Seasons

I was reading a leadership article recently in which Bill Hybels reflected on how churches are always in a “season”. It could be a season of growth; or change; or consolidation; or malaise; or ...; but it is important to recognise what season we are in and what God is calling us to do in it.

 I reflected on the question as to what season Logan Uniting is in with the ministry leadership team. We used words like application, consolidation, awakening (in terms of living more fully God’s call to mission and discipleship). Tim Robinson used a phrase that has caught my attention and I believe is a great picture of the season we are in. He suggested we are in a season of “sowing in winter”. Last year had something of an autumn feel to it – there were some difficulties, cut backs, losses – but God has now brought us into the winter season. This is a necessary season in which we prepare for spring.

If this is true, what are we to do in this season? The answer lies in remembering where God is taking us as a church. This is best represented in the diagram below:

My deep sense at the moment is to be praying for pre-Christian people we know regularly and purposefully. It would be great if every group, every time we met, began by each person praying for 2 pre-Christian people - that they would come to faith in Christ and live passionately for God’s Kingdom. It is prayer which will enable the seed of God’s word (and our witness) to germinate and produce the greatest fruit for Christ. We are doing this as a ministry leadership team and so is church council.

 Personally I have also set the alarm on my mobile phone to go off every day at 10-02 am. This is to remind me of Luke 10: 2, where Jesus tells us “...The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” The workers for the harvest will come from the harvest. So every day at 10-02am, I pray for my pre-Christian friends to become passionate workers for Christ and for me to be faithful as a witness for Jesus. Wherever possible I also ask those who I am with at the time to join me in this prayer.

Will you (and the groups you are part of) please join me in this prayer focus.

I wonder how you would answer the question as to what season we are in as a church. I would love to hear your responses. 

Yours in Christ

Graham Keech

PS. I don’t think we are at the beginning or the middle of winter – there are already indications of new shoots of growth happening.