Why does GENESIS do things the way we do them? In other words, is there a guiding set of principles that shapes HOW GENESIS goes about doing what we do… from what Sunday mornings look like, to HOW GROUPS function, to HOW we think about our budget, and yes, even HOW these emails are composed?
In short, the answer to that question is a resounding ‘YES!’
And just so you know, you also have a guiding set of principles that shapes HOW you go about your day-to-day life. Or to say that another way, there is a ‘WHY’ that shapes your ‘HOW.’ We ALL have a ‘WHY’ that is shaping ‘HOW’ we go about work, school, money, friendships, family, and finances.
Do you know what that is for you?
As we continue this series of devotionals entitled ‘THIS IS US’, a series in which we are peeling back the curtain as it were to all things GENESIS (missions, vision, DNA, values, etc.), for today’s devotional, I wanted to share with you the GENESIS Philosophy of Ministry.
Or to say that differently, I wanted to share with you the ‘WHY’ that is shaping ‘HOW’ GENESIS literally does everything we do as a church.
Before I let that cat (or dog) out of the bag, let me just ask you to consider this question…
DID GOD HAVE A ‘WHY’ THAT SHAPED HIS ‘HOW?’
To state the obvious here, if the answer to that question is ‘yes’, then I would hope our ‘WHY’ is consistent with the ‘WHY’ of God. And ‘YES’, the LORD 100% has a ‘WHY’ that shaped His ‘HOW.’
RELATIONSHIPS
For sake of clarity, God is ultimately committed to doing what brings Him the most glory and honor. As best I understand what God has revealed in His Word, what brings God most glory and honor has everything to do with relationships.
From beginning to end (Genesis to Revelation), God’s Word is one long cohesive story of God inviting you and I to be with Him in relationship.
Maybe think about it like this, out of all the ways that God could have made knowing Him possible, He did it in the most relational of ways.
See this with me in John 1:14…
“The Word (Jesus) became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.”
When Jesus, the Son of God arrived, He did not keep his distance from people, rather, He built relationships with people. Everything about Jesus from the way He taught, to the miracles He performed… ALL of those things amplified that Jesus cares about people, namely, forming relationships with people.
And when Jesus’ followers continued His mission and ministry after He ascended to be with His Heavenly Father, would you know it, His followers carried on the relational nature of Jesus’ ministry.
Consider how the Apostle Paul spoke to this…
“We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.”
1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NLT)
To carry on the ministry of Jesus is not just about saying gospely things… it is, but it’s so much more than that. To be faithful to the ministry of Jesus is to do so by being relational.
Or to say that differently, if our ‘WHY’ would reflect the ‘WHY’ of God, we must do what we do in the most relational of ways.
At GENESIS… our Philosophy of Ministry (the ‘WHY’ that shapes our ‘HOW’) has everything to do with being relational.
Our worship services… relational.
Our space… relational.
Our GROUPS… relational.
Our TEAMS… relational.
Our budget… relational.
Our weekly email… relational (at least I hope it is).
Whether you’ve been around GENESIS for 6 or 7 years, or 6 or 7 minutes, I hope that you’d be able to say…
“Relational… I see it… I feel it… and I love it!”
When people ask me what makes GENESIS ‘GENESIS’, I bring them back to our Philosophy of Ministry… our ‘WHY’ that shapes our ‘HOW.’
We still have a lot to learn as a church… so many ways to grow and mature, but by the grace of God, we will continue to do what we do in the most RELATIONAL ways possible because after all, God is a RELATIONAL GOD.
