We have chosen to set as a theme for 2005 at International, A New Day at IBC.  While we celebrate how the Lord has blessed us with many wonderful memories of His working in the past, we look forward to His blessing us now and in the days ahead.

The idea of new is not new to Scripture.  The word new can mean “something recent or fresh” and refers to such things as a new…commandment, covenant, creature, fruit, earth, spirit, heaven, Jerusalem, name, man, song, “thing” (Christ’s birth), and even “all things new”. 

Yet with anything new there can be a bit of uncertainty.  I can only imagine what it was like for the people of God emotionally when they heard about what new thing God was saying or going to do.  Some rejoiced because they liked new things.  Others were a bit apprehensive because they were slow to accept almost anything new.

I remember a time when as a child I was given new shoes.  Because of my excitement I put them on and wore them until I had blisters!  That experience made me reluctant to ever want new shoes again.  The problem wasn’t so much with the new shoes, but in that I wore them too long and too often before breaking them in.  Yet I didn’t stop wearing shoes any more.  Once they were “broken in” they were comfortable to wear and I really enjoyed having them.

The New Day at IBC is going to be a process over time.  We will not stop doing what is biblical and a core value, but will adapt to new and better ways of connecting to our culture.  As one person said, “We will give the never changing Word to an ever changing world.”

This is a New Day at IBC yet with the same powerful Message and the same wonderful “messengers” (people)...along with a few more dear people being added each week!