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For most of us in America, community is a new concept. We tend to be pretty isolated and independent. We think we don’t need people. And, we carry this mentality over into the church. Most people have the mistaken idea that church is just a place that you go to once a week in order to hear a message from the “man of God.” Many of us live the rest of our lives independently from the church. Yet one of the reasons so many people today are lonely, stressed out, sick, depressed or have a lot of other problems is that they do not have any real fellowship with anyone around them. They don’t have community.

God never intended us to do life alone. He intended us to live life in community, to have real, interdependent relationships with others.

So, what is community? Webster defines it as: a group of people leading a common life according to a rule; or the sense of sharing and intimacy that develops among persons who experience a lack of social status or rank as a group. A simple definition is: doing life together, or learning to do life together.

When Jesus came, he demonstrated this kind of living. To live like Him, we must:

Value others more than our own personal agendas. If we’re honest, we all have agendas. And, if we’re not careful, we tend to value our agendas higher than people, higher than relationships. We start to push people aside in order to try to accomplish our agenda. Jesus was the opposite of that.Take time to get involved with others and not just focus on ourselves. He’s not just talking about your immediate family, people who love you, but also about people who might not be able to give back – the weak, the oppressed, the poor, etc. Are there others like these in your life?Understand that life on this earth involves sacrifice for others – our death on the cross. Think about your life. How many people are you laying your life down for? Honestly, most of us aren’t used to sacrificing. But, the reason the church in America is not “getting it done” is because they’re just going to church and not being the church. Unless there’s a shift in this area, we’re going to lose the war for people’s souls in this nation and it’s going to go down.

Something has gone wrong with the church. Somewhere along the way, we’ve reverted to the Old Testament way of doing things – where we are separated into two groups: the hierarchy of the priests/clergy/church leadership, and the common people. We’ve traded off relationship for the devil’s counterfeit: religion. The church in America has largely become a pulpit driven organization where the leaders are the ones who hear from God and the “common people” have to rely upon the leaders to know what God’s saying and what they’re supposed to do. It’s dependency on man, rather than on our own personal relationship with God, and…it’s idolatry.

We’ve fallen for the lie that the Christian life is about going to church and doing certain things, rather than living in relationship. We think God is going to change America by reviving us at meetings with special speakers, but God never intended for the church to be just a weekend service. It wasn’t about going to a meeting at all. It was about relationship, about community. The earliest believers went from house to house sharing their lives with one another and applying the apostle’s doctrine to everyday life. As they did this, God added to their number daily. Hundreds and thousands of people were getting saved every day because they were living in community. Their larger gatherings were only a celebration of what God was doing in community.

Yet, we as a church have resisted being in community. Why? Because we’ve gotten used to doing things the religious way. Religion, after all, feels much safer than relationship. And, we have such a hard time, when we’ve been immersed in one thing, to accept something new. If we’re honest, most of us feel pretty satisfied with our lives as they are without community. But, that’s not biblical or effective. God is not going to change the world or our nation by gathering people together to meet in buildings, but He will do so in the context of authentic growing relationships.

It’s time to embrace a new lifestyle with God. In order to do so, we have to be willing to let go of the old lifestyle. Getting yourself into a small group will require a change, but it’s worth it. If you keep doing what you’ve always done and expect something to change, you’re insane. You’ll never get in community if you’re not willing to change.

Believe me, I understand that letting go of the old lifestyle is not easy, but you have to take drastic measures. Adjust your schedule, cut off the internet and/or cable, do whatever it takes or you won’t ever change. It’s only when we let go of the old lifestyle that we will experience the newness of what God is doing!

God is doing a new thing in the church today and it’s magnificently powerful. He’s moving in community. When people get in community, God shows up. So, my goal in the next six weeks is to get your focus off of pulpit driven church and onto relational community. I want to challenge you: if you want to experience the fullness of life that God intends, if you want to see real growth, if you want God to change our city, our nation and our world, get into community by joining a V•Group this week. This is what community looks like!

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We have a responsibility to make a difference in our community. In order to do that, we have to get connected. Whenever the church gets connected, there is tremendous power. However, as individuals and as churches, we tend to be very independent, and this depletes the power of the gospel in our communities and in our own lives. But, when we come together in agreement, even two or three of us, there’s great power – God shows up.

At Pentecost, when all the believers where together in unity, the Holy Spirit fell in great power. Thousands were added to their number; many signs, wonders and miracles happened and they shared all things together. As they began connecting with one another, more and more people were getting saved and joining them every day.

Unfortunately, there is such a spirit of antichrist at work in our culture today that at the end of each day, the last thing we want to do is connect with others. We come home, close the garage door, don’t answer the phone and either watch TV or get on the internet, and never connect with other humans.

But God created us with a need for connectedness, a need for fellowship – a soul to soul connection with people that’s so strong and so committed that God’s anointing comes down on it. This goes much deeper than just sitting down together with a cup of coffee. God is moving us into a deeper kind of relationship with others. And, because I’ve found that a lot of people don’t know how to fellowship in the context of the local church, I’d like to talk about the process.

The first step is membership – committing to a local body of believers. This isn’t like joining a club or fraternity, but it is choosing to belong to something, joining, becoming a part of a body. We cannot connect with a body that we’re not a  member of. And, if we’re not connected, how can we share the sufferings of others, lift one another up, encourage one another, etc?

The second level of fellowship is friendship – learning how to share our lives with other people. This cannot happen in the large gathering, but it can in a small group setting. That’s why V•Groups are so important. The most important meeting that we have as a church is not on Saturday nights or Sunday mornings; it’s during the week in V•Groups. If you don’t have time for a small group, you’re too busy. And, you’re missing out on the power God has for you.

The third level is partnership – doing my part. This church does not exist for people to just sit there and watch. We all have to do our part. We would unleash amazing power if we would all work together in partnership with one another. And imagine how this country could be turned upside down if the churches would wake up and partner together.

The fourth level is kinship – loving people like family. We may have different skin colors, but we all have the same blood. We have to treat each other like family. Now, not everybody in a church the size of Victory is going to be close to everyone else, but each of us needs to have a group of people that are close. When things happen in life, you need to have a family around you to support you. You don’t want to go through those things alone. How do you find family in a big church like ours? Simply put, the answer is: in small groups.

God cares about every one of us, but in order to fully experience that care, we need to be connected to a small group of people around us. So, I invite you, if you are not already a member of a V•Group, join one today, at least for the next six weeks during the This Is What Community Looks Like series. Your life, and the lives of countless others, will never be the same once you begin to experience the power of connection.

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Back to School with a Smile iCare Outreach

With summer break halfway over and back to school planning already in full swing, we learned that there are many families in our community who were finding it difficult to afford the school supplies their children needed. As a church, we wanted to reach out in a practical way by providing children with backpacks filled with basic school supplies, CD’s and devotional materials.

So, on July 12th, we took a special iCare offering to help meet that need. Then, volunteers from our church came together to stuff the bags and prepare them for delivery, while various V•Groups submitted the names of children in need. Members from these V•Groups then hand delivered the backpacks and supplies to those children. We were also able to bless Meadow Creek High School with about 250 of the backpacks to distribute to those students most in need.

Thank you, Victory, for your generous giving toward the Back to school with a smile iCare outreach. It was hugely successful and hundreds of children were blessed with backpacks and school supplies that they wouldn’t have had without you!

This Is What Community Looks Like

Dr. Claire Lockman Boyce, Director of Meadowcreek Community School, many of whose students received these backpacks, wrote:

On behalf of the Meadowcreek Community School, we would like to thank you for the school book bags that VWC donated to us. During the high school Freshmen Orientation last Tuesday, we were collecting various forms. As each family submitted their form we presented the children and students the very attractive book bags. The word “spread” and by the end of the evening, every student and child was walking around with a brand new book bag and a large smile.

During the next few days when parents arrived at the Parent Center to register their child, Mr. Gomez, our Parent Center guide was able to present the new families a brand new book bag as an additional welcome.

We sincerely thank you for this wonderful donation. We continue to work in a community partnership to provide extended learning opportunities for our youth and adults in the Meadowcreek cluster.

Sincerely,

Claire Lockman Boyce, Ph.D.,Director
Meadowcreek Community School

We are excited today, August 15th, to receive fresh new photos from Pastor Mark and the children of our Rays of Peace Victory Children’s Home as they celebrate India’s Independence Day. Below is the note from Pastor Mark:

Greetings to you in Jesus name. Today, August 15th, is our Nation Independence Day celebration. Our children from Victory Children’s Home performed some programmes and we invited a village leader who hoisted the Flag of our Nation.

Love & Prayers.
Pastor Mark & Francina Mark

It is such a blessing to watch these children prosper in the love of Jesus Christ and enjoy national celebrations from a place of peace and comfort. Thank you, Victory, for your generous hearts.

Enjoy the photos. You can click on the images to view larger versions.

This last weekend, Pastors Dennis and Colleen had the opportunity to train some pastors in Oslo, Norway. It was great to be able to have a wise man of God like Olin Holly speak in their absence. He brought a message that challenged all of us to pursue excellence. Here are some thoughts from his message:

Think about the athletes at the Olympics. Over 10,500 of them are participating in 28 different sporting events over the next two weeks. Yet, only about 300 gold medals will be won. To win a gold medal, they have to bring their “A” game. Excellence is essential. To achieve that level of excellence, they make huge sacrifices and overcome incredible odds. Do we not all appreciate that?

Now, think about our own lives. We expect a degree of excellence in many areas of life – whenever we pay money for a service, for food, for entertainment and even at church. We always expect to receive the best. The question is, are we consistent in that expectation with ourselves? Are we willing to give excellence to others? So often, we do not reciprocate the excellence we expect of others.

God expects the best from us. He is the best, and so deserves the best. In the book of Malachi God challenged the Old Testament priests to give Him the very best, not second best. They were bringing wounded and sick animals to sacrifice and keeping the best for themselves and He strongly rebuked them for it. And, just as He expected the best from His priests, He also expects it of us. He doesn’t want just part of us, but all of us. Are we bringing our “A” game to God? He set the example of giving the best by giving His Son, Jesus. Because He didn’t hold back His best, should we not also, then, give ours? The answer, of course, is, “Yes!”

Have you ever known anyone who is so passionate for what they do that they always give it 110% and seem to go about 100 m.p.h.? We can learn a lot from these kind of people if we study their lives and what motivates them. Paul is a great example. He was passionate about bringing people to Christ. This was his sole life-focus after encountering Christ. He exhibits what I call the Attributes of the “A” Game:

• Run to win – don’t just get in the race
• Discipline yourself – exercise strict self-control
• Keep an eternal perspective – we’re not going after an earthly, destructible prize
• Make your efforts count – make the most of every opportunity
• Practice what you preach – be an example; don’t disqualify yourself

If we want to “win the prize,” we have to apply these attributes to our own life – in our relationship with God, marriage, parenting, friendships/courtships, career/school/ministry and health. And, we have to finish strong. That means stripping off the weights and sin that hinder us, keeping our eyes on Christ rather than the things that slow us down and casting all our cares upon Him. We can’t afford to get distracted. If we endure to the end, we will win. Imagine what it will be like to stand before the Father and all of heaven to hear the anthem, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

We are excited to give an update on our Sierra Leone iCare project. We’ve now raised over 83% of our target amount. At $415,000 we have nearly met our goal for the Grafton Village Medical Facility and School. It’s so exciting to see this project take shape, and we can’t wait to see what God is going to do through our efforts in Sierra Leone.

Below are some recent pictures of the foundations being laid and some wonderful photos of those being helped by your generosity:

Today we were blessed to receive some exciting new photos from Pastor Mark in India along with the following message:

Greetings to you in Jesus name, these pictures are about people from neighboring villages taking water from our Victory Borewell, they are very Happy because we give them water from our recent dug borewell, We are able to witness about Christ to them. We thank you Victory World Church. We love you and we are Praying for you, Love & Prayers.
Pastor Mark & Francina Mark

It is so exciting to see how God uses our faithfulness in meeting the practical needs of others to minister and provide opportunity to know Him.

Thank you, Victory, for your generosity on behalf of others. Enjoy these wonderful photos.

When Jesus came on the scene, most people were not aware of what kind of God they served – that He is a serving God. Have you ever thought about what is was like when Jesus came to earth? The people of His day were used to being under the rule of others, and they were expecting the Messiah to come as a mighty, conquering hero who would overthrow their enemies. But instead, he came as an average, ordinary guy who taught about loving your enemies and serving others. They had to make a real attitude adjustment.

So also in our culture today, many of us need to make an adjustment in our own attitudes. We tend to have the expectation that others should do things for us. We expect to be served rather than to serve. We think this is what it means to “arrive” in life. Even in the church, many often come looking to receive rather than give. But Jesus taught that “arriving” in life is when you serve others. In fact, He said that the greatest in His kingdom is the one who is the servant of all.

Yet, some Christians have bought into the mantra of our culture, “Serve me, serve me!” And, they carry it over into their relationship with the local church. They arrive at church thinking, “How is the church going to serve me today?” And, “I want a good parking spot, a good seat, good music, good childcare, and an enjoyable, feel-good message. And if I don’t get all of that, I’m out of here!” Many don’t serve because they’re too stressed out, burned out, wounded or feel too unworthy. And some don’t serve because they’re just too proud, lazy or self-indulgent.

As contrary to our culture as it may be, we’ve got to get this serving thing down. It’s a huge door that we have to go through. You see, if we’re not serving, we’re missing an incredible blessing in our lives. So what does a servant look like? Well, Christ-like servants:

• Value the purpose and power of the local church. They know it is essential to belong to, work with, and serve in a body of believers. When a church body is knit together, and everybody is doing their part, powerful and amazing things happen. The church is not an observatory, where you go and watch, it’s a place to go and serve others.
• Value a Spirit of humility. Just as Jesus humbled himself, so should we. We are nothing without Christ. As soon as we start thinking we’re something (without Him) we’ve missed the point entirely. The local church is a place where everyone, regardless of social or economic status, is equal and should serve one another. Serving is expressing humility.
• Value others as much as they value themselves. You can pretty much sum up God’s heart in one word: others. We need to give ourselves in service to others just as Jesus did. We have to understand that life isn’t just about “me,” or “me and my family.” God’s kingdom is about giving to and serving others – quite often those who can never pay us back.

So, we have to decide. Will we be people who humbly serve and give, or those who proudly and selfishly take? There are more blessings for those who give, than those who receive. Which one will you choose? I urge you today; ask God to fill your heart with love for others so much that you will share in His heart to serve them. Don’t miss the great blessings that lie behind the Door of Serving.