New Ground Sunday
Devotions
Key Text: Ephesians 4
This week in our physical venues and across our Online Venue, we have been celebrating New Ground Sunday. Here at Everyday Church, we are part of a family of churches called Newfrontiers and within that Newfrontiers family we are part of New Ground. A number of years ago, because of growth and a desire to be more missional, Newfrontiers moved from being one family across the world to a wider family made up of different spheres. At the time we described it as a family moving from one nuclear family to a wider family with children who have themselves become parents. It is more organic than organisational, and over the last decade we have seen huge growth in the number of churches around the world that are part of the wider Newfrontiers family, but with real relational links to one of the smaller spheres.
Why do we belong to New Ground? Well hopefully some of the videos we have watched this week have started to answer that question. But behind all that activity lies some core biblical truth.
In our Vision and Values, we remind ourselves of the importance of Community. We talk about who WE are and why WE are here! God is community, creates out of community and creates us for community. Our Kingdom calling is a community calling, we are described as living stones who are built up into a temple of the Holy Spirit.
What is true for us as individuals is also true for us as individual church communities. We are called to be part of a wider church, a bigger picture. Committing to New Ground is one of the keyways that we are obedient to that call.
As we read the New Testament, we discover that the writers of scripture are increasingly writing, not to one church, but to groups of churches. Think about the opening chapters of Revelation, or Paul’s instructions to have his letters read across a number of churches in a region. In Acts we see one group of churches raising funds to bless other groups of churches who are facing challenges. Leaders are commissioned in one church to travel and equip or plant new churches.
Possibly the clearest description of this interdependency is found in Ephesians 4:11-16.
So, Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. These gifts are plural, they are equipping gifts and they are meant to have an impact and an influence beyond, though never losing their foundations, in one local church.
You might think that our connection with New Ground is only for Elders, but our heart is that all of us would connect with New Ground wider vision. As a church we are working with New Ground in all our prayers and planning for the relaunch of our Kingston Venue.
We are actively involved in the New Ground Leadership Academy. Why not thinking about joining the Academy this coming September?
There are still a few places left at the Fearless Ladies Conference at the end of June.
We are taking over 50 of us from Everyday Church to Newday this summer.
There are opportunities to pray with others from New Ground at termly Prayer Days.
In November we would love many of our volunteer leaders to join us as Elders at the New Ground Leadership Conference, when we will be focusing specifically on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
God has great plans for us as a wider church as part of the New Ground family – why not come with us and play your part.
Why do we belong to New Ground? Well hopefully some of the videos we have watched this week have started to answer that question. But behind all that activity lies some core biblical truth.
In our Vision and Values, we remind ourselves of the importance of Community. We talk about who WE are and why WE are here! God is community, creates out of community and creates us for community. Our Kingdom calling is a community calling, we are described as living stones who are built up into a temple of the Holy Spirit.
What is true for us as individuals is also true for us as individual church communities. We are called to be part of a wider church, a bigger picture. Committing to New Ground is one of the keyways that we are obedient to that call.
As we read the New Testament, we discover that the writers of scripture are increasingly writing, not to one church, but to groups of churches. Think about the opening chapters of Revelation, or Paul’s instructions to have his letters read across a number of churches in a region. In Acts we see one group of churches raising funds to bless other groups of churches who are facing challenges. Leaders are commissioned in one church to travel and equip or plant new churches.
Possibly the clearest description of this interdependency is found in Ephesians 4:11-16.
So, Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. These gifts are plural, they are equipping gifts and they are meant to have an impact and an influence beyond, though never losing their foundations, in one local church.
New Ground is the primary way that we try and ensure that we are benefitting from these gifts. These gifts of grace lift our heads to the bigger picture. They remind us of our foundations, whilst also calling us to go beyond our own locality. As part of New Ground, we are reminded that we are called to:
- Raise Leaders
- Impact communities
- Plant Churches
- Reach nations
You might think that our connection with New Ground is only for Elders, but our heart is that all of us would connect with New Ground wider vision. As a church we are working with New Ground in all our prayers and planning for the relaunch of our Kingston Venue.
We are actively involved in the New Ground Leadership Academy. Why not thinking about joining the Academy this coming September?
There are still a few places left at the Fearless Ladies Conference at the end of June.
We are taking over 50 of us from Everyday Church to Newday this summer.
There are opportunities to pray with others from New Ground at termly Prayer Days.
In November we would love many of our volunteer leaders to join us as Elders at the New Ground Leadership Conference, when we will be focusing specifically on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
God has great plans for us as a wider church as part of the New Ground family – why not come with us and play your part.
This Everyday Devotions was written by Simon Elliott, our Lead Elder.
If you would like to watch the whole of this week’s New gRound Sunday service, why not download the Everyday Church App, visit our website, or join our Online Church Services.
This Everyday Devotions is accompanied by a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube Channel.
Follow our Everyday Devotions Playlist for some songs to help you worship God in Spirit and truth this week.
If you would like to watch the whole of this week’s New gRound Sunday service, why not download the Everyday Church App, visit our website, or join our Online Church Services.
This Everyday Devotions is accompanied by a devotional video that you can watch on our YouTube Channel.
Follow our Everyday Devotions Playlist for some songs to help you worship God in Spirit and truth this week.