CHURCHES WITH A MISSION INTERNATIONAL

LEAP FORWARD- Reticulating "Communitas"

Leap Forward -The second phase of the CWAM Discipleship LTG process is to "Leap Forward." The focus here is on the Second Greatest Commandment. This involves Relational Development- becoming fruitful, abiding & flowing in the vine (Jn. 15:1-5) and getting on the same page with God (John 17:21) along with others who are also connected to the vine while trusting the mission and movement of God which organically creates communitas as well as a healthy love relationship with others- Miseo Dei

It is here where we see God at work in the lives of others and joining Him.

LEAP FORWARD

Our Heavenly Father stretched out to go where He had never gone before by creating a being after His image and His likeness and commited to care for His new creation. He expects for us to do the same by becoming our brothers keeper.

A 2 by 4 In Our Eye

RETICULATION by hank byrd

There is an old saying that says..."True transformation begins from the inside out."

Many times I feel like I have a 2 by 4 in my eye when I see my own shortcomings and self-inflicted limitations. I keep hearing the familiar echo, "If you keep doing what you been doing, you gonna keep getting what you been getting." Christians should be striving to be better tomorrow than today. Our vendetta should be to change...to go through the metamorphosis process regularly. Paul said, "I die daily"..

How can we change our community, our city or our world if we have not done a self examination of ourselves like the Prophet who after looking said, "Woe am I!"? As we reach out to others with the attempt to create change, it is imperative that we understand that our infirmities are not always extinguishable so that we feel like a worthy model but neither should we use our personal limitations for an excuse to mind only our own business.

Even though our imperfections are sometimes quite evident, we must have such a love for Christ that we are willing to risk the label of being a fool for Jesus. Who else should we be a fool for? As long as you know that in your imperfections you are indeed pressing toward the mark for the prize of your high calling...you might not be what you want to be; but by God, you are not what you use to be!

Then let us persevere my friend! As said by C.H. Spurgeon in his book- Lectures to my Students, "Charge bayonets! Mass Battalion! Forward and Strike! No theory!" Fight the Good Fight! In doing so, we must consider our interdependent relationships...our Social Responsibility.

On Mount Moriah, where the Dome of the Rock sits once was the place where Herod's Temple sat. Even before then, this is where Solomons Temple sat, and before that, it is where the tabernacle rested after it's long journey from Egypt; before then it is where Abraham was about to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Today, it is a site occupied by the Muslims because Christians and Jews were too busy fighting each other to notice that there was another enemy (Mohammed and company) invading the ranks. We are constantly reminded of this fact when we see the ever protruding GOLD DOME...and just think...this is where the Ark of the Covenant once sat...even God himself sat on top of the Ark of the Covenant...where Moses would meet God.

Jesus prayed a prayer in John 17:21, "...Father, I pray that they all might be one that the world might believe that thou hast sent me.."

I believe that it is high time that Christians put aside arrogance, big "I's" and little "you's", and the petty bickering. We have a church on every corner. God has given us a commission to multiply but we are constantly dividing. Churches are competing with each other for members. It's about our church "home" instead of the Kingdom. If I sit among you, why should I not be recognized as a member? Why should I not be officially recognized as being at home? Because, I am not a member? I belong to another church? How many churches should there be? Who said the church Is a building anyway?

Maybe we need to re-examine ourselves and reconsider how we relate first with one another. Could there be a 2by4 blocking our view? Jesus describes His followers as "Fishers of Men". Our job is not to fish with a pole, but with a net. A net involves a collaboration of links...a reticulation of such that requires a confluent effort of more than one yet because of our connectivity we appear to be one...because we are one. We all should carry the same DNA. It evolves from John 17:21 and exemplifies the epitome thereof through John 15.

I call this RETICULATION.

Hank Byrd and Chuck Colson

Leaping Forward involves Mentorship

The bible says, in Amos 3:3, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed..." Many of us isolate ourselves from each other while embracing a competitive nature. Every man appears to be out only for himself. It's time that we share our knowledge and time with each other. At Churches With A Mission, we believe that it is high time that Christians put aside the petty bickering and denominational differences and begin to stand together in the unity of the faith! The Book of Leviticus, chapter 19:18 says, "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself:I am the Lord."

Contact Us

Churches With A Mission International Ministries

P.O. Box 14389

Houston, TX 77221

cwamhope@aol.com

Phone: 713 819-2258

Or use our contact form.

Our Vision Statement in a Nutshell

"Our vision is to strategically reposition ourselves in order to allow the Holy Spirit to create 'Communitas' within the body of Christ through the renewal of the mind as each of us in turn reflect His transforming glory to one another through the reticulation of one-on-one discipleship. As a result, our Spirit-led goal, as transformational agents is to organically replicate His presence within urban, suburban and remote pockets of communities beginning within and without the city of Houston,Texas...however the Spirit leads" (Rom 12:2, Luke 4:18, 2Cor.3:17-18)