Comments on: Prophet-Minded http://www.steveaddison.net/2005/06/10/prophet-minded.html Steve Addison's blog about movements for the renewal and expansion of the church. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:37:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Rick Paynter http://www.steveaddison.net/2005/06/10/prophet-minded.html#comment-49 Rick Paynter Thu, 23 Jun 2005 10:55:14 +0000 http://www.steveaddison.net/2005/06/10/prophet-minded.html#comment-49 Interesting views Alister. I personally don't make any divide between sacred and secular when it comes to the "activities" of the church. I do this because I contend a) we have to be in the world and that requires commerce (every church now exiting does this, even the Amish), b) there should be no place where God is not represented. I think those who say the church has no place in the world are in danger of not understanding why Jesus created it in the 1st place. Interesting views Alister. I personally don’t make any divide between sacred and secular when it comes to the “activities” of the church. I do this because I contend a) we have to be in the world and that requires commerce (every church now exiting does this, even the Amish), b) there should be no place where God is not represented. I think those who say the church has no place in the world are in danger of not understanding why Jesus created it in the 1st place.

]]> By: Alister Cameron http://www.steveaddison.net/2005/06/10/prophet-minded.html#comment-41 Alister Cameron Fri, 17 Jun 2005 04:02:16 +0000 http://www.steveaddison.net/2005/06/10/prophet-minded.html#comment-41 OK I'll bite!! I haven't read the article yet, but I keep hearing it's pretty shocking stuff. What I would be interesting in hearing others' opinions about is the sense of rightness or wrongness of a church movement/denomination engaging in commercial activities as an aspect of their core ministries or functions. Is it the place of a church to grow to the extent where, from a "business motive" point of view, it makes sense to engage in consolidated buying, or similar activities on behalf of members? Say the AOGs came out with a low-interest VISA card, or the products that they presently have like superannuation, car fleet, etc. How to we "theologise" about the church/commerce "divide"? Is it a problem to people? What if the Uniting Church came out with a member loyalty program where they "weilded" their buying power to create great deals on cars, petrol, flowers, books, etc for members? This is commerce and quite a product to maintain... could this be legitimate? What's out there in terms of people's thinking/writing about this stuff? I'm really interested in it, for one. A narrow view of "church" would preclude any commercial engagement perhaps, with the argument that it is "unequal yolking" with the world, perhaps. A more liberal view would think it's just being smart! I am still really processing all this and would be interested in comments here from people who had really thought it through. - Alister OK I’ll bite!!

I haven’t read the article yet, but I keep hearing it’s pretty shocking stuff.

What I would be interesting in hearing others’ opinions about is the sense of rightness or wrongness of a church movement/denomination engaging in commercial activities as an aspect of their core ministries or functions. Is it the place of a church to grow to the extent where, from a “business motive” point of view, it makes sense to engage in consolidated buying, or similar activities on behalf of members?

Say the AOGs came out with a low-interest VISA card, or the products that they presently have like superannuation, car fleet, etc. How to we “theologise” about the church/commerce “divide”? Is it a problem to people?

What if the Uniting Church came out with a member loyalty program where they “weilded” their buying power to create great deals on cars, petrol, flowers, books, etc for members? This is commerce and quite a product to maintain… could this be legitimate?

What’s out there in terms of people’s thinking/writing about this stuff? I’m really interested in it, for one.

A narrow view of “church” would preclude any commercial engagement perhaps, with the argument that it is “unequal yolking” with the world, perhaps. A more liberal view would think it’s just being smart!

I am still really processing all this and would be interested in comments here from people who had really thought it through.

– Alister

]]>