Surprised by Hope

Happy New Year!!! Through our “Elijah” series we are being called to a fresh surrender to God and a more radical belief in His work in us and through us. I am looking forward to the way God will lead us in experiencing this individually and together throughout 2013.

From the 17th Feb right up until Easter we will be engaging in a whole of church experience using NT Wright’s “Surprised by Hope”. I found this following extract from a website advertising the material:

“Gain an exciting new vision for your life on earth in light of your future in heaven. Wonderful as is the promise of heaven, a glorious hereafter is just part of what salvation is about. What about today? Jesus called his followers the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Your life here and now is of tremendous consequence, and what you believe about the future has a direct impact on how you live in the present.

In six transforming, faith-inspiring sessions, premier biblical scholar N. T. Wright opens your eyes to the amazing full scope of what God's Word has to say about the world to come and the world that is.

Filled with discussion questions, thoughts for reflection, and ideas for personal application, this study will help explore such questions as:

o What is heaven really like
o Is our main duty as Christians simply to help non-Christians get there?
o What hope does the gospel hold for this present life?
o In what ways does God intend for us to experience that hope personally and spread its healing power to the world around us?

Surprised by Hope will give you a clearer vision both of the future and of God's kingdom at hand today.”

This really will be an incredible, life changing journey we engage in. The way to get the best out of this series is be to be part of a weekly faith life group where you can help each other apply the transformative insights you hear and discuss. If you are not currently part of a faith life group we will help you join an existing one or become part of one of the new faith life groups we will be creating for the duration of this series.

I praise God for gifted interpreter’s of God’s word such as NT Wright who can help us walk in the fullness of God’s purposes.


Yours in Christ


Graham Keech

Live beyond yourself this Christmas

Throughout Advent (the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas) we have engaged in the “Advent Conspiracy” material through which we are invited to turn Christmas upside down this year. We are called to “worship fully”, “spend less”, “give more” and to “love all”. If we think of the gift Jesus gave it was acceptance, hope, healing, friendship, forgiveness, love, salvation. Truly the best gifts cannot be wrapped in paper but require the giving of ourselves relationally to others.

My prayer is that you and I will “live beyond ourselves” and give as Christ did by reaching out to pre-Christian friends and to the disadvantaged in our community. Some of you have already done this by participating in the TEAR campaign, and/or the Churches of Christ Foster Care Christmas Tree and/or the sausage sizzle held at the Springwood Central School. 

Some will help out with the Fishers of Men dinner on the 23^rd of December. Others will quietly go the extra mile in helping someone or including someone or inviting someone to our Christmas Eve or Christmas day service. Many will hear the prompt of the Spirit to engage in a conversation with someone (perhaps that distant cousin on Christmas day) that moves beyond the “weather” and “what gift did you get” to something deeper. 

A conversation that journeys into more personal areas such as genuinely exploring how a person is going, life purpose/hopes, or faith is one that Holy Spirit uses to help a person move closer to God.

May God help all of us to participate more fully in His purposes this Christmas and give of ourselves to others.

Happy Christmas

With love from

Graham, Merrett and Kayla

Change is never easy

Change is never easy. Change always involves a period of confusion and turmoil before the new beginning can emerge. As we have changed from a program driven church to a more relationally focussed church; as we have changed from defining church by the Sunday event to defining church as “3 or more people with a covenant commitment to grow in Christ and make Christ known”; this has not been easy. 

There has been confusion, turmoil, misunderstanding, anxiety, mistakes, reactions and loss of momentum. 12 months ago it felt like we had been trying to push a big stone wheel up a hill only to have it roll back down on us.

2012 has been different. I sense a greater confidence in who we are and in who we are becoming as a church. We have learnt to celebrate that Logan Uniting Church meets in coffee shops and homes and schools and parks and ... all over South East Qld; and at the same time recognise how important it is that we gather together regularly to worship God. We have been able to affirm the value of our institutional/organisational life as being important in protecting the more organic nature of a church built upon relationships and small groups. 

I am hearing more and more stories of people living out Christ’s mission incarnationally (as we all seek to be disciples of Christ wherever we live and work). I am observing the wonderful gift that occurs as people care for each other and celebrate that “this is church”. More and more IFFFs are beginning “organically” as people connect in groups of 3 for deeper discipleship. Life Groups (faith and fun), IFFF’s and ministries continue to explore how to reach out relationally to those who don’t know Christ and how to support each other in this incredible mission. 

We are praying for pre-Christian friends, not just for ourselves. We have experienced incredible generosity as over $76 000 has been given or pledged for mission, the ongoing work of God through LUC and in practical areas such as curtains, video equipment a lawnmower etc. Our website, facebook and video messages have widened the influence of Logan Uniting and have become very useful tools not just for communicating information but connecting needs with people who can meet them. 

We are learning to embrace a different “rhythm” of church as our Sunday evening and Carbrook congregations gather twice a month for corporate worship and on the other Sundays meet in faith life groups, bible studies or engage in relational mission. There is a quiet powerful move of the Spirit happening as we grow in “being the church of Jesus Christ”, not just “going to church.”

The diagram below paints a picture of the way God is shaping us as a church:

May we grow in loving God and others well. In a society of busy, stressed, uncertain people this is the greatest gift we can give – to be a church of people who have the space to love God and others well.

Yours in Christ

Graham Keech

Just walk across the room

A number of years ago I heard the statement that, “the moment a person walks through the front door of a church building they step on to an escalator that will move them through the church and out the back door within 2 years. The only way to get off the escalator is to step into relationships/friendships.” I reckon this is true. The key to a healthy church is healthy, accepting, honest friendships. 

I also believe the key to the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ is accepting, honest friendships with people who do not yet know Christ. In the end Jesus boiled true life down to loving God and loving others.

I strongly encourage you to watch out for the person God brings across your path that He wants you to talk with and perhaps befriend and who knows, perhaps share something of your faith in God with. I also ask that you are always on the look-out for the person God wants you to invite to join your Faith life group, IFFF, or Fun life group. This is the way the church grows and disciples are made. 

Go ahead “walk across the room” and include someone today

Yours in Christ

Graham

Gifts of the Spirit - Manifestations of God's Grace

At our anniversary service I encouraged us to “see beyond” those who are currently part of the church. At the core of Jesus call to follow him is His promise that He will teach us how to help people be drawn into relationship with God.

Last Sunday I argued that in Jesus life and ministry, what we currently call “gifts of the Spirit” were exercised primarily in the context of evangelism. The word evangelism literally means to “announce good news”. Jesus didn’t just tell people about the good news of God’s love; he made it real in their life. When Jesus healed the sick, the good news of God’s love became real. When Jesus visited Zacchaeus and accepted him, the good news of God’s love became real. When Jesus told the woman at the well all about her life and showed genuine respect, the good news of God’s love became real.

The word usually translated “gifts of the Spirit” in the New Testament, literally means “manifestations of grace”. God wants to make His love real to people; God wants His grace to come alive for people; and He wants to do it through us. I believe the next big move of the Spirit will see manifestations of the Spirit in workplaces, homes, gyms, even shopping centres, as ordinary people like you and I live with the prayer “God how do you want to make your love/grace real to ...” and insert the name of people we meet and relate to.

The question and prayer for all of us to work with is “God, how do you want to make your love/grace real through me? In our IFFF’s, Faith Life Groups, Fun Life Groups and Ministries we must pray and discover: “God how do you want to make your love/grace real to those who don’t yet know you, through us?” It is as we do this and step out, that the miracles of God will continue to unfold and grow and we will marvel at the privilege of participating in God’s transformation of people’s lives and our community (often called a “revival”).

Yours in Christ

Graham Keech

Fun, Friendship and Faith

Last Sunday was the anniversary of Logan Uniting Church and it was great to remind ourselves of who we are and how God is shaping us as His people. The picture below illustrates how God is shaping us as a church. Every part of this diagram is necessary if we are to be effective in participating with the Holy Spirit in drawing people to Christ.

As a model for discipleship it also reminds us that participating in covenant relationships that  genuinely encourage and challenge us in following Christ (faith life group or IFFF); sharing Christ and the joy we have in Him with those who don’t know Christ (fun life groups and friendships); gathering together to praise God and reflect on His word (faith event – corporate worship); and connecting with Christ personally in prayer and personal engagement with the bible; are all critical dimensions of growing and living as a disciple of Christ.

I have recently been reflecting on the way in which our wider community is in such a different place to 5 years ago. The Global Financial Crisis, the floods, cyclone and the number of job cuts recently in Queensland (along with the pressures of life, increases in costs and the global uncertainties we live in) have deeply shaken people’s confidence. At same time facebook and the iphone (smart phone), ipad etc. have dramatically changed the way we communicate and think. In this sort of context I believe a church that is focussed on developing genuine relationship with God and each other and a passion to serve the broken and those who don’t know Christ is the one that has a future. All the “trappings” that we have at times associated with “Church” have far less relevance – basically loving God and others deeply, honestly and sacrificially is what matters.

May God help you and me and “us” keep the main thing the main thing

Yours in Christ

Graham Keech

Changes to Senior Leadership Oversight

In April this year our Carbrook Congregation began gathering regularly on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays of the month. This is a fantastic step forward in our vision of being a multi-location (meeting in people’s homes and coffee shops and .... during the week) and multi-campus church (gathering in at least 2 different locations to worship God together).

As a consequence it has been necessary to change our Senior Leadership Structure to better serve the changing face of Logan Uniting. The changes have been explored by Church Council, the Ministry Leadership Team and Faith and Fun Life Group leaders.

In our deliberations we have taken into account the following issues:

·         Best thinking around multi-campus models where there is no “mother ship” and where the        senior leader is seen to be across the entire church.
·         How to “keep the main thing the main thing” (disciple making movement expressed through Faith Life Groups and IFFFs)
·         Capacity of all Senior Leadership Team and Ministry Leadership Team
·         The next right answer for the next 3 years.
 Below is the model we believe is the best answer for the next period of our life together.

Senior Minister – Graham Keech
·         Vision, Direction, Preaching
·         Faith Life Groups/IFFFs
·         Church Council
·         College Council
·         Children and Young Families *
 Associate Minister (2IC and Springwood) – Glen Schweitzer
·         Fun Life Groups (Inc Soccer)
·         Resource*
·         Worship/Pastoral Care
·         Missions
·          Counselling
·          Yurana
 Associate Minister (Carbrook) – TR
·         Youth
·         Young Adults
·         Worship/Pastoral care
·          Wirunya
* Children and Young Families Pastor is already leading across both campuses. It is expected that in the next 1-3 years the Resource Pastor position will lead across both campuses.

“This model speaks powerfully to the fact that Faith Life Groups and IFFFs are the major focus for a discipleship making movement. It would mean that as Senior Minister, Graham is spending his time driving the culture and leadership of Faith Life Groups, hence this model primarily takes out of his hands those things which need to take place at each campus ie. worship, pastoral care, resource and aged care services.

It also means that there is clarity and consistency in regards to vision and direction across both campuses with FLG’s whilst allowing each gathering to have its own distinctness/flavour. It also allow each campus to have a clear sense of who is responsible for helping the congregation that gathers move forward in God’s vision.

This model also helps to alleviate some sense that there is a “mother-ship” (most books state this is a killer for multi-campus...i.e. ‘we are the main congregation and they are being supported by us’ rather than ‘we are the church equally together.’) as the Senior Minister would not have primary responsibility at either campus, rather would have primary responsibility for the vision and heartbeat of LUC and preaching.” (from a document explored by church council and other leaders)

Yours in Christ

Graham Keech

PS. I will be on annual leave from the 17^th Sept to the 8^th Oct.