Time to talk about some of the changes that are occurring and those changes that are perceived.....
Would anyone like to get the discussion rolling???
Would anyone like to get the discussion rolling???
Forums
yahooHi Fritz, I think that the biggest change that is happening at Mantua has to do with attitudes. there seems to be a shift on what people perceive as ministry. Basically what constitutes ministry.
For the longest time many have felt that ministry was the domain of our pastors or that it was done inside the walls of our church building. We have been very good at Sunday school, VBS and Lenten Bible studies. I'm not saying that we didn't help the poor and the needy because we did, but from a distance. Holidays was for the food baskets, Angel Tree and special offerings. We did go, annually to the hospitol to sing carols and that was cool but most of the time we brought in food and let those responsible for that ministry do the work and they did a fantastic job. Actually our outreach team has been excellent for as long as I've been around and they've gotten better at what they already do well.
The one area that has not been a strong point has been our evangelism efforts. Oh we've been hospitable to visitors and we've taken in lots of transfers from other congregations but we have not really proclaimed the gospel in the surrounding community. Lately this has been troubling me. I am a relatively new member of the Mantua church. The fourteenth anniversary of my baptism is October 19. It's starting to bother me that something that has changed my life so much isn't something that I have been that willing to share with others outside the church. Our camping trip to Quarryville has changed that and I'm speaking more and more to others about what I believe. That is a huge change.
Maybe this isn't exactly what you were trying get at but it's important.
I do pray that the congregation reorganizes the governing structure. I believe that it would be the best way to free people to minister with the gifts that God has given them. I like the NOW structure that has been proposed. If we are to make disciples then we have to free up those disciples to minister. You can't minister if all you do is talk about and legislate ministry.
Peace!
Greg <><
For the longest time many have felt that ministry was the domain of our pastors or that it was done inside the walls of our church building. We have been very good at Sunday school, VBS and Lenten Bible studies. I'm not saying that we didn't help the poor and the needy because we did, but from a distance. Holidays was for the food baskets, Angel Tree and special offerings. We did go, annually to the hospitol to sing carols and that was cool but most of the time we brought in food and let those responsible for that ministry do the work and they did a fantastic job. Actually our outreach team has been excellent for as long as I've been around and they've gotten better at what they already do well.
The one area that has not been a strong point has been our evangelism efforts. Oh we've been hospitable to visitors and we've taken in lots of transfers from other congregations but we have not really proclaimed the gospel in the surrounding community. Lately this has been troubling me. I am a relatively new member of the Mantua church. The fourteenth anniversary of my baptism is October 19. It's starting to bother me that something that has changed my life so much isn't something that I have been that willing to share with others outside the church. Our camping trip to Quarryville has changed that and I'm speaking more and more to others about what I believe. That is a huge change.
Maybe this isn't exactly what you were trying get at but it's important.
I do pray that the congregation reorganizes the governing structure. I believe that it would be the best way to free people to minister with the gifts that God has given them. I like the NOW structure that has been proposed. If we are to make disciples then we have to free up those disciples to minister. You can't minister if all you do is talk about and legislate ministry.
Peace!
Greg <><
Oh yeah,
I finally got a picture of the church sign that has bothered me for so long. Take a look and see if you can tell me what bothers me so much about it. Names have been blocked out to protect the innocent.
Peace!
Greg <><
I finally got a picture of the church sign that has bothered me for so long. Take a look and see if you can tell me what bothers me so much about it. Names have been blocked out to protect the innocent.
Peace!
Greg <><
The forum wouldn't allow my attachment. Sorry about that.
Here is the before mentioned photo (thanks Michelle for the education). Tell me folks, what it is that disturbs me about this sign.
The Praise band played at this (BIllingsport UMC) church about 4 years ago. They were evening events that the pastor had invited the community to come and participate in. The building was filled, those evenings, with an enthusiastic and relatively young crowd.
The regular attenders of the Billingsport UMC were not happy with some of the changes that the Reverend Claibourne was bringing. He's no longer a pastor and is employed in the retail business.
Copy and paste the URL below to your browser and see the results of that decision. Sometimes change is necessary to keep a church alive. New people bring a fresh perspective to stale ministries. Remember; It's not your church, it's God's church.
http://blog.nj.com/gloucester/2007/07/a_sunday_at_the_billingsport_u.html
The regular attenders of the Billingsport UMC were not happy with some of the changes that the Reverend Claibourne was bringing. He's no longer a pastor and is employed in the retail business.
Copy and paste the URL below to your browser and see the results of that decision. Sometimes change is necessary to keep a church alive. New people bring a fresh perspective to stale ministries. Remember; It's not your church, it's God's church.
http://blog.nj.com/gloucester/2007/07/a_sunday_at_the_billingsport_u.html
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