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Why Tradition in a Church Is Good and Traditionalism Is Not

By
Chuck Lawless
-
communicating with the unchurched

Years ago, I heard Chuck Swindoll, long-term pastor and now the chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary, speak about the dangers of traditionalism. More recently, I read his devotion on the same topic, where he defined traditionalism as “an attitude that resists change, adaptation or alteration.”* Dr. Swindoll is much, much more brilliant than I, but here’s how I describe both concepts in light of the local church:

Why tradition is good:

  1. It honors God for what He has done. Tradition, by definition, is tied to the past. Ideally, though, it focuses on God and what He has done, not on what we used to do in the church. Healthy tradition is concerned about glorifying God only.
  2. It celebrates the past while pressing toward the future. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating yesterday as long as that rejoicing encourages us to move into the future. My first church had an annual homecoming service that retold God’s work to encourage us to capture God’s vision for tomorrow—and that’s a good kind of tradition.
  3. It grounds next generations in the work of God. Tradition is good when it helps next generations appreciate what God has done through His people in the past. For example, the Hebrews marked places where God worked so their children and grandchildren could know His care and guidance (e.g., Joshua 4).
  4. It offers wisdom when making change. Sometimes, the traditions of a church cause leaders to carefully and prayerfully consider options before making a change. That’s not a bad thing.
  5. It evokes gratitude and unity. Because it celebrates God’s work in the past as a means of faith for the future, our response ought to be thanksgiving as the family of God.

Why traditionalism is not good:

  1. It emphasizes what we (or others) have done more than what God has done. Traditionalism fights to save traditions, but the traditions are what we’ve done…what our forefathers did…what our denomination has “always” done. It assumes that our preferences are God’s commands.
  2. It elevates the past over the future. Traditionalism is protective and reactive. It guards yesterday’s turf at the expense of making a difference today and tomorrow. It fears the future more than it influences it.
  3. It hinders reaching the next generations. Traditionalism assumes that almost anything new is a threat to the gospel, even if the gospel itself is never compromised. It requires young generations to become us if they want to follow God.
  4. It blocks making necessary change. Traditionalism fights change, often without honest consideration of the options. It doesn’t inform change like tradition does; it obstructs it.
  5. It leads to division. Traditionalism is elevating tradition to the level of commandment as if it equals the gospel. The emotion behind such a position usually creates conflict and disunity.

Tradition, in my opinion, is a good thing in our churches. Traditionalism, though, is a problem. What are your thoughts?

This article originally appeared here.

Are Altar Calls Outdated?

By
Dan Reiland
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communicating with the unchurched

Pastors confide that they are frustrated because people “just won’t come forward” for the “altar call.”

But what is the reason for that? What is the bigger picture?

I asked Warren Bird, the Director of Research and Intellectual Capital Development of the Leadership Network, if churches in general, and in particular megachurches, practice some form of an invitation. Here’s Warren’s response:

“I’ve visited literally hundreds of churches, and the clear pattern is that growing churches call for a response to their messages. The approach varies—some ask people to come forward in the traditional “altar call,” while others ask for a raised hand, a checkbox on a handout, or something specific to the Scripture of that day. For example, one church had a giant open door to walk through in response to the ‘open door’ reference from the Bible passage being taught.”

“Megachurches tend to do more altar calls and other invitations for a response than other churches. I suspect the reason is more because of outreach, which leads to growth, than due to size. Also, according to research, the larger the church, the more likely it is to have clarity of purpose—and an evangelistic purpose at that, which again would explain why larger churches expect, look for and call for a response to God’s Word.”

An invitation of some kind, including the traditional altar call to come forward, is still a relevant and effective practice.

So, the helpful question is, “How can we all do a better job with an invitation?”

Your church culture will determine part of that answer. Your leadership and style of worship service will also have an impact.

But ultimately the answer is not a mystery. If people come forward for prayer, salvation or whatever the invitation is for—then what you are doing works. If people fill out a card and turn it in, you know it works.

Here’s the practical focus. How can we continue to improve how we partner with the Holy Spirit to invite people to respond to the life changing power of God’s word?

Five Action Steps Toward Improving Your Invitations:

1) Your faith and prayers set the stage.

What you believe God can do matters significantly because that shapes how you pray. What you believe God will do has an equally huge impact and is connected to your faith. We don’t have to argue theology here to agree that faith and prayer play a large roll in what happens on a Sunday morning when you call for a response.

Faith and prayer will trump your communication skill level every time. We all still need to prepare with great diligence, but this is where the response begins.

2) Check your ego at the door.

All of us have experienced that moment of fear when we extend the invitation and wonder if anyone will respond. Perhaps you have been tempted to “soften” the call to ensure someone will come forward. We’ve all been there.

No one wants to stand on the stage and look like a lame leader. However, if you struggle with that, you’ve got to work hard to get over it. It’s important that you get freedom from that fear so you can deliver an authentic invitation that people will be drawn to. If you are tense, hesitant or insecure, the people will be as well.

Ultimately, you don’t determine how people respond. That’s not your responsibility. If no one comes forward, checks a box or raises a hand, then you pray again for the next weekend. That’s our commitment, and we never give up.

3) Create the moment, but don’t manipulate it.

Avoid routine at all costs. If you do the same thing every week without variance, that may be one of the top reasons the response is lower than you would like. The congregation doesn’t anticipate anything different, so they don’t respond any differently.

Creativity helps. You don’t have to use a “giant door,” but why not? Try different approaches. Don’t go for clever, but lean toward a little creativity and variation to keep the room fresh.

It is not necessary to “work the moment,” to make something happen, always refrain from that temptation.

4) Clarity and brevity in the invite is essential.

I have listened to thousands of invitations, and one of the top reasons people don’t respond is because the invitation is unclear. In many cases, the message should have ended earlier, and when it’s concluded, and the pastor begins the invitation, he starts teaching the message all over again.

The best coaching I’ve received for my invitations is: “Know (in advance) when it’s time to land the plane and land it. Also, know exactly what you want the people to do and make that clear. Then extend the invitation.”

Kevin Myers coaches with these two questions: “What do you want the people to know?” and, “What do you want the people to do.” Be clear and make the ask in as few sentences as possible.

5) Exercise great diligence in your follow-up.

Now that you’ve done all that work, whether one or one hundred responded, it’s essential to capture their information so you can follow up.

Whether it’s a new Christian’s class for converts, or prayer for a specific need, one of the most spiritually practical things we do as a church is to help people make progress in their faith.

So, how will you capture their name and contact info?

Keep it simple. If you ask for too much, they will check out quickly. Most of the time a name and email is all you need. If you have a great text system and prefer that over email, then go for it, but don’t walk away from the harvest.

Keep going, and don’t get weary in doing good. Your work is worth it!

This article originally appeared here.

Football Might Be an Idol If…

By
Jesse T. Jackson
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communicating with the unchurched

It’s that time of year again. The temperatures start to drop, the smell of pumpkin spice penetrates the air all around us, and the game of football returns to every screen in our vicinity. A majority of Americans will tell you that this is their favorite time of the year because they get to cheer their preferred team on to victory each week.

We don’t have to look far to see that as a culture we’ve made a simple game a god that we worship every week. From painting our faces and dressing like our favorite player to keeping our eyes locked into the player stats because of our fantasy team, it can be easy to make football—or any sport for that matter—an idol in our lives.

“Any time we think we can’t be happy or satisfied without something, we’ve made it a counterfeit god, an object of worship, an idol.” – David E. Prince

Here is a “Jeff Foxworthy-esque” checklist to make sure that football doesn’t become your middle name and you don’t allow Jesus to take a back seat to something He allows us to have.

Football might be an idol if…

You leave the Sunday worship gathering early so you don’t miss kick off.

Run Away GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

Your family can’t talk to you for 24 hours after your team loses.

https://giphy.com/gifs/Dqyziru9dtHaw

You can recite a player’s stats better than you can recite the Word of God.

Oh God Smh GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

You prepare more for game day than you have for Christ’s return.

Getting Ready Rafael Nadal GIF by Australian Open - Find & Share on GIPHY

You spend more money on perishable things than you do for the Kingdom of Christ (betting, DirecTV Sunday ticket, season tickets, beer, food, merchandise).

Paid Make It Rain GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

You risk your testimony because a referee missed a call.

Surprised GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

You sin while watching a game (screaming at a player to let him know how horrible he was).

https://giphy.com/gifs/yelling-C82jLSKdxDNXW

Your fantasy team is more important than your real family.

https://giphy.com/gifs/fantasy-football-theleague-theleaguefx-Nmi6tmsj6V3Ik

Your Monday conversations are more about the weekend games than about what your pastor said.

https://giphy.com/gifs/talking-yCjJekTW2rb8s

You love it more than you love Jesus. #reflection

Juju Smith Schuster Love GIF by NFL - Find & Share on GIPHY

I am in no way saying that football is evil or is a sin. I enjoy football and the football season. I am warning that we sheep can turn anything into an idol and not even realize it before it’s too late and we’ve fallen into sin.

Paul says in Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Let’s make sure that we never jeopardize our testimony or roadblock Jesus from shining through us because of a game that doesn’t have any significance to eternity. Those of us who are parents need to remember that our children are always watching, and whether we think we are or not, we are always training them. Let’s make sure we are consistently pointing to Christ.

“What is an idol? Well, it is the thing. It is the thing loved or the person loved more than God, wanted more than God, desired more than God, treasured more than God, enjoyed more than God.” – John Piper

Share your “Football might be an idol if…” warnings in the comments section—we’d love to hear them.

What’s Your Story

By
Adam Weber
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communicating with the unchurched

One of my absolute favorite hobbies is talking with people. I love it. Specifically, I love talking with strangers. Why? Because everyone, every person, has a story. And I just want to hear it.

If I meet someone, without even thinking, I almost immediately begin asking them questions. Like, what’s their hometown? And what they do for a job. And how they got to where they are now.

And I do this pretty much everywhere I go.
In coffee shops.
As I’m checking out at Target.
While I’m pumping gas.

But one of my favorite places to talk with people is from my front porch.

My wife and I have an old house with a big front porch, and the sidewalk in front of our house has a fairly steady stream of people. It’s like a highway of people walking. And so whenever I get bored,  I’ll just go out there and I’ll start saying hello to pretty much anyone.

And if someone stops I’ll just start asking them questions. Question after question just to hear their story.

Question for you: What’s your story?

Maybe when you think about your story, you think about your hometown and which state you’re from.
Or you mention your parents and who they are or were.
Maybe you talk about your race or your culture.
Or maybe you think about which college you went to or talk about your job.
You could mention your relationship status, your kids, your spouse, your significant other.

On the flip side, maybe you mention a trial that you went through or your parents went through.
Cancer.
A divorce.
Being picked on as a kid.
A broken home.

Maybe it’s a struggle, like depression.
Your weight.
An addiction.

No matter how you define your story, every one of us has one. Each of us has a story.

And hear this: God knows our story. And He knows it all.

God knows our story inside and out.
The good parts, and the bad.
The parts that we’re embarrassed about.
The most tender and sensitive parts.

Jesus knows our story, and yet He still approaches us.
And He still loves us.

But even better than God knowing our story? Hear this: God’s story changes our story.

On our own, we have our own life and our own story. But when we meet Jesus, His story changes ours.

From that moment on we are no longer the same. Instead of our story being based on our past, our mistakes, our career or our relationships, our story is now based on Jesus.
Again, God’s story changes our story.

Continue

4 Keys to Improving Worship Leading

By
Mark Cole
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communicating with the unchurched

Leading people in worship to the Living God is an awesome privilege and really involves four major areas: music, worship, leadership (people) and your relationship with God. The more you understand and grow in each area, the stronger your worship leading should become.

I have been leading worship with congregations ranging from 70 to 7,000 people for over 25 years, and I am still learning. Here are the main areas to consider for growth in your own personal journey. I’ve also put in links to help you go into more depth in each area.

1. Develop your music skills

2. Develop your worship skills

3. Develop your leadership skills

4. Develop your relationship with God

Check out my new book…Leading Worship ~ Notes from a Grand Adventure, available in Kindle or Soft Cover Editions. This is a great gift for the musician or worshipper in your life.

This article originally appeared here.

What Does It Mean to Fear God?

By
R.C. Sproul
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communicating with the unchurched

We need to make some important distinctions about the biblical meaning of “fearing” God. These distinctions can be helpful, but they can also be a little dangerous. When Luther struggled with that, he made this distinction, which has since become somewhat famous: He distinguished between what he called a servile fear and a filial fear.

The servile fear is a kind of fear that a prisoner in a torture chamber has for his tormentor, the jailer or the executioner. It’s that kind of dreadful anxiety in which someone is frightened by the clear and present danger that is represented by another person. Or it’s the kind of fear that a slave would have at the hands of a malicious master who would come with the whip and torment the slave. Servile refers to a posture of servitude toward a malevolent owner.

Luther distinguished between that and what he called filial fear, drawing from the Latin concept from which we get the idea of family. It refers to the fear that a child has for his father. In this regard, Luther is thinking of a child who has tremendous respect and love for his father or mother and who dearly wants to please them. He has a fear or an anxiety of offending the one he loves, not because he’s afraid of torture or even of punishment, but rather because he’s afraid of displeasing the one who is, in that child’s world, the source of security and love.

I think this distinction is helpful because the basic meaning of fearing the Lord that we read about in Deuteronomy is also in the Wisdom Literature, where we’re told that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” The focus here is on a sense of awe and respect for the majesty of God. That’s often lacking in contemporary evangelical Christianity. We get very flippant and cavalier with God, as if we had a casual relationship with the Father. We are invited to call Him Abba, Father, and to have the personal intimacy promised to us, but still we’re not to be flippant with God. We’re always to maintain a healthy respect and adoration for Him.

One last point: If we really have a healthy adoration for God, we still should have an element of the knowledge that God can be frightening. “It is a frightening thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). As sinful people, we have every reason to fear God’s judgment; it is part of our motivation to be reconciled with God.

This article originally appeared here.

Greatest Joys of Pastoring

By
Chuck Lawless
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communicating with the unchurched

In my Southeastern Seminary class this semester, “Pastoral Ministry and Leadership,” I required students to interview a pastor who has served more than 10 years in ministry. One of the questions was about their greatest joys in ministry. Here are some of the findings from this group of pastors:

  1. Seeing people come to know Jesus. No pastor can adequately describe the excitement when a lost person is redeemed through the grace of God. That’s one of the times that ministry is completely worth it.
  2. Seeing people “get it.” There’s nothing quite like it when laypersons genuinely connect with the gospel and their eyes light up with excitement. Every pastor loves it when that happens.
  3. Sending out workers. These pastors were excited when they could raise up and send out the next generation of church planters, pastors and missionaries—even when doing so meant they sent out their best.
  4. Seeing radical transformation of lives. That includes things like breaking sin patterns, healing broken homes, restoring fractured relationships and overcoming struggles. When transformation brings joy to others, pastors rejoice, too.
  5. Experiencing church change. Because these pastors have been in ministry for more than a decade, some have been in the same church for some time—and they’ve seen their church overcome much to move forward. They’ve seen congregational miracles take place.
  6. Watching members grow up—literally and spiritually. When you’ve served one congregation for years, you get to baptize kids who grow up, marry and then have kids you help dedicate to the Lord. Nobody else has that kind of privileged access to others’ lives.
  7. Preaching the Word. It can be a heavy task, but something happens when the “preaching bug” bites you. The fire seldom goes out, even when ministry is hard. Even the pastor who has been wounded deeply often still loves to preach the Word.

Come back tomorrow, when I’ll let you know what these pastors said have been their greatest frustrations. You might be surprised.

And, pastors, what are your greatest joys?

This article originally appeared here.

3 Ways to Make Your Students Into Evangelists

By
Greg Stier
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communicating with the unchurched

“A farmer went out to sow his seed…”  Luke 8:5

For decades youth leaders have been like farmers. They chuck the seeds of the Gospel in youth group, during outreach meetings, and at camps, retreats and mission trips. This is the way it has been since youth ministry sprung into being.

And praise God for youth leader/farmers who have faithfully sown Gospel seeds all these years. Millions have come to Christ as a result!

But there is a better way.

It’s not a newer way but the ancient way. It’s the way Jesus trained his disciples. And it is powerfully demonstrated in the first few verses of Luke 8, 9 and 10.

In Luke 8:1 Jesus was the primary seed chucker and the 12 watched him sow Gospel seeds from village to village: “After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him…”

In Luke 9:1,2 the disciples were the primary seed chuckers and Jesus watched them sow: “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.“

In Luke 10:1 72 other disciples were the primary seed chuckers and Jesus and the 12 apostles were, most likely, watching, coaching and encouraging them as they did, “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.”

It started in Luke 8 with Jesus doing the primary work of evangelism. Soon the primary outreach work had transferred to his closest disciples. And soon after that his followers were training other disciples. 

Jesus had moved from just chucking seeds to training farmers (the 12) and soon he was building greenhouses (building a ministry model that multiplied both seeds and seed chuckers.)

Let me ask a simple youth ministry question: Are you stuck as the primary Gospel seed chucker in your youth ministry? If your primary outreach strategy depends on you giving the Gospel during outreach meetings then you are stuck in Luke 8:1. 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to give the Gospel (and not just at outreach meetings but in other meetings as well!). After all, Jesus didn’t stop giving the Gospel after Luke 8. He still preached the Good News, but his primary strategy moved from him (chucking seeds) to them (disciples chucking seeds) to it (building a greenhouse ministry that naturally multiplied seeds and seed chuckers, i.e., the 72.)

How can you make the transition from being the only seed chucker to being a farm club for farmers and a greenhouse builder? Here are three keys:

1.  Make sure you are modeling how to live out evangelism in front of your teenagers.

Jesus lived on mission and his disciples saw it. From engaging the woman at the well (John 4:4-42), Jesus was always ready to engage in a Gospel conversation. And his disciples watched him do this again and again and again.

Are you exemplifying what it means to live a life on mission for Jesus? Are you living out a lifestyle of evangelism that your teenagers see and can model? Like Jesus said in Luke 6:40, “No student is above their teacher but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.“

For help in sharing your faith check out this four-minute video we put together at Dare 2 Share to give you a crash course in effective evangelism:

2.  Inspire, equip and unleash your teenagers to share the Gospel.

Just like Jesus sent his “youth group” on mission, we must do the same. We must inspire them to share the Good News of Jesus. Then we need to equip them how to share it in a clear and effective way. And, finally, we must unleash them to do it!

This is where many seed chucking classes often fail. If we teach them how to share the Gospel but never actually take them out to chuck seeds, they never really learn. Another way to put it is inspiration plus information minus activation equals frustration.

A super simple way to get your teenagers activated in evangelism is Dare 2 Share Live coming up on September 23. On this powerful day of outreach we will inspire teenagers to chuck Gospel seeds, train them how and then unleash them to do some actual sowing! Find the closest host site near you and bring your teenagers to get activated as seed chuckers along with tens of thousands of other teenagers across the nation!

3.  Turn your youth ministry into a greenhouse where the multiplication of disciples occurs organically. 

In 2013 Dare 2 Share commissioned a research project. In it we discovered seven common values in every youth ministry that was seeing 25 percent new conversion growth on an annual basis. This means that these youth ministries were growing as a result of new disciples being made and multiplied. In a sense they, like Jesus in Luke 8, 9 and 10, were going from one to 12 to 72.

I cross checked these values with the book of Acts and was blown away by how often these seven values appeared. These values became the basis of my book Gospelize Your Youth Ministry and they are the centerpiece of all of our greenhouse building strategies.

If you want to turn your youth room into a greenhouse for making and multiplying disciples, get the book and go to gospeladvancing.com to take a diagnostic to see how strong your youth ministry is in each of these values. There are also free training videos you can watch on this site that will help you and your team build a great greenhouse!

It’s always time to chuck gospel seeds. But it’s also time to raise up young farmers and build effective greenhouses. Let’s get at it! And let us help you!

This article originally appeared here.

Mark Zuckerberg on Small Groups and Facebook’s Future

By
Andrew Mason
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communicating with the unchurched

In a recent interview with WIRED*, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and cofounder of Facebook, shared that small group ministry is a model he considers when he looks to the future of his social media website. It’s an intriguing comment from the marketplace and it’s loaded with transferable insights for disciple makers. I think it’s important for me to note that Jesus’ way doesn’t require validation from the secular space, but in certain instances it should reinforce what we already know to be true.

In this particular interview, Mark Zuckerberg is quoted as saying, “When I started Facebook, the mission of connecting people wasn’t a controversial thing.” In recent times, Facebook has unintentionally become a contentious experience for some as they are confronted with their friends’ subjective opinions about politics, social issues and news stories. What started out as a digital space for people to connect has morphed into an intense debate forum with differing levels of credible information. The article says it like this…

“As [Mark] has repeatedly said…he believes his platform brings people together—despite the sea of evidence that in its stated mission to “connect the world” Facebook may be helping to tear it apart.”

His problem is a similar one that most churches face: How do we get people connected to each other in such a way that is meaningful and adds value to their lives?

The article goes on to share the following…

“After spending a decade portraying Facebook as a service for connecting friends and family, Zuckerberg’s grand vision is now to build technology that creates far bigger and more complex communities. ‘Humanity has always pushed to come together in greater numbers to accomplish better things and improve our lives individually in ways we couldn’t in smaller groups,’ he tells me. If your News Feed now feels like a tiny town, Zuckerberg seems to want to build cities. Or at least churches.

In our conversation, he says his model for an online community might look something like Saddleback, the evangelical Southern California megachurch led by pastor Rick Warren. It’s a surprising example from a man who seems steeped in the liberal pluralism of Silicon Valley. But the key for Zuckerberg is that Warren built a community in which tens of thousands of people gather under a capable leader’s guidance, but also divide themselves into smaller groups by interest, affinity and aspirations.

In Zuckerberg’s new vision for Facebook, leaders in the mold of Warren will have tools to guide and shape the more complex communities they’re trying to create. At the same time, the smaller groups within those communities will provide places to connect in more intimate ways, while also feeding the larger whole. ‘Just like becoming friends with people on Facebook can strengthen real-world relationships, there is no reason to believe that building communities on Facebook and the Internet can’t also strengthen real-world communities,’ he says.”

Interesting, to say the least. For me, I take away Seven Small Group Lessons from Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.

1. Biblical community provides a treasure of ideas for creating deeper connection. In this article, we see Facebook (a social media Goliath) looking to a model of biblical community (small groups at Saddleback Church) for lessons on connection.

This should encourage us to dive deeper into the way of Jesus with his 12 apostles. We should continue to dissect the secrets of the first-century church and go all in with our discoveries.

2. Smaller groups create opportunity for more intimacy and relationship compared to the crowd. The article states that smaller groups within those communities will provide places to connect in more intimate ways. A large gathering produces relational lids. People need less-complicated settings to lower their guard and bond socially.

3. The larger crowd needs the smaller groups as a sustaining force. “The smaller groups within those communities will provide places to connect in more intimate ways, while also feeding the larger whole.” The stronger the infrastructure, the stronger the movement can become. The masses can be mobilized with more health and strength if they are supported by united communities. The macro needs the micro.

I believe this also speaks to the scalability of small groups. Small groups are a sustaining force to the larger movement because they can continue to develop in proportion to the whole.

4. The smaller groups allow people to gather in ways that are not possible in the crowd. “The key for Zuckerberg is that Warren built a community in which tens of thousands of people gather under a capable leader’s guidance, but also divide themselves into smaller groups by interest, affinity and aspirations.” It’s difficult to dialogue around a certain focus with a large number of people because eventually, there are specifics that aren’t relevant to the whole. The smaller context, however, allows for an exchange of ideas and a development of understanding through sharing.

After teaching the multitudes, Jesus always took his small group to a deeper level (Mark 4:1).

5. Community is a healing balm to the wounds of division. As Facebook attempts to counter the polarization of their experience, they are looking to smaller groups as a setting for people to find greater encouragement and solidarity.

As the church, we are reminded that relational settings can be safe spaces for broken hearts to mend. Community is a place of nourishment and nurturing.

6. The focus of building spiritual communities can strengthen real-world communities. Zuckerberg says, “Just like becoming friends with people on Facebook can strengthen real-world relationships, there is no reason to believe that building communities on Facebook and the Internet can’t also strengthen real-world communities.” The real fruit of church life is when things go off script. A crisis can’t be programmed, but when it happens it’s a window to evaluate spiritual maturity. If Mark Zuckerberg believes digital communities can spill over into real-world communities, the question for us becomes, “Do we believe Jesus’ model can do the same?”

Do we believe intentional community can produce organic community when spontaneous needs arise? Do we believe Christian community can overflow into the unbelieving community?

 7. The church should be as fascinated and curious about biblical community as Facebook is. If a billion dollar, for-profit entity is working on a network of small communities based off of Jesus’ model, shouldn’t the church be doing the same, if not more? Shouldn’t we be mining strategies and data because we are hungrier for souls than a tech company is for money? If Jesus’ model is a good fit for a business, it’s a no-brainer to think it would be the perfect approach to build the Kingdom.

It’s great to see biblical community influencing the direction of social media. I’m excited to see it continue to influence trends in the church for the next decade and beyond. You could say that small groups are going viral.

This article originally appeared here.

10 Unfair Expectations of Pastors Wives

By
Thom Rainer
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communicating with the unchurched

The pastor’s wife in many churches carries heavy burdens.

Sometimes they are impossible expectations.

To be fair, this post could refer to any church staff person, male or female, so it could be called ministers’ spouses. For simplicity, and because I primarily hear from this group of people, I refer to them as pastors’ wives.

So what are some of these unfair expectations? Here are the top 10 expectations imposed upon these ladies.

  1. “I am expected to attend every function at the church.” One wife told us that church members resent it when she is seen doing anything outside the church.
  2. “Many church members expect me to know everything that is happening in the church.” In other words, they should know everything their pastor/husband knows.
  3. “We have several church members who feel free to complain to me about my husband.” So her church has several members who are lacking in emotional intelligence.
  4. “Church members utilize me as a de facto assistant to my husband, giving me messages for him.” One wife shared with us that she received 11 messages to give to her husband after a specific worship service.
  5. “I am still amazed how many church members expect me to function as an employee of the church.” Some are expected to lead music or play piano. Others are expected to act in a specific ministry employee role such as student or children’s director.
  6. “Some of the members expect our children to be perfect and act perfect.” One wife explained that she and her husband were new to a church when a church member confronted them about their misbehaving children. Their outlandish sin was running in the church after a worship service.
  7. “I am always supposed to be perfectly made up and dressed when I leave the house.” A church member expressed her dismay to a pastor’s wife who ran into a grocery store without makeup. You can’t make this stuff up.
  8. “I have no freedom at our church to be anything but perfectly emotionally composed.” This story really got to me. A deacon chastised a pastor’s wife for shedding tears at church four days after her dad died.
  9. “I think some of our church members expect my family to take a vow of poverty.” She was specifically referring to the criticism she received for purchasing a six-year-old minivan after her third child was born.
  10. “So many church members expect me to be their best friend.” And obviously a pastor’s wife can’t be the best friend to everyone, so she disappoints or angers others.

These are some of the comments we have received at this blog over the years from pastors’ wives. And it seems as though these trials are more gender biased. For example, the husband of a children’s minister commented that he rarely has the pressure and expectations that he sees imposed upon female spouses.

But more than other staff positions, the pastor is naturally the focus of attention and, often, criticism.

And the pastor’s family, by extension, becomes the focus of unfair and unreasonable expectations.

This article originally appeared here.

The Prayer That Changed My Life

By
Lisa Bevere
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communicating with the unchurched

There was a time as a young Christian, I would have argued with you about the purpose of trials. I believed if you were living according to the Word, nothing bad could happen to you. This thinking was naïve at best. I was young and foolish and indoctrinated with something that would not weather the test of time.

I thought the teaching was deep when in reality, it only prepared me for life in the shallows. And I knew I didn’t want to stay there. If you are anything like me, you want to experience all that God has for you—and that means leaving the shallows and getting deeply rooted in God’s Word.

Everything we need for life and godliness is truly found in the Word of God, but it is the trials of life that drive us to our knees so that this truth can be worked in and through our lives. In this posture, the Word of God is no longer read as suggestions for life’s best practices but as the very words of life.

It was a short and confusing season in my life, mainly because I preferred pretending and burying things. I was young and newly saved and newly married and the turning of my soil had yet to begin. There were just a few scratches on the surface. I remember when it all changed. I was deep into a time of intimate worship and prayer. I foolishly imagined that because I was sitting in the front row of a church as a newly minted pastor’s wife that only a few things needed to be addressed in my life. In full confidence, I invited God to excavate my life. Twenty-four hours hadn’t passed before I was regretting my choice of words.

Dear Heavenly Father…did I say excavate? Can I take it back? That was but a passionate moment filled with poor word choices. What I meant to say was landscape and accessorize my life.

He did not allow the retraction. He wanted to do something deeper in my life, and excavation had been a Spirit-led word choice. To excavate means “to dig out and remove.” When I asked God to excavate my heart, it was like I handed Him a shovel, and asked him to dig out and remove anything in there that doesn’t belong. Like so many Christians, I lived with deep longings and shallow prayers.

Before this dangerous moment in worship, my prayer times had left me feeling empty. The words I whispered were not a catalyst in my life, because I was still praying out of duty rather than devotion. I prayed how I had heard others pray. Yes, I had been told that prayer was simply talking to God, but I couldn’t help imagining myself in a throne room surrounded by angelic beings who listened in and found my puny words ridiculous.

Because of this mindset, I didn’t know how to frame my prayers with words that could harness the tempest of raw desperation raging within me. Neither did I know what to do with my desperate, aching hunger for something more.

Since then, I have learned that God will use trials to deepen my prayers. Before I gave God permission to (cringe) excavate my life, I didn’t know how to allow God to work something deeper within me. Any difficulty or trial was immediately bound! Rather than assail the trial, I was binding myself to my old habit patterns and captivity. If they persisted, I ran. If running didn’t work, then I hid in the hope of wishing them away.

The irony is that it was these very trials that God used to mature and grow me up in my faith. Hardships have the power to transform us from who we are into who we long to be. So, don’t run from them. Embrace them, and press into how God may be excavating the soil of your heart through them.

Dear one, don’t be afraid of the deep work God wants to do in your heart. It may not always be pleasant, but in the end, it will always be worth it. God is standing by with a shovel in hand. If you want to stop playing around on the surface and let Him birth a lasting change in the depths of who you are, give Him permission to start digging…and then brace yourself.

This article originally appeared here.

The Peculiar Advantage the Chinese Have in Missions Work

By
Megan Briggs
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communicating with the unchurched

In June, two Chinese nationals were kidnapped and killed by the Islamic State (IS) in Pakistan. Conservative Muslim Pakistan is familiar with Chinese workers living in their midst; however, it is not as familiar with Chinese Christian missionaries—which is what these two victims were.

In fact, not even the Chinese government is familiar with the clandestine activities of the missionaries who call China home.

The Underground Church in China Is Sending Missionaries Abroad

Missionaries to Pakistan

Meng Lisi and Li Zinging were in Quetta, Pakistan, when they were kidnapped. The city is temporarily home to numerous Chinese workers who are there to work in the region on a “new Silk Road” project to connect Asia and Europe, according to BBC News. However, Meng and Li were there under the guise of teaching Mandarin.

Li’s mother, Mrs. Liu, is questioning the Chinese government’s response to her son’s kidnapping. She asks why Beijing didn’t ask the Pakistani government to hold off an attack on IS-held territory south of Quetta when they knew Li and Meng were in IS’s possession. Instead of answering her questions, however, authorities are now investigating the family. Mrs. Liu is also a Christian who belongs to a house church in China.

Being a Christian in China is a hard thing, especially now, when it appears Beijing has ramped up its opposition to the house church movement and Christians in general.

Bob Fu, leader of the watchdog group China Aid, says the crack down on Christians is coming straight from the very top of the government: President Xi Jinping himself. According to Fu, “He has been worse than any leader since Chairman Mao.”

The Chinese Advantage

Yet the crack down apparently has not deterred the underground church from sending missionaries to other countries—including ones as volatile as Pakistan. In fact, the historic persecution and consequent move of the church “underground” in China might actually point to an unintended blessing for Chinese missionaries.

Pastor Danny Lee says Chinese missionaries have little trouble getting into nations some western missionaries have difficulty reaching. Places like Iraq, Iran and Pakistan. “They let them straight through. The last thing they would think [a Chinese person could be] is a missionary,” Lee told BBC News. Lee is the director of Back to Jerusalem (BTJ) in the United Kingdom. BTJ began in the 1920s out of a vision of Chinese Christians to “evangelize the unreached peoples from eastern provinces of China, westwards towards Jerusalem.”

Missionaries to Iraq

The South China Morning Post recently brought attention to a Chinese missionary couple living in Iraq who have been there for over a year. “Michael” and “Christy” (names are changed for security reasons) live in northern Iraq in a guarded compound for women and children who have fled IS. In this area affected by war and terrorism, Michael says, “I actually feel safer here [than in China].”

As the article explains, it’s hard to know how many Chinese missionaries are working overseas, as they “often pose as businessmen or teachers for travel purposes.” However, academics and house church leaders estimate there could be as many as 2,000.

According to Christy, what she and her husband are doing is not rare. “There are many [other mainland Chinese Christians] out there who love Christ relentlessly and dedicate their lives to God’s kingdom.”

Michael and Christy are working with Yazidi refugees who have been displaced by IS. The couple is helping widows make a living by sewing garments and they also give English lessons to local children, many of whom are orphans or the children of single mothers.

While Christians will recognize Michael and Christy’s work as being inspired by James 1:27, Michael says they are really careful to respect the Yazidi culture and not to preach openly to them. Rather, their approach is one of planting seeds and demonstrating their faith through living among and helping the people—something they are doubtless used to doing in their home country.

It’s Still Dangerous—But Perhaps Chinese Christians Are Better Prepared Than Most

As Li and Meng’s story highlights, Chinese missionaries do face danger abroad, even if they some nations are easy for them to enter. Many people question the Chinese government’s desire to protect its citizens abroad—especially if it is discovered they are there for missions work. Following the incident with Li and Meng in Pakistan, officials there have tightened control on the visas they offer Chinese nationals. They have since sent 11 people home who were identified as missionaries.

“In China, our faith has been heavily suppressed,” Michael says. “When faith is hard-earned, it is more genuine and sincere.” It makes one wonder: Perhaps the Chinese government has inadvertently groomed the underground church to be really effective missionaries.

Efrem Smith: Being God’s Reconcilers in a Volatile Mission Field

By
Jason Daye
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communicating with the unchurched

Efrem Smith serves as teaching pastor at Bayside Church in Sacremento, California. For four years, Efrem lead World Impact, a missions organization committed to church-planting in inner cities. His experience in ministry is seasoned and diverse, having held different pastoral roles in the local church. Efrem is also the author of several books, including Killing Us Softly: Reborn in the Upside Down Image of God.

Key Questions:

Do you think we have a harder struggle with dying to self today than we did in the past?

How do we live as citizens of the Kingdom here and now?

As a pastor at an urban, multi-ethnic church, what have you learned about racial reconciliation?

Key Quotes:

“As a teaching pastor at an urban, multi-racial, multi-ethnic church…I have significant concern about how Christians participate in the Great Commission within a mission field that is urban, very diverse, but also deeply divided.”

“Ultimately the church should be an outpost—an embassy—of the Kingdom of God.”

“We have to challenge, lovingly, folks in the church to remember that our citizenship in the Kingdom of God actually supersedes even our citizenship in the United States of America.”

“Even in a nation like the United States where we can worship freely…we can still become enslaved, held captive, to institutions and ideologies and even good economic frameworks like free enterprise and capitalism.”

“To understand the cross-cultural Christ is to understand Christ as a liberator. One who offers liberation to all people, whether they’re enslaved to government systems, economic systems, social structures like race and ethnicity, whether we’re held captive to brokenness, arrogance, neglect, pride.”

“Christ is this counter-cultural liberator who steps into an upside-down world to set us upright.”

“As a pastor, I can’t lead people to places I haven’t gone or I don’t revisit on a regular basis.”

“We have to be careful that the pulpit, that the platform that we’ve been given to preach and teach, doesn’t just become a platform of negative commentary on how sinful the world is, how bad things are, how upside down things are. We have to use…these opportunities to point to God’s goodness, God’s work, God’s justice.”

“If I just hung around other black urban pastors, it would stretch me, I would grow from that, but it’s still not going to give me the broader Kingdom breath and blessing of saying ‘I fellowship with Hispanic, and white, and Asia, and multi-ethnic, and suburban, and small town pastors.’ I think it improves my preaching, my leading, my serving, my understanding of God’s word.”

“If the kids in the public schools are not at grade-level in reading and math by the third or fifth grade, there is a high probability that they will be incarcerated.”

“God’s cosmic, huge agenda is too big for me to tackle alone. I need to be a part of a larger family, a larger body.”

“The heritage of the church and the future of the church is about being connected to a bigger family and bigger agenda than any one church can tackle on its own.”

“I think one of the ways that the church will be a more transformative force in our nation and in the world is being open to the ways in which God wants to lead our churches to look more like heaven. To be a sneak preview of a multitude of every nation, tribe, and language.”

Mentioned in the Show:

6 Ways to Teach Your Kids the Bible

By
Jon Nielson
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communicating with the unchurched

I’m a father of three young kids and if you’re like me, you also want to teach your kids the Bible. I can’t think of many things more important for them than regular exposure to the living Word of God. If you’re a Christian parent of young children, I assume you share the same conviction: Your kids need to hear from God, and you long for them to listen carefully to his good Word.

But it’s hard. Life is busy, kids are lively and reading the Bible often struggles to compete with the Disney channel, Legos and the newest phone app.

Here are six tips my wife and I have found helpful in our rhythm of Bible reading with our young kids (currently 6, 5 and 3).

1. Pick a regular time and place for Bible reading. 

In general, children tend to love a routine—a regular, anticipated time with Mom and/or Dad associated with a particular activity. Sporadic and random Bible reading may not engage your children in the same way a regular, planned, prioritized “special” time will.

In our home, we’ve chosen the chunk of time before bed for Bible reading. Our two older children know that, in the 15 to 20 minutes before bed, we’re going to gather in their room to read a Bible story, discuss it together and pray. They’ve come to look forward to it, and it’s become as regular and natural a process as brushing their teeth. It may even help them sleep better, as many bedtime routines seem to.

2. Read short chunks. 

Some of us will have to guard against being overly ambitious in the beginning. Since we believe in the power of God’s Word, we want our children exposed to as much of it as possible. So we read two full chapters from Genesis each night. Needless to say, a 5-year-old’s eyes will probably start to glaze over.

I encourage you to pick manageable passages, chosen based on thoughtful criteria. You may decide to begin in Genesis, and move through the Bible sequentially. The key is to not rush it, and to think ahead of time about the right “chunks” for each day.

3. Stop to explain and gauge comprehension.

Even if the passage for the day is only one chapter, that can be a lot for a young child to absorb if read all at once. It’s incredibly important to stop often along the way, explain things, ask questions to gauge comprehension, and ensure your kids are following along and grasping what the passage is saying.

4. Think of age-appropriate questions for discussion.

This aspect has become my children’s favorite part of our nightly time together in God’s Word. I’ve begun thinking of a few basic questions for each of them that will help them do three things with the passage we’ve read: (1) solidify their comprehension of the passage, (2) connect it to the Bible’s overall story, and (3) apply it to their lives.

When you ask simple questions, you’re doing much more than “quizzing” them to ensure they were paying attention. You are actually leading them, interactively, in a time of interpreting and applying God’s Word. And you are preparing them to engage the Scriptures directly on their own in the years to come.

5. Connect each passage to Jesus.

Jesus makes an amazing—even shocking—statement to the Pharisees in John 5: “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life. But it is they that bear witness about me.” He is saying, in no uncertain terms, that the Scriptures are centered around him—his incarnation, his life, his teaching, his death, his resurrection, his return.

What does this mean for daily Bible reading with our kids? It means if we’re trying to help them understand any part of the biblical storyline, we must give them a sense of how that part connects to the major character—and great climax—of that big story.

6. Let Bible reading lead to prayer.

Listening to kids who are learning to pray can be humorous. If yours are anything like mine, their prayers can be hilarious in their simplicity and self-focus. God has heard prayers in our home for dogs, movies, imaginary people and, of course, coveted toys.

If we’re honest, though, our children’s prayers often are really just “kid versions” of our own. We can easily resort to praying only for our needs and wants, rather than spending time praising and adoring God, and asking for his Spirit’s work in the lives of others. One way to grow in our prayer lives, then, is to intentionally tether our prayers to our reading. We can help our kids “talk back” to God daily, based on the ways he’s speaking to them through the Scriptures.

Parents, press on. Daily, prayer-fueled exposure to the Word of God is the best gift we can ever give our kids.

This article originally appeared here.

Why Using “I, Me, Myself” Pronouns in Worship Is Biblical

By
Phil Christensen
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communicating with the unchurched

I was trying to get my guitar back into its stand when a fellow named Pastor Ron approached me anxiously.

“Phil,” he was saying, “I can finally put it into words.”

I looked at him blankly.

“I can explain it now,” he continued. “The problem I have with contemporary worship. I figured it out while you were playing.”

As a worship leader, this isn’t the response I generally hope for.

I wasn’t surprised, though. This was a pastor’s retreat, and some of these men were hostile toward new music. I’d accepted an invitation to lead their worship in hopes of providing them a positive experience; our little team had woven several favorite old hymns and a few well-known worship songs into what I thought was a very nice tapestry of praise.

Apparently, it hadn’t worked for Pastor Ron.

The clipboard in his left hand had tally marks next to the words: “I,” “my,” “me” and “mine.”

“I couldn’t believe the sheer number of personal pronouns in those songs,” he explained, “so I started counting them. One chorus alone of that Vineyard thing used the word ‘I’ six times!”

“OK,” I responded slowly, “let me get this straight: During worship, you were sitting with a clipboard counting personal pronouns.”

“That’s right,” he said. “It’s evidence that you’ve embraced a man-centered Gospel. Our ministries need to return to the God-centered truths of the great hymns.”

Ron was a well-trained, spiritual guy, and I was familiar with his ministry. A bi-vocational pastor, he worked hard to support his church, but it was dying a little more each week. I desperately desired to see that little dry place become a fountain of Living Water.

Behind all the bluster, he did, too.

I was looking at Pastor Ron, but inside I was looking to Jesus. I prayed quickly, and it went something like this: “Lord—please fill my mouth with wisdom. Give me the answer that will touch Pastor Ron’s heart.”

In faith, I exhaled and started moving my lips.

“Ron, you’re right,” I heard myself say calmly. “Today’s praise song writers have picked up some really bad habits.”

I had his attention, but both of us were wondering where I was going with this.

“To be fair, though,” I went on, “today’s psalmists have picked up those bad habits from the only biblical role model they have. King David had to write his songs without the help of our good theologians.”

It was Pastor Ron’s turn to look bewildered and I plowed ahead.

“Take Psalm 18, for example,” I continued. Reciting that beautiful passage from a submerged memory, I emphasized the appropriate words:

I love You, O LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,

My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;

My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,

And I am saved from my enemies.

“In only three verses, David uses 14 personal pronouns,” I said. “As long as song writers keep depending on biblical role models, they’ll continue to make the same kinds of mistakes.”

I had nothing more to say, and the two of us stood over my guitar in an awkward silence that seemed to go on for about a week.

Pastor Ron finally broke the hush.

“That’s a pretty good answer,” he said simply, and the silence returned as we both recognized God’s presence in the moment. As it turned out, Ron and I went on to become friends; he supported renewal and encouraged me in many ways.

It’s humbling when the Glorious, Almighty God uses us to speak truth to each other.

That day, though, I drove home in wonder, pondering a mystery: God allows—actually calls—us to attach our personal pronouns to His greatness. It doesn’t diminish His glory one little bit when I declare Him as my strength, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God…

…and the One in whom I take refuge.

In fact, I’ve come to believe that’s when He’s most glorified.

This article originally appeared here.

How to Make Teenagers Care About Their Faith

By
Andy Blanks
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communicating with the unchurched

We were wrapping up the Q&A session at the end of a workshop I lead on how some of the main cultural trends impact teenagers’ spiritual growth. There were about a hundred youth workers in the room and the questions throughout the workshop had been excellent. This was a sharp group of folks. As the session began to wrap up, an older gentleman raised his hand and asked a question about teens and faith.

“In your opinion, how do we make teenagers care about their faith?”

Well, then.

Teens and Faith

The question struck me as significant. I chuckled a bit when the man asked it. At first-blush, it was agonizingly misguided. How do we make teenagers care? Part of me wanted to say that I’m not sure I want to be in the business of making anyone care about anything. When it comes to caring, I’d prefer that people want to care!

And yet, in other ways, this question about teens and faith may very well be THE question. I imagine his question was born out of a history of investing himself in the spiritual growth of students. There was a good chance that he had watched over the years as some students did indeed come to care about their faith, thriving as a result. I can also imagine he has watched with frustration, and maybe sadness, as other teenagers failed to embrace the importance of their faith.

And so, I interpreted his question like this: “What can we do, as youth workers, to lead teenagers to understand that their faith, their identity as Christ-followers, is of primary importance?”

Truth be told, it started a lively discussion in the room, one that had to be cut short because we simply ran out of time. But I thought about his question, and the response it created in the room, for a few days afterward. While I don’t know that I’m smart enough to come up with a comprehensive, bullet-proof answer, I did think of a few essential principles that need to be in place for teenagers to see their faith as important.

Their parents must view faith as important.

One of the major takeaways from the National Study on Youth and Religion was that parents are the key influencers of their children’s faith. In her book Almost Christian, Dr. Kenda Dean showed that teenagers more or less imitate their parents’ faith. If their parents have a weak faith, this is the brand of faith most likely to be modeled by teenagers. If parents view faith as important, it is likely that their teenagers will as well. Of course, we know that teenagers who don’t have parents who are Christ-followers can still live active faith lives. But having faith viewed as important in the home is vital for the transference of a faith that is valued.

They must know God and be invested in knowing Him more.

I tell our students this all the time: We can’t follow someone we don’t know. For faith to be important, teenagers have to understand their identity as Christ-followers as something beyond mere morality, or what some folks call “cultural Christianity.” They can’t see “Christian” as just another label applied in describing them. Faith that matters is faith that flows out of a close proximity to Christ. Reading the Bible. Actively praying. Speaking and doing the Gospel. These are actions that both precipitate and perpetuate a faith that is valued.

They must grasp the enormity of our rebellion and the truth about lostness.

In our culture, this is growing more tricky. In a world that doesn’t see God’s character or His Word as standards, our sinfulness (defined as any deviation from these standards) is becoming a concept that is more difficult to grasp. And yet, for their faith to matter, I think teenagers have to come to grips with what sin is and what it does to the relationship between God and people. And they have to care about a world separated from God as a result of its sin. If we can help in leading students to see beyond a myopic, narrowly focused view of their worlds, we can begin to show them how important faith truly is.

Certainly there are more aspects of helping our students live a faith that matters. But these were three essentials I think are in place in the lives of those teenagers whom I know care about their faith.

How would you answer the question about teens and faith?

What concepts do you think are vital to students caring about their faith?

(This article originally appeared on the site Youth Ministry Roundtable.)

Ten Myths Pastors Believe About Prayer (Part 2)

By
Daniel Henderson
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communicating with the unchurched

In a follow up from Part 1, Daniel Henderson offers five more myths about leading in prayer and how to faithfully combat these natural errors.

Myth #6: Because it is prayer, my methods will always be effective.

Some may assume that a desire to produce a prayer-oriented church means that anything done to pursue this goal will work. Any kind of prayer will work, some think, since it is prayer the church is trying to improve. Just because you have your eyes on the finish line does not mean that anything you do will get you there. Like Jesus pointed out with the pagans, making repetitious phrases in a pious fashion will not achieve much of anything. Likewise, as a pastor, you need to make sure your methods in desiring to cultivate a praying church are realistic and sound.

I really believe in learning how to lead biblically-balanced prayer meetings. What I mean by “biblically-balanced” is that everyone present understands the concepts of prayer found in Scripture. An example of a prayer meeting that is not biblically-balanced is if the pastor says something like, “Let’s all just pray as we feel led.” This is a scary concept. The pastor assumes everyone even understands the leadership of the Spirit, and that they will indeed be led by him instead of their heartburn or their financial crisis.

I’ve heard people say, “My theory when I go to prayer meetings is to get my issues on the table before anybody else prays because if I don’t hurry up, I won’t get a word in edgewise.” What is prayer, a competition among the churchgoers to get their voice heard? People simply want to have time to talk because everybody likes to talk.

Conversely, the best prayer meetings are the ones that start in the Word of God. Every Sunday morning I lead a prayer meeting at 6:15 a.m. While this is very early, I feel this works for everyone. We just go through the Psalms in order one at a time. Then I ask a simple question: What does this Psalm tell you about God and his character? We do not get into hypothetical or technical matters; we simply worship God based on what the Psalm says. For the next fifteen minutes, we do not ask God anything. We just give him what he is worthy of receiving: attention and praise.

There is a fourfold pattern of prayer based on the Lord’s Prayer I like to use: upward, downward, inward, and outward. … Finally, there is the outward focus of readiness for the battle ahead, paralleled by the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…”

There are various places for many types of prayer in the church. Sometimes requests are needed to bring everyone up to speed. Small groups can work, and so can everyone at once. Sometimes I advise everyone to pray aloud at the same time, which is quite interesting to witness.

Continue

Beyond Celebrity Pastors: Why Your Leadership Influence Matters Now

By
Eugene Cho
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communicating with the unchurched

How do you define a successful church?

How do we measure success as a pastor?

I’ve come to realize that part of my calling as a pastor and leader is to be an encouragement to other pastors—but especially to those that don’t “measure up” to how we in the church subculture often directly or indirectly elevate stories of successful pastors—a.k.a. ‘celebrity pastors.’

This post isn’t a criticism of celebrity pastors. Hardly at all. Instead, it’s a post to accentuate the importance of all those who serve and lead in the church—but especially those pastors you’ll never hear of, those that are not part of the preaching circuit, those that don’t have publishing deals, etc.

I am not a successful pastor. I don’t pastor a megachurch or a large church. I don’t facilitate astronomical budgets, earn a huge salary, travel with huge entourages, fly on private jets and have thousands upon thousands of sermon subscribers.


But nevertheless, I have influence.
We all do.

I’m simply trying to be faithful to the things, to the people, to the city, to the convictions and to the Kingdom work that God has placed before me.

I want to be faithful.

That is all, and that in itself is so important.

Our church recently hosted our Annual Meeting where I shared my Lead Pastor Report. In addition, we published our Annual Report, shared some major changes and possibilities, and also shared and explained all of our financial reports. While there are mentions of numbers, budgets and such, what I was most encouraged by was our pursuit to be faithful to the things that God has placed upon the hearts of our church.

I invite you to take a few minutes to read through our Annual Report. I share it in hopes that it might encourage some of you. My intent isn’t to be boastful but rather to convey a sense of deep profound joy in knowing that God is working amongst our church—even our little church.

Why is this important?

Well, perhaps, it’s because some of us might struggle with pastor envy—or more appropriately—celebrity pastor envy. Let’s be honest: We’re often comparing sizes. Yes, I just went there.

But we do. Pastors and leaders are no different, and for many of us, we simply don’t measure up. Don’t be obsessed with measuring up to measurements. Measure up to faithfulness.

You matter. Your leadership matters. Your influence matters. Your church matters.

While you and I will never make any list of “the most influential” or “the fastest growing” or “the largest” or “the baddest” or “the whatever”…

We still matter. Our leadership and ministry matters. Let’s be faithful.

Speaking of success, many of us have love affairs with “success,” which is why we can so easily fall susceptible to a spiral of insecurity.

If we’re honest—no matter who we are and whatever discipline of work we’re involved with—we have some perception of success. That in itself isn’t bad, but what if our perception of success becomes like a love affair? An obsession of value and self-worth?

That would be dangerous. Borderline idolatrous.

When we’re immature

…when our rootedness is not in the Gospel of Christ, then it leads us into dangerous and lonely places—where we find ourselves constantly comparing or seeking the approval and affirmation of others or via:

  • budgets
  • attendance
  • size
  • buildings
  • # of followers, readers, etc.

Trust me… When our sense of calling and security is guided by such things, they will never satisfy you.

It’s never enough. Never.
You want more…

because your soul is satisfied by lists, praise, adoration and, ultimately, a worldly sense of success.

Hear this well:

You don’t have to be “the most influential” in the nation. Just seek to be the most influential and loving pastor and leader to the church you’re called to. That will not likely get you on any special lists, but you’ll serve your people well. You’ll be faithful to your flock and calling.

Metrics have their place. But don’t get lorded over by numbers and metrics. Numbers don’t guide us. Rather, the Holy Spirit is our guide. Be faithful.

I think Mother Theresa said it so well:

“God does not call us to be successful, but God calls us to be faithful.”

Ten Biblical Truths a Lot of God’s People Don’t Really Believe

By
Joe McKeever
-
communicating with the unchurched

From the beginning, the Lord’s people talk a better game than we live.

So many biblical truths look good on paper and sound great when we’re spouting them. And yet, judging by the way we live, the Lord’s people probably do not believe the following…

One. God sends the pastor to the church. 

Churches survey their congregation to find the kind of pastor everyone wants in the next guy. People lobby for a candidate they like and rally against one they don’t. And they vote on the recommendation of their committee. And after he arrives, when some turn against him, they send him on his way.

Do we really believe God sends pastors to churches? They are God’s undershepherds (see I Peter 5:1-4) and appointed by the Holy Spirit as overseers of the church (Acts 20:28).

Two. God hears our prayers, cares for our needs and answers our prayers.

In the typical congregation, what percentage of the people are serious about their prayer life?

If we believed that God hears, cares, and answers, we would be praying over every detail of our lives. “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17) would define our very existence.

Three. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

God wants His people to be givers, generous in every area of life. As a member of the church, He wants us to be sacrificial givers (see I Corinthians 8:1ff).

Think how hard it is to get God’s people to turn loose of the almighty dollar. I know pastors who no longer preach on giving because they cannot take the criticism (Acts 20:35, Luke 6:38, and Matthew 6:19-20).

Four. We will stand before the Lord and give account of all we have done.

If we believed that, imagine how differently we would live. A lot of church leaders would deal with their pastors a lot more carefully than they do now. The tyrants who rule their churches clearly do not know, believe or care that they will be brought into judgement for their actions (see Matthew 12:36, Romans 14:12 and I Peter 4:5.)

Five. God’s people are to obey their leaders.

The very idea, I can hear some saying. Even if they know Hebrews 13:17, they conveniently ignore it. They do so to their own detriment.

The fact is our members obey their leaders so long as they agree with them. But let the leader ask of them something they don’t want to do, and they bail out.

Six. Pastors will give account to the Lord for their members.

That’s Hebrews 13:17 also. If pastors genuinely believed they would be called to account for every member, they would do a lot of things differently. They would work at knowing each person, would be monitoring the spiritual development of each member, and planning ways to grow disciples and put them to work. They would develop accountability methodologies, mentoring programs and such. And I guarantee you, most would be hoping for smaller congregations.

Seven. Whoever would be great, let him be the servant.

Jesus said a ton of things about service, including, “I am among you as One who serves.” He said the path to greatness is through service. And He said it’s the way of the unsaved world to want to dominate people and lord it over them. And yet, only a tiny fraction of His people believe that. We still want to be elected to leadership positions without having to do the hard work of serving. And when we do elect people to serve—we call them deacons—in most cases, they quickly grow bored serving and want to rule and start giving the pastors headaches (see Luke 22:24ff).

Eight. Turn the other cheek. Go the second mile. And unrealistic stuff like that.

Jesus didn’t hesitate to lay down rules that (ahem) real-world people scoff at. Such as turning the other cheek when someone hits you, giving them your shirt when they steal your coat, loving your enemies. That’s all found in Luke 6:27ff and several other places.

That’s for the super spiritual, the typical church member insists. And since I could never be super spiritual, I’m going to retaliate when someone does me wrong. In so doing, our role model becomes more Clint Eastwood (“Go ahead; make my day!”) than the Man of Galilee (“Father, forgive them; they know not what they do”).

Nine. Rather than taking one another to court, God’s people should endure wrong.

It says it right there in I Corinthians 6:7. “But I have my rights,” insists the church member. Clearly, the honor of Christ and the glory of God matter far less than getting even with someone who has done us wrong.

Ten. Worship is about God, about bringing ourselves and our offerings to Him, and not about us.

The deacon prays before the sermon, “Lord, help us get something out of this service today.” After church, people heading to the parking lot remark on whether they “got anything out of that.” One church member was heard to say, “A 20 minute sermon? For that, I got dressed up and drove 15 miles?”

Our people seem not to have a clue that worship is about the Lord and not them. They actually do believe that it’s to meet their needs, to give them warm feelings inside, and to prepare them for the week ahead. Yet, there is not a single word in Scripture to indicate this.

Want a text? Try the entire 150 Psalms for starters. But start with Psalm 96:8, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; bring an offering and come into His court.”

The point being…

We have so far to go to become Christlike, spiritual, scriptural and mature.

The person Christ is making us into is light years beyond the carnal, immature, self-centered persons we are at this moment.

The first step toward becoming what God wants us to be is acknowledging how far short we fall. I fear we are more like the Pharisee of Luke 18:9-14 whose prayer was thanking the Lord for all the achievements he had accomplished, when we should pray like the publican who said, “God, be merciful to me the sinner.”

Start there. Lord, your ways are not mine, and I say that to my shame. As the heavens are higher than the earth, your ways are beyond mine (Isaiah 55).

And then, “Help me, Lord. Show me. Search me and try me” (Psalm 139).

This article originally appeared here.

The Current American Tension and 4 Opportunities for the Church

By
Carey Nieuwhof
-
communicating with the unchurched

You don’t need to be anything more than a casual observer of American (and Western) culture to know that something significant is happening.

Charlottesville, Ferguson, Baltimore and a host of other cities that have seen events that symbolize the problems this generation is struggling with will, sadly, likely give way to a list of more cities and events yet to come. Terror attacks in North America and a host of global cities seem to happen weekly. In addition, the current political division is as bad as it’s been in a long time.

The violence, destruction and tension have become so normal that we no longer even post the “Pray For [Insert City Here]” graphics that used to earnestly spring up on social media whenever a new crisis emerged. There are just too many, and we’ve become too numb.

Add some unbelievable political tension into the mix, and most of us don’t know how to respond. Even as someone who lives north of the U.S. border, has a great affection for the U.S. and has many friends in America, we all feel the tension to one extent or another and are living through it.

No church in Canada or anywhere in the West can pretend we’re not living in an age of heightened tension.

So how do we respond to the situation we’re in? While some in our culture believe the church is part of the problem, I believe it’s key to the solution.

Jesus is the love we keep missing as human beings. He is who we all really long for, and in Christ, we find our unity.

So how does the church better function as part of the solution rather than as part of the problem?

Here are four ways Christians and the church can bring hope to the increasingly fragile culture around us.

1. Be a Confessor in a Culture of Blame

It’s so easy to point the finger at someone else. This is true in human relationships (think about your marriage), but it’s also true culturally.

So when any kind of tension arises, ask yourself what you own before asking anyone else what they own.

Violence begins in our hearts before it ever hits the street. A nation and the world become divided because our hearts are divided.

Too often Christians focus on what we can’t change and ignore what we can.

All of this is what confession is designed to root out.

Imagine what would happen if Christians owned the racism, sexism and other isms that live in our hearts. Imagine what might happen if we confessed that we have not adequately loved people who are different than us.

Maybe true prayers of confession are rare in church  (they are usually either rote or non-existent) because they’re rare in leaders.

It’s so easy to believe you’re right and everyone else is wrong. There’s a sense in which that’s normal. I hope you believe you’re right about what matters most, otherwise, why do you hold your conviction?

But…you are not always right. And you don’t hold a monopoly on truth. Your perspective and mine are flawed. None of us loves perfectly or deeply enough.

When you confess that you’re part of the problem, the solution becomes clearer. You will never address the wrong you don’t confess.

2. Foster Conversation in a Culture That Shouts

Thanks to social media, everybody has a platform. A ridiculous amount of people use theirs to shout rather than to listen.

Just check your feed at any given moment, and it’s likely crammed with everything from people WHO SPEAK IN ALL CAPS to links denouncing the other side (whoever that other side is) to proclaiming how they’ve figured out what all the dumb people haven’t.

This translates into real life too. Conversations seem to be devolving into an exchange of monologues between two people who don’t seem terribly interested in each other.

People appear to be talking at each other as much as they’re talking with each other. I’ll share my opinions and then you can share your opinions. That’s not conversation.

You know what’s missing in the current culture?

Well, a bunch of things.

Listening

Thoughtfulness

Humility

Kindness

Openness

Genuine, authentic conversation features all of those elements and more.

When was the last time you had a genuine conversation with someone who doesn’t share your values? By that, I mean an exchange where you listened as much as you spoke? Tried to understand more than you tried to be understood? Cared about them as much as you ever cared about your point of view?

That’s what conversation is. And conversation is an endangered species in our current culture.

Love listens. So should Christians.

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