Greetings from Pastor Rob

"So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you..." ~1 Peter 5:1-2a

Hello! This is Rob Dykes signing on as your new pastor. Let me take a moment to thank you all for such a smashing welcome. You have loved on my family and me so splendidly. Thank you!

I thought I’d begin by reminding you – and really reminding myself – of my purpose as your pastor. The way I see it, I have three fundamental functions:

PRAY.  I am here to devote myself to prayer (Acts 6:4). As a pastor, among all the warp and woof of ministry, this is the easiest responsibility to allow to be buried by flotsam and jetsam. Yet, I think of the words of Robert Murray M'Cheyne: "What a man is on his knees before God, that he is, and nothing more." Convicting! May God give me the grace to be a pastor who makes prayer central to my ministry. Pray for me in this regard, as I pray for Christ Covenant and for you. If there is anything I can pray for, for you specifically, please let me know. 

PREACH. I am here to preach the good news of Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 1:17). After all, the word of the cross is the power of God (v.18), and it is through the "foolishness of preaching" that God ordinarily saves those who believe (v.21). So, I came to Christ Covenant to heed the words of Nikolaus von Zinzendorf: "Preach the Gospel, die, and be forgotten." A man once said you can write three words over the whole Bible: Behold. Your. God. As I preach the Word week in, week out, may the Holy Spirit give us eyes to behold the beauty and glory of our God through the foolishness of preaching!

PASTOR. I am here to eagerly and selflessly shepherd the flock of God (1 Peter 5:1-2). The word "shepherd" (poi maino) is really our word "pastor." So, with imagery of a shepherd and his sheep in mind, by God’s grace I hope to pastor you well. What does that look like? Partly it is to exercise oversight (v.2) and to seek to guard you from our adversary the devil (v.8). But there is something else: I ought to be an example to you (v.3). That is awfully convicting! It reminds me of other words of M'Cheyne: "My people’s greatest need is my personal holiness." May God give me the grace to be a godly example to you.

To pastor/shepherd well, of course, presupposes something else: that we actually know each other! Jesus, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep, knew His sheep (John 10:27). And so, fundamental to being a faithful pastor is for us to know each other. Three things lend themselves to this end: visitation, counseling, and hospitality. This week, Lord willing, I hope to commence all three of these. Please be patient with me as I work my way around to you.

Anyway, I look forward to getting to know better and serve each one of you. Do not hesitate to reach out to me.

Love in the Lord,
Pastor Rob

Rev. Rob Dykes, Pastor of Preaching & Congregational Care