Help us answer this: Why do people need Jesus?

The full GPS (it stands for God's Purpose for Second) task force spent some six hours on Saturday (Aug. 6) getting started on the task of drafting a map into Second's future.

It was a full day of conversation about what Second does well and about who we are as a congregation. But it also was a day to take several steps back and ask ourselves a foundational question for members of a Christian church: Why is Jesus important? Why, in other words, do people need Jesus?

As Paul Rock said to us Saturday, if we who are members of the church can't provide a coherent and even cogent answer to that question, why would we imagine anyone would want to join us as a member?

Well, we came up with quite a few answers, and we moved toward being able to articulate a foundational statement about the purpose of church as a guide for the rest of our work.

But we'd also really like to hear your response to the Jesus question.

I, Bill Tammeus, GPS moderator, will get that started by offering one of the things I said in response to the question: People need Jesus to transform their lives by introducing them to the kingdom, or reign, of God. At the very beginning of Jesus' ministry he proclaimed that the kingdom of God was at hand and is something we can experience at least a bit of even in the midst of our brokenness.

OK. Your turn. Leave us your comments here in response to this vital question. And thanks for helping us..