Prior Editions
July 27, 2005
The
Discipleship Adventure – Putting
It All Together
It's
been more than a week since we last talked about the Discipleship
Adventure, but we still need to tie it all together. The things that
have kept me from writing this final installment are also good examples of
what the Discipleship Adventure looks like as it produces fruit in our
lives.
Two weeks ago Vacation Bible School generated a lot of excitement, not
just among the children but also among the church in general. Our
VBS program is a wonderful opportunity to see the discipleship adventure
at work. We began with worship and during the course of the evening
moved to fellowship, discipleship and service in the various
"stations." Overarching it all was Operation Kids to Kids,
a mission program to children in Kenya. We sent school supplies for
Kenyan children and a message of hope and love from the Bible.
Last week and this week have seen two teams of Youth on Mission Trips -
the Middle High in North Carolina and SHINE in Philadelphia. In both
cases, the fellowship of other Christian believers and the power of
worship were united with a sincere desire to serve others and to share the
love of Jesus Christ in word and deed. Alongside of that came the
servants of numerous local churches in Smithfield and Philadelphia as they
fed the teams, encouraged them and supported them in prayer.
What great examples of the discipleship Adventure! God's love pours
out into the world through the lives of children as they seek justice,
devote themselves to the cause of Christ and share their excitement with
others.
The examples of our Discipleship Adventure are all around us: the Creation
trip, Women of Faith, Men's and Women's Bible studies, and on and on and
on. This is what God has called us to be - a people who not only
share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but embody it. We don't just speak
the message; we live it, breathe it, and become it. What a privilege
to be ambassadors for the God of Life!
I'm excited about what we've already seen on this Discipleship Adventure,
but I'm even more excited about what the future holds. What we've
seen so far is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. God wants to
do so much more!
So, let's share this adventure together. Don't miss out on the next
amazing thing that God will do. Let's be in ministry and service -
together. Let's live a life that proclaims Jesus is Lord - together!
Let's praise God with heart and mind and voice - together.
Godspeed,
Pastor John
Mid-Week
Musings
An
Occasional bulletin from Christ United Methodist Church