Why steal sheep from other pens? Plus the problem of white skin

Reading and watching videos from others give me inspiration.   Here is this week’s top articles that made a difference for me.  Tweet them, share them.  They are worth your attention.

1.  You have spiritual responsibility for the people in your community.

Based on Acts 1:8, Where is your Jerusalem?  A church’s “community” is defined as its geographic sphere of spiritual impact.

“Do you realize,” says Aubrey Malphurs, “that the folks that live around your church are not there by accident?” (From the Society for Church Consulting’s Level 3 training DVD)

2.  Parking lot greeters are a great opportunity for a church to make a positive first impression

A reader asked Thom Rainer if he could write some posts that summarized several issues  covered in multiple articles over many months on his website.  Thom Rainer shares Eleven Common Mistakes that churches make, and I would agree with all of them.  I’ve seen hem first hand.

Nearly 100 comments as of this writing have kept that conversation going. After adding my comment, my inbox has been filling up with other comments ranging from poor websites, hospitality experiences, welcome failures, bathroom problems and more.  

Read more @ThomRainer here.

Add your own comment.

3.  If some of you think the mission involves competition with other churches, you need mission lessons.

A husband and wife were at a party in their community. They try to attend as many as they can in order to connect with unchurched people.

At this particular gathering, they encountered some folks from another church. Immediately, they were “circled” by those people and told all of the reasons why they needed to leave their current church home and go to their church.

Sheep stealing is awful.  Why do Christians do it?

Read more from @JamesEmeryWhite here.

4.  The Problem With Little White Girls (and Boys)

Before you plan your summer missions, think on these things.  I’ve seen this first hand, both as a missionary who receives short term teams, as well as being the short termer that makes these mistakes.

“After six years of working in and traveling through a number of different countries where white people are in the numerical minority, I’ve come to realize that there is one place being white is not only a hindrance, but negative –  most of the developing world.”

Read more from Pippa Biddle here.  (@PhilippaBiddle)