Numbers are fun, informative and beguiling; but they can blur our vision sometimes! You have probably heard about the value of time:
To realize the value of one year, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of one month, ask a mother who gave birth prematurely.
To realize the value of one week, ask the editor of a weekly newsletter.
To realize the value of one hour, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of one minute, ask a person who just missed a train.
To realize the value of one second, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of one millisecond, ask a person who won an Olympic silver medal.
As politicians and financiers talk more casually about one billion dollars, think about this:
A billion seconds ago, it was 1959.
A billion minutes ago, Jesus was alive on earth.
A billion hours ago, our ancestors were living in the stone age.
A billion days ago, no one walked on the earth on two feet.
But a billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate the government is spending.
There are more than 300 billionaires in the US alone!
The basic wage was recently raised to $6.35 an hour - at that rate it would take a person more than 18,000 years to earn one billion dollars!
Which brings me to the subject of the inequitable distribution of wealth, the love of money being the root of all evil, you can't serve God and money.......
Kind of makes you go hmmm!
Shalom
Pastor Greg
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
What Are We Telling the Kids?
Hi out there!
Long time no blog, sorry about that. Firstly I want to say g'day to Ian in Tassie, go Oz! Thanks for the comments, I will write more on the Lent series about reviving churches today. My comments were in response to a book by Paul Dixon called "I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church"; if you are passionate about the church being revived and renewed, you need to read this book.
However there is something else on my mind, and again it relates to our youth. You may have guessed that long long ago back in Australia I was involved in leading youth groups in several churches, and I loved it, I did quite well at it, too! In fact I planned to become a full time youth worker, but pastoral ministry intervened! A recent survey showed that the current generation of adolescents distrusts the church and christians more than any other in American history, but that same generation is more spiritual than any other in American history! Our youth are looking for God, but not in church!
In my view, they see an adult generation that does not enjoy life (even the christians!), has questionable values and cannot be trusted. For example, they work hard, graduate from college and then we tell them there are no jobs for them; so now the dropout rate is increasing, even from high school, to an alarming rate! And worse, kids who are involved in a good church youth group during high school, are walking away from the church when they go to college.
Again, in my opinion, the adult generation has spent a lifetime trying to prove that we can live without God, and yet proving the opposite! As a result, mostly we are not happy campers! So what do we do? What do we tell them? What should our youth ministry be about?
Firstly, let us stop offering 'cotton wool christianity' - your faith is OK only if you avoid the big bad evil world! So read only christian books, listen to only christian music, watch only christian movies, and go to church every Sunday! The absolute joy and power of Christianity is that it gives us a fulfilling, joyful way to live and witness to in the real world and in our real lives!
Secondly, be available whenever opportunity arises to listen to them, kids crave a sensitive, listening, understanding ear while they wrestle with how their life is turning out. And they are honest and forthright, let us return the compliment!
Thirdly, remember the words of 1Peter 3:15, 'in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (NIV) In other words, tell them your 'Jesus story'! Tell them how having Jesus in your heart has helped you to make the most of the life God has given you. Surveys have aso shown that the large majority of adult church attenders have never done that! So, grab your favourite (low carb!)snack and a cool drink, go to a quiet place, spend time in prayer about your relationship with Jesus; then write your Jesus story. It's a great way to spend time during the slow hot summer days (or in Ian's case the long cold winter nights!); and there are kids out there waiting to hear your story, from you.
Shalom
Pastor Greg
Long time no blog, sorry about that. Firstly I want to say g'day to Ian in Tassie, go Oz! Thanks for the comments, I will write more on the Lent series about reviving churches today. My comments were in response to a book by Paul Dixon called "I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church"; if you are passionate about the church being revived and renewed, you need to read this book.
However there is something else on my mind, and again it relates to our youth. You may have guessed that long long ago back in Australia I was involved in leading youth groups in several churches, and I loved it, I did quite well at it, too! In fact I planned to become a full time youth worker, but pastoral ministry intervened! A recent survey showed that the current generation of adolescents distrusts the church and christians more than any other in American history, but that same generation is more spiritual than any other in American history! Our youth are looking for God, but not in church!
In my view, they see an adult generation that does not enjoy life (even the christians!), has questionable values and cannot be trusted. For example, they work hard, graduate from college and then we tell them there are no jobs for them; so now the dropout rate is increasing, even from high school, to an alarming rate! And worse, kids who are involved in a good church youth group during high school, are walking away from the church when they go to college.
Again, in my opinion, the adult generation has spent a lifetime trying to prove that we can live without God, and yet proving the opposite! As a result, mostly we are not happy campers! So what do we do? What do we tell them? What should our youth ministry be about?
Firstly, let us stop offering 'cotton wool christianity' - your faith is OK only if you avoid the big bad evil world! So read only christian books, listen to only christian music, watch only christian movies, and go to church every Sunday! The absolute joy and power of Christianity is that it gives us a fulfilling, joyful way to live and witness to in the real world and in our real lives!
Secondly, be available whenever opportunity arises to listen to them, kids crave a sensitive, listening, understanding ear while they wrestle with how their life is turning out. And they are honest and forthright, let us return the compliment!
Thirdly, remember the words of 1Peter 3:15, 'in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (NIV) In other words, tell them your 'Jesus story'! Tell them how having Jesus in your heart has helped you to make the most of the life God has given you. Surveys have aso shown that the large majority of adult church attenders have never done that! So, grab your favourite (low carb!)snack and a cool drink, go to a quiet place, spend time in prayer about your relationship with Jesus; then write your Jesus story. It's a great way to spend time during the slow hot summer days (or in Ian's case the long cold winter nights!); and there are kids out there waiting to hear your story, from you.
Shalom
Pastor Greg
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