Last week, we began a two part blog post on stewarding our gifts. This week, we are going to look at the trust exchange that takes place when leadership equips, “the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” Ephesians 4:12
All throughout scripture you see these moments where God goes out before the people of Israel in times of great change. Whether it was taking over a city or traveling across the land, God was all about seeing his people through to the end.
One of the greatest examples of God going before his people is found in Exodus 13, when God made himself visible to the people so they could follow Him. "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night."
What an incredible picture of trust—The Israelites trusted in God to lead them by a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. Imagine being in the massive group of Israelites, knowing that God is providing them direction of travel and protection from darkness. It must’ve been a pretty magnificent thing to actually see God leading them. Imagine the stories they could tell!
Even now, God still goes before His people through the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe that God is setting the stage for great things to come for Renovation Church as He goes out before us to align conversations with people and opportunities for service. As we follow God’s leadership in the discovery phase for our church, there are three things we want to remember during this time:
Be Patient.
You can work hard or you can work smart. As a new church, we want to start smart to minimize risk and maximize time and resources. Starting smart takes wisdom, experience, discernment—but most of all—patience. Often leadership will say, “yes,” to individuals who want to serve without ever checking whether or not where they want to serve is the best fit. Being patient means not running ahead to speed up the process but instead taking careful steps to achieve a goal. That’s where trust is exchanged—When we’re patient in trusting leadership to help us steward our gifts while also trusting God, who goes before us, to provide the best places to serve.
Be Purposeful.
The way we demonstrate value in people is by purposefully stewarding their time, story, and gifts.
Right now at Renovation, we are in the discovery phase, learning who we have on the team: what their gifts, their stories, and their passions may be. As individuals, we know that God has a perfect plan for our lives and places for us to use those gifts He has given us. As leadership in the church we want to set each person up with a front row seat to see God’s great work—using pinpoint accuracy when plugging people into areas of service. We want the people of Renovation Church be able to share a story that begins with, “you won’t believe where God has taken me…"
Be Praying.
We must remember that the power and authority God has given to us is tied to our relationship with Him. As a church we must be in continual communication with God being specific in our prayers, and praying as a united body of believers. We are praying, as your leadership team, that God brings us the right people at the right time for the right place of service. You are praying that God brings clarity as to where He wants you to serve. Commit to praying continually and specifically for the needs of Renovation Church and the community we are called to serve. Pray for the leadership, that God would guide us to be in step with the path He has for all of us.
Many challenges lie ahead in our journey, but we know that God goes before us. Walk this week in a manner that declares a complete trust in God and an obedience to follow his plan.
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