Two weeks ago, I wrote in my blog explaining the process our leadership is going through to identify and clarify our unique mission and vision.  Our Vision Team is made up of staff and lay people who were invited to go through a seven month process with our consultant.  Well, the third of our seven sessions is scheduled for next Tuesday. 

Every church that serves Jesus Christ, regardless of its location, available material resources, place in society or history … every one has the same mission that Jesus articulated in Matthew 28:18-20:

Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).                                                                 Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 (AMP)

The reality is, each church is uniquely situated and equipped to fulfill her part of that commission to “make disciples.”  Our first task in the process of Visioneering” has been to clarify and prepare to communicate our unique approach to and opportunities for fulfilling that commission in a simple 10-12 word statement.

How tough could it be, right? That’s what I thought … well, in our last session we simply ran out of time and had to reschedule another time to finish our task.  To make sure our work was not merely the result of our own intellect and creativity, everyone was asked to read the scripture and pray for the Lord’s direction before our next meeting.  Based upon what was assigned, here is what one team member shared:

We were asked to prayerfully read through the book of Acts (asking God to show us what matters most to Him)… as I read a few chapters it jumped out to me that there were lives that had been changed or "transformed" by the disciples’ message of Jesus as the risen Lord.  I continued to read and was awed by the transformations that took place in each chapter.  These transformations ranged from individual healings to groups of people spiritually awakened, from the village outcast to the Governor of the province.  All changed forever by the power of Jesus' name. Two verses resonated with me as motivation and an action plan.  Acts 5:42 says the disciples "everyday were in the temple and homes, teaching and preaching Christ Jesus, not letting up for a minute" and Acts 14:27 states that "the door of faith was thrown wide open so people of all nations could come streaming in".  How powerful!  (We should not) ever stop sharing our faith as individuals or as a church body - God's plan and blueprint from the beginning.

During that same follow-up meeting, though, once again we reached a stalemate.  All our ideas had started to run together so we stopped and prayed again for a while asking the Lord for His help.  In very short order we had something we all felt (very) good about … so good, one team member emailed me the next day and said:

I can picture in my mind your first sermon on the Mission Statement. You might have to tie some of us down. I think I could even preach on this one.

The Lord is doing great things in our church and it is thrilling to be a part of it. I ask you to pray for our Vision Team that God would lead every step of their work … and, when it is time to present it to the church family that what they present will sound like what God has already put in your heart and you had not yet found the words to express it.

God bless you,

Pastor Paul