BBQ and "Outreaches"
Well I have a day off and I decided to post. Work is going ok but I just feel purposless. Im use to the feeling kind of. I went to a BBQ on the weekend. It was a church thing. An outreach for young people. I just went to hang out with my friend who usually has no time to hang out unless it is at stuff like this. She is quite a bit older then me (in her 30's im still a young one I have only been out of high school for 2 years now). Now I don't go to church anymore and I am not a christian anymore either. I wasent uncomfortable per se at this event because of this fact though. Whenever I am at events like this whether I believed what they believed or not I was never incredibly comfortabe with people my own age. I am not happy around people who don't think either. I held back a little at this event because I didn't feel like getting into a heavy debate with someone. The person I came with I discussed a few things with. I always feel comfortable talking with her. But I didn't want to with the others. There great people but just didn't feel like it at the moment.
Anyways this event brought out a question to me are these out reaches really accomplishing much? Most of the time the people or the kids or whoever is going to them are people who already believe what they are preaching. Or are just going because a friend invited them and they want to please their friend. (There are exceptions of course.) It just seems like a lot of these events,groups,studies are not for the nons but for the ones who are already part of the group or uh religion. I say this because at these events there is almost always a time where there is a "message" that is passed onto the guests. Sometimes you know it is coming sometimes it is sneaked in. But the message usually is a foreign languange to the nons and known territory to the others.
It is interesting to speculate on and I welcome any comments.
posted by: amesblog (reply)
post date: 04.03.06 (12:54 pm)
I lost my faith in youth outreaches when I realized that only the regulars were showing up, bringing their kids and their kids' friends. The other kids were just there for free food and whatever else. I don't know what it accomplishes by giving out food and fun for a few hours. So many churches are trying to appeal to kids with flashy christian rock bands, bon fires and parties, summer trips to theme parks, and whatever else they think wil appeal to kids. It's just propaganda to reel people in. It saddens me. Some may not agree with me but it is what I've seen locally, several people have left churches over it. Oh well.
posted by: funkadelichika (reply)
post date: 04.04.06 (1:19 pm)
Reply to: amesblog I don't mind much that at youth reaches or any reaches that it is the regulars there I mean thats why they are called regulars. What bugs me so much about these reaches* is that some of them have a hidden message to them. For instance I once went to a BBQ (not the one mentioned above) that I thought would just be a BBQ at the beachside. Well almost as soon as I got there we (me and my 3 christian friends) wre told that unless we had spoken in tounges before we were going to hell. Yeah great out reach. It is situations like this that bug me. But one more thing I would like to say. I didn't leave the church or ultimatley leave the faith because of things like this. Ok maybe I stopped going to church on sunday mornings because of some certain cliqueish behaviours but I stopped believing for other reasons. Basically I reasoned out of it. No traumatic events happend to stop my belief. Traumatic events bad events whatever shoulden't stop belief in something. Christianity isent the problem when you drop out of a faith it's the people your leaving.
posted by: PastorDave (reply)
post date: 04.06.06 (10:34 am)
Do they accomplish much? Well, they got you there!
I think the purpose of such an event is not the convince the skeptic. Another tact, a different effort, will be needed for that. Such an event is to make contact with and break down barriers that exist with those who do not have a problem with Jesus or even with Christianity- they just do not have a ready and comfortable relationship with a church/Christian group. I much prefer this to hard-core evangelism, which may be successful, but sure burns a lot of possibilities in the process.
Sometime, somewhere, I'd like to know your spiritual journey to this point where you no longer consider yourself to be a Christian.
posted by: funkadelichika (reply)
post date: 04.06.06 (12:48 pm)
Reply to: PastorDave
I agree with you these events mainly are there to connect with people build trust and relationships. But sometimes it seems like the pastors behind it are trying to make it sound like it is so much more or like it should be. Sometimes these events for some sects are there to convince the sekptic though. Some of these events are a little hard core in the evangelism department. Sometimes that is a good thing though. Anyways each post you'll probably learn a little more about me and my "spiritual journey" One thing I hate at this point about it though is that every time I am talking about a christian practice or whatever I always have to add at the end "but I am not a christian anymore" I have so much knowledge of christianity from the years spent believing and I want to use it.