Pastor Bert’s Sabbatical

– June 27, 2022

As I head out on sabbatical, I wanted to mention a few things before I leave. Some of this was shared yesterday morning in our worship service, but perhaps you missed that, or perhaps you weren’t able to hear everything that I said in that time together.

First, I want to say “thank you” to you, Mountain Creek. Thank you for providing for this time of rest and reflection. I am very grateful that our Personnel Committee and our church body as a whole has seen it as a valuable investment to give me and my family this time.

Secondly, I would like to ask you to pray for me. While I am away, we will not only be enjoying our time away as a family, I will be doing a study through the book of Hebrews. Pray that this study will be fruitful. Pray that God would encourage me and strengthen me by his word. Pray that he would continue to grow me in the knowledge of Christ. Pray that he would give me insight and understanding as I study this important New Testament book.

Also, I want to let you know about what will be going on at Mountain Creek while I’m away. In short, everything will be moving forward as usual in July! Later on in July we’ve got some great neighborhood outreach events planned; we’ll still have our Corporate Prayer time in July; and we’re blessed with great preachers from within our body who will be filling the pulpit while I’m away. For our Sunday worship gatherings, those men will continue our series through the Psalms. I’ve been praying already for them, and I know that you’ll be blessed by their preaching of God’s Word.

I do hate that I will be missing Pastor Rhett’s last Sunday at Mountain Creek. His last Sunday will be on Independence Day weekend, but I hope that you’ll be able to make it as he preaches a final message at MCBC. It has been a privilege to serve alongside Rhett, and I cannot thank him enough for the job that he has done for our ministries to children and families, and for helping us continue to move forward in the mission that God has given us to multiply disciples to the ends of the earth.

While I am away, please continue to reach out to the church office or to Pastor Matt directly if you have any needs. Pastor Matt is here and ready to help you, to talk with you, to pray with you, and to serve you in any way that he can. Additionally, our Deacons (Bob Gilbert, Gavin Lawless, John Lawless, Chase Livingston, and David Vaughn) are here to serve you in any way that they can. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Pastor Matt or a Deacon if you have a need, and you can always contact our church office (244-4524) and Whitney or Brenda will be more than happy to relay any message to Pastor Matt or our Deacons.

I’ll have my email off for the month, and my phone will be off for the most part as well. But please know that while you are not hearing from me or seeing me, I will be praying for you!

Finally, let me say this: it is a joy to serve as pastor of Mountain Creek Baptist Church. It’s hard for me to believe that my family and I have been here for over ten years now, and that I’ve been your Senior Pastor for 5-1/2 of those years. Time flies! But I head out on sabbatical grateful and humbled by the privilege that I have to be your pastor, and I head out praying with you for God to continue to do great things in and through Mountain Creek, both while I am away, and in the years ahead as we follow Jesus together.

Bert Watts has served since December 2016 as the Senior Pastor at Mountain Creek Baptist Church, where he has been on staff since 2012.