Comments on: The Mission of Light and Life Goleta, parts 1 and 2 http://davidgoss.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/the-mission-of-light-and-life-goleta-parts-1-and-2/ A Church Planting Journal Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:20:10 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Laurie http://davidgoss.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/the-mission-of-light-and-life-goleta-parts-1-and-2/#comment-15 Laurie Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:04:43 +0000 http://davidgoss.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/the-mission-of-light-and-life-goleta-parts-1-and-2/#comment-15 Thanks for the reply! ok, I'll give you the "them" as a pronoun replacing "people" on the mission statement (and I knew that's what LLG meant), but like I said, as someone looking in, it still resonates with a "we'll help you", rather than say, "helping one another mature through discipleship...". The ones with the beam in the eye always want to "help" the ones with the mote. :-) As far as dealing with relationships that are destructive, this is indeed good advice for anyone, believer or no, but I wasn't referring to drugs/toxic romances. Too many Christians use the "unequally yoked" rule to avoid relationships with non-Christians. Christ was the most unequally yoked individual in the 4 gospels, preferring time spent with sinners and publicans to the company of Pharisees and rabbis (the churched). In addition, as far as parenting "newborns", one wonders if they are ever guarded against the toxic relationships found within the church? Sadly, some of the sickest people I've ever known were (and still are) leaders/disciplers within the fold. Literally, God help the newbies that come under their care... Thanks for your response. I'm not sure if you get a lot of responses to your blog or from those who may disagree with you, but I think it's always healthy to hear things from a wide perspective. I'm sure you do too. Peace. Thanks for the reply!

ok, I’ll give you the “them” as a pronoun replacing “people” on the mission statement (and I knew that’s what LLG meant), but like I said, as someone looking in, it still resonates with a “we’ll help you”, rather than say, “helping one another mature through discipleship…”. The ones with the beam in the eye always want to “help” the ones with the mote. :-)

As far as dealing with relationships that are destructive, this is indeed good advice for anyone, believer or no, but I wasn’t referring to drugs/toxic romances. Too many Christians use the “unequally yoked” rule to avoid relationships with non-Christians. Christ was the most unequally yoked individual in the 4 gospels, preferring time spent with sinners and publicans to the company of Pharisees and rabbis (the churched).

In addition, as far as parenting “newborns”, one wonders if they are ever guarded against the toxic relationships found within the church? Sadly, some of the sickest people I’ve ever known were (and still are) leaders/disciplers within the fold. Literally, God help the newbies that come under their care…

Thanks for your response. I’m not sure if you get a lot of responses to your blog or from those who may disagree with you, but I think it’s always healthy to hear things from a wide perspective. I’m sure you do too.
Peace.

]]> By: davidgoss http://davidgoss.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/the-mission-of-light-and-life-goleta-parts-1-and-2/#comment-14 davidgoss Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:15:26 +0000 http://davidgoss.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/the-mission-of-light-and-life-goleta-parts-1-and-2/#comment-14 Two great points! Thanks so much for the response. The first one is just a pronoun reference to "people" in part 1 of the mission statement..."compelling people to Jesus Christ". As to your second comment, I have found that certain people are absolutely destructive for spiritual growth. For instance, I and many of the people at LLG have come out of experiences of substance abuse. The "pushers" and "peddlars" who came around in the past still like to come by and sniff around. That's one group that needs to be told, "we don't have a relationship anymore." That is certainly not easy, but firm language with solid intent is called for in that situation. Another might be in romantic, or other close relationships (certainly not marital ones, because the Bible encourages the spouse of an unbeliever to be loving, patient, and prayerful in the hopes of winning them to Christ (1 Corinthians 7:10-16). What I am talking about is what the Bible calls "unequal yoking" in King James-speak (2 Corinthians 6:14-17). It is not that we don't love these people and want relationship on some level, but when undue influence is occurring that is detracting from the path of discipleship, we need to change something. I agree that isolated, homogenous groups do not bring growth. They don't. Discipling some people, however, can be a bit like parenting, especially at the beginning. You want to discern the environment...asking what is healthy, unhealthy, and potentially dangerous. One doesn't put a newborn on a crowded plane if he/she can help it because of all the germs they get exposed to and one doesn't have knives within arms reach. That's how I see it and that is what I hope some people will actually follow through with in their own discipleship adventure. Thanks again for your comments. They are great. I hope you make lots more posts. Two great points! Thanks so much for the response. The first one is just a pronoun reference to “people” in part 1 of the mission statement…”compelling people to Jesus Christ”.
As to your second comment, I have found that certain people are absolutely destructive for spiritual growth. For instance, I and many of the people at LLG have come out of experiences of substance abuse. The “pushers” and “peddlars” who came around in the past still like to come by and sniff around. That’s one group that needs to be told, “we don’t have a relationship anymore.” That is certainly not easy, but firm language with solid intent is called for in that situation.
Another might be in romantic, or other close relationships (certainly not marital ones, because the Bible encourages the spouse of an unbeliever to be loving, patient, and prayerful in the hopes of winning them to Christ (1 Corinthians 7:10-16). What I am talking about is what the Bible calls “unequal yoking” in King James-speak (2 Corinthians 6:14-17). It is not that we don’t love these people and want relationship on some level, but when undue influence is occurring that is detracting from the path of discipleship, we need to change something. I agree that isolated, homogenous groups do not bring growth. They don’t. Discipling some people, however, can be a bit like parenting, especially at the beginning. You want to discern the environment…asking what is healthy, unhealthy, and potentially dangerous. One doesn’t put a newborn on a crowded plane if he/she can help it because of all the germs they get exposed to and one doesn’t have knives within arms reach. That’s how I see it and that is what I hope some people will actually follow through with in their own discipleship adventure.
Thanks again for your comments. They are great. I hope you make lots more posts.

]]> By: Laurie http://davidgoss.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/the-mission-of-light-and-life-goleta-parts-1-and-2/#comment-13 Laurie Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:13:44 +0000 http://davidgoss.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/the-mission-of-light-and-life-goleta-parts-1-and-2/#comment-13 As an outsider looking in, I am curious about your mission statement, particularly the part that says "maturing them through discipleship". Doesn't using the word "them" connote that there is an "us"? I don't know, but it sorta sounds like "those of us who have arrived, will work on those of you who haven't". Also "shutting off" relationships that do not nurture spiritual growth seems like advice that will actually stunt spiritual growth. We grow by learning how to interact with those who differ from us, not by clositering and isolating ourselves into little homogenous groups. Just a couple of thoughts. Feel free to respond... As an outsider looking in, I am curious about your mission statement, particularly the part that says “maturing them through discipleship”. Doesn’t using the word “them” connote that there is an “us”? I don’t know, but it sorta sounds like “those of us who have arrived, will work on those of you who haven’t”.

Also “shutting off” relationships that do not nurture spiritual growth seems like advice that will actually stunt spiritual growth. We grow by learning how to interact with those who differ from us, not by clositering and isolating ourselves into little homogenous groups.

Just a couple of thoughts. Feel free to respond…

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