(From my column “Looking Forward and Glancing Back” in the SGT monthly newsletter, June, 1990)
God has blessed Stained Glass Theatre in so many ways in the past and continues to bless us in new ways week by week. We pray that we will always feel His pleasure as we do now. Thank You, Father, for Your lovingkindness!
As we complete the second season in our “Promised Land” and begin preparations for a third, we continue to stand amazed at all God has done. The growth has truly been phenomenal! And we praise God for that growth! We are excited about being all that God wants us to be. Our heart is to serve the Lord by proclaiming His word to you in bold and courageous ways—ways that will inspire you, encourage you, and strengthen you in your walk with the Lord. Our desire is to be the best we can be. Therefore, we continue to examine all that we do in an effort to improve our professional growth and our spiritual growth. We pray for a servant heart and spirit, for we believe that we best serve God when we best serve you, the army of patrons God has sent our way.
This is not as easy as it sounds, for people have grown to expect (or perhaps I should say “demand”) a kind of “secular service” that is not always possible for a small non-profit Christian organization to provide. (Particularly one that operates on a $2 ticket and a volunteer work force.) But please know that we do try! We try very hard to meet every need. We do try to handle your tickets and reservations efficiently—yet we sometimes “mess up.” We do try to seat everyone comfortably—yet sometimes you may be overcrowded or have to sit in a folding chair at the back. We know parking is often a problem—we apologize. We know that the restroom facilities are inadequate—but we are working on plans to correct that problem. Yes, we know we still have a long way to go to serve you the way we would like. Please be patient with us and rejoice with us that God is filling the theatre night after night.
We long for professionalism in meeting our patrons’ comfort needs, but we also long for professionalism in the shows that we present. We desire to be second to none in quality of performance. Yet we feel a God-directed responsibility not to be frivolous or imprudent in the use of funds God has provided. Therefore, we strive to operate in a spirit of good stewardship and judgement rather than yield to the needless expense of glitz and glitter which is often associated with secular theatre. We believe our patrons are more concerned with substance than glamour.
We want, more than anything else, to
contribute to our patrons’ spiritual growth. We believe that is why God put us
in the ministry and that is why He has blessed the ministry with growth. God’s
people don’t need just another form of entertainment. God’s people need to grow
in Him. If we can help people to stretch their reach for God and to find a
closer walk with Him, then we believe we will be serving His Kingdom in the way
He would have us to serve. Our prayer is that SGT will always be a place where
you can experience in a real and exciting way the love and peace of God. We ask
you to pray with us that the very Spirit of God will fill our building in such
a powerful way that all who attend will leave having felt a special touch from
Him. We seek His presence in all that we do. And may all that we do glorify the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit! [NOTE added in 2022: Take a moment to reread this paragraph. This is still the heart and soul of Stained Glass Theatre. And may it always be so!]
Thank You, Father. Praise Your Holy Name, Jehovah!
COMING NEXT: A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
It is now time to plunge into the 90s. And it is with resolve and God’s leadership that we do so!
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