Prayer and Planning

Spent the day yesterday with Keaton as we geared up for 2007. It was a good day of prayer, vision casting and calendar planning. Thanks to Pastor Glen at Christian Life in Des Moines for the use of his facility. I was reminded once again of the importance of staying focused. I believe that God has called the church to four non-negotiable purposes:

Include-We must find ways to bridge people from the community to the church.
Instruct- Jesus told us to go make disciples. The Word of God is our foundation!
Involve- Every member is a minister. Every person has a ministry!
Invest- We must invest our lives to evangelism and reaching the lost.

As we plan the year, we must remember these purposes for the church. Many churches can become busy but not focused. We must remain focused on what God has called us to do. We are in the business of building the kingdom. Every program, ministry and activity must fulfill those purposes. If we do this, I believe we are headed in the right direction.