THE FIVE C’S OF CHRISTIAN TEAMWORK:

By Rod Dempsey

THE FIVE C’S OF CHRISTIAN TEAMWORK:

COMMON VISION:

1. Vision is a clear mental image of a preferable future. The team needs clear vision, mission and goals.
2. A church or ministry needs one overarching vision/ mission statement, and all the other ministry vision/ mission statements need to support and reflect the main vision.
3. The early church had a clear vision and strategy and they worked together to accomplish miraculous things. Challenging goals motivate the team to attempt great things. Praying together is essential. Unity.
4. A clear and common vision enables a team to row in the same direction at the same time.
5. A clear and common vision also enables the church and the ministry teams to evaluate their effectiveness.

COMMUNICATION/ COMMITMENT:

1. This is one clear ministry principle that I operate under, “People are down on what they are not up on.”
2. Clear communication builds trust and improves morale.
3. Your ministry team needs to make sure that it is communicating up, down and across the board. We must communicate clearly and resolve conflicts when they arise.
4. Without clear communication, you will have ministry hic ups and personal conflicts.
5. Commitment is strengthened through conflict resolution. Do not let conflict destroy team dynamics.

COMPLEMENTARY GIFTS and TALENTS:

1. Every person knows and is using his or her spiritual gifts and is working together to accomplish the vision.
2. This is where prayer and walking in the Spirit is so important. If we are all walking with God and listening for the Shepherd’s directions, then we will be guided by one voice. We complement each other as we follow the Spirit’s leading.
3. If we are not listening to the Spirit, we will Edge God Out. EGO’s will destroy the body of Christ!
4. Great teams are not composed of a bunch of superstars and prima-Dona’s. Great teams are composed of different individuals who willingly submit their goals to the overall goal of winning for the team.
5. Coaching the individual to grow and develop to contribute to the team is the goal. Jesus is the example.

COMMUNITY:

1. Jesus told his disciples at the end of his time with them that He was not going to call them servants any longer, but friends. Coaching individuals like Jesus helps the team member to engage successfully.
2. The “One Another’s” are the blueprint to help us discover ways to serve and build up each other.
3. The gifts of the Spirit enable us to serve and equip each other so that we can “grow up” in all aspects into Christ.
4. We do not just work together, but we are friends. This is where we want to go.
5. Great teams are composed of friends who are willing to sacrifice to see the vision of the team accomplished. They are committed to the mission and to each other.

CONQUER:

1. Eventually the evidence that a team is functioning at optimum is that the team wins victories.
2. Setting goals and holding each other accountable for the accomplishment of the individual and team goals is critical here.
3. You must learn to generate short-term wins, before you can win the big games. Peak performances at the right time are very important here. Plan and pray ahead to generate victories!
4. After the win celebrate the win and recognize team member contributions.
5. After the win, evaluate the measurable metrics. Follow the maxim, “What gets measured gets managed.” Set new goals based upon the vision and the evaluations.

If Were Starting or Revitalizing a Church Today…

By Rod Dempsey

IF I WERE STARTING OR REVITALIZING A CHURCH TODAY…

I would:

1. Understand that missiology determines methodology. Jesus on Mission determines what the church looks like. Focus on reaching your Jerusalem for Christ (Acts 1:8) with missional formats for every demographic/ people group in your context. John 20:21. Partner with other Kingdom Outposts to create a “City Reaching Movement”. Show and Share the Gospel!
   1. Christocentric Mission
   1. Gospel Net
   1. Joining Jesus on Mission
   1. Mission Informs Mission Chart
   1. City Reach Mission Statement with Steps
   1. City Reach Statements PowerPoint
   1. The ABC’s of suburban missions
   1. Apartment Life
   1. Community Groups
   1. Tampa Underground
2. Understand what the church is… what is the controlling metaphor? The church is His body with members. Each member is expected to play his or her part in the grand plan of God (Eph. 2:10)
   1. Rom. 12/ 1 Cor. 12/ Eph. 1 and 4/ Col. 1
   1. Healthy Church Systems chart
   1. Disciple Making Is Chapter 19 “Understanding the Importance of the Body”
   1. Chapter 4 Disciple Making Is
   1. Body Life- Ray Stedman
   1. “Body of Christ”
   1. Life in His Body- Bonhoeffer
3. Be clear on your job and do your job. My job is to bring glory to God by… developing healthy “missional disciples” who love God, love one another & love neighbor. Love is the goal of our instruction… 1 Tim. 1:5
   1. Connect People to Christ/ To One Another and to the Mission
   1. Venn Diagram
   1. Matthew 28- 1 command 3 participles/ 1 promise
   1. Eph. 4:11
   1. APEST
   1. Healthy Body Healthy Church
   1. Healthy Church Assessment
4. Create a Prayer Team that prays every morning. I would also teach everyone to pray Luke 10:2 twice a day
   1. Quotes on Prayer
   1. “Biblical Prayer Requests”
   1. How Much Prayer Chapter 22
   1. Neil Cole How to Pray for the Lost
   1. Dr. Falwell quotes and plan
   1. Small Groups become the praying arm of the church
5. Make sure the Preaching of the Gospel is connected to believing in and following Jesus!
   1. Bill Hull
   1. Gospel Questions
   1. Gospel Conversations
   1. Gospel Presentations
   1. Discipleship starts with believing in Jesus as savior and Lord. (Rom. 10:9-10) “
   1. Required Baptism class”
   1. Write out Testimony and follow the B.L.E.S.S. method for every member
6. Start small (create the DNA). “Do not despise the day of small beginnings.”
   1. I would meet for 10-12 months with a leadership team setting the DNA
   1. After/ during the 10-12 months each couple would recruit their own group of 10-12 people
   1. Then bring the 10-12 groups together on Sunday morning as a collection of missional groups
   1. Sunday morning would be exegetical, expositional teaching for the missionaries
   1. The focus would be growing from the “inside out” not the “outside in”
   1. Each week recognize and commission new groups being born and sent out to the mission
7. Organize around small groups (Follow Wesley’s system of Bands/ Classes/ Society)
   1. Every person in a group
   1. Every group to have gender specific “Growth Groups” (see pamphlet)
   1. Every group would have a mission
   1. Every member would be a missionary (Teach and practice B.L.E.S.S.)
   1. Every group would have an apprentice
   1. Every group would be expected to multiply within 18 months
8. Have a great Assimilation Process and connect Sunday morning to midweek- (Sermon Series Groups)
   1. Assimilation Process
   1. 7 Step Assimilation Process
   1. Strengthens the partnership
   1. Increase Women leadership
9. Have a required connect class and assimilation process with non-negotiable membership commitments.
   1. Why Should I Join a Church?
   1. “Church Membership” by Thom Rainer
   1. Rom. 12/ 1 Cor. 12/ Eph. 4-  
   1. Members of the Body must be fulfilling their part in the Body.
10. Have a “Jethro” coaching system for discipleship/ group leaders-
    1. Exodus 18
    1. (5 x 5 Model)
    1. “COACH” article
    1. What should I report to my Coach 25
    1. Joel Comiskey Coaching
11. Have a full blown training institute that focuses on “Ortho Praxy”-
    1. Triple Diamond and
    1. Clint Clifton-Residency Programs
    1. City Partnerships
12. Have a leadership/ teaching team from Eph. 4:11 (APEST) or I would try to reflect APEST.
    1. APEST
    1. Leadership Quotes
    1. Three Streams Chapter 17-19
    1. The 5 C’s
13. Focus on Eph. 4:16… the “proper working of each individual part” and
    1. Col. 1:28-29  “Every Person Focus”
14. Make sure the architecture and programming reflects the missional nature of the church… not “Come and See” but “Go and Be”. Places for food, clothing, education, life skills… AND Only hire/pay people who produce/ develop/ train missional disciples. Every paid person is personally involved in equipping, and discipling others for the Great Commission.
    1. With/ Of/ Is
    1. TAHO
    1. Organic
    1. ”Show and Share the Good News!”
    1. “Creating A Disciplng Culture.”
15. How Do you Measure Success?
    1. Health
    1. Multiplication
    1. 55 Metrics
    1. Focus on keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing… MAKE DISCIPLES and qualify for the Promise!

I would not:

1. Start large
2. Start in a church building
3. Start with a Sunday morning service

I would be careful about: (Performance based ministry)

1. Having a worship team… keep it simple… congregational singing
2. Having a children’s ministry that minimizes parental discipleship
3. Having a youth ministry that minimizes parental discipleship
4. Hiring traditional staff for Sunday morning
5. Focusing on the centrality of the pulpit (Venn Diagram)

FREE: Healthy Church Assessment (20 Areas):

Developed by Rod Dempsey

HEALTHY CHURCH ASSESSMENT: (Healthy Systems = Healthy Body)

Our church is a place: (To the left of the number rate from 1 (low) to 5 (great).

1. Where passionate prayer is continually being offered up for the lost and for laborers through all the ministries and during special prayer meetings.
2. Where the gospel is being proclaimed by word and deed. People are being saved weekly. “We are showing and sharing the Gospel to our community.”
3. Where new believers are baptized on a weekly basis.
4. Where worship occurs at the individual level throughout the week and it is powerfully manifested when the body gathers together.
5. Where the Sunday morning messages are Biblical, powerful, practical and applicable.
6. Where new believers are intentionally and individually nurtured and developed.
7. Where believers are willingly and sacrificially investing their financial resources in the Kingdom of God.
8. Where the “new members of the Body” are being assimilated into the church and volunteering to serve, get in groups and sacrificially give.
9. Where the leaders in every department see their role as equipping and empowering the saints.
10. Where a majority of the saints are growing in maturity (connecting them to Jesus through the disciplines).
11. Where the saints are growing in unity and love for one another.
12. Where the saints are encouraged to discover, know and use their Spiritual gifts.
13. Where a majority of the saints are using their gifts “properly” (according to God’s design).
14. Where relational groups are intentionally developed and growing in their love for one another (the one another’s are happening).
15. Where relational groups are lovingly sharing their lives and the gospel with unbelievers (living on mission in community).
16. Where leaders for the Great Commission are intentionally being developed.
17. Where relational groups are multiplying new leaders and new groups.
18. Where the poor and “least of these” is intentionally being ministered to in our community.
19. Where the mission of Christ is being accomplished locally, regionally, nationally, and globally by members from within the local body and we are experiencing the favor/ blessing of Jesus.
20. Where new churches are being planted/ partnering because of effective discipleship and effective leadership development.

DISCUSS:

• What are the strongest areas?

• What are the weakest areas?

• What are some ways to strengthen the weak areas?

What does it take to be a Healthy Church?

Written by Rod Dempsey:

HEALTHY SYSTEMS= HEALTHY BODY

The church is the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27/ Eph. 5:30). In the natural world we know whether or not a body is healthy or not by taking an assessment of certain baseline measurements that indicate health. If we are disinterested or lazy about growing and maintaining our systems, they will not produce the results we want. In other words, slack equals lack. When we become slack in taking care of our systems, we experience lack, and a weak system or a system that has decreased function will not be healthy and an unhealthy body will not be a good representation of Christ and will not reproduce.

HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS:

1. SKELETAL (Support)
2. RESPIRATORY (Breathing)
3. NERVOUS (Signaling)
4. MUSCULAR (Movement)
5. DIGESTIVE (Energy)
6. CARDIOVASCULAR (Circulation)
7. IMMUNE (Defense)
8. REPRODUCTIVE (Life Giving)

CHURCH/ BODY OF CHRIST SYSTEMS:

1. THE PRAYER SYSTEM (Dependence on Christ in all SYSTEMS)
2. THE EVANGELISM SYSTEM (Attractional and Missional)
3. THE WEEKEND SERVICE SYSTEM (Worship and Preaching)
4. THE ASSIMILATION SYSTEM (Discipleship- Small Groups)
5. THE MOBILIZATION SYSTEM (Discipleship- Ministry Teams)
6. THE STEWARDSHIP SYSTEM (Discipleship- Giving)
7. THE LEADERSHIP SYSTEM (Great Commission Leaders)
8. THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM (Missions and Church Planting)

QUESTIONS:

1. What are the strongest 2 systems in your church?
2. What are the weakest 2 systems in your church?
3. What is your strategic plan to create healthy systems for a healthy body?

THE KEYS:

1. Identification of the Systems
2. Measuring the health of the Systems (body). (#’s/ percentages/ ratios)
3. Creating a plan for improving the health of a system(s). (Personnel/ Strategic Planning/ Accountability= Annual Department Ministry Plan).

4 QUADRANTS:

1. Good People/ Good Systems= Maximized Results
2. Good Systems/ Bad People= Better than average Results
3. Good People/ Bad Systems= Frustrated people
4. Bad Systems/ Bad People= Out of business

Prayer Quotes to Encourage You!

Compiled by Rod Dempsey:

1. Nothing of eternal significance ever happens apart from prayer. – Jerry Falwell
2. All of our failures are prayer failures. Jerry Falwell
3. The size of your God, determines the size of your prayer request. The size of your prayer request, determines the size of your answers.- Jerry Falwell.
4. Jesus taught that perseverance is the essential element in prayer. – E. M. Bounds
5. Prayer must carry on our work as much as preaching; he preacheth not heartily to his people that will not pray for them.  ~ Richard Baxter, 1615 – 1691
6. Groaning’s which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused. ~ Spurgeon
7. Prayer in private results in boldness  in public. -Edwin Louis Cole
8. If your day is hemmed in with prayer, it is less likely to come unraveled. Annon
9. Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together.  Never do they love one another so well as when they witness the outpouring of each other’s hearts in prayer. ~ Charles Finney
10. The Spirit, when He prays through us, or helps us to meet the mighty “ougthness” of right praying, trims our praying down to the will of God…. ~ R.A.Torrey
11. It is possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone.  ~ Hudson Taylor
12. Before we can pray, “Lord, Thy Kingdom come,” we must be willing to pray, “My Kingdom go.”  ~Alan Redpath
13. I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it. – John Wesley
14. Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue; God’s voice is its most essential part.  Listening to God’s voice is the secret of the assurance that He will listen to mine.  ~ Andrew Murray
15. Prayer at its highest is a two-way conversation and for me the most important part is listening to God’s replies.  ~ Frank C. Laubach
16. The real end of prayer is not so much to get this or that single desire granted, as to put human life into full and joyful conformity with the will of God. -Charles Bent
17. Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers. ~ J. Sidlow Baxter
18. The sovereign cure for worry is prayer. -William James
19. Prayer is nothing but the promise reversed, or God’s Word formed into an argument, and retorted by faith upon God again. – William Gurnall…
20. Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God.” –E. Stanley Jones
21. Those who do not believe do not pray. This is a good functional definition of faith. Faith prays… unbelief does not. –John A. Hardon
22. If you can’t pray a door open, don’t pry it open.– Lyell Rader
23. Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work. –Oswald Chambers
24. When the fire of prayer goes out, the barrenness of busy-ness takes over. -George Carey
25. Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure – DL Moody

12 Reflections on Church Consulting- by Chuck Lawless

12 Reflections on Church Consulting After 20+ Years:

By Church Lawless: 12 Reflections on 20+ Years of Church Consulting | ChuckLawless.com

For more than 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of consulting with churches seeking to grow. Here are some of my reflections of those years.

1. Churches often wait too long to address decline. Some churches don’t do regular checkups, and thus they have no means of knowing they’re sick. By the time they recognize and admit decline, the pattern is so entrenched that reversing the trend is not easy.
2. Statistics really are helpful. Most often, they tell us to ask more “why” questions. Why has the church declined in attendance for five years? Why did the church reach 50 people last year, but attendance grew by only fifteen? Why has worship attendance in the second service plateaued?
3. Prayer in unhealthy churches is only reactive—or non-existent. Prayer in an unhealthy congregation is often a response of desperation rather than a marker of the DNA of the church. In many cases, though, prayer is simply not a congregational priority. 
4. Churches often settle for numerical growth rather than life transformation. If the church increases in number at all—even if the growth comes only by believers transferring membership from another local church—the church is satisfied. Few churches evaluate how many non-believers are converted through their ministry.
5. Churches don’t know their community. I’m amazed by how many church leaders are not aware of the demographics of their ministry field. They often live among a people they do not know.
6. Most churches aren’t ready for conversion growth if God were to send it. They do not have the “nursery” of discipleship ready for baby Christians. Seemingly, they assume new believers will grow simply by showing up each week.
7. Sometimes the most obvious suggestions seem the most revolutionary. Church leaders struggling to overcome decline are so close to the situation they often miss the most obvious corrections. Going back to the basics is often a first step toward renewed church health.
8. The leader matters. Never have I seen a church reverse a decline when led by a pastor uncommitted to the hard work of turning around a congregation. On the other hand, a broken pastor who longs and prays for God to move mightily can see a congregation change.
9. Preaching matters. I hesitate to write this because I’m sensitive to a pastor’s heart, but boring preachers don’t usually lead a church toward health and revitalization. More than once as a consultant, I’ve had to have honest, hard conversations with pastors about their preaching. 
10. In too many cases, the church leaves the consultant’s report on the shelf. That’s usually because either (a) they disagree with the report, or (b) they don’t want to tackle the hard work that reversing direction will take. 
11. In most churches, somebody wants the congregation to make an eternal difference. The good news here is that just a few people can ignite a renewal fire in a local church. Somebody sees in faith what God might do, and he/she can be a significant support for the pastor.
12. God is still growing His church. I’ve worked with churches I thought would never grow. Nevertheless, I’ve also seen God work miracles by restoring unity, strengthening and refocusing leaders, and sending members into the community to share the gospel.

How Does a Church/ Ministry Make Changes?

1. Do Assessments (based on the Great Commandment/ Great Commission… UP/ IN/ OUT)
2. Diagnose System challenges (based on what?) What are the Metrics?
3. Understand Change Options:
   1. Keep doing what you are doing (ignore the facts)
   1. Shoot the messenger (demonize the facts)
   1. Do more research (delay the change)
   1. Make small changes (micro change)
   1. Make big changes (macro change)
4. Change the metrics (qualitative change)Step away from quantity
   • Move toward quality (Quality will produce Quantity IF you do the right thing)
5. Revisit your core beliefs and core systems:
   1. Vision
   1. Core Values
   1. Views
   1. Vehicles
   1. Verifiers
6. Change- Apply Prescription
   1. Change the scorecard
   1. Change the language
   1. Change the culture
   1. Change/ Improve the operating systems (Hybrid Model)
   1. Change the story
   1. Change the future
7. Prescribe adjustments
8. Alignment of team
9. Mobilize the troops
10. Reward right behavior
11. Tell the new story
12. Repeat the process in every system of the ministry

Old Scorecard: (Health of the Organization)

1. Bodies
2. Bucks
3. Buildings

New Scorecard: (Health of the Body)

1. Upward
2. Inward
3. Outward

Biblical Resolutions for the New Year?

Written by Rod Dempsey:

Here are my top 10 Biblical resolutions you should consider this year and every year:

1. Believe in and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Rom. 10:9-10

2. Present your bodies to Him daily. Rom. 12:1/ Rom. 6:11-13

3. Set your mind on things above. Col. 3:2

4. Reduce the intake of things from this world. Rom. 12:2

5. Join a local church and get involved. Eph. 4:16

6. Discover your spiritual gift(s) and use it to build up the Body. 1 Peter 4:9-10

7. Learn how to share your testimony. Acts 22 and 26

8. Learn how to share the Good News of Jesus. 1 Cor. 15:1-5

9. Pray for open doors to show and share the Good News of Jesus. Col. 4:1-6

10. Pray and read God’s Word daily to “hear His voice.” John 10:27-28

GOT G.R.O.U.P.? Small group that is…

Written by Rod Dempsey:

Do you remember the ad campaign entitled, “Got Milk?” The ad would appear with a well-known star sporting a milk moustache looking very debonair and always asking the aforementioned question. Well let me ask you a question in my most dashing accent, “Got G.R.O.U.P.?” If it helps, maybe you can put an Inspector Clouseau, pink panther French accent, on the question.

However, you ask the question the question is legitimate. Got G.R.O.U.P.? G.R.O.U.P. is an acrostic and the letters stand for:

G: Guided by a leader. Dr. Jerry Falwell said, “everything rises and falls on leadership.” Simply put if you don’t have a leader it ain’t going to happen. In all my years of ministry experience this is one of the most challenging aspects of ministry. Specifically, to move a person beyond salvation, past basic spiritual growth, forward to serving and then to strategic serving… which for some people… would be to discover servant leadership and how to help other people to grow in their most holy faith? Leadership is not about what you can do for me, but rather what can I do for you? How can I help you grow and become more like Christ? When a group leader understands this process then he or she is in the business of true spiritual leadership. For a group to be successful, the leader of the group needs to view their job as drawing out the new creation that God has in mind for every individual in your group. When you do this, then the group is led by a leader.

R: Regular meeting times. I prefer weekly, but every other week could work if you have a good way to connect with people in the off weeks. Meeting monthly will not work if you are serious about helping the people in your group grow AND develop. If you are meeting monthly, a person could miss one meeting and it might be a full 2 months, before you see that person again. This is not acceptable, if we are trying to shepherd the flock of God with integrity.  In 2 months time the enemy, who prowls about like a roaring lion, could easily use his tricks of deception, discouragement and disillusionment to defeat one of your group members. Meeting weekly is best, because that way, acting as a shepherd you can not only lead the sheep entrusted to your care, but you can also protect the same said sheep. Meeting weekly is the bare minimum to provide the right environment for growth and development.

O: Open God’s Word. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:12 that the “Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Of all the many things we do as group leaders when we meet together, we must take seriously the responsibility to break open the Word of life. The Bible has the power to change people’s lives from the inside out. Consider for a moment Romans 12:2,  “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed, BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Opening and studying the Word of God has the power to change us from what we are… into what God has in mind for us.

U: United in Love. In the New Commandment (John 13:34-35) Jesus exhorts us in the upper room discourse to “love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” The book of Acts described the love that the early church had for each other in this way, “and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.” They did that to meet needs that were coming to the forefront in that early gathering of believers. Now I’m not advocating a form of Christian communism, but I am advocating a radical “others first” brand of Christianity that is willing to sacrifice to meet needs and show true love. Remember this truism, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

P: Prayer for One Another. In addition to opening the Word, praying for and with one another is what separates a spiritual group from a civic club. People get together weekly all the time in civic settings all across the country. The church must be different and what separates a church group from any other secular group… is the spiritual content (Word of God) and the spiritual encouragement (prayer). Something amazing happens every time you ask someone this question, “how can I pray for you?” It is equally amazing what happens when two or three people begin to agree on something and begin to petition our heavenly Father (refer to Matt. 18:19). Do not underestimate the power of group prayer.

What is the Purpose of the Baby in the Manger?

Written by Rod Dempsey

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE BABY IN THE MANGER?

From the Angel’s mouth, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-12). Praise God. Jesus came to save us from our sins! As a result of Jesus coming to us and dying in our place there is another birth to examine and that is birth of the Church. Notice the pattern. Jesus is born and over time He grows and matures. After a while He publicly proclaims His mission in Luke 4:18-19:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

As He proclaims the Good News… He is the Good News. He heals the sick, feeds the hungry, has personal conversations with hurting people, teaches the people, gives sight to the blind, casts out demons, raises the dead and dies on the cross for all the sins of the world past, present and future! Before His death though He explains that He will “build His church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:16-19). After His death and resurrection, the church is born in Acts 2. Continuing the birth motif… whenever a person believes in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for their sins they are “born again” (John 3) and this new creation is part of the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). In Act 2 we see that the new followers of Jesus immediately follow His example and, “they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.”

The church has come into existence for the purpose of “birthing” little Christ’s (Col. 1:24-29). We are the mystery that has been hidden from past ages and generations who are maturing and using their spiritual gits, given to them by Christ, to build up the other members of the Body. Ultimately so that Christ’s body will become the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus in a hurting world. As each member matures and develops his or spiritual gift and uses it according to the plan of Christ… the Body matures and grows healthy (Eph. 4:11-16).

The Body of Christ then becomes the visible loving representation of Christ in a community doing the very things Christ did while here on earth. In Christ’s love, using His supernatural gifts, the Body meets the needs of a community, and the people not only hear about Christ they see and are impacted by His love through His disciples. The Good News of Christ is seen, felt, heard. The Gospel is visibly shown and verbally shared.

Fulfilling the mission of Christ to “make disciples” is actually making healthy members of the Body of Christ who look, think, feel and act like Christ and together through their gifts serve the world by preaching the gospel to the poor, proclaiming release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, and they set free those who are oppressed, while proclaiming the favorable year of the Lord.” Together they become the visible representation of Jesus on this earth and that is the ultimate reason of the Baby in the manger. The Baby in the manger has come so that multitudes will believe in Him and be born again to become the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus to a lost and hurting world.