4 Essentials of Effective Churches

Camperdown Methodist Church, 8 January 2012, 09h00
Rev Steven Jones

Scripture readings: Exodus 18: 9-26; I Timothy 3: 1-13; Luke 4: 14-21; Matthew 28: 17-20

(This message was to prepare the congregationon for our Annual General Meeting that will be taking place on 26 February 2012, in which the congregation considers the mission activities of the church, as well as to elect Society Stewards.  It's aim is to lay a foundation in terms of Purpose, Mission, Structures, and Values.)

There is a rather lame story about an ambitious Rice Krispie that was tired of life at the bottom – it wanted to be at the top! This ambition was present right from birth; when all the little Rice Krispies were poured into the big hoppers ready for packaging, our friend declared: “I’m an ambitious Rice Krispie! I don’t want to be at the bottom – I want to be at the top!” So the Rice Krispie went to great effort to make its way past all the other Rice Krispies in its quest for supremacy, but when it finally made its way to the top, the chute opened, the boxes were filled, and the ambitious Rice Krispie found itself at the bottom of the box. Not to be daunted – “I’m an ambitious Rice Krispie – I don’t want to be at the bottom of the box – I want to be at the top!” – it once again climbed and climbed all the way to the top, until it was discovered that the box had been placed upside-down in Kellogg’s warehouse. When it was turned the correct way up, guess what – the ambitious Rice Krispie found itself back at the bottom of the box... (To view the rest of this sermon, click here)