Vision Sunday

Use these materials to go deeper into this message on your own, or with your small group.
Small Group Guide

9:00 Service | 10:30 Service | Sermon Audio

Good morning Chapel family! And welcome to Vision Sunday 2023. This fall marks my 27th year on staff at The Chapel, and I can honestly say I am as fired up for this new season as I ever have been before. So my goal for today is very simple: I want to take the vision for this new season that I’ve developed along with our elders and staff, and I want to transfer that vision from my heart into your heart, so we’re all headed in the same direction. And then we’ll close the service with communion—because the only way we’re going to live out this vision is by the power of Christ and his cross.

You’ll notice we have two stools up here. This one is for me, and this other stool is called the Hot Seat. So throughout today’s message, I’m going to randomly select people from the congregation to come and sit up here and share their thoughts… (Did I scare you?). Actually, I have some important guests from the Chapel staff and the Chapel family who are going to come up and share some exciting things with you. So keep your eye on the Hot Seat.

So: everything our church does is guided by our Mission Statement. Would you say this with me?

Building a family of Christ-followers who love God, love people, and serve the world.

“Building a family of Christ-followers”—that was not our idea. Jesus promised: “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Even though it might seem like the world has gone crazy and darkness is winning, it’s not. Jesus is building his family…and we get to join him in that. So we are unapologetically evangelistic. We call people to make a decision for Christ. And we celebrate those decisions of faith through

baptism. So we are here to build a family of Christ-followers. And from our study of Scripture, we define a Christ-follower as someone who builds their life on three things: loving God, loving people, and serving the world. So for the rest of this message, I’m going to share with you how we believe God is leading us to move forward in each of those three areas.

First, Loving God. Jesus was once asked, “Of all the commandments in the whole Bible, what’s the most important one?” Without hesitation, here’s what he said—Matthew 22:37-38… 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. In case you haven’t noticed, we are living in a culture of distraction. We’re distracted by politics, and sports, and social media. And all those things compete for our love. So our job—the church’s job—is to direct your attention higher: away from all those lesser things, and onto the glory and the beauty and the holiness and the love of God. Amen? You should walk out of church deeply in love with God. Because when that happens, it doesn’t mean you become a monk, and you refuse to participate in politics or sports or social media; but you look at all those things differently. They get demoted to their proper place in your life.

So in this new season, there are a few ways we will nurture your love for God. First, of all, through Common Ground. Common Ground is the six-week period every fall when the entire church family focuses on the same thing—from Chapel Kids to Chapel Students to small groups to sermons. And I absolutely love our Common Ground theme for this fall: “The Faith of a Child.” Ooh—what’s that about? Well, Jesus said Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. What did he mean by that? That’s what we’re going to talk about this fall. We’re going to walk through Scripture and look at examples of children and youth, and how

we can actually learn from their faith. I’m so looking forward to this!

So, to tell us how we can get the most out of Common Ground, I’d like to invite my first guest to the Hot Seat. Would you welcome The Chapel’s Director of Discipleship, Susan Breitz!

Dave: Welcome Susan! So why are you, personally, excited about this year’s Common Ground?

Susan: Because I like to play with Legos and get prizes. No, really, I think it’s going to stretch all of us to value children and young people the way Jesus did. As adults, we sometimes lose sight of the childlike qualities that God uses powerfully for His kingdom.

Dave: So your role on staff is to help people grow as Christ-followers. What are we providing this fall to help people grow in their faith?

Susan: There are over 80 groups of all women, all men, mixed- all ages and stages. Like last year, if you’re not yet in a group, we’d love to have you come out to Sunset on Wednesday nights for our Beginnings group. My personal goal would be that EVERYONE is in a small group of some kind- that’s where SO much community and growth happens.

Here is what most groups will be using to guide them through the series: We decided to call it a workbook and include some fun activities you’d find in a school workbook. I wasn’t kidding about the Lego’s and prizes. There will be some if that In your small group. (Leaders will get a backpack filled with everything they need. ) Whether you use the workbook individually or as a group, we hope you’ll do the heart work( not homework) to get the most out of this series…..??? Pick up your free copy today in the lobby!

Dave: Thank you Susan—we so appreciate you and Jackie Van Hook, your partner in ministry. Thanks for all you do to help us grow. Let’s show our appreciation for Susan!

In addition to Common Ground, we view our Sunday worship services as a great environment to grow our love for God. So I’d like to give you an update on our musical worship. This past summer we piloted a new approach, where we aligned both of our worship services around a more modern style of worship. And I want to remind you why we did that. We are living at a time when churches are shutting their doors at an alarming rate. Research tells us that the reason many people are leaving or avoiding church is that they find it irrelevant to their lives. So this pilot was an intentional strategy to keep our gospel message exactly the same, but lean into a musical style that connects most effectively with people in 2023.

So over the summer we’ve been watching attendance patterns, and there’s no doubt this change has helped fill some of the empty seats at the 9am service, just like we hoped it would. We’ve also been listening to feedback, and we’ve gotten all kinds of feedback. Many people loved the change; others have offered constructive criticism. So it’s been an interesting summer!

So, where do we go from here? Well, first some sad news: John Boronow, who was serving as our choir director, has decided to step down from the Chapel staff. We had hoped we could find a way for John to stay on staff, but he decided it was time for him to step down. John served faithfully for many years, and we pray for God’s best in his future. He will truly be missed. Thankfully, we have a highly gifted team of worship staff and volunteers who will carry our worship ministry forward.

So heading into this fall, here’s what you can expect: we plan to keep offering identical worship in both services. Our services will continue to be led with musical excellence and passion, with

the goal of pointing everyone’s attention upward to God. And the services will still have a modern feel, but you might notice something a little different going forward. One of the things we’ve heard from our congregation this summer is how valuable it is to sing familiar songs—especially songs that people learned from their parents and their grandparents. And we’ve always included hymns in various forms, but going forward, we’re committed to expanding our repertoire to include more of the heritage of the Christian church over the years. Now I want to be clear: I’m not saying that every week we’ll have one song that’s at least a hundred years old! And I’m not saying it we’ll play songs with a pipe organ like they did in 1950! But the church has such a rich history of music, and we think we can honor that heritage in a way that sounds fresh and connects with people in every generation.

On a personal level, I’m not just a pastor here; I’m a worshiper. And when I show up on Sunday mornings, there are some songs I love; others not so much. In other words, I’m just like you! But regardless of the songs, I show up to worship and exalt my Savior. And I look forward to doing that with you this next season.

And then one more thing under “Loving God.” We’re starting something brand new this year to help you grow deeper in your faith. We’re calling it “J-Term,” which some of you have probably had in college, right?—that January term between semesters. So this January, The Chapel is going to start offering classes for those who want to go deeper in their knowledge of the Bible. I’m going to start things off this January, by teaching a course called “Big Idea Devotions.” It’s a method of personal devotions—personal time in God’s Word—that I developed, and it’s changed my devotional life immensely—so much so that I wrote my doctoral thesis on it earlier this year. So I’m really excited to share that with you. So that’s in January. But that’s not all! Because “J” also stands for “June” and “July,” so we’ll be

offering other growth classes during those summer months. Basically, when small groups are on break, these classes will be offered. This is not for everyone, but if you’re a little more studious and hungry to grow in your knowledge of Scripture, I think you’re going to love this.

So…Jesus said there is nothing more important in all of life than loving God. And through studying the Faith of a Child, through gathered worship, through the new J-Term courses, we’re going to fan the flame of our love for God.

Jesus went on to say: And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ So if we truly love God, it will always lead to Loving People. Our marriages will get better. Our friendships will become more quality. In our families we’ll have more shalom. So at The Chapel, the main way we learn to love people is by gathering together in different kinds of groups.

Susan already mentioned the importance of everyone joining a small group, and we are going to continue building those strong relationships through Chapel Women, and Chapel Men, and MOPS, and Chapel Students and Chapel Kids. But this morning, I want to introduce you to two of our newer ministries—in fact one is brand new, and one is really picking up momentum. So…would you welcome to the Hot Seat Annie Silverstein and Jen Liscio.

Dave: So I wanted to bring up both of these women together, because neither of them is employed by the church; they’re just regular people, but they’re doing exciting things in ministry. So Annie—tell us about yourself—what do you do for a living?

Annie: Briefly explain—graduated college in 2022?—job.

Dave: And how about you, Jen?

Jen: Briefly talk about your everyday life (mom, empty nest, work…)

Dave: So Annie, you’re involved in our Young Adults ministry (and this is a picture of our Young Adults ministry over the summer). You’re involved in a part of that ministry, called the Girls Room. Who is that group for, and what does a typical Tuesday night look like?

Annie: Briefly explain.

Dave: And how have you changed through this group?

Annie: Talk about how you’ve grow spiritually through the group.

Dave: And Jen—you’re really in on the ground floor of a brand new group, called Chapel Seniors (this is a picture of the Chapel Seniors leadership team). What is Chapel Seniors all about?

Jen: Talk about age range, purpose of the group, when you’ll meet.

Dave: Why are you excited to be part of this group?

Jen: Briefly explain.

Dave: I understand there’s a big kickoff event coming up next month?

Jen: Explain Oktoberfest!

Dave: I want to thank both of you for your faithfulness in serving, and thanks for sharing with us this morning. Let’s show our appreciation for Annie and Jen!

So Jesus said the second-most important thing in life is to love your neighbor as yourself. And so much of what The Chapel does is designed to help us live that out.

So…The Chapel is all about loving God, loving people, and we can’t leave out the last phrase: Serving the World. Jesus said, “Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” So if we’re following him, we will be an outward-focused

church. We will care deeply about the brokenness around us, and we’ll be involved in helping to heal that brokenness.

So how do we plan to serve the world this coming year? Well, we will of course continue our More than Conquerors group for addiction recovery; our Life Givers group for people with terminal illnesses; our Grief Share group for people grieving losses; our Loaves and Fishes food pantry; our special needs inclusion ministry. All of those are great services to our community.

We’ll also be serving the world through our 12-Mile Bridge initiative. In case you didn’t know, the city of Paterson is twelve miles from where I’m standing right now, and over the past two years we’ve mobilized hundreds of Chapel people to serve in Paterson, and we’ve established partnerships with some great Paterson ministries. So I’d like to invite my final Hot Seat guest. She’s the director of New Destiny Family Success Center; would you give a warm Chapel welcome to Carolyn McCombs?

Dave: Tell us about New Destiny—what is it all about?

Carolyn: Explain what New Destiny does.

Dave: Why do you personally feel called to this work?

Carolyn: Explain personal calling.

Dave: So this past summer, the kids from our Chapel Kids Camp did a collection for New Destiny. How did that go?

Carolyn: (this is your opportunity to thank our Chapel kids!)

Dave: So if people want to get more involved in the work of New Destiny, how can they do that?

Carolyn: Explain how people can get involved!

Dave: Thank you Carolyn. And by the way, last year we held our first ever WeServe event—it was a Saturday morning, where we mobilized about 350 Chapel people to serve—mostly in

Paterson. This year we’re doing it again—mark your calendars for Saturday, October 14—you’ll have opportunities to serve at New Destiny and several other Paterson ministries. Let’s show our appreciation for Carolyn.

There’s one more way The Chapel is going to serve the world this year. This is something we’ve been planning for almost a year, and I think it’s going to be one of the most exciting and unifying things our church has ever done. Many of you are familiar with the idea of child sponsorship—in fact, I’m sure some of you already sponsor a child in a developing country—that’s been something my family has done for years. But this fall, we’re doing this in a very unique way, through World Vision. If you were at the Annual Membership Meeting last January you got a sneak peek at this, but now it’s time for the whole church family to see it. Watch this…

Run World Vision Video (2½ minutes)

I always find it hard to recover after watching that video. Is that not exciting? I want to invite you to dream about how this could help shape the faith of you and your family. And it’s happening next Sunday. We have decided to partner with a village in Malawi, in Southeastern Africa. So next Sunday, you’re going to have the opportunity to have your picture taken, and sign up to be chosen by a child in Malawi. Two days later, on Tuesday, Pastor Paul will be getting on a plane and flying to Malawi, so he’ll be there for the choosing party. And then listen to this: the following Sunday—September 24, the Chapel lobby will be filled with our pictures, and we’ll find out what child chose us. This is going to be amazing. And by the way, if you’re not with us in person next week to get your picture taken, you can do all of this online. In the meantime, please pray about how God is calling you to be part of this. I cannot wait!

So… reason the Chapel is here is to build a family of Christ-followers who love God, love people, and serve the world. And

the only way we can accomplish any of that, is by the power of Christ. So let’s come together now as a family, and receive his power through communion.

Communion.

 Communion Script

Several times today, I’ve said the only way we’re going to live out this vision is through the power of Christ, and that we find that power through communion. Which is a strange thing to say. Because communion is a remembrance of death. Paul said “whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death.” And dying doesn’t seem like a powerful thing!

But this is the great secret of our faith!

See, when Jesus hung from the cross, he appeared pathetically weak. Feet and hands nailed down; crown of thorns on his head; life slowly draining out of him. But even though he looked weak, he was actually accomplishing the most powerful thing in the history of the universe: he was conquering death and atoning for the sins of the world. And on the third day, he rose again, which proved the power he had all along. So on the cross he might have looked weak, but he was awesomely strong.

And it’s the same for us.

When we are weak, we’re strong. When we’re walking in the way of Jesus—humble, serving, gentle, suffering—the world says that’s weak, but we know better. That’s where true strength comes from.

And guys, we need that strength. Not just to live out this vision for our church; you need it to live out God’s vision for you! Whatever God is calling you to do in your family or your job or our school or your retirement or your ministry – you’ll never do it without the power of Christ. And you find that power through communion.

PRAY

In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul wrote this: 23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.