Our Mobilization Director, Mark Burgess, officially welcomed seventeen new members and commissioned twenty-seven into new ministry positions (fourteen of whom are in their first MCA ministry).
As we approach the time when most students graduate, major corporations are seeking to find and hire the best “talent.” Corporate executives know that their future is linked to the capacities and creativity of their team. Great wins come from great teams with great talent.
Local churches are similar to corporations and sports teams in this regard. A local congregation needs very talented people in every ministry. Talented earners and givers, song writers, vocalists, and musicians, helpers and leaders, missionaries and evangelists, ushers and greeters, janitors, painters, mechanics, bus drivers, and millions more.
In one sense local churches should recruit the best talent for the accomplishment of the mission. On the other hand, if we use an illustration from the plant world, people are not recruited into a local church body, they are grafted in by God. The MCA perspective is that we are looking for everyone God intends to graft into this local congregation. We don’t want people to attend and participate in MCA ministry only by human choice, our desire is for God to direct you to this ministry and graft you into this branch.
I have a few opinions about the American tendency to make church selections based upon things other than God’s grafting wisdom and power. I’ll save these comments for another post.
We are fired up about those whom God has grafted into this branch. Last evening was a delightful time of celebrating our newest members, workers, and ministries.
Mark, God’s favor is upon you.
PS The photos below are a few of the folk whom God has placed here. I took these photos while Mark was praying. :0)
