You can't get water out of a plugged hose

I got a vision in contrasts at churches this Sunday. 

 

Pastor Aaron was talking about the core values of the New Church Plant in Berwyn. 

 

Win

their Souls to a complete saving knowledge of Jesus the Christ

Restore

their Spirit, Soul, Body, Health, Emotions, Relationships, Family, Finances - the whole person

Disciple

them in the things of God, build them up on a firm foundation of sound understanding and a continuing lifetime path of Seeking God. 

Prepare

them for ministry.  Help them become responsible capable functioning parts of the full Body of Christ.  Release them in their ministry giftings prophetically.  Help them see themselves on a mission from God. 

Send

them out to do the work of the Ministry.

 

WIN  - RESTORE - DISCIPLE - PREPARE - SEND

 

More accurately said, this should be an active verb. 

 

Keep on winning, restoring, disciplining, preparing, and sending.

 

The E-4 Church is doing just that.  I'm proud of Pastor Aaron.  He's a good one.  His vision is clear.

 

Sunday Night, Faith Center. 

Faith Center's latest new church plant, Destiny Worship Center in Wisconsin was started only a few months is already running 70.  How?  Faith Center took several of it's most "Restored Disciple and Prepared" people (the kind most churches hate to lose) and SENT them.  Particularly if you are in the middle of a huge building project like Faith Center is and need all the contributions you can get.  Seems like a bad plan to be planting a new church.   On the other hand, when a church plateaus, planting a new church can be the very catalyst it needs to move to the next level.

 

If a church concentrates (and sadly many do) only on Winning Souls, Restoring and Discipling the hose is plugged up.  If they aren't preparing people for ministry and sending them out the door what you have is a stagnant pond to fish in.   It starts to putrefy and die.  Look around you.  The churches growing and prospering are PLANTING.  SENDING.  NEVER TO RETURN. 

 

I grow Amaryllis flowers.  Several years ago I started with ONE.  I now have a dozen and give them away all the time.  How? By splitting off and replanting the daughter bulbs.  Some of those daughter bulbs are bigger than the original which I still have.  Had I never divided the bulbs  the original would have died.  It must split or die. Just like many churches.

 

If you want a church to grow, see to preparing and sending.  Let new young vital blood come in and start all over again.  Learn to release in Ministry.  Turn on the hose, flush out the old, get some fresh water in there.  You will be surprised at the "OUTCOME".

 

WIN - RESTORE - DISCIPLE - PREPARE - SEND

 

REPEAT ----

 

If you have an "Easy Button" you may press it now.