Mt Bethel and Facebook

Posted: May 31, 2009

Last year, a group from Mt. Bethel attended Saddleback Church’s small group conference. It was an amazing event for all, and we gained a greater understanding of the limitless potential small groups can have within our congregation. One of the more interesting concepts was small group networking and management software available for churches. These different networking softwares have great features for managing and connecting people into small groups, but they also have the ability for small group leaders to connect with their groups and to create group discussions among the members of the group. This one feature was my favorite because it allows small groups the ability to stay connected in a really unique way outside of the small group meeting times and to have ongoing discussions about relevant topics.

We currently don’t have the ability to purchase small group networking software, but we do have the ability for our small groups to stay connected, and it’s totally free. The many different social media sites have made it possible for people to connect and stay connected to friends and family all around the world. Using these sites you can send messages, chat (audio and video), and share pictures and video of special occasions. These sites also give you the opportunity to create special interests groups. Using Facebook, for instance, you can create any kind of special interest group you would like and invite people to join those groups. There are several hundred of these special interest groups alone on Facebook related to Mt Bethel. For example, there is our main Mt. Bethel group, a Mt. Bethel Missions group, an Encounter worship service group, multiple youth groups, and many small groups. There are presently around 2,000 members of Mt. Bethel who use Facebook (WOW). I use Facebook as a way to stay connected to our congregation and the different Life Groups I facilitate.

I would like you to consider using Facebook as a means for staying connected with your Life Group, Sunday School class, or Bible study group. I’ve asked Mickey Mellen, our webmaster at the church, to show you in this short video how to create a group using Facebook and some of the creative ways you can use this technology to stay connected. Oh, by the way, it’s FREE!!

Disturb Us Lord

Posted: May 28, 2009

“Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, when we arrive safely because we have sailed too close to the shore.

“Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life; having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity; and in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim.

“Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas where storms will show your mastery; where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask you to push back the horizons of our hopes; and to push us into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love.”

Yes Lord, let it be so.
Confront us with our complacency and fill us with a Holy Hunger that is insatiable.
Instill within us a Divine Desperation to see Your Kingdom come and to cease from building our own kingdoms.
Pull the rug out from under our frivolous ambitions and give us eyes to see our own true motives and frailties.
Send us into the depths of  adversity, if need be, to cause us to stretch our hands toward yours, lest we perish.

We admit and confess to you that we have no way of knowing you, and your ways, without your divine intervention working in us to show us the way.  Lead us on Father , lead us on.

Prayer of Sir Frances Drake, circa 1590

….and my prayer tonight for us.

Jody

Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone

Posted: May 21, 2009

Meet one of my good friends and fellow MB members Betty Hornsby.  Betty’s a member of the choir, Life Group leader, and volunteers in the front office of the church.  Recently she went with a group to serve the homeless on the streets of Atlanta – so I asked if she would share her experience.

I was very anxious about the 7 Bridges experience. Ben, my husband, had been before but it just didn’t seem to be my thing. I volunteer at the church in the office and we have worked on the Great Day of Service but minister to the homeless? That was really putting myself out there. Jody Ray had challenged us to be dangerous Christians and to step outside our comfort zone. I reasoned that if Jesus were here today that He would be helping the least, the last and the lost. Why not me?

It was an eye opening experience to meet with Christians from other churches who had also answered the call. Our friends, the Gallentines, encourage me and help me to know that I would know what to say and do when I met the people who lived under the bridges. After prayer and an inspirational talk from Pastor Seven, the founder of this ministry, we are off to the first bridge where we meet a woman who was talking with her friend. She is happy for the nourishing bag lunch, which a group of people had prepared. Not many people are under that bridge but we left lunches and prayed for them. A group of young people is there from Alpharetta United Methodist as well as several young people from our church. I am so impressed with their boldness as they hug the people and offer prayer and encouragement.

The second bridge is very steep and not one I will approach since I don’t have the best back but there are a group of men sitting at the curb that we talk with. One is a former truck driver from Brooklyn who is very friendly and happy for the good meal. His hands and body are so dirty. Another man looks out of place with his polo shirt, clean pants and boots. He says he hasn’t been there long and I wonder if he will accept this as a way of life or whether he will get off the streets. Again, the rest of the group doesn’t find many people under the bridge but they leave lunches and pray.

The third stop was in the shadow of the dome of the state house. We are told by Bob, a leader, that many of the people had been rousted by the police in recent times and that they had moved to another place. All that polished beauty and manicured lawns contrasts the dirty, matted quilts where people had slept the night before. The simple belongings are clustered in some open spaces and someone has even made a little lean to out of orange construction material. We again pray and leave lunches. We see a young man who has a forlorned look in his eyes but gratefully accepts the bag lunch as well as a hygiene kit. He is given a hug and we hope that he knows that we care about him.

The fourth stop is near the area that the horses are kept for the carriage rides. Here we encounter more men who are sitting in discarded chairs at street level and under a bridge. One of them serenades us with his own gospel music. We have seen Bibles at some of the stops and realize that this is what many cling to for hope. An older man used to play football with Morris Brown College and talks sports with our son, Will and my husband, Ben. His knees are hurting and we talk about bringing him a brace for his knees when we come back. This area is very messy with discarded clothes and litter and I wonder how someone can live like this. The men seem content to be there and with there life.

What a day! I have not been afraid and I have felt comfortable talking with all the people that we have met. They seem to appreciate our being there and the food that has been brought. I wish that they would want to get off the street but this is their choice. It is my choice to do what I can even though it is small. A person wiser than I assured me that we are not responsible for the results, only the effort. It tugged at my heart to see people live like this and it inspired me as I watched people care for the bridge people. God’s commandment was that we should love others as He loves us. I saw this in action. Sometimes, being dangerous is good.

Betty Hornsby

The Chronicles of a Dangerous Church

Posted: May 20, 2009

I’m changing the focus of “my” blog.  I’ve decided to take the “my” off of it and change the title to “The Chronicles of a Dangerous Church.”  The idea is to highlight people, events, leadership and Scripture that chronicle the church (the people) outside the walls of the church (the building).  If you have any thoughts or suggestions please contact me.  Your thoughts and feedback are not only welcomed, but appreciated.

jody.ray@mtbethel.org or 770-971-2880

Thanks

Jody