UnChristian or Unchurched?

I get a "church report" via e-mail and there are a lot of facts and figures. The one below finally says what I have been sensing a long time, and in fact, it marks the way I approach people who say they believe. In my mind I do not want to lose an opportunity to share the gospel with someone who thinks they are saved but does not understand the gospel. Like me, in my early years I thought I was a Christian because I went to church when I was a boy with my Mom. It had nothing to do with who Jesus was or if he really was alive today.

Those who are not living out the gospel - need compassion and evangelism. They are unchurched - in the Biblical sense.

By the way, I disagree with the last sentence below. If you are unchurch - there ought to be big doubt is you are a Christian at all!

Post-Denominational?

Church historian Rodney Stark reports between 1960 and 2000, the Episcopal Church declined 55% in terms of members per 1,000 U.S. population. The United Methodist Church declined 49%, and the Presbyterian Church (USA) declined 49%. Megachurches have doubled in number and size in the past five years. This leaves the churched population among Christians at about 40% attending regularly. It also says, with about 85% nominally Christian in the U.S., only about half of them regularly attend church. They are not unChristian; they are unchurched.

Prayer Needed for Kazakhstan

This is a prayer request I got this morning from medical missionaries that the church I served supports. Please take a few minutes and pray. This follows well the scripture meditation I posted yesterday!

Friends,

As we have mentioned in the past, the proposed religious law in Kz has been making strong headway through the Upper and Lower Parliaments where they passed the bill unanimously. As of last week, the bill sits in the hands of the president of this country who can choose to sign it or veto it. He has 30 days to do so. The president was quoted earlier this year as saying, 'We don't need missionaries in Kazakhstan.' He holds great power!

Our friends have told us lately that on the news each night, the newscasters report on the religious law and they always end by saying that, in their opinion this new law is not strict enough. Inflammatory and sensationalized broadcasts of several Christian services have been repeatedly aired on the local TV stations (at least 3 times a day) in an attempt to promote anti-Christian sentiments and to promote the idea that Christianity is a sect.

Religious leaders all over Kazakhstan are asking for Christians to intensify their prayers for this country during this time. If brought into effect, these laws will shut down mission work and illegalize Christianity. Here is a summary of some of the changes in the bill:

Children under the age of 18 will not be permitted to attend church without written consent from BOTH their parents – this will prevent orphans and children of non-believers from attending Christian gatherings.
Proselytizing (sharing the gospel) will become illegal. A spot fine of $500 will be given to individuals caught sharing their faith, their pastor will get a $500 fine, and their church will be fined $3,000.
If they are caught a second time, their church will be shut down.
A church is only official and permitted if they have 50 members who all are officially registered by bringing in their identity card to the officials.
Religious humanitarian charities also have restrictions under the proposed bill.
Religious literature publishing, importing, or distribution will be banned and will require government approval.

These restrictions are worse than what is currently in place in countries of Central Asia where Christians are openly persecuted. We ask that you join us in praying for our country.


For more information, there are plenty of news reports on this throughout the internet. Here are a few:
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1222
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/kazakhstan.under.fire.over.new.religion.law/22048.htm
http://www.rferl.org/Content/Kazakhstans_Draft_Law_On_Religion_Sparks_Debate/1355491.html
http://www.rferl.org/Content/Kazakh_Pass_Religion_Law_Surprising_OSCE/1353258.html

"Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men." 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2a.

Thanks for standing with us in prayer for Kazakhstan and our brothers and sisters there!!

Matt and Laura Acker

Missions: Go, Send or be Disobedient

As most of you know I am in the process of raising support for a new church plant in Charlotte. I have approached this task with faith, hesitancy, and sometimes questioning God's timing (economic times in Charlotte and the rest of NC.) But overall, I believe my responsibility is to present the opportunity for those who want to invest in the ministry to do so. Not everyone will or should they.

Today I read an article by Dr. John Piper, one of my favorite preachers. He has a real passion for missions that encourages me.

Read this portion of his article.

... God calls some to be wardens of the mission who watch over it from home. "Wardens" ought to be understood as "senders." Consider Romans 15:24. Paul says he aims to go to Spain, which was wholly unreached as far as we know: "I hope to see you in passing...and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while."

This is important because of what he does not say and what he does say. He does not say: "Everyone in Rome who is obedient to the Great Commission will go with me to Spain, or will go to some other unreached place or people group." What he does say, in effect, is: "My hope is that you will refresh me and then help me in my mission to Spain." In other words, he calls the church in Rome to be senders, wardens of the mission. He wants them to be partners in his mission, supporters of this God-exalting work.

So, you have three possibilities in world missions. You can be a goer, a sender, or disobedient. The Bible does not assume that everyone goes. But it does assume that the ones who do not go care about goers and support goers and pray for goers and hold the rope of the goers. Paul was linked with many churches, and they sent support to him over and over again. So it should be with every church and its missionaries.

*****

Dr. John Piper is pastor for preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is author of Let the Nations Be Glad!