The SIAFU Guidebook

Appendix 147

2. What if people have a burden for the wrong thing?

Answer: Since we are committed to the Word of God, all proposed concerns will necessarily have to pass the test of being consistent with the revealed heart of God shown most clearly in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

3. How do you maintain unity in a church which organizes itself around such different burdens, emphases, and concerns?

Answer: Rather than undercutting unity, such a practice affirms the biblical principle of the equality, unity, and diversity of the members of the church. The SIAFU Network is anchored in churches and organizations where Christians are considered equal in importance and stature in the church. Our Chapters are diverse by virtue of the burdens, gifts, and callings of the many members within them. We build unity among our Chapter members as we affirm our single desire to glorify God by advancing the Kingdom and building up the body of Christ through its worship, works, and witness. A Chapter project team organized around a burden for ministry should wholeheartedly commit itself to the vision and mission of the entire Chapter and the church-at-large, not seeking to divide the Chapter or church, but to express its service as a representative of the Chapter itself. 4. Isn’t there a chance of undue favoritism or a “bandwagon” spirit – won’t some teams prosper and grow, while others, equally valid, shrink and even die? Answer: The life of a service group is a dynamic reality; no one can predict if the members of a church will coalesce around a particular burden or not, or whether God will give the same burden of ministry to a large number of people or not. The Spirit should be given freedom to work with the members to place on their hearts differing kinds of issues, concerns, or needs. As time goes on, and as members seek the Lord and leaders facilitate this process, God will give you insight into what needs you can and should meet. Some projects