ideas for being the church out there
We think we don’t know enough about the Bible in order to share the message of Christ. (What if I don’t say it right or get asked a really tough question?)
Posted in General.
Reason #4 reads like this: Our walk with Christ has not yet brought us to a level of maturity such that we begin to see unbelievers from Christ’s perspective and respond accordingly. Eventually, in the list of 9 reasons, we’ll get to ways of talking about Christ. But, reason #4 is a biggie in my opinion because it’s connected to our mindset. And, if we don’t have the proper mindset (that is, we are not thinking from God’s perspective according to the Bible), then we likely won’t go too far in our efforts to verbally represent Christ to non-Christians. Therefore, we need to discuss a most foundational piece in all of our evangelistic attempts…
Posted in General.
Reason #3 we don’t share our faith: Church leaders (like me!) talk about evangelism but do not give enough evidence that they themselves have woven interaction with unbelievers (integration) into their everyday lives, leaving us uninspired. Let’s be honest, from toddler through adulthood, we emulate others. Mimicry is a reality for all of us, to some extent. We find ways, subconsciously mostly I imagine, to allow the ways others think and behave to influence our own thoughts and actions. We all understand this can be a bad thing. But, by no means is this something that God would frown upon. It was Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1 who wrote: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” And, in Philppians 2, Paul celebrates Timothy’s growth in ministry as a result of the “son with a father” relationship they had. Indeed, pre-modern history shows that sons would grow up to learn their father’s trade….a farmer’s son learned to be a farmer….same with a baker, a cobbler, etc.
Posted in General.
Here is reason #2. ”We are wrapped up in church activities and fellowship groups, giving us little time or interest in rubbing shoulders with the irreligious. (Do I have any significant outside-the-church friends….real friends?)” Only you know your personal calendar, so this may or may not apply to you. But, many great people I know at church are the very ones we heavily depend on for helping to lead communities or volunteering in important ways. And, there are some who come to every Bible study we offer. Therefore, reason #2 is listed. Tell me if its you or not. Here’s what I think we could do about it…..
Posted in General.
Somehow, in some way, church people have come to equate evangelism with things like special outreach events or teams of church members ‘going calling’ weekly on unbelievers or a slot in the weekly calendar reserved for outreach. Those can all be forms of evangelism, but they are unlike what Jesus had in mind when he unleashed His Church on a broken and blind world. We are evangelistically off-course if our understanding of personal outreach is event-oriented rather than every-day-relationship oriented…
Posted in General.
Please contribute to the list below or make comments. In the next weeks I’d like to give some answers to the reasons and include some encouragement, challenges and ideas while I’m at it. By the way, what follows is not a comprehensive list, nor is it in any order, and one or more may apply to any of us.
Posted in General.
Long ago, in a distant land, there was a small church with an arch over its entrance. Over the arch were the words, ‘We Preach Christ Crucified’…and the gospel of Christ was clear to many. The years passed and the ivy grew so that the word ‘crucified’ was hidden. The preacher talked about Christ the teacher, the good person, the social activist…but something was missing….the cross. The ivy continued to grow and soon ‘Christ’ was gone. The sermons were masterpieces of rhetoric, filled with grand ideas from religions around the world….and Christ was included at times where appropriate. Boy could the pastor preach. But, the whole gospel of Christ had been reduced to fragments here and there. And, no one could really articulate what the cross was about….it sounded a bit barbaric and unnecessary. Eventually, only ‘we’ remained.
Posted in General.
I’m just getting into Coach Tony Dungy’s new book, UNCOMMON. My college football coach-friend highly recommended it. For good reasons, too. Every chapter is filled with pithy remarks that make me think about leadership in the context of marriage, parenting, organizational life (like the church), community, etc. And, right off the bat Dungy gets into the cardinal quality of any NFL player….CHARACTER. In fact, so important was a player’s character to Dungy that when it came time to draft season, a few players with outstanding physical qualities were rejected by the Colts and DNDC was stamped across their dossier.
Wonder what that means…..?
Posted in General.
Someone new to The Chapel said this to me last night: ”I had no idea The Chapel’s arms embraced so many ministries in the community.” In fact, this person thought that Akron Pregnancy Service (APS) was a secular organization, not knowing that The Chapel helped begin the APS ministry more than 25 years ago. I did not want to brag about The Chapel’s other touches with the community, but I wanted to launch into our long history of community ministry and recite all the strategic partner ministries we have linked arms with in order to impact the city and region. Also, did you know…..
Posted in General.
If you did not hear Pastor Sartarelli’s message this past Sunday, it would be a really good idea (I think) to get the download. http://www.the-chapel.org/audio/
Wow, so clear and passionate….and germane to the theme of this blog. Bottom line…..who are you (who am I) investing in, giving your life and heart to? Sure, children and family come to mind. But, what about the others who God has placed in our circles of influence (that is, wherever you and I have connections)?
Posted in General.
Perhaps the best thing I do with friends with whom I want to share the good news of Jesus is draw pictures. (I need to learn how to show pictures on the blog….or insert a movie.) There is one picture I really like. It’s the morality scale. It goes like this….
Posted in General.
It was the general revelation of God that reeled me in. I was in my late teens and some classmates had died tragically. That made me think about the brevity of life and what comes after life. In the same time period, I developed a deep appreciation for nature including the perfectly hung stars and majestic mountains. Not knowing it then, I had joined a chorus of others around the world with big questions. You know….questions like 1)Where did I come from 2)Why am I here 3)How should I live and 4)Where am I going???
Posted in Evangelism, General.
Missio Dei. When I read that I think first of my high school Latin class in which I did horribly. But, my second thought is one that makes my spirit soar and my head spin. God’s love is so remarkably for you and me that He would chase us all the way from Genesis 3 into today. He caught me and I responded in my sophomore year of college. When did He catch you? And, was it right away or later on that you joined in the mission of God? Or have you?
Posted in General.
Long weekend of great ministry opps. The celebration of our Local Ministry partners went very well (all about being locally missional). Now, back to a few thoughts about being personally missional…..
Posted in General.