A Church of Influence:

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20


God has been rocking my world lately. I have been praying that God rock our world at HHBC as well. There are a lot of ways that God speaks to us: through the scriptures, through pastors and sermons we hear, through what other people say and sometimes do, through a still small voice or pull on our heart and sometimes he speaks in a loud thunderous voice that echoes inside our bones. God has used all of these to start sharing his vision for our church with me. Now it is ringing loud and clear it is echoing in my bones, we are to be a church of influence in this community. We are going to bear fruit. We are going to drastically change the community around us because we are going to be open to God’s work in our lives.

Sunday, I shared these statements regarding where I think we are going in 2009. I want to post them here incase you missed them:

• I want to share with you today a little of what I have been praying for this church and where I see us Going. I have been praying that we will remain open to God’s work in our lives. And we will continue to see him move in us and drastically change our circumstances so that we may be a church of influence in the community. When I close my eyes and think of where we are going. I see a church whose people are unified, praying, and full of God’s spirit. I see a church that is so dependant on God that nothing can stop it or stand against it. I see a church with a message so clear that lives are permanently changed and God moves working in our lives. I see a church so compassionate that people are drawn from impossible situations into a loving and friendly circle of hope, where answers are found in the word of God and acceptance is given in the hearts of all. I see Happy Hill Baptist Church as a Church of Influence in this community.
• Happy Hill will be a “Church of Influence” in this community, a church that bears fruit. We will bear fruit through Evangelism. We will bear fruit through Example. We will bear fruit through Engaging the community where they are.
• I know that we can become a church of influence because GOD CAN! Nothing is impossible with God.
• Happy Hill will be a “Church of Influence” that bears great fruit in 2009.
  

I hope that you are as excited about what God is doing in our church as I am. There is no better thing than to be used by God. Get ready for it. 2009 is going to be great.