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The church does not exist for our own pleasure, but to serve as God’s instrument of rescue and hope to the wounded and lonely.
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BOB WALDRON, Executive Director
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When the words "MAYDAY, MAYDAY" crackle over U.S. Coast Guard radios, search and rescue teams spring into action. Their motto: "Always Ready, That Others May Live." The core mission of the National Search and Rescue School has always remained the same: to train personnel to perform their rescues with confidence so that persons will live.
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Like search and rescue teams who brave storms and high seas, churches should focus on rescuing souls who cannot find their way. The more desperate their circumstances, the greater should be our commitment. To accomplish this, churches need a radical refocusing and retooling.
Churches must bow anew at the foot of the cross. It is only at Golgotha that we see how seriously God regards sin and how deeply He loves the world. And it is there that our identity as the People of God, is shaped to include the crucifixion of self. The world needs more crucified churches to bring the redemptive and healing message of Christ to the masses.
Churches must focus on others. We must not settle for comfort while neighbors are adrift on stormy seas. The church does not exist for our own pleasure, but to serve as God’s instrument of rescue and hope to the wounded and lonely.
Churches must rethink their educational programs. We generally have taught people to know, but not to do. We need a healthy dose of “obedience-oriented education.” If our expectation is that members will share their faith, we need to teach them not just that they should do it, but how to do it. That training should include modeling and mentoring.
Churches are God’s search and rescue team and must always be ready, that others may live.
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