A Brief Message:  What Next?

At AncMC we may ask the question what next?  Where does Christ want us to go as individuals and as a church?  Over the summer break I’ve asked this question?  “What’s next?”

Within the last year out of some of the experiences I’ve had there are people that are hungry and want to learn more of God and the Christian life.  And how God can truly make a difference in our daily lives.

Certainly God wants us to continue to become spiritually mature; actually as a church even to become one of the more spiritually mature churches in Alaska.  II Peter 3:18 tells us that each one of us should grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Verse 17 of the same chapter has a warning - “lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.”  Spiritual maturity is not automatic. It’s got to be cultivated.  I feel more and more as I continue to evolve as your pastor that I must learn even more and strive to better take on this responsibility as a leader in your church.

The goal to become spiritually mature should be the goal of every church. Every church should want its people to be as much like Christ as possible. We would want more of our church members to be spiritually deep.

Just as it takes certain tools to cultivate a garden so it will grow, there are certain practical tools that we need to cultivate spiritual growth in the lives of our members.  As I said earier it’s not automatic. It doesn’t just happen. We have to help them grow.

During the weeks ahead until our next Annual Church Council meeting in January 2008 I would like to focus on at least three things that will help develop the maturity level of people in our church.

1.  Assist our people in committing to the life of this Church.  All of us must work together on this commitment.  We can’t make it unless we all commit to growing, to stewardship, and financial planning for the raising of this Church.  Part of this is informing or training our people to know who they are, what to do and then ask them to do it.   It is my understanding that we must ask people for their commitment or we’re not going to get it.  Out of this realization, in the future with Elders support I would like to begin a quarterly adult membership class which teaches the History and Doctrines of the Moravian Church.

2.  Proclamation of the Word and teaching it is a key.   This is something I need your prayerful help on.  Imagine a worship service without the Gospel proclaimed.  During the message format in the future I am being challenged to teach more rather than preach more.  Neil Anderson’s series on the Bondage Breakers and Victory Over Darkness may be a starting point as well as Henry Blackaby’s information on Experiencing God.  Any suggestions you have will be helpful as I may speak more on real life issues that may surround divorce, unforgiveness, unresolved anger, sin, suicide, loneliness, depression, guidance, etc.

3. Involving our members in ministry.  This is something I feel very good about.  We’ve already come a long ways on this by involving our lay people in leading services.  Also we come a long ways because of the vision of our musicians, Women’s Fellowship, Choir members, SS School, and youth groups; all who are making a difference by touching others lives.  May we all continue to be challenged to do something for Jesus Christ by faithful church attendance, giving, praying and studying togther.  Being a caring community is important.  May we continue to bring cheer through music and presence to assistive living centers, hospitals and elderly centers.  Do a good deed on behalf of Christ to stop lonliness.

The main thing is to remain involved in the life of this Church.  The challenge we have today is to agree to grow more in faithfulness to Jesus; let’s quit our wandering ways and grow in spiritual maturity through study of God’s Word and applying it to our lives so that we will live the way Christ wants us to.  Please do not forget to sacrificially give.

In closing we as church members can’t grow spiritually on our own. We all need other people to help us grow. At AncMC we use small groups, built around the same core New Testament purposes that our church is, to help our members develop the kind of relationships they need to grow. In these groups such as Women’s Fellowship, Moravian Choir, Sunday School Classes, Confirmation Class, Wednesday Night Bible Study, Young Peoples, Women & Men’s Fellowship Group, and outreach groups such as gospel team or other musical groups, spiritual growth can occur.

Soon we will be back at our regular schedule on September 9, 2007.  May we all continue to commit to the life of this Church.  God is doing a special work to raise up this Church.  All of our groups should center on the biblical purposes, so that our members will worship and share more fully, build meaningful relationships, develop the character of Christ, discover our own potential for ministry, and we shouldn’t forget this one – to share our faith with lost friends.

Another group that will be organizing soon is the New Church Building Committee.  May we all pray for its members.  Out of this I would encourage the committee to go on a campaign to raise $100,000 during September 2006-May 2007.  As we go forth in faith, God will bless us.

As God helps us to plan and as we see God answering prayer we will also grow spiritually.  I’ve seen great growth in many of you over the last almost six years of ministry.  We should rejoice that more growth spiritually and numerically for our church is going to happen.

We need more church members, more confirmations, more baptisms, more small groups forming and we certainly need to do missions type outreaches.

© Copyright 2006 Anchorage Moravian Church
Top of Page