In 5 Years, What Do You Want LEC Known For? 4.16.23

In 5 Years, What Do We Want LEC To Be Known For? En 5 años, ¿por qué queremos que LEC sea conocido? April 16, 2023 (Joshua 3:1-8)-Alexis Welch Introduction: For the most part, God is only talking to you and me about WHERE WE ARE DONDE ESTAMOS WHERE WE ARE GOING! ¡A DONDE VAS! God is completely focused on where you are going! ¡Dios está completamente enfocado en hacia dónde vas! (Abbie: put these three phrases on one slide (Spanish under each) For the past 4 years I've considered it one of the great privileges of my life to serve as pastor of Lake Erie Church. This season comes at the end of my very full ministry career, meaning I have been many places, experienced many moments and now God has favored me to finish my career as pastor of this great church. Don't misunderstand, this is not a resignation speech-hardly and you'll realize that as I go this morning...but I do believe my finish line is likely here at LEC. AND... There are some things stirring my heart about our future and where I believe God is taking our church... This is and I hope always will be God's church! It's not my church, my vision but His and I'm just one of the pastors who have served the Lord here...if Jesus tarries another will follow one day and hopefully feel as blessed as I do. BUT... I'm confident enough to humbly say to you--This Is My Moment To Lead! This is my Joshua moment... (Joshua 1:1-3) After the death of Moses the Lord's servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' assistant. He said, Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you- (Josué 1:1-3) Después de la muerte de Moisés, siervo del Señor, el Señor habló a Josué hijo de Nun, el ayudante de Moisés. Dijo: Mi siervo Moisés ha muerto. Por tanto, ha llegado el momento de que conduzcas a este pueblo, los israelitas, a través del río Jordán a la tierra que les doy. Te prometo lo que le prometí a Moisés: dondequiera que pises, estarás en la tierra que te he dado- * I feel this way about this building, this acreage, the opportunities of the future which lay ahead of us as we pay off the loan before it's due date. * I feel this way about Generations Matter Early Learning Center and the potential for a Christian school on this campus. * I feel this way about our new TWEENS ministry and recognize quickly these precious children will be the young adults of LEC in less than 10 years! * I feel this way about CHOSEN, our thriving young adult ministry as well as SENIORS, KIDS, WORSHIP and any other ministry of this church. We did not get here because of what we can do but because of what God did. You and I are living in spaces and moments God has given to us! Three years ago, the elders and I announced 6 BIG ROCKS 1. That We Raise Up A New Generation Of Leaders 2. That We Revitalize Our Children's Ministry 3. That We Establish A Viable Long Term Strategic Financial Plan 4. That We Increase The Effectiveness Of Our Discipleship 5. That We Expand Our Existing Facilities 6. That We Improve Hospitality And Assimilation Of Guests To LEC 6 GRANDES ROCAS 1. Que levantemos una nueva generación de líderes 2. Que revitalicemos el ministerio de nuestros niños 3. Que establezcamos un plan financiero estratégico viable a largo plazo 4. Que aumentemos la eficacia de nuestro discipulado 5. Que ampliemos nuestras instalaciones existentes 6. Que Mejoremos La Hospitalidad Y La Asimilación De Los Huéspedes A LEC We have made progress but there is more to do! * We are seeing new people every week. * We are watching people accept Jesus almost every week. * We are baptizing believers more frequently. * We are seeing financial growth. But there is more to do! So for a few minutes can I just want to talk to you about things God is talking to me about? I walked in my neighborhood recently and as I walked a question rose up that I've pondered now for several weeks- What if is these are the best years of my life? ¿Y si estos son los mejores años de mi vida? What if these are now the best years of LEC? ¿Y si estos son ahora los mejores años de la LEC? What if these are the best years of the Gospel in our lifetime? ¿Qué pasa si estos son los mejores años del Evangelio en nuestra vida? (Abbie: put these three phrases on one slide (Spanish under each) If they are, then I think these are some imperatives that must/should be embraced going forward. To answer the question-our staff and I have been engaged with this question-In 5 Years, What Do We Want LEC To Be Known For? A Church Focused on Community Engagement Una iglesia enfocada en la participación comunitaria * There is a reason Lake Erie Church is not located in Fargo, ND or Des Moines, IA or Pascagoula, MS... o Lake County is our harvest! o We are accountable to God for what we do to bring the hope and message of Jesus Christ to Lake County. (Acts 1:8) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Hechos 1:8) Pero recibirás poder cuando el Espíritu Santo venga sobre ti. Y seréis mis testigos, hablando de mí a la gente por todas partes: en Jerusalén, en toda Judea, en Samaria, y hasta los confines de la tierra. * Madison/Geneva/Perry is our "Jerusalem" * Lake/Ashtabula Counties are our "Judea" * The enablement to accomplish this is through the Holy Spirit * So we pray every LEC attender will be filled with the Spirit What does it community engagement look like?=finding where God is at work and get connected to that effort. ¿Cómo es la participación de la comunidad? = encontrar dónde Dios está obrando y conectarse con ese esfuerzo. o St. James Church in Painesville o Hannah's Home/Ivy Women's Center o Project Hope o Where God is at work-LEC wants to join. o Hope Delivered (logo) (Amber Strnad and Janell Duley are here today) A Church Globally Invested Una Iglesia Invertida Globalmente * From its earliest beginnings, LEC was a missions church. o Our story is spiritually connected to missionaries, global evangelism, discipleship in many countries of the world. o In 2010-11 we raised $15,000 and built a church in Uganda, Africa (outside of Kampala). o In the past 32 years, LEC has given $351,433.32 to missionary efforts!!! ¡LEC ha donado $351,433.32 para esfuerzos misioneros! o These contributions have built churches, supported missionaries and their families, funded feeding and clothing outreaches, responded to humanitarian causes and issues surrounded global war and famine. Our goal in 2023 is to be actively engaged on 5 continents of the world Nuestro objetivo en 2023 es participar activamente en los 5 continentes del mundo Abbie: In this section, we are featuring the countries where LEC is active in missionary support-so use your judgement, give each missionary a slide and some graphic of their country as a watermark maybe? o Europe-Jonathan/Daniela Augustine (picture) o Asia-Jonny Moore and Tom/Claudia Rosson (picture) o North America-Pastors Judd/Elizabeth Maalipard (Roy, Utah) (picture) and Scott/Rachel Moore (Upper Sandusky) o Africa-Randall/Rhonda Parris (picture) o Israel-Paul/Gabi Schmidgall (picture) o South America-Bobby/Tabitha Lynch * In July 2023, Pastor Dustin/Katie and students will travel to Quito, Ecuador * Fall 2023-we hope to take a team to Casa Shalom orphanage in Guatemala City. A Church Connected To One Another Una iglesia conectada entre sí * LEC is a great family of believers, unique, diverse but joined by a common bond of Calvary's Cross. It is the CROSS OF JESUS that makes us one- Es la CRUZ DE JESÚS la que nos hace uno- * The Holy Spirit commands us in Scripture to engage in more than 20 specific behaviors as an "in-Christ" family. o to serve one another in love o to be of the same mind with one another o to accept one another o to confess sins to one another, o to bear one another's burdens o to speak truth to one another o to wash one another's feet o to forgive one another. (John 13:34-35) So now I am giving you a new commandment: love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (Juan 13:34-35) Así que ahora les doy un mandamiento nuevo: ámense los unos a los otros. Así como yo os he amado, debéis amaros los unos a los otros. Su amor mutuo demostrará al mundo que son mis discípulos. * August of 2023 we are rolling out LIFE GROUPS (small faith communities of 10-12 persons) led by couples Shelley and I have chosen and trained. o These groups are designed for fellowship and outreach. o They will meet when they meet - meaning the group will determine the frequency. o From these initial 6 groups will come additional groups in the start of 2024 and by the end of 2024 we expect as many as 30% of LEC will be in a small group. * There are already groups at work in LEC... o Next Steps for addiction aftercare o Women's Book Club o POWER ministry o UMOP * We are doing life together! A Church Obsessed with Lost People Una iglesia obsesionada con los perdidos "The measurement of our success as a church is whether we have reduced the lostness outside our church walls." "La medida de nuestro éxito como iglesia es si hemos reducido la perdición fuera de los muros de nuestra iglesia". Lost people matter to Jesus and because they do-they must matter to us. Las personas perdidas le importan a Jesús y porque lo hacen, deben importarnos a nosotros. (Romans 5:8) But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romanos 5:8) Pero Dios mostró su gran amor por nosotros al enviar a Cristo a morir por nosotros cuando aún éramos pecadores. * Ours is a church where people can belong while they are learning to believe * -it's not the other way around-you don't have to believe before you belong. * This is not a club with a secret handshake-this is a community of broken people saved by God's wonderful grace. * Jesus' problem with the Pharisees and religious leaders was they were in love with their rules and regulations and thought that in keeping them they earned God's favor- (1 Timothy 1:15-16) This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"-and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. (1 Timoteo 1:15-16) Este es un dicho digno de confianza, y todos deberían aceptarlo: "Cristo Jesús vino al mundo para salvar a los pecadores", y yo soy el peor de todos. Pero Dios tuvo misericordia de mí para que Cristo Jesús pudiera usarme como un excelente ejemplo de su gran paciencia incluso con los peores pecadores. Entonces otros se darán cuenta de que ellos también pueden creer en él y recibir la vida eterna. Conclusion: One Saturday morning in 2021, before daylight I was awakened and I felt so led to come to this property and pray. I got dressed and drove onto the property and began walking from front to back...somewhere in the back I looked at the building and I heard God's voice saying to me "if all you are seeing is the building you're missing the point. I'm not giving you a building, I've giving you an opportunity." It's been my conviction that we are here by God's will to do a work for Jesus. That effort takes many shapes and forms but there is no question-this is our time- (Joshua 3:8) Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: 'When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there. (Josué 3:8) Da esta orden a los sacerdotes que llevan el Arca de la Alianza: 'Cuando lleguen a las orillas del río Jordán, den unos pasos dentro del río y deténganse allí. God I am a sinner I am sorry for my sins I believe Jesus died for my sins I believe Jesus will forgive my sins I choose Jesus Dios soy un pecador lo siento por mis pecados Creo que Jesús murió por mis pecados. Creo que Jesús perdonará mis pecados. elijo a jesus