Isaiah 40:7-8 was one of my first memory verses.  The teacher I learned it from was teaching on the inspiration and infallibility of Scripture.  Isaiah 40:7-8 remains one of my all time favorite scriptures to this day. "The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it.  Surely the people are grass.  The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." The older I get, and the longer I serve in ministry, the greater the value I place on this timeless truth.

A recent "Leadership Journal" article on church conflict reported that 95% of churches in America today experience conflict.  Church planting and church health statistics show that somewhere between 3,500 and 4,000 churches close their doors every year never to reopen again.    Most denominations in America have more empty pulpits than they have pastors to fill them.  One leader in a different movement recently told me that 87% of pulpits in his denomination have no permanent pastor.  Research by the Alban Research Institute indicate that the greatest opportunity for church splits is at the end of a building campaign.  A Southern Baptist Church Consultant recently wrote about his experience in intervening into church conflicts.  "It seemed to me that the majority of church spats and splits had more to do with the color of the carpet in the sanctuary than Scriptural doctrine or church mission.

My point is this.  Somethings are temporary.  Other things are permanent.  According to Isaiah certain things in life have a short life-span.  In fact, most things in life are temporary.  Presidents and govermental administrations term out, people move away, styles and fashion vary, church architecture changes, humor is diverse, and cultural society is continually morphing.  The truth is, these things have little or no eternal value.  Yet these are the issues that so often split congregations, close churches, and force pastors out of the ministry.  A church driven by the personal prefrences and tastes of individuals or small groups in a congregation are high risk ministries because they are built on the weak foundation of temporary, short-sighted traditions and tastes.

After Isaiah glances at temporary personal issues, he focuses in on the one thing we know will never change...the Word of God.  Churches that cling to the eternal value of God's principles are churches that will stand the test of time.  A ministry based on values and principles that are founded by God's word will be established as a kingdom building church for decades, and even centuries to come!  Hillcrest Community Church has embraced principles that are undergirded by Scriptural precepts.  We call them our core values.  For instance, the Bible is clear in Ephesians 4:11-12 that a church must be team oriented.  The pastors of the church should release people to use their gifts to build the kingdom of God.  The Bible is clear that the church must effectively communicate the gospel of salvation, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with every creature.  The Bible says it is the job of the church to make disciples, teaching people the things we heard Jesus teach.  The Bible does not say we should worship God with acapella songs, or elequent prayers.  It says to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth!  Christians are to passionately worship God.  Through Scriptures we see that Jesus didn't value one generation over another.  He held the children on his lap in one text, and healed Peter's mother-in-law in another.  Jesus is an intergenerational God, and we must be an intergenerational ministry.  Paul planted churches throughout the middle-east, and sent missionaries throughout the world.

Team ministry (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11-12), Dynamic Discipleship (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:20-24, and 2 Peter 1:5-8), effective evangelism (Acts 2:40-47), experiential worship (Mark 12:30; John 4), Intergenerational Ministry (Titus 2), Church Planting (2 Corinthians 8:1-5); Global Missions (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18) - these are the core values that define the ministry of Hillcrest Community Church.  They transcend time, outlast cultural contexts, and preclude personal preferences and tastes.  They are principles found in God's Word and they have eternal value for kingdom building churches. They are the standards by which we make decisions for the direction of the church.

So let's rally around the principles of God's Word as we serve God, reach our community, and look to the future.  Let's be a church that's not distracted by preference and taste.  Let's be a ministry driven to fullfill God word.  It's the only valid and solid foundation for a long-lasting work.

"The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it.  Surely the people are grass.  The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:7-8)