7979 社会关怀巡回讲座 2012 —— 无墙的教会 Church without walls
什么时候开始，我们基督徒的生命不知不觉变成老油条？固定地聚会和团契，却常常缺席自己家人和朋友的聚会。大声说爱，却没看到需要，也没真正爱。
什么时候开始，教会忙碌事奉，竟忘了教会是基督在地上的肢体，教会与教会是耶稣在地上，彼此紧紧相连的的葡萄树枝子？ 什么时候开始，教会投资最多的时间和金钱，让教会呼吸，竟看不到四道墙外苦难人们的苟延残喘？ 我们要建设，我们要先拆毁。 教会能转化社区 夏牧师说：有一间面临关闭的教会，只剩8位信徒。老牧师的女儿池牧师，决定从美国回来帮忙爸爸牧养教会。不久后教会加入了1919，进行陪读班。为了不让陪读班的学生们感觉受帮助很自卑，池牧师安排他们每星期到社区捡垃圾，服务社会。孩子们日复一日地去捡垃圾，社区的大人们都看在眼里。社区里渐渐听到一些声音：“你怎么乱丢垃圾，要让孩子来检？丢脸死了！” 慢慢地，整个社区变得干净得多了，因为大家都不丢垃圾了！ 现在，这间教会崇拜人数已达120人。当我们愿意关心社区里最弱小的，社区就得改变。当我们愿意做合神心意的事，主就将得救的人数天天加给我们。 散会比聚会重要 夏忠坚牧师强调，散会比聚会重要。当时会众一脸茫然，不太明白。接着，他幽默地说：“若今天我讲到12点，你们就明白了。”会众当场哄堂大笑。夏牧师继续说，我们聚会的目的，是为了散会。他举例：聚会是在教会学习如何敬拜，以致散会后能每天在自己的生活里面敬拜神；聚会是在教会学习如何团契相爱，而在散会后更爱家人和朋友。因此，散会比聚会重要。 夏忠坚牧师的分享主要有3个层面：
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Since when, our Christian life unknowingly became a wily old fox? Attends meetings and fellowships regularly, but often absent from our own family and friends’ gatherings. Talks loudly about love, but does not see the needs, does not truly love.
Since when, serving in church became so busy, even forgot that the church is Christ’s body on earth, churches are actually branches that join together to the vine? Since when, churches invest most time and money, so that themselves can breath, but overlooked the suffering people taking their last breath outside the four walls? If we want to build, firstly, we have to knock down. Church can transform the community Rev. James Shia told us that a church was at the brink of closing down, only eight members remained. The old pastor’s daughter, Rev. Chi, decided to come back from the U.S. to help her father to pastor the church. Soon, the church joined 1919, conducted companion class. Rev. Chi arranged for the students to pick up garbage in the community and to serve the community, so that the students would not feel inferior for receiving help in their studies. These kids did this day after day, adults in the community started to notice. Gradually, there were voices in the community saying, “Why do you litter? You want to let those kids pick up your trashes? What a shame!” Gradually, the whole community became cleaner, because everyone stopped littering! Now, the number of members in the congregation had reached 120. When we are willing to care for the weak in the community, the community will certainly change. When we are willing to do what pleases God, He will add to our number daily those who are being saved. There are 3 main dimensions of Rev. James Shia’s sharing:
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