Growth By Design

In his book “The Purpose Driven Church”, Rick Warren writes, “I believe that you measure the health or strength of a church by its sending capacity rather than its seating capacity. The church is in the sending business. One of the questions we must ask when evaluating a church’s health is: 'How many people are being mobilized for the Great Commission?'” It is easy to get caught up in growing church crowds, building new facilities, and offering more innovative, high tech church services. Yet we must always be aware that God’s purpose for growing the church extends beyond the property lines of the campus. He calls us together by design. We each bring different talents, gifts and abilities which He combines together in a manner that reaches the needs of our community and connects with those who are searching for help and hope beyond their circumstances. And God’s plan isn’t just about performing acts of benevolence or physical assistance. That might happen, but His plan is for something much deeper and more permanent to take place. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. God certainly cares about our physical needs and the struggles we face, but He knows that this life and the troubles associated with it are temporary. We have been created for eternity. So God’s hope for our lives is not just to help us thru the problems of today, most importantly, He wants to make sure we are taken care of thru out eternity. And as a growing church fills with growing Christians, His plan is for us to mobilize into our communities, meeting needs, sharing encouragement, and discovering places we can plug into other people’s lives. As we do, He will provide opportunities for us to share our faith with unbelievers.
With that in mind, let me ask you a question: "How are you taking part in reaching out to your community and communicating the hope and help of Jesus Christ?" What can you do? There are many ways to get involved. Start with “Prayer Walking”. Walk the streets of your community asking God to show you how you can share His love in tangible ways with your friends and neighbors. Volunteer to work in a local mission. Volunteer to help at the local Christian Radio Station – WMIT 106.9. Volunteer to participate in one of the church ministries. Go on a short-term mission trip. Give above your regular tithe and offering to support the missions and benevolence work in which the church is involved. Find your purpose in God’s plan… I believe He is enlarging our tent so that His kingdom might be enlarged. Your part in His plan has eternal implications. Go plug in somewhere!

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