How are you Growing?

For over a year it may felt like we have been stuck in neutral. We push on the gas but make little to no progress. This pandemic has taken more than a year from most of us, but it didn’t and doesn’t have to. As difficult as this time has been we have learned new ways to be the church. We have been challenged to think, act, and worship differently. So how have you grown in the last year? How are you growing now?

Outside my office is a bulletin board with a question from one of our previous worship series, “Will You Grow?” The series reflected on the 5 things (prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness) that we make a vow to be responsible for as members of Lake Cities United Methodist Church. As I look at this question I daily ask myself, “How am I growing?”

Why should you consider this question? Well the answer is simple. If you are not growing, you are dying! As members of Christ holy church and this local congregation of Lake Cities we should be daily exploring ways to grow and examining how well we have done. This Sunday we will be looking at John 15 where Jesus describes himself as the true vine from which the branches grow and produce fruit. We are the branches!

“If you are not growing, you are dying!”

The branches produce fruit, but not on their own. A branch MUST be connected to the vine in order to produce fruit, and we too MUST be connected to the body of Christ in the same way. Christ said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” So consider how much have you grown in the past year? Is it time to return to the vine? Join us this Sunday for worship at 8:30 and 10:45 AM as we continue the conversation.

In God’s grip,

Pastor Chuck Church