How do you spell cooperation? Andy Bryan wrote a nice article in the conference paper. The theme was "how you can tell if a church is United Methodist." One of the things that he mentioned as a mark of a United Methodist church is that they cooperate with each other. Well, they sure should.
I called Andy and talked to him. Isn't it sad that we even have to mention the idea of cooperation as something that churches should be doing. It is a reminder that not all Churches and not all pastors are marked by a spirit of cooperation.
We should be. We are all on the same team. We are all going to the same place. We are brothers and sisters.
Jeremy I want your church to do well. To grow. To double. I want Aldersgate and First [both of them] and Christ and St. Paul's and St. Peter's and all the churches to grow. We are all in this together. How can we help one another. Let the competition end. Let cooperation reign.
I am so glad to know other pastors. God bless you. let your church grow and win people to Jesus. Be bigger than Rick Warren's church, I don't care. Win folks, as many as you can. How can I help? Let's cooperate.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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Cooperation: an act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit. We have that common purpose, it's a call to serve God. We have all been made co-heirs, united in Christ because of God's grace.
Paul said "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." (Philipians 2:1-3)
I read Proverbs 3 this morning and it said that we should not be "leaning on our own understanding" or "wise in our own eyes". It is human nature to serve ourselves which is contrary to cooperation.
Proverbs went on to say that "blessed is the man who finds wisdom". When Christ was accused of breaking the hand washing tradition He gathered the crowd to Him and said "Listen and understand" explaining that it was inward cleanliness that was important. Wisdom does not come from within, our understanding comes from listening to His spirit, studying the Word and embracing His love and grace.
Dave T
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