“Late have I loved you, O beauty, ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you.”
These words were written by Saint Augustine of Hippo in his Confessions around 400 A.D., speaking of his coming to faith in God ("O beauty") relatively later in life (in his 30's) after a lengthy search for meaning and truth. Ever Ancient, Ever New is a perfect theme for a church named Ancient City Baptist Church in the city of St. Augustine to use for our current Capital Stewadship Campaign. Yes, God is Ever Ancient, Ever New, and the same can be said for our church. We proclaim an ancient gospel in an ancient city and have relatively ancient facilities. But God speaks often in his Word about newness: “I am making everything new.” “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” “Sing to the Lord a new song.” We are to spread the ancient gospel to new generations. We must be Ever Ancient, Ever New! In this campaign, we are seeking God's direction in upgrading and repairing portions of our older facilities. We believe that such campaigns should be and must be spiritual exercises, and these messages help us focus on the making sure our facilities remain effective tools for worship, study, fellowship, and ministry.
