Featured Im Confused.....whats going on?

My church and it's leaders habe declared themselves as failures on this subject. I have lived here 3 years just a half mile up the road from them. When I showed up and started attending church they realized that they have failed to reach the local community.

I don't think they are failures, that's their own words. I suppose they feel they should have been visiting people who are within walking distance of the church and invite them in. They feel I may have been in church 3 years ago if they had taken the time to visit the locals and extend their hands and tell them about the gospel. I think they are beating themselves up too much about it but its understandable.

So to correct this they have decided this Saturday at 3pm we are going to meet up and visit people in the local community and invite them to church. I am going to take my tractor and hay wagon and use it to go up the road and visit....and give the kids a fun hay ride while we are at it. Sounds like a good time to me and maybe we will get lucky and bring the gospel to some new ears.

A lesson I have learned from this is that a mission not only includes far away lands......but people right down the street.

 

When the sheep are lost, the Shepherd has to go to them. We are the shepherds, those of us in the local church.

 

They are spiritually dead and most likely need to close their doors. However, it is possible that a few who know better and are faithful go out and share the gospel and bring them in. Then teach them what the right thing to do is and repopulate the church with new converts who are reaching out and change the make up of the church.

 

God uses means to accomplish his will. He does not HAVE to- but he has PLAINLY revealed in Scripture and history that that is what he has chosen to do.

The most important two things any Christian can ever do, two things which every able Christian is commanded to do and is held accountable by God to do is exalting the King and expanding the Kingdom.

The world is in the shape it is in because Christians are not doing their job.

We are to be feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, caring for widows and preaching the Gospel to all.

Churches that have philosophies of ministry similar to that which you espouse are the biggest problem in the world today.

Judgment begins at the house of God.

 

The acts of devotion of every believer are prayer, fasting and the giving of alms. Ministers are to give attendance to reading, doctrine and exhortation. Deacons are to give attendance to tables, and the tables are not the ones in the soup kitchens who indiscriminately disburse to the sober and the drunken alike, but the tables of widows and orphans, who are widows and orphans indeed, and who qualify to receive that ministry.

If EWF is concerned for the poor, then he can give his alms without sounding a trumpet before him. If he is concerned with one who needs bread, then he can fast and deal his own bread to him. If he sees something lacking in a ministry, then he can go into his closet and pray. It is the Holy Spirit that gives gifts for the edification of the saints.

 

Yep.

...and this too.

 

Just turning the judgment of the O.P. on the judge.

What is called outreach in so many circles is not outreach. The congregation are not resources to be employed in one's pet projects. They are God's sheep, and if they are living righteously, and not being overtly persecuted, they are bearing losses and enduring sorrows and trials of conscience which are hard to be imagined by those who have not forsaken their sins, and only which the preaching of the doctrines of Christ can salve.

The call is to take up Christ's yoke, and learn of Him, but His yoke is easy. His burden is light. And they will find rest for their souls. Not labor.

 

Didn't mean to imply you particularly. Generally, where "outreach" is preached, it's really just marketing.

 

You can implement it everyday. What has EWF done for the poor today?

 

the NT example seems to be that the local church meant to worship/praise/be taught/give, and be equipped to minister outside building...

6 days of the week interact and witnes/live as outreaches to sinners at work/home/neighborhoods etc!

the early church HAD to do outreach, as they 'burned" with the passion to live for Jesus, and to tell others about Him!