October 2, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Phil Whipple, Bishop
The mission that Jesus gave to us was quite clear and simple.

• He told his church to go and make disciples.
• As we do that, we would teach those disciples the commands of Christ, which are summed up in loving God with all our heart and loving others.
• Then, to make sure that the testimony of our lives is seen to all, we would baptize that new disciple in the name of the Father, the Son and the Spirit.

You have heard it before, but the beauty of it to me has never changed.

It was my privilege to attend a conference with about 55 denominational executives who are on the same page about the mission. We met September 14-16 in Nashville, where we:

• Shared stories of how our God is working through our churches to make new disciples.
• Discussed strategies for being more effective in reaching out to a lost and dying world.
• Prayed together that we would remain faithful and fruitful in accomplishing this mission.
• Reaffirmed that Christ had clearly told us that the gates of hell would not hold back the church of Jesus Christ.

The one thing that we did NOT talk about was changing the mission.

So I want to encourage each of you to stay focused on the mission Christ has placed before us. Let's recognize the opportunities to push back the darkness and  bring the light of Christ into a broken and hurting world. Let's together assault the gates of hell.

September 14, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Phil Whipple, Bishop
Each year we start out with 52 weekends where we have the opportunity to gather with other believers and seekers. We get the chance to show off our God and to bring glory to him. Those 52 weekends seemed to crawl along when I was young, but now they race by with increasing speed.

September 1, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Phil Whipple, Bishop
2 Samuel 23:20-21 tells about an obscure man in the big picture of the scripture. But his peers woudn't have considered him obscure. He was the kind of guy you would have looked at and wondered, "What is he thinking?" If you were going into battle, you would be very glad to be on his side. His name was Benaiah.

Mark Batterson, pastor of National City Church in Washington, D.C., wrote a book entitled "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day." Benaiah chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day, and then went into the pit and killed the lion.

I simply shake my head in amazement until I begin to apply this story.

I encourage you to consider the Christ who lives in you. "God did not give us the spirit of timidity but the spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7). He wants us to walk with courage and stand for what is right.

This is not a call to the church to simply get on our soapbox about the political issues that we care about, but rather to understand that many people around us need to see Christ's love lived out in extreme ways. Do the people we rub shoulders with see that we love Christ and each other? They should.

My prayer is that God will fan into flames a burning desire in me to reach others for Him. Lord, let it spread through out your church. Is there anybody out there that is ready to chase a lion?

August 26, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Phil Whipple, Bishop
Vision involves seeing your church's future through God's eyes rather than your own. We easily focus only on what we can see and do. We look at what has happened at our church in the past, and we assume the future will be the same way. As a result, we frequently repeat history.

But vision provides a brand new picture for your church. It gives you hope that transcends the image that past history paints. It shows you what could be, even if you can't touch it or totally figure it out. It opens a window in front of you that is different from anything that you have seen before.

As we embark on the journey of life that God has placed before us, I challenge you to seek God's heart for your individual church. Look beyond the limits you have always seen in the past. Catch a glimpse of what God wants to place deep in your heart. Give birth to the vision of what God wants to do.

Find the foundation for your vision through studying his Word. When God's truth and the vision connect, then run toward the picture that is there. We then should praise our God for allowing us to see the reality of the vision that he had in mind for us all along.

August 20, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Phil Whipple, Bishop
The reason Healthy Ministry Resources exists is found in the success of each of our local churches. I want to be a lead cheerleader in encouraging each of our churches to be engaged in the harvest that God has for us. We are here for you. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and the United Brethren in Christ Church in this capacity.

I believe the local church is the vehicle that God uses to reach a hurting world and to grow people up in their personal journey of faith. I believe that God wants to create in us a movement that shows our communities the love and compassion that is born out of the lives of believers who are sold out to follow hard after Christ. 

August 18, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Phil Whipple, Bishop
My wife Sandy and I moved to Huntington on July 27. Our belongings followed us a few days later. Since then:

• I have officiated at 3 weddings back at Colwood, the church I pastored in Caro, Mich..
• I have visited 4 different churches on Sunday mornings in 3 different states.
• I have been involved in stationing committee work.
• I met with a group of pastors.
• I have been appointing people to serve on various teams.
• I have begun meeting individually with each member of the fine staff here at Healthy Ministry Resources.

As I write this, I am at the end of my first official day as bishop. I am glad that I have had a few days over which to stretch all of that activity. But it raises a flag to me of the importance of making sure I do what is needful and productive. Staying busy is easy, but working God's plan is where we all need to focus.