God has always been drawn to emptiness. Much of the church is not drawn to emptiness but contentment in its own comfort and security in its fullness. We are overfed and under exercised. God has no problem with fullness but it is not an end in itself. Our fullness is for the benefit of someone else's emptiness. To be full of the Spirit, love joy and peace is good but if it is not being poured into someone else's lack of love, joy and peace then it is not so good.

We have been blessed from the overflow that came from the fullness of Christ. The ultimate act of fullness was the cross when Christ emptied himself of himself that you might be full to an overflow. Christ has found you that you might find others who are lost. Philip found Nathaniel and Andrew found Peter. The final analysis between the sheep and the goats before the judgment seat of Christ will be:

· Did your fullness of food feed the hungry?

· Did your fullness of drink quench the thirsty?

· Did your fullness of clothing cover the naked?

· Did your fullness of joy accept the stranger?

· Did your fullness of love visit the prisoner?

If all we do is overflow to each other we become blessed just to get more blessing and the church becomes a mutual society instead of a society that blesses. When you understand that God is drawn to emptiness you look at emptiness differently. Empty chairs cry out to be filled. An empty chair is not something to look over but respond to from the fullness that we have received to find someone. My home is furnished not just for my family but also for those who visit. My home is not just for me but also for those who come in. Fullness can keep people away. The widow's jar was kept full when she kept emptying it out. When she stopped pouring it out God stopped filling it up. To create a Saturday evening service filled with praise, worship and prayer is part of our future but it is empty right now.

Small groups can make the church or break it. We have had small groups who have invited people already full. Small groups need to look for the empty and pour themselves into emptiness. One plows, another plants, another waters but only God makes it grow. This is not an excuse for inactivity. God can only grow what you plant and water. What we plant in small groups has to be from the fullness of who we are to the emptiness of people's lives.

God is not working for the church, around the church or near the church. He is working with the church. 'With' means partnership. The core of our church is called into partnership together with God. We are not called, salt, light, yeast and ambassadors for nothing. Who are you pouring yourself into right now? Rain waters the seed. If you are praying for the rain it will water what you have planted. What God does from heaven will only benefit those who have planted something. The rain of the Holy Spirit will grow what you put in the ground. If people are fearful because of world events and weather systems they will turn to churches that have planted hope.

During the London terrorist bombing this year those who survived said people who were dying cried out to God. It was the same thing on September 11th. In crisis people have an awareness of God but not an awareness of the church. When the unchurched think of God they do not think of church. The God of heaven has no earthly address. The church is God's address on earth. The church is people not the building, denomination or organization. Increase and multiplication grow from the people who pour out not the service that entertains. God added to the early church 'daily' because it tells us in Acts that they 'should' be saved. God added people to people. God adds to who we are not what we do. The unchurched will turn to you as a person because you are the only church they know and the nearest thing to God. When someone goes through a bad divorce they will ask their mom to do the laundry, a sibling for a room to stay, their friends for company but they will ask you to pray because you are the nearest thing they know that is God's address.

There is a deception that evangelism is association. If I send money to a missionary or another ministry it does not mean to say I am actually reaching people. My older sibling is fit and able to play soccer. This does not mean that just because he can run around for 90 minutes I can too just because he is my brother. If some people in the church are reaching others it does not mean to say you are. The disciples thought they were the crowd pullers until Christ was crucified and they were stuck between Passover and Pentecost. (Example of picking someone up then dropping your hands) Not everyone who is touching the burden can is actually carrying the burden. The consequence to this is:

· Reaching people is seen as a specialist work when it is everyone's work

· Reaching the empty is a burnout ministry because only a few do it

Influence is essentially non-relational but evangelism is totally relational. Influence is scattering seed but evangelism is planting seed. Influence is broadcasting but evangelism is a personal conversation. There will be many people in hell who have been influenced but never made a decision. Influence without evangelism is just social work and acts of kindness without God. Influence without evangelism is like feeding 5000 without knowing Christ.

Christ did not come with a feeding program alone but the bread of life. The church must never provide feeding, clothing, educational, rehabilitation programs without Christ. The hand that helps must have the other hand touching Christ. The only people Christ used to feed 5000 were the hands that touched him so he was communicated. He did not subcontract out. Your relationship to the empty is the key to connecting with the church. I want our community to know who is touching them and why. Shepherds do not produce sheep but sheep produce lambs that become mature sheep.

Church growth is our culture not structure Culture is defined as values that shape society. The culture we have comes from what we value. Our values:

· Christ centered

· Growth oriented

· Family focused

· Visionary leadership

· Effective

· Excellence

This describes a culture not a structure. Structure of the church serves the culture of the church because the life is in what we value. We make appeals in the service for people to come to Christ. But an 'appeal' culture can only work in a 'bringing' culture or there is no one to appeal to. In the church I grew up in the pastor had a Gospel service in the evening and made an appeal but no one came forward because no one had taken the time to bring someone. We had a Gospel Service culture without true evangelism. The church gave nothing to the pastor to appeal to or partner with. We tried to achieve by structure what can only be achieved by culture.

I believe in our church, it's people, are ready for an incredible increase and multiplication as we launch out a new season of small groups with intension - watch this space!