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NJ Presbyterian Churches Call America 'the Hardest Mission Field'
The Christian Post ^ | June 28, 2013 | Michael Gryboski

Posted on 07/06/2013 7:44:00 AM PDT by Alex Murphy

Four Presbyterian churches in New Jersey will be holding a lecture series about how the United States has become the "hardest mission field."

The Delaware Valley Summer Institute will sponsor the four-night event, titled "America After Christendom: The Hardest Mission Field", from August 11-14. Dr. Darrell Guder, professor of missional and ecumenical theology at Princeton Seminary, will lead the events' presentations.

The churches organizing the event are Lambertville Presbyterian, Titusville Presbyterian, Stockton Presbyterian, and Mt. Airy Presbyterian.

Rev. Kenneth Good, pastor at Stockton Presbyterian, told The Christian Post that the event was the fourth time the churches have come together for discussions on various topics.

"It is our fourth event our churches have hosted, and we have focused on Hebrew Scripture, the New Testament and music. Mission seemed to be good theme to explore," said Good.

Regarding this year's topic about America as the hardest mission field, Good told CP that he believed a major factor for this was American materialism. "I think America can be a difficult mission field because of material abundance. We currently have a member doing bomb retrieval work in Laos," said Good. "The people he interacts with have much less than the average citizen here, and yet they have more simplicity and peace. We have so much, and sometimes that stuff (whether possessions or experiences) can get in the way of what is most important."

For the August event, each evening will feature a presentation done by one of the churches on the broad topic of America as the hardest mission field.

For Aug. 11, Lambertville Presbyterian will host "Western Christendom: Fact and Fiction"; Titusville Presbyterian will host "Strangers and Aliens: The Original Strategy of the Christian Movement" on Aug. 12; Stockton Presbyterian will host "How and Why Christendom Is Ending" on Aug. 13; and Mt. Airy Presbyterian will host the final night's presentation, "America, the Hardest Mission Field" on the final day.

When asked about how to best do missions in America, Good said that "it is our job to share Christ's good news with people."

"If every congregation in our country were to do that, we would be doing something good and pleasing to God. I think we should reach our local neighbors, and love them, and then extend to other connections and eventually to global neighbors," said Good.

"I think our most important job is to be faithful and intentional in sharing Christ's life and hope with the people that we have opportunity to share."


TOPICS: Mainline Protestant; Ministry/Outreach; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: presbyterian
Regarding this year's topic about America as the hardest mission field, Good told CP that he believed a major factor for this was American materialism. "I think America can be a difficult mission field because of material abundance. We currently have a member doing bomb retrieval work in Laos," said Good. "The people he interacts with have much less than the average citizen here, and yet they have more simplicity and peace. We have so much, and sometimes that stuff (whether possessions or experiences) can get in the way of what is most important"....

....When asked about how to best do missions in America, Good said that "it is our job to share Christ's good news with people. If every congregation in our country were to do that, we would be doing something good and pleasing to God."

1 posted on 07/06/2013 7:44:00 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
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To: Alex Murphy

bttt


2 posted on 07/06/2013 7:52:05 AM PDT by TEXOKIE (We must surrender only to our Holy God and never to the evil that has befallen us.)
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To: Alex Murphy
.


Are these the same Presbyterians who celebrate "Sodomite Marriage" ?

Just curious.

/ sarcasm-off

.
3 posted on 07/06/2013 7:58:35 AM PDT by Patton@Bastogne (Swine Piss be upon the Sodmite Obama, and his Child-Rapist False Prophet Mohammed)
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To: Alex Murphy

Europe? Japan?


4 posted on 07/06/2013 8:11:22 AM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion ( “The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.” - Tacitus)
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To: Alex Murphy

Well, of course it is difficult. I’d recommend:

Don’t try to sell a Gospel of Glory (ref: Jesus Christ Superstar theology) made up by (communist) progressives in PCA “political” positions but, just the simple “It is Finished” gospel of Jesus.

Is it any wonder I left the PCA for greener pastures by which He leadeth me?


5 posted on 07/06/2013 8:31:53 AM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Alteration: The acronym explains the science.)
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To: Alex Murphy

I remember the Presbyterian Church.


6 posted on 07/06/2013 9:43:44 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Harriet Meiers is looking pretty good right about now.)
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To: Alex Murphy

God used the returning WW2 vets to ignite the largest sustained missions effort the world has ever seen from 1945-2005.

God also blessed America with material wealth, and believers funded that effort with their tithes and offerings.

America’s churches and missions organizations underwrote the expenses of evangelizing the world for Christ in the post WW2 era. Missionaries were trained here and sent all over the globe. They developed congregations, churches, schools, hospitals,water and energy projects in many lands.

Since about 2005-—and this is only my benchmark, there may be others—the emphasis has been more about training and developing nationals to evangelize in their own cultures.It was evident that this strategy was far more cost effective.
American missions organizations did the organizing, equipping and financing of these efforts, traits they excelled in and which were weak in other countries.

Within the last decade, we have witnessed an explosion of new believers in Christianity in South America, Africa, and India.Most of this growth can be attributable to native evangelists.

Sadly, after 2005, and this is my opinion solely, it seems like God’s blessings are being rejected, and thus withdrawn by Him, as this nation hurtles toward a secular humanist society, embracing all of its errors and teachings. I trace it back to the killing of Terri Schiavo that March, the loss of the 2006 elections to the Democrats, which gave them Congressional control, and the election in 2008 of Barack Obama, and his re-election in 2012.

Also in that time we suffered the worse economic depression since 1929, and face economic ruin still. Our Constitution and the will of the people are routinely ignored by our leaders and Supreme Court.

God is merciful but He is also a God of judgment. He cannot stand idly by while our land murders over a million babies every year, totaling a holocaust ten times worse than what the Jews suffered in WW2. His Word is being mocked, neglected, and disdained even by our leaders.

So in 2013, we find that is OUR country that is in need of the Gospel and revival. We have fallen that far.

May God hear our prayers and use us once again to be the light of the world.


7 posted on 07/06/2013 10:04:30 AM PDT by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: Patton@Bastogne
Are these the same Presbyterians who celebrate "Sodomite Marriage" ?

Just curious.

That would take some digging to find out, but given that someone from Princeton Seminary is involved, I'm guessing they're the same.

The Delaware Valley Summer Institute will sponsor the four-night event, titled "America After Christendom: The Hardest Mission Field", from August 11-14. Dr. Darrell Guder, professor of missional and ecumenical theology at Princeton Seminary, will lead the events' presentations.,

8 posted on 07/06/2013 10:07:35 AM PDT by Lee N. Field ("You keep using that verse, but I do not think it means what you think it means." --I. Montoya)
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To: exit82

That is why one is to keep a close eye on the same global south nations that have produced so many Christians. They are the ones who will be bringing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus to America and to the west.


9 posted on 07/06/2013 12:23:52 PM PDT by Biggirl ("Jesus talked to us as individuals"-Jim Vicevich/Thanks JimV!)
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To: Cletus.D.Yokel

The PCA or the PCUSA?


10 posted on 07/07/2013 2:41:27 PM PDT by ReformationFan
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