First Presbyterian Church: Sharing Faith in a Cathedral of Consumption Prvo prezbiterijanac Crkva: Dijeljenje vjere u katedrali potrošnje

First Presbyterian Church: Sharing Faith in a Cathedral of Consumption Prvo prezbiterijanac Crkva: Dijeljenje vjere u katedrali potrošnje

The Burlington Center Mall Ministry (BCMM), founded by First Presbyterian Church, sees itself as a mission outpost station in a "jungle of materialism." The Burlington Centar Mall Ministarstva (BCMM), a osnovao ga Prvo prezbiterijanac Crkve, vidi sebe kao misija predstraža stanica u "džungla materijalizma." 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. Njezin cilj nije da se mjesto u lokalnoj crkvi, ali da potiče ljude koji bi nikada kročiti u crkvu na razvijanju odnosa s Bogom. 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. Ministarstvo stvara atmosferu pozivaju s udobnosti testirani-dnevni boravak namještaj, besplatno književnosti i šećerlema proglasiti da "Isus vas voli", kutiju za molitvene zahtjeve, elektronski potpisati najavljuje trenutni programiranje, i prijateljska domaćin koji modeli Božje gostoprimstvo.

BCMM offers a variety of programs for all ages and interests. BCMM nudi različite programe za sve uzraste i interese. These include seminars on useful and appealing topics, from job-seeking skills to overcoming loneliness, from developing children's creativity to knowing healthcare options. One uključuju seminare na korisne i privlačan tema, od posla traže vještine prevladavanja osamljenost, od razvijanje dječje kreativnosti na poznavanju zdravstvenih opcija. The ministry also sponsors special events, like concerts, drama, puppet shows, and a gymnastics exhibition. Ministarstvo također sponzori posebnih događanja, poput koncerata, drame, lutkarska predstave, izložbe i gimnastika. 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. A sezonske istaknuti je dnevni rađanje kompletna sa kostimiranih glumaca, set, glazba, priča, specijalni efekti - i priliku reći njihov razlog za na centar. Support groups for overcoming self-destructive behavior, conquering grief and stress, and managing weight problems attract regular guests. Podrška grupe za prevladavanje samo-destruktivno ponašanje, osvajajući bol i stres, upravljanje i težine problema privući redovite goste. A basic beginners Bible study provides an introduction to Christianity. Osnovni početnike Biblija studija daje uvod u kršćanstvo.

When the ministry first opened, volunteers were eager to lead evangelistic activities. Kada je Ministarstvo prvi otvorena, kako bi gorljiv volonteri su voditi evangelistic aktivnosti. They soon learned that anything blatantly Christian rarely attracts the ministry's target audience, the unchurched. Oni su ubrzo saznala da ništa blatantly kršćanske rijetko privlači Ministarstva ciljanu publiku, u unchurched. Some mall visitors are even put off by the neon sign proclaiming "ministry" and keep their distance. Neki su čak centar posjetitelja odložiti do neonski znak naviještanja "ministarstva" i zadržati njihovu udaljenost. 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 razvio strategiju koja nude programe koje doprijeti do ljudi na njihove točke potrebno, tkanja u evanđelju poruke u različite stupnjeve prema ljudima i otvorenost. 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. Ministarstvo neprestano traži za kreativno, ne ugrožavajući načina da ljudi znaju da ih Bog ljubi i da potiču osobe da preispita njihove duhovne potrebe.

One avenue is the window display, which creates visual representations of various Scriptures and Bible stories. Jedan put je prikaz prozora, koji stvara vizualne reprezentacije u raznim i Pisama Biblija priče. For example, one display featured streamers with 1 Cor. Na primjer, jedan prikaz opremljenog streamers sa 1 Kor. 13 written on them along with pictures of different aspects of love. 13 pisani na njima zajedno sa slike različitih aspekata ljubavi. 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?" Ostale mogućnosti nastaju kroz misao-izazivanja pitanja pisano na štafelaj van ispred, kao što su "Ako je Bog mogao reći našoj zemlji jedna stvar, što bi on rekao?" 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. Mnogi prestaju na pitanje pročitajte i komentare napisano ispod, neki ljudi dodati vlastite misli, pomoću koje markeri u boji, drugi pristup BCMM volonteri i početi dijalog.

Perhaps the most important elements of the ministry are the informal interactions. Možda najvažniji elementi Ministarstva su neformalni interakcija. 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. Osobe koje prestanu čavrljati s volonteri iz raznih razloga - neke iz curiousity ili interesa u pojedinom programu, a neki iz osamljenosti, neke iz nekog neprepoznat duhovne gladi. One man came looking for help with a nose bleed, and then opened up about his struggles as a widower. Jedan čovjek dođe u potrazi za pomoći sa ispuhivati nos, a zatim otvara oko njegove borbe kao udovac. When homeless people approach to ask for aid, they receive donated certificates from food court vendors. Kada ljudi beskućnici pristup pitati za pomoć, oni dobiju certifikate iz hrane donirala sud distributera. As the ministry became established, people increasingly revealed their concerns and deep hurts. Kako je Ministarstvo postao osnovan, ljudi sve više otkrivala njihova zabrinutost i duboko boli. Volunteers make themselves available to listen, to show God's love and to pray for those who stop by. Volonteri sami učiniti dostupnim za slušanje, pokazati Božje ljubavi i da molite za one koji se tako zaustaviti. A designated 'Prayer Zone' provides privacy for people who request prayer or who want a quiet space for meditation. Određenom "Molitva Zona 'privatnošću daje za ljude koji zahtjev za molitvu ili koji žele miran prostor za meditaciju.

Regular visitors, says the director, often tend to be "loners" or people on the social margins. Redovni posjetitelji, kaže direktor, često imaju tendenciju da se "loners" ili ljudi na socijalne margine. One woman who was nearly blind was drawn repeatedly to talk with volunteers, who kept encouraging her to develop a relationship with God. Jedna žena koja je bila gotovo slijepa je nacrtan u više navrata razgovarati s volonterima, koji je držao ohrabrujuće joj se razviti odnos s Bogom. Finally, the woman decided to take their advice and attend church. Konačno, žena odlučila da se njihove savjete i pohađati crkvu. There she accepted Christ. Tu je prihvatio Krista. She returned to BCMM and told the director, "I want to help." Ona se vrati u BCMM i rekao je direktor "želim pomoći." With newfound self-confidence, she greeted visitors with a smile and cheerfully kept the place neat. Sa newfound samopouzdanje, ona je pozdravio posjetitelje sa smiješkom i cheerfully čuvao mjesto uredan. When the director tried to thank her, she replied, "No, thank you for helping me!" Kada se pokušao direktora zahvaliti joj je odgovorio: "Ne, hvala za pomoć mene!" 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. Ubrzo nakon toga, rekao je BCMM volontera je preselio u Tennessee, gdje je planirano da služe Bogu kao "misionari", kao što je učinio za nju.

[Adapted from Churches That Make a Difference, chapter 5]. [Prilagođen iz Crkve koji čine razlika, poglavlje 5].