Series: Joseph a Man for Our Time
7:30PM Wednesday, December 11 - Joseph: Real Guardian
When the Christmas story is told, we often hear about Mary and Jesus. Joseph is the forgotten man. This week we will see how a real guardian acts in real life difficult circumstances.
Newsletter article about the whole series:
“Mind the Gap” were words Tami and I heard often on our recent anniversary trip to the United Kingdom -- meaning watch your step as you enter a subway, boat or elevator. Just this month, I heard of another “gap” that needs to be “minded” in the United Kingdom -- the gender gap in churches. “The UK’s official religion [Anglicanism] is dwindling at a record speed, with the decline of the Church "approaching rock bottom," experts warn. While Christian congregations age, most British mosques are bringing more and more young people on board. Public mosque services attract thousands of British Muslims, but when you check out a church, there are hardly a dozen participants at Sunday morning worship…” (RT News)
When you look at many religious services (and we visited some) in the UK the churches are mostly empty and those there are mainly older women. Yet look at pictures of Mosques in the UK and you see them full -- full of young males. It is happening in America as well, we just aren’t as far down the path. “In America, among evangelical churches, 57 percent of members are women and, among mainline Protestant churches, 66 percent are women, according to a 1998 book American Evangelicalism (University of Chicago Press).”
Some call what is happening the “feminization of the church.” Where Islam challenges young men to live up to a higher standard, Christianity is often softening its message to try to attract people. Contemporary Christian songs often are like love songs to Jesus, which for men are hard to sing. Islam is challenging men to be men. The American Christian message is becoming more and more feminine.
What the American church and society needs are good male role models of what the Christian life is all about. There is no greater male role model than Joseph the guardian of Jesus. This Advent we will be looking at Joseph: Real Man, Guardian and Father -- A Man for Our Time. When the Christmas story is told, we often hear about Mary and Jesus. Joseph is the forgotten man. This year we will hear about this important man of the Bible. This series will be great for young men and fathers. Make sure to invite the young men and fathers that you know. But, it won’t only be for young men and fathers. Women will find much that they can gain from the series as well. This series will be on Wednesday Nights at 7:30PM in December leading up to Christmas.
December 4 - Joseph: Real Man
December 11 - Joseph: Real Guardian
December 18 - Joseph: Real Father
According to an oft-quoted statistic, when a mother comes her family follows 34 percent of the time, but when a father comes his family follows 93 percent of the time. Men are vital to the family and society. We all need to “mind the gap” by reaching out to the young men and fathers in our church and community and giving them the wonderful God given message of the importance of the role men play in the family and society.
