A Look Back and a Look Forward
Michael Wiley
November 23, 2008
Mark 12:28b-33
Introduction:
When I was a young child, maybe seven or eight, my family and I went to Beach Bend Amusement park in Bowling Green KY, not too far from our home. I love amusement parks. Especially then when mom and dad were paying for everything. The day turned out to be a day that would shape my life for the next eight years or so. My sister talked me into getting on a roller-coaster with her. Now, I listened to her encouragement. I looked the coaster over—not a large one, small cars that seat only two people, and, I looked at the name, “Wild Mouse.” I knew mice weren’t very ferocious, the ones I had seen were the ones dad removed from under the hot-water-heater in traps, their heads all smashed, eyes bugged out… So, a roller-coaster named Mouse wouldn’t be scary, or so I thought. I latter found out in my adult years, that the “Wild Mouse” is a style of roller coaster developed by a German, Franz Mack, in the early 60s.
What separates the Mouse from other roller coasters, is it’s small car size—two to four people, and it’s style of turns. Most of the turns on the Mouse are 90 to 180 degree turns with no cant. Cant is the difference in elevation of the two tracks. When you drop the elevation of one tack, it results in a banked turn.
On a regular roller coaster with banked turns, you see the track in front of you in the turn. On a Wild Mouse with no cant, you see the rest of the theme park in front of you, giving you the feeling your going off the track! Now I said it shaped my life for the next eight years because it was that long before I ever got on another roller-coaster. The Wild Mouse scared me to death!
Transition:
Toward the end of each year I spend a week or two talking about where we have been as a church and we are going in the coming year. I began this talk last week and will finish it up today.
In my preparation I reviewed what I said to you last year at this time. Last year I described 2006 as a roller-coaster year. I was referring to the ups-and downs, twists and turns of the year. That caught my attention, because that is how I would explain 2007. Today, I want to finish up what we started last week. We began to look at we’re we’ve been and we’re we are going in 2009 as The Vine Church. Don’t forget that we will have our annual carry-in celebration dinner tonight at 6:00 pm. The church will supply the meat and drinks.
Last week I gave you our Mission and Vision.
Our mission is to “Make Disciples” Period
Our Vision is to be as “SAFE PLACE to discover and express your faith.”
If you were unable to be here last week I encourage you to pick up a CD copy at the welcome center or listen on line on our website.
Today I want to remind you of our theme, our goal, and talk about where we’ve been and we’re we are going.
Our Theme here at The Vine is this:
Mark 12:28b-33 – Love God! Love People! TURN AND READ
What do I say about that? It’s crystal clear. How do I expound? The word love (in Greek) used toward God is Agape – was the least common in the Hellenistic world. The other two words to describe love were eros, which meant sexual love, and philos, which meant friendship. Agape, was used in the NT to designate the unmerited love God shows to humankind in sending his son as suffering redeemer.
You could say that, “loving God with Agape love is loving Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Now what word did Jesus use to describe loving one’s neighbor? You would think, philos – Brotherly love, but He didn’t --- Agape --- When used of human love, it means selfless and self-giving love.
The Vine started Easter Sunday 2006, because we “Love God and loved people.”
Since then 2006 was a roller coaster. 2007 was a rollercoaster, and 2008 was a roller coaster
Every year our finances are a roller-coaster.
And we have been hit with the downturn in the economy as well. We live on tithes and offerings of our people so when you hurt, we hurt. Part of our finance problem has been from down attendance. Our analysis is Apathy rather than a mass exodus…
Every year since the launch our staff has been a roller-coaster.
Youth minister, Todd Walker, Chandler – Ryan Insprucker came, Tom Engelhardt left, Jerry Simandl came, Ryan Insprucker left.
Two cool things about roller-coasters
1. Ups come with the downs
Looking back over the past 2 ½ years, we have a lot to celebrate
When you think of our:
Community service projects, Church wide fellowship events, Men’s and Women’s Ministries, Community Life Ministries, CORE ministries, Children’s Ministry, AWANA, Youth Ministry --- on and on – and on.
Here’s a video to help us reminisce
2. The second cool thing about roller-coaster is “they are crazy exciting.”
We continue to push the envelope. To step out, reach out, and go where God calls us to go, do what God calls us to do. When your on top, it’s exciting because you don’t know what God has in store for you next, and when you are at the bottom it’s exciting because you know and anticipate God, getting you atop the next hill.
Listen, Roller coasters and relevant churches move under momentum, so don’t you think for a moment that we won’t take the next hill.
NOW I’ve spoken about our Theme, Love God, Love people, and where we have been.
I want to speak now on our goal and where we are going.
Let me take you on my journey that led up to the goal.
It came from conversations with some of you, people in our church.
They sounded something like this: ME: Hey how’s it going PERSON: It’s going ok. ME: You know I haven’t seen you in church the past few weeks. PERSON: Well we’ve just been sooooo busy. ME: Hu.
I’m finding more and more people are letting their faith, religion, and everything that goes with it (including church attendance) fall further and further down their list of priorities.
We want to change that…
2009 Goal
To make Christ and His church ESSENTIAL in people’s lives…
What else does 2009 hold?
Hire MCL
Land? Jesus Said series… Keep Serving
Conclusion:
Listen, the crazy turns of this world, can give you the feeling you’re going off the track!
BUT, God is with you. You will take the next hill.
I want to ask you.
Make Christ and His church a priority in your life
Make church attendance a priority in your life
Bring your Bibles
Keep The Vine, Her leaders, and your part in prayer.
Ask God, “What part would you have me play in your kingdom in 2009?”
