Competing With The World

[Dr. Shane]

The world entices both youth and adults. I sit on a social committee but we are limitted in the types of activities we can do because of offending some members.

Let me list a few things we compete with as the church.

• Television & Movies
• Dances (clubs, public school, etc.)
• Secular Concerts
• Video Games
• Amusement Parks
• Parties (beach, teenage/college, club)
• Sporting Events

Church socials normally are as follows:

• Gym Night (volleyball, basketball, swimming)
• Talent Shows (music, poetry, art but no dance)
• Softball & Picnic
• Hay Rides
• Game Night (board & table games)
• Movie Night (G rated movies)
• Banquets
• Rollerskating/blading

Other church events that also must compete are:

• Sabbath School
• AY (Adventist Youth)
• Pathfinders
• Prayer Meeting
• Bible Study
• Ministres (prison, community services, women, etc)
• Vespers

One of my frustrations is that our socials can become so boring because we are afraid to offend someone that they don't compete with the world at all. Our turnouts are low and many that do attend continue to participate in the worldly activities we are trying to compete with.

[Nicodema]

Misplaced focus. We're not here to compete with the world for who can entertain people better.

Sorry, not trying to be a critic; it's just lately I've got this Occam's Razor thing going on where it's all about Jesus. Socials are fine, nothing wrong with them, but I'd like to see more active outreach ministries going on. There are homeless to be fed and clothed, there are prisoners and sick to be visited, there's a gospel to be preached unto all the world ..... and there's some of us who'd like to be involved in that sort of thing but don't know how to get started or don't want to go it alone (even Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs...)

Why don't we have more activities like this in the churches???

Back to Shane's original oeuvre, a "Christian cafe'" is often a big hit with the young people -- loud contemporary Christian music in a bistro-esque setting, maybe interspersed with little vignettes such as short testimonies, inspirational talks, etc.

[Naomi]

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Nicodema said:

............ I'd like to see more active outreach ministries going on. There are homeless to be fed and clothed, there are prisoners and sick to be visited, there's a gospel to be preached unto all the world ..... and there's some of us who'd like to be involved in that sort of thing but don't know how to get started or don't want to go it alone (even Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs...)

Why don't we have more activities like this in the churches???

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Nico,

If you contact someone from the Church which you attend, or one close to your home I think you'll find that they have Prision Ministries, Shut-in Ministries, and an outreach program which prepares food and/or is involved with a shared ministry which takes responsibilitie with other churches and organizations to the homeless and poor.

I have never found a church which doesn't need a lot of help in these areas. The structure is in place, but there is a serious shortage of people who have the time or are willing to donate the time.

[Dr. Shane]

We compete with the world for time - not necesarily to entertain people.

One of the jobs of a pastor is to encourage and assist in various ministies. Ministries like Lay Activities Council, Adventist Youth Society, Pathfinder Club, Home & School Association, Department of Health & Temperance, Community Services, Prison/Jail Ministries and Women's Ministries should be run by the church members. The pastor is to encourage the church to form and run such ministires and help the respective leaders of these ministries. Unfortunately many pastors find that the church members just want to show up on Sabbath morning and not do anything else. Far too many Adventist churches are closed Sunday - Friday. But again, we see the church competing with the world for time.

In my little corner, my focus is on church socials because I sit on a social committee, which is to serve as edifying the church, much the same purpose as Club Adventist. We do compete with the world for the time of our members. When we have a church social our members can choose to come and participate or go to a movie, a hockey game, stay home and watch TV and some other activity.

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

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Nicodema said:

Misplaced focus. We're not here to compete with the world for who can entertain people better.

>>Sorry, not trying to be a critic;<< it's just lately I've got this Occam's Razor thing going on where it's all about Jesus. Socials are fine, nothing wrong with them, but I'd like to see more active outreach ministries going on. There are homeless to be fed and clothed, there are prisoners and sick to be visited, there's a gospel to be preached unto all the world ..... and there's some of us who'd like to be involved in that sort of thing but don't know how to get started or don't want to go it alone (even Jesus sent His disciples out in pairs...)

Why don't we have more activities like this in the churches???

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Re: >> << Giving a critique doesn't necessarily mean being critical. Seems most of us need a reality check regularly. Good assessment in my eyes, Nico.

I'm not exactly sure where the middle of the road is. However it seems to me that one of the strongest evidences of the Lord's soon return is the lack of family passion for meeting the work of carrying the gospel to all the world. In over 40 years of discipleship I've met only one young person whose father was a pastor, that wished to follow in his father's footsteps as a pastor. Most fathers, at least the ones I'm aware of, are overworked (in the U S of A) trying to insure their children will be better off materially so they won't have to go through the same hardships in preparing to live in this world.

What's missing? And I include myself in the same position, standing in the need of prayer.

[:"red"] "I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven." [/] Luke 16:9 NLT

[:"red"] "...Don't you realize that friendship with this world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy this world, you can't be a friend of God." [/] James 4:4 NLT

[:"red"] "

He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." [/] Psalm 50:4-6 KJV

May the Lord have mercy on His people.