The Most Important Series of the Year // M-Note 10.4.2025

There is an Old Testament Proverb that says:
 
Where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29.18)
 
The idea is simple, when people do not know where they are going, what they’re aiming for, what their values are, or the goals they are trying to reach – then confusion follows. People without a sense of vision do not become who God wants them to become. This is true in all areas of our life. It is true personally, when we work so hard day to day but forget what exactly we are trying to achieve. It is true in relationships or marriage, when we forget why we love a person or what we are hoping to do together. It is true in a company or organization that isn’t clear about where it is going or what it is trying to accomplish. It is true on a team that has no real direction. It is true in a church that forgets why it exists and what God is calling it to do next. Without vision, people, a marriage, a company, and even a church can perish.
 
And it is easy to lose vision. As the popular saying goes, vision leaks, it diminishes over time. So, it is important that we regularly revisit our vision and ask God for direction in our lives. This is especially true in the church. As the lead pastor of The Gathering, one of my jobs is to make sure that together we are staying open to the leading of God and where God is calling our church to go. It is my job to help us articulate and cast a vision for our future together. I don’t do this work alone. I talk to leaders in the church, congregation members, staff, CoreGroup leaders, and our church board – constantly listening for where God is moving. Your input is foundational to the process of creating a vision.
 
This year, I have been working hard with staff and leaders throughout our church to do this work of visioning. This is a pivotal moment for our church, where we have decisions that could lead our church forward in exciting ways. I believe that God is calling our church to take new risks in the years to come, in order to strengthen our ministry, fuel growth for those in our church, and continue to invite new people to discover the power of Jesus in their life. We have worked hard on a vision for the next two years of The Gathering, but a vision has no power without the support of the people.
 
That is why our next series is the most important one I will preach all year. This Sunday, we will begin a new series called Much Given, Much Expected. It is based off of a challenge that Jesus gives to the disciples in Luke 12. Jesus urges his followers not to simply be content with what they have but to use it for the purposes of God in this world. In this series, I am going to share with all of you a vision of where we believe God is leading our church in the next two years and how all of us can be a part of it. I urge you to make worship a priority this weekend and throughout the month of October. This series matters, not just for each of us personally but also for our church together.
 
So, I hope you will join me. If you are new, this series will be especially meaningful for you. If you have a friend that you have considered inviting, this is the perfect time to do it. I cannot wait to begin this conversation with each of you. I want our church to always stay connected to what God is calling us to do next. Our vision fuels our work, and without it, churches can lose focus and start to decline. But with vision, God continues to propel us forward in creating a Christian community that is compelling for all people. So enjoy your weekend, and I will see you in church!
 
Peace,
 
Matt