Keep Planting, Keep Dreaming - Congregational Meeting 2021

Order of Service:

Worship (Tim is Leading)

Offering 1 (For tithes and regular giving)

Announcements:

Joanne will go over budget and We can all answer questions as needed.

Offering 2 for Budget Slips

Team Leaders Sharing: Steve, Joe, Sue, Nelson

Scripture Reading Joe's Mini Sermon/Meditation to Keep dreaming/ Planting

DreamTime/ Renovation Conversation (Nelson can give update to the whole conversation_

ITPs Filled Out

Close in prayer!

Welcome/Prayer/ Intro

Good Morning Church! How is everyone doing this morning? I just want to do a quick check raise your hand if you are tired and this week has been draining for you? I dont know about you but this week has taken me for a ride, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Yet, we gather together on this sunday morning to celebrate that Jesus is risen from the dead. The beautiful truth of that is no matter where we are at Jesus can be our source of rest and new life! Amen? Amen?

Lets pray together! Yahweh, we thank you that we can gather here together this morning. That we come as many parts, but are one in you! Jesus as we reflect on your word this morning may you touch our hearts! Father, as we look at the ways you have been faithful in and through us, may we spur on in our Kingdom building Mission. Holy Spirit come, Fill us up, Wake us up and Give us Eyes to see your Kingdom Come!

Intro: Last Week, we talked about how we can be prepared for Advent and the Coming of Jesus in the same way we scramble around for the Holidays. I shared that God has taught me that doing spiritual things and spirituality are not the same thing. My hope is that each of us were challenged to prepare for Jesus in a new way this advent season!

This morning as we continue the celebration of Jesus’ coming and future return, We will explore the idea that Kingdom building is drastically different than how our world today approaches growth and expansion. Namely, the scripture passage teaches us to reject results mindset and embrace a planting mindset. If you havent already please turn in your bibles to Mark 4.

Walking Through the Text:

What I love about this parable is the many ways that it can speak to us. We can focus on the seed and the soil.

The story is quite simple: There is a farmer that scatters seed: The seed subsequently lands in four locations

Path- birds eat it

Rocks- Where it sprouts up and withers

Thorns- where it gets chocked out and killed

Good Soil- Where it lands in Good soil and produces a good harvest.

Jesus’ explination Gives some further clarity to these events

The Farmer scatters the word

Path- people here and satan snatches it up

Rocky- people are intially joyful, but not rooted and wither when things get tough!

Thorns- people are chocked out by the pleasures of the world.

Good soil- those who hear and produce a harvest!

As westerners in a results driven culture we are tempted to interpret this parable from our own context

Our first though as a church is how can get the seeds we plant to go into that Good soil?

Our next question might be, if soils refering to the church how do we make ourselves good soil.

In summary, How can we control the situation in the most effective manner? How do we get the best results?

What if that is not the point, what are the soils arent options we can choose, but realities we face?

If we cant control the soil or the outcome when we plant? What do we do to ensure we get a harvest farmers?

Plant more seed, plant all the seed we can!

Embracing a planting mindset as a Church Family!

Church this year is the year for us to plant everywhere we can! to plant little seeds in our community, in our church family, to plant Jesus’ word everywhere.

Often we see seed planting as big projects, but if think about it this way. Imagine you meet somone and you talk to them about this rock here (Show rock)

Will a person remember this rock if you show it to them and give them a whole speal about it ?

What if you slipped the stone into there shoe? Would they remember?

another good reminder comes from Paul to the Church of Corinth, he says this to the Church 1 Cor 3:3-9.

Thats how we should plant seeds of Jesus in 2022, Church! by not focusing on the results or the soil but putting a word of hope in someone’s ear or a little Jesus seed in their shoe.

As we continue thinking about the Year ahead of us, We must remember what proverbs says about dreaming in Prov 29:18 (Slide)

It doesnt say without people pouring into the church we will perish, or without finances the church will perish, but without vision.

Growth isnt based on the numbers in our pews, the totals of our budget, but our ability to dream the kingdom into reality!

Several years ago we dreamed together to put together the statement behind me on the wall.

Since then he has taken us a long way

We have transformed out community engagement from the Ball team and Chicken BBQ to partnering with other churches on a regular basis, volunteering with organizations like Launchpad and Neighbors in Christ.

We have tranformed our sense of identify and a church family. We are one of the most diverse churches in our area as we not only include global perspective in our worship, but we have invited people from different backgrounds to not only speak, but to be part of our church family!

I have watched people step into out of their comfort zones and into leadership. The leadership team has endured countless hours of team development and relationship building.

God has done so much with us Diller Church Family! The only question is are we done planting Church? Are Done Planting Church? Lets Dream together! Would you pray with me?

Dream Time:

Rennovation: one of the big dreams that we have had is the renovation project. I want to invite Nelson up to share what the stewdship team has done with this project and then open the floor briefly for Questions/ideas.

What Dreams do we have for 2022?

Where is God calling us in our community next?

What areas is God calling us to grow in?

What does the Kingdom of God look like here in Newville?

Open Discussion!

Close in Prayer