Biblical faith or contemporary culture?
A recent Barna study of American pastors from across the denominational spectrum (including, for instance, Catholics, traditional Black churches, and Pentecostals) questioned 1,000 pastors on their beliefs. It concluded that only 37% of American pastors now hold a biblical worldview, and that most pastors were syncretistic – mixing Christian beliefs with those of secular culture and other religions. Many American pastors, the report asserted, “have abandoned even the most basic and hallowed biblical teachings for those which now permeate our culture”. Instead of the church influencing culture, culture is now reshaping the church. Many pastors now assume, for example, that truth and morality are matters of individual choice, and that having faith is more important than who or what you believe. The study found that a many “evangelical” and “Pentecostal” pastors have likewise been heavily influenced by secular culture and have sometimes slipped their biblical moorings.
Society and church in the USA and in New Zealand are significantly different, and the Barna study has some weaknesses. But such a study does indirectly raise questions about the state of Christianity in New Zealand.
How many of our New Zealand pastors – and church people – continue to profoundly believe that there is only one true God, that Christ is fully divine, that in Christ and the Scriptures God has truly spoken, that the Word of the Lord endures forever, that human beings are born sinful, that without repentance before God and faith in Christ we are lost, that Christ died for our sins, that Christ rose bodily from the grave and is alive for ever more, that Christ is the way, the truth and the life, that Christ sets us free, that the Holy Spirit works in believers to transform us, and that Christ is coming again to judge the living and the dead and to make all things new?
To what extent have Christians in New Zealand succumbed to worldly culture, dumbed down the faith, reduced it a few slogans or rituals, and filtered the Scriptures to accommodate our own doubts, ideas, and wants?
Biblical faith or contemporary culture? How can Christians respect their context, and speak well into their surrounding culture? How can they remain biblically faithful, rather than surrender to the assumptions and pressures of the culture they live in? From the beginning, Christians everywhere have always struggled with such dilemmas.
Being constructively Christian, in a changing culture
In countries dominated by western culture, there continues to be admiration for compassion, and respect for honesty, integrity, and humility. But there is no doubt that recent cultural trends in western countries no longer give general support to Christian faith and to many other Christian values. This affects how Christians and churches are viewed, and also how many Christians themselves think and act.
Scepticism about Christianity (on both scientific and ethical grounds) has become increasingly fashionable, and Christians in public life are increasingly subject to suspicion. Contemporary post-modernist thinking assumes that truth is subjective and uncertain, and that truth is whatever you choose it to be. Christian truth claims can thus be seen as over-confident, or arrogant.
Individualism and consumerism emphasise the centrality of self and the primacy of individual choice. The priority of personal happiness and pleasure is rarely questioned. Calls to holiness or righteousness are mocked. Christian beliefs about gender, sex, or marriage (views which were shared by most societies until very recently) are increasingly reproached as unloving, harmful, and unable to be tolerated. Churches can variously be regarded as outmoded, empty, irrelevant, narrow-minded, or dangerous.
In the context of our changing, less Christian-friendly context, Christians should not be intimidated, or become weakened in faith. We must remain faithful to Christ and the word. We must also think carefully about what we believe, and how we live and express that. We need…
- to beware of becoming conformed to this world (Rom 12:2)
- to be deeper into the scriptures (Ps 119:11)
- to be a people of constant prayer (Eph 6:18)
- to reflect Christ in all we do and say (Matt 5:13-16)
- to be loving, not a clanging gong (1 Cor 13:1)
- to be humble (James 4:6)
- to be thoughtful, gentle, and respectful in how we speak about our faith (1 Pet 3:15)
- to be good citizens (Rom 13:1), above reproach (1 Pet 3:16-17, 4:15)
- to be peace-makers (Matt 5:19)
- to live peacefully with everyone so far as it depends on us (Rom 12:18)
- to overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21)
- to recognise all Christians as part of the same body of Christ (Eph 4:3-6)
to receive the wisdom that comes from above (James 3:17), which is ‘pure, …peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere’.
Budget Solutions Adviser
Budget Solutions Adviser – Auckland
- Bring hope and light back into people’s lives by providing practical solutions to families across Aotearoa who are grappling with unmanageable debt.
- Great interpersonal skills needed with the ability to follow process and procedure, and be solutions focused.
- A sound understanding of personal budgeting or similar skills would be beneficial, however full training will be provided
As part of the wider Client Services Department, the Budget Solutions Advisor is a role that is critical for setting clients up for the win on their journey out of debt. Therefore, it requires someone who can deliver a high level of accuracy, has the ability to think of the bigger picture when completing budget assessments, and who has the ability to learn new skills.
If this sounds like you and you can’t wait to join our growing professional team bringing hope and help to New Zealanders, then we would love to hear from you!
About CAP
CAP is a Not-For-Profit Organisation working across Aotearoa to support individuals and families who are living in unmanageable debt and poverty.
Every month, CAP receives hundreds of phone calls from New Zealanders across Aotearoa who are grappling with unmanageable debt. Being in unmanageable debt means that their debts consume more than they have to give; individuals and families have no other choice but to sacrifice their everyday living essentials to pay their debts.
CAP’s professional Debt Help Service enables our clients to work towards a brighter future; clients are supported to be able to repay their debts using their own income only, in accordance to their unique budget created just for them. As with all of CAP’s services, our Debt Help Service is also delivered in partnership with our local churches across Aotearoa, enabling our clients to receive holistic care as they journey towards becoming debt free.
About this Role
As part of the New Clients Team, the purpose of this role is to ensure that all our new clients who are engaged with the CAP ‘Debt Help’ service are set up for success in their journey out of debt. This role requires a mix of excellent big picture thinking and interpersonal skills. It is an extremely unique and rewarding role that is vital to the work of CAP.
About You
CAP values character, culture, and competence. If you have the right attitude and an appetite to learn and do things well, we have what you need to be able to continue growing and developing in this role.
At the application URL below you can find a link to the job description for a detailed outline of the skills, abilities, and attributes we are looking for.
Some of the Perks and Benefits of Working at CAP
- You will be entering an extremely unique and rewarding role, joining a team of kind, fun and passionate individuals who are all for our clients and each other.
- CAP has an exceptional approach to work-life balance with opportunities for generous flexible working arrangements and annual leave provisions.
- Staff wellbeing and health is highly important at CAP. Whether it be you or your family, we do our best to offer what you need to be supported well in your role.
- We recognise that Covid 19 has impacted job security in many workplaces. CAP is blessed to be able to say in confidence that we continue to thrice and expand as the need for our service across Aotearoa grows.
- The biggest perk of all – you will see and be a part of many lives and generations positively impacted and changed.
Please note: You are required to disclose any convictions or pending charges in your application, and a Ministry of Justice vetting check, with acceptable results, will be a condition of appointment to this role.
MiCamp Trust
MiCamp Trust is a group of 3 spectacular Christian Camps in the central North Island. The camps are in separate locations – Kakahi, Whakamaru, and Waitetoko.
We offer a hassle-free camping experience with friendly staff, great facilities, excellent food, and a wide range of activities based around the picturesque settings of each campsite.
We host a large variety of groups including Casual Self-Catered Bookings, Family Reunions, Youth Groups, Church Groups, School Camps, Conferences, Weddings, National Organisations, Disability and Health Organisations, Training Organisations and Team Building Events.
We also run our own ministry camps all through the year, such as; Holiday camps, Families camps, Leader’s Training weekends, and Teens camps.
See our website for more about these camps: https://www.micamp.co.nz/our-events.html
The aims of the camp are:
- To give children and young people the opportunity to engage in healthy outdoor pursuits which build their self-esteem.
- To provide settings for campers to appreciate the beauty of their environment and to realise the role they need to play in its preservation.
- To provide values-based programming, including life skills education – offering alternative choices to the negative pressure of violence and abuse present in today’s society.
- To make the Gospel known and show the relevance of Christian life in today’s world.
For more information or any inquiries, head to our website or phone us today.
| www.micamp.co.nz | (07) 386 7967 |
