1)
This message is a report from our pastoral staff retreat in September.
We went away to ask the Lord if he had any Divine Initiatives that we
were to undertake. We believe there are.
2)
Retreat questions:
a)
What has God given us to steward? What has God worked in us?
b)
Where are we building with gold, silver, and precious stones? (I
Corinthians 3:10ff)
c)
We are commanded to "bear fruit and multiply" (Genesis
1:28). Where are we bearing fruit but
not multiplying?
3)
Leadership is the art of redefining reality. As the leaders of
Calvary, we must help God’s people see what they are meant to be
and what they are meant to be about.
4)
If we pretend to take Jesus seriously, we must take his purposes
seriously.
a)
Calvary has something to contribute to the purposes of God or it would
not exist.
b)
As Calvary’s leaders, it is our responsibility to identify our
God-given uniqueness.
c)
We must convey that uniqueness and how God wants to use it in such a
way the lesser things and lesser activities have lesser appeal and no
longer hold us back.
5)
One of the insights we believe the Lord revealed was concerning our
gift-based/passion-driven ministry philosophy.
a)
The bright side is its effectiveness in calling out and releasing
people into ministry. Began in 1997, it truly helped us to turn people
loose to minister to others and push us beyond the walls of our
church.
b)
The dark side is that over time the "decentralization" has
caused us to lose a corporate synergy we once possessed.
i)
By so emphasizing our individual callings and gifts and then
resourcing and releasing people into their ministries, our identity as
one family of faith, called together to worship, to share our lives,
and to shine God’s light in NW Houston lost its focus.
6)
While we are truly healthy as a family of faith and enjoy a wonderful
peace among us, the reality is we are in decline.
a)
While all who know me realize I am not into numbers, as we examined
this on our retreat we simply felt that this was wrong.
b)
There is a world around us in need. And God has actually gifted us and
positioned us to touch the people around us in a positive and powerful
way.
7)
Our culture is seeking several things:
1)
The quest for experience
2)
The desire for relationship
3)
Finding balance in life
4)
The opportunity to give something back
8)
Calvary, we have something wonderful here. Something Copperfield and
NW and all of our neighbors are seeking and needing. What we have at
CCC is something God has created, formed, breathed upon, and blessed. It
is something he intends us to share.
a)
In an email from Michael Sullivant after his ministry with us 2 weeks
ago he wrote, "Thanks again for allowing me to come to be with
you. I so enjoyed reconnecting. I’ve been telling my friends and
co-workers at Metro Christian Fellowship that Calvary is the kind of
church we want to be when we grow up again. Intimacy, community, and
kingdom–a great blend that you have really been able to weave into
the soul of the church through the years. Love, Michael."
9)
Out of these 3 days of worship, prayer, journaling, and dialog, we
believe that God has given us an assignment.
a)
We concluded that God’s current initiative for us is to revitalize,
energize, and give away the relationships of love we share, and to
invite others to make the journey with us.
b)
This is a call that will not allow us merely to live private lives,
with private faith, and our own ministries. God is calling us
together.
10)
Unveiling the Divine Initiative: Here is our theme:
a)
Sharing our lives. Sharing the
Journey. The Calvary Quest.
b)
In Matthew 5
we are commanded to "let our light shine before men so they can
see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven." God wants
to put this church on the neighborhood map. He wants to display the
shared life and journey that he has created in this place.
c)
Jesus tells us that "a lamp is not to be put under
a basket but placed on a lamp stand so that all can see it
shining."
d)
Calvary, the life we share together in God has the power to touch and
save the people of NW Houston.
11)
Practically, here are some immediate wineskins we are working toward
in order to serve up this wonderful wine of God’s life and love
among us.
a)
Creation of "The Cove." It will be a warm place of welcome
and fellowship.
b)
Construction of a "Welcome Center."
c)
November 12 Family & Friends service.
d)
Many other things being considered toward realizing this Divine
Initiative. These additional and important ideas will be considered
through the appropriate leadership structures.
12)
Calvary, this is our time. God is calling us to shine.
a)
A recently made comment was heard: "Calvary is one of God’s
best kept secrets."
b)
We are not meant to be a secret. We are called by Christ to be a
"city set on a hill."
c)
Through this initiative we are working toward that end.
The
Lord’s word to us: "Calvary, I’ve made you light-bearers -
shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. You’ll prompt
others to open up with God." (See
Matthew 5:14-16 The Message)
