The Weekly Epistle 6/15/22

Several years ago, EBC held an open forum to brainstorm ideas for community outreach programs. Many ideas were proposed, but one stood above them all. Of the approximately 50 people who attended, the vast majority overwhelmingly agreed that the church should start an AWANA program. Within weeks the idea was greenlit by the eldership. 
 
It’s been nearly seven years since that meeting took place. Not one child from our community has known the joy of running around an AWANA circle. Not one child from our community has memorized even a single Bible verse. Not one child from our community has heard the life-giving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 
 
                    Of course, this begs the question, why? 
 
                    Why did such a great idea fail to gain traction?
 
                    The answer is simple. 
 
Good ideas only lead to good outcomes when people with good ideas invest themselves in the outcome. In other words, it’s one thing to have a good idea; implementing a good idea and seeing it through to completion is another thing. Unless you’re willing to invest your time and energy into your idea, you should have no reasonable expectation that your idea will come to fruition. Jesus isn’t going to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” because you had a good idea. He’s going to say “Well done” because you faithfully invested yourself in the mission of his Kingdom. AWANA failed to gain traction because no one invested themselves in the idea. 
 
                      Now, please, listen to what I am saying and not what I am not saying. 
 
I am not suggesting that we should have started an AWANA program back then, and I am not trying to guilt anyone into starting one now. I am not writing this epistle to shame anyone who attended that meeting. I am simply pointing out that if God puts an idea in your heart, you need to invest yourself in that idea. 
 
                       You need to invest yourself for the sake of Christ. 
 
                        You need to invest yourself for the sake of his Kingdom.
 
Now, maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “I am not an idea person.” That’s okay. You don’t need to be an idea person to invest yourself in the Kingdom. You just need to be a committed person who seeks to faithfully and consistently invest yourself in the work God has for you. 
 
If you are an idea person, you must take serious stock of yourself before proposing your idea to the church. Ask yourself, “Do I have the time, energy, and personal fortitude to give this idea my all?”
 
Regardless of whether you’re an idea person or not, I encourage you to join us this Sunday for Pastor Brian’s sermon, “It Takes A Church”.  Pastor Brian will encourage every person in the body to assume their individual responsibility in order for the full body of Christ to function properly here at EBC.
 
See you Sunday,     Pastor Dan