City of Dreams

Have you ever been asked a question that takes you by surprise? I’m sure we’ve all had that experience. I recently did and it was surprising in a good way! It led to a great discussion about opportunities that can be easily missed.

It’s strange to say, but I’m no longer a new pastor in my community. It’s evident because I’ve recently received calls from parishioners of other churches asking me to come meet their new pastor. I’m not too far removed from being in that pastor’s shoes, so I gladly accept. When I moved to my community 4 years ago, I was welcomed into a strong fellowship of local pastors that have a kingdom mindset. It’s a powerful blessing of God that He grants to a city when churches can work in cooperation rather than competition. I love connecting with new pastors and inviting them into our fellowship because I know how impactful it’s been for me.

Back to the surprising question. As I was meeting with a new pastor last week, he asked a question that centered around opportunity. The new pastor wanted to know my perspective 4 years in as to what I perceived to be the top 3 opportunities of our city. I loved the question because we tend to gravitate toward challenges while forgetting that we serve a God that opens doors. I paused for a moment, but not long. I was thankful for the question because it’s a topic I’ve thought about often for a few years. It was two years ago that I was riding through a neighborhood in La Paz, Mexico when some missionary friends said, “we’re not here to fix problems but to help leverage the already present assets of our community to bring forth transformation.” Talk about a Holy Spirit laser beam to the heart!

I looked across the table at my new pastor friend and shared what I perceive to be the 3 greatest opportunities in our city:

·        The military culture and the impact that has on our city

·        The cooperation that exists between local churches

·        The lack of physical space that causes people of all varieties to intersect

There are opportunities within each of those that if leveraged could have a major impact for God’s kingdom!

We naturally fixate on the challenges and miss seeing the opportunities. It’s not about denial but about seeing the opportunities that always accompany a challenge. We certainly need to be thinking this way when it comes to our church, but this is a principle for life. If you’re a student beginning a new semester, I challenge you to be open minded to the opportunities that abound. If you’re in the workplace, seek out the opportunities. Whether it’s our school, neighborhood, workplace, or church there are opportunities because we serve a God that loves to open doors! It’s not about “fixing things” but about discovering the present assets and infusing a kingdom purpose!

Don’t over think it. Prayer is a great place to start, and listening is a close second.