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Message from Pastor Larry – March 2008
Dear Saints:
Recently, I read an article about a church in Overland Park, Kansas, that 20 years ago began inauspiciously in the basement of the Pastor’s house. He preached his first sermon using an ironing board as his pulpit! Today that congregation, Heartland Community Church, is a thriving community of faith that has moved several times to accommodate its growth in membership. As of the writing of the article, they were in the midst of a building campaign to purchase yet another facility.
My first reaction to the article was that bigger is not necessarily better—and it’s not. Large congregations can offer things smaller congregations cannot. However, the reverse is also true: Smaller congregations can minister in ways larger ones cannot.
What really impressed me about the article wasn't that Heartland has grown so large, but that it’s thriving; and, it’s thriving because it’s members are actively involved in the church’s ministry—both to themselves, and to people in the city who aren't connected with the congregation.
Dan Deeble was a native Californian who was on the fast track with a new company. He had been transferred to the Kansas City office for what he hoped would be only a temporary assignment. He visited Heartland Community Church and started to attend. He tells his story: "I visited Heartland and was overwhelmed. Craig’s [the former pastor’s] teaching was intelligent, thoughtful and obviously connecting with people from all walks of life. From day one I began to make friends and connected relationally."
Eventually, Dan was called to be the church's pastor, and he says, "When the baton was passed we just kept running with all our strength. The sense of mission was deeper than ever and God was continuing to draw people into the church. We don’t advertise or promote ourselves in any high-profile way, but we have kept on growing".
The church has a simple vision that has proven to be effective. It is: Go. Deeble says, "If I could choose one word to summarize God's message to his people, it would be that basic command: go! ...[It’s] what God said to Abraham..., Moses..., Joshua..., David..., Jonathan..., Isaiah..., Jeremiah..., [and] Jonah—just to name a few. God just said: go, go, go, go, go, go, go, and go! Then, most important of all, God said to His only Son, 'go,' and Jesus did. And, of course, He instructed His disciples, 'go.' I told the church that the Book of Acts could easily be renamed The Book of Go because the message spread rapidly [throughout the world]..., and ultimately, to Kansas.... We want to be a people who go before the Lord, go beyond ourselves, and go to the ends of the earth."
I wonder if we were to reduce our Mission and Vision statements to a single word, what would it be? In all honesty, go is a good choice. In fact, it’s a very good choice, since it captures so well the heart of God for fallen humanity, and summarizes so clearly the great commission Jesus gave to us before his ascension: "'Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.'" (Matthew 28:19-20, NJB)
As we anticipate adding new staff this year at St. Matthew, 2008 is going to be a "go" year. Yet, one more staff person will never make any stated mission or vision a reality unless each one of us, enlivened through faith, encouraged in hope, motivated by love, and steeped in prayer, relies upon the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us. Then, we shall go and marvel at the good things our gracious God will accomplish through us. Now—go in peace, and serve the Lord!
Thanks be to God!
Pastor Larry
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