2^nd Corinthians 3:16-18
“Look In the Mirror”

But whenever  anyone turns to the Lord then the veil is taken away, now the Lord is the spirit and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, He gives freedom,  and all of us had the veil removed so that  we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the lord and the spirit of the Lord works within us.  We become more and more like Him, and reflect His glory even more.

I praise God for the Omega Baptist Church.  I even praise God for  the times when we’ve experienced difficulty.  I teared up a little bit when the Inspirational Choir sang that song in remembrance of Sister Bailey.  There are those who have gone on who are dear to us.  But we all still have hope in Jesus Christ.

As the church grows I grow.  I believe we’ve had five pastors since I’ve been here.  As I changed the church changed and as the church changed I changed.  God has grown me up.  I have never pastored any other church.  This is where God sent me and this is where I want to fulfill God’s calling on my life and I’m praying that we all can do that.  I used to think that a great preacher was called on by churches throughout this country.  A great preacher did a least 40 revivals a years and kept a knapsack packed at his house and was always ready to get on a plane and go here and go there.  But now the Lord has taught me what it means to pastor.  To pastor a church means to walk with a people and be there and be present and to love the people.  In order to do that I’ve got to be here.  I remember when I was being released from the hospital four years ago; a nurse said well it will be about two years before you will really come to yourself.  I thought she doesn’t know me, it’s been four years but I praise God that I can say God has blessed me in a wonderful way. 

 I used to call us the Omega Movement, you all probably remember that, I used to say we were a movement and the spirit leads and guides us.  That was the other pastor.  But God has blessed us in wonderful ways and our growth was exceptional but now God has told me that God has given me the church and now it’s my job to mature the church.  It’s God’s job but God has me as His steward to help us mature in the faith.  I feel like we’re becoming a church now.  God has told me we need roots.  This church is rooted and grounded in the Dayton community.   We’re caught up in the same struggles, drinking the same water breathing the same air as everyone else in this community.  Whatever works for us in the past like Dunbar or Wright Brothers.  Whatever problems in the future like the GM plants and the going away of the manufacturing industry.   It affects the people and it affects us.  We are the church of Jesus Christ and what God plants us here for is that as everybody is going through and people are in chaos all around us and God places the Omega Baptist Church to say there is still hope.  I’ve lost my job, but there is still hope.  They are foreclosing my house but there is still hope.  I still trust in the Lord.  We’ve got to have hope beyond what we can see. 

I want to talk today Money, Music, Ministry, and Mastery of the Word.  How do we look in the mirror?  Do we look like Jesus? 

Money

The church looks good.  We could use more money but God has allowed us to pay our bills.  God has allowed us to stay current.  Trustee Fred and Deacon Henry take better care of that lawn on the Harvard Campus than the seminary used to when I was there.  Our tithes, offerings, and attendance.  In our offering for example 7 out of 12 months we were above or equal to last year and in attendance 6 out of 12 months we were equal or better than last year.  Now I looked at those months and they were the same months.  When we’re here we give and when we’re not we take our money with us.  We must come to church in order for the church to continue.  If you don’t come, nobody else is going to give your offering for you.  Nobody else is going to be sure that bills are paid; nobody else is going to be sure that the lights are on, that there is heat in the furnace. Nobody but you is going to do that.  It’s us.  This is our church.  You know we’re a part of this divine experiment where we’re this group of people, most of us the sons and daughters of slaves, but can we rise up and take over our own piece of God’s green earth and can we do a good job with it.  I believe we can.  We’ve done our best to reduce costs.  We’ve focused our relief efforts in Dayton.  We used to give a lot of money to Ghana but now we’re trying to focus our money on Dayton.  We don’t have the money to do everything we used to.  In our church budget we’ve exceeded our expenses every year so our income is greater than expenditures, but there is so much work to be done.  One of the reasons that I have not pastored anywhere else is that pastoring is not a profession for me, it’s a calling.  This is what I’m called to do.  I’m called to lead you all, whether it rains of snows, whether it’s bright or it’s dark.  God has called me to lead you and God is asking us to look at our budgets in 2009, small though they may be, but look at our budgets and say God you are in here and you deserve a part.  You’ve blessed me to work everyday, you’ve blessed my wife, and you’ve blessed my children and God I want to share whatever it is I have with you.  We have to be sure that there is a place in our overall budget for God. 

Possess the Faith Possess the Land; we’re approaching $200,000 in contributions.  You ought to give God the praise!  The renovation of our Salem Ave. restrooms we did those renovations with a portion of the contributions you all have given to the Possess the Faith Possess the Land campaign.  If you give there’s more that we can do.  We are trying to be faithful with what we told you we would do with those monies.  Would you continue and don’t let anybody stop you from giving.  The devil is out there and if he’s not trying to get you off of God’s path., trying to get you to do something else with your resources, he will be.  We’re doing a good job, just don’t stop.

Music

Our teen choir at the 2009 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ceremony.  I’ve heard reports that they did a great job.  The Inspirational Choir, this is their fourth anniversary this year.  I’m told they’ve added four members but it looks like it’s been more than that.  The Male Chorus and the Male Choir are working to enhance our worship experience.  The Sanctuary Choir continues to grow.  They’ve added twelve people this year.  They have diversified in terms of music from singing with the Dayton Philharmonic, to the Cantor from Temple Israel.  We have new leadership.  Brother Allen Kyle is over the Watotoes, Rev. Bridgette Weatherspoon is over the Davidic Dancers.  Yolanda is doing a great job. 

Ministry 

Social Justice is our mantra.  We must continue to make a difference in nursing homes, prisons and I praise God that in the community they say that Omega is known for being in nursing homes and prisons.  But to me every church should be able to say that.  We shouldn’t be dependant on the government to help us.  We should be there.  We planned and hosted the Montgomery County Jail Chaplaincy appreciation banquet.  We planned and hosted the Miami Valley Reentry Conference at the Harvard Campus and close to 500 people attended.  The Angel Tree Program served over 75 families.  Over 200 gifts were provided for those children.  That’s what you all did.  Give God the Praise for that.  The Social Justice Ministry provides support for the homicide prayer vigils.  Years ago the nuns would go out and pray over the spot where someone had been killed.  They would try to pull the community together and pray.  I always said, we need to be there, and God raised up Rev. Sylvia Moseley.  I had never said anything to her about that but she has gotten involved and now our Social Justice Ministry supports them.  We’re there at those homicide spots.

The Community Development Corporation:  Since we’ve closed the school last year, we just have the church and the community development corporation to pour ourselves into.  As we were working through our strategic plan last year my spirit was speaking to me and what God told me is that we have to focus on being the best church that we can.  We can do much more.  We can focus our efforts and sometimes it’s hard.  It was hard for me to close the school but I don’t want to retire from this church one day and have my predecessor to have to keep open all of this stuff that’s not working.  Let’s make those hard decisions now.  Our Executive Director of the CDC Dr. Constance Storme Johnson has completed her year and has handed the baton to Mrs. Belinda Stenson. Let’s give God the praise for Sister Storme. I have great hopes for  Belinda Stenson.  I believe in her and I believe that she is the right person for the job.  Our Rites of Passage Program has educated over 500 boys and girls. 

Kamp Kuumba:  We had Kamp Kuumba last year.  The Kamp ministered to the little kids.  My daughter Rachel was over that program.   They did a wonderful job.  I’m looking for more from that area this year.  Our Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence:  this is a half a million dollar grant that our county got.  It is collaboration between the police department, Wesley Center, Dayton Urban League and Omega Baptist Church.  This is what God does.  When God told me that I needed to lead a group of men and march on the community last year in part was the reason we were chosen to be a part of that grant.  We’re the only church in that grant.  The reason we got there is because the community heard us when we were going out there marching.  Now we’re a part of a half million dollar grant.  See God does open doors. 

Finally we must effectively use our Harvard Campus,  This summer when I went to Harvard I worked on a community action plan to help us figure out how to effectively use our resources to better the community.  Our Harvard Campus needs to be a mediating institution for the Dayton Community.  While Dayton is going through they need a place for solace, they need a place where they can come for hope and God has lead us to be the institution that makes that possible.  But it’s going to take some work.  It doesn’t just happen overnight.  You’ve got to get the right people; we’ve got to get the right situation going.  We’ve got to work really hard and I believe that we are on the road to making that happen.

Marty McMichael is cutting back and will be focusing on the ministry portion of his job description.  He used to be Minister of Ministries and Youth Director.  We’ve changed that.  No additional monies are required.  In fact we are getting three part time people for less money.  Only one ministry is without a leader.  About 40% of our ministries are doing well.  We are currently training and developing our ministry leaders.  In order to be a leader you need to be trained to be a leader.  There are certain things you can do and certain things you can’t do.  We’re working hard on that.

Rev. Donna Cox passed the state council on ordination.  Rev. Gloria Dillon started a church in Xenia, Rev. Stringer has a church, Rev.Coles is an assistant at a church, Rev. Rockney Carter, Rev. Lela Crawford, Rev. Judy Norvell, & Rev. Vickie Kidd are all assistants at other churches.  Look what God can do.  I remember what it was like to be here and as we were growing people were talking about us, calling us a cult and saying I don’t know how he is growing like that, he must be putting something in the water.  But it was God and God had done all that He’s done in the past for such a time as this.  Now churches are calling on us to help them and that’s a wonderful thing. 

Youth Ministry:  We’re now dividing our youth ministry into two part time positions.  For our children we have a leader who loves the Lord and our church.  Her name is Jennifer Adams.  Jennifer has great leaders around her and they are making great strides for the church.   The youth is a growth area for the church.  She is working with the little kids.  We need to be intentional about our planning for them.  Parents need to know that they can bring their children to church and that they will be cared for. 

Teen Ministry:  We have hired Jeremiah Lewis.  He has been active with us in our plays and such and now he’s coming to be a member of this church.  I believe this church will be a great learning place for him.  He has the character, charisma and the calling to do a great job.  We can provide the experience for him.

New Officers: They have been chosen from those who have attended bible study and from those who hard in this church.  David Abney and Keith Cosby are doing a wonderful job as leaders of this congregation.  I am really clear that you need checks and balances.  I know that I am responsible for leading the congregation but I cannot do it by myself.  I need somebody who’s fussing at me.  I need somebody who’s on me.  I need somebody who’s watching the bottom line.  I need all of that.  Together we can do it great.    God taught me something, Bill Hybel’s who is the pastor of   Willow Creek Church in the Chicago area.  He has for his hiring character, competence and compatibility.  It makes a difference.  If you have to be in a board struggling trying how to figure out how we tear down the gates of hell, you can’t have the gates of hell in the board room.  You’ve got to struggle together. 

Mastery of the Word 

In September we began our first church wide bible study, MasterLife.  We signed up over 300 people.  In April we graduated over 150 MasterLife students.  In June we had our first community wide Vacation Bible Study Parade.  Rev. Camille has a wonderful vision for this and I believe that as we get other churches on board it will be wonderful.  I saw the pictures from last year.  In September we began another church wide bible study, Experiencing God, Knowing and Doing the Will of God.  139 people completed this course over 3 months.  In September we also began the AWANA club.  The AWANA Club is wonderful.  Again our little kids are being taught and they’re having a great time.  The ages are from 3 through the 6^th grade.  It’s a wonderful experience.  You want your kid to know about Jesus.  You want to get the message through to them in some way.  We currently have 32 children who attend on a regular basis.  In addition we’ve had 160 new members completed and graduated from the Christian Orientation New Members Class.  Let me tell you why I say we’re growing as a church.  How many of you were here when we would open the doors of the church and 30-40 people would come?  Of those 30-40 people maybe 1 would graduate from Christian Orientation Ministry.  1 would actually show up for the new member’s class.  1 out of 30-40 people.  But now we have like a 98% completion rate of those who join the ministry.  We’re becoming a church.  We have to continue to be aggressive with the teaching of the word of God. 

What do you want to see when you look in the mirror?  I want to read again 2^nd Corinthian, But whenever  anyone turns to the Lord then the veil is taken away, now the Lord is the spirit and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, He gives freedom,  and all of us had the veil removed so that  we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the lord and the spirit of the Lord works within us.  We become more and more like Him, and reflect His glory even more.

God has blessed me with three things; we have our principles education, evangelism, empathetic fellowship.  But why do we do them.  What God has taught me is that I need to look at you and see you as our product.

Spiritually Super Sensitive

I want for you to be spiritually super sensitive.  What this means is that you ought to have bible study, personal devotion and prayer in your life everyday.  It is not my prayer that we can get a lot of people in church on Sunday.  It’s my prayer that when people meet you or come to know you or come to know your acquaintance that they will know you by your works.  They will know you by your fruit.  The devotion, they’ll hear the bible study, they’ll sense the prayer that is in your life.  What I know is that if you are going to make it in this life you need bible study, personal devotion and prayer.  You need to be spiritually super sensitive.

Fellowship Framers

Secondly I think that we ought to be producing fellowship framers.  Are you building community wherever you are?  When you are on your job, when you’re in your home, friendships with your friends are you a community builder.  Because there are people who are community destroyers.  There are people who wherever they are and any conversation they are in they’re trying to tear down somebody, something.  They’re trying to tear down whatever God is trying to build.  Are you a community builder?  When you are on your job do you build community?  Do people look at you for whenever they want a good thing to happen on their job?  Are you fellowship framers?

Change Agents

Thirdly I want us to be change agents.  Are you trying to change the world to be a better place?  I look at Barak Obama and I look at the network of people he had and I look at those people doing good things and I think people from Omega should be a part of something like that.  You should be trying to change the world.  Your spiritual walk with God should motivate you to be in that place and if you are there you should be building community.  I look at Barak and he had non believers he had Hindus and so on, and if you’re there then you should be looking for opportunity to frame fellowhship in that community.  To move those people toward a walk with God and they will be spiritually super sensitive themselves.  In order to do this, first let me say that Tom Giardino gave me this.  He didn’t give me these words but he gave me this concept and Bro. Ray Fitz from the University of Dayton and in talking with them they gave me these concepts.  In order to get to this place, spiritually super sensitive, fellowship framers and change agents we have to be good a providing education.  Why do we provide education?  Because we want for you to go home off script.  All of your study should not be just the study that is required by Omega Baptist Church.  But we’re requiring the study to get you in the habit of studying.  So that you should not just study what we give you but study ought to be a way of life for you.  You ought to educate yourselves and God begins to enrich your body and you begin to go out you’ll have empathy for your brothers and sisters.  There is no reason that if you study the word of God and if you pray and communicate regularly with God, you will be a better person in the community and you’ll have empathy for your brothers and sisters.  We need to teach evangelism because that’s a way of us to be change agents.  We ought to be out in the community to win souls for Christ as change agents.  That’s how we really change the world.  Education, Empathetic Fellowship and Evangelism. 

There are some questions we must answer.  When you look in the mirror, if you are like me to you see things you need to shave, pluck?  But what about the church?  I think the internet is something we must invest ourselves in.  I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but God has fooled me before.  God can do whatever He wants to do.  The internet is something that we must invest ourselves in.  That’s the wave of the future.  It’s here now. 

There have been diverse churches in the past but predominantly you’ve had a white man leading a diverse congregation.  But there are very few instances where you have a black man leading a diverse congregation.  We must be diverse; I believe that is something that is in our DNA we must diversify.  Not just for Black and White, but with Hispanic, handicapped, we must diversify we must not all look alike .  I think we’re going in that direction but there is much more to be done.  The other question is where have all the men gone?  The next question is are we faithful to our youth programming?  I believe if we are going to have a future we have to be faithful to our youth programming.  I’m getting older; I see other churches that used to look like us.  We must minister to the young people. 

Seminary education, I believe that it is important.  I continue to hear testimonies from people but I’m not excited about trying to fill anybody’s classrooms and such.  I’m excited about the educational process.  I believe that it is something that we have to believe in.  I talk about this every year.  I’ve been praying that God will make it possible.  But we have to have a school in someway shape or form. 

Two services; how do we meet?  How many of you have met someone who was a member of Omega and you didn’t know it?  If they come to the 11:00 service and you go to 8:00 you wouldn’t know them.  We have to find ways to fellowship together and find ways to know each other.  We are all apart of the same family.

Finally, I feel a call to finish what we’ve started with the purchase of the Harvard Campus.  I believe that we will have failed if we don’t do something with the space and resources that God has given us.  Many of you have asked what are you all going to do with that property.  What are we going to do.  I really am in prayer and I’m seeking God for direction.  I believe that “God is building an infrastructure that will allow us to move forward.  We must continue to be in prayer, we must continue to work hard.  God’s grace will make it possible. 

Conclusion

In conclusion at the end of the day it is our job to look more and more like Jesus.  You ought to walk like Him, you ought to talk like Him, you ought to look more and more and more like Jesus.  It is possible, I use to think that it was impossible, but god has showed me that if I pray and study God’s word and if I’m diligent with the things of God, God allows me to look more and more and more like Him.  I’m praying for the Omega Baptist Church.  You have a great reputation but your reputation is built on social activism, your reputation is built on your care for the elderly.  For being in nursing homes for being out there.  Continue to be out there, but first of all you must continue to be in here.  We must be faithful to our church.    I love you all but someday I will be leaving and someone else will replace me.  But isn’t it good to know that we’ve done our best in our season.

God Bless You.

Faithfully Submitted to the Members of The Omega Baptist Church,

Reverend Daryl Ward
Senior Pastor