Lead: Going Global

Leadership is essential in the church. God has called all of us to lead in some capacity. The good news is you only need to be one step ahead to be a leader. So, I encourage you to:

• Maximize your serve.
• Become a leader.

Who me?!? Become a leader?!? Yes, YOU! Pastor Steve shares with us today as he completes the current series with LEAD - the last of the four areas of discipleship.

Jesus gave the church a mission to complete. The only way the church will complete the mission is to build a solid foundation of godly leadership. Leading as a disciple of Jesus reflects the value of Joyful Authenticity: Living from the heart. To lead our lives in such a way as to reflect the image of Jesus through our ability to live with joy even amidst adversity reflects a value of Clovis Hills.

In Acts 1:8 Jesus said:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Clovis Hills is a part of a global plan to care for people who face the difficulties of spiritual emptiness, egocentric leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic disease and crippling illiteracy. We do this in conjunction with local churches worldwide. The first step is to become a "witness" of Jesus. Being a witness of Jesus is simply sharing what God has done in your life by sharing with others or through acts of compassion.

Now, as it applies to missions the vision is Going Global which is going on an international mission with your growth group. As a leader of your growth group you have an awesome opportunity to help lead your growth group on an international missionary journey. So, in your growth group begin praying about where God wants your group to travel on mission somewhere around the world. Then watch and experience God at work through your growth groups willingness to take the next step! It's an incredible experience with God!

Serve: My Community

Serving is more than volunteering. It's investing in eternal things, making an impact in people’s lives and serving from a grateful heart. SERVE is the third of four areas of discipleship being discussed in the current series. An amazing thing happens when you get connected to God through serving in an area that uses the gifts and talents that God has equipped you with...then add passion - watch out world...God is at work! It is truly awesome to encounter God through serving...try it - you won't regret it!

Serving as a disciple of Jesus reflects two of our values at Clovis Hills. One is Grateful Service: A generous heart and the other is Open Acceptance: A heart for the lost. To serve in a ministry of the church AND to be part of a growth group on mission is the way to reflect the values of Clovis Hills. I appreciate and agree with Rick Warren when he states that there are really two essential parts of serving: ministry - service to believers and mission - service to unbelievers. The important balance to maintain is to find where God wants you to serve in ministry and mission. Not sure where to begin? Pray and think about the following outline as you discover your place of service:

Submit to God’s service
Experience God’s blessings
Reflect God’s son
Validate God’s calling
Expand God’s kingdom

Jesus stated in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19, 20:

"…Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Making disciples begins at home, in our church and in our community. Now, as it applies to missions the vision is My Community which is serving on mission in our local community with my growth group. So, in your growth group begin praying about where God wants your group to serve on mission in our local community. Then watch and experience God at work through your obedience!

Grow: My Life Mission

Pastor Steve's message today continues with GROW - the next area of discipleship. It is a strong teaching about what it really means to live the christian life. I highly recommend it!

Growing to be a disciple of Jesus reflects two of our values at Clovis Hills. One is Devotion: A heart for God and his word and the other is Healthy Relationships: A heart of humility. To attend weekend services AND to be part of a growth group is the way to reflect the values of Clovis Hills.

Now, as it applies to missions the vision is to realize and own My Life Mission which is recognizing the need to be on mission and being part of a growth group. This is the beginning point of being on mission for Jesus...it's as vital as traveling overseas on a mission trip. In fact, it is foundational to building the character of Jesus.

So, if you are not in a growth group...my encouragement to you is to take the leap and trust God to grow you in ways you've never imagined.

Connect: God's Mission

Today, Pastor Steve's sermon was about connect which is one of four areas we've identified as essential for the Christian life. The others are grow, serve and lead which will be discussed over the next three Sundays...you won't want to miss it!

Connecting to God is the most important thing we can do...especially to accept Jesus and "connect" with him in our heart. It's God's mission to reach out to every lost soul and to bring them to himself. That's where we get to participate. The Holy Spirit lives in each one of us that have accepted Jesus and we get to be God's hands and feet in the world. This past July Pastor Dave MacNeill shared during the "Heroes" series on Ordinary People, Supernatural Power - it was pretty amazing...worth listening to again. In fact, I intend to use the sermon for mission trip preparation in the future. How cool is that?!?

There is no greater mission than to help people connect to the living God...it's a great responsibility, honor and privilege to participate with God. Have you connected to God? Are you connecting at Clovis Hills? Don't wait any longer to connect to the experience of your lifetime...ready, set, go!

To The Ends Of The Earth

Missions is something that many people discuss and often disagree about. When debating how it should be done, my advice is simple…“just do it"! I am prone to action so sometimes I get a little impatient with some folks but the truth is WE all can be on mission in our Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth - just by being who God designed us to be...imperfections and all!

If you are a follower of Jesus and commit to being his disciple then part of that calling is to be a missionary. Now, being a missionary does not necessarily mean traveling to Zimbabwe however, I highly encourage going overseas sometime in your life. What it does mean is realizing the opportunity to share Jesus wherever you are - home, family, friends, work, school - WHEREVER God places you today, be His witness.

Will you accept the invitation to share what Jesus has done in your life? Really, that is what evangelism is...simply sharing about your experience and only you know your story. Once you've accepted and are willing to take your story "on the road" then you've taken the step to be on mission.

God bless you on your journey!

My Life Mission * My Community * Going Global

Clovis Hills invites you to look at ways where God can use you to share His love. Discover how an ordinary person like you can be used by an extraordinary God to make a difference wherever you go. We believe God’s greatest moments for you are never for you alone… they are meant to be shared.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Clovis Hills is a part of a global plan to care for people who face the difficulties of spiritual emptiness, egocentric leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic disease and crippling illiteracy. We do this in conjunction with local churches worldwide.

" ... and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

It is the vision of the Missions team at Clovis Hills to help people take the "next step" in sharing Jesus with those that don't know him, have never accepted him or are on this life journey striving to be a faithful disciple of Jesus. In future blogs I will elaborate further on the next steps but for now an overall view to consider:

• My Life Mission - recognizing the need to be on mission and part of a growth group.
• My Community - serving on mission in our local community with my growth group.
• Going Global - going on an international mission with my growth group.

So, where are you in this plan? Ask God to direct you and trust him to provide all you need to be obedient to his calling.

Peace!

What Can I Do In Mexico For 3 Days??

You can be part of building a home for a needy family in Mexico! You may be wondering how is that possible? Well, through AMOR Ministries...it is very possible.

Clovis Hills has partnered with AMOR for the last 6 years in Mexico and it has been amazing to see what God does in and through each one of us. This trip is very doable especially because AMOR lays the foundation before we even arrive. When we do arrive we begin framing, preparing for windows and a door and finally finish up with the roof. AMOR provides camping equipments, tools, and food...we just need to be in San Diego by 7:00 am ready to serve.

Would you consider joining me November 9th-11th? Pray about bringing along your family and growth group too! If you are ready to sign up, please contact me at terry.maldonado@clovishills.com or call 559.297.2600 ext. 19.

Deadline to register is September 1st.

Adios amigos!