We get to choose how we invest the time that we are given. One of the greatest investments you can make with your time is to serve others. Here are five benefits that you receive when you invest your time serving others.  
 
1. When we serve others, we serve Jesus.
When we serve others, we are being Jesus' hands and feet.
Jesus says: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” Matthew 25:40. Jesus tells us that when we serve others for His glory it is as if we are serving Jesus himself. Tasks like carrying someone’s groceries, painting a deck, ushering, or teaching children all take on greater significance when they are done to show the love of Christ.
 
2. Serving enables us to join God in His work.
The single greatest purpose we have in life is to glorify God. One of the main ways we do this is by making disciples and building God’s kingdom on earth. The apostle Paul writes: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” Ephesians 2:10. God has chosen to use His people to join Him in His work. Knowing that we are partnering with God to accomplish His will is incredibly satisfying.   
 
3. Serving connects us with other believers.
The church is not a building, it is the people. When we serve, we get to work side by side with other like-minded believers. This strengthens our faith and encourages us. 
 
“42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47
 
4. We get to use the spiritual gift God gave us.
God has equipped believers to complete the work that He has prepared for us to do. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” 1 Peter 4:10. God gives believers gifts that He intends for us to use to bring Him glory.
 
5. We get to see God move in powerful ways.    
By joining God in His work you have the unique opportunity to see God move in people’s lives. This strengthens our faith and encourages us that serving matters.

​John Roebling was a visionary. He stood on one side of the Niagara River gorge and dreamed about building a suspension bridge to the other side. This bridge would connect Niagara Falls Ontario with Niagara Falls New York. He shared his dream and the response was universal: not a chance. People thought it could not be done. The span was 825 feet and the height was 200 feet. How in the world could a bridge ever be built that would span that distance and that height? And to make matters even more difficult the Niagara spewed 37.4 millions of gallons of water over its rocky ledge every minute. At the bottom of the falls the water churned and roared in deep pools before it calmed and continued its long journey to the sea. Yet in spite of all the obstacles, John Roebling still envisioned a train crossing safely from one side to the other. He saw the value of a bridge and was committed to making it happen. In 1954 the bridge was completed enabling people and commerce to flow between the two cities.      
 
A bridge is a structure that connects two things together. In a literal sense, bridges often span a body of water, a valley, a swamp, or other roads. In a spiritual sense a bridge is something that spans the chasm between a follower of Jesus and the rest of the world. Freshwater is committed to being a bridge that stretches out deep into the community reaching the broken and hurting with the love of Christ.       
 
Many churches in the metro area and surrounding communities that once flourished and were full of vibrant people have slowly withered and now sit empty most of the time. Some have closed and have been repurposed as beauty shops, car dealerships, and homes. Why? How could something so vibrant and relevant just shrivel up, go on life support, or even close? If Jesus Christ is the light of the world how come so many churches are going dark? Could the answer be that the church quit building bridges that help connect people to God? At Freshwater, we are in the bridge building business and we have laid out a clear and compelling five year vision that will take an incredible amount of faith to accomplish.           
 
Our vision includes eight clear and compelling goals. 
1. Lower the divorce rate by 5% in five years.
2. Lower personal debt by 50% in five years. 
3. Positively impact and assist over 300 people struggling with substance abuse and mental health challenges.
4. See 1,000 people make the decision to follow Christ in the next five years. 
5. See 80% of Freshwater people connected with others in a group.
6. Plant five new churches in five years.
7. Celebrate with over 2,000 people at all of our worship services in five years. 
8. Build and move into a new facility within five years that meets our needs and leverages our existing facilities.
 
Right now you and I are standing on the edge of a cliff looking across an ever widening chasm between the church and the world. Sadly, six out of ten adults see the church as irrelevant. They don’t see any benefit to the church and many have no idea what it even exists for. It breaks my heart when the hope that Jesus offers isn’t bridged to others. But it doesn’t have to be that way. It’s not too late to take action. This is why we are committed to raising the spiritual climate of our community by building bridges that connect people to God.
 
This is how you can become a bridge builder:

1. Pray. We believe we can pray powerful, faith-filled prayers because we have a powerful God who can move mountains. Pray that God brings the vision to fruition.  Join us at Freshwater the next five weeks as we talk about powerful prayers.
2. Become a marriage mentor. Help lower divorce rate by 5% in 5 years. We currently have six couples that have been trained to mentor struggling couples. If you have a healthy marriage and want further training so that you can help others, let us know (email pastor john: john@freshwaterchurch.org). On the other hand, if your marriage is on the rocks, don’t be too proud to reach out for help. We are there for you! Let us know.
3. Reduce your debt. We want to lower personal debt by 50% in five years. If you are currently in debt, make a plan to reduce it. We want to set the example so others will have one to follow. Reducing your debt load will increase your joy exponentially.     
4. Share your faith. We want to see 1,000 people come to faith in Christ over the next five years. Invite people to attend Freshwater with you. Bring a friend and introduce them to others at church. We also encourage personal witnessing, that is, tell others about Jesus. Most people come to faith in Christ because a friend talked to them about Jesus. Be that friend.
5. Launch a group. We want to see 80% of Freshwater people connected to a group. We encourage a free market approach to groups. If you feel led to start a group with some of your friends to help strengthen marriages, let us know and we will help you. If you want to start a group to help people lower their debt, we want to help you (email our groups pastor: bj@freshwaterchurch.org).
6. Be generous. We want to worship with 2,000 people at all of our worship services. One way we worship the Lord is through generosity. God gives us the opportunity to join Him in His work through the local church. One of the ways believers can tangibly support disciple making is to practice biblical tithing. Biblical tithing is giving ten percent of your income back to God. If you currently give nothing, start by giving something. If you give less than 10% give just 1% more a month until you reach a full tithe. God will bless you for it (Malachi 3:10).

My friend likes to say “Everyone is still 12 in some area of their life.” Boy, is he right. I pastor a wonderful church and have the privilege of preaching just about every week, yet I still get mad when my kids leave their junk in my car or when my wife leaves the bathroom cupboards open. I still occasionally throw a temper tantrum when I get cut off in traffic, or when I show up on time to a doctor’s appointment, only to wait for an hour in the lobby. Yeah, I’m pretty much still 12 years old in those areas.
 
My guess is you are still 12 in some area of your life as well. One of my friends can’t stand it when his kids lose the remote control to the T.V. He parades around, demanding everyone, including his wife, complete a search and rescue operation. Even his dog looks like he is searching for something during one of these operations. Yup, he’s about 12 when it comes to his remote. Another female friend turns into a drama queen when she’s stressed out. You would think she is auditioning for a Disney Channel sitcom. Yup, she acts 12 when stressed out.
 
The apostle Peter says: “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:1-3).
 
What is he saying here? Peter is saying that anyone who struggles with malice (desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse of out of deep-seated meanness), deceit (the act or practice of concealing or distorting the truth for the purpose of misleading; fraud, cheating), hypocrisy (a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess), envy (a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.), slander (defamation, a malicious, false, and defamatory statement or report), is still spiritually 12 in these areas. Admit it, you still have areas where you act 12.
 
The good news is that we have room to grow. Like newborn babies we are to crave pure spiritual milk so we may grow up in our salvation; in other words, we are not going to act like we are 12 forever. I am learning to be more patient with my kids and wife, and to handle those unpleasant situations differently. Unfortunately, every time I grow up in one area, I realize I am still 12 in another. This is the process of spiritual growth. The real problem occurs when we become content to act like a 12 year-old and justify our actions by saying, “That’s just the way I am.” Not really; that’s just an excuse. At some point you grew up in most other areas of your life, why can’t you grow up in this one? The truth is, you can.
 
The Apostle Paul says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). It all starts here: Renewing your mind by focusing on Christ and taking steps to follow Him in every area of your life. This is a lifelong process. Take it one day at a time in the areas where you struggle, focusing on Christ and allowing Him to transform your mind. Continue to do this and you will eventually grow and reach maturity in that area.
You can mature, you can grow in your faith, you can walk with Christ in every area of your life and grow past the emotional age of 12.  And if you find yourself alone playing in the sandbox once in a while, take a deep breath and give that area back to God. He will help you grow again. 

Part 1 of 2
 
Freshwater was founded in April 1999 with the vision to “share the life-changing love of Jesus Christ in a real, relevant, and relational manner.” We launched with a handful of people and God blessed our efforts. Today Freshwater is a vibrant, Spirit-filled, connected community of people. We are still committed to our vision and are now adding a new theme. Over the next five years we seek to “Raise the spiritual climate of our community.” And we have identified eight strategic goals to focus on.
 
We have a two-fold approach to achieving our goals:

Organic approach: By being transparent from the pulpit, in printed materials, and on social media in matters relating to the goals we are communicating that it’s OK to talk about these matters and ultimately work on them. The more we talk about them the safer people feel about addressing them.
Organizational approach: The organizational approach involves creating systems, structures, and process that moves us closer to achieving the goals. It also involves resourcing ministry programs that are part of the vision.  
 
Here are the five-year goals with a brief explanation of how the dual approach to achieving them works.

1. Lower the divorce rate by 5% in five years.
On a national level:
61% of adults are married
14% of adults are widowed/divorced
27% of married couples have a child from someone other than who they are currently married to. 
Organic approach: Roughly half of the households in our community are comprised of some sort of non-traditional family unit. Freshwater is a safe place whether you are married, single, single again, or have a blended family. We know that if we can help families, we can lower divorce and if we help lower the number of divorces then we are lowing the amount of pain people feel because divorce hurts. It hurts moms and dads, kids and friends. We see ourselves as a church that helps families no matter what their family structure looks like.
Organizational approach: We have launched a marriage mentoring ministry designed to walk alongside couples that are struggling by providing practical help. We are communicating this goal with other churches and counselors and encouraging them to launch their own marriage mentoring ministries and support programs.     
 
2. Lower personal debt by 50% in five years.  
Statistics:  
$ 15,675.00 average credit card debt
$ 172,341 average mortgage debt
$ 27,865 average auto loan debt
$ 48,591 average student loan debt
The average person/family spends $6,658 every year on interest or 9% of their income.   Household income has grown by 26% in the past 12 years, but the cost of living has gone up 29% in that time period.
(https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/credit-card-data/average-credit-carddebt-household/, accessed 11/11/16)
Organic approach: Living with a ton of debt causes many emotional, physical, and spiritual problems. By talking about this issue we are helping people to assess their own financial situation and take necessary steps to improve it as needed. 
Organizational Approach: We have a ministry called Love in Action. This ministry provides grants and interest free loans to people. They also offer financial counseling to people. We have financial mentors who we can refer people to who will work with individuals to create budgets, determine spending habits, and create a plan to gain financial ground rather than lose it. We also have several small group leaders that offer small groups based on proven debt reduction programs. These groups provide information and accountability.     

3. Positively impact and assist over 300 people struggling with substance abuse and mental health challenges.
Organic approach: Substance abuse and mental health issues are often talked about behind closed doors. Not anymore. We desire to help remove the stigma often attached to mental health issues providing a safe environment to address them.
Organizational approach: We are launching a Celebrate Recovery Ministry designed to help people struggling with hurts, bad habits, and hang-ups. We also offer counseling services and have partnered with multiple therapists who provide excellent professional care. 

4. See 1,000 people make the decision to follow Christ in the next five years.  
Freshwater is committed to making disciples. This philosophy is integrated into every ministry that we have and program that we offer. Ultimately Jesus Christ is the answer for everyone. Our mission is to make disciples just like Jesus commissioned us to do (Matthew 28:19-20).
Organic approach: We equip people to share their faith with others. It is every believer’s responsibility to share their faith with others. We do this joyfully and intentionally.
Organizational approach: We intentionally share the gospel at strategic events and times throughout the year. We do this through sermons, on the web, and through publications. We conduct outreach events that connect the church and community. We are committed to ministering to people in the congregation and within the community pointing them to Christ.         
      
5. See 80% of Freshwater people connected with others in a group.
Everyone needs a group of people whom they can be real with. That is why we believe that circles are better than rows. This is why we are committed to helping people connect with one another in significant relationships.
Organic approach: We talk about growth groups, and encourage people to participate in them. Group leaders are encouraged to invite others to their group.
Organizational approach: We have a system in place that helps our growth group ministry to be well organized and healthy. New leaders are actively recruited on a regular basis, training is provided to them, and we have a pastor on staff who oversees the ministry. 

6. Plant five new churches in five years.
Statistically, church planting is the fastest, most effective way to reach people for Christ and impact a community. This is why we are committed to planting new life-giving churches.
Organic approach: We encourage other churches to plant churches and provide new churches with much needed resources to launch strong. Some of these resources are money, some equipment, and some knowledge.
Organizational approach: We actively recruit church planters and challenge them to plant churches. We have also launched the Pastoral Leadership Institute and partnered with Crown College in order to train and equip church leaders and pastors.   

7. Celebrate with over 2,000 people at all of our worship services in five years. 
By helping lower the divorce rate, lower personal debt, help people struggling with mental health issues and addictions, and by sharing the gospel, we trust God to grow the church numerically.
Organic approach: Freshwater attenders are encouraged to invite at least one other person a month and help them to get connected with Christ and others. This approach emphasizes personal evangelism and encourages participation from the existing congregation.
Organizational approach: We are working very hard to ensure that our worship services are distraction free so that people can focus on growing in Christ. We have maximized our worship times and are planning on adding additional service times as needed to make room for all attenders.

8. Build and move into a new facility within five years that meets our needs and leverages our existing facilities. As this vision comes to reality, the current facilities are not large enough to handle the people who come.
Organic approach: Cast the vision to reach people for Christ and challenge the church to actively participate in it. 
Organizational approach: The St. Bonifacius campus will be turned over to the Freshwater Learning Center so they can enroll more children in our excellent program. The Waconia campus will be used primarily as a Student Ministries campus and as a community center. A new site location will be identified to build a functional facility and a plan for raising funds will be followed. We will challenge the entire church and strategic partners to participate in funding the campus because it will be an effective ministry center for Freshwater and others.      
 
I believe that God has great things for Freshwater in the next five years. The vision we have is a God-sized vision and will take faith to accomplish. This is the call to action. Please pray that God uses Freshwater in an amazing way to raise the spiritual climate of our community.

• Pray that we will help families and couples be healthy.
• Pray that we can help families lower their debt.
• Pray that we will help people struggling with mental health challenges.
• Pray that 200 people a year will make the decision to follow Christ.
• Pray that people will take a step of faith and participate in a group.
• Pray that five new church planters will be identified. 
• Pray that we will find the right piece of land for the right price.
• Pray that people will support the vision with their prayers, efforts, and finances. 

Thank you for your prayers and support!