Cooperation

To cooperate is to work together with others.  Sounds pretty simple, but whenever human beings get involved, the simple has a way of becoming complicated.  Emotion, politics, race, finances, family relationships, even religion can make cooperation at times more challenging than it has to be.  People are often compelled to rally to a cause or work together for the common good and that is cooperation at its best.  In reality, I suppose cooperation is an intentional approach to the circumstances of life that makes one think beyond him or her self to consider a bigger picture...a broader perspective.

 

On four of the next five Sundays, I will be focusing on this theme of cooperation from the pulpit, particularly as we think about how we work together with mission partners around the world to share the love of Christ.  Twelve percent of our undesignated offerings at Westwood go to cooperative missions, supporting ministry work locally through the Northstar Church Network, regionally through the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, and globally through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.  By cooperating with brothers and sisters in Christ here and around the world, you and I are able to accomplish more than we could do alone or in our particular congregation.  The Vision Council has been asked to evaluate our cooperative giving and they have appointed a team to review and report back to them.  My hope is that over these next several Sundays, you and I will come to have a better understanding of how we partner together with others for the cause of Christ, and that we will hear in fresh and powerful ways how God can use our resources to reach around the corner, and around the world with the transforming message of hope in Jesus Christ.

 

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we gather for Bible study and worship.  Invite a friend to join you.

 

Jim Abernathy