Monday, January 20, 2014

Celebrating The Win

**This was originally published in the Campbellsville Christian Church newsletter on January 14, 2014:


Anytime an organization, especially churches, are in a time of transition there is the potential for both the good and the bad. We can focus on the things that need to be done and the dissenters or we can focus on God’s plan for the church. The good news is that we get to choose what we focus on.

Each Monday morning at 9:00 AM we have an all-staff meeting: Billy, Logan, Kari Jo, Karen, and Jennifer and I sit down to talk about the details of the upcoming week, address needs, but we always start off with something we have identified as critical to staying focused on our mission: to equip people to become “rooted in God’s love.” We start by celebrating “wins.”

Defining the win gives us tangible targets for ministry. Without pursuing ministry on behalf of Christ, the church is nothing more than a stagnant and listless institution that possesses no real value. Seeing wins happen breathes meaningful life and zeal into the congregation that fuels passion and can energize it into an unstoppable movement.

At staff meetings, I ask the question, “What happened last week that made you feel like you've made progress in your mission to lead people to become "rooted in God's love?" Basically we are looking for people (individuals and groups) and are showing evidences of becoming “rooted.” As we talk, I write these down. We know there are many things that need to be adjusted or addressed and those things can weigh us down and distract us from seeing God’s hand at work in the lives of those who call Campbellsville Christian Church home.

So we celebrate together. I want to let you in on a few highlights of our staff celebrations.
·      Anita Smith faithfully drives a group of from Jackson Towers to Wal-Mart each month to get groceries.
·      The High School small group created “kits” to hand out to homeless people as their families travel together.
·      A couple of months ago a group of children led (rather than performed) a worship song with the adult band reinforcing what we teach them in children’s environments; that they are an active part of the church now
·      Spiritual development taking place in the Middle School Boys Small Group.
·       Gail Godsey and her leadership in the Hearts 2 Help event for the homeless shelter
·      Lynn and Nancy Farmer and Jennifer Clark giving their time and talents in making a new church directory a reality.
·      17 Root 252 kids (Wednesday night Children’s environment) memorized the monthly verse: “Choose my teaching instead of silver. Choose knowledge rather than fine gold.” Prov. 8:10
·      Over 220 people at the Christmas Eve service
·      Around 100 people gathered on Dec. 15th to make 70+ blankets for the Crisis Pregnancy Center and the local Hospice agency.
·      The prayer lives of people are deepening.
·      The Micah 6:8 service projects coming out of Small groups:
o   Operation Baby Rescue raised over $14,000 to rescue babies from malnutrition and unsafe environments
o   Groups raised over $1000 for the backpack program
o   Group supported shelters in Taylor, Marion, and Green county.
·      If you can’t tell yet, much good is happening in the lives of the people of Campbellsville Christian Church.

Celebrating not only encourages people to continue to do what is right, but it reflects the biblical principal of joy. When God rested on the seventh day after creation, we do not believe he needed to take a breather; instead he took time to enjoy his creation; to celebrate. Take a look at how many Jewish celebrations and holidays are found in the Bible and you will discover that celebrating the work of God is a core part of worship. So when it comes wins, we should celebrate with our brothers and sisters whether it is through verbal praise, recognition, or throwing an actual party!


Do you know of a win? Let us know. Often, my blog posts on Monday’s are devoted to highlighting “wins” from the life of the church. If you’d like to know more about what it means to be “rooted in God’s love,” check out www.rootedingodslove.com and click the “more info” button.

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