How much pressure would amnesia add to your gospel presentation?

Over the last few months my small group has been doing a study on evangelism, which triggered a tremendous research proposal.

As far as I can tell, no one has seriously looked into the effects of amnesia upon faith.

Do those who loose their memory also “forget” the gospel?

If so, what would this mean for hardcore Calvinists? Assuming the assurance of election and salvation, this would surely mean that those who were authentically saved, even after their brain injury, would again accept the gospel if/when it was presented to them.

But, imagine the pressure...

You know, in the past, that someone with memory loss has accepted the gospel. Now, you’re going to present it again... 

What if they’re not convinced this time?

Frankly, I would feel like an absolute failure. 

Could you, potentially, tell the person that they have believed this in the past, or would you just start anew? 

Would the first technique be manipulative? 

Would you be extra watchful on their reaction, genuinely knowing, that this is the first time they had heard the story of Jesus?

Christian, or otherwise, I haven’t been able to find any data on the faith retention of amnesia sufferers, but I would be very interested...

The two controversies concerning church mission finances

Whenever a church makes their budget, a tension surrounding missions will linger - geographical and personal.

Do they support local missions or beyond?

Do they support people those they know personally or larger organisations?

The tension - born out of the expanding geographic locals from Acts 1:8 - exists because the mission of God exists on many levels - local, regional and global.

But, like all tensions, they are to be balanced.

And, managing the tension is yet another reason why church treasurers deserve a special place in heaven.

Knowing how the church sausage is made does not make you a good eater

Anyone who has been exposed to the inner workings of an industry has their perception of that industry forever changed.

They know how the sausage is made.

They know the ingredients.

They know the hidden stresses.

They know the pitfalls.

They know the hacks to make things run smoother.

This is true for those who have worked for the church.

And it can poison the way they view church.

For, former sausage makers make for rubbish diners.

I think the problem for former sausage makers is that they struggle to maintain the balance between thinking and feeling.

Those who are unaware of the perils of the kitchen, they are able to enjoy the dinning experience more.

They aren’t interested, never mind looking for, the details which make up a service.

Instead, they are there to enjoy the food.

I think a similar dynamic works for the church.

The challenge for those who have experience in putting church services, worship sets, songs, sound or sermons together, need to find a way to disconnect the logistical element of their brain and, instead, enjoy and experience what is happening before them.

Where are you hearing that from?

 We all hear voices.

Voices which say how well we are going.

Voices which say, frankly, how shit we are.

Everyday we hear their call.

When we, or others, hear the internal small whispers/overwhelming shouts we need to ask ourselves an important question...

Where are the voices coming from?

Are they from inside our head? Is this a message you have developed independently?

Are they fed by those who know us - friends or family?

Are they influenced by strangers - those who don’t know details about you or your past- for example, teachers or those on social media? 

Are they fuelled by the world around you - culture, advertising, music, movies, websites?

Is the voice aligning with what the bible says?

When we examine the source and content of our and others internal dialogue, then we can begin to expose the roots of the messages and expose any miss-truths which may be bouncing around our minds.