Prioritize Engagement: September 2018 Update

Engaging with scripture, mission and people.

Dear Friends and Family,

This past month has been a blast! Each morning I am humbled that God has given me the opportunity to grow and serve with the ASW team. I have been asking that He would give me the capacity to be present in the moment so that I can learn all that He wants to teach me. Every day I have been praying this passage over my heart:
 
“…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give [me] the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of [my heart] enlightened, that [I] may know what is the hope to which he has called [me], what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe…” Ephesians 2:18 

I am learning that to be effective in ministry, not only do I need to rely on God's power but that I need to prioritize engagement. I need to daily engage with scripture, all of which is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching. I need to engage with God’s mission here on earth, keeping in step with the Spirit and presenting my entire life as a living sacrifice for His purposes. And finally, I need to engage with the people around me, looking not only to my own interests but to the interests of others, humbly counting them as more significant than myself.
 
I am learning that ministry is all about people. In the Great Commission, Jesus commands the apostles to “make disciples of all nations.” Disciples are people! The focus of my work is now relationships. This is a huge paradigm shift for me. I've transitioned from working at home alone to working almost exclusively with others. It has been quite an adjustment, but the shock is finally wearing off and I can confidently tell you that I love being involved in people’s live.
 
Luckily, the ASW staff is a great example of holistic engagement, so I’m not trying to tackle this paradigm shift alone! Austin Stone Worship deeply values cultivating a culture of engagement. We know that when we engage with others, we have more opportunities to share the love and truth of Jesus. Our team strives to actively teach our people why we worship corporately, we encourage artists to live missionally in the city of Austin beyond the walls of our church, and we practice hospitality by investing in relationships with the people in our church. It is incredible to see how God changes lives through human connection! In an increasingly disconnected world, I’m praying that God would use us, the Church, to bring healing and wholeness to lonely and hurting people by connecting them to Jesus.

In the past 7 weeks, I’ve helped organize two worship volunteer gatherings, re-launch ASW choir, lead a group of 500 women in worship, sort out multiple catering orders, and set-up for numerous meetings and events. There is so much more to come, and I cannot wait to see how God will continue to move in my life and the lives of those around me! Thank you all for your prayers and the sacrifices you have made to contribute to God's kingdom through this ministry. I'm so incredibly grateful for each one of you and I pray that God would continually reveal His beauty and perfect nature to your hearts!

In Christ y’all,
Kellie