Re-thinking ‘ministry’ and making it ‘incalculable’.

Given our current series here’s few thoughts on the potential for ministry in our congregation and gospel groups. If we all took on board, it would be hard to even measure the gospel benefit to us all.

If we think that ministry is just the public preaching and teaching of the Bible, or the ‘pastoral counselling’ that the professional pastor types do, we are in strife as a church and so are our gospel groups. The public preaching and teaching of the Scriptures is vital, it sets the agenda, it should be powerfully making a difference. The pastors meeting up with and encouraging people to gospel living and trust in the midst of sin and difficulty is likewise is important, but we underestimate greatly what real ministry can be done outside of this. I believe it’s incalculable.

Let’s think about the ministry of encouragement. That’s not the patting on the back and telling someone their ok and the world is ok and everything will work out fine. No it’s the sharing, the speaking the truth, the urging, the speaking of biblical truths for the benefit of another. It sounds so unexciting, so….normal.

But it makes a gospel world of difference….

I believe the passages we’ve been looking at in church recently (Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:19-25) and we could add Colossians 3:12-17 all urge us in this direction. That thoughtful, deliberate, considered gospel speech to one another will make a world of difference. Where the truth is spoken in love and where the glory of God and the honouring of Jesus are the goal and passion of our lives…what amazing ‘ministry’ would be done amongst us.

In fact imagine we had even 30% of people on Sunday night or at our Gospel groups during the week turning up having considered how God can use them to spur another on in the truth. Such that they sit beside someone deliberately, they think during the sermon who they can share God’s truth with and how they’ll do it. Where they will ask even just one person how they can pray for another. Where they call up that person during the week to see how there doing and tell them they’ve been praying. Where they even simply express quite genuinely how they appreciate having a conversation with another about the things of the Lord. What this person has done is to trust God and put his Word into practice and gracefully, lovingly, faithfully encourage and help others in the same.

Can you imagine how awesome your gospel group will be if half the group are switched on like that?

Can you imagine how awesome church would be Sunday night with that kind of humble, Christ-centred love and trust?

That’s powerful ministry going on and it leads exponentially to more gospel ministry and love and trust happening all over the place.

This is not meant as a criticism really, but often people say to me how they want to get involved at church and don’t know what to do. My response in always, ‘Look around’. Ministry fundamentally is not task or project or event management. Those things are important because they are meant to promote relationship and people and talking and sharing and obedience…the real stuff of ministry.

So the personal ministry of encouragement, revolutionises churches. And we all know the opposite kills churches. Gossip, jealousy, boasting, factionalism, vulgar speech, anger, disengagement….that ruins lives.Gospel love and encouragement saves and transforms them.

So let’s be a congregation excited to be involved in the incalculable potential of real ministry amongst us. Let’s come ready next time we meet and see how God will use us for his glorious purposes as we build each other up in love.

If you want to consider this whole area more download The Ministry of the Pew by Col Marshall here. Make sure you download the article marked 4.05

Me Church

Here's the video we played at church last Sunday night...for your enjoyment, and perhaps a little more.

Are we too afraid to ask?

     Why am I so afraid to ask people to come to church? Why do I simply expect them to say no?  What makes me think they’ll be offended or judged by my asking? What if me asking someone to church results in a ‘religious’ argument that goes so bad the person is even more anti-Christian than before?

      I wonder how many of us have had these fearful thoughts when thinking about asking people to church…?  But then, what of the even more fearful prospect of your friend actually turning up to church? Does that thought put us off as well? So we end up saying to ourselves….

"No they’ll never connect with the way our church works."

"No they’ll find it too weird and uncomfortable."

"No I’ve got a long term friendship strategy in place and coming to church now would be too soon for them."

"No they are too smart and would find intellectual holes that our pastors couldn’t deal with or won’t address."

"No they are not intellectual at all and will find a 30 minute monologue too boring."

"No there are too many people at church and they will find it overwhelming."

"No there are not enough people at church and they will find it too intense."

"No they only sing when drunk at the footy, so being sober in church won’t work."

      I’m sure we can have some fun and you could add any number of creative reasons why not to invite people to come and join you at church. And I’m sure we could all reel off some horror story of how a church experience was really terrible for someone. But I wonder how many of these fears really stack up?

      Perhaps it is more likely that we keep forgetting that God does actually want to save people and bring them into His church. 

      Perhaps we fail to remember that Jesus promises never to leave nor forsake us and will be with us to the end of the age. 

      Perhaps we ‘under-estimate’ people assuming they just wouldn’t really be interested in spiritual things and considering Jesus’ take on the world. 

      Perhaps we fail to remember that God does the miracle work of conversion and it’s through the proclamation of the truth that most people come to know it and love it.

      Looking back at my own experiences it seems very few of my fears have been grounded in reality. Very few of the scenarios I muse over come to pass…indeed even if church hasn’t gone as well as it could on the night my friend or family member shows up, there’s always been helpful discussion as a result anyway.

      I think I’m becoming more convinced that people hearing the truth and wonder of Jesus in the midst of a group of people who love Jesus and love each other is a very powerful and effective witness. What a gospel driven and gospel loving church offers is very compelling and my hope is that every week at church is an opportunity to invite someone else along.

After all, we are asking people to come and hear news that is better than any other. 

      Yes the Gospel is humbling.

      Yes the Gospel may be offensive.

      Yes the Gospel is exclusive. 

But:

      Yes the Gospel is the power of salvation.

      Yes the Gospel is far better than all your Christmases at once.

      Yes the Gospel makes you fully alive! 

I dearly want people to know that and see it and taste it. I long for our church to be a place where that’s exactly the discoveries people make…the very ones you and I have made thanks to the mercy and wonder of Jesus....at church.

      An inviting, opportunistic and gracious people who work together so as many as possible can hear the Gospel....that sounds like the kind of church we should be. I'd be more afraid if we really didn't want to be.  

      Which reminds me of one final truth I’ve been convinced of for a long time. That is, people will and can say "no" to our invitations to join us at church. Sad, but true, it will happen. However they certainly can never say "yes", indeed they don’t ever have the option of saying "yes"….unless we ask.

      Is that a "yes" or a "no" from you?

Focal Point wrap

Truly Focal Point has got to be about the best thing FOCUS does each year. The word 'intense' is the one that traditionally comes up to describe what happens. But even with hours and hours in the Bible and discussion each day for many people the enthusiasm and desire for God increases all the more as the week goes on. 

    This year the theme of 'church' was the one we tackled. Not perhaps the most marketable or exciting topic we could have picked...but one that catches you by surprise because it's so important. 

    Jesus said in Matthew 16 that he would build his church and the gates of death itself would not stop it. I can't imagine how Jesus could have more bluntly pointed out the significance of the church and by the end of Focal Point I can't recall seeing a more enthusiastic group keen to get involved in the task of serving Jesus and building his church.

    Please pray for those who were able to attend that the week of learning will turn into a life of fruitful church living. There was plenty of excitement and indeed plenty of repentance as people were more and more gripped by God's agenda. Let's pray it's followed up and lived out.

    Please also ask those who were able to attend not just what they may have learnt and enjoyed about the week, but what it now means for them. I hope we find their answers encouraging and I hope together as a congregation we can work together more and more to see Jesus' church built in number and maturity for God's glory. 

    

Church for all nations

John's vision of the future in Revelation chapter 7 shows people from every tribe and language and people and nation. This is God's design for church. No nationalism, no racism, no tribalism, no elitism, no individualism. It was a joy to look at our congregation on Easter Sunday evening and see so many people from so many different places. On my count (during a moment of distraction!) roughly one third of the congregation were international students. How exciting to experience  a little taste of heaven, here in Canberra, Australia. Let's thank God for bringing so many people together to get to know him and one another better. And next Sunday, why not take the time to meet someone who comes from a different country to you?

By the way, you may have noticed that we have a fellowship for international students running each week, before church, in the foyer. You'd be very welcome if you'd like to come along some time. We are most keen for domestic students to be meeting overseas students. And we share a meal together!

More than a buzz

The last few weeks have been a buzz of activity and excitement. How wonderful to see so many people coming to church. It seems that both morning congregations have over 100 adults involved and Crossroads in the City has seen over 250 people coming. Many people are involved in serving every Sunday, making church happen, reaching out to people, and responding to opportunities for ministry. Crossroads International Fellowship, Crossfire, boys and girls clubs, FOCUS, City Bible Forums, and Supa clubs are among the many ways that people are serving and reaching out to others.

But, it's easy to get swept along with the buzz of it all, and to sit back and admire what others are doing. Can I please urge you to keep focused on God’s grace in Jesus and to be moved by this grace to keep ministering to others. As a simple guide, we are keen for everyone at church to be engaged weekly in one congregation, to contribute to a small group, and to have one particular way in which they serve God through the church. If you would like help in exploring how you can contribute, then please connect with one of the pastors from your congregation and they will be able to help you work out how you can be serving God. It is a trap in a large church to think that everything is covered and there are no opportunities to get involved. The reality is the opposite – the more people, the more opportunity and needs for ministry.

Getting a vision for our congregation

     Now that ‘Crossroads in the City’ is up and running, it’s a good time to reflect again on how God views church and what it will mean for our gathering on Sunday nights. The Bible makes it clear that God’s attention, work and plans for this world actually centre on the church. People he has purchased with his own blood come together through the power of the Gospel to experience and play their part in his new Kingdom community all under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
    When congregations are born and serve together in Gospel unity it is a demonstration of God’s power and shows that the extraordinary news about Jesus has and is making a difference. This means Church is no mere social gathering of people with some common interests or hobbies. No, church is like no other group for it is the gathering of people who have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the Kingdom of God’s beloved Son. (Col.1:13) 
    This gathering of God’s people is bound by Christ’s blood and God’s desire for us is to meet regularly to hear from his Word and to encourage and build each other up. Paul describes the church using the metaphor of a body (1 Cor.12-13; Eph.4) where every member matters and where every member has a part to play. Indeed the picture we are given of church is of a vibrant, growing, loving, Spirit-filled and Christ honouring community who have been transformed and continue to be transformed by the power of the gospel to the benefit of everyone around them. How good does that sound?!

     For our own sake, for that of our world, and for the ultimate glory of God we wish to pursue a model of church where we can be that kind of a community. A place where there is a hunger and love for the Word of God, where there is repentance and joy and genuine love for others, a place where there is an authenticity of speech and action that honours and points to the wonderful Gospel that has brought us life.
   Doesn’t Canberra needs to see this kind of thing in action? Don’t we all need to experience and take part in a church like this?

     Dave Macca’s sermon on Sunday was a great reminder of who we are called to be: God’s own possession to declare his praises (1 Peter 2:9-10). As such we want our new congregation to reflect God’s desire for us. But do we perhaps sometimes under-estimate how good, how significant, how transforming church can be? Do we perhaps not notice the miracle that every Sunday night is evidence of? Can we forget that blood has been spilled for our gathering and every individual involved. And rebels have been secured eternal joy and comfort in this world of tears, pain and sin at no cost to them….huge cost to Christ.
     So come each Sunday night with something of God’s heart and desire and hope for his church…and let’s allow his plans to keep shaping and reforming ours. Then let’s see how God will use his ‘Crossroads in the City’ to be making a difference.