Reflections From Sunday Evening

We finished this month's message series - "My Bad Church Experience." We got the idea from North Point Community Church several months ago and adapted the idea to our church. As we went through the month people would mention a bad church experience or refer to someone who had an experience that fit the category. This series has helped me resolve to reach out to people with a renewed commitment to helping connect or re-connect people to Jesus Christ through the church. I hope we will all recognize the basic types of people who gather to worship with us each weekend. We have "regular attenders" many of whom have been long-time members or participants in the church. Secondly we have people making "first steps" toward a relationship with God and they take those steps through the church. Thirdly we have people "returning to the faith" from which they have been absent for a season of life. They are taking returning steps to a life of faith through the church. I invite you to join me in walking with people past their "bad church experience." We will not always have all the answers for people. We do not make prescriptions for people to follow that will "fix" their bad church experience. What we may do is walk alongside people in their first steps or returning steps. The other thing we are challenged to do is order our lives in ways that DO NOT contribute to the bad church experience of another. It is very hopeful to recognize that God uses imperfect, flawed people like us to encourage people taking steps to God through faith in Jesus Christ in the context of the church. It's been a good day. I hope you've had a good day too. steve