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
• For Pastor Wheeler’s father-in-law as he continues difficult rehabilitation following a serious car accident in April and for all the care-giving demands this places on Pastor Wheeler’s extended family.
• For revival in the city of Little Rock which has been gripped this year by a surge of gang-related violence.