JESUS IS HEAD OF THE CHURCH, Part 1 "Unity in Christ"

JESUS IS HEAD OF THE CHURCH: Part 1

Unity in Christ

By the Rev. John Donnelly, DD,    Jan.  26, 2014

 

   Prior to the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, God gave the disciples a vision—a vision of what God was going to do.  A vision of Jesus, the Man-God, becoming transformed into Jesus, the Heavenly God. The vision was confusing to them, and they did not really understand   its    full significance until Jesus rose from the dead, and later appeared to them.  But prior to that, it provided them guidance and encouragement as they followed Jesus to live out that vision as they fulfilled their God given destiny.

Most visions do not involve supernatural light, and God’s voice shouting from heaven.  But our God is a god of vision, who still leads us people to fulfill their destiny.  Would you please take out your blue bulletin insert, which is a copy of my report.  Looking at page 1, let us together read the definition of vision:

“A VISION is  a clear mental image of a preferable future imparted by God to his chosen servants [Sr. Pastor, elders] and is based upon an accurate understanding of God, self and circumstances.”

Now unlike the Vision that God imparted to the disciples in today’s Gospel, where that Vision happened suddenly and quickly with supernatural light, most of the time God imparts His visions to people  less dramatically, over a longer period of time.

As some of you know, two years ago today, this parish initially embraced God’s vision at the Annual Meeting of 2011.  On that occasion, the current parish membership voted to call a full time pastor to serve as Rector of CCQF. This action had spiritual significance: for  in taking this first step,  this church boldly affirmed that even though you did not know what would happened in the future, that you agreed to trust Jesus to lead you into that future.  

So, since this church had been faithful in following Jesus to step one, Jesus led you in moving to the second step, which was calling your new full time rector.

·         Three months after the 2010 Annual Mtg, when I came for my first interview here, I must admit that I did not have a clear vision for my own future.  After 20 blessed years in an active suburban church, I imagined that I might semi retire to a small, quiet, low key church.

·         Then I met your Vestry and Search Committee.  As they asked me questions and as we talked, I believe that God began to impart to us all a clear mental picture of a preferable future, based on an accurate understanding of God, self, and circumstances. Your lay leadership was honest about the conflict, poor stewardship, and other significant problems facing congregation.

·         But, together, we all began to discern that God wanted this church to be a place of light and love.   So, as we prayed and followed up with more phone calls and meetings in the Spring of 2011,  the Vestry and I began to discern the wideness of God’s vision for the future of Christ Church Quaker Farms—a new hope and  future, as the Bible says, with plans to prosper us, not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11).  Moving forward to June, 2012, the Vestry unanimously adopted a statement of Vision for CCQF.  Please turn to the cover of the bulletin, where you will see words that we just recited in the opening sentences.

Christ Church Quaker Farms:   SHINING THE LIGHT OF CHRIST'S LOVE
through our Church & into the World as a Kid & Family Friendly Church with
***Joyful Worship ***New Friendships

***Spiritual Growth ***Cheerful Giving & Service

      Now, how do you know if a vision statement is really from God, and not just human idea?  Well, the Bible says to test it.  Take it for a test drive.  And that is exactly what we have been doing.  And in the process, God has blessed us with growth--- spiritual growth (also known as discipleship), growth in worship, in new friendships (also known as fellowship), growth Kid & family ministries, and growth in cheerful giving and service.   These have all been the ways that we have shined the light of Christ’s love in and though this church, and into the world around us. As a result, God has blessed us with growth in membership, too.  Many of you here saw the light of Christ’s love shining through this church, and have now joined us to share the light of Christ.

·         Prior to my accepting the call to become your Rector, the average Sunday attendance was 30 to 40 people, as I have been told. Currently, our average Sunday attendance, excluding the summer, is around 110-120.

·         During this time the Youth Group grew from12 to 24 or more.  Our Sunday School has grown from 40 active registrations  in 2011, to 75 in the fall of 2012, and now up to nearly 100 now.  And, as you can see, most of them show up because they are loved here.   Now, I think that Jesus deserves a clap offering for that, don’t you?

Now, this growth has not occurred just because we have the desire in our hearts.  No, church growth that is lasting comes from transformation, just as Jesus was

transformed on the mountain, a church must be transformed to grow.  I want to conclude now by looking at the structural aspects of this. Would you please take out the white  bulletin insert, and open it up to the diagraham.  Now some of you have seen this before and you fully understand it.  But I dare say that most of us really are not clear on how Jesus, the head of our Church, is growing our church. 

THE FAMILY SIZED CHURCH IS A CHURCH WHICH HAS UP TO 50 MEMBERS. Notice, in this style family sized church, there are one or two chief lay leaders, and their families and immediate circle of friends. Everybody knows each other, and maybe related to each other. 

• The part time pastor runs the services, but he or she is not around enough during the week to raise up ministries and programs.
•  But most of the work and the ministry of the church is initiated, and often done, by the chief leaders and their families and close friends.  Now, can anybody identify who the 2 chief lay leaders were when our church was this size?   

1.      Michael Bawlick—Michael Bawlick received a call from the Lord to “build up my church—physically, by serving as Property Committee Chair for years and years, but also spiritually, as He has proclaimed the Gospel. So, Michael, in appreciation for your leadership in building this church, I would like to present you with the golden hammer award.

2.      Marilyn Stebar—She received a call from Jesus to “love my church, so that my people would love one another.  So Marilyn, in appreciation for all the love you have shared, I would like to present to you the ruby heart award.

 

•   Now this system works well for churches with 50 or fewer Sunday worshipers.  .  However, after 50, things begin to fall apart.  Studies have shown that churches of this size lose their ability to befriend and include new people, because the structure is too small.  Visitors and newcomers may leave, because they don’t feel part of the family.  The church may be friendly on Sunday morning, but visitors and newcomers and newcomers are primarily looking not for friendliness, but for new friendships. 

Now, let’s look and see what happens when a church and a full time pastor, empowered by a Vision from God, work together to grow the church—Here we see the Pastoral Sized Church:

1.      You see that the pastor has a more central role, because he is around more during the week to help inspire, coordinate, and support more ministries and programs.

2.        Around the pastor we have lay leaders, working together, to oversee and initiate a larger # of programs and ministries, where new comers and visitors can become involved.

·         Over the past two and a half years, we have seen the renewal and expansion of existing programs and ministries; and the number of new programs and ministries have grown and grown.

Now, we all know that human change can be hard, because it causes growing pains, as new leadership is raised up and new ministry structures are developed. However, transformation, inspired, envisioned, and empowered by God leads us, as God leads us from  glory to glory (Psalm 85:8-9, Isaiah 60:1-22, Daniel 7:26-27).

You all are a glorious people, important to God and important to me. However, today, I want to congratulate you all for stepping out in faith—helping us to discern God’s vision for a preferable future, that together, we would shine the radiant light of Christ’s love upon one another, and into our community. AMEN.