See The Need Sunday

See the Need Sunday

Introduction-

This morning is very special day in the life of our church. We are calling it see the Need Sunday

We have for well over a year been taking a hard look at what we do as a church and why we do it.

We have looked at what we have done in the past to see if it will be something that we will continue to do in the future.

We have given you tidbits and this morning I would like to share a little bit more. Today is the beginning of the unveiling and in January of next year, we will launch and celebrate the changes of our church. We will not only share with you the changes we have made but in the next few months, you will be able to physically begin to see the changes.

God created the church.

It was not our idea, it was the Lord’s.

He made it very clear what the church should be and what the church should get done.

Society today has created churches of entertainment. They have a pastor of their liking who feeds them once a week and that is where church seems to stop.

We have treated the church as somewhere we go instead of somewhere we belong and are a part of it.

The church was intended to be the Lord’s hand extended to (1) People that we come into contact with (2) A place where we as believers get disciple in the Word and go out and model Jesus Christ to the world.

Rosedale has always been a church that loves people and wants people to come and join this family of believers. What we want to be is more intentional, to not only want people to come to the church but create reasons for people to want to come to the church.

This is why we partnered with Bountiful Blessing in 2007 which has ministered to over 550 a year for the last several years. The way that we made it our own was to offer additional things that Bountiful Blessing did not offer.

It is why we are so excited to start Celebrate Recovery which will be starting this coming Thursday. We not only want people to come but giving them a reason to come by meeting the needs that they have.

People are busy.

Some are busy because they are working two jobs and trying to make a living. Single moms, single dads, split families that need someone to get along side of them.

I have seen more people in the last few years that are forced on call, have to now work some Sundays, anytime something extra at work is done, it seems to have to be done on Sunday. That is a fact of life.

We are not able to compete with people making a living. We just have to offer ways to help when and where we can.

Illustration

Imagine if you will a city with a lot of people. Imagine that if you look at the demographics of that city that 17% of its residents live in poverty and that over 47 % of school age kids get government assistance for a free or reduced lunch. Do you picture New York? Los Angeles? Some other big city? It is Middletown Pa.

(Slide #1)

Now look at Highspire and Steelton and their numbers are;

(Slide #2)

24% are living in poverty and 75% of students are getting free or reduced lunches.

(Slide #3)

Harrisburg 33% living in poverty and 83% of students get free or reduced lunches.

Middletown, Highspire, Steelton together

(slide #4)

20% living in poverty and 57% free or reduced lunches

One more

(Slide #5)

Middletown, Highspire, Steelton, Harrisburg together

30% living in poverty and 74% of students getting free or reduced lunches.

Kunkel Elementary School which is a few blocks away from our church is where 81 % of the kids are getting free or reduced lunches. Our elementary school in our neighborhood has applied to be a Title I school, which means that everyone would be eligible to receive help from the federal government.

Add to that a crime rate that just keeps rising.

The drug epidemic exploding to where ambulances in our area carry the miracle drug Narcan to revive overdose victims.

This is the neighborhood God has placed us and this why we are reaching out in a new way to meet needs of this community.

A mission field is more than going across an ocean, that is important but we cannot forget where God has placed us and why He has placed us there.

Our lights are on for this community!

So we as a board decided that we were going to look at what we can do to be more “The church” to the community that God has called us.