This has never been an issue for anyone in private businesses where employees take clients or employees out for a meal or entertainment. if it did have taxable benefit connotations, I am sure CRA would have been all over this.
“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
I believe that he was implying that we should show people first who Jesus is and then tell them who He is.To do this we need to establsih reciiprocal friendships with people in the community around the church as well as the niehbours where we live. Is anyone doing anything that is impacting their community?
There is a Christian Counsellor, Alf Davis, who resides in Bracebridge Ontario.
He has a healing prayer ministry where during the counselling process, asks the client to invite Jesus into a memory and then to ask Jesus to tell them the truth. Healing is instantaneous.
Alf comes to two federal prisons where I volunteer. Statistics show that 90% of the men in federal prisons come from fatherless homes or homes where they wish the father had been absent. I have seen men, when they meet with Alf, completely changed in one or two one hour sessions.
Alf travels around the world teaching lay people how to do this type of healing. His teaching manual and 5 hours of free video instructions are on his website: https://www.lovehealstv.com/
All the materials are under the heading: "Counsellors".
Alf says his counselling is easy as he spends most of his time leading the clients to be led by Holy Spirit into a memory and then asking the client to ask Jesus to be present bringing his truth.
If those trends are true then the church is on a slippery slope.
"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:7-8)
Iain Murray, in his book, "Revivals & Revivalism" documents how, from about 1740 until the early 1800s, revivals took place. They took place in churches where the pastor preached the word of God fearlessly, at times for many years, and the church had a deep concern for the "lost". The revivals were always instigated by God and not by man's pleading or emotional gatherings.
Do Calvinists have a deep concern for the lost or do we leave it all to God? If so, why did Jesus command his disciples to go into all the world .......?
In Greg Ogden's manual, "Discipleship Essentials", the opening lesson starts with, "Discipling is an intentional relationship in which we walk alongside with other disciples in order to encourage, equip and challenge one another in love to grow toward maturity in Christ. this includes equipping the disciple to teach others as well."
One has to take the time to build a relationship with a neighbour, colleague or friend before inviting them to join you on a journey to meet Christ. I don't know if it is apathy on the part of CRC people, but they do not seem overly concerned with the "lost". One way to build relationships is to invite them to your home for a meal. Again, CRC people like to socialize with CRC people, who they are comfortable with.
I was blessed to be part of a discipleship group, with a pastor who had previously led 2 other groups on a one year journey. The result was that everyone who took discipleship became a leader in the church, either in council or a ministry. When I tried to engage others in a discipleship group, I was turned down. CRC people don't like to have to share about themselves. I did disciple one inmate in a prison and we completed 22 of the 24 lessons before he got transferred. None of the 15 - 20 people in our church, who took the discipleship course, have discipled anyone else. Perhaps we need to check out what the Baptists are doing. In my area they are planting churches with great success, based on prayer and requiring new members to tithe.
I have a men's group that meets once a week for Bible study and accountability. Most of us are volunteers with Kairos Prison Ministry, which holds weekends in federal prisons and then returns weekly or monthly to meet with weekend participants and their friends. We sing, pray and then meet in small groups to share accountability questions. These meetings are very powerful in growing men's faith. We also encourage them to attend the numerous Bible studies that are available in these institutions.
We have tried to start discipleship classes with released residents, but they are resistant to committing to the 24 weeks required.
Posted in: New Discover Your Bible Materials for Fall 2016
Love the materials available. have used them in prisons for 16 years with great success.
Prison is my men's group and Bible study all in one.
Posted in: Do Training Materials Exist for Potential Deacons or Elders?
Try Diaconal Ministries in Burlington.
Posted in: Pastor Reimbursement of meals-Should his portion be a taxable benefit? (Canadian)?
This has never been an issue for anyone in private businesses where employees take clients or employees out for a meal or entertainment. if it did have taxable benefit connotations, I am sure CRA would have been all over this.
Don't wake a slepping dragon!
Posted in: What training tools does your church use to equip members for evangelism?
St. Francis said, "
“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”
I believe that he was implying that we should show people first who Jesus is and then tell them who He is.To do this we need to establsih reciiprocal friendships with people in the community around the church as well as the niehbours where we live. Is anyone doing anything that is impacting their community?
Posted in: Continue Welcoming Refugees With a Faithful Budget
Why isn't Saudi Arabia and Iran taking muslim refugees from Syria? Why aren't we bringing Christian refugees, who are the most vulnerable?
Posted in: Trauma Healing
There is a Christian Counsellor, Alf Davis, who resides in Bracebridge Ontario.
He has a healing prayer ministry where during the counselling process, asks the client to invite Jesus into a memory and then to ask Jesus to tell them the truth. Healing is instantaneous.
Alf comes to two federal prisons where I volunteer. Statistics show that 90% of the men in federal prisons come from fatherless homes or homes where they wish the father had been absent. I have seen men, when they meet with Alf, completely changed in one or two one hour sessions.
Alf travels around the world teaching lay people how to do this type of healing. His teaching manual and 5 hours of free video instructions are on his website: https://www.lovehealstv.com/
All the materials are under the heading: "Counsellors".
Alf says his counselling is easy as he spends most of his time leading the clients to be led by Holy Spirit into a memory and then asking the client to ask Jesus to be present bringing his truth.
Blessings
regc
Posted in: What Disruptive Church Trends Did You See in 2016?
If those trends are true then the church is on a slippery slope.
"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:7-8)
Posted in: What Disruptive Church Trends Did You See in 2016?
Iain Murray, in his book, "Revivals & Revivalism" documents how, from about 1740 until the early 1800s, revivals took place. They took place in churches where the pastor preached the word of God fearlessly, at times for many years, and the church had a deep concern for the "lost". The revivals were always instigated by God and not by man's pleading or emotional gatherings.
Do Calvinists have a deep concern for the lost or do we leave it all to God? If so, why did Jesus command his disciples to go into all the world .......?
Posted in: Through Darkness to Light
Thank you for sharing your testimony.
Posted in: Make Disciples
In Greg Ogden's manual, "Discipleship Essentials", the opening lesson starts with, "Discipling is an intentional relationship in which we walk alongside with other disciples in order to encourage, equip and challenge one another in love to grow toward maturity in Christ. this includes equipping the disciple to teach others as well."
One has to take the time to build a relationship with a neighbour, colleague or friend before inviting them to join you on a journey to meet Christ. I don't know if it is apathy on the part of CRC people, but they do not seem overly concerned with the "lost". One way to build relationships is to invite them to your home for a meal. Again, CRC people like to socialize with CRC people, who they are comfortable with.
I was blessed to be part of a discipleship group, with a pastor who had previously led 2 other groups on a one year journey. The result was that everyone who took discipleship became a leader in the church, either in council or a ministry. When I tried to engage others in a discipleship group, I was turned down. CRC people don't like to have to share about themselves. I did disciple one inmate in a prison and we completed 22 of the 24 lessons before he got transferred. None of the 15 - 20 people in our church, who took the discipleship course, have discipled anyone else. Perhaps we need to check out what the Baptists are doing. In my area they are planting churches with great success, based on prayer and requiring new members to tithe.
I have a men's group that meets once a week for Bible study and accountability. Most of us are volunteers with Kairos Prison Ministry, which holds weekends in federal prisons and then returns weekly or monthly to meet with weekend participants and their friends. We sing, pray and then meet in small groups to share accountability questions. These meetings are very powerful in growing men's faith. We also encourage them to attend the numerous Bible studies that are available in these institutions.
We have tried to start discipleship classes with released residents, but they are resistant to committing to the 24 weeks required.
Posted in: One Motorcycle Ride
Thank you for sharing your experiences.
Blessings on your ministry.
Regc
Posted in: Confessing My Sin in Trumpland
What about the challenge the Clinton campaign lays before the church?