8 Things to help you make a Kingdom impact
If you want to make an impact in the world, then you will likely need to attend to these 8 things. Stronger Network is committed to championing each one.
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You want to make an impact in the world. You want to bring change. You want to see the world become a better place through business, through social transformation, through innovation, and ultimately, through Jesus and His Kingdom.
We’ve been taught to pray: ‘Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven’ (Matt 6). These aren’t just words. This is something of what God wants to happen, and is in fact happening. God’s gentle rule and reign unfolding in the world around us, inaugurated by the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. The incredible thing is that one of the primary ways that God chooses for this to happen is through us. Through our prayers and through our action.
Which means God’s Kingdom comes as you go about doing what’s in front of you, in the places and contexts that you find yourselves.
To make this a bit more personal: God wants to transform you and transform the world through you by using your unique shape, voice, skills, experience, passions, vision, networks, personality, character, and opportunities in front of you.
Want to know what Jesus is up to in the world in this generation? Look at what he’s calling you to do. It will likely fit within Jesus’ manifesto of ministry from Isaiah 61. You are part of the body of Christ in the world today, and his ministry continues through you.
There are things that you can do to help you grow in the things of God, but also help you grow in impact and influence in the world around you. Things that will help you take the next step that God is inviting you to take. Have a look at the diagram above and commentary below and see if anything resonates? Stronger Network is committed to championing each of these eight things:
1.Church Community
Like a plant in a plant pot is the Christian plugged into a church community. What happens to a plant when it’s not potted or planted, it begins to wither and die. When you become a Christian you simultaneously become a member of the family of God, the community of faith. Theologically this is true, so why not make sure this is practically true as well.
I have seen this over 20 years of church ministry. Those people who sit back or opt out are those who tend to meander in their faith, have more frequent faith challenges, can see faith as peripheral. Those people who lean into the community of faith are those who thrive in their faith and are clearer about what it is they need to do next. Why? Because God speaks to us through the corporate teaching, through the prayers of others, through accountable relationships.
“Like a plant in a plant pot is the Christian plugged into a church community”
The picture of the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12 provides such a beautiful image. The image is interdependence not of independence or co-dependence. Each member playing it’s part, being build up in maturity and faith, and as a by-product, impact in the world.
If you need to find a church community, don’t worry, Church of England has got you covered. Type in your postcode into Church Near You and see what comes up. Also there’s this great session from the recent Stronger Conference where we hosted a conversation about the Local Church.
As a network, we are absolutely clear that our role is to support and champion the local church. We will always want to point people to the local church. In fact at a recent event, we asked people to let us know if they were in a church or not. 100% of the respondents said they were. Music to our ears.
2.Spiritual disciplines
You go to the gym, or you do exercise, or you try and keep your steps up? It’s the way we keep physically in shape or grow stronger. Spiritual disciplines are a lot like that. You can read Richard Foster’s classic, ‘Celebration of Discipline’ which delves into some of the inward, outward, and corporate disciplines that help us grow in our faith. My previous Bishop, Graham Tomlin also wrote a book called ‘Spiritual Fitness’ which seeks to address Spiritual flabbiness causing the church to become more appealing and significant in the world.
As you read the New Testament you see how followers of Jesus prioritised prayer, fellowship, scripture, breaking bread together, mission, worship, fasting and more. That’s why as a network we want to point you to these things. We’ll want to make space to talk about them. We’ll be encouraging you to look into this in your church community too.
3.Holy Spirit
We can come up with amazing strategies for growth, we can work out revolutionary communication plans, but unless God breathes life into it, all you’re left with is what humans can do. God invites us to play a part, but when he anoints it by the Holy Spirit, you’ll see what God can do. I’ve been so struck by the history of revivals in Church history. Time and again they begin with a few people getting serious about the need for God, praying for the Holy Spirit to show up, and then he does.
“Stronger Network is praying for this for the Church in the UK. We’re praying for God’s Spirit to anoint his people in this time. More power. More breakthrough. More courage.”
When the Holy Spirit shows up, he will lead us into new territory, give us power for the current tasks at hand, and make a way, whether that’s in business, in church, in society. Don’t move forward unless you’re seeking the Holy Spirit. Don’t you see that in Exodus 33? Moses was clear he didn’t want to take another step without the presence of God.
Stronger Network is praying for this for the Church in the UK. We’re praying for God’s Spirit to anoint his people in this time. More power. More breakthrough. More courage.
4.Peers
Time and again I have found such encouragement from peers or friends who are running their own race but alongside me, either for a time, for a season, or for longer term. These people are the encouragers, They are friends. You can be honest and open. You share your learnings together. You sharpen each other.
I think of the Proverb 27.17 that speaks to this: ‘as iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another’. So many times I have been encouraged and strengthen by people at a similar stage. I can feel my faith rising when I spend time with them. I feel more expanded in the Lord for the next steps He is calling me to take.
This is the sort of environment we’re looking to cultivate through Stronger Network. By bringing people together in digital spaces we have seen people connecting, sharpening each other, growing in boldness.
5.Mentor/Coach
When I think to the last 24 years that I’ve been a follower of Jesus, there have been significant wise voices that have played a key part in my journey. I think of my previous incumbent and mentor, Bishop Sandy Millar, it was he who encouraged me to explore ordained ministry and acted as a catalyst for something God was already doing inside me. I think of those people who have helped me understand my unique shape, people who have helped me navigate key decisions, those who have prayed for me, those who have helped me understand culture and society around me.
“ I have had the privilege of being the recipient of a lot of encouragement and input over the years, and we want to offer the same to you.”
These people are typically further along in their journey. They have experience under their belt. They want to invest in the generation coming up. They want to see you fly. I have had the privilege of being the recipient of a lot of encouragement and input over the years, and we want to offer the same to you.
We have an amazing opportunity for this very thing, because there are people who are linked to the network who are ready to be a mentor. We have also partnered with Giant London too, so that Stronger can have access to world class coaching at a fraction of the market rate. Find out more here.
6.Inspiration
God wants to raise your faith and lift your sights. He does that in any way he chooses. It might be through a book or article, a conversation, worship experience, or talk. What is the net effect of inspiration? New faith. New courage. New boldness. New focus. New determination. A fresh reliance on the Holy Spirit. A fresh commitment to calling.
Our hope is that through the various spaces we’re creating, we’re making space for God to inspire you and lead you into the things he has for you.
7.Training
There are a lot of things I don’t even know I don’t know. I started a new job last August. It has been fabulous, but it has been totally out of my comfort zone. I came from a role that I had been doing for 11 years where I was unconsciously competent. Now I’m in a place where I am unconsciously incompetent. I don’t even know my incompetence yet (although it has been rapidly dawning on me!).
“Now I’m in a place where I am unconsciously incompetent. I don’t even know my incompetence yet (although it has been rapidly dawning on me!).”
But training is core to learning and growing isn’t it? We have training at work, training for our interest areas, training through Youtube, training through masterclasses, and something we hope that Stronger Network provides is training for you, enabling you to take the next step for God whether that’s in the area of leadership, digital, communication, entrepreneurship, business, with the visibility of how God’s kingdom interacts with culture.
8.Network
I have had the privilege of being part of networks. You’re probably part of various networks. The thing I’ve noticed is that they help you feel part of something bigger. We are often so focussed on the thing in front of us that we forget it’s one piece in the jigsaw puzzle. God’s weaving your story together with the stories of others, as part of his Kingdom story in our nation at this time. Networks remind us of this.
Networks also help us find the resource, the people, the learning, the opportunities that are essential for us to move forward into the things God maybe opening up. Stronger network does and will even more, provide some of this and we’re really excited about the potential and opportunities opening up in front of us.
At Stronger Network we’d love to help you grow in any of these eight areas. You might. Perhaps one of them resonate, or perhaps you’d like to get involved Either way, feel free to email us using the link below.
