I have had the incredibly good fortune of being a part of two amazing church families. HighPoint, the church I attended for many years prior to moving to St. Pete, was also a church plant, and over the years I saw many shifts take place.
We shifted from housing our children’s ministry in one tiny room to an entire “town” for kids taking up half of the building.
We shifted by continuously expanding the size of our sanctuary and taking over adjacent parking lots in order to accommodate the ever-increasing size of our congregation.
We shifted from having about 15 children attend VBS with colored paper plates on the wall for decoration, to hosting 100 children from the community, learning about Jesus in a wild jungle, medieval castle, or top secret spy lair.
My son, having been a part of this church his whole life, bore witness to the incredible growth that happened throughout the years. So much so, that last month when he asked for the definition of the word “flourish” and I explained to him that it meant to grow and get stronger, his immediate reply was “Oh! Like HighPoint!”
That word, flourish, actually became the word I adopted as My One Word for 2017. One of the first things God has been teaching me is that, just as with some plants, healthy growth often first requires a little pruning. He’s been shining a light on some areas of my life that need to be cut away in order for me to be able to shift into what’s next and to truly flourish.
Radius too, is shifting and preparing for what’s next. Blake outlined several points on Sunday that we as a Radius family can commit to doing as we pursue moving from portable to permanent. It got me thinking,
“What can be cut away in my life in order to more fully invest in the growth of Radius?”
If I cut one meal out a week or a couple cups of coffee here and there, could I be a more generous giver? Could I be more intentional about carving out time to specifically pray for the needs of Radius? Could I cut through the self-doubt or feelings of awkwardness to invite someone to a Sunday gathering? Could I get up a little earlier to help set up, stay a little later to help tear down, or step out of my comfort zone and serve in a new capacity to fill a need?
As Blake said, “God’s already given us all we need.”
YOU.
You are what Radius needs to be able to shift gears in this new year. Our combined efforts to be generous with our time, prayer, and finances, is what helps shape who Radius is and where we’re going, and increases our ability to show tangible love in our community.
I challenge you to look for ways to give more.
More money. More time. More prayer.
As one of the core values of Radius states, “Together we can do more.”
If you would like to learn more about how you can give more time to Radius, check our our Serve Team page. Right now, Radius is looking to fill the following positions:
- Squad (setup/tear down) - 2 people needed
- Production - 1 person needed
Contact Blake by email at bThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Gather with is this Sunday as we begin a new series called “Are We There Yet?” In the meantime, check out Blake’s message from this past Sunday here.