My roommate asked the other day if I'd be interested in going to the mall with him Christmas Eve just to watch the buzz of activity before Christmas. "Alas, I already have plans. My church is going around houses in the neighborhood dropping off candles with an offer to come by and recycle their Christmas Trees for them."
He was impressed. "Not only is it useful, but it's environmentally-friendly" he said. I explained to him that we try to be aware of such things, like the fact that we use an e-mail newsletter in lieu of a paper bulletin, both to save the expense of printing them, and because it doesn't waste paper.
"You know, I like your new church a lot more than your old church." Maybe it's because when I talk about it, I'm more likely to be talking about the Truckee river cleanup, or bagging food for Evelyn Mount, or recycling Christmas trees than I am to be talking about our guest speaker, or the fine Christmas program we are doing, or our other efforts to get people to the church building.
These are the things I am comfortable talking about with people on the street. I'm not selling the church - he works Sunday nights anyway. But I'm proud to share what we are involved in.
I take this as a confirmation that deep down, these are the things I knew a church should be known for.
4 comments:
That is so awesome. I LOVE the idea of offering to recycle people's Christmas trees for them... Love that it IS not just helpful but also environmentally sound.
My constant state of sheer frustration with the church has smoothed out over the past few months -- I think largely due to my involvement with the youth group. There, investing in the lives of high school (and some middle school) students, I feel that I have an outlet where I'm actually able to serve & share love instead of -- like you said -- just focusing on the next program or speaker or whatever. Not to say that my concerns have simply disappeared or what not... But I've realized part of my former issues were due to personal shortcomings, not just faults of the church.
All that said, I still love, love, love the things that Coram Deo is doing, and I sincerely hope this church IS able to reach people in the community that the average church doesn't do much for. God bless you guys!!!
Surely service should not be limited to the programs the church does, and that is a personal choice that no volume of programs can direct.
What is the bigger relief to me is the general attitude of emphasising service, and providing so many opportunities to do so that people hopefully get hooked and go off and serve in the ways that suit their gifts.
Though in the interest off full disclosure, upon reading the cards, we ended up not offering to recycle the trees (logistical issus maybe?). It was a touch-and-go decision that I guess went the other way. Hopefully, we will just volunteer at a tree-recycling location instead :)
We had planned on doing the trees but we spent all of our money on getting the candles. Recycling the tree's cost $3.00 each and it would have broke us to do it. I apologize. We just don't have any money right now to spend freely. But, one day we will have plenty of money because we won't spend it on bricks and morter, rather, on people and ministries, and furthering the kingdom. I look forward to that day when we have plenty to give back to our community. We do plan, however, to volunteer at a Christmas Tree Recycling place in the upcoming weeks. The world is dying all around us and churches in general seem to be saying: "Come to us and we will point you to the way." The only difference at Coram Deo is we say: "Stay where you are at, we'll be there in a minute to help. Then you can follow us because we've experienced the way."
I LOVE that, too. Don't worry, I don't feel jipped that I was excited about the idea of you guys recycling Christmas trees only to find out it didn't happen. I love that you were even thinking about it, planning on it. I love that your money will be spent on people rather than a building. That is one thing that still bothers my conscience now & then when I stop to think about it. Anyway. That idea of "Stay where you are -- We'll be there in a minute to help," I love that. Love it, love it, love it. Thanks for what you guys are doing!!!
ps i've officially caught up on your blog. again. yay!
Post a Comment