First, I must take a few paragraphs to explain something that might otherwise be overlooked in the context of this article. It should not have to be said that this church is carefully attentive to keeping matters of collective work and individual (or family) responsibilities separate. That has been our practice from of old and there is no need to change it, now. What we do as a church, utilizing our collective resources and acting upon Divine authority when we do it, is a matter that has been preached from this pulpit with clarity and force for many years.
At the same time, we have other duties and rights that grow out of our social identities. We are people, and people are social creatures. There are things we have in common, as social creatures, if only because we share similar goals and have similar interests. Our lives as Christians merely reflect these preferences, and it is good and proper that we should and do act upon them, preferring the company of fellow Christians to those in the world.
The "rub" comes when we start defining how individuals are to do what we do as individuals or as families. It is not my right or responsibility to be a Lord over your life, nor do the elders of the Mountain View church have oversight of your families. Yet, there are things growing out of our identity as individual saints that naturally and righteously tend toward our being together in doing them, with the end result that (hopefully) we are better stewards of God’s grace.
In recent years, especially after some brethren began their mindless parade toward secularizing the work of the church, we have striven to avoid any appearance of not recognizing that some things are sacred and other things are secular. Some avoid the problem by just not mentioning anything that might be interpreted socially, but I wonder if this is the wisest course. Consider the following, from Acts 2:46-47,
"46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
This describes the daily activities of the saints in Jerusalem. Furthermore, it defines some things that took place in the temple and other things that took place from house to house, clarifying especially what some of those activities involved. I have no problem with brethren not announcing something that is social or primarily focused toward the individual saints, but I do have a problem with brethren writing a rule that has the Holy Spirit in violation of that law.
In Acts 2:46-47 the Holy Spirit recorded something about the saints in Jerusalem that many Christians today would never allow to be announced in their church buildings. I could preach about the church in Jerusalem doing these things, but I could never announce that the saints of THIS church did the same thing! Amazing! Thankfully, that is not true of the Mountain View church, nor of the attitude of her elders.
The activities I am going to tell you about in the rest of this bulletin are NOT collective works of this church, nor are they to be construed as under the oversight of her elders. However, they are parallel in scope and design to those things mentioned in Acts 2:46-47 about the disciples in Jerusalem. They are mentioned here only because we need the opportunities of being together that they address.
That said, I will mention only that I am hoping that somebody—anybody—will think them to be good ideas that are worthy of your support and encouragement. I am hoping that somebody—anybody—will agree to take the "bull by the horns" to follow through on these or to come up with other ways that will accomplish the same results.
Objective: To give young mothers an outlet for interaction with other young mothers, with a decidedly spiritual focus.
MomBO offers mothers of young children opportunity for monthly breakfast outings, on the first Saturday morning of each month. Because this is the function of the home and individuals, and is not the work of the Mountain View church, no resources of the church are expended in arranging or providing this activity, other than incidental matters that are parallel in scope and authority to Biblical statements made about 1st century Christians in such scriptures as Acts 2:46-47a.
MomBO involves prayer, a spiritual discussion and idea-sharing about developing as young women and moms in service of the Lord, and gathers at the Coco’s Restaurant (Highland (@) Waterman) from 8:00-9:30 AM on designated Saturday mornings.
Husbands and fathers are respectfully requested to volunteer to provide child care for Mom’s to meet.
Objective: To give Christian men of all ages an outlet for interaction with other men, with a decidedly spiritual focus that will encourage younger men to work toward deeper faith and participation, and ultimately, positions of leadership and responsibility.
MenBO offers brethren an opportunity for monthly breakfast outings, on the third Saturday morning of each month. Because this is the function of the home and individuals, and is not the work of the Mountain View church, no resources of the church are expended in arranging or providing this activity, other than incidental matters that are parallel in scope and authority to the statements made about 1st century Christians in such scriptures as Acts 2:46-47a.
MenBO involves prayer, spiritual discussion and idea-sharing about developing as men in service of the Lord, and gathers at the Coco’s Restaurant (Highland (@) Waterman) from 7:30-9:00 AM on designated Saturday mornings.
Objective: To give Christians and their families more opportunities for mutual interaction, learning from one another and experiencing activities in a context that leads them to depend more on those who have a "like, precious faith" (2 Peter 1:1).
IAYA are not the work of the Mountain View church and no resources of the church are expended in arranging or providing this activity, other than incidental matters that are parallel in scope and authority to Biblical statements made about 1st century Christians in such scriptures as Acts 2:46-47a.
Efforts are made to involve young people of all ages, but some activities are considered more appropriate for older children. Some past and/or planned activities include:
Interested? Let me know and let’s see what we can get arranged for our families and young people. Remember, these are NOT the collective work of this church, nor are they under the oversight of our elders, but hopefully, they will help each of us, who are saints and parents to get our heads together for the kind of activities that will pull us into closer social contact.