Sermons
Phone gets slow, PC freezes, wifi not working. What do you do? Press RESET
During this pandemic – lots of things have been paused.
Going out out, meeting up with friends indoors, church services have all been paused for a season.
Believe that God has forced us to press Reset rather than pause.
Windows laptop and you reset sometimes it says updating and takes a long time t come back on because it is upgrading.
I believe that is what the Lord has been doing in the church this last year. As Hull pastor Jarrod Cooper wrote
Away from the stormy plains of a virus ravaged, fearful and panicked world, I believe the Church has been gifted a life-changing opportunity to pause and climb the mountain of God, to be transformed by His grace, to pause and ponder, to ask God to rework us ready for revolution, to prepare us perhaps even for a revival. I believe we would be fools not to fully utilise this pit-stop for a time of major reinvention and reorganisation, personally as individuals, locally as churches and globally as Kingdom influencers.
Lots of things wrong before the pandemic , but we carried on business as usual.
- Stuck at around 100 people for 3-4years
- Only half of adults were in a small group and many not attending regularly.
- Many had stagnated in their growth as Christians.
God has given us a chance to reset.
We have learnt loads in this season and the Lord has been speaking.
He’s been speaking about a divine reset, with a fresh upgrade!
Mission is unchanged – we are a gateway for the Gospel to go to the nations.
Have you heard the story of how that came about?…
Vision statement has changed – simply it is Gather, Grow, Go.
There is more flesh on that – we gather in the presence of God to grow as passionate followers of Christ and we will go locally and globally.
But you are more likely to remember Gather, Grow, Go
Anything lockdown has taught us – connection – gathering together is important
We also want to grow – as followers of Christ and also how many of us too!
We are all called to make a difference where God has placed us in our schools, neighbourhoods and work place – we are all called to go and make disciples. Matt 28:19
During lockdown all three of those have been harder. So the reset adjusts the vision of what God will do in and through us. The old vision statement was about drawing people in, sending people out but didn't prioritise us growing.
I've watched over the lockdowns as some have grown so much – doing Bible readings, getting involved in the live streaming, working the tech, presenting to camera, getting involved with kids talks and doing courses like Anxious for Nothing, Growing in God's mission. And It's been great to see so many at prayer meetings on Zoom.
But for others not being together, iron sharpening iron has made it hard to grow.
Let’s face it following Jesus Christ passionately is impossible naturally. We need each other and more than that we need God’s power. Power to be who we cannot be and do what we cannot do!
So as restrictions was – from the 23rd we will be physically gathering again – to start with at the Gaywood Community Centre. Come June it looks like restrictions will be going more and more.
So let's drill down what resetting to Gather, Grow, Go looks like
On Sunday's there is so much we have missed
Worshipping together, seeing spiritual gifts like prophecy, word of knowledge used in meetings (easy to learn in the church to use them out there where they are needed even more), ministry times and just being able to connect.
Sundays will maximise what we have missed!
Our small groups will have a big reset – like I said only 50% have been in a group and even then attendance has often been not that great.
The groups will get a big reset. We will pause in August and relaunch in September so we can gather, grow and go. We’d love everyone to be part of the new style small groups.
Firstly there will be a four week cycle to groups
Week One Prayer meeting. Significant prophecy that for the second wave of growth the prayer meeting will be the fulcrum.
Spurgeon always said that the prayer meeting was the boiler room of the church.
What if this Divine Reset is God’s signal to return to our makers instructions, that we should be a House of Prayer for all nations? (Mark 11:17) To passionately love God first, before we busy ourselves with anything else. To give ourselves in undistracted ways to His presence and loveliness, to wait on His words, to gaze on His beauty.
So our focus will be on the central prayer meeting.
In the lockdowns we have learned to gather on line – so Groups can meet and join the prayer meeting together on Zoom and/or join the central gathering which will be broadcast over zoom.
We want to have as many of us as possible part of these week one prayer meetings.
God is calling us afresh with urgency to be a house of prayer for the nations. We need God’s power to be what we cannot be and do what we cannot do! And revival will come
Week Two Bible Study
We are planning a year of four week sermon series to help us grow! The week 2 Bible studies will focus on that month's series topic. There will be a PDF for groups to use. We want to be a people of the Word and the Spirit. We will gather, we will grow!
Week Three Family Meal
In week three groups will gather together to eat. Acts 2 big part of church life. Prophetic word about the 2nd wave of growth fellowship meeting was part of that alongside the prayer meeting. We are known locally as the eating church! Hallelujah! When we meet, we eat.
Groups can do a bring and share on their normal group meeting time or perhaps for Sunday lunch.
Eating together means we stay together – building relationships round the table!
And we’ll grow as we do – so we gather, we grow and then we go!
Week Four Equipping night
On the fourth week there will be an opportunity for some training in the groups – we'll be growing together in skills that will help us live our out faith. The Christian life is not just hearing as James says, but doing as well. So we will equip each other to grow and go – to be scattered into our neighbourhoods, workplaces, schools and clubs to share God’s love. And some will go further afield.
On five week months – groups can do what ever! Eat again!
We gather, grow and go
Four week cycle for groups each month
- Prayer night
- Bible Study
- Family Meal
- Equipping night
When your group gathers for sessions like the Bible Study and Equipping nights, we'll use a 3 thirds discipleship format. Out go the 4W's, where most groups forgot one or more Ws each week.
If we are going to grow together we need to have iron sharpening iron, some loving accountability so we are not just hearing the word, but doing it too!
So each evening will be split into 3!
- i) Looking back – welcome and catch up. Asking one another how did you do with the goals you set last time. Time for a song/prayer too. (Dave B story and me fasting!)
- ii) Looking up – in the word and Spirit – the topic for the evening, whether it be the bible study or equipping session
iii) Looking forward – how are we going to put this into practice? Setting some goals (may share or not!)
COST
That gathering and growing will enable us to scatter well – to go back into our homes, schools, neighbourhoods, clubs and workplaces to be a blessing, to see the Kingdom of God grow as share the love of God, make disciples, heal the sick and raise the dead!
Our hope and prayer is that the Gateway will continue to be a gateway for the gospel to go to the nations and together we gather in the presence of God to grow as passionate followers of Christ and we will go locally and globally.
As we reset one group is closing and we will be starting up some new ones. I’d love to see an online group for those who can’t get out because of childcare etc.
Maybe you would like to lead a group – get in touch. There will be some training in the summer!
Conclude
We are the Gateway for the gospel to go to the nations
We gather, grow and go
We gather in the presence of God to grow as passionate followers of Christ and we go locally and globally on a mission.
Let’s pray!