First Presbyterian Church: Sharing Faith in a Cathedral of Consumption Først presbyterianske kirke: Deling Troen på en Cathedral af Forbrug

First Presbyterian Church: Sharing Faith in a Cathedral of Consumption Først presbyterianske kirke: Deling Troen på en Cathedral af Forbrug

The Burlington Center Mall Ministry (BCMM), founded by First Presbyterian Church, sees itself as a mission outpost station in a "jungle of materialism." Den Burlington Center Mall Ministeriet (BCMM), grundlagt af Første presbyterianske kirke, ser sig selv som en mission forpost station i en "jungle af materialisme." Its goal is not to take the place of the local church, but to encourage people who would never set foot in a church to develop a relationship with God. Dens mål er ikke at træde i stedet for den lokale kirke, men at opmuntre folk, der ville aldrig sat sine ben i en kirke for at udvikle et forhold til Gud. The ministry creates an inviting atmosphere with comfort-tested living room furniture, free literature and lollipops that proclaim "Jesus loves you," a box for prayer requests, an electronic sign announcing current programming, and a friendly host who models God's hospitality. Ministeriet skaber en opfordring til atmosfæren med komfort-testet stue møbler, fri litteratur og slikkepinde, at proklamere "Jesus elsker dig," en boks til bøn anmodninger, en elektronisk underskrive annoncere nuværende programmering, og en venlig vært, der modeller Guds gæstfrihed.

BCMM offers a variety of programs for all ages and interests. BCMM tilbyder en række programmer til alle aldre og interesser. These include seminars on useful and appealing topics, from job-seeking skills to overcoming loneliness, from developing children's creativity to knowing healthcare options. Disse omfatter seminarer om nyttige og tiltrækkende emner, lige fra jobsøgning færdigheder til at overvinde ensomhed, fra udvikle børns kreativitet til at vide, sundhedspleje valgmuligheder. The ministry also sponsors special events, like concerts, drama, puppet shows, and a gymnastics exhibition. Ministeriet også sponsorer særlige begivenheder, såsom koncerter, drama, dukketeatre, og en gymnastik udstillingen. A seasonal highlight is a living nativity complete with costumed actors, set, music, narration, special effects - and the chance to tell their reason for being at the mall. En sæsonmæssig fremhæve, er et levende nativity komplet med costumed aktører, som er indstillet, musik, fortællekunst, specielle effekter - og en chance for at fortælle deres grund til at være på The Mall. Support groups for overcoming self-destructive behavior, conquering grief and stress, and managing weight problems attract regular guests. Støtte grupper til at løse selv-destruktiv adfærd, erobre sorg og stress, og forvaltningen vægt problemer tiltrække regelmæssige gæster. A basic beginners Bible study provides an introduction to Christianity. En grundlæggende begyndere Bibelen Undersøgelsen indeholder en introduktion til kristendommen.

When the ministry first opened, volunteers were eager to lead evangelistic activities. Når ministeriet åbnede første gang, volontører var ivrige for at føre evangelistic aktiviteter. They soon learned that anything blatantly Christian rarely attracts the ministry's target audience, the unchurched. De hurtigt lærte at noget åbenlyst kristne sjældent tiltrækker ministeriets målgruppe, de unchurched. Some mall visitors are even put off by the neon sign proclaiming "ministry" and keep their distance. Nogle Mall besøgende er endda udskudt af Neonrør proklamerede "ministerium" og holde deres afstand. BCMM developed a strategy of offering programs that reach out to people at their points of need, weaving in the gospel message in varying degrees according to people's openness. BCMM udviklet en strategi for at tilbyde programmer at nå ud til folk på deres punkter af behovet, vævning i evangeliet besked i varierende grad i henhold til folks åbenhed. The ministry continually searches for creative, non-threatening ways to let people know God loves them and to encourage people to examine their spiritual needs. Ministeriet til stadighed søger efter kreative, ikke-truende måde at lade folk vide, at Gud elsker dem og for at tilskynde folk til at undersøge deres åndelige behov.

One avenue is the window display, which creates visual representations of various Scriptures and Bible stories. En udvej er vinduet display, som skaber visuelle fremstillinger af forskellige Skriften og Bibelen historier. For example, one display featured streamers with 1 Cor. For eksempel, en skærm funktioner streamers med 1 Cor. 13 written on them along with pictures of different aspects of love. 13 skrevet på dem sammen med billeder af forskellige aspekter af kærlighed. Other opportunities arise through the thought-provoking questions written on an easel out front, such as "If God could tell our country one thing, what would he say?" Andre muligheder opstår gennem tankevækkende provokerende spørgsmål skrevet på et staffeli ud foran, såsom "Hvis Gud kunne fortælle vores land én ting, hvad ville han sige?" Many stop to read the question and comments written underneath; some people add their own thoughts, using the colored markers provided; others approach BCMM volunteers and begin a dialogue. Mange stop for at læse spørgsmål og kommentarer skrevet under, og nogle mennesker tilføje deres egne tanker, ved hjælp af farvede markører forudsat, mens andre tilgang BCMM frivillige og indlede en dialog.

Perhaps the most important elements of the ministry are the informal interactions. Måske er de vigtigste elementer i det ministerium er det uformelle interaktioner. People stop by to chat with volunteers for various reasons - some out of curiousity or interest in a particular program, some out of loneliness, some out of an unrecognized spiritual hunger. Folk holder op med at chatte med frivillige af forskellige årsager - nogle ud af curiousity eller interesse i et bestemt program, nogle ud af ensomhed, nogle ud af en ukendt åndelige sult. One man came looking for help with a nose bleed, and then opened up about his struggles as a widower. En mand kom søger om hjælp med en næseblod, og derefter åbnet op om hans kampe som en enkemand. When homeless people approach to ask for aid, they receive donated certificates from food court vendors. Når hjemløse tilgang til at bede om støtte, de modtager donerede attester fra fødevarer domstol sælgere. As the ministry became established, people increasingly revealed their concerns and deep hurts. Som ministeriet blev oprettet, folk i stigende grad viste deres bekymringer og dybe gør ondt. Volunteers make themselves available to listen, to show God's love and to pray for those who stop by. Frivillige stiller sig til rådighed til at lytte, til at vise Guds kærlighed og til at bede for dem, der stopper ved. A designated 'Prayer Zone' provides privacy for people who request prayer or who want a quiet space for meditation. En udpeget "Prayer Zone 'giver privatlivets fred for personer, der anmoder om bøn, eller som ønsker en stille plads til meditation.

Regular visitors, says the director, often tend to be "loners" or people on the social margins. Regelmæssig besøgende, siger direktøren, der ofte tendens til at være "loners" eller folk på social margener. One woman who was nearly blind was drawn repeatedly to talk with volunteers, who kept encouraging her to develop a relationship with God. En kvinde, der var næsten blind blev trukket flere gange for at tale med frivillige, der holdes opmuntre hende til at udvikle et forhold til Gud. Finally, the woman decided to take their advice and attend church. Endelig er den kvinde besluttet at tage deres råd og deltage i kirken. There she accepted Christ. Der hun accepteret Kristus. She returned to BCMM and told the director, "I want to help." Hun vendte tilbage til BCMM og fortalte direktøren, "Jeg ønsker at hjælpe." With newfound self-confidence, she greeted visitors with a smile and cheerfully kept the place neat. Med newfound selvtillid, hun hilst besøgende med et smil og glæde holdes det sted pænt. When the director tried to thank her, she replied, "No, thank you for helping me!" Når direktøren forsøgt at takke hende, svarede hun, "Nej, tak fordi du hjælper mig!" Soon afterwards, she told BCMM volunteers she was moving to Tennessee, where she planned to serve God as a "missionary," as they had done for her. Kort tid efter, hun fortalte BCMM frivillige hun flytter til Tennessee, hvor hun planlagde at tjene Gud som en "missionær", som de havde gjort for hende.

[Adapted from Churches That Make a Difference, chapter 5]. [Tilpasset fra kirker, der gør en forskel, kapitel 5].