When churches cheer on other churches
It’s happening here in San Francisco and the Bay Area. No doubt. The very place where statistics are low in all categories pertaining to a faith in God - the Church is growing.
Each church that comes to mind is unique with its own vibe and story, with specific ministries and a vision for their part in this city and world. Some meet on Saturdays, others have multiple services. Some congregations worship while they’re dancing, others prefer more liturgy. The churches are meeting in schools, basements, storefronts, and warehouses.
No matter the style or location, Jesus Christ is who we preach. The Bible is what we teach. Salvation comes from God alone. And God has been building His Church for thousands of years and we are seeing a movement like that of Acts in the Scriptures. I see the Church in the city and Bay Area studying and being active in culture, engaging and listening, praying and fasting to see one thing only - for people to personally encounter the love of Jesus and put their trust in Him alone.
“I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!” 1 Corinthians 9:22 (The Message) If you prefer, here it is in the Living Bible Translation, “Yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so that he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him.” And the King James version, “To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”
I know this isn't the case in every community in our nation, in our world. But I believe to my core that this is what Jesus wanted it to be.
How did this happen?
Prayer. It didn’t happen overnight. Long before any of us got here, Christians were serving, praying, believing. Because what they did mattered, we stepped in and continued to sow, not knowing what the reaping would look like. And we’re not stopping because we started reaping. We continue to sow through prayer and perseverance. But we continue to ask, God, send laborers. God, send an awakening through Your Holy Spirit.
Humility. We can do nothing good in our own strength and are dependent upon God to move and act and use us. We are in this together. It’s never been territorial or about the one. It’s about the people and there’s plenty of us. The posture of the pastors and spiritual leaders in this city is to be noted. I sense that these men and women called by God know where their help comes from and where God has brought them personally. God, keep us humble. Keep us united under the banner of Jesus Christ.
Accountability. If we want to see a move of God in this generation in this city, we best do it together. Pastors have each other’s phone numbers and each other’s backs. They ask about each other’s marriages and family seasons. I believe when pastors have a bigger vision for the city, they see their role as pastor as a team effort together. If they only carry a vision for the church they are serving, the focus turns inward. So God, keep us unified around You and Your vision for the people You’ve called us here to love.
Grace of God. We don’t take it for granted. We pray often for the favor of God to be upon us and His mighty hand as well. He has been so good to us, personally, in sending out more churches and families and Christ followers to the Bay Area. All by the grace of God. Because the gates of hell cannot prevail the move of God, we link arms together through prayer and humility knowing we will be victorious if we stand as one. The church we are privileged to lead, the churches we cheer on, without God, it would all be impossible.
But with God, all things are possible! What you see here are a few moments each year when local pastors, in small circles or big groups, remind one another that God is Who we proclaim and doing so with one another is our aim!
How does it keep happening?
You pray. Pray for your church. Pray for the churches in the community. Pray for unity. Pray against the forces of evil.
You celebrate when your pastor and their pastor hang out. That means learning is happening, iron is sharpening iron.
You commit to a local church. Serve there. Engage in a small group. Be present when you are in town. Speak good of your church and her people.
If you are the pastor, reach out often to the other pastors and let your schedule make room for them.
“Churches often suffer from the lack of cheering each other on. Dallas Willard wrote:
’It’s obvious that the separation between the churches in our communities is one of the hardest things to get past to begin to appreciate what Christ is doing in the world. I have tried to approach this by saying to ministers that the most important part of your ministry is that to other ministers. Come to know them and begin to get over the idea of separation and competition.’
I think the kind of uncommon unity that Jesus prayed for in John 17 has the potential to release an unstoppable force between our churches.
Last week I was sitting in a new church plant in the Bay Area as they were celebrating their one-year anniversary. At the beginning of the service they mentioned another church just a mile or two away, told a bit of their story along with the name of the pastor and prayed that that church too would be a Kingdom Force in their city.
Numbers of churches in our area have been or are starting to collaborate TOGETHER to show up and impact their cities in unmistakably helpful ways. May it be so more and more...”
Me and Nancy aren’t the only ones seeing this! I share stories and thoughts from other pastors in our city and Bay Area in this week’s newsletter. Make sure you’re subscribing!
Before you go, meet my friend, Desiree Westbrook. She and her husband, James, started Realm Church in Oakland (that’s just right across the bridge from us!) with their kids. It’s one of my greatest joys to look into the eyes of a church planter and say there’s nothing I want more than to see you thrive where you live, to push through the darkness and the darts that the enemy will deliver, and to stand firm in the faith. They have our number. And we have their back.
What evidence do you see in your area where churches are cheering one another on?