A Place for ALL GOD's Children

This coming Sunday we will begin our new ministry emphasis, A Place for All GOD’s Children. This is something I have been thinking and praying over since Easter weekend. I awoke early on Holy Saturday and spent time in prayer about the meaning of Easter and Christ’s sacrifice for us. This came on the heels of a dynamic Lenten and Holy Week celebration where I experienced the love of GOD in my life in a new and very meaningful way. As I read my daily devotion, the scripture lesson stopped me in my tracks: “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.” (1 John 5:1-2)

In the context of Easter weekend, the thought of being born again really impacted me as I thought about the responsibility we have as followers of Jesus – to love the children of GOD. Isn’t this the role and purpose of the church? We are called to love GOD with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30) and obey Jesus’ commandment, which is to love one another (John 15:12). As we think about the role of the church universal, and the task of Cokes Chapel in particular, we are called to be A Place for All GOD’s Children.

There is no doubt that Cokes Chapel has this love as part of our overall ministry; between the Childcare Center, the recent addition of our new Children’s Minister, Kim Reindl, and our upcoming plunge into River of Life, our church truly has a heart for children. Our church has also historically been heavily involved in caring for All GOD’s Children across the community and the globe. As we embark on this new ministry emphasis, I want our church to seriously consider how we are actually loving and caring for All GOD’s Children.

The mission of Cokes Chapel, as adopted by the Leadership Conference in 2013, is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. As I think about how we are called to be A Place for All GOD’s Children, it simply can be said we are to do so here, there, and everywhere. This is a simplified way of understanding Jesus’ mandate to be His witnesses in Judea (the local area), Samaria (the larger region), and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Allow me to explain:

•        Here: As we seek to be A Place for All GOD’s Children, making disciples HERE, we have some pretty significant opportunities with our current mission field: the Childcare Center and our growing children’s ministries. But being A Place for All GOD’s Children isn’t just about people under the age of 18, because we are all GOD’s children and called to share that good news with everyone!
•        There: As we seek to be A Place for ALL GOD’s Children, making disciples THERE, we have many needs and opportunities to serve in our region. We already do significant support for One Roof, Luthersville Food Ministry, Community Welcome House, A Better Way Ministry, Meals on Wheels, service in local nursing homes, the Trinity Table Soup Kitchen, and GOD’s Breadbasket in Hogansville (among others), and this is great! As we continue to be in ministry in our region, how else can we seek to shine the light and love of GOD?
•         Everywhere: As we seek to be A Place for ALL GOD’s Children, making disciples EVERYWHERE, we are called to embrace and expand our involvement in the global reach of the gospel and our participation of ministries in the United Methodist Church. Cokes Chapel is committed to paying 100% of our apportionments, which helps facilitate ministry throughout the world. We take collections for the United Methodist Committee On Relief – or UMCOR – during times of crisis or disaster. We support the Stotler missionary family through the Mission Society. We have also taken on individual projects, like Stop Hunger Now and Miracles for Mozambique, that are aimed at helping spread hope and the love of GOD across the world.

 Being A Place for All GOD’s Children, making disciples of Jesus here, there, and everywhere, means that we have some work to do, and this is very exciting! Steps are already being taken to help embrace and engage this ministry focus for our church – things like hiring a children’s director, assessing our current ministry with the church survey, and looking ahead at new ministry opportunities ahead of us – but we need your help! We need your prayers, your presence in worship and church activities, your talents given you by GOD, and your financial gifts which help make it all possible. This campaign will call us to reflect over our stewardship, or our use of the resources given us by GOD, and commit to be difference makers in our church, community, and across the world.

The United Methodist Church has a slogan that I want to share with you, since this will be a definite part of our mission to be A Place for All GOD’s Children, making disciples of Jesus here, there, and everywhere: Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors. As we embark on this new ministry emphasis, may our hearts be open to the cause of the gospel around us; may our minds be open to the possibilities GOD has in store for us; and may our doors be open to receive the people GOD will send our way to love and welcome into GOD’s holy family.

GOD Bless and I hope to see you Sunday as we kick off our new series with the first message, Logos. The Bible lesson is from John 1:1-5, 9-14.