289. Turning Point for The Seed
We just had our very first adult retreat last weekend. At first, I was a bit disappointed that some of our members couldn’t attend, but it turned out to be a cozy retreat that enabled deeper interaction with one another. Host team did an amazing job preparing and running the retreat and praise team lead an amazing worship sessions. The guest speaker Pastor Youngsu shared challenging messages, but he did it with such bright smiles that made them feel encouraging. He shared many things that our church needed to hear right now and was a huge blessing for us.
One thing he shared with me repeatedly was that our members have such a sweet spirit and are kind to one another. He saw a great potential in our group and encouraged us to think bigger. Hearing from someone outside our church reminded me how special our group is and helped me to begin praying for bigger things.
During the praise time of the last night at the retreat, I strongly felt like God was saying, “I will turn you around”. At first, I heard it as a personal message. But the more I dwelt on it, even after the retreat, I came to believe that was the message for plural “you”, not just the participants, but The Seed. I took it as God’s promise that he is going to bring a turning point for our ministry.
God has been working before the retreat. It is not difficult to sense the change in the recent Sunday atmosphere. There is increasing attendance, vibrancy, and excitement on Sunday. We have many VIPs that we’ve been praying for making a visit in house churches and church events.
After the retreat, I felt a sense of hope for a new season. Just as we don’t have control over the coming and going of any season, it will be God’s doing. And we just need to be positioned well and be prepared for that season. And the way we prepare ourselves is through “unity”. Unity doesn’t come from becoming closer to one another (which often creates more cliques) but comes from functioning together toward the same goal, which is the mission of Jesus for the church. Jesus came to save the lost and build his church to carry on that mission. As all of us begin to function as the unique body part of Christ toward that goal, we will see our church grow more united.
