City church unity doesn’t happen by accident. In fact, no long lasting good things ever really happen by accident. Nobody gets in shape by accident. Nobody becomes godly on accident. City church unity is no exception. The long road of love, pursuit and obedience to “be one” as Jesus and the Father are one doesn’t happen accidentally. Our Bridge Building Series is one small step in pursuing a unified church in the city of Tuscaloosa. Of course, unity is not predicated on uniformity. In fact, the pastors and leaders who have and will grace our Faith family all lead differently, pastor differently and may even have a few theological differences as well. Unity is grounded in our love for Jesus Christ and a commitment to the city God has placed us in. Unity is hard, but it is necessary for the church to be all she was made to be. This weekend we welcome Jimmy Bowers to the Vineyard tribe. Jimmy is the Tuscaloosa campus pastor for Church of the Highlands. His passion for people and more importantly his love for Jesus is what drives everything he does. Church of the Highlands is considered not only one of the fastest growing churches in America, but also one of the largest. Their commitment to Jesus and His people are inspiring. We are grateful God has put them in our city!
Last week, as Jimmy and I shared a cup of coffee, all I heard from his heart was a passion for citywide change through the power of Jesus. Humble, passionate, intentional, and gracious are just a few adjectives to describe this guy. And good looking. Yep. He’s like a GQ model who loves Jesus.
Come to Vineyard this coming weekend and make your confession that God is bigger than any one church—He is the God of our city. We’re going to welcome Jimmy to the stage and trust that God is uniting his church for His glory.
