Using our Circle Church new methodology in the Service of Worship and Instruction was an area in which we feel we made a real mistake. As Al Nestor pointed out later, “To so many of the Zion Church people, this service was their one point of continuity in a drastically altered world which they found difficult to comprehend and of which many were afraid. To come Sunday after Sunday and find things the same was reassuring. Suddenly that too was changed, radically for some.”
Although we had explained the philosophy, and had tried to interpret how it found its out-workings in methodology, and they had agreed to it, the actuality was hard for them to bear. I think if we had cautiously educated the group in our philosophy and its scriptural base, and had suited the methodology to Zion’s individual personality rather than transplanting what had been done previously at Circle Church, we could have prevented much of the shock reaction which occurred. But the, of course, even fewer Circle Church people would have stayed!
October and November were months when small tremors rumbled through both congregations as to whether we could actually pull off the venture. This precipitated more prayer on the part of us all. As a Circle Church staff, we spent hours encouraging one another. There were months when I put in almost as much time working on Zion with Al as I did with Circle. I felt our whole philosophy was at stake. The days fluctuated between a feeling that we were going to see a real victory and one that nothing on earth could make it go.
Despite the damaging effects of mounting criticism, we saw some lovely examples of the triumph of the human spirit. Al’s greatest trouble was accustoming his people to the concept that each had been given at least one gift of the Holy Spirit to be used for ministry in the community. It seemed to be foreign to them. For those who actually experimented with expressing what was locked inside there was delight and fulfillment.
We were excited when a middle-aged man taught a discussion group. He had never spoken to a group before. And, in fact, was so nervous about doing things in public that his wife would pray when dinner guests were present. Unsure about the new experience, he studied for hours every night. When the day finally arrived, he did an excellent job.
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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.
