CREATED FOR THE CREATOR
“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning” (Proverbs 9:9).
As I was thinking about this verse the phrase, “personal and church development,” jumped out at me. What does that mean - personal and church development?
Church identity can supercharge or hinder most aspects of its life in a community. Last week Joondalup Seventh-day Adventist Church marked another year of its existence in Heathridge with a celebration of Visitors Day “Your Brain, Your Body” on November 30. It was a high Sabbath. About 80 people came along.
We talk about identity and how important identity is in creating empowerment. Joondalup SDA Church wants to be a leader in its community and so partnered with the Nedley Depression Recovery Program from June to September 2019 to provide authentic education with solutions to combat the mental health pandemic. After making strategic changes, people shared how lifestyle advice learnt ensured they were now on their way back to real living.
Keynote speaker Warren Grubb defined the brain as an amazing organ with incredible potential. It was nice to hear how the fine balance of brain chemicals that translate into mental peace, balanced thinking, the experience of joy and contentment, become recalibrated largely as a result of what we drink, inhale, or in some way allow entrance into our bodies. When Warren spoke about the exciting field of nutritional neuroscience, it made me think of how components of our diet impact the central nervous system, specifically cognitive function and mental health. Our identity in Christ is so critical and poor nutrition will zap the willpower battery.
Many walked into the sessions looking for more connections and embracing other people’s ideas. The program was loyal to children and adults with strategies to ensure young people felt included. Comments made to me about the musical creativity said a lot about giving our mind and creative spirit a chance to breathe and further develop true artistry. A fabulous plant-based lunch at the tables promoted the day’s best thinking and ensured the energy remained high in the room. Ultimately people were challenged to find new ways to move forward with information processed, learnt and visualised over the programs.
Growth doesn’t occur without resistance of some kind. Sometimes the strongest resistance we face when pursuing change is from ourselves or from the church. If I am called to be like Him, to be like Christ, to be a Christian, then I will choose to love as He does.
Visitors Day 2019 at Joondalup SDA Church was the perfect storm. Collectively, individuals acted with synergy, leading to a release of energy much greater than any of its individual contributors would ever generate.
So I choose this day, at this moment in time, to progress from information to transformation.
Athena Carfax-Foster