Pastor Jim Burgen, known for his focus on inclusivity and community in church settings, shares insights on creating a welcoming environment for the broken and struggling. He recounts his personal journey of faith and highlights the importance of compassion over judgment. Burgen delves into humorous Easter anecdotes and emphasizes embracing messy lives, showing how love and understanding can transform individuals. His reflections encourage listeners to foster genuine connections and support within their faith communities.
Creating a welcoming church environment is essential for helping broken individuals feel accepted and supported within the community.
Building meaningful connections through understanding and compassion is crucial for addressing the struggles of others in a church setting.
True healing emerges from recognizing one's identity in Christ, emphasizing grace over judgment for those with past mistakes and struggles.
Deep dives
The Journey to Faith
The speaker, originally skeptical about the church due to past experiences, shares his transformation journey from a troubled youth to a dedicated pastor. Growing up in a family with a strong religious background, he initially rejected faith after feeling crushed by the church's harshness. His pivotal moment came when he was introduced to the concept of grace during a campus ministry experience, which reshaped his understanding of God and faith. This newfound belief motivated him to accept a calling to ministry, with a commitment to address real-life challenges in a relatable manner.
The Importance of Authentic Relationships
The podcast emphasizes the necessity of forming meaningful connections while dealing with others' struggles, especially within the church community. The speaker draws an analogy to horse training, where building trust is crucial for reaching vulnerable areas. Just as a trainer must earn a horse's trust, individuals in the church should seek to understand each other's life experiences before addressing behaviors. This approach nurtures a compassionate and understanding environment, making it easier for people to open up about their challenges.
Addressing Hypocrisy and Judgment
A significant theme discussed involves the prevalent hypocrisy and judgment often found in religious communities. The speaker references the well-known biblical passage about judging others, illustrating how individuals are prone to ignore their flaws while criticizing those around them. By presenting the idea that genuine understanding comes from recognizing one's shortcomings, the speaker encourages a more compassionate approach towards others. This sets the stage for fostering a church environment that welcomes imperfection and promotes healing rather than condemnation.
The Role of Grace in Healing
The podcast highlights that true healing and transformation come from acknowledging one's identity in Christ rather than merely focusing on external behaviors. By drawing from personal stories, the speaker illustrates how individuals can experience grace and transformation despite their past mistakes and current struggles. He emphasizes that Jesus accepts everyone as they are, and the journey toward healing is a process that takes time. This notion aims to alleviate feelings of guilt and shame, reminding listeners of the profound depth of God's grace.
Creating an Inclusive Church Environment
The speaker advocates for a church environment that is open and accepting of all individuals, regardless of their past or current struggles. By sharing stories of people like Richard and Melissa, who faced rejection in other churches, he reinforces the importance of embracing those who feel marginalized. The emphasis on meeting people where they are—acknowledging their stories and struggles—serves to create a supportive community. Ultimately, this vision aligns with the church's mission to be a hospital for the broken and a banquet for the hungry, urging congregations to live out these values.
Come and See: The Church is a Place for the Broken.
On Saturated Wednesday, Pastor Jim Burgen reminds us about the importance of creating a welcoming church environment for all people, especially those who are broken, lost, and struggling.
The Church of Eleven22® is a movement for all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ. Eleven22 is led by Pastor Joby Martin and based in Jacksonville, Florida, with multiple campuses throughout Jacksonville and the surrounding areas.
To learn more about how God is moving at Eleven22, visit coe22.com.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode