Steve is not a dweeb. Most of the time.
Pastor Steve’s Full Blog Posts
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Running Through Kindness
“I’m too busy to be compassionate”Compassion requires less time than consideration
The thought to pick up socks for the needy when buying clothes
The thought to keep breakfast bars in one’s car
The thought to give away clothes instead of throwing
The thought to speak a kind word instead of harsh
The thought to step toward instead of away
The thought to smile and listen instead of turn away and ignoreBut speedy compassion changes no one
It is only love in the short termOpportunity for change only occurs in long words:
Patience
Endurance
Longsuffering(Long in time, not letters)Opportunity is found in creating new contexts
in which another might thrive.
Opportunity is found in seeing the positive change
(and diminishing the enduring negatives)
Opportunity is found in the trusting, sacrificial welcome
Slow and steady wins the race
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Simplicity: Lessons From the Homeless
The other day I was talking to my friend Dave. He’s known as Montana Dave because, I guess, he came from Montana originally, but there are a few of the guys who I know were raised in Montana, but they don’t get the nickname “Montana.” On the other hand, there’s a number of Daves or Davids around, so I suppose he needed some kind of nickname and Montana suits him just fine.I think of him as “Mountain Man” myself because he’s a rugged guy and prefers to live on his own, out in the wilderness. He makes regular trips into town to get food and other supplies if he needs it, and, I think, to just talk to people for a while because it gets lonely to just talk to yourself and you always say the same things back. But he doesn’t stay in town for long.
So Dave and I were talking and I asked him, “How do you stay out there? Why do you stay out there? Do you really want to live apart from everyone? It can’t be easy.”
Dave took his hat off for a moment and looked me in the eye and asked, “Do you really want to know?”
I got the sense that he was going to tell me an earful, so I steeled myself up for a lesson and said, “Sure. Yeah, I do.”
Dave didn’t say a word. He reached into his pack, took out his bag, laid out a paper, but some tobacco on it, licked it and rolled it up. Only after he lit his smoke he said, “I go to the library, you know. And I see there that there’s a number of books on simplicity. I’ve looked at them and read what they have to say, just for a laugh. These people don’t understand simplicity any better than that fellah Thoreau did. And I don’t blame them. Real simplicity is hard. I’d say that for most of us, if we were going to learn real simplicity, we have to be forced into it. Being homeless is a good start to really learning priorities.”
“Well,” I chuckled. “Not everyone on the street is simple. What about April who got a boyfriend just so he could carry her bags and boxes around town? What about Andrew who filled his car with crap and then piled tubs and bikes on top of his car until it almost fell over?”
Dave laughed loudly and shook his head. “Well, those folks are special, if you know what I mean. I’m certainly not saying that all the homeless are simple. But I bet you that April is carrying around a lot less than the piles of stuff she had when she had her own apartment. But I agree, they are still focused on stuff, and that’s a problem if you are on the street. You know Tim and Sam? Sam was forced out of her apartment and she was going to live on the street with Tim. One guy… I can’t remember his name… made a big pile of things that Sam would ‘need’ when she got on the street. When Tim got back to help Sam, she showed him the pile and he gazed over the pile and laughed. ‘You think that we’re going to be carrying this huge pile all over the city? When you’re homeless,’ he told her, ‘Everything you need has got to fit in or on one backpack.’ Then he started pulling out the things she really needed that could fit in the backpack he brought.
“And he’s right, you know. If you leave anything in your camp you are just asking for people to rake through it and take what they like. The first step of simplicity is being forced to give up on everything, everything except what you need that day. People who write books like that in the library still have rooms, even houses, full of stuff they ‘need.’ That’s not simplicity. At least that’s too complicated for me. You say that prayer, don’t you? What’s the part about bread?” “Give us this day our daily bread,” I recited.
“Right. Daily. Not tomorrow. Just today. God doesn’t really want us to think about tomorrow. That doesn’t mean I don’t plan. I build my cabin, and it takes time and preparation. And I come into town to get some food from you sometimes. But I don’t worry about tomorrow or what I will have or not have. I think after my wife left me and I had to live on the street, one of the happiest things I ever did was to cancel my insurance policies. That’s a lot of tomorrows I don’t have to worry about anymore.”
I hesitated, “But if you don’t prepare for tomorrow, how do you care for yourself? Don’t you starve?”
Dave chuckled as he said, “Well, I’ve gotten pretty hungry sometimes. I suppose that’s those are the times I walk over to see you. But for the most part I don’t save anything for the future. I might think about how I’ll store some things so the raccoons and cougars won’t get them, so I can still wake up in the morning. But for the most part, I just wake up and see what’s available. I don’t think about ‘what if I can’t eat.’ I guess if I don’t eat, then I don’t eat. But almost all the time it works out. If it doesn’t, and I’m stuck, then I pray.”
“Huh,” I grunted. “I didn’t think of you as a praying man.”
“Why? Because I don’t attend your services? I don’t know that I need to bother God with my questions all the time. I do stop in on occasion to give him a thank you… but generally I pray only when I really need to.”
“And when is that?”
“Last winter I was in my cabin and I got snowed in. I had wood for fuel, but if I lit it I was taking a chance on burning my whole house down. I took my shovel,” he pulls out his portable spade from the outside of his pack and unfolds it, “which is one of my essential tools, I’ll tell you. Anyway, I took this shovel and dig through the snow. It took me three days. I’m surprised I didn’t get frostbite. I’ll tell you, I prayed up a storm on those days. And He saw me through. And at the end, when I got to the church, you were open and warm and there were ninety people here, but there was some warm soup. I gave an extra thanks to God that day.” “So, basically, simplicity is only getting what you need that day and trusting God for the rest?”
“Well, it’s a bit more than that. After all, I don’t live out in the woods just because I don’t want to have too much stuff. It’s really about avoiding drama. That’s why I don’t live with my wife anymore. Too much drama.”
“I thought she kicked you out?”
“It was mutual, I suppose. But for the most part I got the worst end of the deal.”
“But you’re living the simple life, right? No drama?”
“Yeah, and I almost froze to death last winter. That wasn’t so great. But no drama is good. You guys have a lot of drama around here.”
“True. I wish we had less. Far less.”
“Well, I think there’s a time to just walk away from it. Walk away from relationships, from the anger, from the demands…”
I was skeptical. “You mean that you should just give up on relationships?”
Dave looked up and backtracked, “No, not just give up on all relationships. Tim and Sam, they’re good for each other, you know? And they’ve had some rough patches, but they are working on them and they care about each other. That’s great. But look at most of the relationships on the street. Craziness. You can’t hear the love past all the yelling.”
“I understand that, but many relationships, if you really work on them, you can make it.”
“I wonder if you can really have the energy to work on relationships when you are struggling to survive. Relationships mean you are thinking how the other person thinks. That’s tough when you don’t have enough food. In time of survival, it’s best to just think your own thoughts.”
“But even when your surviving don’t you have to care about other people? Help other people?”
“Absolutely. And when you are surviving, helping others is simple. You need food, so do they, so you both share what you have. You need water, so do they, so you share. If one of you has got shelter and the other doesn’t, you share your shelter. But if you go deeper than that, it’s tough.”
“So how do you think people like Mark and Diane do it? They’ve been together for a while.”
“I don’t know how they do it. Just compatible, I guess. They have their arguments, too. I bet they take breaks from each other sometimes. But for me, it’s just simpler to live without a relationship. Fewer rules.”
“I’m sure you have some rules you live by.”
“I try not to. As few as possible. It’s easy to stack up rules like firewood, but they are a lot harder to get rid of. It’s simpler to live without rules. I know that you say you have four rules around here, but you have more than that. You have this complicated system of who can sleep overnight and when.”
“Well, generally we aren’t supposed to have anyone here, but I make exceptions.”
“And everyone is trying to figure out your exceptions because everyone wants to camp on this property. It’s safe. Or at least safe-er. So you have these hidden rules that drives everyone crazy. I know you let some people stay and others can’t. But that’s the thing, it complicates it. For me, it’s just about care and respect. Just care for people that really need it and respect everybody. That’s all.”
“Well, I’d like to do that, but there’s hundreds of people needing care around here…”
“So you make your own complications. I live out in the woods. The traffic’s a lot lighter out there. Sure, I come back around. I’m not a hermit. I want to talk sometimes. As you can tell.” He grins at me. “but I don’t live around all the people all the time. There are times to be with people and times to be by oneself. You’ve got to balance it for who you are.”
“That’s what Thoreau did as well. He was out in the woods for much of the week but spent the weekends with his mother.”
“Huh. Well perhaps he knew what he was talking about after all.”
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What I Learn from “Smoking”
Jesus ate with the sinners and tax collectors and so in order to be like him, I smoke with the homeless.I don’t actually smoke, because why would I willingly draw chemicals into my lungs, full and undiluted by air? (I’ve never smoked in my life, actually.) Instead, I just stand with the homeless while they smoke and jaw with them, listen to them. I understand the consequences of second hand smoke, Aunt Marge, but how could I turn down such an opportunity? I can meet the needs of the homeless all day, and that is opening the door to relationship, but chatting is the foundation of relationship. And if I die of lung cancer, I will consider it all worthwhile.Really, church should be less like a theatre performance or concert and more like a smoke break.It is brief and relaxed. Everyone who comes is at rest, relaxing between work opportunities. No one needs to dress up. Everyone has an equal voice, but we all stop to listen to wisdom, whomever it comes from. And instead of “amen” we say, “that’s right” or “right on” or we just add onto their insights with our own. In a smoke break, everyone has a vice, and it’s out in the open, but we don’t judge. After all, we have our vice as well. The smoke breakers are rejected by the self-righteous, and they might be jealous of our meditative break. We have an opportunity to share real thoughts, because there’s no agenda. Thus, the seed of real change can be planted in that kind of an atmosphere, despite the haze.And a lot of my church work occurs in the smoking area. The majority of my counselling happens there. And the majority of my listening. The smoke break is the center of the community, because that’s where the real stories come out, that’s where we find out who is really hurting. That’s the place of listening, of communing. Sermons don’t mean much behind a podium, but they can really touch the heart in the middle of the smoking area.I’ve learned many things “smoking” with the homeless. Here’s a few of my lessons:- I’ve learned not to be offended by small things like foul language or poor manners or second hand smoke.
- I’ve learned that the heart of respect isn’t politeness, but caring enough never to bring harm to another’s heart.
- I’ve learned how to laugh at others. And myself.
- I’ve learned the sorrow of deep regret.
- I’ve learned that in a community of the poor, we all share each other’s trauma.
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Riff Raff in the Church
Okay, so we know that Jesus hung out with tax collectors, but do we have to go so far as to say he hung out with drugies and child pornographers?Oh, yes, these are exactly the kind of folks Jesus hung out with.
He welcomed those whom the Standard Religious Society (SRS, or, if you please,the church) didn’t want to have anything to do with.
There were the ones that the SRS called “sinners”, but many of them really weren’t, or at least no more than anyone else. The tax collectors were folks who worked for the Romans to collect tolls for their roads. While some tax collectors DID cheat the Romans and others (like Zaccheus in Luke 19), but these toll collectors did no such thing. They didn’t make much, but they didn’t collect enough to cheat the Romans. So they had a job, just a job. But because they worked for the Romans they were automatically rejected by the SRS (i.e. the church).
So Jesus, were he here today, he would hang out with those who were “unacceptable” in the church’s eyes today. He would hang out with the homeless who are often excluded from the church simply because they don’t have good enough hygiene. He would hang out with those who belonged to cult groups like Samaritans (like Jehovah’s Witnesses or Muslims today) and explain to them the heart of God’s truth.
Jesus also hung out with those who really, seriously sinned. People like Zaccheus, but also prostitutes and betrayers. If Jesus were here today, He would hang out with the homosexuals and drunks who are unsure of their reception, even if they repent. He would hang out with the druggies and tell them about the gospel, welcoming them, eating with them, hoping to bring them— or to keep them— in God.
Who are the Riff-Raff?
Jesus targeted three groups that were set outside of the church. He welcomed the ones who were just not good enough to be in a “proper” church— Samaritans, the lame, the blind, women, the Gentiles. All of these groups were people who could be in right standing with God, but they were set out of the Temple for one reason or another. The church, like the Temple of old, has a pretty strict idea of who belongs to it. No, they don’t set up rules for it, but they set boundaries through their subtle but negative reactions to those who are poor, of different beliefs, or of a different culture.
The church today is as cultural as it is spiritual— sometimes it is more culture than Spirit. And those who do not belong to the culture are outcast.
Another group that Jesus targeted is the sinner. Some of these are professional sinners, such as prostitutes and tax collectors— those whose very profession excluded them from good graces in God’s community. Some are sinners by what they did— adultery, theft, rebellion— and they are painted as such for the rest of their life for one sin. These are like those who are in jail or prison for crimes done. While some churches might accept them, they certainly don’t allow them near their children. Again, the welcome is only partial.
The other group Jesus specifically targeted is the judged. These are people who were judged by God or by people and they have the mark of judgment against them. In Jesus’ day they are the demon possessed or the lepers. Today, they may be sufferers of AIDS or those going through withdrawal from drugs or alcohol or some other addiction. They may be people who have chronic mental illnesses. At first they might be welcome into today’s church, but then they would be rejected because they are “too difficult” or “cause too many disruptions.”
Should the church welcome the Riff Raff?
Absolutely. If it was good enough for Jesus, then it is good enough for the church. If God sees sinners repenting as more important than a bunch of people who go to church regularly, then maybe we need to stop growing our churches and getting out on the street.
Jesus didn’t just sit in the temple, looking for the riff raff to come to him. He didn’t just have a seeker’s service. Rather, he went out and established a party in every village he went to, and shared the gospel at the party. He attracted the riff raff with the kind of gathering they liked, in their area, and then spoke a message that wasn’t easy for them to hear, but it was the truth. Not everyone believed, but it was important.
So the church doesn’t just need to welcome the riff raff, they need to go out where they live and give them a party.
Why should we do this? Because these riff raff— even if they’ve been following Jesus for years, they feel that they are second class Christians, or that they have no chance of being right with God at all. They think that their lives are apart from God and there is no acceptance for them. How is this? Because the church has separated themselves from the riff raff. As long as the church will have nothing to do with the riff raff, the riff raff figure that they don’t need God, either. Yet Jesus focused his ministry on the riff raff. Jesus loves the riff raff. And Jesus’ first church was full of the riff raff— more than the “normal” folks.
How are the Riff Raff saved?
This is the easiest question to ask, but the hardest one to live out. We know that everyone is saved by faith in Jesus, by their devotion to God, their repentance from sin and their reliance on the Holy Spirit. That’s how everyone is saved, without exception, forever and ever, amen.
But the church doesn’t act that way.
Rather they act like the homeless are saved by pushing through paperwork to gain homes. They act like the addict is saved by going to some anonymous group and never relapsing. They act like the homosexual is saved by getting married to someone of the opposite sex. They act like the mentally ill person is saved by taking medication.
Now, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with these things by themselves. But they aren’t the answers for people with these problems. The only way anyone is saved is through Jesus and reliance on the Holy Spirit. And Jesus and the Spirit will lead the outcast person to the things they need for their lives.
Sometimes the answer will be homes, marriage, medication and dishwashers and everything that makes up a middle class life. But for many people, it won’t.
Jesus, in calling the riff raff, chose to be homeless himself. He chose to be rejected. He chose to be without a family. And many of his followers went the same way. Jesus became homeless to welcome the homeless. He became family-less to welcome the family-less. He became penniless to welcome the penniless. He became rejected to welcome the rejected. And so we cannot insist that the outcast— or even the middle class— to be a part of the church must have homes, families, money and acceptance.
If the Riff Raff aren’t in the church, the church isn’t of Jesus
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It Has Begun
Pat has been homeless, living in her car since her husband ditched her to be on the street on her own. She is sometimes scared, being a woman in her late 40s, but she is gentle and amazingly strong, given her circumstance. We have allowed her to sleep on the church property for the last few months. She doesn’t always sleep in our parking lot, but she does for a few nights a week.
We have had some trouble with neighbors in the past with our homeless hanging around after hours. But they don’t usually cause problems. There’s the occasional yelling match, or people hanging around to bug our janitor as he works late at night, but they are peaceful and they don’t make a lot of noise. Often they are cleaning up, or catching a few zees before they are forced to move on.
But our homeowning neighbors aren’t so happy with the visitors at night. Last year when we allowed a man to crash at our place in his truck for a month, a neighbor called the police three times. The neighbor said that he was noisy in the middle of the night and was defecating in the bushed. The police checked with our “security pastor”, who said that this report wasn’t true. So the police went to the neighbor and informed him that filing a false report was a felony and the calls stopped coming.
Perhaps some of the police don’t want people sleeping on the church property. But in our city it is legal for people to sleep in their vehicles in a church parking lot. We screen people and only give permission to people who will be peaceful and quiet and won’t disturb the neighbors.
Unfortunately, some neighbors are disturbed because the homeless exist. Recently I had a neighbor call me anonymously and leave a voicemail, “I know who you are harboring on your property”… as if we were keeping a criminal. The only one he could be talking about is Pat, who isn’t a criminal and couldn’t possibly be confused for a criminal. A neighbor (same one? different one?) at about midnight a week ago, stood behind our church with his dog and screamed across the property (disturbing all the other neighbors), “Get off the property! You don’t belong here! I’ll call the cops!” One of our folks on the property approached him, and he just said he was calling the cops and walked away. The police did come, but they didn’t come onto the property. They just drove around, saw that all was at peace and left.
Last night was the worst so far. A neighbor that others recognized with a dog and two friends came over to our property at 2 in the morning and went to the car Pat was saying in. They hit their palms on the hood of the car, screaming, “Get up! Time to go! Get out of here! You don’t belong here!” Pat bolted upright and shook with fear. She turned the car on to leave, but the three had the car surrounded, still pounding on it, so that she couldn’t back up. She did back up gingerly, they moved out of the way and she found another place to stay last night.
When I saw Pat today, she was still visibly shaken, horrified. I told her that when she stayed again, that she should stay over by Pastor Jeff’s RV, where the neighbors won’t bother her because they wouldn’t want to disturb the pastor.
I recall the abuse and scorn and hate-speech the African American civil rights activists had to endure in order to be allowed to exist. In the midst of a time when the police are harassing the homeless outside of church properties, we need to make a stand to protect people. This is just the beginning.
Fahim
Hermie Bockhorst’s Sunday school class ctllecoed items for a local food pantry in August. We have decided that this will be an ongoing ministry of our class. A plastic container is being placed in our classroom to place items in and as it gets filled, we will deliver to a food pantry.
SteveKimes
That’s great. I wish more believers would do that. Keep loving everyone in Jesus’ name.
Auth
Well, I learned sotenhimg new. They must have changed the parameters for GenX, because I was born in 1980 and always thought I was a GenXer.. used to go to 1981… anywho… seriously? Only 4% of my generation believes the Bible!? Praise the Lord for Godly parents! Thank you Jesus! The kids need to be in Church… not youth group, not children’s church, but Church. I don’t me do not have these things, but a saved child, no matter what age, needs to be in “big” Church in my opinion, and the youth can STILL have their own group and attend regular services. Also, we HAVE to teach about having a RELATIONSHIP with our Maker and Saviour. If you are best, best friends with the God of our salvation, it won’t be so easy to walk away:) I pray my kids stay in Church…
Kevrell
A pleasingly raiontal answer. Good to hear from you.
SteveKimes
Well, thank you. I try to remain rational. Except when I’m having one of THOSE days. You know, those irrational ones. :)
Laquisha
Such a deep awnser! GD&RVVF
Ali
Their understanding of the great comossiimn is that each believer is commanded to preach the gospel to everyone they can. Some denominations take this to the extreme of interrupting people in the privacy of their homes. I am a believer but I don’t think this is what Jesus had in mind at all. One way I can tell is that it irritates me when people interrupt me in my home to sell me something or preach something at me. So the golden rule won’t allow me to do that to other people. I also don’t answer the door unless I look through the peep hole and see someone I know or who has legitimate business standing out there on my porch. I ignore the doorbell otherwise and they go away.
Mano
- Mind you this is an unsalvational issue, But, in senieg that, God so loved the world that He sent his only begotten Son, . . . . . . If there’s several Calendar days of the year, that remind the Earth’s people that the Father did send His Son, then good for the Calendar, the People, the Father, & His only begotten Son, Cause He would, that NONE would perish, but, all would have everlasting life . . . God would never hate an event, or day, that causes People world wide to acknowledge His own love He has for us . . . PS By the tone of your question, I’m surprised that you didn’t end your question with Bah Hum Bug . . .
Stamroe
This post has really got me tiiknhng. First let me say I completely agree with you Trey about what Jesus would do. It brings me into the next thing I have been wrestling with. A dream, a revival dream I have been having where there is no Church building, or organization no names, no denominations, no positions just loving Christ and helping each other out (like Jesus commanded). I have a dream where the church is going out doing basically what you guys are doing (dump days), feeding the poor, helping the sick, etc. I feel the same thing is being said week after week in church, making ppl comfortably numb (please excuse my pink floyd reference lol) with fancy rhetoric that doesnt fill missing hole, while people are suffering on the streets .. and ill be the first to admit that I am guilty of being comfortably numb. Just thoughts I suppose.
Magui
I wish New Way church the type of suscecs that only the Lord can grant. Not worldly, numeric, financial or celebrity suscecs. The Lord can offer you peace walking on the path He has planned. I certainly hope that New Way blooms and provides a sustainable and stable place of worship for the people of Austin. But most of all, I hope that all of you can give the work up to the Lord and accept with peacefulness whatever happens, however people in the area respond to your invitation. Warm wishes,Brian
Zoila
(This joke was sent to me a couple of weeks ago, funny, yet I feel thuogh this is too true in our society.One Sunday morning during service, a 2,000 member congregation was surprised to see two men enter, both covered from head to toe in black and carrying submachine guns. One of the men proclaimed, “Anyone willing to take a bullet for Christ remain where you are.” Immediately, the choir fled the deacons fled and most of the congregation fled . Out of the 2,000 there only remained around 20. The man who had spoken took off his hood He then looked at the preacher and said “Okay Pastor, I got rid of all the hypocrites Now you may begin your service. Have a nice day!”) I think that today we have the wrong interpretation of what is the church, it was never a building, althuogh today, that’s the most common definition. The church is the body of Christ. I really don’t believe he would go to church “building”, but instead would be hanging out with the poor, the orphans, the widows, the crippled, the sick. I think that is where we will experience Jesus and the Church.
Pamella
I definitely agree that tares are the issue. Wheat will work for the kiongdm in one accord, or at least come to one accord eventually–misunderstandings are bound to happen on this side of eternity. Divisions with the pastor and within congregations usually come because of a lack of focus on the most importance thing, Jesus Christ.I’m very happy with my current church as the pastoral staff love getting behind their congregations’ ideas and running with them, offering suggestions and corrections along the way, empowering the people of God rather than ruling them. It’s very refreshing to have that kind of environment.
SteveKimes
I think one of the issues happen when church leadership determines who the “tares” are before the end and to tear (pun, heh) them out of the church. Jesus himself said that this tears (hee) the field apart. If we give grace to all, while still proclaiming the truth, then we have a vision of what Jesus has in mind, I think.
Pao
, Having served smelalr churches in communities with larger churches, there is a tragic, but undeniable distance between the two. Large churches don’t need the help of smelalr ones or have time to invest. And smelalr churches sometimes falsely label large churches with an if it’s big, it’s bad mentality. What you are doing bridges that gap and serves as an example to churches everywhere we’re in this together! on 07 April 2011 / 5:20 PM
Danny
Amen, Brian. I have actually been quite moved by how much peace I have found in just leittng go of outcomes and trusting that the Lord will bring spiritual good out of whatever natural circumstances I find myself in.I’m praying that New Way has a long history on this earth as an authentic community that is led by the Lord. And I am trusting that however things go, good will come of it.
Prithvi
I think it’s really easy to get skceud into those kind of situations, sometimes unaware, and its only when you’ve extricated yourself that you realise how spiritually dirty it made you feel. It’s not easy, though, especially as for instance you might have to work with these people or they might be your relations. I am trying to work on setting boundaries, and truly believing I have the right to express these, but it can be difficult!
Reginald
, I hate him, the pastor said, Now, you don’t hate him. You’re just upset. I hlsitay retracted my words, of course. How dare anyone tell me what I feel or don’t feel? Never mind that I really was deeply wounded. I was just told by implication that I was not allowed to speak freely. I think it would’ve been far more productive to acknowledge what I said without making a judgement, because at that point I still loved my husband and wanted to make things work. Instead, I learned to squash what I felt and to paste on a happy face on Sundays. I grew increasingly disgusted with it, and with my husband’s repeated trips to the altar in repentance, and eventually stopped going to church altogether.I was lovingly embraced and supported by a different congregation so much so that I relented from my previous vow never to step foot in church again. (I knew the pastor socially and her compassion and nonjudgmental counsel won me over.) The church helped me in practical ways one Christmas I received a basket that contained over $1000 in gift cards for groceries and clothes and gifts. And not a single comment not even a look of judgment. Just love and a helping hand.
Ike
(Please understand that I am gneiralezing and that I am not implicating ALL churches.)My opinion is that the reason these statistics exist is BECAUSE of the church. If the church wants to keep kids, it needs to learn how to encourage them in Christ rather than discourage them from the world. There is a difference. We need to be more accepting of kids rather than criticize their every wrong move. I’m not saying overlook blatant sin but I am saying not to put expectations on what Christianity looks like. Kids with purple hair and ripped jeans aren’t all bad and they might have a heart for worship if we could get past their outer layer.I’m a married grown-up and I sometimes feel like I am not “good enough” or that I don’t measure up in some Christian’s eyes. If I feel that way, imagine what some impressionable teenager must feel like.Sorry for the long answer…you just touched on a topic that is very, very close to my heart.
Jonathan
This is actually shiotemng we have been addressing at our church in the past few months. We have been incorporating more activities for our youth, such as– on a specific Sunday night, the youth conducts our entire service; our music director has incorporated some of the new Contemporary Christian music into our services, which the youth absolutely love. We have also brought a young youth minister in which has been such a blessing!Honestly, I think one of the main reasons the statistics are what they are is because a lot of churches are too set in older ways– not so much catering to the older members, but pacifying them by not incorporating newer ideas and technology into the service, etc. It is absolutely critical that we do all we can to make our young people feel a part of the church because they are the future of the church, and they need all the guidance they can get in this harsh and cruel world!!
Takayuki
- Fantastic story Terry. I, like so many others have often wkeald by the homeless wondering about their lives but not willing to spend the time to find out. Barry shows us that they are real people with real feelings. I certainly hope he is getting the care required at this stage in his life.
Ponkiya
, As a pastor of a cchruh in a small town (Shippensburg, PA) my jaw dropped as I read this blog post first because of how Brand New Church is ministering to this cchruh down the street and secondly because they are a cchruh in the denomination I’m affiliated with as well. Thanks, Shannon, for loving The Church and for reaching out in this manner. What an example you are setting! Blessings. on 07 April 2011 / 12:20 PM
Setareh
Well if we are talking about lost kids that don’t have godly pnraets… as a missionary (now SAHM and wife to a missionary) with Child Evangelism Fellowship I must say you (the church) must go to the kids. It’s not good enough to teach sunday school classes of kids “About” Jesus. You MUST share the Gospel with them! Most of our churches teach Bible stories to children… which obviously I have no issues with… but I bet the reason these kids end up leaving is because they never became Christians! As someone who taught kids sunday school for a long time I can tell you most of the curriculum DOES NOT share the gospel… or it does once every 5 weeks or something like that. That isn’t good enough! You can’t expect kids to stay in church if they never accepted Christ as their personal Savior. For kids outside of the church? Go to where they are. Schools (yes you can do it, visit cefonline.com) community centers, parks, wherever kids are and tell them why Jesus came.Kids should know Bible Stories but if they don’t know the Gospel then they can’t be saved and won’t stay in church.
Jose
Okay, next to my family and my kids, this is my Passion topic! It’s what gets my jceius flowing.First and foremost, I believe that those statistics are proof that the church has fallen asleep. The church has narrowed itself into a corner and unless willing to adapt to some change, this statistic I fear will grow. Churches have been doing what they do because that’s the way it’s always been done. Some churches hold tight to Tradition. The church can never compete with culture. They will never win. Its just the way it is. But the church can certainly change from “doing” to having a strategy.If You read my “About” section on my blog, you’ll see a line where I wrote, “I bleed Orange.” I encourage you to check out http://www.whatisorange.com to learn more about that and to see where my firm stance on what the church should be doing.We (as in Us, Moms, Parents, etc) put So much responsibility on the Church for those poor statistics. I see it as a 50/50 deal. Parents need to wake up and realize that they are the primary spiritual leaders in their kids lives. The church is a “Partner” to you as a Parent. Or at least it should be. There in lies the problem. Churches are failing to see that they need to come along side of us as parents and support us and understand that what happens at home is far more important than what happens at church. I am a product of Christian parents, christian private schools and church all my life. I saw friends come and go within the church. From my experience, The leadership within the church are all on different pages. Nursery, elementary, youth and “big” church are all doing their own thing. There is no strategy. They are silo’d. I beg of the church to align themselves together with parents and have a strategy for how to get a child from birth through college not ever wanting to leave the church! It is possible. It just means people are going to have to adapt to change and let some things go. Sorry for the rant. I warned you that it was a Passion area for me. I could say so much more…. : )
Verdell
Trey, I can tell you what I think would happen at our chucrh. The elders would think he was too radical, and in their best pharisitical way would have him thrown out. The nerve of him to want to feed the poor, if they have any connection to sin or worst yet profess to be a christian and follower of Jesus, just not from our congregation, if someone is hungry from a denomonation they will just have to starve! According to our elders, we would go to hell if we were to lift a finger to help them ..
Eliseu
I have a private prtaicce for and have found that I’ve had a lot of success with offering chair massage services at apartment complexes for the office staff and residents. I’ve gained a lot of new clients, and also helped the apartment complex by providing a new amenity for their community. Thanks for all of your awesome articles that help all of us to build our prtaicces! Love your blog! -Corey
Antonio
I love these pictures, baecuse through them I see LOVE,HOPE, TRUTH and EVERLASTING LIFE WITH MY SAVIOR. The pictures of his CRUCIFICTION tells me that if he could endour all the pain and humiliation, then so can I. You are not worshiping the pics, but seeing what our LORD went through for all of us. We were made in HIS IMAGE and COLOR HAS NO MEANING IN HIS EYES. I am Native American and in our language that He gave us, HE is Wanka Tanka, The Great Spirit, Our Creator. All he wants EVERYONE to do is LOVE ONE ANOTHER and TELL OTHERS ABOUT HIM. Thank you Great Spirit for your Unmerciful Treatment, I am waiting for you to return. God Bless Everyone.
Nick
, Wow I started redniag you book today. The 1st 3 chapters seemed to just happen to our family @ the end of last year. To city for their country church after almost 4 yrs. We started a new church 14 miles down the road in the rural town we live in. I’m excited to see what He is going to do there at Highland Wesleyan Church. Praise God your church is willing to do something different & bless another church instead of yourselves!! We will be praying for a mighty move of the Holy Spirit on that whole community!God Bless!PK on 08 April 2011 / 9:15 PM
Bung
As a pastor’s wife- this topic is near to my heart!First of all, I have to say that I do not bleeive that the “Church” is at fault!! The Bible is very clear, that it is to be us PARENTS that are to be training our children in righteousness!!! Sunday School & Youth Group were started many, many years later & really were started for the “non-churched” kids! Those statistics are sad, but I think they are a lot due to the fact that parents have been relying on the church to teach their children about Christ- instead of taking an active role themselves (& actually living what they bleeive)!A couple things our church does that I LOVE are… when children turn 4, they join their parents in “big” church- children younger than that are certainly welcome, but there is nursery & children’s church provided for children under 4. Although I do understand how difficult it can be for some kids to sit so long (we are all about wiggles at our house), we bleeive that having children in the service, plants seeds in their little hearts! :)We also have just started a curriculum (our pastors & elders & teachers have created) that lasts 7 years & walks everyone through the Bible… all Sunday School classes of various ages as well as the sermon are focused on the SAME topic… are memorizing the same verse, etc. In this way, children (along with their parents) will go through an in depth study of the whole Bible twice.Sorry, this is getting way too long! ;)Great question!Jessica
Aslam
Thankyou very very much for the wonderful job you have done. May God Almighty Bless you alyaws. Seeing the picture of Jesus just tells my concious to be good because I have received the immense Graces of Jesus Christ in my whole life and espesially when participating in the retreat that was held in Vettucaud in 1993 conducted by Divine Retreat Centre. Images alyaws influence our mind and body in a very big way and have been proved by scientists and doctors. Thankyou once again.
Cristian
Oh my word we are SO on the same track!! I think my view of Jesus makes some a bit uncomfortable, too-but I think that is good I think He would tell some of us that we have mssied the point that following Jesus is not all about DOing Church, but BEing the Church-not only to the world, but to each other. I have been ruminating lately about the original Church in Acts, and how they truly were community, family-living among each other, sharing all the had and how extremely different that looks today. I believe that much of our mentality and theology has strayed far away from His original intention and the true meaning of Church.Anyway I could stay on the soapbox awhile about that glad we are on the same wavelength!