Really moving from the Huddle to the Game!

You have been reading my blogs for the last couple of weeks comparing the way we do church with a mission of a sports team set for winning goal. The church service is our “huddle’ where we plan our actions, build each other up, get refreshed and ready to enter the witnessing field for other 6 days of the week. The real church work happens outside of these walls – building the Kingdom of God.

The Adventist News Network (http://news.adventist.org) published an interesting article this week. A Seventh-day Adventist layperson in Bermuda wants the island nation's churches to shut their doors. For a month! "The bible says 'Go ye therefore to the world,' not 'Go ye therefore to church,'" said Scott Smith.

The 44-year-old native Bermudian isn't against corporate worship; he's a member of the Pembroke Adventist Church. But he says many people won't step foot in a church - not even one like Pembroke, which is situated in a neighbourhood notorious for gang violence and is responsive to its community's unique needs.

To connect with their neighbours, Christians should visit them, Smith says -- a simple, obvious solution, but one he's observed is more likely to generate talk than action. If churches in Bermuda closed their doors for a month, members and leaders could channel energy, time and resources into a concerted effort to change the atmosphere on Bermuda's streets, Smith says.

Hmm!!! That’s a bold challenge. Yet, of church goers have no time for ministry, then let’s do it on Sabbath, Jesus’ style. Visiting people in need to give them comfort, liberation, relief, and help in trouble. Are we ready to move from the “huddle” into the “game”?

I am not sure closing our doors on Sabbath is the solution. Our members are not well equipped yet for the real outreach ministry. Yet, in this blog I invite you to consider the perspective of what really matters, of what really is important for the Kingdom of God.

This coming week Teresa, Heather, Gene, Lucy, Sandra, Esther, Grace, and many other volunteers will be here Tuesday night setting things up to serve the community Wednesday afternoon. As scores of people come, they are looking not only for handouts, but for connection, for someone to listen to them, to care.

Gord and Kathy are doing church every night this month, ministering to the health-needs of some 30 people through CHIP program.

How is your “going out”? How is your “game” of witnessing?

We welcome you to the “huddle” today. We want you to pay close attention to the Spirit moving today, learn the witnessing plan. And then GO and SPELL about your relationship with Jesus!