when taking into consideration local assumptions about what scripture is

and how it should be used, one would need to have a pretty

good understanding of the community outside the boundaries of their
local church. I can speak to the community outside of my church but only
in generalities. I believe for this exercise, that should be fine. I live in
Murfreesboro, TN, a growing city that seems to have our city limits
busting at the seams. With that said, because it's a transient city, it's a
revolving door of culture, to include religious persuasion. With that said,
people in general seem to believe that the bible is God's word. And most
would say that it's a "manual for living a Christian life." I can't say
however, that most see it as God's way of speaking directly to His people
to further an intimate relationship with Him.
In every church i've visited over the past 15 years or so, the scipture to be
referenced is printed in the bulletin as an aid to attendees. While I
believe that's a good thing, it also promotes, if ever so slightly, that the
physical Bible isn't necessarily needed during the service. While that may
seem a bit critical, i believe it sends a message that it's ok to let the pastor
do the "Bible research," and folks can come Sunday to be fed the word.
While every pastor i've learned from in those churches speaks about the
importance of reading God's word, there seems to be a bit of a
contradiction through the concessions made for not having the physical
bible in service.
Outside of a focused small group setting where God's word is studied
with laser focus and viewed as relevant in everything today, the bible is
spoken of in generalities. It's almost as if the bible is a book of things that
happened a long time ago. I think it's fair to say that most believe the
Bible to be true but don't actually read it, or commit to reading it
regularly. Attending a mega church has it's advantages but also it's
disadvantages in that it's a bit difficult to get a feel for the church outside
of a general statement because it's alsmost as big as the community
where it's located. But again, there are small groups of people that
understand clearly what scripture is and how it's to be used.
There are many heroes in the Bible that I could speak about but again,
within the context of my local ministry and community, i'd have to say
that Paul seems to be the hero most referenced. No doubt it's because

he's the author of most of the new testament but also because most
believe the new testament to be what's applicable to Christians today.
While i don't necessarily agree with that statement, it's in generalities
that i speak.
Success within the community and local ministry would be defined by
everyone's basic needs being met, i.e., shelter, clothing etc., and all
attending a bible based church regularly. That being said, all through
Gods' word, scripture tells of God providing for his people. It was only
when His people disobeyed, that they were without provisions. But even
then, God was merciful, offering more chances to come back into his
grace. Failure would be defined by the lack of church involvement in
their community to reach the poor, both financially and spiritually.
Scripture is lived out when the church fulfills it's resonsibility to the poor
and the lost. Being the hands and feet of Jesus means to love on those
that are the "least of these" in hopes that fulfilling physical needs will
ultimately open up the opportunity to expose and touch their spiritual
needs. I'm reminded of Jesus response to satan's attempt to temp Him,
"It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that
comes from the mouth of God" (NIV). When considering how the
community and local ministry defines hope and fear, the most recent
presidential election provided more than enough evidence of a definition
for both. The fear of liberalism and all that it encompasses was a real
attack on the conservative Christian. When Donald Trump won the
election, all Christians that i know expressed real hope for the future.
I attend a mega-church that engages in multiple outreach programs.
With that said, the programs are designed to help those in need of
sustenance, but also healthy family entertainment. Scripture is shared
and more importantly lived out loud in our community through our large
footprint. We are very consistent in our efforts to share scripture, and
again, to live it out in our community. Our efforts have been very
meaningful. I say that because our church has been growing in leaps and
bounds in the last 20 years. We conduct services on Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday to accomodate the large number of members of our church.