Finding support for their vision has been really hard on them. It does seem hardest sometimes on those who feel drawn to serve those most unlike us. Jeff is headed to a “traditional” ministry job (I wonder if he’ll keep the earrings…). I hope he doesn’t chafe in that environment.

Allan White
PUMP Church of Christ, Portland, OR

Glenn Drysdale

The music minister I mentioned in my earlier post (who said the “normal” people were ignored) is a young black guy, ministering in a truly diverse congregation, trying to minister to those people we normally miss (ignore/aren’t in our neighborhoods/however you want to say it), and what I was saying rubbed him the wrong way was that the people who were from “normal”
families or church backgrounds were being ignored (in his observation). Anyway, his experience kind of turns our sentiment about our mostly homogenous nature on its’ head, and is the basis for my question about “is this just another thing we have found to be against”.

We all simply need to be Jesus to everyone who needs him, which includes everyone, period. What Steve Jr. was saying when he referenced your comment and mine in his blog.

This may not be true in other churches. A while back, I listened to a tape from Focus on the Family about ministering to those with special needs. A survey was mentioned in which over 50% of parents didn’t feel comfortable in the church they were in because of the way their special-needs children were treated.

This past week, NBC did an extensive look at autism. One of the statistics cites was that 1 in 166 people have it. I’m not sure how accurate that statistic is; but I do know that autism is definitely on the rise. These children have parents who are discouraged and exhausted at times.
Who better to reach out to with a helping hand than to those who are weary and burdened?

I’ve mused some about my son and about a trend towards “spiritual correctness” that I see. I admit this is a shamless plug for my own blog (see http://tinaallyn.blogspot.com).

Thanks for your thoughts.

i am starting a missional church in auburn, al called mosaic family church.

like many missionaries before me, i have asked churches and individuals for finacial support. the silence has been deafening. we need those who think it is a great idea to put some “money” behind these missions.

as far as i’m concerned, i’d love to have interns. however, would they be willing to raise their own support or would they work part-time while they are here? would they want to work with established missional churches or would they be willing to work on the cutting edge of helping start new outreaches from scratch?

email me if you’d like to know more.

Amen!!!!!

We need to be reminded that it is in that cleansing we become indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and we no longer have to rely on ourselves. We also now have an enormous, world-wide family that loves us and supports us in our walk with God and our daily struggles.

We in our churcnes should be the first to encourage each other as we all try to overcome our own personal addictions. Not all of them are to alcohol or drugs. Each of us knows what our own addicition is and where we need prayers, support and accountability from our fellow believers.

Let the world continue to besmirch someone struggling with an addiction, but let us in the churches be the ones that lift up and stand by all of us that are struggling. Btw-I know of no one that isn’t struggling, so it remains a mystery how any of us can look down our judgmental noses at anyone with sin problems in their lives. None of us is exempt. It’s just that we’ve learned how to keep our sin undercover as we present our squeaky clean image to the church and the world. right? :o)

My fervent and repeated prayer is that one day anyone with any problem can walk into a church building, announce their sin addicition and be welcomed immediately with loving, open hearts by everyone - be ministered to immediately and continually.

When we learn how to minister to our own, we should then have a better understanding and have developed the heart skills to help those out in the world.

Personally, I’m so thankful there was such a church family, in fact more than one, in my life. Without their love, teaching, encouragement truly only God knows where I’d be today. But He DID redeem me - He grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and lifted me up into His loving arms - He forgave me, showed me what true love is all about, His love, then He freed me from the prison of my own personal sin addictions.

My grateful heart wants only to spend the rest of my life hugging others in their struggles, aiming them at the Cross where they too can rejoice in His love for them. Praise Him!!!!

[forgive the rant, but just can’t help it. There are so many hurting out there - we really need to look people in the eye, try to see what the expression is - to see if they’re sad, hurting, or whatever, and ask the LORD to give us of His words to ask them if there’s something we can do to help, starting with prayer, if they say it’s okay (I always ask if it’s okay if I pray for them. No one to date has said no. It always seems to bring a sigh of relief and a smile to their face when I ask that question). Again, sorry this got so long and drawn out. Mea Culpa.

Also, how many churches of Christ are very much the same? Most of them. So, if every “normal” church of Christ gave birth to a “weird” church of some kind, I think that we would do a lot better job of connecting with more people.

And when I say give birth, I mean fund it and let it go so far as restrictions, but remain connected in meaningful mentoring.

Diversity in church is kind of like diversity in a mutual fund. Over the long haul, it’s the best way to do things. RIght now we are having a hard time diversifying even the kinds of churches there are let alone the make up of who is in any given church. (I’m on a tangent) If I hear a person from a pulpit say they are “pleased to be part of such a diverse church” speaking to a bunch of white suburbians I am going to puke!