Book samples The Vine Project (Contents and Introduction) | Page 19

going to meet initially, and for how long each time? At what pace
do you want to work through each phase? We’ve put together a
suggested plan of attack (at the end of the next chapter), but feel
free to modify this according to your circumstances.
And finally, to make best use of this book, and to answer the
Big Question most effectively for your own context, keep bathing
the whole process in prayer. We’ll keep reminding you about this
at various points, because we strongly suspect that you’re like
us and every Christian leader we’ve ever known—prayer gets
squeezed out by the pressures and busyness of church life. All
Christian ministry, including the project on which we’re about to
embark, should take its cue from Paul’s summary of his ministry
in Colossians 1:28-29:
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching
everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone
mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his
energy that he powerfully works within me.

We need to keep praying for Christ’s energy to work powerfully
within us, for his Spirit to guide us as we think and plan, and for
God to give the growth as we devise new ways of planting and
watering.

Review copy—not for distribution.

THE BI G Q U EST ION

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