From Huddle to the Game.

Last week I shared with you the metaphor for the church as that of a sports team, where worship hour is the huddle, and the time we spend outside of the church, mingling with the community we live in is the “game” of our lives.

Today I invite you to consider this metaphor yet on another level. If we would to compare a football team that is set to achieve certain goals, certain victories, with the church, that also has a strategy and goal of winning people to the Kingdom of Christ, where do we invest most of our time, resources and energy? The huddle/worship hour, or the game/mission life 6 days a week?

As we met with elders last Monday we looked at the 10 parishes that constitute our church. Each elder has a responsibility for certain families, each parish ranges from 20+ to 40+ individuals. Our combined church family is just over 340 people, with some 200 members, and the rest are friends, immediate family, long-time visitors who did not yet make a commitment to join this family of faith. Yet, the regular attendance ranges within 130 people, including children. 77 people are disconnected, another 88 visit occasionally. From those attending regularly about 60% are involved in some kind of ministry.

Looking at the stats, we were challenged how much work needs to be done to connect and involve all for ministry, for living a life that brings God the glory. Pastors, elders and directors of various ministries are the support staff. Just like sports team having coaches, medical personal, therapists, masseurs, the leadership invests time in preparing the “huddle” – the Sabbath experience of motivational worship, and educational workshops. Yet, until people accept the responsibility for being the “star-players” all our (leadership) efforts will be wasted.

It is when every member accepts personal responsibility to live lives of witness, to pray for God to place in their lives people that they may witness to everyday, that our church will be a winning team. When every person attending this church asks him/herself “What is my purpose in God’s Kingdom?” “What is my ministry?” that the Kingdom of God will begin to grow exponentially in this city of London.