"Let’s Strive To Be Healthy!"
When our body is sick it gives us messages of discomfort. If we ignore the signs we run the risk of greater problems. So it is with the body of Christ. We are people, made in the image of God. We have problems, triumphs, failures, needs, hopes and dreams.
When we come together as an expression of the family of God, we represent to our community and world who He is. The only God some people will ever see is the one in us. As we seek the Lord may we endeavor to do whatever necessary to represent a healthy church body. Our churches have pulse points, pressure areas and significant places where greater attention to detail is needed. Let’s explore this together. The scripture found in Romans 14:19 is our text; "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
The church is the community of God in the earth. Jesus taught community and set the example of community. We continue to gather in, educate, heal, restore, to send back out to the community to start the process again. We must teach those in our care the absolute necessity of GIVING BACK to the community you live in. The people who come through our doors must become responsible people in every level of life. The community of the local church is designed by God to reach the community of each local city, region and world. We are here not only to be blessed but to become a blessing.
We have a driven society, clamoring for our time, energy, and work. When a cause or issue puts the local church on the periphery instead of front and center, then we are walking on dangerous turf. The church is where all ministry, service and action must flow from. We need generational community and cross-generational interaction to achieve community in our churches. Since our churches are being filled with the people who live in our cities, we must be about building strong, healthy, vibrant people.
"Seven Different Issues in Building Our Congregants"
Care for our children – We need to be careful and not overlook the children, because of their overwhelming needs in today’s dysfunctional society, adults must help them.
Consistency of contact with "Significant Others" – We live in a corner of the world that is similar to unreached nations of the world. Six to eight percent of New Englanders are Evangelical Christians. So we don’t need to be rocket scientists to understand the isolation our children can feel in school. Our children, youth and adults need significant others in our lives to reinforce Christian values. In community every one is taking an interest in the lives of their peers. It takes community to build faith.
Covenant Groups – If we are going to experience healthy growth and learning in the context of community, we need to be part of a small covenant group. We are in essence coming together and saying I want to play with you, laugh with you, cry with you, and pray with you. It takes time, money and effort to develop committed relationships, but you will really be grateful when you face your first crisis and someone is there to walk it with you.
Curriculum for Growth & Learning - We need a balanced understanding of Old & New Testaments. Make sure we teach the whole counsel of God. We need to grow well-balanced members who have a clean sense of God’s whole Word.
Continual Improvement of Ministries- We must teach, teach, teach the ministry. We must never cop the attitude; I know it all and have no need for further development. We must remain teachable.
Communication within the Family – We need to practice, practice, practice careful loving communication skills. Learning to resolve conflict, expressing love tangibly, listening carefully, and spending time. Our Sunday School classes, covenant groups, various informal settings are wonderful occasions to reinforce the most competent ways of relating to one another. The family, the Church is the Bedrock of Society.
Community Impact – Why are we studying the scriptures together? To grow in Christ, urging one another on to love & good works, building meaningful relationships, to let the world know of our love for Christ.
All we really need to know about how to live and what to do we learned in kindergarten. Share everything, play fair, don’t hit people, put things back where you found them, clean up your own mess, don’t take things that are not yours, say you’re sorry when you hurt someone, wash your hands before you eat, flush the toilet, warm cookies & milk are good for you. Learn some, think some, draw and paint, sing and dance, play, work some every day. Take a nap every afternoon. When you go outside, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
We want to encourage people to walk with God & one another in the context of a safe, affirming environment.
A Healthy Church
Enables people to see Jesus
Helps them to know His will for them
Equips them to follow Him in all of life
Helps each person find his calling
Encourages people to discover & use their gift
Provides settings for members to come together for teaching, prayer, sharing and service
If we pay attention and let ourselves really look at our true condition, we will be able to assess what we need to improve upon. At any rate, we are the answer God is giving to a very disturbed world. Let’s show everyone how great our God really is.