Good thoughts here. Our church here in Indonesia is socio-economically diverse and although there is no burial issue, we hold annual “mass weddings” so that the poor can afford to marry.
In America for my first year of life in Dallas I couldn’t get involved in my church because I could only go on Sunday when I was with my husband. During the week he drove our car to seminary and I took public transportation, and as you say, it was really hard to get to.
Thank you for sharing this! Love that about the Indonesian Church.
And you raise a great point beyond just church attendance - church involvement as a member is difficult for people from less economically privileged backgrounds.
Thank you for reading and engaging. Homogeneity can be good in some cases such as with immigrant church communities or Black / Latino church communities that don’t feel at home in majority white spaces.
But even these communities tend to be welcoming towards others not like them.
Thank you for this writing. It helps to understand the HUP strategy. Of course, churches today in North America have long since (if ever?) stopped relying on the Holy Spirit to help them fulfill The Great Commission. In the US, I've attended a few "evangelical" churches, even in different States. that are socio-economically diverse. They did have that going for them but regardless, they've all been seriously compromised, if not corrupt, in other ways. There once was a church in an inner city that was led by one of thee most integrity-filled Clergy I could've ever been blessed to know and while sadly, he's no longer with us (as of 12/2021 at the age of 94), his profound writings (that he never took money for and if you're interested) live on and can be found on this website: www.mmirror.net. (There's no monetary benefit or advertising or promoting of anything at this site). It's simply a site filled with his prolific writings/sermons over a period of 50+ years whose ultimate goal is to glorify God, help us get home someday, and take as many as possible with us. FWIW, I usually focus on the writings of the last 10-20 years bc that's when politics and the church took another sharp turn in the US. Matthew 24 is coming more and more into focus. God bless.
Thanks for sharing that, Jesse. It is frustrating.
I mobilize churches for a justice organization. Any time a church tells us they “don’t have room in the budget for a justice partner”, I have to bite my tongue for this exact reason.
Good thoughts here. Our church here in Indonesia is socio-economically diverse and although there is no burial issue, we hold annual “mass weddings” so that the poor can afford to marry.
In America for my first year of life in Dallas I couldn’t get involved in my church because I could only go on Sunday when I was with my husband. During the week he drove our car to seminary and I took public transportation, and as you say, it was really hard to get to.
Thank you for sharing this! Love that about the Indonesian Church.
And you raise a great point beyond just church attendance - church involvement as a member is difficult for people from less economically privileged backgrounds.
Thanks for calling out the homogeneous unit strategy for growth of congregations. (I can’t call them churches)
Thank you for reading and engaging. Homogeneity can be good in some cases such as with immigrant church communities or Black / Latino church communities that don’t feel at home in majority white spaces.
But even these communities tend to be welcoming towards others not like them.
Really good, Joash. Passing it on. Thanks for this!
Thank you, Pastor Patti! Glad this is helpful.
And having had the joy of visiting & worshiping with your church community - I think your church embodies this diversity incredibly well.
Thank you for this writing. It helps to understand the HUP strategy. Of course, churches today in North America have long since (if ever?) stopped relying on the Holy Spirit to help them fulfill The Great Commission. In the US, I've attended a few "evangelical" churches, even in different States. that are socio-economically diverse. They did have that going for them but regardless, they've all been seriously compromised, if not corrupt, in other ways. There once was a church in an inner city that was led by one of thee most integrity-filled Clergy I could've ever been blessed to know and while sadly, he's no longer with us (as of 12/2021 at the age of 94), his profound writings (that he never took money for and if you're interested) live on and can be found on this website: www.mmirror.net. (There's no monetary benefit or advertising or promoting of anything at this site). It's simply a site filled with his prolific writings/sermons over a period of 50+ years whose ultimate goal is to glorify God, help us get home someday, and take as many as possible with us. FWIW, I usually focus on the writings of the last 10-20 years bc that's when politics and the church took another sharp turn in the US. Matthew 24 is coming more and more into focus. God bless.
Thanks for sharing that, Jesse. It is frustrating.
I mobilize churches for a justice organization. Any time a church tells us they “don’t have room in the budget for a justice partner”, I have to bite my tongue for this exact reason.
I feel your pain, Jesse. It’s hard.