Connect, Communicate, Collaborate, Celebrate
Acts 2:46-47 “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” NAS
I am often motivated by the word, “Together,” especially in Scripture. Jesus called His disciples together in order to teach, fellowship, give instruction, equip, and rejoice with them. He never sent His disciples out alone; He taught them the importance of scattering in groups of two or more to minister and gathering back together to share and celebrate what God had done in and through them.
The Great Commission was meant to be accomplished together; with each person praying, caring for others and sharing the Good News of Jesus with every person on earth until Christ’s return. It would be impossible for one person or even one ministry to connect with every person, and so we MUST work together. We join together neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city, reaching out to and through every cultural sphere of influence – education, arts, healthcare, military, government, church, sports, people with disabilities, workplace, etc., … so that every generation, every race, every person, is being prayed for, cared for and having the gospel shared with them with the authentic love of Jesus Christ.
It is with all of this in mind that I encourage you to Connect, Communicate, Collaborate and Celebrate with one another. The Mission America Coalition and its initiatives such as
LOVE2020, have challenged us as Christ-followers, to live a “Prayer, Care, Share” lifestyle in a deliberate way that touches every person in America with the love of Jesus. This can only be accomplished with TOGETHERNESS; by connecting with other Christ-followers and ministries; secondly, by communicating with one another often and clearly to share ideas, needs and burdens, and to strategize on how to accomplish all that needs to be done. Thirdly we all need to collaborate on the strategies so that there is ACTION and progress that takes place.
Collaboration accelerates the advancement of praying for people, caring for people and sharing the message of salvation. Finally, we cannot miss an opportunity to celebrate every victory; every person who is fed, educated, given healthcare, and opportunities to live out their God- given gifts and purpose. We need to celebrate communities coming together in crisis and in strengthening the connectedness of their neighborhood. Share the stories of people who reach out to families suffering in times of loss, illness, military deployment, or unexpected events that life can bring. Modeling love motivates others to follow these great examples of living beyond ourselves, and celebrating these moments assures us that we are making progress and spurs us on to do more. It lifts hearts and gives hope to a hurting world when they see communities being transformed; as multiple areas of need are met, and people are loved as Jesus demonstrated and commanded.
Who can you connect with? How have you communicated with the ministries and churches in your area? How can you collaborate with multiple ministries to reach the needs of your city? When was the last time you shared a great story of “Prayer, Care, Share,” in action so others could celebrate with you? There are so many ministries, churches and Christ-followers in America and around the world and we MUST practice connecting, communicating, collaborating, and celebrating more and more each day in order to reach America and the world with the love of Jesus.
Comments
Such a good word for the body of Christ. Together we can do all that Christ calls us to do for His glory. Let's live out Ephesians 4:15-16. Every part of the body is needed!