Church Planting Series, Part twenty-five
I admit it: I’m goal crazy. I set all kinds of goals. By the time New Year’s Eve rolls around, I’m figuring out goals for physical fitness, spiritual fitness, writing, relationships, and more. I even develop an annual theme for my personal year along with key Bible verses. Yes, I’m goal crazy.
But one thing I know: if I never plan it, it doesn’t get done.
Sure, things can get done without planning. The serendipitous life can be a wonderful thing. Many experiences and accomplishments may happen to happen. I’ll take those with gratitude and joy.
But I know that I will not make intentional progress in key areas of life without setting goals. This is especially true of the challenging areas of life.
If I don’t set a goal for running 20 miles each week, it will be very easy to let my cardio-vascular fitness slide.
If I don’t set a goal to study the book of Daniel, my Bible reading will revert to a lazy approach.
If I don’t set a goal to write another book this year, the hard work of writing will keep me saying, “Maybe tomorrow.”
Goals push me to do what I would not naturally want to do. Goals also help move me to make incremental progress in life’s big challenges.
And incremental progress is a big deal.
I’ve participated in big-picture strategic planning and goal setting meetings. I’ve been facilitated through multiple day brain bending and post-it note posting exercises. I’ve been given voluminous binders filled with plans for the next ten years. But all of that usually ends up in a file drawer or high on a shelf somewhere.
The planning question that has impacted me most has everything to do with incremental progress toward identified priorities that are in line with the big vision (where mission, values and all the “stuff” of your organization are pushing you). The question is this:
“What can you do in the next 90-120 days to make 25% progress in this area?”
In other words, can you think of and actually accomplish one or two things that will move you forward toward a big goal?
This is called incremental progress. It never gets put in a drawer. It’s always doable. It has urgency. It moves you toward the goal. AND it allows you to begin to see more clearly where you are headed.
As you face 2010 in your life and ministry, ask these two questions: “What three to five things do we really need to do?” “What can we do in the next 90-120 days to make 25% progress in those areas?”
Get ready for progress.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tiger and Integrity
Church Planting Series, Part twenty-four
Although our culture cries out, “Anything goes! There is no truth! You have a right to do what you want!”, advertisers aren’t so sure about that.
By now you’ve been inundated with news about Tiger Woods. He is in the difficult position of dealing with his infidelity. He must face his own flaws. He bears the weight of inflicting deep hurt on his wife and family.
Tiger was not exempt from the expectation of integrity and faithfulness. Society’s voice may play fast and loose with morality, but advertisers serve as a social conscience. People won’t buy duplicity. The lack of integrity doesn’t sell. Just ask his sponsors who are ending their relationship with Tiger. The reason? Tiger doesn’t represent the qualities the advertisers are trying to convey.
No one is exempt from integrity.
Church planters, servants of Jesus, missional workers take note!
It may be exciting to ride the challenging and entrepreneurial wave of reaching out for God’s Kingdom. You may enjoy seeing people hang on your every word as you teach and lead. You may revel in the life-change you witness as you serve. But a lack of integrity will make your message hollow. A lack of integrity will destroy God’s work through you. Where do you need to watch carefully for integrity—-an integrated, whole, and truthful life?
Body integrity: This includes sexual purity. It also means you take care of yourself.
Soul integrity: This means you practice what you preach. You’re a person of the Word and prayer.
Heart integrity: You’re called to be a person of peace, kindness, and compassion. You speak the truth—always with a loving spirit. You refrain from being mean.
Thought integrity: What images and ideas are you letting dominate your thinking? You are called to dwell on whatever is pure, right, praiseworthy, etc.
Tongue integrity: You keep promises, don’t tell lies, refrain from gossip, and do not speak profanely.
Family integrity: You honor your wife; you actively parent your children. Family does not get leftovers after ministry.
Communication integrity: You answer phone calls and e-mails. You respond to people as best you can. You don’t ignore people whom God has placed in your life.
Work integrity: You live an industrious life, serving faithfully and going beyond the base expectations of those who entrust you with tasks.
Relationship integrity: You practice impartiality, not playing favorites. You don’t intimidate or abuse your position of authority. You build others up as a mentor and encourager.
What additional areas of integrity are we called to as followers of Christ, redeemed by Him, new creations in Him? Let me know your thoughts.
Although our culture cries out, “Anything goes! There is no truth! You have a right to do what you want!”, advertisers aren’t so sure about that.
By now you’ve been inundated with news about Tiger Woods. He is in the difficult position of dealing with his infidelity. He must face his own flaws. He bears the weight of inflicting deep hurt on his wife and family.
Tiger was not exempt from the expectation of integrity and faithfulness. Society’s voice may play fast and loose with morality, but advertisers serve as a social conscience. People won’t buy duplicity. The lack of integrity doesn’t sell. Just ask his sponsors who are ending their relationship with Tiger. The reason? Tiger doesn’t represent the qualities the advertisers are trying to convey.
No one is exempt from integrity.
Church planters, servants of Jesus, missional workers take note!
It may be exciting to ride the challenging and entrepreneurial wave of reaching out for God’s Kingdom. You may enjoy seeing people hang on your every word as you teach and lead. You may revel in the life-change you witness as you serve. But a lack of integrity will make your message hollow. A lack of integrity will destroy God’s work through you. Where do you need to watch carefully for integrity—-an integrated, whole, and truthful life?
Body integrity: This includes sexual purity. It also means you take care of yourself.
Soul integrity: This means you practice what you preach. You’re a person of the Word and prayer.
Heart integrity: You’re called to be a person of peace, kindness, and compassion. You speak the truth—always with a loving spirit. You refrain from being mean.
Thought integrity: What images and ideas are you letting dominate your thinking? You are called to dwell on whatever is pure, right, praiseworthy, etc.
Tongue integrity: You keep promises, don’t tell lies, refrain from gossip, and do not speak profanely.
Family integrity: You honor your wife; you actively parent your children. Family does not get leftovers after ministry.
Communication integrity: You answer phone calls and e-mails. You respond to people as best you can. You don’t ignore people whom God has placed in your life.
Work integrity: You live an industrious life, serving faithfully and going beyond the base expectations of those who entrust you with tasks.
Relationship integrity: You practice impartiality, not playing favorites. You don’t intimidate or abuse your position of authority. You build others up as a mentor and encourager.
What additional areas of integrity are we called to as followers of Christ, redeemed by Him, new creations in Him? Let me know your thoughts.
Monday, November 30, 2009
The Attraction of Mystery
Church Planting Series, Part twenty-three
In Luke chapter 7, a centurion sent messengers to ask Jesus to heal a valuable servant. Jesus agreed to pay the centurion a visit. The text says that when Jesus drew close to the centurion’s house, the Roman leader sent friends to say to the Savior, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof…Say the word and my servant will be healed.”
You know how the encounter ended. Jesus was amazed at the centurion’s faith. The friends returned to the centurion’s house and found the servant well.
Isn’t it interesting that at a time when the centurion could SEE Jesus, during a season of history when Jesus was visibly present, the man asked Jesus NOT to show up?
This strange twist runs counter to what we think we want when it comes to Jesus. We get frustrated with his invisibility. We want to see Him—or at least a lightning bolt from heaven or two. We think that his invisible presence is a handicap to a doubting and straying world.
I wonder if we’re missing something.
The centurion felt he was completely unworthy to have Jesus as a house guest. Do we act sometimes as if Jesus is our “sleepover buddy”? In our efforts to not only be truthful, but to be right about God, do we act as if we know Him inside out? Do we systematize the mystery out of the Holy Lamb of God? Do we act as if God is in our hip pocket, an explainable entity that we dole out to people in need?
What about the unpredictable nature of God? What happened to our fear and trembling? Aren’t there times we need to say, “I have no idea”? The living Word, the awe and mystery of Jesus’ presence in Holy Communion, the mysterious work of the Spirit in baptism, the confounding nature of answered prayer, the absolute grace of sin-dead lives enlivened—-who can really explain any of it?
Of course we need to proclaim what we know, have seen, and have heard. But have we lowered what God wants our expectations of Him to be?
In the state of Texas, only 19.8% of the population believes it is important to go to church. I wonder if the 80% who believe church is an unimportant part of their lives see Jesus as formulaic, boring, and predictable. I wonder if the 80% see NASCAR or the NBA as more exciting and unpredictable than the Lion of Judah. I wonder if the surprising and unimaginable work of God is waiting, yet we are communicating as people of little faith.
What’s the answer?
First, it may be that we need to regain a healthy spirit of unworthiness before Christ. Instead of pretending that we can explain everything, package God neatly, and make ministry happen according to our plans, we may need to echo what the centurion said: “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.”
Second, instead of relying on our slick marketing of Christianity, we may need to bow before the Savior and await His mercy. After the centurion incident, Jesus came upon a widow whose son had died. Luke 7:13 tells us, “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her.” He then did something nobody planned on. He raised her son. How did the crowd respond? “They were filled with awe and praised God.”
If we really believe Jesus is alive, maybe it’s a good idea to let Him blow us all away with His merciful action. I have a feeling that the response to His mystery just might top 19.8%.
In Luke chapter 7, a centurion sent messengers to ask Jesus to heal a valuable servant. Jesus agreed to pay the centurion a visit. The text says that when Jesus drew close to the centurion’s house, the Roman leader sent friends to say to the Savior, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof…Say the word and my servant will be healed.”
You know how the encounter ended. Jesus was amazed at the centurion’s faith. The friends returned to the centurion’s house and found the servant well.
Isn’t it interesting that at a time when the centurion could SEE Jesus, during a season of history when Jesus was visibly present, the man asked Jesus NOT to show up?
This strange twist runs counter to what we think we want when it comes to Jesus. We get frustrated with his invisibility. We want to see Him—or at least a lightning bolt from heaven or two. We think that his invisible presence is a handicap to a doubting and straying world.
I wonder if we’re missing something.
The centurion felt he was completely unworthy to have Jesus as a house guest. Do we act sometimes as if Jesus is our “sleepover buddy”? In our efforts to not only be truthful, but to be right about God, do we act as if we know Him inside out? Do we systematize the mystery out of the Holy Lamb of God? Do we act as if God is in our hip pocket, an explainable entity that we dole out to people in need?
What about the unpredictable nature of God? What happened to our fear and trembling? Aren’t there times we need to say, “I have no idea”? The living Word, the awe and mystery of Jesus’ presence in Holy Communion, the mysterious work of the Spirit in baptism, the confounding nature of answered prayer, the absolute grace of sin-dead lives enlivened—-who can really explain any of it?
Of course we need to proclaim what we know, have seen, and have heard. But have we lowered what God wants our expectations of Him to be?
In the state of Texas, only 19.8% of the population believes it is important to go to church. I wonder if the 80% who believe church is an unimportant part of their lives see Jesus as formulaic, boring, and predictable. I wonder if the 80% see NASCAR or the NBA as more exciting and unpredictable than the Lion of Judah. I wonder if the surprising and unimaginable work of God is waiting, yet we are communicating as people of little faith.
What’s the answer?
First, it may be that we need to regain a healthy spirit of unworthiness before Christ. Instead of pretending that we can explain everything, package God neatly, and make ministry happen according to our plans, we may need to echo what the centurion said: “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.”
Second, instead of relying on our slick marketing of Christianity, we may need to bow before the Savior and await His mercy. After the centurion incident, Jesus came upon a widow whose son had died. Luke 7:13 tells us, “When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her.” He then did something nobody planned on. He raised her son. How did the crowd respond? “They were filled with awe and praised God.”
If we really believe Jesus is alive, maybe it’s a good idea to let Him blow us all away with His merciful action. I have a feeling that the response to His mystery just might top 19.8%.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Preventing the Power of Suggestion
Church Planting Series, Part twenty-two
When my wife was growing up, her older brother would sometimes get up in the morning and, in an act of brotherly antagonism, look straight at her and call her a “grump.” My wife, who was innocently watching Saturday morning cartoons, couldn’t believe what she just heard. She was most certainly not a grump! She was cheerfully watching cartoons and having a fine morning. But her brother persisted, rubbing the salt of his comment deeply into a developing wound.
After the second or third time, my wife’s ire would grow: “A grump?! I’m no grump. If anyone is grouchy it’s him! I’ll show him who’s out of sorts.”
Then she let loose. She gave him both barrels of sisterly scolding. What did her brother do? With a smirk on his face, he ran to his mother and father, told them how his sister had yelled at him, and turned to her once again and said, “See, you ARE a grump!”
The prophecy was fulfilled. Her day was ruined.
I’ve seen a similar scenario happen to pastors and church leaders. A person with an axe to grind or some emotional hurt to vent or some anger to displace lashes out: “You’re too controlling.” “You’re a weak leader.” “You’re offending everybody.” “Your ideas are too wild.”
You’ve heard it before. And when you hear the comment, the persistent drip, drip, drip, of unconstructive criticism, you get angry. You withdraw. You become depressed. And too often, you can veer into the dangerous territory of becoming exactly what you are accused of being, even though you never were what they said you are!
Be on guard, fellow servants of Christ. The ego-driven, sin-tainted-emotional reflex is a mighty force within. It’s easy to be baited into starting a war. If you have children, you know the drill.
Is there a better way? Jesus said, “To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst…If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life” (Luke 6:27-30, The Message).
Once again, Jesus opens the counter-intuitive New Life to us. Buried and raised with Him, He provides the newness of life and newness of reflex we need. Let badgering bring out the best in you. Use aggravation to practice the servant life.
How do you do this? Practice “prophecy absorption” to prevent the power of suggestion. In other words, just listen. Don’t react. Respond by reflecting what your values are, not what you think you need to fight for. Reply with a humble apology and reinforce your love and care for Jesus and for each of His people, including the person speaking to you.
I remember being lambasted for including an edgy drama in a worship service. Instead of sticking up for my right to be creative in worship and listing all the Bible verses that reinforced my point, I simply responded with an apology to the person who was hurt by the drama. I said, “As a pastor, my hope is that everything I do brings people closer to Jesus. I am very sorry that this sent you away offended and feeling badly. I value your service to the Lord and your feelings as a member of this family of faith. I humbly ask for your forgiveness.”
Some people come to Christians looking for a fight. They’ve struck gold for many years and want to see another “hypocrite” bite the dust. What if you don’t give them a fight? What if, instead, you let antagonism bring the best out of you, not the worst? What if you turn the power of suggestion into the power of transformation?
When my wife was growing up, her older brother would sometimes get up in the morning and, in an act of brotherly antagonism, look straight at her and call her a “grump.” My wife, who was innocently watching Saturday morning cartoons, couldn’t believe what she just heard. She was most certainly not a grump! She was cheerfully watching cartoons and having a fine morning. But her brother persisted, rubbing the salt of his comment deeply into a developing wound.
After the second or third time, my wife’s ire would grow: “A grump?! I’m no grump. If anyone is grouchy it’s him! I’ll show him who’s out of sorts.”
Then she let loose. She gave him both barrels of sisterly scolding. What did her brother do? With a smirk on his face, he ran to his mother and father, told them how his sister had yelled at him, and turned to her once again and said, “See, you ARE a grump!”
The prophecy was fulfilled. Her day was ruined.
I’ve seen a similar scenario happen to pastors and church leaders. A person with an axe to grind or some emotional hurt to vent or some anger to displace lashes out: “You’re too controlling.” “You’re a weak leader.” “You’re offending everybody.” “Your ideas are too wild.”
You’ve heard it before. And when you hear the comment, the persistent drip, drip, drip, of unconstructive criticism, you get angry. You withdraw. You become depressed. And too often, you can veer into the dangerous territory of becoming exactly what you are accused of being, even though you never were what they said you are!
Be on guard, fellow servants of Christ. The ego-driven, sin-tainted-emotional reflex is a mighty force within. It’s easy to be baited into starting a war. If you have children, you know the drill.
Is there a better way? Jesus said, “To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst…If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life” (Luke 6:27-30, The Message).
Once again, Jesus opens the counter-intuitive New Life to us. Buried and raised with Him, He provides the newness of life and newness of reflex we need. Let badgering bring out the best in you. Use aggravation to practice the servant life.
How do you do this? Practice “prophecy absorption” to prevent the power of suggestion. In other words, just listen. Don’t react. Respond by reflecting what your values are, not what you think you need to fight for. Reply with a humble apology and reinforce your love and care for Jesus and for each of His people, including the person speaking to you.
I remember being lambasted for including an edgy drama in a worship service. Instead of sticking up for my right to be creative in worship and listing all the Bible verses that reinforced my point, I simply responded with an apology to the person who was hurt by the drama. I said, “As a pastor, my hope is that everything I do brings people closer to Jesus. I am very sorry that this sent you away offended and feeling badly. I value your service to the Lord and your feelings as a member of this family of faith. I humbly ask for your forgiveness.”
Some people come to Christians looking for a fight. They’ve struck gold for many years and want to see another “hypocrite” bite the dust. What if you don’t give them a fight? What if, instead, you let antagonism bring the best out of you, not the worst? What if you turn the power of suggestion into the power of transformation?
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Time For What You Love
Church Planting Series, Part twenty-one
The most common complaint I hear from people in ministry is: “I wish I had more time for what I love to do.” For some that’s planning for preaching and teaching. For others it’s strategic planning. Some want to free up more time for creating relationships. Still others want to be able to disciple people.
But for some reason these priorities get lost in the shuffle of an ever-moving, high-demand life and ministry. The constant flow of the “urgent” pushes away your constant desire to address the “important.”
I read recently that the typical worker spends 40% of his or her time on e-mail. Where is the time for dreaming, planning, and ordering your life? Will you find it in a typical seven-day week? Will sustained thought about your direction and priorities fit into a busy Tuesday or Wednesday?
It never did for me.
When I was pastoring a fledgling church plant, I had some time during the week, but I felt guilty for using that time for my own thought and planning instead of getting out there to create and sustain relationships. When the church grew in complexity and activity, time for thought and planning disappeared into staff meetings, trouble-shooting, and programmatic efforts.
That’s why I began a simple practice that totally transformed my approach to ministry. I started what I called “worship planning conferences.” Here’s an outline of how they looked:
1. Get away. Twice each year I, along with key leaders, loaded up our computers and planning materials and traveled about an hour and a half to a location where we could work and plan for two and a half days. We drove together so we could talk and prepare for our time away. At first we went to a hotel. Then we borrowed a kind person’s condo. But for Tuesday, Wednesday and half of Thursday in June and October, we changed venues to do some serious work and planning.
2. Work. We had a theme, goal, and plan for our time away. Once we got there, we began our work. The objectives were to plan every sermon series and worship service for the next 6-9 months and to discuss major needs, strategies and Spirit-led developments of ministry at the church.
3. Let God work. We did a lot of study and planning on our own, but we also brainstormed together, ate meals together, laughed together, and had a good time. Each of us also had quiet times to reflect and recharge. The days were long—from early morning to very late at night, but we were focusing on priorities and energized by being able to imagine. God built us together as a team and built Himself within us as we listened to Him.
What were the results of taking this time together?
1. We felt the satisfaction of being able to put first things first for God and His people.
2. We knew that we had a planned venue for serious study, conversation, and strategizing. Day to day demands didn’t get us down because we knew our planning time was coming.
3. We were able to provide worship plans in advance for staff and members. This showed respect for staff as we allowed them adequate time for planning and preparation. It also honored the people of the church by allowing us to publicize plans in advance. People used this information to reach out to others in an intentional and timely way.
4. We had time to do what we love. With much of the groundwork already completed, we were able to avoid the last-minute scramble of preparation. Time was available during the week to meet needs and to do what was truly important.
5. We gained a “big-picture” perspective of ministry. With a foundation of time to hear God’s voice and think about His direction, we were able to develop ministry, not just maintain it.
These two little annual retreats radically changed our ministry and attitude. We were no longer slaves to the moment. We were living in the freedom of doing what we loved.
If you need help or advice to start your own planning retreats, e-mail me at mnewman@txdistlcms.org.
The most common complaint I hear from people in ministry is: “I wish I had more time for what I love to do.” For some that’s planning for preaching and teaching. For others it’s strategic planning. Some want to free up more time for creating relationships. Still others want to be able to disciple people.
But for some reason these priorities get lost in the shuffle of an ever-moving, high-demand life and ministry. The constant flow of the “urgent” pushes away your constant desire to address the “important.”
I read recently that the typical worker spends 40% of his or her time on e-mail. Where is the time for dreaming, planning, and ordering your life? Will you find it in a typical seven-day week? Will sustained thought about your direction and priorities fit into a busy Tuesday or Wednesday?
It never did for me.
When I was pastoring a fledgling church plant, I had some time during the week, but I felt guilty for using that time for my own thought and planning instead of getting out there to create and sustain relationships. When the church grew in complexity and activity, time for thought and planning disappeared into staff meetings, trouble-shooting, and programmatic efforts.
That’s why I began a simple practice that totally transformed my approach to ministry. I started what I called “worship planning conferences.” Here’s an outline of how they looked:
1. Get away. Twice each year I, along with key leaders, loaded up our computers and planning materials and traveled about an hour and a half to a location where we could work and plan for two and a half days. We drove together so we could talk and prepare for our time away. At first we went to a hotel. Then we borrowed a kind person’s condo. But for Tuesday, Wednesday and half of Thursday in June and October, we changed venues to do some serious work and planning.
2. Work. We had a theme, goal, and plan for our time away. Once we got there, we began our work. The objectives were to plan every sermon series and worship service for the next 6-9 months and to discuss major needs, strategies and Spirit-led developments of ministry at the church.
3. Let God work. We did a lot of study and planning on our own, but we also brainstormed together, ate meals together, laughed together, and had a good time. Each of us also had quiet times to reflect and recharge. The days were long—from early morning to very late at night, but we were focusing on priorities and energized by being able to imagine. God built us together as a team and built Himself within us as we listened to Him.
What were the results of taking this time together?
1. We felt the satisfaction of being able to put first things first for God and His people.
2. We knew that we had a planned venue for serious study, conversation, and strategizing. Day to day demands didn’t get us down because we knew our planning time was coming.
3. We were able to provide worship plans in advance for staff and members. This showed respect for staff as we allowed them adequate time for planning and preparation. It also honored the people of the church by allowing us to publicize plans in advance. People used this information to reach out to others in an intentional and timely way.
4. We had time to do what we love. With much of the groundwork already completed, we were able to avoid the last-minute scramble of preparation. Time was available during the week to meet needs and to do what was truly important.
5. We gained a “big-picture” perspective of ministry. With a foundation of time to hear God’s voice and think about His direction, we were able to develop ministry, not just maintain it.
These two little annual retreats radically changed our ministry and attitude. We were no longer slaves to the moment. We were living in the freedom of doing what we loved.
If you need help or advice to start your own planning retreats, e-mail me at mnewman@txdistlcms.org.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Spiritual Warfare
Church Planting Series, Part twenty
John Maxwell once said that the devil will try to attack you before a Kingdom success, after a Kingdom success, and when you’re tired.
I’ve found this to be true, along with the fact that the devil tries to frustrate you, demoralize you, and foul up your demeanor with a slow but relentless accumulation of small inconveniences.
Recently, after a significant spiritual success in her life, my daughter’s furnace malfunctioned, her computer developed a glitch, her cell phone broke in half, and she acquired a strange kind of flu.
When big issues develop, we’re more apt to fall on our knees in prayer, search the Scriptures, and get some help. When little things crop up, however, we’re more likely to get crabby, to lash out, and to have our light put squarely under a bushel.
I once taught a Bible study called “Angels, Demons, and Major Household Appliances” because that’s the way spiritual warfare happens, isn’t it? You can count on annoyance, a Chinese water torture drip after drip of spiritual poise-breaking testing and temptation.
The devil goes after your morale, your pocketbook, and your kids. He tries to foul up your ministry. He attempts to drag your personal life into a morass of inconsistency and lapses of integrity. He leads you to worry and complaining, to anger and resentment.
We’re in a spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Yet, in this spiritual struggle, 2 Corinthians 2:11 gives us the good news that “we are not unaware of [the devil’s] schemes.” The devil is an open book, a known quantity, a limited spiritual being with a finite imagination and habitual pattern of evil. Sure he’s angry. He “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He’s ticked off. As Revelation 12:12 says, “He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” But he can only do so much.
What’s our job? The Bible says, “Be self-controlled and alert…Resist him, standing firm in faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9). “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Remember, this resistance and awareness, this self-control, is not by our might or power. It’s by the Spirit of God. Standing firm in faith means standing firm in God doing His doing in your life. It means standing in grace. It means having the Word dwell in your richly. It means living in the shadow of the cross of Jesus Christ—-the One who conquered Satan and made him a short-timer, able to squirm outside the lake of fire only because of God’s patience that is not willing for any of us to perish, but for all to come to repentance.
Be alert. Be on guard. As you make plans to reach out, be ready—-and prepare the people you serve!—-for a spiritual battle. The glitches are no accident. After you experience the mountaintop of God’s movements in your church, be ready. A valley of foul-ups may be coming. When you’re tired, be self-controlled. You’ll want to quit ministry. You’ll feel awful. Don’t make any big decisions when you’re tired. Know the real story. Walk in faith.
The struggle is not in finding volunteers or getting more funding. It’s not in sound system malfunctions or frozen computer programs. The battle is greater and more worthy. Are you taking notice? Are you prepared? Are you letting people know that their awareness of the real battle will keep them close to the One who fights for us?
John Maxwell once said that the devil will try to attack you before a Kingdom success, after a Kingdom success, and when you’re tired.
I’ve found this to be true, along with the fact that the devil tries to frustrate you, demoralize you, and foul up your demeanor with a slow but relentless accumulation of small inconveniences.
Recently, after a significant spiritual success in her life, my daughter’s furnace malfunctioned, her computer developed a glitch, her cell phone broke in half, and she acquired a strange kind of flu.
When big issues develop, we’re more apt to fall on our knees in prayer, search the Scriptures, and get some help. When little things crop up, however, we’re more likely to get crabby, to lash out, and to have our light put squarely under a bushel.
I once taught a Bible study called “Angels, Demons, and Major Household Appliances” because that’s the way spiritual warfare happens, isn’t it? You can count on annoyance, a Chinese water torture drip after drip of spiritual poise-breaking testing and temptation.
The devil goes after your morale, your pocketbook, and your kids. He tries to foul up your ministry. He attempts to drag your personal life into a morass of inconsistency and lapses of integrity. He leads you to worry and complaining, to anger and resentment.
We’re in a spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Yet, in this spiritual struggle, 2 Corinthians 2:11 gives us the good news that “we are not unaware of [the devil’s] schemes.” The devil is an open book, a known quantity, a limited spiritual being with a finite imagination and habitual pattern of evil. Sure he’s angry. He “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). He’s ticked off. As Revelation 12:12 says, “He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” But he can only do so much.
What’s our job? The Bible says, “Be self-controlled and alert…Resist him, standing firm in faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9). “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Remember, this resistance and awareness, this self-control, is not by our might or power. It’s by the Spirit of God. Standing firm in faith means standing firm in God doing His doing in your life. It means standing in grace. It means having the Word dwell in your richly. It means living in the shadow of the cross of Jesus Christ—-the One who conquered Satan and made him a short-timer, able to squirm outside the lake of fire only because of God’s patience that is not willing for any of us to perish, but for all to come to repentance.
Be alert. Be on guard. As you make plans to reach out, be ready—-and prepare the people you serve!—-for a spiritual battle. The glitches are no accident. After you experience the mountaintop of God’s movements in your church, be ready. A valley of foul-ups may be coming. When you’re tired, be self-controlled. You’ll want to quit ministry. You’ll feel awful. Don’t make any big decisions when you’re tired. Know the real story. Walk in faith.
The struggle is not in finding volunteers or getting more funding. It’s not in sound system malfunctions or frozen computer programs. The battle is greater and more worthy. Are you taking notice? Are you prepared? Are you letting people know that their awareness of the real battle will keep them close to the One who fights for us?
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Revelation as a Resource
Church Planting Series, Part nineteen
John Ortberg once said that in order to get new people in the church, you had to publicize teaching on two topics: sex and the end-times. Then he commented, with tongue in cheek, that a blockbuster series would be “Sex in the End-times.”
Leaving the debate aside about the attractional model for the church, a truth Rev. Dr. Ortberg uttered is the high curiosity factor about the end-times—-especially about the book of Revelation.
People are fascinated with this book of the Bible. Even people outside the Christian faith, the de-churched, and the disillusioned are curious about this mysterious grand finale of the Scriptures.
I’m convinced that, in this strategic vision at the end of the Bible, there is method to God’s madness.
Admit it. People think church is boring. We’ve not always done the greatest job in conveying the awesome sense of a world-creating, Red Sea-splitting, fire from heaven-sending, miraculous Messiah-conceiving, ill and troubled-healing, on the cross-dying, from the dead-rising, sin-forgiving, life-transforming Savior God! In the rush of the day and clutter of the culture, the Almighty God, too often, has been getting lost in the shuffle.
This is where the genius of the book of Revelation comes in. During similar times in the late first century, Jesus appeared to the Apostle John, a reputable witness, in order to encourage suffering and straying believers. Instead of delivering a dry lecture, He gave a Scripture-saturated, eye-opening, mind-blowing vision of the invisible action in the spiritual realms. He proffered a prophetic repast that blew the doors off pagan persecution. God provided the zing that the church needed.
And it’s still zinging. People are drawn to examine this book of the Bible. They are eager to dig into the vision. They want to hear what God is saying. Unfortunately, we’ve let some confused and deceptive teachers get a corner on the market. They twist this final book of the Bible into their personal message of fear, their scheme to get rich quick, or their effort to gain control over others.
Isn’t it time we reclaim the book of Revelation for God’s wonderful purposes? Isn’t it time to remember that this book of the Bible is also one that “is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16)?
Revelation can be a great entry point for new believers. It asks the big questions and gives big answers for life. It also draws people in. God keeps the curiosity and wonder factors high in the book of Revelation. If you’d like to check out my new book, “Revelation: What the Last Book of the Bible Really Means,” as a resource for small group or large group study, click here. If you purchase a copy, please enter the discount code: 8N347JTM to receive $2.00 off every book you purchase. My prayer is that this book can help you reach out with Revelation!
John Ortberg once said that in order to get new people in the church, you had to publicize teaching on two topics: sex and the end-times. Then he commented, with tongue in cheek, that a blockbuster series would be “Sex in the End-times.”
Leaving the debate aside about the attractional model for the church, a truth Rev. Dr. Ortberg uttered is the high curiosity factor about the end-times—-especially about the book of Revelation.
People are fascinated with this book of the Bible. Even people outside the Christian faith, the de-churched, and the disillusioned are curious about this mysterious grand finale of the Scriptures.
I’m convinced that, in this strategic vision at the end of the Bible, there is method to God’s madness.
Admit it. People think church is boring. We’ve not always done the greatest job in conveying the awesome sense of a world-creating, Red Sea-splitting, fire from heaven-sending, miraculous Messiah-conceiving, ill and troubled-healing, on the cross-dying, from the dead-rising, sin-forgiving, life-transforming Savior God! In the rush of the day and clutter of the culture, the Almighty God, too often, has been getting lost in the shuffle.
This is where the genius of the book of Revelation comes in. During similar times in the late first century, Jesus appeared to the Apostle John, a reputable witness, in order to encourage suffering and straying believers. Instead of delivering a dry lecture, He gave a Scripture-saturated, eye-opening, mind-blowing vision of the invisible action in the spiritual realms. He proffered a prophetic repast that blew the doors off pagan persecution. God provided the zing that the church needed.
And it’s still zinging. People are drawn to examine this book of the Bible. They are eager to dig into the vision. They want to hear what God is saying. Unfortunately, we’ve let some confused and deceptive teachers get a corner on the market. They twist this final book of the Bible into their personal message of fear, their scheme to get rich quick, or their effort to gain control over others.
Isn’t it time we reclaim the book of Revelation for God’s wonderful purposes? Isn’t it time to remember that this book of the Bible is also one that “is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16)?
Revelation can be a great entry point for new believers. It asks the big questions and gives big answers for life. It also draws people in. God keeps the curiosity and wonder factors high in the book of Revelation. If you’d like to check out my new book, “Revelation: What the Last Book of the Bible Really Means,” as a resource for small group or large group study, click here. If you purchase a copy, please enter the discount code: 8N347JTM to receive $2.00 off every book you purchase. My prayer is that this book can help you reach out with Revelation!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Verbosity
Church Planting Series, Part eighteen
During a recent worship experience, I found myself lost in a cascade of words. So many words were coming my way, I couldn’t think anymore. I couldn’t focus. I became distracted. The words droned on. They swirled around me. They ran together and formed a washed out, blank screen. I was in a wilderness of words, a desert where every grain of sand was another noun, verb, participle, or adjective. I lost all focus on God, His will and His Word. There was way too much talking.
Verbosity. Too many words.
I’ve encountered the fire hose blast of verbal overload in a variety of worship settings. Repetitive and overdone liturgies, litanies, and responses have numbed my brain. Droning verbal transitions between praise songs have lulled me into inattentiveness.
I’ve encountered verbosity in small groups and Bible studies. Leaders dominated the agenda, answered their own questions, and prevented any interaction between group members. No relationships could be formed. We were alone in a crowd, insulated from each other by the wash of words from the leader.
This is a problem. Words can get in the way of THE WORD. Jesus highlighted this issue in Matthew 6:7-8, “When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” In verse seven, Jesus uses Greek words that paint the picture of verbal overflow: the verb “Battalogeo,” and the noun “polulogia.” Both words sound like a babbling overflow of verbiage. Jesus noted that verbosity is connected with pagan desperation—-a reliance upon self instead of trust in the true God.
Across the centuries, pagans have flooded the culture with word overflow. The Babylonian creation epic, Enuma Elish, contains over 6000 words in a poetic form. Today’s media-saturated world keep the verbosity flowing steadily into our lives. Contrast that with the Biblical creation account. It is a Hebrew historical narrative of only 786 words. God is the God of few words. Instead of leaving us an encyclopedia of do’s and don’ts, God gave us a book, a short book that we can carry with us, as His Word of life.
Why doesn’t God have to flood us with verbosity? His Word is living and active. His Word has power. His Word works! His Word can tolerate silence, thought and reflection because the Spirit works through the Word, “dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). One Word of God can do what our many words can never accomplish. The Word made flesh, Jesus, gives life.
Please understand me. I’m not speaking against communication. I’m simply asking that we choose words wisely and sparingly. I’m asking that we give God a chance to speak—that we pause enough to let Him get through. Perhaps we need to think about the proliferation of words that we send into the gathering of God’s people. What are we accomplishing? What needs to change? Is there room for the Living Word of God to work in the midst of our many words? Are we overloading people or are we giving a simple, clear, and Christ-centered message?
Less is more. Jesus showed us that. Let’s not let verbosity get in the way of the Word that will not return empty, but will accomplish that for which God sent it.
During a recent worship experience, I found myself lost in a cascade of words. So many words were coming my way, I couldn’t think anymore. I couldn’t focus. I became distracted. The words droned on. They swirled around me. They ran together and formed a washed out, blank screen. I was in a wilderness of words, a desert where every grain of sand was another noun, verb, participle, or adjective. I lost all focus on God, His will and His Word. There was way too much talking.
Verbosity. Too many words.
I’ve encountered the fire hose blast of verbal overload in a variety of worship settings. Repetitive and overdone liturgies, litanies, and responses have numbed my brain. Droning verbal transitions between praise songs have lulled me into inattentiveness.
I’ve encountered verbosity in small groups and Bible studies. Leaders dominated the agenda, answered their own questions, and prevented any interaction between group members. No relationships could be formed. We were alone in a crowd, insulated from each other by the wash of words from the leader.
This is a problem. Words can get in the way of THE WORD. Jesus highlighted this issue in Matthew 6:7-8, “When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” In verse seven, Jesus uses Greek words that paint the picture of verbal overflow: the verb “Battalogeo,” and the noun “polulogia.” Both words sound like a babbling overflow of verbiage. Jesus noted that verbosity is connected with pagan desperation—-a reliance upon self instead of trust in the true God.
Across the centuries, pagans have flooded the culture with word overflow. The Babylonian creation epic, Enuma Elish, contains over 6000 words in a poetic form. Today’s media-saturated world keep the verbosity flowing steadily into our lives. Contrast that with the Biblical creation account. It is a Hebrew historical narrative of only 786 words. God is the God of few words. Instead of leaving us an encyclopedia of do’s and don’ts, God gave us a book, a short book that we can carry with us, as His Word of life.
Why doesn’t God have to flood us with verbosity? His Word is living and active. His Word has power. His Word works! His Word can tolerate silence, thought and reflection because the Spirit works through the Word, “dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). One Word of God can do what our many words can never accomplish. The Word made flesh, Jesus, gives life.
Please understand me. I’m not speaking against communication. I’m simply asking that we choose words wisely and sparingly. I’m asking that we give God a chance to speak—that we pause enough to let Him get through. Perhaps we need to think about the proliferation of words that we send into the gathering of God’s people. What are we accomplishing? What needs to change? Is there room for the Living Word of God to work in the midst of our many words? Are we overloading people or are we giving a simple, clear, and Christ-centered message?
Less is more. Jesus showed us that. Let’s not let verbosity get in the way of the Word that will not return empty, but will accomplish that for which God sent it.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
A New Generation
Church Planting Series, Part seventeen
I was hanging out with some young ministry leaders over the weekend. These college students and recent graduates were fired up in their faith and ready to reach the world for Christ. But they were thinking differently about ministry.
I asked one person what ministry path he was thinking about. He responded, “My life is my ministry.” He is forging ahead to become a math teacher, making every moment of his life outreach for Christ and using every opportunity to serve inside and outside the church.
Another young leader heard me make the comment, “The church is not a building; it’s the people.” He let out a loud “Amen” and proceeded to talk about the small group he is in and how they serve and reach the lost.
A young woman told me how she came to know Jesus and how she started reaching her young classmates who were on the fringes of the mainstream.
My friend told me about his college student daughter who is looking for a church while she’s away at school. One front-runner was a “church under the bridge” that met with and served the homeless.
A seminarian getting ready to graduate told me about his desire to partner with a friend to become “worker-priests” and simply live with inner-city residents to see how Jesus might open doors for life transformation with the Gospel.
There is a new generation of young ministry leaders. This generation is not thinking as much about career in ministry as they are about contributing to the expansion of the Kingdom. These leaders are not thinking as much about mega-church building as they are about making Christ’s difference in the world. These Christ-followers are thinking not as much about stardom as they are about sacrifice. These servants are not thinking as much about charging into the world with a big impact as they are about changing the world one person at a time.
How can we be good stewards of these new generation leaders? Shall we funnel them into old systems of training and church structure? Shall we tell them that they are idealists who need to get real and get with the old, established programs? Or shall we let these leaders soar by giving them permission, training, mentoring, support, and maximum flexibility to allow for a new movement of transformational ministry for Jesus?
Church is moving outside the walls. A new generation of leaders wants to bring Jesus to the world in a powerful way. Can we join them? Can we contribute to this new movement? Can we be part of a decentralized, smaller, servant-oriented, fluid network of faith communities that infiltrate neighborhoods and cities with Jesus? What will that look like? What steps must we take to get there?
I was hanging out with some young ministry leaders over the weekend. These college students and recent graduates were fired up in their faith and ready to reach the world for Christ. But they were thinking differently about ministry.
I asked one person what ministry path he was thinking about. He responded, “My life is my ministry.” He is forging ahead to become a math teacher, making every moment of his life outreach for Christ and using every opportunity to serve inside and outside the church.
Another young leader heard me make the comment, “The church is not a building; it’s the people.” He let out a loud “Amen” and proceeded to talk about the small group he is in and how they serve and reach the lost.
A young woman told me how she came to know Jesus and how she started reaching her young classmates who were on the fringes of the mainstream.
My friend told me about his college student daughter who is looking for a church while she’s away at school. One front-runner was a “church under the bridge” that met with and served the homeless.
A seminarian getting ready to graduate told me about his desire to partner with a friend to become “worker-priests” and simply live with inner-city residents to see how Jesus might open doors for life transformation with the Gospel.
There is a new generation of young ministry leaders. This generation is not thinking as much about career in ministry as they are about contributing to the expansion of the Kingdom. These leaders are not thinking as much about mega-church building as they are about making Christ’s difference in the world. These Christ-followers are thinking not as much about stardom as they are about sacrifice. These servants are not thinking as much about charging into the world with a big impact as they are about changing the world one person at a time.
How can we be good stewards of these new generation leaders? Shall we funnel them into old systems of training and church structure? Shall we tell them that they are idealists who need to get real and get with the old, established programs? Or shall we let these leaders soar by giving them permission, training, mentoring, support, and maximum flexibility to allow for a new movement of transformational ministry for Jesus?
Church is moving outside the walls. A new generation of leaders wants to bring Jesus to the world in a powerful way. Can we join them? Can we contribute to this new movement? Can we be part of a decentralized, smaller, servant-oriented, fluid network of faith communities that infiltrate neighborhoods and cities with Jesus? What will that look like? What steps must we take to get there?
Monday, August 24, 2009
What Vantage Point?
Church Planting Series, Part sixteen
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has decided to make it possible “for people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as ELCA associates in ministry, clergy, deaconesses and diaconal ministers” (quote from ELCA website).
This decision is sending waves of emotion and debate throughout the Church. But what does it all mean for the way we serve God and seek to grow His Kingdom? One takeaway is this: it requires us to ask the question, “What vantage point do you use for making decisions?”
The ELCA is using the vantage point of human observation and reasoning. To the decision makers, it makes sense to take this step. Society is changing. People have needs.
But is that a sound vantage point? What if we were to ask a few follow-up questions regarding that vantage point and human sexuality? Here goes:
-Have we managed sexuality well as a culture?
-Have we cherished women or demeaned them?
-Have we honored children or injured them?
-Have we veered into more trouble or less trouble in the area of sexuality?
You don’t have to think very long and hard to see that we’ve really messed up human sexuality. We do a terrible job! Trouble is at a high point. Women are treated as objects. Children are injured and abused. Sexual corruption is viral—-spreading as fast as the Internet allows, and as quickly as our sin-stained souls latch on to the immoral.
So, how can anyone really believe that we can get the question of same-gender relationships right when we use the vantage point of human observation and reasoning? It’s the wrong standard. It is flawed.
The only vantage point that brings workable, healthy, and life-giving results is God’s vantage point. God’s Word is His blessing that forms our lives, practices, and very souls. God’s Word is the objective vantage point that will never lead us astray. It rescues us from relying on our corrupt perspective of life. It gives us the mind of Christ. It will lead us home.
The question to ask about every issue in ministry is: What is God’s vantage point?
And the question to ask about human sexuality is: What is God’s vantage point? He’s made it crystal clear: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24 and Ephesians 5:31). The gift of human sexuality is meant to reflect the love of God, the groom, for His bride, the Church. It is about self-sacrificial love. It is about creating new life (procreation). It is good. It is healthy.
The Bible isn’t cryptic about this. Sexual sin has been a destructive point of stumbling for humanity for thousands of years. God doesn’t keep us in the dark about what His intentions are, what is good, and what works.
How can a denomination lose its bearings? The same way we all do. We forsake the vantage point of God and His Word. We substitute our own twisted, darkened vantage point of human observation and reasoning.
Let’s learn from this. If you’re really about God’s Kingdom, choose your vantage point carefully and wisely.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has decided to make it possible “for people in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as ELCA associates in ministry, clergy, deaconesses and diaconal ministers” (quote from ELCA website).
This decision is sending waves of emotion and debate throughout the Church. But what does it all mean for the way we serve God and seek to grow His Kingdom? One takeaway is this: it requires us to ask the question, “What vantage point do you use for making decisions?”
The ELCA is using the vantage point of human observation and reasoning. To the decision makers, it makes sense to take this step. Society is changing. People have needs.
But is that a sound vantage point? What if we were to ask a few follow-up questions regarding that vantage point and human sexuality? Here goes:
-Have we managed sexuality well as a culture?
-Have we cherished women or demeaned them?
-Have we honored children or injured them?
-Have we veered into more trouble or less trouble in the area of sexuality?
You don’t have to think very long and hard to see that we’ve really messed up human sexuality. We do a terrible job! Trouble is at a high point. Women are treated as objects. Children are injured and abused. Sexual corruption is viral—-spreading as fast as the Internet allows, and as quickly as our sin-stained souls latch on to the immoral.
So, how can anyone really believe that we can get the question of same-gender relationships right when we use the vantage point of human observation and reasoning? It’s the wrong standard. It is flawed.
The only vantage point that brings workable, healthy, and life-giving results is God’s vantage point. God’s Word is His blessing that forms our lives, practices, and very souls. God’s Word is the objective vantage point that will never lead us astray. It rescues us from relying on our corrupt perspective of life. It gives us the mind of Christ. It will lead us home.
The question to ask about every issue in ministry is: What is God’s vantage point?
And the question to ask about human sexuality is: What is God’s vantage point? He’s made it crystal clear: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24 and Ephesians 5:31). The gift of human sexuality is meant to reflect the love of God, the groom, for His bride, the Church. It is about self-sacrificial love. It is about creating new life (procreation). It is good. It is healthy.
The Bible isn’t cryptic about this. Sexual sin has been a destructive point of stumbling for humanity for thousands of years. God doesn’t keep us in the dark about what His intentions are, what is good, and what works.
How can a denomination lose its bearings? The same way we all do. We forsake the vantage point of God and His Word. We substitute our own twisted, darkened vantage point of human observation and reasoning.
Let’s learn from this. If you’re really about God’s Kingdom, choose your vantage point carefully and wisely.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Developing a Prayer Reflex
Church Planting Series, Part fifteen
A number of years ago I stood in my little mission church waiting for wedding rehearsal participants to arrive. A groomsman arrived early. He looked like a football player—tall, strong, and a bit menacing. I was surprised when he asked me this question: “Do you mind if I pray?” I told him that I didn’t mind at all. He immediately walked to the front of the worship area, knelt down, bowed his head, and began to pray in earnest.
This was unusual. Strangely enough, not many people used our little church to pray during “off” hours.
After about 20 minutes, he got up and joined some other members of the wedding party. I told him that I really admired the fact that he took time to pray. He replied, “My pastor is a man of prayer. That’s the kind of man I want to be, too. He says that prayer is the foundation of our lives. I want that in my life.”
How many times do you talk about prayer, teach about prayer, assure people of your prayers, laud the power of prayer, create prayer strategies and prayer chains, and add items to your prayer list, but never really get around to praying?
I heard a speaker say recently, “We have lots of strategic planning meetings for mission, but how many prayer meetings do we have?”
The praying man who walked into my church inspired me. I wanted to be a man of prayer—-an example for people I served. I also wanted our church to be a church of prayer—-using the gracious gift God gave us. You can’t read the Bible and not see the precious gift of prayer—and its powerful impact. Pray is the way Jesus started His day. Prayer is what Jesus did before His most intense life and ministry challenges. Do you want workers for the Kingdom harvest? Jesus said to pray for it!
After the wedding rehearsal, I prayed. I asked God to lead us to a foundational and priority ministry of prayer. He answered. He sent eager and dedicated pray-ers to saturate the church with prayer and to lift up an active prayer life to all. Our mission became founded on and laced with prayer. People routinely filled our worship area in “off hours” to pray.
The result? Many were reached with the life-saving message of Christ. Many, many lives were transformed.
I learned to pray first.
You know how it goes. People say, “When all else fails, pray.” “I tried everything I could think of; then I finally prayed.”
What if you practiced and taught a “prayer reflex”? What if prayer was the first action, the default, the automatic response to every mission idea and ministry effort? What if prayer came first? What if prayer happened immediately? What if prayer gatherings and prayers prayed consumed more time than planning meetings? What if you helped cultivate a vibrant ongoing dialog with God that shaped your actions and your decisions?
What if you did this first—-right now—-before anything else? What might God change?
A number of years ago I stood in my little mission church waiting for wedding rehearsal participants to arrive. A groomsman arrived early. He looked like a football player—tall, strong, and a bit menacing. I was surprised when he asked me this question: “Do you mind if I pray?” I told him that I didn’t mind at all. He immediately walked to the front of the worship area, knelt down, bowed his head, and began to pray in earnest.
This was unusual. Strangely enough, not many people used our little church to pray during “off” hours.
After about 20 minutes, he got up and joined some other members of the wedding party. I told him that I really admired the fact that he took time to pray. He replied, “My pastor is a man of prayer. That’s the kind of man I want to be, too. He says that prayer is the foundation of our lives. I want that in my life.”
How many times do you talk about prayer, teach about prayer, assure people of your prayers, laud the power of prayer, create prayer strategies and prayer chains, and add items to your prayer list, but never really get around to praying?
I heard a speaker say recently, “We have lots of strategic planning meetings for mission, but how many prayer meetings do we have?”
The praying man who walked into my church inspired me. I wanted to be a man of prayer—-an example for people I served. I also wanted our church to be a church of prayer—-using the gracious gift God gave us. You can’t read the Bible and not see the precious gift of prayer—and its powerful impact. Pray is the way Jesus started His day. Prayer is what Jesus did before His most intense life and ministry challenges. Do you want workers for the Kingdom harvest? Jesus said to pray for it!
After the wedding rehearsal, I prayed. I asked God to lead us to a foundational and priority ministry of prayer. He answered. He sent eager and dedicated pray-ers to saturate the church with prayer and to lift up an active prayer life to all. Our mission became founded on and laced with prayer. People routinely filled our worship area in “off hours” to pray.
The result? Many were reached with the life-saving message of Christ. Many, many lives were transformed.
I learned to pray first.
You know how it goes. People say, “When all else fails, pray.” “I tried everything I could think of; then I finally prayed.”
What if you practiced and taught a “prayer reflex”? What if prayer was the first action, the default, the automatic response to every mission idea and ministry effort? What if prayer came first? What if prayer happened immediately? What if prayer gatherings and prayers prayed consumed more time than planning meetings? What if you helped cultivate a vibrant ongoing dialog with God that shaped your actions and your decisions?
What if you did this first—-right now—-before anything else? What might God change?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Mere Church Plantery
Church Planting Series, Part fourteen
C.S. Lewis published “Mere Christianity” in 1952. The book was based on radio talks he gave in the 1940’s. These talks outlined the basic fundamentals of the Christian faith.
What if there was a “Mere Church Plantery” book? What essentials of church planting might be included?
PASSION – The starting point is one person with unstoppable passion to share Jesus. Salary or not, the love of Christ must be passed along in deed and word.
GROWTH – Immersion in prayer, a life of worship, and study of the Bible marks every church planter and church planting effort.
TRAINING – Those who plant churches need to be seasoned in the Scriptures, faith, and life. They must be able in relationships, teaching, and the sharing of tasks.
INTEGRITY – Honoring God and His people is essential.
ORGANIZING – The church planter must be able to formulate a plan, form relationships, and help guide others into effective outreach for Christ.
COMMUNITY – Those in ministry must learn to mentor, share, and collaborate. This is not a one-person show. The goal is to create a movement of passionate evangelists.
SERVING – The goal in everything is ultimately to reach out with the Good News of Jesus.
RISK – Never satisfied, the question is always, “What next bold step needs to be taken for the sake of the cross of Jesus Christ?”
Mere Church Plantery isn’t contingent on a building, sound equipment, new computers, or even money! These are secondary to the central task of growing a movement of God’s Spirit of grace in and through people. The secondary tools might become important, but if the first things are taken care of, the secondary items will develop and will serve the primary focus.
What secondary areas might be distracting you? How do you need to get back to Mere Church Plantery?
C.S. Lewis published “Mere Christianity” in 1952. The book was based on radio talks he gave in the 1940’s. These talks outlined the basic fundamentals of the Christian faith.
What if there was a “Mere Church Plantery” book? What essentials of church planting might be included?
PASSION – The starting point is one person with unstoppable passion to share Jesus. Salary or not, the love of Christ must be passed along in deed and word.
GROWTH – Immersion in prayer, a life of worship, and study of the Bible marks every church planter and church planting effort.
TRAINING – Those who plant churches need to be seasoned in the Scriptures, faith, and life. They must be able in relationships, teaching, and the sharing of tasks.
INTEGRITY – Honoring God and His people is essential.
ORGANIZING – The church planter must be able to formulate a plan, form relationships, and help guide others into effective outreach for Christ.
COMMUNITY – Those in ministry must learn to mentor, share, and collaborate. This is not a one-person show. The goal is to create a movement of passionate evangelists.
SERVING – The goal in everything is ultimately to reach out with the Good News of Jesus.
RISK – Never satisfied, the question is always, “What next bold step needs to be taken for the sake of the cross of Jesus Christ?”
Mere Church Plantery isn’t contingent on a building, sound equipment, new computers, or even money! These are secondary to the central task of growing a movement of God’s Spirit of grace in and through people. The secondary tools might become important, but if the first things are taken care of, the secondary items will develop and will serve the primary focus.
What secondary areas might be distracting you? How do you need to get back to Mere Church Plantery?
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Public Behavior
Church Planting Series, Part thirteen
I went to a movie the other day. I actually saw it in a theater. I regretted every moment. Why? Theater behavior has undergone radical changes.
After the lights finally went down thirty minutes into the movie, and after the focus was adjusted at about the same time, the activity in the crowd began. To my left, a woman in her 70’s was texting someone during the movie. To my right, a man and woman narrated their commentary of each scene. In front of me, several people made multiple trips in and out of the theater for a variety of reasons, some which involved large quantities of snacks. Behind me, the person kept tapping the back of my seat with his foot—tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. You get the idea.
It was a circus, a fiasco, a disorderly din of sights, sounds, and smells. I wasn’t able to become lost in the story or engrossed by the compelling plot line. I got annoyed because it felt like I invited 100 restless people into my living room to watch a rented video.
Theater behavior has changed.
When my grandparents and parents went to the movies it was a special occasion. People got dressed up. Ushers seated you. They patrolled the aisles for noise and disruption. People stayed quiet. A hush fell over the theater when the previews began.
Now, after the movie is over, I wouldn’t be surprised if many in attendance would say, “What movie?”
Yes times have changed. Public behavior has changed. Restraint is disappearing. Shame is fading. The veneer that once made lives look civil and orderly is wearing very thin. Real life is showing through.
This fact impacts church. It is a new day with new behavior and a new set of expectations for a church planter. Yes, signs abound reminding people to turn off cell phones. Yes, texting and tweeting are being integrated into some teaching. But there’s a bigger issue. Sin, brokenness, addiction, and dysfunction are very evident in people’s lives. Polite conformity to society is vanishing. This brings about some key challenges for ministry:
First, how will you reach and relate to sinners? Jesus dined with them after Matthew’s conversion. In Luke 5:27-32 He outlined His strategy. How will you uphold the integrity of the Gospel while bringing the Gospel to its prime audience: sinners?
Second, how will you address sin, brokenness, dysfunction, and unholy behavior in a clear and balanced way? How will you bring the living Word that changes lives to lives that really need changing, but do so in a way that doesn’t do damage to the mission of God?
Third, how will you not fall prey to a ministry of power and control in the midst of radically changed public behavior, but, instead, move forward in the love, humility, and truth of Christ?
Answers to these questions will help you truly reach the lost with the saving news of the cross of Jesus. Just don’t expect to eliminate coffee spills and stray Cheerios from your meeting place.
I went to a movie the other day. I actually saw it in a theater. I regretted every moment. Why? Theater behavior has undergone radical changes.
After the lights finally went down thirty minutes into the movie, and after the focus was adjusted at about the same time, the activity in the crowd began. To my left, a woman in her 70’s was texting someone during the movie. To my right, a man and woman narrated their commentary of each scene. In front of me, several people made multiple trips in and out of the theater for a variety of reasons, some which involved large quantities of snacks. Behind me, the person kept tapping the back of my seat with his foot—tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap. You get the idea.
It was a circus, a fiasco, a disorderly din of sights, sounds, and smells. I wasn’t able to become lost in the story or engrossed by the compelling plot line. I got annoyed because it felt like I invited 100 restless people into my living room to watch a rented video.
Theater behavior has changed.
When my grandparents and parents went to the movies it was a special occasion. People got dressed up. Ushers seated you. They patrolled the aisles for noise and disruption. People stayed quiet. A hush fell over the theater when the previews began.
Now, after the movie is over, I wouldn’t be surprised if many in attendance would say, “What movie?”
Yes times have changed. Public behavior has changed. Restraint is disappearing. Shame is fading. The veneer that once made lives look civil and orderly is wearing very thin. Real life is showing through.
This fact impacts church. It is a new day with new behavior and a new set of expectations for a church planter. Yes, signs abound reminding people to turn off cell phones. Yes, texting and tweeting are being integrated into some teaching. But there’s a bigger issue. Sin, brokenness, addiction, and dysfunction are very evident in people’s lives. Polite conformity to society is vanishing. This brings about some key challenges for ministry:
First, how will you reach and relate to sinners? Jesus dined with them after Matthew’s conversion. In Luke 5:27-32 He outlined His strategy. How will you uphold the integrity of the Gospel while bringing the Gospel to its prime audience: sinners?
Second, how will you address sin, brokenness, dysfunction, and unholy behavior in a clear and balanced way? How will you bring the living Word that changes lives to lives that really need changing, but do so in a way that doesn’t do damage to the mission of God?
Third, how will you not fall prey to a ministry of power and control in the midst of radically changed public behavior, but, instead, move forward in the love, humility, and truth of Christ?
Answers to these questions will help you truly reach the lost with the saving news of the cross of Jesus. Just don’t expect to eliminate coffee spills and stray Cheerios from your meeting place.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Leaving Legalism Behind
Church Planting Series, Part twelve
I came across a great quote from Alexander Solzhenitsyn:
“A society based on the letter of the law and never reaching any higher, fails to take advantage of the full range of human possibilities. The letter of the law is too cold and formal to have a beneficial influence on society. Whenever the tissue of life is woven of legalistic relationships, this creates an atmosphere of spiritual mediocrity that paralyzes men’s noblest impulses.”
In church planting, legalism is always a temptation. You start something a certain way. You use your gifts to get the ball rolling. You choose the songs. You pick the slide backgrounds. You organize the small group structure. You brainstorm community outreach projects. You design the strategic plan. Then, suddenly, people show up. People get involved. And they have ideas that might change things!
You may be a Gospel preacher, a Gospel servant, a Gospel kind of person. You may never think of yourself as a legalist, a control freak, an in-the-box dude. But suddenly, at the prospect of change, you bristle. You hesitate. You say (or want to say) “No!”
It’s amazing how “that’s not the way we’ve done it before” can surface after one week in a church plant!
We’re creatures of habit. We like our will to be done. We’re legalists at heart.
The result is death. People get discouraged. Imaginations whither. Creativity disappears. Taking risks for the Gospel falls off the radar. The fear of not doing things the way “they” say it should be done takes hold and paralyzes the hearts and minds of all. 2 Corinthians 3:6 sums it up well: “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
I’m not talking about an “anything goes” attitude or a departure from God’s Word and ways. I’m talking about the fear-based reduction of all possibilities to one person’s mind, judgment, and rules.
How do you leave “an atmosphere of spiritual mediocrity that paralyzes men’s noblest impulses” behind? How do you leave legalism behind and live in the new covenant that gives life?
Building on “the Spirit gives life” proclamation of 2 Corinthians 3:6, Paul sticks with his point of a life of freedom in the Gospel. He says in chapter four, verse five, “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.” Legalism is left behind when an event that we would have never thought of takes hold of our lives. Legalism is left behind at the cross. His ways ARE higher than our ways. We’re not the only game in town. There’s a body of Christ out there. There are many gifts for the common good. We live by grace, not by our works—-or our brainy plans and strategies.
When we belong to Christ Jesus and keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:24-25), people live in the freedom of the Gospel. They are respected and loved. Their Spirit-led imaginations soar. Paralysis is gone. Spiritual mediocrity evaporates. The Kingdom flourishes. We notice and embrace God’s surprises. Mission and ministry become beautiful. A church-plant happens, not a me-plant.
I came across a great quote from Alexander Solzhenitsyn:
“A society based on the letter of the law and never reaching any higher, fails to take advantage of the full range of human possibilities. The letter of the law is too cold and formal to have a beneficial influence on society. Whenever the tissue of life is woven of legalistic relationships, this creates an atmosphere of spiritual mediocrity that paralyzes men’s noblest impulses.”
In church planting, legalism is always a temptation. You start something a certain way. You use your gifts to get the ball rolling. You choose the songs. You pick the slide backgrounds. You organize the small group structure. You brainstorm community outreach projects. You design the strategic plan. Then, suddenly, people show up. People get involved. And they have ideas that might change things!
You may be a Gospel preacher, a Gospel servant, a Gospel kind of person. You may never think of yourself as a legalist, a control freak, an in-the-box dude. But suddenly, at the prospect of change, you bristle. You hesitate. You say (or want to say) “No!”
It’s amazing how “that’s not the way we’ve done it before” can surface after one week in a church plant!
We’re creatures of habit. We like our will to be done. We’re legalists at heart.
The result is death. People get discouraged. Imaginations whither. Creativity disappears. Taking risks for the Gospel falls off the radar. The fear of not doing things the way “they” say it should be done takes hold and paralyzes the hearts and minds of all. 2 Corinthians 3:6 sums it up well: “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
I’m not talking about an “anything goes” attitude or a departure from God’s Word and ways. I’m talking about the fear-based reduction of all possibilities to one person’s mind, judgment, and rules.
How do you leave “an atmosphere of spiritual mediocrity that paralyzes men’s noblest impulses” behind? How do you leave legalism behind and live in the new covenant that gives life?
Building on “the Spirit gives life” proclamation of 2 Corinthians 3:6, Paul sticks with his point of a life of freedom in the Gospel. He says in chapter four, verse five, “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.” Legalism is left behind when an event that we would have never thought of takes hold of our lives. Legalism is left behind at the cross. His ways ARE higher than our ways. We’re not the only game in town. There’s a body of Christ out there. There are many gifts for the common good. We live by grace, not by our works—-or our brainy plans and strategies.
When we belong to Christ Jesus and keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:24-25), people live in the freedom of the Gospel. They are respected and loved. Their Spirit-led imaginations soar. Paralysis is gone. Spiritual mediocrity evaporates. The Kingdom flourishes. We notice and embrace God’s surprises. Mission and ministry become beautiful. A church-plant happens, not a me-plant.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Don't Get Lost
Church Planting Series, Part eleven
Air France flight 447. Judge Sotomayor. Swine Flu. GM goes through bankruptcy. An abortion doctor murdered in a Lutheran Church.
This is what people are thinking about this week. Add to those items a broken relationship, an illness in the family, a special family celebration, financial struggles, some life successes, personal dissatisfaction at work, a vacation that’s coming, the struggle with an addiction, and a boatload of stress, and you have a pretty good idea of where people are at.
The question is: will you meet them there?
Church planting can be very thought and life consuming. It can get to a point where you’re thinking so much about ministry, you begin to think ministry is the whole point, the goal, the end. You talk with your ministry friends. You read ministry books. You plan ministry events. You work with ministry teams.
And you may forget that people aren’t thinking about ministry; they’re thinking about life!
Will you meet people who are living life with the Good News of Jesus Christ for their lives? Will you remember what it feels like to live?
One hazard of church/ministry planting is that a ministry leader can get lost in the church. You can forget to connect with people and take their thoughts captive for Christ.
Do you remember when the exiles were returning from Babylon and they heard the preaching of the Word for the first time? Nehemiah 8:7-8 tells us that the Levites, “Instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.”
People need to understand the Gospel for their lives, their ups and downs, their celebrations and hurts, their media-bombarded brains. If you forget to “make it clear and give meaning so that the people could understand,” you’re sending people away to become lost in the world.
You see, that’s the other extreme. People are getting lost in the world—-in the headlines, schedules, bills, and busyness. You shouldn’t be a leader who joins them—-and lets the headlines drive your ministry. But you shouldn’t be a leader who is disjointed from them. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us—-full of grace and truth (John 14:6). God came near. He touched the weak and sick. He laid hands on the children. He looked people in the eye. And He brought life. A blood dripping, screaming Savior joined us in our brokenness and helped us in our pain.
Will you draw near, make the connections, and articulate the fact that Jesus joins people in their real lives? If you’re having a hard time remembering how, get out, take notice, and live a little.
Air France flight 447. Judge Sotomayor. Swine Flu. GM goes through bankruptcy. An abortion doctor murdered in a Lutheran Church.
This is what people are thinking about this week. Add to those items a broken relationship, an illness in the family, a special family celebration, financial struggles, some life successes, personal dissatisfaction at work, a vacation that’s coming, the struggle with an addiction, and a boatload of stress, and you have a pretty good idea of where people are at.
The question is: will you meet them there?
Church planting can be very thought and life consuming. It can get to a point where you’re thinking so much about ministry, you begin to think ministry is the whole point, the goal, the end. You talk with your ministry friends. You read ministry books. You plan ministry events. You work with ministry teams.
And you may forget that people aren’t thinking about ministry; they’re thinking about life!
Will you meet people who are living life with the Good News of Jesus Christ for their lives? Will you remember what it feels like to live?
One hazard of church/ministry planting is that a ministry leader can get lost in the church. You can forget to connect with people and take their thoughts captive for Christ.
Do you remember when the exiles were returning from Babylon and they heard the preaching of the Word for the first time? Nehemiah 8:7-8 tells us that the Levites, “Instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.”
People need to understand the Gospel for their lives, their ups and downs, their celebrations and hurts, their media-bombarded brains. If you forget to “make it clear and give meaning so that the people could understand,” you’re sending people away to become lost in the world.
You see, that’s the other extreme. People are getting lost in the world—-in the headlines, schedules, bills, and busyness. You shouldn’t be a leader who joins them—-and lets the headlines drive your ministry. But you shouldn’t be a leader who is disjointed from them. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us—-full of grace and truth (John 14:6). God came near. He touched the weak and sick. He laid hands on the children. He looked people in the eye. And He brought life. A blood dripping, screaming Savior joined us in our brokenness and helped us in our pain.
Will you draw near, make the connections, and articulate the fact that Jesus joins people in their real lives? If you’re having a hard time remembering how, get out, take notice, and live a little.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Family
Church Planting Series, Part ten
NFL quarterback and politician Jack Kemp died this month. Columnist Mona Charen, a former speech writer for Mr. Kemp, wrote a wonderful tribute to this accomplished American. At the end of her article she commented: “Though he achieved great things in public life, he managed to do it without neglecting his family. That is a man in full. He will be greatly missed.”
“A man in full.” Why? Because he was a champion football player? No. Because he overcame adversity throughout his life? No. Because he made a name for himself in the political world? No.
He was “a man in full” because he didn’t neglect his wife, his four children and his 17 grandchildren.
Being involved in church planting—-and any ministry for that matter—-can become all consuming. The excitement and constant demands can eat up every hour of the day. The plans for what’s coming next can dominate your thoughts. The needs of other people can pull you away from relationships in your life-—mentally, emotionally, and physically.
The question is: will you let your calling as a servant of Christ make you a “man in part,” an inattentive husband, a distracted father, an absentee family member, a short-fused presence around the house, a one-dimensional shell of a human being—all, allegedly, in the name of Jesus?
As ministry reached a frenzied pace, Jesus said to His disciples in Mark 6:31, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Our Savior who rose early in the morning to pray, who stuck to the outskirts of town to avoid crowds, and who knew when His time hadn’t come and when it had, was all about a healthy rhythm of life. He came to sacrifice His life, but He didn’t come to wreck His relationships. He came to put it all on the line, but He didn’t neglect the people in His life. No, He served them. He ate with them. He conversed with them. He washed their feet. He loved them.
Your primary witness of Christ’s love to the world starts with the people closest to you. It starts with your family. If you want the world to take notice of Jesus in you, it’s not going to be through a sermon or ministry program or church plant. But the world will take a close look at how you love your family, how you allocate your time and attention, and what kind of person you are when you’re not on stage.
Of course, loving your family and living a balanced life isn’t just so the world sees a good guy in action. You love your family because Christ first loved His. You love your family and devote time to them because you’ve made a commitment to do it. Most of all, because it’s joyful and delightful to cherish the gift God gave you in them.
It takes work to carve out dependable time for your spouse and children. It takes persistence and discipline to establish boundaries. As life changes, it takes trial and error to establish a trustworthy rhythm that honors your loved ones and allows you to serve God’s people faithfully. But finding this rhythm reflects the character of our Creator who rested. It also makes God’s self-sacrificial love real and demonstrable in your life.
An experienced pastor friend of mine said, “If you sacrifice your family on the altar of the church, the people of the church will not admire you. They’ll think you’re a fool.” Mona Charen might add that it is a high calling and a great legacy to end your life not as a “man in part,” but as “a man in full.”
NFL quarterback and politician Jack Kemp died this month. Columnist Mona Charen, a former speech writer for Mr. Kemp, wrote a wonderful tribute to this accomplished American. At the end of her article she commented: “Though he achieved great things in public life, he managed to do it without neglecting his family. That is a man in full. He will be greatly missed.”
“A man in full.” Why? Because he was a champion football player? No. Because he overcame adversity throughout his life? No. Because he made a name for himself in the political world? No.
He was “a man in full” because he didn’t neglect his wife, his four children and his 17 grandchildren.
Being involved in church planting—-and any ministry for that matter—-can become all consuming. The excitement and constant demands can eat up every hour of the day. The plans for what’s coming next can dominate your thoughts. The needs of other people can pull you away from relationships in your life-—mentally, emotionally, and physically.
The question is: will you let your calling as a servant of Christ make you a “man in part,” an inattentive husband, a distracted father, an absentee family member, a short-fused presence around the house, a one-dimensional shell of a human being—all, allegedly, in the name of Jesus?
As ministry reached a frenzied pace, Jesus said to His disciples in Mark 6:31, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Our Savior who rose early in the morning to pray, who stuck to the outskirts of town to avoid crowds, and who knew when His time hadn’t come and when it had, was all about a healthy rhythm of life. He came to sacrifice His life, but He didn’t come to wreck His relationships. He came to put it all on the line, but He didn’t neglect the people in His life. No, He served them. He ate with them. He conversed with them. He washed their feet. He loved them.
Your primary witness of Christ’s love to the world starts with the people closest to you. It starts with your family. If you want the world to take notice of Jesus in you, it’s not going to be through a sermon or ministry program or church plant. But the world will take a close look at how you love your family, how you allocate your time and attention, and what kind of person you are when you’re not on stage.
Of course, loving your family and living a balanced life isn’t just so the world sees a good guy in action. You love your family because Christ first loved His. You love your family and devote time to them because you’ve made a commitment to do it. Most of all, because it’s joyful and delightful to cherish the gift God gave you in them.
It takes work to carve out dependable time for your spouse and children. It takes persistence and discipline to establish boundaries. As life changes, it takes trial and error to establish a trustworthy rhythm that honors your loved ones and allows you to serve God’s people faithfully. But finding this rhythm reflects the character of our Creator who rested. It also makes God’s self-sacrificial love real and demonstrable in your life.
An experienced pastor friend of mine said, “If you sacrifice your family on the altar of the church, the people of the church will not admire you. They’ll think you’re a fool.” Mona Charen might add that it is a high calling and a great legacy to end your life not as a “man in part,” but as “a man in full.”
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Money, Money, Money
Church Planting Series, Part nine
I had a theology professor who never ever talked about money. He was a doctrine guy. He dug deeply into the richness of the person of Christ and mystery of the sacraments. He led us to marvel at the poetic creedal statements of the early church in the Scriptures. He dwelt in the heavenly realms and gave each of his students a glimpse of God’s glory and majesty.
Then one day—I think it was on the very last day of classes—he brought up the subject of money. Seemingly out of the blue he said, “Brothers, remember, there is never a shortage of money in God’s Kingdom. There is only a shortage of vision.”
Wow. Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever heard him speak about vision either! But this doctrine guy WAS all about the church of Jesus Christ. He WAS all about the Gospel and the need for every human being to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
That’s why he brought up money.
We errantly believe that there’s not enough money out there, that money is THE big obstacle for ministry, that lack of money will always hinder Kingdom growth.
Hmmm, I seem to remember that, according to Jesus, even the gates of Hell cannot hinder the advance of God’s Kingdom (Matthew 16:18). So, what do you do about money?
First, DON’T BE AFRAID. As my professor said, there’s never a shortage of it-—even during an economic downturn. The Almighty God, Creator of all things, said in Psalm 50:9-10, “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.”
I love that verse. God’s portfolio has not been affected by this economic downturn. He’s got ownership papers for everything. There are no worries when He is in charge. He’s the ultimate creative Kingdom entrepreneur. He opens doors that no one can shut. Pray and trust in Him.
Second, ASK FOR IT. I’ve worked with many capital funding efforts. One lesson I learned early is that while many church leaders lament the shortage of money, not many actually ask for it. They teach ABOUT it, they dance AROUND it, but they never ask. Sometimes you know how much to ask for. Sometimes you have to give options. I remember talking with a couple who expressed the desire to help our ministry efforts by giving a memorial donation. I started by letting them know about the blessing of a $15 hymnal donation. I ended by letting them know about a $100,000 multi-media room they could donate. What did they choose? They donated the room! Who would have thought?
Don’t hide God’s giving opportunities. Some people need to hear what they can give.
Third, CONNECT IT TO THE MISSION. Money is not the goal; ministry is. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is. If the money doesn’t advance the Gospel, you shouldn’t be asking for it. If it does advance sharing the blood-bought gift of Jesus, then make the connection! People want to be part of that which impacts people’s lives for eternity. Share the vision, the dream, the heart of God.
Finally, SAY THANK YOU. I don’t mean simply writing a thank you note-—although you should definitely do that. Continue to affirm the Kingdom impact of people’s gifts. If you’ve shared the vision, then keep making the connection. This will lift up true stewardship. Years after the couple donated the multi-media room in memory of their 19-year-old son, I saw that it became a place where hundreds of young people heard about Jesus, brought their friends to hear about Him, and grew in discipleship and outreach together. I was blown away by God’s faithfulness. Look what He did! I jotted a note to the couple about how the dream they shared had born fruit and how many young lives were being brought to Christ in that very room. And I thanked them.
Giving people a chance to give money for God’s eternal cause is worthy and good. Don’t let the devil deceive you into thinking you should avoid the topic. And don’t let a shortage of vision for God’s Kingdom convince you that God’s plans are limited by YOUR checkbook balance.
I had a theology professor who never ever talked about money. He was a doctrine guy. He dug deeply into the richness of the person of Christ and mystery of the sacraments. He led us to marvel at the poetic creedal statements of the early church in the Scriptures. He dwelt in the heavenly realms and gave each of his students a glimpse of God’s glory and majesty.
Then one day—I think it was on the very last day of classes—he brought up the subject of money. Seemingly out of the blue he said, “Brothers, remember, there is never a shortage of money in God’s Kingdom. There is only a shortage of vision.”
Wow. Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever heard him speak about vision either! But this doctrine guy WAS all about the church of Jesus Christ. He WAS all about the Gospel and the need for every human being to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.
That’s why he brought up money.
We errantly believe that there’s not enough money out there, that money is THE big obstacle for ministry, that lack of money will always hinder Kingdom growth.
Hmmm, I seem to remember that, according to Jesus, even the gates of Hell cannot hinder the advance of God’s Kingdom (Matthew 16:18). So, what do you do about money?
First, DON’T BE AFRAID. As my professor said, there’s never a shortage of it-—even during an economic downturn. The Almighty God, Creator of all things, said in Psalm 50:9-10, “I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.”
I love that verse. God’s portfolio has not been affected by this economic downturn. He’s got ownership papers for everything. There are no worries when He is in charge. He’s the ultimate creative Kingdom entrepreneur. He opens doors that no one can shut. Pray and trust in Him.
Second, ASK FOR IT. I’ve worked with many capital funding efforts. One lesson I learned early is that while many church leaders lament the shortage of money, not many actually ask for it. They teach ABOUT it, they dance AROUND it, but they never ask. Sometimes you know how much to ask for. Sometimes you have to give options. I remember talking with a couple who expressed the desire to help our ministry efforts by giving a memorial donation. I started by letting them know about the blessing of a $15 hymnal donation. I ended by letting them know about a $100,000 multi-media room they could donate. What did they choose? They donated the room! Who would have thought?
Don’t hide God’s giving opportunities. Some people need to hear what they can give.
Third, CONNECT IT TO THE MISSION. Money is not the goal; ministry is. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is. If the money doesn’t advance the Gospel, you shouldn’t be asking for it. If it does advance sharing the blood-bought gift of Jesus, then make the connection! People want to be part of that which impacts people’s lives for eternity. Share the vision, the dream, the heart of God.
Finally, SAY THANK YOU. I don’t mean simply writing a thank you note-—although you should definitely do that. Continue to affirm the Kingdom impact of people’s gifts. If you’ve shared the vision, then keep making the connection. This will lift up true stewardship. Years after the couple donated the multi-media room in memory of their 19-year-old son, I saw that it became a place where hundreds of young people heard about Jesus, brought their friends to hear about Him, and grew in discipleship and outreach together. I was blown away by God’s faithfulness. Look what He did! I jotted a note to the couple about how the dream they shared had born fruit and how many young lives were being brought to Christ in that very room. And I thanked them.
Giving people a chance to give money for God’s eternal cause is worthy and good. Don’t let the devil deceive you into thinking you should avoid the topic. And don’t let a shortage of vision for God’s Kingdom convince you that God’s plans are limited by YOUR checkbook balance.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Mission Service
Church Planting Series, Part eight
The grandson of a friend of mine became a pastor at a church where his grandfather had served many years before.
Imagine the thrill as the grandson sifted through old files and saw his own grandfather’s handiwork: minutes of board meetings, fliers from ministry initiatives, printed sermons and bible class notes.
As the grandson scanned old worship service bulletins, he kept coming across a calendar item that confused him. Each Sunday in the late afternoon there was a calendar listing called “The Mission Service.” What in the world was “The Mission Service”? The grandson was intrigued. In the worship bulletins after his grandfather left, “The Mission Service” listing disappeared. The church also began to decline.
It took just a few phones calls and personal visits to unravel the mystery. The old-timers remembered what “The Mission Service” was. Every Sunday afternoon the grandfather traveled to a neighboring community to hold a special service. The location of the worship service varied from community to community. Sometimes church members would attend; sometimes the pastor would venture out by himself. But every week the pastor tried something new. Some of the services kept going for months until a person was raised up to take over the worshiping community. Other services never caught on or “fizzled” out due to lack of response. But as an elderly man who grew up under the grandfather’s pastorate said, “Your grandfather taught us that a church should always be reaching new communities.”
This is a true story. This is how the church used to behave. This was NORMAL for the church. Pastors had multiple preaching stations. They tried new things. The congregation not only supported these efforts, they participated in this outreach. Why? Because a church was about reaching new communities.
The goal of a local church was not to become comfortable, or to acquire wealth, or to become the stylish place to be, or to be the “high-tech” church of the area. It was to reach new communities.
For the new pastor’s grandfather, the strategy was “The Mission Service”—-create some relationships in a new area, get people talking, do some publicity, knock on some doors, discover some needs, and go there to do something. Make a “splash” and see what God does with it.
These days we are challenged in two ways. First, we must not overlook the old and simple ways of reaching out. Get out of the office and try something! Bring the living Word of God with you and see what happens.
Second, we need to shatter the notion that a few “expert” paradigms from the last fifty years are the only options we have for church planting and ministry expansion. There are simple and exciting ways to reach meaningfully into communities. We just need to listen, watch, pray, and go to work.
What might make a “splash” for Jesus in an unreached area near you? What will your “Mission Service" look like?
The grandson of a friend of mine became a pastor at a church where his grandfather had served many years before.
Imagine the thrill as the grandson sifted through old files and saw his own grandfather’s handiwork: minutes of board meetings, fliers from ministry initiatives, printed sermons and bible class notes.
As the grandson scanned old worship service bulletins, he kept coming across a calendar item that confused him. Each Sunday in the late afternoon there was a calendar listing called “The Mission Service.” What in the world was “The Mission Service”? The grandson was intrigued. In the worship bulletins after his grandfather left, “The Mission Service” listing disappeared. The church also began to decline.
It took just a few phones calls and personal visits to unravel the mystery. The old-timers remembered what “The Mission Service” was. Every Sunday afternoon the grandfather traveled to a neighboring community to hold a special service. The location of the worship service varied from community to community. Sometimes church members would attend; sometimes the pastor would venture out by himself. But every week the pastor tried something new. Some of the services kept going for months until a person was raised up to take over the worshiping community. Other services never caught on or “fizzled” out due to lack of response. But as an elderly man who grew up under the grandfather’s pastorate said, “Your grandfather taught us that a church should always be reaching new communities.”
This is a true story. This is how the church used to behave. This was NORMAL for the church. Pastors had multiple preaching stations. They tried new things. The congregation not only supported these efforts, they participated in this outreach. Why? Because a church was about reaching new communities.
The goal of a local church was not to become comfortable, or to acquire wealth, or to become the stylish place to be, or to be the “high-tech” church of the area. It was to reach new communities.
For the new pastor’s grandfather, the strategy was “The Mission Service”—-create some relationships in a new area, get people talking, do some publicity, knock on some doors, discover some needs, and go there to do something. Make a “splash” and see what God does with it.
These days we are challenged in two ways. First, we must not overlook the old and simple ways of reaching out. Get out of the office and try something! Bring the living Word of God with you and see what happens.
Second, we need to shatter the notion that a few “expert” paradigms from the last fifty years are the only options we have for church planting and ministry expansion. There are simple and exciting ways to reach meaningfully into communities. We just need to listen, watch, pray, and go to work.
What might make a “splash” for Jesus in an unreached area near you? What will your “Mission Service" look like?
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Infiltration
Church Planting Series, Part seven
I read about Cameron Hughes the other day. He’s a Super Fan. He’s a hired gun to fire up crowds at sporting events. Hughes sits in the crowds—-just like any other fan. He blends in. But once the stadium crowd settles in and settles down, Cameron Hughes springs into action. He gets out of his seat. He dances. He urges people to cheer and shout for the home team. He peels off layers of team t-shirts and launches them into the crowd.
The strategy works. The team owners pay Hughes a couple of thousand dollars to do his thing, and it’s worth the investment. Fans enjoy the game. The crowd responds. The home team gets the home-field advantage.
It’s all about paying a price to send someone in so everything can change.
Sound familiar?
God paid the highest price as He sent His only Son into the world so everything could change. Jesus infiltrated the world-—beaten, bleeding, dying, forgiving, rising. He still infiltrates our lives—-the living Word, the water and the Spirit, bread and wine. Because of Jesus everything has changed. Life is new. Life is eternal.
Now you’re the Super Fan. You’re sent to infiltrate the crowd-—the sin-sulking, fad-lulled, hope-drained, reality-blinded crowd.
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter worship are not necessarily your acts of infiltration. You’re equipped and sent at those gatherings. You’re fed and forgiven. You’re renewed and returned to the grace and will of God.
But where’s your infiltration?
I’ve been speaking to church planters and ministry entrepreneurs about infiltration lately. I’ve been calling this infiltration work “splash” events (thank you, Rev. Paul Meyer for the term!). How and where are you “splashing” in your community? A church planter is not as much about meeting in a building as he is about splashing in the community.
For example, you schedule an extra Easter service (on Saturday) in a growing area (or Christmas service—start planning now!). You publicize it and make it as visible as possible. You recruit a core team to attend. Then you watch for the community’s response. Who knows, you may find some servant-leaders who crave getting together as children of God! Infiltrated! A new beginning!
What if you decide to offer four weeks of Christian parenting classes in a local community center? Once again, you publicize, recruit and bring a core group. Splash! Infiltration! What might God do?
What if you offer Bible study time in two area nursing homes? What if you bring your VBS to a neighborhood that needs a church presence? What if you start a Christian young adult gathering in an area of town that is new and growing? What if you reach back into an urban area with a weekday kids ministry or after school program or mother’s day out?
Do you get the idea? Splash! Infiltration! Seeds planted! Something may grow. Momentum has begun. The Spirit is at work.
Planting churches and expanding outreach means that you pay the price to send someone in so everything can change.
It’s the infiltration that God demonstrated in Jesus and shows us so clearly during this Holy Week.
I read about Cameron Hughes the other day. He’s a Super Fan. He’s a hired gun to fire up crowds at sporting events. Hughes sits in the crowds—-just like any other fan. He blends in. But once the stadium crowd settles in and settles down, Cameron Hughes springs into action. He gets out of his seat. He dances. He urges people to cheer and shout for the home team. He peels off layers of team t-shirts and launches them into the crowd.
The strategy works. The team owners pay Hughes a couple of thousand dollars to do his thing, and it’s worth the investment. Fans enjoy the game. The crowd responds. The home team gets the home-field advantage.
It’s all about paying a price to send someone in so everything can change.
Sound familiar?
God paid the highest price as He sent His only Son into the world so everything could change. Jesus infiltrated the world-—beaten, bleeding, dying, forgiving, rising. He still infiltrates our lives—-the living Word, the water and the Spirit, bread and wine. Because of Jesus everything has changed. Life is new. Life is eternal.
Now you’re the Super Fan. You’re sent to infiltrate the crowd-—the sin-sulking, fad-lulled, hope-drained, reality-blinded crowd.
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter worship are not necessarily your acts of infiltration. You’re equipped and sent at those gatherings. You’re fed and forgiven. You’re renewed and returned to the grace and will of God.
But where’s your infiltration?
I’ve been speaking to church planters and ministry entrepreneurs about infiltration lately. I’ve been calling this infiltration work “splash” events (thank you, Rev. Paul Meyer for the term!). How and where are you “splashing” in your community? A church planter is not as much about meeting in a building as he is about splashing in the community.
For example, you schedule an extra Easter service (on Saturday) in a growing area (or Christmas service—start planning now!). You publicize it and make it as visible as possible. You recruit a core team to attend. Then you watch for the community’s response. Who knows, you may find some servant-leaders who crave getting together as children of God! Infiltrated! A new beginning!
What if you decide to offer four weeks of Christian parenting classes in a local community center? Once again, you publicize, recruit and bring a core group. Splash! Infiltration! What might God do?
What if you offer Bible study time in two area nursing homes? What if you bring your VBS to a neighborhood that needs a church presence? What if you start a Christian young adult gathering in an area of town that is new and growing? What if you reach back into an urban area with a weekday kids ministry or after school program or mother’s day out?
Do you get the idea? Splash! Infiltration! Seeds planted! Something may grow. Momentum has begun. The Spirit is at work.
Planting churches and expanding outreach means that you pay the price to send someone in so everything can change.
It’s the infiltration that God demonstrated in Jesus and shows us so clearly during this Holy Week.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Live Like You're Dying
Church Planting Series, Part six
Have you ever waited for test results from a doctor’s office? Have you ever been faced with the possibility that you may die? Very soon. All done.
Tim McGraw sang a song about this type of experience. It’s called: “Live Like You Were Dying."
Take a look at some of the lyrics:
He said: "I was in my early forties,
"With a lot of life before me,
"An' a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
"I spent most of the next days,
"Looking at the x-rays,
"An' talking 'bout the options an' talkin’ ‘bout sweet time."
I asked him when it sank in,
That this might really be the real end?
How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?
Man whatcha do?
An' he said: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."
Priorities change. Risks become worth it. People become more important. Living God’s purpose becomes more urgent.
Every church plant needs to live like it’s dying. It really doesn’t have a choice, does it? When there’s no plan B, no back-up, no cushion money in the church bank account; when your church can die tomorrow, you know that you and your little group of Christ followers better get out there and share the news of eternal life.
A friend of mine was planting churches in Burkina Faso, West Africa. I remember sitting with him in a Muslim village, speaking with the Muslim elders, asking if we could hold literacy classes among their people using parts of the Bible as the reading lessons. Why did my friend ride this “Fu Man Chu Bull” (see the lyrics above)? He was living like he was dying.
Every church—-every Christian needs to live like we’re dying. As followers of Christ we’re supposed to know this. We’re supposed to know that being comfortable is an illusion, that if we eat, drink, and are merry today, our lives may be demanded of us this very evening.
Are you living like you’re dying? Is your church living like it’s dying? When you do, priorities change. Risks become worth it. People become more important. Living God’s purpose becomes more urgent.
What if you got the news that your church, church plant, ministry, or life would be over in six months? How would it change what you’re doing right now? The answer to this question might be the key to your direction in ministry and in life today.
Have you ever waited for test results from a doctor’s office? Have you ever been faced with the possibility that you may die? Very soon. All done.
Tim McGraw sang a song about this type of experience. It’s called: “Live Like You Were Dying."
Take a look at some of the lyrics:
He said: "I was in my early forties,
"With a lot of life before me,
"An' a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
"I spent most of the next days,
"Looking at the x-rays,
"An' talking 'bout the options an' talkin’ ‘bout sweet time."
I asked him when it sank in,
That this might really be the real end?
How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?
Man whatcha do?
An' he said: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."
Priorities change. Risks become worth it. People become more important. Living God’s purpose becomes more urgent.
Every church plant needs to live like it’s dying. It really doesn’t have a choice, does it? When there’s no plan B, no back-up, no cushion money in the church bank account; when your church can die tomorrow, you know that you and your little group of Christ followers better get out there and share the news of eternal life.
A friend of mine was planting churches in Burkina Faso, West Africa. I remember sitting with him in a Muslim village, speaking with the Muslim elders, asking if we could hold literacy classes among their people using parts of the Bible as the reading lessons. Why did my friend ride this “Fu Man Chu Bull” (see the lyrics above)? He was living like he was dying.
Every church—-every Christian needs to live like we’re dying. As followers of Christ we’re supposed to know this. We’re supposed to know that being comfortable is an illusion, that if we eat, drink, and are merry today, our lives may be demanded of us this very evening.
Are you living like you’re dying? Is your church living like it’s dying? When you do, priorities change. Risks become worth it. People become more important. Living God’s purpose becomes more urgent.
What if you got the news that your church, church plant, ministry, or life would be over in six months? How would it change what you’re doing right now? The answer to this question might be the key to your direction in ministry and in life today.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Real Focus
Church Planting Series, Part five
Shootings have dominated the headlines this week. Those headlines include the shooting of a pastor. What’s going on? Why the violence?
Read Romans 3:10-18 for the answer. From the Psalms and Isaiah, Paul boldly exposes our sinful nature: “There is no one righteous, not even one…Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways.”
This underscores the focus, the real focus of our work on earth. We’re not here to pack out worship services, to fund ministry programs, or to establish an excellent organization. We’re here because people are crumbling, dying, and self-destructing in a sin-broken mire that leads to eternal death. We’re here because Jesus Christ broke the bonds of that mire. By grace, people can be reclaimed from destruction.
At the beginning of every church plant and ministry start-up, the focus is not on the program. It’s on the people. In fact, it’s on one person at a time. Your goal is not to have a worship service. It’s not to crank up a ministry. It’s to bring the miracle of Jesus to a person.
I think this is why most of us get into this business, isn’t it? You’ve experienced the unparalleled new life Christ gives and you want to share it.
So you meet people. You follow the leads that come your way. You take the opportunities God gives. You develop relationships. You mentor people. You become friends. You live and speak the living Word. Then what happens?
It’s a church planting principle: People will follow your pattern.
Suddenly, you’ll be shoulder to shoulder with a growing army of people reaching the people in their lives. Suddenly, many voices will join yours in articulating the life-reconstructing work of Jesus.
A result of this focus on people will usually be worship services and ministries. But those are simply the result of the living Word inside people. Those will serve as resources to contribute to the ongoing outreach. Those will serve as growth and encouragement in the relationship-forming, people-caring process. Those will expand the beauty of being in community with each other and with Jesus.
But they are results of the focus, not the focus itself.
Whether you’re reaching the first person in your church planting or ministry efforts or you’re forming a relationship with the thousandth person you’ve met, your focus is on people. One person at a time.
Why? Because evidence shows that people are falling apart and that Christ is the Rebuilder we need so desperately. Just take a look at the headlines.
Shootings have dominated the headlines this week. Those headlines include the shooting of a pastor. What’s going on? Why the violence?
Read Romans 3:10-18 for the answer. From the Psalms and Isaiah, Paul boldly exposes our sinful nature: “There is no one righteous, not even one…Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways.”
This underscores the focus, the real focus of our work on earth. We’re not here to pack out worship services, to fund ministry programs, or to establish an excellent organization. We’re here because people are crumbling, dying, and self-destructing in a sin-broken mire that leads to eternal death. We’re here because Jesus Christ broke the bonds of that mire. By grace, people can be reclaimed from destruction.
At the beginning of every church plant and ministry start-up, the focus is not on the program. It’s on the people. In fact, it’s on one person at a time. Your goal is not to have a worship service. It’s not to crank up a ministry. It’s to bring the miracle of Jesus to a person.
I think this is why most of us get into this business, isn’t it? You’ve experienced the unparalleled new life Christ gives and you want to share it.
So you meet people. You follow the leads that come your way. You take the opportunities God gives. You develop relationships. You mentor people. You become friends. You live and speak the living Word. Then what happens?
It’s a church planting principle: People will follow your pattern.
Suddenly, you’ll be shoulder to shoulder with a growing army of people reaching the people in their lives. Suddenly, many voices will join yours in articulating the life-reconstructing work of Jesus.
A result of this focus on people will usually be worship services and ministries. But those are simply the result of the living Word inside people. Those will serve as resources to contribute to the ongoing outreach. Those will serve as growth and encouragement in the relationship-forming, people-caring process. Those will expand the beauty of being in community with each other and with Jesus.
But they are results of the focus, not the focus itself.
Whether you’re reaching the first person in your church planting or ministry efforts or you’re forming a relationship with the thousandth person you’ve met, your focus is on people. One person at a time.
Why? Because evidence shows that people are falling apart and that Christ is the Rebuilder we need so desperately. Just take a look at the headlines.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Sweetness of the Cross
Church Planting Series, Part four
How many Ash Wednesdays have you experienced? What has that accumulated repentance worked in you? How have the dust and ashes formed you?
A wise professor said to me, “You can have one year of experience forty times, or you can have forty years of experience.”
Is this a “repeat” Ash Wednesday or are you being led deeper into the presence of Christ and under the shadow of His cross?
I heard Frank Wess play a couple of weeks ago. He’s a jazz flautist and saxophone player. But that description doesn’t do him justice. This 86-year-old musician hobbled onto stage with the help of a cane and a young escort. Mr. Wess steadied himself against a stool. Then he picked up his flute and melted the hearts of everyone in the room with smooth and stirring melodies and improvisation. He moved to the sax and reached inside our souls with sounds smoother and sweeter than grandma’s cake batter. His music—-his presence—-brimmed with the sweet and painful accumulation of what life this side of heaven brings.
Mr. Wess talked about his “buddy” Duke Ellington. Frank Wess had been there. And when he raised his hand to command the Jazz ensemble, the other director floated toward the wings of the stage so the man who had jazz running through his veins could teach the “kids” a thing or two about the soul of music.
You may not be 86-years-old, but is the sweetness of the cross of Christ getting into your circulatory system as you march ahead in life—and not simply appearing on your calendar?
St. Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Will the beginning of Lent for you be part of a soul-stirring score brimming with the sweet and painful gifts your Savior earned for you? And will your Gospel voice melt the economic downturned, hopeless feeling, life struggling hearts of everyone in the room?
I’m not talking about whipping up some feelings or manufacturing a load of emotions. I’m talking about the sweetness of the cross in your life. I’m talking about the real impact of Jesus in you over the long haul of years.
The most powerful factor in ministry, in church planting, and in personal witness is the sweetness of the cross of Jesus in you. If it’s all just a job, if you’re simply running through another program year, if you’re in it to build funding, forget about it.
But if no one can hold you back, if you’d hobble out there—pay or no pay, if nothing can stop your determination to bring the sweet melody of redemption to the people God has placed around you, then play on. And watch souls be changed.
“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
How many Ash Wednesdays have you experienced? What has that accumulated repentance worked in you? How have the dust and ashes formed you?
A wise professor said to me, “You can have one year of experience forty times, or you can have forty years of experience.”
Is this a “repeat” Ash Wednesday or are you being led deeper into the presence of Christ and under the shadow of His cross?
I heard Frank Wess play a couple of weeks ago. He’s a jazz flautist and saxophone player. But that description doesn’t do him justice. This 86-year-old musician hobbled onto stage with the help of a cane and a young escort. Mr. Wess steadied himself against a stool. Then he picked up his flute and melted the hearts of everyone in the room with smooth and stirring melodies and improvisation. He moved to the sax and reached inside our souls with sounds smoother and sweeter than grandma’s cake batter. His music—-his presence—-brimmed with the sweet and painful accumulation of what life this side of heaven brings.
Mr. Wess talked about his “buddy” Duke Ellington. Frank Wess had been there. And when he raised his hand to command the Jazz ensemble, the other director floated toward the wings of the stage so the man who had jazz running through his veins could teach the “kids” a thing or two about the soul of music.
You may not be 86-years-old, but is the sweetness of the cross of Christ getting into your circulatory system as you march ahead in life—and not simply appearing on your calendar?
St. Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Will the beginning of Lent for you be part of a soul-stirring score brimming with the sweet and painful gifts your Savior earned for you? And will your Gospel voice melt the economic downturned, hopeless feeling, life struggling hearts of everyone in the room?
I’m not talking about whipping up some feelings or manufacturing a load of emotions. I’m talking about the sweetness of the cross in your life. I’m talking about the real impact of Jesus in you over the long haul of years.
The most powerful factor in ministry, in church planting, and in personal witness is the sweetness of the cross of Jesus in you. If it’s all just a job, if you’re simply running through another program year, if you’re in it to build funding, forget about it.
But if no one can hold you back, if you’d hobble out there—pay or no pay, if nothing can stop your determination to bring the sweet melody of redemption to the people God has placed around you, then play on. And watch souls be changed.
“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
The Knee Factor
Church Planting Series, Part three
A couple of weeks ago I watched and listened to President Obama’s talk at the Presidential Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. It was a good talk. But it wasn’t the main event at, or the main point of, the prayer breakfast.
Most of the focus of the prayer breakfast happens behind the scenes. I got a chance to attend the National Prayer Breakfast a few years ago. The great uncle of a friend of mine is one of the people who, with Doug Coe, helped form “the fellowship,” the organizing “non-organization” that makes the Presidential Prayer Breakfast happen. They insist it isn’t an organization because it’s all about personal relationships and small groups.
What they say is true. I got a chance to sit with Doug Coe and some of his colleagues as they spoke with the president of a Caribbean nation about Jesus Christ. I sat with congressmen and judges as they shared Jesus with invited guests from all over the United States and world. I witnessed citizens and leaders working to bring the blessing of the Savior to others—-including our nation’s President. I saw rooms full of prayer breakfast organizers from every state of the Union praying for the Holy Spirit’s work at this event.
Prayer FOR the president and others is the bedrock of the sound bites you hear on the evening news. There is so much more to the story.
The same should be true of every church plant.
In my ministry experience I’ve found that there is a lot of talk ABOUT prayer. Getting down to business and PRAYING is another story.
I’ll never forget the man who entered the small sanctuary of our mission church to attend a wedding rehearsal. He was early, so he asked me if he could kneel at the front of the church and pray. He said, “My pastor is a man of prayer; my church is a church of prayer; and I want to be a person of prayer, too.” I said yes—-and I learned something.
Starting that day, I contacted a couple of people who were prayer leaders. We talked about how we could make sure our church was a church of prayer. The main takeaway of the meeting was that we needed to stop simply talking around the issue. We needed to start praying.
Many types of prayer efforts followed, but the common thread was that in all prayer events and other gatherings as a church, we took time to pray. Let me emphasize that: we took TIME to pray. In addition to teaching about prayer—-which is very important, we actually prayed.
When there was silence for prayer in a worship service, I made sure there was enough time for people to really pray. I supplied “prayer starters” to people for daily prayer and for leaders at meetings. We grew a team of prayer leaders who kept prayer running through the veins of our life together. We had people on their knees in prayer. We invited people to pray. We modeled prayer. I read John Maxwell’s book “Partners in Prayer,” and I resolved to grow as a man of prayer.
The first New Testament church plant was immersed in the gift of prayer—-the gracious open door of communication with the Lord (Acts 1:14). What's happening behind the scenes as you venture into ministry?
A couple of weeks ago I watched and listened to President Obama’s talk at the Presidential Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. It was a good talk. But it wasn’t the main event at, or the main point of, the prayer breakfast.
Most of the focus of the prayer breakfast happens behind the scenes. I got a chance to attend the National Prayer Breakfast a few years ago. The great uncle of a friend of mine is one of the people who, with Doug Coe, helped form “the fellowship,” the organizing “non-organization” that makes the Presidential Prayer Breakfast happen. They insist it isn’t an organization because it’s all about personal relationships and small groups.
What they say is true. I got a chance to sit with Doug Coe and some of his colleagues as they spoke with the president of a Caribbean nation about Jesus Christ. I sat with congressmen and judges as they shared Jesus with invited guests from all over the United States and world. I witnessed citizens and leaders working to bring the blessing of the Savior to others—-including our nation’s President. I saw rooms full of prayer breakfast organizers from every state of the Union praying for the Holy Spirit’s work at this event.
Prayer FOR the president and others is the bedrock of the sound bites you hear on the evening news. There is so much more to the story.
The same should be true of every church plant.
In my ministry experience I’ve found that there is a lot of talk ABOUT prayer. Getting down to business and PRAYING is another story.
I’ll never forget the man who entered the small sanctuary of our mission church to attend a wedding rehearsal. He was early, so he asked me if he could kneel at the front of the church and pray. He said, “My pastor is a man of prayer; my church is a church of prayer; and I want to be a person of prayer, too.” I said yes—-and I learned something.
Starting that day, I contacted a couple of people who were prayer leaders. We talked about how we could make sure our church was a church of prayer. The main takeaway of the meeting was that we needed to stop simply talking around the issue. We needed to start praying.
Many types of prayer efforts followed, but the common thread was that in all prayer events and other gatherings as a church, we took time to pray. Let me emphasize that: we took TIME to pray. In addition to teaching about prayer—-which is very important, we actually prayed.
When there was silence for prayer in a worship service, I made sure there was enough time for people to really pray. I supplied “prayer starters” to people for daily prayer and for leaders at meetings. We grew a team of prayer leaders who kept prayer running through the veins of our life together. We had people on their knees in prayer. We invited people to pray. We modeled prayer. I read John Maxwell’s book “Partners in Prayer,” and I resolved to grow as a man of prayer.
The first New Testament church plant was immersed in the gift of prayer—-the gracious open door of communication with the Lord (Acts 1:14). What's happening behind the scenes as you venture into ministry?
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Trust Factor
Church Planting Series, Part two
Several years ago I worked with a cluster of congregations to develop a plan for regional outreach to families. We found a perfect venue—centrally located to all the congregations. We settled on a theme: Marriage enrichment. We had teams in place from all the congregations. We then took the step to delegate responsibility. That’s when everything came to a screeching halt.
It turned out that some pastors could not release tasks to laypeople. The pastors couldn’t let go. They couldn’t trust others to carry out ministry tasks.
Church planting cannot travel that pathway.
I was visiting with a church planter recently and listened as he described all the “hats” he had to wear in his start-up venture. My advice: GIVE THE HATS AWAY. Share the hats! After all, you can only wear one at a time.
This takes trust. Of course, you have to train, disciple, mentor, organize, and maintain accountability. You can’t toss hats into the crowd and let anyone do what he or she pleases. But in a responsible, pastoral, God-pleasing way, you must give the hats to servants who are raised up by the Lord.
If Gospel outreach is to happen and if a church is to be formed, you need more than just you.
I remember thanking God for the people He raised up in our church plant setting. In addition to getting the job done, these Christ-filled servants ended up doing MORE than I could ever accomplish or imagine. At the beginning stages of our ministry two men led our little group into assisting another church plant. We had an immediate mission focus! Phyllis and Jan took the initiative to grow music ministry in wonderful ways. Kay made sure every event we had was warm and welcoming with her beautiful decorations. Pam decided that college student outreach needed some motherly touches—including FOOD! Paul decided to research and become well-versed in Biblical stewardship initiatives for our fledgling group. Al stepped forward to visit the sick. Richard gathered small groups. Maryann asked if she could expand care ministry.
I met with, dialogued, supported, trained, and assisted in these efforts as needed. But what if I said “no”? What if I didn’t trust God’s people to do His mission?
I would have been suppressing the spread of the Gospel of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I would have been hindering the work of God. I would have been selfishly hoarding the message of the cross. The church would be about me and about what I alone could accomplish. Simply because I would not trust the people of God with the work of God.
I like to compare the ministry to scenes in those old Western movies when the horse rider is knocked off his horse and is being dragged behind the steed. The cowboy is holding on for dear life, trying to keep his balance on the bouncy, dusty ride. That’s the ride you’re in for when you trust God and His people. You have a hard time keeping up with the thundering hooves of God’s Kingdom galloping into this world.
God entrusts His mission to us. Will you trust His people to have at it? If you will, you are ready to plant a church and see a ministry grow!
Several years ago I worked with a cluster of congregations to develop a plan for regional outreach to families. We found a perfect venue—centrally located to all the congregations. We settled on a theme: Marriage enrichment. We had teams in place from all the congregations. We then took the step to delegate responsibility. That’s when everything came to a screeching halt.
It turned out that some pastors could not release tasks to laypeople. The pastors couldn’t let go. They couldn’t trust others to carry out ministry tasks.
Church planting cannot travel that pathway.
I was visiting with a church planter recently and listened as he described all the “hats” he had to wear in his start-up venture. My advice: GIVE THE HATS AWAY. Share the hats! After all, you can only wear one at a time.
This takes trust. Of course, you have to train, disciple, mentor, organize, and maintain accountability. You can’t toss hats into the crowd and let anyone do what he or she pleases. But in a responsible, pastoral, God-pleasing way, you must give the hats to servants who are raised up by the Lord.
If Gospel outreach is to happen and if a church is to be formed, you need more than just you.
I remember thanking God for the people He raised up in our church plant setting. In addition to getting the job done, these Christ-filled servants ended up doing MORE than I could ever accomplish or imagine. At the beginning stages of our ministry two men led our little group into assisting another church plant. We had an immediate mission focus! Phyllis and Jan took the initiative to grow music ministry in wonderful ways. Kay made sure every event we had was warm and welcoming with her beautiful decorations. Pam decided that college student outreach needed some motherly touches—including FOOD! Paul decided to research and become well-versed in Biblical stewardship initiatives for our fledgling group. Al stepped forward to visit the sick. Richard gathered small groups. Maryann asked if she could expand care ministry.
I met with, dialogued, supported, trained, and assisted in these efforts as needed. But what if I said “no”? What if I didn’t trust God’s people to do His mission?
I would have been suppressing the spread of the Gospel of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I would have been hindering the work of God. I would have been selfishly hoarding the message of the cross. The church would be about me and about what I alone could accomplish. Simply because I would not trust the people of God with the work of God.
I like to compare the ministry to scenes in those old Western movies when the horse rider is knocked off his horse and is being dragged behind the steed. The cowboy is holding on for dear life, trying to keep his balance on the bouncy, dusty ride. That’s the ride you’re in for when you trust God and His people. You have a hard time keeping up with the thundering hooves of God’s Kingdom galloping into this world.
God entrusts His mission to us. Will you trust His people to have at it? If you will, you are ready to plant a church and see a ministry grow!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
The Miracle of You
Church planting series, Part One.
I was reading Acts 19:11-12 yesterday: “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.”
This was during the establishment of “The Way” in Ephesus and all of Asia. God moved in mighty and miraculous ways to bring the grace and power of Jesus to a lost world.
It got me thinking: In this secular, post-modern, Christ-attacking, Jesus-denouncing, Bible-watering-down, afterthought-spirituality kind of world, how is the Kingdom of God being established?
One reaction to the troubles and barriers of today might be to hunker down and be afraid that God will be pushed out of the picture. You may feel like you need to circle the wagons and try to protect God who is on the edge of extinction.
Another reaction is to remember that “the One enthroned in heaven laughs” as the kings and rulers of the earth take their stand against the Lord (Psalm 2:4). God is still at work. In fact, Jesus told us that the gates of hell cannot prevail against His advancing march (Matthew 16:18).
What does this mean for church planting? It means that Jesus still makes His way into new territory in extraordinary ways—many times through THE MIRACLE OF YOU!
I was visiting with Pastor Mark Seeger recently. He serves the deaf community in Austin, Texas. God is working through him to bring the message of the crucified and risen Christ to children and adults, to people near and far, to people with a wide variety of religious backgrounds, and to many who have never had a chance to hear the Good News of forgiveness and eternal life in Jesus. Pastor Seeger operates a mission outpost in a world that would otherwise be separated from the Gospel. With Holy Spirit creativity, he faces each challenge from the standpoint of being in mission for Jesus.
As I thought about his ministry and my reading from Acts, I realized that the deaf are truly hearing through the miracle of His humble service. He’s being the miracle of Jesus for many.
As a church planter, it is necessary to trust that you are helping to form a mission outpost in the community. It is essential that you realize the miracle God is working through you as you bear His gifts to the lost world. What does this truth do for a core group? It causes a body of believers to be ever reaching outward, ever infiltrating the community with a clear purpose, ever confident that they have something to offer that is not available anywhere else, ever convinced that their existence in Christ brings miraculous change for eternity in the lives of others.
A key component that fuels church planting is seeing clearly that God works through the MIRACLE OF YOU in a lost and dying world.
I was reading Acts 19:11-12 yesterday: “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.”
This was during the establishment of “The Way” in Ephesus and all of Asia. God moved in mighty and miraculous ways to bring the grace and power of Jesus to a lost world.
It got me thinking: In this secular, post-modern, Christ-attacking, Jesus-denouncing, Bible-watering-down, afterthought-spirituality kind of world, how is the Kingdom of God being established?
One reaction to the troubles and barriers of today might be to hunker down and be afraid that God will be pushed out of the picture. You may feel like you need to circle the wagons and try to protect God who is on the edge of extinction.
Another reaction is to remember that “the One enthroned in heaven laughs” as the kings and rulers of the earth take their stand against the Lord (Psalm 2:4). God is still at work. In fact, Jesus told us that the gates of hell cannot prevail against His advancing march (Matthew 16:18).
What does this mean for church planting? It means that Jesus still makes His way into new territory in extraordinary ways—many times through THE MIRACLE OF YOU!
I was visiting with Pastor Mark Seeger recently. He serves the deaf community in Austin, Texas. God is working through him to bring the message of the crucified and risen Christ to children and adults, to people near and far, to people with a wide variety of religious backgrounds, and to many who have never had a chance to hear the Good News of forgiveness and eternal life in Jesus. Pastor Seeger operates a mission outpost in a world that would otherwise be separated from the Gospel. With Holy Spirit creativity, he faces each challenge from the standpoint of being in mission for Jesus.
As I thought about his ministry and my reading from Acts, I realized that the deaf are truly hearing through the miracle of His humble service. He’s being the miracle of Jesus for many.
As a church planter, it is necessary to trust that you are helping to form a mission outpost in the community. It is essential that you realize the miracle God is working through you as you bear His gifts to the lost world. What does this truth do for a core group? It causes a body of believers to be ever reaching outward, ever infiltrating the community with a clear purpose, ever confident that they have something to offer that is not available anywhere else, ever convinced that their existence in Christ brings miraculous change for eternity in the lives of others.
A key component that fuels church planting is seeing clearly that God works through the MIRACLE OF YOU in a lost and dying world.
Monday, January 19, 2009
MLK Day – A Reminder of the Prophetic Voice
In his book “Soul Survivor,” Philip Yancey discusses how thirteen mentors impacted his faith life. The book is profound and moving—a worthwhile read.
Yancey begins with Martin Luther King, Jr., highlighting his “prophetic” role that called churches and the nation to awaken from the sinful slumber of racism.
Of course, the prophetic role is rooted in the actual prophets of God in the Old Testament. Yancey’s comments on these prophets remind me of the prophetic legacy we are all called to live. Our voice, as believers, is to be a prophetic voice in a slumbering sinful world. Yancey says:
“The word ‘prophet’ comes to mind because King, like those Old Testament figures, endeavored to change an entire nation through a straightforward moral appeal. The passion and intensity of the biblical prophets has long fascinated me, for most of them faced an audience every bit as stubborn, prejudiced, and cantankerous as I was during my teenage years. With what moral lever can one move a whole nation? Studying the prophets, I note that virtually all of them followed a two-prong approach.”
“First, they gave a short-range view of what God requires now. In the Old Testament, this usually consisted of an exhortation to simple acts of faithfulness. Rebuild the Temple. Purify your marriages. Help the poor. Destroy idols and put God first. The prophets never stopped there, however. They also gave a long-range view to respond to the people’s deepest questions. How can we believe that God loves us in the face of so much suffering? How can we believe in a just God when the world seems ruled by a conspiracy of evil? Prophets answered such questions by reminding the audience of who God is, and by painting a glowing picture of a future kingdom of righteousness” (pp.23-24).
But the clincher of the prophetic power, as King pointed out, was in the cross. In virtually every speech King repeated, “Christianity has always insisted that the cross we bear precedes the crown we wear. To be a Christian one must take up his cross, with all its difficulties and agonizing and tension-packed content, and carry it until that very cross leaves its mark upon us and redeems us to that more excellent way which comes only through suffering” (p.25).
Yancey sums up the prophetic voice: “A prophet calls us to daily acts of obedience, regardless of personal cost, regardless of whether we feel successful or rewarded. And a prophet also reminds us that no failure, no suffering, no discouragement, is final for the God who stands within the shadows, keeping watch above his own. A prophet who can convey both those messages with power may just change the world” (p.30).
During a time of economic downturn, political transition, war and violence; at a time when there are rampant attacks on everything Godly, we can grumble and withdraw, or we can voice, and actively live, the heart-changing Word of God.
You can check out or you can speak up. You can retreat into your own world or you can charge ahead with creative, constructive, and compelling service for the people of God.
On this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, let us remember that we are called to be prophetic voices.
Yancey begins with Martin Luther King, Jr., highlighting his “prophetic” role that called churches and the nation to awaken from the sinful slumber of racism.
Of course, the prophetic role is rooted in the actual prophets of God in the Old Testament. Yancey’s comments on these prophets remind me of the prophetic legacy we are all called to live. Our voice, as believers, is to be a prophetic voice in a slumbering sinful world. Yancey says:
“The word ‘prophet’ comes to mind because King, like those Old Testament figures, endeavored to change an entire nation through a straightforward moral appeal. The passion and intensity of the biblical prophets has long fascinated me, for most of them faced an audience every bit as stubborn, prejudiced, and cantankerous as I was during my teenage years. With what moral lever can one move a whole nation? Studying the prophets, I note that virtually all of them followed a two-prong approach.”
“First, they gave a short-range view of what God requires now. In the Old Testament, this usually consisted of an exhortation to simple acts of faithfulness. Rebuild the Temple. Purify your marriages. Help the poor. Destroy idols and put God first. The prophets never stopped there, however. They also gave a long-range view to respond to the people’s deepest questions. How can we believe that God loves us in the face of so much suffering? How can we believe in a just God when the world seems ruled by a conspiracy of evil? Prophets answered such questions by reminding the audience of who God is, and by painting a glowing picture of a future kingdom of righteousness” (pp.23-24).
But the clincher of the prophetic power, as King pointed out, was in the cross. In virtually every speech King repeated, “Christianity has always insisted that the cross we bear precedes the crown we wear. To be a Christian one must take up his cross, with all its difficulties and agonizing and tension-packed content, and carry it until that very cross leaves its mark upon us and redeems us to that more excellent way which comes only through suffering” (p.25).
Yancey sums up the prophetic voice: “A prophet calls us to daily acts of obedience, regardless of personal cost, regardless of whether we feel successful or rewarded. And a prophet also reminds us that no failure, no suffering, no discouragement, is final for the God who stands within the shadows, keeping watch above his own. A prophet who can convey both those messages with power may just change the world” (p.30).
During a time of economic downturn, political transition, war and violence; at a time when there are rampant attacks on everything Godly, we can grumble and withdraw, or we can voice, and actively live, the heart-changing Word of God.
You can check out or you can speak up. You can retreat into your own world or you can charge ahead with creative, constructive, and compelling service for the people of God.
On this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, let us remember that we are called to be prophetic voices.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Where Has All the DNA Gone?
After several like-minded families moved into a growing suburban area, they decided to start a church. It wasn’t long before the church started to overflow with activity. Families were coming from miles around to worship. Children were being brought to confirmation and youth programs from over 10 miles away. The church members knew they had to do something.
Is this the profile of a modern mega-church? Is this the description of the latest booming ministry attraction in a sprawling suburban neighborhood?
No. This story began in 1837. The church is Zion in Bensenville, Illinois. In the first two decades of existence, the church planted six new congregations. I attended one of those daughter churches (last century, not two centuries ago!). Over its first hundred years, Zion also gave birth to a grade school, a high school, and a university (we now know it as Concordia, Chicago).
Nineteen families, numbering 42 people in all, were sent to start one of the new church plants (where I got my start in the Lutheran church). These families reached out to the community-—many spoke German, but they weren’t all Lutheran-—and went on to plant seven—yes, SEVEN—congregations. Once the congregation grew to 125 people, the planting began. A community of Christ, for Christ, was formed.
This is the DNA of our church.
What has changed? I don’t want to idealize the past, but changes have taken place. Are the following assessments accurate about yesterday and today?
Yesterday: We were convinced about the utmost importance of the Gospel
Today: We shy away from pushing religion
Yesterday: We were locked onto a Biblical worldview
Today: We compartmentalize church life, social life, etc.
Yesterday: We were self-motivated and resourced
Today: We look for others to do the work and to provide
Yesterday: We had a tenacious work ethic
Today: We are distracted and fatigued
Yesterday: We viewed life as a frontier
Today: We look at life from the perspective of fear
Yesterday: We were content to meet needs in small ways
Today: We worrying about growth and “bigness”
Yesterday: The church was about community cohesiveness
Today: The church is a consumer stop-over
Yesterday: We were Word centered
Today: We are financial plan centered
Yesterday: We demonstrated extreme sacrifice
Today: We shy away from discomfort
Yesterday: We were unafraid of small numbers
Today: We would rather hide in a crowd
I understand that Holy Cross, Warda was another powerful mission planting community. Who can comment on how many churches this powerhouse congregation started? What can we learn?
Is this the profile of a modern mega-church? Is this the description of the latest booming ministry attraction in a sprawling suburban neighborhood?
No. This story began in 1837. The church is Zion in Bensenville, Illinois. In the first two decades of existence, the church planted six new congregations. I attended one of those daughter churches (last century, not two centuries ago!). Over its first hundred years, Zion also gave birth to a grade school, a high school, and a university (we now know it as Concordia, Chicago).
Nineteen families, numbering 42 people in all, were sent to start one of the new church plants (where I got my start in the Lutheran church). These families reached out to the community-—many spoke German, but they weren’t all Lutheran-—and went on to plant seven—yes, SEVEN—congregations. Once the congregation grew to 125 people, the planting began. A community of Christ, for Christ, was formed.
This is the DNA of our church.
What has changed? I don’t want to idealize the past, but changes have taken place. Are the following assessments accurate about yesterday and today?
Yesterday: We were convinced about the utmost importance of the Gospel
Today: We shy away from pushing religion
Yesterday: We were locked onto a Biblical worldview
Today: We compartmentalize church life, social life, etc.
Yesterday: We were self-motivated and resourced
Today: We look for others to do the work and to provide
Yesterday: We had a tenacious work ethic
Today: We are distracted and fatigued
Yesterday: We viewed life as a frontier
Today: We look at life from the perspective of fear
Yesterday: We were content to meet needs in small ways
Today: We worrying about growth and “bigness”
Yesterday: The church was about community cohesiveness
Today: The church is a consumer stop-over
Yesterday: We were Word centered
Today: We are financial plan centered
Yesterday: We demonstrated extreme sacrifice
Today: We shy away from discomfort
Yesterday: We were unafraid of small numbers
Today: We would rather hide in a crowd
I understand that Holy Cross, Warda was another powerful mission planting community. Who can comment on how many churches this powerhouse congregation started? What can we learn?
Sunday, January 4, 2009
2009: Keep Moving!
I never expected to be there. I never would have chosen to go there. If you see some footage of the wild New Year’s Eve bash in downtown San Antonio, you may be able to spot me in the boogying mosh pit in front of the main stage.
Why was I there? Because I’m a dad. My daughter’s boyfriend was playing in the band. It was a great gig and he’s a good guy. I just never anticipated standing in the midst of 250,000 people who were gyrating, drinking, and cussing on New Year’s Eve 2008.
I’m more of the stay-at-home-and-avoid-the-crowds-and-danger type of guy.
As I stood in the throng of screaming teens and swaying adults, decibels of sounds slamming into my torso and thumping my thorax, I began to wonder how many of these people go to church. Yes, I’m a pastor. Those are the things I wonder about.
The statistics tell me that less than 20% of the people there attend worship at least once each month. If worship attendance is an indicator of faith life, roughly 200,000 of those people around me did not know that Jesus walked the earth, went to the cross, and defeated death so they could have certain hope instead of simply a New Year’s wish.
As I stood there, I realized that this is where we need to be. Out here! Out there! Doing something!
A friend of mine, Alex, leads a vibrant ministry in the Chicago area. He was mentored by a go-getter pastor: Juan Martin. Alex was describing his ministry to me and mentioned his mentor’s advice: “Keep moving!” Get out there! Do something! See what the Holy Spirit will do.
It’s great advice. How can you reach the people who will party hardy on New Year’s Eve, but are not inclined to mosey into your church?
One idea may be exactly what you’re planning in these initial weeks of 2009: your summer schedule. You’ve probably already noticed that the community loves Vacation Bible School. Is it because of the Bible teaching, the great songs, and the cool crafts? Probably not. It’s most likely for the free babysitting for a week during the summer! But that’s okay! The people who might not ever darken the door of your church will gladly allow you to tell their kids about Jesus and may even come to an evening family program because you are giving them a break over the summer. Have you ever thought about building on this amazing outreach phenomenon?
As our little mission congregation grew, we added summer camps to our VBS outreach. A woman in our church loved art, so she organized an art camp. She had one-hour sessions for each age group throughout the morning. It was very manageable and didn’t demand too many volunteers. On Thursday evening she had a family art show so the kids could display their creations. Every session taught about Jesus, and the Thursday evening show was Christ-centered with an invitation to all to come back and join us.
We added a basketball camp for Kindergarten through 8th grade, too. We had several age groups rotate in throughout the day. Each session started with devotion and prayer. Friday was family day when parents could stop by, take pictures, and watch their kids compete for some trophies. Once again, it didn’t take too many volunteers, but attracted loads of people who never went to church.
There are many possibilities. The key is to get out there, to keep moving. It’s a matter of life and death!
Why was I there? Because I’m a dad. My daughter’s boyfriend was playing in the band. It was a great gig and he’s a good guy. I just never anticipated standing in the midst of 250,000 people who were gyrating, drinking, and cussing on New Year’s Eve 2008.
I’m more of the stay-at-home-and-avoid-the-crowds-and-danger type of guy.
As I stood in the throng of screaming teens and swaying adults, decibels of sounds slamming into my torso and thumping my thorax, I began to wonder how many of these people go to church. Yes, I’m a pastor. Those are the things I wonder about.
The statistics tell me that less than 20% of the people there attend worship at least once each month. If worship attendance is an indicator of faith life, roughly 200,000 of those people around me did not know that Jesus walked the earth, went to the cross, and defeated death so they could have certain hope instead of simply a New Year’s wish.
As I stood there, I realized that this is where we need to be. Out here! Out there! Doing something!
A friend of mine, Alex, leads a vibrant ministry in the Chicago area. He was mentored by a go-getter pastor: Juan Martin. Alex was describing his ministry to me and mentioned his mentor’s advice: “Keep moving!” Get out there! Do something! See what the Holy Spirit will do.
It’s great advice. How can you reach the people who will party hardy on New Year’s Eve, but are not inclined to mosey into your church?
One idea may be exactly what you’re planning in these initial weeks of 2009: your summer schedule. You’ve probably already noticed that the community loves Vacation Bible School. Is it because of the Bible teaching, the great songs, and the cool crafts? Probably not. It’s most likely for the free babysitting for a week during the summer! But that’s okay! The people who might not ever darken the door of your church will gladly allow you to tell their kids about Jesus and may even come to an evening family program because you are giving them a break over the summer. Have you ever thought about building on this amazing outreach phenomenon?
As our little mission congregation grew, we added summer camps to our VBS outreach. A woman in our church loved art, so she organized an art camp. She had one-hour sessions for each age group throughout the morning. It was very manageable and didn’t demand too many volunteers. On Thursday evening she had a family art show so the kids could display their creations. Every session taught about Jesus, and the Thursday evening show was Christ-centered with an invitation to all to come back and join us.
We added a basketball camp for Kindergarten through 8th grade, too. We had several age groups rotate in throughout the day. Each session started with devotion and prayer. Friday was family day when parents could stop by, take pictures, and watch their kids compete for some trophies. Once again, it didn’t take too many volunteers, but attracted loads of people who never went to church.
There are many possibilities. The key is to get out there, to keep moving. It’s a matter of life and death!
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