{"id":24612,"date":"1984-04-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1984-04-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/1984\/04\/01\/who-forgot-jerusalem\/"},"modified":"1984-04-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"1984-04-01T00:00:00","slug":"who-forgot-jerusalem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/who-forgot-jerusalem\/","title":{"rendered":"WHO FORGOT JERUSALEM?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As churches go, Lord, ours is doing pretty well in evangelism.<\/p>\n\n

A vigorous Evangelism Explosion program Thursday nights.<\/p>\n\n

Decent visitor recognition and follow-up procedures.<\/p>\n\n

Some really fruitful investigative Bible studies going on in several people’s homes.<\/p>\n\n

An emphasis this quarter in adult Sunday school on web-relationship evangelism.<\/p>\n\n

People responding well by bringing friends and neighbors to films and church programs geared to evangelism.<\/p>\n\n

“Friendship Sundays” twice a year, when visitors are presented with a low-key, no-threat explanation of the gospel.<\/p>\n\n

But I feel guilty today, Lord.<\/p>\n\n

It’s about that kid. The one in the rented house beside the church parking lot. I park next to his garage each day when I come to work.<\/p>\n\n

Not exactly “our kind of people,” I guess. Lots of times we’ve had to ask them to move a car they’d parked in our lot. We have such limited parking.<\/p>\n\n

And his motorcycle roaring up and down the alley has really been a nuisance.<\/p>\n\n

Bad enough when I’m in my office working. But really unacceptable when a service is in progress.<\/p>\n\n

Last night the custodian saw police cars in our lot and came over to investigate.<\/p>\n\n

The kid had hanged himself yesterday afternoon in the garage. Seventeen years old. Lived with his mother and a younger brother. Been in trouble with the law several times. Often on drugs, the neighbors said.<\/p>\n\n

I know-I can’t minister to everyone all the time.<\/p>\n\n

And, Lord, they’d never come to our church-they had connections with another church down the block.<\/p>\n\n

Still . . .<\/p>\n\n

Judea and Samaria are being evangelized pretty well, Lord.<\/p>\n\n

But forgive me for overlooking the Jerusalem across the parking lot.<\/p>\n\n

-Terry White <\/p>\n\n

Wooddale Church<\/p>\n\n

Minneapolis, Minnesota<\/p>\n\n

Copyright © 1984 by the author or Christianity Today\/Leadership Journal<\/em>.\nClick here<\/a> for reprint information on Leadership Journal<\/em>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As churches go, Lord, ours is doing pretty well in evangelism. A vigorous Evangelism Explosion program Thursday nights. Decent visitor recognition and follow-up procedures. Some really fruitful investigative Bible studies going on in several people’s homes. An emphasis this quarter in adult Sunday school on web-relationship evangelism. People responding well by bringing friends and neighbors Read more…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"tax_ctp_authors":[3147],"tax_ctp_books":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[142],"tax_ctp_field_guide_subcategory":[],"tax_ctp_field_guides":[],"tax_ctp_format":[131],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[587,156,589],"tax_ctp_tags":[3548,3897,3931,4010,5105],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-24612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tax_ctp_authors-terry-white","tax_publications-1984-leadership-journal","tax_publications-leadership-journal","tax_publications-spring_1984-leadership-journal","tax_ctp_tags-caring","tax_ctp_tags-evangelism","tax_ctp_tags-failure","tax_ctp_tags-forgiveness","tax_ctp_tags-suicide"],"acf":{"scripture_references":null},"yoast_head":"\nWHO FORGOT JERUSALEM? - CT Pastors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As churches go, Lord, ours is doing pretty well in evangelism. 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