Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”
This coming Sunday (August 11), our church will begin afresh journey of renewal. It’s both an exciting and daunting time for our congregation because we know that it will change who we are as we sincerely seek to become disciples of Christ. Our folks will be offered many opportunities to both grow in faith and serve God through new church teams. It will take a lot of energy, focus, and determination to be successful; it will require a lot of prayers, time, and devotion to make us truly faithful. It is a wonderful, gracious blessing to be given from God; it is up to us to receive this gift gladly and work with it constantly.
A great deal of thought, planning, and presentation have gone into our new Vision Project. It’s not a novel plan to try for a while and then attempt something else. This involves the life expectancy of our congregation. If we apply ourselves to this process of renewal, then future generations will be grateful for what we have done; if we fail to buy into this concept, then within a generation our church doors will close. We are the first generation of Erinites to be impacted by post-modern secularization; we are also the last generation who can do anything about it.
Today’ I’ve quoted Christ’s parable about the mustard seed. It’s my favorite parable in the Bible. Jesus told it to encourage His disciples that even though their band of twelve was small, their impact would be much greater than they imagined if they embraced and applied His teaching. We know that the outcome was successful – eleven of them bought into Christ’s work and expanded His mission beyond their own small-town expectations.
Come to Erin church this Sunday and be part of a great renewal event that will not just refresh the mission of our congregation, but will also build up our faith so that our lives, homes, schools, workplaces, and communities will be blessed through our commitment to Christ and our willingness to become His disciples.
May God bless you, your loved ones, and all of your plans.
Pastor Stuart