October Focus: Week Two: Give for Your Heart

According to Jesus, a primary motive for financial generosity is shaping our hearts. He instructed: “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:20–21). We should give to our church so that our hearts are shaped to love the things that God loves.

Our hearts naturally follow our money. Begin saving for retirement, and you will suddenly develop an interest in stock market reports. Give to a good charitable cause, such as hurricane relief, and you will suddenly become more concerned and prayerful about a disaster. Give to a missionary and you will suddenly pay more attention to their email updates and pray more diligently for them.

Jesus’ instruction means that your bank account is like a thermometer revealing what you value and love. Where you direct your money reveals your heart.

Jesus' instruction also means that your money can act like a thermostat, training your heart to give attention to what the Lord says is important. Do you want your heart to burn more warmly for the Lord? Then support the church for which he is redeeming. Your heart will follow your money.

Practically, do you know what you have given to your church in 2025? Last week, our church's financial system auto-generated quarterly giving statements, as we do every three months. These are sent by email and are also available in the Church Center app (Profile > My Giving > Statements). How are you doing meeting your 2025 giving goals?

If you did not receive a statement, there are several potential reasons. Loose cash is not linked to a giving profile. The church may not have a correct email address for you. Or, you have not given in 2025.

May the Lord continue to strengthen us in the grace of giving as we focus on this spiritual exercise of faith during the month of October.

Update On The Pillar Network

Last Tuesday and Wednesday, Cole and I attended the Unite Conference, which is The Pillar Network's annual meeting at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. This trip was our first time attending the gathering of over 700 pastors and church leaders. We went to observe and learn more about Pillar, as our church is considering joining this network in November.

The conference was warm and encouraging, as speakers challenged pastors to pursue partnership and church multiplication. We met pastors from across the US and across the world who all share Pillar’s DNA. I am even more enthusiastic about our church joining this network now than I was before the trip, because I see how Pillar churches are trying to get to know one another.

As a reminder, in August, the elders recommended to the church that we join the Pillar Network. Please refer to my article from August 8, "Introducing The Pillar Network." At our quarterly members' meeting on November 16, the church will have the opportunity to affirm this partnership.

I am thankful for the members who have looked into Pillar and have brought their questions and clarifications to me or other elders. There seem to be essentially two questions that members are asking:

1. What are our concerns with the Southern Baptist Convention and/or the North American Mission Board that are motivating our desire to partner with Pillar?

Partnering with Pillar is not a move away from our SBC and NAMB partnership, but is focusing it for more confident cooperation. Many church plants supported by NAMB reflect the healthy church DNA that Pillar values. However, others do not.

Some churches started via NAMB are, in our evaluation, fundamentally unhealthy. Some of these churches exhibit characteristics such as open and non-Baptistic membership practices, a weak public confessional identity as a Baptist church, satellite campuses with video sermons, a lack of plurality of elders, and preaching that is not text-driven. We believe these churches intend to preach the gospel faithfully. However, we think that unhealthy church DNA will, in due course, obscure the gospel and compromise congregational health.

We want to see NAMB and the SBC plant healthy Baptist churches that reflect the DNA that Pillar promotes (see my August 8 article for a list of this DNA). Pillar provides an inner-SBC path that encourages greater church health within the SBC.

2. What are the financial implications for Crestview’s budget?

Pillar requests that churches move toward allocating 1-2% of their budget to the network. Our elders and finance team are currently working on the 2026 budget. Although not yet finalized, we currently plan to allocate approximately $2,000 to Pillar next year as a starting point (around 0.5% of our budget). Additionally, we will partner directly with a church plant in the Pillar network. This partner will be McIntosh Baptist Church, with whom we are already partnering. We will continue to prioritize McIntosh for the next several years until they are established. In time, and within our financial capacity, we will aim to partner with other church plants as the Lord enables us. In the next couple of years, I hope we will start a multi-year partnership to start a new church in an international location.

If you have additional questions about Pillar, please ask an elder ahead of the November members meeting.

Men's Low Country Boil

Please pray for this Sunday night's Low Country Boil. Our men and boys will enjoy a great meal, hear a gospel talk, and walk away with some fun prizes. Some of you are bringing unbelieving friends and family. Please pray for the Spirit to work in all hearts. Thanks to everyone who has registered. If you plan to attend and have not yet registered, please call the church office on Tuesday so we can ensure we have sufficient food for you.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

I am excited to announce that we are considering a new mission partnership with The Pillar Network. During the elders’ report at the Aug 17 members meeting, we will present this partnership for the church’s information. In this article, I introduce you to Pillar, explain the value of partnership, describe practically what partnership would look like for us, and outline the next steps.

What is The Pillar Network?

The Pillar Network is a community of Southern Baptist and international Baptist churches that are doctrinally aligned, missionally driven, and committed to equipping, planting, and revitalizing churches together. Through relationships formed with agreement around theology and healthy church doctrine and practice, Pillar churches can confidently support Great Commission efforts they trust will uphold the same priorities. I encourage you to learn more about Pillar through their website: The Pillar Network

Pillar Church DNA:

Gospel Proclamation: We proclaim the gospel of our Sovereign Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Biblical Authority: We submit to the Bible as our final authority in life, faith, and doctrine.
Live Exposition: We promote live, expository preaching to equip the church.
Elder Led: We believe in congregationalism, led by a plurality of qualified, male elders.
Confessionally Baptist: We unite around historic, Baptist theology.
Kingdom Minded: We cooperate to start and strengthen churches all over the world.

Statement of Faith:

All Pillar churches affirm the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. Further, the Network gladly stands in the reformed tradition clarified in the Pillar Statement of Faith: Beliefs. The Network also affirms the Abstract of Principles, the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, the Danvers Statement, and the Nashville Statement.

I believe that when you consider the Pillar DNA, Statement of Faith, and affirmations, you will find that they reflect the priorities largely shared by Crestview.

What Does the Pillar Network Do?

The Network catalyzes SBC churches to plant and revitalize churches in the US and worldwide.
Each Pillar church partners directly with at least one other plant/revitalization effort within the Network, providing financial, relational, practical, and prayer support.
Each Pillar church financially supports the work of the Network.
Each Pillar church invests in relationships within the Network by attending conferences, regional events, and Zoom calls.

Why would this partnership be valuable for Crestview?

Partnership will stir our awareness, involvement, and confidence in church planting and revitalization worldwide. It will boost our Great Commission efforts through the SBC. This is about GREATER missions and evangelism.
Partnership will connect us with a network of like-minded SBC churches. Crestview already has longstanding partnerships with the SBC, GBC, and FRBA. We intend to keep these traditional partnerships and support the Cooperative Program, the IMB, and NAMB. Partnering with Pillar enables us to achieve DEEPER, CONFIDENT cooperation WITHIN these partnerships. It helps us to continue in the SBC gladly.
Virtually all new Pillar churches receive NAMB support. Yet, NAMB also supports a broader circle of churches that do not share our convictions about what constitutes a healthy local church. We want Crestview to support planting churches that possess sound doctrine and healthy, biblical practices. Partnering with Pillar helps us to find NAMB churches that we can confidently support.
Pillar is a growing network that is gaining influence in the SBC. We want Crestview to raise our flag and support Pillar’s impact. We do not want to watch from the sidelines while Pillar churches labor together to strengthen our convention. This Network is our tribe of churches and a movement that Crestview should happily join.

Practically, what would this partnership look like for Crestview?

Crestview would add The Pillar Network alongside our longstanding partnerships with the SBC, GBC, and FRBA. We will continue to support the Cooperative Program, IMB, NAMB, and our regular missions offerings.
We will begin building relationships with other Pillar churches by attending network conferences and other events.
We will develop a partnership with at least one Pillar church plant in the US or internationally. Such would include mission trips, financial support, encouragement, and prayer.
We would add Pillar to our church ministry budget, aiming to increase our support to 1% or more as we are able.

What are the next steps for the church's consideration?

Our elders have been watching Pillar for several years, attending a few Pillar events, and slowly evaluating whether this is a wise partnership for Crestview. We believe that it is, but we want the church to affirm this partnership. At the Aug 17 members meeting, we will give a presentation about Pillar and ask the church to begin prayerfully considering this opportunity. Our recommendation will be for the church to affirm partnership at our Nov 16 members meeting. This schedule allows three months for you to learn about Pillar, ask questions, and help us make a wise, unified partnership decision.

For His Glory,

Pastor Thomas

Give for Your Heart & Pillar Network Update (By Thomas Hill)

Introducing The Pillar Network (By Thomas Hill)