The following post is part of a series on our blog inspired by the opportunity for church revitalization God has opened to us in Rancho Cucamonga. Catch up on the earlier posts in the series here:
The title of this post in the Revitalization series is “How We’re Doing It," but it is by no means a step-by-step process of some great strategic masterplan. The way God has worked so far, it may look like we had such a plan because it’s coming together so nicely. But we didn’t. Rather, here are some of the convictions that we’ve had in approaching this new adventure.
- I don’t want to leave, I want to be sent. I think the difference between the two is monumental. Leaving is something the Durso family does. Sending is something the entire church does to me. Christ’s call to the church is for everyone to step up for the mission. In the church, there are no dispensable people, everyone is needed. It’s healthy, then, for everyone to be a part of this process because, as John Piper likes to say, “In missions there are only three options: go, send, or be disobedient.” My hope from the beginning has been that the whole church affirms this, the whole church counts the cost (it is a great cost), the whole church feels the weight of it, and the whole church embraces it as their own calling and work. We’re going not because we want to leave. We’re going because we’re being sent by our church to a strategic opportunity for gospel advancement.
- The Dursos aren’t revitalizing a church, Grace Church of Simi is revitalizing a church. On the other side of the equation, it needs to be emphasized that though the Dursos are among the number of families being sent, the Dursos will not be revitalizing the church in Rancho. Grace Simi, as a church, is revitalizing the church in Rancho. Some of us here at Grace will need to go. Many will need to stay. All will need to ratchet up the focus and intensity of our prayers. Many of us ought to consider increasing our giving (let’s be frank, we’ll need it. And what better way to invest?) Where there are voids, people will need to rise up and serve in greater capacities. For this to work, everyone must pitch in. Isn’t this whole process a fantastic reminder of why we’re still here? Isn’t this an opportunity to remember that whatever we’re doing, wherever we are, we need to be living on a mission?
Stay tuned for the third part of this post in our blog series on church revitalization. Please continue to pray for this project at Grace Rancho. And if we haven't already, we hope we'll see you out there on a Sunday soon! Let us know if you'd like more information on how to help and be a part of this!
