We have had few little brainwaves that feel are God inspired.
The first one is a welcome pack for workers, this will be a nice little paper bag (Biodegradable), with some goodies inside, we will put in a prayer card, a prayer request form, a drugs infor postcard, some sweets and nice food, a lighter, some condoms and a Bible. It will be a good way to welcome people to the island we are going to do about 300.
I have one problem!! Money... we want to get 300 bibles, are there any charities out there that do them for free? Or is there anyone out there who would like to buy 300 for us. In an ideal world we would like these ones which I could get for about £3.50 each which includes delivery that means I need about £1050 for bibles. You should check out xxx church these guys are doing a great job and these bibles would work brilliantly in the environment we find ourselves in. Let me know if you can help I am under a bit of time pressure on this one.
Secondly we are going to convert our office which adjoins the prayer room into more of a drop in for the people who work in the Westend, we want to offer free internet access for workers! Which will be a great way of serving the community as well as connecting with it. Once again I need help are there any charities out there who give away free computers? Or is there anyone out there who wants to give us £1500 for three cheap Dell computers?
I hope you don't think I am being cheeky, but I feel some of you guys are in this with me, just by the support you give from reading the blog. If you are a wheeler dealer, rich or have any inspiration, please mail me at mail@24-7ibiza.com
All this is not so we look groovy but so we can reach out to people. A good investment methinks....
17 comments:
You are giving workers lighters and condoms? Me thinks that is a little much don't you....or am I being legalistic and uptight?
anonymous- Would you mind giving reasons for why you object to lighters and condoms? Would you rather workers just have unprotected sex? Because they ARE going to have sex, you not giving them a condom isn't going to change that. And they're going to smoke whether they have a lighter that says "Jesus is the light of the world" on it or not. So isn't it more advantageous to give them a quality lighter that reminds them every time they light up that there is more to this life than what they are currently experiencing?
Brian, I love what you guys are doing.
Jonah, anon here again, I love what Brian and everyone is doing there too and God is definitely in it, I just think that sometimes in our effort to reach people and help them see the revelation of God's love for them that we try to be too relevant...in but not of the world isn't that the call we are supposed to heed? Just my thoughts.....are the workers that are coming Christians?
Brian
Give me a couple of days and I'll try and dig out some places for the Bibles and stuff.. email if I don't
JUDE
The lighter and condom made me laugh--out loud actually! It doesn't bother me, although I know it would others. The "Jesus Loves Porn Stars" Bible cover is quite humerous too. But I enjoy funny. I like doing things outside of "the box" and love to see others thinking outside of the box too. Way to go!! Cheers. It's worth a try, right?
I think it's grand! exciting stuff!!! Re:Bibles, have you thought about asking the Gedeon society? They'd be delighted to give them to you for free in several different languages as well! My dad is a member if you need some assistance, gimme a shout. I am gonna e-mail you later anyway re: Ibiza!
Karen, anon here again, I believe thinking outside the box too and have been involved in several of these types of ministries over the last several years myself....however we shouldn't just do anything to try to bring others to Christ should we?
I say and agree with letting the Holy Spirit being a person's guide as far as books, movies, music, drinking alcohol even smoking...but I have a hard time believing the Holy Spirit wouldn't convict someone of sexual immoral behavior. And although passing out condoms isn't saying to someone go have sex, subconsciously it does....and Paul is very plain in his letters that we should stay away from sexual immoral behavior.
Again I love what Brian and his groups are doing in Ibiza, but it doesn't mean I have to agree with him 100% of the time, right Bri? :) Blessing to all of you...
If we were trying to stay away from sexually immoral behaviour to the extent that you are talking, then we wouldn't be in the west end of san antonio in the first place. I have walked past a bar before now and had the female PR invite me in for a orgy. (Maybe I should say yes, go in and give out condoms?).
It's funny how a few condoms can cause such a stir but at the same time, I would be worried if it wasn't a controversial topic.
I noticed that someone above asked if this was for Christian workers. No, we wouldn't be giving our teams condoms! This is for the bar workers.
I don't personally feel the need for any explanation on this, but it's not my blog. However, for me this is the angle. Giving someone a lighter and condoms as well as the Christian stuff sends a message that we are not here to judge. I personally thing that in itself leaves people with a lot higher chance of actually reading the bible that's in the pack and coming back to us.
One thing I read above did bother me, and that was a comment about us "trying to be too relevent". I have no intention of being controversial for the sake of it, trying to be someone I am not to fit in, or building up a 'public face' for in the street and another for home. The things we do in the west end come from who we are and a passion for people. Not from sitting around and deciding what the latest thing is that we need to be like etc.
Anyway, all that said. I don't want anyone to think I am having a dig at someone for not agreeing with what we have decided to do with the workers packs. That's the whole point of having a comment section after all.
On another note, someone please buy us some computers, or we will come to your church and give condoms out.
When I was 19 I was a bar worker in Magaluf, drinking and smoking every day and if I had been given a welcome bag by a Christian I would have just thought 'great, free stuff'. But that didn't happen to me, instead I had Christians enter my life in other ways. They all participated in planting 'little Jesus seeds' that stayed with me for years until eventually they grew and I finaly gave my life to Jesus. I think a welcome bag is a great idea because at least one, if not all of those workers will have a little Jesus seed planted by something from the welcome bag that will eventually grow into another soul saved for Jesus.
ok, i'm new here but as a friend of a poster, i was asked to give my opinion on this. I just recently graduated from a 3 year bible school in North Carolina. We do tons of practical ministry. I've ministered to countless hundreds of people, done lots of counseling unofficially. But Brian, what your suggesting here is that we give people a license to sin! i have no personal objection to going into a bar to talk w/ someone, because i've never been into alcohol so i wouldn't be tempted to backslide. but what your suggesting is like going around to those who are trying to recover from alcohol would be to give them a beer and open our homes to allow themselves to indulge!
How about we minister to them by showing them that there is a way out! Pray for them! let them know that if they have a desire to get sober, we'll walk them through it and love them through it! Not condone them, but show them the sometimes tough love of God and get them sick! When Jesus ministered to the woman at the well caught in adultery, He didn't just exscuse her behavior. He called her out on sin and showed her a way out!
i'm all into thinking "outside of the box" and doing things a little differently. But certainly i'm not into condoning sin! i'm not going to hand someone who is sexual immoral a condom. I'm going to show them a way out! yes, we have to be in the world, but not of it! Jesus NEVER condoned sin! He never once told the disciples to hand out alcohol thinking "well, they're going to get drunk anyways." show people a way out! show them the true love of Jesus (the cross and repentance) and help them out of the hole! He loves the person but absolutely hates the sin!
hey brian! we LOVE condoms and lighters down here in mexico. and we are all for you! if only we had money or porn star bibles, we'd certainly send them.
and, shawnman, i hate to do this, but the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery were two different people. (not to be picky.) and, actually, Jesus DID hand out alcohol- it was his first miracle! i love that Jesus kicked off his ministry by keepin' the party goin'.
lots of love,
kelly and jo
Kelly, what a classic line, I'll save that one, "we love condoms and lighters down here in Mexico. We'll send you some.
It's amazing that condoms cause such a stir! I don't think it's anything like handing out alcohol to get people drunk. I'm sure people wouldn't be against you taking someone to a STD clinic to help them. They wouldn't be against you taking someone to prenatal care, but somehow something far simpler is suddenly awful. These people don't have to use the condoms - but they will. It's much more like handing out a bottle opener than handing out beer - but it's not even that. I'm trying to think of a better example. It's more like giving someone a padded hat so that if they fall over when drunk they won't get knocked out!!!
I just read this as well- and I am intrigued by the stir caused by the condoms! Maybe it's a cultural thing. Giving out condoms is pretty usual stuff when it comes to Development Aid in Africa for example to prevent AIDS and STDs. Personally, I really don't think that handing out condoms says pre-marital sex is ok, not even close.
Anonymous, one of the unfortunate things about posting anonymously is that anyone can post under your name. Just a thought.
Here's another. This is also for Shawnman.
America is absolutely filled with people suffering from greed. The Bible speaks very clearly about greed, and Jesus was awfully loud on the subject of money (he spoke far more about it than the sexy stuff, incidentally.) So, when we as Americans put money into the hands of greedy persons (in the 1,000s of ways we do so every day), should we be just as outraged with helping others sin?
I know Brian welcomes the conversation. I welcome you both, as well. But as an American, I disagree with your point of view. I think God has always been more interested in reconciling a broken relationship between He and the unbeliever, rather than first curing the outward symptoms of that broken relationship. I'm cheering Brian and his team on for all the ways they're trying to be salt and light in a flavorless, dark place.
Personally I have discussed with friends about giving out condoms few times and my conclusion is that it's OK. A friend asked me once, what would you do if a drug addict comes to you (like it had happened few times) and asks for money to buy a sterilised needle...You know that he will inject the drugs anyway it just a matter if he will use a clean needle or borrow from someone who might have hepatitis c or aids or...
Just a thought...
Anonymous, why with so much to say would you not be willing to put your name to it? You have presented your argument well, but undermine it by remaining hidden???
Personally [and I don't know Brian and the team at all] I think what they are embarking on is fantastic and were it not of God, then gently or as strongly as was needed, the wind of the Holy Spirit... would have blown them elsewhere!
Dave.
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