So what do we do with this information? Do we turn it into an elaborate musical in the form of a singing Christmas tree? Do we modify a timeless piece of literature into Christian form and present it as theater? Are we targeting Christians and their families or are we giving hope to the world? Are we stuffing our proverbial Christian mouths with banquets of Christian-served messages or serving up fresh bread for the lost in our community? What are we doing for “them?” As hundreds or thousands of additional people pour into churches across this nation this holiday season, are we doing the best we can to be a light in this dark world? Ask yourself, are we internally- or externally-focused?
So Pastor, are you happy that your attendance spiked for a few Sunday mornings? Are you satisfied that you got a couple of dozen salvation cards filled out? Does it excite you that triple-your-normal-attendance attended a Christmas musical/cantata/play? While I’m sure it was great and several people gushed over how great it was, the question you need to ask is this…what else could you have done with those resources to impact your community. The very community that is worried, worried, worried.
Perhaps it’s too late to do something this year. Next year will be just as bad, if not worse. While we need to continue to help the current attending Christians to mature in their walk, the need for the church across the nation outside of its walls has never been greater. People are begging for answers…and we have them. In a resource-constrained environment, there isn’t reserve for self-serving actions and events. Too many are worrying about what’s going to happen in 2009 and we have the answer.
So Pastor, are you happy that your attendance spiked for a few Sunday mornings? Are you satisfied that you got a couple of dozen salvation cards filled out? Does it excite you that triple-your-normal-attendance attended a Christmas musical/cantata/play? While I’m sure it was great and several people gushed over how great it was, the question you need to ask is this…what else could you have done with those resources to impact your community. The very community that is worried, worried, worried.
Perhaps it’s too late to do something this year. Next year will be just as bad, if not worse. While we need to continue to help the current attending Christians to mature in their walk, the need for the church across the nation outside of its walls has never been greater. People are begging for answers…and we have them. In a resource-constrained environment, there isn’t reserve for self-serving actions and events. Too many are worrying about what’s going to happen in 2009 and we have the answer.
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