At Citipointe Church
We just returned from the second annual Citipointe Conference where we were invited to speak. Our sermon topic was: God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – God of the living and God of the generations. We ministered to several hundred gathered at the conference on how to transfer our Christian faith and Pentecostal experience to a new spiritual generation. Abraham, the Father of faith, created a family, but faith must continue to grow and be transferred. Isaac established a tribe and grew out of his personal boundaries to be a blessing to many. In the third generation, however, Jacob founded a nation. Our faith must grow beyond our personal family of faith or religious tribal clan into a nation of believers. Only then the covenant promises of God can be fully fulfilled.
Back to Church Sunday 2014
X Youth Event Reunion
X 7.7.7 @ Black Sea https://cupandcross.com/x-youth-event-at-the-black-sea-2/
X 8.8.8 @ the Heart of Bulgaria https://cupandcross.com/x-2008-in-the-heart-of-bulgaria-a-new-level-of-ministry/
X 9.9.9 @ Gipsy Ghetto of Samokov https://cupandcross.com/2009-x-event-transforming-the-status-quo-2/
X 10.10.10 @ Cyprus https://cupandcross.com/x-10-10-10-cyprus-reflection/
X 11.11.11 @ Chicago https://cupandcross.com/x-11-11-11-youth-event-afterglow/
X 12.12.12 @ End Time Revival https://cupandcross.com/12-12-12-revival-at-the-end-of-the-world/
Rapture of the Church
Repost: The Exodus of the Youth from Church: In Search of Answers to a Dark Dilemma
by Kathryn N. Donev
I recently sat in a lecture “Why Are Youth Leaving the Church?” I listened to the most recent statistics, compared one opinion to the next, looked at the latest church involvement research and even explored some emerging themes of why people in general leave the faith. All the information was very interesting and contained an impressive collaboration of ideas. The research does not lie and opinions are to be valued. However, honestly what good does this enlightenment do us when we sit back and do nothing to correct the problem? We are so used to youth leaving our church that we have become complacent with pews filled with “ancient dinosaurs” in the words of a young lady just last week. We have become so overwhelmed with data that we forget to look at the real picture of why our next generation of leaders are leaving. Or perhaps we do nothing because we simply don’t understand young people’s true motivation for leaving the church. The answers may be uncomfortable for some but they deserve deeper exploration.
Youth are leaving the church but this does not necessarily mean they all are leaving the faith. Many young people of today have much more faith than some of the pew fillers whom have their assigned seats with their pillows and blankets left to save their spots. So if this is the case that they still have a genuine relationship with Christ but simply don’t want to be within the four walls of religion, so to speak, should we not explore the million dollar question differently? We should not excuse away their leaving to agnosticism, postmodernism or neopaganism regardless of how cleverly it takes the focus off of the real concerns and sins of the “church.” It is not a very popular idea to confess the sins of the church which is ironic when we proclaim to be a house of confession. Perhaps confession is only good for the soul as long as the sins are not our own. Behind the irony rests a darker problem, one that is responsible for many young people leaving the church.
For years the church has been a place of hypocrisy and today’s young generation is one that is fed up with the dishonesty and is willing to take a stand. They are so disgusted they can no longer keep silent. They are not willing to “tweak the numbers” of the church financial records or work their way up the hierarchical ladder. They see through the masks and are not willing to compromise. Young people are tired of religious politics, bickering, back stabbing and lying. If we, the church, do not open our eyes to this now, if not yesterday, it will be too late.
This young generation is wandering looking for a place of refuge and they no longer find a safe place in the church house. The church regrettably is no longer safe. You cannot genuinely express your feelings, concerns or doubts without them being the topic of the message on the following Sunday morning. There is no longer trust within the church. The place of worship has turned into a place of gossip. A spiritual encounter has been replaced with a social gathering. The leadership of the Holy Spirit is no longer considered because we are too busy worrying about the opinions of others. So if by now you are still puzzled as to why the today’s youth are leaving the church then my heart is deeply saddened.
Nevertheless, we need to make a self-less effort and remember that the church does not exist for our personal entertainment. Realize it is not a prize to possess but is a treasure to be given away to the next generation. We must do whatever it takes to restore the tabernacle to its original purpose; to call its people back to holiness. We must be willing to give up our seat to the next generation before it is too late and there is no body left willing to fill the void.
Postscript: This article was written based on the following word the Lord gave me June, 2011: “The Church is not a prize to possess, but is a treasure to give away”.
Revival at Kinser Church of God
![Kinser-Church-of-God-REVIVAL[1]](https://cupandcross.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Kinser-Church-of-God-REVIVAL1.png)
EFFECTIVE VIDEO FOR YOUR CHURCH EASTER SERVICE
When putting together a video that powerfully moves people the most important element to that video is a great audio track. The following project demonstrates this principal with a simple looping background product available here combined with the “Sirius” track by Allan Parsons Project (avaialable from itunes) and a message on the Victory of the Cross of Christ by David Wilkerson. The result was this:
SO HOW WAS IT PUT TOGETHER?
The Video was made all in adobe Premier. So if you don’t have after effects, you can still put together something like this using just video editing software such as Vegas, Final Cut, Premiere or even Imovie or Windows Movie Maker. [more]
Revelation Revival at River Hills Church
Sunday School program from the Declaration of Faith for the Bulgarian Church of God
Sunday School program from the Declaration of Faith for the Bulgarian Church of God
The Sunday School program for the Bulgarian Church of God was envisioned at the end of 2000. Because of the lack of continuity with Sunday School programs taught in the time before the communist Regime and general unavailability for translated curriculum, we created the program from scratch as follows:
2001 Taught first series at the Capital Church of God in Sofia
2002 Presented the newly published Sunday School to the General Presbyters Council of the Bulgarian Church of God
2003 Taught complete Sunday School series at Church of God in Pravetz Bulgaria
2005-2007 Over 40,000 copies of the Sunday School program were printed and distributed among the Church of God congregations
2010 Taught the Sunday School series in the Church of God in Ruse, Bulgaria
2011 Taught all 14 modules of the Sunday School series in the Church of God in Gabrovo, Bulgaria
2013 Taught the modules of the program via the Mobile Bible School
Rapture of the Church
