CHAPTER HEALTH |
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08βͺSEPTEMBER 2023βͺshop . cmausa . org |
By STEVE Brackeen
I am going to talk about chapter health this month . I want to start by saying we all have a few things in common : We all love Jesus Christ and the ministry of CMA . Having those things in common is a great starting place . We must focus on the four elements of a healthy chapter : Prayer , Fellowship , Evangelism , and Discipleship . I am going to focus on fellowship in this article .
I will start with the things that should not matter in a local chapter , such as what brand of motorcycle we ride . We tease each other in fun , but we should always keep this from becoming a source of division or tension in our chapters . Another subject that should never cause tension in our chapters is who we are called to minister to , whether to the clubs or the familyfriendly events . The truth is both need Jesus , and it takes all of us to reach the lost . I have observed chapters try to encourage their members to minister to a specific motorcycle group because that is where the president has been called . I have also witnessed a president say that you were in the wrong place if you were not in CMA for the ministry aspect .
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I want to share a page out of my life . I did not join CMA for the ministry ; I joined because I wanted to ride motorcycles with Christians . Once , I was in a chapter , Lynn and I were asked to attend an event with other chapter members . We were told we didn β t have to do anything at the event ; we just had to participate and observe what happened . We saw some amazing ministry take place that day . Needless to say , when we left , we were not only members of CMA , but we were also involved in the ministry of CMA , and our lives have never been the same . Praise God !
I believe a large part of a healthy chapter is to really care about your fellow members . Do fun activities together , such as chapter rides to dinner or ice cream , but getting involved in each other β s lives is even more important than that . Know the names of chapter members β children and their families . Find out what you have in common and be genuinely interested in what is going on in their personal lives . We need to be there for each other in times of need , help each other through life β s tough times , and enjoy the good times in life . In our daughter and son-in-law β s chapter ,
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they go to the birthday parties of each other β s children and spend the Fourth of July together .
If we are going to have a truly healthy chapter , we must be a family and be involved in each other β s lives . So , if you don β t know your fellow chapter members , there is no time like the present . Have monthly fellowships and get to know each other . And remember , don β t let the small things drive a wedge between us as brothers and sisters in Christ . Let β s keep the main thing the main thing , telling people about Jesus and having fun with each other while we do it . Let β s make a positive difference in our chapters , and we will be amazed at how God will continue to use us changing the world , one heart at a time . CMA
Steve and Lynn Brackeen oversee the South Central Region as National Evangelist .
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