Sunday, January 19, 2014

Building the Local Church- part 1

    A newly planted church is a wonderful thing! It's like a newborn fawn or colt, struggling to find its feet! She lifts herself up, a bit wobbly at first, takes one step, another, more steady now...she grows, develops, learns, she's walking, trotting, galloping! Now let me make this clear: I'm not talking about GROWING your church. God knows enough has been written about growing, i.e. increasing the attendance numbers. But a football "team" of 50 players, having but one quarterback and forty-nine kickers is not a team!

   "But I want my church to grow!" First, Pastor, it ain't your church. Jesus told Peter, "Feed MY sheep".
Peter also told his disciples to "take care of the flock OF GOD over whom the Holy Ghost has made you overseers." Anyway, if the sheep are healthy, and well-fed, you know what will happen? They'll multiply. So let go of the growth part....that's God's problem, not yours. And it ain't a problem for Him.
Paul compared his job to that of an architect. Tons of brick and yards of lumber don't make a building. You have to have the right stuff in the right place at the right time.

   So maybe you took the plunge and upgraded your home Bible Study to a real church; perhaps you've inherited a congregation from another Pastor who's moved on; maybe you're picking up the pieces of a church split; or possibly you were chosen to plant a daughter church in your district. Whatever the case, you'll have some real challenges ahead. That's why we want to build the church! Let's say your now your flock consists of: you, your spouse, your kids, several random family members, a few close Christian friends, a couple of new converts, and a handful of brothers who've got nowhere else to go. THAT'S A GOLD MINE RIGHT THERE, believe it or not!
   Well, I'm a ministry-of-helps guy from way back, and I want to help you build that church! How? Stay tuned!

 

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