The late Business Leadership and Management guru Peter Drucker said: 

“Progress is obtained only by exploiting opportunities, not by solving problems. When you solve problems, all you do is guarantee a return to normalcy.”

This is a statement worth pondering when looking to the future of a church like ours. We tend to spend most of our time solving problems, and in so doing, we think we are making progress. That’s normal human nature.

Problem solving is important, even crucial, but it is not progress. Progress comes only when we exploit opportunities. 

Such is the situation at the start of 2023 as we look into the future of our beloved Foothills Community Church. We stand poised on the brink of incredible opportunities! All the lights are green, all the conditions are right, there is nothing holding us back.

In the light of all that is before us, nothing is more important than the full potential of this congregation being released. This is no time to hold back: It’s time to push ahead with vigor and enthusiasm for the cause of Christ!

What are these opportunities God has placed before us?

In January, February and March, I will be presenting a series of messages where we will study together what the Bible says about spiritual gifts. My prayer is during this series, each one of us will:

— Know what spiritual gifts are

— Discover which spiritual gifts have been given by God to us individually

— You will find a specific place to put spiritual gifts to work in building up his Kingdom in the context of Foothills Community Church.

During the series, we will make available a Spiritual Gifts Inventory that will be a good tool in helping you clarify which gifts you possess. In the messages I will unwrap the gifts one-by-one and show how they work. Get ready for some surprises! 

In Romans 12:4-6, Paul says: 

“Just as each of us has a body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us." 

My prayer is that God will use this time to ignite you as we begin to discover and use the spiritual gifts God has provided.

I believe this emphasis on spiritual gifts is God-given for this moment in our history. In studying spiritual gifts, we are not trying to solve a problem; we are instead attempting to exploit the opportunities God has placed before us!

A blessed and joyful New Year to you and each of your loved ones!

Your pastor,

Duff