"And observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go" 1 Kings 2:3
"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord. "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11
What is success? How would you define it? Is it the same for all people? How do you know if you were successful? On the flip side - what would you consider failure?
Both of these questions depend on the environment and scenario you find yourself in. There are also situations which can be perceived as failures from the outside when in reality there was success. Sometimes we overlook the successes as we deem the overall situation a failure.
It all depends on what our standards are.
In the middle of 2006, I joined a church, Vineyard Brecksville, which had just been planted. The pastor and his wife were friends of mine from college and I was currently in the midst of leaving my childhood church (a really long story for another time) and this was a natural fit. It was a small group of followers who had decided to try and make an impact on the local community of Brecksville.
When you plant a new church, there are many factors that work for you and work against you. The first positive is the excitement in starting something new. People have a lot of energy and willingness to help build something. They have dreams and goals where they see this new endeavor going. We were going to meet our community and our little church would grow and thrive. I'm sure that was a lot of people's dreams - I know it was mine.
Sadly, Vineyard Brecksville closed its doors in August 2010. The last service was a combination of laughter and tears. There was a disappointment that it was ending and it showed. As a matter of fact, this situation had been building for several months before the official last service. I still feel almost 4 years later that people are still dealing with anger and bitterness over that situation.
There were a variety of factors working against us. We had too few people to effectively reach out and a great deal of work fell on the shoulders of too few. This resulted in a sapping of energy and quick burn-out on people. Our location, in an office building, may not have been the best location for a church. We were not too close to a residential area and it was not a busy area on weekends. This placed a premium on people to evangelism and outreach and maybe we weren't particularly gifted in those areas. I don't know. That's how I felt about myself in that situation. That I wasn't gifted and didn't add to helping the church as well as I could have.
So, because Vineyard Brecksville closed - does that make it a failure? It's not open - so the world would consider that it failed. Were the four years there a waste of time?
Looking at the verses I posted, I wouldn't be so quick to deem this a failure. As a matter of fact, I would argue that it wasn't a failure. If we believe God led this group to plant a church, why would we believe He would fail in His purpose? There had to be a good purpose if God calls his people. Maybe we have different expectations or don't see all that God was working during this four year mission.
Can we fail? Yes, we are sinful and fall short. We make mistakes (we did at Brecksville). Do we fall short of our goals? All the time. But, God had a purpose for us there and I believe that God never fails in what He wants to accomplish. God is not hampered by our failures. Like it says in Jeremiah, the Lord's plans for us are to give us a hope and a future. Maybe, its hard for us to see that at times because our view of success does not line up with what God views.
What was accomplished on our four year missions trip? People were blessed and grew in the Lord. People discovered gifts they didn't know they had. Some who didn't think they had leadership gifts, became leaders within that church. We met different people and learned from them. People grew in the Lord. People were faithful to God. We were obedient to God's call. How is that failure?
What did I gain during that time? First, I met my wife - so that's a huge plus. But, I discovered a stronger need for prayer in my life during that time. We, as a church, met weekly to pray for our church and our community. There was a beautiful desperation as we came to rely more on God rather than our own strength. That foundation has stayed with me as I have dealt with other issues in my life since those doors closed. I am fairly certain I would not have been involved in my current church as much or going to India on a missions trip if not for Vineyard Brecksville. I have made life-long friendships during my time there. People that hold me accountable, people who have prayed over me and my wife, and just have good times with.
Whatever God calls you into will lead to personal growth and a better understanding of and reliance on God. Vineyard Brecksville did close in 2010. I still think its a success story.
"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord. "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11
What is success? How would you define it? Is it the same for all people? How do you know if you were successful? On the flip side - what would you consider failure?
Both of these questions depend on the environment and scenario you find yourself in. There are also situations which can be perceived as failures from the outside when in reality there was success. Sometimes we overlook the successes as we deem the overall situation a failure.
It all depends on what our standards are.
In the middle of 2006, I joined a church, Vineyard Brecksville, which had just been planted. The pastor and his wife were friends of mine from college and I was currently in the midst of leaving my childhood church (a really long story for another time) and this was a natural fit. It was a small group of followers who had decided to try and make an impact on the local community of Brecksville.
When you plant a new church, there are many factors that work for you and work against you. The first positive is the excitement in starting something new. People have a lot of energy and willingness to help build something. They have dreams and goals where they see this new endeavor going. We were going to meet our community and our little church would grow and thrive. I'm sure that was a lot of people's dreams - I know it was mine.
Sadly, Vineyard Brecksville closed its doors in August 2010. The last service was a combination of laughter and tears. There was a disappointment that it was ending and it showed. As a matter of fact, this situation had been building for several months before the official last service. I still feel almost 4 years later that people are still dealing with anger and bitterness over that situation.
There were a variety of factors working against us. We had too few people to effectively reach out and a great deal of work fell on the shoulders of too few. This resulted in a sapping of energy and quick burn-out on people. Our location, in an office building, may not have been the best location for a church. We were not too close to a residential area and it was not a busy area on weekends. This placed a premium on people to evangelism and outreach and maybe we weren't particularly gifted in those areas. I don't know. That's how I felt about myself in that situation. That I wasn't gifted and didn't add to helping the church as well as I could have.
So, because Vineyard Brecksville closed - does that make it a failure? It's not open - so the world would consider that it failed. Were the four years there a waste of time?
Looking at the verses I posted, I wouldn't be so quick to deem this a failure. As a matter of fact, I would argue that it wasn't a failure. If we believe God led this group to plant a church, why would we believe He would fail in His purpose? There had to be a good purpose if God calls his people. Maybe we have different expectations or don't see all that God was working during this four year mission.
Can we fail? Yes, we are sinful and fall short. We make mistakes (we did at Brecksville). Do we fall short of our goals? All the time. But, God had a purpose for us there and I believe that God never fails in what He wants to accomplish. God is not hampered by our failures. Like it says in Jeremiah, the Lord's plans for us are to give us a hope and a future. Maybe, its hard for us to see that at times because our view of success does not line up with what God views.
What was accomplished on our four year missions trip? People were blessed and grew in the Lord. People discovered gifts they didn't know they had. Some who didn't think they had leadership gifts, became leaders within that church. We met different people and learned from them. People grew in the Lord. People were faithful to God. We were obedient to God's call. How is that failure?
What did I gain during that time? First, I met my wife - so that's a huge plus. But, I discovered a stronger need for prayer in my life during that time. We, as a church, met weekly to pray for our church and our community. There was a beautiful desperation as we came to rely more on God rather than our own strength. That foundation has stayed with me as I have dealt with other issues in my life since those doors closed. I am fairly certain I would not have been involved in my current church as much or going to India on a missions trip if not for Vineyard Brecksville. I have made life-long friendships during my time there. People that hold me accountable, people who have prayed over me and my wife, and just have good times with.
Whatever God calls you into will lead to personal growth and a better understanding of and reliance on God. Vineyard Brecksville did close in 2010. I still think its a success story.
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