YOU THINK YOU KNOW, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW

Text of Sermon
YOU THINK YOU KNOW, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW

ESSENTIAL CHURCH- Book Study

The quadrennial theme of the CME Church is An Essential Church: Poised for 21st Century Ministry

Below are some stats and conclusions from the introduction of the book Essential Church? Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts by Thom & Sam Rainer (B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, TN).

- Big stat:  70% of church going young adults drop out of church between the ages of 18-22!

Top Ten Reasons Church Dropouts Stopped Attending Church:

1. Simply wanted a break from church.

2. Church members seemed judgmental or hypocritical.

3. Moved to college and stopped attending church.

4. Work responsibilities prevented me from attending.

5. Moved too far away from the church to continue attending.

6. Became too busy though still wanted to attend.

7. Didn’t feel connected to the people in my church.

8. Disagreed with the church’s stance on political or social issues.

9. Chose to spend more time with friends outside the church.

10. Was only going to church to please others.

General conclusions:  1) Churchgoing students drop out of the church because it is not essential to their lives.
2) Young adults are likely to stay in church if they see church as essential to their lives.

Here's a link to the introduction of the book. http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_PDF_Rainers_Essential_Church_Sample.pdf

Questions to begin discussion:
1. Do you see these top 10 in your congregations?  In your life/ past, personally?

2.  Do we address these reasons one at a time or in some more comprehensive strategy?  Keep in mind that these are the top 10 reasons, not the only 10 reasons.

3. What does an essential CME Church look like?

*If anyone has a link to the text or audio of the 2010 Episcopal Address, please post it.

YOU THIINK YOU KNOW, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW.

Text of Sermon: YOU THINK YOU KNOW BUT YOU DON'T KNOW

ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW ASSIGNMENTS FOR BISHOPS

March 15, 2011

 

 

AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH FROM THE 2010-2014 COMMITTEE ON EPISCOPACY AND THE COLLEGE OF BISHOPS

 

 

After  prayerful deliberation, the Senior Bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr. and the chair of the Committee on Episcopacy, the Rev. John W. Honeysucker, make the following announcements regarding Episcopal supervision.  These announcements are occasioned by the death of one of our Episcopal leaders, Bishop W. Edward Lockett.

 

Bishop Lockett's death leaves a void in the leadership of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, and specifically in the Fifth Episcopal District.

 

In keeping with the authority within THE BOOK OF DISCIPLINE, REVISED 2006, specifically within  ¶432.7, page 119, and  ¶1402, §7, page 432, the Committee on Episcopacy has made the following appointments:

 

1.  The assignment of Bishop Teresa E. Snorton as the Presiding Bishop of the Fifth Episcopal District, effective immediately; and

 

2.  The recall of Bishop Ronald M. Cunningham to active service and the assignment of Bishop Ronald M. Cunningham to the Eleventh Episcopal District, effective immediately.

 

The Senior Bishop, on behalf of the College of Bishops, also announces the following administrative appointments, in the place of Bishop W. Edward Lockett:

 

1. The appointment of Bishop Sylvester Williams, Sr., as the chair of the Department of Ministry to Men;

 

2. The appointment of Bishop James B. Walker as the chair of the Committee on Economic Development;

 

3. The appointment of Bishop Teresa E. Snorton as vice chair of the CIT Advisory Committee and the CIT Standing Committee, and as vice chair of the Board of Directors of the Connectional Headquarters; and

 

4. The appointment of Bishop Teresa E. Snorton as representative to the Commission on Pan-Methodism. 

 

 

Respectfully,

 

Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr.

Senior Bishop

 

"An Essential Church: Poised for 21st Century Ministry"

 

http://www.c-m-e.org/Announcements/OfficialAnnouncement_CollegeofBishops_CommitteeonEpiscopacy.htm

ARMOR ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE SHINY

A boy comes home from his first jr. high football game. He throws his uniform, pads and all onto the floor and announces, "We won. I quit!" The boy's mother doesn't understand....

This began the sermon God gave me for the Spring Convocation at Miles College. The Lord has a Word of challenge & hope for the church --all of us , and for the church--each of us. The answer is to get down and dirty.

Listen and apply the Word
-Rev. Anderson T. Graves II, pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church

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Hall Memorial CME Church

541 Seibles Rd., Montgomery, AL 36116
phone: 334-288-0577
email: hallmemorialcme1@aol.com 

JAIL MINISTRY UPDATE

Let me tell you how great God is!

Tuesday morning I was in the dentist's office with people shoving metal into my mouth and asking, "Can you feel that?  Does that hurt?"

Tuesday evening I was in the Montgomery City Jail watching experiencing how God makes a way.  As I walked into the receiving area of the City Jail to start the evening of Bible study and GED preparation, I saw the warden talking with a well-dressed brother in a pin-striped suit. That usually means a lawyer or a detective, so I spoke, and started signing in and  making ready for the class we do every Tuesday night.

The brother with whom the warden was speaking had come without any clear reason why to talk to someone at the jail about helping in some vague way with the GED program.  It's 5:30 P.M., after business hours and this guy just shows up.  He didn't know me; Minister Whitener, our friend from Maggie Street Baptist; or anything about what we're doing at the jail. 
But, watch God do His thing.

This guy has resources that can help us get diagnostic tests & other resources we were lacking.  His contributions will make what we're doing even more effective.   We just met, but in about 15 minutes of conversation God revealed multiple connections between everyone standing there.   

If we do our part, if we just do all the ministry we can with however much or little we have, God will provide for us to do more and greater (Matthew 25: 21).

And, as we talked there in the jail God pointed the way to a door of opportunity we've been praying for---more to come on that.

Pray for this ministry.  It would make such a difference if these men could come out with something better in hand, a piece of paper that opens up new & legitimate opportunities to provide for their families (and almost everyone we work with is somebody's father) and to contribute to society.

Pray for this ministry.  The brothers in jail are people.  Their souls like the ones in our pews every Sunday. They cycle in and out of jail for a few days, weeks, months.  Most of the guys from our earlier groups are already out.  These brothers will get out.  But when they do, they can no something more about wisdom and the love of Christ.

Jail ministry ran late.  The math time was intense. (Thank God for Minister Luther Whitener out of Maggie Street Baptist for his math expertise.)

But let me tell you how great God is!
Tuesday night as the guards keys turned in the lock to take the brothers back to their cells.  I was kneeling on the concrete floor of the Montgomery City Jail praying with a brother named Phillip as he gave his life to Christ.

God is so great!

-- Rev. Anderson T. Graves II, pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church,
541 Seibles Road, Montgomery, AL 36116
phone: (334) 288-0577
email: hallmemorialcme1@aol.com

JESUS' SECRET IDENTITY

God used a kids' movie and a conversation with my daughter to open my eyes to a deeper understanding of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Jesus is the real-life model on which all superheroes are based. He is the real and original Super-Man. The record of Jesus' Transfiguration and the events leading up to it in Matthew, Mark, & Luke show us Jesus as the ultimate hero and teach us a lesson about the power we find in  our Hero's Secret Identity.


Please listen. --Rev. Anderson T. Graves II, Hall Memorial CME Church

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