The Summit: I had the privilege to attend a two day satellite conference this past week with some of the leaders of my church and learn more of what it means to be a leader. We were able to hear from a wide variety of speakers from all over North America in all different spheres of society who shared personal experience, teaching and modern methods of empowering leadership.
Harvey Carey: One speaker who resonated with me the most was a man named Harvey Carey who pastors a church in the poorest zip code of the poorest city in Detroit Michigan. This man was intense! He had a strong and loud message of empowering leaders to genuinely engage in "playing the game." He shared an illustration of how the modern church does church and translated it to a scenario where someone attends a big football game. The teams runs out on to the field and forms into a huddle but instead of a quick huddle and going to play the game they remain in a huddle for an hour and then leave the field. Carey submits that this is how the church is functioning. We huddle in a building once a week but seem to hesitate in our call to bring the message to a broken community. I think this message brought conviction to everyone who heard it as I think we spend so much time trying to build a functional church (a functional Christian life) that we lose the focus of what the church was intended to do. Every Sunday morning he takes his church out into the community, shares a message from the word (in parks, drug-selling areas, homeless shelters) and then goes out and reaches out in practical ways such as door to door evangelism, praying for people and giving out bibles.
What if we invested more on the call of Jesus to reach the lost than trying to perfect the church structure?
What if we created platforms where God's word can be lived out?
What if we really loved the people we hate?
Sometimes I need to remember...
Church: a people after the heart of God.
Ministry: a selfless intentionality wherever we are to allow the gospel to be shared.
The Gospel: The amazing message of the Fathers love who sent his son to die for the atonement (full and satisfying payment) of our sin which allowed us to be in right-standing relationship with God.
Worship: To posture ones life in gratitude and brokenness. Offering our choices, energy and agendas as a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1)
Worship: To posture ones life in gratitude and brokenness. Offering our choices, energy and agendas as a "living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1)
So WHAT? I was left with a greater desire to step outside the status-quo of cookie cutter religious Christianity and continue to seek a real and raw relationship with the Creator of the universe. I was inspired to break out of the magnetic pull of conformity, to lead with confidence and to discover more about who God created me to be.
My prayer is that this next stage of my life in Worship School will develop the practical skills to use my passions and influence to build the hope of the world which is the church.
Please feel free to add, encourage or even challenge me in anything I write on these blogs. I don't have all the answers but I am eager to learn more. Lets grow together in this!
Thanks for all your love & prayers!
"May God grant you your heart's desire & fulfill all your plans! May we shout for joy over your salvation, & in the name of our God set up our banners! May the Lord fulfill all your petitions!" Psalm 20:4-5
Because HE lives!
-Jer
