Steve is not a dweeb. Most of the time.
Pastor Steve’s Full Blog Posts
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Tamar
A woman who prostituted herself to her father-in-law so she can carry on the family line is chosen to be one of the great ancestors of Jesus, the Son of God.Genesis 38
Matthew 1:3
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The Well-Tempered Giver
Most of us treat compassion and giving as a happenstance. It isn’t something we plan, but we can be expected to do the right thing when it comes along. It is interesting that one of the most poignant passages on the giver, Psalm 41:1-3, treats giving in a different way. “How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. The LORD will protect him and keep him alive, And he shall be called blessed upon the earth; And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, You restore him to health.”The focus of the psalm is on the blessings the giver will receive. But in describing giving, the Hebrew doesn’t speak of giving as an event, or even as a regular practice, but as a discipline. The one who is blessed isn’t the one who throws some change at a beggar, but the one who considers, meditates, spends time in mindful consideration for the benefit of the poor. In other words, this verse is speaking about the person who makes plans for giving, who considers what is the best way to do well for the poor.Giving is not a series of onetime events, but it is an ongoing action that we can be trained to do well. It is not happenstance, but a spiritual discipline that we can develop. Maimondes, the Jewish scholar and theologian of the middle ages spoke of a development of giving charity, that one could increase in perfection of the discipline of giving by going up eight levels. (These levels can be seen here: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/45907/jewish/ )Eight-Levels-of-Charity.htm 
I suggest a different approach to self-training oneself in discipline. I recommend that our giving be heading toward a goal, like we would train in a gym toward a certain weight. The goal that we have in our giving is not a certain amount, but is love. Paul said, “If I give away all that I possess to feed the poor… but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” This means that giving in and of itself isn’t the goal of giving—rather that giving is a means toward the goal of love. It doesn’t mean that giving has nothing to do with love—rather, love and giving can be deeply connected. But giving can be done without love, and that is a useless act. Giving for the purpose of loving, however, is one of the greatest acts in the world.Does this mean that we should not give unless it is with love? What if our motivation is mixed? What if we don’t know what giving in love looks like? What if we tried to love, but it didn’t turn out to be love? Like any discipline, giving with love takes time and practice. To achieve the goal of giving with love, we must give for a while without knowing what we are doing. If we are following God’s spirit, we will eventually learn the path of giving with love. First, however, we must give. If we do not give, we will not eventually learn how to give in love. But we also must not be satisfied with our giving until we have achieved our goal. Even when seeking that ideal weight at the gym, we must not quit because the task is hard. Instead, we listen to our trainer, and keep at our program until the goal is achieved. Even so with giving in love: that is our goal, we must keep giving—making mistakes along the way—listening to God’s Spirit and persisting until we reach the goal. -
Should We Give to the Poor?
We all know the situation: We are driving on a freeway offramp or near a busy intersection and there is a guy or gal holding a sign. Sometimes the sign is funny, like the old guy who has the sign “Allergic to Jail, Too Ugly to Prostitute”; sometimes simple “A coin will help”; sometimes direct, “Need money for a room tonight.”And I am sure that we have all, at times, considered about the wisdom to give to these bold sign-holders. If we give them money, are we helping or hurting them? Will they use it on beer or drugs (some signs clearly tell you they will), will they ever improve themselves? Is it right to give to them? What if they look healthy or strong, should we just tell them to get a job?
I have discussed how we should give to beggars elsewhere (https://hogansheroesfanclub.com/beggars-and-sign-holders/ ) but today I am asking a deeper question: should we give at all? Is it wise to give? Recently, an excellent book has been making the rounds called When Helping Hurts. The title alone begs the question: Even though I want to be generous, is my giving actually helping or hurting? And it makes us doubt whether giving outside of our own congregation is wise at all.
Certainly there are kinds of giving that harm others. If we give a drug addict a thousand dollars, we shouldn’t be surprised if we find that person dead in less than a week. A documentary filmmaker granted a homeless man a hundred thousand dollars one time to film him and see what he did with the money. After the money was almost gone, the man regretted ever finding the money and ended up homeless again, content with his daily recycling regimine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversal_of_Fortune_(2005_film) ).
But does this mean giving to the poor of any kind is a mistake? No matter what economists or politicians might say, the Bible makes it clear that giving is important for all who want to serve God.
Giving is a command
All throughout Scripture giving is something that is expected of God’s people. Abraham provided an example of generous giving; Moses commanded giving generously to those in need; Jesus commanded generous giving to the poor of all his disciples; James spoke about giving as being a sign of faith; John spoke of giving as a sign of love; Paul commanded the wealthy to be generous. If there is one action that is commended consistently throughout all the Bible, it is giving.
Giving benefits us before God
The one who gives to the poor is blessed greatly before God. It says in scripture that the one who gives to the poor will be delivered from sickness and their enemies (Psalm 41:1-3). The book of Proverbs says that the generous shows honor to God (14:31), and that God will repay them for their work (19:17).
Giving is an act of love
The primary act of love is giving. There are certainly ways to give without love (we will discuss those in later posts), but if we do not ever give to those in need, then we can safely say that we do not love those in need. John says this clearly: “Whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17) What John is saying is that we cannot express our love to those in need without giving to their need. If we truly will love our neighbor, at least part of the expression of that love will be in giving.
Not giving harms us eternally
In the end, although giving unwisely might cause some harm, not giving causes more harm. The one who refuses to give to the poor will be denied help from God, no matter how much they pray (Proverbs 21:13). To deny help to another is a sin (Proverbs 14:21). Even more severely, Jesus associates eternal life with the devil and his angels with refusing to give to those in need (Matthew 25:41-46).
If we desire any of God’s blessings, not giving isn’t really an option. Giving is a foundational discipline in living a life before God.
However, this doesn’t mean that God doesn’t want us to give wisely. Not all giving has the same benefit. So the next few posts will discuss the manner in which we should give.
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Kingdom Hope for the Poor
This article was first posted on the Mustard Seed Associates blog.
There is an emphasis in most congregations about responsibility. Taking personal responsibility for our actions is a key essence of basic teaching on repentance and forgiveness. Unless we recognize what we are responsible for, the ways that we have “missed the mark” we cannot possibly comprehend how God can grant us grace to restore us to righteousness.
In our society it is a maxim (a whole profession, in some cases) to avoid responsibility. Corporations are built on reducing responsibility, insurance companies focus on reducing liability, every public apology is seen as an admission of responsibility and so no one apologizes because no one wants to clean up the mess. This comes out in daily life, where if a crisis occurs, then many fingers are set to blame, to avoid the finger being pointed at themselves.
In the majority of our society, including the church, when we discuss responsibility of poverty the fingers all point in one direction: toward the poor themselves.
- “The poor are lazy” say many
- “The poor are immoral, addicts, self-destructive.”
- “The poor lack faith” say some more spiritually-minded.
While the Bible recognizes responsibility of the poor for their poverty in some cases, the focus of the Bible is on a different aspect.
In the Bible there is a strong theme that is associated with the Hebrew word “shalom”. Shalom is usually translated “peace” but it means more than simple lack of conflict. It means being a part of a community of peace, which not only mediates conflict, but also provides for each single or family unit what they need to create a context of peace.
In the Mosaic Law, shalom is achieved not only by establishing a relationship with the Lord, but also in providing each family land, and a system of assistance for those who are impoverished.* In the prophets, shalom is promoted by providing justice for those who might otherwise not have authority to enforce justice on their own. They also promised the coming King who would establish shalom and give perfect balance to the poor and the animal kingdom (Isaiah 11:1-9).
Jesus promoted shalom by healing the sick, raising the dead and releasing those oppressed by spirits. Jesus made sure that those who were artificially separated from God had an opportunity to participate in community. He taught a law of love, which included giving generously to the needy. And Jesus taught God’s plan to take the very lowest and to make them rulers over His kingdom.
The early church continued Jesus’ program of shalom by providing for all the needy of their churches, and, if they had more resources, for those who were not a part of the church. They accepted the Samaritans and Gentiles into their fold and loved even their enemies so that God’s grace might be known to all.
When the Bible answers the question, “Who is responsible for the poor, the outcast, the hungry, the needy?” the answer rings out loud and clear: “We all are.” We have no right to point to the poor and claim that they are responsible for their own demise, even if it partly true. Rather, we are responsible to provide assistance and love, because it is what Jesus would do. The poor are responsible to provide their part. It is our responsibility to provide hope.What are the needs in your congregation?
Don’t label any of your congregation “poor”, but ask people if they have any needs and what they are. Then give “without the right hand knowing what the left hand is doing”, anonymously and generously to those who have need in the congregation, whether food, help with utilities, rent or babysitting. Make a committee that will regularly seek out and meet the needs of the congregation.What are the needs of your neighborhood?
Try to find out the poorest areas of your neighborhood. Perhaps it is a large section in an urban area, perhaps it is a single apartment building, perhaps it is an urban “skid row”, or perhaps the poor are spread through a large area. Find out what resources are available for the needy in your area. You might discover this by speaking to other congregations or by contacting a local service organization. Make those resource contacts available to whatever needy come your way.What other congregations are creating shalom?
As an individual or a congregation, you cannot meet all the needs yourself. But you can focus on one aspect, and meet that. Some projects may be done by one congregation, others require multiple congregations to work together. But don’t be alone. To meet the needs of the poor in your area is like a puzzle. You may be one piece of the puzzle, or you may be part of a clump of pieces that meet a particular need, but many congregations (and secular agencies) are necessary to fill out all the puzzle, to meet all the needs of the poor.Shalom isn’t the responsibility of one person, but of the entire body of Christ.
If you want to read more about shalom in the Bible, read these essays.
I also recommend reading Ron Siders’ book, Cry Justice: The Bible on Hunger and Poverty and Walter Brueggeman’s, Living Toward a Vision: Biblical Reflections on Shalom
*Some of these systems are demands to provide monetary assistance to poor farmers (Deut. 15), gleaning the edges of fields (Lev. 19:10), two tithes that include the poor (Deut. 14:22-29), and specific commands to give justice to widows, orphans, immigrants and those in debt (Exodus 22:21-27).
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The Chaos Monster
This was shared by my friend, Pastor Ron Clark.Time to vent a little. This is for my friends who believe that the poor, homeless, and jobless need to just “get a job” and quit asking for help.
Today I went with one of our guys who was homeless, went through a shelter program, has a caseworker, and now lives in an apartment on government assistance. I went with him because he has short term memory, is an older man, and can’t hear well. He feels that the apartment managers are angry with him. There was a problem with his social security this month. He now has no money to pay rent. Rent is $35, and with the $8 late fee it is $43.
We went to pay his bill. They don’t take a third party check, even from a church. They don’t take cash. He doesn’t have a bank account yet because he doesn’t have enough credit yet. We went to get a cashier check from my bank, which was $5. I was told that they send people to that bank to get cashier’s checks. All in all in order to pay rent we have walked 3 miles and paid extra money. I guess it was a good thing we were there to help.
One mistake increased his rent payment by 33%.
I learned something walking with this guy today. I learned that everybody ought to walk this walk with this guy. For those that think the simple solution for people on the street is to get a minimum wage job and get into an apartment, I suggest you walk with this guy. And this guy was lucky (really he is not but his circumstances may work to his advantage) he had an addictive history–so he has more resources. It was frustrating for me because the whole thing doesn’t make sense, even though it makes sense?
I understand why the apartment does what they do, but I also understand how those without have more obstacles to success than we realize.
The system that “helps” the needy is a monster of bureaucratic chaos. Every time you think that there is light, there is only more paperwork for those who are functionally illiterate. More miles for those who are transportationally impaired. More hurdles for those who are barely able to walk. Honestly, the poor doesn’t need more bureaucratic solutions. They need more friends who have the time to help them
This is where the church can show the love of Jesus.
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!