“Journal Notes” submitted by home groups from Study Seven: The Cross at the Margins

submitted September 9:

A)  What was Jesus’ mission statement?

We figured Matthew 28:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Then we debated:
- Does this have anything to do with the poor?
- Where does evangelism and benevolence intersect if at all?
- Are mission statements necessary?
- Do we know our own churches one?

B) The tread mill:
Say we wanted to get to grips with this poor stuff and actually start doing something about it then how do we get off the tread mills we are on?
We spent a lot of time discussing how to actually change the patterns of our work/family life.  We had no answer and the closest we could do was to ask one of our group to stop working and we would pay her to do it for us.  PROBLEM as soon as you are paid you are accountable and then we would want reviews and reports etc etc. and all, her time would be spent being an administrator and not a career.

submitted August 14:

- We’re not Super Heroes.
- Being there at the right time  is often all that is needed-and that may mean being in tune with being where God wants us to be.
- Considering others’ interests as important as your own – which in turn means taking care of yourself so that you are fit to help others.
- Some discussion on accepting what you’ve got – self acceptance.

The Cross and the Powerful Rescuers:
- We related this to B@tch’s Xmas boxes and how the potential to feel power is taken right away by not knowing who the boxes go to. It is all anonymous.
- Some discussion on feeling like a great person when you help others-is this right? Someone pointed out that if we only feel negative or neutral when serving others, where is the place for the warm fuzzies?
- If we feel we are in danger of a sense of mis-placed pride, we should look on it as passing on God’s blessings, and in this way, we bring it back to God.
- Try and remember why we are meant to help and serve others-reading the Bible and these very discussions at Home Group help us to do that.  Ask ourselves when helping, why are we doing this?
- Discussion on the saying ‘passing the business on’-that is, returning favours and keeping the blessings going in our communities.

The Cross and the Cost:
- Is wanting and going for the Kiwi Dream wrong?
- Our society tends to be egalitarian-everyone has a fair chance to succeed and prosper.
- We can be well-meaning, but ignorant of how people less privileged actually live – their circumstances. e.g. kids at a health camp being thrilled to be able to sleep under bedding when at home they sleep
under coats.
- What does this mean for us as a church? Do we up our giving? Decided that the breakfasts were generous because we want to be generous to the community.

The Cross and Success:
- Decided that at B@tch power and status don’t come into it as we don’t believe that is what church is about.