The Potluck

A Vision for the Year of 2003

During the first week of January 2003 Nancy and I were invited to Austin, Texas for a gathering of all of the Vineyard pastors across the state. We were asked to teach for three days on the subject of “Building Discipling Churches”, which as many of you know has really become my passion and focus in ministry.

Often when we attend events like this we receive as much blessing as the participants do. There is always something very wonderful about being in the presence of a group of people who are totally sold out to Christ and the service of His kingdom.  As you might guess, one of the best parts of a gathering like this is the worship – and this group was especially enthusiastic during our times of singing to the Lord together.

During our last evening together we were singing one of the early worship songs of the Vineyard. It is called, “Abiding in You”, and because many of these pastor-couples had been in the Vineyard for many years, it had special impact on the group and caused the volume level in the small room to rise. We were singing the words, “You are the vine, we are the branches, keep us abiding in you…” when all at once the presence of the Holy Spirit became very evident to everyone. Some began to kneel and some spontaneously raised their hands and prayed. It was during this moment that the Lord gave me a vision which I now believe was a picture of what He desires for us at Vineyard Boise for this coming year.

Before I continue I think it would be good to explain the events that led up to the Lord giving me the vision. Earlier that day while I was teaching, I tried to communicate a very deep conviction that I hold about church. I was talking about many pastors who had become disillusioned during the 80’s and 90’s, during a time that had become know as the “church growth movement”. Somehow the success of a church was defined by its numerical size or attendance. Little emphasis was placed on what was happening to individual people in terms of their spiritual maturity. I was explaining that we need to define success not by ‘big church’, but rather by ‘big people’ – those who are maturing spiritually in their walk with God. I believe it was because of this new emphasis that the Lord gave me this particular vision.

In the vision I saw a room full of people who had all come together for a potluck dinner. There were all kinds of people present in the room – every size, age and color. Everyone was having a pleasant time, yet the room was very subdued.  One by one people entered the room with unique dishes of food; no two dishes were alike. The food was all placed on a common table for everyone to share.  No one was hording, but all were excited for others to sample what they had brought. Soon there was so much food and the feast was so great that everyone realized that they could not consume all of it and there would be tremendous waste. They knew the only thing to do was to go looking for others to join them. Everyone quickly went out into the street and found anyone willing to come eat.  They invited people who were living on the street – there were prostitutes, homeless and very broken people. There were those who openly confessed that they were not Christians. Those who were hungry gladly accepted the invitation and came. The room was full of excitement. Spontaneously the joy turned to thanksgiving and celebration as they all began to sing songs of praise to the Lord.

That was the vision, but now let me explain what I believe is a fuller interpretation.

God has given all of us uniqueness with different giftings and personalities. He has given us these things for us to not only ‘feast’ on life, but also share with all who will enter into His community. The church is like a giant potluck and it is through all of our different and various giftings that His church will be built up (edified). Through this sharing with others, many will be nourished and grow into spiritually mature believers. When we bring all of our gifting to the common table the feast will be too great for the church alone. If the church alone consumes it, it will end of becoming counterproductive. Therefore the community of believers must go beyond itself and share the banquet that the Lord has provided with anyone who is willing to come. When the poor, the broken, the rejected and the non-Christian enters the banquet hall – they are to be embraced and served by the church. This will result in joy and supernatural gladness – and hearts of thanksgiving. Everyone will experience a sense of belonging and great value which will be expressed with songs of joy and attitudes of celebration.

The truth of the matter is that Vineyard Boise is bursting with people that have so much to bring to the table. Our church has grown to a point of maturity in the last year that is far beyond anything I have ever dreamed. We have grown to be so rich with mature, gifted people. Every day I hear about people that I have yet to meet that are plugging into new ministry opportunities, and with the help of existing leaders, they are developing entire new areas of ministry. Sometimes I feel that we are ready to burst at the seams with potential and gifting for reaching out and blessing a city that is anxiously waiting to be invited to the potluck table.

To use another metaphor – it is as if we were in the last hours of pregnancy, just waiting to give birth to something new and alive. And although the labor pains are growing in intensity, our hearts are growing in expectation and excitement.

Soon we will give birth to a whole new season of ministry and like any parent, our hearts will overflow with the joy of new life. We will be like Psalm 126 says: “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”