The number of people coming to Zion Church from Circle Church was not as large as either group had hoped for. Zion people could not help but hold what they felt was our deficiency against us. What we hadn’t counted on was the tremendous pull into the past that Zion Church exerted on so many of our congregation.
The name itself, the building, the fastened church pews, the off-key organ were all symbolic of things so many of our young people had rejected and were determined not to submit to again. Some of them had only recently come to terms with their faith. Much of their struggle had been realized within the openness and sharing of Circle Church.
Many had freed themselves of the child of their past and admitted that they were not ready to participate in the major effort of pulling Zion Church to its feet. Some came to me and said, “Dave, I would give anything if I were big enough to help out. But, I just can’t. I’m not ready to go back into that type of situation again.” It was a fight against psychological reactions which had been completely unanticipated.
Although we had stressed that Circle Church people would need a certain amount of “courting,” we had also not anticipated the inability of the Zion Church regulars to provide sociability on levels to make the transfusion group feel welcome. If hospitality has not been extended during the course of a lifetime, it is not easy all of a sudden to welcome strangers, and very young ones at that, into your home.
Making conversation in a way that draws response is a practiced art and definitely requires effort. If you have not forced yourself continually to reach out from comfortable in-groups through the years of aging, it is more than difficult to begin such activity late in life.
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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about?
Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?
David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Saturday or Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions.
We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
