What will your church DO in 2020?

I've been away from posting on this site for a couple of weeks. There was a lot going on before Christmas so I took a little break. My wife and I did travel to Austin, TX to visit our son and his family for Christmas and then returned home to host our daughter and her family Christmas day at our house. It was great spending those days with family.

This was the 53rd Christmas Faye and I have been together. I spent some time reminiscing previous Christmases. As a young married couple our first Christmas was interesting and a lot of fun. The next four Christmases I was in the Navy. We were fortunate that we were able to be together for each of those. Little ones came along and that changed our Christmas activities a little, and over the years family members left us which made future Christmases different as well. As different as each Christmas was, each were special in their own way. We are a very blessed couple and give God all the praise!

Many of my friends have posted stories and pictures of Christmas activities in their churches. A lot of work went into many of them, and I'm sure each of them were a blessing to their congregations and others in the communities.

But, now it's time to think about 2020 if you haven't already. For me, the most important question at this time is what will your church DO in 2020? I believe the world is looking for the church to be actively involved in impacting the world for good. We have a message of hope to give to the world and that message must not only proclaimed but demonstrated as well. It is not enough to stand behind a pulpit and preach the Gospel; we must be out in the streets living the Gospel. Jesus never invited people to come to a building for an hour each week to sing a couple of songs and hear a three-part sermon. He challenged His disciples to be engaged in people's lives. That hour each week can be important if it allows us to worship and be equipped for the week of ministry before us, but it must not be seen as the totality of our Christian experience.

What needs exist in your community that your church can address? Once again this year I've read where churches paid off thousands of dollars of medical bills for people in their communities. I've never pastored a church that had the financial ability to do something like that, and chances are your church could not do that either. But, it can do something.

The church spends too much time talking about the problems that exist in our society today and too little time doing something about them. I want to challenge every church to prayerfully consider what it might DO to make a difference in people's lives. Let's be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ throughout this new year. Let us find ways to show people the love of God for them, and in so doing, earn the right to tell them about Jesus Christ. If we will do this, when we come to this time next year I bet things will look different both in our churches and in our communities.