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Culture

Culture

Church and Culture…Let’s Be Friends

by Frank Powell July 15, 2013
written by Frank Powell

Read this article on culture trends. Extremely insightful.

12 Culture Trends You Can’t Ignore

The church must adapt to culture. Jesus did. Paul did. Don’t believe me? Ever wonder why Jesus spoke in parables? Or try reading through the book of Acts and notice how Paul changes his DELIVERY (not his message) depending upon the group of people he was with. Unfortunately, many churches feel conforming to culture means watering down the message or selling out on Jesus (or fill in the blank). Our Sunday morning gatherings are bland, lifeless, and unappealing. Our buildings are outdated, and our approach to the Christian life is narrow. And many church leaders chalk up stagnancy to the fact that they refuse to be influenced by the ever-changing culture. And they do this boastfully!?

The culture is speaking a different language today than even a decade ago, but we refuse to listen. We are scared to death of those millennials and their ideals. They ask too many questions. They do not pledge allegiance to the institution of church just because mom and dad did (here is a great article about the mindset of the millennial generation http://goo.gl/2ymcx). They shun our long held traditions because they often get in the way of the mission. They give more resources (time and money) to organizations rather than the church.

And we could go on and on about this disconnect (but what’s the point, right?). Here’s the reality…the mission of the church is to reach out. The church ceases to be the church when we (as the church) stop reaching out to the world and connecting to those that are hurting, struggling, and do not know Jesus. I heard recently that churches must listen to God with one ear, listen to culture with the other ear, and decide where those two meet. I say Amen!! If the mission is to reach the lost and hurting, the church should be willing to change and adapt in whatever way possible to fulfill its mission (Remember, I already said up front the message does not change, just the delivery of it). If a tradition is hindering our mission…let’s toss it. If our Sunday morning gathering is not geared towards the lost…let’s change it. If a program is sucking resources and not producing results…let’s abandon it. And let’s prayerfully consider the ever-changing culture and how the church can change to impact the world for the name of Jesus.

July 15, 2013
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Culture

THE JUSTICE ISSUE

by Frank Powell June 28, 2013
written by Frank Powell

Last night, I watched a documentary called “Stuck,” and I was honestly not prepared for what I was about to see. My wife and I began the process of adoption a few months ago, so we were eager to watch a documentary about the struggles of the adoption process. I saw kids in institutions throughout the world being treated more like animals than human beings. I listened to a professor from Harvard essentially say kids who never make it out of institutions in third-world countries around the world have virtually no chance to be productive citizens. They will end up in prostitution, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, or homeless. And as I was watching last night, I looked at those innocent, helpless children who were in these institutions only because they were born in a country where a parent could not afford to feed them. So, they are placed in a single room building with 40-50 (or more) other kids. They receive no attention, no affection, no love. If you are a Christian and are reading this, I am challenging you to do something. After watching that documentary last night, I became so mad at God. I could not believe he would sit back and allow these children suffer and be treated like animals. Then I realized God has given His people the responsibility to reach out to these little ones. We are the church, and the church is the body of Christ. For those who have been called, we now become the hands and feet of Jesus. And as men and women of God, we have a responsibility to reach out to those in need. Matthew 25 makes it clear that the way we treat the least of these is how we are treating God (I will be preaching on Matthew 25 next Sunday), and we need to ask ourselves how we are treating God.

The problem we have as Americans is we suffer from depraved indifference. Eric Ludy has a powerful short film (you can view it HERE) explaining what this means. We have spent our lives in a country where we can shield ourselves from the less fortunate and needy if we want (and most of us have done just that). We read in the Bible where God has a special love for widows and orphans (Micah 6:8, James 1:27, Isaiah 1:16-17, etc.), and we might even pray for them, but the fact that kids are dying everyday because they do not have basic needs met does not motivate us to act. This is called depraved indifference, and it is unacceptable for people who claim to be Christians.

I am not writing this hoping that every person will go adopt a child, but I am writing this hoping that every person will pray about what they can do to help irradicate the orphan problem. After the documentary, I went and grabbed my son and began to sob. I can’t remember crying like that ever. I can’t imagine my son being in a position where he had no one to show him affection or love. And for the nearly 10 million kids in an insitution around the world, this is reality. These kids are destined for failure unless someone takes them in and becomes a mother or father to them. Last night, I looked at my son, Noah, and I asked myself how God could allow these kids to grow up in an institution, then be thrown into the world only to fail miserably because they have no idea how to cope and build relationships. Then they might die never hearing about the love of Jesus all because they were not born into a situation where parents loved them?? How could God allow this to happen? Then he said this to me, “How could you allow this to happen?” We are the body of Christ. We have been given the responsibility to care for those who have no voice. It is time for us to take action. 

What can I do?

1.) View the “Stuck” documentary (it cost $13 to buy online) and sign the petition to help make adoptions easier for families who have this desire.

2.) Partner with a mission organization and take a short-term mission trip. Spend a week or two weeks loving on these children. This is what they need more than anything. 

3.) Find a family who is adopting and ask them how you can help. Most people do not know how stressful and expensive the adoption process is. The entire process takes between 2-3 years, and the cheapest international adoptions are around $30,000.

4.) Donate money to organizations that are helping orphans and those trying to adopt. There are organizations like this everywhere. Organizations, such as The Reclaimed Project, are helping orphans around the world, as well as providing grants to assist families who are going through the adoption process.

5.) Sponsor a child who is orphaned. There are many organizations that will allow you to do this. You get a picture of the child you are sponsoring, and you can even take a trip to see the child.

6.) ADOPT A CHILD! At the end of the day, these children need families. If you have been praying about adopting or thinking about adopting, maybe it is time to begin the process. 

June 28, 2013
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