I believe it was Rick Warren or Andy Stanley, in their books Purpose Driven Church or Can We Do That?, who said "We are dedicated to being a 'go-and-get church.'" They were opposing the trend of churches that take an attitude of "The lost know where we are and they can come to us when they're ready."
That's a terrible attitude for a church to have and completely against the Biblical madate conveyed by Jesus Christ--"Go ye into all the world..." Or in more modern terms, "You Go."
With this Great Commission in mind, Joyful Life Ministries started a ministry known as Adventure Church! It fulfills one of our primary purposes: "Reach Out." Adventure Church takes our church services outside the walls of the church and plants it in other areas where we can reach people who might not come to us. We've had church services, music and devotions at state parks, hiking areas, homes, and coffee shops. Following the service, we enjoy the outdoors and get some excercise hiking, etc. You can check out some of the event pictures over at http://joyfullifemin.tripod.com
In May, our newly appointed Adventure Team, a recently married couple in the church, will take the reigns of Adventure Church and choose a monthly location to go out and reach out to people in our community. I'm looking forward to the locations these two "adventurists" choose for our church services. And I'm looking forward to seeing what God will do through a "Go-and-Get Church."
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Seek and You Shall Find...Worked!
Last week while I was praying at the church, specifically talking to Jesus about His success rate with seeking and finding the lost and needful people of His day, I heard the sounds of wheels rolling in the church parking lot. I really felt like the Lord told me to put my praying on hold and go check out the source of the sound. Outside I saw two teenagers skating around the blacktop. (Our church has the best parking lot in town for skateboarding, and is one of the few places where boarders haven't been chased away). I introduced myself and ended up having a nice long conversation with the guys about skateboarding and JLM's Daily 180 Show. I invited them to our church services as we continued talking for awhile.
Tonight they both showed up for our Youth Game Night! They met everyone in the church and had a great time in our group reading of John 3 and a time of fun playing games and eating pizza. It was great to have two new visitors!
Once again I'm amazed at how quickly God answers prayer when we stop long enough to listen to His response. His promise still holds true: Seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. It's true for so many things, including seeking and finding people who need Jesus Christ in their lives.
Tonight they both showed up for our Youth Game Night! They met everyone in the church and had a great time in our group reading of John 3 and a time of fun playing games and eating pizza. It was great to have two new visitors!
Once again I'm amazed at how quickly God answers prayer when we stop long enough to listen to His response. His promise still holds true: Seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. It's true for so many things, including seeking and finding people who need Jesus Christ in their lives.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Seasons of Life for the JLM Family
It was a busy weekend for us as we celebrated some great events in the lives of JLM members! A young couple from the church got married on Saturday. They have been friends for several years and have been part of Joyful Life almost since the very beginning, back when we were just a Bible Study Group meeting in a coffee house. It was wonderful to see them take the next step in their lives together, and it was a great honor that the first wedding I performed was for two friends who we love so much.
On Sunday, we helped a young lady in our church celebrate her 19th birthday with cake and ice cream and fellowship. This party and the wedding on Saturday made me think about the Church as the family of God. We truly are brothers and sisters in Christ. Times like these bring us together and remind us that we should always be able to count on our church family to share in both the joys and sorrows we go through--in other words, the Seasons of Life. There are people at Joyful Life Ministries whose parents live in other states, even other countries. There are times when we want to share our lives with others, but our natural families can't always be there. It's in these moments that so many of us are thankful for our spiritual families. This is one of the great attributes of the Church and one that I think we should promote more. If you don't have a home church and church family near you that you are an active part of, I encourage you to find one. Become part of a group of believers who will walk beside you through the seasons of life.
God bless!
On Sunday, we helped a young lady in our church celebrate her 19th birthday with cake and ice cream and fellowship. This party and the wedding on Saturday made me think about the Church as the family of God. We truly are brothers and sisters in Christ. Times like these bring us together and remind us that we should always be able to count on our church family to share in both the joys and sorrows we go through--in other words, the Seasons of Life. There are people at Joyful Life Ministries whose parents live in other states, even other countries. There are times when we want to share our lives with others, but our natural families can't always be there. It's in these moments that so many of us are thankful for our spiritual families. This is one of the great attributes of the Church and one that I think we should promote more. If you don't have a home church and church family near you that you are an active part of, I encourage you to find one. Become part of a group of believers who will walk beside you through the seasons of life.
God bless!
Friday, April 20, 2007
Operation Seek and Save
The Agent: Jesus Christ. His Mission: "To seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10)
I have been thinking and praying about this Scripture this week and realizing it is the key to building the Church as God desires it to be built. As we grow a church from the ground up, we always try to think of new and creative ways to reach people and minister to them. Nothing wrong with creative ideas. In fact, as children of the Creator, we should be some of the most creative people in the world. Sometimes, though, it's equally effective to go back and look at past methods that have worked for the Church.
Jesus' mission and purpose is a key example. Can the mission of the Church be any more clear than stated in Luke 19:10? Many times I think we consider and focus on the saving portion of the mission. Maybe we don't realize how vital the seeking part is to the equation. How did Jesus always manage to find the hurting and the needy, in spite of the large crowds in which they were often hiding. The answer seems so obvious now: He found them because He looked for them. He sought them out. He had to seek the lost before He could save them. He had a sensitivity that led Him to people in need, even taking Him so far as Samaria to a woman all alone at a well; a woman who, because of racial tensions of the time, would not have been reached by the disciples that day. That 's the kind of sensitivity we need to reach out with in our communities. I want to be tuned in to the Spirit of God that empowers us to witness (Acts 1:8) and to the needs of those around me. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is not impossible at all. Go out to seek and save the lost, knowing that Jesus Christ already set the perfect example of how it can be done.
I have been thinking and praying about this Scripture this week and realizing it is the key to building the Church as God desires it to be built. As we grow a church from the ground up, we always try to think of new and creative ways to reach people and minister to them. Nothing wrong with creative ideas. In fact, as children of the Creator, we should be some of the most creative people in the world. Sometimes, though, it's equally effective to go back and look at past methods that have worked for the Church.
Jesus' mission and purpose is a key example. Can the mission of the Church be any more clear than stated in Luke 19:10? Many times I think we consider and focus on the saving portion of the mission. Maybe we don't realize how vital the seeking part is to the equation. How did Jesus always manage to find the hurting and the needy, in spite of the large crowds in which they were often hiding. The answer seems so obvious now: He found them because He looked for them. He sought them out. He had to seek the lost before He could save them. He had a sensitivity that led Him to people in need, even taking Him so far as Samaria to a woman all alone at a well; a woman who, because of racial tensions of the time, would not have been reached by the disciples that day. That 's the kind of sensitivity we need to reach out with in our communities. I want to be tuned in to the Spirit of God that empowers us to witness (Acts 1:8) and to the needs of those around me. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is not impossible at all. Go out to seek and save the lost, knowing that Jesus Christ already set the perfect example of how it can be done.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Prayer Warriors and Persistent Prayers
Last night we changed things up a little bit from our normal schedule. The ladies of the church had their Persistent Praying Women meeting. The men of JLM met for M&M--Mighty Men of God. While we understand the need for us all to come together as a church, which is how we operate in every other service and ministry, we also felt the need to separate for the evening and discuss the different aspects of what it means to be men and women of God.
I felt like we discussed some important topics, and also used the time to build closer relationships; the friendship of Jonathan and David serving as our Scriptural example. We ended the meeting by giving each man a pack of M&Ms, that supposedly melt in your mouth and not in your hand. Although, no one confirmed this claim.
The women reported a good meeting and time of discussion also, as they talked about the Importunity of Prayer and many examples of persistent women in the Word of God. They also spoke of women who demonstrated Deep and Undying Compassion.
Much of the outline I used to speak to the men was inspired by Stu Weber's book Tender Warrior. He discusses the balance a Christian man should have: King, Warrior, Mentor, and Friend. I highly recommend this book to all men. Fathers, this would be a great source and legacy to pass on to your sons. They, and someday their wife and children, will thank you for the gift.
God bless!
I felt like we discussed some important topics, and also used the time to build closer relationships; the friendship of Jonathan and David serving as our Scriptural example. We ended the meeting by giving each man a pack of M&Ms, that supposedly melt in your mouth and not in your hand. Although, no one confirmed this claim.
The women reported a good meeting and time of discussion also, as they talked about the Importunity of Prayer and many examples of persistent women in the Word of God. They also spoke of women who demonstrated Deep and Undying Compassion.
Much of the outline I used to speak to the men was inspired by Stu Weber's book Tender Warrior. He discusses the balance a Christian man should have: King, Warrior, Mentor, and Friend. I highly recommend this book to all men. Fathers, this would be a great source and legacy to pass on to your sons. They, and someday their wife and children, will thank you for the gift.
God bless!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Pastor's Blog
We often get requests from friends and family for updates on Joyful Life Ministries' progress. I've started this blog to give you the inside scoop on the church, events past and planned, and maybe even some soapbox comments about church, ministry, and home missions in general.
April 16th was the one-year anniversary of our first service held in 2006! God has blessed us in this first year and we've seen positive improvements in people's lives, as well as growth in the church. It's encouraging to see the new people that have become a part of Joyful Life; people we didn't even know a year ago. As always, we take these moments of victory to realize that if God did anything once He can do it again. We're expecting and preparing for greater things in our community and I hope to let you know of some exciting new ministries in the coming weeks; ministries that will enable us to reach our purpose as a church--RuRoBiBuSo!
God Bless!
April 16th was the one-year anniversary of our first service held in 2006! God has blessed us in this first year and we've seen positive improvements in people's lives, as well as growth in the church. It's encouraging to see the new people that have become a part of Joyful Life; people we didn't even know a year ago. As always, we take these moments of victory to realize that if God did anything once He can do it again. We're expecting and preparing for greater things in our community and I hope to let you know of some exciting new ministries in the coming weeks; ministries that will enable us to reach our purpose as a church--RuRoBiBuSo!
God Bless!
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