Of all the things pastors get to do, welcoming newborns into the world is about the most joyful. That’s especially true when the parents of the little one are part of your ministerial team and you love them like your own children. Yesterday, that once again came to pass. I join with Chris, Jasmine, and big brother Hudson in welcoming Emerson Evon Culpepper, the newest member of the FBC family. Lisa and I experienced a bit of a delay in putting our eyes and hands on that precious child, for twice the nurse sent us to the wrong room. The first hint was the blue, not pink, stocking on the door. The second was the bewildered look of a new mom when strangers came knocking to welcome her bundle of joy. Once at the right door, we heard the joyful sound. To nobody’s surprise, the baby girl of Chris Culpepper has got quite the set of lungs. Diction will come along, but volume and tonality are there, by God. So too are the signature cheeks and gentle spirit.

The first time I entered the doors of FBC St. Pete, I was met by Phil Lilly. He opened the door with a big smile and two umbrellas. That moment was a symbol of Phil’s friendship and ministry that I have been blessed to share for over a year and a half. He gently encourages and makes folks feel welcome and needed. He anticipates needs and moves to meet them. His approach to service here has been “see a need, meet a need.” That willingness to read and respond has left Phil’s fingerprints on so many parts of this church’s life and, more importantly, on the hearts and lives of so many people.

At the conclusion of Sunday’s service, we will pause for a few minutes to take care of some important congregational business. We will meet to approve both our 2018 proposed budget and slate of nominees to serve on our Management Team. As Baptists, we are Congregationalists at heart. That means that the business of carrying out the business of the church belongs to our people. We select certain folks to make recommendations, and we call and trust pastors and staff to provide good leadership. But at the end of the day, the approval and the promise to respond belongs to the people of the church. A church our size cannot handle every decision by consensus from the floor. But we can and must learn what is being proposed and be prepared to share our support or respectful descent. It’s the Baptist way. Not the only way to do church, but one we have clung to for over 400 years.