What a team!

An oft-quoted proverb, attributed to the Chinese, says:
If your vision is for a year, cultivate wheat!
If your vision is for a decade, cultivate trees!
If your vision is for a lifetime, cultivate people!

Yesterday, I was taking an inventory, sorting through the resources that are available to me to accomplish the work that God has called the Assembly to do. Our church is currently wrestling with some fiscal issues that are a challenge. Prayerfully I thought - "What, if anything, am I supposed to do about this, Lord?" I am not very enthusiastic about doing the work of raising funds, but the need is too pressing to ignore, which pushed me over my reluctance. As I listed the Assembly's resources I saw the obvious- buildings, of which we have plenty. There are some monetary reserves on which to draw, but not nearly enough to bridge the looming gap. There is equity in our properties which might be tapped. Then, my thoughts shifted to people resources. God has assembled a great team, good men and women who care deeply about His work and the ministries of our church. In reflection it became more clear to me that my part in meeting this current challenge is not so much about raising funds as it is about cultivating the "people resources" that God has provided.

A church that is functioning as God intended is a team of dedicated people who give their time, their money, yes- themselves - to advance the Kingdom of God on earth. It is not a theatre where many gather to watch a few perform! It is a community where many are gifted, in dozens of ways, to work to bring about a mutual benefit, all for the glory of God. Our Assembly has a simple statement of purpose. We exist to 'teach people how to say 'yes' to God's purpose for their lives!' When you know how to discern the will of God and live in the center of His plans - that is life lived to its richest potential!

So, we are committed to giving people the skills, the support, and the opportunity to say "yes!" We do it in many ways-
-the Sunday morning corporate worship experience that includes a teaching of the Word,
-in a Christian school that educates 150 children ranging in age from 2 to 13 in a Christ-centered setting,
-in a ministry to teens,
-in mid-week ministries to boys and girls,
-with material published on the Internet that reach out to the wider world,
-in specialized outreach such as prison and nursing home work,
-in compassionate ministries that provide tangible expressions of Christ's love, and
-in Sunday classes where small groups interact around the Scripture's truth, and with other unmentioned ministries, too!

Can a single pastor do all that? No way. A whole team of people make it happen! Leaders, lead. Singers, sing. Musicians, make music! Those with creative gifts, create! Teachers, teach! There are many with less public roles - changing light bulbs, printing literature, pushing a vacuum cleaners, driving mowers, running tech support, interceding in prayer, giving money... that are just as much a part of the work as I am, even though everybody sees me standing front and center on Sunday morning! The team is the greatest resource the church has, apart from the Spirit Himself.

Let me encourage you to find a place to serve God actively - whether in a 'recognized' ministry of the church or in some place in the community. If you want to be one of God's MVP's (Most Valuable Players) there are a few choices to be made.
-Know your service will be effective when you are equipped by the Spirit, not just because of your talents.
-God's glory is the issue, not your sense of accomplishment. Set aside any need to be recognized and/or rewarded.
-Play the position He puts you in without comparing yourself to others. He calls each of us to our place and our eternal reward is for faithfulness, not visibility.
-Serve humbly, doing your best while thanking God for the privilege of being on His team.

"You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness. But that doesn’t mean you should all look and speak and act the same.

Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. . . . He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.

No prolonged infancies among us, please. ... God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love." (Ephesians 4:4-16, The Message)
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