Focus

There’s more work to do to than we will ever get done. There’s more to talk about than we will ever get communicated. There are more people who need help than we will ever get helped. It’s never ending, so we must focus our time, our energy, and our communication in order to be most effective. Our church cannot try to do everything, but we can do some things very well.

With that in mind, I will focus this blog on three things: celebrations of God at work, keeping our Orchard vision crystal clear and sharing what’s going on in my heart. It sounds so easy, but I’m thinking this will be a challenge.

Celebrations of God at work

I was on facebook the other day and saw a picture posted by Karla Chestnut from her balcony window in Biera, Mozambique, where her and nine others were on a short term mission trip. The picture (and other emails) took me back to last year’s trip to Africa and reminded me what an amazing work God is doing through our partnership in Mozambique. Our team just returned from that community having built relationships, while sharing and learning from our partners there. Our VBS students and volunteers sent blankets and backpacks for pastors. They also sent money to hire a teaching pastor. Our marathon team is raising money for a school within our community there. God is at work in Gorongosa and we are a part of what he is doing. Yea God.

My heart
Sometimes I ask myself why does God let us be a part of such a growing and exciting and life-changing church? Why do I get to serve with a fired-up healthy staff of 35? Why do we get to choose to impact 5 focus communities? Why has God continued to bring new partners to our ministries? Why? Why?

The answer that comes to my mind is from our definition of spiritual growth: Spiritual growth (and kingdom building) is the process by which God transforms me to be more like Jesus for His glory, for the sake of others, and for the abundance of my own soul.

Not to us, but to His name be the glory!