Posts
This morning I preached a message from Galatians 4:4-7 on adoption. The premise was two-fold. First, Adoption is a gift of grace, initiated by the Father, fulfilled through Christ, sealed by the Spirit, that brings us into the family of God as sons. Second, that spiritual picture is clearly painted on earth when families adopt orphaned children into their families. I am not sure when the sermon will go live but you should be able to listen to it within a day or so at: www.sarasotabaptist.com
Some of you inquired about some of the resources available to help those considering adoption. While there are many great resources I will simply list what I believe are some of the best that I am familiar with or have experience with.
The adoption agency that Candace and used was: America World Adoption Association: www.awaa.org
For Foster Care options I recommend checking with the Florida Baptist Children's Home: www.fbchomes.org
For information on Orphan Sunday see: www.orphansunday.org
The best book on Biblical adoption is entitled, "Adopted for Life" by Russell Moore
You can get a copy on at www.amazon.com
For help affording adoption or contributing so others can afford to adopt check out: www.showhope.org
If you have any question about adoption, the process, or experience I would love to talk with you more about it. Email me at: ckeck@sarasotabaptist.com
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Family Dedications and the Spirit of Adoption
As I briefly mentioned in my last post, the Southern Baptist Convention, which met last week in Louisville, KY, affirmed a resolution on adoption and orphan care ( to read it see link in previous post). As adoptive parents, we were very excited about the new attention being placed on this important issue. If you would like to know more about adoption and how to understand the theological significance of it I would encourage you to pick up a copy of Adopted for Life by Russell Moore. It is available on Amazon. I would also be happy to dialogue with you about adoption and my experience with it.
This past Sunday we had the privilege of dedicating our family to the Lord at our church (www.sarasotabaptist.com). We try to do these "family dedications" when a child enters the life of a family. It challenges the parents to take seriously their responsibility to love each other and to raise up their children in truth and love of Christ. It also challenges the church to provide strong teachers, leaders, and role models to assist the parents in what is their main task. We were part of one of these dedications when our daughter was born several years ago and it was time to renew our commitment to God and our church with our son. Because I am one of the pastors at the church and am always looking for "teachable moments" I used this time to challenge our church to become a vital influence in the area of adoption and orphan care.
As a Christan I believe the Bible clearly states the life begins at conception and that abortion is wrong. We have been quite vocal in this area, but I recently heard someone say that "most Christians believe that life begins at conception and ends at birth." I started thinking what would happen in the world if every Christian who believes that abortion is wrong would adopt an orphan. This would be one way that we as Christians could demonstrate that we value all life. I know that not all of us are capable of adopting. Some of you who read this are past the child rearing years. Others are not sensing that God is moving you in this direction. I would challenge you to find ways to pray and give to those who are sensing the Lord moving in this area. Adoption can be quite expensive. Would you consider helping someone in your church who feels the Lord moving their family in this direction? If you are unable to do this would you PRAY?
Check out the video of Shepherd's dedication service. I would love to hear your ideas on family dedications and adoption in general. Does your church have a culture of adoption? How does your church do "family dedications"? I would love to hear from you.
This past Sunday we had the privilege of dedicating our family to the Lord at our church (www.sarasotabaptist.com). We try to do these "family dedications" when a child enters the life of a family. It challenges the parents to take seriously their responsibility to love each other and to raise up their children in truth and love of Christ. It also challenges the church to provide strong teachers, leaders, and role models to assist the parents in what is their main task. We were part of one of these dedications when our daughter was born several years ago and it was time to renew our commitment to God and our church with our son. Because I am one of the pastors at the church and am always looking for "teachable moments" I used this time to challenge our church to become a vital influence in the area of adoption and orphan care.
As a Christan I believe the Bible clearly states the life begins at conception and that abortion is wrong. We have been quite vocal in this area, but I recently heard someone say that "most Christians believe that life begins at conception and ends at birth." I started thinking what would happen in the world if every Christian who believes that abortion is wrong would adopt an orphan. This would be one way that we as Christians could demonstrate that we value all life. I know that not all of us are capable of adopting. Some of you who read this are past the child rearing years. Others are not sensing that God is moving you in this direction. I would challenge you to find ways to pray and give to those who are sensing the Lord moving in this area. Adoption can be quite expensive. Would you consider helping someone in your church who feels the Lord moving their family in this direction? If you are unable to do this would you PRAY?
Check out the video of Shepherd's dedication service. I would love to hear your ideas on family dedications and adoption in general. Does your church have a culture of adoption? How does your church do "family dedications"? I would love to hear from you.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Why the Great Commission Resurgence Should Also Mean a Sunday School/Small Group Resurgence
I just returned from what I believe will prove to be an important turning point for the Southern Baptist Convention. With an estimated 95% approval, the convention voted to adopted the appointment of a task force to examine the effectiveness of the convention (at both the local, state, and national level) in our Great Commission efforts. While it was no surprise that some attempted to paint this move as political, I firmly believe that it is truly the heart of the task force and the messengers to evaluate whether we as Southern Baptist's are leveraging all our resources (financial, structural, and personnel) to most effectively carry out the Great Commission in the 21st Century. The approval of messengers on this matter set the tone for the rest of the convention. As a young Southern Baptist Pastor I left the convention with a renewed hope that we are moving as a convention to a place of significant Kingdom impact. For the first time in a longtime I felt we made a statement about what we are for and not just all the things we are against. The messengers set the tone for better accountability and missional vision as we continue to move toward a Great Commission Resurgence. I felt both inspired and encouraged as a result of my time in Louisville. A personal highlight was the passage of a resolution on Adoption and orphan care. Please take a moment and read the resolution presented by Dr. Russell Moore (http://www.russellmoore.com/2009/05/19/on-adoption-and-orphan-care-a-proposed-resolution/)
So if we are now prayerfully moving as a convention toward a Great Commission Resurgence. How does this effect the local church and in particularly Educational Ministry? To be honest I am not sure yet. We will not hear from the Task Force until next June, but here is what I hope happens in local churches across the denomination.
1) I hope each church will reevaluate how they are spending the tithes and offerings within their church. Is the thinking "Kingdom minded" or "build my church."
2) I hope churches will evaluate how much the are giving to the Cooperative Program and to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which goes to fund missionaries on the international field. In the report from the IMB (given at the convention) we were notified that God has called numerous Southern Baptist's to the mission field and yet there is not enough money to send them. Let me remind us that there is plenty of money. The problem is that the money is still in the pockets of Southern Baptists. We have a couple in our church that this has directly effected by this "lack of sending funds."
3) I hope churches will take the whole Great Commission seriously. We tend to put the focus of the efforts on verse 19 and sometime miss the power and weight of Matthew 28 verse 20. We get the part of "Go and make disciples" and "baptise them." My fear is that sometimes we may forget verse 20 which begins with "teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you." Where does this teaching happen? And what exactly are we supposed to teach? Certainly this teaching can and should happen in the pulpit. Pastors ought to have gospel centered preaching and should take the task of preaching very seriously. I would argue that while this is vital (and must happen in churches who take the GC seriously) it should not be the only place that this type of "teaching" should be done. I would like to argue that a large part of this teaching can effectively be done in small groups or Sunday School (Without getting into the technicalities of either I will use the terms interchangeably from this point on). We know that people have different learning styles and that people sometimes need to hear something taught both repetitiously as well as interactionally. Methodologically small groups can be effective at both. I am not the one to argue only for a traditional Sunday School model nor for a in home small group only model (our church has both and they are both hybrids of each other) I will argue that breaking the masses down into small groups enhance both the teaching and learning experience. It is clear that Jesus taught both to the crowds and to the disciples. In fact one could make a case that the most specific instruction was made primarily to only the small group of twelve.
The second aspect of the question is what are we to teach? It is my belief from the passage that we are to teach more than knowledge. We were instructed to teach people how to obey. The Scripture says "teaching them to observe everything." So did Jesus teach the crowds how to observe or obey more effectively in crowds or in small groups? I believe the small group. See John 6:52 and following for an example of which group was able to observe his teaching and which group bailed out on Him.
I write all this to say that I am a firm believer that if we see a resurgence to the priority of Great Commission verse 19 then we need to see equal attention and effort being placed on verse 20. While no methodology is perfect I believe that Jesus modeled teaching in a small group for a reason. He must have believed that it was an effective method. It is my prayer that we will see a renewed effort to see the gospel taken to all tribes tongues and nations while not forgetting the importance of considering how and why we are going to teach people to be obedient to Christ and his gospel.
May we see a Great Commission Resurgence in our churches that produces authentic, spirit-filled men and women, boys and girls, who are learning to take the gospel to the nations while developing a heart of obedience toward the things of Christ. I still believe that Small Groups/SS is a powerful method for seeing that happen.
So if we are now prayerfully moving as a convention toward a Great Commission Resurgence. How does this effect the local church and in particularly Educational Ministry? To be honest I am not sure yet. We will not hear from the Task Force until next June, but here is what I hope happens in local churches across the denomination.
1) I hope each church will reevaluate how they are spending the tithes and offerings within their church. Is the thinking "Kingdom minded" or "build my church."
2) I hope churches will evaluate how much the are giving to the Cooperative Program and to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, which goes to fund missionaries on the international field. In the report from the IMB (given at the convention) we were notified that God has called numerous Southern Baptist's to the mission field and yet there is not enough money to send them. Let me remind us that there is plenty of money. The problem is that the money is still in the pockets of Southern Baptists. We have a couple in our church that this has directly effected by this "lack of sending funds."
3) I hope churches will take the whole Great Commission seriously. We tend to put the focus of the efforts on verse 19 and sometime miss the power and weight of Matthew 28 verse 20. We get the part of "Go and make disciples" and "baptise them." My fear is that sometimes we may forget verse 20 which begins with "teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you." Where does this teaching happen? And what exactly are we supposed to teach? Certainly this teaching can and should happen in the pulpit. Pastors ought to have gospel centered preaching and should take the task of preaching very seriously. I would argue that while this is vital (and must happen in churches who take the GC seriously) it should not be the only place that this type of "teaching" should be done. I would like to argue that a large part of this teaching can effectively be done in small groups or Sunday School (Without getting into the technicalities of either I will use the terms interchangeably from this point on). We know that people have different learning styles and that people sometimes need to hear something taught both repetitiously as well as interactionally. Methodologically small groups can be effective at both. I am not the one to argue only for a traditional Sunday School model nor for a in home small group only model (our church has both and they are both hybrids of each other) I will argue that breaking the masses down into small groups enhance both the teaching and learning experience. It is clear that Jesus taught both to the crowds and to the disciples. In fact one could make a case that the most specific instruction was made primarily to only the small group of twelve.
The second aspect of the question is what are we to teach? It is my belief from the passage that we are to teach more than knowledge. We were instructed to teach people how to obey. The Scripture says "teaching them to observe everything." So did Jesus teach the crowds how to observe or obey more effectively in crowds or in small groups? I believe the small group. See John 6:52 and following for an example of which group was able to observe his teaching and which group bailed out on Him.
I write all this to say that I am a firm believer that if we see a resurgence to the priority of Great Commission verse 19 then we need to see equal attention and effort being placed on verse 20. While no methodology is perfect I believe that Jesus modeled teaching in a small group for a reason. He must have believed that it was an effective method. It is my prayer that we will see a renewed effort to see the gospel taken to all tribes tongues and nations while not forgetting the importance of considering how and why we are going to teach people to be obedient to Christ and his gospel.
May we see a Great Commission Resurgence in our churches that produces authentic, spirit-filled men and women, boys and girls, who are learning to take the gospel to the nations while developing a heart of obedience toward the things of Christ. I still believe that Small Groups/SS is a powerful method for seeing that happen.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
What The great Commission Resurgence Means for Young Leaders
About a month ago some in the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention put forth a new challenge for the church. This concept (Toward a Great Commission Resurgence) was birthed out of a deep desire to see Southern Baptist Churches commit to live and do the Great Commission with renewed passion and vision. This is not an attempt to add to the Great Commission (nothing can be added to the perfect words of Christ in Matthew 28), rather it is an attempt to reengage the leaders and the churches of the convention to embrace the Great Commission with passion and thoughtful exuberance. To date over 2600 hundred Southern Baptists have committed to support these ideas. I encourage you to take a moment and read it and if you agree to sign it (http://www.greatcommissionresurgence.com). I want to spend the rest of this blog talking about why I think this could be a watershed moment for us as Southern Baptists and why I think it is especially important to those of us under 40.
The other day I was in my hometown of Nashville having lunch with a friend who is now pastoring a church in the area. His present church is dynamic and Great Commission driven. They are reaching and connecting people to Christ for the Kingdom. They are an SBC church, but he has little or no interest in what is happening in the life of the convention. He sees it as a large entity more interest in self preservation than on dynamic Kingdom minded ministry. I hate to say it, but I have felt the same thing at times. I have wondered why we argue over things that are not essential to the gospel or that the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 does not clearly address. I have thought at times the we have some redundancy in our organization. I have wondered if the money given is not better used by the local church for mission and ministry. these are all valid questions. Even after pondering those questions I still believe that the Cooperative Program is at its core brilliant. I still believe that the BFaM2000 is more than adequate for guidance in our agencies and mission endeavors. I still believe that evangelism and missions are essential to church health and growth. I still believe we have the best theological education at our seminaries. I still believe we are as committed to the Scripture and to strong biblical preaching. I still believe our best days lay ahead if we will renew and recommit to Christ and to carrying out His Great Commandments and His Great Commission. We should embrace the great heritage of the past and at the same time renew our vision of the future. I am not saying my pastor friend does not believe these things. I think in his heart he does. In his words he just has not seen much proof of it lately. It is my prayer that God would use something like the GC Resurgence to stir many hearts like his not for what is, but for what could be. We need guys like him who are passionate about the gospel and sharing it with people.
It is my prayer that The Great Commission Resurgence will help reengage young leaders to be a part of the convention. I pray that they will see that we are stronger as churches when we work together. I hope the convention will recognize the significant contribution and creative ideas young leaders are making to grow the Kingdom. I pray they will begin to staff boards and committees with young leaders with fresh ideas about the methodology needed to reach a lost world in the 21st Century. I believe that through the TaGCR movement we will be reminded of why we are Baptist to begin with.
So why do I like the idea of the TaGCR? First is that leaves room for different methodologies and ideologies while at the same time reminding us of what we ought to have in common. Sometimes there are too many voices talking about our differences and not enough reminding us of what we share. As we move forward and face new challenges we will no doubt experience more places where we need to disagree agreeably. This document gives us a framework by which to stay focused. I am prayerful that God would use this "resurgence" to transform our convention in such a way that when people think of us they don't think about the infighting or the Disney boycott or the declining baptism numbers. I pray that when they think of the SBC they think of us more in terms like: "my neighbor who told me about Jesus," "that church who served the the poor," "that family who adopted an orphan," "that church who prayed and visited me in the hospital," or "those people who always have the name of Jesus in their hearts and on their lips." That is what it is going to take have a true resurgence of the Great Commission, but this document sure helps steer us in the right direction. Let me know what you think.
The other day I was in my hometown of Nashville having lunch with a friend who is now pastoring a church in the area. His present church is dynamic and Great Commission driven. They are reaching and connecting people to Christ for the Kingdom. They are an SBC church, but he has little or no interest in what is happening in the life of the convention. He sees it as a large entity more interest in self preservation than on dynamic Kingdom minded ministry. I hate to say it, but I have felt the same thing at times. I have wondered why we argue over things that are not essential to the gospel or that the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 does not clearly address. I have thought at times the we have some redundancy in our organization. I have wondered if the money given is not better used by the local church for mission and ministry. these are all valid questions. Even after pondering those questions I still believe that the Cooperative Program is at its core brilliant. I still believe that the BFaM2000 is more than adequate for guidance in our agencies and mission endeavors. I still believe that evangelism and missions are essential to church health and growth. I still believe we have the best theological education at our seminaries. I still believe we are as committed to the Scripture and to strong biblical preaching. I still believe our best days lay ahead if we will renew and recommit to Christ and to carrying out His Great Commandments and His Great Commission. We should embrace the great heritage of the past and at the same time renew our vision of the future. I am not saying my pastor friend does not believe these things. I think in his heart he does. In his words he just has not seen much proof of it lately. It is my prayer that God would use something like the GC Resurgence to stir many hearts like his not for what is, but for what could be. We need guys like him who are passionate about the gospel and sharing it with people.
It is my prayer that The Great Commission Resurgence will help reengage young leaders to be a part of the convention. I pray that they will see that we are stronger as churches when we work together. I hope the convention will recognize the significant contribution and creative ideas young leaders are making to grow the Kingdom. I pray they will begin to staff boards and committees with young leaders with fresh ideas about the methodology needed to reach a lost world in the 21st Century. I believe that through the TaGCR movement we will be reminded of why we are Baptist to begin with.
So why do I like the idea of the TaGCR? First is that leaves room for different methodologies and ideologies while at the same time reminding us of what we ought to have in common. Sometimes there are too many voices talking about our differences and not enough reminding us of what we share. As we move forward and face new challenges we will no doubt experience more places where we need to disagree agreeably. This document gives us a framework by which to stay focused. I am prayerful that God would use this "resurgence" to transform our convention in such a way that when people think of us they don't think about the infighting or the Disney boycott or the declining baptism numbers. I pray that when they think of the SBC they think of us more in terms like: "my neighbor who told me about Jesus," "that church who served the the poor," "that family who adopted an orphan," "that church who prayed and visited me in the hospital," or "those people who always have the name of Jesus in their hearts and on their lips." That is what it is going to take have a true resurgence of the Great Commission, but this document sure helps steer us in the right direction. Let me know what you think.
Monday, April 27, 2009
A Review of The Noticer
I just finished reading The Noticer by Andy Andrews and published by Thomas Nelson. The fictional account centers around an older and "wiser" character named Jones. He refuses to go by Mr. Jones, rather just Jones. The story begins with a fascinating account of Jones and what is supposedly the author of the book as a young man. Through several meetings Jones is able to help this young man transform his life into one of meaning.
The book is full of wisdom and short sayings as this "noticer," Jones, enters in and out of people's lives. Each time he encounters people he notices something in them that has potential for growth. Through some intriquing conversations he is able to notice enough about thier lives and living patterns to be able to offer relevant and insightful direction. He does this in away that only Jones can. Over the first few chapters the reader begins to really connect with Jones. it makes the reader wish that they had a Jones relationship in thier life. it also makes one think about how they can be more like Jones in the life of someone they know.
There were a couple of things that I drew out of this book. The first is how important it is to put things in perspective. When you see life through the eyes of someone else it becomes much easier to see that tings are not always as good or as bad as they may first appear. Another is that life is made up in the small things. A lot has been said about ignoring the little things. But it is the little things that separate the good from the best. People who excel in areas pay attention even to the little things.
I did find that many of the encounters Jones had with people were summations of other leadership principles found in other books. For instance Jones finds himself doing some marriage counseling with a couple in a beach restaurant. So much of what Jones counsels the young couple to do are the same principles found in the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. While these are great topics for conversation they are in no way unique to this book.
Overall Andrews has taken some important principles and summarised them into an easy reading format that will help those who take even just a few of them and apply them to their lives.
If you get a chance I would give this short book a read. You can knock it out in a couple of hours and the nuggets of insight and wisdom make it worth the time.
The book is full of wisdom and short sayings as this "noticer," Jones, enters in and out of people's lives. Each time he encounters people he notices something in them that has potential for growth. Through some intriquing conversations he is able to notice enough about thier lives and living patterns to be able to offer relevant and insightful direction. He does this in away that only Jones can. Over the first few chapters the reader begins to really connect with Jones. it makes the reader wish that they had a Jones relationship in thier life. it also makes one think about how they can be more like Jones in the life of someone they know.
There were a couple of things that I drew out of this book. The first is how important it is to put things in perspective. When you see life through the eyes of someone else it becomes much easier to see that tings are not always as good or as bad as they may first appear. Another is that life is made up in the small things. A lot has been said about ignoring the little things. But it is the little things that separate the good from the best. People who excel in areas pay attention even to the little things.
I did find that many of the encounters Jones had with people were summations of other leadership principles found in other books. For instance Jones finds himself doing some marriage counseling with a couple in a beach restaurant. So much of what Jones counsels the young couple to do are the same principles found in the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. While these are great topics for conversation they are in no way unique to this book.
Overall Andrews has taken some important principles and summarised them into an easy reading format that will help those who take even just a few of them and apply them to their lives.
If you get a chance I would give this short book a read. You can knock it out in a couple of hours and the nuggets of insight and wisdom make it worth the time.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Building a Family Centered Ministry at Your Church
I have spent most of the day reading and working on my message to a bunch of fathers and their daughters to whom I will be speaking this Friday night at our annual Father/Daughter Banquet. As a father of an almost 5 year old daughter and an almost 2 year old son, I am learning that parenting them both requires two different sets of skills. Without using all my material for Friday I want to note just a few distinctions.
1. Sons require physical and sometimes rough play. Daughters enjoy this in limited form, but most need a dad with gentle words and a soft hand.
2. Sons respond best to yes/no directives. Daughters do best with exaggerated explanations.
3. Sons look for creative ways to get over the pool fence. Daughters just want you to open the fence for them.
4. Sons will eat almost any type of food (no matter how old) off the floor. Daughters want a new spoon if they drop it on the floor (and dad wiping it off with a napkin is not sufficient).
5. Sons need to be trained to be godly husbands, fathers, and leaders. Daughters need to be trained to be godly wives, mothers, and influencers in the home and community.
I am again reminded that each day is a brick that I am laying in the lives and legacies of these two that God has entrusted me with. What type of foundation am I laying?
The root of discipleship is in the home. How are churches impacting the family? How are we as parents making and building disciples in our own homes? How can churches help parents to do this more effectively? Should we (the church) compliment or compete for a families time? How are we equipping fathers to lead? just a few questions to think on as you pray about a family ministry for your church.
1. Sons require physical and sometimes rough play. Daughters enjoy this in limited form, but most need a dad with gentle words and a soft hand.
2. Sons respond best to yes/no directives. Daughters do best with exaggerated explanations.
3. Sons look for creative ways to get over the pool fence. Daughters just want you to open the fence for them.
4. Sons will eat almost any type of food (no matter how old) off the floor. Daughters want a new spoon if they drop it on the floor (and dad wiping it off with a napkin is not sufficient).
5. Sons need to be trained to be godly husbands, fathers, and leaders. Daughters need to be trained to be godly wives, mothers, and influencers in the home and community.
I am again reminded that each day is a brick that I am laying in the lives and legacies of these two that God has entrusted me with. What type of foundation am I laying?
The root of discipleship is in the home. How are churches impacting the family? How are we as parents making and building disciples in our own homes? How can churches help parents to do this more effectively? Should we (the church) compliment or compete for a families time? How are we equipping fathers to lead? just a few questions to think on as you pray about a family ministry for your church.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wise or Demonic...the thin line.
I serve at a great church with a great pastor. Over the past few years I have learned a lot from watching him preach and teach. One thing that I think he is great at is developing what he calls"filters." These filters are used to make decisions, test your heart, and check your spirit. I have begun working on developing some filters for decision making in my life. Last week I was working on a message for our high school guys on avoiding selfish ambition. I was studying out of James 3. In the middle of that passage I saw a filter on how to make wise decisions. See what you think:
Here is what the passage says (HCSB): "Who is wise and understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom's gentleness. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't brag and lie in defiance of the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."
So here is the filter I developed:
1) Wise decisions produce obedient behaviour. Ask yourself will this decision help me obey God?
2) Wise decisions do not lead to selfish gain or bitter envy. Ask yourself does this decision benefit a selfish desire/ambition or it is profitable for bringing glory to God and ministering to people?
3) Decisions not made with wisdom are earthly, sensual, and catch this...DEMONIC. Ask yourself how important making wise decisions really are?
4)Wise Decisions made from selfish ambitions usually lead to disorder and evil. Ask yourself do I want more chaos in my life or do I already have enough?
5) Wise Decisions bring purity in relationships, peace, grace, mercy, and integrity to our lives. Ask yourself if you want other people to make decisions that will extend these attributes into your life.
Just some thoughts as you make decisions. Now here is perhaps the greatest news of all. If you are like me you are in desperate need of the wisdom required to make wise choices. James 1:5 says:
"Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him"
I am going to be asking a lot more now that I understand the fine line between a wise choice and a demonic one. How about you?
Here is what the passage says (HCSB): "Who is wise and understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom's gentleness. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't brag and lie in defiance of the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."
So here is the filter I developed:
1) Wise decisions produce obedient behaviour. Ask yourself will this decision help me obey God?
2) Wise decisions do not lead to selfish gain or bitter envy. Ask yourself does this decision benefit a selfish desire/ambition or it is profitable for bringing glory to God and ministering to people?
3) Decisions not made with wisdom are earthly, sensual, and catch this...DEMONIC. Ask yourself how important making wise decisions really are?
4)Wise Decisions made from selfish ambitions usually lead to disorder and evil. Ask yourself do I want more chaos in my life or do I already have enough?
5) Wise Decisions bring purity in relationships, peace, grace, mercy, and integrity to our lives. Ask yourself if you want other people to make decisions that will extend these attributes into your life.
Just some thoughts as you make decisions. Now here is perhaps the greatest news of all. If you are like me you are in desperate need of the wisdom required to make wise choices. James 1:5 says:
"Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him"
I am going to be asking a lot more now that I understand the fine line between a wise choice and a demonic one. How about you?
Monday, March 23, 2009
How do you know you have connected with God.
Not long a ago an old friend sent me a response to a status update I had made on Facebook. I had posted something like: "my time with the Lord that morning was sweet and refreshing." He wanted to know how I was experiencing that. He mentioned that he was not always walking away from his time having heard from God in a fresh way. So today I want to note a few things about this topic.
1) Consistency is the key to hearing from God. Your relationship with God is like any other relationship. It is dependent on time together and communication (the building of the relationship). If you talk with God (and listen to Him) on a regular basis you will learn to distinguish His voice. If you have kids then you know that you can pick your child's voice out of 100 in a crowded room. If you are in the same crowded room without your child you can hardly distinguish your own thoughts from the chaos of voices. This is because you have a love relationship with your children. You have invested yourself in them and you are very familiar with the way they communicate and sound. As your love relationship with God grows you learn to hear Him when he speaks. John 8:47 says "He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." - John 8:47
2) You will not always get earth shattering instructions from God every time you pray. God is primarily concerned about the relationship, so often times my daily time with Him is focused on knowing Him more and reorienting my life to His purposes. I do not always walk away with a major change in my life (but always refocused and with a better attitude). Many times He is sharpening my senses to help me see what He is doing in the world. I need this so I can join him in His work. If left to my own ability I would become me focused and set my agenda above God's. I have many conversations with my children, but not all of them are about me making a huge correction and adjustment to their lives. Many times I am just telling them how much I love them, or asking them how their day went. Every once in awhile we have a big conversation about a major change that is coming, but what makes that conversation possible is the hundreds of other conversations I have had building the relationship. They know my voice and they trust me because I have demonstrated my love to them.
3) When you do hear that"major life shift" coming from God then you need to respond. Henry Blackaby calls this a "crisis of belief." He describes this in four steps: 1) An encounter with God requires faith. 2) Encounters with God are God-sized. 3) What you do in response to God's revelation (invitation) reveals what you believe about God. 4) true faith requires action.
The bottom line is when God speaks are you going to be obedient? When he does make a correction or give you a new marching order He has built that instruction upon his relationship with you.
I say all that to say this. If you are new to Christ begin with the relationship. Spend time reading the Bible and praying. Tell God what is on your mind and then shut up and listen. Over time you will begin to distinguish what God is saying from the noise and clutter of your own mind. You can be sure that when you hear from God it will never contradict His Word and it will usually require you to do something out of your comfort zone and beyond your ability (requiring faith and openness for God to do the work in and through you). There is much more to knowing and hearing from God, but I hope this helps get some of you started in the right direction.
1) Consistency is the key to hearing from God. Your relationship with God is like any other relationship. It is dependent on time together and communication (the building of the relationship). If you talk with God (and listen to Him) on a regular basis you will learn to distinguish His voice. If you have kids then you know that you can pick your child's voice out of 100 in a crowded room. If you are in the same crowded room without your child you can hardly distinguish your own thoughts from the chaos of voices. This is because you have a love relationship with your children. You have invested yourself in them and you are very familiar with the way they communicate and sound. As your love relationship with God grows you learn to hear Him when he speaks. John 8:47 says "He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." - John 8:47
2) You will not always get earth shattering instructions from God every time you pray. God is primarily concerned about the relationship, so often times my daily time with Him is focused on knowing Him more and reorienting my life to His purposes. I do not always walk away with a major change in my life (but always refocused and with a better attitude). Many times He is sharpening my senses to help me see what He is doing in the world. I need this so I can join him in His work. If left to my own ability I would become me focused and set my agenda above God's. I have many conversations with my children, but not all of them are about me making a huge correction and adjustment to their lives. Many times I am just telling them how much I love them, or asking them how their day went. Every once in awhile we have a big conversation about a major change that is coming, but what makes that conversation possible is the hundreds of other conversations I have had building the relationship. They know my voice and they trust me because I have demonstrated my love to them.
3) When you do hear that"major life shift" coming from God then you need to respond. Henry Blackaby calls this a "crisis of belief." He describes this in four steps: 1) An encounter with God requires faith. 2) Encounters with God are God-sized. 3) What you do in response to God's revelation (invitation) reveals what you believe about God. 4) true faith requires action.
The bottom line is when God speaks are you going to be obedient? When he does make a correction or give you a new marching order He has built that instruction upon his relationship with you.
I say all that to say this. If you are new to Christ begin with the relationship. Spend time reading the Bible and praying. Tell God what is on your mind and then shut up and listen. Over time you will begin to distinguish what God is saying from the noise and clutter of your own mind. You can be sure that when you hear from God it will never contradict His Word and it will usually require you to do something out of your comfort zone and beyond your ability (requiring faith and openness for God to do the work in and through you). There is much more to knowing and hearing from God, but I hope this helps get some of you started in the right direction.
Friday, March 6, 2009
The Power of Multiplication
About a month ago Josh Hunt (http://www.joshhunt.com/) was at our church. During his visit we began talking about the power of doubling groups. I always invite people who share my vision and the principles of small group growth (spiritual and numerical) to visit with my leadership. As Josh met some of our people and saw what God was doing through doubling small groups he challenged me to record a testimony of what God has been doing over the past few years (http://www.sarasotabaptist.com/). So a few Sundays ago I decided to capture a piece of this at our Lakewood Ranch campus during a worship service. I hope this challenges you to think about developing a growth strategy for your small group ministry. If you feel lost in this venture let me know. I would love to try and help you (chad@kecktraining.org).
I have always been a big proponent of starting new small groups out of existing ones. I am a firm believer that the more groups you start the more people you can reach. For those of you who see Sunday School as simply the teaching arm of the church let me challenge this notion with the below video of what God has been doing in our Community Groups (this is our Sunday School with a few groups meeting at time other than Sunday Morning or off campus). My philosophy for our Community Groups is threefold (thanks Allan Taylor). First, Sunday School is the Reaching arm of the church. We want it to be an open place where people can bring their lost friends and co-workers. Second, Sunday School is the Teaching arm of the church. It plays a vital role in our disciple-making process. Third, Sunday School is the Ministering arm of the church. Out of these groups we develop prayer networks, meet care needs, do missions, and develop strong relationships. The below video was shot in Feb. 2009 at Sarasota Baptist Church, Lakewood Ranch Campus, where I serve as the Associate Pastor of Education/Discipleship.
I have always been a big proponent of starting new small groups out of existing ones. I am a firm believer that the more groups you start the more people you can reach. For those of you who see Sunday School as simply the teaching arm of the church let me challenge this notion with the below video of what God has been doing in our Community Groups (this is our Sunday School with a few groups meeting at time other than Sunday Morning or off campus). My philosophy for our Community Groups is threefold (thanks Allan Taylor). First, Sunday School is the Reaching arm of the church. We want it to be an open place where people can bring their lost friends and co-workers. Second, Sunday School is the Teaching arm of the church. It plays a vital role in our disciple-making process. Third, Sunday School is the Ministering arm of the church. Out of these groups we develop prayer networks, meet care needs, do missions, and develop strong relationships. The below video was shot in Feb. 2009 at Sarasota Baptist Church, Lakewood Ranch Campus, where I serve as the Associate Pastor of Education/Discipleship.
I want to close by reminding everyone of 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (HCSB). While we each have a role in the growth process, it is only by the hand of God that growth occurs.
"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."
I am clearly blessed to be at a place where God is at work!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Steps to Resolving Conflict
I did it again. I broke rules #1, #2, and #3 of dealing with conflict. I will get to what those rules are in just a moment, but first lets start with what God says. This is a verse that I have tried to use to establish the process by which I think through conflict:
James 1:19 "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." (ESV)
I know that my natural inclination is to react and to lash back. Let me give you an example from this weekend. I got up early on Saturday and was expecting a relaxing day. I went to the computer and thought I would get on facebook. When I did I had a message from one of my Community Group Leaders concerning some training we had a week or so ago. The message was critical of some of the information we shared there. The message started like this "Don't take this the wrong way." Well in my carnal nature on a Saturday morning of course I was going to take it the wrong way and I did. I immediately jumped on the defensive and shot back a message being critical (not ugly or unkind, just not receptive) of the criticism. It was not long until I had a reply critical of my critical response. That is when I paused, prayed, and began to think clearly. I responded that I did not want to have this discussion electronically, but that I would like to visit with him face to face. So this morning I did. Here is the great thing about a brother in Christ. As soon as I saw him this morning I ran over and gave him a hug and said "I love you man" (que sappy music). This guy is one of my great friends and a dedicated servant in the church. We were able to talk out the issue and both left the conversation feeling heard and understood. So that leads me to my five rules for dealing with conflict.
Rule #1 NEVER, NEVER, NEVER deal with a conflict over email or facebook (electronically). Even though the criticism was initially sent that way I needed to stop the cycle and instead I perpetuated it by responding.
Rule #2 Be quick to listen. What was my friend trying to say? Did he have a legitimate viewpoint? Do I respect his thinking generally on these topics. Do I need him to be on my team for the long run? The answer was yes to all of the above, but I got caught acting before listening.
Rule #3 Be slow to speak. It would have been better not to respond at all and to just think about what was said. Not in order to built anger or resentment, but to sift for truth. The time for talking is later.
Luckily I accomplished Rules #4 and #5.
Rule #4 Deal with the conflict face to face. After making the initial mistake of a first response I caught myself in order to deal with the conflict face to face before it escalated. When you look a person in the eyes you can see and hear non-verbal body language that helps you process a better response.
Rule #5 Deal with it quickly and do not let it fester. This morning when I got to the campus where he attends I sought him out immediately. Ironically, he was looking for me too. He said he could not sleep thinking that he may have hurt me. When Christians have conflict there is a spiritual dissatisfaction with life until it is resolved.
I am sure that this won't be my last time dealing with conflict. In fact it may not be the last time this weekend. My prayer is that I will resolve it James 1:19 style instead of Chad's fleshly style.
James 1:19 "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." (ESV)
I know that my natural inclination is to react and to lash back. Let me give you an example from this weekend. I got up early on Saturday and was expecting a relaxing day. I went to the computer and thought I would get on facebook. When I did I had a message from one of my Community Group Leaders concerning some training we had a week or so ago. The message was critical of some of the information we shared there. The message started like this "Don't take this the wrong way." Well in my carnal nature on a Saturday morning of course I was going to take it the wrong way and I did. I immediately jumped on the defensive and shot back a message being critical (not ugly or unkind, just not receptive) of the criticism. It was not long until I had a reply critical of my critical response. That is when I paused, prayed, and began to think clearly. I responded that I did not want to have this discussion electronically, but that I would like to visit with him face to face. So this morning I did. Here is the great thing about a brother in Christ. As soon as I saw him this morning I ran over and gave him a hug and said "I love you man" (que sappy music). This guy is one of my great friends and a dedicated servant in the church. We were able to talk out the issue and both left the conversation feeling heard and understood. So that leads me to my five rules for dealing with conflict.
Rule #1 NEVER, NEVER, NEVER deal with a conflict over email or facebook (electronically). Even though the criticism was initially sent that way I needed to stop the cycle and instead I perpetuated it by responding.
Rule #2 Be quick to listen. What was my friend trying to say? Did he have a legitimate viewpoint? Do I respect his thinking generally on these topics. Do I need him to be on my team for the long run? The answer was yes to all of the above, but I got caught acting before listening.
Rule #3 Be slow to speak. It would have been better not to respond at all and to just think about what was said. Not in order to built anger or resentment, but to sift for truth. The time for talking is later.
Luckily I accomplished Rules #4 and #5.
Rule #4 Deal with the conflict face to face. After making the initial mistake of a first response I caught myself in order to deal with the conflict face to face before it escalated. When you look a person in the eyes you can see and hear non-verbal body language that helps you process a better response.
Rule #5 Deal with it quickly and do not let it fester. This morning when I got to the campus where he attends I sought him out immediately. Ironically, he was looking for me too. He said he could not sleep thinking that he may have hurt me. When Christians have conflict there is a spiritual dissatisfaction with life until it is resolved.
I am sure that this won't be my last time dealing with conflict. In fact it may not be the last time this weekend. My prayer is that I will resolve it James 1:19 style instead of Chad's fleshly style.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
5 Easy Steps to Kill a Small Group
This past Saturday Sarasota Baptist Church (where I serve as AP of education) hosted Josh Hunt (http://www.joshhunt.com/). Josh has written several books including: How to Double Your Class in Two Years or Less. That book is full of wisdom and insight into growing Small groups, but I want to take the post in a new direction and entitle it How to Kill your Group in Two Years or Less. At first thought you may think that killing something like a group is easy. Not so fast. Look at how many churches are dying, but have not yet been killed. This process usually takes several years even to be recognized by a church (and some have been declining longer than that and are just in denial).
So here we go:
1) Never contact any guests, better yet never have any guests. Never invite anyone and never befriend anyone. When someone shows up unexpectedly make sure you don't talk to them or sit by them. If you have to sit by them make sure you ignore them the best you can without being obviously rude (small talk is okay, genuine interest is unacceptable). And whatever you do never invite them to sit with you in worship or to Pizza Hut after church.
2) Don't really teach anything significant. Yes, open the Bible and throw out a verse to "discuss" but never actually prepare anything. Small groups should really be about talking about stuff that is "real life." Use the Bible only to settle an argument and then select verses out of context. It is easier to prove your point that way. If you can yell at some point during the argument and talk ugly about someones mamma it quickens the process.
3) If there are any announcements that the leadership needs you to make try and downplay them as much as possible. Say things like "here is just something else the pastor wants us to do." Remember that everything in the church revolves around you and your small group. If it does not benefit you or your groups interests then just ignore it, it will go away.
4) Only have seats for the group members (it works even better if they are assigned and someone can actually say "your in my seat"). If you have some guests make sure to make a big deal about having to get some extra chairs out. Also make sure you to bring a ton of attention to the fact that "we have new people."
5) Have parties and do things only with the 6 couples in your group. You should try and have your kids go to the same school, play on the same sports teams and sit only with those couples in worship. Try and socialize with only these couples (except for work where we are forced to hang with the pagans.)
If you do these five things you will be well on your way to killing a group. The thing about it is you will be having so much fun with your friends you may not even realize it.
So here we go:
1) Never contact any guests, better yet never have any guests. Never invite anyone and never befriend anyone. When someone shows up unexpectedly make sure you don't talk to them or sit by them. If you have to sit by them make sure you ignore them the best you can without being obviously rude (small talk is okay, genuine interest is unacceptable). And whatever you do never invite them to sit with you in worship or to Pizza Hut after church.
2) Don't really teach anything significant. Yes, open the Bible and throw out a verse to "discuss" but never actually prepare anything. Small groups should really be about talking about stuff that is "real life." Use the Bible only to settle an argument and then select verses out of context. It is easier to prove your point that way. If you can yell at some point during the argument and talk ugly about someones mamma it quickens the process.
3) If there are any announcements that the leadership needs you to make try and downplay them as much as possible. Say things like "here is just something else the pastor wants us to do." Remember that everything in the church revolves around you and your small group. If it does not benefit you or your groups interests then just ignore it, it will go away.
4) Only have seats for the group members (it works even better if they are assigned and someone can actually say "your in my seat"). If you have some guests make sure to make a big deal about having to get some extra chairs out. Also make sure you to bring a ton of attention to the fact that "we have new people."
5) Have parties and do things only with the 6 couples in your group. You should try and have your kids go to the same school, play on the same sports teams and sit only with those couples in worship. Try and socialize with only these couples (except for work where we are forced to hang with the pagans.)
If you do these five things you will be well on your way to killing a group. The thing about it is you will be having so much fun with your friends you may not even realize it.
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Love Language of God
I have been leading a group from my church through Experiencing God. I first did this study in 1993 and God used it greatly in my life. Through the writing of Henry Blackaby I was exposed to God and his activity in my life in a fresh way. Now that I am going back through the study I am being hounded by the Holy Spirit as I read. Let me give you a for instance. Read this passage from John 14:
"Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.'"
Chew on that for awhile and once you think you are ready to digest read it again.
The deeper I grow in my faith the more I understand the significance and of my own sin. Processing that allows me to more clearly see and experience Christ and his forgiveness. In essence I have come to grips with the real condition of the human heart. In our culture today the basic humanistic philosophy being taught in academia, and through media influencers, is that humans are basically good. The reality is that we are not good. We are born with evil in our hearts and a nature that is saturated with sin. It is only through Christ that we are forgiven and can do anything at all that pleases God.
I said all that to say this. I want to become a man known for my obedience to God. When I say that I know some may offer push back. I have heard that I need to be known as a man of prayer, a man of faith, a man of the Bible. I am convinced that all of those come as a result of the love relationship I have with Christ. That is why the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. While we may want to take each of these and flesh out how to do each one (a worthwhile, but tedious exercise) we can sum it up by saying you will do well in all of them if obediance is the focus. It is not a matter of singing about loving God or talking about loving God, or even telling God that you love Him. It is about showing God by your actions how much you love Him. When I trusted Christ as a ten year old boy the Spirit of God came and made a home in me. How it must grieve the Spirit when his home engages in disobedience and sin even after 24 years.
Now as a father I am watching the result of my sin being passed to my daughter. While I did not teach her to to lie or to be disrespectful (in actuality I have tried to teach her not to) she still does things and says things that demonstrate her own selfish and sinful nature. Following a time of correction she usually turns to me and says"but daddy I love you." I find myself telling God something very similar. I can hear God almost saying to me "son, I know you do...so obey my commandments." When is the last time you considered the love language of God. Is it gifts? No, He owns it all anyway. Is it encouraging words? No, words ring hollow many times. God only has one love language...OBEDIENCE.
So how much do you love God or better stated how obedient are you??? Let me know what you think!
"Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.'"
Chew on that for awhile and once you think you are ready to digest read it again.
The deeper I grow in my faith the more I understand the significance and of my own sin. Processing that allows me to more clearly see and experience Christ and his forgiveness. In essence I have come to grips with the real condition of the human heart. In our culture today the basic humanistic philosophy being taught in academia, and through media influencers, is that humans are basically good. The reality is that we are not good. We are born with evil in our hearts and a nature that is saturated with sin. It is only through Christ that we are forgiven and can do anything at all that pleases God.
I said all that to say this. I want to become a man known for my obedience to God. When I say that I know some may offer push back. I have heard that I need to be known as a man of prayer, a man of faith, a man of the Bible. I am convinced that all of those come as a result of the love relationship I have with Christ. That is why the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. While we may want to take each of these and flesh out how to do each one (a worthwhile, but tedious exercise) we can sum it up by saying you will do well in all of them if obediance is the focus. It is not a matter of singing about loving God or talking about loving God, or even telling God that you love Him. It is about showing God by your actions how much you love Him. When I trusted Christ as a ten year old boy the Spirit of God came and made a home in me. How it must grieve the Spirit when his home engages in disobedience and sin even after 24 years.
Now as a father I am watching the result of my sin being passed to my daughter. While I did not teach her to to lie or to be disrespectful (in actuality I have tried to teach her not to) she still does things and says things that demonstrate her own selfish and sinful nature. Following a time of correction she usually turns to me and says"but daddy I love you." I find myself telling God something very similar. I can hear God almost saying to me "son, I know you do...so obey my commandments." When is the last time you considered the love language of God. Is it gifts? No, He owns it all anyway. Is it encouraging words? No, words ring hollow many times. God only has one love language...OBEDIENCE.
So how much do you love God or better stated how obedient are you??? Let me know what you think!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Growing Small Groups by Looking Outside the Church
For those of us who work with small groups and disciple-making ministries it can be easy to get discouraged when a group or groups do not catch the vision of multiplication. It seems like we have said over and over how important it is to launch new groups, and that multiplication only happens when groups are starting new groups. While this is a vision we need to continue to share with our people it is important that we not get stuck putting all our energy there. So how do you grow your groups ministry when not all the teachers and small group leaders understand this principle? Here are a few suggestions:
1) Spend the majority of your time working with the leaders who get it. In the long run you will do much better if you have half your groups multiplying than if you neglect those group who are willing and able to grow in order to hound those who won't. Invest the majority of your time where you will see the most return. That does not mean to neglect the rest of your leaders. It means love and serve everybody, but invest in what brings the greatest return.
2) Think outside the walls of the church. Can you start some home groups? Is God opening up some unique opportunities in the community? Not long ago an assisted living facility ask one of our small group members if he would come a lead a Bible Study with the residents. That was the beginning of a massive work of God. In just 5 months word has spread, and we have started 3 other small groups in these type facilities. We have also had the opportunity to start some in Mobile home parks across SW FL. Your greatest impact for growth may not be inside the walls of your church, they may be (and usually are) out in the community.
3) Provide good and motivating training for your leaders. I have found that many times you can bring in an "expert" from the outside and your people will listen. They do this despite the fact that you have said the exact same thing for the past 5 years. Sometimes people need a new voice and a new context from which to draw the same conclusion. I have done training all over the country for other churches, but I still bring in others to train my people. I want them to hear it from someone else from time to time. When they do it gives me credibility and engages my people in a fresh way. Never neglect to invest in the training of your leadership.
4) Never forget that the biggest hindrance to growth is our lack or prayer. When we are asking for peoples lives to be changed we are asking what we know to be the Lord's will. His word is crystal clear on the power of prayer. If you want to see growth happen in your small groups start on your knees. The best laid plans of man are futile apart from the hand of God. I have been in churches where the plans on paper looked ancient and uninspired, but the hand of God was moving and the growth was unbelievable. Don't neglect good planning and a sharp vision, but never plan apart from a deep and earnest prayer life.
If I can help your ministry train and equip small group leaders please let me know. I would love to serve you.
1) Spend the majority of your time working with the leaders who get it. In the long run you will do much better if you have half your groups multiplying than if you neglect those group who are willing and able to grow in order to hound those who won't. Invest the majority of your time where you will see the most return. That does not mean to neglect the rest of your leaders. It means love and serve everybody, but invest in what brings the greatest return.
2) Think outside the walls of the church. Can you start some home groups? Is God opening up some unique opportunities in the community? Not long ago an assisted living facility ask one of our small group members if he would come a lead a Bible Study with the residents. That was the beginning of a massive work of God. In just 5 months word has spread, and we have started 3 other small groups in these type facilities. We have also had the opportunity to start some in Mobile home parks across SW FL. Your greatest impact for growth may not be inside the walls of your church, they may be (and usually are) out in the community.
3) Provide good and motivating training for your leaders. I have found that many times you can bring in an "expert" from the outside and your people will listen. They do this despite the fact that you have said the exact same thing for the past 5 years. Sometimes people need a new voice and a new context from which to draw the same conclusion. I have done training all over the country for other churches, but I still bring in others to train my people. I want them to hear it from someone else from time to time. When they do it gives me credibility and engages my people in a fresh way. Never neglect to invest in the training of your leadership.
4) Never forget that the biggest hindrance to growth is our lack or prayer. When we are asking for peoples lives to be changed we are asking what we know to be the Lord's will. His word is crystal clear on the power of prayer. If you want to see growth happen in your small groups start on your knees. The best laid plans of man are futile apart from the hand of God. I have been in churches where the plans on paper looked ancient and uninspired, but the hand of God was moving and the growth was unbelievable. Don't neglect good planning and a sharp vision, but never plan apart from a deep and earnest prayer life.
If I can help your ministry train and equip small group leaders please let me know. I would love to serve you.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
4 Keys to Launching and Sustaining a Healthy Singles Ministry
One of the most difficult ministries to launch and sustain in a church is a ministry to singles or those who have become single again. There are many reasons why this is true, but I do not want to focus on the hurdles. I want to focus on some ways to increase your chances of overcoming these hurdles.
1. Prayer, Prayer, and more Prayer. While this sounds somewhat simplistic and obviously very "churchy" it cannot be overstated. It is important to ask God if he wants a ministry to singles to be launched in your church at this time. As a Education Pastor it is typically a no-brainer for me to want to launch new groups. However, I have learned over the years that it is important for me to launch healthy groups, not just new groups. I have had to close down more groups than I ever wanted because I allowed them to begin in an unhealthy manner. Part of the problem was that I was anxious to begin a group and God's timing was not right. He had not prepared or brought the right leadership to the church. Henry Blackaby in his classic, Experiencing God, reminds us that once we know what God is doing, then we know we know what we need to do. The focus must be on God, not on us! Pray that God would show you if he is doing something in your church in this area and if He is I am sure that He is also raising up the leadership to make it happen.
2. Try to begin with a leadership team. In my experience groups that begin with a team are far more likely to be healthy and to grow than groups who are driven by the passion of one. I just me with two people today on this very topic and challenged them to come back to me when they had a committed team of five in place. That will also help me to see if this is something God is wanting to do or if it is something that these two individuals are wanting to do.
3. Be flexible. If there are any ministries of the church were flexibility and acceptance is needed it is in the area of this ministry. Now I am not saying be flexible with doctrine or theology. I am saying be flexible with methodology. While you may hold some of your others groups to tight and strict standards this may not be the place to be pushy. Often times those who are gifted to lead this type of group need some ability to maneuver around through the ministry to make it work. It can require getting late night calls from single ladies who need help with car repair. It can mean dealing with unhealthy relationships within the group. These leaders need more encouragement and grace from you as the ministry leader than some of your other group leaders. Pay extra attention to them. It can be a demanding, but rewarding ministry.
4. Try to start the group with healthy people. The death of this ministry occurs the day the emotionally unhealthy people outnumber the healthy. Now I know some of you are going to email me and tell me the church needs to love unhealthy people too and I totally agree. It is just that all the unhealthy people can not be in the same group or there will be no healthy and maturing people left to minister to those in need. Try and spread some of the people who are struggling to some other groups in order to keep a balance for ministry. Aiming for health is more important than aiming for growth. Growth happens naturally when an organism (or group) is healthy.
With the divorce rate holding near 50% and people marrying later in life there is a good chance that your church has a significant demographic of singles or "single again". I hope this post will move you to at least begin praying about this type ministry for your church. God will show you when the time is right.
1. Prayer, Prayer, and more Prayer. While this sounds somewhat simplistic and obviously very "churchy" it cannot be overstated. It is important to ask God if he wants a ministry to singles to be launched in your church at this time. As a Education Pastor it is typically a no-brainer for me to want to launch new groups. However, I have learned over the years that it is important for me to launch healthy groups, not just new groups. I have had to close down more groups than I ever wanted because I allowed them to begin in an unhealthy manner. Part of the problem was that I was anxious to begin a group and God's timing was not right. He had not prepared or brought the right leadership to the church. Henry Blackaby in his classic, Experiencing God, reminds us that once we know what God is doing, then we know we know what we need to do. The focus must be on God, not on us! Pray that God would show you if he is doing something in your church in this area and if He is I am sure that He is also raising up the leadership to make it happen.
2. Try to begin with a leadership team. In my experience groups that begin with a team are far more likely to be healthy and to grow than groups who are driven by the passion of one. I just me with two people today on this very topic and challenged them to come back to me when they had a committed team of five in place. That will also help me to see if this is something God is wanting to do or if it is something that these two individuals are wanting to do.
3. Be flexible. If there are any ministries of the church were flexibility and acceptance is needed it is in the area of this ministry. Now I am not saying be flexible with doctrine or theology. I am saying be flexible with methodology. While you may hold some of your others groups to tight and strict standards this may not be the place to be pushy. Often times those who are gifted to lead this type of group need some ability to maneuver around through the ministry to make it work. It can require getting late night calls from single ladies who need help with car repair. It can mean dealing with unhealthy relationships within the group. These leaders need more encouragement and grace from you as the ministry leader than some of your other group leaders. Pay extra attention to them. It can be a demanding, but rewarding ministry.
4. Try to start the group with healthy people. The death of this ministry occurs the day the emotionally unhealthy people outnumber the healthy. Now I know some of you are going to email me and tell me the church needs to love unhealthy people too and I totally agree. It is just that all the unhealthy people can not be in the same group or there will be no healthy and maturing people left to minister to those in need. Try and spread some of the people who are struggling to some other groups in order to keep a balance for ministry. Aiming for health is more important than aiming for growth. Growth happens naturally when an organism (or group) is healthy.
With the divorce rate holding near 50% and people marrying later in life there is a good chance that your church has a significant demographic of singles or "single again". I hope this post will move you to at least begin praying about this type ministry for your church. God will show you when the time is right.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
What to do when you get change you don't believe in
God has been teaching me a lot during this past year, especially about politics. I have learned as a leader that every comment I make (whether in jest or off the cuff) can be taken and celebrated by some or it can appear hurtful to others. This must be why James 1:19 (ESV) reminds us to be "should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." So it is with that spirit that I tread carefully into this post.
What should the response be concerning today and the inauguration of President Obama? Well I have several things guiding my thinking today. My first and natural response is to be disappointed. Disappointed because I disagree with Obama on almost every issue (accept for obvious things like stopping the spread of AIDS, and things that most everyone agrees on). I am especially disheartened about his positions on pro life issues. This is extra sensitive to me because I have a daughter who was born at 25 weeks and I have seen first hand the process of how life forms. I know how early babies can be sustained outside the womb. My 25 weeker could still have been aborted in many states and thinking about it angers me.
My disagreements being voiced upfront my second response, and the one I am trying to focus on (especially today) is one of excitement. As a Christian I am so thrilled to see some of Martin Luther King's dream being realized today. I believe the MLK was one of the most influential leaders of the 20th Century. Not only was he an amazing vision caster, speaker, and leader, but he was right on the issues he spoke to (equality and the value of all people). To many times we see great speakers and leaders out there but they are wrong on the issues. MLK was spot on. As Christians we need to love all people no matter what color, gender, preference, or political leaning. We do not have to agree with them on everything, but we must love them. So today is a day of celebration. America has come so far in my generation and I am proud to see it culminate with the events of today. The scripture says in Romans 12:15 that we should "rejoice with those who rejoice." So I am going to choose to rejoice that this stronghold in America is coming down.
My third thought on today is that I am going to commit myself to pray for my President and his family. I know that God is in control and he tells us in Romans 13:1 that "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."
With those verses in my mind today I will celebrate this amazing day knowing that God is Sovereign and that his authority is above all earthly authority. I will also pray that President Obama walks closely with Christ and makes wise choices as he leads us. After today I will add one more sentence to my prayer....and please help Mike Huckabee defeat him in the 2012 election.
What should the response be concerning today and the inauguration of President Obama? Well I have several things guiding my thinking today. My first and natural response is to be disappointed. Disappointed because I disagree with Obama on almost every issue (accept for obvious things like stopping the spread of AIDS, and things that most everyone agrees on). I am especially disheartened about his positions on pro life issues. This is extra sensitive to me because I have a daughter who was born at 25 weeks and I have seen first hand the process of how life forms. I know how early babies can be sustained outside the womb. My 25 weeker could still have been aborted in many states and thinking about it angers me.
My disagreements being voiced upfront my second response, and the one I am trying to focus on (especially today) is one of excitement. As a Christian I am so thrilled to see some of Martin Luther King's dream being realized today. I believe the MLK was one of the most influential leaders of the 20th Century. Not only was he an amazing vision caster, speaker, and leader, but he was right on the issues he spoke to (equality and the value of all people). To many times we see great speakers and leaders out there but they are wrong on the issues. MLK was spot on. As Christians we need to love all people no matter what color, gender, preference, or political leaning. We do not have to agree with them on everything, but we must love them. So today is a day of celebration. America has come so far in my generation and I am proud to see it culminate with the events of today. The scripture says in Romans 12:15 that we should "rejoice with those who rejoice." So I am going to choose to rejoice that this stronghold in America is coming down.
My third thought on today is that I am going to commit myself to pray for my President and his family. I know that God is in control and he tells us in Romans 13:1 that "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." 1 Timothy 2:1-2 says "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."
With those verses in my mind today I will celebrate this amazing day knowing that God is Sovereign and that his authority is above all earthly authority. I will also pray that President Obama walks closely with Christ and makes wise choices as he leads us. After today I will add one more sentence to my prayer....and please help Mike Huckabee defeat him in the 2012 election.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Changing the Tide of Decline in the Southern Baptist Convention
Recently my hometown newspaper, the Tennessean, ran several articles on the decline in membership in Southern Baptist Convention church membership. To read the latest article check out:
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090117/NEWS06/901170354
There have been a series of blog posts about this decline. Each post has offered a variety of reasons to why the convention is in decline. So while there are opinions floating everywhere I might as well offer my own into the conversation.
So far the reasons being discussed include: the demographics, the move to a more conservative theology, lack of innovation, too much innovation, lower birth rates among Southern Baptist, and the lack of evangelistic zeal among membership (this one is no doubt true, but I think it is a symptom). While all of these may play some roll in the decline I believe there are two major reasons that the denomination is weakening.
The first reason is that we have lost our first love (Revelation 2:4). We have become focused so much on budgets, buildings, weekly attendance, and having the latest technological advances that we have lost our first love, Jesus. Too many times church staff meetings and church business meetings are spent discussing operational procedures and strategies for increasing attendance or baptisms instead of seeking the face of God for wisdom and revival. For us as a denomination to reverse the trend we must return to a commitment to pray for spiritual revival and then wait eagerly and expactantly for where God takes us (he always takes us out to share the gospel, but we start on our knees). Our ultimate goal is to please God, lift up Christ, and walk in obediance. When we wholeheartedly commit to these things I am confident Christ will build his church (Matthew 16:18).
Second, we have lost our commitment to small groups (or Sunday School). This is not the forum to discuss the distinctions between the two, or the pros and cons of each one. However, either method or model whould help to fill the gap of what we need to reconnect with people. The problem is that many of our small groups have given up on being the evangelistic mobilization arm of the church. We have given that role over to the worship service. The worship service cannot fill this role for the church. It has been effective at drawing a crowd. It has been effective at wowing us with creativity in some amazing sermons and music. It has even been effective at engaging the attention of the people and producing "decisions" for Christ. In many places amazing worship and great teaching is taking place. The problem is that worship only attenders have a hard time connecting to the church and " becoming disciples." The disconnect between a decsion for Christ and the process of making disiples has become visable in most churches. In the past (when the denomination was growing) we had a fervant commitment to Sunday School. It was often times the front door of the church. Many people would come for Sunday School but may not stay for worship. Now the opposite is true. People come to the worship experiance, but won't stay to connect. It is funny how everyone says that people are looking to connect and yet the hardest job of a church is helping to make connection a reality.
The small group is the place where people stick. It is the place where they experience authenticity. Authenticity does not come from a guy on a platform with cool hair or a nice suit. It comes with a dinner in a friends house. It comes from a visit to someone in the hospital. It comes when you are painting a house for a single mom or feeding the homeless together. It comes at a monthly party (or as we Baptist call them "socials"). It comes when we begin to invite lost people into this world. It happens when we invite our neighbors, coworkers, and friends to join us in this venture. It happens when they begin to see us for who we really are...Christ followers who need other Christ followers to us make an impact in this world. And small groups are the best way to encourage this.
For us to turn the tide we need to reinvest in our Sunday School or small group ministry (all age groups). I have always said that the two most important health indicators in the life of a church are the number of people involved in a small group and the how many people are being baptized. I can almost promise that when those two numbers are on the rise in your church that healthy things are happening. When those are in decline than it is time to return to your knees and ask God to help you correct the direction of the ship.
Now I know that this is coming from a Christian Education guy so It may sound one sided. If you have other thoughts about how we can turn this ship around please let me know. I would love to dialogue about it. What few things do you attribute to the decline and what can we do to right the ship?
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090117/NEWS06/901170354
There have been a series of blog posts about this decline. Each post has offered a variety of reasons to why the convention is in decline. So while there are opinions floating everywhere I might as well offer my own into the conversation.
So far the reasons being discussed include: the demographics, the move to a more conservative theology, lack of innovation, too much innovation, lower birth rates among Southern Baptist, and the lack of evangelistic zeal among membership (this one is no doubt true, but I think it is a symptom). While all of these may play some roll in the decline I believe there are two major reasons that the denomination is weakening.
The first reason is that we have lost our first love (Revelation 2:4). We have become focused so much on budgets, buildings, weekly attendance, and having the latest technological advances that we have lost our first love, Jesus. Too many times church staff meetings and church business meetings are spent discussing operational procedures and strategies for increasing attendance or baptisms instead of seeking the face of God for wisdom and revival. For us as a denomination to reverse the trend we must return to a commitment to pray for spiritual revival and then wait eagerly and expactantly for where God takes us (he always takes us out to share the gospel, but we start on our knees). Our ultimate goal is to please God, lift up Christ, and walk in obediance. When we wholeheartedly commit to these things I am confident Christ will build his church (Matthew 16:18).
Second, we have lost our commitment to small groups (or Sunday School). This is not the forum to discuss the distinctions between the two, or the pros and cons of each one. However, either method or model whould help to fill the gap of what we need to reconnect with people. The problem is that many of our small groups have given up on being the evangelistic mobilization arm of the church. We have given that role over to the worship service. The worship service cannot fill this role for the church. It has been effective at drawing a crowd. It has been effective at wowing us with creativity in some amazing sermons and music. It has even been effective at engaging the attention of the people and producing "decisions" for Christ. In many places amazing worship and great teaching is taking place. The problem is that worship only attenders have a hard time connecting to the church and " becoming disciples." The disconnect between a decsion for Christ and the process of making disiples has become visable in most churches. In the past (when the denomination was growing) we had a fervant commitment to Sunday School. It was often times the front door of the church. Many people would come for Sunday School but may not stay for worship. Now the opposite is true. People come to the worship experiance, but won't stay to connect. It is funny how everyone says that people are looking to connect and yet the hardest job of a church is helping to make connection a reality.
The small group is the place where people stick. It is the place where they experience authenticity. Authenticity does not come from a guy on a platform with cool hair or a nice suit. It comes with a dinner in a friends house. It comes from a visit to someone in the hospital. It comes when you are painting a house for a single mom or feeding the homeless together. It comes at a monthly party (or as we Baptist call them "socials"). It comes when we begin to invite lost people into this world. It happens when we invite our neighbors, coworkers, and friends to join us in this venture. It happens when they begin to see us for who we really are...Christ followers who need other Christ followers to us make an impact in this world. And small groups are the best way to encourage this.
For us to turn the tide we need to reinvest in our Sunday School or small group ministry (all age groups). I have always said that the two most important health indicators in the life of a church are the number of people involved in a small group and the how many people are being baptized. I can almost promise that when those two numbers are on the rise in your church that healthy things are happening. When those are in decline than it is time to return to your knees and ask God to help you correct the direction of the ship.
Now I know that this is coming from a Christian Education guy so It may sound one sided. If you have other thoughts about how we can turn this ship around please let me know. I would love to dialogue about it. What few things do you attribute to the decline and what can we do to right the ship?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Plunge
When I was a teenager I was into being cool. I tried to have cool clothes, cool friends, and to say cool things. As I have grown I have started to get way behind the cool factor. In fact I now almost try and resist doing what everyone else is doing. It seems that in today's world you are nobody until you have a blog. So that has made me a nobody...until now.
Here are my struggles: First, I am not really a writer (writing my doctoral dissertation was painful, I can read all day long, I just do not want to write it). Second, I am not sure I have all that much to say on any given topic (at least not that anyone would want to read). Third, I am fighting the urge to do what everyone else is doing. That being said I have decided to take the plunge.
So many pastors have blogs, but not nearly as many guys working in Education and Equipping Ministry are blogging. It is my goal to use this site as a springboard to raise the awareness of the importance of a small group ministry in the life of a church and to create a place to share ideas. As I read, study, and discover new ideas that fit this context I will try and post them here. I may also use this forum from time to time to share a thought or two concerning something fascinating that I found while studying the Scripture. I welcome you feedback and input as this develops. Okay, I guess I am cool now. At least until the next big thing hits and I respond a year later.
Here are my struggles: First, I am not really a writer (writing my doctoral dissertation was painful, I can read all day long, I just do not want to write it). Second, I am not sure I have all that much to say on any given topic (at least not that anyone would want to read). Third, I am fighting the urge to do what everyone else is doing. That being said I have decided to take the plunge.
So many pastors have blogs, but not nearly as many guys working in Education and Equipping Ministry are blogging. It is my goal to use this site as a springboard to raise the awareness of the importance of a small group ministry in the life of a church and to create a place to share ideas. As I read, study, and discover new ideas that fit this context I will try and post them here. I may also use this forum from time to time to share a thought or two concerning something fascinating that I found while studying the Scripture. I welcome you feedback and input as this develops. Okay, I guess I am cool now. At least until the next big thing hits and I respond a year later.
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