Vision: Grow -- Mark 4:8
Over the last year and a quarter the Lord has allowed us to do many things together. Thank you Father. To us the benefit; To you the glory.
Lord willing, the next year will be even more packed! So what now? Where are we going?
During the cottage meetings I heard members express frequent desire for growth:
These widespread sentiments are godly impulses from the Holy Spirit. God puts them on your hearts because He has them on His heart as well.
From the beginning in Genesis (1,9,35:11 and Jer. 23:3), God has been saying, 'be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.' The directive to multiply remains and is reflected in the Great Commission. True numeric growth is possible only as people are transformed by the Love of God. Therefore, the Great Commandment to love as God loves is also essential to fulfilling our great purposes.
Our Vision? Grow! But He said, 'Be fruitful and Multiply!' not, 'add.' Mark 4:8 says 'Other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.'
Last summer we had around 100 adults in Sunday Bible class. By next year, if we were at the top of Mark 4:8 and our 100 grew 100 fold we'd have 10,000 in Bible class and nearly 30,000 in worship! Oh me of little faith, for even the bottom end of Mark 4:8, (or 30 fold), leaves me a doubter at 3,000 in Bible class and 9,000 in worship!
How about a 10 fold harvest or even a puny 3 fold? Though my heart pounds, I believe these are acceptable baby-steps of faith and obedience.
How? Here's The Plan for the next 12 months.
Safe at Home Sunday, Aug. 7th, 2-8 PM Joe Davis Stadium.
Sponsored by Huntsville area Churches and businesses. A $5 ticket (2 and under are free) gets you in to a Huntsville Stars baseball game. After the game, see some of today's best-known Christian artists and personalities including Point of Grace, tobyMac and Rick Burgess from the Rick and Bubba show! There's even Veggie Tales characters signing autographs for the kids! Scott Dawson will then present a message of hope in Jesus and give an opportunity for people to respond.
I Challenge you to be involved. Here are 7 ways:
- First, -- 50 from Grace be a Counselor / Encourager.
- Training is 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. There are 3 training sessions to choose from
July 12 - Calvary Assembly of God/Decatur,
July 19 - First Missionary Baptist Church/Huntsville, or
July 28 - Grace Lutheran Church/Huntsville.
After the message go forward during the response time to pray with those responding to Christ and fill out a response card.
- Second -- Many Prayer Partners interceding and pleading for spiritual awakening in Huntsville and God's hand of power and blessing over this event. Pray for the weather and the details of the day. Pray that Christians invite the unsaved to fill the stadium (10,400 souls). Pray God's Spirit powerfully moves thousands to receive Him in faith.
- Third -- Everyone be an Inviter like Andrew
- PICK five friends you would like to see come to Christ! P (Pray) I (Invite) C (Carry) K (Know)
Pray about real people you know who need Christ's real salvation.
Invite friends; especially those you are praying for salvation. Don't let the ticket price stop someone coming to Christ.
Carry transport the person yourself. Don't just meet at the game.
Know for sure about their salvation. Gently share your faith. Then, during the response ask if they would like to respond and go with them.
- Fourth -- 86 Manual Labor Helpers
- The Day Before: 6 men to move heavy equipment into place. 4 ladies to feed and host the sound, stage, and loading crew for two meals.
Day of the Event: 10 drivers (with own transportation) for artists and staff. 36 at the 8th inning to roll out the festival stage. 6 to dress in Veggie Tales costumes for an inning and have pictures with children. 4 ladies to serve as host or hostess in the suites and with meals. 10 ladies to help with artist merchandise or handouts during event. 10 men to help with breakdown of the event.
- Fifth -- A few Congregational Mobilizers. Get our church involved.
- Announce the Event - Every class, every week.
Pray - to see people come to Christ.
Take Ticket Orders for members and their friends.
Encourage everyone to get involved in a day we will never forget!
- Sixth -- a team to follow-up with the new Christians.
Body Builders Tentmaker training, September 16-18 at Grace.
We bring this training to prepare members to lead small groups, especially during the approaching 40 Days of Purpose.
This training can equip and empower those who lead or teach any sort of small group to do so with greater confidence and skill (cell group leaders, Bible study or discussion leaders, those who lead or facilitate meetings on a small group level).
The BodyBuilders course builds on the principles, skills and tools laid out in the prerequisite 'Bridge Builders' course. Increase your skill, or learn how to lead discussion, draw out the best in people, shepherd the group, equip new leaders, ask excellent questions, lead with purpose and direction, and help people to truly learn and grow closer to Christ.
For more info see http://www.tentmakerstraining.org/training/bobuilders.html
Forty Days of Purpose Sat, Sep. 24 to Sun, Nov. 6th.
We raised 1.5 million dollars in three years with a financial campaign. Forty Days 'is not a fundraising drive, but a spiritual growth campaign. Our church is participating in this Campaign so that everyone who attends our church can be inspired to make progress in their spiritual journey.'
You are a disciple of Jesus. Disciples need instruction. This is it. Expect God to challenge your faith and stretch you to a whole new level in your walk with Him. When hundreds join in small groups for growth, You and the congregation will undoubtedly be changed and grow.
As mentioned above, here is the 3 fold growth from the 100 attending Bible Class last summer to 300 in attendance this fall. We are aiming to have 30 small groups in place that meet once a week for six weeks, to learn about God's purposes for our lives. During the 40 days members are encouraged to read a chapter a day from Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life. Sunday worship services and Bible Class will also reinforce the learning.
What I need from you now:
- Please block and clear your personal and group calendars for those 40 days so you and we can focus the intensity and maximize the results. Shrink the schedule. Remove the distractions. Cancel or reschedule the meetings. Focus.
- Start praying now. Without prayer, this will be a frustrating and exhausting exercise with little to show for it. With your prayers it will transform lives and the very nature of our congregation. During July and August pray regularly for the leaders and their planning, and preparations. Pray for your own and all our hearts to be prepared for a powerful movement of God's Holy Spirit.
- If asked to serve in a leadership position with this campaign, please prayerfully consider saying yes. You aren't chosen or asked lightly. If you wish to be considered for service please let us know.
- Be sure to be in a small group when they are formed.
- BodyBuilders in September is helpful to be small group leaders.
What End Result Does God Want to See?
Every part of 40 Days of Purpose is designed to help people:
- COMMUNICATE God's love to others and develop a heart for the world, because we were made for a mission. This includes learning to share our faith and participating in some kind of mission activity.
- CENTER our life on God, not ourselves, and live a lifestyle of worship for the glory of God, because we were planned for God's pleasure. This begins with complete surrender of our lives to Christ.
- CONNECT with other believers who experience real fellowship, because we were formed for God's family. This includes identifying with other believers through baptism, joining a local church family and participating in some kind of small group fellowship.
- CULTIVATE spiritual maturity and godly character, because we were created to become like Christ. This includes developing the habits necessary for spiritual growth.
- CONTRIBUTE something back by using our talents in ministry because we were shaped for serving God. This includes discovering our SHAPE for ministry and finding a place of service in our church.
When we fulfill our purposes it causes our congregation to have:
Health, Balance, Direction, & Growth
Purpose Driven is a biblically-based church health model emphasizing the Great Commandment (Matt 22:37-40) and the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20). These two passages show the essential elements of a healthy, growing, biblically-based church: evangelism, worship, fellowship, discipleship, and ministry.
The Effectiveness of 40 Days of Purpose is built on 5 transforming principles:
- UNIFIED PRAYER
'Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain'. (Ps 127:1) Prayer is an indispensable ingredient. Perhaps we can also schedule days of fasting to prepare our hearts for awakening.
- CONCENTRATED FOCUS
Instead of our programs pointing us in 20 different directions, our entire church ‹ every age group, every ministry, every small group and Sunday school class, and every worship service ‹ clears everything from the calendar and focuses on the same thing together: God's 5 purposes for our lives (Evangelism, Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Ministry).
- MULTIPLE REINFORCEMENTS
Individually, in small groups, and with the whole congregation (as well as thousands of other congregations around the country) we concentrate our focus using four habits vital for spiritual growth: 1 weekly worship, 2 weekly group Bible study, 3 daily quiet time with prayer, Bible and devotional study, 4 weekly scripture memory verse.
- ACTION SERMONS
Each weekly message will include practical application so we are, 'doers of the Word, not hearers only'. (James 1:22).
'Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.' (1 John 3:18)
- EXPONENTIAL THINKING
It is thinking so big that we are forced to completely depend on God because we know we can't reach the goal on our own power. This 'faith stretching factor' takes us out of the realm of 'What we've always done' or 'What we think we could do' and instead expects God to do something that's never been done before in our church.
This 40 Day campaign, grand as it is, is only the baby-step to our real challenge. This is our practice run directed mainly internally at our members to activate us and get us ready for what comes next.
March 2006 will be the start of something big.
Recruit students for the school. Two reasons:
#1 We have something wonderful to offer that children need. It's not just a great education in a Christian environment (for it is that), but it is also a Christian education in a great environment.
#2 We need something the wonderful children offer. We have to keep the enrollment up to a level that supports the budget so that we can continue to do #1.
What can you do?
Pray that God connects us with His ripe harvest field. Ask God every day for 135 students or more. Pray for the teachers. Pray for the students and their families. Pray for the whole reaccreditation process that things move quickly and smoothly.
Promote the school when and where ever you can. Think creatively and outside the box. (If it's way out of the box you may want to check with Dr. White first).
Provide. The school is a major part of our reason for being. It is half the Great Commission: Make disciples - teaching them to obey everything I've commanded you. As you support the school consider ways to increase you gift. For instance matching funds through Thrivent, supporting fund-raisers and general donations. Perhaps some of you have skill writing for grants that could be put into service.
G.I.F.T. Generations In Faith Together
To enhance our ministry to young children, we are initiating a program like Faith Journey for elementary age children that merges seamlessly with our Faith Journey program for Jr. High and up students. Our elder John Mays is leading this project in coordination with Kevin Brandon our Minister of Youth, and Sandy McCutcheon our Minister of Parish Education.
Lord willing teams will be selected and trained in late 2005 so we can start GIFT in 2006. Keep watching for more details.
Tentmaker Training
After the 40 Days of Purpose ends in November and sometime before March, we are looking to schedule one or two more Tentmaker training weekends. We will have some combination of BodyBuilders, Evangelism, and or BridgeBuilders. Training will be chosen that will best help us prepare for our Great Challenge on March 1st.
Something BIG
March 1, 2006
Ten Fold Challenge
Though only a third of the smallest expected return of Mark 4:8, this is still so big, we must confess God did it. For it is, `Not by our might nor our power, but by His Spirit.' (Zech. 4:6). And, 'Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.' (Prov. 3:5)
Last summer we had 100 in small groups for weekly Bible Study. Our challenge for March is to think, act, and believe exponentially. Be fruitful and multiply that 100 by 10. Lord increase our circle of influence and grant that we can reach 1,000 in small group study of Your Word and the purposes Your Will has for our lives. Help us reach out beyond our borders and draw in those who don't know you.
To this end we will do a second 40 Days of Purpose. Everything about the program is the same as listed above on our first time through it. The differences will be with us. First it won't be just some serving. Each one of us must be in the harness. Second, we will not be focused inward. Obviously we have to look outward since we don't even have that many people.
Our doctrine says that we are a Priesthood of ALL Believers. This is reflected in core value # 9 'Everyone Serves.' In fact, this 1,000 person goal will challenge us to live out each of our core values at high intensity.
Let's Review our Core Values:
- Sharing God's Love - We are people of the Great Commission who share God's love and reach the lost by teaching, preaching, baptizing and healing in Jesus' name, as led by the Holy Spirit.
- Grace-Based Relationships - We build loving relationships in an environment of grace through: caring, encouragement, loving confrontation, forgiveness and reconciliation.
- Relational Ministry vs. Program-Centered Ministry - Our events are a bridge for people to build a relationship with Christ and others in this body of believers.
- Discipling People - We are a ministry that brings children, youth, singles, couples and families into a personal, growing relationship with Jesus through nurturing, teaching, modeling, mentoring and parental involvement.
- Life-Related Teaching of God's Word - We commit to Christ-centered teaching founded on the authority of Scripture that matures us throughout life in living and sharing our faith.
- Small Group Ministry - We value small group ministry that creates authentic, caring relationships through which God matures us to live and share our faith in Jesus.
- Diverse Yet Corporate Worship - Together we affirm a variety of worship styes, in which the following are central: the grace of God in Jesus Christ, the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the Sacraments and prayer.
- People of Prayer - We commit to a lifestyle of daily prayer and worship that glorifies God and allows God to transform us by His Spirit.
- Everyone Serves - We are a Spirit empowered congregation who give ourselves sacrificially to God, using our gifts in loving service to Him and to others.
This challenge will also test our commitment to our Mission Statement 'to worship God, to grow in faith and service, and to boldly share the love of Jesus.' We say we believe these things and that they are important to us. Now is the time to put our money where our mouth is and prove it. Have you ever received a spiritual challenge like this before?
Six weeks, Everyone involved, One Hundred small groups of ten, One Thousand in Small Groups, All energy directed one way, All focus on the Mission, All glory to God.
This Second 40 Days of Purpose which starts on Ash Wednesday the 1st of March will climax on Easter with an 'all-the-stops-pulled-out-celebration' of the resurrection power of Jesus bursting from the tomb on our behalf. Let's work, pray, and trust God for over 1,000 people in worship joining us that morning. to praise the King of kings.
The short term VISION & PLAN. There you have it in wide strokes. There is more detail to come, and other events on the calendar, but this is the vision. Hopefully what you, and your boards and groups are doing will further it.
Heads up to all groups; At the end of each 40 Days of Purpose is a large Ministry Fair. You will want to be ready for those.
A special acknowledgment and thank you to Sandy McCutcheon and Phil and Kleone Nelson for all their work already put into the 40 Days of Purpose. Kleone is the Chairperson for the campaign. If she asks you to help, I'd be personally grateful if you give her whatever support you can. I shudder to think what a mess this would be without help, but I'm confident in you all that, with God's blessing, you will do whatever it takes to "get'r done."
With you in His service,
Pastor Kevin M. Arndt