If you consider Granger Community Church in Elkhart to be your church home or you are drawn to support the ministry there in some way, I'm asking you to do more than roll up your sleeves. I'm asking you to pray. And fast. Every week between now and November.
As I shared in yesterday's post, we're already rolling up our sleeves at 2701 E. Bristol Street, our new ministry outpost in Elkhart (read more here). We're preparing the building and property for a grand opening and ministry launch in early November.
But there's plenty more to prepare than a building. God's opened a surprising door of opportunity within our New Normal at Granger Community Church. We are committed to elevate every domain of society within each community where we live as the church. We believe when the human heart is transformed by the grace of God, the kingdom of God thrives through the local church and every domain of a community - religion, justice, the arts, government, education, healthcare, and business - will be lifted. God will be glorified; people will be honored and brought face to face with Jesus himself. That's why we're in Elkhart. We believe it's why God's opened this incredible door of opportunity on East Bristol Street. That's why there's more to prepare than a physical building.
Perhaps as my friend, Don Renyolds, has suggested - God is answering the prayers of people in our community who "prayed" (whether they knew it as prayer) for a turn in their marriage, healing in their family, renewed hope in the face of a still-uncertain job market, peace in a tumultuous economy, purpose in place of insecurity and a search for meaning. This building is mere brick and mortar. But the work ahead of us is highly relational. It will demand all we are. It will call out our very best. It will challenge our status quo to merely provide "ministry" and instead pay the high price of meeting people right where they are with the sacrificial love of Jesus. We need the power of God's holy Spirit to fuel and lead our very lives.
That's driving me to my knees. I'm inviting you to pray and fast with me.
Beginning this week will you...
- Fast a meal a day, a day of meals in a week, or some other event, indulgence or hobby to create additional space in your life to listen for God's voice?
- Ask God to show you what might impede your growth, interfere in your focused service, distract you from being fully awake to what God is up to?
- Surrender whatever it is God shows you, inviting someone else in your life to hear what God's showing you?
- Ask Jesus to give you his eyes, his ears, his heart for people you already encounter in your life on a daily basis? Ask him to respond as he would?
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help us see the Kingdom of God come in every domain of society...and give you clarity about the domains where you already have the most immediate influence?
- Pray for me, our senior management team, and our Elkhart lead team... that we'll have discernment to focus our ministry efforts, carefully gleaning through the "good" to practice the "best" initiatives to impact our community for Christ?
- Commit now to participate with others in our 12-week journey of Experiencing God, beginning the week of September 12 (read more here)? Plan to attend a weekly session at our Granger campus, an Elkhart home group or with your own friends through the online teaching channel (watch GCCwired.com for details over the next couple weeks)?
It's time. Roll up your sleeves. Get down on your knees. It's time to work as we pray; time to fast for the work ahead of us. God's up to something historical at and through Granger Community Church. He's calling his Church worldwide to be the Church. It's time to BE the church.
You in?
