Equipping For Change Ministries
The Vision
The vision of Equipping For change Ministries is to help Christians who struggle with same sex attraction desires to connect to resources that will assist them as they seek change. We desire to proclaim the Truth with Compassion. Telling those who want to hear, that no one chooses to have homosexual desires but all can change through faith in Jesus Christ. Just as God as empowered the catipillar to change into a beautiful butterfly, He empowers all those who trust in Jesus to be transformed into His sons and daughters.
*It is our vision to promote deliverance/recovery from homosexuality through relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
*To promote a greater understanding of the relationship of spirit and soul as it relates to the addictive cycle of habitual sin.
*To help educate the body of Christ in ministering to those who struggle with homosexuality more effectively.
*To provide information about online groups, Christian ministries and decipleship programs that minister to those seeking deliverance/recovery from homosexuality.
*To be a witness to those who are struggling and to those who desire to help them, that freedom from the desire of homosexuality as well as the lifestyle of homosexuality is possible.
Although we are a ministry that targets the African American community, we are a ministry for all who desire freedom from same sex attraction.
It Takes Teamwork To Make The Dream Work
There are several things that one must do if they desire healing from homosexuality. One is finding a Bible believing, Bible teaching church. The motto of my church is, "It takes teamwork to make the dream work".
It is the dream of many Christian men and women who struggle with same sex attraction to be free from homosexuality. But is difficult for them to realize their dream without the assistance of the Church.
Mike Haley, the manager of the Homosexuality and Gender Issues Department at Focus On The Family and also serves as Chairman of the Board of Exodus International, North America, answers a question posed in his book, "101 Frequently Asked Questions About Homosexuality".
"The Christian community has many different approaches to handling homosexuality. How can I evaluate that my church is handling it appropriately?
In their book, Unwanted Harvest, Mona Riley and Brad Sargent help by defining six potential responses to homosexuality for the body of Christ. These definitions will help you assess your congregation’s approach.
The Permissive Church
Mona starts by clarifying that "the job of churches is to bring men and women to life in Christ Jesus." She characterizes the permissive as one that "does not have a strong message of that hope. When Christ is presented there, He is not God, but rather a more human friend who has, through extraordinary sacrifice, obtained in the minds of men a special place of quasi-deity. He is not God enough to obey nor man enough to disrespect. His teaching are only teachings. Mona describes this church as one that will most likely have some of the best programs for people with AIDS, which is admirable. They may sponsor events, incorporating other segments of the community, whose only link is the human need they benefit...Paradoxically, though this church offers help to men and women who want to continue in sexual sin, they provide no comfort for those who seek help in overcoming homosexuality...In brief, the permissive church is heavy on compassion but woefully short on truth.
The Rebellious Church
Mona, describes this type of congregation as one that "will have openly gay members. These members may even be very demonstrative in public and at services. They may be politically active and use the church to promote their agenda." This church is marked by members and leaders who "use all parts of the Bible that keep them comfortable, but explain away anything that conflicts with their opinions." This Church may seem similar to the permissive church, but Mons illuminates their stark divergence in the handling of God’s Word: While the permissive church tends to ignore the teaching of Scripture, the rebellious church rewrites the Bible to fit the beliefs of the congregation. In their view, people are more important than God; therefore, God could not have meant the things written in His Word... [The Rebellious church] does not want truth. It want autonomy—self defined authority—instead....They live according to their own law, shaking their fists at both God and anyone who oppose them.
Judgmental Church
Mona defines the third type of church as judgmental. It errs on the side of truth without compassion....[and sidesteps] the entire message of the gospel. They have somehow forgotten that although people are hopelessly mired in sin and fail to keep God’s Law, God’s ever-present love and compassion have made a path for forgiveness through the death of His Son Jesus Christ....For this reason people justifiably call the judgmental church hypocritical. Judgmental Christians only rescue the perishing if they can ensure their life preservers will come back clean and in good repair.
The Uncommitted Church
[The uncommitted church] neither helps gays and lesbians out of their sin nor teaches a message that would convict them of sin. It says, "We don’t know, so we can’t get involved."...[Unfortunately,] men and women in this church have a false sense of security. They fail to realize they have neither truth nor compassion. The leaders are misleading by default; that is, they fail to offer the clear guidance and direction the Lord expects from leaders for His church.
The Ignorant Church
The ignorant church simply does not know the truth of God. They may believe that homosexual involvement is wrong and that people who want out should be able to be helped. They just do not know how to help. [These churches] can only detract from the kingdom of God... [and] need to search God’s Word and pray until the Lord shows them His truth and His will.
The Healing Church
And lastly, the most effective church is described as one whose members believe in the infallibility and authority of Scripture. Homosexual acting out is sin, and this church know it. But they also know that for homosexual involvement —as for any sin—there is a complete and sure cure in the blood of Jesus Christ. And so this church balances biblical truth about homosexuality with the compassion of God for homosexual people s revealed through both His Word and His Son. But more than knowing the truth, they put their money where their mouths are and act upon the truth that they proclaim. Its leaders commit to using their gifts to assist men and women overcoming homosexuality, just as they use their gifts to help anyone else with life-dominating sins....Their actions exemplify the fullness of God’s Word; an important aspect of the healing church will be the presence of church discipline. If and when people exhibit a true lack of desire to repent...this church will have leadership able to discipline them...Ultimately, the healing church works because its leaders and members are committed to reaching out as individuals with mercy, grace, support, and sometimes-hard -to-hear truth."
Were you able to locate your church? I pray that your church is a healing church, for we need healing churches to help us overcome homosexuality. It grieves me to sit in a church and hear an awesome sermon, only to have the sermon polluted with words that are insensitive to the homosexual condition. Word that are meant to make the congregation laugh at the expense of those who may be present and struggling with homosexual desires. It never amazes me that men and women of God will stand in the pulpit representing God saying ugly things about people who identify as homosexual and then ask them to come up to the alter for help. We will never be able to convince them of the sin of homosexuality while making fun of gay men and lesbian women. I beg my brothers and sisters who stand as an representative of God to please learn to speak the truth in love. Love doesn’t make fun of others. No one chooses to have same sex attraction but with the truth, love and support of a healing church, all who struggle with same sex attraction can choose to change.
We need the churches to help us be whole and to walk in the earth as God designed us to. It takes teamwork to make the dream work. Please body of Christ team up with us that we might realize our dream for freedom from homosexuality.
