Seven Spheres - The Church/Religion

I have to say that I'm feeling pretty rushed through this little series, and I don't feel like I'm always able to get my thoughts out the way I want. Before the end of the year, I'd post at lunch at work, and I had time to get my points together. Now I'm squeezing blogging into home and family time, and I fear I'm not coming across the way I want. But there's nothing else to do but press ahead, for now.

One more thing to say in general regarding the Seven Spheres of Influence. Like I said originally, I learned this at YWAM. This teaching was meant to emphasize that we can be missionaries wherever we are called to. Not every one is meant to stay in YWAM - most aren't in fact. The leaders there realized this, and began to work on training people to be missionaries in every field, not just under the specific term "missionary".

Saying that, Sunday's sphere of influence is actually the Church. Yes, the church needs people to come to it with the idea that they will do everything for God's glory and to reach people with the gospel. It may be a sad thing to say, but sometimes this doesn't happen. But it is also more benign than that. There is no denying that religion is a major sphere of influence in culture, and we need to recognize that.

I don't pretend to have the goods to change the church in general. However, I hope my blogging can bring up issues that enlighten people to things they haven't thought of. Also at church, I try to be a catalyst for things that God may be trying to show us there. Since I have had some varied experiences, I try to bring that to the table and offer it up for consideration.

We need to be as mission-minded in church as we are in any other endeavor we take on. It shouldn't be overlooked just because it is our own backyard.