An Extraordinary Day of Blessing

Some quite astonishing things happened today in the process of our decision re the proposal to redevelop our church building. Many people are disappointed but not at all devastated or feeling and sense of hopelessness.

The Lord was at work among us. If we take him at his word, he will continue to guide us through this long term process, just as he led his people of long ago and his church for these last 2000 years.

We trebled the number of people participating in the voting process on Sunday. We did this by using a different way of meeting. Usually we may have up to 100 people at a congregational meeting. Today 267 people voted. This means people participated from across both worshipping communities and of varying age groups and situations in life. The process certainly achieved the Governance Council’s intended goal of achieving a much higher participation rate in our congregational decision making.

It also means that as a result of the process we employed leading up to the Sunday vote across two worship communities many more people were engaged in the reason WHY this proposal was put forward by the congregation’s elected leaders. People got to hear about our five mission foci. They go to hear of our overall mission to share the love and hope of Jesus in a concentrated way as the REASON for the change proposed. They got be part of seeking the Lord’s continued guidance on how to best work in this mission and these specific areas. This can only be a good thing as we move on together in his mission!

Most of our people acknowledged the need to re-evaluate what we do and why we exist. They go to understand the need to change to meet the demands of a changing mission context in which we live. This is a very good thing indeed.

Most people want to change our facilities to meet the mission rather than just meander along never changing a thing or even thinking about these things. This is a great blessing and a movement of God’s Spirit prompting, inspiring and moving us on as a church in Jesus’ mission.

To those who voted no to redeveloping the church building in the way proposed, I say thank you for speaking honestly and using your freedom in the gospel to make you view known. Same for the overwhelming majority of people who voted yes to the proposal.

Please pray. Pray that this step in the journey the Lord has us on does what we asked him to make of it before we voted: that through this process we learn to love each other even more deeply from the heart, and be even more, a living sign of God’s grace at work in the life of everyday people like us in this Barossa community.

Pray for your elected leaders and the Redevelopment Team as they ponder what needs to happen now to build on the good things that happened on Sunday. Talk to them, encourage them and pray for them. Speak your mind with kindness and respect and they will surely return the same, as will the Governance Council and your Pastor.

Pray for your Pastor as he works with the Governance Council and seeks the Lord’s will in his Word as he seeks to lead pastorally and clearly.

We are always better together as co-workers in the kingdom of Christ sharing the love and hope of Jesus with everyone.

Sunday October 22, 2017

Pastor Adrian Kitson