His Image Our Community
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His Image Our Community
His Image Our Community
What is your definition of a successful ministry?
Do I determine success by our membership?
Do we determine success by how much money is in the bank?
Do we determine success by how many people we baptize?
Success: the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.
Our perspective determines our success!
Perspective: a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
It’’s about my lens…
If it’s driven by the flesh because my mind is on the things of the flesh....
Then my flesh determines my definition of success
But if my life is driven by the spirit and my mind has been set on things of the Spirit…
My lens changes...
I don’t view success the same!
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
William Barclay
Paul says, ‘take your body; take all the tasks that you have to do every day; take the ordinary work of the shop, the office, the factory, the shipyard, the mine; and offer all that as an act of worship to God.
True worship is the offering to God of one’s body and all that one does every day with it.
Real worship is the offering of everyday life to him.
This is why it’s so important we realize we are His Image!
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
A successful church is a living sacrifice church!
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
We are living Sacrifices
We are the Image of Christ
We have greatest message!
The message of reconciliation…
We are ambassadors
“God making his appeal though us.”
How do we take this to the community/Neighborhood?
Your Neighborhood is broken up into 3 Hoods!
#1 The Hood (Your Four Walls)
What would happen if the DNA of our churches were:
Living Sacrifices
Image of Christ
Ambassadors
Disciples
Disciple makers
What are the assets in your Hood…
Gifts assessments
Delegation of task
Market Place
The first community is within the 4 walls - Transformation & Equipping Center
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
You Can’t Grow If You Don’t Go.....
#2 Hood - The Radius / 1-2 miles around your church
Neighborhood profile
The church is not the savior! We are partners
Asset Mapping
Programming can happen anywhere!
Public housing
Elementary School
Boys & Girls Club
Neighborhood
#3 Hood - Where you live work and play!