1 Vision, 5 Pillars, 3 Gatherings!

In the coming seven weeks we are going to be thinking about who we are as a Church, how we grow and build, and how you can be involved. We are doing this because we are eager for our whole Church family to be on the same page. We desire to see everyone have a greater understanding of what God wants to do through us, and how He wants to do it. When we have that kind of unity we will be able to think and act prayerfully, passionately, and wisely about how our diverse gifts and abilities can be used to build God's glorious Church. So let me begin these seven weeks by giving you something simple to think about.

What is Immanuel? We are a people with one vision. We build Christ's Church on five pillars. And, we build the Church through 3 gatherings.

What is our vision? To build a community from all cultures where Christ is King!

What pillars do we build on? Truth, community, prayer, worship, and mission.

What do we build through? We build through meeting together in three gatherings. Each Sunday we meet through Worship Gatherings, and Prayer Gatherings. Then throughout the week we meet in home gatherings. Each of these equip us to continue building the Church in every intentional and informal interaction we have throughout the week.

That's it. 1 Vision, 5 Pillars, and 3 Gatherings. Now, let me ask you a few questions.

Do you long to see Blacks, Whites, Somalies, Indians, Hispanics and Nepalese gathered as part of Immanuel to worship Jesus, serve Jesus, submit to Jesus, to love Jesus, and to bask in His glorious grace? If you do, then you've caught the vision.

Do you want to see the Church built up by gimmicks, personalities, and a watered down message? Or has God given you a passion to see the Church built up through the truth of His Word, the prayers of His people, the love of His new community, the worship that He inspires, and the mission that He empowers? If you do, then you are standing on the pillars.

Do you realize God has called us to grow together? He has called to meet together. We are to meet to hear his Word, to cry out to Him in prayer, to sing His praises, to eat His body and to drink His blood, and to meet deeply and intimately with his people so we can move out together on mission. Do you hear His Word each Sunday morning? Do you gather to pray with His people each Sunday as well? Do you have other believers in your home, or do you gather with them in their homes, and throughout the city throughout the week? If you do then you understand the importance of gathering.

May God fill our gatherings with new disciples, as we fill them with truth, prayer, community, worship, and a zeal for God's mission. May He meet with us as we meet with each other, and as we glorify Him in all of our daily lives, so that we might become a community from all cultures where Christ is King.

Looking forward to the next seven weeks, and beyond,

Ryan