God-sized Vision

by Ron Hamilton, Conference Minister

I believe that God-sized vision requires God-centered faith and God-focused effort.

This conviction was recently put to the test when I met with the Church Multiplication Committee last month. We took a careful look at our vision statement and prayerfully discerned whether we wanted to keep this vision. A part of the vision statement says,

We believe that by the year 2020 over one-half of the member churches in the Conference will be healthy reproducing churches started by the CCCC in the 21st Century.

While it would have been easy to back off that statement, the Committee members restated their support of what God has done and will continue to do in the CCCC church multiplication movement in the future. This requires:

2008 – 10 newly planted churches (we reached this goal)
2011 – 20 newly planted churches (we reached that goal)
2014 – 40 newly planted churches (these new plants are in process)
2017 – 80 newly planted churches
2020 – 160 newly planted churches

I believe that I am a visionary person. But this seems like a daunting task. It requires a lot of faith to believe that this can happen in our Conference. It will take a lot of work and a lot of money. The very nature of that vision caused me to prayerfully reflect on God’s work in and through the CCCC in recent years.

After some reflection, I was reminded by the Lord of his provision for our movement in the past ten years. In 2004, many would have thought it highly unlikely that God would provide $1.6 million for church planting in the next ten years. But, He has done that. The Conference received a bequest from the closing of the Phillips Church in Boston and $1.2 million was designated for church planting. Another $400,000.00 was set aside for church planting as a part of the Sharing His Vision comprehensive campaign. The CCCC church planting movement was small and struggling in 2004. Today we rejoice in the fact that we have 40 church planting projects that are established or in process. Praise the Lord!

This is only one example of many evidences of God’s work in and through our Conference as we have focused on minds, hearts and efforts in living in obedience to Jesus and aligned our vision and values to reach this generation. God-sized vision requires God-centered faith and God-focused effort. Please join me in prayerfully trusting God for His leadership and provision for the CCCC in the coming days!