Weekly Announcements | Staff | Constitution of Wall Street United Church
We have a dream for Wall Street United Church, an exciting vision of growth. It is a dream of moving into the future, by the grace of God. It is a dream about God's transforming love for people.
What do we mean by "transforming?" We believe that God's love and grace give us a greater joy in living, and a peace that passes all understanding. This grace and love are found by committing one's heart to Jesus Christ. It is found in worship that inspires the heart, in music that lifts the soul, in prayer that seeks God's spirit, in small groups where we learn more, and in fellowship that encourages and supports each one. This love is for you. It is for your family. It is for your children, and your grandchildren. It is for your neighbours. In a world full of tensions and trouble, the wonderful news is that God's transforming love is available for everyone.
The story we have to tell at Wall Street United Church about the love of God needs to go beyond our walls to the community and the world in which we live. As a Church, we need to so live our faith that all of Brockville, and places far beyond, will know we are Christians by our love! We want them to know that Wall Street is a Church that cares! Our dream is to spread this love to everyone: to seniors, to young families, to children and youth, to singles and marrieds alike.
To do this we need your support, and the support of everyone who loves our Church. We need prayer support, encouraging love, and supporting gifts. Especially at this time in our Church's life we need extra financial support. From April 18 to May 23 we are running a Programme called "Moving Forward in Faith." You will be hearing about it, and getting a phone call about it. Our desire is to explain fully our financial needs at Wall Street. We do not apologize for talking about money. Giving is both a privilege and a joy. In the Bible God tells us not just to be generous — but to be joyous in our giving.
We are convinced that the dream of Wall Street United Church — completely full and gloriously alive in the Spirit of Christ — comes from God. For His purpose to come true, we need your support. We cannot do it without you. God wants to do it through you. As "Moving Forward in Faith." unfolds, please share in the excitement of our Church's future.
Alan Bennett, Senior Pastor Doug Warren, Associate Pastor
PS. Be sure to join us on Celebration Sunday - May 23
Do we want to be a Maintenance Church or a Mission Church? What is a Maintenance Church? In a maintenance Church members assume that ministry is done primarily by the minister. The members of the congregation are the consumers of the ministry. This means that it is the ministers job to build up the Church and bring in new members. Others can help but it is the minister who is educated and trained for this kind of work. The minister is expected to serve the members of the local congregation. This is what he or she is paid for.
Is there a problem with this attitude? Yes there is. We live in an age when most Canadians, especially younger ones, do not attend Church. Studies say that only 12% - 15% of Canadians go to Church regularly, This means that to survive and grow as a Church we need to reach out to unchurched people. But maintenance Churches almost never do this, and so they do not grow. Why do maintenance Churches not reach out? Members are rarely challenged to make a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Personal faith in Jesus is rarely talked about. As a result Members do not feel at all comfortable sharing their faith with others. So they do not reach out. As well, maintenance churches have low levels of stewardship and givings. The United Church has the lowest level of per capita givings in all of North America. In maintenance Churches there is little social outreach, and virtually no evangelical outreach. There is lots of talk but little action.
What then is a Mission oriented church? Here commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour is taken seriously, Members are challenged to commit their lives to Jesus. Once a member has done this, serving the Church becomes very important. All members are challenged to support the Church financially as well as with their talents. There is a strong sense that all members share in the Church's ministry. All seek to minister according to how they are called, and according to their spiritual gifts. Members seek to grow in their faith by attending study groups, They understand that just coming on Sunday morning is not enough to grow disciples for God. There is little judgement, much love and grace, acceptance, in Mission mode Churches. Pastors play a key role in preaching, teaching, and leading the congregation. They are honoured but not expected to be the only maintenance persons in the congregation. Maintaining the body of Christ is seen as the function of all members. The members want to reach out beyond the congregation. Some do so as helpers in the community, others by sharing the good news of God's love in Jesus. They invite friends, family, neighbours to Church.
Things to Think About
1. Without exception, Churches today in Canada, and around the world, which are alive and growing - are mission-oriented Churches.
2. Maintenance Churches are more comfortable. Because of this, many prefer a maintenance Church, and resist changing.
3. Mission Churches are challenging. Yet Churches that challenge their people have more committed, and more active members. Younger people, especially, will rise to a challenge.
4. Most Maintenance Churches in Canada will disappear in the next 20 years. The last 30 years have already seen hundreds of United Churches close. There will be many hundreds more in the next 20 years. To understand that it is possible for Wall Street to be among the closures, we only need to look at our current membership. How many of us will even be here in 20 years time?
The Good News
The good news is that moving from a maintenance to a mission oriented Church has already started here at Wall Street, There is a new feeling, a new attitude that members are talking about. There is excitement with our new music programme. There is a momentum underway that needs to be encouraged and nourished,
I believe that the vision of a renewed, transformed, revitalized, Wall Street Church - filled to overflowing - comes from God. Yet, even when a vision comes from God, it does not mean it will happen. It only means that, by God's grace, it can happen - if we are open to it, and seek to pursue it. In a nutshell, we are inviting the Holy Spirit to fill us, and Wall Street, and move us forward.
What will we do next? What changes will be made? I am not sure. We walk by faith as we go forward. There is no simple road map, or easy quick fix to put things right. It is much more a matter of the Spirit - of heart and mind. When we are open to God's Spirit wonderful things start to happen. As the late King George VI said in 1939 when asked for a light into the future, "put your hand in the hand of God, and that shall be better for you than a light, and safer than the known way."
