From Hopeless to Happy

When I see the two happy, healthy kids in the above picture (forget the happy pig), I am reminded of their condition when they arrived, they were far from safe and happy and healthy. They were outcasts.  As I have traveled the world I am frequently asked, "What are the attributes of a great church?" In my opinion, it's really not the size of the congregation, the condition of the facility, the professionalism of the worship, the quality of the preaching, or even how famous they are (important as all those things are), the mark of a great church, in my opinion, is how they are impacting their community for Christ. What are they doing to reach the oppressed, rejected, and outcasts of their society? I'm not just talking about orphans (Who are considered under 'bad karma' in Cambodia) I'm also talking about the unsavory members; drug users, corrupt people, drunkards, the sexually immoral people that are part of every community. These were the people that Jesus hung out with. He told the religious crowd that the prostitutes and corrupt officials would enter the kingdom of God before them. Think about that! It will challenge you.