The Missing Piece

Mission

Two identical Puzzles

Mission

It is impossible to finish a puzzle if all the pieces are not available….

Connecting people to God and others by creating a space where everyone can belong

It is impossible for a community of faith to fulfill its mission and see it vision if we are not available to be involved in the life of our Church.

Vision

To be a multiplying community developing deep, growing relationships with God, our world, and one another.

VALUES // CORE PRACTICES

These practices help us understand the level of investment required to contribute to and benefit from this faith community.

Presence // Be faithful in worship.

Relationships // Participate in a small group..

2: Relationships // Participate in a small group..

Compassion // Serve your community.

We want to serve our neighbors well, not just as a church, but as individuals. We want to do this by partnering with organizations throughout our city and offering each of our unique gifts in service to our community.

Today we want to look at a core value and practice that is closely related to last weeks…yet different. It is also thought to be an either or proposition but as we will see both of these values and practices are essential to the health of a Church and a growing Christians.

Involvement//Serving the local Church

(NLT)

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

It is impossible to finish a puzzle if all the pieces are not available….

Two identical Puzzles

It is impossible to finish a puzzle if all the pieces are not available….

It is impossible for a community of faith to fulfill its mission and see its vision if we are not available to be involved in the life of our Church.

It is also impossible for an individual to ever feel like they are part of a community if they are not available to be involved in the life of a community.

OR:

Bob was talking to me about how he just did not know anyone in church anymore. I was excited about the growth but was having a hard time connecting with new people. He used to be involved in several ministries in the Church and had often opened his home to all church parties. These were great times of laughter and connection.

However as more and more people started coming to church he began to stop doing some of the ministries that he had been a part of and soon he also stopped inviting the whole church to his home and opted instead to invite the same people he had known while the church was smaller and quiet dysfunctional.

Bob was and is a great person! He loves God and he legitimately loves people but his lack of involvement is what was keeping him and to my knowledge still keeps him from knowing and enjoying those who have come that have plugged into the Mission and Vision of that Church.

When we are not involved with our local body by volunteering and working together on mission we unwittingly choose to isolate ourselves…which often leads us to critique instead of create.

It is through the working together for a cause that the strongest bonds are built.

Montrose Men…Roofing Church…electrical rewiring making it a contest…there was never a hint of frustration or anger when the were working together for a cause…

Involvement // Serve your church. SAY WITH ME

Each of us has something to contribute, and together we strengthen the church to do God’s good work. Whether you’re the friendly host-type, the quiet behind-the-scenes type, or the planning extraordinaire, our church needs what you have!

Each of us has something to contribute…Ruby…passing out napkins

Each of us has something to contribute…Ruby…passing out napkins

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.

Everything that is needed for a community of Faith or Church to fulfill its mission is present in the body. This is something that we all agree with but very often we do not think that we are part of that equation.

We use all kinds of excuses why we are not of use…To old, inexperienced, physically unable.etc...

If God has placed each part where He wants it for a reason He must expect us all to use the gifts he has given us.

While we may not think that what we have to contribute is not important I can assure you that if you not choosing to involve yourself if serving through the local church your missing out on and incredible sense of meaning. The acts of service we involve ourselves within the body not only contribute to the body but strengthens your own self worth.

The happiest people I know are that ones that involve themselves in the work of the church....Linda Smith…Betty and Ben Long...one of the happiest people....some of the most unhappy people I know are those that choose not to involve themselves....

Together we strengthen the church to do God’s good work…We weaken the Church and ourselves when we stay on the sidelines

19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

Whether you’re the friendly host-type, the quiet behind-the-scenes type, or the planning extraordinaire....Crickett is not an up front person…Johanna Winner…Amy Lutz...

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

Just because it is not an up front ministry does not mean that it is not vitally important…

I am a big picture person…that means I am a dreamer, vision caster…I have always had big dreams but in order for them to come to fruition I have always needed a detail oriented person to make it happen.

Sometimes we see people that think this way as obstructionist and sometimes that is true but many times we just need to let them work things out for us. I learned early in my ministry that God gives big dreams to some so that they can turn them over to others to work out the details so the dreamers can then implement the plan...

(BA Nazarene) Our church needs what you have! Age does not matter…There is no such thing as putting you time and and letting others so the job

25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT MISS 4 OUT OF 5 SUNDAYS BECAUSE OF THEIR INVOLVEMENT IN MINISTRY…THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. WE HAVE SOME CHILDREN’S WORKERS THAT ARE ONLY IN SERVICE ON FAMILY SUNDAY…

What if 100% of our Church found a place to serve…

What if 100% of our Church found a place to serve.

This is generally not the case in the church world as a matter of fact there is usually about 20% of people doing 80% of the work…there is usually about 20% of the people carrying 80 percent of the Finance…

Think about this for a moment…is it any wonder so many people and so many churches fall short of God’s plan for them?

There are churches that understand the importance of supporting the ministry of their local church…We do not have to be the average Church in fact God calls us to be above average…He calls us ALL TO BE INVOLVED IN THE MINISTRIES OF OUR LOCAL CHRUCH.

In Mega Churches for instance Just over half (55 percent) of megachurch attendees say they at least occasionally volunteer at their church—a higher rate than in churches of other sizes…Lifeway research 2017

I only say this not because we want to be a mega church but because it points to what can happen when people are truly involved in serving through a local church…large churches contrary to popular belief do not hire everything that is done… the Late Stan Toler

If we want To be a multiplying community developing deep, growing relationships with God, our world, and one another...

We all have to be involved in ministry: Today;;

Ministry list and booths Ministry booths today and next week.

Epic Kids

Youth

Women’s

Men’s

Worship

First Impressions

Assimilation

Properties

Missions

Body Life

Get out of Jail Free Card

Get out of Jail Free Card

We

Communion....Go to the booths and find a place to serve.