January 19th, 2010

Last evening the Ministry Council met. The Ministry council is made up of cell group and ministry department leaders. In our leadership function, rather than being structured as a hierarchy we are structured in what we refer to as circles of influence. The first circle includes the pastors, the second the pastors and lay elders (elder team), the third the pastors, lay elders and cell group and ministry department leaders (ministry council) and the fourth circle the whole congregation.

When it comes to decision making depending on the nature of the decision it is tested within the various circles of influence for counsel and affirmation. After adequate testing, the final decision may be made by the pastors, the elder team, the ministry counsel or the congregation depending on the kind of issue being considered.

Presently we are in the process of selecting a new lead pastor. This is a matter that needs to be broadly tested and the whole congregation needs to be involved in making the final decision. It is not a decision that can simply be made by the pastors, elder team or the ministry council alone. While the elder team representing the spiritual leadership for the congregation carries the primary responsibility in the process we don’t act alone. The Bible says in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

During this present interim period between pastors we formed a transition team by adding the spouses to the elder team to provide broader representation. This has worked well and the team has functioned well together. Last evening I shared an update of where we are in the process. In the last update I mentioned that we would begin scheduling interviews with prospective pastors after the first of the year.

Some who were being considered withdrew their names before we got to the interview stage so we haven’t had as many to interview as we thought we would. I announced last evening to the ministry council that both Pastor Jim and Pastor Rick have withdrawn their names from consideration and at present we are considering someone from outside the congregation. We don’t yet have a recommendation to make but we are making progress. I share this not only for your information but to ask you to pray that we will be able to discern the mind of the Lord. Even though it may not be entirely clear at this point we believe God has things under control. We just need the wisdom and the ability to discern His will in the matter. Last night I asked the ministry council to pray and now I’m asking the whole congregation to pray.

Changing the subject, last Sunday we considered the two-winged church, large group celebration and small group community. I tried to emphasize that both are important to experiencing what the first believers did. True community that includes the “koinonia” kind of fellowship that the first believers devoted themselves to requires a small group. Actually, the one another ministry so prevalent in the New Testament only makes sense in the context of the small group.

However, as important as the small group is the large group gathering is also important. It is not one or the other but both/and. The next two Sunday’s, I want to focus the messages on the worship celebration. While meaningful worship can happen in a small group it can’t compare to what happens when a large group of people join together in a corporate worship celebration.

For the next two Sunday’s I have asked all those who are part of the worship ministry to be part of the team. So instead of four or five there may be ten or fifteen people on the team this coming Sunday. I don’t usually tell people ahead of time what I plan to preach but this Sunday I plan to preach on the subject, “Attracting the Presence of God.” Hopefully it will help us to move our worship celebration to a new level and open things up for more people to get involved. We can use more instruments and more vocalists. Are you available? Pray about it