Wow. Amen. Thank you God. This is perhaps the most honest and raw piece that I have ever read from you. It makes me excited and joy filled. Excited because when God lays this kind of ground work hang on for the ride, bcecause it's going to be a fun wild ride! Joy filled - because the things you mention above are amazing.
Karl,
The picture your story painted in my head is; sad, wonderful, inspiring and powerful. The responses to your story sheds some light on the difficulties for the "church" to be that joy filled, standing on your tip toes in celebration and praise kind of church.
The question your picture raises to me is how to make it different? When a person becomes a deacon they need to or are expected to complete the tasks set before them. In order to do that they need to continually be seeking to be fed in their own life by the Holy Spirit. The deacons are now committing their time and resources to many people in and out of the church.
Now they are expected to go to seminars, workshops and small groups to learn how to be a better deacon. Talk about overload.
What about training potential deacons? Training on top of an already huge commitment seems too much, the straw perhaps, which can and often does create a negative atmosphere.
If the churches looked ahead to their young adults or new members and started with a serious educating process focused for potential deacons this might help to build a solid frontline of Deacons who are ready and equipped to serve.
The military sends all of it's new soldiers to "Boot Camp" for training, then they send them to the battlefield. Can you imagine dropping a person into the battlefield without teaching them how to use their weapons for defense or attack?
Posted in: Unholy Arthritis
Karl,
Wow. Amen. Thank you God. This is perhaps the most honest and raw piece that I have ever read from you. It makes me excited and joy filled. Excited because when God lays this kind of ground work hang on for the ride, bcecause it's going to be a fun wild ride! Joy filled - because the things you mention above are amazing.
Posted in: A Deacon Reflects
Karl,
The picture your story painted in my head is; sad, wonderful, inspiring and powerful. The responses to your story sheds some light on the difficulties for the "church" to be that joy filled, standing on your tip toes in celebration and praise kind of church.
The question your picture raises to me is how to make it different? When a person becomes a deacon they need to or are expected to complete the tasks set before them. In order to do that they need to continually be seeking to be fed in their own life by the Holy Spirit. The deacons are now committing their time and resources to many people in and out of the church.
Now they are expected to go to seminars, workshops and small groups to learn how to be a better deacon. Talk about overload.
What about training potential deacons? Training on top of an already huge commitment seems too much, the straw perhaps, which can and often does create a negative atmosphere.
If the churches looked ahead to their young adults or new members and started with a serious educating process focused for potential deacons this might help to build a solid frontline of Deacons who are ready and equipped to serve.
The military sends all of it's new soldiers to "Boot Camp" for training, then they send them to the battlefield. Can you imagine dropping a person into the battlefield without teaching them how to use their weapons for defense or attack?