A Church That Makes A Difference

Aaron Scott and Jason Locke discuss "a church that makes a difference"

Ashley Henderson and Andrew Ocheltree were two of the church family members, scattered throughout the darkened auditorium, holding candles to light the way for everyone

Just one candle gives light to a whole room

With more and more Christians leaving the church, yet not leaving God, what are they saying about the church?
1. "God is missing from the church."
2. "Christians have missed the point."
Jason Locke and Aaron Scott discussed the changing role of the church in society this morning, Aaron's last official Sunday on staff at College Church of Christ. Jason shared these common thoughts from disenchanted Christians and asked Aaron what he thought.
"We've lost the ability to see God at work in the everyday things of life," Aaron said. We tend to equate God's working in our lives with "getting our own way" (i.e. a short line at Starbuck's on a busy day). We must learn to discern bewteen God's working within a body of Christians and the fulfillment of self-centered desires.
Jason and Aaron agreed "it's been a tough year" for our church family at College Church of Christ. We have said "good-bye" to two full-time ministers, we have said "farewell" to a number of long-time members because of death, several families and individuals have left our church family to worship elsewhere.
In the midst of the difficulty, though, Jason said he has seen people "fight and struggle to understand one another, to ask questions. I believe God is most at work when we struggle," Jason observed. "God is glorified in the midst of our struggles to understand one another."
In the midst of all these losses: "Is our church a dying church?" Jason asked Aaron.
Aaron pointed out that well over 20% of our church is in the Children's Ministry, and there is a committed core in high school and college ministries. "That is significant," he pointed out.
Jason addressed some of the complaints most commonly heard at our church:
1. The elders don't take charge. They move too slowly.
"How would you respond to that, Aaron?" Jason asked.
Aaron said he has been involved in a number of churches during his lifetime and our elders are different than the elders at many other churches he has observed Our elders care far more about shepherding individual people than they do about functioning as an official "Board of Directors". Our elders are more concerned about guiding our diverse congregation to develop a mature faith than they are about spelling out a certain "Code of Conduct" for the congregation. For that reason, our church can appear less organized than a church where the congregation is told what to do and how to do it.
"Our elders have taken a step back and let us own our own faith rather than controlling us," Aaron observed. "It takes faith in God to do that."
2. College Church of Christ accused of being irrelevant. Our property is not maintained in the style of large, contemporary churches, our worship is not seen as being as up-to-date as some more fashionable churches.
"How do you see that in youth ministry, Aaron?" Jason asked.
At College Church, Aaron pointed out, it is much harder to remain anonymous, or get lost in the crowd, the way you can at so many larger, more fashionable churches. At College Church, our young people are allowed and encouraged to get to know adults of all ages, to see Larry Wiseman bopping little kids on the head with bulletins, to listen to Tom Howe give everyone a hard time, to be in a church family where we have women with nicknames like "Mama O" and where you get a hug every Sunday from Pat McKinzie (and if you pass her by, she will hunt you down and hug you!)
Aaron observed that young people at College Church learn from the adults, who share their lives and their stories. We are broken people who are growing in Christ. We know God loves us just the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way! So we help each other grow.
Jason and Aaron drew from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk, who gives God's answer to the complaints of His people.
God assures His weary people that the answers to their questions and complaints will come, if they will wait:
"For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay."
Habakkuk 2:3 (NIV)
For those looking for the right thing to do at the right time, God assures His people, He will lead them. The people's job: have faith in God!
"The righteous will live by his faith"
Habakkuk 2:4 (NIV)
At this point, the conversation between Jason and Aaron concluded with a darkened auditorium in which several lighted candles were passed from one church family member to another, scattered throughout the dark room. Each candle gave off enough glow for those around it to see by its illumination.
And so, with our walk of faith as a church family, we must continue to walk by faith in God's love for this diverse group of people. We can help light the way for one another and for others who are seeking a safe place to be loved and restored to God's purpose for their lives!

--Posted by Mama O.