2nd July, 2008
Do You Have Church Growth Plans?
Just what is in your future? Has your heart or mind been looking ahead to what the future may hold for you and your dreams. The most qualified statement is always going to be: Do not stop dreaming your dream! When I was just a very young minister of the Gospel of Christ Jesus, I was the pastor of a small country church. I would pray for growth and go to every seminar and read all the books on Church Growth I could find. Yes, the little country church grew and it was quite exciting! It grew only to the capacity that it would hold though! Even though I had prayed and overcame many obstacles I wanted to grow further in the “plan” for renewal and soul discipleship application. I was not satisfied! The one thing that stopped the growth where I was came to me simply but incredibly incomprehensible for me. The “folks” of the church did not want to grow any further. I thought my dream had ended! This is all there is? This cannot be! So I contacted a pastor who had grown to about 2500 people and was highly respected in the field of Church Growth. To my ultimate surprise and highest encouragement he agreed to meet me for lunch. Well, to make a story get to the point he said these words to me: Never stop dreaming your dream, you will make it if your keep dreaming. People will always try to wake you up and bring you into there nightmare! It is a nightmare because you do not belong in their dream. Always be spiritually asleep, dreaming on what God’s future is for you. Be spiritually awake so you can take others along on the journey of your dream. Make your dream real to them and you will grow.
I have never forgot those words. One of my favorite scriptures in the Word of God is: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
So my heart has always dreamed and my dream continues as I am asleep spiritually in His great promise and I am alive (awake) in Him so I can tell others of His great love. Do not stop dreaming your dream! It will come as that which you have dreamed.
Best
Dennis
All scriptures used in this blog article are The Amplified Bible, containing the Amplified Old Testament and the Amplified New Testament. 1987. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
Posted at 10:13 pm |
On July 4, 2008 at 7:07 pm Steve Wright said:
July 4, 2008 at 7:07 pm
What a great post. Thanks for those words big D. They were a blessing to me today. I miss being able to spend time with you my brother. You need to come and visit me soon or I need to come that way.
On July 8, 2008 at 11:17 am Kelly (Williams) Holland said:
July 8, 2008 at 11:17 am
You have recently been on my mind and I never thought I’d find you—-last we spoke about 10 yrs ago, you were in Illinois–I was a member in San Lorenzo, CA-(David and Kelly Williams!!)-I still am in Alabama—what even made me think of you is I have an upcoming trip to Chicago and thought of looking you up to catch up—I love this website and was so excited (but not surprised) that you are still up to the Father’s business!–Please, please e-mail me back if you can. When you are living for the Lord, nothing happens by coincidence, so now I am wondering why I had the urgency to find where you are! I still enjoy the awesome memories of being under your ministry!!—Please write back, Kelly