As the second week of session comes to an end, I want to praise the Lord for His faithfulness as He continues to open doors for the shepherds of the Church (pastors) to connect and meet with shepherds in government (our elected officials).
Our world today seems to lack peace. We see the need for peace in our communities everywhere, from social media and the news, to the need for reconciliation and unity in our state government.
The Apostle Paul wrote about a key component for living a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.” (1 Timthy 2:1-3).
The key is prayer – not only praying where we are, but also recognizing the importance of the ministry of presence: going to those in authority (our elected officials) and praying over them, their work, and their family. I always say that if we spent as much time praying for our government leaders as we do criticizing them, our government would look very different.
On Tuesday, I was joined by Pastor Steve Miller from The Journey and Pastor Jim Apgar from Crossroad Community Church. We met for the first time with the House Majority Whip, Representative Osienski. It was a strong and productive introduction of CAN and its mission.
While we would not identify Representative Osienski as someone who holds a biblical worldview based on his legislative record, it was evident that he genuinely cares for the community he serves. Pastor Steve, who serves as the Outreach Pastor at The Journey, is deeply involved in the many social services the church provides to the community, which added meaningful context to our conversation. Having a pastor from a legislator’s district present is extremely impactful and greatly increases both access and effectiveness in these meetings.
The second Shepherd-to-Shepherd meeting I want to highlight this week also took place on Tuesday. We met with Representative Bryan Shupe, known on social media as Mr. 302. We have met with Representative Shupe several times, and each meeting continues to deepen our relationship. As we discussed the issues our communities are facing, along with our Finding Shalom: A Vision for Breaking Bondage white paper, we were reminded of the vital role of the Church as the institution of transformation established by God—and how, through the gospel, the Church holds the answer to the challenges our communities face.
As we continue through this legislative session, I want to encourage pastors to sign up to visit Legislative Hall with me. We have just one week remaining before the session breaks for the month of February. I would love to cover as much ground as possible, and I truly value the support of the Shepherds of the Church.
Grace and Peace,
Jonathan M. Quatela, Director
Church Ambassador Network – Delaware
302-604-2833 I JonQ@DE-CAN.org