Summer Challenge #2 -Getting to Know Your Church Family

"Say 'Good Morning' to those around you," said Ryan Yoxthimer, as he concluded the Sunday morning verbal announcements. As I turned to shake hands to those sitting closest to me in the worship service I thought, "I have greeted these people almost every Sunday morning for the past seven years, but do I really know them?"

Oh, I might know their first name, maybe their last name, and maybe even a little something about their family, but do I really know anything about the lives of those I worship alongside on a weekly basis?

I was convicted.

Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)

How can I love my brothers and sisters in Christ if I don't even really know them?

How about you? Are there people that you see every Sunday morning that you really don't know at all? If so, would you like to change that?

This summer the staff is challenging themselves and the congregation to build relationships both inside and outside our church. (See my last post for first challenge)

Our second summer challenge is this:
1. Over the next three weeks look around on Sunday morning and find someone that you either don't know or don't know very well.
2. Invite this person (or persons) out for lunch, over for a meal, or out for coffee.
3. In order to encourage others, please write a couple sentences on our Facebook page to let us know you completed this challenge and a little bit about your experience. 

I look forward to hearing your stories as we get to know our church family a little better.

Blessings,
Sharon 

Faith Summer Challenge--Who's Your Neighbor?

Summer Challenge--Cross that Fence

We would like to follow up Pastor Dick Lehman's sermon May 29, 2011 with some simple summer challenges.

When asked what the greatest commandment is Jesus replied, “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' There IS no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31, emphasis mine)


So what does that look like within our church family and out in our community?  What if we all took some small steps this summer to see what impact it would have on those we attend church with and those outside our walls. Would you be willing to take on an occasional challenge? Would you be willing to share what you learned from completing that challenge in order to encourage your church family?


The first challenge is simple.  This Thursday evening is the Frontier Days Parade in downtown Milford.  Consider going down to the parade and completing the following challenge:


Summer Challenge #1--Frontier Days Parade
1. If marching in the parade, introduce yourself to a fellow-marcher that you don't know. (They may be from our church or another church.) Get to know a little bit about them.
2. If on safety patrol or doing trash clean-up, introduce yourself and engage in a conversation with someone from the community. This doesn't have to be a long conversation, just get to know a little bit about them.


After you completed the challenge, go to the Faith Church Facebook page and write a little something on our wall about your experience.

Are We Winning the Argument, or Winning Souls?

"If they're not coming to us, we go to them," Doug Pollock said Sunday morning. Author of God Space, Naturally Creating Room for Spiritual Conversations, Doug spoke in our services this week, reminding us of some strategic principles of sharing our faith.

We've traditionally had a fortress mentality, huddled safely in our comfy church building, Doug pointed out. It's been "us vs. them." We hope to win the argument, convince people to cry uncle, give in and become a Christian. But nobody likes to feel as if they're being conquered. God's example is to lovingly woo us.

To do this, we have to learn how to play the whole field. Doug referred to a football field. We have to meet people wherever they are in their spiritual understanding and build relationships with them. We can't be concerned only about how many touchdowns we score. Someone has to also make the first down, someone has to make the sustained drives.

Few people will live out this challenge on their own. The quarterback gets all the attention, but he needs the people around him to be able to accomplish his mission. We need to live and do life together.

St. Patrick won Ireland for Christ by planting small groups of Christians all around that ancient, godless country. Because they cared for one another while living out scriptural principles, the barbarians noticed their better quality of life. The only way we're going to re-engage a post-Christian culture is to do it in community. If you think you don't know how, cry out to God for wisdom. James 1:5.

Let's take a missions trip together. It isn't necessary to cross a body of salt water in order to reach the mission field. When we exit the church building on Sunday morning, we enter the mission field as we walk out the door. Leave church on Sunday and be the church Monday through Saturday.

(Listen to Doug Pollock's complete message.)

Doug will teach a seminar on April 9, here at Faith Church, 9 am-2:30 pm, on how to start the conversation and have meaningful dialogue about spiritual matters. $10 includes lunch. Free childcare provided, by reservation. Register online.

And...

Have you seen my copy of And, the Gathered and Scattered Church by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay?

It is the one with page after page of highlighted passages, stars in the margins and turned down pages.

Pastor Steve recently assigned staff leadership, as well as the elder board and elder council (made up of former elders) to read And, because the book deals with the value of both the gathered church (think Sunday morning services) and the scattered church (us modeling Jesus Monday through Saturday).

I loved what this book had to say about how the gathered and scattered church are supposed to work together, energizing one another, to make more and better disciples.

Let me share some of my favorite, thought-provoking quotes:

• The last forty years of Sunday services, biblical sermons, safe childcare, affinity-based small groups, and programs to fit any need are not producing the strain of Christians that have significantly changed the culture. (pg. 162)

• Spiritual formation (is) becoming like Jesus instead of just knowing about Jesus. (pg. 94)

• Engaging culture isn’t as much about doing evangelism as it is incarnating the presence of Christ in every relationship we form. (pg. 58)

• The only thing he’s (Jesus) is going to ask you about your performance…will be based on a simple measurement: Did you do all that you could, with all that I gave you, to make people like me?” (pg. 76)

• The (Sunday morning) gathering…should be a place to call people into a bigger story of giving their life away. (pg. 185)

And, the Gathered and Scattered Church challenged Kevin and me in ways that few books have. I would highly encourage you to read this book and join the conversation.

Blessings,
Sharon

Coughing, Sneezing and Spreading Germs

Once each month, the staff goes out to lunch. Tuesday was that day. It's interesting to just sit quietly for a moment and listen to the snippets of conversation.

I never saw that email. Will you send it again, please?
I've read that book, and loved it.
Baby's doing great.
My friend is dating.
They're out of mushrooms!
I love your tote bag! She MADE it?!!
What year is your new car?
That movie is not worth your time.
I'm gonna need a box.
I wanted to ask you . . .
Can anyone recommend a restaurant for a special occasion?
My diet isn't going so well.

Comments that got everyone's attention were those regarding Jacob's health. He missed work Monday with sickness. Everyone pretended they didn't want to sit near him. (Maybe they weren't all pretending!)

At lunch, Sharon ended up beside him. And guess what . . . she emailed the next morning that she had a fever, congestion . . . and worse. And who was in the next seat beside Sharon? Me! So far, I'm good, but if that changes, I'll be blaming Jacob!

Obviously, Sharon was exposed to someone's cold before she sat beside Jacob, but I wish the gospel would spread to those around us as easily as our viruses do. Don't you wish you could just sit down beside a co-worker and know that a germ of faith would invisibly jump from you to him, and after a certain incubation period, symptoms of his own faith in Christ would become evident?

When I walk across the yard and stand talking to my neighbor about her garden, I wish all I had to do was cough, and she would automatically be infected with belief in Jesus. Or that by giving grumpy Aunt Matilda a hug, she would catch my commitment to Christ.

I won't suggest that it's ever easy to share the gospel, but it may not be as hard as we think. Although words are vitally important, actions often speak more loudly than words.

When we show an interest in our neighbor's garden, that gets her attention. Continued conversations may result in the opportunity to take a meal after surgery, give her a book, water her garden when she's out of town, and eventually earn the right to simply ask if she's interested in spiritual things.

When we sit down beside a co-worker at lunch and ask how things are going, he may actually reveal that not everything is great. Offering to pray for him may startle him, but don't be surprised if he takes you up on the offer. This can lead to great conversations. Answer his questions, and ASK questions. Just talk, and be honest about your own experience.

And pray. Ask God to prompt your heart with deeds He has for you to do, and to give you words he has for you to say, and WHEN to say them. Then relax. God answers these prayers.

As for Aunt Matilda, just keep on hugging her, even when she's unhuggable.

Intersecting--Where does your story fit?

Are there stories or verses in the Bible that touch your heart in a special way because they speak to something that God has done or is doing in your life? We are looking for people willing to share a bit about how God's story has intersected with their own, as it relates to the book of John.

Below is a list of upcoming sermons. Look it over and see if there is a story that you can identify with in someway. If there is a particular section of Scripture that speaks to your life and you would be willing to share with us, please contact Jacob Addison at jaddision@faithchurch.net.

Upcoming sermons:

· February 20: Jesus and the Samaritan Women, John 4:1-39. A sinful woman believes in Christ

· February 27: The Healing at the Pool, John 5:1-15

· March 13: Lessons in Faith (Feeding of 5,000, Walking on Water, Jesus Bread of Life) John 6:1-24

· March 20: John 7:37-52—The Last day of the feast, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”

· March 27: Doug Pollock speaks

· April 10: The woman caught in adultery, John 8:1-11, Jesus forgives, but asks her to “go and sin no more.”

· April 17: Jesus Heals the Man born blind, John 9

· April 24: Easter—the Resurrection

· May 8: Jesus, the Good Shepherd, John 10

· May 15: Jesus, and the Death of Lazarus, John 11

· May 22: Final message: Jesus Appears to Thomas, John 20:24-31

Keep Following His Lead

Three nights ago, my husband and I exited the church after AWANA to discover it had begun to snow. We started for home with Ron leading the way; I followed in my own car.

Snow filled the night air, blizzard-style. The flakes were very fine, but they bombarded the windshield and hissed past the side windows. The windy snowfall enveloped me and made me feel as if I were isolated - in my own little cave.

With the help of my dependable windshield wipers, I kept my husband's taillights in view. I've always appreciated his good driving skills, and that night, I simply let him lead me through the storm.

Surprisingly, I was totally relaxed. The snow had just started, we only had about a 20-minute trip, and all I had to do was follow the car ahead of me. I paid attention, listened to the radio, and enjoyed the winter wonderland.

Suddenly, I was startled to realize that the road was snow-covered - with accumulating snow. When had that happened? But I was calmed by the knowledge that Ron knows how to drive in snow and would get me home just fine. He would keep his distance from other vehicles, slow down when need be, anticipate stops, etc. I just needed to keep following his lead.

In just the same way, I need to follow God's lead every day. We never know what the weather will be - what storms may envelope us during our journey. But no matter how torrential the downpour, or how isolated we feel, we're never alone.

God makes it possible to putter along without concern, enjoying the scenery, if we follow Him. We know that his ability to maneuver us through the treacherous paths is so much greater than ours. We can be aware of danger and problems around us, but remain unruffled, as long as we keep Him in sight and let Him lead us through the storm.

. . . to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1:79