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CONNECTING
THE FAMILY!
What will connect us? What
will connect our 8000 plus constituency, our 63 congregations, and our 125
plus pastors and church staff leaders?
What does God want to use to bond or glue us together for future
ministry and fruitful on going relationships?
What is God wanting to do to unify us? There are a few
items that are very important to us but will not connect us. Our HISTORY, HERITAGE, and TRADITIONS are important linkages
to our family tree. They tell
the story of past practices, patterns, and problems.
As important as they may be to us, alone they will not connect us
in the present and the future. Our
TEACHINGS, DOCTRINES, and MUSIC are valued treasures we hold very dear.
They tell the story of the types of building materials, nutritional
menus, and theme songs we use. However, in and of themselves, they will not connect us
together as the family of God in our sub-tribe. There are only “TWO
PRACTICAL ETERNAL ADHESIVES” that
will super-cement to connect us. One
is “our God-given vision and mission”.
The
other is “genuine authentic caring loving
relationships with one another.”
Both are unsinkably buoyant in the oceanic size Biblical mandates
of fulfilling the Great
Commission in the Spirit of the Great
Commandment. The Great Commission shows us “WHAT TO
DO” and the Great Commandment tells us “HOW
TO DO IT”. I In
October 2000, WPA Ministries of the Church of God began the new voyage of
sailing in the power and direction “OUR GOD GIVEN VISION AND
MISSON” of “RESOURCING
LOCAL CONGREGATIONS IN CHURCH HEALTH, CHURCH GROWTH, and LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT.” We have floated the VISION and MISSION
with a structure that supports and navigates well.
We have a clear call and picture of “WHAT TO DO”. We have covenanted together to accomplish our PURPOSE-LED
VENTURE.
Thus far, we are on course. II Our task now is to focus intently on “HOW
TO DO IT”; THROUGH
GENUINE AUTHENTIC CARING LOVING RELATIONSHIPS.
Jesus
declared that the first and second priorities in life are:
FIRST, “LOVE GOD
WITH ALL OUR BEING”, and SECOND, “LOVE OTHERS” (Mt. 22:37-39) Jesus clarified “loving
others” in John 15:12 by saying, “Love each other as I have loved you”. The proof that
we love Christ and we are His disciples is stated in John 13:35,
“All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another”. The self-sacrificing love required is discovered in John
15:13, “Greater
love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” All of this we
know is true. However I
cannot make, force, coerce, nor demand that we love one another to the
point that we have an intense desire to be connected.
CONNECTEDNESS comes from the overwhelming motivation that “CHRIST’S
LOVE COMPELS US” (2 Cor. 5:14) If Christ’s love within us is not strong enough to move us
toward one another, then there is no other power available.
We have to want to do this.
There are no others who can.
It’s our responsibility “TO
DO IT”. Genuinely
authentically caringly loving one another in personal and congregational
relationships, as WPA Ministries of the Church of God, is HOW WE DO OUR
MINISTRY TOGETHER. We are worth one another’s time, energy and effort to build
relationships, network together and connect in a unified way to fulfill
our God-given Vision and Mission.
HOW WE DO IT is by
intentionally and willingly laying down our personal and congregational AGENDAS to be with and serve our friends in ministry. My observation is
that some of us are DISCONNECTED and therefore DISFUNCTIONAL members,
leaders and congregations in the Body of Christ.
That must change! I
believe that Jesus’ High Priestly prayer in John 17 is all about God’s
heart for His Church: “THAT
WE BE CONNECTED, ONE, UNIFIED AS HE AND THE FATHER EXPERIENCED”. I am asking us as
congregational members, Pastoral and Church Staff leaders, leaders in
congregations, and congregations to commit ourselves to take 2 practical
steps to implement an intentional effort to connecting us together as a
church family known as W PA Ministries of the Church of God. First, Commit 100% to our “Covenant
Relationships Document.”
You will find the document enclosed in this issue of THE RESOURCER.
Read over the mutual expectations and partnerships we are
covenanting together to fulfill. On
Wednesday night of our August WPA State Campmeeting at Whitehall Camp and
Conference Center we will join together in a service of commitment.
More will be sent to the congregations later. Second, Fully commit and participate in
our newly proposed semi-annual Quadrant Gatherings! To fully
facilitate connectedness efforts, we have formed 4 Quadrants in WPA.
With few exceptions each Quadrant Gathering will involve 1-hour or
less driving time twice a year for 3-hour gatherings to be held on Tuesday
or Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
We are asking 10 people or more from each congregation to gather
for a great meal together. The intention of the gathering is to be highly relational,
lots of fun, a family atmosphere (not sitting in benches looking at the
back of one another’s heads for 2 hours), wonderful fellowship,
extravagant encouragement, informational and naturally building a network
of resources with each other. The
full intent is to honor God and bless each other as we gather as the
fuller Body of WPA Ministries of the Church of God. Friends, you and I
need this. Your Pastors and
Church Staff need this. Your
congregations need this. We
all have tenured and new participants in our congregations who are asking: Who are we as the Church of God?
What do we teach, believe, and do together? Are there others around who are like us?
What is our purpose for being together?
These are legitimate questions we can answer and demonstrate for
them through connectedness. As a significant part of the Kingdom of God, WPA Ministries
of the Church of God has a wonderful plan and purpose that is God-given.
To achieve His plan and purpose we have to be connected through “love-generated
relationships”. I cannot do
that for you. You and I must
mutually desire connectedness and make the effort.
Let’s go far beyond where we are to where our Lord is
whole-heartedly leading us to be. I’m
ready and I believe you are too!
Blessings!
Vern NEXT ISSUE: INTENTIONS OF THE HEART!
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My observation says, “Every tribe in the nation
of Evangelical Christianity is struggling with the issue of
CONNECTEDNESS”.