...Just a thought...
Since the song, 'Thank You' by Ray Boltz has always been a favourite piece I love dedication to Pastor T & Lady J, over, and over, again and again, I just feel like having here the Lyrics as sang by the Singer himself.

Those who have been fortunate to have been blessed by the Ministry and Ministration of Pastor Tayo will be able to relate to identify with the content...I have known Pastor Tayo for more than 22 years, and ...whaoo, what a life ...dedicated to the service of the Most High God !

Enjoy. 

Thank You

by

RAY BOLTZ

ALBUM: CONCERT OF A LIFETIME [1995]

Track 9

I dreamed I went to heaven
And you were there with me
We walked upon the streets of gold
Beside the crystal sea
We heard these angels singing
Then someone called your name
You turned and saw this young man
And he was smiling as he came
And he said friend you may not know me now
And then he said, but wait
You used to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight
And every week you would say a prayer
Before the class would start
And one day when you said that prayer
I asked Jesus in my heart

CHORUS
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am a life that was changed
Thank you for giving to the Lord
I am so glad you gave

Then another man stood before you
And said remember the time
A missionary came to your church
And his pictures made you cry
You didn't have much money
But you gave it anyway
Jesus took the gift you gave
And that's why I'm here today

CHORUS (repeat)

One by one they came
Far as your eyes could see
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity
Little things that you had done
Sacrifices you made
They were unnoticed on the earth
In heaven now proclaimed

And I know that up in heaven
You're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure
There were tears in your eyes
As Jesus took your hand
And you stood before the Lord
He said, my child look around you
For great is your reward

CHORUS (repeat)

I am so glad you gave.

"It's an encouragement for us to live a life in service to our lord. And understand that even our everyday faithful actions can affect somone in tremendous ways. It's an encouragement for us to step up to the plate, and serve Him"

It's My Time To Shine...



New Wine Church

Our Statement of Faith

We believe . . .

• In one true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Sustainer of all things; eternally existent in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.


• In the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.


• We believe that He was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect, sinless life and died on the cross for the sins of mankind.


• He arose from the dead, appeared to many in His glorified body, ascended to heaven and will return to earth in power and glory.


• In the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgement, who brings about the new birth and dwells within believers, enabling them to grow in sanctification.


• We believe that the Holy Spirit is a real Person; and that all believers in Christ can enjoy His fellowship, comfort, leadership, direction and empowerment in their daily lives.


• We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit for all believers with the evidence of speaking in tongues and the operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the assembly of believers.


• In the scriptures as the inspired and infallible word of God, given for the purpose of directing people to salvation. They are authoritative, without error and the only basis of our faith and fellowship.


• In the salvation of mankind through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit.


• Man was created in the image and likeness of God; but fell from this state of glory through the original sin of Adam and Eve, thereby becoming sinful and depraved in nature.


• By turning from sin to repentance and believing in Christ and in His death and resurrection, people are born again into eternal life.


• In the church as the body of Christ whose task it is to take the gospel to all people in all nations and make disciples of them.


• The church consists of all persons who have become new creations through their faith in Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the church.


• In the ordinances of the church which are the Lord’s Supper and baptism by total immersion in water.


• In divine healing as has been provided for by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. All believers can claim the promise of divine healing by personal faith in Jesus Christ.


• In the consummation of all things, initiated by the imminent physical return of Jesus Christ to receive His church, the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the one to eternal life and the other to eternal damnation, and the establishment of God’s Kingdom forever.



LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT OUR CHURCH

 Explaining the Story, Statements, Structure and Strategy Of New Wine Church 

“THIS IS OUR FUTURE”

By Pastor Tayo Adeyemi
New Wine Church, London

Sunday 2 October 2011

Foundation Scriptures: Matthew 16:18 & Habakkuk 2: 2-3
 Last week we looked at ministry and concluded that every believer is called to be a minister, ministering to God and to people and in doing so, meeting their spiritual, physical and emotional needs. We understood the importance of embracing the truth that we have been called to be ministers and challenged ourselves to begin serving.

In Habakkuk 2: 2-3, we are told that the vision is for an appointed time. God’s tendency is to talk to you about where He is taking you before you get there; He shows you a picture of the future before the future unfolds. You will recall that God spoke to Abram and renamed him Abraham (Father of many nations) at a time at which he had no child. He spoke to Abraham about the Promised Land, making him walk through the land although many generations would pass before his descendants went in and possessed the land. Similarly, God spoke to Joseph about his future 13 years before actualising what He had shown him. From this we can understand that God will let you hear, see and taste the future before bringing it to pass.

The word ‘vision’ is derived from a Hebrew word which encapsulates having a dream or revelation, seeing ahead of time and perceiving something mentally. Dr A.R. Bernard defined vision very simply yet profoundly, as being a ‘picture of the future’ and on this basis, the importance of having a vision on a personal and also a corporate level becomes clearer than ever – vision is crucial. People without vision tend to lack direction, restraint and self-control (see Proverbs 29: 18).

Vision, the picture of the future, is what makes you get up again when life knocks you down, providing you with the power to carry on. When God reveals to you a picture of the future He is transferring what is in His mind and heart into your heart and mind in order that you can apprehend what He has already concluded about your future in the realm of the spirit. If you cannot see the future you will not be able to have it. It is important therefore to be able to transcend beyond the natural realm and access the future. There is something about getting to the future before getting there...

It is not enough however for one person to have vision, it must be communicated and embraced by other people to whom it relates. You will recall that the 12 spies who had been sent by Moses to survey the Promised Land returned and conveyed their report of what they had seen to the rest of the children of Israel. Similarly with New Wine Church – God has given me a glimpse of the future and it is this, which I consider to be my assignment for the next five to ten years that I want to share with you in summary form today:
1. Grow New Wine Church
God has not called us to be a small church. I believe that this church is due to grow exponentially and become a truly mega-church the membership of which is numbered in its tens of thousands. Why, you may ask, would this be important? The answer is simply that there is power and influence in numbers. In a representative democracy such as this in the UK, those representing large numbers of people, have a voice which cannot be ignored. Also and more fundamentally, quantities and amounts matter to God – if you look throughout scripture, you will see that quantities numbers and amounts are recounted with specificity, from the five thousand men that were fed by Jesus with two fish and five loaves to 120 who were in the upper room on the day of Pentecost – God even devoted an entire book of the Old Testament to numbers!

New Wine Church is called to be a mega church which wields power and influence in this nation and therefore each seat that is currently unoccupied represents a destiny and a soul that is yet to be saved. It is important therefore that you go out and play your part and make this happen.
2. Become a Strong Prophetic Voice to the Government and in the Marketplace
When I taught last year on the seven pillars of influence, we looked at influence in both the economy and in the political arena and therefore whilst I will not go into great detail on these points, it remains the case that New Wine Church is called to be a major force in politics and the economy. We are beginning to see this in relation to the local authority here in Greenwich which seeks and responds to our opinion on pertinent issues and with whom we engage constructively and it is our expectation that this level of influence will spread to national government.

In terms of economic influence, I believe that New Wine Church will be a people of substance, and that we will see birthed multiple millionaires and even billionaires who are equipped with understanding of the kingdom-purpose for their wealth.
3. Raise Strong Leaders
We will see raised in this house strong and dynamic leaders who are able to hold their own in any dimension as well as in turn, raising a new generation of leaders. In New Wine Church we will see an actualisation of the four levels of leadership we can identify in 2 Timothy when Paul wrote to Timothy encouraging him to entrust his teachings to faithful men who are able to teach others. In addition to growing internally leaders, I see New Wine Church providing a formal mentorship programme for young pastors which will empower them to take their ministries to the next level.
4. Resource Other Churches
New Wine Church is renowned for its spirit of excellence and it is this that many other churches lack, resulting in a lopsided or imbalanced ministry that excels in one area but is weak in others. I want New Wine Church to help build up other churches by sending in our leaders to train their teams and also by conducting seminars and workshops from which other ministries can benefit. We have begun to see this already with the multi-media and Financial Empowerment teams providing training to other churches however, it is, I believe our calling to do this on a much larger scale.
5. Plant Other Churches
When we speak of New Wine Church growing in number, the motive must not be that of empire building but must be missions-led. New Wine Church is called to plant churches in at least 12 of major cities throughout Western Europe. Western Europe is important as they have the largest populations and also more fundamentally, Western-Europe is the most in need of the truth of the gospel as it is fast-becoming the birthing place of the most heinous sins. We are therefore called to plant churches throughout Western Europe.

6. Adopting Existing Churches
I have been invited on numerous occasions to take over churches although have been disinclined to do so, preferring instead to offer assistance guidance and support to leaders to enable them to turn their ministries around. However, I am quite clear that New Wine Church is called to replicate the same level of excellence in other settings. Currently we have leaders who are equipped and qualified to pastor churches and in time, we will send people out to do just that.
7. Empower People in the Developing Nations
We have seen from our lepers’ colony in Shalom Nagar, India, the difference that one local church can make to the poor and marginalised in the developing world. I see New Wine Church expanding and replicating its achievements in this regard throughout the developing world with a particular focus on health and education.
These are the seven features of our vision which encapsulate where we are going in the next five to ten years.
12 years ago, I wrote The Church I See  which is a vision of the 21^st Century Church, representing a strong, diverse and powerful church, the features of which you will immediately identify with the picture of the future New Wine that I have outlined above. I conclude this message today with an extract from that vision as follows:

As a matter of fact, the Church I see is our church – New Wine Church. I will not say in my heart ‘who will ascend into heaven to bring down this church?’ or ‘who will descend in to the depths to bring it up?’ For the word is near me, in my mouth and in my heart. This church is locked up within us. In the innermost recesses of our hearts – in our bowels – in our loins and in our spiritual wombs. And we will pay the price; we will travail as Zion and bring forth this child – this church.

This church will become a reality in the earth. So let this church emerge- let her arise in the earth, strong and mighty. Let her come forth; let her step out of the mind of God and into the streets of London. Let her climb out of the pages of the bible  - out of Revelation 21 and become a reality in our day. LET HER COME FORTH AND BE THE CHURCH OF THE 21^ST CENTURY!

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT OUR CHURCH

 Explaining the Story, Statements, Structure and Strategy Of New Wine Church 

“THIS IS YOUR ASSIGNMENT”

By Pastor Tayo Adeyemi
New Wine Church, London

Sunday 25 September 2011

Foundation Scriptures: Matthew 16:18 & Habakkuk 2: 2-3

Last week, we understood that God has not called us to be freelance, lone ranger believers but that we need to make a choice and commitment to become members of a local church. We understood that spiritual covering, pastoral care, a conducive climate for growth, an opportunity for fellowship and wholesome relationships and identity were among the benefits of membership and we enumerated five obligations expected of you as a member of this church which are to make yourself, your finances and your gifts available, to support and pray for your leaders and promote unity.
Now today, we’re going to expand on one of your commitments to your local church. I want to talk to you today about fulfilling your ministry. Ephesians 4: 11-12 makes clear that apostles, prophets, teachers evangelists and pastors, were given ‘for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. When most Christians hear the word ‘ministry’ or ‘minister’, very rarely do they associate it with themselves considering that it is the reserve of a select few. Today I want to disabuse you of that notion and help you to settle it in your heart that as a child of God you are a minister and have been called to be involved in ministry.
The word ‘ministry’ comes from the Greek word ‘diakonos’, which means to serve, to wait on someone or to run an errand. So, before we go too far with today’s message, let us agree on a simple premise – every member is a minister. Jeremiah 1: 5 says ‘I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’  It is clear therefore that you are a minister, even if you feel that you do not qualify.
Ministry is using the gifts that God has given you to serve Him and to meet the needs of people. So, your ministry must flow in both directions – toward God and toward people. Actually a balanced and well rounded ministry must flow in three directions: to God (Acts 13:2), to Christians (Hebrews 6:10) and to non-Christians (Matthew 5: 13-14). When we minister to people, whether Christians or non-Christians, we minister to three areas: their spiritual needs, their emotional needs and their physical needs.
In 2 Timothy 4:5 we are instructed ‘fulfil your ministry.’ Jesus said in John 4:34 "My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing His work.” So, the big question today is: Are you fulfilling your ministry? Are you actively engaged in ministering to God, to Christians and to non-Christians? Are you ministering to people’s spiritual needs, emotional needs and physical needs?
In order to fulfil your ministry, you need to do three things:
(1) Embrace the truth that you are a minister: This is probably the most difficult step for most people. If you find it difficult to accept the fact that God could use a person like you, let me assure you, you’re in good company. All through scripture, we encounter many people who felt inadequate when God called them: Moses, Gideon, Saul, Jeremiah . . . and the list goes on. But the simple solution is to remember that God does not use us because of who we are; He uses us because of who He is! In fact, God has a habit of using people who do not seem to qualify by worldly standards. This is confirmed in 1 Corinthians 1: 26-29 which says ‘He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.’
So, remember that you are a minister; you are created for ministry, saved for ministry, called into ministry, gifted for ministry, authorised for ministry, commissioned for ministry and needed for ministry. Not only must you recognise that you are a minister; you must also recognise that your ministry is important. God has put a precious treasure inside you; and that treasure is needed. The church needs what you carry and the world needs what you carry. There is no such thing as an insignificant ministry in the church.
(2) Make yourself available to God.  This is what is often referred to as consecration.  In Romans 12:1 we are asked to give our bodies to God as a living and holy sacrifice. This is where you say to God; “Lord, here I am, use me as You please.” The reality is God only uses people who are available. No matter how urgent or how important the assignment, God will not use you against your will. When God calls you to do something for Him, He waits for you to respond and until you respond, nothing is going to happen. I wonder how many divine assignments are on hold right now because somebody in this room hasn’t said; “Here I am, send me.” You make yourself available to God in prayer, attitude and disposition and also in action.
(3) Get involved in serving: Most people want to wait to discover their ministry before they start serving. But most of the time, it works the other way round: You will discover your gifts and your ministry while serving.  So, where do you start? Just start somewhere. If there is something you enjoy doing, start from there. But if not, just find somewhere to start and God will lead you to the specific area of ministry to which He has called you. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says ‘Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might;’ It is easier to steer a moving car in the right direction than it is to get a parked car to face the right direction. Don’t wait for some mighty awesome visitation or revelation. Wherever help is required, just volunteer. With time, you will know in what areas God has graced you or has not graced you. With time, you will discover what you do or do not have a passion for.
Another very effective way to know your ministry is to take a look at your shape as this is a clue to what God has called you to do. God has shaped you, based on the assignment He created you to fulfil. God created you with a unique shape; and if you study that shape closely, it will give you all the clues you require, to discover your ministry. God has tailored the curves of your life to fit an empty space in His jigsaw puzzle and life makes sweet sense when you find your spot. ‘SHAPE’ is an acrostic for five qualities about you that will help you to discover your assignment: Spiritual Gifts; Heart; Abilities; Personality Experiences. Let’s look at each of these:
Spiritual Gifts: This is a divine ability given by the Holy Spirit to enable you in serving others and in building up God’s church. Immediately from that definition, you can tell that your spiritual gift is not for you; it’s for others; and also, it is not for show; it’s for service. When you know your spiritual gifts, it will help you to know what area God wants you to serve. But it also works the other way round – when you start serving it will help you to discover your gifts. 1 Corinthians 7:7b says ‘But each one has his own gift from God’. You can be sure therefore that there is no such thing as a believer without a spiritual gift. I encourage every believer to serve in at least one area and in no more than two areas. I recommend a maximum of two, because you need time to nurture your relationship with God, your relationship with those who are important to you; and to develop yourself. So, we encourage you to have a primary ministry and a secondary ministry. Your primary ministry should be in an area where you are gifted and your secondary ministry should be in any other area where you are needed.
Heart: This is the centre of your motivation, interests, inclinations and desire, the vital force and driving impulse of your life. In Proverbs 4:23 we are told that out of the heart ‘spring the issues of life.’ The things you love, the things you hate, the things you notice – are all a function of your heart. It is the reason why you think, feel, say and do what you think, feel, say and do; it is a clue to what God has called you to do.
Abilities: These speak of your special skills, talents and aptitudes. Ability is something that you’re born with. In Exodus 31: 2-3 we see that Bezalel was given ‘understanding, skill, and ability for every kind of artistic work.’ In identifying your abilities, the question to ask yourself is; “What are the things that I do well without effort or struggle – things that seem to come naturally to me?” Those are your abilities and are a clue to what God has called you to do.
Personality: This speaks of your constitution, dispositions and temperament. Basically, the way you’re wired. Are you a planner or are you spontaneous? Detail oriented or a big-picture person? Are you outgoing or reserved? The answers to these questions are a clue to your personality; and your personality is a clue to your ministry.
Experiences: God never wastes any experience in our lives; whether positive or negative. All your life experiences are a tool in God’s hands to prepare you for your ministry. Romans 8:28 tells us ‘all things work together for good’. Your educational, vocational,  spiritual and relational experiences; painful or otherwise – God uses them all!
So, now that know that God has called you to be a minister and you have the tools to help you to determine your assignment, you  no longer have any excuse for not serving in God’s house. Now the big question is what are you going to do about it? God has called you to serve - will you answer that call? This is your assignment! 

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT OUR CHURCH

 Explaining the Story, Statements, Structure and Strategy Of New Wine Church 

“THIS IS WHERE YOU FIT”

By Pastor Tayo Adeyemi
New Wine Church, London

Sunday 18 September 2011

Foundation Scriptures: Matthew 16:18 & Habakkuk 2: 2-3

In the last two messages in this series, we have looked at our structure and examined New Wine’s five circles of commitment, which are the core, the committed, the congregation, the crowd and the community. We went on to identify commitment, the act of pledging, engaging, aligning or involving oneself, as the one factor that will help us move from our current circle to the next one. We learned that commitment first starts in the heart and ultimately manifests in action; a decision and then a corresponding action. Now today, we want to zero in on that picture and see if we can find you in it.

God has not called you to be a freelance believer or a lone ranger Christian.  Paul describes believers in Ephesians 2:19 (TLB) as ‘members of God’s own family’ and belonging ‘in God’s household.’ The heartbeat of God is relationship, fellowship and community. For this reason whilst when He created everything else, He said “Let there be”, when He created man He said “Let us.” And not long after that, He said “It is not good that man should be alone”.  We were created to be in community. Every believer needs a church family. You cannot be a footballer without being in a team; you cannot be a soldier without being in an army.  And you cannot be a truly obedient believer without being a member of a local church family.  Psalms 92:13 says ‘those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God’. If you are not planted therefore, you cannot flourish. The question therefore is ‘are you planted?’

In Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit was not sent into the church until they were all with one accord in one place. This referred to more than just a physical location but also the ‘one place’ of fellowship, unity and harmony. In the New Testament, the word ‘church’ is used in two different contexts: First, the universal church referring to all believers of all generations, all over the world. The church is referred to in this context only four times in the New Testament. The other 92 times refer to the local church – a specific body of believers, gathered under one vision and meeting in a specific location.  To function effectively as a believer, you have to do more than be part of the universal church, but need to be part of a local church. Once you receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour, you are automatically a member of the universal church – it’s as simple as that. But to become a member of a local church, you have to make a choice and make a commitment.  The moment you were born physically, you became a member of the human race – it was automatic.  But you did not become a member of a family until someone made a choice to take you home and made a commitment to care for you and raise you.  A believer without a church family is an orphan.  So what is the difference between a Christian and a member of a local church? Two words: choice and commitment.  That is exactly how you became a Christian.  You become a Christian by making a choice to receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour and by making a commitment to give your life to Him.  Likewise, you become a member of a local church by making a choice to be a member and by making a commitment to other members of the church. For those who have not yet taken this step, that is my first assignment today: I have come to call you to make that choice and make that commitment.

Let me give you four reasons why you need to be a member of a local church: (i) A Biblical Reason: Jesus wants you to be committed to His church, because He is committed to His church.  The church is the body of Christ and the bride of Christ. You cannot love Jesus and hate His church. (ii) A Cultural Reason:  Church membership is a prophetic statement against the spirit of the age. We live in a society plagued with the spirit of consumerism and selfishness. We look out for our own interests, demanding our rights and committing only to that which serves our own ends. So, if something no longer serves what we consider to be our best interests, we simply up and leave; and go find another alternative. In the process we have bred a selfish, entitled and uncommitted generation. Many of us treat church like a restaurant or a hotel. We expect exceptional service every time – after all, we’re paying for it. And the day we don’t get the kind of service we expect, we simply go find another restaurant . . . sorry, another church that meets our requirements. You see, church is not a hotel – it’s a home; it’s a family. In a hotel, you don’t have to make your bed or clean your room or do the dishes. You don’t have to lift a finger. There are people who are paid to do all that for you. But at home, it’s not so. Everybody does their share, except of course the babies.  Babies are the only people in a family who are allowed to take and not give back. Membership is an unselfish decision. It shows you’re committed. (iii) A Practical Reason: The membership process helps to know for sure, who is a member of the New Wine family and who is not. Imagine you asked someone “How many children do you have?” And they answered; “Hmm, I’m not sure really – maybe three, maybe eight . . . not really sure. You would think they were irresponsible, at best, and insane at worst. Membership helps us identify who is our family and who is not. Every nation has a census; every army has an enlistment; and every church should have a membership! (iv) A Personal Reason: Membership fosters accountability; and accountability is the breeding ground for spiritual growth. Another problem in society today, is that people don’t want to be accountable. We promote entitlement, but downplay responsibility. If you look closely, you will find that many people leave church for one of two reasons: It’s either they don’t want to be accountable or because they were denied something to which they felt they were entitled.

Now, becoming a member is not an end in itself; it is the means to an end. It’s not enough just to become a member; you need to know how to get the best out of church and be intentional about doing so. The starting point is to know what benefits are available to you as a member of New Wine Church. Let me highlight five of them:

(i) Spiritual Covering: As a member of this church, you enjoy a unique protection and covering. A house without a roof is exposed and vulnerable. Likewise, a sheep without a shepherd. In Matthew 9:36 (AMP) Jesus gives us a vivid picture of sheep who have no spiritual covering over their lives as being ‘bewildered harassed and distressed and dejected and helpless’. As a member of this church, there is a grace upon your life that protects you from evil. When people whimsically remove themselves from a local church, they have no idea that they are leaving more than a building. (ii) Pastoral Care: As a member of this church, you are entitled to pastoral care from this house. In the New Testament, the word for ‘pastor’ is the same word for ‘shepherd’ and Psalm 23 and John 10 provides a vivid picture of what a shepherd does, feeding, leading correcting, protecting, comforting and restoring the sheep. And that’s what pastoral care is all about. We feed you with God’s word, we give you godly counsel, we rebuke and correct you when you’re wrong, and we encourage you when you’re weary.  We fast for you; we pray for you, we fight spiritual battles for you that you’re not even aware of. We stand on the mountain and lift our hands, so you can win your battles. We’re there for you through the thick and thin of life. (iii) A Conducive Climate for Growth: Not everything grows everywhere. Potatoes don’t grow in Sudan; and pineapples don’t grow in Alaska. Everything needs a conducive climate or environment in which to grow. In this church the expectation for growth is all up in your face - you are expected to grow spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, socially, financially etc - growth is in our DNA. We are a greenhouse – we grow leaders and entrepreneurs and millionaires and world changers and difference makers and glory carriers! If you want to grow you’re in the right place! (iv) An Opportunity for Fellowship and Wholesome Relationships: When you become a member of this church, you become a member of a godly family - a family of God-loving, God-fearing, God-honouring, caring, loving and honest people - People of character, integrity, excellence, substance, calibre and faith. (v) Identity: When you become a member of New Wine Church, you have the right to say “I am a member of New Wine Church”. Until then, you don’t. You can say “I worship at New Wine; I go to New Wine; or I am part of the crowd at New Wine”. But until you have a membership certificate with your name on it, don’t call yourself a member.

Now, let’s flip the coin over. What are your obligations as a member of this church? What do we expect of you?  Let me quickly give you five obligations: (i) Make Yourself Available: Step up to the plate. Stand up and be counted. Be regular in attendance. Remember, there is strength in our numbers. There is a level of maturity you attain, where you come to church, not just for what you’re going to receive; but also to be a blessing to others. (ii) Make your Finances Available: You worship God, not just with your time and your temple, but also with your treasure. Jesus said where your treasure is; there your heart will be also. That means you have not really worshipped God with your heart if you haven’t worshipped Him with your treasure. Why is it important for you to give? To start with, giving is evidence that you have the nature of God your Father. Secondly, giving is God’s prescribed way of blessing you (See Proverbs 11:25) Thirdly, giving – especially tithing – teaches you to put God first in your life (See Deuteronomy 14:23).And finally, giving is a practical way of supporting the mission and vision of your church. You have been blessed by the ministry of this church, because others who came before you were generous and when you are generous too, you empower us to go forward and be a blessing to more people. (iii) Make Your Gifts Available: God has uniquely gifted you so you can use them to minister – first to Him – and then to other people; both Christians and non-Christians. When you make your gifts available, the body becomes stronger. (iv) Pray for Your Leaders and Support them in their Work: You are either a blessing or a burden; an asset or a liability; a problem solver or a problem; one who gathers or one who scatters. Your choice! (v) Promote and Maintain Unity: Always walk in love and refuse to participate in gossip – don’t give it; and don’t receive it.

Now, let me sum today’s message up with one scripture and one final question. In John 2: 17 it says ‘Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." Now, what about you? Do you have a zeal for God’s house? Do you have a devotion for God’s house? Is it burning in you like a fire? If not, I challenge you to make that commitment today. This is where you fit

LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT OUR CHURCH

 Explaining the Story, Statements, Structure and Strategy Of New Wine Church 

“THIS IS OUR PICTURE”

By Pastor Tayo Adeyemi
New Wine Church, London

Sunday 28 August 2011

Foundation Scriptures: Matthew 16:18 & Habbakuk 2: 2-3

Last week, we looked at the final four of our lifestyle statements, which are fellowship, discipleship, evangelism and ministry. We reminded ourselves that fellowship is an integral part of church life; something about which we must be deliberate and consistent and to which we must devote ourselves.  Looking at discipleship, we learned that we must not be satisfied with just being believers but must strive to become disciples, submitting ourselves to a systematic programme of biblical instruction and ensuring that our lives remind people of Jesus. We went on to look at evangelism, and underscored the key word in the great commission – the word ‘go’, an action word which connotes a change of location, understanding that rather than waiting for people to come to us, we go to them.  Finally, we looked at ministry, and understood that the body of Christ functions at its best when every part of the body ministers to every other part. And so, we challenged ourselves to begin to engage with the biblical ‘one another’ dynamic of church life: to love one another, care for one another, bear one another’s burden, greet one another, encourage one another, pray for one another, share with one another.
Today, we are going to look at our structure, what we look like. You have probably heard people say that the church is an organism and not an organisation. Well, I disagree with that statement. In my view, the church is both an organism and an organisation and the basis of my conviction is in Matthew 16: 18. Here, Jesus said; “I will build my church”( the organisation part); then He said; “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (the organism part). As you go through scripture, you will find that God operates on the principle of what I call ‘structure’ and ‘flow’. By this, I mean that whenever God wants to do something, He first establishes a structure and then He releases a flow. We find this principle when God created man in that having formed him from the dust of the earth, He breathed the breath of life into him. Similarly when Moses built the tabernacle and the glory of the Lord filled it; structure and flow.

There are a number of metaphors used in the New Testament to describe the church including a family, a fellowship, flock, bride of Christ, the building of Christ and the body of Christ and embedded in those metaphors, you see the principle of structure and flow. In fact, take a look at the human body, and you will see the principle of structure and flow. Your body has a form and a shape because you have a musculoskeletal system that gives you a structure. And your body is alive because you have a cardiovascular system and a respiratory system that give you a flow.  Likewise, a mature and effective church is one that has an effective structure and an effective flow. So, let’s take a look at the structure of New Wine Church. 

The whole of New Wine Church is structured on the basis of five circles of commitment and, as I show you our picture, I want you to see if you can identify which circle you belong to.

The Core represents the heartbeat of church life and is where you will find the people who make things happen. You might call them the engine of New Wine. Everything you enjoy when you come to church is as a result of the dedication, faithfulness, commitment and sacrifice of these people. They are the true heroes of this church. And for each of them there is a massive reward awaiting them in this life; and an even greater reward in eternity.  Incidentally, they are the most consistent and most generous givers and so, not only do they carry the church spiritually, they also carry the church financially. The core is made up of two groups: the leaders and the workers. The leaders share the burden of leading this great church with me. They help to shape the vision of the house and they help to direct its execution. They are involved in decision making at various levels and they are the eyes, ears and mouth of the body. Our workers are the people who give legs to the vision – they help to execute the vision. Now, the strength of any organisation is determined primarily by the strength of its core so the stronger our core is, the stronger our church is. These people who form the core are committed to ministry.

The Committed are the members of this church who have made a personal commitment to spiritual growth. They are the ones we described as disciples last week; their involvement with church goes beyond just Sunday attendance, they are serious about their faith and they’re serious about making a difference for Christ. They are not yet actively involved in ministry, but they are growing in their relationship with God. These people are more than just members. These are the consistent, reliable and dependable members of your church. You will find them in Cell Group; in Power Night; in fasting and prayer and at community outreach, volunteering whenever anything needs to be done, whether for prayer chain or donating Christmas Hampers. These people are committed to growth.  The Congregation have formally been received into membership and so they consider themselves to be members of New Wine Church. They understand the vision of this church and they want to be involved. They recognise their responsibilities and benefit of membership; and are committed to living up to those responsibilities and actively take advantage of those benefits. They are involved in the ‘give and receive’ dynamics of church life and are committed to membership. The Crowd are people who attend on a regular basis. They consider New Wine to be their home church, but their relationship with the church is still very loose. These are the people Jesus would call the multitude. They have no objection to being members; in fact, if you asked them, they would call themselves members of New Wine Church. It’s just that they have never really seriously thought about taking their relationship with the church to the next level. The people in this category are committed to attendance. The Community would be anyone within a thirty minute driving distance of New Wine Church; and these are the people that God has called us to reach. Some of them are believers, but most of them have not yet received Christ as Lord and Saviour. A good number of them will attend church once or twice a year. These are the people we see at Easter, Christmas and especially New Year’s Eve. They are usually the people who arrive a few minutes before midnight; and by 12.30am, they are gone! The people in this group are committed to . . . nothing!  

Commitment is the common thread that runs through all the circles. The key is; whatever circle you belong to, God is calling you to the next circle. Even if you are part of the core, there is always a higher level of commitment – a higher level of involvement. We are called the church, the Greek word for which is ‘Ecclesia’, which means a called out people. So, God is always calling us out. Out of the multitude, Jesus called seventy. And out of the seventy, He called twelve. And out from the twelve, He called three. And out from the three, He had the beloved. Out from something into something greater: Out from the community into the crowd; out from the crowd into the congregation; out from the congregation into the committed; and out from the committed into the core. So, how do you answer that call and move from your current circle to the next one? The answer is in one single word – commitment. Whenever God calls you to a higher level in anything, He is actually calling you to a deeper level of commitment. Commitment first starts in your heart and ultimately manifests in your actions. It is first a decision and then a corresponding action.

Now, let’s zero in and take a microscopic look at how the core of New Wine church is organised.  Just like the entire church, our core can be grouped into five circles:

  

At the core of the core, we have the Pastors. In New Wine, there are two pastors – the Senior Pastor and the Executive Pastor, who is the number two. For the first twelve years of the life of this church, God did not permit me to name a number two. Of course over time, the reason became clearer to me. And even after God told me who it was, He instructed me to hold my peace until the appointed time. For the first time ever, I now have great pleasure in officially announcing Pastor Michael Olawore as my deputy.

The Pastors and Ministers together form the Board of Ministers; and they are responsible for spiritual oversight of this church. The Board meets once a week to pray for the church and to deliberate on church business. The Team Leaders are responsible for providing spiritual and administrative leadership for the various teams or ministries in the church. The Cell Group Coordinators are responsible for providing spiritual and administrative oversight for a given number of Cell Groups. The Cell Group Leaders are responsible for providing pastoral oversight for their particular Cell Groups. Deputy Team Leaders assist the Team Leaders in carrying out their responsibilities. The Workers are the people who make ministry happen in New Wine. The 31 teams in New Wine are organised into six portfolios; each of which is overseen by a minister as follows: Admin, Events and Missions (Pastor Michael), Business (Min Kola Taiwo), External Affairs (Min Gbenga Ajanaku) Membership Training and Development (Min Gbenga Ajanaku), Outreach (Min Kola Taiwo) and Support Services (Minister Muyiwa Obasa). The seventh portfolio, the Executive Portfolio, which is overseen by myself, oversees the other six.

So there you have it: our picture. The big question today is: where are you in this picture? But perhaps a more pertinent question is: what are you going to do about it?  There is no neutrality or stagnation in the spirit realm. You are either marching forward or you’re sliding backwards. You are either gathering or scattering; either an asset or a liability and therefore I ask you ‘which one are you?’ Where ever you may currently be, it is important to remember there is a higher place for you. God is calling you to a higher level of commitment; I urge you therefore to receive the grace and anointing to go to the next level, a higher place in which promotion and blessings await you.