If yesterday's post was building myth one: we have enough room. Today can be building myth two: the pastor only cares about new people.
Ouch.
If that were true, the only people that I would care about were the 125 that were here in 1994. Everyone else, since then, is technically "new". Because they have all been won to the church by the outreach efforts of the original group. Fact is, your pastor cares deeply about every single person in the church. Young, old and in between. Child, youth and adult. God's family includes every single one of you and it is my job to reach you when you are outside the church, care for you once in the church, and send you out into the world to reach others.
That is the cycle. We come in. We get our feet on the ground. We go out. Without the going out, there is no church, just a country club. And the going out into the world, by definition, implies reaching out to others.
It is not that the pastor cares for others more than those who are here, it is that the pastor's deep desire is that we all fulfill God's purpose by continuing to reach out. When we stop doing that, we have forgotten what the church is about.
So the pastor cares about all of you. And the pastor cares about all of you enough to not allow us to sink into our easy chair and decide that the world revolves around us. The gospel is active. It is out there, and it is waiting for your active participation today. I love you enough to challenge you to be about our Father's business.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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5 comments:
Well said and heart felt. Thanks Jeff.
I'm always a little amazed when people think they know what's going on in someone else's head or heart. Sometimes it seems that those who make unfair statements about another person's intent, are just avoiding dealing with the intent of their own head and heart.
Those who really know you Jeff, know that caring and reaching out is what you're all about.
Believe me, we have been in a church that did not want to grow. It slowly strangles itself to death! So sad.
Thats the kind of care I need to help me draw closer to why I was created.
I am proud you are my pastor.
I moved to this church about 5 years ago from a church that I had been attending for close to 15 years. I was invited by friends who had left our previous church. It was a church that said it wanted to grow, but it placed limitations on what they thought that meant. They didn't really want to grow. They wanted the illusion of growing.
I have stayed here because of the way I was welcomed and included. The people here are so much more a part of the church. Some things can be lost in a large church. But here it's still like attending a small church. You can be connected to a variety of different programs on a personal level. And the people here are just ... I truly don't have the words to describe the people here.
I also stay here because the pastor looks me in the eye and shakes my hand. It's a firm handshake and he's there behind it. That means a lot. And while I may not be able to get a handshake every Sunday, I also know that there are others in the church that morning who may need it more than I do.
Tonia
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