Do you go to church? If you do, you probably go to a real church. That means that it really is a local and particular manifestation of the global and historic Church. It means also that it has some real issues, in other words, it's made up of real people. But it also means that your church has real potential to be a God-worshiping and world-changing community of hope, faith, and love.
Stearns tells the stories of two real churches, Fish Hoek Baptist Church in South Africa and Christian Family Church in Zambia.
Fish Hoek Baptist Church is known as 'the church that cares'. It has launched and now operates permanent, accessible, and sustainable services to those affected and infected by HIV/AIDS. Permanent. Accessible. Sustainable. These are key elements to a long-term, effective, relational, and holistic response to the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS and it's many causes and effects.
Christian Family Church and her 120 members is considered a megachurch, a label generally reserved for churches that number into the thousands. What is 'mega' about this church is her vision to build unity across ethnic and denominational lines and to empower other communities to combat HIV/AIDS with holistic strategies.
So, do you go to church? If so, is it a real church? With real potential? What are you doing to help your church realize its potential?
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Posted by: security | October 12, 2011 at 07:10 AM