MO-mentum
“From Christ the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”- Ephesians 4:16
Momentum- “The quantity of motion of a moving body, measured as a product of its mass and velocity.”
Over the last year I have joined with twenty other pastors in a monthly coaching group called “Momentum”. This group has been a tremendous encouragement in helping me to pastor and lead more effectively, while also removing obstacles that often get in the way of our ultimate mission of sharing the Gospel and making disciples for Jesus Christ. Through this monthly learning forum my eyes have been opened to the “new life” God has for our church (Shepherd’s House) and our community (Conejo Valley). Through these Momentum gatherings the Spirit has prompted some focused and fruitful labor for our church to engage in: Speak Life Cards; Faith App Class; Better signage/banners; new church logo and website; and our move to two Sunday services.
Beyond the physical labor we are putting into place, there is a spiritual working, a kingdom foundation, an unstoppable momentum force because God has a plan for His Church to bear fruit, increase, and release life and victory to everyone, everywhere! Psalm 85:12 says, “The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.” And in 1 Corinthians 3:7 Paul declares, “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” Throughout the Gospels and Book of Acts there is a chain reaction to the words and works of Jesus. Not only are individuals’ recipients of the glory of God, but it carries on and multiplies to others. When one person was healed, it led to crowds coming to receive a touch; when one person was forgiven and saved, it led to entire households and even villages receiving the good news. Mark 1:28, 45 details the momentum of Jesus, “News about Him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee…people came to Him from everywhere.”
I want to signal us to the momentum that is currently taking place at Shepherd’s House. I do so not in a boastful manner, but so that we would properly celebrate what God is doing, humbly respond to His grace, and boldly move forward on the path set before us. Church, there is a mighty and marvelous momentum right before our eyes:
A momentum of New Life that includes weekly salvations, three people being water baptized last Sunday, and back to back Sunday baby dedications.
A momentum of Growth that includes over 30 people participating in the Faith App Class in the last three months and a 20% increase in church attendance since moving to the two- service format (9:00 and 10:45 am).
Thank you, Jesus, for giving your life. We live in the abundance of your life!
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”- John 10:10