Reformátusok Lapja, 1971 (71. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1971-03-01 / 3. szám
REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA 11 is why witness in the original Greek means martyr: One who willingly suffers death rather than denounce his belief, principle or cause. Since the witnesses of the resurrection are ready to die every day, they cannot be disheartened, not even in the hour of death. “Someday” said Dwight L. Moody “someday you will read in the newspaper that Dwight L. Moody of Northfield is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now.” There, you see, was a man who lived with Easter faith in his heart. You may not be able to understand the stories of the empty tomb, but you can be a witness of a risen Savior. Modern man sees on the gates of the future, the gloom words of Mahomet: “If you know what I know, you would weep much and laugh little.” But the Christian bears witness to a new life under the Lordship of Christ. In His words and actions, the Christian bears witness of the reversal of this phase by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: “If you know what I know you would laugh more and weep less, even in 1971.” Dr. John Butosi THE SPIRIT OF THE CONGREGATION Our Ministry This congregation fulfills its purpose as it becomes a community for ministry. We recognize our pastor as a person with professional skills among us. Freedom of the Pulpit We affirm our pastor’s freedom of the pulpit. We expect him to proclaim and teach the Word of the Lord in relation to contemporary personal and social issues. We want our minister to stimulate and help nurture among us Christian living, and through us, a humane social order. Pastoral Leadership Our minister is ordained to his calling. His leadership is needed in our life together. We bring to our pastor personal and community needs that might not otherwise come to his attention. We work with him for the expression of this congregation’s Christian life and spirit in our neighborhood, in the Church, in the world. Partnership with Our Pastor We recognize the necessity for our minister to have regular time each week for study and renewal. Further, we will provide time and money, beyond his vacation, for continuing education. We welcome the minister’s family in this congregation. They are not to be required to assume roles of leadership. We help safeguard adequate time for them to enjoy family activities together. We provide for regular consultation with our pastor through a Church and Ministry committee. We help him understand us, and we respect his perception of his Ministry. Should divisive tensions threaten our life together, we will seek the counsel of a Conference Minister and/or the Association Committee on Church and Ministry. We are part of the whole United Church of Christ! Reviewing Our Pastor's Financial Support Each year a small, representative committee of our congregation carefully reviews our pastor’s base salary, and other financial support. Our responsibility includes housing, utilities, travel expense, health insurance, continuing education, family protection, and retirement benefits. We consider tbe cost of living, family needs, professional competence and years of service. Challenge For Us As Church Members We are called to be pilgrims! We are to move on, to grow, like Abraham, to new possibilities. We want to respond to leadership as we grow in trusting relationships with both God and man. Beginning and Completing Relations With A Pastor When a minister is being considered for a call, our Pastoral Committee will remember, through the entire experience of correspondence and personal interviews, that he and his family are sensitive human beings. When a pastoral relationship is being terminated, for whatever reasons, our church officers will be compassionate and generous. The Whole Ministry of God's People We believe in the whole ministry of God’s people — pulpit and pew together. This ministry depends upon the leadership and labor of both the ordained professional and the committed lay person. All of us bring our particular skills, our faithfulness, our strengths and our weaknesses, in response to the Christian Gospel. We worship and work together to become God’s people in this place. Published by the Council for Church ar.d Ministry with the cooperation of the Council for Lay Life and Work CALVIN SYNOD MEETING I I BUFFALO, N. Y. APRIL 26-28 Peter Biro & Sons, Inc. INSURANCE—REAL ESTATE AIRLINE & STEAMSHIP RESERVATIONS 109 FRENCH ST. NEW BRUNSWICK, N. J. 846-1000
