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Crestwood Church Blog
What is Fusion?
The aim of Fusion is to unite local, like minded churches to serve the Kingdom of God more effectively.
As we have been so blessed over the past year, Andy H has been burdened to find leaders of other churches with similar beliefs and aspirations. Over the past few months several leaders from local churches have got together to pray and look to the future for ways in which they can complement and assist each other.
At present Crestwood, Wall Heath Evangelical Free Church, Cradley Baptist, St Paul's Gornal and Tipton Family Church have all made a commitment to each other to see Fusion come into being.
We already have strong links with Wall Heath and we've worked with St Paul’s in various events. The aim is to further this in the future. We are at the planning stage of holding regular youth events at each others churches, as well as many more events.
Other Possibilities
- A regular conference
- A combined outreach and schools team
- A get together of similar groups– eg Crestwood Break
- Fun inter-church activities
- Training and resourcing each other
- Weekend for youth and kids
- Prayer and worship
- Mission opportunities
- Church planting
State of the Union - Summary
One of our aims at Crestwood is to try and fulfil the command of Christ: "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" (Matt 28: 19). We plan to do this by planting other churches.
Although planting a church is probably 1-2 years off, we need to do some things before a new church can start to become a reality.
First of all, we need to ensure that Crestwood is strong and
self reliant, in two key areas:
1 - Leaders
While there are many jobs that everyone can be involved in, we also need people who can lead, and are willing to take on responsibilities for certain areas. These leaders may range from the eldership, with responsibility for the entire church, to others with smaller areas of responsibility, or departments.
Department Leaders could organise any number of things. A few examples might include the practical aspects of organising the setting up/taking down of meetings, organising publicity, dealing with storage, arranging missionary support, preparing youth and children's meetings, social events, etc.
2 - Financial
Each year we need to finance the church. Here's a quick summary of where money goes at the moment:
- £5,000 a year to hire the Dingle Community Centre
- £8,000 for a 40% church worker's salary
- £4,500 for other expenses, including: publicity, groups and activities, external preachers, licences, insurance and FIEC membership
- We also need funds to support churches and missions overseas, mostly in the third world. We would like to send about 10% of our income (about £1500) to Christian organisations abroad.
This totals about £19,000 per year. Although a church can survive through voluntary work alone, it's very difficult to run a church and keep it growing effectively and becoming stronger, without anyone to devote their full time. At the moment we provide a part time salary (40% - or two days work a week). Our aim is, to have increased that support to a full 100%, before next year.
What are the implications for us financially? It means that we need to have an income of something approaching £3,000 a month to support a full time worker. Last month we raised £2,000, so we are heading in the right direction.
Pray that God would provide leaders to rise up and serve the church and for enough funds to support all the work that is being done.
Obedience the Key to Blessing
Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. So they camped or travelled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses.
Numbers 9:22-23 (NLT)
Today is another new day in the life of Crestwood Church - this is our second move. We started in the Crestwood School library, then the dining room and now a new location in the Dingle Community Centre.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites were nomads in the desert, moving camp at God’s command by following his cloud of presence. If the cloud moved, so did the people. They soon learnt that location was secondary to God, it was obedience that was key. As they obeyed, God’s presence abided with them and blessings abounded. Protection and prosperity surrounded them along with many other spiritual blessings.
As we settle into our new home, it is obedience to God that is the most crucial. Jesus said "When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love". The reason that obedience is key is highlighted in this verse. When we as a church obey, we remain in his love, he abides with us and we can experience all the wonder of knowing God, up close and personal!
The Israelites never saw God in the cloud, nor could they, because he was too glorious. But they knew he was there, they felt his warmth, his care and saw the work of his hands. Our church doesn’t have a cloud - we have the person of the Holy Spirit residing within our lives. We may not see him, but we know he's there and we can see his out workings.
The cloud was always above the Israelites in their camp reminding them God was with them. Let’s keep our spiritual eyes open to see that God is still with us, and wherever he moves, let's follow, so that we remain in the presence of the Lord, wherever we may be.
Are We Ready for God to Lead?
At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation I will help you. I will protect you and give you to the people as my covenant with them.
Isaiah 49:8-10
God is always willing to bless us, he is forever wanting to touch us with his goodness and gives us what we ask for. Sometimes what we ask for is of God, but the timing is not right. Other times we may ask for something but in reality we are not ready for it. In both situations, God in his sovereignty chooses not to give at that time. But at just the right time when our heart comes into line with the Father's, blessing occurs.
Now we know this is true as individuals, but we rarely apply this to the body of the church. What if we, as a church, were to say "Lord, we are ready, whatever it takes, we are available!" We are giving God the permission to have his way with us. God doesn't need our permission, because he is Almighty, but he chooses to wait for our response.
In the church in Laodicea, Jesus stands at the door of their hearts, knocking and waiting for a response, waiting for permission to allow him to enter. This verse from Isaiah 49 is to the entire assembly of Israel, therefore it's not only for us as individuals. In this verse the Lord is promising us his protection, but also giving us the authority to take our community into the blessing of God.
Through you I will re-establish the land of Israel and assign it to its own people again. I will say to the prisoners, 'Come out in freedom,' and to those in darkness, 'Come into the light.' They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare. They will neither hunger nor thirst. The searing sun will not reach them anymore. For the Lord in his mercy will lead them; he will lead them beside cool waters.
Let's declare to him as one people "we are ready". Let's invite the Lord to do whatever he wants to do!
We're Moving!
After prayer and careful thought, the Elders have decided that the church will move into the Dingle Community Centre for our Sunday morning service. The 4th of February will be our last at the Crestwood School.
Taking the Gospel to the Community
Wherever you set your feet, the land will be yours. Your frontiers will stretch from the wilderness in the south to Lebanon in the north, and
from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
Deuteronomy 11:24 (NLT)
As we take the gospel to our community the Lord will open up the way for his Word to be victorious in the lives of those that call upon his name. All the Israelites had to do 3000 years ago was to walk in the land where God had promised and it would become theirs. Today we are asked to wear the shoes of peace (Eph 6) and take the gospel with us as we walk in faith through the area about us. Believing that the Lord will give us these territories too: that lives may be changed as the love and mercy of God is trodden about this estate. This area is lost without the message of the cross but they will not hear it unless we tell them.
In early bible times, territory was won by blood being spilt, today blood has already been spilt, once and for all, that of the lamb of God...Jesus Christ, He has made the way for all of mankind to inherit his land. (Heb 10)
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