For the last several months, we have received weekly “Relaunch Progress Updates” as we prepared to relaunch in-person meetings and endeavored to get our feet back on the ground. As we begin the new year, however, we must pause to acknowledge all that God has done in and through our church during that time.
- Secured a new meeting place
- Provided financially for a wide variety of startup costs
- Opened the door for us to partner with two different schools by providing food and refreshments for events
- Held the most successful Winter Gear Drive in our congregation’s history, collecting more than 50 coats and an array of other winter gear for distribution to families in our community
- Welcomed multiple newcomers into our church!
It is not overstating things to say that God has enabled us to survive and continue ministering through the most difficult year since our church was founded in 1938. Truly, God has done great things in our midst! And as a result, we must do two things:
First, we must celebrate! We are looking for ideas for how we can celebrate all that God has done over the last year. If you have any ideas, please let us know!
Second, we must shift our focus from survival to mission. This past Sunday, we learned about Jesus’ mission, and as followers of Christ, we were challenged to make his mission our own. Over the next few Sundays, we will continue to unpack what that looks like by examing the five values that must continue to form the foundation of New Foundation Church. The very crux of that mission, though, is making earnest followers of Jesus.
There are two things that must happen for us to accomplish that mission. First, we must be striving daily to be better followers of Jesus ourselves. This means spending time in personal Bible study and prayer. It means learning from and encouraging others. And it means serving each other as our gifts enable.
Second, we must be working daily to invite our friends, families, neighbors, and coworkers to follow Jesus, too. The +1 Initiative, in which we pray daily for, engage weekly, and invite often people we know who don’t yet follow Jesus, is a crucial part of this. Another critical way we can do this is through serving our community. Volunteer with your favorite community group or the nearest school. Get involved with your neighborhood association. New Foundation Church has established relationships with several area schools. If you need a connection, let us know! As you serve, you will inevitably grow in your faith and build relationships that will enable you to share the love of Jesus.
In short, New Foundation Church has survived. Now, it is time for us to get back to the work of sharing the good news of Jesus with a world that is lost and broken, and increasingly aware of it.