The End Of 2007

The end of another year approaches and we begin to anticipate the change 2008 will bring. What have been the highlights of your year? As I think about 2007 I am fascinated to consider where I was this time last year and how different my situation now is.

At the beginning of 2007, I was a student at The University Of Sheffield. I had a dissertation to plan and write (I should have written more of it than I had at that point!) and January exams to prepare for. Most of my time was dedicated to pursuing a qualification.
As 2007 closes I am a part-time Graduate Engineer with a small Southampton-based firm. That's how I'm supporting myself and yet there is another job I have which takes up about as much time as this, and that's serving my church. Right now most of my thoughts and time are directed towards Life Church Southampton, and attempting to help facilitate the growth of a church and the extension of Jesus Christ's Lordship over lives in this city, and the 'South Hampshire Urban Area' which has a population of over a million.

At the beginning of 2007, I was getting exciting about Together On A Mission 07. I was anticipating attending (which I did), enjoying (which I did), receiving from God (which I did) and coming home to write copious notes (which I didn't). I was looking forward (with what you might call a quietly careful outlook) to what Rob Rufus would bring and how God would use him. After all, I had not really had that much exposure to him. I had heard others make various comments but basically he was an unknown quantity and so I was waiting with baited breath.
As 2007 closes I'm starting to get excited about Together On A Mission 08, and yet so gleefully aware that (although the conference is usually the first thing to go in my diary in any given year) the 'real stuff' is going on right on my doorstep: the growth of local churches through salvation and the establishment of new churches to help in the process! Nourishment and re-engagement in the wider picture is oh-so-important. I'm looking forward to hearing what Mark Driscoll (who always seems to be causing a stir somewhere or other!) might bring and how God will use him. I've not really had that much exposure to him. I have heard (or read) others make various comments but basically he is an unknown quantity for me.

Like previous contributors at the conference before him, there is the possibility that I may not agree with everything he says, but I am definitely willing to sit at his feet and let God impact me through him. The true contents of a person's character and the sum value of a person's message will be seen over time. And true maturity is humbly letting God reveal that truth in His timing.

My opinion (not that it's worth much!) is that Mark Driscoll will have much to offer us at Together On A Mission this year. It is wonderful to have people, churches and movements who are leagues ahead of us in various ways (e.g. in sensitivity to the Spirit or in understanding of the Word or in engaging with their culture or in growing massive churches). And I love that in Newfrontiers I follow leaders who are not looking for a 'guest speaker' who embodies everything we represent (and so limit the 'pool' of people we can receive from) but actually go for people who are way ahead in a particular area, and therefore will have lots to teach us in that areal.

And a word about the 'numbers game'. I do agree with the general consensus around that we need to grow fully rounded disciples and not just converts. I also agree that too often a leader's (or church's) platform is wrongly limited or inflated solely because of numbers. But neither am I ashamed of the fact that God is calling many churches in the UK to bust through the hundreds and into the thousands numerically. Are we really content for the biggest organisations in our towns and cities to be the secular councils, the intellectually proud universities and the materialistic businesses? Or would we like to see numerous churches in every city growing in maturity and size to genuinely become (to pinch a phrase from an elder at CCK) "a force to be reckoned with in the city"?

Not a thorough approach as to why I am not ashamed of numbers, but if this is what God is calling us to in the UK (and I believe it is) we could do a lot worse than to invite a man like Mark Driscoll to come and share his heart with us, having grown a church from nothing to 5,000.

Now there was a sidetrack I wasn't expecting to take this evening (that's one of the things I miss about blogging regularly... the diversions and the way it makes you articulate what you've been thinking for a while!). As that's gone on for a bit I'll keep the last bit brief:

At the beginning of 2007 I was a member of City Church Sheffield. Such an amazing church with so much that should be shared with the Church in the UK across the board. The presence of God with them is physically tangible and their true understanding of grace is a demonstration firstly (and foremost-ly!) that the gospel of grace is real, powerful and has the ability to change lives. It is also a testament to the sensitive teaching and leadership of Arnold Bell. God has used him to transform that church and I am truly thankful that God took me there for three whole years. I was genuinely changed!
As 2007 closes I am now a member of Life Church Southampton, which (as I mentioned before) is wonderfully occupying vast chunks of my time each week. I could say so much, but instead I will offer an illustration as to why I am not ashamed of numbers in church. We begun in April with 53 adult members. Our first ever carol service was last Sunday evening. Many of our regular members had gone away for Christmas by that point (most of them are students) and so we had no idea how many people to expect. We ended up with about 40 of our own people present, but most importantly another 80 people from the local community who had come to kick off their Christmas with us. So, as a Christmas-surprise, we ended 2007 with our biggest event to date with over 120 people present. As people arrived in the building we were (looking happy and surprised!) having to set out more and more chairs.

Perhaps some would try to attribute this to some aspect of human effort - I am very aware that it is God who is growing us bit by bit. I know he wants massive churches in this city and that we are to be one of them. So an awareness and appreciation of numbers in church is far from carnal - it's (part of) the promises of God being fulfilled! At 120, we have far to go. But we have, in the first nine months, come so far already and it is wonderful simply resting in His supreme sovereignty as God builds this church in Southampton.