Before you say no when asked to take a job in your church, think about some reasons why you should say yes. There are at least three good reasons why every Christian ought to serve the church:
Time is a gift God gives us, and we want always to use it wisely for Him.
The budget of our church is more than a set of figures or a list of expenditures. It is actually the program of the church. It is the pastor preaching, visiting the sick, comforting the bereaved, winning the lost. It is the Sunday School teaching the Word of God to the multitudes. It is the organ playing and the choir singing to the glory of God. It is the church building, standing as a lighthouse in the midst of a dark world. It is missionaries sent to foreign lands to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. It is Christian literature in the hands of a child. It is schools, hospitals, homes for the aging, and children’s homes ministering to those in need. Most of all, perhaps, the budget of our church is the total expression of our love for Christ, our compassion for a lost world, and our realization that God will hold each of us accountable for our stewardship.
One Accept the pastor (or other church staff members) and his family as you would accept any other church members, as sinners saved by God’s grace and still growing in grace. Two Don’t expect more church work from the pastor’s wife and children than you would of other members. Three Be a friend when the opportunity arises. Offer to meet a specific need as you would for any other friend. Remember and acknowledge the minister’s family members on their special days – birthdays, anniversaries, and so forth. A card or simple verbal acknowledgement of the special day will be greatly appreciated. Be generous with words of encouragement at all times. Four Respect the pastor and his family’s freedom to build friendships with church members, and guard against jealousy. Even Jesus had an inner circle of close friends, the 12 apostles, but He didn’t love other believers less. Five If you differ with the pastor’s theology or lifestyle, discuss your opinions with him face to face; don’t talk behind his back. Six Respect the family’s privacy. Seven Your minister will be available for you when you need him whether you support him with your attendance or not, but low attendance is often a root of discouragement for pastors and their families. Support your pastor’s family with faithful church attendance and Christian service. Eight Pray for your pastor and his family. Your pastor’s effectiveness and family cohesiveness depend on your prayers.
Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
Ingredients
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
Ingredients
1 large box of vanilla instant pudding Make pudding according to directions on box then fold in Cool Whip. Line bowl with vanilla wafers and alternate layers of bananas, pudding and vanilla wafers finishing with a layer of pudding. You can crumble vanilla wafers to be sprinkled on top.
“Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country," said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. "All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man's prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day...is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation." Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.
Participating in an alternative to Halloween is not the same as celebrating Halloween. When you celebrate a holiday, you publicly bring praise or some sort of honor to the day. When you participate in an alternative, you’re making a choice. Halloween can be a great opportunity to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). The right alternative can be safe and fun and still honor God. Here are some alternatives to consider:
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