Still Called to Love God and Others

By Rev. Caitlin Childers Brown

Pastor and Minister of Service & Community

This week, Ethan and I had the opportunity to attend CBFGA in Newnan where pastors and church members from across the state poured into Central Baptist Church to be encouraged, to share in ministry, and to learn from one another.

Being new to Georgia, we went into the event without knowing many people. Many gracious pastors and others connected with CBFGA came up to Ethan and me to introduce themselves. I was struck by how many throughout the state know and love Highland Hills and the people of this congregation. It was heartwarming to see just how many were invested in the good of our church.

The most meaningful part of the short conference for me was getting to sit around the tables and listen to Professor Andy Root of Luther Seminary. He spent his three sessions sharing about the shifting culture in which we all live. Our world is shifting from the sacred to the secular, and Root addressed how the church might speak to a predominately secular world. It was encouraging, because from his scholarship Root expressed that to best minister in the secular age we must listen to those around us from a place of care and compassion; we must love God and love our neighbor. None of that information is ground breaking, or really even surprising, but it is encouraging because we can certainly do that. I found a little hope in remembering that our call in this age is still the same that it was in yesteryear. We are still to love the Lord and love those around us. And I don’t know about you, but I think that’s something we can all practice daily.