After much thought and inner debate, I have decided to move this blog to:
shanehart.net
Check out the latest post there.
Thank you.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Winning the God is faithful competition...
We, as Christians, talk so much about God being faithful. I’m just not sure how much we trust His faithfulness. We speak it well, especially around other Christians. There are times it even seems to become a competition. Kind of an “I can express His faithfulness better than you can,” or, “He’s been more faithful to me in tougher times,” one-up-man-ship.
When we are caught in the crisis of life, do we truly trust Him to be faithful? I meet with people in all kinds of stages of life and emotional states. I get to see people at their best times and at their worst times. In the reality of the situations that people face, I don’t often see the trust that God will come through like is seen in the moments of braggadocio conversations among Christians.
To trust that God is really going to come through, that He is faithful and never late is to not worry or fret over the situation; even in the worst of crises. Not to suggest that trust rules out all emotion, because clearly emotion is a part of it. Even Jesus wept at times. He was emotional as we are.
Trust, however, brings peace that passes understanding and a strength in the knowledge that God will come through in the way that is best at the time. We know God is faithful and that let’s us sleep when the medical report says “cancer” or the bank statement says “overdrawn” or the relationship is broken. Trust overcomes worry which frees us from stress ending in perfect peace and the understanding that God is right here in the moment.
Matthew 6 commands us not to worry. In that teaching, Jesus reminds us of nature, how God takes care of the birds and the plants. He also tells us we are more important to God than these.
God is faithful. He never fails. He is never late. He doesn’t forget. He is merciful. He is bigger than whatever we face. He knows what is best. He is God.
Feel free to weigh in...
When we are caught in the crisis of life, do we truly trust Him to be faithful? I meet with people in all kinds of stages of life and emotional states. I get to see people at their best times and at their worst times. In the reality of the situations that people face, I don’t often see the trust that God will come through like is seen in the moments of braggadocio conversations among Christians.
To trust that God is really going to come through, that He is faithful and never late is to not worry or fret over the situation; even in the worst of crises. Not to suggest that trust rules out all emotion, because clearly emotion is a part of it. Even Jesus wept at times. He was emotional as we are.
Trust, however, brings peace that passes understanding and a strength in the knowledge that God will come through in the way that is best at the time. We know God is faithful and that let’s us sleep when the medical report says “cancer” or the bank statement says “overdrawn” or the relationship is broken. Trust overcomes worry which frees us from stress ending in perfect peace and the understanding that God is right here in the moment.
Matthew 6 commands us not to worry. In that teaching, Jesus reminds us of nature, how God takes care of the birds and the plants. He also tells us we are more important to God than these.
God is faithful. He never fails. He is never late. He doesn’t forget. He is merciful. He is bigger than whatever we face. He knows what is best. He is God.
Feel free to weigh in...
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Take advantage
It’s Christmas Season. The debate rages on about whether or not people should say “Happy Holidays”, “Merry Christmas”, “Season’s Greetings” or whatever. Matters little to me, only because it really is not going to make much, if any, difference in any individuals heart. No, there is a much bigger opportunity here than trying to convince the world to say “Merry Christmas.”
The opportunity we have is touch hearts, start conversations, invite, share, live. It’s Christmas. People are open to discussions about God. Not about religion or church, but about God. Even the mainstream radio stations are playing songs about Jesus. The stores have Christmas carols playing over their sound systems. While not every song has a God theme, many do.
We have an incredible possibility in front of us to engage people in conversation. To share with others the truth of God’s love and the purpose of the virgin birth. We don’t need theological debates about the time of year or location on the wise men’s visit. We don’t need arguments about decorated trees in the church, or about Santa. It is pointless to try to convince anyone to do things our way. We can take advantage of the opportunity to give someone the gift of life and freedom in Christ.
Take advantage of the season. Don’t get lost in the hustle and bustle of gifts and commercialism. Avoid the pitfall of busyness and keeping up with a schedule or trying to make everything perfect. The best memories come from relationships and time together. The presents are forgotten. The decorations eventually thrown out. The leftovers will spoil. But the memories will be centered on people and time and they will last. Make some memories with your family. Attend Christmas programs and then talk about the meaning of Christ and His birth and the reality of God with us. Have fun with your family and friends. Be spontaneous. Do things out of the ordinary. Touch the life of another. Give anonymously. Bless your children by showing them how to give and that the time is more important than the stuff.
Take advantage of the season. Take advantage of the opportunities that God is giving you. Encounter the possibilities and watch in awe as God does something great.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Discipleship
There was a quote making the rounds of Twitter and Facebook recently that got my attention. I don't normally write about what I disagree with, but this time it has been rolling around in my head for a couple of weeks and I want to jump in and open a discussion on something. The quote is attributed to George Barna, a man I respect and who is much smarter than I am for sure. However, this time I disagree with the quote. Here it is:
"Evangelism without serious discipleship is abuse."
At first read, it is an "OUCH" statement that hits the church and church leaders in a let's-wake-up-and-get-busy kind of way.
Before I state my disagreement with this quote, let me qualify a couple of things. First, discipleship is a primary function of the church. A pastor's main job description as given in Ephesians 4:11 is to train people, which is discipleship. As the church and as a local congregation it is vital that we have systems and strategies in place to give people an opportunity to grow in their journey with Christ. On the one hand, I believe that is what Barna's point is. I don't know the context in which he said (or wrote) it. Up front, let me be clear that I am taking this statement exactly as shown and addressing that alone. I am not and cannot presume to know Barna's full thoughts on this and in no way intend to suggest anything negative toward him. My comments are handling this as a stand alone, unqualified quote.
In fact, it was more the shear quantity of times and short statements of agreement with this stand alone quote that got my attention. Many even wrote "Ouch!" or some other form of exclamation and seemed to indicated that the church has majorly missed something here. There is no question that we as the church have areas to improve and need to put more energy and effort into this.
My question is this: does it really qualify as abuse to tell someone about Christ and then not make sure they are discipled? Abuse is a really strong word. It invokes images that are difficult to look at and unpleasant to even think about describing. It makes an accusation of someone with malice in their heart. An abuser is generally thought of as evil. I do take issue with that choice of words and all it entails. It also doesn't line up well with scripture.
For this statement to be true as presented here, then Philip, Peter, Paul, and even Jesus were guilty of abuse.
In Acts 8:26-40 we have the account of Philip and the Ethiopian. While they did have time to talk and Philip shared a lot with this man, it was hardly what we classify as discipleship. In fact, as soon as the man was baptized, Philip disappeared.
After bringing healing to the crippled beggar in Acts 3, Peter shares the truth of God's Word with those that had witnessed it and anyone else who stopped near. In chapter 4, he and John were arrested. While they did return, there is no indication of any form of follow up with the crowd that heard that day. Not to mention the day of Pentecost itself. Again, we have no record of any form of follow up or what we call discipleship taking place after this with those who were there that day. Many were foreigners and did not remain in town after that event. There was no way to make sure they got into a new believer's class or anything else.
I know Paul started churches most places he went, but not everywhere. In Acts 28 on the island of Malta, Paul prayed for and healed many people. This is evangelism though admittedly not expressed as such. Then he left. Again, no discipleship program.
Finally, we have Jesus. He went around preaching the Good News and healing people and He rarely stayed any place longer than a few days. One of the better examples of this is found in Mark 5. A man who had been possessed by many demons is freed. As Jesus is leaving the area at the request of the people, the man "begged" (word used in Mark 5:18 NIV) Jesus to let him follow. Jesus told him no. Definitely no discipleship.
It is just hard to use the word "abuse" in this context in light of the Biblical accounts we have. My whole view of discipleship changed upon the understanding and realization of how Jesus approached it, particularly in that last passage.
We are to help each other grow in Christ. We are to train and lead. We are to make disciples. Absolutely.
We should do both: evangelize and disciple.
We are also to tell the story of Christ and share His love. Sometimes, there will be no follow up program to plug people into. That does not mean it would be abuse to tell them anyway. Is it abuse to save a drowning person even if we have nothing else to give them? Or is it abuse to let them die?
I say we do both, but we make sure we are saving as many as we can, even if we have no way of following up in a givne circumstance.
What are your thoughts?
"Evangelism without serious discipleship is abuse."
At first read, it is an "OUCH" statement that hits the church and church leaders in a let's-wake-up-and-get-busy kind of way.
Before I state my disagreement with this quote, let me qualify a couple of things. First, discipleship is a primary function of the church. A pastor's main job description as given in Ephesians 4:11 is to train people, which is discipleship. As the church and as a local congregation it is vital that we have systems and strategies in place to give people an opportunity to grow in their journey with Christ. On the one hand, I believe that is what Barna's point is. I don't know the context in which he said (or wrote) it. Up front, let me be clear that I am taking this statement exactly as shown and addressing that alone. I am not and cannot presume to know Barna's full thoughts on this and in no way intend to suggest anything negative toward him. My comments are handling this as a stand alone, unqualified quote.
In fact, it was more the shear quantity of times and short statements of agreement with this stand alone quote that got my attention. Many even wrote "Ouch!" or some other form of exclamation and seemed to indicated that the church has majorly missed something here. There is no question that we as the church have areas to improve and need to put more energy and effort into this.
My question is this: does it really qualify as abuse to tell someone about Christ and then not make sure they are discipled? Abuse is a really strong word. It invokes images that are difficult to look at and unpleasant to even think about describing. It makes an accusation of someone with malice in their heart. An abuser is generally thought of as evil. I do take issue with that choice of words and all it entails. It also doesn't line up well with scripture.
For this statement to be true as presented here, then Philip, Peter, Paul, and even Jesus were guilty of abuse.
In Acts 8:26-40 we have the account of Philip and the Ethiopian. While they did have time to talk and Philip shared a lot with this man, it was hardly what we classify as discipleship. In fact, as soon as the man was baptized, Philip disappeared.
After bringing healing to the crippled beggar in Acts 3, Peter shares the truth of God's Word with those that had witnessed it and anyone else who stopped near. In chapter 4, he and John were arrested. While they did return, there is no indication of any form of follow up with the crowd that heard that day. Not to mention the day of Pentecost itself. Again, we have no record of any form of follow up or what we call discipleship taking place after this with those who were there that day. Many were foreigners and did not remain in town after that event. There was no way to make sure they got into a new believer's class or anything else.
I know Paul started churches most places he went, but not everywhere. In Acts 28 on the island of Malta, Paul prayed for and healed many people. This is evangelism though admittedly not expressed as such. Then he left. Again, no discipleship program.
Finally, we have Jesus. He went around preaching the Good News and healing people and He rarely stayed any place longer than a few days. One of the better examples of this is found in Mark 5. A man who had been possessed by many demons is freed. As Jesus is leaving the area at the request of the people, the man "begged" (word used in Mark 5:18 NIV) Jesus to let him follow. Jesus told him no. Definitely no discipleship.
It is just hard to use the word "abuse" in this context in light of the Biblical accounts we have. My whole view of discipleship changed upon the understanding and realization of how Jesus approached it, particularly in that last passage.
We are to help each other grow in Christ. We are to train and lead. We are to make disciples. Absolutely.
We should do both: evangelize and disciple.
We are also to tell the story of Christ and share His love. Sometimes, there will be no follow up program to plug people into. That does not mean it would be abuse to tell them anyway. Is it abuse to save a drowning person even if we have nothing else to give them? Or is it abuse to let them die?
I say we do both, but we make sure we are saving as many as we can, even if we have no way of following up in a givne circumstance.
What are your thoughts?
Coaching/Mentoring
I am a strong proponent of continuous learning. No person, regardless of education or any achievement, has reached a place where they can stop learning and striving to grow. Even the highest level leaders need to be learning from someone.
This is why, I signed up for a pastor's coaching network next year. I will have to make some sacrifices to participate and it will take real effort on my part to get out of it everything I need to. It will be well worth it. If for no other reason than the experience and relationships formed, it will have great value.
It is also why, a group of pastors who I am friends with are forming a network to walk through some of the issues unique to pastoring. Only with others will we be able to accomplish what God has placed before us. It is part of His plan. He even modeled it for us in the life Christ.
Everyone is a teacher and everyone is a student. This should be the ongoing status of our lives in order to most fully live out our potential.
This is why, I signed up for a pastor's coaching network next year. I will have to make some sacrifices to participate and it will take real effort on my part to get out of it everything I need to. It will be well worth it. If for no other reason than the experience and relationships formed, it will have great value.
It is also why, a group of pastors who I am friends with are forming a network to walk through some of the issues unique to pastoring. Only with others will we be able to accomplish what God has placed before us. It is part of His plan. He even modeled it for us in the life Christ.
Everyone is a teacher and everyone is a student. This should be the ongoing status of our lives in order to most fully live out our potential.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Chaos Continues
There is no way in a series of blog posts can all the nuances of chaos be discussed. In fact, each instance of chaos is unique so only a few basic principles can be touched on in any discussion of the general reality of chaos.
As I think through chaos and recall the various and numerous situations of it in my life, I am struck by one reality. This one reality goes back to the second post in many ways, but is more than was mentioned there. We must have a relationship with God and we must trust Him, absolutely. However, the only way we are going to survive and even thrive in chaos is to be secure in ourselves.
Please don't get crazy and think I am suggesting any form of humanistic belief system or am in any way putting anything human above God. No. I am suggesting that we need to have an inner security of who we are in God and who He has designed us to be. The security is what enables us to stand when criticism hits. In leadership and in chaos, there will be no shortage of criticism. This inner security also enables us to make the decisions necessary to successfully navigate the chaos. Without it, we won't trust that the voice we here is the Holy Spirit. Without it, we will cower in fear of the mounting pressures instead of stand on the core values and convictions set on God's Word. Without this inner security we will begin to treat others poorly and with mistrust as paranoia sets in. Chaos reveals the flaws in our character, and if we are not secure, then those flaws will be large and in charge as it were.
This really is about pride. As counter-intuitive as it seems, the more pride-filled a person is, the less secure they are. A truly secure person can be humble, not know it, and not even care as they are just doing what they do. A secure person doesn't bow to the pressures of the whims of people because they are rooted in their core values. The secure person celebrates with others in their triumphs. He/She recognizes the value of the process and the treasure of people and can stay calm in crisis because their perspective is not in the immediate gain of self. In fact, the least selfish people I know are some of the most secure. The most selfish are extremely insecure.
Surviving chaos is about giving glory to God and allowing His purposes to be done. This motive is not at all focused on the effects or gain to self. The insecure can only think about how something is affecting them.
The best way to prepare for the next season of chaos is to repent of selfishness, get firmly centered in God and His Word and get over yourself. :)
As I think through chaos and recall the various and numerous situations of it in my life, I am struck by one reality. This one reality goes back to the second post in many ways, but is more than was mentioned there. We must have a relationship with God and we must trust Him, absolutely. However, the only way we are going to survive and even thrive in chaos is to be secure in ourselves.
Please don't get crazy and think I am suggesting any form of humanistic belief system or am in any way putting anything human above God. No. I am suggesting that we need to have an inner security of who we are in God and who He has designed us to be. The security is what enables us to stand when criticism hits. In leadership and in chaos, there will be no shortage of criticism. This inner security also enables us to make the decisions necessary to successfully navigate the chaos. Without it, we won't trust that the voice we here is the Holy Spirit. Without it, we will cower in fear of the mounting pressures instead of stand on the core values and convictions set on God's Word. Without this inner security we will begin to treat others poorly and with mistrust as paranoia sets in. Chaos reveals the flaws in our character, and if we are not secure, then those flaws will be large and in charge as it were.
This really is about pride. As counter-intuitive as it seems, the more pride-filled a person is, the less secure they are. A truly secure person can be humble, not know it, and not even care as they are just doing what they do. A secure person doesn't bow to the pressures of the whims of people because they are rooted in their core values. The secure person celebrates with others in their triumphs. He/She recognizes the value of the process and the treasure of people and can stay calm in crisis because their perspective is not in the immediate gain of self. In fact, the least selfish people I know are some of the most secure. The most selfish are extremely insecure.
Surviving chaos is about giving glory to God and allowing His purposes to be done. This motive is not at all focused on the effects or gain to self. The insecure can only think about how something is affecting them.
The best way to prepare for the next season of chaos is to repent of selfishness, get firmly centered in God and His Word and get over yourself. :)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Surviving Chaos
After a solid foundation and trust in God, surviving chaos is possible by preparation and organization. As unlikely as that sounds, it is not only possible, but it is imperative that we plan for times of chaos. The moment of chaos arriving in your life and mine is a matter of when, not if. We all face it and a new season of chaos awaits around some corner of tomorrow. Denying it or avoiding it or just simply living oblivious to its reality is not a solution. In fact, it is not even a good idea.
Planning for the unknown chaos lurking ahead is difficult, no question. Even getting our head around the concept is akin to trying to explain the modern political system to a kindergartner. Well, that may be a bad example as the same level of maturity may be needed in both. Sorry, I digress. Pulling in the details and knowing how to plan for the unknowable is about like trying to herd cats. There are just so many directions to keep up with.
The planning and organizing needed for chaos is more about life in general and the specific chaos that will come. When our life is in order and chaos strikes, we are able to keep from falling apart. Trust in God is where it starts. After that, the next step is to be in control of our schedule. Our regular, every day/week schedule must have some margin in it so that we are prepared for the unexpected.
It's often said that the best defense is a good offense. This is true here as well. The best way to deal with chaos is to be proactive with our schedule every day. Know what is coming and prepare for what can be foreseen. Many seasons of chaos can be predicted to some degree. When we fail to recognize this we miss out on an opportunity to thrive in chaos.When we prepare for what can be known, we can simply walk through the steps and the process in the moment because the decisions and direction have already been made and set. We have to let our core values and principles be our guide when life is crazy and things are flying at us quickly. These can only be set in times of calm and through the intentional decisions we make.
If we keep our focus on what matters, our core values are strong, we control our schedule, and how each component fits then chaos won't shatter us.
Preparation and planning are about doing all we can to have margin in our lives to handle the unexpected and then grow through and recover from the times of chaos.
If you have ever wondered how some people seem to thrive in chaos, look at their lives when things are calm and you will find they are planning and organizing and in control of their schedule.
Planning for the unknown chaos lurking ahead is difficult, no question. Even getting our head around the concept is akin to trying to explain the modern political system to a kindergartner. Well, that may be a bad example as the same level of maturity may be needed in both. Sorry, I digress. Pulling in the details and knowing how to plan for the unknowable is about like trying to herd cats. There are just so many directions to keep up with.
The planning and organizing needed for chaos is more about life in general and the specific chaos that will come. When our life is in order and chaos strikes, we are able to keep from falling apart. Trust in God is where it starts. After that, the next step is to be in control of our schedule. Our regular, every day/week schedule must have some margin in it so that we are prepared for the unexpected.
It's often said that the best defense is a good offense. This is true here as well. The best way to deal with chaos is to be proactive with our schedule every day. Know what is coming and prepare for what can be foreseen. Many seasons of chaos can be predicted to some degree. When we fail to recognize this we miss out on an opportunity to thrive in chaos.When we prepare for what can be known, we can simply walk through the steps and the process in the moment because the decisions and direction have already been made and set. We have to let our core values and principles be our guide when life is crazy and things are flying at us quickly. These can only be set in times of calm and through the intentional decisions we make.
If we keep our focus on what matters, our core values are strong, we control our schedule, and how each component fits then chaos won't shatter us.
Preparation and planning are about doing all we can to have margin in our lives to handle the unexpected and then grow through and recover from the times of chaos.
If you have ever wondered how some people seem to thrive in chaos, look at their lives when things are calm and you will find they are planning and organizing and in control of their schedule.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Surviving Chaos
How do we survive and even thrive in chaos?
One of the first most important factors is to have a solid foundation and relationship with God. That seems so obvious and basic, yet it is true and needs to be said. We cannot handle the chaos of life without this relationship being at the core of our lives. It is much easier to stand and not be devastated when we are well grounded in our hearts and minds with the King of Kings as our Father. This helps set us up for the next factor...
Trust that God is in control. Nothing can separate us from His love. Nothing is outside His understanding. Nothing is bigger or more powerful than He is. Nothing causes Him to fret, worry, or panic. As such, we can rest fully in that knowledge and find peace in the storms and chaos that may surround us. This is the peace that passes understanding seen in Philippians. My daughters both get scared in storms, except when they are with me. They trust me and if I am calm, so are they. This has taught me about the level of trust we are to have with our heavenly Father. He is completely in control. It is hard to trust God at times because it is admitting our weakness and inadequacy to handle things ourselves. Truth is unaffected by our feelings or bias. It is what it is. We are inadequate and weak. But, in God we find strength and He is more than enough for whatever the situation. We don't have to panic or fret and we can remain calm, even in chaos.
Chaos is a matter of perspective much of the time anyway. I still have to fight within myself at times to overcome the sense of urgency that comes with projects and events. This urgency can cause us to lose perspective and focus and put the wrong things as the priorities. The more chaotic it seems, the more we can end up bulldozing people and leaving a wake of hurt and mistrust. I work to maintain a big picture focus and long term vision with whatever is being undertaken at the time. The process and the people involved are far more important than the details of the event or project. Chaos comes in and makes it appear that the people are the cause of the chaos and the problem.
People are not the problem, they are the purpose we are doing what we are doing. A year from now, it won't matter as much the details as the relationships and results in people's lives that came out of the situation. Perspective makes all the difference. Some things can only be appreciated and are effective only from a big picture view. Take a painting and try to enjoy it from 1 inch away with a magnifying glass. There is far more enjoyment in stepping back and taking the whole thing in. Chaos tries to get us to hold tight to the magnifying glass and miss out. Chaos distorts our perspective and redirects our focus if we let it. It serves much better to keep the focus and perspective on what is truly important to the overall vision.
This is why vision and purpose and core values are so important. These things have to be worked out beforehand.
Coming up - preparing for chaos.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Chaos
Truth is, if life is smooth and has no chaos it is boring at best and meaningless at worst. Not to say that for life to have meaning it must be a state of madness all day every day. In fact, routine and the mundane are what keep us grounded and should be the base rythm of our lives.
However, there will and needs to be some chaos existent if we are to live effective lives of purpose. Relationships bring an element of chaos. We are relational beings and designed to to build and maintain relationships. This is a messy process as emotions, opinions personality, and an abundance of other factors jump int ot he equation. As we mature and grow and lead others to the same (relationship) there will be issues at times and full on chaos at others.
As we read through the sacred text of God's Word we see chaos time and again in the lives of those following God's plan. We also see it in those who did not follow His plan. The difference is always the end result.
Life is full of chaos. Soon as we think we've got it all figured out and under control, BAM, we get nailed with something we didn't see coming. God's plan adds a whole other element to it. One of the chief reasons that His plan adds so much chaos is that it si often conflicts with human desire and understanding. God's will always requires faith and involves risk. By nature and definition, risk and faith are catalysts of chaos when mixed in with human characteritics.
The key is to learn to embrace and live in the chaos and to know when it is of God and when it is man-made. We must also know when and how to disengage.
More to come on this issue...
What seems to bring the most chaos in to your life?
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Challenge
Today we had a missionary guest couple as part of our missions convention. Jim & Meg Thacker are missionaries to Burundi in Africa. Jim's blog is here. Jim & Meg have pioneered the missions work in that country that was so devastated by war. In the last 4 years they have seen 47 churches planted and 23 buildings built; amazing!
As they prepare to head back to Burundi next year, they are trying to raise enough money to build 20 more church buildings. This will take about $150,000. He is looking for 300 people/churches to give a one time gift of $500 to accomplish this. To me that is a no-brainer. Capital City for sure will be part of that challenge.
We took it a step further today.
I presented to the people at the end of the service and challenged individual families to accept the challenge and give $500. So far 7 families have stepped up and there will be more as the week goes on. That is incredible!
The "experts" say that in this economy, you can't raise money and people have nothing to give. God's economy doesn't work the way that man's does. There is money available when the cause is worthwhile and significant. More importantly, God always provides! When we believe in something and have a passion and heart for it, there is no problem going against the "experts" and wisdom of man and trusting God. It was easy to present this challenge today. There is no more worthwhile cause than building churches in strategic areas to help reach people who are far from God. More than that, many of the people groups in that part of Africa are completely unreached to this point.I know not everyone can step up to this challenge in this way, but many can.
It will be thrilling to see what God does through this! Hang on, He is just getting started!
As they prepare to head back to Burundi next year, they are trying to raise enough money to build 20 more church buildings. This will take about $150,000. He is looking for 300 people/churches to give a one time gift of $500 to accomplish this. To me that is a no-brainer. Capital City for sure will be part of that challenge.
We took it a step further today.
I presented to the people at the end of the service and challenged individual families to accept the challenge and give $500. So far 7 families have stepped up and there will be more as the week goes on. That is incredible!
The "experts" say that in this economy, you can't raise money and people have nothing to give. God's economy doesn't work the way that man's does. There is money available when the cause is worthwhile and significant. More importantly, God always provides! When we believe in something and have a passion and heart for it, there is no problem going against the "experts" and wisdom of man and trusting God. It was easy to present this challenge today. There is no more worthwhile cause than building churches in strategic areas to help reach people who are far from God. More than that, many of the people groups in that part of Africa are completely unreached to this point.I know not everyone can step up to this challenge in this way, but many can.
It will be thrilling to see what God does through this! Hang on, He is just getting started!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday Thoughts on Monday
I have gotten away from doing a Sunday wrap up post. However, I wanted to do one this week. I know I am writing this on Monday afternoon, but it's still focused on Sunday.
Sunday started very early as I was awake before 6 am. There was a spiritual tension building for the day. That tension is not anything new. I know it well. I'm glad I do. Every pastor should be familiar with it. The tension should always be there, though there are days when it is stronger than others. This was one of the stronger ones.
We had a great time of praise with music led by my favorite leader. She happens to be quite beautiful too! :) (for those who weren't there, I am talking about my wife of course.)
The board presented myself and the pastoral staff with a very generous gift for pastor appreciation. We have a tremendous group of men who serve our church as board members. It is a privilege to work with them. On behalf of the staff and my family, Thank you everyone for the kind words and expressions. It is truly our honor to serve God at Capital City.
Sunday kicked off our missions convention. I love this event! This is when we get to cast vision for our partnerships with missions around the world. It is also when we get to highlight and tell the wonderful stories of what God is doing. We'll take faith promises in two weeks. A good friend and missionary to eastern Africa will be with us on November 1. We are showing the documentary "Beyond the Gates" about Jim Elliot and his friends who gave their lives in Ecuador 50 years ago. We will wrap all of it up with a banquet on the 8th.
Yesterday, I spoke out of Romans 10 and Philippians 2. Our theme for this coming year of missions is "Every Way." Jesus did whatever needed to be done to accomplish the work of God. We need to have the same attitude. We must be willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill the great commission. People are living and dying without hope all around us and around the world. We have the hope and peace and answer they need in Christ. "How can they believe if they have not heard?"
There was a tremendous response at the end of the service. Several indicated a move to commitment without reservation. One person took the step of accepting Christ into their life! That is what it is all about for us.
In the middle of our convention we also have two community connection opportunities. For Halloween we have homes throughout the community handing out candy bars and hot chocolate along with an invite to CapCity where three lucky guests will receive a gift card. On Saturday, November 7 we are hosting a tailgate party around the OSU @ Penn State game.
I can't wait to see what God is going to do in these next two weeks!
Sunday started very early as I was awake before 6 am. There was a spiritual tension building for the day. That tension is not anything new. I know it well. I'm glad I do. Every pastor should be familiar with it. The tension should always be there, though there are days when it is stronger than others. This was one of the stronger ones.
We had a great time of praise with music led by my favorite leader. She happens to be quite beautiful too! :) (for those who weren't there, I am talking about my wife of course.)
The board presented myself and the pastoral staff with a very generous gift for pastor appreciation. We have a tremendous group of men who serve our church as board members. It is a privilege to work with them. On behalf of the staff and my family, Thank you everyone for the kind words and expressions. It is truly our honor to serve God at Capital City.
Sunday kicked off our missions convention. I love this event! This is when we get to cast vision for our partnerships with missions around the world. It is also when we get to highlight and tell the wonderful stories of what God is doing. We'll take faith promises in two weeks. A good friend and missionary to eastern Africa will be with us on November 1. We are showing the documentary "Beyond the Gates" about Jim Elliot and his friends who gave their lives in Ecuador 50 years ago. We will wrap all of it up with a banquet on the 8th.
Yesterday, I spoke out of Romans 10 and Philippians 2. Our theme for this coming year of missions is "Every Way." Jesus did whatever needed to be done to accomplish the work of God. We need to have the same attitude. We must be willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill the great commission. People are living and dying without hope all around us and around the world. We have the hope and peace and answer they need in Christ. "How can they believe if they have not heard?"
There was a tremendous response at the end of the service. Several indicated a move to commitment without reservation. One person took the step of accepting Christ into their life! That is what it is all about for us.
In the middle of our convention we also have two community connection opportunities. For Halloween we have homes throughout the community handing out candy bars and hot chocolate along with an invite to CapCity where three lucky guests will receive a gift card. On Saturday, November 7 we are hosting a tailgate party around the OSU @ Penn State game.
I can't wait to see what God is going to do in these next two weeks!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Coming Up
Let me tell you, I am PUMPED up about what is next for Capital City Church!
Today is a vision planning/focus day for me and already (10 am) I am ready to jump up and get going on these things!
Here's a few of the things that have me so excited right now:
Today is a vision planning/focus day for me and already (10 am) I am ready to jump up and get going on these things!
Here's a few of the things that have me so excited right now:
- THIS SUNDAY! I have great expectations for every Sunday, that is never more true than it is for the next one coming up. This Sunday, we launch our missions convention. I love this event as we dream and prepare for how God wants to use us to touch souls around the world.
- The rest of missions convention - Sunday, November 1 missionary Jim Thacker from Burundi will be with us. Wednesday, November 4 we will be watching the powerful missions documentary "Beyond the Gates." Sunday, November 8 we wrap it all up with a banquet and we are going to be announcing the 2010 missions trip!
- The 2010 missions trip! It's quite difficult for me to not spill the beans on this trip right now!
- TAILGATE PARTY - Saturday, November 7 we will be hosting a community wide tailgate party in out parking lot. OSU plays @ Penn State that day and we will have big screen TVs games for kids, cornhole, and of course, lots of food!
- Our new Saturday night service! This will be launching early in 2010. Again, I want to share everything that is in the works for this, but it is not time yet.
- Christmas Eve service - I love this event. It is one of my favorite traditions at Christmas. We will have a candlelight service with carols, stories, and family coming together to celebrate the birth of Christ.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Bible Study
A couple of weeks ago I preached a message on reading the Bible. Due to the electric going out and operator error on my laptop, the message was not recorded. Here is a quick breakdown from that message.
We have all heard it said that we need to read the Bible. Too often that is all that is said. I know I was never really taught how until I was an adult and I grew up in church. I was taught to memorize and even bribed to do so with trophies, candy, etc. But, I was not really taught how.
It's amazing the positive response I get when I bring up this subject and start talking about it. People are hungry to know how to have an effective pattern and life of reading the Bible.
The thing is, it is simple. There are no secret tricks. There's no insider information only given to Reverends. God hasn't made it complicated. He gave us the Word in written form and then provides the Holy Spirit to guide us through and reveal the applicable truth us.
The Bible is called the "Living Word" because it is always applicable and transcends time and culture. For us to have a truly vibrant spiritual walk with God, the Bible must be a significant element in our lives.
Here is a quick run down of how to read the Bible effectively:
Get a translation you can understand. All English versions are translations of the original. What is important is that you are reading and that it is understandable to you. I even recommend using multiple translations in deep study to get the full essence of what is written.
- Pray, ask God to make His Word clear and applicable to your life.
Start with Jesus. It’s all about Him. The books of Mark & John in the Bible are great for reading His story.
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Have a plan. Use a study Bible or get a devotional journal or book, pick a topic, study a person’s life in the Bible, whatever, just have a plan of what you are going to read. Random does not work long term and you will get frustrated.
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Journal your reading. Get a notebook or journal and write down your thoughts each day while and after reading. This will help you to think on what you have read as well as have a record of what you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the Bible. I have found this to be the best way to process what I have read and keep track of what God speaks to me through His Word.
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Have a set time. Know when you are going to read each day. Make it an appointment on your calendar if that’s what it takes. Guard this time.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Staying Focused
My last post gave a run down of last week and some of the unexpected it entailed. Let me tell you, it is very easy to get off track when things get busy and surprises happen. How do we stay focused in these times?
Great question and one I have struggled with over and over again. Today is another great example of having a certain flow in my mind when I came into the office and it all blows up with unplanned and unexpected issues and directions. It is 1:20 pm and I am just now getting to what I had planned as my projects for today. On this front, an agenda and having things organized and well planned out is one big key.
There is a bigger issue along this line also. Sunday morning when we were scrambling around trying to get the computer stuff straightened out, I was aggravated. It had been a less than smooth weekend and we had been dealing with the computer for a couple of days. Also, my girls had been less than cooperative that morning. The tendency would be to let it get to me and lose focus for the day. I have grand experience with letting that happen.
We must remember the big picture and what is truly important. Fact is, if the computer had not been able to work, so what. That is not a needed element. It is a nice touch and wonderful tool, but not an element. God's Spirit and Presence do not rely on technology or even on things going smoothly. It is important that the leader stay focused with a right heart attitude.
Sunday morning, I had to stop and make the decision not to get upset and not to lose my focus. It takes a big picture mindset. How insane would it be for me to preach on prayer and that very day have let little things get me off track and not pray?
We all face scenarios that will try to distract us from what really matters. There are things every day that come in and demand attention away from the truly significant. Little things can seem so big when they are immediate. The old saying, "the devil is in the details," does apply here. I believe the details matter and that we must be aware and attentive to them. However, there comes a point where the details can actually take over. This is usually at a critical mass moment and the details seem to be falling apart. Sometimes we must let them go and get back to the basics and focus in on what it is really about.
Staying focused takes discipline, intention, and resolve.
Great question and one I have struggled with over and over again. Today is another great example of having a certain flow in my mind when I came into the office and it all blows up with unplanned and unexpected issues and directions. It is 1:20 pm and I am just now getting to what I had planned as my projects for today. On this front, an agenda and having things organized and well planned out is one big key.
There is a bigger issue along this line also. Sunday morning when we were scrambling around trying to get the computer stuff straightened out, I was aggravated. It had been a less than smooth weekend and we had been dealing with the computer for a couple of days. Also, my girls had been less than cooperative that morning. The tendency would be to let it get to me and lose focus for the day. I have grand experience with letting that happen.
We must remember the big picture and what is truly important. Fact is, if the computer had not been able to work, so what. That is not a needed element. It is a nice touch and wonderful tool, but not an element. God's Spirit and Presence do not rely on technology or even on things going smoothly. It is important that the leader stay focused with a right heart attitude.
Sunday morning, I had to stop and make the decision not to get upset and not to lose my focus. It takes a big picture mindset. How insane would it be for me to preach on prayer and that very day have let little things get me off track and not pray?
We all face scenarios that will try to distract us from what really matters. There are things every day that come in and demand attention away from the truly significant. Little things can seem so big when they are immediate. The old saying, "the devil is in the details," does apply here. I believe the details matter and that we must be aware and attentive to them. However, there comes a point where the details can actually take over. This is usually at a critical mass moment and the details seem to be falling apart. Sometimes we must let them go and get back to the basics and focus in on what it is really about.
Staying focused takes discipline, intention, and resolve.
Flexibility - the word of the week
I have written here about flexibility before. This past week has been a real opportunity to live it out.
It started early on Sunday, October 4. We had a schedule for the morning to get things ready for the day. Jacob's Road was with us as special musical guests. A couple of things happened to throw that schedule off. No problem, adjustments were made and it all came together. At about 9:40 or so I was in the sanctuary and the lights literally went out. My first thought was a breaker had blown, then I heard the fire doors coming down with a loud crash in the kitchen. This was more than a breaker. After the initial check of the building, we learned from the power company that over 1700 in our area were without power due to an incident. (We later found out the "incident" was "animal contact at a power pole.")
You can imagine, this caused a bit of scrambling to take place. Everyone involved did fantastic. Jacob's Road rolled with it and put together a fully acoustic song set for a time of praise. Our children's workers adjusted and kept the children in the lobby where we receive the most natural light in the building. We got everyone to sit as close to the front as possible in the center of the sanctuary and we opened the doors around the sides allowing sunlight to come in. We had church! It was a great time!
I have received so many positive comments about the day. People really connected with the time of praise and just got into the feel of the day. No technology, no hype, no pretension, just simple. Just awesome. I greatly enjoyed it.
Monday brought a couple more surprises that changed my schedule a bit for the week. No big things, just had to flow and adjust. Monday night an opportunity arose to spend some time with other pastors in serious iron sharpens iron time. It was late and unexpected, but it was very cool. Having it take place over wings and Monday Night Football didn't hurt! :)
Tuesday night had me out unexpectedly at 1 am helping a group out that was in from out of town. Wednesday brought schedule changes as appointments shifted and plans were changed. Thursday, Friday, & Saturday welcomed an outside group of Korean churches using our building for evening rallies. This was planned, but these events always involve a surprise or two and this one did as well. Friday morning brought an inspection to our HVAC and Fire Alarm system that we weren't aware was going to take place. Friday also brought with it a good amount of rain which was a problem for the men's campout that night. We held it anyway and just made some adjustments.
In the middle of all this our main computer that runs the projection in the sanctuary had a serious virus issue that rendered it unusable. Sunday morning we were loading software onto a different computer to make things work for the day.
It was a great week in so many ways. God moved and spoke. People contacts were made. Lessons were learned. Much was accomplished.
All of that to say, when you speak of flexibility, be willing to live it. :)
It started early on Sunday, October 4. We had a schedule for the morning to get things ready for the day. Jacob's Road was with us as special musical guests. A couple of things happened to throw that schedule off. No problem, adjustments were made and it all came together. At about 9:40 or so I was in the sanctuary and the lights literally went out. My first thought was a breaker had blown, then I heard the fire doors coming down with a loud crash in the kitchen. This was more than a breaker. After the initial check of the building, we learned from the power company that over 1700 in our area were without power due to an incident. (We later found out the "incident" was "animal contact at a power pole.")
You can imagine, this caused a bit of scrambling to take place. Everyone involved did fantastic. Jacob's Road rolled with it and put together a fully acoustic song set for a time of praise. Our children's workers adjusted and kept the children in the lobby where we receive the most natural light in the building. We got everyone to sit as close to the front as possible in the center of the sanctuary and we opened the doors around the sides allowing sunlight to come in. We had church! It was a great time!
I have received so many positive comments about the day. People really connected with the time of praise and just got into the feel of the day. No technology, no hype, no pretension, just simple. Just awesome. I greatly enjoyed it.
Monday brought a couple more surprises that changed my schedule a bit for the week. No big things, just had to flow and adjust. Monday night an opportunity arose to spend some time with other pastors in serious iron sharpens iron time. It was late and unexpected, but it was very cool. Having it take place over wings and Monday Night Football didn't hurt! :)
Tuesday night had me out unexpectedly at 1 am helping a group out that was in from out of town. Wednesday brought schedule changes as appointments shifted and plans were changed. Thursday, Friday, & Saturday welcomed an outside group of Korean churches using our building for evening rallies. This was planned, but these events always involve a surprise or two and this one did as well. Friday morning brought an inspection to our HVAC and Fire Alarm system that we weren't aware was going to take place. Friday also brought with it a good amount of rain which was a problem for the men's campout that night. We held it anyway and just made some adjustments.
In the middle of all this our main computer that runs the projection in the sanctuary had a serious virus issue that rendered it unusable. Sunday morning we were loading software onto a different computer to make things work for the day.
It was a great week in so many ways. God moved and spoke. People contacts were made. Lessons were learned. Much was accomplished.
All of that to say, when you speak of flexibility, be willing to live it. :)
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Got Questions?
Got questions?
You should. I know I do. I have way more questions than I have answers. That is a good thing. Someone who has run out of questions, has stopped learning.
As soon as we start to believe we know all we need to know, our minds begin to dull and lose the ability to retain knowledge. The human mind is an amazing thing with great ability to store huge amounts of information. Like anything else, it needs on going use to remain sharp. Let your arm hang by your side for a couple of weeks and don’t use it and see what happens. It will become weaker, less mobile, less flexible, less useful. The mind is the same way. If we don’t keep it engaged and thinking and growing, it too will become weaker, less mobile, less flexible, less useful.
So ask questions. If you don’t know something, ask someone. If you aren’t sure, ask. Seek knowledge, understanding. Grow in capacity. Expand your creativity. Discover new horizons. See things in a new light, a fresh perspective. Think. Learn.
This is discipleship. What did Jesus do? He opened people’s eyes to new things and took them to greater heights of understanding. As He led the disciples, He taught them to think and to learn. The way Jesus prepared Peter, James, John, and the others to impact the world was by preparing them to never stop. Never stop asking questions. Never stop seeking truth. Never stop finding answers.
The average 4 year old asks 400 questions a day. This probably does not surprise parents, especially those who currently have a 4 year old. There is no question that a person’s greatest capacity to learn is when they are young. One way this is accomplished is by asking questions. Kids ask questions. Much to the annoyance of adults some times. We should be more tolerant of their questions as we realize they are just trying to learn; something we should greatly encourage and not suppress. In fact, we could take a cue from kids and begin to ask more questions ourselves.
The keys to effectively asking questions:
You should. I know I do. I have way more questions than I have answers. That is a good thing. Someone who has run out of questions, has stopped learning.
As soon as we start to believe we know all we need to know, our minds begin to dull and lose the ability to retain knowledge. The human mind is an amazing thing with great ability to store huge amounts of information. Like anything else, it needs on going use to remain sharp. Let your arm hang by your side for a couple of weeks and don’t use it and see what happens. It will become weaker, less mobile, less flexible, less useful. The mind is the same way. If we don’t keep it engaged and thinking and growing, it too will become weaker, less mobile, less flexible, less useful.
So ask questions. If you don’t know something, ask someone. If you aren’t sure, ask. Seek knowledge, understanding. Grow in capacity. Expand your creativity. Discover new horizons. See things in a new light, a fresh perspective. Think. Learn.
This is discipleship. What did Jesus do? He opened people’s eyes to new things and took them to greater heights of understanding. As He led the disciples, He taught them to think and to learn. The way Jesus prepared Peter, James, John, and the others to impact the world was by preparing them to never stop. Never stop asking questions. Never stop seeking truth. Never stop finding answers.
The average 4 year old asks 400 questions a day. This probably does not surprise parents, especially those who currently have a 4 year old. There is no question that a person’s greatest capacity to learn is when they are young. One way this is accomplished is by asking questions. Kids ask questions. Much to the annoyance of adults some times. We should be more tolerant of their questions as we realize they are just trying to learn; something we should greatly encourage and not suppress. In fact, we could take a cue from kids and begin to ask more questions ourselves.
The keys to effectively asking questions:
- Think about the question and word it well to get the most complete answer you can. Know the question before you open your mouth to ask or begin the search
- Ask the right person or look in the right place for the answer
- LISTEN to the answer to its completion. One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone asks a question and then continues to keep talking or interrupts the answer with an argument or another subject. This indicates they really didn’t care about learning anything. They either just wanted to enter the conversation or they had their own agenda and the question was their way of inserting their view, opinion, or manipulation. If you are going to take the time to ask, take the time to hear the answer.
- Think about the answer. Sometimes it is best to not respond immediately until you have processed it. This all is weighed on what’s appropriate for the question asked and answer given. Some things are minor and don’t need much thought to the answer, others require time to meditate on the answer.
- Ask more questions. Follow up questions and clarity questions are vital for things in an answer that were not completely clear. Remember the goal is understanding and growth.
- Keep asking questions/seeking answers - never stop.
- Repeat all the steps above.
Quick Thought
“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."
Albert Einstein
The legends surrounding Einstein are vast. Whether or not they are all true has nothing to do with the fact that he was a great man and a great thinker. His ability to think beyond his context and transcend into higher realms intellectually has been repeated by very few.
The quote above is very appropriate for the state of things in the church today. There is no question that we face significant problems in the American church. However, those problems will never be solved by trying to do the same things and think the same ways we always have. That is what got us here in the first place.
The answers we need lie in a radically new way of thinking and doing things. I am not saying a new theology as some fear this means. I mean embracing new techniques and methods and using technology and situations that exist within the culture to impact individuals.
If we will be honest with ourselves, the vast majority of problems we face were created by us directly or through inattention.
God is calling us to a new thing and a new level.
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19
Albert Einstein
The legends surrounding Einstein are vast. Whether or not they are all true has nothing to do with the fact that he was a great man and a great thinker. His ability to think beyond his context and transcend into higher realms intellectually has been repeated by very few.
The quote above is very appropriate for the state of things in the church today. There is no question that we face significant problems in the American church. However, those problems will never be solved by trying to do the same things and think the same ways we always have. That is what got us here in the first place.
The answers we need lie in a radically new way of thinking and doing things. I am not saying a new theology as some fear this means. I mean embracing new techniques and methods and using technology and situations that exist within the culture to impact individuals.
If we will be honest with ourselves, the vast majority of problems we face were created by us directly or through inattention.
God is calling us to a new thing and a new level.
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19
Friday, October 2, 2009
The 24 Hour Rule
This past week I had the privilege of teaching a couple of sessions at the annual Ohio A/G minister's retreat. This event is always a highlight for me. The speakers and sessions are always good, but mostly, I enjoy the interaction and laid back atmosphere. There is so much of an iron sharpens iron element. In the lobbies, the cafeteria, hallways, throughout the campus there are conversations happening that are strengthening and encouraging. Leaders learning from each other is a great thing!
It was a very real honor when I was asked to be a part of this event as a presenter.
I taught both sessions on technology in ministry. The first was a basic look at organizing and using email effectively and efficiently. The second was talking about being mobile and leveraging technology for our benefit.
I will from time to time post some of what I taught as well as what I am currently learning in these areas.
Michael Hyatt has a great series of posts on his blog regarding email. Click here to read his insights. I used some of what he has written in my sessions this week as they are things I have implemented.
One thing we use around here that I feel is very important: the 24 hour rule. It simply states that ALL phone calls and emails are to be responded to within 24 hours (those that require a response , of course). This holds, even if the answer is no or not now. The reply might be as simple as, "Thanks for the email, I will get back to you with that information when it is available," or, "Received your message, I will be in touch with you to follow up by ________."
There are some specific reasons and benefits related to this rule.
While I am on the subject, if you are a Pastor or church leader, return your calls! Even to missionaries. I know they are asking for platform time and money, but even when the answer is no, they will appreciate the returned call. It is hard to do what they do in contacting churches and pastors. I know how hard it is to tell a missionary no. I have to do it as well. At some point in the future you may be able to work with that missionary or may have an opportunity to get to know them. Think how much better that will be if there is already some respect there.
I have personally experienced this. At my last church, we supported missionaries, but did not have the ability to add more. The number, while good for that size and location church, was much smaller than the number of missionaries the church I am currently pastoring supports. When I moved here and suddenly became a supporting pastor for many missionaries I had not been for the previous years, it was great to know that I had no reason to avoid any missionaries because I had not returned their calls before. Several times, missionaries have commented how much they appreciated me returning their call, even when the answer was "no." At least they knew and could move on and not spend time trying to track me down.
Sorry, I'll get off me soap box now.
What rules do you have regarding emails, phone calls, etc. that work in your context?
It was a very real honor when I was asked to be a part of this event as a presenter.
I taught both sessions on technology in ministry. The first was a basic look at organizing and using email effectively and efficiently. The second was talking about being mobile and leveraging technology for our benefit.
I will from time to time post some of what I taught as well as what I am currently learning in these areas.
Michael Hyatt has a great series of posts on his blog regarding email. Click here to read his insights. I used some of what he has written in my sessions this week as they are things I have implemented.
One thing we use around here that I feel is very important: the 24 hour rule. It simply states that ALL phone calls and emails are to be responded to within 24 hours (those that require a response , of course). This holds, even if the answer is no or not now. The reply might be as simple as, "Thanks for the email, I will get back to you with that information when it is available," or, "Received your message, I will be in touch with you to follow up by ________."
There are some specific reasons and benefits related to this rule.
- It is common courtesy; something this world could use more of.
- It keeps us responsive.
- Nothing is more frustrating than feeling ignored.
- It shows that we care about people.
- It makes a person feel valued that they received a prompt response.
- It keeps things from falling thru the cracks.
While I am on the subject, if you are a Pastor or church leader, return your calls! Even to missionaries. I know they are asking for platform time and money, but even when the answer is no, they will appreciate the returned call. It is hard to do what they do in contacting churches and pastors. I know how hard it is to tell a missionary no. I have to do it as well. At some point in the future you may be able to work with that missionary or may have an opportunity to get to know them. Think how much better that will be if there is already some respect there.
I have personally experienced this. At my last church, we supported missionaries, but did not have the ability to add more. The number, while good for that size and location church, was much smaller than the number of missionaries the church I am currently pastoring supports. When I moved here and suddenly became a supporting pastor for many missionaries I had not been for the previous years, it was great to know that I had no reason to avoid any missionaries because I had not returned their calls before. Several times, missionaries have commented how much they appreciated me returning their call, even when the answer was "no." At least they knew and could move on and not spend time trying to track me down.
Sorry, I'll get off me soap box now.
What rules do you have regarding emails, phone calls, etc. that work in your context?
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Time Flies
Wow! I just looked at the date of my last post. Time does fly! This recent break from blogging was not intentional, it just was. However, there are times when breaks like this are needed. Turns out this was one of those, I just wasn't aware initially.
As I think about how quickly these last few weeks have gone, it is quite honestly a bit scary. It seems like I was just waiting for school to start back up for my girls so we could return to a more "normal" schedule, and here we are 5 weeks in already. This week, my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary (14 years! I know, hard to believe anyone has willingly put up with me that long!). While I was out shopping for a present for her, I came across Halloween items. Wow, it is only a month away now. Then I turned the corner and it was all Christmas! Really?
This week, I also sent an email to my staff going over the next few weeks of events and activities. I think I scared them. I know it got my attention.
In all of this, the point is quite clear: if we are not intentional with each day, then it will be a missed opportunity lost forever. It would be very easy to go into the "live our lives right because it will be over before we know it" or the "tell everyone about Jesus while there is still time" mode. Both of those are true and both are good messages. But, let's look at it from a different angle and maybe see something.
What if in realizing that every day is a fleeting breath, we mapped out our priorities and lives with absolute intention to squeeze every drop of possibility from each day? How many times do we catch ourselves saying, "the day got away from me and I didn't get anything done I needed to"? Follow the stream on Facebook, this may be the most common post next to "is". If the day got away from us, it is only because we weren't prepared for it.
It has been a hard lesson for me to begin to map out my days. Most of us have calendars to track appointments and to do lists to track tasks, but are we creating a plan for the day?
I am working on this skill and have made some strides, but still have a long way to go. Not a one of us wants to get to the end of anything and look back and realize all the lost time leaving us full of regret.
There are so many time-wasters vying for our attention. They are attractive. Some of them are even good things, but they may not be the best things in the moment. Hard work and efficiency are important for productivity and that is something we need. However, this does not guarantee effectiveness. To be effective in life and in our God designed plan, is going to take something more. It is going to take the extra step of planned intention. Knowing what needs to be done is not enough, we must strategize and then implement what it is going to take to get it down. (On a side leadership note, many times this means giving it to someone else.)
Here is what I am beginning to do. Each night I check my calendar and notes for the next day to make sure I have a big picture understanding of what I am facing. This gives me time to "sleep on it" and then wake up with that in mind. In the mornings I double check the calendar. Then I look over any reminders or thoughts for the day I have may noted (whether you use a computer program or paper journal for this, use one thing consistently). Many times I already know at this point or have even laid out the truly significant things that must be accomplished or addressed that day. Then I simply adjust or align the priorities of the day (not necessarily tasks, these are objectives) and do what needs to be done to fulfill those objectives starting with the most important and hardest first. This leaves the easier and less intense items until later in the day when I am getting tired anyway. Objectives early when we are sharp and focused, and tasks later when we are tired and spent. One key to this is to learn to say "no", "not now", and/or "you take care of it".
It also involves learning how to recognize those urgent things that pop up that seem immediate, but truly are not that significant. Distractions exist for every one of us. We must be able to know how to deal with them and this requires an intentional plan that allows us to side step the time-landmines that exist.
Now, there will be things that pop up that are both urgent and significant which will necessitate a shift in the plans for the day. It takes discernment and experience to know what fits this. That's also why margins in schedule are important. There must be some room to maneuver.
What are some things you are doing to keep time from "getting away from you"?
As I think about how quickly these last few weeks have gone, it is quite honestly a bit scary. It seems like I was just waiting for school to start back up for my girls so we could return to a more "normal" schedule, and here we are 5 weeks in already. This week, my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary (14 years! I know, hard to believe anyone has willingly put up with me that long!). While I was out shopping for a present for her, I came across Halloween items. Wow, it is only a month away now. Then I turned the corner and it was all Christmas! Really?
This week, I also sent an email to my staff going over the next few weeks of events and activities. I think I scared them. I know it got my attention.
In all of this, the point is quite clear: if we are not intentional with each day, then it will be a missed opportunity lost forever. It would be very easy to go into the "live our lives right because it will be over before we know it" or the "tell everyone about Jesus while there is still time" mode. Both of those are true and both are good messages. But, let's look at it from a different angle and maybe see something.
What if in realizing that every day is a fleeting breath, we mapped out our priorities and lives with absolute intention to squeeze every drop of possibility from each day? How many times do we catch ourselves saying, "the day got away from me and I didn't get anything done I needed to"? Follow the stream on Facebook, this may be the most common post next to "is". If the day got away from us, it is only because we weren't prepared for it.
It has been a hard lesson for me to begin to map out my days. Most of us have calendars to track appointments and to do lists to track tasks, but are we creating a plan for the day?
I am working on this skill and have made some strides, but still have a long way to go. Not a one of us wants to get to the end of anything and look back and realize all the lost time leaving us full of regret.
There are so many time-wasters vying for our attention. They are attractive. Some of them are even good things, but they may not be the best things in the moment. Hard work and efficiency are important for productivity and that is something we need. However, this does not guarantee effectiveness. To be effective in life and in our God designed plan, is going to take something more. It is going to take the extra step of planned intention. Knowing what needs to be done is not enough, we must strategize and then implement what it is going to take to get it down. (On a side leadership note, many times this means giving it to someone else.)
Here is what I am beginning to do. Each night I check my calendar and notes for the next day to make sure I have a big picture understanding of what I am facing. This gives me time to "sleep on it" and then wake up with that in mind. In the mornings I double check the calendar. Then I look over any reminders or thoughts for the day I have may noted (whether you use a computer program or paper journal for this, use one thing consistently). Many times I already know at this point or have even laid out the truly significant things that must be accomplished or addressed that day. Then I simply adjust or align the priorities of the day (not necessarily tasks, these are objectives) and do what needs to be done to fulfill those objectives starting with the most important and hardest first. This leaves the easier and less intense items until later in the day when I am getting tired anyway. Objectives early when we are sharp and focused, and tasks later when we are tired and spent. One key to this is to learn to say "no", "not now", and/or "you take care of it".
It also involves learning how to recognize those urgent things that pop up that seem immediate, but truly are not that significant. Distractions exist for every one of us. We must be able to know how to deal with them and this requires an intentional plan that allows us to side step the time-landmines that exist.
Now, there will be things that pop up that are both urgent and significant which will necessitate a shift in the plans for the day. It takes discernment and experience to know what fits this. That's also why margins in schedule are important. There must be some room to maneuver.
What are some things you are doing to keep time from "getting away from you"?
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Discipline
Ed young posted this tweet this morning "Discipline is doing what you have to do so you can then do what you want to do."
Simple and profound yet extremely difficult.
I have two girls, 8 and 10 years old, and they are wonderful. I love them more than life. However, they can frustrate me like no one else. (Don't look at me that way, if you're a parent you know it is true.) Part of my responsibility is to train them to be productive in life that they may live up to the potential God has given them. That means teaching them to do what needs to be done, even if they don't feel like it.
Parents, see if this scenario is familiar. I ask one of my girls to clean a room or pick something up. The response I get is that she didn't make the mess and doesn't want to. My reply is to guilt them into it by reminding her all the things her mother and I do for her. Actually, most of the time I do try and help them see that we have to do things in life, just because it is a part of life.
Last night, it played out this way. My youngest wanted to have a friend over after school today. Her room and the basement were both less than tidy. She was told to clean them. It was easy for her to grasp the reward part of the task and so she bounded off to clean with no fuss. That is not normal by any stretch. The difference was she understood and could sense the immediate result of doing what she had to in order to get to do what she wanted.
Yet, much of life is not that way. Too often we choose the immediate want over the long term need. One easy example is in the way we eat. Too often we grab the quick burger and fries chased by ice cream rather than eating a properly healthy meal. Then we complain about the expanding waistline and the fact that we get winded climbing the stairs. If we would be disciplined and eat right most of the time and exercise regularly, then we could eat the junk once in a while and be much more active in life.
In our jobs, we do what must be done so we can do what we want later. We work and earn a living so we can afford the trips and leisure activities and so we can support missions and live generously.
For my daughter who doesn't like school so much, it is hard to understand that she has to go to school and it is important to go even when she doesn't want to. Of course, we understand the reason she must go and what the reward will be later.
One thing I have found to be absolutely true, if I live disciplined (spiritually, relationally, physically) and do what I need to do, then what I want to do does change and begin to line up more with God's wants and purposes and with what is good for me and not just what pleases me.
By the way, Paul wrote about this pretty extensively in Romans 7. While he directly references sin, I'm not sure there is much difference to how it plays out in every area of our life. Plus, being irresponsible and not living up to our potential in God is sin.
What is it you need to do today that you are putting off because you want to do something else?
Simple and profound yet extremely difficult.
I have two girls, 8 and 10 years old, and they are wonderful. I love them more than life. However, they can frustrate me like no one else. (Don't look at me that way, if you're a parent you know it is true.) Part of my responsibility is to train them to be productive in life that they may live up to the potential God has given them. That means teaching them to do what needs to be done, even if they don't feel like it.
Parents, see if this scenario is familiar. I ask one of my girls to clean a room or pick something up. The response I get is that she didn't make the mess and doesn't want to. My reply is to guilt them into it by reminding her all the things her mother and I do for her. Actually, most of the time I do try and help them see that we have to do things in life, just because it is a part of life.
Last night, it played out this way. My youngest wanted to have a friend over after school today. Her room and the basement were both less than tidy. She was told to clean them. It was easy for her to grasp the reward part of the task and so she bounded off to clean with no fuss. That is not normal by any stretch. The difference was she understood and could sense the immediate result of doing what she had to in order to get to do what she wanted.
Yet, much of life is not that way. Too often we choose the immediate want over the long term need. One easy example is in the way we eat. Too often we grab the quick burger and fries chased by ice cream rather than eating a properly healthy meal. Then we complain about the expanding waistline and the fact that we get winded climbing the stairs. If we would be disciplined and eat right most of the time and exercise regularly, then we could eat the junk once in a while and be much more active in life.
In our jobs, we do what must be done so we can do what we want later. We work and earn a living so we can afford the trips and leisure activities and so we can support missions and live generously.
For my daughter who doesn't like school so much, it is hard to understand that she has to go to school and it is important to go even when she doesn't want to. Of course, we understand the reason she must go and what the reward will be later.
One thing I have found to be absolutely true, if I live disciplined (spiritually, relationally, physically) and do what I need to do, then what I want to do does change and begin to line up more with God's wants and purposes and with what is good for me and not just what pleases me.
By the way, Paul wrote about this pretty extensively in Romans 7. While he directly references sin, I'm not sure there is much difference to how it plays out in every area of our life. Plus, being irresponsible and not living up to our potential in God is sin.
What is it you need to do today that you are putting off because you want to do something else?
Friday, September 4, 2009
The Go-Giver
Earlier this week I read a book entitled "The Go-Giver" by Bob Burg & John David Mann. In fact, I read it in a couple hours one evening. Once I started, I wanted to finish it right away. This book is a parable and I love that. Too many books written in the business and leadership world lack creativity. This book is creative while it imparts some business and leadership principles that are excellent. Really the values this book suggests are life values. The book calls them the 5 laws of stratospheric success.I don't know much about either author. Whether this is a compliment to them or not, they have quite wonderfully captured a very real principle of the character of God within the pages of this book. The whole concept of the book is give of yourself generously and you won't be able to contain the results. While the immediate context of Luke 6:38 is speaking to judgment, it holds true to most of the rest of life as well: "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Jesus also instructs in Matthew 16:25: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."
Whether it is money, time, knowledge, energy, experience, whatever; there is no substitute for generosity. Jon Acuff (@prodigaljohn) recently posted this Tweet: The lie is that you'll run out of ideas if you write all the time, the truth is you will if you don't. I would expand that to be true of most things in life. The lie is if you give more away you will have less when the truth is the more you give the you will have. That is one of the points of the parable of the talents that Jesus told in Matthew 25.
I recommend this book for everyone. It will inspire you. It will challenge your thinking. It will entertain you. It will give you and opportunity to take a good look at yourself and the way you handle relationships and people.
If people would live life how this book proposes, the results would be nothing short of amazing across society.
The cover has the line, "A little story about a powerful business idea." It easily could read, "A little story about a powerful life value."
Buy it on Amazon here.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Generations part 2
As we launch in a new direction with our mode of ministry to youth and start ministering with youth, some might (actually have) ask, "where is this coming from?" or "what prompted this change? Is there a problem?" Truth is, there is a problem. The one I mentioned in the last post about the rate we lose students from the church after they graduate high school.
Here's a little more background.
I spent about 13 years in full-time youth ministry in four states. I served in small, medium, and large churches. I saw God move incredibly among youth and watched youth do incredible things. Today, there are youth from our former groups who are pastors, missionaries, youth workers, worship leaders, sunday school teachers, children's workers, and various other levels of involvement in their respective churches. While I can easily point to the success stories and am proud of each one, that is not the whole picture. Unfortunately, I have to say that most of the young people that attended the youth groups we led are not actively living for God today; some are flat out living very tragic lifestyles. It would be normal to claim that is true for everyone and that our percentages are better than the average numbers we read about. That would be a cop out and just trying to ease the blow.
Did we fail? Yes and no. I have stories to illustrate both. The problem is deep and has as many facets as individuals being talked about. With some we did fail, with others, nothing we could have done would have changed the choices they have made.
Several years ago I was in a conversation with a leader from what was a nationally known, very large youth ministry. We were comparing insights and talking about some of the frustrations of youth ministry and seeing students walk away. This brought up the topic os defining success. Of course, that conversation came down to the fact that real success is defined by God not man and numbers do not tell the whole story. Every endeavor to reach and raise up people for God will have the gamut of stories to tell, leassons learned, mistakes made, and lives affected.
As I walked away from that conversation, there was a real uneasiness in me that I couldn't shake. I didn't want to take the cop out approach and "feel better" because even the largest youth ministries were experiencing the same issues we were.
We started to take some hard looks at how we were doing youth ministry and realized we were very top heavy. Meaning, it was mostly adults who were doing ministry and the youth were spectators. We immediately started making changes. Teams were formed from among the young people to get them more actively involved in actually doing ministry on an on-going basis and the adults were adjusted to more of a mentoring and guiding role. I even had a group of youth who met at my house regularly to help me brainstorm, plan, and even present the messages. This creative team took our services to a new level.
We saw some success as youth became much more involved in the overall life of the church as children's workers, tech crew, in the music department, taking part in outreach, and on and on. As youth pastor, I was limited in the full impact of these changes on the church as a whole, but it was a step in the right direction.
Since that time, I have been rethinking youth ministry as a whole and wondering what if we built a youth ministry that was focused on youth doing ministry and made it part of the churches DNA to have the generations working side by side. Much time has been spent in prayer, conversation, and meditating on this.
That is just a bit of the background for the changes we are making.
This post is long enough, so I will wait until the next one in this series to start putting some structure to this new endeavor.
Here's a little more background.
I spent about 13 years in full-time youth ministry in four states. I served in small, medium, and large churches. I saw God move incredibly among youth and watched youth do incredible things. Today, there are youth from our former groups who are pastors, missionaries, youth workers, worship leaders, sunday school teachers, children's workers, and various other levels of involvement in their respective churches. While I can easily point to the success stories and am proud of each one, that is not the whole picture. Unfortunately, I have to say that most of the young people that attended the youth groups we led are not actively living for God today; some are flat out living very tragic lifestyles. It would be normal to claim that is true for everyone and that our percentages are better than the average numbers we read about. That would be a cop out and just trying to ease the blow.
Did we fail? Yes and no. I have stories to illustrate both. The problem is deep and has as many facets as individuals being talked about. With some we did fail, with others, nothing we could have done would have changed the choices they have made.
Several years ago I was in a conversation with a leader from what was a nationally known, very large youth ministry. We were comparing insights and talking about some of the frustrations of youth ministry and seeing students walk away. This brought up the topic os defining success. Of course, that conversation came down to the fact that real success is defined by God not man and numbers do not tell the whole story. Every endeavor to reach and raise up people for God will have the gamut of stories to tell, leassons learned, mistakes made, and lives affected.
As I walked away from that conversation, there was a real uneasiness in me that I couldn't shake. I didn't want to take the cop out approach and "feel better" because even the largest youth ministries were experiencing the same issues we were.
We started to take some hard looks at how we were doing youth ministry and realized we were very top heavy. Meaning, it was mostly adults who were doing ministry and the youth were spectators. We immediately started making changes. Teams were formed from among the young people to get them more actively involved in actually doing ministry on an on-going basis and the adults were adjusted to more of a mentoring and guiding role. I even had a group of youth who met at my house regularly to help me brainstorm, plan, and even present the messages. This creative team took our services to a new level.
We saw some success as youth became much more involved in the overall life of the church as children's workers, tech crew, in the music department, taking part in outreach, and on and on. As youth pastor, I was limited in the full impact of these changes on the church as a whole, but it was a step in the right direction.
Since that time, I have been rethinking youth ministry as a whole and wondering what if we built a youth ministry that was focused on youth doing ministry and made it part of the churches DNA to have the generations working side by side. Much time has been spent in prayer, conversation, and meditating on this.
That is just a bit of the background for the changes we are making.
This post is long enough, so I will wait until the next one in this series to start putting some structure to this new endeavor.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Yesterday & Tomorrow
The yesterday is literal, the tomorrow is more figurative.
What an incredible day we had at Capital City Church yesterday! It's always a blast to have the children open our service! The rest of the praise time was great. My favorite worship leader of all was up there. She's got a fantastic voice, awesome heart, and she's beautiful too! :-)
We wrapped up our vision & direction series with a look into James chapter 2. Faith without action is dead. Action without faith is dead. I don't remember where I first heard this quote, but it is very good, "Faith without action leads to narcissism. Action without faith leads to despair." The two cannot be separated successfully any more than a man can be cut down the middle and continue on. Action, works, deeds, whatever word you use, are a result of our faith. They are born out of it. The fruit of faith if you will. Action does not earn us salvation or God's favor, He has given freely to us. However, action does prove that our faith exists.
I announced yesterday a couple of things in our future. The move to cross-generational ministry is one that I have been talking about in this blog already. We are going to take some aggressive steps to pay off our debt and to make major increases in missions and outreach monies and resources. Very soon we will be announcing the details for adding a second service. The time frame is not yet set, but when I say VERY soon, I mean it. It has been burning in me for a while and the time is about here for it.
We ended the service a bit differently, I had people write their names on an offering envelope and then, after some prayer, had them write on that envelope what their "action" offering was going to be. What was it they were committing to obey God in by putting feet to their faith. This included opportunities to serve in the church as well as serve people outside the church in the community. Then everyone came forward and laid those envelopes on the front of the stage. I can't wait to process through the responses.
After a little time of relaxing in the afternoon, we had our church picnic. Fantastic turnout! Great food, great conversations, and lots of fun. Nearly perfect weather, too. I was a bit nervous after announcing no rain and then have a light rain falling as I am greeting people in the lobby at the end of service. But, it cleared up and was beautiful by the time for the picnic. Nathan and I did go down to a couple of teams in cornhole. Our undefeated streak is over. We had a blast with some good clean competition.
Well, I'll post more later, but I have some training to do to reacquire our position atop the CapCity cornhole whatever. :-)
P.S. Breawnn took some great photos of the picnic. You can find them by clicking here.
What an incredible day we had at Capital City Church yesterday! It's always a blast to have the children open our service! The rest of the praise time was great. My favorite worship leader of all was up there. She's got a fantastic voice, awesome heart, and she's beautiful too! :-)
We wrapped up our vision & direction series with a look into James chapter 2. Faith without action is dead. Action without faith is dead. I don't remember where I first heard this quote, but it is very good, "Faith without action leads to narcissism. Action without faith leads to despair." The two cannot be separated successfully any more than a man can be cut down the middle and continue on. Action, works, deeds, whatever word you use, are a result of our faith. They are born out of it. The fruit of faith if you will. Action does not earn us salvation or God's favor, He has given freely to us. However, action does prove that our faith exists.
I announced yesterday a couple of things in our future. The move to cross-generational ministry is one that I have been talking about in this blog already. We are going to take some aggressive steps to pay off our debt and to make major increases in missions and outreach monies and resources. Very soon we will be announcing the details for adding a second service. The time frame is not yet set, but when I say VERY soon, I mean it. It has been burning in me for a while and the time is about here for it.
We ended the service a bit differently, I had people write their names on an offering envelope and then, after some prayer, had them write on that envelope what their "action" offering was going to be. What was it they were committing to obey God in by putting feet to their faith. This included opportunities to serve in the church as well as serve people outside the church in the community. Then everyone came forward and laid those envelopes on the front of the stage. I can't wait to process through the responses.
After a little time of relaxing in the afternoon, we had our church picnic. Fantastic turnout! Great food, great conversations, and lots of fun. Nearly perfect weather, too. I was a bit nervous after announcing no rain and then have a light rain falling as I am greeting people in the lobby at the end of service. But, it cleared up and was beautiful by the time for the picnic. Nathan and I did go down to a couple of teams in cornhole. Our undefeated streak is over. We had a blast with some good clean competition.
Well, I'll post more later, but I have some training to do to reacquire our position atop the CapCity cornhole whatever. :-)
P.S. Breawnn took some great photos of the picnic. You can find them by clicking here.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wasabi Gospel
I have been following Shawn Wood on Twitter for several months and enjoy his insights. When I started seeing the ramp up to the release of his book Wasabi Gospel, I decided it would be a good thing to check out. I was not disappointed.
There are a couple of things that stand out about this book that are refreshing. One is the interweaved story of "Laura" in the form of diary entries. The raw reality and emotion of working through life change is captured very well using this method. It adds to the draw to continue reading. So many books that are written on Christian life have great information, but lack something because they don't tell a story at the same time. Not having a story or stories tied to what is being presented can leave some very good teachings and valuable insights a little dry. Shawn does a great job keeping the insights fresh and connected with the reader. "Laura's Story" is a big part of that.
There is another aspect of this element that I very much appreciate, but I hesitate to mention because it could be a bit of a spoiler to someone who has not yet read it. Hopefully this is a good compromise: the way Shawn leaves Laura's Story is well done as it matches the raw reality of the whole.
Another thing that stands out about this book is the no holds barred honesty that Shawn uses to address each of the sayings of Jesus that he chose to address. Right off in chapter one Shawn shares of a time he was going to speak on a part of the Sermon on the Mount. As he was preparing, he was hit hard with the reality of what Christ was saying. Here are a couple of excerpts from that chapter (pages 7&8):
"I have a long standing rule against lying when I preach. So, in an attempt not to go get myself struck by lightning, I read over and over the statement above [Matthew 5:7] and asked myself the hardest question that someone can ask themselves when studying the Bible: 'How can I live this out?' ...
"Suddenly, God placed a name in my mind. It was the name of someone who had hurt me and many people whom I love very much in the worst kind of way. ...
"I had to be honest. Not only did I not want to give this person mercy and forgiveness, I wanted to hurt this person back."
He goes on the chapter about how he did manage to work through that and gives some great insight into forgiveness and mercy.
Each chapter is like that. It will cause you to think and evaluate. If you will be honest and allow the experiences Shawn shares along with the very pointed statements of Jesus that are addressed in this book to get a hold of you, you will be forced to repent and change at least once before you reach the final page of the book. The words of Christ are powerful and they bring us closer to God. But, that process requires humbling ourselves, realizing our faults and shortcomings, and moving forward with resolve to let those words shape us.
While the length and format of this book lend it to being called an "easy read", it only qualifies as that if you read it thinking about how someone else needs to read it so they will change. The book is easy to read, the truths take effort to apply and live out. If we all lived out the words of Jesus the way He intends for us to, well, life would be much different and this world would be turned upside down.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Generations
Last night was the first night of the transition we are making in our youth ministry. We are moving from a rally/spectator model to involvement. We have no specific model we are following. This is an experiment. I am going to post about this new endeavor off and on as we work through this.
I had a great time last night sharing with our students the "why" behind the changes and casting some vision with them to get them ready for what is about to happen.
Too many churches and people push student ministry off to the side as more of a babysitting service to keep them out of the way while the adults do the "real" ministry. There is too much talk about the "church of tomorrow" in referencing youth in church. The church is losing too many upon graduation. Upwards of 90% of our high school graduates will walk away from church in the four year of college and not come back.
Young people are full of potential. Most would agree with that. The problem is, too many see that as future potential vs present potential. A healthy and vibrant church is one that merges the generations to serve together. The church that is going to touch their community in unprecedented ways is the one that has children, youth, and adults working side by side growing and learning from one another and allowing the strengths of each individual and generation to add value to the whole.
We are not going to keep youth on the sidelines watching. We are not going to have a nice little youth group that keeps students separated. We are going to engage youth and give them significant opportunities to use what God has given them and to see Him move in and through them. We are going to challenge them, resource them, train them, and send them. We are going to incorporate all the generations in the DNA and life and activities and outreach of Capital City Church. The adults need the youth and children. The youth need the adults and children. The children need the adults and youth.
Will this always be smooth and seamless? I hope not. If it is, then we have not accomplished anything worthwhile because we took the easy road and didn't really change anything. God is speaking to His people and His church. It is time we stepped up and finished the task He gave us. That is only going to happen together. We must come together in unity across generational, social, denominational, racial, economic, and any other lines we have allowed to divide.
In the next post, I'll give a little more background and start to reveal some of the practical things this will entail.
I had a great time last night sharing with our students the "why" behind the changes and casting some vision with them to get them ready for what is about to happen.
Too many churches and people push student ministry off to the side as more of a babysitting service to keep them out of the way while the adults do the "real" ministry. There is too much talk about the "church of tomorrow" in referencing youth in church. The church is losing too many upon graduation. Upwards of 90% of our high school graduates will walk away from church in the four year of college and not come back.
Young people are full of potential. Most would agree with that. The problem is, too many see that as future potential vs present potential. A healthy and vibrant church is one that merges the generations to serve together. The church that is going to touch their community in unprecedented ways is the one that has children, youth, and adults working side by side growing and learning from one another and allowing the strengths of each individual and generation to add value to the whole.
We are not going to keep youth on the sidelines watching. We are not going to have a nice little youth group that keeps students separated. We are going to engage youth and give them significant opportunities to use what God has given them and to see Him move in and through them. We are going to challenge them, resource them, train them, and send them. We are going to incorporate all the generations in the DNA and life and activities and outreach of Capital City Church. The adults need the youth and children. The youth need the adults and children. The children need the adults and youth.
Will this always be smooth and seamless? I hope not. If it is, then we have not accomplished anything worthwhile because we took the easy road and didn't really change anything. God is speaking to His people and His church. It is time we stepped up and finished the task He gave us. That is only going to happen together. We must come together in unity across generational, social, denominational, racial, economic, and any other lines we have allowed to divide.
In the next post, I'll give a little more background and start to reveal some of the practical things this will entail.
Friday, August 21, 2009
General Council
I was going to write a few posts on GC09. I have several things to say, but I have decided that this post will be it. Mainly because, well, to be quite honest I was going to rant about a couple of things and there is no value in that.
That said, I am going to attempt to process one area of concern I have and let you in on that process here. As I said before, overall I am encouraged about the future of the church and of the Assemblies of God. We have some great leaders and there were some significant steps taken in the right direction two weeks ago.
However, there is something that I am struggling with. From the discussions held in the business meetings and on Twitter and in the blogs, I am not the only one struggling here.
The AG and the leadership of the church in America is not getting any younger. In fact, it seems there is a generation or two that is clinging to positions and power with a near death grip. At GC09 more resolutions were presented in an attempt to bring in some younger leaders to the bodies of influence within our fellowship. There were even a couple of people elected into these groups; token at best, but elected in nonetheless. Truth is, nothing changed among any of the highest levels. The resolutions were discussed and tabled for another two years. My concern is two-fold: first, we just keep putting off actually doing something; second, the solutions that are being offered are quotas and don't change anything really.
Adding more people to a body that at times is already too big and bureaucratic isn't going to be effective. Plus, it doesn't really change the complexion of that body. Trying to change things with mandates and resolutions from the top down often just centralizes things more and can have the reverse of the intended effect. It seems that the real answer is for those currently holding the positions to mentor and raise up the next leaders and then step aside gracefully instead of holding on for decades. Term limits definitely seem like a better step in the right direction than age, gender, and ethnic quotas. Why is it so hard to look across a room at the District level and find those with energy, vision, and anointing and give them the opportunity to lead? Why do we allow ourselves to become comfortable and complacent to the point of hanging on too long and allowing others to do so as well?
I honor and appreciate the generations that have gone before. Those men and women that have paved the way are a tremendous source of wisdom and guidance. I frequently seek out the counsel of those with more experience than me. That doesn't mean, however, that the roles of leadership should be held solely or mostly by only those with so many decades of experience. I would contend, that the ones who willfully and intentionally step aside and let the generations after them step up and even encourage that will have more influence and a greater legacy than the ones who hold on to position and titles.
I don't have a program oriented solution or one that can be easily "RESOLVED" after a few "Whereas" statements. I do believe that we must each examine our hearts and ask if serving is our real motivation or is power and political position? If it is serving, then we will do so wholeheartedly and understand that seasons change and come and go. If it is power, title, and position then we will strive and claw to get there and then hold on for as long as we can get away with it.
Maybe the best, most effective, and influential leaders are those who give it all away and raise up the next generations.
Feel free to weigh in... what are your thoughts?
That said, I am going to attempt to process one area of concern I have and let you in on that process here. As I said before, overall I am encouraged about the future of the church and of the Assemblies of God. We have some great leaders and there were some significant steps taken in the right direction two weeks ago.
However, there is something that I am struggling with. From the discussions held in the business meetings and on Twitter and in the blogs, I am not the only one struggling here.
The AG and the leadership of the church in America is not getting any younger. In fact, it seems there is a generation or two that is clinging to positions and power with a near death grip. At GC09 more resolutions were presented in an attempt to bring in some younger leaders to the bodies of influence within our fellowship. There were even a couple of people elected into these groups; token at best, but elected in nonetheless. Truth is, nothing changed among any of the highest levels. The resolutions were discussed and tabled for another two years. My concern is two-fold: first, we just keep putting off actually doing something; second, the solutions that are being offered are quotas and don't change anything really.
Adding more people to a body that at times is already too big and bureaucratic isn't going to be effective. Plus, it doesn't really change the complexion of that body. Trying to change things with mandates and resolutions from the top down often just centralizes things more and can have the reverse of the intended effect. It seems that the real answer is for those currently holding the positions to mentor and raise up the next leaders and then step aside gracefully instead of holding on for decades. Term limits definitely seem like a better step in the right direction than age, gender, and ethnic quotas. Why is it so hard to look across a room at the District level and find those with energy, vision, and anointing and give them the opportunity to lead? Why do we allow ourselves to become comfortable and complacent to the point of hanging on too long and allowing others to do so as well?
I honor and appreciate the generations that have gone before. Those men and women that have paved the way are a tremendous source of wisdom and guidance. I frequently seek out the counsel of those with more experience than me. That doesn't mean, however, that the roles of leadership should be held solely or mostly by only those with so many decades of experience. I would contend, that the ones who willfully and intentionally step aside and let the generations after them step up and even encourage that will have more influence and a greater legacy than the ones who hold on to position and titles.
I don't have a program oriented solution or one that can be easily "RESOLVED" after a few "Whereas" statements. I do believe that we must each examine our hearts and ask if serving is our real motivation or is power and political position? If it is serving, then we will do so wholeheartedly and understand that seasons change and come and go. If it is power, title, and position then we will strive and claw to get there and then hold on for as long as we can get away with it.
Maybe the best, most effective, and influential leaders are those who give it all away and raise up the next generations.
Feel free to weigh in... what are your thoughts?
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
General Council
I will have a couple of posts that reflect some of my thoughts and impressions from General Council (GC09)in Orlando two weeks ago. In this first one, I will hit some of the overall things and the tone etc. In other posts I will address a couple of specific issues regarding decisions and business conducted.
Overall, GC09 was a great event! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Everything except the registration was run very well and quite organized. Not sure what happened at registration, I have attended Councils before and never had to stand in line for more than a few minutes to get through, especially when we were pre-registered. I was in line for almost an hour and a half and know of some who did so for over three hours. Oh well, I wouldn't want to be in charge of processing 29,000 people.
The Kids Council registration was excellent. They took pictures of the kids and of the parents and even fingerprint scanned the parents. After that, parents signed their children in and out via fingerprint and then received a printout with pictures of kids and parents. That print out had to be turned in and the child's sticker placed on the paper before a parent could leave the area with a child. Very secure and very well done.
The children's workers were wonderful. They engaged the kids and they showed great energy even when I know they were tired. There were field trips in the mornings, activities in the afternoon, and children's services in the evening. My girls loved it! They made friends and they came away telling us about the Bible lessons learned and singing the worship songs. They are already asking if they can go to Kids Council again in two years. Very cool.
The exhibit hall was impressive. It was very hi-tech with computers and video screens everywhere. There were interactive media displays and a couple of stages set up to try out new audio/visual gear from Yahama and even record in a studio set up.
As part of the exhibit area, there was a Eurasia Experience that took you through a full production starting as if you were going through an airport and flying overseas. It walked you through a couple of areas that gave the feel of being in various parts of Eurasia and ended with a great program.
There were a couple of schedule changes that were really nice this year.
On Wednesday, the Youth and Kids Councils had their normal evening services, but there were no adult services. This was designed to give parents a night out alone. Great idea. (We took advantage and had a very nice meal at one of our favorite restaurants.)
On Thursday night, there was a combined Youth and Adult service with elements geared toward each. It was an amazing evening. There is not much that compares to radical and passionate praise taking place across generations in one place. A few rows in front of us was a lady well advanced in years and dressed traditionally. At the front of the room and scattered throughout were teens and young adults. On stage Jeff Deyo was leading worship. There were moving lights, giant screens, and motion graphics. This dear woman had both arms raised fully engaged in worship of God, and so did the thousands of young people as they jumped and shouted! Across the room, people of all ages proclaimed dedication and praise of the living God in one voice. Awesome!
The overall tone of the Council was very good. I am encouraged about the future of the Assemblies of God, but more importantly about the future of the church. This wasn't just about our specific fellowship as moves were made and things were done and people represented that go beyond a labeled group and have Kingdom significance. I walked away challenged and encouraged. God is doing something incredible around the world and we are privileged to be a part of it.
Overall, GC09 was a great event! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Everything except the registration was run very well and quite organized. Not sure what happened at registration, I have attended Councils before and never had to stand in line for more than a few minutes to get through, especially when we were pre-registered. I was in line for almost an hour and a half and know of some who did so for over three hours. Oh well, I wouldn't want to be in charge of processing 29,000 people.
The Kids Council registration was excellent. They took pictures of the kids and of the parents and even fingerprint scanned the parents. After that, parents signed their children in and out via fingerprint and then received a printout with pictures of kids and parents. That print out had to be turned in and the child's sticker placed on the paper before a parent could leave the area with a child. Very secure and very well done.
The children's workers were wonderful. They engaged the kids and they showed great energy even when I know they were tired. There were field trips in the mornings, activities in the afternoon, and children's services in the evening. My girls loved it! They made friends and they came away telling us about the Bible lessons learned and singing the worship songs. They are already asking if they can go to Kids Council again in two years. Very cool.
The exhibit hall was impressive. It was very hi-tech with computers and video screens everywhere. There were interactive media displays and a couple of stages set up to try out new audio/visual gear from Yahama and even record in a studio set up.
As part of the exhibit area, there was a Eurasia Experience that took you through a full production starting as if you were going through an airport and flying overseas. It walked you through a couple of areas that gave the feel of being in various parts of Eurasia and ended with a great program.
There were a couple of schedule changes that were really nice this year.
On Wednesday, the Youth and Kids Councils had their normal evening services, but there were no adult services. This was designed to give parents a night out alone. Great idea. (We took advantage and had a very nice meal at one of our favorite restaurants.)
On Thursday night, there was a combined Youth and Adult service with elements geared toward each. It was an amazing evening. There is not much that compares to radical and passionate praise taking place across generations in one place. A few rows in front of us was a lady well advanced in years and dressed traditionally. At the front of the room and scattered throughout were teens and young adults. On stage Jeff Deyo was leading worship. There were moving lights, giant screens, and motion graphics. This dear woman had both arms raised fully engaged in worship of God, and so did the thousands of young people as they jumped and shouted! Across the room, people of all ages proclaimed dedication and praise of the living God in one voice. Awesome!
The overall tone of the Council was very good. I am encouraged about the future of the Assemblies of God, but more importantly about the future of the church. This wasn't just about our specific fellowship as moves were made and things were done and people represented that go beyond a labeled group and have Kingdom significance. I walked away challenged and encouraged. God is doing something incredible around the world and we are privileged to be a part of it.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The Magic Kingdom
On Sunday, I promised I would blog some of my thoughts from our two weeks away for General Council and family vacation. General Council is the bi-annual national meeting for the US Assemblies of God. This year it was held in Orlando, Florida. We decided to tack on some days before and a week after in order to have some vacation as well.
On one of our family days we went to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. Many pastors and leaders have documented well the level of hospitality and imagination that is very evident from the moment you step onto the property. Mark Batterson weighed in his thoughts here and here which were very good. There are many others I could point to as well. I won't take time here to add to what others have noted except to say, the Disney plan and vision is quite impressive and they do hospitality and details like few others.
My take in this post will be somewhat different. First, I will say that we went at the wrong time. Orlando in August is NOT the time and place to go anywhere outdoors that the crowds are large and the lines long. It was the least enjoyable day for my wife and I. Truth is, our daughters were ready to leave shortly after lunch as well. We stretched it out to dinner time because of how much it cost. The day was more hot and humid than some of the surrounding days and there was little to no breeze to bring relief. We found our most enjoyment to come from the indoor shows. I don't mean to whine, just want to give some background and perspective for my comments.
Maybe my expectations are too high. Maybe I was hot and cranky. Maybe my daughters were a little too whiny and had asked for one too many things to buy. Or maybe Disney is in danger of losing sight of who they are. Maybe the success that Disney has and is enjoying is causing them to lose focus.
The biggest problem of our day there was the amount of people in the park. There was little room to move and the lines were extremely long to everything, including the food. Has Disney crossed the line of being more worried about profit than providing a quality experience to every visitor?
Here's a radical thought, what if Disney limited the visitors each day to a set number that would allow for a better experience for those who made it in. I know that goes against the grain, but so has much of what Disney has done over the years. I would have been disappointed, but understanding, to find out that the day we wanted to go was sold out. We would have tried for another day. I know it isn't the best business model to turn away customers, but neither is unhappy and dissatisfied customers walking away feeling like they just wasted precious time and money. My point is simply that Disney has found a better way to do most things, but they are failing in finding a new way to approach the size of their crowds and the cost of their parks.
Now let me turn this around a bit. As a church we must make sure that we are constantly evaluating what we do and make sure that we are doing everything we can to provide a positive experience to our guests so that nothing hinders them from having and encounter with Christ. That means asking the question is there a better way. A modern example of that question being asked and answered has to do with the very things that disrupted our visit to the Magic Kingdom: crowds and costs. As churches have grown, many have not built huge buildings costing untold millions where larger crowds could gather. Instead, they have chosen to "limit" the amount that could be there at any one time by keeping facilities smaller and meeting more often. This helps keep the indebtedness down freeng up money for ministry and it helps give a better overall experience to those who attend. I am not against large gatherings or mega-churches by any stretch. I greatly appreciate and celebrate them. A new day is here and, for some, a new approach has also arrived. This has come from leaders asking the hard questions.
Disney has been known for asking hard questions in the past. The problem is, the larger you get, the higher the stakes for asking those questions and then acting on the answers. I don't know that Disney is now capable of some of the radical risks they once took because of their current size and scope. For the church, the same can hold true (on a much smaller scale of course): the more we grow the higher the stakes. If we are not careful we stop asking the questions and start protecting the status quo and it will cost us. That cost will be much higher than a profit margin on a spreadsheet.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this...
On one of our family days we went to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. Many pastors and leaders have documented well the level of hospitality and imagination that is very evident from the moment you step onto the property. Mark Batterson weighed in his thoughts here and here which were very good. There are many others I could point to as well. I won't take time here to add to what others have noted except to say, the Disney plan and vision is quite impressive and they do hospitality and details like few others.
My take in this post will be somewhat different. First, I will say that we went at the wrong time. Orlando in August is NOT the time and place to go anywhere outdoors that the crowds are large and the lines long. It was the least enjoyable day for my wife and I. Truth is, our daughters were ready to leave shortly after lunch as well. We stretched it out to dinner time because of how much it cost. The day was more hot and humid than some of the surrounding days and there was little to no breeze to bring relief. We found our most enjoyment to come from the indoor shows. I don't mean to whine, just want to give some background and perspective for my comments.
Maybe my expectations are too high. Maybe I was hot and cranky. Maybe my daughters were a little too whiny and had asked for one too many things to buy. Or maybe Disney is in danger of losing sight of who they are. Maybe the success that Disney has and is enjoying is causing them to lose focus.
The biggest problem of our day there was the amount of people in the park. There was little room to move and the lines were extremely long to everything, including the food. Has Disney crossed the line of being more worried about profit than providing a quality experience to every visitor?
Here's a radical thought, what if Disney limited the visitors each day to a set number that would allow for a better experience for those who made it in. I know that goes against the grain, but so has much of what Disney has done over the years. I would have been disappointed, but understanding, to find out that the day we wanted to go was sold out. We would have tried for another day. I know it isn't the best business model to turn away customers, but neither is unhappy and dissatisfied customers walking away feeling like they just wasted precious time and money. My point is simply that Disney has found a better way to do most things, but they are failing in finding a new way to approach the size of their crowds and the cost of their parks.
Now let me turn this around a bit. As a church we must make sure that we are constantly evaluating what we do and make sure that we are doing everything we can to provide a positive experience to our guests so that nothing hinders them from having and encounter with Christ. That means asking the question is there a better way. A modern example of that question being asked and answered has to do with the very things that disrupted our visit to the Magic Kingdom: crowds and costs. As churches have grown, many have not built huge buildings costing untold millions where larger crowds could gather. Instead, they have chosen to "limit" the amount that could be there at any one time by keeping facilities smaller and meeting more often. This helps keep the indebtedness down freeng up money for ministry and it helps give a better overall experience to those who attend. I am not against large gatherings or mega-churches by any stretch. I greatly appreciate and celebrate them. A new day is here and, for some, a new approach has also arrived. This has come from leaders asking the hard questions.
Disney has been known for asking hard questions in the past. The problem is, the larger you get, the higher the stakes for asking those questions and then acting on the answers. I don't know that Disney is now capable of some of the radical risks they once took because of their current size and scope. For the church, the same can hold true (on a much smaller scale of course): the more we grow the higher the stakes. If we are not careful we stop asking the questions and start protecting the status quo and it will cost us. That cost will be much higher than a profit margin on a spreadsheet.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this...
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Return
We had a wonderful vacation! But, it is good to be home. We have never taken a full two week vacation as a family like that. I am sure we will be doing it again.
That said, I am ready to jump right back in and charge ahead. That is one of the points of vacation after all; recharge and refresh for the next season.
It wasn't planned beforehand, but I ended up taking a break from blogging as well. Even my activity on Facebook and Twitter was greatly diminished. I'll be picking back up this week. I have several posts I want to write about some of the observations and experiences coming out of General Council and our time away.
For now, a couple quick thoughts:
We MISSED Capital City! It was even more evident as we were talking with people in the lobby and halls today. During the service this morning, I was very aware of how much of a privilege it is to pastor here.
While we were away, we had a couple of different approaches to filling in for me being gone on Sunday. The first Sunday, Lou Scalzo, youth pastor at Highway Tabernacle in Youngstown, filled in. Lou is my successor at Highway and he is a good communicator and storyteller. Many have shared some very positive feedback from his message. Lou was quite complimentary of the people of CapCity. He thoroughly enjoyed his time here. The second Sunday, we showed a video message from Craig Groeschel. Again, I have heard very positive feedback from the message and even the effectiveness of video. One of our board members and missions director, Don Rowles, wrapped up the service. Nathan did a great job covering things in my absence. God is putting together a fantastic team here.
This morning was incredible in so many ways! Elena led the songs; of course she is my favorite worship leader! She did awesome as always. The whole band sounded very good and they handled things well.
We had a full service with communion, a missionary guest, a couple of videos, and I was pumped up after not preaching for two Sundays! We went a little longer than normal today. :-)
Missionary Guy Deal and his family joined us today to share what God is doing in intercultural ministries here in Columbus. Very cool to see people from different cultures coming together to grow and serve in unity.
It was a very impactful service as God was speaking very specifically to some folks and we took a few moments in the middle and at the end to give them on opportunity to respond. The communion time today was significant in itself.
I won't rehash the message here, but I started sharing on our vision and direction covering the core value of courage. The next two weeks, we'll cover some other areas of the vision and direction that I believe God has set before us. A line was drawn in the sand. And when the challenge was given to cross that line several did boldly! There are some families and lives that will be impacted greatly because someone said "yes" to God today and stepped out in spite of fear. You can listen to the full sermon online tomorrow (hopefully, the podcast will be on the site then). I will also make sure the podcast from the Sunday Lou spoke as well as a link to the video from Craig gets posted.
As I said this morning Capital City, hang on it's about to get very exciting!
I could ramble on here all night, but I have done enough of that today. ;-)
Will post more later...
That said, I am ready to jump right back in and charge ahead. That is one of the points of vacation after all; recharge and refresh for the next season.
It wasn't planned beforehand, but I ended up taking a break from blogging as well. Even my activity on Facebook and Twitter was greatly diminished. I'll be picking back up this week. I have several posts I want to write about some of the observations and experiences coming out of General Council and our time away.
For now, a couple quick thoughts:
We MISSED Capital City! It was even more evident as we were talking with people in the lobby and halls today. During the service this morning, I was very aware of how much of a privilege it is to pastor here.
While we were away, we had a couple of different approaches to filling in for me being gone on Sunday. The first Sunday, Lou Scalzo, youth pastor at Highway Tabernacle in Youngstown, filled in. Lou is my successor at Highway and he is a good communicator and storyteller. Many have shared some very positive feedback from his message. Lou was quite complimentary of the people of CapCity. He thoroughly enjoyed his time here. The second Sunday, we showed a video message from Craig Groeschel. Again, I have heard very positive feedback from the message and even the effectiveness of video. One of our board members and missions director, Don Rowles, wrapped up the service. Nathan did a great job covering things in my absence. God is putting together a fantastic team here.
This morning was incredible in so many ways! Elena led the songs; of course she is my favorite worship leader! She did awesome as always. The whole band sounded very good and they handled things well.
We had a full service with communion, a missionary guest, a couple of videos, and I was pumped up after not preaching for two Sundays! We went a little longer than normal today. :-)
Missionary Guy Deal and his family joined us today to share what God is doing in intercultural ministries here in Columbus. Very cool to see people from different cultures coming together to grow and serve in unity.
It was a very impactful service as God was speaking very specifically to some folks and we took a few moments in the middle and at the end to give them on opportunity to respond. The communion time today was significant in itself.
I won't rehash the message here, but I started sharing on our vision and direction covering the core value of courage. The next two weeks, we'll cover some other areas of the vision and direction that I believe God has set before us. A line was drawn in the sand. And when the challenge was given to cross that line several did boldly! There are some families and lives that will be impacted greatly because someone said "yes" to God today and stepped out in spite of fear. You can listen to the full sermon online tomorrow (hopefully, the podcast will be on the site then). I will also make sure the podcast from the Sunday Lou spoke as well as a link to the video from Craig gets posted.
As I said this morning Capital City, hang on it's about to get very exciting!
I could ramble on here all night, but I have done enough of that today. ;-)
Will post more later...
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Rain, Rain Go Away!
I am not a big fan of the rain. I like the results of rain and understand its importance, but definitely do not enjoy the whole experience of rain. Rain is gloomy, it makes me tired, and it is very inconvenient. As a sign I am getting old, my joints ache when it rains, especially my knees and right hip.
Rain is one of the few things that can cancel golf for me or even cause me to leave a course early. I have golfed in the rain, but usually only for the benefit of someone else or as part of a golf scramble. Once it starts really raining, I'm done.
When we sing songs asking God to rain on us in church I always pause. Truth is, I don't want God to "rain" on me. It's not enjoyable to have God "rain" on my parade or to experience His "rain." I understand the intent of most of these songs are for refreshing and an outpouring of Him. Just the concept of rain always gets me because I don't like the rain.
I think there are a lot of things like rain in our spiritual lives. God wants to come in and cleanse something from us. He wants to wash us and restore us. Sounds great. Experience tells me it is not always the most enjoyable time to walk through, much like a rain storm. It is inconvenient, it is uncomfortable, it is hard to see, we tend to be grumpy, we lack zeal and energy, we get tired. Sometimes it hurts. Why? Because God is doing a deep work within us that is causing us to be confronted with ourselves and our shortcomings. He is asking us to change and remove things. He is leading us into a deeper and fuller understanding of Him and of ourselves. We are never consulted about whether or not it is a good time to do this. It is always on His schedule. Much like when rain pops up when I am supposed to golf; I didn't order that!
The cool thing is what happens after those periods. Things really are refreshed and rejuvenated. Growth is taking place and beauty is seen. Everything is a bit softer and brighter. We sense life and feel in tune and harmony.
As much as I don't like rain, I love the results; in nature and in the spiritual.
What are your thoughts?
Rain is one of the few things that can cancel golf for me or even cause me to leave a course early. I have golfed in the rain, but usually only for the benefit of someone else or as part of a golf scramble. Once it starts really raining, I'm done.
When we sing songs asking God to rain on us in church I always pause. Truth is, I don't want God to "rain" on me. It's not enjoyable to have God "rain" on my parade or to experience His "rain." I understand the intent of most of these songs are for refreshing and an outpouring of Him. Just the concept of rain always gets me because I don't like the rain.
I think there are a lot of things like rain in our spiritual lives. God wants to come in and cleanse something from us. He wants to wash us and restore us. Sounds great. Experience tells me it is not always the most enjoyable time to walk through, much like a rain storm. It is inconvenient, it is uncomfortable, it is hard to see, we tend to be grumpy, we lack zeal and energy, we get tired. Sometimes it hurts. Why? Because God is doing a deep work within us that is causing us to be confronted with ourselves and our shortcomings. He is asking us to change and remove things. He is leading us into a deeper and fuller understanding of Him and of ourselves. We are never consulted about whether or not it is a good time to do this. It is always on His schedule. Much like when rain pops up when I am supposed to golf; I didn't order that!
The cool thing is what happens after those periods. Things really are refreshed and rejuvenated. Growth is taking place and beauty is seen. Everything is a bit softer and brighter. We sense life and feel in tune and harmony.
As much as I don't like rain, I love the results; in nature and in the spiritual.
What are your thoughts?
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Flexibility
Of the many lessons I have learned over the years in ministry, flexibility is one of the more important.
Every day there are new challenges and new things that come up. Surprise in schedules and unforeseen issues are common occurrences when dealing with people. As long as we realize that and are flexible, there are no problems with this.
I have heard it joked before that the ministry and church would be great if it weren’t for the people. What a sad view. People, or more specifically individuals are what the church and the ministry are about. Of course, God is our central focus, but our earthly mission is reaching and training and equipping and encouraging people.
With people, there will be the unexpected, the uncertain. To be inflexible and think that everything has to be just so and on a certain schedule will just cause frustration and, even worse, ineffectiveness. Every ministry group and missions team I have ever led, this word has been a major part of our language. On one trip we used the phrase, “everything is tentative until the day after.” Just for emphasis, I would sometimes add, “and even then it may change.”
As we look at the life of Christ, He was flexible. His day changed often based upon the needs of those He was ministering to. A servant is sick, He stopped to heal. A little girl has died, Jesus went to her and brought life. A woman at a well needs forgiveness, Jesus is there.
As the unexpected comes our way each day, may we be full of enough grace to do what Jesus would do and remain flexible.
Every day there are new challenges and new things that come up. Surprise in schedules and unforeseen issues are common occurrences when dealing with people. As long as we realize that and are flexible, there are no problems with this.
I have heard it joked before that the ministry and church would be great if it weren’t for the people. What a sad view. People, or more specifically individuals are what the church and the ministry are about. Of course, God is our central focus, but our earthly mission is reaching and training and equipping and encouraging people.
With people, there will be the unexpected, the uncertain. To be inflexible and think that everything has to be just so and on a certain schedule will just cause frustration and, even worse, ineffectiveness. Every ministry group and missions team I have ever led, this word has been a major part of our language. On one trip we used the phrase, “everything is tentative until the day after.” Just for emphasis, I would sometimes add, “and even then it may change.”
As we look at the life of Christ, He was flexible. His day changed often based upon the needs of those He was ministering to. A servant is sick, He stopped to heal. A little girl has died, Jesus went to her and brought life. A woman at a well needs forgiveness, Jesus is there.
As the unexpected comes our way each day, may we be full of enough grace to do what Jesus would do and remain flexible.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
It's Sunday
It's late Sunday night and I am sitting here relaxed and content. What a great day!
Powerful service this morning!
A couple highlights:
Powerful service this morning!
A couple highlights:
- Worship was strong right off the bat.
- We tried a slightly different version of an older favorite, "Shout to the Lord," it was pretty cool
- We had a special guest from the Gideon's today, Aaron Trevis. He is the president of the Gideon's in Australia. He did a great job sharing the vision of the Gideon's. The accent doesn't hurt for getting people's attention either. :-) I think a couple of more of our people are signing up to be a part of this cool ministry. Love the unity across the body of Christ that happens within the Gideon's.
- Wrapped up our series "What I Wish Someone Had Told Me" today with the "10 Things I Must Remember." Posted below.
- Powerful response at the end of service. It never gets old seeing people make life changes.
- I cannot change people; only God can do that.
- I cannot make people love Jesus and serve Him; only the Holy Spirit can do that.
- No matter what a person has done, he is worth saving.
- Listen carefully to others.
- Do not set goals for others. Expect more from yourself than them. Help them find their dreams.
- I cannot take myself too seriously, but must take the time to enjoy life.
- Accent the positive. Spend more time in praise and less in complaining. Be an encourager
- I, too, have needs and God will use others to minister to them.
- I will fail in many areas of my life, but Jesus never fails. Exercise faith daily.
- I belong to God. I am answerable to Him. I must always do that which pleases Him only.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The Drop Cloth
We have had several painting projects over the years. One of our last ones was in our previous house painting the basement den.
I went and got the paint and supplies and prepped the room. Of course, this means I moved all the furniture away from the walls and cleared things out. Now, if you ask me, we got dark brown for one wall and light brown for the other three. In case you didn’t know, the room HAS to have an accent wall. (If you don’t know why, ask a woman, she will explain it you.) If you ask my wife we painted the accent wall Belgian Chocolate Mocha (or something) and the other walls Waverly Antique (or something). Dark brown and light brown.
So the trim was taped and everything was ready to start painting and out came the drop cloths. There are all kinds of drop cloths you can use. Ones that are actual cloth (canvas, etc.), ones made of vinyl, ones of plastic, disposable ones, reusable, and on it goes.
The thing that is true of every drop cloth is that it going to be abused. It will be stepped on, pulled, tugged, spilled on, dripped on, and then put away dirty or discarded. All of this is OK. That is what it was designed to do. It is there to help keep the carpet from getting paint on it. The drop cloth has a very specific purpose. That purpose is not very glamorous, it is not noteworthy, it is taken for granted, it is temporary. Yet, in spite of all of this, it is important.
I might be able to paint without a drop cloth and get away with it, but maybe not. My wife might also get away without one for a time. My daughters, well, they must have a drop cloth. Yes, they have helped paint, so a drop cloth was absolutely essential.
This piece of fabric so under appreciated, so seemingly insignificant, serving its purpose saves me a great deal of time scrubbing paint out of carpets. Not to mention the strain on my voice from yelling at my girls for getting paint on the carpet. :o)
Truth is, there are times when each of us feels like a drop cloth. Under people’s feet as they walk over us, being tugged this way and that, problems and junk dripping on us, stresses and circumstances spilling out, and then being thrown aside, discarded in a heap, unappreciated.
There are times when our duty is one that is not glamorous or noteworthy or exciting. That doesn’t mean that our purpose at that time is not essential. It might be just as important, or even the most important of any of the other things happening at the moment.
We can’t all get the spotlight or glamor. Some times we have to settle for knowing that we did our best and accomplished our purpose in a situation.
Several years ago, I read of a high school art class that had a piece of plywood that had made up the top of their work station for mixing paints and painting small projects. They took this piece of old wood that had been abused and ignored for years and instead of throwing it away, they entered it into a modern art contest. It won and ended up on display in a gallery. It was sold and the proceeds went to helping that art program expand some of what it was doing.
Don’t get discouraged if it seems you aren’t getting the recognition or attention you should. Keep doing, keep living your purpose and in time this moment will pass and the next just may have you on display in a gallery as a great work of art.
I went and got the paint and supplies and prepped the room. Of course, this means I moved all the furniture away from the walls and cleared things out. Now, if you ask me, we got dark brown for one wall and light brown for the other three. In case you didn’t know, the room HAS to have an accent wall. (If you don’t know why, ask a woman, she will explain it you.) If you ask my wife we painted the accent wall Belgian Chocolate Mocha (or something) and the other walls Waverly Antique (or something). Dark brown and light brown.
So the trim was taped and everything was ready to start painting and out came the drop cloths. There are all kinds of drop cloths you can use. Ones that are actual cloth (canvas, etc.), ones made of vinyl, ones of plastic, disposable ones, reusable, and on it goes.
The thing that is true of every drop cloth is that it going to be abused. It will be stepped on, pulled, tugged, spilled on, dripped on, and then put away dirty or discarded. All of this is OK. That is what it was designed to do. It is there to help keep the carpet from getting paint on it. The drop cloth has a very specific purpose. That purpose is not very glamorous, it is not noteworthy, it is taken for granted, it is temporary. Yet, in spite of all of this, it is important.
I might be able to paint without a drop cloth and get away with it, but maybe not. My wife might also get away without one for a time. My daughters, well, they must have a drop cloth. Yes, they have helped paint, so a drop cloth was absolutely essential.
This piece of fabric so under appreciated, so seemingly insignificant, serving its purpose saves me a great deal of time scrubbing paint out of carpets. Not to mention the strain on my voice from yelling at my girls for getting paint on the carpet. :o)
Truth is, there are times when each of us feels like a drop cloth. Under people’s feet as they walk over us, being tugged this way and that, problems and junk dripping on us, stresses and circumstances spilling out, and then being thrown aside, discarded in a heap, unappreciated.
There are times when our duty is one that is not glamorous or noteworthy or exciting. That doesn’t mean that our purpose at that time is not essential. It might be just as important, or even the most important of any of the other things happening at the moment.
We can’t all get the spotlight or glamor. Some times we have to settle for knowing that we did our best and accomplished our purpose in a situation.
Several years ago, I read of a high school art class that had a piece of plywood that had made up the top of their work station for mixing paints and painting small projects. They took this piece of old wood that had been abused and ignored for years and instead of throwing it away, they entered it into a modern art contest. It won and ended up on display in a gallery. It was sold and the proceeds went to helping that art program expand some of what it was doing.
Don’t get discouraged if it seems you aren’t getting the recognition or attention you should. Keep doing, keep living your purpose and in time this moment will pass and the next just may have you on display in a gallery as a great work of art.
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