Christian Chronicle (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 35, No. 1, Ed. 1 Tuesday, January 24, 1978 Page: 2 of 12
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Page 2 CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE January 24, 1978
IV
Editorials
(1) IWY and ERA.
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(3) Early Child Development legislation bill HR2502 (you may
U
I
(4) A “displacement homemakers’’ bill HR28 and 5418.
I
Letter To The Editor
Christian Chronicle
Dear Editor:
S
evenings
I
YOU CAN INFLUENCE LEGIS-
LATION
want to tell them you are for HJR562, an amendment which
would require half of the participants be from the private
sector (parents).
The Christian Chronicle is published every other Tuesday, except or- issue in
January and July, at Christian Chronicle, Inc. Second class postage paid at
Oklahoma City, OK. Material for publication or subscription orders should be
sent to:
Bridgetown
Western Australia 6255
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Paul
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Concerned Christians can write their congressmen about
information and their feelings on:
(2) Pending bill HR2998 (guaranteeing homosexuals the right to
teach school and adopt children).
Profiles for Church Growth
The church of our dreams is one in which we find ways
for rapid local growth in multiplying the membership,
having each member active and enthusiastic at all worship
and study periods, having Bible classes that produce
righteous knowledgeable Christians and having every
member actively working in the service of Christ. We
dream of a church that takes care of its own, is benevolent
to the needy around them and in catastrophies abroad. We
envision an evangelistic church that reaches into every city
and village world wide.
A casual perusal of church bulletins reveals that the
average local growth rate in church attendance is about
3-10 percent, that about 30-40 percent are absent for Bible
classes, and 30-50 percent do not show up Sunday and
Wednesday evening for worship.
Of those bulletins publishing financial statements and
church budgets, the average church bishops are
authorizing 8-16 percent for missions, 5-10 percent for
benevolence, 15-25 percent for ministerial staff salaries
and benefits (excluding clerical and custodial salaries), 2-5
percent for education, 2-5 percent for youth ministry
(excluding youth minister’s salaries), 10-20 percent on
office and administration, 3-10 percent on local evangelism
and worship, and 30-60 percent on buildings (including
maintenance, repairs, and utilities).
There are some churches setting priorities for obeying
the teachings of Christ and for church growth at home and
abroad. Some are giving record contributions to pay off
building debts or for building facilities without going into
debt in order to free the regular contribution for
investments in missions.
Some have doubled and tripled church attendance and
teaching through busing programs. Others are encourag-
ing a larger percentage of the members to visitation and
soul winning programs. Yet others are setting and meeting
goals for yearly conversions of 100-300 and up.
Some bishops have determined to keep above 50 percent
of the budget for U.S. and foreign missions. More
elderships are assigning “serving of tables” and other
ministrations to deacons and other willing workers to
enable the elders to devote larger amounts of time to
caring for souls. Several are regularly keeping attendance
above 1000.
And yet others are doing congregational campaigning in
other cities where the cause of Christ is weak or
nonexistent. More churches are reaching out to the poor,
lost, old, and orphans in their own cities.
And yet others are at tasks of praying and weeping over
unconverted cities, sending the gospel into 80 million
American homes, converting sectarian preachers, training
ministers, providing literature and study appointments for
denominational preachers, ethnic groups and foreigners in
the U.S., fighting ERA and legislation effecting morals of
our youth and country, ad infinitum.
Time, souls and Christ’s will are precious, pray that our
concern will grow in '78!
position to the bitter end.
Decision-making by consensus
requires a sensitivity for rapport '
Americ;
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1 -1
CHRISTIAN CHRONICLE
P. O. Box 24124
Oklahoma City, OK 73124
Office is located at 8015 N. Oklahoma Ave., Oklahoma City, OK. Phone (405)
848-4565 or evenings (405) 840-4752.
John W. Beckloff — Editor
Publisher
Christian Chronicle Board of Directors
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Subscription rates — $6. for 1 year. $10. for 2 years. $15. for 3 years. Club rates
(5 or more) $5. for 1 year. Add 95 cents for foreign subscriptions.
Complimentary boat-mail subscriptions sent to missionaries on request.
Congregational plan rate is 30 cents per month per family; Statement is mailed
to church office. Change of address — allow six weeks for new subscription or
change of address-. Include old address label when sending a change of-address.
I'
Joe
recent
Jehov-
J more
/ religic
j their
-, menib
I since
new 1
has dr
“Oni
mat tl
been !
mimbe
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made
pass (:
(Bamn
ton, Te
I am writing to notify you of
our change of address from P.O.
Box 234, Cloverdale, Western
Australia to P.O. Box 3, Bridge-
town, Western Australia 6255.
I would like to express my
thanks to you for sending me the
“Christian Chronicle”. My hus-
band is an evangelist working in
the south west of Western
Australia. We work mainly in
the town of Bunbury. The
congregation of Bunbury con-
sists of three Christian women
(myself included) and my hus-
band. Sunday and, Wednesday
evenings we go to the town of
sonnel and many other things.
Again and again these men
function as decision makers on
an individual basis.
Now consider what happens to
these same men when each
becomes one of a group of
elders. The process of decision-
making is different. Manage-
ment studies show that decisions
made by a group are much
more likely to be better deci-
sions, but group decision-making
requires a difference capability
on the part of the individuals
who participate.
When a man participates in
decision-making by consensus,
there is a process of exploration.
During discussions each is
usually very sensitive to the fact
that others are judging and
evaluating his comments. Some-
times in this sensitivity a man
takes a position in the realm of
judgment and, because his ego
is on the line, fights for this
John
Kristin.
Eagle F
IWY Ci
Tx., Nc
dozens i
homosex
day Ion;
Brother and Sister RalJ.;
of Mars Hill Christian b
Florence, Ala., were inw .,
a serious auto acciden
drunken driver. They a ■
improving slowly.
From This Corner
Comfortable with Consensus Judgment?
by James O. Baird
One of the wonders of God’s
plan is how He uses human
beings to fulfill His purposes.
This is why nothing much
happens in the church without
leadership. When we see a
congregation making the impact
God intended, it is because
behind the scenes somewhere
there is the effective exercise of
Christian leadership.
Men who are called upon to
lead in the church are often-
times men who have also lead in
their secular pursuits. More
often than not they have func-
tioned in roles in which indivi-
dual decision making is empha-
sized. The man who runs a farm
decides what he will plant, when
he will plant it, what fertilizer to
use and when to harvest. The
man who runs his own business
makes decisions about his inven-
tory, opening and closing hours,
employing and discharging per-
that the gospel message^
bring response from
hearts.
We are greatly encom
your magazine. We c-
benefit from the article5-
also very encouraging ,
pgYvs nn the m
field.
Jim i
someone
on enig
luuioduring t
Shirley hensible
their ‘ijj
■I ■
■ ■ -
Harvey where Jerry, my hus-
band, preaches and teaches.
Harvey has two men and one
woman member of the church.
Jerry also conducts a Bible
correspondence school through-
out the south-west. When anyone
finishes the course, we go to
visit them to give them the full
gospel and to see if they are
willing to be baptized into
Christ.
Next year (1978) we are
showing the Jule Miller film
strips five nights in a row in the
towns of Bunbury (January),
Harvey (February), Collie
(March), and Margaret River
(April). The halls have been
booked and attractive brochures
advertising the film evenings
have been printed, and we pray
in roles where decisions are i refuses
made by groups should take a, amp]e
responding to the situation as
Christian men. Sometimes dis-
tress is brought to a congre -
gation by good-hearted men win
just do not realize that there isa
great deal of difference between
making a decision as an individ-
ual and making it as a part ofa
group.
This just means that thoseol
us who are privileged to function
should take a J
second look at how we are, generatj
cialism
and tod
nipt. Tl
liberal
abandor
percent
darkenii
days. I
summei
____ reporter
been clo
■ ' | years. t
BBC sa
needed i
lhe hun
“How
-'e Jfill,
seeking] sands.'
,ragel*i '“B?"
r to $ I
of others on the miss'’
Yours since^i
with others, a willingness to give
and take. Unless it is a matter j
of Biblical principle, a man who
is too fixed in his own notions
will sooner or^_latw--<rtate
dissension. TUhe is opinionated,
others will have to yield to the
strength of his opinions, or resist
and create tension.
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Beckloff, John W. Christian Chronicle (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 35, No. 1, Ed. 1 Tuesday, January 24, 1978, newspaper, January 24, 1978; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1322211/m1/2/: accessed May 14, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.