onward pt1

over the next several weeks, we're going to be laying the ground work to share a new tactical strategy to how we move ourselves and others into deeper love relationships with God and each other. this strategy will become the filter for how we construct ministries to fulfill the "love" component of our overall ministry strategy, "serve love pray."

but before we start talking about the ministry strategy, we've gotta begin on the foundations of that strategy--the mission, the vision, and then remembering what the big picture of that ministry strategy meant. then we'll start looking at how we can fulfil the love aspect.

so each week, i hope to re-write parts of the Sleepyheads message, maybe with more detail and examples than that service time allows. if you would like to listen to any of those messages and the resulting dialogue, you can always go to the Sleepyheads site. eventually, parts of these will show up on our church visit6th site.
so here's the schedule based on the Sunday date,
April 15 - Mission/Vision
April 22 - serve love pray
April 29 - Front Door
May 6 - Dining Room
May 13 - Family Room
May 20 - Conclusion

so, the mission and the vision...
before i get into explaining all of that, consider the following Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:13-15, 18-6:2; Romans 10:13-15
If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. ...All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
...for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

the mission of 6th Avenue Church of God, as we've recently re-written it is "To lead believers, individually and corporately to Glorify God, by Touching the World for Christ." Parts of this pre-date my leadership by many years -- other parts have been added to help clarify the how and why. (we've recently put all of this together as a part of the work our leadership has been doing). the mission of the congregation is the big picture frame, that part which shouldn't change regardless of changes culturally, in leadership, or personalities within the congregation. we were drawn to 6th Avenue's statement of "touching the world for Christ" -- we wanted to know how they were doing this? what international partnerships existed? what difference was being made in their local world? after not getting very clear comprehensive answers, we knew a large part of our leadership would be to help them pursue and meet the purposes of the mission they felt called to fulfill.

with leadership comes vision. how does the leader receive and perceive the picture of what this large, gaudy mission frames. in my mind, through my understanding of the congregation God has called me to lead as a part of His revolutionary Kingdom force in Decatur and for the world, this is how i see our vision: "that others in our world, from Decatur to every continent, would be able to see and know God because we got involved strategically, creatively, and compassionately."

so, let's break down that mission and vision...
when an editor prints text on a page, he knows it is only legible if the reader is close enough, and gives attention to reading the text. but if the editor wants people not to miss the story, they will add depth, thickness, and size to the text so that it is considerably larger, and the mere passerby wll be drawn to the message of the text and desire to read more of the fine print. in the same way, to glorify means literally to "add weight, or increase worth" -- we are called as amabassadors of Christ to make the message and image of God through Jesus Christ so clear, so unmistakeable, that people will be able to recognize, come to know, and receive Him.

Touching the World for Christ, that is continuing the ministry of Christ to Glorify God, is a BHAG--Big, Hairy, Audacious, Goal--especially for a congregation of 40+. But i want to be a part of trying the impossible, and watching God make up the difference because we were willing to risk, willing to reach, willing to step out for His name's sake.

the first part of Paul's words quoted above essentially say, if we're talking crazy, attempting the irrational--it's for God. i want to risk all for Him who gave all for us. but the second part of Paul's statement essentially says, if we're speaking rationally, strategically, it's for you. as a leader, i cannot just hang the BHAG out there and expect it to be fulfilled -- i have to continually, patiently, and tactfully help each to understand why, how, when, and where the different aspects of this vision can be fulfilled -- i have to help us see this strategically, which brings us through the vision and eventually to the ministry strategy.

from Austin to East Acres, from Alabama to South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and New Zealand (for the Australia/south Pacific rim) -- we want to be a part of ministering and partnering with ministries that makes people in those areas say, "i have seen and know God because these people got involved."

we need to do this strategically -- each aspect of our ministry strategy (serve, love, pray) needs to be further broken down into doable, measurable, and filtering tactics so that as the strategy is fulfilled, so too the vision will be fulfilled. each part of serve love pray touches the others--enabling a recycling of effort and activities. i'm having us begin in the middle with love, for that is how others will know we belong to God, represent God, and draw others to God as well as holding us firmly in unity. we'll explain new aspects of that strategy in afew weeks. we have to likewise be strategic internationally -- if we want to have worldwide impact, we need to be in missional partnerships with a church or group of churches on every continent -- we're attempting to that by 2010 (now that's really a BHAG)!

we need to do this creatively--if we keep doing what we've always done, we'll always get what we've always got. we cannot fulfill the definition of insanity (doing the same things over and over and expecting different results) on the way to touching the world for Christ. we have to understand the people in our immediate and surrounding communities--we need to understand their needs, their preferences, their language--we need to begin, as Jesus did, where they are, with what they understand, and lead them to the truth. Sleepyheads is an example of trying to creatively speak into a part of our community that has given up on church or never tried church. our use of technology and internet are also creative attempts -- we're not experts, but we're not going to wait until we are, either. similarly, we hope by sharing international perspectives, we can learn from and be encouraged, while similarly encouraging our brothers and sisters across the world, to see creative solutions to the obstacles to the Gospel.

and, we need to do this compassionately -- acting in the compassion of Christ, along with the character of Christ, is the wholeness of holiness. through such service, the love of God is fulfilled in our company and through our conduct, bringing Glory to Him. Angel Food has become an avenue of such compassion: as we serve our community, we meet them, develop trust, learn about each other, and we can offer further service along the way. our international missions trips also provide opportunities to act compassionately.

that is our mission; that is how i see the vision. our corresponding ministry strategy "serve love pray" will give us the means to fulfill them both--more on that next week...