What can you bring to the table?
As a ½ St Helenian Island girl, with a chef for a Father, growing up was all about big family mealtimes! When the family all got together, everyone would bring something for the table – I felt like a kid on Christmas Day every single time! Curry goat, fish cakes, spicy tomato dip… a roast dinner, with all the trimmings…. All on one table! So much choice, so many different flavours, so many incredible smells… I can practically taste them!
Around 8 years ago, we were beginning to navigate how we were going to plant One Church Keynsham, our Tots and community groups were full to the brim… It was nearly time to get an Encounter Service launched. We had a team of 9 wonderfully brave members of OC Bristol that said they were courageous enough to come on this adventure with us! We began meeting, dreaming, planning and PRAYING into how on earth we’d get there!
One sunny evening, Pastor Simon met us in a pub garden by the river with our OC Keynsham Launch team, to hear our hearts, plans, challenges and dreams and to offer up those absolutely golden nuggets of wisdom and grow us a little bigger, as he’s famous for doing! I can vividly remember telling him that, even though I knew Jesus can do ALL things through us, planting church, making it all happen EVERY Sunday… felt very daunting with such a small team, all with jobs, families, commitments and a lot of inexperience.
Simon sat back, took off his cap, set it on the middle of the table, took his keys from his pockets and said to us… ‘What can you bring to the table to make this work?’ Then, there was that awkward silence whilst he waited for us to answer. I looked up and said… ‘I can build family…’ Simon then threw his keys into the hat, and then said – ‘There’s the first thing…’
One by one, the team began to bring what they felt that they could bring to the table…
- Worship
- Kids Leading
- Tech Genius
- Administration
- Outreach
- The prophetic
- Hospitality
Before we knew it, that table was full of the potential not only to explore a Sunday Service, but we could really give this a go! So many different flavours, dishes, smells, tastes! What can you bring to the table?
Simon then encouraged us to bring what we have, no more, no less, and give it to Jesus. 8 years later, we are not just a Launch Team, or exploring to plant, or a plant, or a team of 11 anymore… We are a thriving community, we are family, we are One Church Keynsham… and our table has more dishes, cuisines, flavours then I could ever have even dreamt or imagined!
This month Chris and I began our next adventure… Location Pastors for not only OC Keynsham, but also… OC Bristol, and I find myself asking all over again… ‘So, what can I bring to the table?’
When we step up as leaders, or take on a new adventure, it can be really easy to ask that question, what do you bring? What is that flavour, that dish, that you can add to the table of your family, your church, your workplace, your street?
Firstly – Bring what you have… no more, no less, and give it to Jesus
The bible says in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“
This verse never ceases to encourage me. God has gone before us, he’s made plans, designs, he’s prepared in advance a special dish for me to bring to my world so others may get to come to His table and take part in the feast.
Secondly – You can’t bring what you don’t have
Don’t try to bring something you’re not. Sometimes it’s easy to look at what others are bringing, their gift, their flavour, and begin to feel discouraged or doubt what you can bring- but the bible says in 1 Corinthians 12:5-6: “There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”
Bring what God has designed You to bring to the table – bring your unique flavour that God has masterfully designed especially for YOU.
Lastly – Don’t bring your ‘self’ to the table, it’s not about YOU
There have been times in my life where I have brought a bitter tasting dish to the table, my weaknesses, insecurities and even my bad attitudes. There have been times where I have thought that I know best, or have pushed my own agendas. But the bible says in Romans 12:3: “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”
Paul begins Romans 12 by encouraging the church in Rome to lay down our ‘selves’ and offer up everything to and for God – Don’t bring your ‘self’ to the table, surrender to Jesus, He’s cooking up something special in you to bring to your world.
There are so many dishes, cuisines, flavours and tastes that you can bring to the table, that Jesus can use to do incredible things…
Bring it to His table, no more, no less… and give it to Him.
Let’s get cooking!
Ps Ana Williams