Every
pastor should have a vision of what he would
like to see his church become. Often it
takes years of hard work and much effort to
see a church reach its full potential. City
impacting churches don't just happen. Dream
churches must start with a blueprint or a
dream. Martin Luther King, Jr. proved that
dreams are made of dynamic substances when
he inspired and mobilized an entire nation
with his "dream" of equality and justice for
all peoples of the world. I believe that God
gives all of us dreams for the betterment of
ourselves and our world. Here is part of one
man's dream....
I have a dream that churches will someday unify
under the banner of the cross, judging each other by
their character and Christ likeness, rather than
their religious affiliation. I have a dream that
Christians can once again be called "Christians" in
the Biblical sense rather than Baptists,
Pentecostals, and Methodists. I have a dream that
Christians will love each other and that all
denominations that stand for the basic fundamentals
of the gospel will make an effort to find common
ground for unity in order to fight against the real
enemies of humanity who are Satan and his demons,
not other Christians who may have slightly different
doctrinal and cultural distinctions. I have a dream
for a church that will preach "Christ and Him
Crucified," thereby seeing the lost come to Christ
the Lord. I have a dream for a church that will
never surrender to the immoral aspects of our
society, yet will show unconditional love to the
sinner. I have a dream for a church that is like a
caring family, where each is concerned about the
need of others more than their own. I have a dream
for a church where people can worship in different
ways and not be frowned on by others in the church.
I have a dream for a church where gossip and
spiritual pride will be considered greater sins than
even adultery since Christ told the Pharisees that
the "harlots" would make it into the kingdom before
they would. I have a dream where although church
government is present, it would seem invisible
because "people are more important than rules."
I have a dream for a church where all ages are
important and the needs of each age are met equally.
I have a dream for a church where the color of your
skin would be considered "beautiful" no matter what
color it may be. I have a dream for a church where
spiritual gifts are in operation and where every
member is encouraged to discover his or her gifts
and use them to the maximum for God. I have a dream
for a church that will serve as a healing station
for those that are spiritually battered, abused and
in need of restoration. I have a dream for a church
where the focus is so much on Jesus Christ that the
diversities and personality differences in people
will melt in the midst of His presence. I have a
dream for a church where people with problems will
come and find real solutions and not hype and broken
promises. I have a dream for a church where people
with diseases and emotional pains will be mightily
delivered, joined to the Body of Christ, and sent on
their way rejoicing.
I have a dream for a church that can help heal
the hurts of the community. I have a dream for a
church where members are not embarrassed to bring
friends to visit because they know that the power
and love of God will be present at all services. I
have a dream for a church that is willing to serve a
broken world through missions, prison, and hospital
ministries. I have a dream for a church where
praise, worship, and the hearing of God's word are
intense and wonderful encounters with the living
God. I have a dream for a church where every service
is eagerly waited and anxiously anticipated because
true worshippers are gathered to worship God in
spirit and in truth!
