Mission & Vision Sermon Series!

Mooresville Church of God

Mission & Vision Sermon Series

January 2 - Purpose:  Reconciliation

January 9 - Mission:  To Make Disciples

January 16 - Vision:  A Healing Community

January 23 - Strategy: Grace + Truth

January, 2011 represents an important season for Mooresville Church of God!  We are discovering God's vision for how we will accomplish His mission in our community.  We hope you all will join us as we look into God's Word, His mind, His heart and His call to us as His Church!

New Leadership Development Opportunity!

Beginning in 2011 Pastor John has been offered the opportunity to become an Associate Trainer with EQUIP, the leadership development ministry of John Maxwell.

EQUIP is a non-profit organization specializing in the development of effective international Christian leaders. Founded by Dr. John C. Maxwell in 1996, EQUIP is dedicated to developing servant leaders who shoulder responsibility, meet challenges with courage and creativity and never relinquish their God-given dreams.

This is a volunteer role that Pastor John will be serving in.  He will be teaming with Scott McDonald and training pastors and lay leaders in Beirut, Lebanon.  They will travel to Beirut twice each year for three years and share 2-3 days of training with church, ministry and business leaders in that part of the world.  The training will typically include leaders from Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.  Pastors and leaders from other Middle-Eastern nations will also participate.

Pastor John is also excited to partner with Camille Melki in this endeavor!  Camille is the founder and director of Heart for Lebanon ministries.  Mooresville Church of God supports H4L and recently took a mission team to Lebanon to partner with them in their work with Iraqi refugees, the Bedouin population and other impoverished and disenfranchised people in Lebanon.  Camille is the Middle-East Coordinator for EQUIP and will be organizing the training sessions that Pastor John and Scott McDonald will be teaching.

There are many ways that Pastor John's role with EQUIP will benefit Mooresville Church of God!  One of the most significant is the access Pastor John now has to the EQUIP leadership development curriculum.  This curriculum represents 2 levels of Leadership Development training totaling 72 individual training sessions!  The access to this curriculum will open the door for a comprehensive leadership development initiative to be pursued within the congregation of Mooresville Church of God!  In addition it presents an opporutnity to offer leadership development training to the larger community!  Pastor John will also have access to high-impact leaders and trainers who will be teaching, coaching and influencing his own personal leadership development!

Because this is a volunteer role there is significant financial need to help EQUIP provide the needed training materials to the Middle-Eastern pastors and lay leaders.  In addition Pastor John will have travel expenses for each of the trips to Lebanon.  If you have interest in financially supporting Pastor John's training efforts in the Middle-East please see him for details on how you can be a partner in this vital leadership development initiative!

Emmanuel: Seeking God with Us

Plan to join us this Advent season as we celebrate:

Emmanuel

Seeking God with Us

Nov. 28 -  Finding Hope!

  Dec. 5 -  Finding Peace!

Dec. 12 -  Finding Joy!

Dec. 19 -  Finding Love!

Dec. 26 -  Finding Life!

Basic Training

ATTEN....TION!

It's time to get back to some basics of the Christian faith!

We are in the middle of a great series in which we return to some basic topics necessary for everyone who is a believer or still has questions about the Christian faith.

We've already covered topics like:



- God's Word (The Bible) and why understanding it is so key to our understanding of God
- The Church and why Jesus called it into existence

In the next few weeks we will be looking at some other important understandings of the Christian faith:

- Oct. 31 - The Trinity and why God expresses Himself in 3 persons
- Nov. 7 - Giving (Money) One of the most controversial topics but an essential to understand
- Nov. 14 - Forgiving and why it's a key to be able to give it and receive it
- Nov. 21 - The Reason - This will try to sum up the reason that God initiated all of this for our sake

We hope you can join us as we learn and seek God together!

In His Grip,

Pastor John

10 Stops On the Journey of Transformation

I had the opportunity to hear Christian researcher, author and teacher George Barna speak on some very important issues facing "The Church" today.  There was too much information to share it all, however, here are a couple of big picture statments he made that really made me perk up and pay attention: 

He said that researchers have basically known for 25 years or more that the "Congregational" model of doing church has been slowly, consistently, but almost assuredly losing it's effectiveness.  The congregational model is basically the way that 99.9% of churches function and operate.  His point with this statement was simply to declare that we MUST continue to be innovative and creative in how we will "BE" the church in the coming generations.  The old model simply will not work effectively enough to sustain itself for much longer in an increasingly post-Christian and anti-Christian culture in the USA.  This is simply one of the great challenges that face churches, pastors, leaders and Christians today!  We can no longer fear the reaction of our congregations to change!  We have no choice!  Be transformed back into the outward-focused movement that was the 1st Century Church or die a slow and ineffective death.

The other statment Barna made was something like this:  "You achieve what you measure".  He went on to say that for far too long we have measured only numbers (attendance, giving, square footage) and paid very little attention to measuring the transformation of people.  He is not suggesting that we not keep track of any numbers.  That would be or could be irresponsible.  What he is suggesting is that we stop making those measurements our first priority when assessing success and failure at our mission.  He is suggesting that measuring transformation in people will drive us to be more effective and thus produce all the numbers we want (my words, not Barna's)!  So here are what George Barna called the "10 Stops on the Journey of Transformation".  An intersting statistical note before you read through them:  89% of all Chrisitans in the USA never get beyond stop 5.  They never grow or deveolop beyond the point of salvation.

1. Ignorance of sin:  Non-believing people don't even realize that sin exists in their lives.
2. Indifference to sin:  Non-believing people grow to understand the concept of sin but are indifferent to it.  They don't know they should be concerned about it and do something about it.
3. Concern for sin:  Non-believing people become concerned that sin exists in their lives.  They begin to search for the answer to the question, "What should I do about this sin?"
4. Understand a Need for Forgiveness:  Their concern for sin becomes a need to be forgiven by Someone capable of forgiving sin.  They find Jesus to be the only One capable of this forgiveness.
5. Embrace Grace & A Need to Grow in Faith:  This is the point of salvation.  They recieve grace and begin to grow as a follower of Jesus Christ.
6. Spiritual Discontent:  After salvation and an understanding of God's grace, the nice, comfortable, safe Christianity that is typically taught no longer satisfies.  They long for more and are discontent with a faith that doesn't challenge and change them or other people.
7. Brokenness:  They begin to realize that they cannot change the world on their own.  They need God, His power and the rest of His people to do it and are broken by their limitations and inadequacies.
8. Surrender & Submission:  As their brokenness takes it's toll on them they throw their hands in the air and cry out "I surrender"!  In the Church of God, this is the point which we used to call being "sanctified".  Surrendering all of who we are, our will, our desires, our lives to God and His purposes.
9. Profound Love for God:  Having surrendered and submitted to God's will, love and grace, a deep, intimate and profound love for Him develops.
10. Profound Love for Other People:  It is only after understanding and receiving God's amazing grace and love that we can extend that love to others!  This is God's mission in the world!  For all people to know, receive and share the love of God through Jesus Christ!

What would it look like if we started measuring this type of transformation first, before any other measure of our success or effectiveness?  I think George Barna is pointing us in the right direction.  I think it's a Christ-like and missional direction.  My prayer is that we would all have the courage and faith to follow.

In His Grip,

Pastor John

Reach Out Concert

John Schlitt, lead singer of "Petra" and internationally-known recording artist, will be featured at Mooresville Church of God in Mooresville, IN on Saturday, September 18 at 7:30 PM. John will also make an appearance on Sunday, Sept. 19 during the church's Sunday morning worship service at 10:30. Petra was founded in 1972, and is one of the world's best known and most successful Christian rock bands, with sales of over 7 million records. Schlitt, a native of Illinois, has been their lead vocalist since 1986. During his time with Petra, he has recorded 16 albums, earning four Grammy and numerous Dove awards, with many #1 and Top Ten hits on the Contemporary Christian Charts. His travels and performances with the group have reached all 50 states and as many as 18 countries. Prior to his time with Petra, Schlitt was lead singer of the rock band "Head East," a Midwest-based rock group which toured the United States in the 1970's and was best known for their classic hit, "Never Been Any Reason." Schlitt's concerts are a mixture of classic Petra tunes in rock, pop, and praise & worship style, such as "Beyond Belief," "No Doubt," and "We Need Jesus," plus hits off his solo albums such as "Show Me the Way," "One by One" and "Inside of You." Tickets are currently on sale at the church office for $5. Ticket prices at the gate will be $10. You can also purchase tickets at www.itickets.com. For more information, check out the church website: www.MooresvilleChurch.org or call the church office at 317-831-1418.

New Preaching Series Beginning August 15

New Preaching Series!

Beginning August 15, 2010

Making Room for Life

Trading Chaotic Lifestyles

for Connected Relationships

American culture has so many good and exciting things to offer!  Innovations, technology, opportunities abound!  We really are blessed in so many ways!

But every good thing has a price...a cost...

Another reality of American culture is that we often sacrifice the intimacy and quality of our family relationships and friendships for the sake of the pace and possibilities of our lifestyle.  Even more, we sometimes don't think it can be different...even if we wanted it to...But it can be different! 

We hope you will join us beginning on August 15th and discover a new pace of life!  A pace that allows healthy time for your family, friends...and for God!  Hope to see you at Mooresville Church of God!