Our Vision – to fulfill Christ’s mission

I love reading books and articles about vision and mission.  I recently came across an article by Grant Kaul, pastor in Waco, Texas that caused me to reflect.  He said,

“Christ's mission is to be our vision.  Growing in Christ takes us from just knowing His plan to actually following it.  His mission is owned when it is embodied.  Where are you today on the path of living out His purpose?  What next step is the Savior seeking and enabling you to take?  When those we invest in take the initiative to invest in others, God is glorified and His mission moves forward in this world.”

Are you still thinking and dreaming about seeing a Transformational Community develop on your campus?  Go back to the article and pay special attention to the sections “What Is Your Dream?”,  “What Is the Campus Like?”, “Who Are the Leaders?” .  In light of the things God is showing you as you have been praying and thinking through these questions, ask yourself:

What do I/we want to see God do on my/our campus this school year? 

Where am / where are we today on the path of living out His purpose? 

What next step is the Savior seeking and enabling me/us to take? 

What is my/our dream?

Write it down and continue to pray for God to work to fulfill this vision, this dream through you on your campus.  Next week we will talk more about how to realize that dream.

Transformational Community

I love this week’s resource!  It describes our vision so clearly for what we are praying for God to do on your campuses.  Transformational Communities describes what a spiritual movement looks like: 

o   lost students being transformed through the gospel,

o   believers being transformed by the Holy Spirit,

o   Christian communities being transformed by relationships governed by grace and truth, and

o   entire communities, regions and countries are transformed as a result.

This article is useful to refine your personal vision for ministry on your campus.   It is an extremely helpful tool to help you communicate to other believers what you are asking the Lord to do.  It is also another resource you can use to talk about your common vision in another way with your leadership team (we all need to be reminded in various ways of our vision every 3 to 4 weeks).  I think that the questions at the end of the article would be helpful to use when gathering together at the beginning of the year to make your plan for the semester or the year.

Our team is praying for God to raise up other like-minded believers to join you as you walk by faith in starting spiritual movement on your campuses.

How to help fulfill the Great Commission

What makes the Great Commission so great?!  I just learned that there was a “Limited Commission” found in Matt.10:5-42.  It is ‘limited’ in that the disciples were sent only to tell the Israelites about the kingdom of God.  The disciples were told specifically to avoid talking to the Samaritans or the Gentiles.  So the scope of the commission given in Matthew 10 was limited.

The Great Commission on the other hand, as given in Matt.28:16-20, is great because:

·         it is the last recorded personal instructions given by Jesus to His disciples,

·         it is a special calling given by Jesus to all His followers to take specific action,

·         it gives a concrete plan of action,

·         Jesus promises His presence with us as we serve Him,

·         it is a personal calling to each believer – not something just for pastors or missionaries or church workers,

·         and finally it is great, because the scope of the commission is great – go to every nation and peoples to share the gospel and to make disciples who will obey Jesus in everything and who will continue to go and make disciples of all nations.

Are you fulfilling your part of the Great Commission?  Do you know what is contained in the Great Commission?  Check out Transferrable Concept #7, for a thorough overview on the Great Commission.  As with each booklet in the Transferrable Concepts series, included are sections for a more in-depth personal Bible study on the topic and discussion group questions.  Teaching others about the Great Commission is part of fulfilling the Great Commission, so take steps today!  Remember, the Lord is with you until the end of the age.

(The complete set of Transferrable Concepts topics.)

Smooth Sailing (how to be filled with the Holy Spirit)

 

Have you found that the Christian life difficult to live?  Someone has joked, that the Christian life isn’t difficult at all…it’s impossible!  Christian author, Steve Pogue, said, ‘Trying to live the Christian life by your own efforts is like a ship on dry land…just doesn’t work very well. For the ship to get anywhere, it needs to be resting on the water.’

Are you feeling like you are sailing the Christian life on dry land?  Trying to live the Christian life in our own power is frustrating at best.  We try and try and try, but seem to end up sailing toward defeat and fruitlessness.  Yet God still calls us to live a life pleasing to Him, bearing fruit for Him in every good work. 

Would God ask us to do something without giving us the resources to do it?  Of course not!  He has given us the best Resource possible to live a life in close, intimate fellowship with Him and that bears fruit for His glory.  How to walk in the Spirit is a great overview of the Spirit-filled life. 

How to walk in the Spirit is part of the Transferrable Concept series which gives foundational teaching on several topics and concludes with a section for personal Bible study as well as some questions leading to deeper discussion (great to use with groups). 

Dr. Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ says that he wished that he has spent more time telling believers about how they can be empowered to live the Christian life through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  So here’s my challenge to you…tell as many believers as you can about how they can live victorious, fulfilling lives as they walk with God.  Can you imagine what your country would look like if all believers were walking in God’s power?!

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Our team recently spent some time together looking back on this past school year and looking ahead to the upcoming year. Before we started this time of ‘evaluation and anticipation’ we were feeling somewhat discouraged as it didn’t seem that we saw God do much through us.  But we took some time anyway in faith

o   to celebrate together watching God work through us,

o   to evaluate our part in His work, and

o   to anticipate what He has in store for us in the next school year. 

We spent time individually with the Lord in asking Him to help us to answer the following questions, then we met as a team to discuss these questions further.  We were so encouraged when we compiled our thoughts and observations together.  We truly saw God work this year!

Please take some time yourself to record how you saw God work this year and to ask Him to lead you in His work in the next school year.  I know you will be as encouraged as we were!

LOOKING BACK:

What were highlights for you this past year?

In what ways do you think God was honored/glorified this year?

  What characteristics of God stood out to you most as you served Him together?

What ‘evidences’ do you have that God was at work?

  What specific prayers did you see God answer this year?

If you could re-do this year (both personally and in ministry), what would you do differently?  Why?

  What did you learn about God, about yourself, about your team, about ministry this year?

  How did you grow this year personally?  How did you grow as a team?

  What specifically pushed you/your team to increase in faith as you had to depend on God?

What seemed to be effective? Not effective?  Why?

What ‘worked’?  What should you do again?  What needs tweaking?  What should we not do again?

What did you do this year that will set you up for next year?

   What do you need to build on for next year as your ministry grows?

 

LOOKING AHEAD:

What can you/your team do this summer to prepare personally and spiritually for building movements next year?

What does the Lord want to accomplish through you next year?

What should you commit to praying for now?

What are the things you should continue to do?

What strategies, resources, etc., do you need to prepare for now so that you are ready for ministry to begin in the fall?