D
ear Good Shepherd,
Good
Morning. There was a very productive vestry retreat last
Saturday. We assessed 2006, reviewed our mission priorities,
and set new goals.
Here
is an article describing some of the things we spoke about.
Parish
Mission and Goals for 2007
Weekly
Article
by
Matt
Kennedy
The
Church of the Good Shepherd
The
basic mission of every parish is to fulfill both the first
and the second parts of the Great Commission Jesus gave
the Church the day he ascended into heaven.
"All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
The
first part of the great commission is to “make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Essentially this
means proclaiming, explaining, teaching, and living out
the Word of God, the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ,
in such a way that God brings people to faith by and through
our witness.
The
second part of the Great Commission is to teach them "to
obey everything I have commanded you…” If the first part
described above means bringing people to faith in Jesus
Christ, the second part tells you what to do with them once
they get there.
This
is where the process of “discipling” comes into play; raising
and training new baby believers into disciples. There are
four primary means God uses to grow new believers into mature
followers: Bible Study, Prayer, Worship, and Fellowship.
The more a Christian (of whatever maturity level) sincerely
and eagerly commits himself or herself to these things,
the more mature he or she will become. And, conversely,
the more a believer grows in the knowledge and love of Christ,
the more he will want to commit to these things.
Do
you have a hunger for the Word of God? Do you feel starved
without daily prayer and weekly worship? Do you seek out
Christian fellowship? The extent to which you are able to
answer “yes” is a good measure of the stature of your faith.
Living
the Christian life is summed up in the Great Commandment:
Love
the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all your
soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37)
The
first and greatest commandment then is to love Jesus with
every fiber of your being.
But
if you don't know Jesus, you can't truly love Jesus.
Knowing
him means not just knowing him in your heart, but learning
about him through his Word. These two things are crucial.
Unless you know him in your heart, you cannot be saved.
You must repent and surrender to Christ to have true peace
and joy that begins now and lasts forever. This is a heart
thing. Jesus comes into your heart and makes his home there.
But
once this relationship is established, your heart knowledge
must be informed and fed by your head so that it grows deep
and strong. Because we are sinners even after we are saved,
the tendency is to impose our own images and wishes and
desires on God and make Jesus be what we want him to be.
Ultimately, if this tendency is left unchecked, we end up
loving a mere projection of ourselves.
This
is why the study of the Word of God is so important. Jesus
reveals himself to us in the Bible. This is where we are
given all that we need to know about who he is and what
he is like. When our understanding of Jesus' character and
nature conflicts with what we read there, our understanding
is flawed. But when we willing lay down our own perceptions
before God's Word, our knowledge of Christ and our love
for him abounds.
To
truly love Jesus then, to truly fulfill the great commandment,
knowledge of his Word is an absolute necessity.
This
is why I so often encourage you to pick up your bibles and
read prayerfully every day and this is why the Vestry at
the retreat placed such an importance on getting every member
of Good Shepherd involved in a group study and making sure
that bible studies continue even when I cannot be there
to lead them.
Through
the study of God's word we are drawn deeper in and closer
to Christ and to each other. It lends power and purpose
to our Prayers, life to our Worship and joy to our Fellowship.
It shapes a church, a body, into the true body of Christ.
But
just as there is a second part to the Great Commission,
there is a secondary command that Jesus attached to the
Great Commandment:
“Love
your neighbor as yourself”(Matthew 22:39).
The
truth is that the more you know and love the Lord the easier
and more natural it becomes to love your neighbor. But,
just as Good Shepherd must, by proclamation, shine the light
of the Gospel on the south-side and then disciple those
who are drawn to the light through Bible study, Prayer,
Worship, and Fellowship, so we must also live out or act
out, the love of Christ by what we do.
This
is where ministries like the Shepherd's Bowl come in. If
the people of the south-side only hear us talk about Jesus
and preach about Jesus but never see us acting like Jesus
then the message of the gospel loses its appeal. Feeding
the hungry and supporting the poor is one of the best ways
to put flesh on the Gospel we proclaim.
Good
Shepherd must be primarily committed to both the Great Commission
and the Great Commandment. I thank God that your leadership
on the vestry is eager to do all of these things and to
develop ministries and programs that will enable you to
do them too.
This
is going to be an exciting year at Good Shepherd. God blessed
us greatly last year. I believe he will do the same this
year. I think God has called Good Shepherd to be the spiritual
center of the South-Side, a place where people of all nations
can hear the Word of God, learn the Commands of Christ,
and see the life of Christ in the things that we do together.
Goals:
In keeping with our mission to fulfill the Great Commission
and the Great Commandment, the vestry has established seven
goals for this year. Some of them are continuations of goals
we set and met last year. Others are new.
First,
by the end of the year we must have an active youth
ministry in place. God has blessed us with a growing number
of kids of all ages. Since they have come to us we will
do our best to make a place for them where they can learn
about Jesus and the bible, make lasting friendships, and
know that they are loved unconditionally. The best way to
do this is through the development of a youth ministry.
Second:
The Quarterly Family and Friends Sunday served
us well last year. Not only did we host a good number of
guests who heard the gospel, but our body was strengthened
through the fellowship of the day and the shared luncheon
afterwards.
Third:
you will hear a lot more about this in the coming weeks.
Good Shepherd has been one of the leading parishes supporting
the Franklin Graham Festival. This Spring we will host a
“life and witness” class (we are expecting up to 300 people
from churches all over the area) designed to help us and
other area churches learn how to share our faith and to
live our faith in preparation for the Festival itself to
which participating churches are expected to bring as many
guests as possible. The guests, if they come to faith at
the festival, will then be sent back to the parishes and
churches (like ours) that brought them where they will learn
how to become disciples. The Festival will represent the
primary evangelism project/ministry at Good Shepherd this
year and the vestry has set a goal for 100% participation
in Franklin Graham Festival . There will be something for
every member of Good Shepherd to do, including inviting
a friend to come to the Festival itself. If the idea of
doing that scares you, then you will, perhaps, see the purpose
behind the “life and witness” course. Again, you will hear
lots more about this.
Fourth:
The vestry is seeking100% participation in Bible Study.
God's Word is the source of and foundation of our faith
and life both personally and as a body. In 2006 we slipped
from 75% participation to 63% participation. This year,
we will turn that trend around.
Fifth,
the vestry seeks to make at least 30 new believers by this
time next year. Last year we added 23 to our number, 10
of whom were new believers. We are persuaded that we can
do better this year, especially given 100% participation
in the Franklin Graham festival.
Sixth:
Along with our five group bible studies and Sunday Morning
Christian education, the vestry recognizes the growing need
for personal discipling relationships. A discipling relationship
is a relationship where a mature believer regularly meets
with, counsels, and guides a new believer into deeper faith,
knowledge and maturity. There are currently two personal
discipleship ministers being trained. There will be many
more by the end of the year.
Seventh,
the vestry has set the goal of gathering at least 100 people
for worship every Sunday. Last year we went from 70 per
Sunday to 80 per Sunday; that meant ten more people giving
glory to God every week. This year, by the grace and power
of God, we'll double that.
UPDATE
CONTENTS
READ THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 40 DAYS
GOOD
ONLINE SERMONS
QUESTION
AND ANSWER BROADCAST
NEW SIGN 2
BIBLE STUDIES
ADULT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
NEWS
READ THE NEW TESTAMENT IN 40 DAYS :
If you read this week's
article, then you know how vital a living knowledge of God's
Word is. It is the primary means God uses to deepen and
sustains your relationship with Jesus Christ. It is also
the first and most important way God speaks to you personally
and gives you his wisdom and discernment.
As
human beings we understand that age generally brings experience
and experience generally brings wisdom. That is why it is
smart for the new guy on the job to listen to older and
more experienced employees. That is why it is important
for young leaders to listen to the experiences and wisdom
of the older members of the organization he leads.
But,
and this might surprise you, a young child with an extensive
knowledge of the Word of God can have more wisdom than an
80 year old who does not. Why is this? Because in God's
Word you have access to the eternal wisdom of the Lord.
The oldest human being may be wise by human standards, but
his or her perspective is limited by time and by experience.
God's wisdom is unlimited. And, what is more, he gives it
to anyone with the desire to seek it. All that is required
is to diligently search and study the scriptures. As King
David wrote:
97
Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all
day long.
98
Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are ever with
me.
99
I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your
statutes.
100
I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
101
I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey
your word.
102
I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have
taught me.
103
How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey
to my mouth!
104
I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every
wrong path.
(Psalm
119:97-104)
The
bible gives eternal wisdom and keeps your feet on the right
path.
So,
with all these considerations in mind, I am challenging
everyone at Good Shepherd to set aside time every day during
lent and read through the entire New Testament.
Below
you will find the daily reading plan that will take you
all the way from Matthew to Revelation in four weeks. The
daily readings for each week will be published in the bulletin
every Sunday so that you can keep up if you lose the list
below.
Through
the New Testament in 40 Days
| Day
1: Matt. 1:1-8:13
| Day
14: Luke 20:41-24:53
| Day
28: 1 Cor. 10:1-16:24
|
| Day
2: Matt. 8:14-13:35
| Day
15: John 1:1-4:54
| Day
29: 2 Cor. 1:1-13:14
|
| Day
3: Matt. 13:36-19:30
| Day
16: John 5:1-7:52
| Day
30: Gal. 1:1-6:18
|
| Day
4: Matt. 20:1-24:51
| Day
17: John 8:12-11:46
| Day
31: Eph. 1:1-6:24
|
| Day
5: Matt. 25:1-28:20
| Day
18: John 11:47-16:33
| Day
32: Phil. 1:1-4:23; Col. 1:1-4:18
|
| Day
6: Mark 1:1-5:21
| Day
19: John 17:1-21:25
| Day
33: 1 Thes. 1:1-5:28; 2 Thes. 1:1-3:8
|
| Day
7: Mark 5:22-9:13
| Day
20: Acts 1:1-6:15
| Day
34: 1 Tim. 1:1-6:21; 2 Tim. 1:1-4:22
|
| Day
8: Mark 9:14-12:44
| Day
21: Acts 7:1-11:18
| Day
35: Titus 1:1-3:15; Phe. 1-25; Heb. 1:1-6:12
|
| Day
9: Mark 13:1-16:8
| Day
22: Acts 11:19-16:40
| Day
36: Heb. 6:13-13:25
|
| Day
10: Luke 1:1-5:16
| Day
23: Acts 17:1-22:30
| Day
37: Jam. 1:1-5:20; 1 Pet. 1:1-5:14; 2 Pet. 1:1-3:18
|
| Day
11: Luke 5:17-9:45
| Day
24: Acts 23:1-28:31
| Day
38: 1 John 1:1-5:21; 2 John 1-13; 3 John 1-14; Jude
1-25
|
| Day
12: Luke 9:46-14:35
| Day
25: Rom. 1:1-8:39
| Day
39: Rev. 1:1-11:19
|
| Day
13: Luke 15:1-20:40
| Day
26: Rom. 9:1-16:27
| Day
40: Rev. 12:1-22:21
|
|
| Day
27: 1 Cor. 1:1-9:27 |
Please
join me in this challenge. Let us devote ourselves to the
Word of God and through it, to the Author himself.
GOOD
ONLINE SERMONS: Last week I published this list
of online Christian shows I try to listen to each day and
that I highly recommend. Here it is again in case you missed
it.
1.
Truth
For Life (Alister Begg)
2.
Insight For Living
(Chuck Swindoll)
3.
Bible
Answer Man (Hank Hanegraff) if you have questions this
guy generally has the answers
4.
Renewing Your Mind
(Dr. RC Sproul)
QUESTION
AND ANSWER BROADCAST: the Bible and Homosexuality:
There were two a special online broadcasts of The Bible
Answer Man (see above) this week dealing specifically
with the biblical texts that touch on homosexual behavior.
Joe
Dallas, a former non-celibate homosexual activist, turned
believing Christian speaks about the danger of the homosexual
lifestyle and the inroads homosexual behavior has made in
the Church. He also, along with host Hank Hanegraff,
addresses the scriptural distortions made by pro same-sex
blessing activists and answers questions raised by a recent
film shown at the Sundance Film Festival called "The
Bible Tells Me So" that claims, among other things,
that the bible does not address current forms of homosexual
behavior. It is one of the best shows dealing with the subject
in an understandable way that I have heard in a very long
time. You can listen to the show at your convenience since
it is stored online. Here is the link:
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/bible_answer_man/
A
NEW SIGN 2: I
forgot to set out a picture image of the new sign last week.
I will do it this Sunday Morning. Here is the blurb I wrote
about it in last week's Update:
“In
memory of the late Francis Sherman , an honored member of
Good Shepherd for many decades, his family last year offered
a significant amount in personal and memorial funds to design
and purchase a new sign for the front of the building. The
sign has already been designed and passed unanimously through
the vestry and is currently in the process of fabrication.
“
BIBLE STUDIES: All
are invited and welcome to attend any of the 5 bible studies
Good Shepherd offers every week. These studies.
ADULT CHRISTIAN
ED: HEROES
OF THE BIBLE
Continues this week.
Last week we discussed Moses and the interplay between suffering
and joy in the Christian life. What do you do when you are
doing your best to sincerely follow Christ, going to church,
attending bible study, praying daily, doing what God has
called you to do, and yet God still allows tragedy and suffering
in your life? Why does God let that happen? Moses struggled
with the same question and we'll continue studying this
struggle on Sunday.
HAVE YOU…. shared
your faith with a friend? The vestry has challenged all
of us to share our faith in Jesus Christ with at least one
non-believer each month.
Good News for
the Week
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and
have become convinced of, because you know those from whom
you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the
holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training
in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly
equipped for every good work. (2 nd Timothy 3:14-17)
Don't forget to....BRING A FRIEND TO CHURCH!
Daily Schedule for the week of Sunday February 11th
(Epiphany 6), 2007
Monday:
Pastor's day off
Tuesday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
9:00 a.m. Tuesday Morning Bible Study
6:00 p.m. First Light Bible Study
Wednesday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
Thursday
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
5:30 p.m. Shepherd's Bowl
6:30 p.m. New Beginners Bible Study
7:30
p.m. Choir Practice (temporarily
meeting on Thursdays due to scheduling conflict on Tuesday)
Friday
6:30 a.m. Men's Breakfast/Bible Study
8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer
Pastor's sermon prep day
Saturday:
10:00 a.m. Women's Bible Study
Sunday February
18th, 2007 Epiphany 7: Praise and Worship the Lord!
8:00am Holy Communion II and Sermon
9:15-10:15 a.m. Christian Education for all Ages
10:30 am Holy Communion II, Music and Sermon
God bless you all
In
Christ,
