Dear Church. . .
From time to time, I write Sunday School Lessons for Wesleyan Publishing House. Right now, I'm working on a study of the three churches in Revelation 3.
Jesus has a special message for each church. . .
1. To the Sardis Church -- Wake Up!
2. To the Philadelphia Church -- Cheer Up!
3. To the Laodicean Church -- Warm Up!
Jesus has a special message for each church. . .
1. To the Sardis Church -- Wake Up!
2. To the Philadelphia Church -- Cheer Up!
3. To the Laodicean Church -- Warm Up!
WAKE UP! CHEER UP! WARM UP!
ReplyDeleteGREAT MESSAGE TO CHURCH LEADERS. I FEEL MORE WANTED AT MY LOCAL GROCERY STORE.
I know just how anonymous feels. I get more of a blessing from Christian fellowship at my beauty shop than with the church-going Christians I meet in church.
ReplyDeleteI was conversing with an elderly long-time member of our church the other day. She remarked that when she goes to the local diner, her pastor, Sunday School Superintendent and board member/greeters at her church do not even speak to her and watch her eat alone time after time. Yet, a person (of the community) these fellow church members look down on, will invite her to eat with him.
WAKE UP! CHEER UP! WARM UP! CHURCH LEADERS.
Mark,
ReplyDeleteI always look forward to see what you write in the "quarterly." It's interesting that all of our adult classes use the standard Wesleyan material. So they all get your teaching from time to time.
As a pastor I fully agree with anonymous and kaylynn. I would hope churches like that are the exception, but I know they exist, I've even been part of one and it was not fun.
One of the great characteristics of my current church is their ability to make guests feel welcome. We've had several guests over the past weeks. I've watched our church interact with them and I have been pleased. Today a woman came and was pleasantly surprised by our congregation. I take it she had some of those "cold" greetings elsewhere. She also mentioned that she felt the love that we had for the students that were part of our van ministry. That made me feel good and encouraged me to keep pressing on. There are churches that take our mission seriously.
I am always surprised at what just a smile can do.
ReplyDeleteI think some Churchs need to be told to hush up, pray up and wise up.
It is important to remember that the message of wake up, cheer up, and warm up is for the entire congregation not just the leaders.
There is no doubt that a Pastor can bring down his congregation but the opposite is true also.
how about 'fess up when you mess up?
ReplyDeleteThe problem that I see is:
ReplyDeleteWhen a Chruch is sick, and needs help bad, the district seems to send Pastors that are sicker to them. The district does not seem to have a policy that leads to healing a Chruch. They should see the problem early and intervene even if it requires that the sick controllers of the Chruch be removed from office.
How about sending a team into the sick Chruches that their only job is to get that Chruch back on track and not win a popularity contest with the board that has caused the problem for generations.
That's what happened in Hayward. My predecessor came in and "cleaned house". He made some really hard decisions for the benefit of the church. The growth that we have experienced since then is a direct result of his early efforts.
ReplyDeleteI know what Walt is talking about. So many encourage me to give up on the sick church and find another church.
ReplyDeleteIn my heart, God tells me this is selfish. Being an old well-established Christian, I can weather some storms. I feel an obligation to stay and fight, not for me so much, but for the young Christians who can be turned off to Christianity entirely because of the attitude of the leadership in my church.