Church Has Left the Building Sermon Notes: Living Outside Conflict

Living Outside Conflict                                    10.11.15

5^th in The Church Has Left the Building series

Living Outside:

Assumptions, Barriers, Fears, Materialism, Conflict

Conflict (Websters): from the latin, conflictus: act of striking together

Fight, battle

Competitive or opposing actions of incompatibility

 

Two Chinese characters for crisis:   danger and opportunity

(H. Halverstadt, Managing Church Conflict)

“Church conflicts present us simultaneously with a danger of 

  divisiveness/disintegration and an opportunity for

  wholeness/reconciliation.” Pg 4

 

The Early Deacons  (Acts 6:1-7)

          *qualifications are:  Full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom

          *The opportunity that arises out of conflict

          *The opportunity allowed everyone to use their gifts

          *Out of conflict, growth

                   --word of God spread

                   --the numbers increased

                   --the priests obeyed

 

Service according to our Lord Jesus (Matthew 20:20-28)

          We find conflict in the mother’s request and the disciples’ reaction

          Jesus teaches that service is truly a different, counter-cultural way--

                   “the gentiles lord it over”

          Service is what pleases the Lord  (story from Bible Study)

          Service is how we become like Jesus Christ

 

Titusville’s story of Tithing to the Deacon’s work

Stockton’s story of the Shop Rite cards for mission work

FOR TITUSVILLE:  Three Models of how the tithe/shop rite contributions could be used.

          --These models comprised of my ideas, to model some amazing

 positive change you could bring into the world.

          --board will make their own decisions,

         

Model #1:             $5000                   (cautious, loosely 3% of 2014 income)

          Would support:

                   3 Compassion International Child Sponsorships,  $1300

                   West Trenton Community Center                        1200

                   Deacon Grant Requests                                        2000

                   Heifer International                                              500

 

Model #2              $10,000      (attainable, 6% of 2014 income)

          Would support:

                   6 Compassion sponsorships                             $2600

                   West Trenton Community Center                       2400

                   Deacon Grant Requests                                       2000

                   Heifer International                                              1200

                             (1 sheep & 4 chickens for one family in each continent)

                   10 Business Starter Loans in Emerging nations      1000

                             (loans through World Vision are paid forward)

                   Operation Christmas Child                                  800

 

Model #3              $15,700      (10% of 2014 income)

          Would support:

                   10 Compassion sponsorships                          $4400

                   West Trenton Community Center                      4100

                   Deacon Grants                                                    2000

                   Heifer International                                            1200

                   10 Business Starter Loans                                  1000

                   Operation Christmas Child                                1000

                   Mission Trip to Bahamas        Support                        2000

                  

                  

What were the Biblical qualifications listed in Acts 6 for being a Deacon?

          Being filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom

 

 

 

FOR STOCKTON

Three Models of how the tithe/shop rite contributions could be used.

            --These models comprised of my ideas, to model some amazing

 positive change you could bring into the world.

          --board will make their own decisions,

          --The church receives 5% of value of Shop Rite and Giant food cards

          --$ Numbers based on $20 per day spent on groceries

          --percentage of families participating based on those who meet

             location and at least 1 attendance in the last year)

         

Model #1:             $5000                   (1/3 of families participating)

          Would support:

                   3 Compassion International Child Sponsorships,  $1300

                   Heifer International                                               1200

                             (1 sheep & 4 chickens for one family in each continent)

                   Hunterdon Interfaith Outreach Council                500

                             (offsets winter fuel bills for low income)

                   School Supplies for Jason School                        1000

                   Operation Christmas Child                                  1000

                  

Model #2              $10,000      (just under 2/3’s participation)

          Would support:

                   6 Compassion sponsorships                             $2600

                   Heifer International (2 families per continent)        2400

                   Hunterdon Interfaith Outreach Council               1000

                   Operation Christmas Child                                  1000

                   School Supplies for Jason School                        1000          

                   10 Business Starter Loans in Emerging nations      1000

                             (loans through World Vision are paid forward)

                   Lambertville Food Pantry                                    1000

                   

Model #3              $14,000      (“100%”* participation)

          Would support:

                   10 Compassion sponsorships                          $4400

                   Heifer International (3 families per continent)       3600

                   $1000 each for OCC, Jason School, HOIC,                 5000

                             Starter Loans, Food Pantry

                   World Vision Gift Catalog opportunities           1000

                             (would buy one year of clean water for one family,

                             Medicines, US School supplies, 15 fruit trees and seeds

                              for 3 families)

 

*Your friends and neighbors can buy Shop Rite/Giant cards to support the furtherance of the Good news of Jesus Christ.  As long as we can grow the program, we will never reach 100% participation.

                  

What were the Biblical qualifications listed in Acts 6 for being a Deacon?

          Being filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom