After months of planning and fundraising, a group of 16 from Central traveled to Wisconsin for this year's Christ in Youth conference. The entire week focused on the first 10 chapters of the book of Acts with the theme being: MOVE.
Each day highlighted a different emphasis and challenge to get the students to: MOVE with Jesus; MOVE with the Holy Spirit; MOVE with Community; MOVE with Boldness; MOVE in Service. On Sunday morning, July 20 the students will be leading the 10:30 a.m. service and giving reports on how they MOVED closer to God because of CIY.
However, I think that it is time for Central to move with God. Over the past several weeks God has been working on my heart that Central needs to move. First, at the Externally Focused Church Conference in May, God impressed upon me that Central needs to move out of the walls of her building and move into our community to make a bigger impact. Secondly, in the June 10 issue of the Central Focus I charted a course that laid out a plan for CCC to fulfill her mission of making disciples of Jesus. The chart demonstrates the movement that we must make. The third event that has happened to me recently was picking up and reading the book, Church Is a Team Sport. That book clearly articulates the vision that I’ve talked about when I use the phrase “building a championship church”. I was so moved by that book that I bought 20 copies and gave them away for people to read and catch a vision for what God can do here at Central, if we join with Him and move as a team. Fourthly, traveling with the Highest Praise group the whole theme of the program was “listening to the voice of the Savior” and then moving (responding to) according to that voice. Finally, experiencing a whole week of CIY where the theme is MOVE. Is that just a coincidence that God has worked on my heart over the past 6 weeks with ONE MAJOR THEME: MOVE? I don’t think so. And I am willing to move to the voice of God and I challenge you to move with me as we move with God and where He is leading. Yes, I know it’s comfortable to stay where you are, but how can you really be a follower of Jesus if you aren’t moving with Him?
Let’s Move,
Derry
