THE BIG SMALL GROUP

It surprised me. No, actually, I was in awe. The blueprints had been drawn up, permits had been secured, financial commitments had been received, the contractor had moved equipment onto our church lot up north, and then one day I walked out and stakes had been driven into the ground.

Each stake and the string connecting them marked the outside walls of a building that was about to go up. I found it amazing that the whole endeavor began with a couple of people, surveying the territory, and marking off where the building was going to be.

They marked out the dimensions of the footprint, and then they began to build the foundation.

We've been in a season where we are marking out the footprint of the church of the future. The Fruitful Congregations Journey (FCJ) is laying the foundation for some very significant decisions we'll be making about who we are and where God is calling us to go.

This Sunday, June 8th, we begin a series of sermons based on the BIG IDEAS identified by our FCJ team. We're calling it GOD'S ORCHARD & ROAD SIDE STAND.

Sunday is Pentecost Sunday and we'll be looking at the power of a God-given vision as key to the life of a healthy, loving, serving, world-changing faith community. Look at Acts 2:1-8 and Matthew 28:16-20.

I want to encourage you to join others for our BIG SMALL GROUP this Sunday at 10:40 a.m. in the Great Hall. You'll get the most out of our sessions if you'll read Paul Borden's book "Direct Hit: Aiming Real Leaders at the Mission Field." (You can order this Abingdon Press product from your favorite book seller.) This Sunday we'll be looking at Chapter One and Chapter Three.

So after you worship at 9:30 or before you head to The Open Door at 11:15, come up to the Great Hall for a time of fellowship around tables, some input from the pastors (and perhaps a member or two of the FCJ team), and conversation.

Between now and Sunday, I would challenge you to ask yourself this question: What is my understanding of God's vision for my life? Another way of asking that might be: Why has God put me on this earth at this time at this place with these people?

In Christ and for Christ,

Mark