The Godbearing Life

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• The Godbearing Life
• The Art of Soul Tending

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Sharing The Mantle

• A Community of Colaborers

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IT TAKES AN ENTIRE CHURCH TO RAISE A CHRISTIAN

• Baptismal Commitment
• Passing On The Faith

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Moses Complaint (often our position)
Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why
have I not found favor in your sight, that you
lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I
conceive all this people? Did I give birth to
them, that you should say to me, Carry them in
your bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child,
to the land that you promised on oath to their
ancestors? Numbers 1111-12
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Gods Response
Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel,
whom you know to be the elders of the people and
officers over them bring them to the tent of
meeting, and have them take their place there
with you. I will come down and talk with you
there and I will take some of the spirit that is
on you and put it on them and they shall bear
the burden of the people along with you so that
you will not bear it all by yourself Numbers
1116-17
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The Mantle Is Shared I will take some of the
spirit that is on you and put it on them

• God calls us to do His work
• God shares the Spirit to empower ministry
• Leadership gathers elders for God

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ELDERS seventy of the elders of Israel

• People of wisdom (the practical knowledge that
  comes from intentional reflection on a body of
  experience
• People whose character and gifts are established
  and respected in the community
• People with trustworthy views that grew out of
  the openness that comes with trial and error

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• Elders are not judged by age, but by their
  wisdom
• Elders have wisdom, but need Gods spirit to
  transform their expertise into ministry
• Sometimes youth are the elders waiting to be
  asked

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LEADERS

• Learn to share what Yahweh has given them
• Freely offer gifts, but willingly removed
  themselves from the role of Ministry Expert

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MEETING TENTS bring them to the tent of meeting

• Sacred Spaces
• Places where God calls the myriad talents into
  service
• Retreats
• Small ground
• Holy ground is never private turf, but always
  communal space

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MEETING TENTS
Where We

• Listen to what God has to say to us
• Remain open to Gods presence
• Consider how God seems to be equipping us for
  ministry
• Become Godbearers to each other
• Receive the manna and quail that nourish our
  journey through the desert

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IN MEETING TENTS
We Learn to

• Share ministry with others
• Rekindle our faith in the presence of friends
• Allow ministry to become a gift that someone is
  blessed to receive
• Volunteer for Gods sake

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Sharing The Mantle With Youth

• I do it
• I do it, and you help
• You do it, and I help
• You do it, and I move on to something else

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Out Of Control Be Ready !

• Trial and error
• New faces in the spotlight
• Delight in watching co-leaders blossom into
  pastors

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Love, after all, is messy.