“Apart from me, you can do nothing.”  (Jesus)

That’s pretty clear.  It is part of a teaching found in John 15.  There, Jesus emphasizes te need for a disciple to find rest in Jesus.  We have to “abide” or “remain” in him – in Jesus – or we won’t accomplish anything.   Of course,  he includes a wonderful teaching on how to do that.  He talks about a vine and vine dresser – seasons of growth and pruning back, seasons of productivity and idleness.  You can learn more in our write up on the discipleship tool we call “The Semi-Circle”  (It’s one of the Life Shapes developed by 3DM.)

Based on this, the FCMC Stewards adopted an annual rhythm for MC life.

Building on the Semi-Circle, we begin from rest.  To be productive, our strategy should be to work from our rest.  So we’re about to enter a restful time – followed by a productive time.  Rest, by the way, doesn’t mean inactivity.  It simply means different, renewing activity.

This is an idea of the rhythm we hope to adopt:

• Restful: June – Early August
• Productive: August – November
• Restful: Thanksgiving – Early January
• Productive: Mid January – Early June

These are the sort of Restful Activities we’ll engage in:

• Retreats (Best toward the end of a restful time)
• Mission Trips.
• Leadership development and enrichment.
• Weekly/Bi-weekly gatherings, mainly for prayer and fellowship.

Productive Activities

• Weekly/Bi-Weekly Weekly gatherings for active training in discipleship
• Mission engagement (hands-on, face-to-face)
• Periodic healing services
• Inviting neighbors to activities
• Planning Meetings

During all seasons, we will…

• Gather for Worship to celebrate what God is doing on the First Coast!

Blessings.