At High Point we hold to what scripture says when it challenges us as Christ followers to not be drunk. We also see in scripture the challenge for those in leadership to stay away from alcohol because it clouds judgment. We realize as a pastoral team and as a church, people are coming from all sorts of backgrounds and may have an issue with alcohol so we as a pastoral team abstain from alcohol.
People in our church drink alcohol and I teach that we need to be careful about it not to let it control us. I think that for the most part you are better off not having it in your life but that is a personal conviction and not a scriptural one. I would lean more in the, It is permissible but probably not beneficial, camp.
This picture is funny to me because we have made a point to be a dry church. Our connection groups are not going to have alcohol at them. But we rent our office from a couple of lawyers and I walked in one morning to see this in our communal fridge. (So we are dry every where except our office...?)
I love that we as a church meeting the marketplace. We office, meet for Sunday and often meet in connection groups in places where we can be in contact with what non believers are dealing with. I think it is funny that in our credential organization of the Assemblies of God of Minnesota we are probably the only church that has a case of beer in there fridge.
Jesus didn't call us to live in our Christian bubble and not have community with those who have not committed there life to Christ... He called us to engage. I would say if you only have Christian friends then you are not living the fullness of your potential as a Christian. Jesus spent most of his time with people who were not of the religious majority. I don't know the commitment level of all of the people we share on office with but I do know that they are watching us.
The people we are around are asking the question... What do they have that is different? Lets see if they are who they say they are.
Check your life... are you around people and places that challenge you to live like Christ? Do you have friends who don't know the Lord?
We bring in the root beer and the ginger ale... they bring in the real thing... I think over all we are all spiritually desperate for a real encounter with Jesus.
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