Christian Life Committee Manual
How your church and association can impact your community
What Is a Christian Life Committee?
Some Christians may be unclear about the nature and purpose of a Christian Life Committee. A Christian Life Committee is an organization in a local church or Baptist association consisting of interested persons with special concerns about how Christian principles can be applied to the daily lives of believers and their society. A Christian Life Committee is charged with the responsibility of leading a congregation or association to be aware of moral, social, religious liberty, legislative, and public policy issue and what Christians can do to make a difference in their communities by standing for biblical values. Some churches call their committees something other than Christian Life Committee, such as: Community Impact Committee, Citizenship Committee, Salt and Light Committee. The name is not as important as the fact that your church or association has such a committee. While the leaders o the CLC should be appointed, membership in the CLC should be open to any interested member of the congregation.
Does Our Church Need a Christian Life Committee?
If your church provides meaningful worship experiences, teaches the Bible, encourages loving relationships among believers, ministers to the needs of its members, and supports an evangelistic outreach locally and worldwide, does God also expect us to attempt to deal with the wide range of social and moral issues? The answer is, "Yes, He does!"
Many church members and leaders are anxious to use their gifts, talents, creativity, and energy to implement the prayer Christ taught His disciples to pray, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." An effective Christian Life Committee will help a church carry this mandate into all areas of life.
The Christian Life Committee (CLC) can be the unifying and guiding force to discover human needs, evaluate resources, inform members, plan and execute positive action, and help the people of God apply Christian principles in every relationship of life.
A CLC can also be another means of aiding the spiritual maturity and effective discipleship of church members. Many earnest church members are unaware of how much the Bible teaches concerning the application of the Gospel in all areas of life. Such a committee helps the people of God to be aware, committed, and effectively organized for action. The committee helps "changed people change the world."
As with every decision a church makes, the question of whether a CLC should be established can be answered only as each local body of believers prayerfully seeks God's will. Looking at the answers to the following questions may be an additional avenue the Lord may use to lead the congregation to establish a Christian Life Committee.
Is moral and social action a proper function of churches?
Should the church encourage its members to be involved in the moral issues facing society today? Or should the church focus only on the conversion of individuals? Should the church involve itself only with "spiritual" matters? Or should it get involved with attempting to rectify societal immorality and injustice?
The Baptist Faith and Message affirms a call to involvement with the world when it states, "Every Christian is under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in his own life and in human society."
That statement also says Christians "should oppose in the spirit of Christ every form of greed, selfishness, and vice," and "should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love."
We must realize there is not a dichotomy between revival and reformation. Rather, the Bible is full of admonitions and examples of both. No one contends that reforms imposed by government are sufficient alone. King Josiah's reforms proved temporary because the peoples' hearts were not changed (2 Kings 22-23).
We must not become known more for our moral advocacy than for our love of sinners. However, church history demonstrates that unless the connection is made between belief and behavior, spiritual revival has little effect on society's evils. The terrible evil of slavery survived two great spiritual awakenings in this nation because that connection was not made.
Christians must understand that as redeemed people we are called to be "salt" and "light" in society (Matt. 5:13-16). In light of the moral decay of American culture today, our nation needs the flavoring influence of the "salty" Christians our Lord commanded us to be.
Christians must also understand that church-state separation was never intended by our forefathers to mean that people of religious convictions were somehow disqualified from bringing their beliefs to bear on the great public issues of the day. Too many years of withdrawal from civic and political engagement by too many evangelicals has led to many of our nation's problems
Each church should pray about establishing a Christian Life Committee. Such a committee would be charged with the responsibility of educating, motivating, and alerting Southern Baptists and other Christians to the moral, religious liberty, and public policy issues which confront our communities, state, and nation.
What difference can we really make?
Examples of the difference that dedicated, educated, and involved Christians can make are numerous:
However, it should be noted here that the world's definition of success and God's view of success are quite different. While we certainly want to achieve our goals in public policy battles, Christians need to remember that God is most concerned that we be faithful in advocating His ways to a needy world. It is better to lose on a particular issue undertaken in a Christ-like manner than to win on that issue by using the world's methodology. In God's economy, the ends never justify the means! Our faithful witness is, no matter the outcome, our first responsibility before God. Having said that, we can see end results! God commands His people to be His instruments for affirming right and battling wrong. He still empowers us with wisdom and strength for his work. He is waiting for us to make ourselves available to Him.
What if we do nothing?
It is so much easier to pretend that what goes on in the world around us is not our concern. Nowhere is the axiom, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing," more true than in the decisions of representative governments. James says the same truth this ways: "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (Jas. 4:17, NIV).
Cliches may be trite, but often they are true. In the wide range of social and moral issues that confronts us (family life, citizenship, race relations, hunger, alcohol and drug abuse, peace, religious liberty, pornography, abortion, gambling, sanctity of human life, etc.), Christians are truly "either part of the problem or part of the solution."
Therefore, the decision for the church becomes, "Shall we help our members become part of the solution through the work of a Christian Life Committee?" If the answer is "Yes," this manual is for you.
CHAPTER TWO
GETTING STARTED
What Do We Do First?
When a church or association determines a Christian Life Committee needs to be formed because of pressing needs that do not come under the responsibility and assignment of other standing committees and organizations, what then?
What should my church do?
The most simple Christian Life Committee structure is a chairperson with between three and seven appointed leaders (the number of members may vary according to the size of the church). The church should form the leadership of the committee through its usual nominating and election procedures. Each leader's term of service should be on a one-year basis, renewable at the recommendation of the nominating committee. Only people who are genuinely concerned about the issues the CLC must address should be leaders of this committee. Membership should not be limited, however, to appointed leaders. To truly serve the church and to involve other church members, the committee should be open to any church member who desires to be a part of the exciting work of the CLC.
By opening "membership" of the CLC to any interested church members the Christian Life Committee will be representative of the total life and ministry of the church. Its effectiveness will depend upon a good working relationship with the pastor and other church leadership. The CLC ideally will work under the direction of the pastor and other leaders, but the committee needs to do its own work. In fact, a well functioning CLC can take much of the load off the pastor by keeping him informed, maintaining a moral concerns and religious liberty resource file, and by taking responsibility for informing the congregation about issues.
A clear, concise statement of the purpose of the committee is essential if it is to function properly. Many churches have discovered it works best to have a committee on committees or other group develop this statement of purpose prior to the establishment of or election of leaders for any new committee. Other churches allow the new committee to write this statement of purpose based upon the guidance give by the church at the time it is established. The statement of purpose may be as brief or as exhaustive as the church desires.
The following statements of purpose may prove useful in the development of a statement by other Christian Life Committees:
It is unlikely that your committee can effectively address every social and moral issue, and the church may have particular issues in mind when the committee is established. Pray for God's direction in choosing the particular issues on which you wish to focus most of your efforts. Prayerful, concerned committee members will undoubtedly remain open to the Lord's leadership on future matters of concern. Therefore, flexibility in meeting changing needs and challenges is a key to the committee's continued maximum usefulness.
What should my association do?
Cooperation is a hallmark of Southern Baptist mission strategy, and that certainly is applicable to the work of Christian Life Committees. The formation of an associational CLC will enable all churches within an association to coordinate their efforts in addressing moral and social issues in their community. These associations of Southern Baptist churches that recognize the importance of a united stand in application of the Gospel to daily life should want to establish an associational Christian Life Committee.
By substituting associational methodology, everything addressed to the church in this manual is applicable to an association. The association's Christian Life Committee will coordinate area wide and statewide emphases, projects, and events to assure their most effective impact. In attempting to impact a local government body's decision on pending legislation or in addressing a particular local social need, an associational committee is an ideal means to be "salt" and "light" in the community.
Will our church lose its tax-exempt status?
A great deal of confusion and concern exists among church members and some pastors concerning the question of tax exemption and so-called "political" activity by the church. Internal Revenue Service regulations distinguish between "electioneering" (involvement in candidate campaigns for public office) and "attempting to influence legislation" (impacting laws and public policy). Electioneering is expressly forbidden by the IRS, while influencing legislation is expressly permitted as long as it is not a substantial portion of a tax-exempt organization's budget or activities. It should be noted that no church ahs ever lost its tax-exempt status because it educated and called its members to act upon pending public policy. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention believes that churches and associations are not in danger of losing tax exemption on account of being "salt" and "light" in our society by attempting to impact laws, legislation, regulations and other forms of public policy.
For a more detailed explanation of this question, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has prepared a pamphlet called "Critical Issues: Tax Exemption and Political Candidate Campaigns."
What about the "separation of church and state"?
Some Christians are equally confused about claims of some Baptists and others in our society that involvement in government by Christians through a local body of believers somehow violates the First Amendment's guarantee of the separation of the institutions of church and state. This is a grotesque distortion of our Baptist heritage and of the First Amendment.
The principle of the separation of the institutions of church and state is a part of the First Amendment largely because of the involvement of Baptist preachers, such as John Leland and Isaac Backus. These men persuaded politicians during America's formative years, most notably James Madison, that the United States government should explicitly protect religious freedom in our Constitution and that the government should not favor any particular religion over any other. The separation of church and state was never meant to separate government from biblical values. Over the last 40 years or so, this important principle of religious freedom has been abused in an attempt to shut out Bible-believing Christians from the "public square."
It is ironic that although the principle of separation of church and state is enshrined in our Constitution because Baptist preachers were heavily involved in the politics of their day, it is this same principle secularists would use to stifle Christian involvement in government 200 years later!
Citizen Christians: Their Rights and Responsibilities
Christians are citizens of two realms — the earthly and the spiritual — and they have rights and responsibilities in both spheres.
As citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20), Christians are commanded to be obedient to the Lord Jesus (Exod. 20:1-5). Our Lord's instruction to "render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's" (Luke 20:25) means giving ultimate allegiance only to God. It means paying your taxes. It also means much more.
The Apostle Paul instructs us that as Christians we have the responsibility to be good citizens of the state "for conscience sake" because God has ordained government to punish and restrict evildoers and to reward and protect moral behavior (Rom. 13:1-7). Christians are to support the civil government unless the authorities require a believer to support or to do evil in direct contradiction to their ultimate allegiance to their Heavenly Father.
Christians are also commanded by Jesus to be the "salt" of the earth and the "light" of the world (Matt. 5:13-16).
This involves Citizen Christians in active engagement with the world, preserving as "salt" and illuminating as "light." Thus, the responsibilities of Citizen Christians include not just obedience to the state, but involvement in society.
The Baptist Faith and Message, our Southern Baptist confession of faith, affirms this call to involvement with the world when it states that "every Christian is under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in his own life and in human society." This confession also says Christians not only "should oppose, in the spirit of Christ, every form of greed, selfishness and vice," but "should seek to bring industry, government and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth and brotherly love."
This statement clarifies our responsibilities as Christians, and our rights as citizens. When we bring our religious and moral convictions into the public marketplace of ideas and involve ourselves in the political arena, we are standing solidly within the best of our traditions as Americans and as Baptists. Far too often in recent decades we have allowed ourselves to be driven from the arena of debate by false understandings of church-state separation and religious liberty.
President Kennedy once said, "The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." One such "persistent" myth that has afflicted us as a nation is the belief that you cannot, or at least should not, legislate morality.
Laws against murder, theft, rape and racism are the legislation of morality. And when we pass laws against murder, theft, rape and racism, we are not so much trying to impose our morality on murderers, thieves, rapists and racists — we are trying to keep them from imposing their immorality on their victims!
A total separation of morality and politics is as debilitating on moral values and public virtue as a complete dominance of a church by the state or the state by a church is of personal and religious freedom. Our forbearers intended — and the Constitution of the United States provided for — a balance between morality and public virtue and a separation of the institution of the church and the institution of the state.
To say the First Amendment's guarantees of religious freedom and separation of church and state were intended to restrict the political participation of people of faith or to disqualify their religious convictions and beliefs from consideration in the public arena of ideas is to twist and to distort the First Amendment's intent and meaning beyond all recognition.
When our forbearers declared their independence from Great Britain they asserted their firm belief in such moral-political convictions as all human beings being "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights" such as "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." They declared their appeal "to the Supreme Judge of the World for the rectitude of our intentions" with "a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence." When they issued the Declaration of Independence, they never intended to declare their independence from God, only from Great Britain.
In his Farewell Address George Washington declared, "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labour to subvert these great pillars of human happiness." Washington's successor, John Adams, reiterated the role of religion and morality in our nation's life. In 1798 President Adams said, "We have no government armed in power capable of contending in human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made for a moral and a religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."
Religious conviction has profoundly influenced our nation throughout its history. There would have been no abolitionist and anti-slavery movement without the leadership and support of people of faith. There would have been no child labor reform movement without the impetus of religious conviction. There would have been no civil rights movement without the moral imperative provided by people of religious conviction. Our Baptist ancestors were active in all of these movements. They believed their moral convictions left them no choice but to be involved. They found no contradiction between such action and their commitment to church-state separation.
Clearly, as American citizens we have the right to be involved in the public and legislative arena. As obedient Christians, we have the responsibility to be involved.
Christians are called upon not just to enjoy, but to exercise, not just to preach, but to practice their liberties. Surely, there could be no better thing for Americans and for America than for Citizen Christians to awaken to the exercise of their rights and to the fulfillment of their responsibilities.
CHAPTER THREE
FUNCTION
The intent of this manual is to provide the CLC of a local church or association with ideas and resources to assist in addressing the issues relevant to their community. This chapter will address the question of how to determine the issues to be confronted by the CLC, as well as how to do so.
When Nehemiah heard of the decayed state of Jerusalem, he "sat down and wept and mourned for days, and continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven" (Neh. 1:4). God moved the heart of a person, and Jerusalem's walls were rebuilt. Take a lesson from Nehemiah! Allow God to place His burden on your heart; and then weep, fast, and pray, seeking His direction.
As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we must remember:
We are different.
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9).
We have influence.
"You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:13-16).
We have resources.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16).
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8).
"For the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Cor. 10:4-5).
The Importance of Prayer
Prayer is the most important action a CLC can take! Whether it's a CLC or an evangelistic campaign, every movement which seeks God's blessing and direction must start with prayer. Scripture is replete with examples where God intervened in the affairs of human beings because men and women prayed "without ceasing." Every great spiritual awakening can be traced to the people of God, in earnest prayer, seeking His visitation on them and their nations. As a committee, it is critically important that the CLC make prayer a top priority as it undertakes the weighty assignment of leading the congregation to be "salt" and "light" in your community. Prayer should precede any action.
Consider the following statements:
If not already developed, the first task of a Christian Life Committee is to develop its statement of purpose. Several models were presented in chapter two. After a statement of purpose is developed, the CLC is prepared to begin its work. The CLC studies the issues, educates the congregation and motivates believers to action in response to needs.
Study
Study must be considered the most important task of the CLC. Because the congregation has to rely on the CLC for correct and up-to-date information, the CLC must make sure it has thoroughly studied the issues it will bring to the congregation. There are a number of ways the CLC can fulfill this task:
Make assignments. No one member can adequately master the data and information on all the issues. Each member can focus on a particular issue — the one God has especially put on his or her heart. The committee may ask each member to be responsible for one ore more of the emphasis Sundays the CLC has decided to lead the church to observe. (For more information on emphasis Sundays, see "Educate" section in this chapter.) The committee may also want to consider assigning members to be the lead persons responsible for following events at each level of government (school board, city council or county commission, state legislature and U.S. Congress).
Collect information. Gather information and data including pamphlets, audio and video tapes, newspaper clippings, editorials, magazine articles and other items. In addition to these, the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission produces pamphlets, tracts and videos, and makes issue-specific books available for this purpose. Also, the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission maintains a Web site on the Internet (www.erlc.com) with up-to-date information on current issues affecting our culture and society. This information should become a file which will prove invaluable when the pastor plans to devote a sermon to a certain emphasis. Have current, pertinent information ready for easy access. Help him to keep abreast of the issues, enabling him to alert and motivate your congregation. You, as a committee, may study and educate, but your pastor will be the key to motivating your people. Serve him well!
Attend conferences. Attend conferences that center on issues on which the CLC has chosen to focus. Many biblically-based, pro-family organizations, including the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, hold seminars and conferences from time to time which CLC members may want to attend to learn more about the issue facing our nation.
Network. Discover other CLC's and other organizations and churches in the local area which share similar concerns. These organizations can provide valuable information and assistance. Network with these organizations by exchanging ideas and resources. The state Baptist convention or local association may have a listing of active Christian Life Committees in your area. Please help the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission know about your work. The Internet provides a wide selection of informative resources for CLC members.
Educate
The CLC should also consider a wide variety of means by which it can educate its congregation on moral, social, religious liberty, and public policy issues. Christians will feel more comfortable acting, when called upon by the CLC, if they have been educated on the issues. The following are ways to carry out this important task:
Special emphasis Sundays. The seven special emphasis Sundays on the Southern Baptist Convention calendar provide an ideal educational model on moral issues throughout the year. The SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission publishes attractive theme guides (LifeLights), posters, pamphlets, sermon outlines, books, video and audio tapes, and other resources which may be used by churches to observe these Sundays. Not all churches will, at first, desire to mark all seven Sundays. However, the CLC should choose three or four throughout the year as a means of educating the congregation on moral issues.
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday — On the third Sunday in January, millions of Southern Baptists and other Christians concerned about the assault on human life in our society observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. This emphasis is held at this time in order to remember the Supreme Court's Jan. 22, 1973, decision in Roe v. Wade legalizing abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Abortion is just one area of human life which is being undermined in our society. Focus is also on euthanasia, genetic engineering, fetal tissue transplantation, child abuse, and other ways human life is degraded.
Race Relations Sunday — The second Sunday in February is set aside to address the problems of racial prejudice and injustice in America. Persons may no longer be discriminated against on the basis of skin color in employment, housing, etc. While these laws are important, much work still needs to be done, especially with respect to people's attitudes toward other races. The CLC can lead the local church to confront heart issues about these racial and ethic prejudices that remain.
Substance Abuse Prevention Sunday — The third Sunday in March has been designated Substance Abuse Prevention Sunday. Focus is on both legal (alcohol and tobacco) and illegal drugs in our society. These matters affect many families, even those in the church, and are especially critical issues for youth.
Citizenship and Religious Liberty Sunday — The Sunday on or before July 4 has been set aside both to educate Southern Baptists about religious liberty — the freedom that gives meaning to all other freedoms — and to emphasize the need for Christians to better understand and pursue their rights and responsibilities to influence public policy. The Baptist heritage of religious liberty is notable, and more Southern Baptists should be acquainted with this noble heritage. America is currently experiencing a deterioration of religious liberty as a result of the distortion of the principle of the separation of the institutions of church and state.
Social Issues Sunday — The first Sunday in August has been set aside as a day to educate Southern Baptists about culture issues of our day, such as Christian persecution, pornography, the environment, and world peace. Each year a different social issue will be featured.
Anti-Gambling Sunday — This Sunday focuses on the serious moral problems related to gambling. It is observed on the third Sunday in September. Like alcohol and drugs, these matters affect many families, even those within the church.
World Hunger Day — The second Sunday in October has been designated World Hunger Day. The purpose of this emphasis is to educate Southern Baptists about the needs of the millions in America and throughout the world who are starving and hungry. CLC's are encouraged to receive an offering which is distributed through the SBC's North American Mission Board and International Missions Board to alleviate starvation and hunger.
Host seminars and conferences. The CLC can host a seminar on an issue that is of particular concern to Christians and others in your local community. By networking with other CLC's and other organizations, the host CLC should be able to locate local authorities and speakers who can make presentations at the seminar. Additionally, at the invitation of a local congregation or association, the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission may be able to provide staff and resources to hold a Critical Issues Briefing. These one-day briefings highlight current issues and provide practical information on how Christians can impact their communities for biblical values. Other pro-family organizations also hold seminars and conferences that may be useful to help educate your congregation.
Church library/bulletin board displays. Work with the church media specialist to ensure that books and pamphlets dealing with moral, social, religious liberty and public policy issues are included in the library. Also make sure the library is receiving Light magazine and that the current edition of this publication is on display (see page 18 for ordering information). Additionally, the CLC can work with the church media specialist or church staff to obtain a moral concerns table or bulletin board to display resources about current issues. Churches can request a bulk shipment of Light magazine for distribution to their congregations. The ERLC's electronic news report, eSalt, can be e-mailed or faxed to anyone who requests a subscription.
Newsletter. The CLC should consider starting a newsletter which would focus on upcoming events and would also serve to educate church members about important moral issues. Although most churches have newsletters, the format of many would not accommodate the needs of the CLC. The CLC could begin with a one-page (front and back) newsletter that would be photocopied and distributed in the church through Sunday School classes, as bulletin inserts, and displayed in a prominent location in the church, ideally at the CLC table or bulletin board display. The SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission grants permission to reprint articles from eSalt and Light, with a citation, for use in CLC newsletters.
Act
When used properly, action is a critically important and effective function of the CLC. Discernment is necessary when considering a "call to action" by the CLC. While many Christians are concerned about the events of their government and culture, it is possible to "cry wolf" too many times. Some action of the CLC can be a regularly scheduled activity, such as an Action Council. Some action may involve last-minute alerts by telephone or a flier distributed throughout the church for Sunday or Wednesday evening services or via e-mail. While these alerts should be implemented sparingly, events may dictate their occasional use. Always remember, the CLC operates under the authority of the pastor and church leadership. Any calls to action should be done with this in mind. The following are means by which the CLC can call the church to action:
Establish an Action Council. This is a group of fellow church members (as many as can be recruited) who would commit to writing letters on a regular basis throughout the year. The Action Council may meet once a quarter or once a month, depending on the desires of the CLC and Action Council members. The letters may be to one's U.S. representative or senators, a media executive, or the local school board. The CLC is responsible for alerting Action Council members to the issues and educating them in the most effective way to write a personal letter. It is important to not here that the most effective form of communication with elected officials is a handwritten letter. However, petitions, postcards, phone calls and telegrams are also appropriate. Additionally, e-mail is a very quick, easy, and effective manner of communicating with elected officials, as long as you are sure to include your name and street address. Obviously, some form of communication is better than no communication. Letters are most effective when they are:
material that can be reproduced. These action alerts are ideal for use in bulletins or as a handout in Sunday School classes or for display in a prominent location in the church. Seek your pastor's permission to use these alerts and ask him to draw the attention of the congregation to them.
This Christian Life Committee Manual was provided by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.
What Is a Christian Life Committee?
Some Christians may be unclear about the nature and purpose of a Christian Life Committee. A Christian Life Committee is an organization in a local church or Baptist association consisting of interested persons with special concerns about how Christian principles can be applied to the daily lives of believers and their society. A Christian Life Committee is charged with the responsibility of leading a congregation or association to be aware of moral, social, religious liberty, legislative, and public policy issue and what Christians can do to make a difference in their communities by standing for biblical values. Some churches call their committees something other than Christian Life Committee, such as: Community Impact Committee, Citizenship Committee, Salt and Light Committee. The name is not as important as the fact that your church or association has such a committee. While the leaders o the CLC should be appointed, membership in the CLC should be open to any interested member of the congregation.
Does Our Church Need a Christian Life Committee?
If your church provides meaningful worship experiences, teaches the Bible, encourages loving relationships among believers, ministers to the needs of its members, and supports an evangelistic outreach locally and worldwide, does God also expect us to attempt to deal with the wide range of social and moral issues? The answer is, "Yes, He does!"
Many church members and leaders are anxious to use their gifts, talents, creativity, and energy to implement the prayer Christ taught His disciples to pray, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." An effective Christian Life Committee will help a church carry this mandate into all areas of life.
The Christian Life Committee (CLC) can be the unifying and guiding force to discover human needs, evaluate resources, inform members, plan and execute positive action, and help the people of God apply Christian principles in every relationship of life.
A CLC can also be another means of aiding the spiritual maturity and effective discipleship of church members. Many earnest church members are unaware of how much the Bible teaches concerning the application of the Gospel in all areas of life. Such a committee helps the people of God to be aware, committed, and effectively organized for action. The committee helps "changed people change the world."
As with every decision a church makes, the question of whether a CLC should be established can be answered only as each local body of believers prayerfully seeks God's will. Looking at the answers to the following questions may be an additional avenue the Lord may use to lead the congregation to establish a Christian Life Committee.
Is moral and social action a proper function of churches?
Should the church encourage its members to be involved in the moral issues facing society today? Or should the church focus only on the conversion of individuals? Should the church involve itself only with "spiritual" matters? Or should it get involved with attempting to rectify societal immorality and injustice?
The Baptist Faith and Message affirms a call to involvement with the world when it states, "Every Christian is under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in his own life and in human society."
That statement also says Christians "should oppose in the spirit of Christ every form of greed, selfishness, and vice," and "should seek to bring industry, government, and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth, and brotherly love."
We must realize there is not a dichotomy between revival and reformation. Rather, the Bible is full of admonitions and examples of both. No one contends that reforms imposed by government are sufficient alone. King Josiah's reforms proved temporary because the peoples' hearts were not changed (2 Kings 22-23).
We must not become known more for our moral advocacy than for our love of sinners. However, church history demonstrates that unless the connection is made between belief and behavior, spiritual revival has little effect on society's evils. The terrible evil of slavery survived two great spiritual awakenings in this nation because that connection was not made.
Christians must understand that as redeemed people we are called to be "salt" and "light" in society (Matt. 5:13-16). In light of the moral decay of American culture today, our nation needs the flavoring influence of the "salty" Christians our Lord commanded us to be.
Christians must also understand that church-state separation was never intended by our forefathers to mean that people of religious convictions were somehow disqualified from bringing their beliefs to bear on the great public issues of the day. Too many years of withdrawal from civic and political engagement by too many evangelicals has led to many of our nation's problems
Each church should pray about establishing a Christian Life Committee. Such a committee would be charged with the responsibility of educating, motivating, and alerting Southern Baptists and other Christians to the moral, religious liberty, and public policy issues which confront our communities, state, and nation.
What difference can we really make?
Examples of the difference that dedicated, educated, and involved Christians can make are numerous:
- The closing of sexually explicit, pornographic businesses resulted in a 27% decrease in rapes in one Oklahoma county while the rate was going up 22% statewide. Had the county's rate gone up that same 22%, a total of 1,916 more women and girls would have been raped during the eight years of the study.
- The establishment and effective staffing of crisis pregnancy centers have provided information on alternatives to abortion and loving, practical assistance to numerous women and girls experiencing deep spiritual anguish and great physical need.
- The letters, telephone calls, petitions, and other communications from citizen Christians have resulted in changed votes on moral issues at every level of government.
- When properly presented, expressions of intentions to support or withdraw support from advertisers and television stations based upon their decisions regarding immoral programming has proven effective.
- More than half a million telephone calls from concerned home school and Christian school parents in less than two weeks compelled the U.S. House of Representatives to vote 424-1 to repeal a provision from a bill which would have required state certification of home and Christian schools.
However, it should be noted here that the world's definition of success and God's view of success are quite different. While we certainly want to achieve our goals in public policy battles, Christians need to remember that God is most concerned that we be faithful in advocating His ways to a needy world. It is better to lose on a particular issue undertaken in a Christ-like manner than to win on that issue by using the world's methodology. In God's economy, the ends never justify the means! Our faithful witness is, no matter the outcome, our first responsibility before God. Having said that, we can see end results! God commands His people to be His instruments for affirming right and battling wrong. He still empowers us with wisdom and strength for his work. He is waiting for us to make ourselves available to Him.
What if we do nothing?
It is so much easier to pretend that what goes on in the world around us is not our concern. Nowhere is the axiom, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing," more true than in the decisions of representative governments. James says the same truth this ways: "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (Jas. 4:17, NIV).
Cliches may be trite, but often they are true. In the wide range of social and moral issues that confronts us (family life, citizenship, race relations, hunger, alcohol and drug abuse, peace, religious liberty, pornography, abortion, gambling, sanctity of human life, etc.), Christians are truly "either part of the problem or part of the solution."
Therefore, the decision for the church becomes, "Shall we help our members become part of the solution through the work of a Christian Life Committee?" If the answer is "Yes," this manual is for you.
CHAPTER TWO
GETTING STARTED
What Do We Do First?
When a church or association determines a Christian Life Committee needs to be formed because of pressing needs that do not come under the responsibility and assignment of other standing committees and organizations, what then?
What should my church do?
The most simple Christian Life Committee structure is a chairperson with between three and seven appointed leaders (the number of members may vary according to the size of the church). The church should form the leadership of the committee through its usual nominating and election procedures. Each leader's term of service should be on a one-year basis, renewable at the recommendation of the nominating committee. Only people who are genuinely concerned about the issues the CLC must address should be leaders of this committee. Membership should not be limited, however, to appointed leaders. To truly serve the church and to involve other church members, the committee should be open to any church member who desires to be a part of the exciting work of the CLC.
By opening "membership" of the CLC to any interested church members the Christian Life Committee will be representative of the total life and ministry of the church. Its effectiveness will depend upon a good working relationship with the pastor and other church leadership. The CLC ideally will work under the direction of the pastor and other leaders, but the committee needs to do its own work. In fact, a well functioning CLC can take much of the load off the pastor by keeping him informed, maintaining a moral concerns and religious liberty resource file, and by taking responsibility for informing the congregation about issues.
A clear, concise statement of the purpose of the committee is essential if it is to function properly. Many churches have discovered it works best to have a committee on committees or other group develop this statement of purpose prior to the establishment of or election of leaders for any new committee. Other churches allow the new committee to write this statement of purpose based upon the guidance give by the church at the time it is established. The statement of purpose may be as brief or as exhaustive as the church desires.
The following statements of purpose may prove useful in the development of a statement by other Christian Life Committees:
-
"The Christian Life Committee is an instrument to develop
awareness, sensitize, and lead our congregation in applying
the Gospel to daily life."
- Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma CLC
"Our ministry is to inform on local, state, national and moral
issues touching our daily lives."
- First Baptist Church of Orlando, Florida Current Issues Council
"The Christian Life Committee is an effective instrument for developing awareness and channeling appropriate actions. The committee can sensitize and lead the entire congregation in applying the Gospel to daily life."
- First Baptist Church of Charlottesville, Virginia, CLC
- Study. The committee will identify social and moral issues to which the congregation needs to respond. The committee will discover information and gather resources related to particular concerns.
- Educate. The committee will bring appropriate issues and concerns to the attention of the congregation. In a variety of ways the committee will supply significant facts and information to the local church to raise the level of awareness regarding moral, religious liberty, and public policy issues. Such education may also include Bible teachings that deepen Christian discipleship.
- Act. The committee will provide the church with strategies, techniques, and resources for action in addressing issues at every level of government and other societal concerns.
It is unlikely that your committee can effectively address every social and moral issue, and the church may have particular issues in mind when the committee is established. Pray for God's direction in choosing the particular issues on which you wish to focus most of your efforts. Prayerful, concerned committee members will undoubtedly remain open to the Lord's leadership on future matters of concern. Therefore, flexibility in meeting changing needs and challenges is a key to the committee's continued maximum usefulness.
What should my association do?
Cooperation is a hallmark of Southern Baptist mission strategy, and that certainly is applicable to the work of Christian Life Committees. The formation of an associational CLC will enable all churches within an association to coordinate their efforts in addressing moral and social issues in their community. These associations of Southern Baptist churches that recognize the importance of a united stand in application of the Gospel to daily life should want to establish an associational Christian Life Committee.
By substituting associational methodology, everything addressed to the church in this manual is applicable to an association. The association's Christian Life Committee will coordinate area wide and statewide emphases, projects, and events to assure their most effective impact. In attempting to impact a local government body's decision on pending legislation or in addressing a particular local social need, an associational committee is an ideal means to be "salt" and "light" in the community.
Will our church lose its tax-exempt status?
A great deal of confusion and concern exists among church members and some pastors concerning the question of tax exemption and so-called "political" activity by the church. Internal Revenue Service regulations distinguish between "electioneering" (involvement in candidate campaigns for public office) and "attempting to influence legislation" (impacting laws and public policy). Electioneering is expressly forbidden by the IRS, while influencing legislation is expressly permitted as long as it is not a substantial portion of a tax-exempt organization's budget or activities. It should be noted that no church ahs ever lost its tax-exempt status because it educated and called its members to act upon pending public policy. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention believes that churches and associations are not in danger of losing tax exemption on account of being "salt" and "light" in our society by attempting to impact laws, legislation, regulations and other forms of public policy.
For a more detailed explanation of this question, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has prepared a pamphlet called "Critical Issues: Tax Exemption and Political Candidate Campaigns."
What about the "separation of church and state"?
Some Christians are equally confused about claims of some Baptists and others in our society that involvement in government by Christians through a local body of believers somehow violates the First Amendment's guarantee of the separation of the institutions of church and state. This is a grotesque distortion of our Baptist heritage and of the First Amendment.
The principle of the separation of the institutions of church and state is a part of the First Amendment largely because of the involvement of Baptist preachers, such as John Leland and Isaac Backus. These men persuaded politicians during America's formative years, most notably James Madison, that the United States government should explicitly protect religious freedom in our Constitution and that the government should not favor any particular religion over any other. The separation of church and state was never meant to separate government from biblical values. Over the last 40 years or so, this important principle of religious freedom has been abused in an attempt to shut out Bible-believing Christians from the "public square."
It is ironic that although the principle of separation of church and state is enshrined in our Constitution because Baptist preachers were heavily involved in the politics of their day, it is this same principle secularists would use to stifle Christian involvement in government 200 years later!
Citizen Christians: Their Rights and Responsibilities
Christians are citizens of two realms — the earthly and the spiritual — and they have rights and responsibilities in both spheres.
As citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20), Christians are commanded to be obedient to the Lord Jesus (Exod. 20:1-5). Our Lord's instruction to "render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's" (Luke 20:25) means giving ultimate allegiance only to God. It means paying your taxes. It also means much more.
The Apostle Paul instructs us that as Christians we have the responsibility to be good citizens of the state "for conscience sake" because God has ordained government to punish and restrict evildoers and to reward and protect moral behavior (Rom. 13:1-7). Christians are to support the civil government unless the authorities require a believer to support or to do evil in direct contradiction to their ultimate allegiance to their Heavenly Father.
Christians are also commanded by Jesus to be the "salt" of the earth and the "light" of the world (Matt. 5:13-16).
This involves Citizen Christians in active engagement with the world, preserving as "salt" and illuminating as "light." Thus, the responsibilities of Citizen Christians include not just obedience to the state, but involvement in society.
The Baptist Faith and Message, our Southern Baptist confession of faith, affirms this call to involvement with the world when it states that "every Christian is under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in his own life and in human society." This confession also says Christians not only "should oppose, in the spirit of Christ, every form of greed, selfishness and vice," but "should seek to bring industry, government and society as a whole under the sway of the principles of righteousness, truth and brotherly love."
This statement clarifies our responsibilities as Christians, and our rights as citizens. When we bring our religious and moral convictions into the public marketplace of ideas and involve ourselves in the political arena, we are standing solidly within the best of our traditions as Americans and as Baptists. Far too often in recent decades we have allowed ourselves to be driven from the arena of debate by false understandings of church-state separation and religious liberty.
President Kennedy once said, "The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." One such "persistent" myth that has afflicted us as a nation is the belief that you cannot, or at least should not, legislate morality.
Laws against murder, theft, rape and racism are the legislation of morality. And when we pass laws against murder, theft, rape and racism, we are not so much trying to impose our morality on murderers, thieves, rapists and racists — we are trying to keep them from imposing their immorality on their victims!
A total separation of morality and politics is as debilitating on moral values and public virtue as a complete dominance of a church by the state or the state by a church is of personal and religious freedom. Our forbearers intended — and the Constitution of the United States provided for — a balance between morality and public virtue and a separation of the institution of the church and the institution of the state.
To say the First Amendment's guarantees of religious freedom and separation of church and state were intended to restrict the political participation of people of faith or to disqualify their religious convictions and beliefs from consideration in the public arena of ideas is to twist and to distort the First Amendment's intent and meaning beyond all recognition.
When our forbearers declared their independence from Great Britain they asserted their firm belief in such moral-political convictions as all human beings being "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights" such as "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." They declared their appeal "to the Supreme Judge of the World for the rectitude of our intentions" with "a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence." When they issued the Declaration of Independence, they never intended to declare their independence from God, only from Great Britain.
In his Farewell Address George Washington declared, "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labour to subvert these great pillars of human happiness." Washington's successor, John Adams, reiterated the role of religion and morality in our nation's life. In 1798 President Adams said, "We have no government armed in power capable of contending in human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made for a moral and a religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."
Religious conviction has profoundly influenced our nation throughout its history. There would have been no abolitionist and anti-slavery movement without the leadership and support of people of faith. There would have been no child labor reform movement without the impetus of religious conviction. There would have been no civil rights movement without the moral imperative provided by people of religious conviction. Our Baptist ancestors were active in all of these movements. They believed their moral convictions left them no choice but to be involved. They found no contradiction between such action and their commitment to church-state separation.
Clearly, as American citizens we have the right to be involved in the public and legislative arena. As obedient Christians, we have the responsibility to be involved.
Christians are called upon not just to enjoy, but to exercise, not just to preach, but to practice their liberties. Surely, there could be no better thing for Americans and for America than for Citizen Christians to awaken to the exercise of their rights and to the fulfillment of their responsibilities.
CHAPTER THREE
FUNCTION
The intent of this manual is to provide the CLC of a local church or association with ideas and resources to assist in addressing the issues relevant to their community. This chapter will address the question of how to determine the issues to be confronted by the CLC, as well as how to do so.
When Nehemiah heard of the decayed state of Jerusalem, he "sat down and wept and mourned for days, and continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven" (Neh. 1:4). God moved the heart of a person, and Jerusalem's walls were rebuilt. Take a lesson from Nehemiah! Allow God to place His burden on your heart; and then weep, fast, and pray, seeking His direction.
As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we must remember:
We are different.
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Pet. 2:9).
We have influence.
"You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world...Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:13-16).
We have resources.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16).
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (2 Cor. 9:8).
"For the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Cor. 10:4-5).
The Importance of Prayer
Prayer is the most important action a CLC can take! Whether it's a CLC or an evangelistic campaign, every movement which seeks God's blessing and direction must start with prayer. Scripture is replete with examples where God intervened in the affairs of human beings because men and women prayed "without ceasing." Every great spiritual awakening can be traced to the people of God, in earnest prayer, seeking His visitation on them and their nations. As a committee, it is critically important that the CLC make prayer a top priority as it undertakes the weighty assignment of leading the congregation to be "salt" and "light" in your community. Prayer should precede any action.
Consider the following statements:
-
"No man can do a great and enduring work for God who is not a man of prayer, and no man can be a man of prayer who does not give much time to praying."
- E.M. Bounds
"Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure."
- D.L. Moody
"God will do nothing but in answer to prayer...The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is to pray...You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed."
- S.D. Gordon
"The prime need of the church is not men of money nor men of brains, but men of prayer."
- E.M. Bounds
"If we ever forget our basic character — 'My house is a house of prayer' — we might as well close the church doors."
- James S. Stewart
"The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, he mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray."
- Samuel Chadwick
"Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man's will done in heaven, but for getting God's will don't in earth."
- Robert Law
If not already developed, the first task of a Christian Life Committee is to develop its statement of purpose. Several models were presented in chapter two. After a statement of purpose is developed, the CLC is prepared to begin its work. The CLC studies the issues, educates the congregation and motivates believers to action in response to needs.
Study
Study must be considered the most important task of the CLC. Because the congregation has to rely on the CLC for correct and up-to-date information, the CLC must make sure it has thoroughly studied the issues it will bring to the congregation. There are a number of ways the CLC can fulfill this task:
Make assignments. No one member can adequately master the data and information on all the issues. Each member can focus on a particular issue — the one God has especially put on his or her heart. The committee may ask each member to be responsible for one ore more of the emphasis Sundays the CLC has decided to lead the church to observe. (For more information on emphasis Sundays, see "Educate" section in this chapter.) The committee may also want to consider assigning members to be the lead persons responsible for following events at each level of government (school board, city council or county commission, state legislature and U.S. Congress).
Collect information. Gather information and data including pamphlets, audio and video tapes, newspaper clippings, editorials, magazine articles and other items. In addition to these, the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission produces pamphlets, tracts and videos, and makes issue-specific books available for this purpose. Also, the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission maintains a Web site on the Internet (www.erlc.com) with up-to-date information on current issues affecting our culture and society. This information should become a file which will prove invaluable when the pastor plans to devote a sermon to a certain emphasis. Have current, pertinent information ready for easy access. Help him to keep abreast of the issues, enabling him to alert and motivate your congregation. You, as a committee, may study and educate, but your pastor will be the key to motivating your people. Serve him well!
Attend conferences. Attend conferences that center on issues on which the CLC has chosen to focus. Many biblically-based, pro-family organizations, including the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, hold seminars and conferences from time to time which CLC members may want to attend to learn more about the issue facing our nation.
Network. Discover other CLC's and other organizations and churches in the local area which share similar concerns. These organizations can provide valuable information and assistance. Network with these organizations by exchanging ideas and resources. The state Baptist convention or local association may have a listing of active Christian Life Committees in your area. Please help the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission know about your work. The Internet provides a wide selection of informative resources for CLC members.
Educate
The CLC should also consider a wide variety of means by which it can educate its congregation on moral, social, religious liberty, and public policy issues. Christians will feel more comfortable acting, when called upon by the CLC, if they have been educated on the issues. The following are ways to carry out this important task:
Special emphasis Sundays. The seven special emphasis Sundays on the Southern Baptist Convention calendar provide an ideal educational model on moral issues throughout the year. The SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission publishes attractive theme guides (LifeLights), posters, pamphlets, sermon outlines, books, video and audio tapes, and other resources which may be used by churches to observe these Sundays. Not all churches will, at first, desire to mark all seven Sundays. However, the CLC should choose three or four throughout the year as a means of educating the congregation on moral issues.
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday — On the third Sunday in January, millions of Southern Baptists and other Christians concerned about the assault on human life in our society observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. This emphasis is held at this time in order to remember the Supreme Court's Jan. 22, 1973, decision in Roe v. Wade legalizing abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Abortion is just one area of human life which is being undermined in our society. Focus is also on euthanasia, genetic engineering, fetal tissue transplantation, child abuse, and other ways human life is degraded.
Race Relations Sunday — The second Sunday in February is set aside to address the problems of racial prejudice and injustice in America. Persons may no longer be discriminated against on the basis of skin color in employment, housing, etc. While these laws are important, much work still needs to be done, especially with respect to people's attitudes toward other races. The CLC can lead the local church to confront heart issues about these racial and ethic prejudices that remain.
Substance Abuse Prevention Sunday — The third Sunday in March has been designated Substance Abuse Prevention Sunday. Focus is on both legal (alcohol and tobacco) and illegal drugs in our society. These matters affect many families, even those in the church, and are especially critical issues for youth.
Citizenship and Religious Liberty Sunday — The Sunday on or before July 4 has been set aside both to educate Southern Baptists about religious liberty — the freedom that gives meaning to all other freedoms — and to emphasize the need for Christians to better understand and pursue their rights and responsibilities to influence public policy. The Baptist heritage of religious liberty is notable, and more Southern Baptists should be acquainted with this noble heritage. America is currently experiencing a deterioration of religious liberty as a result of the distortion of the principle of the separation of the institutions of church and state.
Social Issues Sunday — The first Sunday in August has been set aside as a day to educate Southern Baptists about culture issues of our day, such as Christian persecution, pornography, the environment, and world peace. Each year a different social issue will be featured.
Anti-Gambling Sunday — This Sunday focuses on the serious moral problems related to gambling. It is observed on the third Sunday in September. Like alcohol and drugs, these matters affect many families, even those within the church.
World Hunger Day — The second Sunday in October has been designated World Hunger Day. The purpose of this emphasis is to educate Southern Baptists about the needs of the millions in America and throughout the world who are starving and hungry. CLC's are encouraged to receive an offering which is distributed through the SBC's North American Mission Board and International Missions Board to alleviate starvation and hunger.
Host seminars and conferences. The CLC can host a seminar on an issue that is of particular concern to Christians and others in your local community. By networking with other CLC's and other organizations, the host CLC should be able to locate local authorities and speakers who can make presentations at the seminar. Additionally, at the invitation of a local congregation or association, the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission may be able to provide staff and resources to hold a Critical Issues Briefing. These one-day briefings highlight current issues and provide practical information on how Christians can impact their communities for biblical values. Other pro-family organizations also hold seminars and conferences that may be useful to help educate your congregation.
Church library/bulletin board displays. Work with the church media specialist to ensure that books and pamphlets dealing with moral, social, religious liberty and public policy issues are included in the library. Also make sure the library is receiving Light magazine and that the current edition of this publication is on display (see page 18 for ordering information). Additionally, the CLC can work with the church media specialist or church staff to obtain a moral concerns table or bulletin board to display resources about current issues. Churches can request a bulk shipment of Light magazine for distribution to their congregations. The ERLC's electronic news report, eSalt, can be e-mailed or faxed to anyone who requests a subscription.
Newsletter. The CLC should consider starting a newsletter which would focus on upcoming events and would also serve to educate church members about important moral issues. Although most churches have newsletters, the format of many would not accommodate the needs of the CLC. The CLC could begin with a one-page (front and back) newsletter that would be photocopied and distributed in the church through Sunday School classes, as bulletin inserts, and displayed in a prominent location in the church, ideally at the CLC table or bulletin board display. The SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission grants permission to reprint articles from eSalt and Light, with a citation, for use in CLC newsletters.
Act
When used properly, action is a critically important and effective function of the CLC. Discernment is necessary when considering a "call to action" by the CLC. While many Christians are concerned about the events of their government and culture, it is possible to "cry wolf" too many times. Some action of the CLC can be a regularly scheduled activity, such as an Action Council. Some action may involve last-minute alerts by telephone or a flier distributed throughout the church for Sunday or Wednesday evening services or via e-mail. While these alerts should be implemented sparingly, events may dictate their occasional use. Always remember, the CLC operates under the authority of the pastor and church leadership. Any calls to action should be done with this in mind. The following are means by which the CLC can call the church to action:
Establish an Action Council. This is a group of fellow church members (as many as can be recruited) who would commit to writing letters on a regular basis throughout the year. The Action Council may meet once a quarter or once a month, depending on the desires of the CLC and Action Council members. The letters may be to one's U.S. representative or senators, a media executive, or the local school board. The CLC is responsible for alerting Action Council members to the issues and educating them in the most effective way to write a personal letter. It is important to not here that the most effective form of communication with elected officials is a handwritten letter. However, petitions, postcards, phone calls and telegrams are also appropriate. Additionally, e-mail is a very quick, easy, and effective manner of communicating with elected officials, as long as you are sure to include your name and street address. Obviously, some form of communication is better than no communication. Letters are most effective when they are:
- Personally written and specifically addressed to the individual who will receive it (postcards are useful but are not as highly regarded by elected officials and others);
- Handwritten (typewriters and personal computers are okay (email, too!) as long as it doesn't appear to be merely a form letter);
- Specific about desired action (i.e., "Please oppose House bill 1000.");
- Short (one page is sufficient to make your point);
- Respectful and courteous; and
- Persistent (a continual reminder of concern will demonstrate the depth of your concern).
- Ask for a response indicating their position, and
- Include your name and street address.
material that can be reproduced. These action alerts are ideal for use in bulletins or as a handout in Sunday School classes or for display in a prominent location in the church. Seek your pastor's permission to use these alerts and ask him to draw the attention of the congregation to them.
This Christian Life Committee Manual was provided by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.
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