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"Grown... But Not Forgotten"
by Tom Goodman
July 26, 2006
“How can I get my son involved in church?” the man asked. “My wife and I raised him in church but now that he’s in his 20s, he’s not going anywhere.”
This was a recent question from one of our members, but I’ve had variations of that discussion many times since I became your pastor. What can we do let these young adults know that they’re “grown but not forgotten”?
If you have an adult son or daughter who’s dropped out of church, you’re not alone. While I was teaching a Sunday School class of adults in their 50s and 60s last year, I asked for a show of hands from parents who had grown kids who were not
connected to a church. About sixty percent of the moms and dads raised their hands.
Most of you who share this concern raised your kids in a church. Others of you came to Christ later in life and now you want your adult kids to know what you’ve found. I want Hillcrest to partner with you in reaching your uninvolved sons
and daughters.
The popular book, The Purpose-Driven Life, lists many biblical benefits of church involvement:
It identifies us as genuine believers. (Ephesians 2:19; Romans 12:5)
It provides a spiritual family to support and encourage us in our walk with Christ. (Galatians 6:1-2; Hebrews 10:24-25)
It gives us a place to discover and use our gifts in ministry. (1 Corinthians 12:4-27)
It places us under the spiritual protection of godly leaders. (Hebrews 13:17; Acts 20:28-29)
It gives us the accountability we need to grow. (Ephesians 5:21)
Christian parents want their grown kids to experience these benefits of church involvement. In the next few weeks, I want to figure out a practical way that Hillcrest can partner with you in reaching your inactive sons and daughters. But
it all starts with prayer. Would you let me join you in prayer on this matter? Contact me at 345-3771 or by e-mail. Your request will
be kept confidential. Together let’s claim God’s promise for your son or daughter (Jeremiah 6:16):
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.”
Blessings and Encouragement,
—Tom
Important Notes:
Wow, I sure need to make some adjustments to the announcements I made on Sunday! I had the dates right but I was a week early on how soon those dates arrive! Make a note of the following events—
Meet Your Deacon Candidates. Sunday evening, August 6, at 5:30 p.m. Our deacon candidates will share their testimonies with the congregation. Don’t miss this chance to learn more about these men!
“Discover Hillcrest” and Supper. Spread the word about our next Discover Hillcrest class. It will be held TUESDAY EVENING, August 8, 6:30-8:30. SUPPER IS PROVIDED! The class is for those who want to become
members, and for those who just want to learn more about Hillcrest. While I teach the adult class, BJ teaches "Discover Hillcrest Kids" for children ages 8-12, and Jim teaches "Discover Hillcrest Youth" for students in grades
6-12. Childcare is provided for children under the age of 8. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required. You can register by contacting our Ministry Assistant, Jami, at jami@hbcaustin.org.
Summer Fair. Mark your calendars for Sunday evening, August 13. We’ve rented the Quarries for a Summer Fair! Get ready for an indoor Ministry Fair and BBQ, and an outdoor worship service that includes communion and lakeside
baptisms! Watch Winning Ways and your weekly worship bulletin for more information!
Links to Your World
Are you wondering where to stand on the stem cell debate? Our denomination’s news service, Baptist Press, has an article that will help, and ChristianityToday.com has a great article from a year ago.
The article, “Compassionate conservatism's voice,” features former presidential speechwriter Michael Gerson and his call within the White House that faith must bear fruit
in works.
Check out the website for the organization, “Gateways to Better Education.” Their mission is “to help public school students learn about Judeo-Christian history, thought, and values.” They
write: “We envision public schools as learning communities enriched by appropriately and lawfully including this important information. Gateways does this by equipping parents, teachers, administrators, and school board members in America's
92,000 public schools.”
You can watch the Jesus film—in hundreds of language choices—at this site.
Check out the New Yorker article on the ministry of Rick Warren, written by Malcolm Gladwell, author of the popular book, Tipping Point.
You’ll find more articles and commentary at my blog, “Anchored,” hosted on MySpace. This week’s entries include comments
about Francis Collins, the geneticist who cracked the genome code and has an important new book about being a man of science and a man of faith. You’ll also find my thoughts on local musician Monte Montgomery, the new ruling against companies
that edit DVDs to make them more “family friendly,” and how our church’s involvement in missions. Subscribe or assign the rss feed to your feedreader today!
Do you know friends who would appreciate Winning Ways? Just forward this e-mail to them!
Have you subscribed to Winning Ways? You can subscribe by clicking here and following the instructions. Your e-mail address will not be sold or given away to anyone, and you can
automatically change your subscription or drop it by following the easy steps provided with each e-mail.
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