2 questions

At our staff devotion I asked them to think about these two questions.

1. What do you think is your joyful earthly reward in ministry? Why do
they choose this "vocation'? This was asked in the context that to
serve sincerely and genuinely in ministry is usually not easy,
requiring one to die to self all the time, facing much trials and
testing of our character, frequently judged and misunderstood, not
much appreciated by those we served and even mishandled many times by
those we choose to love. The answer did not come fast. After some deep
eye-brow expressions 2 of them said that their own character
development itself is their reward.God uses their "vocation" to hone
their character and personality. Well I really thought that it was a
very noble perspective.I probed them further..about what is their joy
in ministry...We finally all agreed that our deepest satisfaction
comes when we see lifes touch, healed and transformed by the Lord
Jesus Christ through our humble, imperfect respresentation of Christ
in the ministry.

2. When would you regard FCC to be a "great church"?
Is it when we reach thousands in number?.......NO
is it when we have great Music, Worship and Preaching?.......NO
Is it when we have produce our own CDs and is well known?.....NO

So.....when is FCC a great church?
We concluded that FCC is a great church when the people of God have a
growing intimate love relationship with God. To us all, that is the
non-negotiable foundation of greatness, be it in numbers, performance
or productions. When God's people at FCC take ownership of their
relationship with God, to be loved by God and to love God...then they
will enjoy loving others, they will enjoy serving others, they will
enjoy sacrificing and laying down their lives for the ministry. They
are here at FCC not because of the great music or preaching or the
beauty of the building. They are here excited because of their love
for God and His House and His people and Work.

That's why and where we begin....The place of Prayer...the place of
dependence upon God and His Holy Spirit. Not by might or power, but by
His Spirit.Zech 4:6 The place of intentional humility.The place where
we acknowledge that we can do nothing without Him. We stand strong and
firm by being on our knees together...Fcc - House of Prayer.

What do we want to see? We want His Name to be Praised & Glorified
when we see lives touched, healed and transformed by the work of the
Holy Spirit in and through our lives, our ministry and our sacrifice
together. We desire to see individuals, marriages, families,
communities and nations being healed...Fcc - House of Healing.

We are created to receive love and to give it away.