Dear Crosswalkers,
It is good to be back home again!
This week I have so much to share that I will bother you with two of my pastor "weekly" emails. This one is simply to remind you that this week at Crosswalk we are beginning small groups again. Last night a couple groups met on campus, and this evening we will have three more. You are invited to be a part of one of them! I will be leading a study on Christian Worldview and Ethics entitled "Doing the Right Thing: Making Moral Choices in a World Full of Options." I am really looking forward to this Study, which will be a combination of information sharing and discussion. Other classes include God as He Longs for You to See Him, led by Dave Stokes; and 8 Week Health Challenge, facilitated by Sharon Welty. Our Youth will embark on a study at Starbucks, and the Children will discover "Friends and Heroes, Part 2." There is something for everyone! Please join us for dinner and fellowship from 5:30 - 6:20, and the classes start at 6:30!
It is always fascinating to see things through the eyes of others. In a recent article ("Why Christianity Lost America" - a title I stole and slightly revised to reflect more accurately that the story isn't over yet!) Vishal Mangalwadi, a Christian scholar from India, shared his perspective of what is happening in America today. He writes:
In November, 2011, I visited two classes at a Christian university in North America. I asked both: "How many of you would still believe Christianity if you found out tomorrow that Christianity was not true. That is: God never became a man; Jesus did not die for our sin; or, that he did not rise from the dead?"
Twelve hands went up in [the class of about 25 students]. These sincere and devout students had grown up in Christian homes, gone to church all their lives, and studied in Christian schools. Some had been in that Christian university for three years! They respected their elders who taught them that Christianity was all about faith with little concern for truth.
Christianity lost America because 20th-century evangelicalism branded itself as the party of faith. Secularism (science, university, media) became the party of truth. This is one reason why 70 percent of Christian youth give up meaningful involvement with the church when they grow up…. Secularism acquired the "truth" brand by default because evangelicalism began defining the Church's mission as [just] cultivating faith, not [also] promoting knowledge of truth.
At Croswalk, we are committed to the biblical teaching that FAITH and TRUTH always BELONG TOGETHER! That's why we study, take classes, and are committed to growing as disciples of Jesus. Christianity hasn't lost America... yet. But I believe America will be lost if we don't keep faith and truth together. I hope to see you tonight!
Blessings,
Pastor John
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