107 Coldren Street, Johnstown, Pennsylvania 15904, United States
Pastor's Corner
To Our Dear Belmont Family,
The Vision Statement for Belmont Community Church by Pastor Tom
Proverbs 29:18 - Where there is no vision the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Joel 2:28 - And it shall come to pass afterward, that I shall pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.
From the first time Sherri and I came to this church, we left with a vision of what God could do in this church. I’m an old man and one might say I’m a dreamer, but it’s been a year now and that vision is clearer now than it was from the start. But a vision with no plan is just a daydream. So let me give you three things I believe must happen for this vision to come to fruition. I’ll call it lessons from Lou.
I worked for Lou Galliker for 42 years. He was a great visionary and I learned many life lessons from him. Lou was a Catholic, but he thought Wesleyan. Three things Lou taught me over the years.
#1 - You have to take care of Momma.
For Lou that meant that if the plant and employees at 142 Donald Lane did not function well nothing else matters. For me as your pastor that means this church must be Biblically sound, Jesus redeemed, and Holy Ghost empowered. I’ve often said there isn’t a secret to ministry, you give them Jesus and love them and everything else will fall in line. The laity of this church have joyfully taken on the task of taking care of Momma physically and spiritually. The laity of this church are the ones who will make the vision come to pass.
#2 - You have to have a good product.
Lou Demanded quality. The best ingredients make the best product. We start each service by saying God is Good, because He is. We have something that the world doesn’t. A loving Father, salvation by Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that empowers us. The Trinity is the best ingredient that gives the church the best product. As Val says Belmont is having a Jesus revolution. All of us must guard our testomony so that this community sees that Jesus is alive and well in this church.
#3 - You need new customers.
Lou understood without new customers the dairy would die. You had to take care of your old customers, but you need new ones. Belmont is a community that is largely unchurched. God has placed us in a mission field. It is ripe for the harvest. All of us are missionaries that God has called to the great commission. Give them your Jesus story. Tell them about your Jesus. Let them know what He has done for you, Jesus can do for them. If they see Jesus in you they just might want Jesus in them.
So what is the vision? But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him, 1 Corinthians 2;9. Saddle up because we are going on a Jesus ride..
