What are you waiting for

Part 1: Review of 2008 and look ahead at 2009

From our Mission Statement:

We believe God has called us to establish a growing, regional, biblically based community of faith in Leeds. We will worship God, communicate His love and mercy to all people and commit to living out our faith in Jesus in a creative and contemporary way, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We believe that there is good news for this generation in the Kingdom of God and we long to share that news, particularly in Leeds and the North.

We aim to make, train and equip followers of Jesus to be effective in the extending of God's Kingdom, to develop leaders, to plant new churches, to contribute to the blessing of the whole church and to minister with the poor in practical ways.

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2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.
God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,

He throws caution to the winds,
giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
never run out, never wear out.

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.
Carrying out this social relief work involves far more than helping meet the bare needs of poor Christians. It also produces abundant and bountiful thanksgivings to God. This relief offering is a prod to live at your very best, showing your gratitude to God by being openly obedient to the plain meaning of the Message of Christ. You show your gratitude through your generous offerings to your needy brothers and sisters, and really toward everyone. Meanwhile, moved by the extravagance of God in your lives, they'll respond by praying for you in passionate intercession for whatever you need. Thank God for this gift, his gift. No language can praise it enough!

This is about money but also about doing the stuff, the stuff of the kingdom. This is what we do in this church, this community of people who follow Jesus. But I want to challenge you to go further, sow more generously, and the question I am asking you is, “what are you waiting for?”

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Review 2008

From time to time, and often at the turn of the year, I look back to track progress and see whether I have moved forward in my life plan. For me that takes various forms: I have plans for how I steward each aspect of my life – some detailed and some just gut instincts but all before God. I want to make progress in my relationship with Alison, being a father to Josh and Sam, caring for my extended family, developing friendships. I want my business to achieve certain things and my personal finances to take shape in a certain way. I also look at this community of faith and know that God has given me some goals to aim for. Specifically I believe he gives me a heart for the individual people and a desire to see you progress on your spiritual journey following Jesus.

Personally, our biggest development last year was seeing Josh and Sam effectively leave us as empty nesters. I have also been forced through a particularly demanding growth curve with learning more about praying for people in public spaces. I took a team to Love Berlin in August for what was one of the hardest 10 days of ministry I have experienced – but it was great too.

It has been a quite extraordinary year:

• A year ago the five biggest investment banks in the US were Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. Three have now disappeared and the remaining two are no longer standalone investment banks.
• A year ago AIG (Manchester United sponsors) was the biggest insurance company in the world. Today it is an agency of the US government.
• In the UK in the last year or so Northern Rock, Bradford & Bingley, RBS, HBOS & Lloyds TSB have either disappeared or been nationalised.
• Our high streets have for sale signs where there used to be a Woolworths, Adams the children’s clothes retailer, Zavvi music shops (used to be Virgin Megastores), Whittards, Officers Club.
• In October 2007 people borrowed £8 billion in mortgages. 12 months later it was £459 million. A 94% fall.
• A black man was overwhelmingly endorsed as the next president of the USA and released a nervous wave of optimism around the world.

Much has happened in the life of this community of faith, including carrying on with this regular meeting and others in our regular programme. It has also included:

• launching Belly Buttons,
  
• Alpha,
  
• the Friday Night Project for the young people,
  
• weekends away for different groups of us,
  
• new housegroups,
  
• the first set of graduates from the Leadership School,
  
• various training days,
  
• Revive,
  
• mission trips abroad.

But that is only a part of being a church. We are beginning to learn what “church” really means.

Alex Griffin’s article in the Christmas newsletter describes it well:

How do we measure growth at Wharfedale? Is it the number of bums on seats of a Sunday morning? Maybe. But perhaps a more unseen measure is the increasing affect that the people of Wharfedale are having on the many communities, clubs, families and individuals that surround us when our bums are off the seats. It appears that helping, blessing and serving others is becoming a more natural tendency for us. For example, more people are going on short term mission trips (at the last count 16 people went on a mission last year; already 19 people are lining up for next year).

We are finding that as we regularly 'go out of our way' for others, the upheaval becomes a simply a change in our routine without the inconvenience. The more we become flexible to reach out, the easier it becomes and the more our relationship with God and our daily lifestyle blur into one. I would guess that the number of people who have been touched/soaked/prayed for/etc. by Wharfedale this year runs into the thousands. 800 doughnuts with card that say 'God Loves you' were given out at Roundhay bonfire night alone.

Looking at the Forum website, I note that the last entry describes how one person at Wharfedale brought along 200 bags of sweets to their University CU so that they could all give them away on Halloween (something we call No Trick Our Treat). Other than 200 happy students, the CU noticed that the idea was easy to do and effective. A number of CU members now want to do the give away thing regularly and even get their homes churches to do the same.

Furthermore, Wharfedale is having an impact through On The Streets, Browning House, Inglewood Children's Home, and hours upon hours of opportunistic chats with neighbours, family members, colleagues and complete strangers.

This time last year I encouraged you to leave your circle of comfort, walk across the room and enter the zone of the unknown (using Bill Hybels’ book as a guide). I suggested that if there are 200 of us each taking three such STEPS each month (a friend, a family member, a co-worker) it would add up to 7200 STEPS over the year.

Here are some stories we heard about as a result:

1. Birgit buying a chocolate bar for someone in the petrol station queue;

2. Jane preparing a festive treat for the lady at the checkout in the supermarket near her house;

3. Alex praying for a co-worker’s broken leg and having him round for dinner;

4. Several of you meeting at Buttercups and Café Neros to pray and share prophetic words with people – several of which led to significant intervention by God in their lives;

5. Kate, Maggie, Naomi and others held a prophecy party for some girlfriends at their home;

6. Debby and Elaine prayed for a distressed lady at a bus top outside the hospital;

7. Nigel followed up a referral from a GP to support and pray for a needy person in Osmondthorpe;

8. Nigel also regularly offers to pray for clients of his business;

9. Many prayed for people in the parks and on the streets – when we did it together or on your own;

10. Kate prayed for a Hindu friend’s daughter who got better;

11. Pauline prayed for a lady’s damaged hand at work and at the third prayer she got better;

12. Out and about blossomed as something to which you can invite your friends easily;

13. The Alpha course helped bring several people to faith in Jesus;

14. Ian gave out chocolates on valentines day to all his office colleagues;

15. Alison and I had the privilege of leading a funeral for a baby of a woman on the fringe of this community;

16. Jeffrey prayed for a woman on the train;

17. Tom and Julia have organised wonderful practical help in getting people’s houses cleaned up and repaired;

18. Mel took a big risk of introducing spirituality to the Nurse Practitioners group she leads;

19. Alison prayed for a lady in her art class;

20. We saw people healed and impacted by God on the streets and in the parks around Leeds and in Berlin;

21. Tim & Jo reached out to friends and family with a dedication celebration near their home;

22. Recently those of us who work at the VC had the opportunity to offer a Christmas lunch to our neighbours – some of whom do not get on, some of whom would have been classified with the tax-collectors and sinners with whom Jesus spent much of his time, and all of whom were very curious as to know what goes on inside the VC.

As well as all these individual stories – of which there are many, many more (just visit the web site forum and use the Reach Out forum to tell us about yours), there are many occasions when groups of us have joined together to take a STEP: the Servefest, no trick our treat, Christmas wrap, collecting Christmas trees and on and on.

Isn’t that good? Isn’t that what we mean by seeing God’s kingdom come? But don’t you want to see more in 2009? More of God in action? More people coming to know Jesus, more people being healed, more people being blessed by random acts of kindness, more marriages restored and more finances replenished?

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Plans for 2009

If Alison and I head off into 2009 will you come with us? Shall we do this all again?

Let me share some of what we think the Lord has planned for us.

For me I think the Lord is calling me to get my house in order. What that means is that there are going to be many challenges and changes in 2010 for Alison and me on many fronts. Not sure what they all are but I sense they are coming. For me 2009 is going to be a getting ready year. It involves developing my business, re-structuring the way I work at the Vineyard and re-appraising my personal life with Alison and the boys.

I want to talk you through some of the things that I foresee for this community for 2009 – in particular I am trying to give you material over which to pray as we head into our annual week of prayer and fasting.

Leadership and staff

I don’t want to spend long on this today – you will find comprehensive information on the website – but I do want to let you know about some changes we are making which may well not be very noticeable at first but which will, I hope, lead to this community being even more effective in its Kingdom purpose.

As we often say, “Living things grow, growing things change”. As Wharfedale Vineyard grows, change is inevitable: from time to time, we need to re-assess what we are doing, and the way we are organised to do it.

The General Leadership Team (fondly known as the GLT) consists of Alison and me, David & Sally Wallace, Ben & Kate Newman and Alex & Karen Griffin.



Hitherto we have met frequently and have been quite involved in the day to day running of things. Henceforth, in recognition of a trend that has been developing for some time, the GLT will meet much less frequently and will handover the day to day to the people who work in the office.

The purpose of this team is to provide accountability for Alison and me. This works in two ways – it is somewhere for us to go for support. But it is also the place where you know people are keeping an eye on us. Please pray for us.

The staff are there because as we grow there is a relentless flow of work, much of which has to be done in normal business hours. They can build a certain expertise and resource and are more available than people who have to work their own jobs. Nevertheless, their role is not to do the ministry of the Wharfedale Vineyard, it is to support and enable and equip you to do this ministry of the church.

Five work groups

We are in the process of re-organising the workload for the staff team into five work groups to improve communication, coordination and financial planning. We will also want to spread the decision making and authority further than simply leaving it with Alison and me or even the GLT. You will find the detail on the website but in summary it will look like this:



A. Big/large groups of people

Events and activities of more than large housegroup size (say 40 plus). Currently weekly worship, the Gathering, the Vine, leaders’ meetings/weekends, equipping days. Incorporates venue liaison, set up, set down, worship, children’s work, welcome, refreshments, publicity etc. Nik Gee will report to Alison on me about this work group and David & Sally Wallace will support him in that role with their considerable experience and wisdom.

B. Small groups of people

Incorporating mainly housegroups and affinity groups such as BOB (men), Women Rock, Minicab Groups, Alpha, Leadership School, Marriage Prep, Nooma Nights, Prophecy Parties. Also small training events. Could develop singles groups, seniors, marriage etc. Ben and Kate Newman oversee all housegroups, and Kate, in her paid role, will report on this work group.

C. Family

Incorporating children, young people and their parents. Includes Friday Night Project, Deeper, children’s parties, Vineyard Kids & T4:12 at weekly worship. Potentially older people groups, equipping parents, detached youth and community work. Hannah Ripping will report on this work group, and will also oversee T4:12. Chris and Helen Walker oversee Vineyard Kids. Hannah will facilitate other family ministries, such as Belly Buttons, and will hopefully be facilitating new ministries for parents.

D. Reach Out

Incorporating Other People Other Places, evangelism, servant evangelism and Acts of Kindness, community partnerships, ministry with the poor and On the Streets, prayer and prophecy outside, Out and About, the church has left the building etc. Erik Peeters will report on this work-group, which is overseen by Alex and Karen Griffin.
In fact we are also formalising Erik’s role on the staff team. He has been offered and has accepted a one day a week position as one of the assistant pastors with a brief to support the teaching and preaching that goes on here – at bigger meetings and in housegroups and so on – develop resources for everyone and now also to report on Reach Out.

E. Support Services

Incorporating administration, finance, risk management, operations, personnel, building use, communications, web site, trustees, major projects etc. This workgroup is organised and spearheaded by Anne Button and Claire Tapp who is our assistant administrator. We will gradually introduce more support and help to this team.

For the purposes of reporting to Alison and me about these work groups we will have meetings weekly to share information, plan ahead, review how things have gone and keep an eye on resources and budgets. Please continue leading, recruiting, training, casting vision and growing your area of ministry!

Benefits

Once the work groups are reasonably well established and the reports are running smoothly for each area, we will begin to see significant advantages accruing to this way of working:

• Communication – the team will be able to monitor the programme and calendar from a wider perspective to try and avoid unnecessary conflict and negotiate clashes. They will be key in facilitating sharing the right amount of information at the right time to the right people.
• Coordination – the team will negotiate the sharing of limited resources and people. We will plan the future programme hand in hand with each other.
• Financial planning – spending and budgets will be tracked easily and we will be able to assist Anne in managing the finances and plan ahead. There will be a balanced approach to helping the teams’ leaders’ budget carefully.
• Pastoral perspective – the Assistant Pastors in the team are pastors by calling and I expect them to be able to maintain a wide pastoral view over our community, praying for their people, supporting the leaders and intervening where focussed help is needed.

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Other plans for 2009:

1. All we described for 2008; plus

2. New leadership/staff structure

3. Teaching – faith & science, what the bible says about money, study on 2 Corinthians

4. The Vine

5. Ashburnham – amazing way to invest in yourself and family

6. Church Planting – identifying, training and releasing church planters

7. Invest in VK & T4:12 – every parent involved plus others – key to seeing the kingdom come in UK

8. Plan for growth – venues etc

9. Gathering develops into weekly

10. Projects from the heart - start the planning to buy another building in order to provide more services to reach into the community and share God’s love and power:

• Alternative schooling
• Debt counselling
• Asylum seekers & immigration help
• Mental health support
• Food bank
• Unemployment assistance
• Addiction recovery

How does that sound as an agenda for 2009?

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What are you waiting for?

In 2007 I presented you with a challenge in your walk with Jesus. It was to let him guide you to give generously and perhaps irresponsibly and see him then provide for you as you were used by him to provide for his church and by the church to provide for our world of need. And that enabled us to buy the Vineyard Centre – which has been crucial to almost all the things we have been talking about.

In 2008 I presented you with a challenge to leave your circle of comfort, walk across the room, enter the zone of the unknown and share something of God’s love for another person. As a result, thousands of people have been touched by his love and mercy. Wonderful.

In 2009 my challenge comes out of 2 Corinthians 9:6, “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” The way I want to say it is, “What are you waiting for?” Do you want to see his kingdom come? Do you want to be part of a community of faith where people can experience the undeniable presence of Jesus? Do you want these STEPS to be part of your life, of our life? Shall we do this together? We can’t do it on our own?
Well what are you waiting for?

• Continue to give generously
• Continue to walk across the room
• And this year, conquer strongholds

Continue to give generously

Please continue to give – as many of you do. Please give generously (or as Paul describes it, sow generously) and if your income increases, give more. Information about how to give is on the website (Opportunities section) – or just call the office during the week. At this point in time our regular giving is running a little short of our budget for the rest of this financial year. We also need two one-off sums of about £500 or £1,000 to make important upgrades to our administration.

We think we are doing the right things and we are trusting him to provide the additional money we need. But that usually comes through the generosity of all of his people which is why I am drawing it to your attention. I would also remind you that whoever sows generously will reap generously. So, “what are you waiting for?”

Continue to walk across the room

Please continue to walk across the room. Remember faith is spelt r-i-s-k. So please keep taking risks about reaching out to the stranger or co-worker or friend or family member. Keep sowing into people’s lives. Paul goes on to say, “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having everything you need, you will abound in every good work.” Every person who crosses your path will be better off for having something of the touch of Jesus in their life and God will give you everything you need for this. So again, “what are you waiting for?”

And this year, conquer strongholds

I will talk more about this next week. Paul’s encouragement to sow generously has the pay off of finding that we can be made rich and can be generous on every occasion. I know that he is mainly talking about money here but I think it is also true about how we give our lives to following Jesus. So often we hold back from dealing with deep seated issues which cripple our ability to be fruitful and generous on every occasion. Most of us know what these strongholds are - which hold parts of us captive. I want to teach and work with you so that the Holy Spirit of God can help you identify them and conquer them and set you free to sow generously. When faced with these strongholds, my challenge to you will be, “what are you waiting for?”

Let me finish by reading to you a Christmas card we received from some friends with the poem written by the Baptist Minister, Howard Thurman who was mentor to Martin Luther King:

When the song of the angels is stilled
When the star in the sky is gone
When the kings and the princes are home are back with their flocks
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost
To heal the broken
To feed the hungry
Te release the prisoners
To rebuild the nations
To bring peace among people
To make music in the heart