Yes, I’m talking to you!
This e-bulletin is mostly intended for Chapel Hill members, long-timers and newbies alike. (Of course, the rest of you are very welcome to read along!)
As most of you know, our mission at Chapel Hill is “working together to present everyone mature in Christ.” It is our calling to help every single person take one step after another forward in their spiritual growth on the way to becoming the person God created them to be.
Problem is, every person is in a different place spiritually! This is not a one-size-fits-all project. One of the “aha” moments we had as a leadership team this year was, we can’t help people grow as disciples of Jesus until they know where they are already! Each spiritual stage has specific needs…and specific and different steps grow us to the next spiritual stage.
The Bible talks about various spiritual stages using the metaphor of physical growth: infant, child, young adult, parent… even spiritually dead! So… do you know which spiritual stage you are at? It has nothing to do with age or length of membership. Nor does it speak of the value of a person. It is simply a statement of spiritual fact: each of us is at a different place spiritually.
This epiphany has transformed our thinking as leaders. We realize that in order to fulfill our “maturity” mission, we must help every single member discover where they are spiritually. That’s where Next Step comes into play. The 90 minute Next Step class is designed to help you self-assess your own spiritual maturity…and then provide the one “next step” you need to take in order to continue your own growth. Our goal is to have 1,000 members complete Next Step before September. We already have 180 Next Step graduates.
Speaking personally, this has been one of the most helpful and insightful pieces of information in my 27 plus years of serving this church and has transformed the way I think about being a disciple of Jesus and making disciples of Jesus. I want every member of Chapel Hill to receive it as well. So, yes, even if you’ve been here forever, I’m talking to you! To paraphrase Uncle Sam, “I want You!” to take Next Step.
The next opportunity is this Sunday following either service. Child-care and food is available. I hope you will be one of the pioneers in this important and, we believe, transformational ministries. Just come to the class. We will be ready for you!
Pastor Mark
P.S. If you wanted to help support the Youth Ministry this past Sunday but forgot to bring your checkbook (or were kept busy by the delicious food), you’ll have another opportunity to help out this Sunday. Thank you for the way you love our kids!