Vision 2017: from Good to Great
“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great [churches], principally because we have good [churches]. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.” Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don'tChurches are a reflection of the values and passions of people in it. We all know that some churches have plateaued because the people have plateaued in their reverence and enthusiasm. Some churches have chosen to hunkered down against a world they see as hostile which, if left unchanged, will result in stagnation, decline and death. Some churches have simply lost their way and are simply preserved memories. Fortunately, this is not true of all churches or people! Let us make sure it is never true of us! Good to Great is invitation to stand up and step out in a new direction, together. Good to Great (G2G) is a challenging, some say impossible, vision of what we can become. G2G is a strategic plan so unusual that if God is not in it and if you’re not part of it, it is destined to fail. It is bold because if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you Over the next couple of Sundays, we’ll share the pieces of how we can move the church from Good to Great. Together we will build a plan to achieve what others refuse to believe is possible. The framework of G2G plan can be broken down into three general areas and five specific goals. Awaken the Sleeping Giant…through Intense Prayer and Inspirational Worship Good churches inspire themselves, Great churches inspire others. Unleash the Power of God…through Compelling Generosity & Caring Life Groups Some things happen in circles that just can’t happen in rows. Relentless Pursuit… through Community Connections The best place to restore hope and rebuild lives is among friends
“When [what you are deeply passionate about, what you can be best in the world at and what drives your economic engine] come together, not only does your work move toward greatness, but so does your life. For, in the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work. Perhaps, then, you might gain that rare tranquility that comes from knowing that you’ve had a hand in creating something of intrinsic excellence that makes a contribution. Indeed, you might even gain that deepest of all satisfactions: knowing that your short time here on this earth has been well spent, and that it mattered.” Jim CollinsBlessings, Steve
Email Subscription:
I can’t help but wonder how many pastors with God’s guidance dream dreams and formulate visions that will challenge, beyond imagination, their individual congregations. Likewise, I can’t help but wonder how many pastors because of knowing their individual congregations choose complacency rather than challenges for both themselves and their parishioners. How blessed is Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church to have a forward-seeing pastor, who as suggested by C. S. Lewis knows “You are never too old to set another goal or dream another dream” and “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” How blessed is Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church to have a congregation replete with those willing to choose commitment rather than complacency.
The ship is waiting, the captain is at the helm, the invitation to join the adventure as crew members has been extended to all, and the path has been charted.
“Courage, dear heart.”
The question: Who will come aboard, who will “follow” God’s calling in order to “go further up and further in”?
“As for me and my house, I will serve the Lord.”
…food-for-thought…
“A man dies and goes to heaven, where Peter meets him at the gates and gives him a tour. During the tour, the man notices an enormous warehouse with no windows, and only one door. The man asks to see what is inside, but Peter warns him that he does not really want to know. The man begs Peter to let him go in, and Peter relents. The warehouse is filled with row after row of shelves, all full of white boxes tied with red ribbons. The boxes have people’s names on them, and the man asks Peter if there is a box with his name on it. Peter says there is, but that the man will not want to see what is inside. The man rushes to the aisle with his name in the alphabet, and finds his box. He slips the red ribbon off of the box and
peers inside, and then heaves a deep sigh of regret. The box is filled with all the blessings God wanted to give the man while he was on earth, but he did not get them because he never asked.”
Will such be the case for each of us? But more critically, will such be the case for Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church? There is a ship ready to take those who will come aboard on “further up and further in” adventures to bring honor and glory to God and to claim all the gifts with which He wants to bless it.
“Courage, dear heart.”
It’s time to commit and to “Ask [knowing] it will be given to you; seek [knowing] you will find; and knock [knowing] the door will be opened to you.” [Luke 11:9]
aisle with his name in the alphabet, and finds his box. He slips the red ribbon off of the box and
peers inside, and then heaves a deep sigh of regret. The box is filled with all the blessings God
wanted to give the man while he was on earth, but he did not get them because he never asked.