Living Out the Five Practices
There have been a lot of conversations around AUMC about the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. This is a book that was written by Bishop Robert Schnase which highlights life giving practices that healthy churches live out on a daily basis. We have been watching a video each Sunday during worship about one of the Five Practices. (Thanks Derek Craig for putting the videos together.) Greg Koomler has created banners that are hanging in the sanctuary which serve as reminders to all of us of the need to be living out these practices. I have been highlighting the Five Practices in my short term class on Leading @ AUMC.
With all the talk about the Five Practices it is important that we remember that when we talk about our church engaging in Passionate Worship we are talking about you and me being passionate worshippers. In other words, if AUMC corporately is going to be living out the Five Practices you and I as individuals need to live out the Five Practices. Here are some ways you and I can be living out the Five Practices in our daily lives….
Passionate Worship: This is worshipping the LORD with all we’ve got within us. To do so let’s…
· …be worshipping daily through spending time in prayer, praise, and the Word.
· …be praying regularly for the coming Sunday services. (I often pray that we will all find ourselves on holy ground on Sunday mornings)
· …read & meditate on the next Sunday’s Scripture throughout the week. (You can find that Scripture in your bulletin.)
· …pray for those around you at church to experience God’s presence and power during worship.
Radical Hospitality: This is going the extra mile to invite and welcome people into a relationship with Jesus and AUMC. To practice radical hospitality let’s….
· …greet everyone with a smile and a warm handshake. If our church is to be a friendly church it will be friendly as you and I are willing to reach out to those we may not know in a proactive way.
· …invite family and friends that are not going to church anywhere right now to come to AUMC. God is doing wonderful things at here and you will be doing your non churched family and friends a favor by inviting them to become a part of what God is doing.
· …do all we can to make sure the building and the facilities are clean and welcoming. If you notice that there is something that needs to be cleaned go ahead and lend a helping hand.
· …open up your home for a small group or discipleship class. (This takes work but the growth that takes place is well worth it.)
Intentional Faith Development: This involves engaging in the spiritual disciplines that cause you to grow in Jesus and helping others to do the same. To practice intentional faith development let’s….
· …make time each day for the Lord by having a quiet time where we engage in praise, prayer, and being in the Word.
· …find a Sunday School class or a small group where folks know your name and care for your soul and where you can grow together.
· …be willing to serve as teachers, small group leaders, hosts for small groups in our homes, and or helpers. God can use you to help someone else develop in their faith walk. Are you willing to let God use you?
Risk-taking Mission & Service: This is being willing to extend the love of Jesus by going and engaging even when we would rather hold back. It is using your gifts and talents to be a blessing to others. Let live out this practice by…
· …deciding you are going to find a place to serve on a regular basis. You could serve within the four walls of the church or help out with a ministry beyond the church’s four walls. (For example serving at the Soup Kitchen or as a mentor at Cahoots.)
· …acting on those “holy nudges’ we receive from the Lord to go and engage even when it means moving out of our comfort zone.
Extravagant Generosity: This is giving sacrificially of our time, talent, and treasure so that the Kingdom will be enlarged and people will be helped. Let’s be extravagantly generous by…
· …deciding to either tithe (give 10%) or begin to grow to a tithe in the regular giving of our income to what God is doing at AUMC. (I would ask that everyone at AUMC pray about starting to give on the basis of a percentage of your income. It will help you grow in your faith.)
· …sharing generously of our time, treasure, and talent with those in need. You and I will find that we can never out give the Lord.
I am convinced that God is calling us as individuals and corporately to be living out the Five Practices. As we faithfully do so we will find that we are increasingly becoming fruitful disciples and a fruitful congregation. May the Lord help it to be so!
All for Jesus,
Pastor Tim