The ManicaPost
Kingdom Matters with Pastor Fore
Has it not become the usual pastime, or is it, that most churches are overwhelmed by the reality of themes being parcelled to their expectant congregation? But how this is so can be raised emanating from the past in which we grew in many conventional churches that left congregants to chart their new year resolutions.
Today, it has become the norm that the leaders of churches evolve quite gripping themes that have become a new Christian resolve in the quest for spiritual direction and I intend to address the question why this has become the new point of departure into the new year: Themes for the congregants.
HERE LIES THE SECRET.
Christians stand on the threshold of a New Year. Most people generally look at the new year as a fresh beginning, as an opportunity to kind of start over, to overcome a habit, or do a better job of something they see as important and that needs improvement.
It may be parenting, being a better spouse. It may be developing different priorities, using our time better, or a whole host of things that people would like to change.
The history of the church according to the Bible puts a fivefold ministry gifting to be the custodian of a particular ministry or church for the edification of the body of Christ (Eph 4:11-12).
I was born and bred in a charismatic church more than 30 years ago, but I was never schooled about the purpose of a particular theme for the year, focusing on developing the inner man as a zealous young man, more so I don’t remember my bishop declaring the theme for the particular year rather than the vision and the mission of the church.
However, is this a new revelation in the development of the church.
Most of our churches have now developed themes for a particular year and I understand that ministers around are preparing and ready for the crossover night service on December 31, 2019 to declare their new resolutions and unveiling the theme for the year.
There are more questions than answers as I researched about this development. How does a minister receive a particular theme for the year, how is it fulfilled, and if not who is to be blamed,the church or the pastor, and why are these themes not in harmony across the Christendom? How can the congregation be helped if what was declared that particular year is not fulfilled?
I have learnt that when a minister declares the theme of the year, it’s not just a title or topic. It’s what the Lord is doing with the church and for the congregation.
The theme flows out of much prayer and preparation that has taken place in advance of the New Year.
It is revealed to the church family, a new scriptural theme for the coming year. Like personal New Year’s resolutions, can easily fall by the wayside after the first few weeks of the year, but the heart of every minister is that the theme for the church or ministry would flow into every aspect of the church life for the coming twelve months.
In fact, over the years in various churches, these themes have become spiritual signposts of the church’s faith-journey.
Members can connect their own growth to the memory and the revelation of these themes. I recommend all ministers that if there is a theme that you plan to introduce to your church in January that is drawn from a scriptural truth which God has laid on your heart, maintaining a focus on it throughout the year can be spiritually beneficial to the church family.
A New Year is a new season, let our vision be centred on the purpose of the church to glorify God, evangelise and equipping the saints.
There is great anticipation and the anxiety that we all have. This is a new journey into new territory.
The unknown ahead are challenging and adventurous, but our need of assurance and security is very great. The crossing over to a new year is a time to centre ourselves in the faithful care of God and position ourselves firmly on his promises.
So ministers, as we launch our 2020 theme for the church it must resonate with the vision bestowed by God upon you as a leader, “Habakkuk 2:2-3”. The very first task of leadership is to set the vision for the church. If you don’t set the vision, you’re not the leader.
Whoever is establishing the vision in your church is the leader of that particular church. A church will never outgrow its vision and the vision of a church will never outgrow the vision of the pastor.
The vision for the church must come out of the senior pastor’s heart, faith, and dream of what God wants to do through the church.
It comes to life and is lived out in community, but the source of the vision is the calling of God on the senior pastor to lead the church.
A pastor without a vision feels the lack of direction and privately questions his ability to lead.
And a lack of vision from the pastor opens a leadership void that others will be happy to rush into, creating a cacophony of vision which ultimately leads to division and dissension.
Pastor Lee Fore is a religious commentator and can be contacted on +263 773 469 191 or +263 712 314 734 or [email protected]
