Outside the Walls

It has been about two weeks since the documentary Outside the Walls was released. If you haven’t yet seen it, you can view the film, by going to http://www.outsidethewallsfilm.com, click the “Watch the Film” tab, and enter the password “OTW.”
The film has been shown two different ways – the first preview screening event and the weekend services at Northview Community Church.  One of the commonalities between both of these showings was without a doubt the great questions that were raised.  Unfortunately, we had a relatively short period of time available and as a result some very important questions were raised that we were not able to address at all.  I wanted to briefly respond to some of those questions here.  The following reflections are not necessarily definitive, in that they are absolutely true, nevertheless I will give my best effort to answer them.

What is a good website I can go to for an overview of places I could help?
•    The best online resource I have come across in regards to faith-based ministries would be: http://www.churchinabbotsford.com/index.php?page=public.ministries
•    It would also be a good idea to check out: http://www.abbotsfordcommunityservices.com
What should I do if I want to reach out specifically to drug addicts?
•    The leadership at Northview wants to be equipping the church family to engage in their local context (i.e. neighbourhoods, workplaces, spheres of influence, etc.). Furthermore, we want to get our people engaged with initiatives that are already in place.  That being said, the best way to reach out to drug addicts would be to get plugged-in to ministries that are already working in that area. My suggestion would be to check out the ministries on http://www.churchinabbotsford.com, and look for places that say “recovery,” “treatment” and “transition.”
•    Don’t start an initiative on your own if other people in the community are already doing something similar. This helps with unity among churches, safety of the people using the services and safety of those serving.
Is it more important for the church to be unified in community or unified in truth? How can we do both better?
•    I think it is difficult to have one without the other. I think the latter question gets closer to the heart of the issue – unification in both ‘community’ and ‘truth’ is important for the Church’s witness of Christ and the Kingdom of the God.  They seem, in some ways at least, to be two sides of the same coin.
•    Scripture reflects this tension itself, so to take a ‘side’ may be unhelpful. The ESV translation of John 13:34-35 says: “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  This passage makes it clear that part of being the body of Christ means loving one another (1 Corinthians 13), or in the context of this question “unified in community”.
•    Scripture also makes it clear that what we believe is of paramount importance. The ESV translation of Jude 3-4 says: “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” There are other passages in scripture that reflect the seriousness of holding onto the truth of the gospel and not allowing the surrounding culture to change its message.
•    For now, I think it is safe to say that unity in the Body of Christ is something worth pursuing. It is easy to be about division and separateness, it is easy to point fingers and call out other’s weaknesses or failings. It much harder, however, to live out the great commandment of loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and loving our neighbour (both Christian and non-Christian) as ourselves.
Again, to view the film, go to http://www.outsidethewallsfilm.com, click the “Watch the Film” tab, and enter the password “OTW.”
If you’d like more information on how to show this film to your pastorate, workplace, or other event type opportunities don’t hesitate to email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Coming Soon - a Study Guide that will aid conversation and encourage all viewers to engage with the film’s material.