Chapter Health
By JAY Wilber
HOW DO YOU DEFINE A
HEALTHY CHAPTER?
WE
seem to struggle with the
term Healthy Chapter.
Many of us have ideas what a
healthy chapter looks like. Some
people feel a chapter is healthy if
it’s busy, some say it’s healthy if it’s
growing, and some say it’s healthy
if there are no problems. I’m not
sure we have very many chapters
without problems. Each of these
thoughts are good, but if we aren’t
united in all that we do we are not
truly healthy.
“Make every effort to keep yourselves
united in the Spirit, binding
yourselves together with peace”
(Ephesians 4:3, NLT).
As I read this scripture, I thought
about the chapter I was in when
Jane and I first joined CMA. We
were united in our mission to minister
to the motorcycling community
and to each other. There was no
question in our minds that we were
a healthy chapter because we
understood why we existed. I
remember one member who never
wanted to be in charge of any
event but would do anything that
was asked of him. He told me it
was more important to him to be
part of the chapter as a whole than
to be recognized as one who was
responsible for getting the job
done. The reality was most of the
members felt the same.
As time went on, I started to see
some cracks in our unity. People
started thinking of themselves versus
the chapter and mission we
were called to do. At first it was a
few things, then bigger things, and
finally total division. We lost sight
of our purpose.
One Body with Many Parts
“The human body has many parts,
but the many parts make up one
whole body. So, it is with the body
of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12, NLT).
We lost our identity trying to find
our individual identity. We lost what
we had when we started looking at
ourselves rather than each other. A
healthy chapter is not made up of
all stars, it’s made up of servants.
When we lose our servant’s heart
and stop serving each other, we
can no longer serve the lost.
“He makes the whole body fit
together perfectly. As each part
does its own special work, it helps
the other parts grow, so that the
whole body is healthy and growing
and full of love” (Ephesians 4:16,
NLT).
So that the whole body is
healthy! See, it’s not just about
being a healthy chapter it’s about
being a healthy body of Christ.
During this time of 2020, when the
enemy wants to divide us, he wants
us to think only of ourselves and
not each other. He wants us to take
stands that divide not unite. He
wants us to ignore feelings of fear
in our members’ hearts. He wants
to use social distancing as a way to
distance ourselves from each other
and from God.
We need to make sure we consider
each other the same way we
would look at our own body parts.
Not one of us would want to lose
any of our body parts. We need to
look at our chapter members the
same way. A healthy chapter
understands the need for each
other and why each part is important.
We need to love one another
as Christ loves us. We need to be
patient and kind, we need to be
compassionate and extend grace.
We need to be united.
In closing I want to leave you
with a final verse.
Divisions in the Church
“I appeal to you, dear brothers and
sisters, by the authority of our Lord
Jesus Christ, to live in harmony
with each other. Let there be no
divisions in the church. Rather, be
of one mind, united in thought and
purpose” (1 Corinthians 1:10, NLT).
WE are ONE. One family, one
mission.
WE are one Healthy Chapter. CMA
Jay and Jane Wilber oversee
the Rocky Mountain Region
as National Evangelist.
23⎪SEPTEMBER 2020⎪www.cmausa.org