Examples of unanswered questions

I thought I should clarify the last few sentences of my previous post.  "There is no platform to make concerns known. There is no platform for dialogue and debate. There is no platform to share new ideas gleaned from scripture. There is no fellowship in the Word only the dissemination of information and the acceptance of it by the masses."
In these sentences, I am referring to dialogue, debate, fellowship between the masses and the leaders.  In a church of 5000 people with about 50 leaders (elders, ministers, etc.), I realize that they can't all sit down and listen to each persons complaint, question, or concern as a group.  And I realize that on a one on one basis they are generally willing to listen to and study with individual members.  Our leaders are caring, god-fearing people as far as I can tell by my limited exposure to them.  The only one I have any kind of relationship with is the Missions Minister because I see him almost weekly as I'm on the missions committee. 

I have been thinking/praying about what would be a viable solution to this longing for open and frank discussion.  So far my best thought has been a congregational convention.  I know that several denominations have conventions.  Ours doesn't, but I thought that a congregational convention would be a breath of fresh air to me and would deepen the sense of body and community.  I would especially enjoy an open mic session where everyone could ask questions of all the elders/ministers and everyone could hear the response and follow up with questions of their own.  I think that this would increase the transparency of our church 100 fold.  It would allow members with similar questions to know that they are not alone. 

Here are some of the questions I would ask:

Why are we not allowed to actively promote 40 Days for Life as part of our pro-life ministry?  (I help found the ministry and I am still fuzzy on the answer to this question.)

How much of our $10,000,000 auditorium renovation is repair and how much of it is upgrade?  (In a financial responsibility small group study that was sponsored by the church in the run up to the fund-raising drive, this was one of the guidelines for spending in your family.  For example, are we getting a new TV because ours broke or because we want a trendy upgrade?)

How will the Christian university we are starting in Africa be different than a secular university in the areas of science, economics, history, government, etc.?

In the missions committee, we often discuss the "felt need" of a people group as a springboard to a ministry that gives our missionaries an easier tie to the people.  I think that one of the "felt needs" of Americans is weight loss.  Are we willing to look into being of service to our community in this way?
What are other felt needs of the residents of Tarrant County and how do you see us reaching out to people who feel these needs?

Why is the biggest celebration that goes on at this building on Halloween and called "Fall Festival" instead of at Christmas or Easter?  Why are the decorations at Christmas entirely secular with 6 trees and no nativity scene?

When the Wednesday night kids classes were moved to the chapel so the teachers could get their rooms decorated for Summer Spectacular (our VBS), why was Evan Almighty chosen as the movie for elementary students?   Is playing a movie that doesn't uphold the Bible as accurate really a wise thing to show impressionable kids?  Does this church uphold that a literal world-wide flood happened 4500 years ago?  (Our Summer Spectacular theme this year is Noah.)

Why doesn't our church take a stand against evolution by hosting creation science speakers especially when the Institute for Creation Research is only a few miles away?

In a recent sermon, the new minister mentioned that it was a Christian's responsibility to fight global warming, eat organic, recycle, etc.  This seems a dangerous road to be going down.  Much of the green movement is more concerned about "Mother Earth" than about people especially the poor.  Global warming (if it is occurring at all) is not likely caused by people.  Can you please explain further what this church's view is of these issues?  Would some of the leaders be willing to watch the DVD series Resisting the Green Dragon by the Cornwall Alliance and give your collective opinion in a future meeting? 

What are common lies taught to our kids by the public school system and what are some ways that parents can combat them?

I am sure I would have more as the answer to these came in.  Some of these questions are recent, but others I have been trying to get a solid answer on for months or years. 

Thanks again for your input.

We Are Back

This is a brief run-down of our very cool vacation.

We left December 18th.

We stayed with my uncle near Shreveport, LA. It was nice to see him and his wife. I had not seen them since my dad's funeral 5 years ago.

On the 20th, we drove to Biloxi, MS and let the kids look for shells at the beach. They had been asking to see a beach for some time so we had a good time even though it was quite cold. That night we slept at the Moss Point Oaks Bed and Breakfast in Moss Point, MS. We had a nice stay here. The innkeeper even made us sack lunches for the next day for only a few dollars more.

The next day we saw the USS Alabama in Mobile. It was quite fascinating. My husband especially liked it. Beside the ship, there is a collection of airplanes and a submarine on display that you can tour for the cost of admission. We then drove a little farther to Pensacola, FL and visited the Creation Science Evangelism offices. They are the main carriers of my Creation for Little Sprouts DVD and it was nice to put faces with voices I had been talking to on the phone. That night we stayed at the Howard Johnson Express in Tallahassee, FL.

Our next big adventure was snorkeling with the manatees at Crystal River, FL. We got to see and touch lots of manatees on our 6 AM tour. I would recommend requesting a high visibility stop if you had kids. Our first stop was murky and it is a little disconcerting to see a giant manatee suddenly "appear" only a few feet in front of you. It is amazing to be in the water with these gentle giants. The night before we stayed at the lake house rented by the same people that run the tour. It was really nice and came with kayaks. We had a great time paddling up and down the river looking at birds and such.

After the manatee tour, we drove across Florida to my brother- and sister-in-law's house. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day there with my mother- and father-in-law. It was a very pleasant time. We went to the Brevard Zoo and even got to take a dip in the Atlantic Ocean.

We then spent two nights at the Anastasia Inn in St. Augustine, FL with my brother- and sister-in-law and their baby. The first day we went to the Castillo de San Marco. It is a fascinating fortress that was build in the late 1600's. The next day we went to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. They have every species of crocodilian. We even got to have our family picture taken while holding a baby American Alligator. We also went to Anastasia State Park and found star fish and a mermaid's purse.

The next day, the in-laws went back home and we continued north to Cumberland Island, GA. We saw wild horses, armadillos, and turkeys. The animals have few if any predators so they weren't skittish at all. The ferry ride there and back was a new experience for the kids.

After spending the night in the very inexpensive, hideously decorated, clean Star Motel in Folkston, GA we went to the Okefenokee Swamp. We took the boat tour and saw a raccoon, alligator, and quite a few birds. We also walked the board walk to the observation tour. You got a real feel for what the swamp was like overall from up there.

We spent the night in a great little b&b in Tifton, GA called Shalom House. There was a pool table, goats to pet, a friendly family, and a great breakfast. We drove from there to Providence Canyon near the Alabama border. The trail from the visitor center was quite strenuous so we only went the quarter mile down to a little stream and back. We the canyon itself was very beautiful with very colorful layers.

We slept at the Jameson Inn in Selma, Alabama then it was up for a 6-7 hour drive to my uncle's house in Louisiana. That was New Year's Eve so we were glad to be off the road shortly after it got dark. We made it back to Fort Worth New Year's Day.

It was an awesome trip. I am already planning the next one. We are thinking about a tour of the Rocky Mountain states.

Farewell!

This is farewell if only temporarily. We are leaving in a couple of days for a trip and won't be back for a while. I wish you all a blessed and Christ-centered Christmas.

I hope to post about our trip, but might not have much access to fast computers until we get back.

ICE! at the Gaylord Texan

For my husband's Christmas office party we went on the ICE! tour at the Gaylord Texan. While the ice sculptures were impressive the thing that amazed me the most was the section on Jesus. Not only were there life-size nativity figures, but a narrator told a simple Gospel message. The message wasn't compromising and even called Jesus savior, king, and priest when it talked about the wise men. I thought that was pretty cool.

OK, So I'm a Little Behind the Times

I just got back from Christmas (and therefor back to the internet) and found this little gem from Wickle at 1TrueBeliever. It is a great post about Christmas that I really hope you will read even though Christmas is past.

Merry Christmas!

We are supposed to be with relatives over Christmas. So I thought I better say, "Merry Christmas" now.

I hope that all of you have a great time celebrating the birth of a King. It is amazing to think that the Creator came to earth and became a tiny baby.

Me and My Jesus Themed Christmas

Around here we try to keep out decorations for Christmas about Christ and his coming. (Imagine that.) So here is what we have so far. The main thing is the nativity scene. My kids set it up with Nana and Papa. Nana and Papa made it look like a normal village with people in or near their houses and Jesus in the stable. But the kids always want everyone to be around Jesus worshipping him. Then my daughter brought out all of her new princess dolls because, "even princesses should worship Jesus."

Then we have the Christmas wreath. (It isn't on the door because my husband doesn't like the wapping sound every time the door opens or closes.)

There are also the Jesus themed Christmas cards. Though I can't send all of you one. I do wish you all a Christ-filled Christmas. May what He has done bring you joy that no one can squelch.

And yes, we do have a Christmas tree. Largely because we got tired of various relatives feeling sorry for the kids with no tree.

Christmas Step Ideas

I got something interesting from my church in the mail today. They call it "Christmas Step Ideas". (Step is a kind of outreach thing at our church.) I thought I would pass them along to you (at least the summaries).

1. Go caroling in a neighborhood with your small group and tell your neighbors about Christmas services and special events (take your children with you).

2. Have a Christmas Dessert at your house for your neighbors. You will be surprised at how many neighbors will come to your house for desserts.

I (That would be the outreach minister) read a testimony recently in an outreach newsletter of one couple having a Christmas dessert open house from 6 PM - 8 PM on a Thursday night. They noted that people came and stayed for the whole time. They also noticed that many of them- even thought they had lived down the street from one another for 30 years- had never met! You can talk to the whole group and thank them for coming and invite them to the Christmas Eve service.

3. Instead of first figuring out how to get your neighbors to visit church, why one involve your neighbors as upfront willing partners in doing Kingdom work. Plan a food drive in your community. Maybe even start something long term that would bless your community throughout the year.

An Odd Tradition

In our nuclear family, we have an odd tradition. We wanted to move away from secular Christmas and focus more on Jesus so we started giving gifts at Thanksgiving. So tomorrow we are opening presents, eating a nice (but not huge) meal, and discussing things we are thankful for.

I am super excited about my present. It is from my mom, my husband's mom, and my husband. It's (insert drum roll here) a box full of art supplies. (I know because I ordered them all myself.) I am warning you in advance that I might feel compelled to post some of my attempts at art.

Anyway, have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow. Remember to thank the Lord for all he has done.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! Celebrate the amazing gift of the Creator coming to live among the His creations.