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Top 5 Reasons Small Group Leaders Quit

By
Mark Howell
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There are a number of reasons that small group leaders quit. While some quit for good reasons, most quit for reasons that are completely avoidable.

Here are what I believe are the top five reasons:

1. They aren’t being developed and discipled by a coach. This is probably the most common reason small group leaders quit. If someone (a coach or mentor) isn’t investing in them, it is unreasonable to think that the average leader will continue for long. While there will always be exceptional leaders who are essentially self-motivated, they are by definition the exceptions to the rule. Intentional investment in your leaders will overcome this very common reason for quitting. See also, Skill Training: Equip Your Coaches to Develop and Disciple Leaders.

2. No one in their group is sharing the load. Some small group leaders don’t know any better and have never been coached to share the load with the members of their group. Others come naturally by misplaced pride that “since they do everything better than everyone else”…they can’t really let go of anything. Both patterns ultimately lead to burnout; both patterns lead to pent up frustrations that they have to do everything for the group to thrive or survive. In order for the leader and the group to survive, the leader must learn to share the load. See also, Skill Training: Priming the Leadership Pump and Skill Training: Rotating Host Homes.

3. They are discouraged by members’ lack of participation. There are two main reasons for lack of member participation. First, not every leader comes equipped with a natural ability to facilitate. Those who don’t must learn the art of facilitating a discussion/conversation. Poorly facilitated groups usually die on their own, long before the leader quits. Attendance dwindles when everyone isn’t engaged in the group meeting. Teaching leaders how to facilitate a great discussion ought to be part of your leader development plan. Second, smaller groups allow and encourage more participation. As a group grows, it becomes increasingly difficult for less dominating personalities to participate. Learning to sub-group is an essential leader skill. See also, Skill Training: How to Stimulate Better Discussions and Skill Training: Sub-Grouping for Deeper Connection.

4. Their group dwindles in size and they can’t (or won’t) fish for new members. Some small group leaders are only interested in “leading” a gathered group. When members move away or otherwise opt out of the group, this kind of leader’s only recourse is to inform the small group pastor that they need some more members. And since feeding additional members to existing groups is almost never a successful strategy for growth, training your leaders to fish for their own new members is not optional. It is an essential skill for small group leaders. See also, Skill Training: Top 10 Ways to Find New Group Members.

5. The leader is unable to manage an issue within the group. Many groups come with a difficult personality or two. Carl George coined the term EGR (extra grace required) for the group member that requires extra attention. When the leader is unprepared for the challenge of skillfully leading through issues with problem personalities, sometimes it is just easier to quit than lovingly confront. This is primarily a coaching issue. When new leaders are given a coach from the beginning, challenging personalities can usually be spotted quickly and an appropriate strategy developed. See also, Four Questions Every Coach Should Be Asking.

This article originally appeared here.

Four Ways to Fight Discouragement

By
Gabe Kolstad
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You are far too important to let discouragement get you down. God has a plan for your life, and the world needs what you have to give. Yet discouragement is always knocking on your door. That’s actually a good sign—resistance like that means you’re pushing back darkness in some way, and that’s always an uphill battle.

In times of stress, challenge or setbacks, here are Four Ways to Fight Discouragement that I hope will help you as much as they have me:

1. Encourage Yourself With God’s Word

The Bible is full of encouragement, and examples of people who needed it. King David of Israel was one guy who constantly fought this battle. He had more than his fair share of trouble, and he spoke more about his feelings and struggles than any other biblical author. One time following a military defeat, David fought discouragement by being proactive. 1 Samuel 30:6 says, “David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God.”

Encouragement probably isn’t going to come find you; you will most likely have to go find it. And there is a ton of it waiting for you in the Bible. One of my favorite verses says, “Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles” (Psalm 119:50).

Here’s a challenge: Google “Bible verses on discouragement” and see what comes up. I bet you’ll notice just how much God thinks of you, and how much he wants to encourage you.

2. Tell Someone You Trust

“You’re only as sick as your secrets.”

I learned that line from the leader of our church’s recovery ministry, and I’ve found it to be true. There’s something so healing about sharing what’s going on in your soul. Even if they can’t do anything to help at the moment, knowing that someone else is sharing your burden lightens the load on you. That alone can be a huge help.

Who do you know that you could talk to about your discouragement? Even mentioning it can bring relief. If you choose someone you trust, you’ll know that it’s safe to share because they’ll keep your conversation private. You’ll have a chance to open up and talk through what’s bothering you. You’ll have a sounding board to bounce your thoughts off, and you’ll be able to get advice or suggestions on how to proceed.

Personally, I’ve benefited enormously from having people I can trust in my life. My wife, my team, my friends and family, I’ve shared my struggles with all of the above and every time I have I’ve been relieved and encouraged.

3. Do Something Fun

Fun is a great counselor! Sometimes discouragement comes from too much seriousness all lumped together in your life. I’ve learned from working with many families and individuals in seasons of heavy trouble or tension that the little doses of lighthearted fun can shake up the monotony, put a smile back on your face, and break your negative patterns.

Part of the reason for this is a simple change of place and pace. Get out of your normal environment, and do something different and fun. Whether it’s go-carts, a day-hike, going to a waterpark or something else you love, don’t neglect this important part of your life.

Personally, I believe in the importance of weaving fun into every week. In my family, we have learned to use our time off and make the most of it. My wife and I always have some fun activity planned as part of our day off together. We’ve hiked mountains, biked cities, taken tours, explored buildings…you get the picture. The point is, all work and no play makes you dull, and easily discouraged.

How are you going to “play” this week?

4. Start Planning Your Next Big Thing

After Apollo 11’s mission to the Moon in July of 1969, the returning astronauts struggled to readjust to life on earth. Some say that when you’ve done something that big, everything is downhill from there.

The same can be true of you. After you accomplish something, it’s appropriate to celebrate appropriately, rest just a little, and get on to the next big thing you’ve got coming. It’s tempting to ride your past success for a while, but plenty of examples point to the fact that this approach leads to discouragement. You were built to keep reaching.

In my own life and ministry I find that seasons are helpful for this. Personally, I organize my life into three seasons a year and set goals for each of them (Jan-April, May-Aug and Sept-Dec). I find that’s enough time for me to pursue something challenging and pause to recalibrate.

How about you? What’s your next big thing?

This article originally appeared here.

Anne Graham Lotz Reveals She Will Have to Undergo Chemotherapy

By
Megan Briggs
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A week after undergoing surgery to treat breast cancer, Anne Graham Lotz learned her battle with the disease is not over yet. Doctors informed Lotz cancer has also been found in her lymph nodes, which will alter her follow up treatment “significantly.”

Anne Graham Lotz’s Cancer Treatment Will Last Longer Than Originally Expected

“The results were not what I had prayed they would be,” Lotz writes in an update on her blog. Lotz shared she will begin chemotherapy on October 18. This phase of treatment will last 18 weeks, “with additional treatments stretching out over the next 12 months.”

Lotz shares the journey toward health will be longer than she anticipated. Ever positive, though, Lotz can see the silver lining to her struggle. “I am still confident the Shepherd will walk with me each step of the way until He sees me safely through!” she writes.

She writes about needing to clear her schedule as she can no longer make engagements to which she had previously committed. She sees this as God “pruning” her ministry work, and is hopeful that the pruning will cause her to bear more fruit in the future. As someone who is confronted with their own mortality, Lotz is reflecting on the good things in her life and ministry. She includes a long list of positive things that have come out of her cancer diagnosis. Things such as a strengthened faith, deepened prayer life, realigning of priorities and open doors.

That’s not to say that Lotz feels her assignment on earth is through. Far from it, she seems more determined than ever to continue the work she believes God has assigned her. On October 3, Lotz wrote another personal update, in which she shared a prayer that she has been praying as she has come to terms with her diagnosis. Lotz believes the Lord has already been answering this prayer in his unique way. She writes:

One of my prayers is that the ministry to which God has called me would continue uninterrupted through every means possible except my travel and personal appearances. Almost before I had finished praying, God sent me evidence of one answer through the picture sent to me by my beloved friends, Carey and Melanie Casey. They were visiting Mid America Seminary in Memphis, TN, and saw this poster! Wow! Thank you, dear Jesus, for answered prayer! Thank you, Rich Bott and the Bott Radio Network, for your commitment to our two radio programs: the daily broadcast Daily Light for Daily Living, and our weekly broadcast Living in the Light. And thank you, dear Melanie and Carey, for your thoughtfulness to share the picture.

Anne Graham Lotz cancer

While the topic of suffering has been on her mind a lot lately, Lotz has been encouraging her followers to embrace the lessons and the comfort God sends in times of suffering. In a recent Facebook post, she shares some thoughts on suffering:

If you’re a child of God, your suffering isn’t wasted. Suffering is not an end in itself. 2nd Corinthians 4:17 reminds us: “For our light momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
The spiritual principle is that in some way God uses suffering to transform ordinary, dust-clay people into vessels that are strong in faith, vessels that are fit for His use, vessels that display His glory to a watching world. Suffering is like the fire that strengthens the clay once the Potter has molded it.
Is the Potter molding, or remolding, you, using pressure or problems? Stress or suffering? Hurt or heartache? Illness or injustice? Are circumstances heating up with intensity in your life?
Listen to me! Trust the Potter to know exactly what He’s doing. He won’t waste your sorrow. There is glory to come that will outweigh it all!

Lotz is continuing to ask for prayer as she embarks on a new treatment plan. She asks for those so inclined to pray for her healing and that she will not miss “what cancer can do for me.”

Is Worship Nostalgia Killing Your Church?

By
David Manner
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Nostalgia is sentimental remembrance of previous times or significant events that continue to stir happy or meaningful personal recollections. It can be a healthy time of reflection as long as its primary purpose is to remind how the past laid the foundation for the present and future. If, however, those remembrances result in an excessive yearning and compulsion to return to the “good old days,” then worship nostalgia may be killing your church.

The word nostalgia is derived from the two Greek words: nostos, meaning homecoming, and algos, meaning pain. The medical professionals who coined the word in the late 18th century were describing an emotional and physical condition, not the current meaning of wistful thoughts of earlier times. In its original definition, nostalgia was viewed as a crippling condition that rendered sufferers incapacitated by despair or intense homesickness.[1]

Nostalgia was considered a legitimate reason for voluntary release from military service even until the 1860s. If a soldier became too overwhelmed by thoughts of home or the life he left behind, his abilities for service could be compromised.

Nostalgia in reasonable doses can provide a sense of comfort. But too much can have a negative effect perpetuating the belief that an earlier time is preferable to present day conditions. Getting caught up in feelings about a more ideal past can make the present seem unfulfilling by comparison.[2]

Excessive nostalgia can cause a church to romanticize, idealize and even embellish the past in an effort to coerce present generations to perpetuate that past for future generations. Consequently, extending those previous practices can limit a congregation to its past performance, potentially killing its present and future efforts. The end result is a church that attempts to re-create divine moments, events or even seasons based almost completely on the idealized emotions that were originally stirred.

8 Ways Nostalgia May Be Killing Your Church

  • Attempts are made to canonize one particular style or genre of music.
  • Conversations begin with Do you remember instead of Can you imagine.
  • An inordinate amount of time is spent planning and preparing reunions and anniversaries.
  • Much more time is devoted to protecting old practices than praying for and considering new ones.
  • Leadership vision seems to look in the rearview mirror for the way things used to be instead of out the window for the way things could be.
  • Budgets are absorbed on the physical and organizational institution without considering its mission.
  • Leaders are selected or dismissed according to how they can best represent and perpetuate the past.
  • Resurrecting or recreating older actions to reflect former generations always takes priority over newer actions to impact future generations.

Nostalgically designing the vision, practices, procedures and future of your church to replicate the Good Old Days usually succeeds in getting it half right…it is old.

This article originally appeared here.

What Does the Bible Teach Us About Bullying

By
Neal Hardin
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For many students, bullying is an everyday issue that they have to deal with at school. Up until the past few decades, bullying was overlooked by most people, being viewed as “kids just being kids” or “a normal part of growing up.” But incidents such as school shootings or the recent Netflix series 13 Reasons Why have made bullying and harassment a more regularly discussed topic.

Bullying happens more frequently than you might think. According to the American Medical Association, by the time students finish school, nearly half of students have been bullied at one point or another.[1] It’s a serious issue that needs to be addressed.

What is bullying?

People usually know what bullying is when they see it, but it’s sometimes hard to put it into words. Researchers who study bullying cite three common characteristics of what makes an act bullying:

  • Bullying is intentional and tries to cause harm or distress to the victim.
  • Bullying occurs between two students who have different degrees of power.
  • Bullying happens repeatedly over a period of time.[2]

There are three types of bullying that occur:

  1. Physical: Hitting, kicking, spitting, tripping, pushing, breaking someone’s things, rude gestures
  2. Verbal: Teasing, name-calling, threats, inappropriate sexual comments, taunting
  3. Social: Leaving someone out of a group on purpose, telling others not to be friends with them, publicly embarrassing them, spreading gossip or rumors about someone, etc.[3]

With the increased use of computers and cell phones, especially among teens, there is also a special type of bullying called cyberbullying, in which the harassment is done with electronic means like texting, email, social media, etc.

What does the Bible say about bullying?

The Bible doesn’t talk directly about bullying, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t use biblical principles to address the issue. The Bible commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31) and to treat others the way we would like to be treated (Luke 6:31). There is no room in the Christian faith for belittling or abusing someone. Every person, regardless of what he or she looks or acts like, is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27; James 3:9-10) and is worthy of the dignity that God gives to every person.

Bullying, therefore, is never OK. Thirty percent of students admit to bullying other students.[4] We should make sure we aren’t counted among them (1 John 4:20). As Christians, we are called to honor God with our words (Eph. 4:29) and our actions (James 1:22). We should constantly examine our actions and motives to make sure they line up with these standards, asking God whether there is anything unpleasing to him (Psa. 139:23-24).

How should Christians respond to bullying?

How does God call us to respond if we are being bullied or we see someone else being bullied?

1. If you see something, say something.

Reporting bullying to the proper authorities is one of the most important strategies we can use to prevent further bullying. Twenty-eight percent of students grades 6-12 say that have been bullied at school. Yet only 20-30 percent of those who are bullied actually report when they are bullied.[5] As Christians, we are called to seek justice and defend the oppressed (Psa. 82:3-4, Isa. 1:17). God, in his infinite wisdom, has established human authorities like the government (Rom. 13:1-4)—or, maybe in your case, the police, school administration or parents—to help make the situation right. You aren’t alone. Don’t be afraid to tell others what’s going on, whether you are the one being bullied or are merely the observer.

Something extremely important to remember is that it isn’t tattling to report bullying. Tattletales only tell on someone when they want to get them in trouble. Reporting bullying is motivated by the desire to protect people. Reporting bullying protects you, the person being bullied and everyone else around you. Doing nothing helps bullies because it allows them to continue bullying without consequences. We need to have courage and stand up for those who can’t or won’t defend themselves. Of course, use wisdom in all situations. If there’s a situation that looks dangerous, get an adult to help or call the police.

2. Understand who you are in Christ.

Meditate on passages like Psalm 139:13-18, which tells us that you are fearfully and wonderfully made and that God’s thoughts toward you are too numerous to count. You need to know that you are special to God and created in his image with immeasurable worth and value. Do not let the lies that bullies tell you influence what you think about yourself, because what God says about you is the truth. He loves you and cherishes you because you are made in his image.

3. Even if you are wronged, respond in a Christ-like manner.

When we are in the midst of a painful situation, it can be very easy to forget who we are in Christ and how he has called us to act. Thus, if you ever find yourself being bullied, there are a couple of principles that you need to keep in mind.

First, we should never try and get back at a bully or seek revenge (Rom. 12:17). As Christians, we know that this world is not perfect, but we are not the judge of the earth. God is the one who can judge the world in righteousness and repay everyone for the evil that they’ve done (Rom. 12:19). Instead, respond to your bully with kindness and love. I know this is easier said than done. It’s easy to feel angry, upset or defeated about your situation, bringing with those feelings a temptation to want to get back at them. But what Scripture calls us to do is to love our enemies and pray for them (Matt. 5:44). Do not try and overcome the evil being done to you by doing evil in return. Rather, overwhelm your opponents with the goodness and love of God (Rom. 12:21). You never know how your kindness may change their heart.

What Do Small Group Leaders Really Need?

By
Eric Falcinella
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I have been coaching small group leaders for a while, and having been a group leader myself, I would like to address the question: What do small group leaders really need?

Small group leaders are on the front lines of ministry. They are the ones who are up close and personal with the people of your church. Honestly, many are frustrated, burned out and just plain tired. Small group ministry can be one of the most rewarding ministries around, but it can also be very draining. Doing life together can be messy. Our leaders need to know they are loved and cared for. Simply training leaders and then turning them loose to lead is one of the most unhealthy things we can do for our small group ministry.

So what do small group leaders really need?

Leaders need prayer.

Most of all, leaders need to know that you have their back in prayer. None of us can do ministry without God. Leaders need to know they are being lifted in prayer not only in their personal lives but as they lead their groups. Don’t just pray for them, pray with them, often.

Leaders need encouragement. 

Leaders can easily become discouraged when members don’t show up or when they are having difficult seasons in ministry. They need to know that you are there to support them, spur them on and to celebrate their wins.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” —Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 ESV

Leaders need equipping.

Leaders need tools and practical how-tos to get the job done. Feed them with ideas for curriculum, fresh insight, books, articles and blog posts. Encourage (and financially provide for) them to attend training, retreats and/or conferences to sharpen their skills. In his blog article “A Successful Schedule for a Small Group Leader’s Training Retreat…Guaranteed,” Rick Howerton suggests having an annual retreat for small group leaders and shares some useful details of how to host one.

In Ephesians 4:12 ESV, Paul told the Ephesian church as an example to us, “To equip the Saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.” This verse should be a foundational verse and guiding light in our small group ministries.

Leaders need one another.

One of my favorite things to do in a huddle is to give leaders time to learn from and share experiences with one another. If someone is having a problem with a particularly difficult group member, maybe another leader can offer advice on how to address the situation. Allow leaders to encourage and challenge one another. “As iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” —Proverbs 27:17 ESV

Leaders need a friend.

Sometimes leaders need a listening ear. They need to vent or to bounce ideas off of someone or to share a personal struggle. They just need to know someone cares. Something as simple as remembering their birthday can mean so much. Don’t just know about your leaders, take the time to get to know them, their family and their daily walk with Christ.

Leaders need accountability.

It happens. Leaders get off track from time to time. It is easy to lose sight of the vision of the ministry or to get a little sidetracked. While these conversations can be awkward and difficult, they are necessary to uphold the purity of doctrine, values and the culture of your church. I call those “truth in love” conversations.

If there is a sin to be addressed, address it boldly, lovingly and always within the boundaries of Matthew 18.

Leaders need to be discipled. 

Most of all, we are commanded by Jesus in Matthew 28:19 ESV to “go and make disciples…” Discipleship is simply teaching and leading and making followers. Ultimately, we all follow Christ, but our leaders need an earthly example to follow. They need someone to help them discover their next step in their walk to become more like Christ. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” Be the example. Are you someone your leaders should follow? Are the leaders someone the group member should follow?

In his blog Mark Howell Live, Mark consistently writes: “Whatever you want to happen in the lives of the members of your small groups must happen in the lives of your leaders first.”

Small group ministry is rewarding, fun, messy and hard work! Keeping our finger on the pulse of our leaders and looking out for their spiritual health is essential to the health of our small group ministry as a whole.  

This article originally appeared here.

Leader: Establish Authority Before Exhibiting Authority

By
Ron Edmondson
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This is a true story. Details have been altered to protect identities. (Although that’s not really needed, as you’ll see.)

A pastor began a pastorate and started making changes quickly. In my opinion, they were all good changes. In fact, a few of them were genius. I was impressed.

But, the pastor didn’t last two years in the church. He was run out of town. Dismissed. Gone. And, the church went looking for a new pastor. (Most likely to repeat the same process.)

What happened in this case was a few of the leaders in the church (some he didn’t even know were leaders) decided they didn’t like the changes he was making. Soon they no longer liked him. He was sent packing with barely a severance check and a head spinning wondering why.

Heartbroken and discouraged, he asked for my opinion on what went wrong.

And, you know, if you’ve been in ministry very long at all, that it’s not just one pastor’s story. It’s actually a dozen pastors’ story. I’ve heard it so many times I can’t remember them all.

I usually don’t agree with the way the church handles these situations. At least not in the way they go about dismissing the pastor. There were probably better solutions to the problem. Maybe a mediator. Maybe some humility for both the church and the pastor. Maybe better change management. Maybe a little more grace. Maybe a church heist and takeover. And, I’m only slightly kidding on the last one, because some churches are toxic in how they deal with their pastor.

But this true, and often repeated story, helps us understand something about leadership.

In watching new leaders in a church or organization, I’ve noticed a sometimes fatal error occur.

New leaders often forget to establish their authority before making major changes.

And, many times it is that simple.

Here’s a principle to remember, that I have learned by experience:

Leaders have to establish authority before they exhibit authority.

Positional authority is what this pastor used.

And, there’s certainly that form of authority in the position. The pastorate comes with a certain influence; even a certain power. Not to be abused, but simply by expectation. The church wants someone to take leadership when needed. He was the pastor. So he made the pastor-like decisions.

You’ll need positional authority at times. Don’t be afraid to use it when necessary. You need it when protecting the vision. Or in times of crisis. And, it is sometimes even granted in honeymoon situations, which is what this pastor used.

But, positional authority is limited in effectiveness; and so it should be used rarely. People may do what you say, because of your position, but they will not always do it with as much passion. And, eventually, if not handled well, people will rebel against that kind of authority; especially when it is the only authority exhibited.

Actually, in my opinion, this pastor abused his positional authority.

What’s the alternative?

Relational authority is far more effective. As the title indicates, relational authority is part of a relationship. It develops with trust and respect. It develops over time and experience. It develops as those you attempt to lead get to know you and learn you are a leader and a person you claim to be. You have their best interest in mind. You aren’t self-serving. You care for them—and love them—even more than the change you hope to make.

Had I been able to talk with this pastor before the trouble began, I would have advised him to be more intentional and strategic about developing his authority. There were probably times to use positional authority, such as with things which were less controversial and easier to change, but again, they would have been rare.

I would have advised him to develop more relational authority before he changed the most controversial issues. I would have said don’t touch the sacred cows without relational authority. And, you won’t know the sacred cows until you know the people. Many times it’s the smaller issues that hold big sentimental and traditional values, in which people resist the most. And, you’ll find in the end, many of these issues don’t even matter. You’d love them changed, but if it takes a year, or two years, let that be OK. In the meantime, you can develop your relational authority.

You’ll need the relational authority for the things that matter most.

Leader, before you exhibit too much authority, make sure you’ve established your proper authority—especially relational authority. It takes time, but the privilege of relational authority is so incredibly effective in making sustainable and substantial change.

Have you seen a leader try to exhibit authority before establishing authority?

This article originally appeared here.

The Problem with ‘Feel Good’ Church

By
Jarrid Wilson
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We need to be cautious that we aren’t subconsciously seeking a feel good church.

I remember walking into church for the first time after purposely staying as far from it as I could for 10 years. The music was loud, the crowds were big and the environment was inviting. It was unlike any other church I could remember going to as a kid, and the people who made up this group were overwhelmingly kind to me. “This place is awesome,” I remember thinking to myself. And I remember feeling something I had never expected to feel at a church: welcomed.

But the story doesn’t end there. No. As quickly as I had stepped into an environment that felt accepting and welcoming, the tides began to change, and I was met with a sermon from a charismatic pastor that made me feel like I had just been slapped in the face. Not because he was speaking ill or being rude, but he was telling me things about myself I didn’t want to hear. This pastor was preaching things out of the Bible that opposed the way I was currently living my life. He said things I didn’t like. He said things that made me get defensive.

But guess what? As uncomfortable as it made me feel at that very moment, his words were exactly what I needed. This type of discomfort is something all of us need to experience. To be reminded that a life lived outside of the narrow-road, reliant on flesh and personal desires, is not the life God has destined us for.

Imagine

Imagine with me for a second, if I would have stepped into that church, only to be given a “feel good” message that validated and approved everything I was currently engaging in because the pastor didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, offend someone or ruin the opportunity for gathering someone’s tithe. How on earth would I have been expected to change? I wouldn’t have. I would have left the church with no inclination that the way I was currently living was leading me down the path of emptiness. The conviction I felt is what led me to repentance, and the repentance is what led me closer to a life that reflected Jesus.

The Bible is clear that an encounter with Jesus will bring on a new life). If your life looks the same after you claim to have encountered Jesus, did you really?

The church wasn’t meant to always feel good. In fact, oftentimes I’ve left church even more aware of the brokenness than I was when I first walked in. I’m left with hope, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy about what I have to sacrifice in order to get there. Oftentimes we see pastors preaching messages that illustrate Jesus as nothing more than the feel good genie whose only job is to give you what you’re looking for. You know, feel good church…

  • Jesus will provide you with the job.
  • Jesus will provide you the finances.
  • Jesus will provide you the blessings.
  • Jesus will provide you the healing.
  • Jesus will provide you with a spouse.
  • Jesus will provide you with a promotion.

Unless He doesn’t…

Do you see where I’m going with this? Can Jesus provide all that I mentioned above? Yup. But that doesn’t mean he will. And it’s not the job of a pastor to promise things to people that the Bible doesn’t, especially when it comes to providing the way you and I specifically want. God will often contradict our personal expectations for our own benefit. It’s about His will, not ours. The church was not designed to be comfortable, but instead, confronting of sin and a dispenser of hope.

Sure, a feel good church might attract celebrities, mass crowds, sell books, get air-time on television and bring a good tithe number each week, but that doesn’t mean it’s right. That doesn’t mean it’s biblical. And that doesn’t mean that what one’s doing is being blessed by God.

Can church feel good? Of course. But there’s more to the story here. The purpose of the church isn’t to make you feel good, but to magnify the name of Jesus through worship and teaching of His Word. There will be times of feeling good, but there will also be times of conviction and sacrifice that will undoubtedly bring on major life-changes. It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely worth it.

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.—2 Chronicles 7:14

If the church never calls its people to turn from our selfish ways, what good is it? I’ll take a Jesus-church over a feel good church any day of the week.

This article about feel good church originally appeared here.

Modernize Puzzles & Storytelling to Engage Kids

By
Courtney Kirk
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Ever find yourself running short on time to prepare for Bible class but want something that interests the kids? Yep! It happens to the best of us. This week I came across the perfect Bible storytelling solution! I bought several dry erase pocket sleeves (a set of 12 was only $15). Then I bought some fun erasers because they will get the kids’ attention quickly! I have dry erase markers in the class for the kids already for other activities. All that was left was for me to fill them with an activity sheet to go along with our lesson. So easy and can be used over and over again.

I write my own lessons, so I simply added some words and pictures with instructions on what to do with each item. (I’ll attach both so you can see what I mean.) As the kids went through the lesson, they were fully engaged. No time to design your own? No problem. Draw a handful of boxes on a page, make copies and slide it in. Instruct kids on what to draw with each part of the lesson. Another way I plan to use these is for a modernized method of working puzzles. Simply make copies of word finds, mazes, connect the dots and more. Slip them into the pockets and kids have an assortment of puzzles to work. They just trade as they finish. Sure, you can make a bunch of copies and they can use pencils or crayons, but this way gets them excited because it’s different. We want kids excited about Bible class and sharing it with friends.

Here’s the lesson that goes with the activity you see in the video:

  1. We are learning from the book of 1 Kings. Is this in the Old or New Testament? TRACE K-I-N-G-S.
  2. (Acts 13:22) King David was a man who loved God very much. The Bible says he was a man after God’s own heart. Even though David messed up sometimes, he always told God he was sorry and God was always with him. TRACE the heart.
  3. (1 Kings 3:1-15) King David grew old and died. His son Solomon became the next king. God told him he could have anything. Solomon did not ask for tons of gold or money. He did not ask for a big palace or a long life either. No, Solomon asked for something even more valuable than all of those things. He asked for wisdom so he could lead God’s people wisely. TRACE the “W” for Wisdom.
  4. (1 King 5:1-9) When the King Hiram of Tyre heard Solomon was the new king, he was pleased so he sent him a message. King Solomon sent back a message asking for cedar and juniper logs. What did King Solomon need all this wood for? He was building God’s temple, a place for God to live among the Israelites. So King Hiram floated them by rafts across the sea and then Solomon had men get them and bring them on land. Draw the water for the logs to float in. What were these logs for? Building the temple.
  5. (1 Kings 6:1-13) After four years as king, Solomon began building the Lord’s temple. God said to Solomon, “If you obey me and keep my commands, I will fulfill my promise to your father David and live among the Israelites. I will not abandon them.” What did God say? (1 King 6:14-29) The temple was very special. Why? Because this is where God would live. Wouldn’t you want to make God’s home perfect and amazing? I know I sure would! In the place where the ark of the covenant would be, Solomon overlaid the inside with pure gold. He made a pair of cherubim out of olive wood stretching from wall to wall. Give the cherubim wings. He spent SEVEN years building it. How long? Seven years!
  6. (1 Kings 7:1, 51-8:1) When all the work for the temple was finished, he brought in the things his father had dedicated, the silver and gold, and placed them in the treasuries of the temple. Then King Solomon summoned the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the families to Jerusalem. He wanted them to bring the ark of the covenant from Zion, the City of David. What did he want them to bring to the temple? The ark of the covenant. Draw two long poles to carry the ark of the covenant.
  7. (1 Kings 8:3-11) So that’s just what happened. Who remembers who must carry the ark? Only the priests. Does anyone remember what tribe they were from? Priests came from the tribe of Levi. They carried the ark on the long poles. Nothing was in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it. TRACE the stone tablets for the 10 commandments. When the priests left the Holy Place where the ark was being kept now the cloud filled the temple. Wow! The glory of the Lord filled His temple!
  8. (1 Kings 8:12-62) In front of everyone, King Solomon praised God. He said, “Lord, the God of Israel, there is not God like you in heaven above or on earth below” (vs 23). DRAW more clouds. Is there anyone more amazing than God? Anywhere? No way!
  9. (1 Kings 9:4-8) God reminded Solomon that if he walked faithfully and obediently like his father and never served other gods, then God would be with them and he’d be successful. BUT, if they turned from God then God would reject them. What did they have to do for God to always be with them? Obey God and not serve any other gods. TRACE “O-B-E-Y.”
  10. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Remember how Solomon was making the temple beautiful and lining it with gold? Why? Because that was where God would live. Did you know that in the New Testament things changed? God does not live in the temple Solomon built. Nope! He said that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. God lives in us. So our bodies are special and we need to honor God with our bodies. That means we should not use our bodies for bad things. DRAW a stick man body. 

Summary: Solomon was the wisest king to ever live. He built a temple for God to live in among His people, the Israelites. God told him that if they obey, He will be with them. If they serve other gods, God will turn away from them. Today God does not live in a building lined with gold. He lives in us! That means God is ALWAYS with us and helping us make wise choices like Solomon.

This article originally appeared here.

VisuALS Technology Solutions – Tech & Philanthropy

By
Russ McGuire
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Sometimes things just come together in a special way. The world calls that coincidence, but we know it’s God’s providence. This month I’m excited to share the story of VisuALS Technology Solutions, a company that sprung forth from the Oklahoma Christian University campus where I serve, and the story of Jevon Seaman, a young man being used by God to give a voice to the voiceless.

Human Flourishing

Six months ago my monthly column talked about entrepreneurship and human flourishing, and throughout the Spring semester, that was the theme for my discussions with students. So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that God would bless us with a student project that is becoming a business that can greatly enrich the lives of thousands.

About four years ago, Ash Srinivas, a student in OC’s Masters of Engineering program approached Professor Steve Maher with a proposed project for an undergraduate senior capstone electrical engineering systems team. Ash had a friend from church with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease) who was losing the ability to control much of his body, including his voice, his hands, and his arms. Ash knew that technology was advancing fast and a communications solution should be possible for much less than the $20,000 price on existing products.

In the Spring of 2015, a team of three engineering students started working on software to enable ALS patients to type, and with text-to-speech, to speak with their eyes. Before their graduation in the Spring of 2016, Ash’s friend tried it out and said it was a good start. The team handed it off to a new team of four engineering students, who called the project VisuALS. Professor Maher recognized the commercial potential and asked me to help. I recruited a marketing student and an accounting student to help build a business plan.

An Accountant with Heart

Jevon was that accounting student. For as long as he can remember, he’s been serving in the church. Being in a small congregation, everyone in his family finds ways to serve, and they’ve taken missions trips to help another small church in Germany with community outreach.

When Jevon arrived at OC, he thought he wanted to study English, his dad thought Marketing would be better, but God had something else in mind. Jevon wasn’t able to get in all of the classes he wanted, so he found himself in an accounting class, and he loved it. He truly felt called by God to working with numbers to help businesses prosper.

When he heard about the VisuALS project, it was an answer to prayer. While Jevon felt called to be an accountant, he struggled with how he could use accounting to love God and love his neighbor, beyond just making good money and being generous with his giving.

“I Love You”

The engineering team did a great job with the software, and by January of this year, they were ready to get some feedback. The team, including Jevon, went to a local ALS Support Group meeting and explained what they’d been working on.

Carl Phelps had been diagnosed with ALS two years before and had been unable to speak for the past year. He could still walk, but was losing the ability to use his hands and typing had become very difficult. He walked over and sat down in front of the VisuALS system and started typing and talking with his eyes. For the first time in a year, he was able to say to his wife Janice, “I love you.” He also gave the students feedback on how to make it better, and after using the system for 45 minutes, told them “I’m not giving this back until you tell me when I can have my own.” Two weeks later, the students brought the system to the Phelps home and got it set up. You can see the impact on their lives in a video on YouTube titled “VisuALS – Christian Entrepreneurship at OC”.

Through that interaction, VisuALS became more than just a school project. Jevon shared, “Getting to know Carl and Janice, and giving Carl a voice, showed a world beyond his disease — who he was and continues to be.” Carl was able to share with us that he still wants to be a disciple of Christ and he shared his favorite verse, Hebrews 12:1. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Impacted

Jevon has been personally impacted by this encounter and has also adopted Hebrews 12:1 as his own mission. “What do I want those witnesses to see in my own life? I need to run with perseverance the goal set before me. It’s easy for me to say, ‘I don’t know how’ or ‘I can’t’ but I need to throw off those hindrances, get out of my comfort zone, and do what needs to be done.”

That’s the mindset of an entrepreneur, and doing it all for the glory of God as a Christian entrepreneur. The engineering students have graduated and started their corporate careers. Jevon will be an accounting senior at OC this year, but he felt called to be an accountant. He struggled with how he could use accounting to love God and love his neighbor, so he stepped up as Chief Operating Officer for VisuALS Technology Solutions, LLC. He’s helping [to] launch the business to help thousands of more Carl’s. Lord willing, at the beginning of September, VisuALS will begin selling their product for $3,000, a fraction of the cost of existing solutions, so that many who couldn’t previously afford it, can now regain their voice and say “I love you” to those around them.

This article originally appeared in the series StartUps, by Russ McGuire. You can read about other Christian entrepreneurs here.

The Sunday Sermon Is Not a TED Talk

By
Dr. Josh Buice
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

We live in a world full of ideas. With the highway of information technology, we can access information at any given moment of any given day from most places in the world using something as small as a smart phone device. With all of this information, curious minds are being filled on a constant basis with both simple and complex ideas that are being delivered at light speed—often with conflicting world views and philosophies.

The TED Talk has become a very popular information bank—owned by a nonprofit nonpartisan foundation designed to deliver information to people. According to TED, information is built upon the most important thing in the world—ideas. So, how is preaching a sermon different than delivering a TED Talk? TED Talks are approximately 18 minutes in length while sermons are often longer. It’s more than the length of the talk that distinguishes a Christian sermon from a TED Talk.

Preaching a Sermon Involves More Than Delivering Creative Ideas by Gifted Thinkers

Giving a TED Talk may not follow a specific cookie cutter pattern, but it does center on the goal of delivering ideas. Often TED Talks center on the opinions of people and charged by emotions. Such opinions are delivered with clarity, precision and a bit of persuasion in order to change people’s understanding of that particular idea at the center of the talk. According to Chris Anderson, “Ideas are the most powerful force shaping human culture.”

While ideas are certainly powerful, we must understand that preaching a sermon is different than merely delivering ideas to an audience. Preaching involves delivering truth (Rom. 1:16). The source of the truth is God’s Word, and preaching is the delivery of God’s truth rather than ideas that originated with the one giving the talk (or another figure from history). The goal of the sermon is to unpack a given text of Scripture and deliver God’s truth to the gathered audience—which in most cases consists of the assembled church.

According to the TED website, they search hard to find the most gifted speakers for their events:

At TED, we search year-round for presenters who will inform and inspire, surprise and delight. Our presenters run the world’s most admired companies and design its best-loved products; they invent world-changing devices and create ground-breaking media. They are trusted voices and convention-breaking mavericks, icons and geniuses.

The reality is, most pastors do not meet those standards. God has often chosen those who are not wise and genius level to deliver the truth of the gospel. Paul wrote the following to the church at Corinth:

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:27–29).

The sermon isn’t a carefully crafted talk emerging from the expertise of the speaker. The sermon is a carefully crafted talk that should emerge from God’s Word and has one main goal of delivering the truth of the passage of Scripture to people with great care and precision. Because sermons are truth centered and not idea centered—sermons are driving at something much bigger which is the worship of God.

TED Talks Are Not Designed for Worshippers of God

The talks delivered at a TED event are not designed for the worship of God. They are often designed to give credit to the one delivering the persuasive ideas in the talk itself. Preaching a sermon is far different. The overall goal of a sermon is to point people to God—not the one delivering the sermon. In fact, when people hear a pastor who presents himself as the hero of all of his sermon illustrations and stories, they are often turned off by that type of narcissistic communication.

While TED Talks may not be designed for the speaker to be the focus of the talk as much as the speaker’s idea—sermons are different. The preacher has the goal of making God the focus of the sermon rather than ideas or even truths about God. While preachers deliver the truth, that truth is not generic or disconnected from God. The truth itself points people to God and this is how people worship God while a man stands on a platform each week and delivers a sermon. TED events are designed for people to gather information, but sermons are designed for people to worship. People gather information and ideas during sermons, but something more happens when the one listening begins to praise and glorify God.

In short, we must remember that preaching is worship. Whatever happens during a sermon including the delivery of ideas, truth and much more—the entire event is centered on the goal of worship. In his excellent book Expository Exultation, John Piper writes:

As Paul proclaimed the unsearchable riches of Christ, and announced the good news of great joy, and heralded the reconciling message of the all-authoritative King, he saw that this kind of proclaiming, announcing and heralding could not be discarded when this extraordinary people, under this extraordinary God, revealed in this extraordinary Book, gathered for worship. The riches of glory, the goodness of the news, the weight of the truth, and the authority behind it all did not become less because it was being spoken among this gathered people. If anything, it became more. [1]

When audiences gather for TED events, they listen to different talks from a wide variety of speakers who are delivering ideas from various different backgrounds and philosophies. The idea is to gain knowledge and become a better human. When the church gathers for the sermon, the people listen to the speech coming from God’s Word and the idea is far more than gaining knowledge and using ideas to become a better “you”—it’s to see and savor the glorious triune God who not only created the entire universe but saves guilty sinners.

When true preaching happens it leads to joyful worship. When the church worships God through his Word—it results in changed lives. Each week when the church gathers the people should be anxious to hear Christian preaching rather than an idea dump in form of a talk.

  1. John Piper, Expository Exultation: Christian Preaching as Worship, (Wheaton: Desiring God Foundation, 2018), 70.

This article originally appeared here.

Three Reasons God Gives Us the Sabbath

By
J.D. Greear
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

There’s a little phrase in Hebrews that has always had an incredibly attractive power to me: “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9 ESV).

Rest. There remains a rest for the people of God.

The Importance of Sabbath Rest

Christianity often feels like more stuff to do. But according to Jesus, the core of the Christian experience is rest. Dallas Willard says that most of us jump into the busy part of Christianity—serving our neighbors, being active in the church, keeping up with spiritual disciplines—but we skip the “rest” part, which is crucial to being able to accomplish any of the other stuff.

Those most mature in Jesus are not those working hardest for him but those resting best in him. Until you learn to rest correctly in Christ, all of your work for Christ is going to be off.

The writer of Hebrews ties this idea of rest to the Old Testament concept of “Sabbath.”

Moses explains the purpose of the Sabbath in two primary places: The first is in Exodus 20, when God gives the Ten Commandments: “Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God… For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:9–11).

God created the world in six days and rested on the Sabbath. We should take a Sabbath rest, too, for three reasons:

1. To remind us that God is the point of our lives

Sometimes the tyranny of life can cause us to disconnect from the purpose we were created for. And I can tell you as one who has run far down that weary road, this is the quickest way to live in misery. The Sabbath is a day to recognize that God didn’t create us to accomplish tasks but to be in love with him. That is our purpose. We weren’t created for a job. We weren’t created for our ability to produce. We were created, first and foremost, for God.

On the Sabbath, we are just supposed to enjoy God and his gifts. It is one day to be rather than to do.

2. To remind us that God is the provider for our lives

No other society in ancient times took a day off, because survival was often a day-to-day, season-to-season affair. But God commanded his people to take a Sabbath because he wanted to remind them that he bore the true responsibility of providing for them.

God has set up the world so that most of the provision we experience comes from the work that we do. Because of this, we can very easily begin to assume that we are the ones who bear the responsibility of taking care of ourselves. Like the other ancient cultures, we don’t think we can take a day off because our lives depend on being “on” every day of the week. But that kind of responsibility isn’t ours. God bears that responsibility—and so we take a day off each week to declare that.

Sabbath is a counter-cultural declaration of trust. I don’t rest because everything is done. I rest because God has promised that if I do it, he’ll make up for the rest.

What Is the Most Underrated Spiritual Discipline?

By
Stephen Altrogge
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

We all know that we’re supposed to pray. We have our own prayer “tactics,” such as prayer lists, prayer apps, prayer walks, prayer meetings, praying out loud, writing down our prayers, writing down the prayers we say out loud, and saying out loud prayers which have been written down. In spite of all this, I think prayer is THE MOST underrated spiritual discipline.

The simple fact is, I take prayer for granted. I mean, it’s “just” prayer. I was taught to pray at a young age and my family always said prayers before dinner and bedtime. My dad would pray before we went on long trips and pray for us when we got sick.

I follow the same rhythms today. I pray when I read my Bible and have my kids pray before we start eating. It’s a normal, seemingly mundane thing. There aren’t usually any miracles happening after these prayers.

Because Christ has opened the way into the Holy Places, I can pray freely at any time of day. I can pray in the car, as I’m working and while I’m watching my kids. Being able to pray so freely is an incredible, wonderful blessing.

I think, however, that the freeness with which I can pray causes me to take prayer for granted.

Think for a moment of all that takes place when I pray.

God Hears

But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.(Psalm 4:3)

O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch. (Psalm 5:3)

When I pray, the Lord himself, Yahweh, the King of Kings, the commander of the armies of Heaven, hears me! The God who crushed the Egyptian army and humiliated the prophets of Baal, hears when I call to him.

I’m not babbling empty words into a void. I’m not simply talking to myself. This is not the power of positive speaking. When I call, God hears.

I can’t overstate how astonishing this is. God truly and really hears when I pray. Why would I not take advantage of this more often? Why do I so often strive in my own strength when the omnipotent One is waiting for me to pray to him?

God Strengthens

O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. (Psalm 10:17-18)

Not only does God hear me when I pray, but he also strengthens me. In the midst of affliction, when I barely have the strength to call out to God, he hears me and strengthens me. He imparts real spiritual, emotional and even physical strength to me.

Prayer connects me to the infinite strength of God.

Again, why would I neglect this? I’m reminded of the hymn that says:

Oh, what peace we often forfeit
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer

God Blesses

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:11)

God is eager to bless me. Just as I am eager to give good gifts to my kids, God is eager to give good gifts to me. When I pray, God unleashes blessings into my life.

I realize that sounds terribly Joel Osteen-ish, but it’s not. It’s God’s word. God will give me good things when I pray to him. He will bless me and pour out his incredible riches into my life.

Over and over in scripture we see God responding to prayer with blessing. When I neglect prayer, I am missing out on unique grace God wants to give me.

God Acts

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (James 5:16-18)

This passage is meant to encourage us that God does real, incredible things in response to my prayers. When Elijah prayed, God actually altered weather patterns!

When I pray, God does real, amazing, incredible things. He changes circumstances. He softens hearts. He intervenes with financial provision. He brings reconciliation. Prayer brings the Almighty God into the mundane details of my life.

Given all the astonishing things that happen when I pray, why do I treat prayer so lightly?

Prayer is my great privilege as God’s son.

This article originally appeared here.

Chip and Joanna Gaines Offer ‘Homeless’ Church Place to Worship

By
Stephanie Martin
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Magnolia Market at the Silos
Facebook @Magnolia Market at the Silos

While a multi-year construction project affects “their” bridge, worshipers at Church Under the Bridge in Waco, Texas, will temporarily meet at one of the town’s biggest tourist attractions. Pastor Jimmy Dorrell accepted an offer from reality-TV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines to hold Sunday services at Magnolia Market at the Silos during the widening of Interstate 35.

For 26 years, Church Under the Bridge has assembled on Sundays under I-35 and 4th Street. Most of the 200 to 300 attendees are homeless or marginalized, and volunteers from churches around Texas serve them free meals.

But a three- to five-year construction project, expected to start in March 2019, is forcing the congregation to find a new gathering spot. When the Gaineses heard about the church’s predicament, they contacted Dorrell and agreed to let Church Under the Bridge meet on their property for one year, free of charge. After that, they plan to evaluate the arrangement until the church can return to its original location.

“If Jimmy Dorrell is involved, I have no reservations whatsoever,” says Chip Gaines when asked about possible risks. “I trust him because he does what he says he’s going to do.” Gaines first heard about the unconventional ministry while attending Baylor, a private Christian university in Waco.

Magnolia Market at the Silos Is a Welcome Gift

Dorrell, who’s also a part-time professor and executive director of Mission Waco, was surprised by the invitation. “I didn’t see it coming at all,” he says. When he visited the Silos, he found the setting “amazingly quiet, with no 18-wheelers above.”

Megan Henderson of the revitalization group City Center Waco calls the arrangement “both surprising and not surprising at the same time.” It’s “consistent with the Gaineses’ ethic of sincere hospitality,” she says.

City councilman Dillon Meek agrees, saying the couple’s offer reflects their love for the Waco community. “Church Under the Bridge is a powerful ministry that reaches a lot of people near and dear to the heart of God,” he says, adding that the Silos is the “perfect location for [the church] to flourish” during roadwork.

Every week, about 30,000 people visit Magnolia Market at the Silos, which offers shopping, gardens, food trucks and more. An annual Silobration celebration, with after-hours ticketed concerts that include Christian music, is scheduled for October 18-20.

Partnering for the Poor

Although Magnolia’s attractions are closed on Sundays, tourists still drop by to take photos—and Pastor Dorrell says they’re welcome to join worship. “That will be a byproduct we love,” he says, “but if the poor aren’t there, we would have made a bad mistake.”

To be considerate guests, Dorrell says they’ll limit smoking to parking lots and ask church attendees not to solicit money from tourists. He expects that free meals will continue to be offered while the Texas Department of Transportation is “remodeling our place at no charge.”

For five years, Chip and Joanna Gaines hosted the popular home-improvement show Fixer Upper. In addition to several product lines, a restaurant, a real estate company and a magazine, the couple have five children, including a baby born in June. Previously, the Gaineses donated more than $50,000 to Jubilee Market, a nonprofit grocery store run by Mission Waco.

Finish the Mission: Empowered by the Spirit

By
Ed Stetzer
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

In Acts 1:6-8 we find the final commission of Jesus. In verse 6 Jesus is asked, “Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” It’s as if the disciples were asking Jesus, “Lord, have you read the latest installment of Tim LaHaye’s ‘Left Behind’ series?” Jesus’ disciples seemed inordinately interested in the end times.

At their question, Jesus kindly admonishes them, saying, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority.” They want to talk about the end times. Jesus wants to send them on a mission.

Empowered by the Spirit

Churches are filled with people who are confused about the mission. It’s evident when we consider what packs out a conference or what sermon series excites the people. For many churches today, when pastors address questions on the end times, the church fills up. If you pull out prophecy charts, some dragons with horns, and start naming names and decoding the numbers, you can pack out a conference.

Yet, Jesus says it’s not for us to know. Jesus says “no” to the disciples’ request to know the timing of God’s plan, and he gives them something different entirely. He says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” These words cause a shift that takes place in the disciples’ understanding of mission.

Luke’s story of the church on mission in Acts begins with two revolutionary events. The first event focuses the mission of the church toward the nations and informs the disciples how the mission will be accomplished (Acts 1:8). The second creates the church and empowers it for its mission (Acts 2:1-11). When Jesus responds to his disciples’ questions concerning when the kingdom of Israel will be restored (Acts 1:6), he is not trying to redirect their attention from eschatological speculation or from nationalistic hope in Israel’s kingdom. Jesus says the kingdom will be established through the power of the Spirit, and the hope of Israel is fulfilled by God’s mission being accomplished throughout the world.

We see a Trinitarian focus on the mission of God throughout Scripture. We see it in John 20:21:

“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ After saying this, He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’”

Powerful Promise.

Perhaps you’ve gotten to this point in this chapter, and you have this nagging concern—“All right, Ed, you talk about us living sent. So I need a congregation full of people who will quit being spiritual consumers and actually become missional co-laborers.” This sort of shift is in fact a tall order. We know statistically, from a study we conducted of seven thousand churches in Transformational Church, that the majority of people in the majority of churches are unengaged in meaningful ministry and mission. They will come for a show, but they won’t serve. So now you say, “You started with John 20:21. We are supposed to live as faithful missional co-laborers of the gospel, to live sent in our everyday lives. And then you tell me that now I’ve got to go to the nations, because, in context, the Great Commission cannot be understood apart from God sending his people to the nations. How in the world am I going to do all these things?”

Well, first, you can’t do all of these things.

Second, remember the words of Jesus. He says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you…” You can’t accomplish any of those things in your own power and strength. If the posture of mission is one of sent-ness, then the promise of mission is power from the Holy Spirit. You might not be able to accomplish all of your new ministry goals tomorrow. But one thing you can do today is to say, “Here I am, Lord; send me. Spirit, empower us. You’ve empowered us to live sent to our neighbors and to the nations.”

The Way Forward.

What should we do to focus on mission? I’d suggest that churches share Christ and serve the hurting locally, plant churches nationally, and adopt an unreached people group globally. I think you should lead your church to be a missional, missions-minded, gospel-centered, Spirit-empowered church.

Why?

They said at Babel, “Let us make a name for ourselves,” so God scattered them. Their motivation was the exaltation of man’s name. Israel was charged with a mission to bring the nations up to Jerusalem to praise God’s name. In Acts, the followers of Jesus praised God’s name. In Revelation the heavenly host praises the Lamb. I desire our churches to be able to stand before God and say:

“Here I am, Lord; send me. Cause me to live as an agent of your mission, to partner with others to spread your gospel to the nations, because we love the nations. Cause me to proclaim the gospel of repentance so that men and women might hear it all over the globe, by the power of your Spirit. In all these things, may we be a missional, missions-minded, gospel-centered, Spirit-empowered church.”

When I look at the commissions of Jesus I see a people that are commissioned. We’re all sent. We’re all to be missional Christians. But we can’t get past the Great Commission without seeing the nations, we can’t get past Luke 24 without seeing the centrality of the gospel, and we can’t leave the commissions of Jesus saying we can do it on our own. Spirit, give us your presence and your power.

This article originally appeared here.

Nehemiah Sunday School Lesson: The Great Wall of Prayer

By
Vanessa Myers
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Want a great activity for your kids to connect the story of Nehemiah with prayer?

Recently our kids at church learned the story of Nehemiah and how he re-built the wall of Jerusalem. I wanted them to do an activity in which they could build their own wall and also connect it with prayer (as Nehemiah prayed to God during the time of the re-building of the wall). So, I decided we would create our own “Great Wall of Prayer.”

Each class was given their own blank brick. For the bricks, I used a template I found online. On the bricks, we told them to write down or draw pictures of things they wanted to pray for. Or if they wanted, they could write out a prayer to God (more for our older elementary kids). After they did this, they could decorate their brick if they wanted using markers.

When each class was finished, they brought their bricks to our hallway and started building the wall. Each class built on the other classes which formed our Great Wall of Prayer.

In reading through the list of prayers, I was so touched by the things they wanted to pray for: grandparents’ health, pets who were sick, friends, parents. There were two that really stuck out to me, though. On one brick a little child asked God to provide them with food. This child does not have a lot of money and this child’s teachers were concerned when this very shy child immediately spoke up and said they needed food. We checked with a close friend of the family who assured us that they had food, which I was thankful to hear.

Another prayer said this: “Dear God, please help me get through my parents’ divorce.” This broke my heart. My parents divorced when I was eight years old and I understand the sadness she feels. Definitely a hard time in the life of a child. I pray that she will be able to get through her parents divorce and realize that God is with her every day.

This was a fun activity to do with our kids as we learned the story of Nehemiah. Every time I pass our prayer wall I find a brick and pray for their request and also for the child who wrote it. Sweet prayers from children and a great reminder for them that we need to take everything to God in prayer.

This article originally appeared here.

Find 37 free Sunday school lessons for kids here.

Rise Up: Choosing Faith Over Fear in Christian Ministry

 

Don’t miss Vanessa Myers’ new book Rise Up: Choosing Faith Over Fear in Christian Ministry. 

5 Tips for Pulling Off a Life-Changing Retreat Weekend

By
Scott Talley
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

I know many of us put on Disciple Now weekends, Middle School or High School retreats throughout the year. If we break down the DNA of those weekends, what is the purpose or goal? The goal should always be to accomplish one of two things: evangelize to your students or spiritually grow your students. Outside of these two goals, retreats should not be used for anything else. Here are five things I consider vital to pulling off a life-changing retreat:

1. Plan out your theme and goal for the weekend

Have you ever taken a personal retreat day? I try to take one regularly for my spiritual walk, but once a year I take a day to plan out our next Disciple Now or retreat weekend. Our church is part of a network of about 12 churches that come together to help put on one of the most powerful weekends of the year. Around 700 teenagers in our area come out to our event.

Over the last five Disciple Now weekends I have had the privilege of planning out the theme, speaker and band. But, one of the most important things about the weekend and our planning is the theme for the weekend. Why? Because we need to understand the goal or what outcome we seek for our students.

In March of this year, we had an amazing weekend that centered on the theme of “Rising.” The goal for the weekend was twofold. First, we challenged those who were non-Christians to rise and begin a relationship with Christ. Second, we challenged our students to rise and take their place in their schools, teams and churches to be missionaries for Christ.

Once you set a date for your retreat weekend, begin to plan out the theme and goals. Personally, I have found it fruitful to go on a spiritual retreat to plan out the weekend. But, the most important thing for your ministry is to pray over the goals of the weekend to be accomplished.

2. Choose your speaker and band wisely

There are many amazing speakers and bands within our nation, but I would recommend you talk to the band and the speaker before they arrive. I have put together many retreat weekends over the last 15 years and I have experienced failures in reaching the goals and purpose of the weekend by failing to choose the right speaker or band.

I have gotten to know some amazing speakers because I have called them to hear their heart for not just ministry to students, but also student pastors. I recommend booking your speaker and band a year out and call them so you can clearly hear their heart and share the vision for the weekend.

When it comes to the band you choose to lead worship, I personally love bringing in college students because they tend to invest in my students throughout the weekend. I want the best band I can get and I have seen God use worship bands from local colleges mightily in our Student Ministry. Whoever you choose, make sure they line up with your event theme and goals.

3. Write a curriculum strategically to align with the speaker

I am one of those weirdos out there who loves writing curriculum for events. But it is great to do that because I want the curriculum to line up with the speaker’s messages, passages and our theme for the weekend. I devote a month every fall to writing out our curriculum for retreat weekends. I have found that writing the curriculum allows our students stay focused on the sermon they just heard. Once you have heard from the speaker and know the passages and direction for each sermon, begin writing out the curriculum. I would recommend just praying through the curriculum and using your goals to help guide the small group time with your curriculum.

4. Promote with videos

I begin promoting three months out with different videos I make. If you are creative and have video skills, use them to help market your retreat weekend. Personally, I enjoy making funny videos to grab our students’ attention. If you have the privilege or chance to share it in schools, show different videos to help promote your retreat locally. We have students get excited and sign up without their churches because they want to be part of something God is speaking into their lives from the videos. Do not be afraid to get creative.

5. Be prepared for decisions to be made

The last thing I would tell you is be prepared for decisions. When I say prepared, I mean make sure to have counselors ready to receive students, a place set up where people can have conversations privately about how God is speaking to them, and a system in place for following up with students. Whenever we see students make a decision at one of our retreats, we make sure they are counseled and fill out a card about the decision they have made. We do not want our students leave a powerful weekend that doesn’t go home with them; it is important to follow up. The most important advice for planning a retreat is that you plan for decisions and plan to follow-up.

This article originally appeared here.

The Power of Small Group Matchmaking Events

By
Roger Carr
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Where do you find new people to attend your small group?

There are many ways to identify potential members and grow your group. One of those ways is to take advantage of any small group connection event your church schedules.

What Is a Small Group Connection Event?

A small group connection event is simply a recruiting event conducted to match people interested in learning more about small groups with small group leaders who are seeking new members.

There are a many people who step into the church who do not participate in a small group. They might not know what a small group is, why getting involved in a group is important, or how to try one out.

Many churches create recruiting events to make it easy for people to learn about small groups and to help new and existing small group members to expand their roster and influence in the church.

It usually starts by the church pastor letting the congregation know how important it is to be plugged into a small group. Then the pastor encourages anyone not participating in a small group to check out the connection event.

The event can be as simple as setting up a few tables to have the conversations and signups. They can also be as elaborate as a block party. The last one I participated in included outdoor games and food trucks.

Things to Do

Your primary goal should be to get as many people as possible into a small group they will thrive in. Your first priority should not be to grow your group. However, you are the one building the relationship with those you encounter at the connection event. Because of this, they might be more comfortable signing up for your group because they now know you. Attending a small group of strangers for the first time can be scary and meeting you now takes away that concern. This is one of the reasons it is important to be a participant at the event.

As a small group leader, there are some things you can do to be prepared for the event. Here are a few:

Pray Before the Event

I can’t say it enough. Prayer is powerful!

I continue to be amazed at how God arranges for people who have similar issues and interests to be in the same small group. Even when the group was formed through what appears to be a random process.

Ask God to bring the right people to you at the event and for him to give you wisdom in what you say and do as you encounter each potential small group member.

Know Your Story

Boost their interest and excitement for small groups by telling them what small group means to you and how it changed your life.

Like an elevator pitch, your story needs to be short and concise. An elevator ride takes approximately 30 seconds to two minutes. Try to capture your story in that same amount of time.

Smile

You are representing the impact small groups can have on a person. Because of this, your appearance is important.

The fastest and easiest way to improve your appearance is to put on a smile. A smile is also a great way to help build a great relationship.

You will only have a short time to build a rapport with each person you meet. Be sure to start off with a smile.

Be Bold

Have you ever been to a community event where there was table after table of organizations that wanted the participants to learn about their products and services?

Did you notice anything about those that got noticed and those that were passed by?

The people who got out of their chairs, stood in front of their table, and engaged with everyone passing by were usually the ones who got the desired response.

Don’t wait for people to stop and talk to you. Be bold. Reach out to them and show them your love and your enthusiasm for small groups.

Have a Take-Away

Have something to put in the hands of each person you meet during the small group connection event.

If they choose not to sign up, consider giving them something that describes the benefits of being a part of a small group. You might also give them your contact information to use if they think of other questions or later decide to be a part of a group.

Pray After the Event

If possible, write down the name of each person you meet. Note which ones signed up for your small group, which ones signed up for another group, and which ones chose not to sign up at the event. Ask God to do something amazing in each of their lives.

If your church has a small group connection event, plan to participate. God transforms people through small groups and there are people in your church who need to get connected.

This article originally appeared here.

How to Have 100 Percent of Your Prayers Answered

By
Regi Campbell
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

I don’t know about you, but sometimes a single Scripture verse trips me up so bad I can’t get by it. It’ll keep cycling and cycling. Eventually, I roll on because I believe the Bible is true and I know God loves me. So, I just leave it…but not really.

Number one on my list of such verses is John 14:13…

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

Many prosperity gospel preachers quote that verse along with James 4:2b, “You do not have because you do not ask God.”

So, am I asking wrong? Is ‘name it and claim it’ right? If I ask God for my choice will I get a Rolls Royce?

It seems to depend on what I’m asking for and why. Check this out (from a guy who lived over 400 years ago)…

“The promise of God concerning prayer (that is the certainty of prayer being answered) is referring to the kind of prayer that is in faith and to the Holy Spirit. It is not, however, dealing with the prayers that come from the flesh or will or human wisdom. Therefore, the great care and concern in prayer is that it be of God in the quickenings and motions of his own Spirit. For the dead cannot praise God, nor can the dead truly pray to him.

We must not pray in a way that lacks life, that lacks God’s Spirit (who calls us to pray, teaches us to pray and makes intercessions for us). True prayer is not in the time, in the will or in the power of the person praying. Rather, it is a gift of God that resides in his Spirit. It is not ours, but it is given to us. Therefore, it is ours to wait upon the Spirit, to wait for the Spirit to move and breathe in us, and to give us the ability to call upon the Father and give us the power of prevailing with the Father, in the name and through the life of the Son.”

– Isaac Pennington (1617-1680)

So, when we pray from our flesh, our will or our human spirit, answers are hit and miss. God is God, and He does as He pleases, for our good and His glory. But when the Holy Spirit moves us to pray, and we’re praying in sync with the Father’s will, we bat a thousand! And, as our prayers are uttered and answered, our faith gets stronger. Over time, we learn what to pray for and why.

Scripture: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

This article originally appeared here.

How to Evaluate Church Communications

By
Yvon Prehn
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

What are your church communications accomplishing?

A recent article from the Marketoonist (a secular resource I highly recommend everyone interested in church marketing read) had a challenging article that related the current crisis of CMOs (chief marketing officers) in corporations who are being fired or replaced because though their work isn’t producing results. Here’s a key quote from the article:

“As long as marketers continue to position themselves as experts in advertising, brand positioning, millennials and the latest digital fads – instead of being growth drivers – we’ll see more CMO positions disappear. The message is pretty simple: as a marketer, stand for growth — or else.”

The article emphasized that no matter what complex, flashy, current, or exciting things marketers were doing, if the evaluation of their work did not result in growth for the organization, the marketing person was replaced with someone who get the job done.

How this applies to the church

Lest we think that this kind of evaluation is unspiritual, let’s recall the parable of the talents, in Matt. 25:14-30. Here Jesus tells the story of the master who entrusts his fortune to three servants and then leaves. While he is gone the Master expects them to do something with what he entrusted them with; he expects a tangible return on his investment at his return. Christians love to jump to the statement repeated to the servants who gave their master a good return, where he (and we assume correctly this means Jesus and his judgment of our lives) where he says, “Well-done good and faithful servant” and then rewards them proportionately.

We tend to ignore the Master’s harsh judgment of the servant who did nothing with his talent and to whom the Master’s words were: “Cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Tangible, realistic, honest evaluation is important in the church if we want our Lord’s commendation. Following are some ideas on how you can evaluate and if necessary modify what you are doing in your church communications and the tools of technology you must serve our Lord effectively.

 

ALSO: HOW TO COMMUNICATE THE CHURCH FINANCIAL REPORT TO CONGREGATION

How to evaluate church communications

Effective church communication evaluation involves much more than competing opinions over who thinks they are right and who doesn’t. To do it honestly involves more than who likes what or who is not wanting to change a way they’ve “always done” something. It also means you don’t change things or do away with something because somebody went to a big church conference, and that big church did this or that, and to be like that big church you think you need to do the same thing, or that you get rid of (or add) technology just because it is the “in” thing today and everyone who is anyone who is doing it.

Don’t look at another church or trend to decide what to change in the tech ministry or communication program in your church. First get an honest assessment of what you are doing in your church. To evaluate you don’t look primarily at your tools, instead:

  • Look at lives.
  • Look at behavior.

Are these changing or not because of your communications or the technology or social media you’ve implemented? Most importantly are the changes you see making progress in these two areas:

  • Helping people come to know Jesus as Savior.
  • Enabling them to grow into mature disciples.

Start your evaluation by simple counting

This is not rocket science. You create events or ministries to introduce people to the Christian faith or to help people grow in their Christian lives. They must get there for that to happen. Therefore, effectiveness in church communications or the technology you use is determined first by attendance, the simple numbers of people who respond (or didn’t). After you created and distributed your communications to market, inform, and get people to the event, so assess the results. This is how you start the evaluation process of what works and what doesn’t in church communications. Like success in any game, you keep score.

The score is determined by asking questions such as these and recording your response:

  • Did you do a mailing? Send a postcard? An email? Web announcement? Pulpit announcement? Share on social media?
  • Did you equip your people with communication tools? Connection cards, postcards, website links?
  • Based on those actions, then how many people attended event? How many were new to the church?

The simple numbers of how many new people attend the church, why, and what brought them there is important because you cannot start the road toward sharing the message of salvation and growing people to Christian maturity without people first getting inside the church and becoming part of the process. Whether your church accepts individuals as believers with a simple confession of faith after one visit or whether becoming a Christian is defined by a series of explorations and classes, followed by a decision and baptism, or any combination of these events, whatever your tradition, it must start with simple attendance.

Be honest in record keeping and evaluation

If you spend thousands of dollars on seasonal outreach events, what was your return on investment? Again, ask the questions above: how many are now attending the church because of the event? How many have become Christians because of the event? I suspect far too many churches do seasonal and holiday events because the people currently attending the church really like to put on the events. To decide if this is the primary motivation — track the results. To repeat:

  • How many new people are now attending the church because of the event?
  • How many have become Christians because of the event?
  • How many have taken discipleship steps because of the event?

Or is it primarily members of your congregation and a few scattered family members who only come to big events who attended and was it put on primarily for their enjoyment.

If you aren’t honestly tracking costs and results, why not?

Even without tracking it, if you know the answer is something like “We didn’t do a very good job of communicating it to people outside the church and we can’t honestly point to anyone who is now attending, who has come to know Jesus, or grown in their faith because of it” you need to make changes.

Often the changes are simply a commitment to use the tools of technology and communications you have with a deeper purpose behind them of spiritual outreach and growth. Effective Church Communications has an in-depth course on Successful Seasonal Strategy that will help you understand what communications you need before, during, and after your event, how to involve the entire church, and how to honestly evaluate the response. It will show you how seasonal events can not only grow your church in numbers, but your people in discipleship maturity.

Check out the course and other articles on seasonal strategy at our Effective Church Communications website, brainstorm, pray, try new things, innovate, and then evaluate so that your use of technology and church communications will be worthy of our Lord’s commendation, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

 

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