At a recent Soma Gathering we held in Chillicothe, Ohio, the Lord began to speak as about 50 pastors sat in round-table formation and discussed the season that God has us in. As Fall approaches and signifies change – we are certainly experiencing a lot of changes within the body of Christ. However, just because things are changing, does not mean that God has stopped speaking and moving.
Here are the things that we discussed…
(1) We MUST NOT neglect our personal time with God. We need the strength and direction that ONLY comes from a daily, personal time with our Lord. With busy schedules and ministry obligations, it’s easy to let our personal times with God slip away.
(2) We must walk in personal joy. The joy of the Lord is our strength. This is a season where personal joy is essential if we are going to move forward. God is releasing this joy as we spend time with Him. Although engaged in daily battles, we must nurture our joy and face these issues with joy as our strength. Don’t let yourself get old and crusty!!!
(3) Build strong relationships within your church and outside your church. God is mending His nets, forming strong relationships in this season. It’s not enough any more to have a great platform performance and slick programs fueling the church. Although these things are important, it’s strong, personal relationships with people that make the church strong.
(4) Create Biblical infrastructure in the church. The government of the church must be aligned with the Biblical model in the house and around the house in this season. This means that we must have a functioning government of elders with apostolic oversight, all working within a five-fold ministry context.
(5) Pastor for influence in your city. As civil governments run short on funds and answers for social problems, God is opening doors of opportunity for the church to make a true impact in our cities. This will be the cutting edge of evangelism in the future.
