Recognizing visitors–Many pastors and church boards tell me that few people visit the church. Yet when I ask about a person or family that I saw visiting, they often didn’t notice. I often visit churches and often leave wondering if I was even noticed. Though the churches are often not close to where I live, they have no way of knowing that. I could be someone who just moved into the area and am looking for a church. Many churches have no way to recognize visitors. The ushers can carry visitor cards and pass them out to those visiting or the church can have pew cards in the pews for visitors to fill out. Ushers are the front line when it comes to visitors. They are usually the first to meet them and are familiar with many who attend church. If they see someone wandering around looking for the sanctuary or the rest rooms, it is a good bet that person isn’t a regular attender. Even though visitors are more easily recognized in Sunday School than in the sanctuary, few Sunday School teachers record visitor information in their classes. As a result, many visitors go unrecognized. In addition, the church can have many activities like Vacation Bible School, potlucks, and visiting singers that attract visitors who have no church home. It takes courage to visit a large group of strangers and if the group does not recognize them and greet them, they rarely come back. Ushers and church leaders need to actively seek to identify visitors during every activity. One declining church I took over as pastor rented their Sunday School rooms to a government poverty program to help pay upkeep on the church. They wanted me to find another source of income so they could get rid of the program. The program drew about fifty people from the local community every week. It took me a while to convince the church to stop trying to chase the people out and begin inviting them in.
Posts Tagged ‘Faith in practice’
Freedom of Religion-C-B
Liberals have launched a broad attack on pro-life and other conservative organizations designed to silence them under the false narrative that they are stirring up rioting while liberal organizations are being given free reign in stirring up rioting and attacking conservatives. While the justice department moved against Christians for praying in front of abortion clinics and a number of them have already been sentenced to up to eleven years in prison, they have yet to investigate the vandalism and torching of churches and pro-life pregnancy centers. The one they were finally forced to prosecute only received eight years in prison for torching pro-life centers. Apparently they consider prayer warriors far more of a threat than arsonists. President Biden has been using government agencies to harass and threaten Christian organizations in order to silence them. I have received messages from a number of organizations that have had their Twitter and Facebook accounts cut off with no warning or reason given. In addition, many financial institutions are cutting off the fund-raising accounts for these organizations in order to strangle them financially. This is a widespread and well-organized attempt to silence anyone who opposes the liberal socialist agenda. Gab seems to be flooded with people fleeing the main sites, seeking safer media. I don’t know who else is safe as I use mainly Facebook and Linked-in. I occasionally use Gab, though you can’t build up a following without paying a subscription. I use Facebook because most the people I know use it and it has a wide audience, though I don’t know how much longer I can continue to use it. I have a fairly small following so they haven’t bothered me much but they shut down my site from time to time for a couple days at a time if I become too active in reposting posts from large sites they don’t like, so I have to be careful what I post on it. They don’t have the staff to closely scrutinize all posts but closely watch large conservative sites. That may change as they are calling for volunteers to monitor posts and report sites that threaten their agenda.
Freedom of Religion-C-A
In 2009, President Obama enacted legislation which literally opened the door to liberal hate speech while denying Christians a forum to express their views. Since then, numerous Christians in the United States have been jailed or heavily fined for refusing to participate in activities they find offensive. We finally got a glimpse of how much the justice department was paying the media to censor conservative groups who used their sites when Twitter was bought out. Liberals have also launched high profile attacks on Christians. For example, a Colorado and an Oregon baker have been heavily fined for refusing to bake Gay oriented cakes and a Kentucky Clerk was jailed briefly because she refused to issue marriage licenses to Gay couples. The “First Amendment Defense Act” was enacted in Mississippi after numerous challenges in court by homosexual lobbyists. It declares that (A) Marriage is only between a man and a woman, (B) Gender is determined by birth, and (C) Sex should only occur within marriage. This allows businesses and government workers to refuse to perform services which they find offensive without fear of heavy fines or jail time and allows businesses and schools to maintain biological bathrooms. Unfortunately laws are only as good as those who enforce them and liberal politicians and judges have shown their contempt for law by openly ignoring laws they don’t agree with. We need to support politicians and judges who uphold the Constitution and the rule of law.
Freedom of Religion-B-X
The response has been typical of those who call for tolerance. When they oppose something, they spread lies, make threats, and try to intimidate others to get their way, like unruly children. They say that tolerating religious freedom will give people the right to discriminate and open the way for widespread discrimination against them. It doesn’t matter to them that they are discriminating against others by promoting their beliefs while preventing others from practicing theirs. Liberty is a two-way street. If Gays can practice what they believe, others should be able to do the same. While Gays single out Christians, opposition to the Gay lifestyle is widespread among all organized religions, including Muslims, Hindu, and Buddhists, as well as a lot of atheists. President Biden is pushing Congress to pass a law that would strip away any protection for those who support the traditional family and open the door for Gays to force their lifestyle on others.
Freedom of Religion-B-W
Our nation was founded on religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution showing it was of the highest concern among the founding Fathers. In our day, it has been repeatedly violated by corrupt judges and legislators who openly scorn the Constitution. President Obama sought to force insurance companies under Obamacare to include benefits for abortions in spite of the fact that the Law authorizing Obamacare expressly forbit any provisions including abortion. He then attempted to force doctors and hospitals to perform abortions even if their faith expressly condemned abortion. Our God given right to express our faith is under attack and Christians need to stand with those who face persecution to protect their right to not violate their conscience. President Trump was able to get Congress to pass a religious freedom restoration law to ensure that it remained the law even if the Constitution was ignored. However, the federal law only applies to the federal government, not the States. As a result, 30 States have passed a similar law to protect their citizens and other States are considering them. Hobby Lobby won their case against being forced to provide drugs inducing abortions in their health care coverage as a result of the law. The fight over the law has revealed a lot about those who call for tolerance today. The laws are designed to protect Christians from being forced to go against their conscience in matters of faith. That such laws are needed shows how corrupt our nation has become. President Biden is showing his contempt for law by seeking to force doctors and hospitals to perform abortions in violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRAS) and the laws of States which have laws protecting freedom of religious belief.
Pentecost Sunday-May 19
The Holy Spirit cleanses our hearts like a fire refines gold. As a kid, my brother and I collected the lead tire balances that fell off cars along the road and would melt them in our furnace downstairs. After the lead melted, the impurities floated to the top. We then waited until the impurities burst into flames and burned off so that we would have pure lead before pouring it into molds. In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps cleanse our lives of those things that will hinder our witness through the trials and troubles we experience, and our changed life will witness to the Holy Spirit within us. One day, believers will stand before God and their works will be tried as with fire and those works that bore no fruit will be destroyed, though the believer will be saved. Only those works that produce fruit will remain.
Fourth Sunday of Eastertide-April 21
Pray –The church should urge members to spend the week praying over the list of opportunities in light of the items on the list or their discussion with representatives about where the Lord would have them use their talents to serve God. Some things members may feel called to might not have opportunities currently but should be seriously considered along with those that are available. Members should also be open to considering new interests that they might not have considered before and add them to their list. Members can then prioritize their interests from great interest down to passing interest since it is unlikely they can be actively involved in everything that interests them. The members could then mark them on the sheet
Third Sunday of Eastertide-April 14
Showcase volunteer opportunities in church/community-This is a good time to inform the members about the vast number of volunteer opportunities that are available. A list such as the volunteer talent search survey I reproduced in my book “Rebuilding The Kingdom” under “To Preserve The Light” could be handed out and members urged to look it over, pray about how and where God would have them serve, and consider what things they would like to be involved in. The church board could also have representatives of the various committees in the church and representatives of Christian service organizations in the community set up tables with displays in the fellowship hall and be available after church or in the afternoon or evening to talk to those who are interested in volunteering.
Second Sunday of Eastertide-April 7
Study the Word-Many churches go through the motions of worship on Sunday morning and think they are worshiping God, but if that worship doesn’t affect their everyday life, it is just entertainment. God wants more than just entertainment he wants changed lives. To serve God, we must become like Christ, but to become like Christ, we must learn what Christ is like by studying the Gospels. Hopefully, Lent was a time of studying the Scriptures and seeking to become what God wants us to become. Easter signifies a break with the past and the beginning of a new journey with God. Eastertide signifies a change in direction toward serving Christ. Jesus told His disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. That involves more than just the pastor preaching. Each member interacts with a multitude of unchurched individuals every day who need to hear the Gospel. The church needs to begin preparing for reaching out to those around it by studying the Scriptures that relate to serving God. For instance, (1) Matt 9:35-38, need for laborers, (2) Matt 16:24-26 self-denial, (3) Matt:18:1-4, Matt 20:25-28 who is greatest, (4) Luke 10:29-37 good Samaritan, (5) Matt 25:31-46 sheep & goats, and (7) John 13:3-17 Jesus washes their feet.