The MANA Newspaper by New Life

DECEMBER 2014

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MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE OF NORTH AMITYVILLE

Dr. David Robinson Leads Community in Prayer

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DECEMBER 2014

Table of Contents From the Office of the President

From the Desk of the Editor

Christmas Presence

Assemblyman Robert Sweeney Retiring

Nyack College Honors Pastor Roy Kirton

The Missionaries of Bethel A.M.E. Church

MANA and LION Join Forces to Respond to Ferguson, MO

The Ebola Crisis

Seven Signs That Your Church Is Reaching Unchurched People

Better Ways We Can Serve Our Churches and Community

The Top Ten Reasons First Time Visitors Never Return to Your Church

Ministerial Alliance of North Amityville NEWSPAPER STAFF

Dr. David Robinson President

Rev. Dr. Robinson & First Lady Sarah Robinson served as Host & Hostess for the Elaborate “Membership Appreciation Dinner”

Ten Marks That You Belong to a Great Church

The MANA NEWSPAPER

Pastor Keith Hayward Executive Editor

Bishop Andy C. Lewter Managing Editor

Pastor Roy Kirton Consultant ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS Vernell Duncan Sharon Jackson Nadine Johnson

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From the Office of the President As 2014 draws to a close and we look ahead to 2015, let us do so with thankful hearts for all of God’s blessings. 2014 was a trying year for all of us. We’ve experienced Government shutdown, the abduction of innocent Nigerian Women, resignation of high Elected Officials, the despicable violent acts committed by the group known as ISIS, the mysterious disappearance of the plane carrying more than 200 passengers and the recent outbreak of the deadly disease Ebola. But; despite 2014 tragedies, I encourage you not to lose hope. I’m reminded of the hymn that declares with trumpet clarity, “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame; but wholly lean on Jesus name. O Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand”. In 2015, let us as the body of Christ, embrace the challenges to reach the un-churched where they are and create an atmosphere of love and joy that the world hungers for. From my office to you & yours, may God’s richest blessings be upon you now and in the coming year.

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From the Desk of the Editor Healing From the Inside Out Rev. Keith Hayward I often wonder why there is such a disconnection in the church when it comes to emotions. So often we are taught that our emotions are out of control and therefore should never be trusted. The tragedy is that we miss our healing on many levels when we deny the very nature of who we are. Jeremiah 8: 21-22 (KJV) God says, “For the hurt of the daughter of my people I am hurt. I am mourning; Astonishment has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead, Is there no physician there? Why then is there no recovery. For the health of the daughter of my people?” As we look at this text we see that God shares God’s emotions. So what does that mean for us? We are created in the image and likeness of God and if God talks about it then so should we. God being God does not need healing we however do. God’s reference to mourning is directly connected to grieving. Grieving has a way of taking us through a myriad of emotions, thoughts, and questions. I am of the firm belief that it is perfectly normal to move through all of them. Grieving is not just about death. It’s about loss. The loss of what was, what is, and what could have been. I see how faith plays a major role in how we deal with loss. Where is the church in this conversation? What have we done to help heal people emotionally? Our faith is that which holds our hope, trust, and belief in God. Faith is the womb of all of our hopes and dreams. When our faith is shaken our lives are shaken. The church has a responsibility to deal with the shaken hearts, minds, and spirits of the believer. The mission of the church is to share God’s redemptive effort to save the world. People all around us are in darkness, they will remain to be lost unless the church finds a way to reclaim them. The trouble is the church is sleeping on the job. Too many of us have forgotten why we show up for work. Our mission is to heal, and develop a community of reproductive, redemptive missions in the world.

Even if I Take a Wrong Turn, I Can Find Another Route to Success By Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D. Min. This month we are anticipating a great Christmas season, but I wonder if we might take a moment to look at the path that we travel on a daily basis. Despite our preference to believe that we are always found on the right path, the truth of the matter is that in many instances, we are found on the wrong path. That is why I have chosen to write this month about what happens when we end up going in the wrong direction. If I steer my vessel in the wrong direction, I can find a map and chart out a new course. Stopping is not an option. I will find my way as long as I keep my eyes on the prize. Success is a journey, not a destination. That is why I strive to make each step count. A positive attitude helps me move forward and, even when I am unsure of where I am, I am not lost. Instead, I choose to become a trailblazer. The generation coming behind me will have

access to another route thanks to my resolve to stay the course and forge a new path. When I come to a fork in the road I trust my intuition to guide me. Being spontaneous in this way helps me release my inner self and experience success in a new way. Spontaneity gives me freedom. Missing a turn causes me no panic because I know that I have countless options; I am not limited to only one way. A wrong turn may lead me to find a new way. The opportunity to explore the unknown excites me. Although it feels daring to get off the fastpaced highway of life and take the scenic route, detours can be worthwhile because they lead me to discover the beautiful things in life that I otherwise may have missed. The road less traveled is filled with the most stunning sights.

Flexibility allows me to prosper despite failure. Being flexible gives me the strength to keep going when I would rather stop. Self-Reflection Questions: 1. What do I do when I reach a dead end? 2. How might I become less rigid and more flexible? 3. What changes can I make to ensure that I enjoy the journey just as much as the end reward?

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Christmas Presence By Pastor Claude T. Stauffer

Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” – Matthew 1:23 Christmas Presence. That’s not a misspelling. Christmas is supposed to be so much more than presents. Christmas is supposed to be primarily about a presence. When the angel of the Lord was announcing the birth of Jesus to Joseph he quoted Isaiah saying, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Mat. 1:23; cf. Isaiah 7:14; 9:6). Christmas is meant to celebrate Immanuel, God with us, the presence of God, Christmas presence. In our secularized Christmas it’s not surprising that the presence of God has been hijacked by presents. Christmas is big business. The livelihood and continued existence of some companies and businesses is determined by sales during the Christmas season. The result is pressure to buy, buy, and buy. We are inundated with commercials and “great buys” and “sales,” and a host of other marketing propaganda to get us to spend, spend, spend.

Now there’s nothing wrong with giving. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Getting is not that bad either. But when the material aspects of this sacred holy day of Christmas crowd out the core purpose of it, we need to reassess and get back on course. If we miss the presence of God at Christmas, we’ve missed Christmas. Are you focused on the presence of the Lord or presents under the tree? Maybe you’re just having a real hard time sensing the presence of the Lord this year. Maybe you’re grieving the loss of a loved one. Maybe you’ve lost a job or are in danger of being laid off. Maybe you’re finances are so deep in debt you can’t imagine going further into debt for Christmas presents. Maybe, for whatever reason, you have a severe case of the Christmas blahs. There’s cure for that. The cure is Christmas presence. Let’s look at what God says in His word about His presence, the reason some people don’t sense it and how we can enter into and live in the presence of the LORD. Let’s ask a few questions and answer them. Hopefully we will, with God’s help, experience true Christmas presence as a result. Where is the presence of the LORD? The presence of the LORD is everywhere (Psalm 97:5; 114:7; 139:7-10). The theological term for

this is omnipresence. God is everywhere all the time. You can’t escape God’s presence. What is the presence of the LORD like? In Psalms the presence of the LORD is described in the following way: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). On the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Apostles and disciples of Jesus in power that Peter quoted this verse in his Pentecostal message that led to the salvation of thousands (Acts 2:28). That sounds pretty wonderful; that’s something that everyone should yearn for and lives in. The presence of the LORD is the greatest present. But why don’t people seek out the presence of the LORD? All of our responses to the presence of the Lord are summed up in worship. For all the Lord has done for us, we ought to worship Him. Since God inhabits the praises of His people, worship creates a cycle of His presence for us to dwell with Him in. Worship is the climax, the hallelujah chorus of experiencing the presence of the Lord. Glory! Glory in His presence. Glory to God in the highest! Christmas is more than presents. It is, or should be, about the presence of God. It is about Immanuel, God with us; the presence of God. I pray you have a merry Christmas presence. God bless.

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Assemblyman Robert Sweeney Retiring Submitted by Rev. Keith Hayward At the end of 2014 Assemblyman Bob Sweeney will retire and pass the torch to Kimberly Jean-Pierre. Among his many accomplishments during his tenure, the support he has given to the mission of Bethel A.M.E. Church, Copiague, NY and the Babylon communities are immeasurable. Assemblyman Bob Sweeney is a lifelong resident of the 11th A.D. in the Town of Babylon. A graduate of Lindenhurst Public Schools, Mr. Sweeney received his Bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University and a Master of Public Administration from C.W. Post. Prior to his election to the Assembly, Mr. Sweeney served 14½ years as Lindenhurst Village Clerk. During that time, he received his designation as a Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC), held by less than 5% of all municipal clerks in New York State. He is also a past president of the New York State Association of City and Village Clerks. Mr. Sweeney was elected to the New York State Assembly in a special election held March 1988. Actively involved in the area of health care, Assemblyman Sweeney has authored legislation dealing with health insurance and care for diabetes and breast cancer. In 1995, Sweeney received the National Public Policy Leadership Award from the American Diabetes Association. Assemblyman Sweeney was the sponsor of landmark legislation that requires that most health insurance contracts and health maintenance organizations in New York provide coverage for diabetes self-management education, equipment and supplies. Assemblyman Sweeney sponsored legislation requiring health insurance coverage for reconstructive surgery following a mastectomy, and a law to help detect breast cancer at its earliest stage, that requires mammography providers to determine from their patients prior to conducting a mammogram whether a CBE (Clinical Breast Exam) has been done. If there has not been a recent CBE, that information must be conveyed to the patient’s regular healthcare provider. He authored a 1999 law that prevents disqualification of persons who have had cancer from adopting a child.

Assemblyman Sweeney sponsored the legislation authorizing the creation of the Broad Hollow Bioscience Park, a collaborative effort between Farmingdale State College and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory that aids in the development and advancement of academic and hi-tech industries and which offers many students the opportunity of internships. Farmingdale was able to lease land for the construction of the Bioscience Park on campus thanks to a Sweeney sponsored law that allowed the unprecedented partnership between business and the State University system. As Chairman of the Legislative Commission on Science and Technology, Assemblyman Sweeney sponsored and promoted legislation on genetic testing that established New York State as a leader in developing public policy on the issue. A leader in economic development efforts, Assemblyman Sweeney has successfully worked to establish programs that assist small business, especially defensedependent manufacturers and high-tech businesses. He received the 1995 Initiative Award from ADDAPT, a consortium of over 100 downstate manufacturing firms, and a 2001 award from the Environmental Business Association. In 2009, Assemblyman Sweeney authored a state law allowing towns to finance homeowner’s home energy improvements by defining carbon emissions as “waste”. This idea was pioneered by the Town of Babylon, and greatly expanded energy efficiency projects there, lowering homeowner’s energy costs and creating new green jobs. Sweeney authored the law strengthening and expanding drug free school zones to include day care centers, pre-K and kindergarten programs. This important change was made to prevent drug violence from hurting young children or their adult supervisors. As Chairman of the Sub-committee on Volunteer Ambulance/Emergency Services, Sweeney authored new laws improving the service award program for volunteer ambulance workers, establishing a pilot program to extend the time for recertification, and authorizing an emergency

service worker’s memorial in Albany. Sweeney was honored by the New York State Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue Association in 2005 and 2014 for “tireless support and dedication to the volunteer emergency medical service providers of New York State”; in 2006 he was honored by the Association of First Districts of New York State for “outstanding efforts on our behalf.” As Chairman of the Assembly Local Government Committee, Assemblyman Sweeney was hailed for creating a Statewide 911 wireless program. He oversaw the adoption of municipal cooperation and consolidation statutes, and passed legislation to encourage the recruitment and retention of volunteer ambulance workers and firefighters. In 2011 Assemblyman Sweeney was honored by the Long Island Pine Barrens Society as the recipient of their Outstanding Contribution to Long Island’s Environment Award in recognition of his work to protect and preserve Long Island’s drinking water and open spaces. Assemblyman Sweeney was awarded the 2011 Environmental Equinox Award for outstanding environmental leadership and protection of our natural resources by Citizen’s Campaign for the Environment. Assemblyman Sweeney annually sponsors, with the Town of Babylon, a Veteran’s Awareness Week. This week, in honor of Americans who honorably served their country, helps us to remember our veterans. At the request of a high school classmate blinded while serving in Vietnam, Assemblyman Sweeney successfully worked to double New York’s Blinded Veteran’s Annuity, which hadn’t been changed in 80 years. A strong supporter of higher education, Assemblyman Sweeney received the 1996 Friend of SUNY Award and the 2001 Friend of SUNY Farmingdale Award. In 2009, he was awarded the Leadership in Literacy Award from Literacy Suffolk. MANA salutes the excellent service rendered by such a giant of a man. Our Assemblyman Bob Sweeney.

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Nyack College Honors Pastor Roy Kirton By Staff Writer Dr. Michael Scales, President of Nyack College, presented Dr. Roy S. Kirton with the 2014 Alumnus of the Year Award, for his service to society. Rev. Kirton is the Senior Pastor of the Circle of Love Ministry Worldwide, a nondenominational church in Copiague, New York. Pastor Kirton has distinguished himself in obtaining three degrees from Nyack. In 2003 he earned a B.S. degree in Organizational Management. He later went on to obtain a Master’s in Professional Studies and a Master’s in Divinity in 2008. In addition to his pastoral duties, Pastor Kirton has been a missionary to the Hurricane ravaged Gulf Coast and Haiti on four occasions since the earthquake of 2010. Pastor Kirton also established the Safe Harbor Mentoring Program in 2003, an aftercare program for those making their transition from incarceration to mainstream society. The Circle of Love Ministry Worldwide also provides pantry services to some 100 families monthly, and an annual Thanksgiving meal to some 800 on that holiday. Nyack College was established in 1882 by Dr. A.B. Simpson, a former pastor, and distinguishes itself as the only school of higher learning that has given birth to a religious denomination.

Rev. Roy Kirton Receives an Honorary Doctoral Degree By Staff Writer Rev. Dr. Roy S. Kirton, Senior Pastor of Circle of Love Ministry Worldwide, received an honorary doctorate on May 17th. He is a graduate of Suffolk Community College, Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary. Pastor Kirton was chosen for this honor because of his leadership and service to the community.

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The Missionaries of Bethel CelebraTtHe 100 ary A.M.E. Annivers Church

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Bethel A.M.E. Church, Copiague, NY and its Sr. Pastor, Rev. Keith Hayward, celebrated 100 years of service of the Margaret N. Bell Women’s Missionary Society to Bethel and the surrounding communities on November 8 and 9, 2014. The celebration included a grand Luncheon at the Melville Marriott where the President of the First Episcopal District Women’s Missionary Society of the AME Church, Mrs. Jewel McAshan, was the keynote speaker. Followed by a service on Sunday that included the International President of the Women’s Missionary Society of the A.M.E. Church, Dr. Shirley Cason Reed as the speaker. The celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Missionaries serves as a backdrop to the 200th Anniversary celebration of Bethel A.M.E. Church. The celebration will begin on Sunday, December 7, 2014 through November, 2015 with various events during the upcoming year to highlight the rich history of this beacon of light in our communities for 200 years.

BETHEL A.M.E. CHURCH

(Oldest Black Church on long island-founded 1815) 20 Simmons Street (20 Bethel Lane) Copiague, NY 11726 Church Office: (631) 842-8463 • Fax (631) 842-8910 Website: www.bethelamecopiague.net Rev. Keith Hayward, Sr. Pastor

Sunday Service Schedule Prayer-8:00 a.m. Sunday School-9:00 a.m. Youth Church-10:00 a.m. Morning Worship-10:00 a.m.

Weekly Schedule

Wednesday’s Senior Bible Study-10:30 a.m. Adult & Youth Bible Study-7:00 p.m.

Friday’s

Prayer Line-6:45 a.m. Dial in (804) 665-0005 Participant Code 1008330# Youth Night-6:30 p.m.

“BUILDING BELIEVERS TO BE KINGDOM MINDED”

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MANA and LION Join Forces to Respond to Ferguson, MO By Lynn Davis During the week of Thanksgiving over 100 cities across America responded to the decision of the Grand Jury in Ferguson, MO not to indict the police officer who shot down and killed Michael Brown. In the wake of such a decision the Ministerial Alliance of North Amityville, under the leadership of Dr. David Robinson of the Shaw Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church of Copiague, and the Long Island Organizing Network, headed by Bishop Andy C. Lewter of the Hollywood Full Gospel Baptist Cathedral in Amityville, held a joint emergency meeting of their membership to discuss what the response of the North Amityville and Copiague community should be to the apparent miscarriage of justice. A decision was made to assemble the congregations of the community together and assemble at the Suffolk County Police Department, First Precinct, in West Babylon, NY following the morning worship service on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. On Sunday, members from several local congregations gathered to hear a series of prayers that were led by local pastors including: President Robinson of MANA, Pastor Robert Burgess of the Grace Community Church, Dr. Patricia Rickenbacker of the in Massapequa, NY, and Dr. Walter Willie of the Prayer Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in Amityville. In addition to the prayers led by the pastors remarks were also delivered by local civic activist Lenny Caton and LION President, Bishop Andy C. Lewter. One hundred and fifty-seven years ago the Dred Scott Decision, which led to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Missouri Compromiseâ&#x20AC;? impacted race relations in America for the next several decades and generations, now return to the state of Missouri, over 150 years later, only to find that the lack of a decision will now impact race relations in the coming years. Organizers of the prayer vigil on Sunday were quick to point out that their gathering was not a protest march or rally and that the groups involved were not targeting the local Suffolk County police department. The usage of the Suffolk County Police Department was to be used as a symbol for the culture of community policing that has unfortunately claimed the lives of several young men in recent years.

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The reaction to Ferguson, MO is based upon what seems to be a pattern of inconsistent distribution of justice in America over the last half century. In the case of those who murdered Emmitt Till in 1955, there was no indictment. In the case of the murder of Medgar Evers in Mississippi in 1963, there was no indictment. In the case of those who bombed four little girls while they sat in Sunday School in Alabama, also in 1963, there was no indictment. In the case of murdered Amadou

Diallo while in Police custody in New York City in 1999, there was no indictment. In the case of Sean Bell shot to death on the eve of his wedding in 2006, there was no indictment. And now the killing of Michael Brown is added to the historic list of murders with no accountability applied to those who performed the murder. It is the hope of both MANA and LION that the events of Sunday, November 30, 2014 will give expression to a community who has seen far too many of their young men die.

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Ministerial Alliance Leads

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Community in Prayer in Response to Michael Brown and Eric Garner

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Ministerial Alliance Leads

DECEMBER 2014

Community in Prayer in Response to Michael Brown and Eric Garner

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Rev. Dr. Robinson & First Lady Sarah Robinson served as Host & Hostess for the Elaborate

“Membership Appreciation Dinner” Written by Vernell Duncan On Saturday, November 22, 2014, the membership of Shaw Temple AME Zion Church (Amityville, N.Y.) was honored for their unyielding loyalty and support. A dinner was hosted in their honor with the assistance of friends: Mr. Cartez & Mrs. Betty Johnson and Mrs. Addie Moss (Rush Temple AME Zion Church, Jamaica, NY ), Mrs. Sandra Miles (Westbury A.M.E. Zion Church, Westbury, NY), and family members: Pastor William & Elect Lady Cynthia Robinson (Gateway COGIC, Ozone Park, N.Y.), Mrs. Dorothy Wilson (Westbury Gospel Tabernacle, Westbury, NY) and Mrs. Laquaita Wilson COGIC (South Hampton, NY); who collectively served the membership with grace & kindness. Elegant table settings were by Mrs. Peggy Inserra (Bayshore, NY). This milestone event, the first of its kind at Shaw Temple, came as a surprise to most members. The evening consisted of an exquisite, pallet titillating catered meal served and prepared by the staffs of Benny B’s (Baldwin, N.Y.) and delicious dessert (Apple Dumpling) by Mrs. Dorothy Wilson. The members were also entertained by the comedic talents of Mrs. Kim Thompson (Zion Cathedral COGIC, Freeport, NY) who reminded the members

that it’s ok to laugh in the presence of God. The members were serenaded by Mrs. Nikki Wilson, poetic readings by Pastor William Robinson and dinner music provided on CD by Pastor Terrance Daye (Christian Life Center, Amityville, NY). The response from the members of Shaw Temple reciprocated the gesture of Rev. & Sis. Robinson and their efforts. The members expressed their gratitude, not only for the event, but for the presence of Rev. and First Lady Robinson in our church and our lives for the past 13 years. It was well known that this event came from the genuine hearts of Rev. & Sis. Robinson and their unyielding support of the congregation. It really touched our hearts and warmed our souls as we enjoyed this wonderful, fun filled evening. Thanks to both of you for leading by example and practicing what you preach. Closing words from Rev. Dr. David & Mrs. Sarah Robinson: “We just want to say, we love you… We just want to show how much we care.” Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

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The Ebola Crisis By Rev. Dr. David I. Robinson Ebola, previously known as Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, is a severe, often fatal disease in humans and non-human primates, (such as monkeys, gorillas and chimpanzees). Researchers believe that patients become infected through contact with an infected animal. Ebola is found in several African Countries: The Western West African Region of Liberia, Sierra-Leone, Guinea and Nigeria have become the object of medical conversations, governmental travel advisory, reported deaths, societal fear, reasonable panic and evolving uncertainties. The first Ebola species was discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Transmission: When an infection occurs in Humans, there are several ways the virus can be spread to others. These include: • Direct contact with the blood or body fluids (including but not limited to feces, saliva, urine, vomit and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola.

• Contact with objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the blood or body fluids of an infected person or animal.

Facts about Ebola in the United States: You can’t get Ebola through water You can’t get Ebola through air

During outbreaks of Ebola, the disease can spread quickly within healthcare settings, such as clinics or hospitals, where hospital staff are not wearing appropriate protective clothing, including masks, gowns, gloves and eye protection. Proper cleaning and disposal of instruments, such as needles and syringes are important. Without adequate instrument sterilization, virus transmission can continue and amplify Ebola outbreak. Signs and Symptoms: Fever (greater than 38.6 C or 101.5 F) Severe Headache Muscle Pain Vomiting Diarrhea Stomach Pain Unexplained bleeding or bruising Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.

You can’t get Ebola through food grown or legally purchased in the U.S. You can only get Ebola from: • Touching the blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with or has died from Ebola. • Touching contaminated objects, like needles and syringes. • Touching infected fruits, bats or primates (apes and monkeys). The Prophet Hosea writes in the Book of Hosea 4: 6 – My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge. Protect yourself, Protect your families, and Protect your community from the Ebola virus. Let’s stop the spread of Ebola together.

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Seven Signs That Your Church Is Reaching Unchurched People By Carey Nieuwhof 4. Your Tidy Categories Are Falling Apart As you engage more and more unchurched people, you’ll realize that your neat and tidy theological and sociological categories for people will erode and collapse, and you realize we’re just actually all people in need of a Savior. Gays and lesbians will become people. Rich and poor will become names and faces. That doesn’t mean your theology changes, but it probably means your compassion does. And it likely means that your easy answers instead become involved conversations. Just because a church is growing doesn’t mean it’s filling up with unchurched people. How do you know you’re really making inroads with the unchurched? First, you can find out whether you are attracting transfer growth or truly unchurched people. At Connexus, where I serve, we ask new people to fill out a card (I’ll send a copy of that card to everyone on the Blog Insider’s Email List later this week. You can subscribe for free in the right column of this page). By that we’ve learned that 60 percent of our first-time attenders selfidentify as having no church background. But you can also tell because of how unchurched people change the dynamic in your church. Your church will simply not be the same anymore. Preparing to reach unchurched people is one thing (here are nine signs your church is ready to reach unchurched people). But when unchurched people actually start connecting with your church, things change deeply.

sing it. Be OK with that. We’ve learned to be. Churched people visit our church all the time and remark on how few people sing (even though we have an exceptional band). I’ve just decided I don’t care. The goal is not to get unchurched people to sing … it’s to lead them into a growing relationship with Jesus. We limit the music to a few songs. Christians get to sing. Unchurched people appreciate the band. And people’s lives get changed. 2. Long-Time Church People Are Unsettled Not all long-time church people will be upset, but some will be. They’ll be concerned that people who don’t look like them, behave like them or share their moral value system are now sitting beside them on Sundays or in group with them mid-week. This is a good sign. Some of those churched people will leave, but you will also have a group that have waited for this day all their lives. They have unchurched friends who are coming and they’ll be thrilled that the church is (finally) accomplishing its mission. Run with them. 3. Irregular Attendance Is Regular

When you see these seven signs pop up in your church, you will know that you are really making inroads with the unchurched: 1. People Aren’t Singing Much During the Service If you think about it, this shouldn’t surprise you. Christians are about the only people left in our culture who sing corporately on a weekly basis. Unchurched people may like your music, but they won’t necessarily

This unsettles pastors. Normally, if a church person is away for a month, it’s a ‘sign’ of something. Not with unchurched people. In the same way that if you don’t make it to the gym in a week you don’t panic, unchurched people will come when they feel like it. Remember: This is the most they’ve attended church ever. I wrote this post on how to get irregular attenders to attend more often, but just know this comes with the territory.

5. You’re Getting Surprisingly Candid Questions As you surround yourself with unchurched people, you will see more of the pain and messiness of life. Long-time church people often experience the same pain and life issues; it’s just unchurched people feel freer to talk about them. So get ready. Have a list of counselors nearby. And get ready to engage more real life issues from the platform. When you speak into real life, people listen. 6. Everyone’s Tolerance for Hypocrisy Is Plummeting People with little to no church background hate hypocrisy. And they will call it out. If you don’t deal with it, they will leave. Churched people have learned to live with hypocrisy for years. Losing that tolerance is awesome for everyone. We’re preaching through that issue at Connexus in this series. 7. You See Real Life-Change This is the best part, of course. But people are in radically different places than they were even a year or two ago. Unchurched people have really only one motive for being at church: they want to investigate Jesus. And when they do, it changes many—deeply. Sure, not everyone decides to follow Christ. But then there are many people who have attended church their whole life who have managed to resist transformation for decades. When it comes to unchurched people, measure change over several years and you’ll be amazed at the progress. So these are seven signs that show you’re actually connecting with unchurched people.

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Better Ways We Can Serve Our Churches and Community By Tim Challies Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to speak to a gathering of young adults from several churches across our city. I chose to speak about how any Christian (not only young adults) can make a church better and stronger. Here are some of the things I came up with: seven things your church needs from you. Your church needs you to … 1. Be Humble If you want to learn humility, you need to act humble. There is no character quality more important than humility. While humility does not come naturally to any of us, it can be learned, because here’s the thing: Humility isn’t a feeling or an attitude—it’s action. If you want to learn humility, you need to act humble. Here are three quick tips on becoming humble:

2. Prioritize Church Every church has people who make the public gatherings of the church a low priority. These are the people who only come to church when it is convenient and who use any excuse to miss a day or miss a service. Every church desperately needs people who will make the public gatherings a top priority. Today is the day to begin elevating the importance of church in your life. 3. Give God His Day It completely changes Sunday when you give the entire day to the Lord and his people. Now you’re not having to decide whether to take that class or join that club that meets Sunday afternoon. You’re not skipping church during exam time because you’ve got studying to do. You’re not leaving early to get home before the football game starts. Instead, you’re leaving behind all the cares of life, and even many of the joys of life, and dedicating an entire day to worship, to fellowship and to serving others.

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DECEMBER 2014

Ten Marks That You Belong to a Great Church By Greg Stier

I love the church. She is Christ’s bride and the key to cultural transformation. In that sense, every church is great. But let’s be honest, there are a ton of churches that leave much to be desired when it comes to truly making a difference in their congregations and communities. So when you plug into a church that is getting it done, it’s a true blessing. Of course, there are no perfect churches, but there are many that are pressing toward the high water mark we see in Scripture. Here are 10 signs you may be going to a great local church. 1. It is lead by a team of godly leaders, not a Lone Ranger pastor who gathers Tonto-type leaders around him to say “Yes, Kemo Sabe” to his each and every idea (Titus 1:5-9). 2. The Gospel is central to every sermon, program and meeting (1 Corinthians 15:3,4), and the advancement of it both locally and globally drive strategic initiatives (Acts 1:8). 3. People are using their spiritual gifts, not just watching the “stage team” exercise theirs (1 Corinthians 12:12-31), resulting in disciples being made and multiplied (2 Timothy 2:2). 4. It, like the early church, is integrated, fully representing the demographic of the community in which it resides (Ephesians 2:11-

21). By the way, my buddy Derwin Gray has got a lot of great material (blogs, sermons, etc.) on this particular point. 5. Love, demonstrating itself in friendliness, generosity, internal/ external care programs and community involvement dominates the atmosphere (1 Corinthians 13:1-8). 6. Most likely there is a thriving small group program where members truly can have great biblical conversations, share struggles and pray with/for each other (James 5:16). 7. The people are being inspired and equipped to share their faith relationally, resulting in more and more new believers being added to the church (Acts 2:47). 8. The teaching/preaching is biblical, theological and immensely practical (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 4:1-4). 9. Ministry to children and teenagers are top priorities, not afterthoughts (Titus 2:1-8; Deuteronomy 6:4-9). 10. Intercessory prayer fuels everything. It’s the engine, not the caboose, of how the church rolls from top to bottom (1 Timothy 2:1-8). These are 10 signs you may be going to a great church.

DECEMBER 2014

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The Top Ten Reasons First Time Visitors Never Return to Your Church By Thom Rainer If you attend a church regularly, you’ve probably noticed the phenomenon. A guest shows up for a worship service, but he or she never returns. It is, unfortunately, a common issue in many churches. I did a Twitter poll to ask these first-time guests why they chose not to return to a particular church. While some of the responses were anticipated, I admit being a bit surprised with some of them. Though my poll is not scientific, it is nevertheless fascinating. Here are the top 10 responses in order of frequency. 1.

Having a stand up and greet one another time in the worship service. This response was my greatest surprise for two reasons. First, I was surprised how much guests are really uncomfortable during this time. Second, I was really surprised that it was the most frequent response. Unfriendly church members. This response was anticipated. But the surprise was the number of respondents who included non-genuine friendliness in their answers. In other words, the guests perceived some of the church members were faking it.

emotional reactions. If your church does not give a high priority to children, don’t expect young families to attend. 4.

Unsafe and unclean children’s area. This response generated the greatest

No place to get information. If your church does not have a clear and obvious place to get information, you probably have lowered the chances of a return visit by half. There should also be someone to greet and assist guests at that information center as well. Bad church website. Most of the church guests went to the church website before they attended a worship service. Even if they attended the service after visiting a bad website, they attended with a prejudicial perspective. The two indispensable items guests want on a website are address and times of service. It’s just that basic.

Poor signage. If you have been attending a church for a few weeks, you forget all about the signage. You don’t need it any more. But guests do. And they are frustrated when it’s not there.

Insider church language. Most of the respondents were not referring to theological language as much as language that only the members know. My favorite example was: “The WMU will

meet in the CLC in the room where the GAs usually meet.” 8.

Boring or bad service. My surprise was not the presence of this item. The surprise was that it was not ranked higher.

Members telling guests that they were in their seat or pew. Yes, this obviously still takes place in some churches.

10. Dirty facilities. Some of the comments: “Didn’t look like it had been cleaned in a week.” “No trash cans anywhere.” Restrooms were worse than a bad truck stop.” “Pews had more stains than a Tide commercial.” There you have it. The top 10 reasons first-time guests said they did not return to a church.

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DECEMBER 2014