This is unbelievable that November has already reached us! Now, the holiday season will be upon us soon and that is a wonderful time of the year to be the church, and continue bring Christ to our respective communities of Mora and Ogilvie. This month, I want to share some information I received from our own Bishop Ough at a meeting I was at a couple of weeks ago in Duluth. It was a fascinating afternoon listening to him and the focus of his talk was on re-vitalizing churches. Here are some of the highlights which I have para-phrased:
In any church ministry, a choice must be made. Are we on the side of God’s Purposes or Our Preferences? For any church to be renewed and grow, it must be careful not to let personal preferences be the stronger mentality.
- Churches in deep decline can be almost impossible to renew. However it can be done, as God is able to do even the impossible! But to have a chance, you sometimes must re-examine and re-invent everything and make the necessary changes.
- We must design church ministry not around the people who are presently here, but around those we want to be here. We must create a different climate in our church where newcomers know it’s all about them, not us.
- We must be intentional about reaching people in the culture we are in. What awakens our soul might be different from others.
Churches must figure out how to “do church” differently in the present culture. Things are so much different now.
Let us be prayerful and purposeful as we seek ways to minister in our communities. Let’s don’t be afraid to be creative and “step outside the box” or “color outside the lines” when it comes to reaching people for Jesus Christ. Amen!
This month, the focus of preaching will be on the area of stewardship. We are at that time of the year where we prayerfully see how each of us can financially contribute to the ministry of our churches. More information will be coming, so please be watching J. May God bless us as we seek to serve Him with all of our hearts. In January and February, I will be presenting a new sermon series called, “Christianity and the Controversial Issues of our Times.” In this series, I will be examining issues facing our culture and how the Bible addresses each issue. You won’t want to miss it!
As always, please call upon me if I can be of any assistance to you. It is truly an honor to serve you and I am excited about the days ahead.
God bless you richly and remember….Jesus is Lord! Amen!
Peace in Christ,
Pastor Rob