T H E C H U R C H O F MY D R E AMS

I dream of a church that really worships God. A church that is not
content with singing hymns and songs and criticising the peripherals of
worship, but realises that worship affects the mind, the conscience, the
emotions and the will. I dream of a church that takes God’s word
seriously, not just studying it to learn it but to do it. I dream of a church
that wants to pray and has discovered prayer is not me bringing God into
my world to solve my problems but prayer is taking me into God’s
world to serve His purposes.

I dream of a church filled with God’s Holy Spirit, no longer dependent
on its own energy and enthusiasm but knowing something of the vibrant
reality of the risen life of the Lord Jesus made available to us by His
Spirit. That what Jesus made possible on the cross of Calvary the Holy
Spirit wants to make actual as I live on earth. A Spirit filled church.
I dream of a church family orientated that does not see young people as
church of tomorrow but as church of today, that does not see old people
as church of yesterday but as the church of today because we are all one
in Christ Jesus our Lord. I dream of a church that next to worshipping
God has evangelism as its highest priority.

I dream of a church not so turned in that it can no longer be
outgoing. I dream of a church that has a serving heart, not
concerned with what it can get but what it can give.

I dream of a church liberated from the shackles of traditions that are no
longer valid. We honour the past by learning from it, not living in it.
I dream of a church liberated from self centredness, now free to serve
God, the world and one another. That’s my dream. What is yours?

Bill Clark