Revisit Orange!
Had a great time this past Sunday thinking about ORANGE! If you missed it we talked how the church can partner and join forces with the family to have maximun impact on the life of kids and teenagers. Several weeks ago we talked about ENLIST the FAMILY this past Sunday we talked about EQUIP the FAMILY. This conversation is an important one and you can be sure we will revisit and explore further our strategy to help parents be the spiritual leaders that their children needs them to be and the parents God designed us to be.
Our wonderful campus director and soon to be new mom (less than 2 months!) Jennifer Adema condensed the message down to a bite size morsel to chew on. Here it is.
Equip the Family
ORANGE-OLOGY
The mission of The Chapel at Elmwood is to reach every man, woman, boy and girl with repeated opportunities to hear and see the life changing message of Jesus Christ in our circle of influence. Not only is it the mission of the Chapel at Elmwood, but it should be the mission of every Christ follower as this is Jesus’ mission!
Breaking it down – what is your ‘circle of influence?’ In what capacity do you have relationship with these people?
The strategy of implementing this mission at The Chapel at Elmwood is by creating environments and experiences that allow people to connect up to God and out to people while experiencing life change by being obedient to God’s Word which will inspire us to serve our world together.
Brek challenged us all to ‘THINK ORANGE.’ If red represents the church and the light that illuminates the world, and yellow represents families presenting unconditional love, the result of combining the two produces an ‘orange glow!’
We know what the goal and mission is of The Chapel at Elmwood as it relates to equipping families, but what about equipping your own ‘circle of influence?’ Recalling who’s in your circle of influence, what is the end goal among these people? If you have children, the goal should be that your child grows up knowing that what is most important is a life centered around an unconditional relationship with their heavenly father. As a parent, your responsibility includes becoming a spiritual leader in the formation of your child’s life.
Look up and read the following passages: Proverbs 22:6 and Ephesians 6:4
What happens in our homes is more important than what happens in church (on sunday). If you do not have children, or if your children are grown and moved out of the house, you can still impact your circle of influence for the benefit of the Kingdom! What are some ways you can have an impact on your family, coworkers, children or friends to provide them with ‘repeated opportunities to hear and see the life changing message of Jesus Christ?’
Look up and read Matthew 5:12 – 14. How do these verses speak to ‘influence?’
Orange Principle # 1 – When you have the end in mind, you can evaluate everything you are doing in light of where you are going!
Remember the carrot illustration. Carrots became orange and suddenly they were more appealing to people to eat. How can you make the truth of Christ more ‘appealing’ to your circle of influence? What changes can you make in your life or relationships to make people want to know what you have?
Orange Principle # 2 – Craft critical truths into an engaging and relevant message.
With kids, what are some ways that your children really listen to what you are saying or engage in learning? How can you apply these standards of teaching to your child’s spiritual development? Keeping the end in mind – a growing relationship with Christ – should dictate all that we do in the here and now.
Look up and read Deuteronomy 6:5-9. Discuss these verses and determine how you can work these principles into your life and ultimately influencing your circle of influence.
Ask God for increased opportunities to reach every man, woman and child with the truth of Christ. Ask Him for creativity in your delivery of His timeless truths.
