1. What attitudes do we have towards Fairfield as i) Residents ii) Christians ?
2. How big an impact on society do we i) Desire to have ii) Think we can realistically have?
3. How would you feel if St Barnabas' remained pretty much the way it is now?
4. What does this suggest about the way we view the purpose of Church and Christian life?
5. How might all these attitudes towards Fairfield affect our involvement in Jesus' mission?
2. How big an impact on society do we i) Desire to have ii) Think we can realistically have?
3. How would you feel if St Barnabas' remained pretty much the way it is now?
4. What does this suggest about the way we view the purpose of Church and Christian life?
5. How might all these attitudes towards Fairfield affect our involvement in Jesus' mission?
Posts
For me, i was convicted in that Peter was asking us if we'd leave Fairfield if we could. I said yes I would leave not on the basis of how dodgy Fairfield is but just for a different experience (born in Campbelltown, live in Liverpool, go to church in Fairfield).
ReplyDeleteWhen I said 'experience' i realised it meant nothing more than to 'trade up' from Fairfield. Looking at the statistics of Christians vs. Non Christians in our area, it would be completely ridiculous for Christians to leave this part of Sydney!
Apparently there are more homosexuals now than Christians. Even if we got 1% of Fairfield's population in bible believing churches, that would be growth in the thousands!
Nobody leave!
Daniel Sing - posted on Facebook Group
Oh Soong *Wipes tear from eye* that was so well said.
ReplyDeleteAnyway - yeah totally agree that when you look at the amount of christians moving into the area, versus out of the area - it's almost selfish for people to move. It's heartbreaking for sure.
EVERYONE STAY / MOVE TO FAIRFIELD OKAY
Tara - posted on Facebook group
Our group found it easy to talk about what it is about Fairfield, that can make it hard to love and reach with the gospel. However, we found it much harder to reflect on how our OWN ATTITUDES might be lie at the heart of the problem.
ReplyDeleteSteve Freddo - Posted from Facebook Group
We had an interesting self-diagnosis in our group. i think the thing that struck us the most was the fact that as Christians we already live busy lives with work, family, church, other stuff happening. but yet we also recognise that people in Fairfield (like the rest of the world need God).
ReplyDeleteWe'd love to have a heart for sharing jesus with them, but it feels as though there's hardly any time left in our week to do so!
At the same time, we have a pretty apathetic, comfortable view of how things are going both in secular Sydney as well as in our own Christian lives
The attitudes we have are so entrenched. its hard to love this city because we've grown up knowing that we live in an area of lower socio-economic 'status', its definitely our own attitudes but also the attitudes of others that defines us. theres not a person in sydney who wouldnt have a distinct opinion about the west/east/north.
ReplyDeletepeter made me feel bad that when he suggested we reach just 1% of the population, comprising over 900 people, i was aghast. i stressed that i was just being realistic - but at the same time i know God can do great things. we are certainly in a mission field, churches and other religious institutions in the south west are packed - the problem is, these institutions arent teaching the bible. also, religion in many of the cultures we're surrounded by isnt a personal choice, but an accepted part of a persons community and to turn away from it is shameful. that will also be difficult to tackle.
i think that in order to reach just that 1%, people in our church really do need to decide they want to love and serve fairfield, they need to make consistent effort that proves that and we need to keep praying. to see 900 people, actually become Christian, is also going to take patience and i dont think it could take any less than 10 years. im not being doubtful, once again, im being realistic. its all in God's hands and will go according to his timing, no matter what i may think.
to be honest it seems like a daunting task, but the first study has made me realise above all things how much fairfield needs to hear the gospel and that we as a church have a responsibility to make that happen.
Christine - Facebook post