Does God Heal?

A great sermon enjoy the reading… If the link does not work cut it and paste it in your browser…

http://www.chapel.duke.edu/documents/sermons/sermon_343.pdf

Feeding Bodies and Souls - Pura Vida Church

The elephant in the Room…The new Pastor for PVC SB.

The count down is on (40 more days) as we make our final preparations for our move to Costa Rica. As we pondered and prayed about this move the issue of most concern has always been who will be the shepherd that care for Pura Vida Church Santa Barbara in our absence? We praise God for the fact that nobody is irreplaceable and we are happy and humbled to announce that we leave Pura Vida Santa Barbara in the hands of and incredible team lead by Paula Sevilla.

Paula was born and raised right here in Santa Barbara and has a heart for the lost as well as everything Latino. Paula came to us two years ago after working extensively as a missionary in Mexico and Guatemala for five years. As we got to know her we saw her leadership potential paired with a passionate love for Jesus and genuine humility. Her ministry gifts and cross-cultural communication skills are amazing. For us it was a no brainer to use someone from within the body of our local church rather than bringing someone in from the outside and after much prayer and counsel Paula took the challenge.

She will be actively supported by a prayerful team of lay leaders from the Pura Vida congregation as well as the rest of the pastoral staff at the Free Methodist Church of Santa Barbara. She is currently studying cross-cultural ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary. Dennis will continue to mentor and guide her through this transition and in the future via the internet and Skype. Please be part of her support team by remembering to pray for her and the rest of the congregation as they go through this transition.

Other Leon’s family and ministry highlights….

· We have been fundraising right and left and have raised about 75% of what we will need for our two year assignment. Praise God!

· We were able to purchase our tickets and are on schedule for a March 31^st departure (one way!!!).

· We thank you for all your prayers as Kyle experienced strong heart palpitations that had us worried. After some tests it was confirmed that her heart is perfect and that it is simply due to the combination of stress and pregnancy. She scheduled a massage for the next day!

· We are living in the trailer behind the Schmidt family house and so getting lots of quality family time in, as well as getting the packing done with time to spare.

Con mucho love, Familia Leon.

THE 4 DEADLY SINS OF CELL LEADERSHIP

This is another great article… enjoy and take note.

By Joel Comiskey

How to Avoid them and enjoy a fruitful, effective cell ministry
Appeared in Cell Group Journal (Spring 2002)

When it came right down to it, I was pressured to perform. I had to get to know my neighbors, build community in my neighborhood, and help grow our new cell church plant in Moreno Valley.

On a positive note, the pressure drove me to attend association barbeques and hang out at the Monday night football gatherings at the clubhouse. But I knew it wasn’t a healthy way to build my church.

Although I had been feeling this pressure for months, I kept it to myself. One night, I confessed the pressure to perform at my cell meeting. “I feel so pressured to reach my neighbors,” I told the group. I received prayer, but couldn’t pinpoint the source of the problem and I still felt like I was going about my ministry in an unnatural, unhealthy way.

After the meeting I talked with my wife and realized I was feeling pressured to perform by placing all the responsibility on my own shoulders. I was assuming responsibility that only God could take!

Yes, God is intensely concerned with reaching my neighbors and building a cell church in Moreno Valley. However, I figured that I had to make it happen. The result was a vague sense of tension that turned into pressure — which began to eat at me.

God showed me that He desires to give me His light yoke in exchange for my heavy yoke. When I realized this, the burden lifted. Through this experience, God revealed four deadly sins that could easily wipe out your ministry as a cell leader.

#1 ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY THAT IS NOT YOURS

I was making unrealistic goals that were vague and unattainable. God reminded me of Larry Crabb’s comments in The Key to Caring about the difference between a goal and a desire. Crabb said:

“A goal may be defined as a purpose to which a person is unalterably committed. He assumes unconditional responsibility for a goal, and it can be achieved if he is willing to work at it. A desire may be defined as something wanted that cannot be obtained without the cooperation of another person. It is an objective for which a person can assume no responsibility, because it is beyond his control. Reaching a desire must never become the motivating purpose behind behavior, because then a person is assuming responsibility for something he cannot fulfill on his own” [italics my own].

It dawned on me that I was confusing desires with goals — that which I could accomplish and that which was beyond my control.

My desire was to see conversions in my neighborhood and to create a sense of community. Of course, this is a wonderful desire. But you’ll notice that only God can make this happen. I was trying to take the place of God.

I now realize that God wants me to make clear-cut, bite-sized goals that are in my power to accomplish. For example, I can accomplish the following goals:

• Invite my neighbor to play tennis.
• Invite my neighbor over to my house for a special event (dessert, etc.).
• Make it a point to talk with my neighbor in the front yard.
• Encourage my potential cell leader to begin the training track.
• Give my potential cell leader opportunities in the cell to use his gifts and talents.

These goals are feasible. I can accomplish them. Desires, on the other hand, are beyond my own ability to accomplish. Here are some examples of my desires:

• That my neighbor responds to my invitation and actually plays tennis with me.
• That my neighbor accepts the invitation to come to my house for a special event.
• That the person I’ve identified as a potential cell leader actually enters our leadership training track.

To make this difference practical, let’s take a typical concern for cell leaders: Group multiplication.

Many leaders experience tension when thinking about this topic. A major cause of this tension is making unrealistic, vague goals based on lofty desires, rather than bite-size, feasible goals based on what can actually be done. The following goals are obtainable and will lead to the goal of multiplication:

• Talk to a cell member about facilitating the next cell group meeting.
• Guide this potential cell leader through your church’s training.
• Set a multiplication date and continually remind the group of that date.
• Give the future cell leader ample opportunities within the cell to participate in ministry to others and facilitate meetings.
• Remind the group weekly of their need to evangelize and invite non- Christian friends.

As you can see, your goals should be feasible and measurable. They should be based on clear possibilities in which you have control.

Confusing desires with goals, while subtle, makes a huge difference in your emotional well-being. When you’re pressured to perform — to fulfill the goal yourself — your peace disappears and you feel stressed, knowing you’re not going to succeed.

Sadly, many cell leaders simply turn in their resignation at this point, never citing the real reason. They don’t know why they feel the way they do. I suspect confusing desires with goals is the culprit on many occasions, leading to burn-out. Don’t get caught in this trap.

#2 DO ALL THE WORK

“I’m the cell leader. I need to do all the work.” Wrong.

The cell leader is the facilitator, not the work horse. You are the person who orchestrates the work for the whole group to carry out.

Remember the concept of net fishing versus pole fishing? It’s the team that does the work. Everyone participates!

There’s too much work for one leader to do alone. Consider the pressures that a cell leader places upon himself when he embraces the statement “I need to do all the work.”

• Prepare and facilitate all the various parts of the weekly meetings, making it look very polished and professional.
• Personally reach your lost friends (and your member’s lost friends) for Christ.
• Meet with everyone in the group as often as possible to mentor and disciple them into strong believers.
• Train an intern or apprentice by having them watch what you do so that when he gets his own group, he’ll know what to do.

Instead of doing everything yourself — which will never create a feeling of community or new leaders — involve the team! Ask others to help you in every aspect of cell life and leadership:

• Delegate all the various parts of your weekly meetings to others a month at a time and watch them learn as they do it. Ask someone in the group to be in charge of meeting refreshments, prayer, worship, and the ministry time.
• Ask each host family to keep the “Blessing List” poster and display it in the room where you’ll be meeting. Every host can also be given the responsibility to plan and hold one fun event in the next three months to connect their unbelieving friends to the group.
• Establish mentor-protégé relationships in your group (or accountability partnerships) and call them to see how they are doing. These relationship will be very fruitful if they have a difficult task to complete together, like your church’s discipleship or equipping track.
• Meet with your intern or apprentice every week and together decide what the next steps are for your group. Then, let him or her learn by first-hand experience by leading the cell into one-another ministry and outreach, as well as facilitating weekly meetings. This will reduce your workload and give new leaders a vision for the future.

By involving others and forcing yourself to give away responsibility, the group will become an exciting place of ministry and growth. And you will not feel like Atlas, with the weight of the world on your shoulders.

#3 THINKING THAT EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON YOU

I forgot that only God can bring conviction and create open doors for the Gospel. The key question we should be asking ourselves is: “Where is God working?”

I discovered this with my neighbors. I was concentrating on my next door neighbor because they’re immediately visible when I open my own front door. But God showed me that I needed to broaden my perspective to include those at the other end of the street who were far more receptive. With this new thinking, I was able to establish contacts quickly because God opened the doors.

The Psalmist wrote, “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain” (Psalm 127:1). Pursue those non-Christian contacts in which you see God working.

Paul the apostle said, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

Only God can convert a soul, motivate someone to enter leadership training, or multiply his or her cell group.

Effective leaders don’t take responsibility for making it happen because this would only result in pressure to perform and succeed without God’s power. But, the same leaders do take practical steps to plant and water, leaving the rest to God. And, they take responsibility to make sure there are enough positive concrete actions (goals) that eventually result in a breakthrough.

So, plan to work with your team and sow into relationships with the lost, sharing the Gospel whenever possible. Then water the soil by praying and fasting, loving these folks unconditionally. God will send His Spirit to them and draw them to Himself. Watch and see how God works when you do your part and you allow Him to do His part.

#4 GIVING UP WHEN THE RESULTS ARE FEW

Effective leaders are not necessarily talented, gifted, or outgoing. But they do have one thing in common. They’re persistent. They don’t give up!

Each week they ask their members to invite someone. Each week they try to make contact with members of the cell by phone and whenever possible, in person. Eventually, something clicks. God works.

You could compare what I’m saying to sowing and reaping. If you sow sparingly, you’ll reap sparingly. If you sow bountifully, you’ll reap bountifully.

For example, let’s discuss the Blessing List (the list of non-Christian people attached to each member of your group). It’s tempting to give up when we don’t see our prayers answered quickly. We should remember that George Mueller, a man who modeled effective prayer, prayed throughout his lifetime for five friends to know Jesus Christ.

The first one came to Christ after five years. Within ten years, two more of them received Christ. Mueller prayed constantly for over twenty-five years, and the fourth man was finally saved. For his fifth friend, he prayed until the time of his death, and this friend, too, came to Christ a few months after Mueller died. For this last friend, Mueller had prayed for almost fifty-two years.

God doesn’t view time in the same way we do. He hears every prayer you make, and He desires that you persist until the end. At times you’ll want to give up. Don’t. God is hearing your prayers and is pleased with them. In His time the answer will come — quickly.

Keep on encouraging your cell members to reach out and invite people, even when you see few results. Remember the Scripture Proverbs 14:23: “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Your diligence will lead to success if you keep on pressing on. God’s blessing is right around the corner.

CONCLUSION

To continue to lead a group, multiply that group, and care for the new leaders as a coach, you need Christ’s light and easy yoke (Matthew 11:30 ). Avoid the common cell leader sins that will damage or even kill your ministry. Make feasible goals; use your team; discover where God’s working, and persist until you see breakthroughs. With this kind of ministry, you will be able to avoid burnout and continue a fruitful cell ministry throughout your life.

For further reading on this topic: Home Cell Group Explosion goes into more detail about group evangelism and related topics. Buy HERE or call 1-888-344-CELL

Kids Club

Values

Relationships: We believe that eternal change happens through loving relationships.

John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Community: We believe that discipleship happens through community as we are held accountable to lead authentic lives.

Acts 2:44- 47 “All the believers were together and had everything in common, selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need… They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people…”

Servanthood: We believe that Jesus called all Christians to be His hands and feet in their communities.

John 13:12-17 “When he had finished washing their feet …he asked them, “Do you understand what I have done for you?”. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you… Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

Dependence on the Holy Spirit: We believe that only through a humble life of prayer God will empower us to do great things for His glory.

John 15: 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Unity: We believe that Christ’s church transcends denominational and cultural barriers, to create a unified community of believers.

Revelation: 7: 9-10 “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” John 17:20-23 “… I pray also for those who will believe in me…that all of them may be one, Father… may they be brought to complete unity”

Multiplication: We believe that the church must grow OUT. Acts 1:8

Simplicity: We believe that the Gospel message should be communicated in a simple, practical and tangible way. 2Cor: 2: 1-5

PVC Santa Barbara: Refocusing & Simplifying

A call to Simplicity and action…

Dennis always quotes Mark Twain when he says the only person who likes change is a wet baby!  That has been the case as the leadership of Pura Vida Church has prayerfully considered combining the morning and evening Sunday worship services.  The beautiful facilities at the Mesa and faithful members of Café con Leche (worship band) made the decision to have services only on the Eastside a hard one.
The Vision of Pura Vida Church is to be a relevant church in our community and the only way to do that is to be part of the community where we minister, in other words is to know the need of our community and seek practical ways to meet them.

The way we have done that is through home-groups which build relationships.  These discipling relationships have strengthened the leadership of Pura Vida and we are seeing the results.
One of Pura Vida’s main tenets is to be a blessing to the community and the Hispanic (Spanish/bilingual) community which is our mission field is mainly on the Eastside of Santa Barbara.  It is difficult to know how to bless someone if you do not know them and their needs.
Some of the ways in which we as a church are being a blessing is by blessing and partnering with flourishing ministries in this community such as Eastside Kids Club and Eastside Young Life both of these ministries have a huge representation from Pura Vida Church, (Young life meetings are hosted in the home of a member of our church and the coordinator of KidsClub is a member of our church as well, not to mention a lot of the volunteers including ourselves).  There are hungry people on the Eastside and we feed them.
Have we seen a great spiritual harvest from these “outreaches”? No, but we have seen our leaders and people in our church come to a deeper understanding of what it means to love and live like Jesus.  And after all God did not call us to fill our churches he called us to love our neighbors.
When Jesus commissioned His disciples in Acts 1:8 he did not say to just go to the ends of the earth but to start in your own back yard (Jerusalem) and then branch out from there.  I was thinking about the training ground that having Mesa services has been for our church.  In the safety of a familiar place we were able to grow and learn and now God has called us to leave that comfortable place and depend on Him which is the last and key tenet of Pura Vida Church.
Please pray for us as we venture out.  As a church we want to do what Jesus did.  The Message sums it up perfectly, it says,
“The Word became flesh, and move into the neighborhood.” John 1:14.

Love, Familia Leon