“Don’t think of church as an address or location . . .
but as something deployed. Don’t think of it as a place you are for an hour each week, but rather WHAT YOU ARE every day of the week. The Church is the hands and feet of Jesus. . .
Now Go, be the church.”
This comes from a great 1.5 minute clip from Igniter Media. We have used it in our church services, when plenty of people were around who don’t normally come to church, or know what it means to follow Jesus. It’s also a good reminder to all of us, of what church is, and isn’t. Hope you can find a use for it. Blessings! (Click link below to watch the clip.)
It must be difficult for people who grow up in an environment where there is no affection for the Church or for Christ to suddenly be confronted by Church and church people at Christmas time – especially when ‘we’ are so overly enthusiastic about it all!
Our Christmas Community Carols commences in just a few hours, along with a puppet show for the kids/parents and a BBQ before the carols singing. So I’m trying to put myself in our visitors’ shoes as they walk in our church door. What will they see? What do they want to experience as guests at our place? If I didn’t know Christ, what would I want to see at a carols service? Perhaps . . .
I would want a place that welcomes me with sincerity, that puts me at ease and appreciates that I won’t know the status quo for moving around your premises. I won’t know where the toilets are, and I won’t know if it’s okay to put my feet on the seats or stop my kiddies running around in certain areas. Please tell me.
I would want a preacher who looks me right in the eye and tells me what they genuinely believe. I would want them to ask me to consider the real meaning of this Christmas celebration, explaining it in a clear but really succinct way! If this Jesus character is so important to you all, please tell me why. Show me.
I would want the music to sound good, with musicians who know when to come in and when to stop playing. I want singers who look like they are interested in the things they sing about.
I would want to see you had put effort into providing decorations for my children and I to be feeling festive. I would want some air conditioning and cold drinks (there’s no snow in the land down under at Christmas).
Most of all I would want you to treat me like someone who belonged here, not someone who is obviously new. I would love people to show a genuine interest in me, and my children, and to ask me back to visit again. That would show me how much you enjoyed my company! That would make me feel special. If you remembered my name the next time I came, that would be awesome!
Please pray with me for our upcoming community carols, which is essentially one of the best outreach opportunities for the Gospel in our calendar. And I will pray for yours: that Christ will be glorified; that people may be won over by the love of Christ, turn from the god of self, and follow Him.
May there be much rejoicing in heaven over many new souls entering the Kingdom this Christmas.
Words, words, words... well said Hamlet! A little blog to go off on tangents within the worlds of history and literature that interest me. From the Tudors to Tom Hardy's Tess, or from the Wars of the Roses to Wuthering Heights, feel free to browse through my musings to pick up extra ideas and points for discussion!
This comes from a great 1.5 minute clip from Igniter Media. We have used it in our church services, when plenty of people were around who don’t normally come to church, or know what it means to follow Jesus. It’s also a good reminder to all of us, of what church is, and isn’t. Hope you can find a use for it. Blessings! (Click link below to watch the clip.)
sevennotesofgrace 