As family...

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. – Paul to the Phillipi Church family

I am excited what God has in store for you and I when He brings us together in PURPOSE. When Paul introduced his letter to the Philippi Church the word “’partnership’ in the gospel” mean “koinonia”. You know what this word means. Koinonia means fellowship, doing life together, and is ultimately fleshed out as doing life as family in PURPOSE (also see Phil 1:7, 14-19, 27; 2:22, 25; 3:17, 4:15, 30).

As family, Paul urges to have Koinonia WITH a purpose; the family of God making the Gospel known in our world TODAY. As you may know, the Gospel is MORE receptive and received to those under the age of 21 as:

• 80% of people who receive Jesus as their Lord and personal Savior are before the age of 18.
• 2/3 of all vocational pastors, leaders, and Kingdom workers receive the call of God in their teenage years; usually at a camp or a conference.
• 90% of all people who receive Jesus as their Lord and personal Savior happen before the age of 21.

Therefore, it is imperative to partner together - as the family of God - to make the Gospel known to the next generation. What would it look like if you and I partnered together for the sake of the Gospel to the next generation? What would the next generation of Church look like if were partners in the gospel? For Paul, it was:

• Praying for each other (v.3-4) – Paul continued to pray for his friends in Philippi. Who are you praying for? Who is praying for you? Koinonia is prayer... 
• Supporting one another (v.5) – Paul continued to have ongoing support; financial, relational, and emotional support from the Phillipi Church. The NT Church KNEW it took money, resources, and people to advance the Gospel. Could we do the same? Together? As family? Koinonia is missional... 
• Ongoing friendship (v.6) – Paul knew the “good work” in people WAS the Gospel working in and through his friends. The “good work” in you and me is to advance the Gospel. Koinonia is purposeful.. 

So, as friends, lets partner together for the next generation of Church as Paul did with the Phillipi Church. There are great days ahead as we do “Koinonia” together.