not enough time
quoting below from John Chapman's book of Know and Tell the Gospel [p126] - published 1998:
"Research done recently in the church growth movement has highlighted the fact that the average Christian has 'lost' most of his non-Christian friends within five years of becoming a Christian. There are some very good reasons why this takes place, but often we exclude our old friends by our new 'exclusiveness'. Since we know this is so, we must take positive steps to find ways to reverse the trend. To take steps to join non-church organized groups will not only give us contact with new non-church members, but will also give us new insights into the way non-churchgoers think about life. Without firsthand knowledge we tend to make assumptions, which are often wide of the mark. Such activities will take up a considerable amount of time and we may need to review our program to allow the time for it. Often we have been so busy at church activities that we have allowed no time to be with people. "
4 comments:
What do you think would be the way out?
Was thinking if we should move our meetings from Friday night and Saturday... and spend time with non Christians instead... do you think it's gonna work?
Will spending more time at work, make Christians more worldly than bring in more good?
No, these aren't rethorical...
clove
eh, thought Chapman drove home the point of reviewing our schedule and allowing time to be spent with people. and to what extend it's reasonable, it should be up for one to assest their situations and resolve themselves into actions.
i'd rather stick to it, keeping friday/saturday and sunday for meetings and use those as opportunities to invite friends to cn gatherings. yet at the same time, have a plan for my schedule.
i find many times that spending longer time at once even with cns doesn't necessarily mean i get to know them better, especially when i know that i'm going to meet them again next week! most of the time, they are just wasted. while if it's shorter (but not too short!), consistently meeting in the future, be purposeful when meeting, it should allow me to be more time efficient. can choose who to meet when and what for :)
interesting last question, why not suggest what you think first?
While full time pastors ministers at home and in christian gatherings, full time workers ministers also at work... we aren't slaves of mamon (i.e. we don't work, just for money alone), right?
no, we don't.
i suppose working (serving) others won't make us godlier. rather, it's an opportunity to exercise our godliness. we become godly through Christ (1 Tim. 3:16).
simply speaking perhaps anything that won't make us godly has a potential to make us worldly, working included. and since life has many aspects, don't you think that other areas of life deserve accountability?
there are off course godly reasons to be engaged in secular works (1 Thess. 2:9, 1 Tim. 6:18, etc). however, i suppose they won't carry into eternity, whereas if compared to ministring full time in the work of the Gospel, it does.
feel free to comment.
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