A Church Does Something Right for Christmas!

[Coleston the Cavalier]

Most of you know that I am a pastor.

I moved to a new church back in June. Unlike the last few churches I've pastored, this one is all blue collar and only about a dozen families. My wife and I are the only one's with college degrees.

These folks don't dress up for church - they come as they are.

Most of our members are recovering alcoholics, drug users, had really bad marriages or folk who got way into debt. It is cool being their pastor. They really don't care what the others churches in town think of them. They work really hard at reaching out and helping people change their lives for the better.

We've had a new family coming to church for the last couple of months. It's a woman in her fifties with custody of her two teenage grandchildren. She has no other family. She got laid off from her last job a month ago and just got hired to drive a bus for the local school system. A couple of people in the church found out that she would have to wait a couple of weeks to get a paycheck at her new job. That meant no money for Christmas.

We had an open house planned for last night at our house. The church members decided to take up a special offering for this family by putting money into a jar as they came over for the open house. Within an hour, these folks had donated over $550 in cash for this family. That will go a long way at Wal-mart! I got the honor of giving the church's gift to the family.

Cool stuff, right?

_________________


John Adams

[moriarty777]

That is good news and the kind of story I like to hear about -- especially this time of year. It's easy to witness the worst that some of the consumerism can bring out in some people (just wander around in a mall a few days before X-Mas), but this sort of story that gives me hope.

M
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[gideon_thorne]

Coleston the Cavalier wrote:
Cool stuff, right?

Very cool. There's a local group of folks around here, part of an extended network of ren faire people, who tend to help each other out that way. Someone has a bit of trouble and gets behind on bills, or whatever else causes a crisis, and rather quickly there's an organized whip round for spare dollars for the person who needs it.

Good people.
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Peter Bradley

[Eisenmann]

Perfect

[Treebore]

Awesome! Sounds like you have the best church around. Full of people trying to be better human beings.

That is a Merry Christmas!
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[Deogolf]

That's what its all about!! Very nice!!
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[JediOre]

Wonderful.

That is the spirit of Christ right there!

Merry Christmas.

[Rigon]

It's good to see the spirit of Christmas isn't completely lost. You have good poeple there C.

R-
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[Tadhg]

Hey that's great, Col. Christmas blessings to be sure.

Well done!

God Jul!
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[Julian Grimm]

Very nice. It is refreshing to see a church doing what it is supposed to. I wish I had one like that near me.
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[CharlieRock]

I needed to read something good right about now. Thanks!
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[serleran]

There was this one time when I was homeless and living between what was left of my friends, and I tried getting help from churches and organizations, but because I was me, nothing ever happened... I just got lucky and landed a job with ChevronTexaco after they merged, and made enough money doing that to stabilize... but, anyway, yes, its good to know there are real people, and not just asses.

[AGNKim]

Coleston the Cavalier wrote:
Within an hour, these folks had donated over $550 in cash for this family. That will go a long way at Wal-mart!

That made me chuckle. Gotta love the Wal-Marts...

And it's good to hear things like this really happen.

[Treebore]

serleran wrote:
There was this one time when I was homeless and living between what was left of my friends, and I tried getting help from churches and organizations, but because I was me, nothing ever happened... I just got lucky and landed a job with ChevronTexaco after they merged, and made enough money doing that to stabilize... but, anyway, yes, its good to know there are real people, and not just asses.

I know your pain, not personally, just in my time I have tried to help people find such help. One church person, associated with the church I am technically part of, was even brazen enough to say, "Oh, I'm sorry dear, but we've met our quota for the month. So we can't help the woman and her 3 children. Try again after the first of next month."

So to read about a church, where the people of the church help the other people, it is very refreshing to see a church that is working the way they are supposed to.

See, I am like that guy who is getting slammed as an athiest for a certain movie out right now. He isn't athiest any more than I am. He, and I, just have a serious problem with mankind and how they practice religion. We are both fine with God.

So it is really good to hear that mankind and religion, somewhere, are getting it right.
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[Maliki]

Good to hear something good for a change.
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[Dyne]

Sounds like you have a good thing going. If only all the churches were like that.

[Coleston the Cavalier]

Glad you all liked hearing this. I thought it was worth sharing.

It is amazing how often people have a bad experience of church.

Believe me, you don;t want to hear most of my stories.

Treebore wrote:
...I just have a serious problem with mankind and how they practice religion. We are both fine with God.

Right on Treebore!

Usually, the only thing that is really wrong with the church is the people that belong to it. And if we are upset and frustrated with the church, imagine how much more upset and frustrated God is with the church! (Okay, that was almost preaching.)

My Rabbi buddies tell me the same is true in their places of worship too.

Merry Christmas everybody!
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John Adams

[Lurker]

CharlieRock wrote:
I needed to read something good right about now. Thanks!

Me too. It is great to hear the good. My parent's church is one of the few like yours CtC

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas
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