Sharpening the Saw

I wrote in this space a few years back--in one of our first ePistles--about a list I had read that referenced several key things that individuals and organizations should do to keep fresh and remain effective at their task. One of the suggestions on that list was to "sharpen the saw." That is, sometimes your tendency is to keep sawing, ever-diligent and committed to your work, when in fact, the smarter thing to do is to pull back and sharpen your saw. You can get more done with a sharp saw and a strong back than with only a strong back, any day.

That is essentially the purpose of our upcomingInterMissiontime at Shelby Crossings, to step back from the tree, take a break from what we've been doing and the way we've been doing it, and hopefully sharpen the blade of our saw so that we'll be ready to more effectively serve the Lord in the days and months and years ahead in this ministry.

As the name "InterMission" also suggests, this will be a time to come together as a church body, for the purpose of re-casting the vision and rallying the troops for the "mission" God has for us. That means, as we seek the Lord for His will for our church, we'll also seek to refresh our relationships with Him, refocus our vision for the ministry to which He has called us, and recommit our lives to faithfully serve Him.

What are we going to be doing during these InterMission meetings? I'm glad you asked. There will be a time of large-group gathering, for teaching and defining our mission, along with times to break into small groups, for sharing and praying together. Most of all, our purpose will be to remember who we are called to be as The Church at Shelby Crossings. Sometimes in the busy-ness of church business, you lose your way, and forget why you're here. This will be a good time to get everyone on the same page, and remember.

We'll also be discussing some specific strategies for carrying out the mission God has given us to share the love of Christ with our community, specifically through our Small Groups ministry. We also hope to glean new ideas for deepening the level of community in the Shelby Crossings family.

I hope you'll make every effort to join us the next four Wednesday nights for this important time in the life of our church. I would also ask that you consider a time of fasting and prayer each week as you seek the Lord personally for our church. I will be praying for you, as I hope you will be for me.

I look forward to seeing this Sunday...and Wednesday, too.

--Pastor Ken

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