Jack’s Winning Words 7/16/14
“I am the people-the mob-the crowd-the mass.  Do you know that all the great work in the world is done by me?”  (Carl Sandburg)  Something interesting is going on it Detroit.  On Sundays a mob of people shows up for mass at some large inner-city church which typically has few worshippers.  Is it a way to encourage the faithful?.. or maybe for the mob-sters to recapture a faith that once was theirs?  What do you think?    ;-)  Jack

  FROM TARMART REV:  I remember how encouraged I would be at Temple Kol Ami to have a visiting "individual" or "family" on any given Sunday . . . I still recall a Messianic Jewish lady that attended at times. Hard to imagine what would have gone over me to have a mob of folk walk in. I just remembered two young gentleman form The Jewish News who wanted to interview me from a call they had received from mother who was concerned I was proselyting her son during our conversations at Tally Hall at the time, mentioning our services at Temple Kol Ami.  I asked  Rabbi Conrad to join us in his office after the service . . . he was a master at reaffirming our relationship with the Temple . . . I will always appreciate that about him.====JACK:  Great crowds listened to the teaching s of Jesus, but it was the ones who followed through on those teachings that made the difference.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  That is a conundrum....wish it would happen in our church!  We are predominately "Golden Agers".But still a meaningful ministry!  Lots of opportunities for compassion as we serve the homeless meals and the needy in the neighborhood, and the ailing in the church family.....Archbishop Desmond TuTu had it right when he said, "Frequently people think compassion and  love are merely sentimental. NO!  They are very demanding. If you are going to be compassionate, be prepared for action!"  I hope "the mob" continues to worship at the downtown church, I'm sure they need all the help they can get!====JACK:  It's like the church on the Sunday after Easter.  Even many pastors take a "vacation" on that day.  It reminds me of the story about the little girl who said, "Here's the church and here's the steeple.  Open the doors...and where are the people?"  She had made the mistake of folding her fingers in the usual way, instead of inter-locking them.====OAKS:  I DON'T KNOW MANY CHURCHES WHOSE ATTENDANCE IS NOT DOWN CONSIDERABLY FROM A FEW YEARS AGO.....THERE ARE SOME. MOST OF SPRINGFIELD'S THAT ARE FLOURISHING SEEM TO HAVE RELOCATED AT THE EDGE OR JUST OUT OF THE CITY LIMITS.  A COUPLE OF THE BLACK CHURCHES ARE THRIVING HOWEVER, MID-TOWN, AND HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMS FOR THEIR YOUTH, AND MUSIC. DYNAMIC  LEADERSHIP IS THE KEY...!====JACK:  I remember reading about a small church in England where the church elders complained to the minister, because the church was not growing.  He responded, “Well, we did take in one member during the year, the young boy, Bobby Moffat.”  Now, you know the rest of the story about Moffat’s translation of the Bible.

FROM GUSTIE MARLYS:  I think Glory to God!  For whatever reason--if they are there to  worship--that is what matters.====JACK:  We in the "church business" tend to look at the numbers with regard to success or failure of a congregation.  God knows more than we do!