Reflections from Bro. Rudy –
April 28, 2010

Who’s Church?

This morning, in Chapel with our Children, I told them about Homecoming this Sunday. When I mentioned that Gardendale- Mt. Vernon was celebrating their 150th birthday, some of their eyes got real big. 150 years is a long time, especially for a child. I went on to share that this Church Family began before Gardendale was even a town.

Then I asked them a question that I was asked by a child many years ago, “Who’s Church is it?” Immediately, several of the children shouted out, “God’s!” Sometimes we adults forget that. We make the church about “us” or even more, “me.” We “church members” think the church is here to meet our needs. We forget that the Church belongs to God and was established by God to accomplish God’s purpose.

Our Baptismal/Confirmation Covenant, found in our “Book of Worship” and Hymnal, states; “The church is of God, and will be preserved to the end of time for the conduct of worship and the due administration of God’s Word and Sacraments, the maintenance of Christian fellowship and discipline, the edification of believers, and the conversion of the world. All, of every age and station, stand in need of the means of grace which it alone supplies.”

A couple of weeks ago I was in San Antonio for the Large Church Initiative. In one of the Keynote addresses, Reggie McNeal made this statement, “The Church does not have a mission. God’s mission has a church.” Think about that for a moment. God called the church into being to accomplish God’s mission. And what is God’s mission? Jesus stated that in what we call “The Great Commission,” “make disciples of all people.” We exist to join the Holy Spirit in seeking to offer salvation to the lost and to grow believers to become faithful disciples.

Reggie then illustrated it this way: We are the bride of Christ. In conversion we are married to Christ. Therefore, what captures Christ’s heart better capture our heart. It’s just like when a husband and wife marry. What captures the wife’s heart better capture the husband’s heart and what captures the husband’s heart better capture the wife’s heart. Being married to Christ, what captures His heart should capture our heart.

When John Shugart arrived in this part of Alabama, his heart had been captured by Christ’s heart for the people in North Jefferson County. God had a mission to accomplish here and John Shugart gave himself to that mission. I believe God still has a mission here and God continues to call us to join Him in accomplishing His mission.

As we celebrate these 150 years, we give thanks for the many disciples who have sought to accomplish God’s mission in North Jefferson County and beyond. And we also recommit ourselves to God’s mission. I hope you will be with us for this great celebration.

Don’t forget, there is only one worship service this Sunday at 10:00 AM. There will be seating in both the Sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall. Those in the Fellowship Hall will have a live video feed from the Sanctuary. Children’s Worship will also be at 10:00 AM, in the Youth Room.

After the service, I hope you will stay for Lunch and Fellowship. Bring dishes to share. The church is providing the meat, bread and drinks. During the meal time, a video about our history will be shown in both the Gym and Fellowship Hall. This will be a collection of pictures and testimonies about the growth and ministry of the Gardendale and Mt. Vernon churches and their coming together to form Gardendale-Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church.

If you are a member of this Church Family you will be receiving a letter about the Funding of the Erosion Work. As soon as the weather permits, we should see work begin on the erosion at the northeast corner of the Sanctuary building. The Administrative Board approved the receiving of a Special Offering for this work. The cost will be somewhere between $120,000 and $180,000. Prayerfully consider making a generous special offering to the “Erosion Work.”

As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome. You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.