Celebrating the Past: What Are You Thankful For?

Remembering in the Bible is always a call to future action. Remembering isn't for sentimental reasons. When God calls us to remember what he's done, it's for the purpose of courageously stepping forward in faith.

Yesterday at Appleton Alliance Church, we had a service devoted to "Celebrating the Past: What Are You Thankful For?" There was a fantastic mini-documentary that scratched the surface of AAC's 84 year history. We heard moving stories from Warren, Jim, and Stephanie that covered 40 years of God@Work through AAC. Then we spent some time thinking about the bigger picture we all are a part of. To see: 1) Lots of people 2) Walking in loving obedience with God 3) And expanding the borders of his dwelling place.

So in remembering what God has done in the past, what future action are we being called to that continues God's threefold mission and honors the rich heritage of AAC? Here are the five things we at Appleton Alliance feel we are being called to do:

1) Equip future leaders to lead
2) Plant multi-site churches
3) Develop global connections
4) Complete ministry space
5) Eliminate debt

You'll be hearing more about this in the next two Sundays. What's important to see is that all five of these are means to accomplishing the end: to connect people with God and one another (God's threefold mission!) To get these five things done is going to require a lot of prayer, a lot of generosity, and a lot of God's grace! 

Over the next couple of weeks, I'd encourage you be asking God to show you what your part is in contributing to this vision and threefold mission. It's a privilege for us to be a part of what God is doing in and through AAC!