Getting the Gospel to the Cannabis Community
BOULDER COUNTY, COLORADO - It all started with an coffee-shop conversation between Scott Kelly, a Colorado Baptist church planter, and Jason, a medical marijuana patient who also publishes Cannabis Health News Magazine. And by the time it ended, the gospel of Jesus had advanced among medical marijuana patients and dispensary owners during an unusual gathering on Friday, March 18th.
"When I realized that Jason was being more evangelistic with his message about cannabis use than we've often been with the good news of Jesus' gospel, I decided it was time to take a risk," said Kelly. So with the help of a small group of college students from SBC-partner church from Missouri (LifeConnection Church, Independence, MO), Pastor Kelly and his new church (Christchurch, Louisville, CO) made plans to co-host a panel discussion entitled "Colorado's Culture of Cannabis?" at Christchurch's new permanent meeting place in Historic Downtown Louisville, Colorado.
During the event, Jason told the story of the day in 2004 that his back was broken as he was hit by a snowboarder at the Eldora Ski Area. He also spoke about the history of cannabis-use in this country, about Colorado's Constitutional Amendment regarding Medical Marijuana, and about his acquittal from marijuana possession charges by a Boulder County Jury in 2009. His case was a legal precedent that has proven to be a turning point in the rapid expansion of medical marijuana use in Colorado. (NOTE: The legal status of Colorado's policies regarding marijuana use remain in question, particularly in relation to federal law regarding controlled substances.)
Scott Kelly told a short story about his own experience with marijuana. "I've never used it," explained Kelly. End of story. But Kelly made it clear that the Bible has a lot to say about cultural issues like marijuana use. And the panel discussion format (a question & answer session led by a moderator), gave Kelly many opportunities to open the Bible and help others understand God's Word. More importantly, Kelly had several opportunities during the panel discussion to clearly explain the good news about Jesus to a gathering of people who are rarely, if ever, found inside a church building. "Jesus lived the live we should have lived and died the death we should have died. And now he is risen from the dead! He gives forgiveness and new life to sinners like us. Jesus loves potheads, and medical marijuana patients, and dispensary owners, and even baptist preachers," said Kelly.
After the event, Jason spent several hours speaking with guests and with the team of students visiting from Missouri. His last words of the night were, "I think I'll check out this church on Sunday."
And Kelly said, "God used this experience not only to get the gospel out to a different group of people, but also to grow my compassion for those who are suffering from chronic pain and illness and from the destructive nature of the increasing marijuana use in Colorado."
A video of the event is available through LifeConnection Church's Worship Arts Pastor, Paul Jeffries, who can be reached by email to paul@lifeconnectionkc.org.
Christchurch (http://www.ourchristchurch.org) is a 3-year-old SBC church plant in Boulder County that wishes to partner with all Colorado Baptists in Jesus' Great Commission. To find out more about partnership opportunities with Christchurch, contact Pastor Scott Kelly at 720-836-7188 or scottckelly@comcast.net.
