- Risk Taking - We need to step up and step out a little more in our life and ministry together. By that I mean we need to have some people risk leading some piece of our ministry, whether it be a Connection Group, a ministry or a moment of prayer. We need some folks to risk saying the hard thing to their friends or their family members. We need to have some people risk putting themselves out there to invite people to come to church.
- Investing in the Future - We need to get Chris Bobblit on full time so that we can see our Student Ministries continue it's fantastic level of growth and depth. We need to give Kathy Nelson and her team the tools they need to keep the children's ministry going and growing downstairs. We need to give the the Work the Land campaign and finish strong so that we pay off the land and set ourselves up for the future development of a new campus that will make growth and kingdom impact more accessible. We need to give to see our current building fixed up and modernized so that it can do a couple more decades of hard work for Jesus' sake. And we need to give to see the good ministry that we've been doing turn into the great ministry of tomorrow, with better communication, better administration and better results. And did I mention we need Chris Bobblit on full time?
- Celebrating Wins - We as a church have seen some amazing, only-God-could-do-that moments lately, but we have a hard time figuring out how to celebrate what God is doing in our midst. We clap and cheer at baptisms, and that's wonderful, but we need to find ways to clap, cheer, holler, make a ruckus about all the other great stuff that is happening. We're getting better, but when a Connection Group splits into three groups so that they can welcome more people into community (yes, this actually happened just before Christmas!!), we need to find ways to celebrate that level of sacrifice and wisdom. When someone starts giving out Bibles to kids in the karate class they teach, and people start coming to Christ (yes, this also really happened!!), we need to find ways to celebrate the mission-minded, Christ-like focus of these people. In short, we need to be more ready to party more often, because I think the party is on its way!
By the way, which one of these do you need to work on the most over the next 6 months? I'd love to hear from you and pray for you about it.
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2 comments:
Thought provoking sermon today, but I don't know if we ever really get it. In small group this past week we all had to say how we first came to thinking about Jesus, for each and everyone of us it came from some kind of personal relationship. So we are excited to start our next study "Walk Across the Room" I'm glad someone walked across the room to me and shared Jesus. It really doesn't matter so much what happens in church, just what happened in our lives and sharing it with others.
Susan,
Thanks for the comment, I'm excited to hear about your group doing "Walk Across The Room," I've heard nothing but good about that study. As for the rest, I would say two things: first, if you define 'it' as doing what God has called us to do, then yes, we can and should really get it. Every person has been called to get it, and to share it, and to live it out.
And second, I think it does matter what happens in church, because as the Bride of Christ, the church has some deep importance to Jesus, and if it matters to Jesus, it should matter to us. If you define church as the people who are Christ-followers, then it matters very much what happens in church, because that means what happens in the lives of Christ-followers.
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