Money and Pride

A few years ago, our church moved from a residence to a school building. To accommodate growth that never occurred. I can't say I really approved of the move then any more than I do now. But nobody asked me. I was the newest member, what did I know? The folks that helped initiate the move are no longer with us. Now we are paying for a building we can not afford.

I think what happened was we had a little money in the bank at the time and felt we had to spend it. We also bought a broken down van, but that is another story. Live and learn. Money and pride is a dangerous combination.

The Impact of Dialog

Today I attended a "Kingdom Impact Conference". The conference covered a variety of topics such as evangelism, spiritual gifts and leadership. A number of different churches participated. I really was "impacted" by the variety of different teaching styles.

One common element present in all the presentations of the pastor/teachers was that each had a unique entertainment style. Humor was a prevalent theme for each style, each just used humor in a slightly different way. The end result was although I was up early for the conference and not in a fully rested state, I did not get bored or fall asleep.

What really set this conference apart from a typical Sunday of teaching was the interaction. There was actual dialog as opposed to the usual monologue! I really think the church could benefit from this type of teaching. But the question is: There is a group of people that perhaps would prefer not to participate. So, will they leave? Do we want them to?