In it Together
Asking for help is not an easy thing. I get it! Sometimes accepting help is also a hard thing. For a week or so we have had a recliner sitting in our garage. We tried to give it away, but no one we knew needed it. It was time to haul it off so yesterday afternoon I announced that I was going to load it up. My wife, Amy followed me out to the garage to help. I didn’t want to ask her for help loading the recliner. I even told her I could get it myself. Still she followed.
I’m glad she did. I thought it would just slide into the back of my vehicle, but as I pushed it in, it got stuck and wouldn’t budge. I couldn’t just let go or it would have fallen. Amy walked around to the front and easily lifted the front of the chair over the obstacle and in it went. I could have gotten it by myself, but it was a lot easier with a little help!
I know I am not alone in not wanting to ask or sometimes receive help from others. I think most of us are like that! Sadly I see the same feeling in churches and church leaders. Maybe it is a part of our overall culture, a fierce independence. Maybe there is some degree of pride, not wanting to admit a weakness or need. Whatever it is, it is wrong!
God created us for one another. Adam was incomplete without Eve, and Eve was incomplete without Adam. In I Corinthians 12 we see a similar picture of the church. The Apostle Paul writes that the local church is put together and gifted by God in such a way that every member is important and the church is only complete when each member is working together with the other members for the good of the whole body.
I think we see this church to church as well. Councils gathered from the churches to work together on issues of faith and doctrine. Teachers and evangelists traveled church to church and city to city. The Apostles continued overseeing the newly established churches and helped them to grow in the gospel. When the church in Jerusalem was suffering, churches in other regions gave generously to meet their needs.
Churches worked together for the good of the Kingdom. They didn’t compete.
New City believes that God’s intention for local churches is the same today. We are meant to work together! Where one church lacks, another church freely gives. Resources are shared. Knowledge is shared. Wisdom and experience is shared. We are gifts to one another, in this great work together!
Through the years New City has received more help from other churches than I can even remember, but I want to share some of the ways I do remember:
Before our very first service, one of our local churches opened their kids ministry doors and their lead pastor told their children’s pastor, “Whatever New City needs, give it to them.” And they did! My SUV was packed top to bottom, front to back!
On the day we held our first service, a local church sent a team of volunteers to run the coffee bar, handle our children’s classes, welcome visitors, and more. They even showed up, wearing New City shirts that they had made for the day!
When we were getting ready for the start of the church, another local pastor introduced me to their elders who invited me to share our vision. The men prayed for us and for me. The next week I received a check in the mail as support for our start!
In our early days two local pastors were faithful to take my calls and answer my questions, opening their office doors and sharing their wisdom and experience.
We joined the Acts 29 Church Planting Network as we were planting. I cannot begin to list the information that was shared with us! Systems, structures, best practices, anything and everything was shared!
When we started New City Warner Robins (Now Sojourn), a local church who did not hold Sunday night services welcomed us as a place to start a new church.
Through the years I have been able to email or call pastors and other church staff members from all over the country for help and information. More than once they have walked us through problems and difficulties.
Each of these churches has believed that we are in this work together. They have so freely given to us. I honestly don’t know where New City would be without them! They have all been evidences of God’s grace to us.
On November 6 of this year, 6 members from our Connect Team had the opportunity to “give as it has been given to us!” What an incredible blessing. Bellevue Baptist Church, a sister church here in Macon was getting ready to restart their Connect Ministry and our New City Macon Connect Team was able to offer a hand! Our Community and Connection Pastor, Larry Purvis was able to meet with their team and not only talk about HOW we welcome visitors at New City, but more importantly WHY. We welcome others as Christ has welcomed us! We know that at one time we were far from him, but he has brought us in and made us family!
This, I think, is a glimpse of what God intends in his many churches, a spirit of cooperation and help, not one of division and competition! This is a picture of the Kingdom, people gifted in different ways serving one another and reaching others with the gospel! We are in this together.
I hope that this connection serves only as the beginning of a healthy, growing relationship between New City Church and Bellevue Baptist Church. I hope that we can continue to work together to reach our community. I know in this, God is greatly glorified!
If there is anything that our family can do for yours, we would love to help! Let me know. Let’s do this together!
