I love being a part of teams. As the old saying goes, “Want to go fast, go alone. Want to go far, go together.” I have found this saying to prove true (both on and off the field).
On the field, the examples are myriad. Yes, Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all time, but he didn’t win a title until Chicago had more Bulls in the stable. When their organization was well built top to bottom, they won 6 world championships in 8 years. Now, the OKC Thunder are in the midst of building a dynasty, but they are doing it by connecting all the pieces from the front office through their roster … not just giving multi-million dollar contracts to “stars” that never align. They are built to “go far” not just “win now.”
Off the field, we see this also with companies who are “built to last” not just sell a product. Companies that recognize and empower the giftedness of their employees are companies that attract and keep great talent and sustain growth over time. And even families … families who recognize and celebrate the contributions and unique gifting of all members seem to weather better the storms of life, and choose to be together, even when they don’t have to.
If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.
This principle is also true in the church. Jesus is building His church, and He is building it to function together. He created us as a team, placed strategically inside His Body so that we would partner together; leaning on and following Jesus, as we live for His glory. We may be able to be a part of some things on our own, but together as a church, we can do even more as we rely on His Spirit that is at work within us.
We partner together in many ways as a congregation … but one way in which we partner together is financially. We can give funds to help those in need, send missionaries to distant cultures, support Pastors in their work, and offer ministry to reach the lost and disciple the found in our community. But on occasion, we also can partner together to invest funds from this generation to build buildings that can be used for ministry that will impact generations to come.
This Sunday at Wildwood Community Church, in part 2 of our Deep + Wide series, we will look at Philippians 4:14-20 as we reflect more about how we can go far together by partnering financially for a gospel purpose. Hope to see you Sunday in our 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 service … and bring friends!