I love new things (all except new towels—those are horrible and they don’t work right). But other than that, I love new things. I love using newly invented gadgets, or listening to a new type of music I have never heard before, or supporting organizations that think of increasingly creative ways to help people.
New things wake me up. They change my perspective. They help me see things, maybe the same things I have seen a million times, in a new way.
Jesus is into new things as well.
Healing someone who had never experienced a day fully able (John 5:1-18); going to, not running away from, people with dangerous illnesses (Mark 1:40-45); dining with those that didn’t have it all together and didn’t fit the mold for what godly people should look like (Luke 15:1-10).
These are all new things. These are echoes of a God who created the world and didn’t just walk away, but continues to make all things new. God is still in the business of setting things to right and sometimes He does that through something never seen or done before.
Jesus, in John 14:12, said to His disciples if you place your faith in Him you will be able to do greater things even than He did. I think that has everything to do with finding new and increasing ways to reach people with the life changing truth of who Jesus is. So, He says, “go to where good news needs to be taken because God can do extraordinary things in new places through new people with new callings.”
So this is it. We get the opportunity to launch another multi-site, which is incredible.
We are inviting the entire congregation to be a part of what God is doing in North Orlando by forming a campus there, just like we did in Waterford two years ago. I think there are likely three reasons you would be a part of this new team that is forming up (and some people have already stepped up—we already have people that have said, “I’m in.”):
- If you live or work in or near North Orlando, this campus will be convenient for you. You will be able to connect not just on Sunday, but throughout the week with others in ways that would be more challenging at any other campus.
- If you have a friend who lives in North Orlando who you have been hoping for and praying would come to church—and you have been trying to reach them and invite them in—being a part of this campus will give you an increased chance to reach them.
- If you are looking, regardless of where you live, to be a part of starting something new – helping build doors that can be thrown open so people can know just how much they are loved by God—this new campus will give you a great opportunity to do that.
If any of those three things apply to you, I would hope that you would pray through and strongly consider being a part of this team.
Two years ago I remember the Waterford campus started with 35 people saying, “I’ll go.”
Those 35 quickly became 250.
Those 250, in less than two years, have become 800 people worshiping, growing, connecting, and taking next steps at the Waterford campus.
Those numbers are only important because they represent people who matter deeply to God. And God can write those stories again as we are bold in faithfulness, as some already have been. The Second Stories initiative is about increasing our capacity to love and serve those that God has given us to care for. This new campus in North Orlando is a significant part of doing just that.
If you would like to be a part of the team contact Garry or Allie…
The North Orlando campus team will begin having team meetings on Sunday, March 11th and will begin to have services on Sunday, April 1st at 9:00am at the Plaza before heading to North Orlando in the fall of 2012.