2011 Theme Song
“What Do Christians Look Like? Know It and Show It!”
When you look at me, what do you see?
I am a Christian that loves the Lord,
Follow me.What does a Christian Look like?
They should look like me.
And If I know it, then I’ll show it.
The God in me.Excellence and Fruitfulness:
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” (John 15:8)
Radical Hospitality. Passionate Worship. Intentional Faith Development. Risk-Taking Mission and Service. Extravagant Generosity. These five practices are so critical to the success of congregations that failure to perform them in an exemplary way leads to the deterioration of the church’s mission. Ignore any one of these tasks or perform any of them in a mediocre, inconsistent, or poor manner, and the church will eventually decline, turn in on itself, and die away. Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations do not merely perform these practices adequately; they perform them in an exemplary way, constantly learning, improving, and excelling. Fruitfulness and excellence characterize every ministry of the church. Fruitfulness as a metaphor for the fulfillment and realization of purpose is deeply embedded in our faith history. The Scriptures are full of stories about fields and harvests, vines and branches, stumps and shoots, trees and figs. These give us a faith language for understanding effective Christian leadership and provide rich images for learning about the outcomes and consequences of our faith aspirations, commitments, and work.
Five Practices of a Fruitful Congregation:
1. The Practice of Radical Hospitality
“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7)
Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice Radical Hospitality. Out of genuine love for Christ and for others, their laity and pastors take the initiative to invite, welcome, include, and support newcomers and help them grow in faith as they become part of the Body of Christ. Their members focus on those outside their congregation with as much passion as they attend to the nurture and growth of those who already belong to the family of faith, and they apply their utmost creativity, energy, and effectiveness to the task, exceeding all expectations. The words radical and hospitality are not usually together in one phrase. To advance the church, perhaps they should be. Christian hospitality refers to the active desire to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ.
2. The Practice of Passionate Worship
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the LORD.”
(Psalm 84:1-2)Vibrant, fruitful, growing churches offer Passionate Worship that connects people to God and to one another. People gather consciously as the Body of Christ with eagerness and expectancy; encounter Christ through singing, prayer, Scripture, preaching and Holy Communion; and respond by allowing God’s Spirit to shape their lives. Lives shaped by God’s Spirit become the nucleus for congregations with extraordinary warmth, graciousness, and belonging. People are searching for worship that is authentic, alive, creative, and comprehensible, where they experience the life-changing presence of God in the presence of others.
3. The Practice of Intentional Faith Development
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42)
Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice Intentional Faith Development. From the first generation of Christians to the earliest Methodists to the youngest generations of faithful members today, the followers of Jesus mature in faith by learning together in community. Churches that practice Intentional Faith Development offer high quality learning experiences that help people understand Scripture, faith, and life in the supportive nature of caring relationships. Sunday school classes, Bible studies, short-term topical studies, support groups that apply faith to particular life challenges, children’s church, and Vacation Bible School are only a few of the countless ways by which churches help people probe God’s will for their lives and for the world, and bring people together to strengthen the Body of Christ by building friendships and relationships.
4. The Practice of Risk-Taking Mission and Service
“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice Risk-Taking Mission and Service. Risk-Taking Mission and Service includes the projects, the efforts, and work people do to make a positive difference in the lives of others for the purposes of Christ, whether or not they will ever be part of the community of faith. Risk-Taking Mission and Service is one of the fundamental activities of church life that is so critical that failure to practice it in some form results in a deterioration of the church’s vitality and ability to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We want to continue the rich tradition FAME has for community outreach; from our “Back to School” Giveaway to our Christmas outreach, we constantly serve the people of God.
5. The Practice of Extravagant Generosity
“You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity.” (2 Corinthians 9:11)
Scripture is replete with examples and teachings that focus on possessions, wealth, giving, gifts, generosity, offerings, charity, sacrifice, and sharing with those in need. Giving is central to Jewish and Christian practice because people perceive God as extravagantly generous, the giver of every good gift, the source of life and love. People give because they serve a giving God. In the Old Testament, numerous passages underscore the significance of tithing (giving a tenth) and of first fruits (offering the first and best of the harvest, livestock, and income to the purposes of God). In Genesis 14:20, Abraham gave a tenth of everything to God, and throughout Leviticus and Deuteronomy, the practice of tithing and first fruits is evident. The book of Exodus says, “Take from among you an offering to the LORD; let whoever is of a generous heart bring the LORD’S offering” (Exodus 35:5). Offering money and other possessions to God results from generosity of heart rather than from mere duty and obligation. The Bible teaches us to give a tithe, or the first 10 percent of what we earn, to God and the church’s work. For some, giving one tenth is a very difficult goal. For others, it is the starting point, and their giving far exceeds 10 percent. The important thing is that you start somewhere, that your giving be in proportion to your income, that your giving reflects an appropriate offering to God given your means, and that your offerings express both your desire to serve the Lord and your investment in God’s work. Begin by determining what percentage of your income you are giving to God. If you are not yet tithing, consider taking a step toward tithing this year. For example, if you now give 5 percent of your income, consider increasing your gift to 6 percent, and add 1 percent each year until you reach the tithing goal. Our prayer is that everyone will grow in his or her faith through giving financially to the ministries of our church and experience the joy and blessings that come from financial generosity.
FAME Church Calendar 2010 - 2011
December 18 FAME Annual Christmas Giveaway
December 31 Kwanzaa Celebration - 6:00 PM Renaissance Center
Annual Watch Night Service – Brian Courtney Wilson in ConcertJanuary 2 Episcopal Supervisor Kirkland’s Birthday
January 4 – 7 A.M.E. Church Connectional:
Church Growth and Development Seminar – LA Airport Hilton Hotel
Pastor John Leading the Daily Bible StudyJanuary 9 Celebration of FAME’s 138th Anniversary
January 17 Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday
February 9 Pastor John’s Birthday
February 13 AME Church Founder’s Day – Bishop William DeVeaux Preaching – 6th
Episcopal DistrictFebruary 23 – 25 Global Development Council
March 2 - 4 5th District Mid-Year Meeting, Los Angeles
March 17 – 19 Regional Liturgical Dance Conference
April 22 Good Friday Worship Service: 7 Last Words
April 24 Resurrection Sunday – Easter Sunrise ServiceMay 5 Bishop and Mrs. Kirkland’s Wedding Anniversary
May 8 Mother’s Day
June 12 Annual Family Day Celebration
June 19 Father’s Day
July 6 – 9 Fifth District “Call 2 the Wall 2” Christian Education Summit (Las Vegas, NV)
July 17 Handy Simmons Scholarship Luncheon
July 21 – August 1 WMS and YPD Quadrennial Convention (Orlando, FL)
August 23 First Lady Denise’s Birthday
October 24 – 30 Southern California Annual Conference
October 31 – November 1 Fifth District – Planning Meeting
