Strategic planning recently had a conversation about how we are (personally) doing in living out the vision God has called us to. It was a convicting and honest conversation about the joys and challenges of following through on the direction that God has given. Here is that vision with a few additional thoughts and questions to consider personally.
A. To love and serve those outside the church as much as those within.
At times, this piece is thought to be an either/or proposition - that if we love those outside the church, we won’t love each other. But the truth is, to love and serve each other is to encourage one another to be intentional about caring and serving those outside the church. Our tendencies often are influenced by what is most comfortable and convenient. It is “easier” to love and serve those whom we know and who are like us. But “easier” is not a value that Scripture promotes. And clearly, the Great Commission has something to say about our ultimate purpose in all relationships.
A few questions to ponder:
Who is God calling you to love and serve both within the church and outside?
How are you doing in responding to this call?
What is holding you back?Are you in conversation with God about His vision for your life in reaching those outside of faith?
B. To hold ourselves and each other accountable to following Jesus in all of life.
Accountability is definitely a word that causes concern and avoidance. Few choose to pursue accountability in their lives especially in regards to faith. If we are serious about following Jesus, accountability is not an option. We need help - not a judgmental, guilt-laced relationship, but instead a loving partnership where following Jesus is more important than our comfort level or pride. And what can happen in this type of relationship is the experience of love. To truly love someone is to point them to Jesus and encourage them to follow Him. And this isn’t a one-time conversation; this is an ongoing prayer and conversation.
A few questions to ponder:
How have you done following Jesus on your own?
How are you being held accountable in following Jesus?
Who are people that come to mind who could possibly be someone to partner with?
What is really keeping you from this type of relationship?
C. To meet the needs of the least of these.
There is definitely not a lack of need. There is a lack of awareness. And probably for many of us, the challenge lies in distractions and not knowing what to do. We tend not to lack for things to do and things to focus our attention upon. Many of them are good things and very appropriate for our attention to be upon. But are there some things/activities that really are distracting us from our first love and first calling? “Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me. . .” I believe God has a plan for your life and mine in terms of caring for the least of these in our lives, but we have to be diligent in seeking God’s direction in the answers to the questions often raised in this conversation.
A few questions to ponder:
Who are the least of these?
Are there some you know by name?
Where do you sense God’s nudging to care for those in need?
Who comes to mind?
What do you have to lose by caring for the least of these?
D. To be a house of prayer.
So many excuses. So many good intentions. So many admissions of our need to pray. Yet, this area of our lives is probably the most important. For in prayer, God speaks. In prayer, we acknowledge/admit our dependence. In prayer we find humility. In prayer, we gain wisdom and courage. In prayer, we believe God will act. In prayer, we show God we believe He is God and we are not. God is not in the business of guilt distribution. He is in the business of love and growth and helping us experience LIFE. We find this WITH Him not apart from Him. The greatest gift we have is a relationship with God. This can’t be a back burner part of our lives. We must pray. We must overcome the weakness of our wills and pray. We cannot allow the enemy to reign in this foundational aspect of our life with Christ. Please pray. Pray alone. Pray with others. Pray with your spouse and kids. Do whatever it takes to make time to pray.
A few questions to ponder:
Are you praying? If not, what is keeping you from praying?
Would you initiate a conversation with your spouse/family about praying together? Start now. Ask God to help you be reminded to pray. Pray.
E. To partner with the Church as we seek to build God’s kingdom together.
As we embrace the truth that we’re in this together here at CRC, we recognize God’s desire that His Church would be one. We may not look the same in practice, but our mission is the same. It is easy to get caught up in the “better than” temptation. But the “better than” temptation reflects that we are off track of God’s mission for his church. If we truly long for everyone in the this community to see and experience the gift of Jesus Christ, we need every church and every follower of Jesus to do their part. The purpose is not so our church will grow and people will think highly of us. The purpose is that more and more people would find life in Christ, and whether they attend our church or another is not important. We long for them to be in a community of believers. We long for the community of believers to grow. We, as churches, need each other. And the phrase that we are using in the CMA prayer time is the fact that there is One Church in Charlevoix. Let’s allow God to build His One Church – what a gift it is for us to be a part of His Church and His Mission.
A few questions to ponder:
Is there anything in your life or understanding that keeps you from embracing this vision?
How do you see yourself as a missionary for His Church in our community?
Would you pray for the other churches that God would bring glory to Himself through them?
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