engage (part 1)
One of the biggest challenges to me seems to be connecting people from all walks of life to each other. To find a place where people can truly connect and journey with others in true community. Yet it seems that many are leaving the church as quickly as they come in.
I began to wonder if churches everywhere struggle with this issue or if this is something unique to our church. I was a little surprised and discouraged to find out that the vast majority of churches everywhere seem to struggle in this very area. Even in a recently conversation with a friend of mine at a large, well known church, he said this may be one of the biggest challenges at their church as well.
So what now? Something has to change. How do we begin to truly connect people to each other? How can we develop the kind of true community you see in the early church? How can we engage those walking in the door, helping them learn more about a better way to live?
If you’ve talked to anyone who seems to be doing this well, read a book or article on this topic (that didn’t suck), heard a great teaching on this let me know. I would love to read or listen to whatever it might be. I’m willing to fly and meet with this person in an effort to help people connect on a deeper level with others. I would love to pass this on to the many others who long to create this environment in their community as well.
buffet
I recently came across this story that I thought I would pass on. I usually hate forwards but this one made me question what I’m doing this very day.
A man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said.
“Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.
The Lord led the man to two doors.
He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made his mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.
But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.
The man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.
The Lord said, “You have seen Hell.
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew, which made the his mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The man said, “I don’t understand.
It is simple,” said the Lord.
“It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.”
I believe that as followers of Christ we often carry this mentality of consumerism. We want people to come to our church and offer the most we possibly can, like a buffet. People come in, often complain because their unsatisfied because their needs aren’t met. Others become so obese with the knowledge they have from being in church their whole life and they don’t do anything with it. So often it can become so easy to focused on what is going on inside our own little world that we forget about those around us that are literally dying.
My question would be this… What are we doing to make sure people outside the church are being taken care of?
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