TRANSFORMATION – A ROLE FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Currently, in our community, there are a great number of events challenging the lives of many people. Recently, with a group of friends, we spent time considering this very issue. We first identified the positive challenges and some of the exciting youthful leadership coming forward to participate in many positions of influence. At a recent conference, it was great to see so many motivated citizens conversing, planning, and learning about our economic potential. The participants themselves were most impressive; citizens from all different lifestyles, and more importantly the different ages of these citizens. It was certainly a cornucopia of expertise, leadership, and vision. It was a heady experience to listen and exchange ideas with so many deeply committed citizens striving to improve our local economy. Our best and brightest citizens involved in business, local government, and leadership stirred in me a new hope for our community. However, equally evident was that improved economics would not solve many of our community problems. Other problems will continue to affect our community’s health and well-being. These problems are person-centered. Improved economics cannot buy the solutions necessary to solve these person-centered issues.
Addictions, spousal and child abuse, generational welfare, teen pregnancy, anger and violence are examples of a different kind of poverty hindering our community development. Increasing personal income will not address the causes of these types of poverty afflicting individuals. A different type of expertise, leadership, and vision is necessary to address poverty of this nature. For 20 years, I have been a witness to the tremendous effort of our citizens to bring positive change and to lift up the entire citizenry through economic solutions. Observing the people working toward a better community has created in me a deep love for our people.
Unfortunately, in this same period, the Christian church has failed to unify and participate in meaningful ways. Our witness to the community has been one of separatists. It is time for the best and brightest from within our Christian community to come together and seek solutions to these deep afflictions that are robbing our community of its spiritual, social, and economic potential. We must come to the community table to listen with our minds and open hearts, grow in our understanding, and work in harmony with all our community leaders. Our continued failing to bring our best and brightest together is to abandon our community, our mission, and the individuals suffering from deep poverty.
The Christian church must fulfill its responsibilities to bring Christ-centered solutions to person-centered problems. The Christian church must unify, come to the table without expectations, and serve sacrificially the community it is called to love desperately.
If you sense a need to understand our community and want to participate in strategies to transform our community, please contact me at (707) 951-1294 for more information.
STEVEN V. PEREZ
Transformation Forum
Addictions, spousal and child abuse, generational welfare, teen pregnancy, anger and violence are examples of a different kind of poverty hindering our community development. Increasing personal income will not address the causes of these types of poverty afflicting individuals. A different type of expertise, leadership, and vision is necessary to address poverty of this nature. For 20 years, I have been a witness to the tremendous effort of our citizens to bring positive change and to lift up the entire citizenry through economic solutions. Observing the people working toward a better community has created in me a deep love for our people.
Unfortunately, in this same period, the Christian church has failed to unify and participate in meaningful ways. Our witness to the community has been one of separatists. It is time for the best and brightest from within our Christian community to come together and seek solutions to these deep afflictions that are robbing our community of its spiritual, social, and economic potential. We must come to the community table to listen with our minds and open hearts, grow in our understanding, and work in harmony with all our community leaders. Our continued failing to bring our best and brightest together is to abandon our community, our mission, and the individuals suffering from deep poverty.
The Christian church must fulfill its responsibilities to bring Christ-centered solutions to person-centered problems. The Christian church must unify, come to the table without expectations, and serve sacrificially the community it is called to love desperately.
If you sense a need to understand our community and want to participate in strategies to transform our community, please contact me at (707) 951-1294 for more information.
STEVEN V. PEREZ
Transformation Forum
I am fully convinced that the Lord's work in this area will not have the impact that God desires until we,His children, are willing to fully embrace the community in ways that have traditionally been avoided.Various degrees of seperational doctrine among the denominations ,along with a certain country club mind set, has kept the salt in the shaker!
ReplyDeleteI have been blessed to witness the sprouting of the seeds of transformation, even if small, in which some of the Christian community is willing to cross their denominational lines that where, at one time and in some cases still are, vehemently preached against in the pulpit and zealously followed by congregations. Over time, this rigidness has fostered an isolationist culture in the church that has been handed down from one generation to the next.
In a very real sense,the Christian community mirrors our secular one in that it is gripped in its own distinct form of spiritual poverty.
We pray for God to work in the hearts of those who are in desperate need of the regenerating power of Christ yet for the most part we are un-willing or un-equipped to "dine" with the very ones that cross our lips in prayer. This is where transformation must start.....a change of heart that manifests itself in a "New Wine" approach! The key is relational evangelism and this must be communicated from the pulpit and embraced by the people followed by training. This takes time and a willingness to pursue.
The absence of any true revival in the churches and this community should be enough of a call for "New Wineskins".