Fresh Ideas for Discipleship & Nurture

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If the angels rejoice when a new person joins God's family, how about the earthly brothers and sisters, too?

That's exactly what happens at Highland Park Church of Christ, an inner-city congregation in Los Angeles. Approximately every three weeks "spiritual birthday parties" are held after a Sunday evening service to honor those who have recently come to Christ.

The Dixon (Ill.) Church of Christ does a similar thing each quarter in the form of a "Super Sunday Celebration"—a midday poduck on the fifth Sunday of months that have one.

"We believe a disciple's new birth is at least as important as physical birth," says William Pile, one of the California church's three pastors.

"So within a few days of one's baptism, we throw a party.

"First, following the evening service (which we usually cut a little short), we interview the new Christians; this gives the whole group a window into their lives and personalities. Then we invite the older Christians to share Scriptural insights, favorite helpful passages, poems, and personal wisdom that will aid the new believers in living up to their commitment to Jesus. Our people are really quite spontaneous at this. We ask everyone to address their comments directly to the new disciples.

"Then, we move to the fellowship area for cake, cookies, punch, and coffee. During this time, older Christians are urged to spend a few moments with each new Christian to make him or her feel welcome and loved."

Such celebrations help weld the church's various ethnic groups together. "The church is predominantly Latin, and we Anglos sometimes aren't thought to be friendly," Pile explains. "The spiritual birthday party really loosens everyone up to enjoy one another. It also reminds everyone of how often God is working ...

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