%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 25 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 13 0 R /F7 15 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 21 0 R /I2 22 0 R /I3 27 0 R /I4 28 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 17 0 R /GS2 18 0 R /GS3 19 0 R /GS4 20 0 R /GS5 23 0 R /GS6 24 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250312201222+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250312201222+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 2180 >> stream xXے۸}Wed 򒊓wvI9Jv hT7A]NU*e[2!t 0DEtikJsP,"͗_2"?ӛZ[%[GfGCoֳg8Jn+iOj)2<͌X^]/›1(=t>E;.3E~RĢ(TD"U;///d"ٚ4M+#r1@jT !bs "iA07r5=nXꏝ}l͡=GqOD jO֕f{׃~F$<~X $HJMOQtqDI13͑0}=ҟdԑ}F !وS-'o:oT@r{q#hݛ.#<q| *’rJ“7_.E 6-nhSl H/ a!AWпL:#пĝ"e)kSQ%$iv蕣ސU ݓ;辬RTUPM+h]iGHʘ'Ig)qBG"I:VZ҃`[d7HQI {#/}`@u-ҌԵ̜،:|"Z#+lꩂ4IejeU/w+#8 _/y\Ͻ9{U'Ȓ\e$7uq7GAo᪾WȻJ9쫞PXEVEgXOz l[麙0|ް/ÙFḑ ~j]>/MDH, BȖW!27r@pu[*獜jfmzo.E@ILtJRL3n~vp#,[Ț}s9DBeE!VYOq~wws'5W"*z4"5:F=2g[|sb6qsA_f W!he(m{_ePq$bBނv(2(C 5ܭM>ٙx_%>U:LwYBTQ@?(ģdbۡV3 Hζ`Ȯ5d#!xJVK>@UɃ'}D}B-@=JWȢ8Pgɞ /ȕ|P:X0ƪ?z+0~]E~Ty:%ly5hnx^Fw"X00S\';C(sXp< {|@ T;ca7\tcC$PNOAtY*<틃&%ګ$wւ1lÔ^༗Jɦ xkDfҏ4蒥XB;LLFqdAGlQrb*EdkŭxZ4Մa.M髝5Wq"QzOM܁ϝ<8 Ox ')"֏\~'n`".Cyֈ>#=ԕ8 9c@Ru-㌨dp!\DzΌ;o\w<: -7  Z䑡C` y7[%`*'̅|qU%WAwl@ endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Times-BoldItalic /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Italic /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 14 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F7 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 16 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.67 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.67 >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 24 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 25 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 26 0 R >> endobj 26 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 649 >> stream xŔ͎0<;#jadT hd];::K_\,ڼďv{Re2EHfmV͚CS]M{4Ԭɺ-ʳkٺ-?ix/nFޅ Cafeå0Sqv^qTLX48E]82Ce_iO5۳b.g"H"/LyymBm3 {u`Fm"ux`=\DȒSzCHN{5rCYJ0*#v3$FRf" RbSM4~ VxJs*R^Ng$_7 endstream endobj 27 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 29 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000496 00000 n 0000000533 00000 n 0000000682 00000 n 0000000785 00000 n 0000003038 00000 n 0000003145 00000 n 0000003253 00000 n 0000003363 00000 n 0000003476 00000 n 0000003591 00000 n 0000003702 00000 n 0000003731 00000 n 0000003841 00000 n 0000003870 00000 n 0000003930 00000 n 0000003990 00000 n 0000004047 00000 n 0000004104 00000 n 0000009679 00000 n 0000010810 00000 n 0000010869 00000 n 0000010928 00000 n 0000011033 00000 n 0000011755 00000 n 0000017330 00000 n trailer << /Size 29 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[<0b13f1a964eaa9c40d0646ee0450ec2d><0b13f1a964eaa9c40d0646ee0450ec2d>] >> startxref 18461 %%EOF No Visible Means of Support | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

No Visible Means of Support

June 30, 1999
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

The Body Builder

camsey
by Major Terry Camsey –

We had a few minutes to spare so I switched on the television. This was at the Training School during a visit to the Australia Southern Territory a few years ago. We were not familiar with the programs available so, as it was early in the morning, we hit a children’s program.

To the best of my recollection it was a show about physics or mathematics. My attention was caught by the video clip of an old film about King Kong, or some other such monster. It was the commentator’s remarks that made me prick my ears up. “It would be,” he said, “scientifically impossible for an animal of this size to support itself, given the material of which it was made. It would, in reality, collapse under its own weight!”

He went on to say that nothing can grow indefinitely and support itself without an increase in the tensile strength of the material of which it is constructed. He also said that the same principle applies throughout nature. I had read somewhere else that no animal can grow above nine inches tall without a skeleton and I imagine this is true, not having seen an 10″ tall jellyfish lately!

He talked of the highest buildings in the world, noting that they could not be built any higher until ways are found of strengthening the material of which they are constructed. I guess another aspect to consider, so far as buildings are concerned, is that the ground itself must be capable of supporting the structure (the wise versus the foolish man…). Only this week we heard that the plush new golf course being constructed near THQ on the ocean-front lost its 18th hole. It just slipped off into the sea. That’s one hole no golfer is likely to miss in future!

The television lecturer suggested that the tallest trees in the world could not be taller unless constructed of some other, stronger, material…and that even Mount Everest could not possibly be higher unless its composition were stronger.

It occurred to me that the same concept might be applied to churches. They cannot grow indefinitely unless constructed in such a way as to support the extra “weight” of new people. In other words, there is a very real danger of any church, growing or stagnant, collapsing unless its infrastructure is strong enough to “support” its congregation.

It is a structural problem that, for the church, needs to be solved by relational means. Small groups are the answer. Groups that build community, mutually encourage and support their members. Groups where participants serve each other, edifying and building up the “tensile spiritual strength” of the Body.

In this day and age, many such groups serve as surrogate families, the only families some people may ever experience. And if, in some areas, street gangs provide that surrogate family experience (in a negative environment of support), what should the Christian response be?

One things seems to be certain, small groups provide the strength enabling churches to “put on weight” indefinitely (by adding new members) without collapsing under the strain. It is also a fact that churches with strong small groups withstand change far more easily than churches that lack such integral relational strength.

It’s worth a closer look. Isn’t it?

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like