I have been thinking this weekend...
If we want the goal of the church to be community, then why do we expect people to come out to our out-of-the way buildings? Four churches in the area are having trunk or treat at their churches. We have done it with our church for the last couple years, and we are doing it this year. However, I was thinking yesterday. If we are all supposed to be billboards for Christ, how are we going to show God's love to other people if we are all gathered as a group? We have recognized the need to get into the community and shine for Christ. I should be at home handing out candy to the children of the community. I should be getting to know my neighbors. I should be in my own neighborhood. I shouldn't be at church, expecting people to come to us. I shouldn't be secluded with other Christians. I need to integrate. Maybe this trunk or treat idea isn't such a good one. We need to be beacons in our own communities, where the people already are.
5 comments:
I agree with what you are saying but i don't totally because i know that not everyone that goes to the trunk or treat are from your church so wouldn't be good to show them you care by having this at your church. i think by having this at church it is saying we can still have fun and be christ like. i think when people are at there houses, kids just go up to the door get a piece of candy and on to the next house. i think, they might get more from the trunk or treats. i don't know that is just my opinion.
As Christians, we don't only have to talk about Jesus. We need to act like Jesus. We need to love like Jesus. Its not about telling people Jesus loves them when they come to the door, but loving them. I think that instead of segregating ourselves from our communities and only doing things at our church buildings is harmful. We need to start being a part of the community as Christians, not expecting people to come to our Christian community (church bldg).
Jess-I think its important to show people you care even when your not at church- I am sure you do too. I think that we need to stop setting oursleves apart and become involved with the people we are around already- neighbors co-workers, etc. even if they aren't Christians. Maybe they will notice something different about us, or maybe a chance will come up for us to tell them how different we are now that we have Jesus.
i agree! tru dat! when do you start ww?
very good that you are thinking through these things. maybe it should be the Church helping support people who live in neighborhoods. helping them build relationships, helping them with ways in which they could more effectively reach their community AND using the people who don't live in neighborhoods (Like me) to reach out at the campus site. the Church (the people) needs to be in the community like you said, living out this Jesus life for people to see!
good stuff!
Cool conversation here. Let me first say I'm cool with both ideas. People can hang together or be in their hoods - it's fine with me. Now, it just so happens that last night I was at my desk during trick or treat time, my wife was out with our kids knocking some doors, and I only got like five ding-dongs in two hours! So I started wondering about churchy-events going on and whether that was where all the kids were? (It's our third halloween in this house - I'm finally wondering.)
So I got up to answer our fourth ding-dong, handed out some candy to these two eight year old witches, and smiled and chatted for all of 12 seconds and shouted "Happy Halloween"! They smiled, they ran, it was fun. I have no idea who they were!
So as I closed the door, I thought, "Happy Halloween?" B/c obviously there's so much more inside me to say...
And then I grinned with the Lord and thought to myself, "ennh. it's just a thing." :)
So that was my exp. last night, anyway!
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