20 church actions

Points from a video by Matt Dabbs at Revolution of Ordinaries, a YouTube channel by a Churches of Christ minister from what I can gather. But, I like the guy. He makes good sense in most cases.

 My comments.

00:16 - #1 - Biblical teaching without smoke machines

And this means: not a 'sermon'. Sermons aren't how we teach practices and how we truly learn and grow in true knowledge, knowledge we incorporate into our thinking world.

How we do this is by discussion. Discussion for learning-teaching is not a free for all: see Stephen Brookfield's work on this. It might start with pre-reading of a passage, not necessarily constrained by the chapter-verse coordinate system we have, and some pointed questions and cross references to consider. Then as a group we discuss. Then the teacher gives a summary talk to bring it all together, and Q and A following, perhaps while still seated, but with some refreshments. 

00:55 - #2 - Participatory worship

Of course, he means participatory gatherings.Worship is what we do all the time as our minds are transformed and we are caring for our brethren in need (Romans 12:1-2, James 1:27).

As per 1 Corinthians 11-14, each has something to contribute: more a 'round-table', discussion circle than a one-person lecture all facing the front. 

And our singing is to teach each other: Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16 

01:24 - #3 - Preachers who know the people

He means teachers/prophets, of course. Yes, this is a thing of the gathering of the saints, not a dislocating rant or ceremonial address that has nothing to do with relationship. It is the members of the gathering who do the teaching/prophesying (encouraging biblical reminders).

01:48 - #4 - Holy Spirit back in charge

Our church needs to be prayerfully conscious of being in the hands of the Spirit. Church means the body of Christians together. Not merely the building we use to meet in or the times of meeting in that building.  

02:26 - #5 - Make Disciples

This marks the biggest failing of the entire Western church! We don't make disciples. We grab every new believer and shove them into a pew, perhaps having urged them to read the Bible, or given them a study book to work through; perhaps a couple of meetings with a counselor (I mean a mature Christian to encourage and teach, not a head-doctor) .

Not enough.It should be at least a year of careful coaching and instruction, in groups if possible. This should cover the foundations: what the Bible is, its organization and textual history; biblical theology, basic church history, study of a gospel, Acts, a couple of shorter letters, Genesis, Job, and selected 'episodes' from other OT books. It should also include simple apologetics, such as the 7 basic questions and the 7 Muslim challenges.

Some instruction on basic heresies and heretical cults could also be important. 

Then, the new Christians should be drawn into the community with hospitable inclusion in the life of the church: being invited for a  simple meal or coffee in your home, go to movies, concerts together, etc.

Finally, they should be invited to participate in giving: volunteering in ministries they are suited to or interested in talk about their 'journey' in the gathering or small group, and their reflections on their journey so far.

General on-going discipling is important, so people can become teachers where so gifted, conduct groups, organize functions or ministries, be trained in public speaking, and the pragmatic side of church life as well. 

03:36 - #6 - Plant churches

Carefully and wisely. Thorough research on the local area.

05:02 - #7 - Make communion central

I don't think the early church had a 'ceremonial' or 'sacramental' communion. It was part of their 'love feast' or meal together. 

06:02 - #8 - Play together

Go out together, not in cliques, but in assorted groupings: to entertainments, picnics, conferences.

07:18 - #9 - Fasting

An inconvenient practice...that's why we need to get back to it. 

07:46 - #10 - More hearing the Bible

Not just snippets, but, in the right context, whole coherent passages. We also need to train and practice this craft so that its  worth doing and worth listening to. 

08:48 - #11 - Healthy accountability

Sure, but not intrusive:always kind, supportive, in love, and seeking the others (or mutual) growth. 

09:31 - #12 - Less clock, more connection

Besides, we need to have longer more varied gatherings. If your church has a building, turn it into a whole Sunday thing:

Classes in the morning

Morning tea

Large meeting for edification

Lunch together, maybe a talk and some discussion

Skills workshops

Casual chat-around (people come and go)

Supper

Evening gathering: sharing and singing, prayer. 

10:06 - #13 - Teach on sin

Avoid legalism and casuistry. Sin is 'anti-God', anti-love, pride in action. It is not of the New Creation.

10:31 - #14 - Spiritual community engagement

Connect with the local community, real connections, join local groups, be known as Christian, and genuinely interested in the group. Get involved in various relief efforts for local and distant disasters. 

Be seen on the street and in any fairs with community booths for organized stand-up evangelism; and don't be corny, be real. 

11:41 - #15 - Less programs, more training

As per #5 above. 

12:18 - #16 - Spiritual leadership

Expunge the modern usage of  'leadership' Replace it with 'communityship', serving each other with one's gifts and skills and Philippians 2:1-17. 

12:53 - #17 - Kingdom vision and goals

Know that we are working to the New Creation in all that we do. But do it with careful thought based on real opportunities, needs, challenges and know the barriers to overcome.

13:18 - #18 - Privatize giving

All giving should be top-secret. 

14:06 - #19 - Engage community leaders

Connected with #14 above. Get your senior brethren (that is those with responsibilities) to connect with civic authorities.

14:41 - #20 - Don't rely on tech 

Good pointers in the video: that is be personal, not 'automated' by web services. But in the fine detail, do technology well. 

Make sure any use of equipment, IT or otherwise is skilled and tested. Set up sound gear professionally (no tapping a microphone asking if it is 'on'. You should have done a sound check with the panel operator/producer). Have people trained and skilled as 'producers'.

Nevertheless, do your best to make you equipment serve, not lead. If you have no illustrations that add to a particular presentation, talk, speech, training session, don't use PowerPoint! 

Talking it up

A suggestion I made to our local public High School Religious Education teacher (funded by donations, but accepted by the school).

 The school exec. is reluctant to approve a lunchtime meeting of Christian pupils, as part of a network of such groups across the country.

I suggested this  course of action:

Would a visit from you and the chairman to the Exec for a 'get to know you/how are we doing here/how can we further contribute to the school community?' meeting help open the way for ISCF, perhaps?

We might add that our key objective is to give young people a life-grounding that is non-materialistic/consumerist, community oriented and focused on living for the benefit of others. This, we think would reinforce values that contribute to a positive school environment.

ISCF helps to advance this using time tested approaches (I mean here the whole approach to Christian formation), that include programs to build social capital through small group training in and practical development of leadership, relationship-building, and growth experiences in self-development.  (Supported in vacation house-party opportunities-if these still happen).

This type of framing approach might open some positive avenues.

 Note, that unlike most Christian approaches to secular groups, I've talked about 'benefits' to them, and not 'features' of Christian faith.

That is, I've used their language and conceptual framing, not ours.

I wonder how many such approaches by Christian groups think this way. 

What is your church doing to evangelize?

A friend asked me this recently.

The church I am part of has a number of corporate activities to connect with the community:

Special Religious Education at the local primary school. Although this could be developed by making positive connections (meetings, seminars, etc.) with parents and school staff.

We have youth activities weekly and at school holidays; mainly for the children of church families, but non-church friends are welcome and do come. The connection with external parents is, I fear, yet to be fully developed.

A community gym operates on weekends.

Classes for new speakers of English are offered. 

There are special community activities for elderly people: mid week gatherings with lunch monthly, exercise class twice a month, with lunch once a month, a bridge club.

I don't think any of these are really connected to 'next step' offerings to bring people close to knowing the Christian faith. 

Christmas and Easter include some community connections, but could be better developed.

OK. What's missing?

Person to person direct evangelism (with appropriate back up activities)

For instance we could have a stall at the monthly service club market, just of coffee and conversation; we'd have to charge for the coffee to avoid the ire of commercial operators.

We could do street work: a stall on the pavement, with council approval, of course, handing out leaflets, Bibles, having conversations. Here we'd need Bibles with adequate plain English introductions to books, and a real table of contents, not just a list of the contained books. A good index too.

Visits to nursing homes, hospitals, aged care homes? Maybe.

But people need skill here.

In another blog I'd described a teaching/training program for a local church. Now, that was ideal for a large church, but probably better done jointly with a group of churches. And maybe just one weekend session a year.

This would run for Saturday and Sunday with options in the afternoon. It would cover basic apologetics, Christian conversation approaches, and skills for 'positive evangelism' or street work. People who wanted to could get involved in active outreach with a mentoring program. This might include local door knocks as well for both evangelistic and pastoral needs.

10 tough questions for Christians

This is based on a video interview by Sean McDowell with Doug Groothuis

It deals with 10 prominent, supposedly 'tough' questions that Christians might be asked.

These are the time stamps for the source video with some notes after each.

1-- 0:57 - How can a loving and good God allow so much evil in the world?

The 'evil' in the world; let's call it suffering, tells us what we are like, beneath the veneer of self-righteousness, pride, convenient niceness, and basic selfishness. We can break through these from time to time, usually for short periods, or with an eye to 'duty', but look at the general suffering: Our world, and we can't mange it for universal benefit. Look at the evil that people do, in their simultaneous dignity and corruption: we are people. Evil? It's what people do.

Refer to Luke 13:4: our basic response to evil is to repent. Turn from the world we shape to the world to come and its king, Christ.

Also to Romans 7:14-25.

2-- 5:49 - How can a loving God send someone to hell?

People who repudiate life with God and love their life of alienation from him will not be forced to love God against their will; their will will be 'respected'. The Bible assures us that there is ample reason in the created world to know God. In our fallen vanity we avoid this knowledge. 

3-- 11:18 - Why is God so hidden? 

Only to the obdurate. He has shown himself firstly in the creation, then in Christ, and now, with those, in the church universal and its proclamation of saving hope. 

4-- 15:18 - What about those who have never heard (of God)?

God is just, so all will be dealt with justly. 

5-- 19:12 - If Christianity is true, why is there so much abuse and damage done through the church?

Christ came to save us from who we are, with the gradual transformation this brings; and to help others to see him...also see 1 and 3 above. 

6-- 21:30 - Isn't the cross an example of divine child abuse?

The cross is the culminating demonstration of God saving us. This started in Genesis 22 where, instead of child sacrifice (and Isaac was a 'youth') God provided and guaranteed the sacrifice. The token of God provides, and man cannot 'save' himself. In the Cross, God is the sacrifice. Jesus was God, creator, taken on human flesh and limitation. So, no! 

7-- 25:43 - Is Christianity racist since the Bible was used to promote and justify slavery?

You misunderstand chattel slavery with ancient indentured service one could enter to avoid penury and death.

See Exodus 21:16 and Deut. 24:7. 

8-- 30:38 - Is Christianity homophobic and hateful towards the LGBTQ community?

Leaving aside the tendentious elephant hurling of the terms, Christ came to save we sinners. He hates all sin because it degrades our creational humanity. Any person who turns to Christ is a broken person, but is on the path of recognition of that, seeking its repair in new life aligned with our creational origin. 

9-- 35:05 - Is Christianity at war with science?

Christianity, or rather the world-view of the Bible, framed in Genesis 1-3 shows why science is possible at all. It shows we are in a real world of which we can and are called to make sense. The real enmity is between the dehumanizing doctrines of materialistic naturalism and the various colours of humanism,

10-- 39:00 - Is Christianity sexist?

 No. The church often as been as it apes the corrupt culture of the fallen world, but, Galatians 3:28 sets the scene for being 'in Christ'. 

Who are your leaders?

The favourite job in a Christian group is 'the Leader'. Apparently we need more of them. 'Leading' is the preferred skill.

Yet our Lord throws some cold water on this in Matthew 23:8-10:

But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your father, he who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for one is your leader, that is, Christ.

Hard to argue with.

Paul's view in the list of giftings seems to differ as well, from our modern hubris:

1 Corinthians 14:39 sets the record straight:

Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy.

There are plenty of other roles called for as well. Roles, not titles. Romans 12:6-8 covers it. But we have to be wary here, the word sometimes translated 'leads' is proistēmi.

It has a range of meanings: to be a protector or guardian, superintendent, to give aid, to care for, give attention to. Hardly the modern 'leader' which is acted out as the Greek 'archon'. Not a happy term in a gathering of Christians.

What should we do with 'titles' then? 

Here are a few that we can use:

• Moderator
• Organizer
• Convenor
• Coordinator
• Minister
• Worker
• Helper
• Assistant (that could be a quite high 'rank', come to think of it)
• Teacher
• Facilitator
• MC/Master of Ceremonies (for formal gatherings)
• President/Chairman (committees)
• Administrator
• Coach
• Counselor (as in Summer Camps)
• Speaker.

 But above all...let everything be done in love...do not be conformed to the world...

Son of Man?

As a younger Christian I was much puzzled by this term. Not helped by the poor Christian education provided by my church, of course.

One minister, RS, offered a suggestion that it had something to do with the Son of Man in Daniel 7:13; and this has some weight, I think.

Perhaps it was merely the human-like form of the vision, that attracted the title, but even here, it seems to denote something of greater significance, a sort of summative title.

The son is usually the inheritor, so what does the 'son of man' inherit?

I think it might be that, as the incarnate (to be, in Daniel) God...the Son, he inherits all that man as created was to be, pre-fall. He also, as the Lamb of God, inherits the consequence of the fall for man as created. This bears out both his conduct on earth pre-resurrection, but as the divine adopting human form, and his accepting the punishment given for sin (the repudiation of God-ness, and of God himself): death, despite him not meriting it. He accepted it to defeat it.

Also check out this video from the Bible Project. 

Not the words I use

In his article "Christian Apologetics" in Hooper's anthology: C. S. Lewis "God in the Dock", Lewis put his finger on the problem of communicating the gospel to non-churched people.

He listed words that have either no meaning, or a mistaken meaning to them:

Here's a selection. I've updated some of Lewis' explanations.

ATONEMENT

People have no idea what this means.

BEING

This may or may not be understood as 'person', as 'human being'. For example the Holy Spirit as a 'being' may not be understood as a person: a 'centre of consciousness'.

CATHOLIC

The Roman church, rather than the church universal.

CHARITY

An organization that helps people for no charge, instead of 'love in action'.

CHRISTIAN

A nice person, a person who is ordinarily 'moral' or 'nice'.

CHURCH

A building they'd never step inside, rather than a gathering of saints.

CREATIVE

Description of an artist, designer or sometimes writer or film-maker (photoplay maker: I like that older term).

CREATURE

An animal.

CRUCIFIXION, CROSS

A ceremonial religious emblem rather than an instrument of cruel torturous death.

DOGMA

Unreasoning and stubbornly held statement of opinion.

MORALITY

Being 'good', rather the general behaviour category of values.

PERSONAL

Applicable to oneself exclusively: my personal wardrobe, computer, equipment, tools.

PRIMITIVE

Not fully developed as in 'primitive man' uses sticks for weapons and stones for pillows.

SACRIFICE

Something you give up, usually at tolerable personal cost.

SAINT 

A super-spritual person, usually related to episcopal church usage for special religious people.

SPIRITUAL

Immaterial, usually related to aesthetics or emotions. 

The lesson? In talking to people outside your church circle, use common language that communicates meaningfully to your listener.