This past Monday evening at District Conference,  The District Superintendent and our three Assistant District Superintendents awarded the first ever South Carolina District  Missional Chuch Award to myself and the Iva First Wesleyan Church for our work with Samaritan’s Cupboard.  I was both honored and humbled.

When we set out to start Samaritan’s Cupboard we never did so with the motivation of winning an award, but we look at it as God’s way of saying through our district leadership, “Keep it up! This is exactly why I have called you and set you apart, to be Jesus to your community!”

The success of this ministry is the result of three things:

1. Being teachable. Pastors, we must realize that God has placed our leadership over us to be His mouthpiece. If our leaders are truly spirit led, which I believe they are, God will guide them in thier leadership of our District churches. We must never become arrogant and think we have all the answers. On the contrary, we are placed on this earth to learn and to grow.
2. Just simply doing what Jesus told us to do. How many times in scripture does God command us to feed the poor and uphold the cause of the orphan and widow? How many of our churches are really doing this in a tangible way?
3. Empowering your people. Pastor, you are only part of the body, not the whole thing! God has given your people a vision and the gifts that accompany it. It’s a cliche, but God does not call the equipped, He equips the called!” You don’t know everything and you can’t do everything. When you empower your people it brings glory to God and the church finally functions like a healthy body.

I am pumped up about what God will continue to do through our little church. Obedience and love is the path to Kingdom building!