Celebrating Growth @ North Church

With joy I can report that we have improved in most areas of our church life. I am talking “significant improvement!” Our average is up from 33 to 52. In areas of small groups and loving relationships our scores are 12 units higher than last year.
While the measuring tools we use tell us WHAT is happening, it is up to us to figure out WHY these trends are such. This survey involved broad spectrum of church members and worship participants.
Seeing a slight decline in spirituality I wonder if we began to rely on our efforts in fixing things, forgetting that it is not our rowing skills, or the length of our ores, but the wind in our spiritual sail that will move this church-boat in God’s direction. Remember, we live by both/and, not either/or principle. We must use our skills and energies while fully anticipating and relying on God’s Power to move us as He wills.

Celebrating Growth @ South Church

With joy I can report that we have improved in most areas of our church life. I am talking “significant improvement!” Our average is up from 35 to 43. In areas of small groups and loving relationships our scores are 12 units higher than last year.
While the measuring tools we use tell us WHAT is happening, it is up to us to figure out WHY these trends are such. This survey involved broad spectrum of church members and worship participants.
Seeing a slight decline in spirituality I wonder if we began to rely on our efforts in fixing things, forgetting that it is not our rowing skills, or the length of our ores, but the wind in our spiritual sail that will move this church-boat in God’s direction. Remember, we live by both/and, not either/or principle. We must use our skills and energies while fully anticipating and relying on God’s Power to move us as He wills.

BIOTICS - the opposite of usual

Here we are: done our second evaluation, waiting for results, wondering to see some objective data of our progress as a health-improving church. Over the past two month we looked at six principles of thinking and decision making according to God’s original design. This tool we’ve been using – the NCD – is not a prefabricated program for the church, it’s just a tool to use. Instead of offering “cut flowers” it intends to help churches grow their own.
Next week at our NCD potluck our elders will review the six “biotic” principles as our values paradigm, after which we will present the results of survey.
Right now we are doing things habitually, the way we used to. Yet, as we practice the biotic principles time after time they will become our habit, we would be more intuitive in making right decisions for the church. The value of principles we are sharing is not only in telling us how to act, but also in helping us to creatively react to challenges in a way that supports growth. These principles are really Biblical principles customized to changing situations.
The bottom line – our intention is to recreate an environment where God given growth will build the Church. Let’s remove the barriers of sin. Lets lift up lids of human limitations, and let God build His Kingdom among us.
Remember:

• we are made for INTERDEPENDENT living, where each one is connected and our experiences affect all;
  
• God’s Kingdom is meant to MULTIPLY continually as success means successors and disciples produce disciples;
  
• God is able to turn and REDIRECT everything for His purpose, all our ENERGIES can be transformed in a single direction for God’s glory;
  
• Everyone to be used and use in a two-way street give-n’- take exchange of MUTUAL BENEFITS;
  
• LIVING TOGETHER we must consider networking together for one-anotherness;
  
• FUNCTIONAL means useful, means purposeful and constructive.
  

Think on these things before attempting any action or reaction:

• How will it affect others? What are possible side-effects of it?
  
• Am I reproducing and multiplying what God entrusted me for His Glory?
  
• Am I fighting life, or trusting God to redirect all waves for His purpose?
  
• As I serve do I allow to be served, am I being refilled regularly?
  
• Do we serve one-another in what we do?
  
• Is it useful, functional? Will it build up or tear down?
  

As a pastor I don’t want to push and shove my churches in our own strength. For it is not by our power, but by the Holy Spirit that we grow. God’s blessings are not accidents. For He know what plans He has for us! Plans to prosper, plans to give us hope and future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

FUNCTIONALITY – why do we do things we do ?

Nothing stays perfect on this earth forever. Nothing we invent stays forever ideal. Agree? Why then, whenever a change is introduced, it is so hard to give old ways? A question that we must constantly be asking: is it still functional? Whenever you’ve got something there comes a time when you look at it and have to admit that it served its purpose, got tired and is not functional….
Are there certain things we do that no one knows anymore why and there are no benefits from it to anyone? How do we evaluate our functions for effectiveness? Do we know the purpose in everything that we do? Does what we do accomplish the purpose for which it was designed in the first place? What criteria do we apply to assess functionality?
God created everything for a specific function. There is no redundancy, or unnecessary items in God’s design. Everything has a purpose! In fact a synonym could be used for functionality: fruitfulness. Naturally, when purposeful function is done it results in a product, a fruit is produced. Do our actions produce desired outcome? Do we produce fruit in our lives?
Christian community gets quite upset about gay marriages, pointing out that this goes against God’s design, against God’s purpose of reproduction, and therefore is an abomination. In fact, anything “unnatural” is considered abhorrent. Yet, are we consistent in all areas of life, judging ourselves by this criteria of fruitfulness too? Do we deliver what we were intended to? Do we produce fruits in our lives which God created us for?
Jesus talked continually about the “success check” for our lives: “by their fruits you shall know them.” (Matthew 7:16-18) From the parable of the fig tree cut down for not producing good quality fruit (Matthew 3:10) to the good soil that produces fruit hundredfold (Matthew 13:8), to His direct testimony in the upper room right after the Last Supper that He appointed us to bear fruit that would last (John 15:16) Fruitbearing is our way of glorifying the Father God and being true disciples of Jesus (John 15: 8) This week I read this statement in the Spirit of Prophecy: “Men may profess faith in the truth; but if it does not make them sincere, kind, patient, forbearing, heavenly-minded, it is a curse to its possessors, and through their influence it is a curse to the world.” (Desire of Ages, 310) Just like Jesus said: no fruit – be ye cursed….
The simplest criteria of evaluating functionality is the fruitbearing! How do you know if a person is baptized by the Holy Spirit? The fruits of the Spirit will be present (Galatians 5:22-23). How do you know if a Christian is a true disciple? The fruit of a tree is another tree – fruit of a disciple is another disciple….
In daily activities of life apostle Paul employed a different term for this same principle: “usefulness.” 1st Corinthians 10:23 equates “useful” with “edify” a word borrowed from architecture, meaning to “build up.”
We were created for God’s Great purpose, to praise His Name Glorious, to bear much fruit, to live useful lives, to be functional, to serve efficiently; to be healthy, whole and alive! Get LIFE Church! Get functional!