Pastor's Circle - Chris Lohrstorfer

Today in the Pastor's Circle: Chris Lohrstorfer, pastor of Hinds Independent Methodist Church. Compassionate ministry and its effect on the Church was on the agenda.

 

Is doing compassionate ministry a liberal thing? 

If it's liberal, then I'd say Jesus was a liberal.

 

I can't separate that kind of compassionate ministry from Jesus and what He is doing. 

Are both giving and compassionate ministry important? 

I think they both are necessary.

 

If you're a missionary going to a foreign field...you need the cash.

 

I don't think it's enough for a church to give out money. You need to get your hands dirty.

What happens in the life of a congregation when they go out to the untouchables? 

When people get involved hands and feet-wise, I see grace.

 

I've never seen it work the opposite in someone's life.

 

I think it's absolutely imperative spiritually.

 

When you're giving out to other people, that's necessary to sanctification.

I wonder if we don't get more hungry for righteousness when we serve. 

When you get up and go here to exercise, you feel like you don't want to.

 

But the more you do it, the more you want to exercise.

 

Besides expending calories...your body gets hungry for exercise. 

Are there periods of revival, when there's no compassionate ministry? Can you fly without that wing? 

If you can, it wouldn't be very far.

 

There's always a time of prayer...there always is connected with it this thing of reaching out.

 

Revival always works its way out into society.

Possible to think of Wesley revival without compassionate ministry? 

There were people converted and sanctified.

 

The real aspect of the Wesley revival was they built orphanages, helped people.

 

It transformed society. That's what the Wesley revival is.

What happens to a church that decides we're not going to get involved in our community? 

Eventually it closes.

 

It becomes protective.

 

There's a reversal of mentality. You're not thinking let's go out and change lives, you're thinking let's keep them out. 

As a pastor or key laymen, how do you get your church to start reaching out? 

I think you oughta be preaching about it.

 

Just get a couple people involved.

 

It becomes catchy.

 

You're not going to start with 60, but you could start with 6.