In This Month's Issue:
STORIES
RESOURCES
Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do
FOR MEDITATION
What is the end product of our evangelism?
“out of the box”
Are we ready for the culture change called for by putting the daily missions of the members first?
Diana keeps a safe home:
no underage drinking, no swearing, no arguments, and be respectful.
A challenge!
Jesus’ personal relationship with God reinforced his belief in compassion, which led him to challenge the corrupt and unjust political and religious structures of his day. . . Sadly, Christianity has consistently domesticated Jesus’ radical message of solidarity by prioritizing personal spiritual growth over social justice.
– Gus Gordon
All girls or all men
Kelly wanted us to end our nightly prayers with all girls. Why? She answered, “Because we always finish saying,‘allmen.’”
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David’s church finds people to help.
March 2010
Member Mission Newsletter #80
Easter – Ways to new life
(Click here for a printable version)
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STORIES
Some thinking college alumni
A wider world during leisure: Alex was at a northern New Jersey meeting of Columbia University alumni. He heard an excellent presentation on, “The Changing Face of the Supreme Court.” An extended question and answer period followed. No one mentioned religion until someone finally asked about ethics. Alex then asked, “What influence does ethics have on Supreme Court decision making; and if ethics are influential what is their foundation ethics?” Questions immediately escalated. A tentative decision was made for next year’s presentation to be a panel discussion of ethics and their foundation. While religion, as such, was not mentioned the alumni wanted a clergy person on the panel.
Contact: Alex MacDonnell; alexmacd@earthlink.net; 908-686-7166
A vigorous church dialog
A mission at church: A pastor in Michigan was describing to a group how they had to take their faith into daily life. A woman said, “When I leave the church I am on my own. When I help my 
neighbors I enjoy doing it and I am doing it all by myself.” The pastor challenged her strongly saying that the values influencing the woman’s behavior were learned in the church and the woman was acting with the help of the Lord of the church. The pastor had to push hard through several vigorous exchanges. Finally the woman understood the pastor’s viewpoint and agreed. For the pastor, member mission insights were substantive in guiding his responses.
Contact: Anonymous.
How to discuss social issues: Justice: What’s the Right Thing to do?; Michael J. Sandel; Farrar, Straus, Giroux; 2009. “We do not have enough moral argument in politics. Assertions are hurled back and forth on the media and in Congress. What we don’t have is a serious engagement with the competent moral and spiritual convictions that citizens bring to public life. We can bring these convictions out when we agree to mutual respect and reasoned argument.”
For Sandel, there are three classical approaches to justice: utilitarianism (the greatest happiness for the greatest number), freedom (respecting each persons personal freedom to choose) and Aristotelian (giving people what they deserve and cultivating the virtue of the common good). “Faith can inform our conceptions of social justice, our responsibility for the poor, and for the fate of the planet that we share.” We need a “faith-friendly conception of public life.” Learn more about Justice with Michael Sandel.
Preaching on social issues: The Pastor’s Dilemma by Dr. Joel C. Hunter, Sojourners Magazine, 12/09, p. 16. Hunter advises pastors to make three decisions before addressing social issues in a prophetic and passionate way.
1. “We must decide we will have courage.”
2. “We must decide that we will make our voice on social issues one that directly links the Bible and the life of Christ to the issue.”
3. “We must not be distracted by personal attacks, personal links, or the temptation to defend 
ourselves.”Read the Pastor's Dilemma article.
Youth ministry: lives to offer: accompanying youth on their vocational quests, Dori Grinenko and Joyce Ann Mercer, The Pilgrim Press, 2007. Take youth ministry beyond bowling and cook outs to social awareness, theological reflection, and the distinctive gifts of youth. Both boys and girls watch reality shows that glorify aggression, making sex a commodity, and the push for material gain. Baker and Mercer propose youth ministry as a walk with young people in search of vocation. They work for an inner discernment of individual gifts by a teen and a deeply public quest fostered by a community of others who also struggle to live in response to God’s call to be loving and just.
FOR MEDITATION
What is the end product of our evangelism?
Are we looking for more church members who will help us to build community within the church and serve the neighborhood in a needed social program? Or are we trying to produce agents of Jesus’ mission to make every part of their world more loving and more just? Agents of Jesus' mission will build community and staff service programs along the way to carrying out Jesus' mission. Most importantly, they will transform life in their homes, their work, their communities, even in the wider world from the culture to the economy, to government, in their leisure activities and in the quest for spiritual health. Such people are called to join Jesus’ mission, not just to join the church.
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Tell us about your work with member mission at info@membermission.org or phone / fax 518-561-1184. You continue on this list because of past interest and / or work together with the member mission vision. If you missed or lost any past newsletters, you will find them on the website under Newsletter > Archive.
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God is most interested in how we live from Monday to Saturday.
Sunday – all of church life – helps us to do it better.