Leadership Banquet
1/10/2004
TOBY
In every church, God places a secret to its success. Much of the secret to the success of Glenville New Life Community PCUSA and New Life Fellowship is found gathered in this room. Our secret is the willingness of God’s people church to submit first to Jesus Christ, and then to one another in that same spirit. Where ever we go and people ask about our church, we always find a way to bring the conversation around to how the Lord has used you, to make a difference in this part of the body of Christ.
RICK
The testimonies you have given tonight are just the tip of the iceberg of what you have been willing to do, to bring a vision into reality. Those sacrifices would not have taken place without us realizing that it was because Jesus first made a sacrifice on our behalf. As the Scriptures state, we love Him because He first loved us. Without Jesus, none of us would have done what we did to make it this far along on the journey.
We are all what we are because of Jesus Christ, who has come into our lives and made a change. Each one of us here as a testimony of how our presence at Glenville New Life Community Church or New Life Fellowship has in some way changed the course and direction of our lives. Some of us shudder to think where we might be today if the Lord had not met us at one of these churches.
TOBY
We appreciate that our churches are churches where Jesus Christ is proclaimed as Lord and Jesus Christ is actively changing the lives of people.. We are unashamed in saying that Jesus is the only Way to God, He is the Truth, and He is the Life. Jesus is the one who makes us all equal at the foot of the cross. He didn’t die more for some of us and less for others. He said all of us were in need of His salvation.
Our goal from the start of the New Life Campaign has been to lift up the name of Jesus Christ and become witnesses for Him in service to the community and to the church. We know that if we have Jesus we have everything, if we don’t have Jesus, we have nothing.
RICK
We as pastors appreciate and are thankful for the call of God on your lives. It has been amazing at what some of you have done and some of you have given these past three years. Together we have been sharing a dream and a vision to see something come out of nothing. God didn’t call you just to come to the church. God called you because there was something He wanted to do in you. You didn’t get saved just to go to heaven. The word of God says, Eph 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Say it with me. God has prepared a work for me to do for Him today.
We appreciate the openness to the move of the Spirit in the lives of many of you as individuals. At our churches, we recognize that not every opportunity to serve God is going to be something great, but it will be something needed. We as pastors need your willingness to be servants for the Lord. We don’t do the ushering, the counting, the nursery, the singing, but you do.
TOBY
You collate, you clean, you cook, your encourage, you direct, you type, you pray, you visit, you mail, you dance, you serve, you vote, you plan, you teach, you guide, you lead, you help, you give, you come, you send, you build, you paint, you mop, you sweep, you visit, you witness, you invite, you bring, you take home, you call and you seek to live your lives for God.
Praise God for all of you who are saying to God again and again, "Here am I Lord send me.’" A great church is great not because of great leaders, but because of great partnerships. God intended for leaders and people to be in partnership with each other in building the kingdom of God. One of the things we have at our churches is partnership. We are thrilled that over 25 of you have committed yourselves to the lay empowerment conference on the 24th. The more empowered you are, the stronger our church is going to be.
RICK
Each of us has to pay a price to follow Jesus Christ at Glenville and at New Life. It takes energy and effort to come to church. But when you love Jesus, it doesn’t cost as much. It takes energy and time to volunteer to serve when needed. But when you love Jesus, it doesn’t seem to cost as much. It takes a sacrifice of money to tithe. But when you love Jesus though, it doesn’t seem to cost as much. You might not always feel like singing praises in church. But when you love Jesus, you do it because He deserves it not because you feel it.
TOBY
There’s something about a love relationship which makes you willing to go that extra mile or two. Instead of seeing obstacles, you see opportunities to impress the person with just how much you truly love them. When you’re love with a person, you’re eager to offer the very best for them.
RICK
When we think of the New Life Campaign and the New Life Center, we know that some of you offered what you believe was your very best. You are the ones with the feeling deep inside hearing the Lord say tonight, “well done my good and faithful servant. We all know the New Life Center is going to impact literally thousands of peoples lives. Many of the lives will be the lives, families, and friends of people in this room. Many of them are people who are on their way to knowing Jesus.
TOBY
What we didn’t know when we started the New Life Campaign three years ago is where we would be today. Where are we now that the Celebration Sunday is three years behind us. We are a church that is stronger and healthier than we were then. Without the New Life Campaign and the many leaders that rose up out of it, there probably would not have been a New Life Fellowship. What a loss that would have been for the kingdom.
RICK
Without the New Life Center vision, Sylvia may not have become an Outreach Worker and neither would Tony. Kellie would not be in the position she is today. Mike and Carmen would not have developed their worship skills. Many of you who are leaders and singers would not have had the doors opened for your gifts.
TOBY
Without the New Life Center vision, many of us would not know the joy of setting big goals to give to God and being shocked by how much God kept giving back to us in return. Some of us have been set free from certain levels of materialism to be opened to being a blessing for God. Some of us have discovered, you really cannot beat God giving. Some of us are just eager to keep giving to make things happen.
RICK
We all knew three years ago that the vision of the New Life Center is far bigger than all of us. Like David, we do not just want a building to be put up, we want something which by itself in appearance will bring honor and glory to God. We want it to look inspiring so that when we people come in, the very walls will reverberate the love, the sacrifice and the commitment that went into the place. It will be our holy ground.
What seems to be coming into focus now, is that the New Life Center is even bigger than what we thought. We believe the $300,0000 we have raised, is just the seed money that will be used to give us a New Life Center with A New Church For Worship as well.
TOBY
We are thankful for what has happened, but we believe God is saying, I’ve got more to give to you than what you’ve set your sights upon. We began by looking at a building that would cost about $800,000. Now we’re looking at a price tag of a million and a half dollars. Those numbers seem big, until you figure in what Jesus told us to do in taking the gospel to others.
RICK
Do you realize if we reached just 50 adults for Jesus Christ earning $18,000 a year and they tithed at $35 per week, we could start building the New Life Center and the Church by this time next year. Those 50 would carry the cost of a mortgage. Our greatest need is not finances. Our greatest need is a compassion to reach those who do not know the Lord. If we do God’s work, God will take care of our finances. When you invite someone to church, you never know how much you’re doing for the kingdom of God and for the building of our New building.
TOBY
Just look at how many of you are impacting the lives of people. We can remember when Vickie Grim was working at Subway across the street. There was no way we could have known that in 2003, she would bring more visitors to our church than anyone else would. You can look around this room, and know that some people are here, because you invited them. Look at what they have done for the life of the church with the passing of time.
Think of the kids who have passed from Nursery, to youth worship and Pioneers, who are now leading others themselves. They could not be where they are, without your willingness to give of yourselves. Think of the adults who were on the fringe of the church for years, who are now deeply and richly involved. Everybody who has wanted to make an impact at our churches, has been given the opportunity to do so.
RICK
You see our churches are about people impacting people for the cause of Christ. When we started organizing the directors for the campaign, we knew we were choosing some good leaders. Some of you though, have gone above and beyond what we expected of you in your role as different co-directors. It’s as though God Himself raised you up for such a time as this. Some of you have just so blossomed in the Lord that your works are simply beautiful. Your spirit of enthusiasm simply overflowed into the congregation at large.
TOBY
One thing this campaign has taught us is to not try and limit God. On the first night when Bob was giving us suggestions, he was offering us alternatives, but some of you kept saying oh yeah we could do that too. So we had a 40 day of fasting and prayer, a concert of prayer service, a 24 hr prayer vigil, and a prayer walk. The support coming out of the congregation in each of those exceeded what we thought. The Prayer Vigil will always be a part of our ministry. Thanks to the Prayer Committee, The Personal Contact Committee, The Leadership Committee, The Communication Committee, The Essay Committee, & Administration Committee working together, we made our first phase of our campaign a success!
Rick
You see God has been at work in us to bring us to this point for quite some time. We did not get to where we are today without the valuable contributions that you have made in the past. We needed you to bring this church back from the brink of closing doors to the bright light it is today. We are now on the greatest threshold of our church’s history.
God has used us in some wonderful ways in the past. But the Lord is about to take us to whole new level. As our father prophesied in his sermon on the last Sunday of 2003—the best is yet to come. Our faith is going to grow and our sense of reliance upon Him will be strengthened as never before.
TOBY
We have needed your presence in our lives in the past, but saints we are going to need you to stand with us as never before in the next few years. If we had the money, we’d build the New Life Center & The New Worship Center ourselves as a gift to the Lord for the blessings He has given to us. But God has not placed us in that position yet. By us all being willing to make real sacrifices, and they will be different for us all, God will make a way for us somehow.
RICK
What we want people to pray for in terms of sacrifices for the next few months, is a sacrifice of our pride and fear which often keeps us from sharing the gospel with others. We want you to pray for a desire to reach the lost that we might be obedient to God and our churches will grow. We want you to pray for wisdom in developing new building that we are going to build to the glory of God.
We want everybody to stretch their faith, knowing that in a few months you will be called to action once again as the plans unfold before our very eyes. Our New Life Center & Worship Center is going to be second to none in terms of beauty, and function for ministry. We are only fifty people away from our groundbreaking service. Is there anybody who believes the Lord has 100 souls in Cleveland of which 50 could go to New Life and 50 to Glenville? Pray that the Lord will use you, to reach part of that fifty. We believe God can do a whole lot more than that if we let Him.
Toby
If some of you knew the things that God has in store for you in the next three years you’d do all that you could to be faithful to Him today. There’s a ministry and a life that God has for many of you that will bless you beyond your imagination. He’s got college scholarships waiting for some of you. He’s got blessings waiting for those of you who have been faithful in your giving. Some of you will see your kids restored.
RICK
Some of you will see the jobs, the cars and the homes you’ve wanted. Some of you will receive saved spouses as you walk down the aisle. Some of you will receive restored joy in your marriage. Some of you God will raise up to become elders, deacons, and lay pastors. Some of you God will send to seminary or the denominations’s lay pastor training in order for you to become pastors and teachers.
TOBY
It’s not simply a matter of are we satisfied with what we’re doing for God, the real issue is, is God satisfied with what we are doing. Because We Love And We Care, we’re going to make our best investment. No one needs to feel they gave too much or too little, because it’s not equal giving, but equal willingness to sacrifice. We say thank you, thank you, thank you for standing with us thus far on the journey. We look forward to walking together to receive what the Lord has for us.
