Merry Christmas. My prayer is that you and your loved ones have an amazing day. As always…keep Christ first in your heart and minds today.
Healthy things grow! That’s a fact…not a theory. Too many times churches concentrate on growth, momentum and marketing…forgetting that numerical and spiritual growth isn’t sustainable in an unhealthy environment. Growth is possible…but will fade quickly if there is unhealthy leadership, practices and strategies in place.
At Compass Point we have seen unprecedented growth in our midst since Easter. Currently we are between waves of growth…which is a healthy place to be. It gives a chance to pause, pray, reflect and plan. It also gives a us chance to refocus and tweak our efforts, structure and strategy…to be more in line with the vision God has given us as a church. That vision has never changed in our five year history…it is…and will always be:
- To reach people far from God with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
- To lead them into a growing relationship with God.
We seem to have #1 down to a fine art. God has blessed us with people with a heart for lost folks in Lakeland. Seldom is a month that goes by that we don’t see someone come to Christ, a broken marriage restored or a person far from God experience life change…and soul change.
However, #2 of our vision is going to take something a little more than we’ve been able to give…it’s going to take Compass Point being more healthy. I’m not trying to imply we are not healthy…I think we are. I just believe that God is calling us to be MORE healthy in the new year. To pray healthier, to plan healthier, to prepare healthier and to implement what we are called to do healthier.
Over the next several weeks I will be coming back to the health theme in my blogs. As God continues to reveal to me what a healthier Compass Point looks likes…I will share it with you. Stay tuned…and keep doing what you do for the Kingdom of God.
I truly don’t understand churches or church leaders that talk about “their target market”…the specific demographic of people they are trying to reach. I can’t find anything Scriptural about reaching a specific economic, age, race, gender or cultural group of people in the Bible. As a church, Compass Point has always taken Matthew 28:19-20 very seriously…that we are to reach all people…of all backgrounds…with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
It is for this reason that we try hard at Compass Point to create a culture of diversity. The “target market” that we have is people that don’t go to church. We don’t care about age, color, economic level, etc. That is why we have teens working our lighting system and 60-year-olds in the band. It is the reason why we’ll have white people and black people preaching on Sundays. It is the reason why we have folks that live in gated communities in a Bible study with people that live in trailers. It is the reason why we hang out in bars and local family parks. We want to make sure that people…many diverse people…get to hear about the life-saving hope that is found in knowing Christ as Lord.
