May 24, 2011

3 Reasons to Celebrate being a Multi-Generational Church

This last Sunday night, we celebrated the end of our choir/orchestra year with a worship ministry concert.  We enjoyed sharing our favorite songs of the year and hearing songs from a ladies quartet and Eternal Noise.  I also took some time sharing 3 reasons why we at Edgewood should not just be content in "being" a multi-generational church, but we should celebrate and make the most of that fact.  I know I had an earlier post on here regarding some of these issues, but I wanted to share my thoughts from Sunday night as well.  Let me know what you think and if you have ideas for ways to continue to celebrate this even more.

1. We should celebrate being a multi-generational church because it gives us an opportunity to be the Body of Christ.  We need each other.

If we were all of the same age bracket and all liked the same types of things, we would have a very limited set of knowledge and skills. Romans 12:4-8 says,
“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.  If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach, if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”
There is a powerful bond as we work together as the body of Christ.  We need each other.  I don't think there is anyone better to reach other teenagers than Christian teenagers.  I don't think there is anyone better to reach people in the workplace than Christian workers.  And I don't think there is anyone better to reach retired people than Christian retired people.  

God has placed each of us into this multi-generational family at Edgewood and we each have a purpose and a role. None of us are too young or too old to make a difference.  And none of us can do alone what all of us can all do together.

We are blessed to be a church with a very diverse group of ages. Let's make sure we're taking advantage of that blessing and constantly looking for ways to work together as a team, as one family, as the Body of Christ to do what God's called us to do.

2. We should celebrate being a multi-generational church because it gives us an opportunity to express our unity in Christ.

We all know that we live in a “have it your way” world.  We want everything to be exactly how we want it and exactly when we want it.  When we work together as a church, we are able to show the world we are different.  We are able to say that my God and my church are more important than my preferences.

Music is a powerful way through which we can worship God as a united congregation.  In a church with a wide range of ages, you can only imagine that we also have a wide range of opinions and musical preferences.  Whether you’re dealing with music issues like me, or any other area of conflict, I want to encourage you to remember the difference between the essentials and the nonessentials.

The essentials are worth fighting for. When it comes to music, our worship must be focused on God and pointing us to God.   It must be Biblically-based.  We want to focus our mind’s attention and our heart’s affection on Him.  When those essential items are out of line, then yes, we need to address and correct that immediately.

However, the nonessentials are not worth fighting for and we cannot waste the time God has given us arguing over issues that aren’t really that important.  So, in music, these would include whether the songs were written 2 weeks ago or two centuries ago, whether we use organs or drumsets, whether we wear suits or blue jeans, whether it’s a loud song of celebration or a soft, intimate song of worship....etc.etc.etc.  All of those and many more are simply nonessential items. 

When we argue over nonessential items and demand that we “have it our way”….we confirm to a watching world that we are no different from anyone else.

Sure, we at Edgewood have room to grow in this area, but I am extremely grateful that we are committed to staying focused on the essentials.  That gives us a great opportunity to exemplify our unity in Christ.
 
3. We should celebrate being a Multi-Generational Church because it allows us to continue God’s work for years and years to come.

The choir did a song at the concert called Find Us Faithful.  We previously used this song as part of our 50th Anniversary weekend.  The message of that song is exactly what I’m talking about here.  It shared how “those who’ve come before us have lined the way…their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace.”  It continues with “O may all who come behind us find us faithful, may the fire of our devotion light their way.  May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe and the lives we live inspire them to obey.”

Psalm 78:3-4 encourages us to do that exact same thing.

"What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done."
A faithful, contagious church will be excited about taking what they learn and turning right around and sharing that with others.  And that passing of God’s message from one generation to the next will allow the church to continue for years and years to come.

I read a quote recently that really surprised me.  It said that “90 percent of the ministries that target a younger generation run into trouble after only three years.”  If you only target one generation, you are missing so much growth that can come from both sides.

So, we have that opportunity at Edgewood, but even for us, it takes a willingness to step out of our comfort zones and interact with those in various stages of life.  I encourage you to get involved in ministries that aren’t simply for one age group.  Things like the choir and orchestra.  VBS is another great example.  It's serving the kids, but there is a great group of teenagers and adults of all ages working together to lead it.  Serving side by side is an excellent way to build up relationships and bridge that age gap. 

I recently read a book by Chuck Swindoll called Church Awakening.  He talked about these exact ideas in his book and offered ideas of an even stronger way that you can accomplish this goal.  And that is through mentoring. He said it like this….
“Every Christian needs at least three individuals….someone who has come before us who mentors us…someone beside us who shares our burden…and someone beyond us who we’re mentoring."
I think that is such a great challenge.  And I can tell you personally that there is SO MUCH power in relationships built through mentoring.  About three years ago I approached a gentlemen in our church and asked if he’d be willing to meet with me regularly for some areas of accountability.  We initially met just to discuss one or two issues.  But, as our relationship has grown and our trust level has grown, he has become a source of immense impact on my life.  We discuss spiritual issues, finances, family issues, church issues, you name it.  It has been such a blessing to have someone who I can trust who will speak the truth to me in love.

Over the last several months, I’ve also had a great opportunity to work with a high school student on his senior project.  He wanted to learn how to lead band rehearsals and conduct an orchestra.  Teaching him how to lead rehearsals and conduct has made me take a fresh look at how I do things in our rehearsals.  It has helped me to refine my approach by looking at it from a fresh light. 

I strongly encourage every single one of you to be praying about where you can find these mentoring connections.  Don’t be intimated thinking that you have to have the Bible memorized to make an impact.  Take what you do know and USE it.  God will take care of the rest.  We need people in this body to be willing to step up and say “I want to make an impact on somebody’s life.”

These mentoring relationships and other various ways of continually passing down God’s truths from one generation to the next will allow this church the opportunity to have an impact for years and years to come.

Again, I hope that this encouragement challenges us to not just “be” a multi-generational church, but to celebrate and take advantage of that fact.

May 2, 2011

World's Events of the Week

We have had three events happen in our world this week, all of enormous magnitude.  All three very different, and all worth talking about and remembering.

Tornadoes in the South
The severe storms in Alabama and surrounding states have been unreal.  To see the pictures of the devastation should help us all remember not to take life for granted.  I was so impressed by the many people interviewed on the news the last couple days.  Even though they lost entire homes and neighborhoods, people were praising God that they were still alive.  And, they were immediately concerned for those around them who lost even more.  My parents, one of my sisters, and two of my nieces live in Alabama.  They are all fine, but were without power for 5 days.  Even after the great inconvience of not having electricity for that long, they too have been quickly concerned for those around them and looking for ways to help.  We must continue to pray for those affected by these storms.  I pray that God will comfort them as the deal with the great losses, I pray that families and communities will come together and be there for each other, and I ultimately pray that even through this great disaster, people will realize their need for a Savior and turn to Him.

Royal Wedding
Okay, to be honest, I have no idea why there was SOOOO much hype about this wedding.  BUT, in a world of fighting and chaos, it was a nice breath of fresh air to hear about something positive on the news.  I watched part of the ceremony and every detail was just perfect and quite impressive.  I got a kick out of the thousands and thousands of people lined up on the streets (some waiting for days) just to get a glimpse of the bride and groom.  Also, I was stunned to hear that 2 BILLION people watched this wedding on television.  When we think about how big this is, I can't help but compare this to when Jesus returns to earth for His bride, the church.  Revelation 1:7 says "Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him."  There will be no need for news reports, DVRs, facebook statuses, twitter feeds, phone calls, mass emails, or any other communication to let us know.  Every eye will see His coming.  And His bride, the church, those who have a personal relationship with Him, will be united with Him in Heaven for eternity.  Now, that's a wedding I'm looking forward to!

Osama Bin Laden
Then, the third huge world event this week was announced by our President last night.  After years of searching and fighting, Osama Bin Laden has been killed.  Yes, it is a huge step in the fight against terrorism and that's a good thing.  But, I can never be excited about anyone's death, especially when you predict where he will lie for eternity.  Everyone has to make their own choice for their eternity...even Bin Laden.  I do hope we can all continue to pray for our country, our leaders, and our military through this time.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
My encouragement through all three of these events is this....we must continue to move forward in our lives with an eternal mindset.  Colossians 3:1-4 is a great encouragement...
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
None of us are promised a tomorrow.  We, first, need to make sure we know where we stand with our relationship with God.  If that tornado took your family, would you be with Him now?  Even if you feel like you've done way more than God could forgive, you can still turn your life around and follow Him.  If Bin Laden would have repented and turned to God, even he, the evil man that he was, would have been saved.  Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was the ultimate payment for EVERY sin.  None of us are out of God's reach.  Second, we need to be sharing His love with everyone we can.  God has you placed where you are for a reason...don't waste that opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those around you.  And lastly, we've gotta quit wasting our time with trivial things.  I've recently had this same conversation in several different settings.  There are a lot of details in life, yes, but when we are bogged down with unimportant things, we get distracted from doing what God has called us to do.  Satan wants to waste our time, God wants us to use every second for His glory.  Use these huge events of the week to realign your focus and set your mind on things above.