CONGREGATIONS IN CALIFORNIA COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY AND EACH OTHER

FOUR TIMES A YEAR, worshippers representing more than 25 Christian congregations in Madera [California] come together at special events—and check any denominational differences at the door.

"Church have different ways to present their services, but we all believe in one God ...," says Ron Winter, a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.

The special events are presented under the moniker of "Church of Madera," which was born out of the Madera Ministerial Association to help congregations better understand what they share in common so they can better help each other address community needs.

The most recent gathering was held a week ago in Madera High South gymnasium, where more than 400 people worshipped and asked for God's blessings on students, teachers, administrators, and staff members starting the new school year.

"It's a sense of we're many congregations but one church," says the Rev. Roger Leach, pastor of Valley West Christian Church and former Madera Ministerial Association president...

"When we can break down denominational lines and come to a central point of having a love of the community, then we can understand other points of view and start to work together," Leach says. "Great ideas come from people with other ways of doing things. We have to realize we're all valuable in the kingdom of God."

In 2002, Leach had the idea to change the concept of Madera Ministerial Association monthly meetings. There would be less business discussion and more prayer for each other.

Leach believed that if ministers prayed for each other, they would also gain new understanding of one another, particularly those with whom they didn't necessarily share the same doctrinal views. The Rev. Fred Thurman, pastor of New Life Assembly, remembers having concerns.

"Not because of any problems with each other, but I thought, 'This is kind of rough. How could we all get along?' " he says.

But ministers put aside differences. They prayed for each other and pooled their resources so congregations could complete projects helping the community.

"When you get into the presence of the Lord, He makes it work," Thurman says.

Ministers talked about the unity they were experiencing at meetings with their congregations.

"As we built our fellowship, our relationships became closer and we saw the bigger picture, which is the kingdom of God rather than denominations," remembers the Rev. John Pursell, pastor of Believers Church of Madera.

Clergy decided if they could work together, so could their congregations. They planned special events for their congregations to get to know each other.

They decided to gather in the four calendar months with fifth Sundays as Church of Madera, and at sites other than churches so participants would feel safe and comfortable.

"Everyone is welcome," Leach says.

Church of Madera events have grown in attendance over the years and have been improved with specific purposes.

[At a recent prayer event,] Leach ... asked worshippers to choose a school in which they would regularly pray for the protection and well-being of students, teachers, and others. Madera has 24 schools, elementary to high school. ...

Tera Napier, principal at Sherman Thomas Charter School, says prayers for schools send a positive message to the community.

"It shows a lot of vision and wisdom," she says. "You usually see churches unite after a tragedy, when pastors are at the forefront. To see this happen, before anything bad takes place, is good."

Ron Orozco
"Churches drop differences to serve community in Madera;
Christians meet to pray and to understand each other better"
www.fresnobee.com/268/story/832021.html © 2008 The Fresno Bee. August 29, 2008

AMONG CONTEMPORARY CHURCH EXPERIENCES—'SMALL GROUPS'

TODAY'S CHURCHES are shedding [a] stuffy impression for a warmer image. Jeans are the new dress code. ... Contemporary music is replacing traditional hymns.

The face of today's church is changing, and that includes in some instances a shift ... to "small groups."...

So what exactly is a small group? Generally, they are a number of people who meet during the week for prayer, Bible study, or spiritual fellowship. ... Participation in small groups is increasing, doubling from 11 percent in 1994 to 22 percent in 2006. And small groups are not a habit of just the suburban white middle class. According to a US poll by the Barna Research Group in 2006, black adults are more likely to attend a small group. Forty-three percent of African Americans attend small groups during the week, compared to 21 percent of Asians, 20 percent of Hispanics, and 20 percent of Caucasians.

The trend toward small groups increases as churches get bigger, some morphing into the mega-churches we see in large urban areas. ... While small groups are the buzz these days, they are not a new concept. We see believers in the early church meeting in people's homes on a regular basis: "They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers" (Acts 2:42, The Message). For the early church, small groups were their church.

Elizabeth Oates
"Faith: Big faith in small groups"
Waco Today—a publication of The Waco-Tribune Herald
August 29, 2008

YOUNG BELIEVERS IN SINGAPORE HAVE THEIR SAY

RELIGIOUS BELIEF is alive and well in Singapore schools, although the average adolescent has only a sketchy knowledge of the main religions [practiced in the country], a survey has found.

Four in five young people believe in some sort of deity, according to the poll of more than 2,700 students by sociolinguist Phyllis Chew.

Here study, believed to be the first of its kind here among youth aged 13 to 18, is published in a new book on religious diversity in Singapore. ...

Most of the students—who come from a mix of neighbourhood and government-aided schools—belong to one of the three religions. Others listed in the survey include Hinduism, Judaism, and the Baha'i faith. ...

Dr. Chew's essay, titled "Religious Switching and Knowledge among Adolescents in Singapore," is one of 28 chapters in a book published by the Institute of Policy Studies and launched yesterday.

She wrote that the religious views of the young matter because "their behaviour and beliefs affect the political, economic, and social future of a nation."

On the whole, Singapore adolescents are remarkably tolerant, she added, even if they interpret "tolerance" as "not talking about religion" with their friends and hence avoiding possible conflicts.

The importance of adopting such an attitude was stressed by about three-quarters of those surveyed. ...

Dr. Chew's survey, done in 2004, also shows that fewer adolescents are Buddhists and that more are Christians compared to the numbers in the last Census of the population aged 15 and older.

Just one in three polled considers himself or herself a Buddhist compared to 42.5 percent in the 2000 census. Correspondingly, Christians make up one in five of those surveyed, against 14.6 percent in the census. The proportion of Muslims, however, has stayed constant, registering 15 percent in both the survey and the census.

While only a small minority (5.7 percent) of students had switched to a different religion from their parents, most conversions were from Buddhism or Taoism to Christianity.

Clarissa Oon
"Four in five young people here believe in religion"
The Straits Times (Singapore). September 3, 2008
© 2008 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd.
Permission required for reproduction