Tenth Presbyterian Church: Sharing the Transforming Word of God Deseti Prezbiterijanac Crkve: Dijeljenje Transformacija je Riječ Božja

Tenth Presbyterian Church: Sharing the Transforming Word of God Deseti Prezbiterijanac Crkve: Dijeljenje Transformacija je Riječ Božja

The prayer meeting had ended, and the small group of Tenth Presbyterian church members were bundling up in their coats to go home. Na sastanku je završio molitvu, i mala skupina Deseti Prezbiterijanac crkva članovi su bundling se u njihovim košuljama u polje iæi kuæi. They were about to step around a lump of blanket huddled on the church steps, when something stopped them short. Oni su o to korak oko lump of deka huddled o Crkvi korake, kad nešto kratko zaustavio ih. Here they had been in God's presence in prayer-while right outside the church was one of God's children, suffering in the cold. Ovdje su bili u Božju prisutnost u molitvi-a pravo izvan crkve bio je jedan od Božje djece, patnje u hladnom. One member turned to another and said, "We need to do something about that." Jedan član se okrene na drugi i reče: "Mi moramo učiniti nešto o tome."

Later, the prayer group approached the deacons and said, "What can you do?" Kasnije, molitvene skupine i prilazi đakona i reče: "Što mogu učiniti?" The deacons wisely answered, "What do you want to do?" The đakona mudro odgovori: "Što želite učiniti?" And so the church members began praying and reflecting about how the church could be a good neighbor, not only to this one particular person, but to the growing population of homeless men and women in the downtown area around the church. I tako je crkva članova počeo molitvu i odražava o tome kako je crkva mogla biti dobar susjed, ne samo na ovoj jednoj određenoj osobi, ali je na rastući broj stanovnika beskućnici, muškaraca i žena u centru područje oko crkve. At first, the response was to start a feeding program. U početku, odgovor je da pokrenete program hranjenja. The church soon realized, however, that the most important thing they could do was to establish relationships and to share the Word of God with the people they fed. Crkva uskoro realizirana, međutim, da je najvažnija stvar bi mogli učiniti je da se uspostavi odnosa i za razmjenu Riječ Božja s ljudima oni Fed.

From that small seed, ACTS (Active Compassion through Service) has grown into a ministry that now involves about twenty percent of the congregation. Od tog malog sjeme, djela (Active prodavača kroz Service) je narasla u ministarstvu da sada uključuje dvadesetak odsto zajednicu. ACTS aims "to educate, motivate, and equip the members of Tenth to imitate Christ in attitude, humility and service, and to be good stewards of their God-given resources and talents." DJELA ima za cilj "da se školovati, motivirati i opremanje članova Deseti nasljedovati Krista u stavu, poniznošću i usluga, te da se dobri upravitelji njihovih Bogu-dao resursa i talenata." An array of ministries provide abundant opportunities to serve: dinners and Bible studies for homeless guests, after-school tutoring, nursing home visitation, a worship service for people with HIV, single parent/divorce support groups, and a racial reconciliation fellowship. Niz ministarstava pružaju bogate mogućnosti za posluživanje: večere i Biblija studija za beskućnike gosti, nakon-škola Instrukcije, skrb home pohođenja, poklonite usluga za osobe s HIV, samohrani roditelj / razvod support groups, rasnoj i pomirenje zajedništvo. The mission of ACTS is nothing less than the "total transformation of individuals in the name of Jesus. It seeks to be a prophetic witness of Christ's love to those who suffer from spiritual and physical poverty." Misija djela nije ništa manje od "ukupne transformacije pojedinaca u ime Isusovo. On nastoji biti proročki svjedok Kristove ljubavi za one koji pate od duhovne i fizičke siromaštva." In part because of this overt evangelistic thrust, ACTS ministries are entirely funded through the church. U dijelu zbog ovog javan evangelistic potisak, DJELA ministarstva su u potpunosti financira kroz crkvu.

One of the principles underlying the diverse ACTS ministries is the goal of nurturing relationships between Christian volunteers and needy members of the community. Jedan od načela ispod raznih ministarstava DJELA je cilj nurturing odnosa između kršćanske i volontera u nevolji članovi zajednice. In the monthly Community Dinners, for example, the homeless guests (not "clients!") do not line up to have meals served on trays cafeteria-style. U mjesečni Zajednice večere, na primjer, beskućnici, gosti (ne "klijenata!") Ne da se postroje jela serviraju na trays cafeteria-stilu. Instead, they are seated at tables with attractive, full place settings and served family style, sitting beside church members who share the meal and dinner conversation. Umjesto toga, oni su sjedi na stolovima s atraktivna, puna mjesto postavke i služila obitelji stilu, sjedi pokraj crkve članova koji dijele kajmak i večera razgovoru. A worship service before the meal provides spiritual nourishment for many guests who would never dream of entering the church on Sunday morning. A klanjati usluga prije obroka pruža duhovnu hranu za mnoge goste koji bi nikada nije san ulaska u crkvu u nedjelju ujutro. The dignified setting and relationships forged over the meal make guests more open to accepting the message of the Word. Na dostojanstven i postavljanje odnosa kovana tijekom obroka čine gosti više otvoren za prihvaćanje poruka od Worda. For more substantive spiritual guidance, guests are invited to the weekly Fellowship Bible Study, which also includes a less formal meal. Za više značajne duhovnog vodstva, gosti su pozvani na tjednoj Fellowship Bible Study, koja također uključuje manje formalne obroka. The Community Dinner draws about 120 homeless persons; about 25 attend the Fellowship Bible Study. Zajednica Večera neriješeno oko 120 beskućnike, oko 25 prisustvuju Fellowship Bible Study.

The relational approach to evangelism is rooted in Christ's model of incarnational love and sacrificial servanthood. The relacijski pristup evangelism je ukorijenjen u Kristu, model incarnational ljubavi i zrtveno servanthood. Dr. David Apple, director of ACTS, explains, Dr. David Apple, direktor djela, objašnjava,

Just as Jesus became a servant of others, washing others' feet, not being afraid to be vulnerable, not being afraid to come alongside people who are hurting, not being afraid of coming alongside someone who may smell- we're called to be advocates, to come alongside and be available. Kao što je Isus postao je sluga drugima, pranje druge noge, ne bojte se biti ranjiv, nisu se bojali doći zajedno s ljudima koji su ranjavanje, ne boj se netko koji dolaze uz miris svibanj-smo pozvani biti zagovornici , Uz koje dolaze i biti dostupna. Servanthood means to be available to people, and to know that God is in charge of our time and our resources and our valuables-to give all those things to God, for his service. Servanthood znači da će dostupni na narod, i da zna da je Bog koji su zaduženi za naše vrijeme i naše resurse i naše dragocjenosti-dati sve one stvari za Boga, za svoju uslugu.

ACTS is as much about discipling Christians to a deeper commitment as it is about serving those outside the church. DJELA je koliko o discipling kršćana na dublje opredjeljenje kao što je o servirati one izvan Crkve. Engaging the church in mercy ministry, says Dr. Apple, requires "converting those who call themselves believers." Uključenje crkve u milosrđe ministarstva, kaže dr. Apple, zahtijeva "pretvoriti onih koji sebe nazivaju vjernicima." To become a servant and friend to someone very different from you is to embark on a pilgrimage of discipleship. Da bi postala je sluga i prijatelj da netko vrlo različite od vas je ukrcati se na hodočašće u discipleship. The impact of the Gospel is seen equally in how it transforms street people's social circumstances, and how it transforms church members' innate self-centeredness into Christ-like love for the marginalized. Utjecaj Evanđelje je vidio kako se jednako u transformira street ljudi socijalne okolnosti, i kako se pretvara crkvu članova urođeni self-centeredness u Krista-kao što je ljubav za marginalizirane.

Dr. Apple's own pilgrimage to holistic ministry began with his salvation experience. Dr. Apple vlastite hodočašće u holistički ministarstvo je počeo sa svojim spasenja iskustvo. "I was saved in a small, black church, through the witness of former drug addicts, recovering alcoholics, former prostitutes, and people who had nothing physically, but showed me that they had everything, because of Jesus Christ." "Bio sam spremljene u malom, crnom crkve, kroz svjedočenje bivše ovisnicima o drogi, oporavlja alcoholics, bivše prostitutke, i ljudi koji su fizički ništa, ali mi je pokazao da su sve, jer je Isus Krist." Because of their witness, and because of struggles he faced in his own life, he says, "My calling, my passion, is to be available to God to help the poor." Zbog svoje svjedočanstvo, i zbog borbe on je lice u svom životu, on govori, "Moj poziv, moja strast, je da bude dostupna na Boga da pomogne siromasima."

Dr. Apple explains why evangelism and discipleship are central to this mission. Dr. Apple objašnjava zašto evangelism i discipleship su centar za ovu misiju.

If someone has no friends, has no support, then he or she is going to find themselves feeling abandoned and hopeless. Ako netko nema prijatelja, nema podršku, tada on ili ona će pronaći sebe osjeća napušteno i beznadan. Why try? Zašto probati? The systemic solution is escape-whether it's escape through chemicals, your drug of choice, or sexual promiscuity; all of them are some form of self condemnation, because we're punishing ourselves for the situation that we are in. ... U sistemski rješenje je pobjeći-da li je pobjeći kroz kemikalije, droge, vaš izbor, ili seksualno šarolikost; svi su neki oblik samouprave osudu, jer smo mi sami za kažnjavanje situaciju da smo rezervirati ... But all of that I believe has a spiritual solution, because if we're in a proper relationship with God then there's no condemnation. Ali, sve to mislim da ima i duhovno rješenje, jer ako smo u pravilan odnos s Bogom onda nema osude. ... So even if we have absolutely nothing, the starting point for renewal is spiritual. Tako čak i ako imamo apsolutno ništa, polazište je za duhovnu obnovu. ... There's a solution based on the confidence that we have in Christ: we can begin obtaining skills and putting all that garbage behind us. Postoji rješenje temelji se na uvjerenju da smo u Kristu: kako bismo mogli početi dobivanje vještine i stavljajući sve što smeća iza nas. ... It's only in Christ that people finally possess the freedom to finally look beyond themselves for a source of healing. To je samo u Kristu da ljudi konačno imati slobodu da na kraju izgleda izvan sebe jer je izvor ozdravljenja.

People with habitual needs should be offered services, skills, and economic opportunities - but in David Apple's experience, unless the spiritual bondage is broken, they may never be able to benefit from the assistance. Osobe s uobičajen potrebe bi trebao biti ponuđena usluge, vještine, i ekonomske prilike - ali u David Apple's iskustvo, osim ako je duhovno ropstvo je slomljen, oni svibanj nikad ne moći korist od pomoći. Tenth Church does not duplicate the social services that other Christian and secular institutions are already doing well. Deseti Crkva ne duple, socijalne usluge koje druge kršćanske i svjetovnih institucija su vec rade dobro. Rather, by building ongoing, supportive, Christ-centered relationships with people, ACTS ministries help empower people to take advantage of other resources effectively. Naprotiv, izgradnja u tijeku, podržavaju, Krist usmjeren odnose s ljudima, DJELA ministarstava pomoći osnažiti ljude kako bi iskoristili drugih resursa na učinkovit način. Progress with homeless guests is slow, but the fruits become evident over time. Napretku s beskućnike gostima je spora, ali plodovi postati evidentno vremenom. Dr. Apple can point to "several homeless guests who because of becoming a new creature, are able to assume new characteristics and able to take off old labels and assume responsible citizenship." Dr. Apple može pokažite na "nekoliko beskućnike gosti koji zbog postati novo stvorenje, su u mogućnosti da preuzme nove karakteristike i mogućnosti da skinu oznake stare i preuzima odgovorna državljanstvo."

One of these men used to sleep on the steps of a synagogue a block from Tenth Church. Jedan od tih ljudi koriste za spavanje na korake od sinagogu blok iz Deseti Crkve. For years, he was consumed by multiple addictions. Za godine, on je postupio po više navika. He was, in Dr. Apple's words, "a walking dead man." On je, u dr Apple's riječi, "šetnju mrtav čovjek." A couple of ACTS volunteers befriended him, and from time to time would bring him sandwiches and blankets. Nekoliko djela volontera befriended ga, i povremeno bi ga sendviča i deke. Each time they saw him, they invited him to come to the church, to come to the Community Dinner, to come to Fellowship Bible Study, where he could come out of the cold, get a hot meal, and form new friendships. Svaki put kad ga ugledaše, pozvao ga da dođe u crkvu, da dolaze prema zajednici Večera, doći do Fellowship studij Biblije, gdje je mogao izaći na hladnoću, dobili topla obroka, i novi oblik prijateljstva. At first the man wanted nothing to do with the church, but eventually he accepted their invitation. Na prvi čovjek htjeli ništa učiniti s crkvom, ali na kraju je prihvatila njihove poziv. For several years, he came occasionally to church activities for the meals and the warmth, but refused other help. Za nekoliko godina, dođe povremeno do crkve aktivnosti za hranu i toplinu, ali je odbio druge pomoći.

Finally, as David Apple puts it, "he got sick and tired of being sick and tired. And he had seen people he had shared needles with die of AIDS, and started asking the question, 'Why am I still alive?' Konačno, kao David Apple puts it, "on je dobio bolesna i umorna da je bolesna i umorna. A on je vidio ljude on je dijelio s needles umrijeti od AIDS-om, te je započela s upitom na pitanje," Zašto sam još uvijek živ? " In developing relationships with the people of the church ... he started coming regularly and saw who Jesus really was, and how He could help." U razvoju odnosa s ljudima u crkvi ... on je počeo redovito dolaze i vidje Isusa koji je bio zaista, i kako je mogao pomoći. " ACTS volunteers led the man to a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. DJELA volontera vodio čovjek na ispovijest vjere u Isusa Krista. They also helped him get into a Christian drug recovery program. Također mu je pomogao ući Christian droga sanacioni program. After several episodes of relapse and re-treatment, he became drug-free. Nakon nekoliko epizoda vratiti se i ponovno liječenje, on je postao droga-free. He reunited with the mother of his children, and they were married and bought a home. On je ujedinila s majkom njegove djece, i oni su bili oženjeni i kupili kuću. His wife and two teenage daughters became believers. Njegova supruga i dvije kćeri postala teenage vjernika. He stood before a judge and paid old outstanding fines, saying, "The person who did all these things, I'm not that person anymore." On je stajao pred suca i plaćeni stari nepodmirena fines, govoreći: "osobi koji je sve to, nisam ta osoba više." The former crack addict who slept on the synagogue steps now volunteers with ACTS, sharing the gospel with people with whom he used to share drugs. Bivše crack narkoman koji je počinuo na sinagogu korake sada volontera s djelima, dijeljenje evanđelje s ljudima s kojima se koristi za razmjenu droge.

Another worship service and Bible study for persons with HIV was started at the request of a secular respite home, after Tenth Church members attended the funeral service for a woman who died of AIDS. Drugi klanjati usluga i Biblija studija za osobe s HIV je započela na zahtjev sekularna predah home, nakon Deseti Crkva članovi prisustvovali su pogrebne usluge za žene koji je umro od AIDS-om. The woman had attended the Fellowship Bible Study and accepted Christ before she died. Žena je prisustvovala u Fellowship Biblija studij i prihvatili Krista prije nego je umro. Because of the relationship that they had nurtured with her, the church gained credibility and access to a population that desperately needs and is open to the gospel, but rarely trusts the church. Zbog odnosa koji su njegovan s njom, crkva je dobila kredibilitet i pristup stanovnika koji očajnički treba i otvoren je za evanđelje, ali rijetko se uzda u crkvu. Says the Tenth volunteer who leads these worship services, "We have a responsibility to everyone, but especially those whose life span is going to be shorter than everyone else's." Kaže deseti dobrovoljaca koji vodi ove usluge se klanjaju, "Mi imamo odgovornost za sve, ali posebno onih čiji je život span će biti kraća od svakog drugog."

Center city areas are often considered places of alienation, corridors of style and power lacking in true community, where commuters pass by homeless persons in alleys and doorways on their way in for a day's work or an evening's entertainment. Centar grada područja su često smatra mjesta otuđenja, hodnika, stil i snaga nedostaje u istinske zajednice, gdje commuters pass by beskućnike u alleys i doorways na putu u za jedan dan rada ili navečer je za zabavu. When Tenth Church faced the decision of whether to sell its property and move to the suburbs, following the trail of so many other white urban churches, Tenth decided to remain. Kada Deseti lice Crkve na odluku da li prodati svoju imovinu i premjestiti na pašnjacima, po stazi, tako da mnoge druge urbane bijele crkve, Deseti odlučili ostati. They have stayed, not just to keep a piece of real estate but to be a witness and servant in the city. Oni su ostali, ne samo da zadrži dio nekretnina, ali biti svjedok i sluga u gradu. Church bulletins proclaim, This church opens wide her doors and offers her welcome in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Crkva proglasiti bilteni, crkva To otvara široke joj vrata i nudi joj dobrodošlicu u ime Gospodina Isusa Krista. Homeless men, suburbanites, HIV sufferers, international students, young urban families-all have made good on the invitation. Beskućnici, ljudi, suburbanites, HIV bolnicima, međunarodne studente, mlade urbane obitelji-imati sve napravio dobro na poziv.

[Adapted from Churches That Make a Difference, chapter 1]. [Prerađeno prema crkvama koje će razlika, Glava 1].