"Listening, Learning, Loving”

“Listening, Learning, Loving”

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” Proverbs 29:18a KJV

Intro: Today we celebrate the Installation of Church officers for the year.

With a Reaffirmation or Remembering of your Baptism.

Every one of you is called to Christian service by the higher calling and virtue of your baptism.

Those of you installed today as officer of the church, You have been called to ministry to an office or work area

and have committed your unique passions, gifts, and abilities to a position of leadership.

What this means is that all people who follow Jesus are called to grow spiritually and then lead

As church officers you are given the task to keep our focus on the main reasons for any ministry

—To make disciple

—To work and serve for the transformation of the world.

As a spiritual leader, a primary function you carry is to help others see as clearly as possible

what God is calling your church to be and to do.

To forms this vision and then forms plans and goals for how to fulfill that vision.

Does this event or activity move us closer to our church’s vision to bring others to God in this place and time?

For the past 201 days I have been your pastor.

We have been talking about the vision of this congregation.

I have been listening to all the ideas and comments

and I have reflected back to you what you have been saying in the form of what has taken on the name the “1000 Days” plan.

That gives us until March 18th of the year 2018 to focus on:

Better communication,

realigning the Church committees and budget to emphasize both Ministry and Mission.

To unite all the various groups together under the common umbrella of the church.

To review the churches gift acceptance policies and structure a Permanent Endowment Fund.

To work with the Youth and Children’s Ministers to highlight ministry to families.

Have a “Share Your Faith Workshop” for the Witness Committee.

Send new pilgrims on the Emmaus Walk.

To complete the Flat Gap Long Term Disaster relief for a family who were victims of the flood.

Launch a capital debt reduction campaign to pay down the principle $328,000.00 Family Life Center mortgage. Take a team from this church on a Volunteer in Missions Trip with the Conference.

Growing stronger families, touching people’s lives, building relationships, reaching the lost sinner,

To be the loving community of faith

and transforming the world as God is calling us to do.

Not long ago someone asked me, “Do I finish what I start?”

Without hesitation I answered, “Yes, but I will need your help.”

It takes all of us, working together, and praying, laboring, tithing, serving, volunteering,

and putting into action your vision for this congregation.

Get ready to say amen. “I am convinced that whatever this congregation sets its heart and mind to do that together it can be accomplished.” Amen.

The first thing we must do is

I. Be a God Listeners

You are driving a bus. You go east 12 miles, and turn south and go 2 miles and take on 9 passengers,

and then you turn west and go 3 miles and let off 4 passengers. How old is the bus driver?

The main problem when trying to answer this questing is listening.

We hear certain information that we think is important but somehow miss the most important part.

We listened to the directions (east, south, west),

We think about the miles traveled and the number of passengers who got on and off the bus.

But when we get to the end and are asked how old was the bus driver?

Wait a second. How are we going to find out the age of the bus driver?

Is there some hidden message in the direction or number of passengers?

Are we supposed to add up all the numbers or what?

And then it dawns on you. How old is the bus driver? “YOU are the bus driver.”

How often do we have this same problem with listening in real life?

Over the years I have discovered that listening is a more important part of ministry than speaking.

How often at a funeral do we fumble at words to say?

How many times when someone is trying to tell us something important, a hurt, or brokenness, or despair,

Do we start rambling about something we just went through or that happened to us.

Never really hearing what the person is saying.

Never really listening.

Had you rather someone tell you to feel better

Or have someone listen to your pain and in doing so share in that moment of your struggles?

We must speak the word of God.

But we must also listen with the ears of God.