Hello church family. My name is Andy Villanueva, and I have the privilege of leading the Literature Evangelism department here at the Southern California Conference.
I've been with SCC for four months. During this time, I've enjoyed working on various Literature Evangelism initiatives while collaborating with churches and schools within our conference.
During my time at the Southern California Conference, I have been exposed to the various core values, and the one I want to talk to you about today is Relationships & Team. The core value reads: “We value relationships and are unapologetic in our love. We are committed to honoring each other’s gifts, talents, and strengths to accomplish Christ’s mission.”
When I think about relationships and teams, I think of an orchestra, which is composed of people and various sections.
There is a quote in Desire of Ages that I am reminded of. It reads: “It is His plan that every part of His work shall depend on every other part, as a wheel within a wheel, all acting in harmony.” When I think about relationships and teams, I think of an orchestra, which is composed of people and various sections. In an orchestra, each musician has a role to play. They spend countless hours practicing and honing their craft to create the best possible music. In an orchestra, each musician plays their part harmoniously with the others to play beautiful, unified music together. One significant role is that of the conductor. Their job is to bring a unified vision to the music and bring all the musicians together. The conductor guides them toward the common goal of creating beautiful music.
Similarly, the church, you and I, are called to build healthy relations that make up strong teams. As a conference, we have various gifts and talents that we are called to use to serve God and others. We are also called to practice our faith and be diligent in our desire to grow in our Christian life. We are called to work together in harmony and cooperation to build up the church and serve the world. Jesus is the head of the church, and He journeys with us in a relationship with Himself and others in sharing the beautiful, melodic message of salvation to all.
As we unite and work together, and under the direction of Jesus, we can have a kingdom impact in our Southern California Conference territory.
In an orchestra, musicians collaborate to create beautiful music. Likewise, Christians unite under one purpose: Jesus. As Christians, we were created for relationships with God and one another. Testimonies to the Church says, “If Christians were to act in concert, moving forward as one, under the direction of one Power, for the accomplishment of one purpose, they would move the world.” What a powerful statement and promise for us that as we unite and work together, and under the direction of Jesus, we can have a kingdom impact in our Southern California Conference territory. How can your team's unique strengths and talents be harnessed to create a lasting impact? What role can you play in contributing to the church's larger purpose? May God bless you and me as we continue to build wholesome relationships and strong teams that move the world.
