a Biblical thought...
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Phil 4:6-7)
a Book thought...
People with humility don't think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less. (p46 Blanchard)
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Phil 4:6-7)
a Book thought...
People with humility don't think less of themselves, they just think of themselves less. (p46 Blanchard)
a Dave thought...It is amazing how many conversations I have with Salvationists who are concerned with losing their young adults from their corps to other churches. I personally have had a few friends over the years who have moved on to other denominations over the years and although it was sad to lose them, they are still serving and bringing others into God's Kingdom. Those that end up at other churches often have left for legitimate reasons in their eyes. Some have found our focus on the marginalised not part of what they believe God has called them to, others want to go somewhere fresh and new, others want to go to a church that has more for their children, and for others our strict soldiership requirements with our non-drinking stance they find archaic.
I believe we should be more concerned with those that don't align themselves with a faith community at all, rather than those that find another faith community. As we are a very unique part of the Christian Church I don't believe we should water down membership or change our focus to cater for more people rather I believe we should remain a unique fighting force that although often small in number that we continue to have a massive impact for God in our community. I find when we focus on mission the more young adults want to sign up but when we just sit around and worship then there is no reason to be a Salvo, and they will move to other churches who do Sundays better. Surely the lost, the least, and the last should consume our energy more than those that are just looking for a better place to feed themselves on Sundays.
Just a thought.
Posts
1 comment:
First of all let me say I am a fan of your blog and admire the fact that you produce a thought every day which is significant.
However, I want to offer a comment on this particular blog. Surely “catering” for more people is not aligned to watering down our membership. We need many more people to focus on mission, but worship for a Christian is also vital – be assured that many of our congregation don’t “just sit around and worship”.
Some parts of our “mission” work can be accomplished and is done by volunteers, who are not Christians. Hopefully, we can be influencers in bringing these people to Christ.
David, some of our best fighting force people have “transferred” to other churches. What did we do wrong in those cases? Why can’t we “do Sundays better” as well as true mission.
We need strong Christian people, and many of them, to accomplish our unique mission. Their love for God, first and foremost will be the motivation for them to join in helping advance our unique mission to the lost, the least, and the last.
Bill D
Post a Comment