Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 17

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
May 122013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

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SECTION 4: HOW IS CHRISTIANITY TO UNITE? – A Vision

Chapter 17: Strengthening the Community

 

The fourth and final rung in the Model of Christian Unity following the individual, family and church is the community. The ideal scenario is for a community to be made up of strong individuals, families and churches—a blessing to all those who reside in such a community.

There is a societal lineage that maps to the Model of Christian Unity: individuals make up families; families make up neighborhoods; neighborhoods make up cities; cities make up counties; counties make up districts; districts make up states; states make up a nation; nations make up the world. There is a phrase “think global, act local,” a phrase which has great applicability to the concept of the church community.

The Biblical case for strengthening the community is really a culmination of the Biblical cases given for strengthening individuals, families and churches. Strengthening the community is not something most Christians think about—it is simply not a spiritual priority—this despite the fact that the Savior taught “if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (Mark 3:25).

Conventional wisdom suggests the great dividers of the Christian community come from the atheists and other anti-Christian organizations. However, that is not the case. The primary dividers of the Christian community can be found within the walls of Christianity itself—self-appointed judges and protectors of the faith as they interpret it. In short dividers are Modern-day Pharisees (from Chapter 8).

The unifiers of the community come in the form of individuals and institutions that have the vision of strengthening the body of Christ, looking past that which divides different denominations of Christianity and instead focusing on the commonality that can be leveraged. Shuster researches and reports on a number of highly successful global and local ecumenical efforts including intra-faith ministries and inter-faith ministries. Some of these institutions such as Northwest Assistance Ministries in Houston and the Neighborhood Interfaith Movement of Philadelphia are helping thousands of people each year by bringing together dozens of different Christian denominations to work together as one.

Unifying Christianity is not just a utopian pipe dream that exists in the same universe as wish granting fairies, calorie free ice cream and world peace. The Model of Christian Unity is already in progress and is strengthening communities and unifying Christianity towards reaching its potential. There are hundreds of community building efforts among diverse Christian congregations operating and changing lives around the United States. Therefore the question of whether or not it is possible to strengthen and unify the body of Christ in helping Christianity reach its potential has been answered—the answer is YES. What then will you do to help unify Christianity?

Our 18 week journey has briefly summarized who the Christians are from a historical perspective; what a Christian is from a spiritual perspective; where the Christians are from a behavioral perspective; and how Christianity can be strengthened and more united from a societal perspective. Thank you for joining us.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 16

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
May 052013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

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SECTION 4: HOW IS CHRISTIANITY TO UNITE? – A Vision

Chapter 16: Strengthening the Church

 

The third rung of the Model of Christian Unity, following the individual and family, is the church. Strong individuals and strong families should make for a strong church; however, that is not always the case. Bringing together two or more strong families full of righteous individuals does not guarantee church unification where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The lesson behind this unfortunate reality can be illustrated with food. There are some who love a thick juicy steak and also love a good bowl of ice cream; however, steak a-la-mode is not likely to be a winning menu item.

Ideally one plus one equals three in the synergistic realm or at a minimum one plus one should equal two in the compatibility realm. However, one plus one can equal one, or even a negative number when there is no synergy. Such is the potential when bringing people together in church to form a congregation. This is why strengthening the church is a critical and challenging aspect on the journey to unifying disparate Christians toward a stronger society.

The Biblical case for strengthening the church comes from the 12th chapter (verses 12-27) of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians as he addresses the diversity of spiritual gifts and the various positions within the church. Paul provides a detailed analogy of different parts of a body and how they work together to create one body of Christ.

There is no shortage of elements that weaken and divide the church including politics, social Issues, sin/pride, racism/prejudice, culture, ministerial conflicts, generational differences, gender conflicts, personality conflicts, bigotry and harsh evangelism. At times these elements, especially when combined, can become powerful deterrents to unity in the body of Christ within a congregation.

Strengthening the church focuses on the individuals and families within the church. Humans are complex beings and follow basic physiological patterns that when understood can help motivate people to reach their full potential as children of God. Shuster applies Maslow’s model of needs hierarchy to the church to create a Spiritual Hierarchy of Needs including: 1) Faith (physiological level); 2) Well-being (safety level); 3) Belonging and Affection (level of the same name in Maslow’s model); 4) Value (Esteem level) and 5) Discipleship (Self-Actualization level).

As church members move up the pyramid of the spiritual hierarchy they also move from left to right in the Christian Continuum. For example, the Laboring Christian is one who has effectively realized the four bottom components of the Spiritual Hierarchy of Needs and has entered true discipleship in Jesus Christ, while the Departing Christian is struggling with faith and well being.

The Spiritual Hierarchy of Needs integrates the object lesson taught by Paul in the analogy of the body of Christ regarding the psychology of human nature and the serialization of needs fulfillment. When churches begin focusing more on strengthening individuals and families than on programs and fund raising then the body of Christ will be strengthened and unified.

Next we look at strengthening the community.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 15

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Apr 282013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

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SECTION 4: HOW IS CHRISTIANITY TO UNITE? – A Vision

Chapter 15: Strengthening the Family

 

The second rung in the Model of Christian Unity is the family. Each individual born on earth is part of a family. Ideally that family consists of a mother, father, siblings and extended members (i.e. aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.). For too many individuals however that ideal falls short resulting in single parent families, families where there is no parent at all, and every other variety one can imagine.

Family reaches beyond genetics or a physical home. It is not uncommon to hear about persons in the military referring to their family in the service or close friends calling one another brother and sister. Whatever the configuration, strengthening the family is of critical importance in the spiritual unification process on the road to Christian Unity.

The Bible as a historical record provides stories of close-knit blood-related families such as Mary, Martha and Lazarus (John 11); close in-laws such as Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1:16); dysfunctional families like that of King David (2 Sam. 11-13) and Jacob with his 12 sons (Gen. 34-37); and even families where one brother murders another in Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:8). The Bible outlines the establishment of the family (Gen. 2:18), the institute of marriage (Matt. 19:4-6), the importance of children (Psa. 127:3) and the dynamics of family relationships (Ex. 20:12 and Eph. 6:4).

The importance of the family to the greater whole of Christianity is unmistakable. Strong families translate into strong churches and strong communities. Because the forces of evil know this the family is constantly under attack. Inspired spiritual leaders have spoken publicly about the criticality of the family including Pope John Paul II who said “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” Yet, despite decades of warnings society continues to ignore the obvious and pay the consequences including increased crime, child abuse, and abandonment.

At the core of the disintegration of the family is divorce. The absence of both parents in the home and the associated economic stress has not only been linked to an increase in child abuse, but a new phenomenon of technology as a babysitter. A study released by the Kaiser Family Foundation in 2010 revealed 8 to 18 year-olds in the United Sates devote an average of just over 7.5 hours per day to entertainment media including TV, video games, computers, iPods, and cell phones. The impact of such tremendous exposure to media has a devastating effect on children and youth.

To strengthen the family Shuster offers a unique lesson in the Divine Triangle whereby family unity is enhanced through the pursuit of Christ and His gospel. For those times when certain family members are in need a little extra support the Divine Triangle can transform to buoy those who are struggling. The chapter ends with practical counsel and tips from authors and family clinicians on healthy family dynamics—all designed to strengthen the family on the road to Christian unity. Next we look at strengthening the church.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 14

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Apr 212013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

* * *

SECTION 4: HOW IS CHRISTIANITY TO UNITE? – A Vision

Chapter 14: Strengthening the Individual

 

Christianity has been in a state of increasing division since its inception. Consider the 2nd century observation of the Greek philosopher Celsus who wrote that Christians “…slander one another with dreadful and unspeakable words of abuse. And they would not make even the least concession to reach agreement; for they utterly detest each other.” Although a known opponent of early Christianity, the words of Celsus ring true to this very day causing one to ask… How is Christianity to Unite?

The four chapters of Section 4 answer the question by examining the unification process from the smallest unit of Christianity—the individual—to incrementally larger units including the family, church and community. This is a concept Shuster calls the Model of Christian Unity. As each unit is strengthened spiritually the impact on society is not merely cumulative, but rather exponential as a result of spiritual synergy.

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The desire of Jesus Christ in the unification of his disciples was the subject of his heartfelt prayer to God the Father when he pleaded “that they may be made perfect in one,” with Christ dwelling within the disciple and God dwelling within the Savior (John 17:23). Each of the four chapters examines the Biblical case for strengthening the entity along with the forces that divide and unite.

The most basic unit in the kingdom of God is the individual comprising the first rung in the Model of Christian Unity. The Savior said “I am the vine, ye are the branches,” and as branches nourished from the same vine we are to “bringeth forth much fruit: for without me [Jesus Christ] ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

The cornerstone scripture for strengthening the individual comes from Luke 22:32 with Jesus telling Peter “…when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” In this passage the Savior teaches a profound yet simple lesson that those who are converted are to strengthen those who are not. Because conversion is a continual process it may be more accurate to say that those who are more mature in their conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ (along the Christian Continuum) should lift up and help those who are not as far along.

Through the conversion process individuals are strengthened in both faith and works. The 16 Believing attributes and the 16 Practicing attributes from the Chapter 13 exercise are covered in detail allowing participants of the exercise to examine their scores leading to an action plan of improvement.

32 attributes—16 relating to faith (believing) and 16 relating to love and works (practicing)—can easily overwhelm even the strongest of Christians. Just remember, spiritual growth is a journey and not a destination. The prophet Isaiah taught “precept upon precept… line upon line; here a little, and there a little” (Isa. 28:10). We are all a work in progress on earth laboring on these things everyday with the goal of continuous improvement, not overnight perfection. Next we look at strengthening the family.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 13

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Apr 142013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

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SECTION 3: WHERE ARE THE CHRISTIANS?—A Categorization

Chapter 13: What Kind of Christian are You? Take the Test

 

Christians in America are spread out among those who are departing, feeling adequate, hesitating, and laboring (understanding there are very few who are latent). These Christians—meaning all Christians—move along a continuum based upon the exercising of faith unto works in an often erratic and volatile way. There may be a time when a Christian is inactive and disillusioned only to be inspired by a life-changing event that increases their faith towards becoming a more active Christian. Conversely, there may be a time when a Christian is active and faithful only to lose motivation and interest in life towards becoming a more inactive and indolent Christian.

The question of “Are you a Christian?” now becomes irrelevant and is replaced by “What kind of Christian are you?” The Christian community can eliminate the judgmental spirit of deciding who is a Christian and who is not by moving to a more useful and productive dialogue of where believers are along the Christian Continuum.

Christian Continuum

To accomplish this author Eric Shuster developed a unique exercise that accurately categorizes individuals into one of the five Christian types (Departing, Adequate, Hesitant, Laboring and Latent). The exercise contains 32 simple questions divided into three parts, all of which are answered on a scale of 1 to 5:

  • Part One of the exercise evaluates individuals on a primary set of five attributes relating to belief (or faith). If the participant is not a Believing Christian then the test is concluded.
  • Part Two of the exercise evaluates individuals on a secondary set of Believing Christian attributes. The eleven attributes in part two measure the depth of belief using tenets that are closely associated with faith in Christ and support the belief system of the Christian.
  • Part Three of the exercise evaluates individuals on a set of Practicing Christian attributes. The sixteen attributes in part three measure the degree to which the individual is a Practicing Christian ranging from weak to strong.

After completing the exercise the scores are added up on two different axes: 1) the Believing attributes on the vertical axis (or the y axis from your high school math days) and 2) the Practicing attributes on the horizontal axis (or the x axis). The simple calculation and plot shows the participant exactly where they are on the continuum at the time of the exercise. Readers can use the manual form provided in the book or immediately complete the exercise and discover what type of Christian they are at www.findyourchristianity.com.

The remainder of chapter 13 is dedicated to helping the reader interpret the results, along with an enlightening exercise of charting the five Christian denominations discussed in chapter 7 onto the Christian Continuum—an revealing exercise you won’t want to miss.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

Where are the Christians? by Eric Shuster – Chapter 12

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Special Features
Apr 072013
 

 

Author Eric Shuster will be providing a series of blog posts summarizing various sections of his upcoming book Where are the Christians? due to be released this spring from Cedar Fort, Inc. We will feature one post each week from now until May 2013. For more information visit www.findyourchristianity.com.

* * *

SECTION 3: WHERE ARE THE CHRISTIANS?—A Categorization

Chapter 12: They’re Endeavoring—Living Discipleship in Christ as Laboring Christians

 

In the ideal Christian world the Disciples of Christ continually embrace all of the values discussed in chapter 6 and live lives exemplary of the Savior. Shortly after the ascension of Jesus Christ the Christian community lived in great harmony where “all that believed were together, and had all things common” (Acts 2:44) and were assembled to be taught as Christians (Acts 11:26).

Jesus taught laboring is part of believing (John 6:27-29) demonstrating tireless service and telling his apostles “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). All those who follow Jesus Christ and emulate the Savior’s example of laboring in the service of others find joy (John 13:17) and reap the rewards of that labor (1 Cor. 3:8). Again, this is the ideal Christian scenario.

While America falls short today of the ideal Christian scenario with the vast majority of Christians disserting (Departing), settling for mediocrity (Adequate), or vacillating (Hesitant), there are a small number who are anxiously endeavoring in that ideal Christian scenario—such are called Laboring Christians.

The Laboring Christian is not perfect, but actively seeks and feels the perfect love of Christ when serving their families, churches and communities. These individuals have cultivated resilient and solid faith through life experiences of practicing what they believe. The Laboring Christian knows he or she has been blessed with much and is unafraid to step up to do what is required.

Laboring Christians come from all walks of life among a multitude of denominations. While all of us can surely assemble an impressive list of well known Laboring Christians throughout history, the greatest examples of Laboring Christians will never be known to the masses and may be working this very moment in schools, churches, neighborhoods, and cities around the world.

Being a Laboring Christian is not easy to sustain, despite the spiritual rewards and joy that comes from doing so. Living in the world but not becoming of the world (John 15:19) requires constant energy and attention. For example, the miraculous Mother Teresa of Calcutta served tirelessly and selflessly nearly all of her adult life and would be considered a model Laboring Christian; however, the book Mother Teresa: Come be My Light by Reverend Brian Kolodiejchuk revealed her mighty personal struggles with feeling the love of God in her life. Despite such struggles Mother Teresa never stopped laboring and changed the lives of countless individuals.

There is a fifth type of Christian—the Latent Christian—one that is extremely rare. The Latent Christian demonstrates an abundance of works with little faith to support those works. For the time being we will defer this Christian type and focus on the main four. Now that we know these Christian types the question is: “which one are you?” You might take a guess; however, the next chapter provides an exercise that can show you exactly what type of Christian you are.

Go to www.findyourchristianity.com to watch the book trailer, find out what type of Christian you are, and to order the book.

 

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