Dear Christ Community
Dear Christ Community,
It’s Love Shelbyville Week!!!!!
A long time ago, I remember hearing our Founding Pastor Lee Webb say this about Love Shelbyville day: “It just brings us back to the heart of the mission.”
It reminds us that as much as we love to gather together, and as much as we love the people we get to gather with, if we don’t keep going we miss out on the reason we gathered in the first place.
Even in that, let’s not get it twisted; we don’t just go to serve or be on mission. We go outside because that’s where Jesus is and we want to join Him. Or as Eugene Peterson put it in the message: “So let’s go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus.”
Go ahead and get signed up: https://loveshelbyville.com/news/love-shelbyville-day
You’ll notice the new platform for sign-ups. Huge shoutout to Rebecca and Daniel for getting that up and going! It’s all part of continuing work to streamline our communication - especially as it relates to serving both inside and outside of the church.
All their work to help us communicate well on the details reminds me that one of the simplest, yet deeply impactful ways to love one another is to communicate with them. The more relationships and responsibilities we are a part of the harder it can be to simply communicate with one another. Don’t underestimate the value of simply sharing with someone what your plans are, what your expectations are, or what you’re feeling.
And it’s only fair to share that I need that reminder more than most!
I’m excited to spend the next couple months together in the sermon on the mount. It feels like a triple dipped ice cream cone (If that’s not a thing it should be!) when you read the words of Jesus in God’s Word with the help of the Holy Spirit! Let’s Abide in that! (That song just hit different yesterday! Thanks worship team for leading well!)
Alan Witham worked with Kenny to provide some training for group leaders this past week; what a gift! Word on the street is there’s some new groups preparing for launch in the spring. If you’ve got some folks you could invite over for ice cream and you’re interested in learning more about what it could look like to turn that into a Community Group, give either of those guys a call.
Daniel Bright and I got to spend some time this past week with some other missions leaders around the state. Daniel both shared what he’s learned and learned from others as he and attended a conference that challenged us to think about how we’re mobilizing people to the least reached - or unreached - places of the world.
One of the questions that was recommended to be asked in different context was this: “What is it like to be a lost person who lives here?”
I might ask you, “What’s it look like to be a lost person living on your street?”
I love that the question pushes us outside of ourselves and out into the streets.
It also reminds me of pulling into my driveway not long ago. As I got out of my car, Gaven - who did a fantastic job of sharing his story yesterday - was walking by with a friend. He’d come to the neighborhood just to walk and talk.
This past week, the guy who interviewed him, Jeff, offered to do the same with me.
Maybe you’re not a coffee person. Maybe you’re not a door-knocking evangelist. But many of us have the ability to simply go walk and talk. And as you go, make disciples, teaching them everything that Jesus commands, trusting that he’s with you, to the very end of the age.
Christ Community, it was another great week of gathering with you. Now it’s time to go outside.
See you on the streets,
Blake
