I recently preached two of what I call “location sermons” on video. The first of those sermons was in front of the Annex, where I began many years ago. The second sermon was in front of our main building, which was built about 30 years ago. I did this to help illustrate the fact that we think a church is traditionally formed—a building, a place, a pastor, a sermon. These elements are wonderful parts of our history, but they are not in any way complete. What we have coming up for the next few weeks is the most significant part of our church’s history—as well as our future!
GIC…or, Global Impact Celebration
It was about 12 years ago, after much prayer and agonizing over the meaning and direction of our church, that Don Turner, who served as one of our founding pastors and senior pastors, met someone who had served in mobilizing churches in missions—and he was impacted greatly. That impact spread to myself and other leaders over some time.
Now please note: our church had committed to a ministry in Southeast Asia about 20 years previously. We had also made inroads for 20 years in a meaningful mission project in western Russia.
But we were all challenged with this:
Were we leading our entire congregation into the mission mandate of carrying our part of the responsibility to see the gospel move into the world through every member?
Were we making any real gospel footprints in the world?
Were we really challenged in commissioning our people to find their individual place in God’s mission for the world?
We were burdened with leading our church family to use our talents, resources, and gifts to make a gospel impact in this lost world. There’s a lot more to the story that we might tell over time, but that’s when the Global Impact Celebration event was initiated at LifeWay.
This coming Sunday, October 24, we are beginning a series of messages that will lead us into the compacted five days of our Global Impact Celebration. We will welcome global workers (missionaries). You will get to meet and rub shoulders with them. You will be challenged by them in small group meetings, in workshops they will lead, in prayer time with them. Ultimately, you and I will be challenged with our own commitments to missions.
Save November 10 – 14 for the GIC. There’s a lot more to come on the details, but I am asking you now to prepare yourself for what God is going to speak to you specifically during these days.
I will see you this Sunday morning at 10 a.m. as we initiate the first of the teaching sermons leading up to the Global Impact Celebration. Be praying not only for our church, but that God will open your heart to whatever he is calling you to do.
