 So . . . what is this “Living God’s Unique Call” thing all about?
November Update:
How are you enjoying the journey of discovering God’s unique call? As you already noticed, there are two aspects of God’s unique call - the corporate aspect, which is the unique call for Cypress Church as a whole, and the personal aspect, which is God’s unique call for each of our lives. In many ways these two aspects are really two sides of the same grand design and all fit together.
For some of you this is a new and exciting journey, while for others it is confirmation of what you are already engaged in and living out. You do not have to look for something new. Please be encouraged to keep doing what God is calling you to do and continue to be open to His leading. For those to whom this is new, please don’t be overwhelmed. At this point in time, your personal call may simply be just being part of God’s unique call for Cypress Church. While everyone has a unique call, it may not seem that special or unique to the ones involved. It may just feel like “normal” life for you. As an encouragement, here are some examples of how some Cypress Church people are living out their unique call.
Jessica Kidwell and Taylor Hay are responding to God’s unique call to serve Him in foreign countries. Jessica sensed God’s call to be a missionary from a young age, and through being part of Cypress Church’s summer mission team to Ecuador, sensed His call to a longer term commitment there as a teacher-missionary teaching both English and French. Taylor has a love of adventure, a heart to share God’s love with others, and special concerns for the marginalized and abused. He responded to God’s call to be available to share His love with the lost and hurting in Thailand and Amsterdam. Jessica and Taylor may not know all of God’s plan, but they are responding in obedience as He reveals it to them.
For some people, living God’s unique call keeps them very close to home. Dean Cornett is a retired pastor who sensed God calling him to move out of his apartment and move in with his daughter in order to help care for his severely autistic grandson. He is able to be a person who supports and loves his grandson as Christ loves him in a tangible way. Many others take care of siblings, children, or parents as part of God’s unique call on their lives.
The Harabedian family, of Armenian descent, stepped into God’s Unique Call for their family this summer. They went with the Fuller Center of Housing and travelled to Armenia to help build a home for a needy family. In addition, the Harabedians were able to share Jesus’ love through their hard work and by sharing God’s love for the family they were serving. It was a wonderful opportunity for the whole family to serve Christ together joyfully.
 God’s unique call could be a brand new revelation from God to you, or it could be to continue faithfully in what God has already called you. It may be on the other side of the world, at home, or somewhere in between. It could be long term or a short event.
Most importantly, God calls us to Himself. Our relationship with God is more important than knowing His plans for us. If you are seeking the unique call more than God Himself, that is a strong signal that you need to stop and think about what you are really looking for. Ask God to draw you close to Him and to reveal Himself and His heart to you. This is the core of the Unique Call and what God longs to do for you.
“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” Isaiah 55:6
October Update: Well, as Mike mentioned in his opening message, it is all about identifying how God has created and equipped you for a specific part of his plan. This plan for each of us has been laid out before we were even born. Similarly, each church, or body of believers, has a specific part to play in God’s plan to impact people for him in the surrounding areas and around the world.
We see evidences of many individuals’ unique call throughout scripture. From Genesis to Revelations from Abraham to the Apostle John we see God preparing, equipping, and sending out individuals for specific tasks, in specific areas and at specific times in history. People like Joseph, Moses, Nehemiah, Esther, Mary and Joseph, Peter, Paul, and so many others. In the Old Testament we see how God not only called individuals, but how he took groups of people and used them to complete the plan that was laid out before time even began. The nation of Israel is probably the easiest to identify, but as we look back throughout history we see every group of people played some sort of role. Even groups like the Philistines and Egyptians were designed and woven into God’s plan.
As we look at the New Testament, we see individual churches with individual histories, gifts, and passions that identified their unique call. God specifically designed and assembled these bodies of believers and tasked them with reaching those around them with the life-giving, life-changing message of Jesus Christ using the unique way they were wired and gifted.
Below are the key topics we will be covering during our seven-week study:
CYPRESS CHURCH’S UNIQUE CALL
Over the past year Pastor Mike, the Elders, and many others have been spending much time seeking what God’s plan is for Cypress Church. God has revealed much about our church from a past, present, and future perspective. It is these things that we will be spending time sharing and studying. So what are these revelations that God has given for our church? That's what we're going to be studying and learning about. We will also be spending a portion of our time understanding not only about ourselves as a church, but about the community around us, and how the things God has gifted us with fit perfectly into the needs of those around us.
OUR INDIVIDUAL UNIQUE CALL
Another aspect of the Unique Call series is to help you identify what your individual Unique Call is and how that Unique Call fits into the Unique Call of Cypress Church. It is no accident that you are here at Cypress. Each of us has a specifically designed role to play. Each of us has been impassioned, gifted, and equipped with the tools necessary to fulfill God’s plan here at Cypress. As pastor always says, “We are all good, but we are better together.”
As we uncover our Unique Call, we will be challenged to understand it and put it into practice. And if we are currently on track, we will be challenged as individuals and a church to continue to grow because God’s plan never includes retreating or staying stagnant.
KEY THEMES
During this study we will not only focus on our Unique Call but many of the aspects it will take to fully engage in our Unique Call. We will be focusing on unity – how we need to be more like a football team verses a track team in the way we practice our Unique Call.
Many of us have become so busy doing “all kinds of stuff” that we have lost the ability to effectively achieve what God has specifically intended for us to do. We miss so many opportunities. Understanding our Unique Call will help us set priorities based on God and not the world. Are there any of you that feel busy, stressed, and overwhelmed? Well, finding and putting into practice God’s Unique Call for you is the answer.
YOUR ROLE:
There are five key components to our study.
KICK-OFF EVENT: We will begin the series with a night of praise, prayer, people, and pie! Be sure to come out Sunday, October 3rd from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. You will not want to miss this.
SUNDAY MORNING: Living God’s Unique Call will be the theme and topic of our Sunday morning services. They will give us all an overview of the topics we will cover.
Message topics are:
A Unique Call
God’s Realized Purposes
God’s Personalized Vision God’s Specialized Values God’s Customized Mission God’s Organized Strategy A Unique Life Each week we will be inspired and challenged to identify our own Unique Calls, as well as identifying how we fit into the overall Unique Call for Cypress Church. Please set aside the seven weeks and make sure you attend. The series builds each week – don’t miss out on a single piece.
SMALL GROUP STUDIES: Small Group/Adult Fellowship studies have been prepared. These are designed to go into deeper discussions of the topics that were covered during our Sunday morning services. As a group you will have the opportunity to ask questions and understand better the topics and how you can apply them to your life. If you haven’t already done so, please sign up for a small group so that you won’t miss out on the fun and value they will add throughout this study.
INDIVIDUAL DEVOTIONS: A daily devotional study has been created. This is designed for you to study the topic from a deeper more personal aspect. It allows for precious one-on-one time with God to help you identify and put into practice what God has planned for you as you discover your own Unique Call, and how you help make Cypress Church’s Unique Call more effective by playing your part.
CELEBRATION EVENT: This event will be a time to review, celebrate, and share what has been accomplished during the series. It will also be a time when Pastor Mike will share “next steps” as it relates to the implementation of Living God’s Unique Call for Cypress Church. Join us for more praise, prayer, people, and pie on Sunday, November 14th from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
This will be a tremendous time for us as individuals and as a church to grow closer to God, each other, and aligning to God’s Unique Call for us as individuals and as a church so that we can achieve our mission to “connect and reconnect ourselves and others to a deeper relationship with God.”
For Unique Call Resources please visit: http://www.cypresschurch.net/#/unique-call
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Living God's Unique Call |