Need to be needed

In my recreational reading I’ve been engrossed in a book entitled, “The Essential Church”. It’s a book written by Sam and Thom Rainer who have done a great deal of research concerning church growth and the patterns within the religions of our nation. This particular work is focused on trying to regain those who were once members but have chosen to “drop out”, particularly those in the 18 to 22 year old range.
In that book the Rainer’s point out what ought to be obvious to us. People simply will not stay in a church where they don’t feel important or needed. In other words, in order to simply maintain the members that are already there, we have to make sure they have meaningful things to be involved in and know that they are important to the success of the work that is going on.
As I read that section of the book I began to think about our congregation and whether or not we have made it clear to everyone that they are loved, appreciated and truly needed. Almost every week we have people visiting our assembly. When they walk through the door what do they experience? Do they see a group of Christians that are really engaged with each other and happy to be working arm in arm for the Lord? Or do they see a bunch of individuals who come in, sit in “their” seat and hurry out after the last “amen” so they can get on with life?
When YOU walk through the doors what do YOU see? Do you feel like you are a valuable part of what’s happening here? Have you “pulled back” from the work you once did? Are you going out of your way to make sure others really feel welcome, and know they are loved and needed?
It’s often the case that the leaders don’t make clear the things that need to be done in a congregation. But it’s also often the case that we as members don’t ask the leaders for an assignment or task.
We probably all feel like every person here is important. But we probably don’t all feel like we’re needed. As we look to the future we see challenges to our abilities because of our age or because we are tired, poor, lonely or (you fill in the blank). But the truth is the more individual members choose to be active with the group of Christians the more work we can accomplish and the happier we will all be.
YOU need to know…you loved AND needed! (Dan Boggs)

July 4th

Fireworks, picnics, beach parties and sunburns are a large part of many July 4th celebrations. I wonder how many folks take the time sometime on the 4th to explain to their children what we are really celebrating. How many of us take a few minutes out of the day to say a special prayer of thanks for the freedom that is ours? Like so many of our national and state holidays, it doesn’t take very long for us to forget about what is being celebrated and just enjoy the time away from our routine.
The Lord understood the problem that people have that allows them to forget significant events the further they get away from them. Whenever He would declare a holiday He made sure to remind the people to take the time to teach following generations about the purpose. For instance, Exodus 12 records for us the origin of the Passover Feast. It was to be celebrated each year on the same day. Very specific instructions were given concerning what foods they were to use, how they were to dress and even how much food to prepare. But those weren’t the only instructions they were given.
“When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians” (Ex 12:24-27). That’s right, God made sure that the REASON for the holiday would be passed down through the generations as well as the celebration itself.
In Paul’s third person recollection of the first Lord’s Supper, he tells us that the Lord indicated the bread and cup were to be taken as an ongoing memorial to the freedom Christ granted us through His death (1 Cor 11:23-26). The implication is that the REASON for celebration and the celebration are to live on throughout the generations.
This year we just happen to celebrate our national independence the same day we celebrate our spiritual freedom. Let’s be sure that we pass on to the generations that follow us the significance of both those celebrations…with major emphasis on the spiritual battle that Jesus won through His death, burial and resurrection. You are loved. (Dan Boggs)