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THE STATE OF THE CHURCH

WHAT OUR MISSION IS AND HOW WE’RE LIVING INTO IT AND LIVING IT OUT

2ND STREET COMMUNITY CHURCH

SUNDAY, 5 JUNE 2011

GREGG LAMM, lead pastor teacher

It’s good to be here with you this morning. This is an exciting Sunday – as we re-center ourselves into the heart of our MISSIONas a flock, and as we look together toward the places God has for us to journey as a flock.

Michael Hedges was a guitarist on the Windham Hilllabel, who was born the same year as me, in 1958, and who died of cancer in 1997. I love his music, and have quite a few of his albums. In the liner notes of one of his albums he wrote the following “thanks” to his three most important guitar teachers …

  1. He showed me the fundamentals.
  2. He let me go my own way.
  3. He consistently asked me where I was going, and why.

I’ve always been drawn to these three “thanks” … and in fact, they’ve shaped my MISSIONas a pastor and a teacher, and because of that, together, they’ve helped to shape our MISSIONas a flock. I love our MISSIONhere at 2nd Street …2nd Street Community Church – Becoming More Like JesusChrist By Loving God, Loving People, And Serving Our World.

But here’s the deal friends … you and I as the people who call 2nd Street “home” can’t live out this MISSION… and we can’t engage our hearts and minds with this MISSIONUNLESS we learn what it means to live into the gifts that Michael Hedge’s three most important teachers gave him … Here’s what I’m talking about …

  1. He showed me the fundamentals.

2nd Street is a fellowship where we don’t make theological mountains out of doctrinal molehills, but where we emphasize the SIMPLE, FOUNDATIONALELEMENTSOF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST. Five years ago when I came here, 2nd Street was ready to go back to basics, and I was too … and this is one of the key reasons I felt led by God to yoke my heart, my life, my gifts, my resources, and my time to what God is doing here.

  1. He let me go my own way.

2nd Street is a fellowship where we don’t have a lot of rules … but, instead, it’s a place where we invite Jesus Christ to rule our lives, and speak into our hearts and minds about what He wants us to hold onto and what He’s inviting us to let go of. We have core-convictions, we just don’t hold onto them more tightly than we’re holding onto Jesus. We don’t press people into being a certain way – other than pursing the goal of becoming more like Jesus Christ and then inviting Him to teach us more about how to love and how to serve.

  1. He consistently asked me where I was going, and why.

2nd Street is a fellowship where we care about where followers of Jesus Christ, and not yet followers of Jesus Christ are heading and why … and where we care, not just whether or not the people who call 2nd Street their “home” are taking up a seat, or putting money into the offering plate … but where we really care about whether or not they’re growing up and moving spiritually toward becoming more like Jesus Christ and taking on His thoughts, His words, His deeds, and His priorities, so that they can live out God’s will more visibly, more intentionally, and more consistently.

In an exchange between Alice and The Cheshire Cat, in the book Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland, author Lewis Carroll tells us that where we’re going at any given moment has got to dovetail with our goals of where we want to finish up at the end of all our given moments. Here’s what Lewis Carroll writes …

“Which way do you want me to go?” Alice asked The Cheshire Cat. “Would you tell me, which way I ought to go from here?” “Depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat. “Oh, I don’t care much where,” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” replied the cat.

Gang, you and I can’t leave our spiritual lives and our spiritual maturity up to chance. It really matters, what roads we choose TO TRAVEL, and what roads we choose TO NOT TRAVEL, and what dreams we choose to embrace, and what dreams we choose to put aside because they’re not going to help us move to where we’re being called by God to be. And the church we call “home” will either challenge us to make the right choices about the roads we’re taking, or it will stay silent on this all important topic. Do you see the difference?

The past couple Sundays I’ve been encouraging you to ask God if He wants you to fill out and turn in our annual Commitment of Belonging. Some of you have done this, and some of you haven’t. Some of you have a Commitment of Belonging with you, but you’ve just forgotten to give it careful consideration yet. I’d like our ushers to make a Commitment of Belonging available to everyone.

If you need one, or if you want one, just raise your hand, and we’ll bring it to you. Please take this document seriously, and turn sign it and turn it in if you’re led by God to do so. Now I’d like you to turn with me topage 1 of our Proposed Mission Plan Booklet… starting with the fourth paragraph …

Two years ago now we adopted the following Mission as the statement that would ground us, guide us, guard us, and lead us out into the world with focus and passion. Let’s read it together outloud … 2nd Street Community Church – Becoming More Like JesusChrist By Loving God, Loving People, And Serving Our World.

The 2011-12 Mission Plan and the 2011-12 Mission Funding Plandescribes why and how we will pursue and live out the priorities of our Mission in the coming year. Please carefully and prayerfully read through this document and the funding plan, asking God how He wants to use you in what He’s doing in and through the lives of the surrendered people who make up 2nd Street.

This past Thursday night, our youth pastor, Jon Maroni, taught from LUKE 15:11-32at our Men’s Ministries Community Group and the parable Jesus told, that’s commonly called “The Prodigal Son”. And as Jon led us through this amazing story, one single word, and one single phrase really rang my bell … FIRST, that the prodigal son squanderedhis inheritance … and then that the prodigal son began to see clearly for the first time in his life, the cost of hissquandering, and hecame to his senses and returned home to his father.

And gang, I can’t think of a better story to DESCRIBE and ILLUSTRATEwhat I envision 2nd Street to be about, and about what our MISSIONcan come alive in who we are and in what we do. Remember Michael Hedges’ liner notes and the “thanks” he offered to his three most important teachers …

  1. He showed me the fundamentals.
  2. He let me go my own way.
  3. He consistently asked me where I was going, and why.

When we don’t focus on and learn the fundamentals, take my word for it, we’ll end up squanderingwhat God has given us, and is giving us … our gifts, our personalities, our money, and our resources.

In the LUKE 15parable, the father let the son go his own way … no co-dependent enabling and trying to talk him into staying. He was a big boy, and his dad knew that he’d taught him the fundamentals, and so when he told him that he wanted to hit the road, the father opened the door.

I’m excited that 2nd Street is a fellowship of people who aren’t squandering what God has entrusted us with … and that we’re a flock that’s coming to it’s senses when we’regathering together, when we’re serving, when we’re worshiping and studying … and that in all of these times and places it’s our goal, like the prodigal son, tocome to our senses and come home to God. And I hope that this is the kind of church you can get excited about being a part of too!

Maybe you’ve opened up the full-page version of our Proposed Mission Plan Booklet, that we emailed to everyone we have an email address for on Friday … or maybe you’ve had the chance to read through some of the Booklet this morning. One of the things we did in this year’s Booklet is to include the voices of 15 different 2nd Streeters who we asked share in their own words how God is using 2nd Street to help them live into the four different parts of our MISSION…

  1. God is using 2nd Street to help me become more like

Jesus Christ by …

  1. God is using 2nd Street to help me love God by …
  2. God is using 2nd Street to help melove people by …
  3. God is using 2nd Street to help me serve our world by …

Turn with me to page 2 of the Booklet … and to the words of 2nd Streeter Jeremy Kendall. Jeremy, please come on up …

  1. How did you first hear about 2nd Street and then first visit?
  2. Read what you wrote for the Booklet, on page 2.
  3. Tell us a couple stories of how Jesus is using 2nd Street’s Mission to make a difference in your life and in the life of your family.

So after hearing Jeremy’s words … I have some important questions for you …

  • Why do you attend the church you attend?
  • Why 2nd Street, and not some other church?
  • Did a friend invite you and you came because you knew someone?
  • Did you want to walk to church, and 2nd Street was the closest?
  • Were you looking for a church with a mixture of contemporary and traditional worship music, and where fine arts are given a voice?
  • Were you looking for a church with a 12-Step program, and since 2nd Street sponsors Celebrate Recoveryit would be a good fit?
  • Were you looking for a “non-traditional” setting with a blue floor?
  • Were you looking for verse-by-verse Bible teaching?
  • Were you looking for a children’s or youth program?

WHY ARE YOU ATTENDING 2ND STREET, AND NOT SOME OTHER CHURCH? The answers are probably many, but ONCE YOU CAME HERE, WHY HAVE YOU STAYED?

I hope it’s because you’ve connected with, resonated with, and felt called to 2nd Street’sMISSION… to HOWwe do church, toWHYwe do church, and to the AROMA, or the FLAVORof what we’re up to here at 2nd Street, both when we’re THE CHURCH GATHEREDon Sundays, and when we’re THE CHURCH SCATTEREDout in the world during all the other days and hours of every week.

I love what weVALUE here at 2nd Street. We talk a lot about our MISSION, but we also have sevenVALUESwe say we want to be the AROMA in the air as we’re living out our MISSIONin the world, and here in Newberg and beyond. Here’s the deal … you and I become what we VALUE … here are the sevenVALUES 2nd Street holds …

LOVEGod loves people, so do we.

The VALUE OF LOVE focuses and defines us.

SERVICEJesus Christ came to serve, and we love following His

example.

TheVALUE OF SERVICE humbles and blesses us.

COMMUNITYWe're hard-wired for spiritual community.

TheVALUE OF COMMUNITY connects and challenges

us.

AUTHENTICITYLife is too short to be fake.

TheVALUE OF AUTHENTICITY keeps us vulnerable

and real.

SEEKINGWithout searching there's little finding.

TheVALUE OF SEEKING keeps us alive and moving.

TRUTHWhat and why we believe is important.

TheVALUE OF TRUTH keeps us grounded and

teachable.

GROWTHTransformation is God's heart for us.

TheVALUE OF GROWTH keeps us deepening and

maturing.

When you think about these VALUES, and your journey of becoming more like Jesus Christ, which VALUESdo you see God growing in you, and which ones do you still need to get serious about? This is a question each of us needs to ask and answer if we’re going to move into this new fiscal year with passion, focus, and purpose.

We’re not making HUGE CHANGESin the living out of ourMISSIONthis year, because we believe that we’re doing what God is calling us to do, and that we’re becoming who God is calling us to become … but please turn to page 3 of our Booklet … and let me share with you about FOUR OF THE NEW DIRECTIONS we’ll pursue as we live out our MISSION with greater passion, focus, and purpose. Proposed Changes | 2011-2012 Mission Plan/Mission Funding Plan

Staffing

  1. TheDirector of Equipping and Serving will become a volunteer position filled by 2nd Streeter Lynne Brown beginning on July 1, 2011. (p. 20)

Uncovering our spiritual gifts, our personalities, and our life experiences, with the goal of discovering the calling God has for us so that we can minister in the places He has laid out for us and not just where we happen to land … these things are at the center of what’s important about the three-times a year COMPASS SEMINAR that Lynne Brown will lead as our new Director of Equipping and Servingbeginning next month.

I see our VALUES of SEEKING, AUTHENTICITY, and GROWTH lived out in this re-crafted volunteer position within our flock.

  1. TheMissional Community Groups Pastor (previously called the Community Groups Facilitator) will become a volunteer position. 2nd Streeter Jodi Hansen will begin in this position on July 1, 2011. (p. 26)

God is calling 2nd Street into MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES (smaller, intentional churches within our church) that are rooted in our MISSIONso that we can stop playing church, and start being the church … and gang, the stakes are way too high for us to do anything different.

I see our VALUES of COMMUNITY, LOVE, TRUTH, and SERVICE lived out in this re-crafted volunteer pastoral ministry position within our flock.

  1. A new Volunteer Ministries Support position is being created to encourage, support, and provide training as needed for our ministry leaders and teams. We hope to have thisnew volunteer position filled by July 1, 2011.

We’re grateful for the people serving as ministry leaders and on ministry teams here at 2nd Street. But if we’re going to keep our ministry volunteers strong and encouraged, equipped and thriving, we need to maintain greater connection and communication with them – and that’s what this new volunteer position is all about.

We don’t know who will fill this position yet – maybe it will be you! I see our VALUES of LOVE and GROWTH lived out in this new volunteer pastoral ministry position in our flock, and that we hope to have filled by the end of the summer.

  1. From p. 7 and then from pp. 12-13: Our new Worship Arts Director, Shelly Everett will begin in July … workingalongside our existing teams: worship, audio and video tech, set-up and take-down, drama, and visual, fine arts.

I see Shelly’s spiritual gifting, creativity, experience, and passion taking our Worship Arts ministries in exciting new directions – all with the goal of drawing our hearts and minds to greater places ofpraise, worship, celebration, and surrender.

Outreach

ADD monthly Outreach Support to partner with Chehalem Young Life.

(p. 31) … the ½ sheet that you received with your Booklet.

TRANSITION the monthly Outreach Support that’s been going to Matt and Gayle Denham to Jeff and Christine Stanfield in January 2012.

  • Matt and Gayle are missionaries with Evangelical Friends Mission in Rwanda. Their 2-year term is finished in December 2011 when they will permanently return to the United States.
  • Jeff and Christine are 20+ year career missionaries with World Gospel Mission [WGM] in Kenya, Africa. They actively attended 2nd Street while home on furlough four years ago and will again when they come home for a year in August 2011. When the Stanfield’s return to Africa in August 2012 they’ll be joining a new ministry with World Gospel Mission in Uganda. (p. 31)

What ISN’T GOING TO CHANGEabout who we are …about our fundamentals …

  1. WE’LL CONTINUE DEVELOPING AN OUTREACH, MISSIONAL MENTALITY. We’re not a fortress. We will be equipped to go out into the world with the message and the life of Jesus Christ. We’re not SETTLERS, camping in one place and putting down roots so that we can close our doors and keep out the dust and the riff-raff. We’re PIONEERS, on the move, pressing forward with Jesus Christ, into the places where HE IS GOING. We’re rooted in Him, and we’re moving forward with Him.

Just one example of our being intentional about this … our Men’s Retreat at Twin Rocks Camp, on the Northern Oregon Coast this coming November, will focus on being equipped to know how to live out our faith and tell our friends and the people God is bringing across our paths, about who Jesus is to us, how He has changed and is changing our lives, and then journeying with them toward Jesus Christ.

  1. JESUS CHRIST WILL REMAIN AT THE CENTERof our study, our worship, our serving, and our community-building … Jesus Christ will remain at the center of everything.
  1. GOD’S WORD WILL CONTINUE TO BE TAUGHT with depth, clarity, and with an emphasis on how God wants to use it to help us come to our senses and becomemore like His Son Jesus Christ, so that we can more fully serve His purposes in our generation.

The Booklet also has an UPDATE ON OUR PROPERTY AND FACILITY NEEDS from our Elders on p. 4. I encourage you to read this section thoroughly, andinvite God to use it to give you hope, and to encourage you to pray about our future. We have 18 more months on our contract here at The Armory, but the Elders are asking God to reveal His will to us by the first of July 2012, so during the last 6 months of our contract here at The Armory, we’ll know what our next step will be.