Even Jesus, the greatest church leader of all time reminded us that the path to salvation is narrow and difficult for the rich. And by world standards, we in America are rich!
We take clean drinking water for granted. Do you know there are about 1 billion people in the world who don’t have clean drinking water? 800,000,000 in the world won’t eat today…and 300,000,000 of those are children.
I have heard experts say, to supply clean water, and basic health and nutritional needs for everyone in the world it would cost about 20 billion dollars…That’s about what Americans spend each year on ice cream.
Nowadays, there are millions of people in America who call themselves followers of Jesus, but their lives look nothing like His. In this crazy country we live in we’re constantly bombarded with BIGGER, BETTER, and MORE. You NEED this, CONSUME that, or OWN this and then you’ll truly be happy…it’s NOT true!
Jesus calls us to apostolic action…to clothe the naked, to feed the hungry, to visit the prisoners, and to help the widows and orphans.
As the church we need to constantly ask ourselves, “What can we do to follow Jesus, and act in the way He intended?
As church leaders we need to encourage this way of living by having each member engaged in a small group study and a meaningful ministry.
But many churches aren’t structured to feed their members effectively. And if our members are not being fed until they are full, they will move somewhere that is offering a better menu. There are many organizational development resources that can help you develop an effective volunteer program for staffing and supplying effective programs for your congregation.
Depending on your circumstances there are many potential ways to approach developing your ministry, leadership, and programs. You could consider church consulting or developing a church media plan. There are also numerous church leadership and Christian leadership training programs that can be done in house or out of house. The key is to understand your situation and get wisdom to pursue the best and most effective solution for your ministry.
How have you supplied resources and encouraged your members to be effective followers of Jesus?
That’s a good challenge Drew. Our world is driven by consumerism, yet we all know that more stuff never satisfies. Freedom and Prosperity can make doing the right thing harder. Thanks.
Pingback: Structuring & Equipping Your Church To Walk The Narrow Path … « Feeds « Theology of Ministry