GREETING FROM YOUR NEW PASTOR
“Expanding the Tent: A Vision for Heritage Church”
Hey Heritage Family,
Well… it’s official. Renee and I have landed — and yes, we are the new kids on the block!
Except, I sing off-key, can’t dance like Donnie Wahlberg or Fred Astaire, and my “choreography” has mostly been dodging Lego pieces barefoot in the middle of the night.
I am beyond excited, deeply honored, and slightly terrified — in that “Holy Spirit, please don’t let me mess this up” kind of way — to serve as the 9th Pastor of Heritage Church!
That’s right — number nine.
The Lord must’ve looked at Heritage and said, “Alright, warm up the chair. I’m sending John.”
Now, before we get rolling, let me tell you two things right off the bat:
My first goal is simple — to love you and get to know you.
I don’t just want to know your names; I want to know your stories, your favorite casseroles, and who to blame when the coffee runs out.My second goal is bolder — to help us expand the tent stakes of Heritage Church.
That’s not a leadership slogan. That’s a calling from God.
THE CALL THAT CHANGED MY DIRECTION
Isaiah 54:2 says:
“Enlarge the place of your tent; stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.”
That verse wrecked me — in a good way.
Because when I read it, I heard God whisper,
“John, you’ve gotten comfortable where you are — but I’m calling you to stretch.”
Now, I like comfort. I like predictable mornings, familiar roads, and chairs that have memorized the shape of my backside. But God rarely calls us from comfort — He calls us to capacity.
And that’s what this move from Corpus to Heritage is all about.
God didn’t call me out to escape something — He called me here to expand something.
He said, “John, it’s time to stretch the tent — don’t hold back.”
And let me tell you something:
You can’t pray for enlargement and then complain when God starts tugging on the fabric. Growth always pulls on something — your patience, your plans, or your comfort zone.
But that tugging? That’s the sound of God making room for revival.
FROM GAS STATION BATHROOMS TO GOD’S BLUEPRINT
Renee and I have been driving back and forth from Corpus to Cypress a lot lately, which means we’ve experienced the full spiritual test of modern travel: gas station bathrooms.
You know the ones. Sticky floors. Sad coffee.
You don’t go for the experience — you go because you’re desperate.
But then… there’s Buc-ee’s.
Oh, bless that glorious stop!
Every time we see that sign, it’s not a decision — it’s a calling.
Clean bathrooms. Brisket sandwiches. And roasted pecans that are basically sanctified manna from Heaven.
And here’s the thing: Buc-ee’s didn’t invent travel. They didn’t build new roads or create better gasoline.
The founder of Buc-ee’s, an Aggie, asked one brilliant question:
“What if we made it better?”
That’s it.
And that’s the question burning in my heart for Heritage Church.
WHAT IF WE MADE IT BETTER?
We’re not trying to be the next megachurch or win at Christian social media.
We’re not trying to outshine or out-trend anyone.
We’re chasing excellence — because excellence is worship.
What if Sundays weren’t just attended… but a time when people experienced God’s love?
What if every time someone came to Heritage they left different than the way they came…they were less like themselves, and more like Jesus?
What if the moment someone walked through our doors, they thought, “I feel seen. I feel safe. I feel hope?”
What if our worship didn’t just sound good — it helped make up there come down here, God’s Kingdom to come, God’s will to be done?
What if the kids’ ministry was so fun and faith-filled that parents had to drag their kids out of church instead of into it?
What if our sanctuary didn’t just look beautiful — it felt like home?
We don’t need to reinvent the gospel — it’s already perfect.
We just need to stop settling for average.
God’s not asking us to be trendy.
He’s asking us to be transformative.
A CHURCH THAT EXPANDS — NOT JUST ATTENDS
Here’s what I see for Heritage:
A sanctuary that’s expanded — not for ego, but to make room for souls who are hungry for God.
A church that speaks every generation’s language — from hymns to hip-hop, from Bach to Rock, from piano to electric guitar.
A kids and youth ministry that doesn’t just babysit — it builds world changers.
A community that doesn’t just grow people up — it raises them up.
This isn’t about bigger buildings — it’s about broader reach.
It’s about stretching, strengthening, and refusing to hold back.
Because when God says “enlarge the tent,” He’s not just talking about square footage — He’s talking about faith.
And after thirty years in ministry, I’ve watched God breathe life into other churches before — and I believe with everything in me, He’s about to do it again right here at Heritage.
LET’S STRETCH TOGETHER
So here’s my commitment to you:
I’ll love you first.
I’ll lead you second.
And together, we’ll stretch this tent so wide that our city can’t ignore what God’s doing here.
Let’s pray harder.
Let’s serve bolder.
Let’s love louder.
Let’s smile wider.
Let’s become the kind of church where weary travelers pull off the road of life and say,
“I don’t know what it is about this place… but I’m so glad we stopped.”
The best isn’t behind us, Heritage.
It’s ahead of us — waiting for us to stretch.
Renee and I can’t wait to grow with you, laugh with you, pray with you, and dream with you.
We’re not here to just fill a role — we’re here to expand a calling.
Let’s stretch the tent.
Let’s strengthen the stakes.
Let’s make room for the miracles God is about to send.
I’m ready. Are you?
With joy, faith, and a slightly over-caffeinated heart,
Rev. John Roberts
(and Renee too — she made me add that)
)