Keeping Christ in Christmas.

Let's not forget the real meaning of Christmas.  Everyone is geared to saying 'it is better to give than to receive' and yet most are looking for a gift.  God has already given the most precious gift of all - His Son, Jesus Christ.  God has blessed each and everyone of us just this morning.  Let us express gratitude for the things He has already given us. Christ is the real meaning of Christmas.  Christ brings hope to a troubled community.  Let's not get caught up in the physical side of Christmas and forget the real meaning of Christ's birth.  Give gifts if you must. Remember moderation.  Be thankful and give something to someone who is unlikely to be in a position to give to you.  Just keeping our mouths shut and a smile might just do the trick.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Botton Line?

Reading the ADS (African Descent Strategy), I ask myself, 'what is the bottom line?' Increase in membership? Increase in giving? If the real motive of this strategy is anything other than discipleship, then it is bound to fail. The real basis of church growth is testimony. Your testimony can be verbal or physical. Whatever form it takes, it must follow the doctrine as laid down in the Bible. Maybe too much hooping and not enough teaching in our congregations. Why teaching? Many of our members just go to church out of habit. Very few overall either attend Sunday School or Bible Study. Where are they learning about the word of God? They cannot spread the Word if they do not know it. They are not in a position to minister to their friends, family, or co-workers when difficult times arise in the workplace. This is when people need help and are brought to church. If the only time the pastor gets to see many members is Sunday morning worship, then maybe he needs to be in a teaching mode rather than a preaching mode. Preach on Bible Study night and do Bible Study during the Sunday morning worship. We have bibles in the pews. Members do not need to be told to follow the readings in the Bible when they are printed in the bulletin. That is real convenient. Still, once they follow the reading that is the end of the Word until next Sunday. Where are our members getting their Word? Many are not getting any Word. When the Word of God begins to work in a person' s life, they will have a testimony that will win souls to Christ. Membership will grow. Giving will increase. Everyone will not be able to get to the altar. Then we will need a strategy dedicated to where everyone will be seated. What a wonderful thought! Let's concentrate on making disciples now! Less planning. More action! Let's do something.

Challenges to a successful stragegy.

Earlier today, I visited with Christ Church Episcopal of Savannah. The Bishop of the Church was vising the diocese of Georgia. After the service which ended around 6pm, we went out to the adjacent street for a reception. I was approached by several people. I decided to talk with a Father from one of the neighboring cities. I asked him about his relationship with the local Lutheran Church. Not very much he said. He did know the pastor's name and indicated they had been getting together over lunch every now and then. I asked what did his parishioners do in regards to working with the Lutherans in the area. The answer was expected. Very little. As he was talking, it occurred to me that what was needed was for us to just take all the small federated Churches and put two or three of them together and assign one pastor to all three. Now that would require the breaking down of denominations. Well, the way it is going now, it is better to decide your future and plot your demise in an orderly way than to have it forced on you by circumstances that you could have controlled. Let's face it, we need to think out of the box if we are going to jump start the growth of black churches in the ELCA. If we do not do something soon, we will be just like banks on wall street, looking for a shotgun marriage to save our behind. Let's start talking about a merger of these local congregations or at least the idea of a circuit preacher for the struggling congregations. Perhaps service rotation much like in the old day in the country. I am just so dissatisfied with the progress or lack of progress toward the African descent strategy. Now it could be that someone is working on a strategy and I am just so far out of the loop that I am blinded by the progress. I hope so.

Fire! Could I get a light?

Rome burned while Nero fiddled.  Could it be that we are fiddling while our children are leaving the church and not going anywhere.  Why?  The 'church' of their parents is not meeting the need of its children.   We spend a lot of time on issues such as homosexuality and other issues that are not important to our children.  Now that we are not listening to our children, we have locked ourselves behind the red door and became 'religious'.  Many of us have gone to church so long we go because of habit.  We tune the preacher out because many times he is preaching on the same theme.  When he does get a new theme, there is little credibility because we will use the same old plan with the new theme behind the red door.  Result?  Nothing.  Well, not exaclty Rome burning.  Neither is there any fire in, around or on the pew.  

Thanks

My sistah's and brothers, this the the first step to getting there. I am intersted in what is happening with some of the issues we discussed in Atlanta along with this one. What is the status of the group that was working on developing the committee of and for young people. Second how is the media spot coming? Hope that we all stay in touch and encourage others to join to share ideas and programs that are successful.

Thanks!

Thanks for the invite. Glad to be a part of the experience.

LadyT