Externally-Focused Church

Sunday morning retuning:  So we have begun our four week journey through our Externally-Focused Church series.  Pastor Myron began to build a strong case for why we, as a church, should be externally focused.  Stay with us as he continues to develop this focus through a survey of different Scriptures that point to such a position.  For more on digger deeper look here.

This idea of focusing externally has been on my heart for almost a year in a very pointed way.  In September of last year while attending our Annual District Conference, a gathering of Alliance church leaders from West Virginia and Eastern Ohio, we heard a stirring message from our Superintendent from 1 Peter 2:9.  He used that Scripture to illustrate who we are, God’s people and what we are called to do, declare His praises.  The Church, Focus Externally, to bend it from my perspective.

Having just completed a CD project titled “Show Us Your Glory”, and ever looking for the “next step” Jesus wants us to take, this idea of “declaring the praises of Him who called [us] out of darkness and into His wonderful light”, seemed very clear.  For the next several months I listened to things that would encourage that very heart, and now, as we stand on the cusp of releasing that new CD [Release Party scheduled for Saturday, August 23] we are spending a few weeks being instructed as to what the Bible says about looking outwardly as we live the Gospel.  God’s timing never ceases to amaze me!

As I began to pray about the services that would share the burden of revealing these truths, I kept being drawn back to remembering what the church is, and what we are called to do.  All this in line with the thrust of the CD that is currently in production.  [If you would like to see a sneak peek of the cover designed by our worship intern Julia Ciferno you can click here.]  In the midst of that process I came across one video, then another that I thought were perfect companions, bookends as it were for this four week series.  I gathered from the response on Sunday I am not alone in that estimation.

The first stirs us to recall what Church is even as we gather, Welcome to Church.  

The second which we used as we prepared to depart reminds us that it takes a whole life to do this, not one hour, Before You’re Dismissed.  I love his last line, “Only when you leave the church building can you create the Kingdom of Heaven.”

I have also been listening to some new songs for the next project, which we may just do live on a few Sunday mornings next July or August, and one of them in particular really has come to the forefront because of one line in particular.  The song is We Believe, by the Newsboys.  “So, let our faith be more than anthems/Greater than the songs we sing”. Amen!

Jesus, we want to do more than declare Your praise for 1 hour while we are gathered together.  We want to declare it in everything we do. Teach us to focus externally, even as we rest in You.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy