Lake Mills United Methodist Church Pastor's Blog. For everyone who wants to explore the life of the spirit and the love of God in and through this growing and sharing congregation.
(DISCLAIMER: The views expressed on this blog are the personal views of Reverend William R. McBride and may not necessarily represent the views of Lake Mills UMC or the Wisconsin Conference UMC. Every attempt has been made to accurately represent the above entities on this blog.)
You know what? It is really easy to complain about everything isn't it? We carry our tendency to complain right into the church family don't we? Does this kind of behavior help anything or build up anything? Not at all.
What I'd like to challenge you with this week is to work really hard at lifting up the good things about your Church family and being a part of what is RIGHT about your church.
I find a lot that is right about my church. Here are some.
Inclusive
Diverse
Down to earth
Caring
Welcoming
Energetic
Loving
What can you find in your Church that is "right?" And what can you do this week to keep it right?
Think about the Church as your extended family. The place with people of faith for whom loving, forgiving, caring and sharing are utmost ideals and actions.
What do you like and appreciate the most about your Church?
Loving acceptance
Gentle teaching and guidance
Honest and open communication
Others who eagerly lift you burdens and help you with your challenges.
If this describes your Church family then be thankful and dedicate yourself this week to continuing these behaviors.
If this is not your church, then make a commitment to model these active and energetic steps in your church. Give an energetic witness by what you say and how you act as to the work and role of your Church family in your neighborhood.
God bless you this week as you help your church family be the best it can be in your community.
we continue our series on the Church/church by looking at two ways to really build up your church
PRAYER IS ONE OF THE WAYS - Do you pray for your church every day? Do you pray for your pastor every day? Do you pray for yourself and what you will do this week to be a part of the building up of your Church? Please pray.
LOVE IS THE SECOND WAY. Do you seek to show others your love? Even when it is hard to love someone, do you make up your mind that you will try to love them anyway? Do you show your love in your church with your spiritual family? Love, really love this week. This is how you build up your Church. Please Love.
So, how do you grow your church? First we must understand that our church is more than our building. Ultimately, our church is our people who seek to grow spiritually. And as Christians we seek to grow closer to God as we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.
I offer to you a 2 part, broader understanding of church.
1. The PEOPLE of God gathered together to worship, serve and love.
2. The special PLACE where God's people gather for worship, Christian instruction and support.
Godly Goals from Calvary Chapel Olympia on Vimeo.
What does God desire from us? In this video blog, Pastor Chuck Lind discusses the importance of pursuing Godly goals and the blessings those pursuits can bring.
Churches do not grow by accident, they grow by intention. By grow we mean first of all growing in spirit, trust, life and health. By grow we also mean; that if we do the first grow things right, we will grow in size and stature.
What Can We do to be the church and grow the Church?
1. PRAY – We must always bathe everything we do in sincere prayer. Pray for your pastor, staff and the Administrative Council leaders. Ask that God would continue to make them wise. Talk openly and eagerly with them about your needs, your hopes and your dreams. Pray and ask God what you can do to make and take your church to the next level. Let’s get energized and shine brightly for Christ again!
2. PARTICIPATE – Come to church with the eagerness and willingness to roll up your sleeves and go to work. The more you give of your time, your talent and your treasure the more God will give back to you. That’s how it works. If you attend worship on average once a month, take it up to twice a month for the next three months. Whatever your level of attending church, raise it up a notch. Tithe, giving ten percent of your income for the next three months. Try it and see what happens to you and your church health and life.
3. INVITE – We all have a network of friends, colleagues and neighbors; many who may not have a church home as interesting, welcoming, and inclusive as ours. Invite and bring your network with you to church. Whenever you send an email to your contacts, include the church website, www.lakemillsumc.org & facebook page address, www.facebook.com/LMUMC in your signature line. Tell folks about how your church helps and supports you.
4. GIVE – Your church really needs your support, AND you really need to give. It is a proven spiritual truth that we are created with the God-given need to share ourselves and give ourselves to those things that we believe are important in our community and in our world. Your church is one of those things and she will be well equipped to make your community and your world a better place if and when you give.
5. DESIGNATE – extra and special giving, above and beyond your regular giving for upcoming and much needed ministries and building improvements. Your Staff Parish Committee is working on a job description for a new youth director. Wouldn’t it be grand to be ready to hire one next January? Our children and youth deserve it and need it. You can make it happen. Your Trustees and Construction Committee have some exciting ideas to vastly improve and update our building. You can make it happen.
6. CREATE – new and innovative ways you can enliven and energize our life together. Wouldn’t it be exciting to develop a kid’s choir and have our children share in worship with music played and sung on a regular basis? You can make it happen. All things can happen when we trust and work together.
God bless you this week as you be the Church and grow your church.
You know what? It is really easy to complain about everything isn't it? We carry our tendency to complain right into the church family don't we? Does this kind of behavior help anything or build up anything? Not at all.