HEAVENLY LANDSCAPE GARDENING Ian Callard and his wife Mary have lived in community since 1980. Ian is now part of the Jesus Fellowship's apostolic team with responsibility for the north of England
Community, like any society, only remains healthy if people within it are released. Conformity doesn't bring this about.We have to trust that the Holy Spirit will gift and anoint people in different ways according to His pleasure, then each person will be fulfilled as they move in the varieties of giftings described in 1 Corinthians.
People have to be positive-minded and think creatively to be restored human beings.
One of my missions is to work out how the Joshua Generation (aged 15-35) is going to fit into the government of the church. We 'Moses generation' have got this static model of 'church and community' . The J-Gen have a dynamic model.
Building community starts with a 'build' church planting team going along and gathering people together in a new area. Then suddenly the 'build' team realise they aren't needed any more - they've gelled, they've got body-of-Christ life. The Holy Spirit has anointed them to be a body.
Household building is much more like landscape gardening than motor-manufacturing. Being an engineer, I tend to think in engineering metaphors - but community is not Longbridge Car Plant it's much more like Kew Gardens - you see what grows up and add to it and shape it!
Heavenly landscape
HEAVENLY LANDSCAPE GARDENING
Community, like any society, only remains healthy if people within it are released. Conformity doesn't bring this about.We have to trust that the Holy Spirit will gift and anoint people in different ways according to His pleasure, then each person will be fulfilled as they move in the varieties of giftings described in 1 Corinthians.
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