My Prayer for Ignite Church: May We Never Become Inward Focused

Over the past several weeks, the Lord has really been working on my heart. As I've been praying for our church, reading His Word, and thinking about where God is leading us, one thought keeps coming back to me. I don't want Ignite to ever become inward-focused.

Now, let me explain what I mean by that.

Every church starts with a mission. They begin with a burden to reach people who are far from God. There's excitement. People invite their friends. They serve wherever they're needed. They sacrifice to see lives changed. But if we're not careful, something slowly begins to happen over time. We can become more concerned with taking care of ourselves than reaching the people God has called us to reach. We become comfortable. We like things the way they are. Instead of asking, "Who can we reach next?" we begin asking, "How does this affect me?" That shift is subtle, but it's dangerous.

As I read through the Old Testament, I see this very thing happen with Israel. God chose Israel to reveal Himself to the world. His plan was never for Israel to keep Him to themselves. When God called Abraham, He promised that through him "all the families of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 12:3, LSB). They were chosen to be a blessing. They were meant to be a light that pointed the nations to the one true God.

Instead, much of Israel became focused on themselves. They treasured the blessings of God but often failed to share the God of those blessings. Rather than drawing the nations to Him, they frequently separated themselves from them. They forgot that they existed not only for their own relationship with God, but to help others know Him as well.

As I think about that, I can't help but wonder if churches today face the same temptation.

It's easy for us to become focused on our ministries, our programs, our schedules, and even our friendships inside the church. None of those things are bad. In fact, they're important. We should love one another. We should grow together. We should worship together. But if everything we do revolves around us, we've missed the heart of Jesus.

Jesus never called us to simply attend church. He called us to make disciples.

Before He ascended into heaven, His final words to His disciples were, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..." (Matthew 28:19, LSB). That command still belongs to us today. We are not simply called to gather. We are called to go. We gather so that we can worship, be equipped, and encourage one another. Then we scatter into our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and communities carrying the hope of the Gospel with us.

That's why I believe one of the greatest questions we should ask ourselves as a church is this: Who are we reaching that isn't already here?

If we're only investing in the people already sitting in the seats every Sunday, we're missing a huge part of why God planted Ignite Church in this community.

I want us to be a church that loves our city. I want us to know our neighbors' names. I want us to be the kind of people who naturally invite others to church because we've built genuine relationships with them. I want us to pray for people who don't know Christ as passionately as we pray for those who already do. I want us to see every empty chair as an opportunity for someone to hear the Gospel and have their life changed forever.

One of the things I love about Ignite Church is our heart for missions. God has given us opportunities to train pastors in India, continue supporting pastors in Haiti, and now He is opening the door for Nan and me to travel to Kenya to equip pastors and speak to hundreds of men. Those opportunities are incredible, and I never want us to lose that passion.

But here's what God has reminded me. Missions doesn't begin when we board an airplane. It begins when we walk across the street.

Our mission field starts with the people God has already placed around us. Our neighbors. Our coworkers. The parents sitting beside us at our kids' ballgames. The cashier at the grocery store. The family that just moved into the neighborhood. God has already surrounded us with people who need Him.

That's why I never want Ignite to become a place that simply gathers people. I want us to be a church that sends people. I want every ministry we have, every event we host, and every dollar we spend to help us fulfill the mission Jesus gave us: making disciples.

As your pastor, I'm asking you to pray with me about this.

Ask God to show you the people He's already placed in your life. Pray for opportunities to share your faith. Invite someone to church. Open your home and have a meal. Start a conversation. Build a friendship. Sometimes the greatest act of evangelism isn't standing on a stage. It's sitting across a table.

I truly believe God has incredible things ahead for Ignite Church. I believe He wants to continue changing lives in Eureka and beyond. But that will only happen if we refuse to become comfortable. It will only happen if we keep our eyes on the people who are still searching, still hurting, and still waiting to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

My prayer is simple:

• May we always be a church that loves one another deeply.
• May Christ always be the center.
• May we always be grounded in God's Word.
• May we always depend on prayer.

And may we never become so focused on ourselves that we forget the very people Jesus came to save.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Jody