What I Believe About... the Church

The Christian Church is an interesting institution. Yes, I believe it is an institution whether others think it is a movement, an organism or a tropical plant. Historically there have been times when the church has stood as the best thing in the world. At other times she has perpetrated more damage, violence and evil than even Satan himself. Overall, I believe that there is little doubt that the world is better today because of the presence of the church.

What follows is my interpretation of the current state of the church. There are a lot of warts, but here it is, as I see it.

• The church has more potential for good than any other entity in the world today. With current efforts to eradicate human trafficking, HIV/AIDS and to provide clean, safe water the church is doing more than almost anyone else. And that does not include hospitals and other health care facilities, homes for orphans, abused children and seniors and educational institutions in general. The church has done great good, and continues to do so.
• The church provides social interaction for millions of people around the world. The church is the place that many people (including me) met their mates or lifelong friends.
• The church is the custodian of the most important message in history. With all its faults (and there are many, but more of that later) there is no greater message than one of grace, acceptance and forgiveness for all people without regard for race, education, social status or financial resources.
• The church sometimes thinks it is more important than the message it teaches. Unfortunately, leaders in the church are sinful, fallen people. They sometimes become greedy for money, fame and power. It is easy for them (and often us, as well) to become consumed with maintaining power and gaining more of it. When this happens the church tends to push away the very people we are called to serve.
• There is too much conflict in the church. People with different political opinions or theological persuasions can be downright mean to one another. Everyone knows someone who has had their feelings too hurt by some Christian person.
• Elements of the church are definitely too judgmental of others. The Christian faith needs to be upheld by standards of belief, behavior and practice, but we should never use our 'church' as a club to beat others. It is common these days to hear people express their admiration for Jesus and Christianity but to be completely turned off by the church.
• Denominational differences can be used by God- they need not be a source of division and animosity. It is my belief that there are some people who will only be Christian if they can be Baptist, or Catholic, or Methodist, or Pentecostal... God uses these differences for his glory.

I believe the church has a great future. We only need to be honest about who we are, what we have done, and where we are headed.

Church Goals- Fall Winter

1. Evaluate and enhance the adult Sunday School program.

   1. Should we focus on fellowship or learning?

   2. Should our classes be lecture or discussion based?

   3. Should we encourage student participation, or allow for anonymity?

2. Personal Discipleship should be emphasized and planned.

   1. Bible Reading Program for 2012

   2. Prayer Emphasis

      1. Lenten Prayer Experiment

      2. Prayer Groups

3. Hire (initially on a temporary-basis) a children's director/ youth intern.

   1. The position would start January 15, 2012.

   2. Children's Director would work with Children's Council, Kid's Club, etc.

4. Provide Practical resources for community members.

   1. Financial planning and budgeting classes/ seminars

   2. Life planning and life coaching.

   3. Job skills assistance (including, job search, resume writing, etc.)

   4. Parenting skills assistance

5. Establish a Sermon work group. This group would assist the SPRC and pastor by,

   1. Assisting with research for sermon topics and series.

   2. Assisting in planning upcoming sermons and series.

   3. Discussing and offering feedback for sermons.

6. Plan a Confirmation Class with confirmation on Palm Sunday, 2012.

7. Plan a new members class for early 2012.

8. Establish a pastoral visitation plan.

   1. Offer parishioners an opportunity to invite the pastor to their homes.

   2. Sign-ups will begin in November 2011.

   3. Day and night time visits will be available.

9. Re-visit the Church Mission Statement.

10. Continue to renew the emphasis on youth ministry.

11. Continue to work with the Finance Committee to address and solve the financial shortfalls that are currently causing us difficulty.

Golden Arches Social Club

Here is something that I have learned about McDonald's: It is a senior citizens center from about 8-11 am. There are retirees of every sort who gather at McDonald's for their "Senior Coffee" and a time of visiting (gossip) with their fellow retirees.

When I see this phenomenon at work, and I see it often, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand I think, "Look at these people. They should be a lot more productive than wasting their days at McDonald's." That's when reality sets in and I realize that I am wasting my days at McDonald's.

On the other hand, I have a hint of jealousy for the leisure time that affords them the opportunity to gather without regard to time of commitment. I am envious of the social nature of their gathering. I long for similar opportunities with people in my age group.

These seniors are not trying to impress anyone. They are real, natural. They say silly things to one another. They make fun of each other and share opinions no matter what anyone else thinks. They are a real community.

These men and women notice the absence of members from their community. They express concern for ill members or deaths, or children who are getting divorced, or unwed, pregnant grandchildren. They support each other, without artificially agreeing with everything. They are honest and filled with integrity.

In many ways, the Golden Arches Social Club is exactly what a church is supposed to be. They are a body, an organism. This group serves as a "kind of" family. Maybe my congregation and I should take some lessons.

Me or Us?

There are two things that have been swirling in my brain. (Actually, there are a lot more than two things in there, but I am going to limit myself today.) First of all, in worship I have been preaching on the Seven Churches of Revelation (Revelation 1 and 2). In my study on this passage I have been reminded of the emphasis that is placed on the corporate-ness of these congregations. They are addressed as churches, not as individuals.

My tendency is to read the Scripture- and probably everything else, for that matter- in a very closed, selfish way. I want to get right to the personal application. "What's in it for me," so to speak. But these letters do not allow for that.

When Jesus stands at the door, it is not the door to my heart. He is wanting to enter the church.

When Jesus says that he will spit out the lukewarm, he is not talking about lukewarm Christians. He is fed up with lukewarm churches.

When he says, "I know your works," he is declaring that the activities of the congregation are known to him. In this passage he is not looking at every detail of every member.

That thought led me to my second thing. When I was a boy, I was given a bad interpretation of a very familiar Bible verse. John 3.16 says this: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." When I was a child, in an evangelical Sunday school class a well-meaning teacher gave me the evangelical party-line. She said, "You can put your own name in there, you know. 'God so loves Dewey...'"

You see, evangelicals believe that every person is valuable to God. And that every person must come to faith in Christ of his own will and initiative. I agree with that, by the way. Every person must have a personal relationship with Jesus. I am an evangelical after all. The problem is that John 3.16 is not an individual salvation verse. It is a corporate salvation verse- just like Revelation 2-3.

So, there is a conflict in Christian circles between those who believe in individual salvation and those who hold to corporate salvation. Let me weigh in with my opinion on the subject: Yes.

Every person must come to faith in Christ. Romans 10.9 teaches that it is the responsibility of each individual to come to faith in Christ. I am thoroughly evangelical. Each person must confess and believe for him/herself.

But, Jesus came for all people. There are requirements, commands for the "church" of Christ. There is no getting around our responsibilities to the body of Christ, the church, and to Christ himself.

The right answer is not either/or, but yes/and.

Problems I Have with the Church

People who know me will not be surprised that the church is a problem for me. I love the church with all my heart. After all, the church is the Bride of Christ, God's instrument to bring about the salvation of the world. I love being in church. I love worship. I love church people, church traditions and church language. But I have some problems with the church.

What follows are some reflections about what the church is and what it should be. Take them as you will. Add to them or argue with them. But do it in the spirit of Christian love.

• The church needs to find new ways to expand its outreach. The old methods do not work to reach new people.
• Expansion needs to be about reaching out to people, not asking people to come to us. There is too much competition for us to assume that people are going to continue to come to us. We need to learn to go to them.
• The church needs to be about building people, not buildings, programs or celebrities. Our focus must be on others, not ourselves.
• We need to move the church away from an emphasis on programs and attendance increases to building relationships.
• The church needs to use its buildings and resources more effectively and efficiently. For many days each week our huge buildings, offices, classrooms and recreation areas are empty. This ought to be a sin.
• The church ought to be about reconciling people to God and one another, rather than continuing to alienate the culture around us. For many people Christians are evil. This must change.

I know there are more things to work on. What would you add to the list?

Church Goals Update

At the beginning of 2008 I set forward some goals for my churches. I (we) have met with rather mixed success. Here is my end of the year analysis.

• Make 2008 a year of prayer. This was an unqualified success. People are praying more than ever. We gather at the altar on Sundays for prayer. We have new prayer request and reporting opportunities and weekly prayer lessons and requests emails.
• Increase spiritual sensitivity. This goal has been mixed. Many people are more in tune with God spiritually. But many more are not.
• Reach 10 new, unchurched people. Almost is the answer on this one. Between the two churches that I pastor we have eight new people in worship each week.
• Create and maintain peace and stability. We are on the way. There have been many changes implemented that are working toward this goal. Within six months I will be able to declare: Mission Accomplished.
• Increase biblical literacy. I am not sure how to measure this. I think that we have not made a lot of progress on this one. People do not bring Bibles to church. I see very little evidence of outside Bible study, etc. I will keep working on this one.
• Establish new groups and develop new leaders. We have established three Faith Teams. They are meeting on a regular basis. We are continuing to train new leaders. The leaders that are already volunteering continue to do excellent work.
• Become "that" church in the area. I am not sure what I was thinking, but I know that it hasn't happened.
• To complete the ramp/bell project at Pretty Prairie. The ramp and new entrance is finished. Now we just have to do the bell.

How We Got in the Mess We're In

If you have read much of this blog you know about my spiritual, religious and theological convictions. Although I try very hard to be culturally relevant and current in political and world affairs, I am primarily a Christian Man. My main focus in life is to follow Jesus and to do his work. This is a problem because the work of Jesus typically is done in the framework and context of the Christian church.

The Bible gives a very clear perspective of what the church should be. In the New Testament book of Acts, the church is pictured as being concerned with the complete (holistic) state of humanity. There is a definite emphasis on spiritual issues, but the physical, emotional and relationship concerns of individuals are not concerned.

Jesus, and his first followers were very interested in the needs and concerns of the whole person. So we see Jesus feeding hungry people. The earliest church shared their resources so that all could be taken care of. No one was without because everyone voluntarily pitched in. The church has been, and still should be, concerned with the physical needs of all people, whether they claim to be followers of God or not.

The church has failed, however.

Sometime along the line, I am not sure when this happened, the church quit fulfilling its obligation to the whole person. In fact, many within the church now neglect- and even reject- any responsibility for caring for anything more than the basic spiritual needs of the community. We do not want to be bothered with the sick, poor, imprisoned, homeless... (well, you get the picture).

There have been periods in our history, and now may be one of them, when there were serious social, economic and emotional needs in communities. When there are needs to be met, someone must meet them. Unfortunately, when the church has not stepped in to do its job, the government has been forced to do it. We have a huge government because the church has failed in caring for the needs of the community.

I do not have a solution for this situation. It would be great if the church if the church could resume its rightful place in society and care for these needs. At this point, however, I cannot see this as feasible. The church is unprepared and unable to serve at the same rate as the government is currently. But something needs to happen. If the church did what it was supposed to we would have...

• larger churches
• a greater percentage of people committed to Christ
• lower taxes
• smaller government
• a more positive perception of the church.

Isn't it time that the church did something good, for a change?

Is There Sanctuary in Church?

Throughout history the church has stood as place of safety and sanctuary. Those oppressed by the powerful of society have been able to turn to the church for help. In response, the church has been at the forefront of helping people who are on the margins of society. Homeless shelters, job training, orphanages and hospitals are all examples of the Christian church responding to the needs of those seeking sanctuary.

It was Jesus who encouraged those who followed him to feed the hungry, provide drinks to the thirsty, welcome strangers, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit prisoners (see Matthew 25.31-46). Throughout the centuries those who follow Jesus, and attempt to live out his teachings have sought to do those things. We are trying to live out the Great Commandment, to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Recently there have been three developments that jeopardize, or at the very least, call into question the ancient tradition of sanctuary. Although these developments are unrelated, they both could have severe implications for the church and those who call themselves Christ-followers.

• Illegal immigration is an issue that is too big for me to deal with in this context. Whether or not it is appropriate for people to come into the USA without the proper permissions or documentation is beyond the scope of this blog. (Nevertheless, people should not break the law to get into the USA.) However, once people are in this country, no matter their situation or circumstance, it is incumbent upon the church to assist them. The church should be providing English language skills, job training, legal advice and citizenship assistance to these immigrants. However, too often we find that the church is leading the charge to marginalize these men and women who are already among the poorest in our country.
• Church violence has escalated to new levels. Whether it is because of domestic issues in families, communities or within the church body, many people have chosen the church as the place to take out their anger and frustration. Recent attacks in Colorado are only the latest in a series of events that leads many to question whether or not they are safe at church.
• Dishonest ministers and ministries are causing problems for many people. Whether it is the extravagant lifestyle of famous (or infamous) preachers, or a leader that cannot be trusted with the temptation of sexually abusing church members, there are men and women in every community who do not feel safe in church.

We have big problems in the church. They cannot be solved quickly, and in many cases we seem reluctant to solve them at all. But we must. If we are ever to fulfill the command of Jesus, if we are ever to provide sanctuary for those who need it, we must begin now to do God's work and to clean up our mess.

Church Complaints

I recently read an article that summarized most of the complaints about church that I have ever heard. I forget where the article came from or who the author was, but he/she hit the nail on the head. Church people (these are not necessarily the same folks as Christ-followers of Christians, but they can be) are notorious for their unhappiness with the church that they are attending (or not attending).

One problem with this is that these complainers are unhappy with everything. They are aggravated that the church is too hot, but as soon as the air conditioning comes on they are chilled. The Sound system is turned up too loud one Sunday and the next week they cannot hear anything. You get the picture. The same people have opposite complaints.

Well, here are the official complaints from the afore-mentioned article (by the way, I have heard all of these in my churches and from some of the same people).

• The service is too traditional, or it is too modern. Worship style (music) has become the most controversial issue for local churches in the USA. The truth is that you cannot please everyone with your music selections or instrumental accompaniment. Some will be offended if it is too casual, but if the service is too formal it is not like "home."
• The sermon is too theological, or it is not theological enough. There is no way to win this argument. You are either preaching down to people, or preaching over their heads. My compromise has been to make sure that everyone understands most of what I say. I sometimes do not get to say everything I want to, but I want everyone to get what I say.
• The people are too cold, or they are too cliquish. We want the church to feel like a family, but we do not want people to put us on the spot. We want to feel warm and fuzzy, but we don't want to share anything too personal.

My father told me years ago that the only way I would ever find a perfect church was to start my own. The problem would be when someone joined my perfect church they would probably mess everything up.

The church is the body of Christ, the family of God. It is not perfect, but it is becoming what he wants it to be.

The Jerry Maguire Manifesto

A few years ago the world was filled with cries of 'Show me the money.' The film, Jerry Maguire had hit big time. And although Cuba Gooding, Jr and Tom Cruise were fun to watch, the key to the movie was Jerry Maguire's manifesto. He began the film by writing a paper that changed his life and his profession. He called all sports agents to look at their world in a different way.

I have no illusions that this 'manifesto' will change the church in any significant way. I do know, however, that it is destined to change the way that I do ministry. So here is my manifesto for working in the church in the 21st Century.

• The church needs to be about ministry, not administration. In my denomination, the United Methodist Church, we are very good at administration. In fact, we are so good at it that we sometimes ignore ministry altogether. Currently we are considering yet another large-scale administrative re-organization in north Indiana. This will be the third time in the last five years. When we re-organize we feel as though we are doing something. This somehow salves our consciences as we realize that ministry is suffering or non-existent. When we change our administrative practices it becomes easier to overlook our ministry failures.
• The church needs to be about church health and church growth. We seem to be in either one camp or the other. We advocate for church growth with programs, events and services. We advocate for church health with spiritual growth initiatives. And somehow we lose sight of the fact that we should be about both health and growth.
• The church needs to be about community, rather than tradition. Overall I am a pretty traditional person. I love the history of the church in general, and my denomination in particular. I love hymns and traditional worship styles. I love worshiping in ancient cathedrals and country-side chapels. But more important than tradition, is the community of faith. As followers of Jesus we must be advocated for community. We must support and build one another. That may mean that some of our traditions must die. But if it is for the glory of God, so be it.
• The church needs to be about relationships, rather than organizations. How interesting it is to consider that we often neglect those around us because they do not fit into our organization. Jesus did not start a church, a club or any other kind of organization. Jesus built relationships with men and women that he loved. I believe that he still desires to build relationships. It is incumbent on us to make that happen.
• The church needs to be about worship, rather than programming or performance. I have nothing against Christian entertainment. I love Christian music, books and videos. However, in the church we need to be sure that we are insisting on worship, not performance. Let's engage God, the Creator of the universe, with our hearts, not our sense of good taste.
• The church needs to be Christian, rather than liberal, conservative, progressive or evangelical. Labels in the church serve only to divide. In recent years that division has grown to proportions that cannot fairly be measured. All of these titles, labels. serve only as political identifiers. It is very hard to find Christians who believe that the church should be political, and yet almost all of us choose one or more political labels. If you identify yourself as an evangelical aren't you really giving testimony to all that you are against? If you are a liberal aren't you against the back-woods fundamentalists? It is time that we got over our differences and prayed together. Let's be Christians, after all.
• The church needs to look outside for answers to its problems. My denomination has a terribly myopic problem. We believe that any problem we have can be solved by us. This is very sad. We fail to see the work of God in the lives and organizations of other churches and Christian ministries. We cling to the belief that we can figure it out ourselves. And all the while we sink into oblivion. There are answers to our problems. We just need to get rid of our egos so that we can figure out what we should do.

Local Church Vision Plan

As our churches consider what it means to have a mission statement, or a vision plan, let me propose these steps.

1. A 'dream team' of leaders from both congregations should be appointed. This team will deal with the rest of this plan and offer proposals to the church councils of both congregations.
2. The 'dream team' will be charged with guiding the congregations (and other interested persons) through an analysis of the local church(es), it's needs, strengths and the desires of it's constituents. The dream team will also assess the needs- social and spiritual- of the churches and the surrounding community. Vision planning will result from these assessments and analyses. Finally, the dream team will set goals that will move us to accomplishment of this new vision.
3. The dream team will set action steps for the church to follow. These will include concerns in the areas of facilities and resources, spiritual life (including discipleship, ministry and fellowship) and programming.
4. The Church Council of each congregation will then receive, discuss and approve the mission/ vision statement, goals and action steps.
5. The Church Council will then become responsible for the implementation of the vision plan.

New Year's Resolutions 2007.1

I know all the arguments against making New Year’s Resolutions. I know that they do not last. We do not keep them. They only serve to discourage us when we fail. But I cannot help myself. I keep making resolutions. Every year I make a whole list. I think that if I make a lot of resolutions then surely I will be able to keep one or two. This year I am making resolutions in two categories and you get to see them all.

Category I- Ministry Resolutions

• In 2007 I plan to make youth ministry a priority for our congregations. This will include enhancing, emphasizing and expanding the Coconut Hut and other youth activities. We will also work to recruit and develop new leaders for youth ministry.
• We will build the Kid’s Club. This will include a much needed effort to find, recruit, train and deploy new leaders.
• There will be an emphasis on supporting, working with and expanding the Building Blocks Pre-School.
• We will develop a new leadership training program. This will include Lay Speaking training and other opportunities.

Category II- Personal Resolutions

• I will read the Bible in 2007.
• I will read seven books of classic literature. (I don’t know why I picked seven, but it seemed like the right amount.)
• I am going to pray about and find the project that I will invest the rest of my life in. Right now the leading contenders are AIDS orphans in Africa and human trafficking of children in Southeast Asia and around the world.
• I am going to write one song each Friday.

Well, there it is. It seems like a lot. Now you know what I am going to do with 2007. What are you going to be up to?

Some six year reflections

I am just finishing up my sixth year as pastor of my current churches. That is a long time for me. I am planning on being here at least two more years (if the Lord is willing). Although this is not a terribly significant milestone for most, it has caused me to do some reflection. In these six years we have accomplished a lot. There has been a lot of experimentation. I know that I have changed and grown. I am sure that the same is true for both of my congregations.

I think that one of the things that is distinctive about my work in ministry is that I am all about doing things. I am always on the go, looking for new ideas, innovation. My goal is to build an active, doing, going church. The accomplishments that I point to are almost all related to this sort of doing and going into the world mentality.

Here are some of the accomplishments and some of the experiments that have taken place these years.

• During my tenure as pastor our churches have participated in 11 missions trips. Over 50 different people have served in mission during these six years. Now a second generation of missions is beginning as one of our members is planning to lead a team to the Gulf Coast this fall.
• The missions giving, support and commitment has increased in both congregations.
• The Coconut Hut youth ministry center was launched for teens in the Howe, Indiana area.
• The MAP, Ministry Apprenticeship Program, was developed to lead young adults into deeper levels of spiritual commitment, discipleship and leadership in the church.
• We have had, and continue to have several small group Bible studies. Several members of both churches have led groups.
• There has been an increase in Bible reading, memorization and knowledge as we have all committed ourselves to grow in God's Word.
• We have hosted several outreach concerts and events for the community and beyond.
• We began the very popular Christmas Coffeehouse. Each years 150 people attend this musical showcase.
• The Howe Church has adopted (rescued) the Building Blocks Pre-school. Building Blocks is now a very important part of our ministry.
• Seven members of our two small churches have received denominational training and are certified as Lay Speakers. This is quite a step in leadership for each of them.
• There has been increased participation by laity in church services and programs.
• We have held a periodic Guitar Class as a training tool for potential worship leaders and an outreach to community members.
• I have just recently convened a group of pastors from the Howe area for fellowship and accountability. We are meeting on a monthly basis.
• Our churches have increased their commitment and involvement in all areas of church camping. We have had directors, counselors and campers on a regular basis.
• Upon arriving in Howe, I found that our Vacation Bible School was led by an outside, para-church organization. We have since reclaimed this important ministry.
• We began a new ministry of outreach, Warm Welcomes, to low income members of our community.
• We held a Stuffed Sunday, in which we donated several car/truck loads of used clothing to a local community free store and clothing bank.
• We had a very successful diaper drive to assist with the needs of our local Compassion Pregnancy Center.
• We have increased our connections to a local youth ministry, The Shed. I currently serve as the Board Chair and three of our teens serve on the youth board.
• Finally, we have had several people called into the ministry, and sent out into church leadership.

How to Think Like a Christian About Other Faiths

Wow! This is a hard topic. Let’s start by dealing with some basic Christian assumptions;

1. God loves all people (John 3.16). There is no question that all people are loved and valued by God. In fact, all humans are of such value to God the Father that he designated his only Son as a sacrifice. That’s right, Jesus died for all people, even the ones that I do not like.
2. Jesus is God’s plan for the redemption/ salvation of humanity (John 14.6). Jesus made it very clear that all people are eligible for eternal life in heaven, but only those who follow him (Jesus) are admitted.
3. God does not want anyone to miss out on salvation (2 Peter 3.9). We learn in the Bible that one reason for the delay in the end of the world is to provide opportunities for the lost to be saved.

If these assumptions are true, it means that God loves Buddhists as much as Christians, Muslims as much as Methodists, Atheists as much as anyone.

So, how should we behave toward those around us who do not share our faith?

1. We should love them with the love of Christ. Remember that Jesus talked about offering a cup of water to the least of his brothers. That includes everyone. Regardless of our theological, spiritual or political differences, we are to love all God’s children. (Matthew 25)
2. We should look for opportunities to share our faith with those who are not- yet Christians. This does not mean that we should be preaching, judging or berating those outside our circle of fellowship. It means that we should be extending the circle to include more and more people.
3. We should be praying for those who oppose the gospel of Christ (Matthew 5.44). Although we may be tempted to position individuals of different faiths as enemies, Jesus will not allow it. Instead of hating others, we should be praying.
4. We should open ourselves to different experiences and expressions of God’s world and witness. We have a tendency to close ourselves off from anything that is not familiar and comfortable. However, God invented African, Caribbean and Middle-Eastern cultures. We should embrace them, and not try to conform others to our ideals as conditions for their inclusion in the Kingdom of God.

You know by now that my heart is for the evangelization of all people. Please know that to evangelize the world we must not force conversions of unwilling individuals. We will not win converts by involving ourselves in elitist name-calling or enemy-making. Remember that it was Jesus who came to the outcasts, the unpopular and the sinners. We should be doing the same.

The Godfather as a picture of the church

I just finished watching The Godfather trilogy (again). I love these movies. The stories are great. The scenes are beautiful. The music is haunting. And the Godfather movies are a lot like the Christian faith. I know that does not make sense on the surface. After all, the Corleone's are criminals. They run an illegal gambling operation. They own casinos and hotels in Las Vegas. They maintain a prostitution business. They are violent, murdering, immoral, foul-mouthed thugs. Their only stand for traditional morality is that they hesitate to get into the drug business.
But...

• They teach us the value of loyalty to family. We are reminded over and over again that family is important. In fact, we learn clearly that investing time in your children is the best way to instill your values in the next generation. Vito, Michael and others remind us, "Never go against the family."
• They teach us how to deal with adversity. Okay, they are really not a good example of this. They usually deal with adversity by killing someone else. But they do teach us to never give up. Even when it seems that everyone is against the Corleones, somehow they survive and grow. Church life is not always easy, but never give up.
• Although the Corleones are bullies, they teach us the importance of making decisions. Vito offers Woltz an 'offer he can't refuse.' He asks for a decision, a commitment. Too often in the church we are wishy-washy and indecisive. It's time to change that.
• Finally, the Corleones teach us the importance of commitment to the church. Michael was not a church person. In fact, he confesses to Archbiship Lamberto that he has not confessed in over 30 years. However, he has not lost his appreciation for the church. It is important that we maintain our love for God and the church that he has built and is building.