Thinking of the New Year

As we went groceries-shopping with family on Christmas day I noticed a young man sitting on the cement floor by the store door, begging.  I hunkered down in front of him, gave him money for a sub, and started a conversation.  He was just out of high school, homeless.  Bright young guy, without caring relationships, to encourage him. 

I have been asking myself lately “how much difference do we really make in the city?”  I am excited that we are taking our involvement at the ArkAid mission to the next level as we would not only serve, but also prepare the food on last Sunday of every month.  We have an opportunity to raise the quality of our service, and engage people in caring relationships.  But it is only one small faucet of what we can and must do!

Since 2006 (that’s 8 years!) our Community Open House ministry had been assisting people in need on monthly basis with parcels of food, clothing and essential items. We had seen relationships emerging, people on the receiving end contributing back, and helping others too.

Gord & Kathy Rayner had led 19 CHIP sessions helping people to improve their health and lifestyle habits, forging relationships with many alumni.

Some are concerned that before we reach out we must not neglect those on the inside.  Charles Spurgeon used to say “if you don’t care for your lambs where would you get your sheep from?” As I look through the archived copies of our Newsletter pictures tell the story of care J In 2006 Pathfinders ministry was restarted and is ongoing steady.  Number of youth had been instructed and influenced in the process. In 2014 over 30 people will be attending the Oshkosh Camporee, with a whole new cohort of young Friends and Companions. I looked at pictures from November of 2006 when Angelina Polihronova conducted a play she had written “Wise and Foolish Builders” – today those kids are teens, involved and present in our church life.  Our VBS programs had reached scores of community kids every summer for past decade.  Since 2007 the Adventist Elementary School (ACES) has been preparing the new generation of young Adventists.  For the past 3 years Adventurers Club has been reorganized under leadership of Lucy Simoes and is attracting and involving more children and parents.

We had prayed for a whole year for all countries of the world; we had encouraged and celebrated the most diverse congregation; we had done public evangelism, affirmed our Adventist roots and heritage with a unique mural produced 6 years ago (no other church has such a historical timeline!); we had prayed with other churches, organizing city-wide 40-days marathon of prayer, we had invited great speakers to interact with the community, our Choir is growing in quality of performances and is planning to travel and bless others with the gift of praise.  

Yet…we are just scratching the surface of the need for transformation in this city.  As we press forward into the new year, 2014, what will you do differently?  Where would you engage yourself to make an impact?  What would you do as an individual to advance the Good News of Salvation in Christ?  What would be your contribution to the mission of our church?

Peace on Earth, and Mercy mild...

These words from a popular Hymn by Wesley brothers from the 18^th century “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” are on my mind “Peace on Earth, and mercy mild…” as the world events are spinning out away from peace.  In my native country Ukraine the lines between opposition and the ruling clan are drawn sharper, people are mentioning word “war” more frequently, with no signs of possible solutions.

Around the world there are signs of war.  Just this week Lebanon suffered internally with bombings on Hezbollah; South Sudan capital Juba is under curfew after attempted military coup; Syria civil war is ongoing 2^nd year; in Congo UN troops are on offensive against Rwandan rebels; Ugandan troops are hunting rebels in Central Africa; France is warring in Mali; Somalia, Colombia, Indian Kashmir, Nigeria, and the list goes on….

There is hope that at least during the Christmas season there will be efforts for peace.  How are we doing in our peaceful homeland of Canada?  Are you at peace with family, with neighbours, with co-workers?  How mild is your mercy?  The archaic English expression sounds as a good song rhyme, but it has a deep meaning.  Just consider the following phrase: “God and sinners reconciled!”  This is what Gentle Mercy does – brings a person into upright stance with God.  It is the mercy that mellows out the severity of human extremes.

You know the difference between Grace & Mercy – Grace is getting what we don’t deserve (gifts!), and Mercy is not getting what we do deserve (avoiding a penalty).  It is to make this Gentle Mercy possible that Jesus entered our world, to deflect our punishments on himself, to take on his back the beating we deserve.  Have you acknowledged God’s Mercy in your life?

God has given Mercy first, and then asks us to become ambassadors of Mercy, ministers of reconciliation.  Paul writes “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. (2^nd Corinthians 5:18-19)  Message paraphrase puts it this way: “God gave us fresh start; as God settled relationships between us and Him, He calls us to settle relationships with each other, offering forgiveness; and he also asks us to tell and persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work.  Become friends with God, for He is already a friend with you!

Why do youngsters leave?

Last week I had written about the importance of hospitality, about need for warm and loving environment to nurture people for spiritual growth.  My top priority in 2014 will be focusing on retention of our church members and seeking the “lost,” those who for some reasons left the fellowship.

As I research on the issue of why people leave, I an interesting blog where millennials, those born after 1980, or so-called “Generation Y” walked away from the church family and fellowship.  As I look over these 5 main reasons, I cannot help but concur J!

1. They don’t feel like they’re encountering God.

Seriously, who wants to leave a place where they’re genuinely experiencing God’s manifest presence? 

2. They want to be equipped to improve their lives, not wallow around in brokenness with perpetually broken people.

If our “Christianity” isn’t changing individuals in church it won’t change the world either.  “Misery loves company” may work for bars, but it’s not a good long-term motto or growth strategy for churches. If church members are as messed up as everyone else anyway, what’s a point of hanging around them?

3. They’ve found other ways to connect with people outside of church, including social media.

If the church isn’t offering relationships with substance, why would people want to stick around?  There are a million places on TV and the Internet to hear good preaching and teaching, without feeling the awkwardness or pressure that can come with attending church.  What is needed now more than ever, is the “people factor” and genuine community, because people don’t need church to connect anymore. 

4. Sometimes people leave because they’re backsliding.

Church can be doing everything right and still lose some people.

Young adults of all ages go through seasons of rebellion.  We just have to wait with open arms for the prodigals J

5. They don’t feel challenged.

The trend “meet people where they are” has made church too wishy-washy at times. People do want to grow spiritually, and it’s hard to do that in churches that spend an inordinate amount of time catering to the spiritual lowest common denominator. We should offer plenty of “on-ramps” for new believers, the lost and the unchurched, but we need to also keep high the need to grow.  The salvation doesn’t stop after justification.  If sanctification is not introduced as a process of growth people leave because they’re bored.

My dream for our church is to be a place where we encounter God, where transformation of lives happens, where relationships and forgiveness are real, where spiritual growth is directed.

December – hospitality month

For number of years North American Division of the General Conference of our church has designated month of December as Hospitality Month.  The season of homecoming, family reunions, getting together with friends, vacations from school, is an opportunity to welcome people.  Hospitality means warmth, kindness, generosity.  We were reminded of need for hospitality in our church and the sources of it beginning in the family at the mid-week prayer meeting. 

I am thinking of the recent (November 19) first global summit focusing on membership retention.  100 attendees from six continents have gathered at the denomination’s world headquarters for the first time to talk about why we have lost 1 out of 3 members during the past 50 years.  It is not getting better.  In this century, since 2000, the ratio of people lost versus new converts is 43%!

Studies of those who left show that it’s what we do-not-do, rather than what we do or believe that causes the loss of people!  A member of a church board is just as likely to disagree with one of the church’s 28 Fundamental Beliefs as someone who’s been disfellowshiped.

Bottom line – lack of hospitality!  Reasons people drop out of church have less to do with what the church does and its doctrines than with problems people experience in their personal lives—marital conflict or unemployment. What contributes to the problem, is that the church is not helping people through their tough life experiences.

As leaders share practices from different places around the globe it is obvious that the future evangelism efforts should focus on nurturing members.  Using evangelism funds for our own members’ care.

Our leadership team will seriously look at the new direction for Personal Ministry – retention of lost members, connecting with MIA, tracking the disconnected, and engaging all members of church family in caring relationships.

You could contribute to our church spiritual health by being hospitable, warm, loving, caring, especially this season.  Community Services are asking for sponsors to needy families – if you are blessed, bless others. I like how Apostle Paul put’s it into a command: “Take care of God's needy people and welcome strangers into your home”  (Romans 12:13)  as you practice hospitality – be sincere about it J, and remember hospitality differs from entertaining, as it focuses on the needs of guests, and not the showing off of the host.

Thinking of OUR Mission

This week the world is abuzz about a statement made by the new pope Francis the “Awesome” on Tuesday Nov 26 when he said: "I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures. … In her ongoing discernment, the Church can also come to see that certain customs not directly connected to the heart of the Gospel, even some which have deep historical roots, are no longer properly understood and appreciated. Some of these customs may be beautiful, but they no longer serve as means of communicating the Gospel. We should not be afraid to re-examine them. At the same time, the Church has rules or precepts which may have been quite effective in their time, but no longer have the same usefulness for directing and shaping people’s lives."

I was struck by how some fellow Adventists responded on different social forums. One commented “I wish I would be a catholic,” others commented on the “inversion of roles” and how this “vision for the Catholic Church is so relevant and applicable to the Adventist Church.” On some social forums comments were made that what was always labeled as “a beast,” is speaking more like a “lamb” than “dragon.” What is our priority? Are we obsessed about policies and procedures? Is there a fight for “kingly power” of leadership? Or are we on a Mission to this diverse world of diverse people and various needs?

"Everyone can share in some way in the life of the Church; everyone can be part of the community, nor should the doors of the sacraments be closed for simply any reason. …I think about a conversion of the papacy. … I invite everyone to be bold and creative in this task of rethinking the goals, structures, style and methods of evangelization in their respective communities.”

Well, he’s the pope, and we don’t trust him. Sure it takes courage to shake up the ancient church for change, but let’s see some action, let’s wait to see the richest institution in the world give its money up for serving the needs of people.

After all the final deception according to Revelation 16:13-15 will come out of the “mouth,” a religious speech which would deceive kings of the earth to unite.

We had been called to life of mission, service and caring for people needs all along, since the inception of our movement. Just consider these words from inspired writings of our pioneer, Ellen G.White: “A religion that leads men to place a low estimate upon human beings, whom Christ has esteemed of such value as to give Himself for them; a religion that would lead us to be careless of human needs, sufferings, or rights, is a spurious religion. In slighting the claims of the poor, the suffering, and the sinful, we are proving ourselves traitors to Christ. It is because men take upon themselves the name of Christ, while in life they deny His character, that Christianity has so little power in the world.” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, p.136)

What is your top priority and passion these days? Is it serving and caring for people in need? Do you need to wait for world political powers to tell you to become charitable to others?

Mere Christianity is based on teaching of Jesus to love and serve others denying yourself, for Christ sake!