by Joshua Linman

Take about 3 minutes and watch just the beginning of this video:

What I loved about this sermon starter video is more than the solid production values and great storytelling — it was the message shared.

Instead of re-reading our original instruction manual we have been trying to produce a discipleship harvest by pushing and pulling the Church under our own power. We have created programs and structures that distort the true purpose of faith communities and box in the Holy Spirit. What began as a command to “go make disciples” has turned into “go build a building and make the disciples come to you.” As Mike Slaughter points out, the church today must be “actively moving out and engaging the world in the places of greatest need rather than marketing the world into the church.” (Mike Slaughter, Change The World, p. 2)

I love the Message translation of John 1:14 lifted up by Pastor Nettle in the video, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” And just as God the Father sent Jesus, Jesus is sending us…into the neighborhood.

It is in that call that Rivertree Church is heading out and through Go Communities to love God and love their neighbors…and transform their neighborhoods to do the same.

Was the video helpful for you? Why? How is your church moving into the neighborhood?

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Image © Rivertree Church