Being the answer to Jesus’ prayer - 17th September 2007

In Rugby over the next two weeks the churches are going to be working together in way we don’t often see: following a common vision and working towards a common purpose. Here is the mission statement for Rugby Revive that was agreed as long ago as November 2004 by a wide cross section of church leaders from different denominations.

To know Christ and to make him known through empowering individual Christians and churches.
We aim to:
· Encourage each Christian to develop the heart and mind of a disciple
· Encourage the community of God’s people in the Rugby area to work together to fulfil the Great Commission.
· Encourage each church to reach out appropriately and effectively to the wider community, reflecting their own character.

All the activity about to take place in our parish: the big event, the big conversation, the big clean up has been inspired by that mission statement.

It’s really exciting that we are not in this on our own, we are working with other Christians from other churches because we are being an answer to prayer that Jesus prayed
‘May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me’. John 17:23.
A few years ago we learnt as a church that we are ‘better together’ in other words better as a church than as individuals. Now we are being challenged to be ‘better together’ with other churches. There is an African proverb that says ‘if you want to travel fast, travel alone, but if you want to travel far, travel together’.

Make it your aim over the next two weeks to get to know someone from another church as you work along side them. Reflect and pray: It may have taken a long time to get this far but ask God to take us much, much further in terms of making his love known in our town.