Springtime is a time for LOVE!

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that God loved us...." 1 John 4:10 

May seems to be a good month to talk about love. There are so many reasons to feel love from God in the Spring. When we look at the blooming roses, feel the heat, smell the Eucalyptus tree leaves and watch the grapes around us grow, spend time with our friends, God’s love is communicated.

         An Upper Room devotional by Dan Johnson, discussed the different definitions of love and how God’s love is distinctive. Johnson said, “Love has been defined in many different ways. One of those ways is that love is something we do. We love. We do. We make a difference. Yet, the apostle John saw it differently. Love, he says, is not primarily something we do but something God does — something God is.

         Our love for others and ourselves is a response to God’s love. We can let go of the notion that love — or anything else — starts with us. It begins with God, who is the alpha and omega, the beginning and end, the first and last.”

         Johnson calls God’s love “great news,” Because: “We can relax, knowing that love doesn’t originate with us, but comes from an endless, abounding, overflowing, and incredible supply. We can draw on God’s love and let it overflow to and through us. God’s love may lead us to some surprising places and circumstances, but God will already be there. God sets an example of sacrificial love for us. Because God’s love is sacrificial, we often need to make some sacrifice to love others well. We love because God first loved us.”

         So in the spirit of God’s love, let’s sacrifice some time and energy to help our church’s mission and activities grow and flourish to show God’s love in our community and beyond. Here are some ways:

1. Attend worship services and show your love of God in worship.     

2. Participate in our garden maintenance and care of the earth.

3. Come to the Boy Scouts BBQ on May 7^th to help our Troop 135.

4. Bring lots of friends and neighbors to our Spring Fling May 21^st.

5. Embrace our new members with your love by getting to know them and invite them to church programs you are a part of.

6. Pray for our church and help it grow by wearing your t-shirt, talking to your friends about coming along with you to worship, and inviting your children and grandchildren to join you on Mother’s day to celebrate your Mom and their Mom.

         God is good all the time and God is love ALL the TIME! I’m sure you can think of even more ways you can show love by loving and giving and caring for your church and our mission in the world. I would LOVE to hear your ideas and plans.

Happy Blooming Church of the Roses!

“A happy heart makes a face cheerful.”  Proverbs 15:13

         One of the things people look for in a church is a positive happy atmosphere. Going to a church full of dour looking solemn people is not very attractive. I think that is one of the reasons our church is growing. New visitors have been attending worship and deciding to join us in part because they look around and see happiness! With the next new members class we will have 51 new members in the last two and ½ years.

         It makes sense that we are happy because we have so so much to be grateful for, thanks be to God! But happiness is also a choice.

         Groucho Marx once said:

Groucho’s quote reminds me of this passage in Matthew 6:25-27 that encourages us not to worry, (which inspires happiness):

         “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” (NRSV)

There are other reasons besides a happy atmosphere that helps a church grow. Here is a list I shared with our session at our March meeting. YOU can help us accomplish these ten goals:

• 1. MAKE SUNDAY SPECIAL Put creative energy into every worship service. You may only get one chance to connect Christ to a visitor.
• 2.ADD AN EXTRA SERVICE (and maybe even an extra venue)
• The Session and worship committee are considering adding a new worship service on Friday evenings that may attract new members who like to listen to instrumentalists accompany our hymns.
• 3. WORK ON YOUR WELCOME Making new attendees feel at home from the moment they drive into the parking lot will significantly increase the chances of them returning. We need greeters at Bowen Hall doors helping people find their way into our church.
• 4. ENCOURAGE BELONGING AND BELIEVING
• Belonging will often precede believing, and forming friendships is essential. Invite new comers to our activities. Consider starting a small group study.
• 5. INVEST IN YOUNG PEOPLE Young people need to be purposefully placed into visible leadership roles and given excellent Christian mentoring.
• 6. ENGAGE YOUR COMMUNITY Churches need to place community engagement high on the priority list. One church started: Christians Against Poverty and gave financial advice and aid to those struggling in their local community. In one year that church added 100 members.
• 7. MARKET YOURSELF The best marketing is the kind that comes from positive interactions with the local community. Giving people a reason to enter the church is half the battle. So make the most of Christmas, Easter and any events that give you an excuse to invite people in. Don’t be shy.
• 8.GIVE SUPPORT TO CONGREGATIONAL CARE Churches that grow have been able to develop pastoral support networks that allow everyone in the church to be ministered to without the pastor having to do it all.
• 9. RUN AN EVANGELISTIC COURSE (AND CHURCH)
• Strategically, the church needs to be missionary-minded so that every member knows they have a role in sharing their faith, inviting friends and ensuring that visitors feel at home. Have a constant introductory course such as Alpha or Christianity Explored to teach the basics.
• 10. PRAY Praying for growth. In 1 Corinthians 3:6, Paul says: ‘I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.’ 
• In our efforts to see church growth, we need to acknowledge we can achieve nothing without God’s blessing, which brings forth the fruit. When churches become inward-looking they forget the power of the gospel and what it feels like to grow. Pray daily for our church to grow so we can meet the spiritual needs of the people in our congregation and community. All of us can pray.

 (List above adapted from: Justin Brierley’s article at: https://www.premierchristianity.com/Past-Issues/2015/January-2015/Ten-ways-to-grow-your-church-in-2015)

        I am so thankful for the willingness of our Church of the Roses leaders to work on these ten things that will help our church have a healthy future. May God continue to bless us and keep us as we carry on in faith. Remember, there are seven Sundays in the Easter season. YOU can help us make each Easter Season Sunday special by worshipping and participating in the future of our church.  Happy Easter Season!    Love,   Pastor Cindy

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