Awareness Groups

How does your Christian faith impact your daily living? Does your response to your world serve as a beacon for Christ? How can you draw strength from other Christians struggling with similar issues?
The intent of the Awareness Groups is to draw people together to discuss and respond to topics of Christian concern. These groups are open to anyone who would like to participate.

Urban Care
As children of God, we are called to love and care for our neighbors. Asheville is home to a multicultural population that can contribute to misunderstanding and conflict. We have people who go to bed hungry and undernourished, having to choose between buying food, paying rent, or obtaining medical care. Yet there are also those with material possessions and wealth who have needs that money can't buy. We have a large immigrant population who live with a unique set of circumstances. We have people who want to work but can't find affordable childcare.

"The Urban Care group seeks to become aware of the varied needs in our urban community through interaction with the community and study of its problems. It will educate and engage the congregation in helping alleviate the needs that are identified. You may have a passion for caring for the poor, the immigrant, the elderly, or those searching for meaning and direction. The Urban Care group will help you find a tangible way to contribute to the wholeness and well-being of the Asheville community."

Church/State Relations
"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's," Christ commanded the Pharisees when they tried to trap him. "It is for fredom that Christ has set us free," Paul challenged the early Christians in Galatia. Holding fast to these Biblical truths, Baptists have historically fought for freedom of religion in America. Baptists influenced our Founding Fathers to include guarantees of religious liberty in the Bill of Rights and to lay out the historic principle of separation of church and state.

Today, news media are filled with stories that reflect the increasingly complex relationship between faith and politics in the United States. What are the implications for religious liberty in some of the current policies and actions of our government? How important is it for Baptists to continue to fight for freedom of religion? The Church/State Relations Engagement Group seeks to help us explore questions like these and to keep us abreast of ways we can protect religious liberty.

Peace and Justice
In an increasely chaotic world, Christians can be confused as to what to think and how to respond to issues involving peace and justice. Conflict affects every dimension of our lives from interpersonal relationships to international affairs. Yet, the Biblical vision of peace (shalom) includes not only the absence of conflict, but well-being/wholeness in life. This group addresses the injustices that people face when they are powerless and marginalized. The adage has never been more true and demaining: "If you want peace, work for justice."

Whether it concerns war, race, immigration, economic disparity, environment, or child abuse, the ethics of Jesus will not let the Church be silent. The Peace and Justice Awareness and Engagement group explores and address these issues and others through scripture and history, seeking a Christian perspective. This provides group support for those who need strength and encouragement in their peacemaking efforts. It will help its members and the larger congregation find ways of being agents for peace and workers for justice in our community and our world.

Creation Care
Why should people of faith care for creation? The world God created is ailing. How is our spirituality affected by damage to and defiance of the created order? How do the lifestyles we choose affect the well-being of our neighbors both near and far? What is the relationship between the suffering of our planet and conflicts in the world? With the recognition that all of God's created order is interrelated, are Christinas then called to be responsible stewards of our environment? Perhaps these theological questions resonate with your own mind.
Or, on a more personal level, you may be concerned about the issues of air pollution of western North Carolina, wasting of natural resourses, habitat loss, energy use, simple and sustainable living, global warming, or other concerns we face regarding our environment.

This awareness and engagement group can help us to become aware of these issues and to seek solutions. We will grow in our apprecation of God's creation. The group will help us as Christians in being responsible stewards.