Pastor's Corner
“How Big is Your Dream?”
Stonebriar Vision and Goals for 2008
Habakkuk 2:2-3
Then the LORD answered me and said:
"Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.”
It is my belief that Jesus working through the local church is the hope of the world. Literally – the hope of the world.
Many churches are filled with sincere, talented, godly people who would love to leverage their spiritual gifts in order to impact the world for Christ. My question is this: Will the men and women who have been entrusted with this infant called Stonebriar Community Church take their gifts seriously, develop them fully, and deploy them courageously so that we can work together to make a difference in the world?
It is my opinion that in order for Stonebriar to become the church that God has set us apart to be - there are some things that need to happen. I am absolutely convinced that the church will never reach her full potential until the men and women with the gift of leadership step up and lead. I am additionally convinced that unless you whom God has called to Stonebriar understand that you can be used to impact the Kingdom for eternity, you will never reach your full personal potential for God. None of what we do will have a long-lasting impact for the Kingdom without earnest, open, and heartfelt prayer. We must become a church, a people, of prayer.
Everyone God has called to Stonebriar must use the spiritual gifts that He has given to the fullest so that the body may be complete and the kingdom of God advanced.
Together we must insist with pit bull determination that:
The Gospel be preached
The Lost be found
The Believers be equipped
The Poor be served
The Lonely be brought into the community
And God gets the credit for all of it.
I believe that if these things continue to happen, and in some cases, begin to happen at Stonebriar, we will fulfill the redemptive purpose for which God called us into being.
Proverbs 29:18 says “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained.” They can’t focus, can’t reach their goal, and can’t follow their dream. An older translation says, “Without vision, the people perish.” I’ve seen it with my own eyes – without vision; people lose the vitality that makes them feel alive.
So that we’re all on the same page, let me give you my definition of vision: Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion.
A clear vision provides a compelling picture of the future that enables us to say, “We know our destination. Nothing will lure us off the path from here to there. We will not be distracted.”
It is my desire that as we grow we become as close to the perfect balance of an Acts 2 church as we can. They focused on three areas: evangelism, discipleship, and meeting the needs of those around them through community and assistance.
Let’s look at these three focal points in the first church. Turn with me to Acts chapter 2, beginning in verse 37 and continuing through verse 47.
Acts 2:37-47
“Peter's words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" Peter replied, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles--all who have been called by the Lord our God." Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, "Save yourselves from this generation that has gone astray!" Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church--about three thousand in all. They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's Supper and in prayer.”
The Believers Meet Together
“A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity-- all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved." New Living Translation
We have had a mission statement since we began. “The mission of Stonebriar is to celebrate and share the love of God as we grow together to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.” This is wonderful and has great meaning, but without quantifiable and tangible goals there is really nothing specific to shoot for. So, how do we tie in our mission with something tangible?
In his book Built to Last, Jim Collins talks about BHAG’s. How many of you have heard of BHAGs: Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals? We’ve been talking since the beginning that we wanted to try something so big that if God wasn’t in it we’d fall flat on our faces.
Our goals need to be fashioned in the same manner. We need goals to be big enough to require the supernatural activity of God. We need goals that will keep us on our knees. The goals we’re outlining today are big – scary big!
It is my belief that our first emphasis should be evangelism. But listen, by that I mean that we extend the Gospel, in as many ways as we can, to as many people in Greater Chattanooga as possible. We can do this through as many ways as there are people in this church – Music/Arts Outreach, Community Seminars and Programs, Door to Door if necessary, whatever it takes to - Celebrate and sharing the love of God with others.
I believe that our second emphasis should be the maturing of the believers. We are called by Christ to get off the milk of the word and onto the meat. This means that the mature believer will better serve himself, his family, and his community than the one who is immature. Growing in Christ is not passive. It is a very, very active thing. We will never have all that God desires for us until we understand that we cannot grow by osmosis. It takes active involvement on our part, earnestly seeking the Holy Spirit along the way. Growing together as we become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
The third emphasis should be on investing ourselves, our knowledge and our resources outside the walls of Stonebriar. This means investing in missions, serving the poor, meeting the needs of the community in a Christ-like fashion. Short term missions, building a Habitat for Humanity home, financially investing in a worthy young persons life for higher education, sending off our own church plant, there are a thousand different ways.
The Specific Goals
In keeping with our first emphasis on extending the gospel to more people in the Chattanooga area we have established these goals:
1) To increase the average adult attendance in our morning worship service. This is not a function of getting more people for the sake of numbers. It is exactly the opposite. Emphasis on numbers focuses us inwardly; emphasis on ministry is outward and changes lives. Growing numerically allows us to begin the other, more labor-intensive ministries we believe we’ve been called to accomplish.
Let me share my heart with you about this goal. This goal was not picked out of a hat. After much prayer, fasting and seeking God’s face, I believe it is God-given. However, our only part in fulfilling this goal is to listen to the voice of Holy Spirit within us and respond accordingly as opportunities arise. This can be done by being active and consistent in inviting, nurturing, and following up. If at the end of the day we can lay our heads on our pillows at night and say, “Lord, I’ve listened to you today and I have done all that you have asked me to do. Thank you.” we will have done well.
The exact number of any increase is entirely up to God. We should not be surprised if the increase is greater than our expectations, nor should we be discouraged if it is less. This is clearly and entirely up to God.
2) To develop an organized and consistent outreach program for our surrounding area. Get them on our campus and they will hear the message of Christ. Get them on our campus and they will see the love of Christ. Expose them to that love and they will see the heart of Christ as their own. We will use whatever it takes to make this happen. From Street Fairs to Concerts, Dinner and a Movie nights, Free Suppers, Deaf Ministry, Mom’s Day Out, Mother’s of Preschooler’s Programs, English as a Second Language, Babysitting on Friday Nights for Young Couples, Sports Leagues, Alcohol Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous Programs, Overcomers Outreach for those with Eating Disorders or Sexual Addictions, etc. In addition, we will take the love of Christ to those who need Him. In our workplaces, our schools, our neighborhoods and in the marketplace. We will use servant-leadership, humility, compassion, and a genuine love for others as our foundation. We WILL DO whatever it takes to fulfill this calling.
Listen to God’s Word in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23: “When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings.”
In keeping with our second emphasis of maturing our believers we have focused on these goals:
1) To have one hundred percent participation in our various teaching ministries. Whether that means on Wednesday nights or Sunday mornings, Small Groups or Bible Studies… Everything from offering seminary level master classes in things like systematic theology and New Testament Greek to earning your accredited college degree in Bible as an off-campus extension of The Moody Bible Institute. All of these are means to a growing maturity in Christ. We must, 100% of us, plug-in and engage so that we may grow strong and mature in the Lord. We need to become those “oaks of righteousness” the Bible speaks of - strong with deep roots and straight grains rather than a willow that bends at the slightest wind. We must continue to deepen our knowledge of God so that when the next Christian fad comes along - or Satan knocks at our door, we will not bend but instead stand firm in our knowledge of the truth.
2) To have every person at Stonebriar involved in reading (or listening to) the entire Bible in the year 2008. This is not as daunting a goal as it appears. The average reader could read in the entire Bible in about 40 hours. We have available, both this morning, and on our website, a reading guide so that your daily time spent will be about 15 minutes and at the end of the year you will have read through the entire Bible. It will grow you; it will make you more knowledgeable, it will make you more able to “do-life” in the proper way. To know Him is to love Him.
Hebrews 5:12-6:1
"You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the Scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. And a person who is living on milk isn't very far along in the Christian life and doesn't know much about doing what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right."
Hebrews 6
6:1 "So let us stop going over the basics of Christianity again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start all over again with the importance of turning away from evil deeds and placing our faith in God."
For our third emphasis of investing ourselves, our knowledge, and our resources outside the walls of Stonebriar we have the following goals:
1) To have 85% of our members serving, at least once a year, those who live in conditions of poverty. This can take a variety of forms as I mentioned earlier. We will not grow beyond ourselves without this step. It is one thing to give money to this type of ministry; it is entirely another thing to have your heart and life changed by it.
Matthew 25:34-36
“Then the King will say to those on the right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” NLT
2) To invest our time and resources in the kingdom of God in the form of missions and church planting. I know it may seem hard to believe that we could or should even be talking about missions or planting a church at this point in our own church growth. After all, we have but a small group of adults ourselves. We’re just getting started – we sometimes feel like we’re living day to day. I want to assure you that now is the perfect time to be talking, dreaming and planning for it. The question I have for you is this: ‘Do you dream in color or black and white?” With God, we know all things are possible. We know it’s His desire that all should come to know Him. If not us, who? – If not now, when?
Matthew 28:18-20 says this:
“Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." NLT
So, there you have it. Tangible, Big, Audacious goals for the years 2008 - 2009. Are they attainable? Only with God’s direct intervention based on our level of commitment through prayer, fasting and obedience to the Holy Spirit.
This effort is worth it. This effort is God-honoring. This effort has Kingdom value. I’m not asking you to join anything; I’m asking you if you’d like to belong to something greater than yourself. Give your life to this. Give all the service you can give. Give all the money you can give. Give all the prayers you can give. Give whatever you have to give, because for all eternity you’ll look back over your shoulder and be glad you did.
Can I tell you that just thinking about what God has in store for us during this next three years has gotten me so excited I can hardly sleep. How about you? What are you willing to do to make this the best ministry experience you’ve ever had? How much of your time, talents, gifts and resources are you willing to invest? How worthy is the cause? How many lives would you like to see transformed by the power of God through Stonebriar Community Church? Thought provoking questions to be sure, but the answers are life-changing! Let’s pray.
© 2006 Scott Ptak, All Rights Reserved.