{Taken from RightNow Ministries}
Why we do it.
Are you buying into these lies that have invaded the church?
1. I am God. We may not say that out loud, but everywhere we look in culture we’re told that we are the center of the universe.
2. I am not called by God to do ministry. We are tempted to think that you have to be a preacher or a singer to be used by God.
3. Worship only happens on Sunday. This lie prevents us from seeing Monday as an opportunity to worship God and impact His Kingdom. This divide between the Sacred and the Secular creates a compartmentalized life.
When we live out these lies it destroys our ability to fulfill the mission God has for us. And the consequences of these lies are apparent in our everyday lives. One major consequence is that we are conditioned and trained to be consumers. The American Dream has been hijacked. What used to be about freedom of worship, opportunity and potential has been distorted to me, me, me and more, more, more.
As consumers we are tempted to outsource everything in life; we pay people to cook our meals, take care of our lawns and change our oil. Culturally we are trained to pay others to do the things we don’t know how to do, or don’t feel like we should have to do. This self-centered, me-focused consumerism has even crept into the church and turned church members into customers who believe the church exists to serve me and my family.
Therefore, it seems only natural that I should also treat my faith like an outsourced activity.
How many people put their money into an offering plate with the thought that “I’ve done my part, now it’s up to the “professional Christians”—the church staff—to take care of the rest”? I “pay” them to explain the Bible, to organize programs for my kids, to run evangelism and outreach projects to reach non-believers, or to do whatever other services we think the church should provide.
This approach to Christianity has created an attitude that it’s okay to outsource my Christianity. In this approach, very little sacrifice or service is required.
At RightNow, we are not okay with this. We can’t be complacent.
OUR MISSION
We are on a mission to help people trade in the pursuit of the American Dream for a world that desperately needs Christ.
STRATEGIES
To carry out this mission we focus on these three strategies:
INSPIRE CHURCH LEADERS to intentionally help people become traders with their time, skills and money.
TRANSFORM SMALL GROUPS from simply focusing on education and care to actively launching traders into the community.
COACHING INDIVIDUALS through the discovery process of living as a trader in their home, neighborhood and business.
INITIATIVES
There are various initiatives throughout our ministry that support these strategies as we ultimately seek to carry out our mission.
RightNow Training – online training for ministry leaders. RightNow Media– unlimited instant access to Bible study videos over the Internet for your entire church. RightNow Conference – for leaders who still believe that the mission of the church matters. Work As Worship – God created us to work and to worship. Bluefish TV– creating videos to help you teach.
ESSENTIALS
Everyone on our team has a part to play in our mission. Therefore, it’s essential that we assemble a group of people who are passionate about our mission.
Our team members are committed to these RightNow essentials:
We love … THE church - In our neighborhoods, at the office and around the world, the mission of the church matters.
We love … authentic stories - Real-life stories have the power to inspire and validate what God is doing.
We love … immediate action - Christianity is a verb. To wait is a sin.
We love … hard work - God is glorified when we use our God-given passions and skills with excellence.
We love … our families - There will always be more work to do, but not at the expense of family and friends.
This is such a fun blog so glad I found it!! Love your writing :)
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