10 Ways You can Strengthen the St. Louis Christian Community Right Now!
Revelation 3:2 reads "Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God." Waking up is exactly what the Christian community in the St. Louis metro area needs to do. Why? Because time is truly growing shorter, and when you stop to take a look at what is happening around us, you realize that waking up is just the beginning. In the past few years, St. Louis has seen the closure of many Christian bookstores, several Christian coffeehouses and several ministries and even a few churches. As a Body, we need to pull together in an effort to strengthen our community, so that we might reach more with His message.
The following are ten ways we can all start helping right now. But they are just the start.
1. Pray
The Bible says in 1st Thessalonians 5:17 that we are to "pray without ceasing". Prayer plays a vital role in strengthening our community. As a body, we should pray for our fellow believers, for the ministries and churches in St. Louis and for the community that we are all striving to reach with the message of the Gospel.
2. Support your local Christian Bookstore
In the last few years, the St. Louis area has lost a good number of Christian bookstores. Lemstone Books, Kingdom Treasures, The Lion & The Lamb, and others have closed for good. Other local chains have had to close one or more locations, and several of the remaining stores are barely hanging on. As a community, we should make these businesses our first stop when purchasing Bibles, Christian books or CD's, or gifts. Sure, you might be able to find The Purpose Driven Life or a Left Behind book for a little less money on the internet or at a discount store, but where is that money going? The world continues to add resources at a mind-numbing pace. We do not need to lose ours.
3. Support Local Christian Music
St. Louis is blessed to be home to some fantastic local artists and musicians. Sadly though, many Christians in the area don't know of this awesome talent. And a lot that do don't make a point to purchase the music or attend the performances given by these warriors of song. Music has the ability to break down a lot of barriers, from geographical and denominational to racial and generational.
4. Patronize the Advertisers that support local Christian Radio Stations and Publications
Radio stations and newspapers (and magazines!) are generally supported by advertising. Christian radio stations and publications are no different. St. Louis is home to a Christian newspaper, a few magazines, a Christian directory book, and over a dozen Christian radio stations. Make an effort to support not only the papers and stations themselves, but the advertisers that keep them operating. Galatians chapter 6, vs. 9&10 says:
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."
5. Act
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Proverbs 3:27
It's easy to have ideas and opinions, but it's another thing entirely to ACT on those ideas. Get up! Get involved.
6. Give
Once you've decided to act, decide to give. Time, money, knowledge, effort. God has given us all our own set of unique talents and abilities. Give of them freely.
7. Reach out
What resources can we, as the Christian community, offer the rest of St. Louis? The recent Katrina disaster prompted a wonderful outpouring of Christian giving. But right now, in your own backyard, tragedies are befalling men, women and children. Drugs, job loss, death, illness. What can we give? What can we offer?
8. Connect
St. Louis is full of churches and ministries that don't know each other exist. As a community, we need to work to connect these resources. Not just for the benefit of the people these churches and ministries reach, but for the benefit of the churches and ministries themselves. Does you church have a food pantry with an overabundance of goods? Find one that needs them. Does your church have a singles ministry? Find a church that does not have one and invite their singles!
9. Teach
Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. Proverbs 9:9
Does your church bulletin constantly report teaching vacancies in Sunday School or Christian Education classes? Maybe you are nervous about teaching, or speaking in front of people. But knowledge is a key to strengthening the Body of Christ. God has given you knowledge, if not through formal education, than by life itself. Use it and share it. If we can't fill our own classes with teachers, how will we teach the world?
10. Pray
This list begins and ends with prayer. So too should our endeavors to build His church. Pray for strength, for courage, for resources, for doors to be opened. Pray for those that strive to strengthen and enrich. The stronger the Body, the more effective we will be in spreading His word.
I would love to read your feedback & additions!
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Author: wbrilenge
Location: St. Louis Missouri USA
Gender: Male
Age: 38
Blog Entries: 1 (archive)
Blog Comments: 0
my name is william bryan rilenge. professionally, i go by william, but most people call me bryan. my wife sheila and i publish etc magazine, a christian events publication in st. louis, mo. we also publish inspire and st. louis christian parent magazines. i am a founding member of christian...
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