Featured Making friends at Church

See, perhaps I see a different church.....to me its not a gathering place where they serve breakfast & lunch & sing songs & then they are done at 530PM till next week. Personally I could get a caterer to arrange that nonsense. Even go to the local Dunken Donuts for some coffee & gluten/sugar bombs.

No my church is the street where the men are hanging on the street corner waiting to get picked up for day jobs, and a widow struggling to survive alone & with 3 kids to feed & clothe....Im really not concerned about the yacht club Wednesday night bible study (though Im sure there is a place for that). See, I go to the broken, the disenfranchised, the homeless, the unemployed, the elderly & the sickly in hospital & hospice. Surely you can see the Lord in the eyes of these fragile ones. Right!

But I agree...what I see in NY & NJ is an aversion to that style of mission. Give us some money & we will send Brother Numb numb & his lovely wife to Argentina or Japan, but what they never wear out shoe leather working the hometown community. (probably never had a beer either--:laugh: )

But perhaps its because Ive been there that I understand the pain so acutely...see I would rather discuss how the Lord is working in the lives of these folks...giving them life, giving then hope giving them the Lords love to make it through one more day (than sit on my rear & break bread with a Corporate group eating ziti & bean casserole)....many dont have the money for that even....but Im always surprised that they always share what they have--no matter how little. God bless them!

I was at a church yesterday where the pastor preached prayer.....he is big in pray chains, big in corporate prayer, big in telling you he will pray for you....but he isnt big in doing the hard things like pounding the pavement & bringing the Word to the street (where the people are). Week after week, this character sits in his church office, takes on-line courses to get his PhD & does the Sunday Gathering Place thing. Forgive me if I am not impressed nor do I wish to join his church (which is pretty much dead). Ive spoken to him about this & he has promised me he will do something....but year after year, its the same old same old.....Do a VBS & show some Christian films & thats your freaken outreach. No wonder his church is dead. Its, "You come to Me" mentality vs "Hi, how is God working in your life today" ...just stopped over to say hello!

 

Evangelist, are you really not married yet? What's all this about your spouse?

 

your a street preacher but you dont see a form of persecution? I do but its not what you think it is...its far to subtle for that..... Maybe you need to take another look at your wifes churches shunning policies for starters.

 

Here is the other side of the coin....do you want your friendships to be deeply rewarding ones, or conversely shallow ones?

 

I used to read my son a story about friendship in which the statement was made "if you want to have a friend, you must be a friend".

Start there.

 

No Im not....Im repairing the years of lost relationships that "Church Inc" has destroyed. I do church the old fashioned way, by touching the flesh of God through touching the flesh of of one another & understanding what God is calling us unto.....its not heady faith, its much more than that.

I will give you an example.... Thomas the Apostle symbolizes this proclivity towards heady faith, (thats his Thing) & so Jesus asks him to touch the wounds & finally believe (John 20:27). And thats Christ's Thing!

 

Im liking you more & more!

 

Have you ever been drunk? Tipsy even?

 

I think he needs to let this girl find another mate.

 

Or open her eyes up to what the meaning of life & death really are---and its not being comfortable.

 

An interest common to many is dinner. Inviting people over is the quickest way I know to make friends in the church.

 

Especially if they dont eat regular! :smilewinkgrin:

sidenote: can I bring over a 6 pack.....LOL

 

Admit it....you found this woman on Christian Match.Com!

ROFL :tonofbricks:

 

I guess if this book had anything to offer we wouldn't be having this conversation. :thumbsup:

Communion, communication and community share the same root word from the Latin communio which means to share in common. What do we share in common but the shed blood of Jesus Christ? This is the core of any meaningful relationship. Read what John said:

1 John 1:7 NAS77

7 but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.​

Fellowship with one another starts with fellowship with our Heavenly Father and His Son.

1 John 1:3 NAS77

3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.​

You can't be dismissive of this. Nobody in church likes to bowl on Tuesday nights? So what. You have Jesus in common. You can't find anyone who likes to take walks in the park, scrapbook or whatever "common interests" you are looking for? So what. You have communion, communication, community together in Jesus Christ.

If that is not fully sufficient for you then you have my pity.

 

I think what Padre is saying (correct me if Im wrong) is our common interest is in Christ & in Gods agenda...so we are to go out & discuss Christ, live Christ, work Christ & as hard as this may sound....try to be like Christ. And you & I both know that the world will tell you that your crazy because of that....thats where the persecution comes form.

Brother, when I meet with people, my question invariably is, "So how is God working in your life today"....believe me they need to hear that....that God is a part of their lives. Now that may elicit an answer your not prepared to hear....like, what are you talking about....Im broke, Im Sick, Im dieing of cancer.... but at least its a beginning point. Dont know if that helps...but thats my point of outreach to a lost world.

 

Speaking of whipped (emphasis on the H), this might give you some indication of what your new married life might be like.....enjoy the pie! :laugh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lich59xsjik

ya gotta laugh!!!