As we step into our third year at Parkway, I find myself both grateful and expectant. When we first arrived, we talked about a simple mission that would shape everything we do here: making lifelong disciples of Jesus by loving, growing, and going. Those three words were not meant to be slogans. They were meant to become a rhythm for our church family.

Year One – Marked By Love

Year one was marked by love. We learned names, stories, and histories. You welcomed us with open arms, and we learned very quickly that Southern hospitality is not a myth. You discovered that not everyone from New York is as intimidating as their reputation, and I discovered that almost anything can be fried and washed down with sweet tea. More than that, we learned how to love one another as family.

Year Two – Season of Growth

Year two was a season of growth. Together, we committed to reading through the entire Bible. For many, it was the first time they had ever done that. It was stretching, challenging, and deeply rewarding. Conversations deepened. Faith matured. Our understanding of Christ grew richer and more beautiful. God used that season to root us more firmly in His Word.

Year Three – It Is Time To Go

Now we enter year three, and it feels clear that it is time to go. From the beginning, Parkway has carried a burden for the lost in our community. I remember hearing in my interview that this church sits on a hill, called to be a light that cannot be hidden. That image has stayed with me. This year, we are launching what we are calling The One Campaign. It is simple, but it is intentional. One person. Someone close to you. Someone far from Christ. Someone you will pray for daily, reach out to weekly, and spend intentional time with monthly. Not as a project, but as a person you love.

The Calling

That calling is rooted deeply in Luke 15. The chapter opens with a moment of tension. Tax collectors and sinners are drawing near to Jesus. They are not watching from a distance. They are leaning in. The people most pushed aside by religious society felt safe in His presence. At the same time, the Pharisees and scribes are grumbling. They are offended that Jesus receives sinners and eats with them. In the first century, sharing a meal was an act of acceptance. The religious leaders believed holiness was preserved by separation. Jesus reveals that holiness moves toward brokenness to restore it.

Luke consistently shows us this side of Jesus. He is the Savior who seeks outsiders and welcomes the lost. As scholar Darrell Bock notes, Luke 15 is not ultimately about the value of the sheep but about the gracious initiative of the shepherd. Jesus tells this parable to defend His mission and to reveal the heart of God. Something is lost. Someone searches. Joy erupts when restoration happens. This is not a lesson in evangelism technique. It is a revelation of who God is.

So That They Might Be Changed

Jesus welcomes sinners without denying their sin. He does not clean them up before receiving them. He receives them so that they might be changed. That is the scandal of grace. The issue was never Jesus’ behavior. It was the hardened hearts of those who believed righteousness was measured by distance from broken people. As Joel Green writes, God’s holiness is not compromised by proximity to sinners but expressed through redemptive compassion.

The parable itself is striking. A shepherd loses one sheep and goes after it until he finds it. To modern readers, leaving ninety nine can sound reckless, but first century listeners would have understood that shepherds often worked together. The shock of the story is not irresponsibility but priority. Loss is not accepted as normal. The shepherd acts. He pursues. He persists.

This is more than a picture of evangelism. It is a picture of incarnation. God does not shout directions from heaven. He comes. In Christ, God steps into the brokenness of our world to bring us home. John Calvin once wrote that there is no reason to despair because Christ is willing to take so much trouble in seeking us. The sheep contributes nothing to its rescue. The shepherd bears the full cost. At the cross, Jesus becomes the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for wandering sheep.

When the sheep is found, the shepherd does not scold it. He rejoices. He lifts it onto his shoulders and calls others to celebrate. Jesus explains that heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents. Repentance is not a loss. It is restoration. Salvation reshapes communities because joy multiplies when grace is experienced.

Mission Fuels Discipleship

This is why mission fuels discipleship. When we see God save someone, our faith grows. Our worship deepens. Our obedience strengthens. The One Campaign is not about numbers or pressure. It is about joy. It is about aligning our hearts with heaven’s celebration. We pray because God changes hearts. We reach out because love requires presence. We spend time together because the gospel travels best through relationship. We do not save anyone. We point them to the Shepherd.

I once heard a story about a family who set an extra chair at their holiday table every year. It was not for a guest who was expected. It was for a son who had walked away. Year after year, the chair remained empty. No arguments. No guilt. Just a quiet invitation that said there was still room. One year, he came. Not because he had everything figured out, but because he knew there was still a place where he belonged.

That is Luke 15. Heaven always sets the extra chair. Grace moves first. Many of us are here today because someone left space for us. A praying grandparent. A faithful friend. A patient coworker. They did not argue us into the kingdom. They loved us home.

Some chairs will stay empty for a long time. That does not mean faithfulness has failed. Love is measured by obedience, not speed. The invitation still stands. So choose one name. Not a problem to fix, but a person to love. Set the chair. Trust the Shepherd. The God who came looking for you is still bringing people home.