Over the past few years Kim and I have worked at being involved in our community. I am the local tennis club coach. Kim is the Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator. I have written articles on issues affecting our Valley which has drawn some attention. Added to our efforts, others from our church have also been getting involved in our community. Janette Boyle recently represented the church at a Council future planning meeting. Others in our church are volunteer fire-fighters with the local brigade. Each month, a few of us go into the local Nursing Home and sing hymns and share an uplifting message of hope from Scripture. Andrew Jones represents our church as the chaplain to our two Colleges. Stephen Hill, an elder in our church, works for CityMISSION and represents us to many people who are struggling in our Valley. And many of us are working in and around our city as ambassadors for Christ and representatives of our church.
The other major thing I felt God put on my heart that would build bridges between us and our community was to be proactive in getting our message outside of our four walls. This is why we keep our websites up to date. This is why we advertise on commercial radio. This is why we advertise on commercial TV. This is why we broadcast on WAYfm. This is why we YouTube. This is why we Tangle. This is why we Podcast. And this is why we are about to Vodcast.
Romans 10:14 ¶ But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
For us to achieve all that God intends for our church will continue to require that we build bridges with people in our community. We really want to serve our community of the Tamar Valley. Rather than being focussed entirely on building our church perhaps we should be more focussed on bridging our church (to the community). In many respects this is already happening. We have several of our young people now working in and around our community who are serving Christ by serving their employers and representing Christ and His church to a watching and waiting world. We have several people in our church who are in business in our Valley. They employ people. They help our Valley to prosper. They give people dignity, purpose, and meaningful activity. We have several school teachers in our church family. They pass the baton of knowledge onto the next generations with hands that hold the hand of Jesus. They help children to join the seemingly random dots of this world in an otherwise incoherent world so that these dots make a picture of the Cross and of Christ who conquered the world from there. We have Mums in the church who are dedicated to raising their children and creating a positive home-life for their families. They teach their children how to love Christ and help in an unequalled fashion to further the Great Commission of Christ so that the legacy of devotion to Jesus carries on for further generations long after they are gone. We have retirees in our church who quietly serve in our communities as volunteers. They also continue this volunteering into our church doing many of the things that must be done through the week or on a Sunday.
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
You may not think that what you do - at home with your family or on your own - is of that much significance, but it is. A few years ago when we used to live in a suburb of our city, a lady across and down the road came out and over to me as I was putting my girls in our car. She asked for help. Then she made a comment about my fathering and my family. "I've seen you with your children..." Fortunately what she had seen left a positive impression on her. Curiously though, it had not been my intention to put a show on for our neighbours. We were just being "us" all the time. I drove home to me at the time and for months afterwards that we are all continually on display to our community.
It is my prayer that we can continue to get involved in serving our community. Whether it be as parent-help at our schools, volunteer sports team coaches, making meals for newcomers to our community, Neighbourhood Watch, local business or importantly building strong homes. These are just some of the bridges that we are currently building between us as a church and our local community. It is just one way that we earn the right to share with some people about the love of Christ and the meaning He can give to an otherwise meaningless existence. And then it is also my prayer that what we do as a church together (meeting to worship on Sunday, Carols By Candle Light, etc.) will also impact our community to the glory of God.
Philemon 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.
Amen
We are in a war. There is a spiritual battle that we are all engaged in. While the Devil is bound (which means he is severely restricted and his fate is doomed, Revelation 20:2) he is still able to torment, harass, deceive and tempt the child of God. I don't usually talk about the Devil or even spiritual warfare. This is largely because it is just too easy for believers to get carried away with the extremes of some Charismatic ideas about spiritual warfare and demons. Put simply, I want to help people focus on God - not the Devil. But I can't ignore that the Bible itself teaches about spiritual warfare and has some stern warnings for believers to be on their guard in the midst of this spiritual battle.
The Occult. Of course there's a lot of quackery, superstition, and ignorance promoted by members of the occult. But, there are some inexplicable things that many returning Christian missionaries have seen first-hand. These inexplicable things include the pronouncement of curses by the village medicine man, voodoo healing practitioners who heal without even seeing their "patient", and so on. Added to this, many missionaries have gone into third-world countries and been afflicted by tormenting dreams, mysterious sicknesses, family breakdown, and serious depression. It might be naive to simply regard this merely as bad luck or coincidence. In the Third World (or more accurately, the "Two Thirds World") the spiritual realm is not some mere theory. It is very real and an active interplay with everyday life.
Even as I write this I feel within me a deep concern that someone will misuse what I have said and justify either their own sin or foolishness which has brought them into some dire situation. So before those of you who are mature and gifted with some foresight point out to me that I could be fuelling irresponsibility and leading others into self-justification and blame-shifting . . . I know and I share your concern.
When Christ died on the Cross He defeated the Devil (1John 3:8). The Devil is ultimately a defeated foe. His doom is certain. Unlike some Christians who promote a concept called "Middle Knowledge" (that God only knows the future rather than directs the future), the Scriptures do not paint spiritual warfare with a view to God needing our help to defeat the Devil and his minions. Instead, God's knowledge should be regarded as "Sovereign Knowledge" (God knows the future because He determines the future) and despite the fate of the Devil and demons being eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire, we still face his harassing, tempting, and doubting tentacles in this life. And what's even more annoying, there are times when God ordains that this be the case in order for us to toughen up and grow up!
Last Sunday night I sensed something foreign in our meeting. I don't usually. But I did then. I leant across to my two older daughters and said be very careful right now to stay focused on the Lord because the Enemy's presence is also in this place and he will attempt to distract us. No sooner had I finished saying this when my youngest daughter began screaming. I simply looked at my two older daughters and said See. Any attack of our Enemy is to distract us from loving God. He prowls like a lion, Peter tells us -
How do combat the schemes of Satan? It will be difficult. It will require rare humility. It will require being teachable, submitted, and open to change. It will demand concentration and commitment. For, the Enemy will make our way seem right to us (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). He will ensure that we take offence and because resentful and thus unable to be instructed. He will cue you on how to be self-justified when it comes to demanding and getting your own way. He will twist the words of God and superimpose his own words onto them. 
And finally, we engage in spiritual warfare when despite our situation we reach out with the Gospel to others. We may reach out like Saint Andrew who simply invited his brother to hear Jesus (John 1:40-41). We too can invite people to church to hear the Gospel. This is warfare. We can share God's plan of salvation with someone. Do this, and you'll be engaged in spiritual warfare. Refuse to be distracted, deterred, or discouraged, and you'll be fighting a good fight of faith (1Tim. 6:12). Fill your mind with the Word of God, refresh your heart by worshiping in congregational singing, ignite your soul with passionate prayer to God (rather than against Satan), and you'll be fighting a good fight in his spiritual battle. 