As we prepare to discern God's direction for Mt. Oak - what do you believe the church in general and Mt. Oak specifically should focus on in the next year, the next three, five and ten years?
If we aim at nothing, we're bound to hit it. We cannot float aimlessly and let the current move us from here to there. We cannot operate on the fly, we cannot spend money and other resources on whatever suits someone's fancy. We need focus and direction.
The Church Council has named an ad hoc group to start the process and as Mt. Oak's pastor I am seeking some ideas to take to our first meeting.
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When Quoting Scripture Inflicts Harm
6 years ago
8 comments:
I think the direction is clearly outlined in scripture...Mark 16:15..."Go and make disciples of every creature"....that is should be the mission of the church, and in particular Mt. Oak's...but then, the question becomes "How do we do that?" Then I say, "First give them your hand, then your heart." If people know that we care about them, giving them Jesus is easy. If this is really a fellowship, then we need to have just that...a fellowship...regardless of what you status in relationship to Jesus is, fellowship is important... If we continue to lift Jesus "He will draw all men unto Him"...
Buddy
Buddy's on target. Here's my take. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20) Generally speaking, this body of believers should prayerfully consider how to 1) share the Good News, 2) make disciples, and 3) equip those disciples to live for Jesus. To share the Good News, what means are available? I suggest the Word of God and a good witness. Making disciples doesn't mean salvation alone--what good does it to "save the lost" and let them go living without guidance, lost in a difference sense? Making disciples should include conversion, education, and exhortation. Equipping disciples to live effectively, to obey everything Jesus has commanded, includes further education, exhortation, and fellowship.
General recommendations (followed by three specific ones).
Getting the Word out: First off, Mt. Oak believers need to know the Word of God in order to share it. Remember, we're in the "teaching them to obey everything..." category, so we need to get ourselves straight before we can expect to help anyone else. I recommend a thorough grounding in the Gospel, so that believers can explain the hope that is in them. No riding on anyone's coattails here--know what you believe and why. Second, I suggest some kind of training on how to communicate these truths to others in an authentic, personal, loving way. If sharing the Gospel causes offense, it should be the Gospel that offends (and it will offend some), not the one sharing it. Third, sharing the Gospel can be passive or active. Passive sharing would include being a living sacrifice that all can see--education, fellowship, and exhortation are crucial here. If we live the life, maybe someone will see it (and there's always someone watching) and desire what we've received from Christ. Active sharing would include direct public evangelism (preaching on the streets, handing out literature), indirect public evangelism through artistic outreach (music, prose, poetry, painting, drama, film, web magazine), and private, so-called friendship evangelism. I recommend that the church evaluate what ministries it wishes to engage in as a body and which ministries it would support or encourage, as carried out by individuals or smaller groups. For example, as a body, Mt. Oak might wish to commit itself towards a particular ministry, e.g. ministering to the sick, poor, or imprisoned, with the intent of comforting and supplying physical needs and the hope of sharing the Savior, too. At the same time, the church could encourage and support individuals or groups interested in some other kind of ministry, e.g. putting on a play or concert, writing a book, or creating art.
Making disciples: First, we can't save anyone; only God can do that. Therefore, Mt. Oak must continue to devote itself to prayer for the salvation of others. Second, Mt. Oak should continue to provide "beginner" classes to present the "milk" of the Word and strengthen new believers. Third, mentoring and support must clearly be made available.
Equipping: Well, this sort of takes us back to the first point: getting ourselves in shape to help others. However, it's more than that. Our entire lives become ministry, be it raising a family and training children or working and interacting with the world at large. How in the world can a Christian, who is simply a sinner saved by grace, accomplish all of that without falling flat on his face? Again, education and exhortation come in, but fellowship also takes on a special role, for where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is, too! Without Jesus, we can do nothing. And the bottom line is that, as Christians, we want to glorify our Father and enjoy Him forever...and how to do that in a fallen world as sinners saved by grace depends on knowing Him, knowing about Him, and knowing and helping each other.
Personally, I see Mt. Oak doing all of these things, at least to some degree. Perhaps a group needs to be appointed to review these areas and see if anything needs improvement?
Specific recommendations: 1) Offer special sessions for those individuals/groups who wish to discuss a special ministry. Pastor Ray has encouraged this. Maybe a special, official meeting should simply be announced to get things moving, with a by-appointment option for those who can't make the meeting. Perhaps one or more individuals could be appointed to mentor these people and serve as liasons with the church, so that when support/prayer is needed, the word will get passed along quickly. (A special ministries coordinator??) 2) Have all of the small groups discuss what they think the big ministry/ministries of Mt. Oak should be and pass the results on to the leadership. These suggestions should be very specific, e.g. ministering to breast cancer victims in Bowie, Greenbelt, and Upper Marlboro as opposed to ministering to "the sick," or ministering to the homeless in Bowie as opposed to ministering to "the poor". The top-ten-suggested ministries could then be discussed, combined or refined, possibly pared down, and then brought out for open discussion by the entire body at some special meeting. 3) Review what classes and mentoring opportunities currently exist at Mt. Oak and discuss if anything (number of classes or type) needs to be changed or revised.
While I agree with the general comments given by Buddy and Tom, I think that we also need to spend a considerable amount of time seeking the Lord for the specific direction He would have Mt Oak to move in at this time.
I believe that we all expect and anticipate growth, but we are constrained with our physical facilities. There are two main ways that churches grow - build a bigger building with more seats, or start satellite churches in nearby geographical locations where a number of the congregation might travel from.
What is God saying to us as we grow? This is a time for seeking, a time for waiting on God, a time for hearing what the whisper of the Spirit is.
As we hear the heartbeat of the Lord for Mt Oak then we can set God directed plans in place to allow us to reach the goal the Lord puts before us.
One thing I think that we all should be aware of is that while there may be some whom God has blessed with visionary foresight and wisdom or leadership gifts, God can and does speak to anyone. For me I think this is a time when the whole body should be seeking the Lord and sharing with the leadership what they feel the Lord is saying.
Just my few thoughts
Jason
A recent post came in on this post on direction but without a name - I specifically asked for people to identify themselves on this post. If that person will resend their comment with a name, I will post it.
Yep, that was me...I didn't know how to put my name in there without a password. But it was mine so if you want to post with my name I am claiming it.
Jacki Ferko
Hmmm. Being still and waiting for a while...not completely idle or complacent, but just taking some time from working so hard to move forward, slowing down a little, and waiting on God's direction so we are sure to Glorify him. Not pushing, not analyzing everything to death, not overdooing... just slowing down a little so people can catch up... fellowshipping, loving, accepting. We are a couple of months into new pastoral leadership and this big train is moving fast. We have new committees (We have so many committees and so many adminstrators that everyone can have their own committee by themselves and now we are back to square one), new construciton, new ideas, new worship ministry structure, new, new, new...while new is great and we all seem to be on fire for the Lord and following his direction for where we should carry out our spiritual duties, it keeps sticking in my heart that church should be careful that the passion for Christ is not confused with what big a building we have, and how many programs we have, and how big our audio visual equipment is. No matter how many people attend or how many small groups we have or don't, we should not be about "business" because it is the one place of refuge that some people get in their week or their life. Do we get crossed up with what we want vs. what God wants??? It is really easy to get caught in doing what we think is good, what we want to do and have something become and then saying that the Lord is leading us... (pretty persuasive terminology) Discernment - we are all still human and underlying we still need to operate on the same basis as any other business in order to achieve our goals (big building, sports equipment, Upper Room, heat, salaries, electric and so forth) and progress...we all know what makes the world we are "in" go round! God can work in the biggest most progressive most techinically persuasive,wealthiest churches, but He can also move in a one room church(with not even a pitch pipe) with only a hand full of people full of God in their hearts who live in a small town in the south but leave that church everyday with the power of the Lord providing the steam that they operate on...I have seen it and it shines in them like a beacon. Yea being still and waiting on the Lord, relax kick back, HE IS IN CHARGE!
Jackie Ferko
Feedback to Jackie's piece...
We do not have any new committees that I am aware of yet. We have Trustees, SPRC, Finance, Ministry Forum, Worship and Church Council.
We do have plans for a small group to begin the process of looking at our 3-5-10 year plan as a church and they will report back to Church Council.
I agree with Jackie that there is a fine line that needs to be followed. Growth for growth sake is not good. We should be about growth to reach more people for Jesus. That growth will require more buildings; it will result in bigger numbers and require a larger budget. But this growth is all about reaching the lost with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in a the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Discerning God’s will vs. our will is always a line that needs to be watched. That is why we have called for prayer often and for feedback to hear what others are hearing from God. Your elected church leaders are spending time in prayer and your pastors too as we move forward.
I pray that in spite of us God keeps us centered on Him and not on the growth. Having said that we shouldn’t shy away from growing if God has increased our territory. That is the prayer of Jabez.
1 Chronicles 4:10
10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.
Church, be in prayer as we move forward. Our hope is that it is God’s timing and not ours.
"Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:46-47)
Pastor Ray asked for some ideas to aid an ad hoc committee. I believe that the leadership has been in prayer over these matters, and I know prayers have been coveted for the same. This hasn't been hidden. Nevertheless, I get the sense that the church, at least in part, feels disconnected from the process. The church may not be fully healed yet and ready to embrace what comes next. Perhaps it requires more time to regain a full sense of God's love, approval, encouragement, and confidence. Or, maybe it doesn't perceive the same need, for whatever reason.
I suggest that at each worship service, the church hold a prayer meeting right there and then and ask for God's leading and for discernment. Each small group that meets that week could pray about these matters as a group and as individuals. The following worship service could then be an opportunity for further prayer and perhaps some discussion. ALTERNATIVELY, why not encourage the brethren to join the prayer meeting on Wednesday for this expressed purpose?
Although the leadership discerns a need for growth and perhaps change, the entire body needs to recognize the same thing. By praying as a body and openly discussing it as a body, the church may acquire that consensus it needs, that we may be of one heart and one mind.
With regards to growth to reach more people for Jesus, I'm of two minds. 1) God will add to the number when and as He sees fit. 2) However, if and when the Lord adds to the number, it WOULD be nice to have room for them. The issues at hand are worthy of attention, prayer, waiting on the Lord, and, finally, action, whatever that may be.
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