Tag Archives: deceased

Knit Together

knit together

I recently saw a segment on the news about a group called Loose Ends that includes over 500 volunteers who work on finishing knitting projects that were left undone by people who passed away. It was a beautiful story of completing what others couldn’t so that the loved ones of the deceased could enjoy their handiwork. Most of the knitting projects were meant to be gifts to family members or friends, so when the projects were done by the finishers, the items could be worn or used.

To me, this is a wonderful picture of what we do as the body of Christ. We step in when a brother or sister in Christ cannot in order to finish what they started. As the body of Christ, too, we are called to honor those who went before us in the faith by carrying on their work so that others may see it and God may be glorified.

What is something you can finish for someone who is sick or in need of help? What is something you can do in memory of someone who died recently? What is something you can do to bind people together in the faith? Be a finisher. Be a reminder. Be a binder. Jesus is the weaver.

Common Denominators

In Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive, Thom Rainer relates the sobering statistic that as many as 100,000 churches in America are showing signs of decline toward death.

In his study of fourteen churches that actually shuttered their doors and disbanded, Rainer came to see some common denominators present in the parishes that closed. His findings serve as a wake-up call to all churches, struggling or not.

church door lockedOne of the common denominators was that in each of the failing churches the past was the hero. Members remembered fondly the “good old days” and generally desired to do things “the way we used to.” This is not to say that nostalgia in and of itself is a bad thing. It is a good thing to remember “where we came from,” but churches need to be willing to move on and adjust to the changing needs of the congregation and the community in order to survive.

Continue reading →