By Doug Rehberg
As the people of God walk uphill to Jerusalem to worship, David says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Herman, which falls on the mountains of Zion! There the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.” (Psalm 133)
When Paul famously writes, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” (I Cor. 12:12), he’s talking about sacrificing individual perspectives for the sake of the whole. When Jesus prays in John 17, right before His betrayal in Gethsemane, “...that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are one in me, and I in you…”, He’s asking His Father for the deepest possible unity, one characterized by self-sacrifice, a unity that brings glory to God.
It is because of their desire for unity and the Lord’s direction and blessing in seizing this moment in Hebron’s history, that the Session has spent over 18 months talking, thinking, and praying about where He would lead us over the next decade. In the midst of all the plans is the central fact that what we covet most is the presence and blessing of God experienced in united hearts and minds.
On May 5, those present at the Congregational Gathering saw a snapshot of what the Session is working on under the title “Hebron’s 10-year Plan of Ministry.” (If you missed it, a copy of the presentation is available upon request from the church office.) Looking toward the future is exciting, and it will take a lot of effort on the part of all of us. The Lord is calling us to be proactive in moving the church forward, and we are heeding that call.
While the 10-year plan establishes critical markers in the future of Hebron’s ministry, there are many exciting movements of the Holy Spirit at Hebron right now. A sample:
The Discipleship Team has launched a full-scale discipleship effort at Hebron that promises to pay amazing dividends in the lives of everyone at Hebron and beyond, now and in the future. This effort is captured in a recently published document entitled, “Making Disciples”.
The Mobilization Team is continuing to engage us in the work of local missions. This week a $30,000 check from our Mission Endowment Fund is being sent to PitCare. This will help transform hundreds of lives through the acquisition of a new 3-story building on Broadway Blvd. in Pitcairn. This building will house a food pantry, coffee shop, and two single family dwellings for PitCare’s life change program. (A copy of the letter sent with Hebron's check follows.)
The Connections Team hosted the recent congregational gathering and new member dinner, and are working with our greeter and hospitality teams to provide opportunities for relationship building.
The Deacons are upholding their call to care for God’s people, recently hosting a dinner for our Super Seniors.
In the articles that follow you will see some of what the Stewardship, Women’s Ministry, Student Ministry, and Children’s Ministry Teams are doing. It’s a great time for the body at Hebron. Find your spot!
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Letter to Scott Parsons, PitCare Executive Director:
On behalf of
the Session of Hebron Church, please accept the enclosed check as a gift to the
ministry of PitCare and our full-hearted endorsement of you, your family, your
Board, and your ministry. It is with the
joyful confirmation of the Holy Spirit’s leading that we wish to further your
ministry and establish a long-term partnership between PitCare and Hebron.
We believe the Lord has directed you and your
family to become a part of Hebron at the exact time we needed all of you. Your
willingness to fully engage in worship, the Grove ministry, the children and
youth ministry, and the preaching ministry has been a tremendous blessing to
all of us. Your ability to skillfully and humbly exposit the depth of God’s
Word has been a boon to Hebron and your willingness to do so as a regular part
of Hebron’s pulpit ministry has been a true godsend.
As we look forward to implementing our
strategic goals for Hebron in the coming months and years, we are interested in
having the people of Hebron be exposed to every area of PitCare’s ministry. Our
desire is to work as a partner church in feeding the poor, maintaining your buildings
and gardens, mentoring your youth, and serving in any other capacities you may
identify. While we know that PitCare has the support of many other
congregations and individuals, we’d like to go on record as being a group you
can feel free to call on at any time.
We look forward to where the Lord intends to
carry us together. It is a delight to know that we are on that journey
together.