Who is WHBC serving today?
The Ukraine, college students, homebound, youth, discipleship attendees, etc…
Has this changed over recent years? If so, how?
We do many things in our church, a lot of mission trips, outreach programs, we take a lot of collections for different places, we participate in support for various groups- these things have always been this way, but I feel like we have so much going on that we don’t give 100% to any one particular group. We don’t see these things from start to finish… and we go in too many different directions at one time. Also we may do things once, or once a year, or briefly to help out but we never hear any feedback or any follow up… and then we move on to the next thing. We don’t declare any one thing our passion that we give 100% to all the time.
What is the relationship between who God calls the congregation to serve and how God calls it to serve?
Knowing who God calls us to serve and how to serve them is not something that I feel we have a good grasp on. If we feel called by God to serve a particular group then we need to devote time, energy and resources to that one thing- as much as possible in order to gain results for God and what His intentions are through us with that group.
Acts 1:8-9
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. (NIV)
Of all the things Jesus might have said, or wanted to say, why did he choose this to say?
Because He felt it was the most important thing to leave his disciples with, in the way of instruction and what to expect- what He expected of them.
Explore and discuss Jesus’ call on the lives of his disciples:
What did he call them to do?
Receive the power of the Holy Spirit
Who did he call them to serve?
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth
How would they be able to live into Jesus’ calling?
As witnesses
What can WHBC learn from Jesus’ call to his first disciples?
That we are all called as witnesses for Christ. That we are to witness based on our own experiences- this is what makes us experts in our own experiences and others will connect with us through that and thus with God. Also that He will prepare us and give us the power to be able to do these things.
Is this call to his first disciples still relevant for Jesus’ disciples today?
Absolutely!
Who are the people of your congregation?
All ages, professionals, homemakers, students (high school and college), young families, elderly homebound,
Who are the other people like you?
Young married, young lady, professional, raised in this church, administrative in church duties, daughters, grand daughters, college grads,
Who are the people not like you?
Older, retired, new to the church, mothers/fathers, young men, not involved in the activities of the church, still in school, young children, not in church, no job, no resources, foreign culture, etc…
Who is the world beyond your community?
The Williamsburg community, the rest of the state, other churches, homeless, elderly (nursing homes or assisted living), other cultures living in our community, the unemployed etc…
What responsibilities do you have to these people?
To share God’s word with them… to be a witness to them.
Do you find yourself burdened for any particular groups of people?
People that don’t have food to eat
People that don’t have resources that they need
People that don’t know God’s word or God.
Prayer:
Dear God, please burden my heart and the congregation’s heart for those peoples to which you are calling us to be your witness of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Lord what do you want me to learn from and do about what I see and experience?
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