It’s an old joke that the public ministry of funerals is a dead loss. All would agree that the ministry of the gospel in the funeral of a congregation member is one of the most meaningful and valuable parts of church life. But the public funeral ministry of total strangers-is it worth doing?
Tag Archives: ministry
Cumbered with a load of care?
With the therapy business booming and the importance of sensitive, competent Christian counselling now widely accepted, are we beginning to suffocate under the weight of people’s problems? Is there a danger in giving counselling and problem-solving too high a priority? The Briefing examines some of the issues for us and our churches. (more…)
Fellowship of Medical Evangelism
Everyday Ministry
“We’ve got it all”, or at least that’s what McDonalds would like us to believe. How do you sell pizzas or, for that matter, hamburgers to McDonalds? Haven’t they got it all? When we think about evangelism, we often feel that not only is it easier to evangelize some groups because of their great need, but it is also somehow more appropriate because they are the ‘have nots’.
Where does responsibility end? The sins of Jimmy Swaggart II
The problems of tele-evangelist Jimmy Swaggart have raised for us the difficulty of knowing where our responsibility ends. In our congregation, we know that if one part suffers, every part suffers, and if one part is honoured, every part rejoices. In our congregational life, we know that if we see a brother fall into sin, then we are responsible to “bear his burden”. (more…)
Canberra Christian Youth Convention
Life
Ever been frustrated, trying to explain the terrific things you learned at a church conference to a friend who didn’t go? What you heard changed your life, but your friend cannot appreciate what has happened, because he wasn’t there. It’s much the same when you read or listen to God’s word: Scripture can make a thunderous impact on you life. But when you try to explain it to your friend, she somehow cannot get as excited as you. Have you had that experience?