On Sunday morning before my 9am sermon I took some time to talk a little about the need for all of us to step up and be the church during this time of renovating our new building at 184 Broad. If you were present for this short fatherly lecture I want you to know that it comes from a place of very deep love for the church. I am very passionate about us not just being people who attend church as religious consumers. I want us to take ownership and really invest deeply in the local church God has placed us in. Specifically, I'm talking about generous contribution of time, talents, energy and money like the Christians we read about in the book of Acts. I am convinced that what God wants is for this to be a collective effort as opposed to a small segment of the church carrying all the weight. I hope I didn't come off too strong Sunday but this idea of collective ownership is really important. I want us to be a family.
The reality is that our lease on our present space ends January 31st which means we have a limited amount of time to get a lot of work done to get the new building ready. It's going to take everyone doing their part. When I say "everyone" I mean everyone who is a part of Ren Church and able to help. I understand that some of us have virtually no spare time. Moms, for example, I know are sometimes holding on by a thread. Some of us have physical issues that prevent us from helping. Some have jobs that drain the very life out of you. But for most of us I want to encourage us to make every effort to contribute to the work that needs to be done, not for me, but out of honor for Christ.
At this point much of the work does not require skill. It's sweeping, taking down old ductwork, removing carpet, pulling up tacks from the hardwoods and so on. I'm not asking that you come out every week but maybe 1-2 times a month for a few hours. The open blocks for volunteers are Thursday 5-9pm, Friday 5-9pm and Saturday 10-4pm. Respond back to this email to let Pastor Nate and I know you are coming. Thanks.
Lastly, if any of you were upset by my push on Sunday or confused in any way can you please share your thoughts with me. I want to reassure you of my love and let you know that I'm not mad at anybody at all. I understand that some of us have had some really negative experiences with harsh authority figures in the past and my serious tone may have triggered negative emotions. If that happened to any of you I am truly sorry. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt any of you. So please don't be afraid to talk to me.
May God pour out His grace upon our community during this season and make us a beautiful family for the fame of Jesus.
"I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me." (1Corinth4:14-16)
–Pastor Scott A.