Anticipation & Momentum

In my previous post on Momentum, I talked about the role of anticipation. I am finding out some of the things I anticipate our church doing or wanting isn't necessary what they're wanting or anticipating.

For example, I was recently asked the question what is our biggest obstacle. I replied that it was connectedness. "Our people just don't seem to be connected. I look out and see a bunch of people who don't know each other." This well experienced church planter told me, "Don't worry it will be that way for about a year and then one day you'll look up and see they're finally connected and you won't know how it happened." That was comforting, really!

I just naturally assumed that people wanted to get to know each other. Quite honestly, they don't. There are some who do, and others (the majority) who are just making their way back to church and are loving it.

They don't think about: going to church every week; we have a quality service and they don't see our need for them to volunteer; small Groups aren't in their vocabulary; our monthly community groups are just a novel idea.

As their Pastor, I'm okay with it. Why? Because before there can be momentum, there must be a discomfort. Right now they're comforted by the vision and environment of StonePoint. Instead of me telling them how they ought to get to know other people and how they should have a need for a small group or how they should want to get involved as if something were wrong with them for not wanting or being a part of those things, it's up to God to create a discomfort in their life. That discomfort is fed by God's vision for his church. It is up to me to allow God to move in their lives and His church to create that discomfort and then feed it with the vision He has for His church. When that happens, anticipation will build and momentum will come. And when momentum has run it's course, it will be time to look for another discomfort!

Discomfort --> Fed by Vision -->Ignited by Anticipation -->Led by Change = Momentum