{"id":4217,"date":"2018-01-22T16:58:56","date_gmt":"2018-01-22T16:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/journeyonleadership.brentwoodbaptistonline.com\/?p=4217"},"modified":"2018-01-22T16:58:56","modified_gmt":"2018-01-22T16:58:56","slug":"life-groups-living-mission-charlie-coffey-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadership.brentwoodbaptist.com\/adult-discipleship\/life-groups-living-mission-charlie-coffey-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"LIFE Groups Living on Mission: Charlie Coffey Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Paul Wilkinson<\/address>\n

As disciples of Jesus, we are called to live on mission with Jesus. At least once a month (or as frequently as is possible so send me stories!), I want to share stories of LIFE Groups living on mission with Jesus. May we be perpetually living into the \u201cGood works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.\u201d (Ephesians 2:10) Read, pray over, and meditate upon Charlie Coffey\u2019s story with Cul2vate<\/strong>; how he leverages a hobby and passion for the sake of the Gospel:<\/em><\/p>\n

I have been associated with Cul2vate for over two years now. I first met Joey Langford 3.5\u00a0years ago in the BBC Missions Garden; at that time, Joey was still on mission in South Africa. We chatted about his goal of wanting to come back to the USA and initiate\u00a0a Cul2vate Program in the Greater Nashville Area. I shared with him my gardening history and my dreams\/desires of having a \u201cmore missions-focused approach\u201d future for the BBC Gardens<\/strong>. Well, as we could say about Joey and his Cul2vate ministry….”the rest is history.”
\nI count myself fortunate to now be a volunteer with Cul2vate. Since that first meeting 3.5 years ago, I have retired and have more time to give. I have been active in gardening since a youngster. Both my mother and father were gardeners and they helped to create in me a love for working with my hands and raising\/harvesting fresh vegetables<\/strong>. I not only love to grow fresh vegetables but, since retirement, have the additional time to plan and plant on a much larger scale (1\/4 acre to almost 5 acres).\u00a0Additionally, my science\u00a0“genes”\u00a0love to experiment with new growing techniques and new vegetable varieties<\/strong>. To grow\u00a0fresh food and then be able to “give it away” to others who do not have sufficient fresh vegetables is a very rewarding yet humbling experience. It is more than just giving my money to help another, but it is knowing that in those vegetables, I am giving away apart of myself (my time and energy) to assist others<\/u><\/strong>.
\nBut . . . there is more! For those times that I am able to volunteer down on the Farm, Cul2vate trainees are always present. These individuals are learning how to “garden.” More importantly, they are needing someone to interact in their lives . . . someone to love on them. As I go about my assigned gardening duties, I have the opportunity to “community” with these trainees. “Community” occurs as we work together, eat together, and share life together<\/u><\/em>. I have\u00a0nearly 50 years of adult life experiences to share with these guys. We may or may not have similar backgrounds but we are able to share “current life” together<\/strong>. At the end of\u00a0each day, I realize that I received much more than I was able to give.
\nSharing life together with someone is an essential component in a Christian’s participation in the Great Commission. As Pastor Mike\u00a0encouraged us just a few Sundays ago, “If\u00a0all of your interactions and community are\u00a0with other Christian friends . . . then . . . initiate interactions and friendships with non-Christians.\u201d Although I’m not an avid reader, I have just recently read two things that have made an impact on my thinking<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Example is everything when\u00a0sharing new concepts\u00a0with others.\u00a0We can talk, explain, discuss topics, but for the optimal impact one needs to “example” the concepts before them<\/strong>. At the farm, I example\u00a0life before these guys. They then have to connect the dots.<\/li>\n
  2. We are well aware that the Apostle Paul reminded individual Christians that through Jesus Christ\u00a0we become members of a royal priesthood. What we sometimes forget is that the role of\u00a0a priest is to represent Christ before the people and provide a conduit to and\u00a0represent the people before Christ<\/strong>. What\u00a0better\u00a0concept of being a priest\u00a0than being an example of Christ to these guys and then providing a relationship\/friendship that\u00a0offers a conduit to an initial relationship or a deeper relationship to Christ.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I would challenge the “mature\/retired” adults at BBC to look for opportunities and regularly volunteer to be “examples” and “priests” to lost friends in our community.
    \n(Charlie Coffey is a member of the In-Betweeners Sunday AM LIFE Group.)<\/em>
    \n 
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