A Worshipful Heart

Will We Walk On By?

We are in the midst of our own "Good Samaritan" story....

 

In Luke 10:25-37 we see that a rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus said, "What does the law say?" and the young ruler answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus answered "You've got the correct answer. Do this and you will live." But in a desire to justify himself the young ruler said "But who is my neighbor?" and Jesus told the story of the good Samaritan, a man who took time out of his busy life to stop and care for another, despite not knowing him at all. Throughout scripture we see that connection between loving God and loving others. In fact, in 1 John we are told that we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we cannot love our brother, whom we have. 

 

The Good Samaritan is a story we have all heard so much that we probably have quit really hearing it, if you know what I mean. Yet we  - especially those of us in North Alabama - are in the midst of this very story and we have a choice. Will we continue on our busy way, crossing the road, driving AROUND the damage all around us, ignoring it now that we have our power and conveniences back? Or truly sacrificing of ourselves, our resources, our time, our energy, really seeing and noticing the need of our neighbor? Are we satisfied with "tipping" our neighbor (and I realize that I am challenging myself here) and giving something that is truly not costly when what is needed is our full involvement, our full commitment? 

 When the tornadoes hit Alabama, Phil and I wondered how we could help and how the Give Worship Project could get involved. Our church, Epic Church, in Decatur has done a phenomenal job in providing housing and supplies for those in neighboring counties (not just in Decatur) who are uninsured and /or having their claims rejected by FEMA. (ironically, usually because they don't have insurance!) Friends, they are working with the poor, the forgotten, those who have no other help, those who have lost it all - usually these families are in very poor, rural areas. So we decided to partner with their efforts and are excited to have had friends of the GWP provide TWO trailers to needy families - one physically donated and one bought through monetary donations. We'd love to keep on providing! Epic has the names of 62 families who do not have homes, or insurance or help from FEMA. Many of them are living in tents or sleeping in their cars if they have one that survived the storms.

 Let's get to work on providing our third trailer! Be creative! Take up a collection at work, or in your ministry team or small group or church. You can make a big difference in a family's life!

 

Go here to give: www.giveworship.com

You can also donate a used car! All gifts are tax-deductible!

 Read below for a wonderful testimony from Sonia Brown, whose family chose to donate their travel trailer to a family in need.

 "With so many affected after the tornados, it was extrememly hard to know how to even help. My heart bled for these people who lost so much. We like many, spent the following week helping the neighborhood dig it's self out of the endless trees that had fallen everywhere. Including right down the middle of our neighbors home. They were ok thankfully and they also had a great insurance company that really got things rolling for them in their whole process. Which led me to think about those who didn't have insurance and what that would look like if you had such a disaster happen to you and not know where to turn for help.

 One night I was out on our back porch and happened to see what was now our eye sore of a travel trailer in our back yard. Not that it was ugly, but you see, we had bought this trailer to stay in while we finished building our home. I was surprised at through that process how much I began to really appreciate that trailer. It was home for the time, and it was all that we had to provide shelter for our 3 little ones. But after 3 months and a very hard winter, I couldn't run fast enough into our finally finished home. I thought to myself, how wonderful that would be to be able to give it to one of these families that had just lost everything. Then, I saw Jan's post the next morning. I didn't have any money to give since my husband just retired from the military and hasn't found another job yet. But I did have this trailer. After talking it over and calling Jan, it led us to Epic Church in Decatur. Which was great, but I was a little saddened that it wasn't going to someone up the road here in my community. Either way, it was still a need and we were ready to give. The people were wonderful and excited. They came and picked it up. They informed us then it was going to a family just a couple streets over. They didn't know what I had secretly hoped for, but God sure did. I believe he heard that whisper of my heart. I think if we look around long enough, God will show us how to love on these people. We are so thankful for the opportunity to serve in such a way."

 The pain and need around us demands that we become people who give sacrificially. This is our chance to be like the Good Samaritan. 

 How can you stop and care?

Call me if you have questions!

 

Can the Church Benefit from the Female Voice?

I remember reading an article in Worship Leader Magazine back in 1997 or so that explored the issue of women in worship leadership, which at that time was a bit rare. One line in the article (written by a man) has stayed with me ever since: "Many women will go their entire lives and sit in church every Sunday and never hear the sound of another female voice." This statement hit me hard. And it made me ask the question - how could the church benefit from hearing more of the female voice in worship services and leadership?

I've long been a proponent of shared leadership. I think all leaders could greatly benefit from hearing a variety of perspectives as they consider what path to take, decisions that need to be made, who to hire, how to respond, etc. Different experiences, perspectives, personalities, ages and genders can lead to well thought out decisions that are wiser than those made entirely alone. Shared leadership gives multiple insights that benefit the church. Proverbs 20:18 says "Plans succeed through good counsel; don't go to war without the advice of others." 

And while I've seen shared leadership modeled in some churches, when it comes time to plan, discuss and teach, the voices are generally predominantly male. I believe the Body of Christ is poorer for this. Women have a different outlook and experience in life than men do - and men can learn from that. For instance, in a sermon series that teaches on marriage the teaching will be incomplete without the perspective of wives. That is a more obvious example. But I believe that men can benefit from the perspective of women in all areas of teaching. It may stretch them and enlarge them in ways that are new and fresh. They can learn from women, just as we women learn from men. The teaching of women has long been reserved for other women on retreats, and in Bible Studies but I believe that this not only shortchanges gifted women teachers and leaders who have much to offer the entire Body, I also believe it shortchanges the men in our congregations. In the long run, it makes the church weaker, and we are poorer for it. We can all benefit from working with, and learning from both genders - it brings a balance and richness that is missing when one part of the Body of Christ is left out and never heard from. When we all learn from one another, that is true community.

Hearing a woman's voice and teachings is also empowering for the women in a congregation. After all more than 60% of most congregants are female. I remember teaching for the first time on a Sunday morning about four years ago. Afterwards, a woman came up to me with tears in her eyes and said "I've never heard a woman teach. I was able to relate to what you said so much." Another woman said "I now believe God can use me too. I'm inspired to use ALL my gifts and abilities for the Kingdom of God." 

In her recent post, Tracey Bianchi wrote about the significance of women’s voices as teachers in the local church.

"…a woman proclaiming God’s Word with hands that smell like marinated artichokes can hit the heart of another woman in a way men cannot…women have stories to tell about life and God, just as our male partners on the journey do. The chance to preach from their perspectives is honoring God’s call to the community of Christ."

Modeling inclusiveness in teaching and leadership can set a powerful example of humility for those we lead. Being willing to hear from a variety of experiences and perspectives shows a willingness to learn and grow that reflects maturity and wisdom. And it shows such a deep respect for the entirety of the Body of Christ.

I urge you to consider the question: How can you utilize the female voice and perspective in new ways in your service planning, teaching, and church leadership? 

Why Does Church Hurt?

If you've attended church for any length of time you know what I'm talking about. Church can hurt, and hurt deeply. I'm not totally sure why church hurts have a particular intensity, but they do. And sadly, they seem unavoidable. We gather hundreds of people together from differing backgrounds, with their own opinions and perspectives, needs, desires, and dare I say - in some cases - agendas. We mix them all together based on one thing - our belief in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. And we hope and pray that this crazy experiment called the church will work. That we will indeed show the world that we are HIS disciples by our love for one another.

So why do the inevitable disagreements and disappointments hurt so much? Why would we dare believe that you could gather a group of strangers together and everyone get along? 

I think it's because we think church should be different. After all, it IS a community of Believers, not just random people. These are not - supposedly - crazy family members we're stuck with based on genetics alone, but people who are filled with the Spirit of God, living out the fruit of that very Spirit. Isn't church a place where the idea of family is fully redeemed? Where the gathered family is HOLY and sacred, and becoming like Christ? Where our goal is one and the same - to grow in Christ and share the Good News of his love with the world? Arms linked, facing a common enemy - Satan and the forces of hell.

A really wise, older pastor once told me that church hurts are deeper because we never expect to encounter our enemy and hell within the walls of the church. We never expect those of forces of sin to invade the holy sacredness of a community of Believers. Yet they do, each and every day. And it is horribly disappointing.

We have such high hopes. We may enter into relationships wholeheartedly, putting aside our fears. We may share the deepest part of ourselves - our dreams, our fears, our struggles, our hopes. We make ourselves vulnerable to a group of people that we believe is always for us, always with us......because we're the Body of Christ, right?

And then we encounter the enemy - sin. It is still among us, and perhaps even more disappointing and discouraging, still within us. And our sin hurts one another. 

This is why church hurts so much. 

Why do you think church hurts are so much harder to deal with? Why have they been for you? No church or pastor bashing please!

Christmas Wishes

We all have wishes and dreams for Christmas. Things we hope for. A list of things we believe will make life more fulfilling in the future or Christmas more perfect right now. For most of us, having our family together would be considered a huge ingredient to any Christmas and it is a dream we all harbor for our own holidays. Perhaps we have things we hope to see come to pass in the new year that waits just around the bend - only a few days ahead of us. Christmas is a season of dreams....of tapping into our often repressed and hidden desires and allowing ourselves to wish, to hope, to dream. 

This Christmas is one of the strangest ones of my life. I am in a time of great transition. There are very few concrete "knowns" in my life. Changes abound. Right now in my life I have more questions than answers. Way more questions. And it's disconcerting. In a season that we long for peace, I find myself strangely unsettled. While I am so thankful for my blessings, I have felt the uncertainties of my life weighing on me heavily this Christmas. As a result, I've spent alot of time thinking about what I hope for in 2010.

So here's what I want for Christmas this year:

1) True spiritual community - and I'm not picky. While I'd prefer a church home, I'd be happy to have a small group of friends to "keep me company" spiritually and to journey with me during this time of my life. It would take some SPECIAL friends to help me as I pray and seek God for the future and sort out the questions.

2) Physical stamina and strength - and some more willpower as well! I need to be stronger - and thinner - but I've lacked motivation in this battle. I've felt a little hopeless. A workout partner would be nice as well!

3) Renewed creativity and wonder. Right now the eyes of my soul are a bit weary. I want more childlike wonder to invade my heart and as a result be inspired and creative. 

4) Encouragement - and a vision for how God could use my gifts and talents for the sake of His Kingdom. 

4) Opportunities to minister to others, particularly those in leadership.

5) Guidance and clarity for our family as we seek to serve God together. 

6) Wisdom on how to parent adult children.

7) God's provision and will for my children as they graduate from college - that they would have the careers and jobs God has for them and be adequately provided for as they support themselves. 

8) A mentor as I enter a new phase of ministry. 

9) Holy appointments ordained by God!

10) More wisdom, discernment, compassion, joy and love in my life.

So that's what's on my Christmas list. What's on yours?

What I'm Thinking as I Visit Your Church

This is part one in a series of weekly posts I'll be doing as Phil and I look for a church. I hope all of you involved in church leadership will take the time to read because I think you can benefit from our insights as we take this awkward journey of figuring out what church God would have us now call home. Having spent the last fifteen years in vocational ministry, we haven't looked for a new church in a LONG time. Undoubtably, my perspective as a church seeker is quite different from the perspective I held as a "church professional", but I continue to view everything through the eyes of a leader. So I hope you'll learn from our insights and experiences as previous church leaders now longing for a home.....

We've only been visiting churches for a couple of weeks now but I already hate it. It's uncomfortable. It's stressful. And perhaps most of all, it's lonely. If you've been in vocational ministry for some time, or if you've called the same church home for many years, you may have forgotten - or never known - what it's like to walk in the doors of a church a total stranger. Many times we, as church leaders, are so in love with our church and have invested so totally in our congregations that we simply cannot understand the perspective of a first time guest.

Each Saturday night I go to bed with a lump in my throat and a knot in my stomach. Even though I've enjoyed the services we've attended I find it hard to actually concentrate. My guess is many first time guests feel this way. I don't know what's going on and I spend a lot of my time observing. Even though I've led worship for over 20 years I still don't always know all the songs and I wonder if it's okay to express myself in worship. So I'm looking around, watching, waiting. It's harder to worship and almost impossible to relax. I feel like I am an observer instead of a true participant.

I'm wondering if I could possibly fit in here, I'm missing all my friends, and I feel invisible. No matter how many people greet me, I still feel like the invisible woman. Although I am acknowledged, I am not known. And isn't that the most significant part of any church experience? To do this spiritual life in community with others? Without any relationships -or a place of service - I feel useless, and my attendance feels a bit pointless. It's the oddest feeling to realize that my attendance to church matters to no one else but Phil and God. No one else cares if I'm there because they do not know me or need me. This is a strange - and sad - realization. 

If I've learned anything at all about church in the past few weeks it is this: sermons are great, worship is uplifting, but the real point of church is spiritual community - to learn, and to worship, yes, but to do so together with those we love. 

The truth that the greatest needs of any human are "to know and be known, to love and be loved, to celebrate and be celebrated" has never been clearer to me than at this time in my life when I feel the lack of a church home so deeply. I go to church on Sundays and I am NOT known, I am NOT truly loved and of course I am NOT celebrated. Nor can I really do these things for anyone else. I'm attending but I stand apart from the crowd, feeling very much like the outsider I am. I feel like I've dropped off the ends of the earth into an alternate universe. It's uncomfortable, awkward, and - many moments - very sad. And while there are sweet moments of worship, some laughter, and even truths learned, there is just something missing. It doesn't feel like home.

So pastors, fellow worship leaders, and anyone else who leads on Sunday mornings, be patient with us who are visiting your church fellowships each weekend. Forgive us if we don't sing or clap, or even if we don't look particularly joyful. We probably feel lost! We're still trying to figure it all out and we may be going through a major life transition - we may have just moved, or have experienced a deep grief, or be seeking God for the first time. We're nervous so please show us some grace! And don't be offended, it's not personal or a judgment on you or your church, it's just us. 

We're longing for home.....

Thank You

These past two weeks have been filled with many challenges. Almost everything around me was unfamiliar - the landscape, the culture, the language. I was trying some things for the first time. They had never provided any training on worship before. We weren't sure what to expect or how things would turn out. Or even if anyone would come!

In short, although I knew I was answering a call of God, I was scared stiff, wondering if I had resigned my job for nothing. My anxiety was very high on the flight to the Dominican. 

But you, my dear friends, kept me in your prayers! And you kept letting me know you were praying! And that helped me out so much.

So thank you for praying. And thank you for all the communication along the way. Every day you were on my heart as I texted my status updates to Twitter and Facebook. Every experience made me think of you and wish I could share it with you. I felt like I carried you with me! 

Your prayers were a gift. And God answered us! I did not get sick in the DR, I was kept safe, the pastors and leaders all seemed to learn and be excited, and they had safe travel. God went before us where ever we went. I felt His constant presence and I thank Him for all the answers to our prayers. 

Here's a passage of scripture that I've been hanging out in lately. 

"I will keep on hoping for you to help me; I will praise you more and more. I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, for I am overwhelmed by how much you have done for me. I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord. I will tell everyone that you alone are just and good." - Psalm 71:14-16

So thank you and thank God! I appreciate your support and friendship so much.

How Honest Should We Be?

I did not have a particularly good day today. Nothing bad happened, it was just a tough day for me emotionally. Many times I just wanted to twitter (which goes on my Facebook status) "waaaaaaa!!!! I just want to go back to bed and stay there!" On days like this I find it hard to know how to share my life online. I waver between just not sharing at all, to feeling like a fake when I share something inane about my day. 

Let's face it, when we are struggling, it seems almost silly to share what we had for dinner, or whatever else we might usually share. On the other hand, it can be harmful to "overshare". It can alarm our mothers :), and might cause problems in our relationships if our angst is due to another person. And to be honest, so much of our stress seems to be due to conflict with those we care about. So if we share that we're angry right after a confrontation with a loved one, is that right? It seems like that might cause speculation and more hurt feelings. 

So, it's hard to know how to be authentic without being a bit too open. Generally, I've handled this by sharing in very general ways. I'll say something like "Hope you'll pray for me. Been feeling a bit anxious lately." I never really know if anyone is praying but one time "Anxiety Depression" did start following me on Twitter! So I'm not sure if it's helpful or not.

I do know this. If I should go talk to someone else, or if I should pray about it but instead I post it on Facebook or Twitter, that is not right. If I'm doing it to gain attention or sympathy, that also is not productive. So many times I've chosen just to not update at all - I wanted my motives to be pure, I didn't want to upset anyone, or cause questions, and yet I felt like it wouldn't be at all authentic to share something very mundane. I just avoided sharing all together. Yet isn't it the goal of social media - especially in the circle of Believers - to grow community and awareness of one another's lives?

What do you think? How honest should we be online? What are the limits and parameters?

How do you handle days when you're not sure you should share how you feel?

Have you ever shared something and then regretted it or had it cause a problem?

The Pain of Rebuilding

When something is new to us, it is exciting. It's true of jobs, relationships, hobbies, dreams, and even places. We are challenged and inspired by new relationships. We love to see new, exciting vistas. We enjoy learning about one another and finding those commonalities that bind our hearts together. When we embark on seeing a dream come true, we are able to go without rest. We're running on adrenaline. Each new challenge is seen as a part of the grand adventure in front of us whether that be marriage, parenting, starting a new career or planting a church.

We love new things! As a two - time church planter who has developed two worship ministries, I can attest that there is a certain thrill that can come with starting these new ministries. The "church box" is much bigger than we would find at an established church. We can try fresh ideas without fear of division. We can be different, no one will complain. We meet tons of new people who - because they've just met us! - think we're wonderful and are thrilled to be there. So although it was tiring, it was also exhilarating. Birthing something new keeps you on your toes but is so incredibly rewarding. 

Unfortunately, even for us who like a little adrenaline rush now and again, everything in life is not always new and shiny. We don't get to always drive a new car. Warranties expire. Relationships may grow stale and predictable and require extra work. Our new house gets marks on the wall, spots on the carpet and no longer looks as amazing to us. We get bored. 

Or, on a more serious note, marriages dissolve. Relationships crumble. Dreams fail. Churches lose members. Life is hard. We are hurt. Reality greets us everyday. To be sure, we are not driving a car with a "new car smell" and a warranty anymore! And that's where the hard work really begins.

It's time to rebuild. And that, my friends, can be painful. 

Many of you have faced this time of your life. Whether it's rebuilding a marriage, repairing a relationship, or re-growing a team, or healing the wounds of a church, this season of life is not quite so exhilarating! That positive momentum must be created and nurtured and cherished when we find it. It's plain hard work to rebuild. Its costly. It requires perseverance and faithfulness and a desire to see something rise from the ashes that was greater than before. In order to rebuild we must be patient and committed, and we must say good-bye to what we once held so dearly.

It's easy to give up. To trade in the car with 100,000 miles on it, or the wife who is now middle-aged. It's easier to walk away when a friend hurts us or to throw something away when it breaks. Rebuilding is not as fun as building because generally there is sorrow mixed in with the hard work. Generally when we're rebuilding - in any of these scenarios - there is a grief, a loss, perhaps a sense of hopelessness because SOMETHING has caused us to need to rebuild. It takes much more energy to rebuild than to build the first time.

This spring a huge tree fell on my in-laws house. It fell right down the middle. It totaled their home. We all cried. We had so many great memories in that house. It had to be torn down and rebuilt almost completely. And we were saddened by that. As my in-laws now rebuild they are excited about a new home, but that joy is certainly tempered by the loss and trauma they experienced. 

But they know this home will be stronger and better than the first one, however much we loved it.

So what's broken in your life? What loss are you struggling with? 

Where do you need to rebuild? How do you think God can make it better than before?

What Can We Learn? or "You Must Be a Liberal Part 2"

Last week I posted about an experience I had on an airplane last year with a gentleman who exclaimed, "I think you must be a liberal because you are nice!" Read the story for yourself.

After this post I had tons of conversations with people about what this might mean. For the most part Christians tended to believe we are simply painted in a negative light by the liberal media. While I have certainly seen this slant on the news, I think we need to be careful not to just skip right over this experience and this gentleman's comments with this excuse. I think we have more to learn than that.

A couple of readers expressed something that was simmering in my own heart, something I hate with all my heart to admit. Like my seatmate on this airplane, I too have seen the judgmental and angry face of the church - and my family has been severely wounded by it in ways that continue to affect us and break our hearts. His comments stung because I believe there was a kernel of truth in it that we need to really pay attention to.

Dan Kimball wrote a book a few years back called "They Love Jesus But They Hate the Church". I saw Dan share about his book at the Arts Conference at Willowcreek in 2007. I'll never forget the real video footage they showed where they asked random people what they thought about Jesus and what they thought about the church. Their opinions of Jesus were surprisingly positive. Most admitted to praying, to believing that Jesus loved them, or at least was a loving man. While they may not have held 100% true beliefs about Jesus Christ, there was no denying that their perception of Christ was a positive one.

What was sad was what they thought about the church. When asked about Christians, they used these words: "sexist, hatemongers, hypocrites, mean, judgmental, unforgiving, etc." It was SHOCKING. And while I'll agree that we don't get the best press, I think it would do us - and the world around us - a world of good to look within our hearts to see if maybe some of that bad press is well deserved. It seems obvious to many around us that our actions and words might not always reflect the love of the Savior we say we follow.

I'm going to be really honest here. Much of this "disconnect" shines most brightly in our own relationships with one another. Who hasn't been hurt at church?? Which of us has not been guilty of being the wounder?? Sometimes relationships with one another seem like the hardest, most challenging place of all to live out the good news of Jesus Christ. Yet Jesus himself pointed out that our love for one another would prove to the world that we are HIS disciples. (John 13:35) It is our love for one another - how we treat one another, both those we know and those we don't - that will proclaim the GOOD NEWS loudly. And you know what? I have experienced THIS truth more often than the pain. I love the church. I am committed to serving the church. I believe in the church.

But as I watched these people being interviewed I was saddened beyond words. I saw in their faces and heard in their words a desperate plea: "Show us Jesus in how you live. Show us Jesus' love. Show us Jesus cares about us. Show us that this Jesus is REAL. Show us grace."

So I urge you to search your heart tonight to see if any of these accusations might be just a little bit true....and if so, I urge you to learn from them, to pray about it, to ask forgiveness when necessary, and then to walk in love.

This is not about liberal vs. conservative. This is about us caring enough that someone was wounded that we're willing to take a long hard look inside and to go out in the world a more compassionate person as a result. May we have the courage to stop defending for a moment and instead to learn and grow in love and grace.

I Admire This Move.....

I met a new friend at the class I went to this week. She is a worship leader, drummer, mom and wife. She is all that and more! I loved sitting down to talk with this fellow chick worship leader and hearing how God is working in her life. I loved hearing how she does ministry, how she balances motherhood and ministry and eventually, the discussion turned to some of the unique challenges women in ministry can face. We laughed about some things - having our kids running around during rehearsal, singing while pregnant, being surrounded by guys, having to transpose songs to a lower key, etc. Other things, however, weren't so laughable. These issues were serious and, at times, painful.

She shared with me some resources her church posted on their church website that led me to some interesting blogs written by men about this issue of women in ministry leadership. I was moved to tears time and time again as I read the words these men wrote. They actually seemed to get some things that even I have struggled to express with clarity through the years.

I hope you'll read with an open heart. I admired their sensitivity and willingness to look at life from the perspective of another.

One male blogger writes here about "The Wounded Image of God" as the community of believers is harmed by some attitudes of sexism.

Another man, Jeff McQ, writes here and offers his apology to women in the church. I was touched by these words:

"To overcome the negative pull (of sexism), I believe we men must be much more purposeful and intentional in the affirmation and restoration of women. We need to make every effort to understand their struggle--a difficult task for us men, because we simply haven't had to deal with that constant level of resistance. We need to realize that even when we recognize female leaders in the church, a female in pastoral leadership will still have a more difficult road to walk than a man in the same role--and most other roles, for that matter. Not because she is weaker, but because there is simply more resistance for her than for a man.

We need to do more than just let women have a voice--we need to listen to that voice. Part of the healing of the wound will come when we hear, and understand, the cry of the wounded--and are moved to action."

I've said for years that Godly and compassionate men must be the first ones to see the pain, to see the injustice and to speak to the heart of the matter. As of this time in church history, men are the ones with power to lead change and to speak to this matter in a frank way. Whatever your "position", take the time to listen to the women who lead in churches and to hear what they share with you. Take it seriously. Ask them what could be changed. Ask them how they feel left out. Ask them how they long to contribute and ask them about the dreams God has put on their hearts. Let them share with you the pain you may have overlooked - and then take it seriously. Don't brush it off. Hear with an open heart.

Don't just do it for the sake of the women you serve with. Do it for the sake of the Church - the great community of believers that should be marked by UNITY and LOVE, which these attitudes threaten to destroy. Do it for the sake of the Kingdom, that we pray will come through all of our lives as we live out our relationship with God.

Be willing to listen, to hear, to move, to act.

Sexist attitudes have no place in the church, no place in loving relationships. In this area, may the church shine as a bright example of unity, love, and respect between genders.

Next week.....steps YOU can take to make a difference!