Authentic Christian Community

I'm still rattling on about non-negotiables. Another one is authentic Christian community. There are some important issues here

- the corporate nature of faith

In our individualistic western culture we must keep on emphasising that there is no such thing as private faith in Christ or solo service. Jesus called us to be members of a body, branches on a vine, soldiers in an army etc

- honesty, accountability, forgiveness and love

Many years ago I read something by the late Selwyn Hughes in EDWJ. He wrote about billiard ball Christians, who met every now and then, clicked together for an hour on a Sunday when someone pushed them together but quickly retreated back into their separate pockets. We are committed to the cell model, where strong relationships are being built because the Christian life is not a game on a table but a battle field. If we are going to survive we need more than a nodding aquaintance with one another. We will need to get to know and trust one another.

- acceptance and inclusiveness

We all think we are accepting and inclusive but the scandal is that so many people in our society think that they have to change before they will be welcomed by the Christian community.

- encounter with the God

"If nothing supernatural is happening in our midst then we can call ourselves a club, a society, a discussion group or a charitable organisation but we cannot call ourselves a church." (Alan Young 12th February 2006)

Thank God something supernatural is happening in Northallerton. We had a prayer day yesterday and we felt the Spirit's gentle presence among us. God also spoke powerfully through his word. (see Andrew Bale's blog on Beyond the Brook) We are a tiny fellowship but our worship was so real and genuine this morning. God is good and lives are being transformed by his grace.

- expression of commitment and belonging

Just as a marriage covenant is an important thing for two people to enter into if they love one another and want to enter into a completely intimate relationship with one another then a follower of Jesus needs to be given opportunity to express their committment to God and to his people in some way. We need to nail our colours to the mast and declare our love.

Do I hear any Amen's to all this stuff?

God bless

Carol

- Another key value that we live by is that we multiply through reaching the lost.
It is non-negotiable that:
WE ARE EVANGELISTIC
When a task force was sent into Ripon, our previous appointment to research and pray about the possibility of planting a Salvation Army corps someone commented that they would like our soup but not our salvation. We were not put off and the mission began in 1993 and still continues with the people whom we unashamedly evangelised. We just couldn't help it.

EVERYONE IS INVOLVED IN MISSION
The comment often made to statements like that above is that it is not just the officers job to win the lost but the whole congregation. But actually in our generation, in the program dominated, management oriented churches we have where congregations are sometime spoon fed their faith and are so pastor dependent it is the officers who need reminding it is our job to be soul winners. I don't find that a bind because there is nothing like it when someone responds to the good news.

I have been in prison this morning doing a basic Christianity course called QUEST.
As I was putting a lad called Martin back in his cell he thanked me for the Bible verses I had given him a few weeks ago and for the advice I gave him, which was that if he wanted to know if God was real he should just ask him. He had been too shy to say anything in the group but he had done what I said. After praying a specific prayer he had looked in his diary for that day and there in print was a direct answer to his prayer. He has been praying and reading his Bible every day since. He has a long way to go but he is so hungry to know God and is excited by the quest.

Incidently the heating was not working in the chapel today so it was freezing. Every lad had the option of staying and watching TV in their warm cell or going to the cold Church to talk about Jesus for an hour and a half. All but one came with us up and nobody moaned about the cold. Now on Sunday morning if the heating is off.................

EVANGELISM IS TO THE WHOSOEVER
I had a conversation recently with a Salvationist who said that he didn't think we should try to evangelise people from other faiths. They were off limits.
The argument was that if they are happy in their faith we should encourage them to be good Moslems, or Hindu's or whatever. I said we never ridicule someone's faith but happiness isn't a lot to do with it. We can have a great journey in a car with no brakes until we need to stop, then no only do we not get to our planned destination we are in real trouble!
We should just keep on sharing our testimony about the reality of Jesus in our lives. He's too good for anyone to miss. If a person is interested in truly knowing God and not just interested in culture or religion then not only with Jesus bring them to God, God will always point to Jesus. (John 6:45)

I also believe that the following are also non-negotiable:

-the message never changes
-we are aiming for disciples not decisions
-we need a God-given passion for souls
-the priority is mission over maintainance

We have 12 hours of prayer tomorrow dedicated to seeking God's guidance and power for our mission here. I'm asking God to do an Acts 4:31

"After they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

Every member growing spiritually

By this we mean that we are not interested in just filling seats on a Sunday morning, or satisfied with ticking boxes on decision cards.
We long to see people committed to living for Christ, with a desire to change, set free and becoming like Jesus.

The following things are therefore non-negotiable
- we want discipleship rather than nominal membership
- there is a personal accountability before God for our response to him
- we believe holiness is possible and essential
- we must submit to the authority of the Bible for life choices and lifestyle
- we need to develop in our understanding of the word of God
- we are characterised by the spiritual disciplines of prayer, giving, sacrifice and
simplicityof lifestyle

As I typed the last sentence a white van pulled up outside the house and a delivery man came to the door with a large box in his arms, addressed to Mr and Mrs Young. I must admit to opening it with a degree of curiosity as I was unaware that we had sent away for anything. I was even more intrigued when I discovered that it had come from our bank as an apology for an error they had made in the handling of our account. The box said that contents were fragile, and the polystyrene box suggested the contents may be glass or china. A nice vase perhaps, glasses or an expensive ornament? I'm getting quite excited now. I like presents. Forget giving, sacrifice and simplicty of lifestyle, what's in the box for me?

I open the lid to find................. two bottles of flipping wine!

Well serve me right. Sorry Lord I took my eyes off the ball for a moment.

So come on somebody, what's the God honouring thing to do with the wine?

Every member is in ministry. (the priesthood of all believers)

In this area I believe that the following things are non-negotiable:

- Jesus alone is our high priest. -
1 Timothy 2:5

- all ministries, giftings and service have value

Yesterday at a leaders prayer breakfast we were sharing how often someone, somewhere has prayed for those of us in leadership. Often they have been people who others have overlooked but their prayers have kept us strong or safe when the enemy has attacked.
Alan and I are honoured to have faithful intercessors who pray for our ministry every single day. We are so humbled and encouraged by that.

- women can have a leadership position in the Church

I thank God so often for the privilege of ministry and the opportunity the SA gives me to serve. For me this means shared leadership with my husband and in his wisdom God seems to have given us complimentary gifts that help us work together.

This is not a moan, just an observation. I really don't like doing women's ministry in the Church. At the moment I am reaching out to a group of parents , all of whom are women and that is proving to be an excellent evangelistic opportunity but women's conferences, women only fellowships and meetings just for women officers drive me batty. I have found that some people in the Church and in the Army assume that I want to do that kind of ministry.
Just because I am a woman doesn't mean I want to minister to women all the time and I have found my role as a part-time Prison Chaplain in a YOI for male offenders to be very much more up my street.

- ministry is not confined to age, sex, intellect or social standing

I still believe this in our "get a degree" before you can do the washing up culture. The corps where I grew up, found the Lord and was discipled in was started in a tent by my great Aunt. She had little education, had few social graces, was not even a local officer but she had a passion for the lost and the gift of faith. Don't get me wrong I value education and recognise the need for minds to be given to God for him to use, to develop intelligent strategies for winning the lost but the Lord help us if we stop allowing modern day Billy Bray's, Elijah Cadman's and Gladys Aylwards to serve and to have a place in our mission.

- a calling is not confined to full time leadership within the church

I used to know a man whom God had called to be a bus driver. He was an excellent bus driver and through his kindness and high standards he was an excellent witness for the Lord. He also owned his own mini-bus and with his wife, brought dozens of kids to the Corps. Sadly he could not be content with this. Somehow, somewhere he got the idea that this minsitry wasn't on a par with full-time leadership. He didn't have the skills to preach or run a church but he gave up his job and tried both. It was a disaster and I don't know where he is now.

I have ranted enough so brief comments for the other points.

- every member ministry is facilitated by strong leadership

I don't believe a Church can be run by committee. It is not a democracy. It must be led by Spirit-filled, God appointed leaders.

- ministry is exercised through the presence and power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Activity and ministry are not necessarily the same thing!

- all gifts and ministries seen in the early Church can operate in today’s church.

I don't believe that we can possibly be dispensationalists. The word of God and experience denies it.

- everyone needs to be accountable

Entrepreners, risk taking, passion filled visionaries, please Lord, raise up more but save us from lone rangers.

I didn't realise I felt so strongly about these things. I'd better chill out and have a cup of Yorkshire tea!

1. Jesus is at the centre.

We are non-negotiable about:-
- his divine and human nature
- his place in the trinity
- his right to be worshipped
- his incarnation
- his cross
- his resurrection
- his return and eternal victory
- his authority and judgement
- sacramental living (i.e we can experience and receive the presence and graceChrist moment by moment and anywhere through the gift of the Holy Spirit)

Is this simply a dry doctrine? Never! It's glorious, mind blowing life changing reality in me. I want to tell the world don't you?

Today comrades of York Citadel and Bridlington Corps are giving out leaflets to people queueing to get into Jerry Springer the Opera. The show ridicules the person of Jesus and depicts him in a non-biblical way. Although their very presence is a protest and if questioned they will make their views known they are not demonstrating with banners calling for bolts of lightning to strike the theatre. They are simply offering through their leaftlet the real information about the character and nature of Christ and sharing testimony to his love and power in their lives.

May Jesus be lifted high!

God bless

Carol

Non-negotiables

Whilst at our North Yorks team meeting last Tuesday Andrew Vertigan posed the question
What are the non-negotiables for the Salvation Army? We had a lively debate which is set to continue at the SA Planters Retreat at Sunbury next week.

I have returned to the question several times during the week and decided that the doctrines of the Salvation Army remain non-negotiable as the basic tenets of our faith.
The values of Northallerton Outreach Centre are borrowed from the Cell Church movement but are in line with Salvation Army doctrine and sit very well with Salvation Army purposes and practice.
They are: Jesus at the centre
Every member ministry
Every member growing spiritually
Authentic Christian community
Reaching the lost through multiplication
Demonstrating the sacrificial love of Christ

These are non-negotiable.

Overall I believe that they are lived out in the context of two things

a) Christ in us
Our values, the things that are non-negotiable or negotiable are upheld by the fullness of the life of Christ within us and are an expression of his life within us. Take that away and the values are irrelevant and impossible.

b) Spiritual battle
These values are Kingdom values and are therefore at war with the values of the world and are constantly under attack from the enemy. Therefore it is perfectly in order to see our attempt to live according to these values as being engaged in a spiritual battle. The military metaphor of a Salvation Army is still relevant.

I think I will unpack the non-negotiables of each value on this blog over the next few days.

Trusting

We met a guy Alan has contacted through his Town Centre Chaplaincy minsitry in Tesco's at lunch time. He told us about some of his clients who he had met for the first time the previous evening. They had been so open, so trusting, accepting and welcoming that his visit to their home had given him a real lift. It was so refreshing and he reflected that he found it quite hard to trust people. But I felt quite privileged that he had so freely shared his feelings so trustingly.

Minutes earlier I had been next door in the prison. My companions for the morning had forgotten long ago what it was to trust anybody, particularly themselves even though the oldest was only 20. Yet they want to, long to find someone who will not let them down and will help them to stop letting down the people who care about. Each week we try to keep our promises, avoid becoming cynical and hardened because they abuse our trust so often and tell them about a Jesus who they can depend upon. After lunch on one of the wings I am faced with the decision of whether to believe the story I am being told or whether I have to conclude I am being manipulated to get a privileged move. He got the benefit of the doubt.

I would be true for there are those who trust me
I would be pure for there are those who care
I would be strong for there is much to suffer
I would be brave for there is much to dare

I would be friend to all- the foe the friendless
I would be giving and forget the gift
I would be humbel for I know my weakness
I would look up and laugh and love and lift.

Just another day

It's just another Thursday but God is as real today as he is on more exciting, more demanding, more high profile days. The need to seek his face, to walk in his ways, trust and obey just as great.

So thank you Lord that you were with me at the chaplaincy meeting, whilst I was at the Mums group at the school where we had almost had a competition for the worst "when I was in the Labour ward" story. Thank you that you were there at the Kid's Alive Club as we shared the story of the Good Samaritan, as the kids sang Blessed be the name of the Lord at the top of their voices and as 6 year old Melissa said I was not a greedy pig to have two biscuits because Alan and I were the ones who were helping them all have fun.

On this ordinary day I need to remember

"God's training is for now, not presently. His purpose is for this minute, not for something in the future. We have nothing to do with the afterwards of obedience; we get wrong when we think of the afterwards. What men call training an preparation, God calls the end. God's end is to enable me to see that he can walk on the chaos of my life just now. If we have a further end in view, we do not pay sufficient attention to the immediate present; but if we realize that obedience is the end, then each moment as it comes is precious."

Oswald Chambers: