Church: What's the Point?

An encouragement to share food.....There are Lonely People in Your Church

Over the past few years I have become increasingly aware of how many lonely, lost and isolated people are in our churches. And im not talking about the unsaved! All to often we look outside the church and get involved in community projects to express the love of the church that we completely miss the hurting and lonely people sitting around us on a Sunday. From the old lady who has been coming for years, the couple with kids who don\'t know anyone, to the single mum who struggles with her kids, these people need you to invite them around to your house after church, to call them in the week.
Even people who appear to be ok, they to, can feel isolated.

In the first few years, after moving down south, back in 2003, we had so many people around for dinner but what was strange was the number of times we were invited back. After 8 years we can still count on one hand the number of times! For whatever reason the practicalities of being in a family of believers has been lost.

Why?

Is this a southern thing or a sign of the economic times where people are busier than ever? Or is it that we have lost the basic principles of expressing Love and fellowship to each other?
There are so many examples where Jesus got off his backside and sat down with people in their homes, sharing a meal.

From the Pharisee leader to Zaccaeus, Jesus expressed love and fellowship by the very simple act of sharing a meal.

I simply encourage you to invite someone new to your house on Sunday, someone outside of your clique.
If you are have been in church for over 20 years, stop for a minute – are you hanging around with the same people as 20 years ago – they will be from the same mould and you need to kick yourself into gear – you are probably not being inclusive….do you walk pass people without acknowledging them?

Sharing a meal, ivitting them to your house, says alot, it says im interested in you, it says you are worth somthing.

Lonely people don’t stick around for to long, listen to their hearts all they need is friendship and love. If we don’t address this fundamental need, Love in the church, all we are is a clanging bell. We may be great at sharing love outside the church but neglect the people that are inside the building.
Over the past few years, Just before Christmas my wife Vicki has arranged collections of food so we could make up hampers for people in need in church and people in the community. What was truly amazing was the responses back from people even in the church. “No one has ever thought of me.”, “I am not used to getting anything”

There are lonely people in your church! what ae you going to do about it?

Pentecost Festival - 18-27th May

http://www.pentecostfestival.co.uk/programme-now-available/ 

Pentecost Festival is a Christian led festival based in London. It is co-coordinated by registered charity, Share Jesus International(SJI) in partnership with Christian Aid and various churches and Christian organisations across the UK. Pentecost Festival is the largest Christian led festival in London and will be running from the 18^th-27^th May 2012 across central London venues. It attracts thousands of people and showcases what the Church in the UK is all about.

Previous highlights of Pentecost Festival have included; a BBC1 live Pentecost service broadcast at All Saints church Peckham viewed by over a million, a live music stage in Leicester Square for three consecutive years and 16,000 people attending an evening of worship in the O2 arena hosted by Jesus House church, Holy Trinity Brompton Church and Hilsong Church.

In short Pentecost Festival is…..

…arts, music and drama, it’s comedy, sport and film, it’s debates and discussions. Its a celebration of the diverse communities in London and an opportunity for people to discover more about Jesus. It offers something for everyone and everyone is invited regardless of age, faith or cultural background so come along, bring your friends, your congregation and your family and get involved!

What is Pentecost? 
Pentecost is an important event in the Christian calendar that signifies the birth of the Christian church and the coming together of people from various cultural backgrounds to be united by one language and faith.  Pentecost Festival celebrates Pentecost by:

• Highlighting Pentecost and celebrating the Church’s birthday
• Representing the multiculturalism and diversity of the Christian faith
• Taking the Church out of it’s buildings and onto the streets and public places of London
• Demonstrating God’s priority for justice and compassion

Overcoming Cynicism

Most of us at some stage in life have said we don’t want to grow old and cynical.

When we were younger most of us probably observed older people and commented how cynical or bitter they are towards life. We vowed we would never end up like them.

Some of us probably have parents that have become like this, it may express itself as constant negativity with simple comments like – “you can’t have a slate floor, everything you drop will break” or they may constantly make judgements on the church you attend “The people that go there are so pretentious and fake”  

For me, i used to be rather negative about the Church and Christians and if I was to put a label on it I would say I beame rather cynical, i am glad this has changed recently! Others may become cynical about Faith itself, they may have been a Christian all their lives but now face an illness and been prayed for and healing hasn’t come and so they question their faith and ultimately whether God exists at all.  

Even as Christians we can find ourselves saying "Why bother?"  or "There's no use trying” This is just the way it is."  You see, when hope fades, cynicism is often waiting in the wings and it is something we all need to deal with before it takes over our lives and we lose our passion, joy and sense of wonder.  One person put it like this "Cynicism is cancer of the spirit. The bad cells of sarcasm attack the good cells of hope and, if undiagnosed, will eventually destroy them."

So what has this got to do with you? Well as an  individually I want to encourage you to keep running the race for which God has called us to with hope.  This hope is anchored and rooted in Faith and rests in God and God's promises, even if we don’t see the visible signs today.

You have to remind yourself that we are all human and work in progress, 'At all times,' Jesus declared, 'we should pray' and not 'lose heart,'

God will complete the work that has been started in you. In Him we have everything we need. We need to replace the cynicism in our lives with hope, faith and love.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So if you find yourself been cynical – read the word.

 

Priorities in Life

Have you ever had someone explain to you how life can be represented as a 24 hour clock?

Basically you add up all the hours you spend doing essential things like sleeping, eating, going to school and even grooming and from that you start to understand how little time we all have.

Even by the age of 25 you will have lived 213,600 hours but taking out school, sleeping and eating you will only of had 6.2 years ‘spare time’!!!

The average life expectancy of a man in the UK is 77.7 years, and if you represent that life as a 24 hour clock spare time only accounts for 4 hours! 

So the question is what are you going to do with your 4 hours?

You know it’s never too late to start doing something new.

At the age of 93 Theodore Francis Green retired from the U.S. Senate. At that time, he was the oldest senator in the history of the institution.

At the age of 93 P.G. Wodehouse worked on his 97th novel, got knighted, and then died.

Strom Thurmond, the longest-serving senator in U.S. history, won re-election after promising not to run again at age 99.

At the age of 85 Caleb in the Bible said – Give me my mountain!

It’s also never too late to start again if trials have hit you,. Simon Cowell was bankrupted at 35! And look at him now.

What will you do with your 4 hours??