We need to ask ourselves (as a Church) the question, “How can we take the message of hope over our church walls to reach those people who need to be introduced to Jesus?”

Answer:  By following God’s game plan of redemption!

What is God’s game plan?

God’s game plan is to change the world through the transformation of the human heart, helping people everywhere find their way back to God!  If we think of the first disciples as Jesus’ team in Acts 1:8, He lays out His game plan; 

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.”

God’s game plan is a supernatural plan; it’s going to take a supernatural power to fulfil God’s supernatural game plan.  Jesus not only wants us to be Spirit led, but also risk takers for Him.  In fact, to be truly Spirit led we will have to be prepared to take risks because true witnesses for Christ are definitely not domesticated Christians! 

So over the next number of years we will respond appropriately to outwork God’s supernatural game plan of taking our church with its message of hope to the people who are far away from God. 

Our goal commencing in 2009 is to ’strategically increase our presentation of the good news of faith, hope and  love only found in Jesus to a greater percentage of the greater City of Geelong and neighbouring regions by engaging in strategic evangelistic endeavours.’

So how can we go beyond our church walls to reach those people who are far away from God and who need to be introduced to God? 

Answer:  By implementing God’s 1^st century game plan of redemption into our modern 21^st century!

So we have made a strategic shift in our thinking in regards to how we will take the church and the message of hope to those who are far away from God. 

Let me define for you what I mean by a strategic shift.  A strategic shift is a ‘change of thinking inspired by the Holy Spirit, resulting in a change of behaviour that produces a greater effectiveness in fulfilling the purposes of God in the future.’

The real church is you and I living as a true Christ follower Monday to Saturday seeking and saving the lost.  Sunday church is when we all come together with those who have received Christ to celebrate together how great and awesome our God is!  We must create the common ground with those outside of God and ‘be convinced ourselves’ that we have the answer they are looking for. 

Commencing in 2009 we are passionately and aggressively pursuing to implement four key initiatives to reach our goal to ’strategically increase our presentation of the good news of faith, hope and  love only found in Jesus to a greater percentage of the greater City of Geelong and neighbouring regions by engaging in strategic evangelistic endeavours.’

1.  City Wide Small Groups.

2.  City Wide Multi Site Weekend Gatherings.

3.  City Wide Strategic Outreach.

4.  Leadership Development.

Many of you may remember these talks back in November 2008, and many of you may not have been an active member of our church then, so those thoughts are new to you.  We have been diligent in pursuing each of these four areas.  As mentioned over the past month or so of our new location in Bendigo (see report from August issue of Momentum Magazine) you will notice our reach has gone beyond the Geelong region.

On the 3^rd of October (2009) we will commence our fourth location in Whittington.  In next month’s issue of Momentum there will be more information regarding this.  I guess all this is happening very quickly and the Bendigo opportunity has in some sense come from left field but we feel it is right in God.  So I have tried to answer some questions that you may have on why we are now a Multi-site church. 

I also realise there are more questions but please feel free to ask me or any of our Eldership team any questions you may have.

1.     What is a multi-site church?

Multi-site church: Short for multiple-site church, or one church with multiple locations. A church is considered multi-site if it has more than one venue to gather for worship.  A multi-site church is one church meeting in multiple locations ie: In different rooms in the same Church building or on the same grounds in a separate building, different locations in the same region, or in different cities, states, or even nations.  A multi-site church shares a common vision, budget, resources and the senior leadership group such as the Elders Board.

A multi-site church can resemble any of a wide variety of models.  For some churches, having multiple sites involves only a worship service at each location and no other activities such small group life; youth group etc.

For others, each location has a full range of support ministries.  This is what we feel four sites such as Belmont, Bendigo, Bannockburn and the soon to come Whittington sites will have.  Each site will reflect a church in every way as we would expect it to.

Some churches use video-cast sermons (recorded or live).  We have used this sparingly.  But it is a medium that we will continue to use but not often.  We are now in the process of developing a Teaching Team where ideally we will have in person teaching/preaching in each location when it meets.  There will be times where I (Mike) will use the video cast to communicate a message that I would like everyone one to hear at the same time and obviously this is an avenue whereby this can happen.   I will probably also use video cast in Bendigo more often than anywhere else until our team can be trained to a more competent level.

2.     Why become multi-site?

The purpose of us becoming a multi-site church is to make more disciples by bringing the church and the message of hope found in Jesus closer to where the people are. The motivation is to do a better job of loving people, being inclusive of all people, with an outcome of making significant advances in obeying Jesus’ Great Commandment (Matthew. 22:37-40) and Great Commission (Matthew. 28:19-20). 

Buildings should never govern the size of our church!  The general rule has been as you grow to the size of the building, you fill it up, go to a second service, then fill that up, then the church stops growing until you go into an expensive building program. 

The shoe must never tell the foot how big it can get!  Similarly, the size and the growth of a church should never be capped because of its auditorium size!  We need to utilize Multi-site gatherings in various strategic locations as our church grows.

Our Bannockburn Outreach is our 2^nd venue.  Currently we have two Sunday morning gatherings at 10am.  One church in two locations - this has been the case now for 6 years.  But now in September we will have our 3^rd location in Bendigo officially.  Then as already mentioned our fourth location will commence on 3^rd October in Whittington.  This will be Saturday night Church.  Hence, we will be one church in four locations.

3.     What are the advantages of a multi-site church?

1.    Assists in reaching friends and family unwilling to travel a great distance to church

2.    We can grow larger by growing smaller  

3.    Increases the total number of available seats during worship times

4.    Overcomes geographic barriers when a church facility is landlocked or tightly zoned

5.   Enables untapped talent to emerge each time a new venue or outreach is opened

6.   Mobilizes more volunteers/ministries through an added variety of ministry opportunities

7.   Improves a church’s stewardship of funds and resources

9.   Purposeful training is of highest importance.  To also train people for church planting elsewhere

10. Provides a pipeline for the development of emerging leaders and future staff

 4.     What are the disadvantages of a multi-site church?

Going multi-site can stretch the budget and resources.  It may mean that the lead preacher may not be at the same location each week.  (In our case this is me - Mike)

Criticism from other churches (building our own kingdom etc) but this mostly comes from an ignorance and/or an insecurity of their leaders. 

Criticism from people from within our own church who are resistant to change and who may be possessive of their needs being met primarily.

The new demands on our church leadership; therefore, it is vital that the key leaders of the church be unified and enthusiastic about the decision to go multi-site, which we are.

5.     How does our church keep our identity and maintain unity as a multi-site church?

The most important factor in maintaining unity as one church in many locations involves the church having a crystal clear understanding of our DNA - our vision, mission and values. Continuity comes as this DNA is replicated from site to another.

6.     How will the Leadership be structured at each location?

Each location will have a Local Ministry Team that will meet and will plan and outwork how our common vision that will be implemented through each outreach.  Each outreach will be led by a Congregational Care Pastor who in turn is on the Local Ministry Team and whose primary roles are; to oversee the Sunday meetings.  Oversee the Small Group Ministry that will assist in the care and nurture of each member who belongs to each outreach. 

The Congregational Care Pastor will basically give leadership of the spiritual care of those belonging to the outreach and also the integration of new people that attend and visit.  Each Congregational Care Pastor and Local Ministry Team reports to the Elders Board of the Waurn Ponds Community Church.

In summary…

The bottom line outcome of the New Testament church is that as Acts 2:46 says; …and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved - new converts - those who were far away from God but now for the first time have accepted Jesus’ great news of faith, hope and love!

Will we let the Spirit lead us on an adventure causing us to leap our church walls in taking the church, with its message of faith, hope and love, to those who so desperately need it?

We need to passionately pursue this vision to be the Church, wherever (location) we may outwork our vision that Jesus envisioned us to be - it is our time!    

For further info on Multi-Site Church see www.multisitechurchrevolution.com/

Potential is everything we can be but haven’t yet become.  Potential is like an engine that is running idle.  Potential is creativity yet unleashed.  Potential is a dream yet lived.  Potential is passion yet expressed.

The potential that resides in each of us is our greatest source of motivation to be all that we can be.  We all can find our potential.  It is there, within the layers of our untapped passions and dreams!

Read below a blurb for some more info.  Also avail yourself to Dr Henry Cloud’s web page http://www.drcloud.com/index.html

 “Integrity…the best book of the bunch…The tone is engaging, and the principles and writing clear…The book lays out a transparent way to be a terrific leader by drawing on and improving your best traits.”     New York Times, Feb 5, 2006

Are able to connect with others and build trust
Are oriented toward reality
Finish well
Embrace the negative
Are oriented toward increase
Have an understanding of the transcendent

Success is not related to only talent or brains. There are a lot of bright, talented people who are never successful. And the most successful are not only the ones with the most talent. The real factor, Cloud demonstrates, is the makeup of the person. All of us can grow in the kinds of real character that bring about fruitful relationships and achievement of purpose, mission, and goals. Integrity is not something that you either have or don’t, but instead is an exciting growth path that all of us can engage in and enjoy.

I remember growing up in Gilgandra, a small town in western NSW.  A simple life.  A life that I often reflect back to of how uncomplicated things were.  The people were common, salt of the earth people.  Farmers who had farmed the land for generations. 

I can remember on Saturday mornings going down to the main street and just talking with my mates without the pressure of having to rush home to do the next thing on my things to do list.  I look back now and appreciate that I didn’t need to impress anybody with what I was doing and definitely didn’t feel the need to perform - I could just be myself.  They were good days.

Money wasn’t an issue, I wasn’t married and didn’t have children and enjoyed my job.  Had a car, had enough money to buy what I needed and didn’t have the strain of financial pressure.  I also remember that I had the time to play sport as mush as I pretty much wanted too.  I didn’t have fight off people demanding my time - I was the boss of my time.  They were good days.

Now that I am married to a great lady and have four wonderful kids and am busy serving God and busy in life generally.  Having a mortgage, a dog and having to juggle my finances just to get through the month - man life has just got so complicated and busy!  Can you remember when you were younger and didn’t have the pressures and demands on you that you have now.  Remember the good old days where you didn’t have to be disciplined and you could be lazy if you wanted too!How can we make life simple again?  How can we build simplicity in our everyday living that has become so driven, complicated and so time consuming?  I know that it will take courage, honesty and discipline.  But in the end it will be worth the effort!

Ecclesiastes 4:6 (gnb) It is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time.

I am reminded of the story of the sculptor who began to chisel out the form of Abraham Lincoln from a huge piece of granite.  Every evening after the sculptor chiselled the massive stone a cleaning lady would come and sweep up the dust and debris.  Day after day she would sweep up after him. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months.

Every day she saw the image emerge from the rock.  Finally, the sculptor put the last polishing touches on what had become a magnificent, larger-than-life monument of Abraham Lincoln.  The day of the unveiling arrived.  The sculptor was draped with a velvet cloth.  Distinguished guests from around the United States were invited to attend.  To show his appreciation to his cleaning lady, the sculptor invited her as his personal guest.

The lights came on, the cameras were ready and finally the veil was lifted.  ‘Oohs and Aahs’ broke out as the crowd marvelled at the polished masterpiece of Abraham Lincoln.  As the evening came to a close and the crowd had dwindled away, only two people were left - the sculptor and the cleaning lady.  They stood together gazing at the statue.  He asked her “well, what do you think?”

“I have only one question,” she replied.  “How did you know that Mr Lincoln was inside that rock?”  He paused for a moment and thought about how he would respond.  Then he replied, “I really didn’t sculpt Abraham Lincoln, I simply chipped away whatever wasn’t Mr Lincoln!”

Inside your life and mine is God’s image.  We are filled with God’s potential.  God wants to chip away at our thoughts, our habits, our attitudes and our lifestyles - the pieces of granite that we hold onto so tightly.

God says, “these things have to be chipped away” but we protest saying, “but I love this lifestyle, I need to be busy” and so on…  God motivated by His love for us would say to us, “Although I love you just like you are - I love you too much to let you stay that way!”

Isaiah 64:8 (nlt)  And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter.  We all are formed by your hand.

We all need to decide to become vulnerable and allow the greatest sculptor of all chisel away at our lives.   How do we restore simplicity into our lives that have become so complicated?

The Principle of living within the margins.

Isaiah 5:8  Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field, until there is no more room, so that you have to live alone in the midst of the land! 

One reason why life has lost its simplicity is because we are living a margin less life.  Crowdedness creeps in unnoticed and grows like aggressive ground cover till it takes over your life and demands your allegiance.  It usually begins with good aspirations like building a better life for you and your family.  It can come attached to the trophies of success or a promotion, causing you to feel obligated to spend more time to justify your increase.

Margins depict the space between your load and your limit.  If the load you are carrying is 80 kilograms and your absolute limit is 100 kilograms then you have a 20 percent margin.  If you are carrying 100 kilograms when your limit is 100 kilograms, then you are margin less or at capacity.  The same is true with money and budgeting.  If you make $100 and you spend $50, you have a margin of 50 percent.  If you make $100 and spend $150, you have debt. 

Margins help us maintain a balanced life. 

Every book has margins.  They are the white spaces around the edges of each page.  Now some can argue about how uneconomical and wasteful margins are: “Why, if we would run the words from one edge of the page to the other, we could cut the book by 20 pages, reduce the price and who knows how many trees we could save?”  Maybe so, but who really is all that bothered? 

One of the most important truths about margins is that friendships and acts of kindness are only built in the margins.  Without them, we live alone.  How can we build wider margins?  Simple.  Cut back.  But cut back wisely.

Monitor what fills and what drains your tank.

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