Wednesday morning I (Dennis)
woke up thinking on the birth of Jesus. In my spirit I was pondering
with Jesus what He wanted the message to be for this season in which
we celebrate His gift of life to us. Over and over He brought to
mind the simple words he used to invite others to join Him on the
journey, “Come, follow me.” No grand program or strategy; no
initiation fees or membership dues. Just come, follow me; seems
pretty simple. Even in this day and age, it is wonderful to be able
to hear His voice; to receive His counsel; go where He goes and do
what He does.
It seems easy enough to follow
Jesus when it’s just you following. It gets a bit more complicated
when it’s a group—and the larger the group, the greater the need
for good communication. In that vein, we’d like to address two
issues which are generating considerable discussion: reducing the
length of our Sunday service and the all-church Financial Peace
University Workshop starting January 20. Perhaps this can be best
addressed with some Q & A:
Regarding the Sunday service:
Q What has motivated us to
target ending our Sunday service by 11:00 am?
A Sharon and I believe we are
transitioning into a dynamic, multi-dimensional, intergenerational
ministry. It includes “vertical” elements (worship, prophecy,
heavenly visitations, personal ministry, etc.) and “horizontal”
elements (teaching, service, relationship-building, family ministry,
etc.). It considers the needs of kids and adults, singles and
families, members and guests. We help as many as are willing to
experience both the presence and power of God while connecting with
others as an extension of God’s Kingdom.
Paul instructs us when we
gather corporately to weigh
carefully
what we do and only share that which strengthens
the church.
So in consideration of our families with kids, the diverse gift-mix
of our fellowship, and the guests who are increasingly testing the
waters, we are motivated to weigh carefully every aspect of our
morning together and focus on that which will strengthen the whole
church.
Q How will the service
change?
A We are targeting worship &
communion for about 45-50 minutes and the message for about 30
minutes. Prophetic words, Spirit-led prayer, and testimonies will
continue to be a part of our service; however, we will pass these by
the presiding pastor (usually Dennis) to insure that whatever is
shared flows with the overall service and is intended for the
corporate body as a whole.
Q Will we still be open to
the Spirit?
A Absolutely; experiencing the
tangible presence of God is one of our core values. Our worship teams
and ministers prepare all week for our service. Having done all we
can to prepare ourselves, we release our plans into God’s hands to
do what only He can. This is our heart whether we are meeting for 90
minutes or 2 hours.
We believe this is a step the
Lord is asking us to take. Out of preference for one another, we ask
you to come with us.
Regarding the 9-week Financial
Peace University (FPU):
Q What is the big deal
about getting everyone to enroll in FPU?
A One aspect of cultivating a
supernatural Jesus-culture is completely revolutionizing how we
handle money. FPU helps people dream about how they want to spend
their money for Kingdom living (their plan) and then tell their money
where to go (their budget). Just as The
Redeemer’s Key
is a tool which empowers our identity in Christ, FPU is a tool which
empowers our dreams to become realities. By making this an
all-church event we will be helping one another and impacting the
culture of our ministry along the way.
Q Is it true you are
cancelling all other ministries during the 9-week workshop?
A Yes; this workshop has the
potential to change the culture of our fellowship—how husbands and
wives communicate with each other; how parents disciple their kids to
understand the value of stewardship; and how the church responds
generously to the dreams God places on our hearts. We want to
schedule these workshops without adding yet another ministry date to
the calendar. So we are postponing The
Well,
Blessing Teams, small groups, Soul Pardon, and Leadership Huddle to
encourage as many as possible to attend. As a further encouragement
we are offering two class times (Sunday at 4 and Wednesday at 6:30;
both with childcare).
Q What if I’ve already
attended a FPU seminar?
A These are brand new
teachings. Few of us are able to implement everything at one time;
so if you are attending for your second time (or your third time like
us) you will most likely pick up on an issue you have not yet acted
on. In addition, we need your experience and influence. Even if
your finances are in wonderful shape, your presence can provide
encouragement to those who are just starting. (Besides, if you are an
FPU alum you will only need to purchase a $15 workbook instead of the
complete $89 kit.)
Q What if I don’t learn
anything?
A When was the last time you
got a money-back guarantee at church? If after completing all the
sessions and assignments you are not convinced that you are better
prepared and positioned to manage your financial house and pursue
God’s dreams for your life, you may ask for a complete refund of
your registration fee.
We believe this is an
opportunity which can benefit every household at Open Door. We dream
of marriage partners working together; parents discipling their
children; believers empowered to pursue God’s dreams; and a
fellowship of believers living like no one else, so they can give
like no one else. Now that’s a supernatural Jesus-culture! We
believe in this opportunity so strongly that we are enrolled to
attend one session and will provide child-care for the other session.
For us to minister effectively to households, grow as a ministry,
and resource the dreams God has laid on our hearts, we must tackle
finances from a Biblical perspective. We are asking you to go with
us. Will you come?
You continually bless us with
you presence, your service and your generosity. We thank the Lord
continually for allowing us to represent Him in this fellowship.
Thanks for joining us on the journey. Merry Christmas.
To the King! To the Kingdom!
Dennis & Sharon Chaput
Founding Pastors