Be The Church

Hello all,

Do you ever wonder sometimes what is going on at other Christian churches, what they are teaching about, how they communicate within their congregation, what outreaches they have/support, what their vision statement is, etc.? If you do, then you are like most church leaders today that are always looking to keep up with the times and keeping a relevant ministry. There is nothing wrong with this, actually I myself am always looking to see what else is happening in other churches across the U.S. and the world. I like to think of this as having a world view of Christianity and a heart to be aware of what God's will is for His church worldwide.

So I had a thought that came to me the other day while I was sitting through a worship service at another area church. Their theme was about serving the poor, needy, fatherless, weak, widows, orphans, which is much like what the heart of our church has been focused on lately. Is God trying to tell us something that is greater than what is within our four walls at our local church?

Hillsong Church in Sydney, Austrialia is one of the churches that is at the forefront of a "Social Justice" revolution that I believe is sweeping the world. I believe that believers all over the globe are starting to think less about themselves and more about how they can be God's hands and feet to their communities and world. Does it seem that there has been a lack of service to our community in recent years? What is the world thinking about Christ, through the actions of His followers that profess that we are living "Christ-like" lives? Why do non-Christian based organizations serve God's creation more than the churches?

Now, I am not trying to be harsh, or a finger pointer, as these are just merely thoughts that have flowed through my head lately. These are things that I have pondered, and examined in my life. Maybe some of you have had some of these same thoughts, maybe some of you have not, but, I know that there is a reality of what people think about Christians based upon our works and life decisions. Ideally, I would hope they come to realize that Christians are not physically Jesus Christ, and I would pray that they would have a desire to dig deep into a growing relationship with getting to know who Christ is, and not about His followers downfalls.

So what is next? What are you doing to change/examine your life in the area of service, tithing, or giving? How can you encourage others to get involved? What can CrossPointe do better to serve our communities needs in NWA? Please if you have ideas, express them to me or to our pastors, or outreach team.

Check out Isaiah 58 this week. I hope you find motivation/encouragement in verse 10 as I have when reading through this passage this week.

Have a blessed day,
In Him,
Mark