How can I get involved?
A call to PRAY - GIVE - GO
So what does this mean for those who make up the family of MERCYhouse? If this vision is going to be realized, we're going to have to do three things - Pray, Give, and Go
Pray
The call for our church to pray has never been more urgent. In order to pursue these dreams, God will have to do the impossible in answer to the prayers of His people. This will mean a commitment to personal and group praying and fasting if we have any hope of seeing the ushering in of this new season of lour church's life.
Here are some specific ways you can be praying:
Give
Our church has been a bit of a free ride for the past 8 ½ years and was so by design. The message of the church is a message of grace, the best free offer the world has ever seen. What wasn't always communicated very well was that the free came at a price to supporters around the country who were not only tithing (10 % of their income) to their local churches but were also giving 1000's of dollars to MERCYhouse for staff and facilities and outreach.
This was appropriate (and still is to some degree as we expand) but not if it creates a dependence that causes the members and regular attenders of MERCYhouse to feel that our church is a free ride and deprives them of the joy of giving. The proof that this is happening at some level is the very low offerings that usually average about 5 dollars a person on any given Sunday morning
I (Robert) have failed at communicating the necessity for generous giving to the church and beyond. Sacrificial and consistent giving is a spiritual discipline that brings about joy and intimacy with Christ as much as disciplines like prayer and bible reading.
As we consider the 2020 vision, we must ask ourselves if we are willing to give sacrificially to make this happen. Are we willing at the very least to give 10% of our income and perhaps more to see new churches planted the same way that those outside supporters did so that we could experience a church where we could find and fall in love with Christ. If we say no, then we don't own the vision and it will most likely end in failure.
If you are employed, we encourage you to give generously and sacrificially to the work of this church (and soon to be network of churches). Many Christian people use 10% (known as a tithe) as their way of gauging the minimum of how much of their income to give away. This guide comes primarily from the Old Testament (see Leviticus 27:30 and Malachi 3:9-11 for starters) but is also mentioned by Jesus (See Matthew 23:23). This summer we'll be hearing more about these principles on Sunday mornings--see sermon downloads if you are leaving for the summer.
If you are not employed (aka college students), we encourage you to still give. The money you have through grants, loans, or parents is still God's money and we believe it is an essential spiritual discipline to set aside a portion of it to give away as an act of worship. Pray and decide what that portion will be and make a commitment to consistently give.
Go
This seems to be our strength in all of this - our willingness to go. This is the reason I believe that God desires for us to lead a church planting movement. For the last year, I've watched a whole team of northamptonites choose to go to a significantly smaller service, be separated from their friends who are only a fifteen minute drive away in order to work really hard at starting a new church. It hasn't been easy but they're not doing this for themselves - they're doing this for the folks of Northampton who are disconnected from the church and therefore disconnected from Jesus.
I believe many more in our church are willing to do the same and will as we send out more and more teams to plant services and churches. I am very proud of the faith steps that our church has taken so far and have full confidence that we will answer the call of Christ yet again as He leads us to this next stage in our growth.
There are four different planting teams that you can be a part of in September (or this summer if you are around). These teams work together to reach out, establish worship services, build relationships with new people, and build community inside house churches. If you are interested in finding out more about any of the following, contact Kristen at christlore@gmail.com.
I am honored to walk beside you in these exciting and trying days.
In His Power,
Robert
(lead pastor of MERCYhouse)
So what does this mean for those who make up the family of MERCYhouse? If this vision is going to be realized, we're going to have to do three things - Pray, Give, and Go
Pray
The call for our church to pray has never been more urgent. In order to pursue these dreams, God will have to do the impossible in answer to the prayers of His people. This will mean a commitment to personal and group praying and fasting if we have any hope of seeing the ushering in of this new season of lour church's life. Here are some specific ways you can be praying:
- Begin praying now that God would move in our church and in the campuses and communities in our valley.
- Ask God to raise up church planters and other leaders who can be evangelists and shepherds for the people who will be responding to God's initiation in their lives.
- Pray for resources to fund salaries, infrastructure, and outreach.
- Pray for the leaders of this movement to remain humble, sexually pure, people of integrity.
- Pray and ask how God might want you to participate in this vision.
Give
Our church has been a bit of a free ride for the past 8 ½ years and was so by design. The message of the church is a message of grace, the best free offer the world has ever seen. What wasn't always communicated very well was that the free came at a price to supporters around the country who were not only tithing (10 % of their income) to their local churches but were also giving 1000's of dollars to MERCYhouse for staff and facilities and outreach.
This was appropriate (and still is to some degree as we expand) but not if it creates a dependence that causes the members and regular attenders of MERCYhouse to feel that our church is a free ride and deprives them of the joy of giving. The proof that this is happening at some level is the very low offerings that usually average about 5 dollars a person on any given Sunday morning
I (Robert) have failed at communicating the necessity for generous giving to the church and beyond. Sacrificial and consistent giving is a spiritual discipline that brings about joy and intimacy with Christ as much as disciplines like prayer and bible reading.
As we consider the 2020 vision, we must ask ourselves if we are willing to give sacrificially to make this happen. Are we willing at the very least to give 10% of our income and perhaps more to see new churches planted the same way that those outside supporters did so that we could experience a church where we could find and fall in love with Christ. If we say no, then we don't own the vision and it will most likely end in failure.
If you are employed, we encourage you to give generously and sacrificially to the work of this church (and soon to be network of churches). Many Christian people use 10% (known as a tithe) as their way of gauging the minimum of how much of their income to give away. This guide comes primarily from the Old Testament (see Leviticus 27:30 and Malachi 3:9-11 for starters) but is also mentioned by Jesus (See Matthew 23:23). This summer we'll be hearing more about these principles on Sunday mornings--see sermon downloads if you are leaving for the summer.
If you are not employed (aka college students), we encourage you to still give. The money you have through grants, loans, or parents is still God's money and we believe it is an essential spiritual discipline to set aside a portion of it to give away as an act of worship. Pray and decide what that portion will be and make a commitment to consistently give.
Go
This seems to be our strength in all of this - our willingness to go. This is the reason I believe that God desires for us to lead a church planting movement. For the last year, I've watched a whole team of northamptonites choose to go to a significantly smaller service, be separated from their friends who are only a fifteen minute drive away in order to work really hard at starting a new church. It hasn't been easy but they're not doing this for themselves - they're doing this for the folks of Northampton who are disconnected from the church and therefore disconnected from Jesus. I believe many more in our church are willing to do the same and will as we send out more and more teams to plant services and churches. I am very proud of the faith steps that our church has taken so far and have full confidence that we will answer the call of Christ yet again as He leads us to this next stage in our growth.
There are four different planting teams that you can be a part of in September (or this summer if you are around). These teams work together to reach out, establish worship services, build relationships with new people, and build community inside house churches. If you are interested in finding out more about any of the following, contact Kristen at christlore@gmail.com.
- Northampton team--This team will continue establishing a church in Northampton to reach out to Noho and Smith College and will be led by a new church planter (this person to be announced).
- South Hadley Team--This team (led by new church planter Ryan McCullah and his wife Christie) will be starting new house churches and laying the groundwork to begin a new congregation in South Hadley.
- Amherst Umass team--This team will be starting a Sunday evening service on the Umass Campus in Fall of 2008 as well as facilitating outreach and small group ministry. This team will be led by Nate Cartel.
- Amherst main location team--This team is made up of people who facilitate Sundays at our main location and house churches in and around Amherst. Even in our main location, we maintain a planting environment of seeking to start new services and new small groups. This team will be lead by our lead pastor Robert.
I am honored to walk beside you in these exciting and trying days.
In His Power,
Robert
(lead pastor of MERCYhouse)
