I believe that it is important for us to be aiming for the right things.
I know the old adage: if you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it. Which
is fair enough. But sometimes the implication seems to be: therefore, you
need a target - any target will do. And I don't believe that. You have to choose your
targets with great care. You never know: you might just hit them.
Cause and Effect
People often get confused about targets because we associate cause and
effect.
It seems like a reasonable thing to do - until you start to think.
For example, Christians generally want to see more people saved - in
a relationship with God, enjoying the benefits of that relationship,
on their way to Heaven. People get saved through the process of evangelism.
Therefore we want to see more evangelism.
The assumption seems to be that getting people saved is a good thing,
therefore more evangelism is a good thing.
But we all know that some evangelism is pretty bad. Some of the
things Christians do in the name of evangelism is, quite frankly,
awful. Sometimes it is dishonest or emotionally manipulative. Sometimes
it is done for all kinds of unhelpful or twisted reasons: to make the
evangelist feel better about himself, or to regain a smug satisfaction that
'we' are the only ones that 'know the truth' and that 'they' are determined
to stay on the path of destruction.
So not all evangelism is a good thing. In fact - surprise, surprise! -
it turns out that good evangelism is a good thing, and bad evangelism is
a bad thing.
If we could stop Christians doing bad evangelism, that would be
real progress. Maybe people wouldn't be getting saved, but at least we
would not be actively putting them off the Christian faith.
Evangelism is not the objective. It is a means to an end, not the end
itself. It is only good if it helps you reach the objective.
helpful Objectives
The power of understanding the true objectives and
It is the dream of a place where the hurting, the depressed, the frustrated, and the confused can find love, acceptance, help, hope, forgiveness, guidance, and encouragement.
It is the dream of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with the hundreds of thousands of residents in south Orange County.
It is the dream of welcoming 20,000 members into the fellowship of our church family-loving, learning, laughing, and living in harmony together.
It is the dream of developing people to spiritual maturity through Bible studies, small groups, seminars, retreats, and a Bible school for our members.
It is the dream of equipping every believer for a significant ministry by helping them discover the gifts and talents God gave them.
It is the dream of sending out hundreds of career missionaries and church workers all around the world, and empowering every member for a personal life mission in the world. It is the dream of sending our members by the thousands on short-term mission projects to every continent. It is the dream of starting at least one new daughter church every year.
It is the dream of at least fifty acres of land, on which will be built a regional church for south Orange County-with beautiful, yet simple, facilities including a worship center seating thousands, a counseling and prayer center, classrooms for Bible studies and training lay ministers, and a recreation area. All of this will be designed to minister to the local person-spiritually, emotionally physically, and socially-and set in a peaceful, inspiring garden landscape.