A missionary I met in India in 1999 described American Christians this way: They have huge heads – always seeking and soaking up more and more knowledge about God and the Bible. They have small hearts – despite all the knowledge there is very little love and compassion that reflects the heart of God and motivates them to care. And they have tiny feet – with little motivation to care, there is only a minimal amount of action that brings God’s love and life to the world.

As I heard this description I felt embarrassed. I knew there was plenty of truth in the simple description. However, did this accurately describe our church? Of course not! Here we were in the middle of India, ministering to those in desperate need of the hope of Jesus Christ. I wanted to believe that this description did not apply to us. We were better. We cared more. We walked the walk. But I knew the piercing truth. I am confident Wellspring cares and serves. We put heart and feet to what we believe. But, we are also a product of our culture. So, as the saying goes, if the shoe fits…

A couple years later I launched into a “redefining membership” teaching series by wearing a pair of huge red clown shoes. Wellspring was not going to have tiny feet. We had big shoes to fill and that meant we needed to grow some big feet. The bible refers to the church as the body of Christ, with Jesus being the head. He desires us to bring his hope and his kingdom to the world. If we are his body, not only do we need the feet, but each and every other part as well. Then the body of Christ can be complete, and the hope and ministry of the Lord can be accomplished.

I am excited about the body of Christ at Wellspring. So many are connected and serve in such wonderful ways. Within the church, outside the church, formally, informally, as large ministries, and as individuals the parts of the body are alive and active. At the same time, I recall the illustration of the American Christian and I think, “What parts of the body of Christ are not yet activated, not even identified, and missing the opportunity to be part of the mission of carrying the hope and love of God to others?”

It is very disheartening when I hear someone express that they've been at Wellspring for a year or two but really don’t know where or how to get connected or more involved. There are so many wonderful ministries and involved people. Yet, with about 1000 people who call Wellspring their home church, there are many more who still want to be more connected with the ministry of Wellspring.

This weekend, we will kick off a new series entitled Team Wellspring. Our desire is to lead Wellspring into an environment where each and every one can be an active part of the ministry. God has created all of us for meaning and purpose. We are not created to be an audience, to witness church. We are the church, each one active in his or her part. Remember, Wellspring is not looking for more people to build up the church. Rather, the church’s mission is to build up the people to take the Kingdom to the world around us.

We have a number of exciting things planned for this series. We invite you to join us in redefining the American Christian. Just imagine the impact of a 1000 member team, active and on-mission with the love and life of Christ. I look forward to seeing you this Saturday or Sunday as we launch Team Wellspring.