Top Ten Ways to Use Your Home with Fellow Christians

On Sunday, I gave a top ten list of ways that we could use our homes to show hospitality to fellow Christians. Garth asked me to post this list. So here it is!

10. Let others use your vacation home (Acts 10:5).
9. Start a discipleship group in your home (Mt. 13:36f).
8. Invite those who are grieving over (Jn. 19:26-27).
7. Help start a church with your home as a base (Lk. 10:3f).
6. Host a small group (Rom. 16:3-5).
5. Host a youth devo (Col. 4:15).
4. Invite the preacher over (Acts 16:15).
3. Welcome released inmates (Acts 16:40).
2. Throw a "Matthew" party, mixing Christians and non-Christians (Mt. 19:10).
1. Welcome visitors, both in our church "house/building" and by inviting into our homes (3 Jn. 9).

What prevents us from becoming more hospitable? How can we change this?

Could the Spirit of God be leading us to divorce recovery ministry?

Missional theology says that the Spirit has already been sent into the world. Therefore, our role is discover where the Spirit is at work and how we can partner with what God is already doing.

This theology is why a minister or church planter cannot simply go into a new area/work with a complete set of plans. Plans are good, and there are many things that need to happen in most churches in order to make the church outward focused and effective in reaching the lost. However, ministers and church planters need to listen as well and be looking for new opportunities that the Spirit is opening.

This is why it takes some time for new outreaches to begin at High Pointe. One of the things I have been trying to do is to see what types of ministries to the hurting and broken God has already laid on the hearts of the people here.

People have come to me about the need for a divorce recovery ministry here. And after mentioning this in last week's sermon, some additional people have responded, stating a need for this. This can meet not only the needs of our own people, but also can reach many in the community.

I am excited to find where the Spirit seems to already be at work that we can get behind and that will support our mission. Rather, God's mission to the world.

Do you think that divorce recovery ministries are needed in the church and community? What resources are you aware of? What do those who have experienced divorce most need?

A word on marriage--struggles are normal

I am in the midst of doing pre-marital counseling for a young couple. This and the recent marriage discussion on this blog reminded me of the need to let people know that struggles in marriage are normal. Hollywood overly romanticizes love. It is all about the mountain top experience--emotional peaks. It is about finding a person who fits you perfectly.

Love in Hollywood is not about sacrifice, hard work, or service, nor it is a commitment. Biblical love, on the other hand, is all of these things. Real love is a commitment to another person, and it requires dedication and hard work.

I would estimate that on any given Sunday, half of the marriages are really struggling. That may sound terrible. But the good news is, most of these marriages stay together.

I often talk with young couples who think that because they are fighting, they married the wrong person. That if it were real love, they would not have any issues. Happily ever after every single day.

Look, marriage is a shaping process. And it takes years to beat selfishness out of us. It takes years to get used to understanding how another person thinks.

But the good news is, at some point you begin to better understand one another. You begin to really love your spouse in a new way. You begin to want what is best for them and make them happy more than you.

Becki is still waiting for me to get to that point! :) Seriously, though. The message to young couples is this--don't fall apart when you have real life struggles in your marriage. This is normal, and it is part of the shaping process that God has for us. As someone once told me, there is probably no better way to shape a person Spiritually than to have him or her be married to someone else.

Do you think Hollywood accurately portrays marriage? Did struggles in your marriage come as a surprise to you? How did you handle these?

Starbucks is closing stores--is the end of the world coming?!

Starbucks just announced that it was closing 600 stores, cutting 12,000 employees. Is the end of the world coming? Is this the seventh sign of the apocalypse?

No, but it is a sign that the economy is slowing. As people endure some financial strain from this slowing economy, there will be many opportunities for the church to help people.

You can check ou this story at http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080701/bs_nm/starbucks_dc_4. One interesting thing to note--Starbucks, despite closing 600 stores, will still be opening 200 new stores. So some stores clearly are not "profitable," and these resources can be used to help start more "profitable" stores.

What if we "shut down" or diverted resources from non-profitable (those not reaching any converts) churches to new "profitable" churches (those churches creating converts). Would this be a good or bad thing?

A bit of a bug . . .

On Saturday, I got hit with some kind of stomach/body bug that has not gone away. So I'm a bit slow on the email right now.

The devestating effects of divorce--how can the church help?

On Tuesday, Becki and I went to look at apartments and homes that are for lease. One home was very sad. The yard was in terrible shape. The locks on the door were in poor condition. And the home in general was very dirty. From the interior furnishings, it looked like it was a divorce situation. There probably was a father with a child, living by themselves, working two jobs and just barely hanging on. No time to spend on the lawn. No energy to clean. No hope to give to the children.

I was struck with a profound sense of sadness. What problems exist in a marriage that are so bad that it was worth risking home, companionship, a mother for the children, time, energy, and so much more?

The divorce rate in the US used to be 1 in 1000. I still can hardly believe this statistic, which was taken straight out of the leading book on families, Family Ministry by Charles Sell. Today, as a nation, we are far to quick to divorce. We need to encourage married couples to stay together, to learn to love one another, and to help them conquer selfishness.

At the same time, we need to minister to those who have gone through divorce. Those who have gone through this are often financially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually overwhelmed.

In recent weeks, after having spoken of the need to minister as a church to those who are hurting, several have come to me about the need to begin a divorce recovery ministry. This is indeed a great need, both for our own members and for the community.

How can the church help minister to those who have experienced divorce? How can we help couples stay together?

New Pew Research Poll of Americans Shows Fluidity in Beliefs

I have been hit with several people who are either interested in or concerned with the recent pew research poll. In a sentence, the study finds that Americans are "spiritual," believing in God, but that they are increasingly pluralistic, non-dogmatic, and fluid in their belief systems.

Pew research looks at religious trends in the US across all religious groups. Because this is an election year, their findings are receiving additional. See the findings at http://pewresearch.org/pubs/876/religion-america-part-two.

I'll spare you a discussion about shift from modernism and postmodernism and its relative benefits and drawbacks. The fact is that people are much less concerned about beliefs today, and much more concerned about a practical faith that impacts their lives.

I know that these trends are disturbing to many. Certainly, the Christian faith has core beliefs that we must adhere to. We need to teach our children that, according to Scripture, Jesus is the only way. But we do this through an active faith that impacts people's lives (both ours and others) in the here and now. We will "teach" our children the right way by serving the poor, developing Spiritual practices, and showing them what it means to live under the rule or reign of God.

For myself, I believe that the current religious climate presents tremendous opportunity. Thirty years ago, the culture was secular. Religion was a private matter. And whatever belief system you grew up with, you kept. Now spirituality is in the open. And people are increasingly open to anyone who will show them an authentic faith. My friends, that ought to be us. If people will just give us a hearing, I am convinced that following Christ offers the most hope, the most meaning, the most fulillment, of any faith that is out there.

Here are various news articles, analysis, and reaction to the findings.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25334489/

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2008-06-23-pew-religions_N.htm

http://www.newsmax.com/estrich/pew_research_religion/2008/06/25/107169.html

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,370588,00.html

What do you think of these pew results?

New Spiritual Gifts Seminar now Available

I just wanted to let everyone know about a new Spiritual gifts seminar that I now offering. To those who have followed this blog for some time, you know how much I believe in this ministry. The seminar and and the work that I have written called Using Your Spiritual Gifts (http://www.storyofredemption.com/page20.html) are a result of over two years of biblical and doctoral research on Spiritual gifts, work with a local congregation, personal assessments, and real life application.

I recently spoke on this subject at the OC Quest lectures, and will speak on it at the 2008 Harding lectures. I have a couple of upcoming seminars--one at Prince of Peace Catholic church in September, and one to be scheduled in Ankeny, Iowa.

For a possible seminar schedule, see http://www.storyofredemption.com/page26.html. This can, of course, be adjusted based upon calendar needs.

I have really loved doing Missional Church seminars, and I have been glad to see this new seminar grow out of it. If you would like to schedule a seminar at your church, please let me know.

What did you hear about Spiritual gifts growing up as a child? What do you hear today?

We have a contract on our house in Liberty!

Hello all. We thought that we would let everyone know that there is a contract on our house in Liberty. We are scheduled to close on July 18 if all goes well. In the end, I'll have everyone know, it was our audio-visual setup in our basement and throughout the home that sold it! :)

So we will soon be taking a trip to Liberty. We may come up early and be there at the Hess' annual 4th of July party so that we can see a lot of our friends there. We'll keep you posted on our plans.

Thank you to all of those who have prayed for our house sale--particularly Diane Newhouse's class who prayed for us this every day of school. Also, a big thanks goes to Kevin Ruth (and Matt Brunk) for watching over the house for us.

Young Evangelicals have a surprising diversity of political views

Below is an intereting article on the political views of 18-29 year olds. While maintaining opposition to abortion and supporting the death penalty, they also favor strict environmental standards for companis.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080622/pl_nm/usa_politics_evangelicals_dc_1

Do these results match up with the values of younger people that you know?

Consumer Christians and the lack of discipleship

Popular Christian author Dallas Willard, who wrote The Divine Conspiracy, speaks of the rampant consumer Christianity that is in the church.

"Nondiscipleship is the elephant in the church. It is not the much discussed moral failures, financial abuses, or the amazing general similarity between Christians and non-Christians. These are only effects of the underlying problem . . .The division of professin Christians into those for whom it is a matter of whole-life devotion to God and those who maintian a consumer, or client, relationship to the church has now been an accepted reality for over fifteen hundred years."
See http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Conspiracy-Rediscovering-Hidden-Life/dp/0060693339.

In consumer Christianity, members pay dues in exchange for goods and services. The churches that have the best goods and services (programs and ministries for me and my children) gain the most members. Calls to sacrifice are rarely given in such a system. After all, one must keep the customer happy in a consumer system.

It is rare for any of us to make a decision about, for instance, where to worship, based upon anything other than self-interest. We will say, this is the best place for me personally to attend, rather than asking, where can I worship that I can best serve others? Where can I best be used by God?

I dream of a time in my own life in which I will ask this same question without self-interest.

Where do you see consumer Christianity manifest itself in the church or in our personal lives?

The solution to classroom space for churches

it really is amazing how our experience of church life shapes and sometimes, sadly, stifles our imagination. Take for instance, classroom space. In growing (or swelling) churches, classroom space often begins to become short in supply. The automatic thought? Let's build more classrooms.



Sometimes this may be necessary. But instead of doing this automatically, why not explore other options? I can vividly remember missional leader Reggie McNeal, one of my D.Min. teachers at Fuller Theological Seminary, speak on this topic. Why not hold a "Sunday School" class in a restuarant? Have members go to a local eating place, share breakfast with one another, and have a Bible lesson right there. This would allow the workers and other people eating at the restaurant an opportunity to come into contact God's people, creating openings for conversation, prayer, and dialogue.

If we are going to be God's people on mission, we will have to sacrifice. If we cannot "sacrifice" by meeting in a restaurant, how will we be able to sacrifice in bigger things. Sometimes we are waiting for that "big sacrifice," and meanwhile we miss out on daily sacrificial living.

What do you think of having "Sunday School" in a restaurant or other public setting?

Thoughts on Giving

I received an email today on giving which was quite interesting. See below.

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A friend sent this to me and it made me think.

It seems a big amount to give back to God 10% of our income, but what if it were reversed?

I dreamed that the Lord took my weekly contribution to the church,multiplied it by ten, and turned this amount into my weekly income. In notime I lost my furniture and had to give up my automobile. Why, I couldn'teven make a house payment. What can a person do on a $100 a week?

Suppose the Lord took your offering and multiplied it by ten and made thatyou weekly income? How much would you earn? This might give us some freshinsights into the stewardship needs of the congregations."Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, ashe may prosper, that no collections be made when I come" (1 Cor. 16:2).

Think About It!

What Percentage of the Church has what Spiritual Gifts? (Corrected)

Below is a corrected version of a previous post on this subject.

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I have been working on Spiritual gifts discovery, development and application now for nearly three years, and it is a part of my doctoral work. I so strongly believe in this ministry, both from a missional theological standpoint as well as a practical standpoint. The Spirit is often compared to water--fluid, changing, refreshing, at work, essential to life, and uncontrollable. Still, I am excited about the discoveries that are coming to light as I do more and more research in this area.

One question I have often had is, what percentage of a church has what Spiritual gifts. How does it vary from church to church? Is it affected by the preaching and teaching that is done there? For instance, will people who are in a church with an evangelistic culture be influenced by this and see themselves as being more evangelistic? Is this a psychological influence or a Spiritual one--or are these too closely related to differentiate? Are there generational differences in gifts distribution? How much do different fellowship experiences affect these results? How about education level? Number of years a person is a Christian? And I have many more questions. It is exciting to think about knowing some of these results with a few more years of research.We have collected 55 Spiritual gifts inventories so far at High Pointe, with many more in the works. I thought I would take a snapshot of the gifts distribution at High Pointe so far.

Percentage of Each Gift as Compared to the Total Number of Spiritual Gifts Reported
3% - Administration – Coordination of People & Projects
7% - Administration – Tasks
1% - "Apostolic" / Missional Leadership
3% - Discernment
9% - Encouragement
4% - Evangelism
13% - Faith
4% - Giving
8% - Helping
5% - Hospitality
5% - Knowledge
4% - Leadership
7% - Mercy
3% - Pastoral Care / Shepherding
4% - Prayer
1% - Prophetic Ministry
6% - Service
2% - Speaking
6% - Teaching
6% = Wisdom

Percentage of People Who Have a Particular Gift at High Pointe
16% - Administration (Coordination)
39% - Administration (Tasks)
7% - "Apostolic"/Missional Leadership
16% - Discernment
50% - Encouragement
20% - Evangelism
77% - Faith
23% - Giving
48% - Helping
30% - Hospitality
27% - Knowledge
25% - Leadership
39% - Mercy
16% - Pastoral Care/Shepherding
23% - Prayer
5% - Prophetic Ministry
34% - Service
9% - Speaking
36% - Teaching
34% -Wisdom

These results are very interesting. For instance, these numbers confirm a very high percentage at High Pointe report a gift of faith. What are the implications of this as we plan our ministries, goals, and missional outreach? I plan on comparing these numbers over time, as well as comparing them to the Liberty Church of Christ, where I was previously a minister. These numbers also have a high percentage of church leaders who have taken the survey, which probably tilts the numbers towards certain gifts.

What do you think of these numbers? Is there anything that stands out in your mind, is surprising, etc.? What implications does this have for ministry at High Pointe and in the church at large?

Sunday Reflections on Fatherhood, Tim Russert

Sunday was Father's Day. Sadly, one of the great fathers and propropents of fatherhood, Tim Russert, died last Friday. Russert was one of my favorite political commentators. As the head of NBC news division and host of Meet the Press, Russert was one of the most influential men in our nation. I liked the fact that he was tough on all politicians, asking real questions. But he always did this without being mean-spirited.

Russert wrote two books on fatherhood in the last few years. The first, Big Russ and me, tells the story of his relationship with his father. This personal story had unexpected success, becoming a New York Times bestseller. Tim received 60,000 letters from people who told the story of their own fathers, and he compiled many of these in the book Wisdom of Our Fathers. Tim not only loved his father, but he loved his son, and himself sought to be a good father.

On Sunday, I weaved Russert's life throughout the sermon, talking about how good fathers are hard workers, providers, disciplinarians, encouragers, and lovers of children.

Fatherhood is so little appreciated today. This was one of the reasons I so appreciated Russert. Despite his incredible work ethic and ability, he always said that his family came before his work. His joy for family, people, and life will be missed as much as his incredible mind.

At the end of the sermon, I encouraged fathers to tell their children that they loved them, and vice versa. Russert died at the age of 58--too short a time. If you have not said these words recently to your father or to your children, there is no better time than now. We may not get another chance.

Why do you think fathers and fatherhood are not held in higher esteem in today's world? What do you think are important characteristics of good fathers?

How the Clothes Closet led to a new Bible study

I had meetings just about all day, all of which went well. One of the meetings was with those interested in the clothes closet ministry at High Pointe. We have some older workers who need to take a break from this ministry, and a need for newer workers, including some younger ones, to come on board.

It looks like a good team is emerging for this, with people gifted in service, mercy, and evangelism like Garth, along with those gifted in administration like Teresa. We even have people gifted in "tongues"--well, at least people like Diane who can speak Spanish! It was a blessing to be able to help get this ministry re-charged, facillitate the process, and then to let others run with it as much as possible. I'll be there to provide some guidance, evangelistic thrust, funds, and attention wherever needed.

While we were meeting, an single African-American mother named Pauline came in who had recently been released from prison. She needed a ride over to a house. One of our secretaries, Rebecca, offered her kindness, treating her with respect, talking with her, and listening to her story. Rebecca and I prayed for her, and then I took Pauline over to the hourse where her car was. As we rode, we discussed her life. I told her about the clothes closet, which she was interested in. She then said that she was looking to do some Bible study to "keep her out of trouble," and of course I offered to study with her. We are planning to study together after she comes to the Clothes Closet opening on Sat., June 21st. She was also looking to connect with some other single parents. I recently had some people in the congregation who came to me, wanting to start this type of outreach. So perhaps I can bring them into the study.

So while meeting about the clothes closet, God sends someone our way who is interested in the clothes closet and Bible study. Wow! God is at work.

This ministry has great potential to expand. Several people came up to me on Sunday after I mentioned it in the sermon, wanting to help. One was even a visitor! People really want to be a part of a church that serves the community. In fact, they will flock to such a church. Many times it is not the people that you serve whom who reach through the service, but others who see these works and who want to be a part of them.

What do you think abou the importance of service ministries like the Clothes Closet?

Who was Titus?

Last night in our Wednesday night class, our teacher, Bill, gave an overview of the Pastoral letters. One of the Pastoral letters is Titus. Bill raised a good question there, saying, who was this Titus? And what did he do that made him so important as to have Paul write a letter to him that would become part of the New Testament canon?

So I did a search for all of the references to Titus in the NT, and the search came up with the following 13 verses.

• 2 Cor 2:13 - I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-by to them and went on to Macedonia.
  
• 2 Cor 7:6 - But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,
  
• 2 Cor 7:13 - By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.
  
• 2 Cor 7:14 - I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well.
  
• 2 Cor 8:6 - So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.
  
• 2 Cor 8:16 - I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you.
  
• 2 Cor 8:17 - For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.
  
• 2 Cor 8:23 - As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.
  
• 2 Cor 12:18 - I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not act in the same spirit and follow the same course?
  
• Gal 2:1 - Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.
  
• Gal 2:3 - Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.
  
• 2 Tim 4:10 - for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
  
• Titus 1:4 - To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

From these passages, it is clear that Titus was a great help, comforter, and co-worker of Paul and others. It is always great to find close companions and friends in the Lord, people that we dearly love. I am blessed to have many friends like this.

What do you find most interesting in these references to Titus?

Thoughts on Shepherding

Yesterday, we installed four new shepherds at High Pointe. Following along with the typical Timothy/Titus minister role of installing new shepherds, I gave the new shepherds a charge to be the type of shepherd outlined in Scripture. I read from John 10, 1 Timothy 3, and 1 Peter 5.

As I read these passages, there were several things that ran through my mind then and today.

First, Jesus said that the shepherd knows the sheep and that they know his voice. In order to truly be a shepherd, one must have a following--a group of people who willing follow this person and come to them for help and guidance.

Second, the "characteristics" of shepherds that are listed are almost exclusively about character and way of life. This should point towards the emphasis in shepherding--that these are men who demonstrate to God's people what it means to walk with God.

Third, not only is shepherding itself a gift (Eph. 4:11), but there are at least other gifts associated with shepherding: teaching and hospitality. Teaching is related to not only knowledge imparted, but to a way of life that can be imititated. Since we are in the middle of a series on hospitality, I found the reminder that hospitality is a quality of a shepherd interesting. The word for hospitality in 1 pet. 4:0 literally means "love of stranger," and refers to the welcoming of those who are aliens, strangers, and those in need. This is a behavior that Peter encourage Christians to extend to one another. Shepherds must be welcoming!

What do you think are the most essential qualities of shepherds?

A church that voluntarily gave up a $50,000 sign

As a guy with interest in advertising and design, I am a fan of having church signs. Of course, this is about step number 19 or 20 in reaching people for Christ. People have to be looking for God and looking for a church in order to want to worship with a church. And some of the places that Christianity is exploding are in places like China, where Christianity is basically illegal and no signs are allowed. So we definitely should not overly rely upon them. Still, I'm for them in the US.

I was pretty amazed at a story that David Duncan, minister at the Memorial Church of Christ in Houston, TX, told at the OC Quest lectures. The Memorial church sits in a 1 mile by 1 mile little province in the middle of Houston--a province that is notoriously difficult to deal with. The church had decided to add a new sign on their property, a $50,000 sign, no less. Hey, if you've got the funds (and they definitely do), go for it. Well, the day the sign went up, the city said that they were in breach of code. The church said that it had been approved. The city then fired the person who approved the sign that very day.

The church took a stand for some time, insisting on their legal rights. But then they said, this is not the kind of relationship we want with our community. So they voluntarily took down a $50,000 sign.

They then went over to the high school, which is literally across the street from the church, and they asked them how they could serve them. Parking is horribly limited there, and so the church began to offer free parking for some of the groups that met at the school. They even allowed their parking lot to be striped like a football field so that the drill team could practice in their parking lot. They now have more traffic on a weekly basis from this than they probably would have ever had from their sign. Most importantly, they became a servant to the community.

Having had some history with this congregation, I was very encouraged and inspired to hear this wonderful story. I'm greatful for David and his leadership there, seeking to help the church there become a "missional church."

What do you think of this story?

The Bush administration and WMD--discounting contrary evidence

A recent report charges that the Bush administration discounted intelligence discussions that doubted the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. See the article at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080606/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_iran_intelligence_11. To be fair, "intelligence" by its nature usually fails to be 100% conclusive. I want to use this example to bring out a point on biblical issues.

There is a tendency to create a Scriptural paradigm, and to discount any passages that seem to conflict with this paradigm. But Scripture often has a funny way of not blowing paradigms.

For instance, Paul took a vow, even though Jesus spoke against vows.
Paul went and offered a sacrifice in the temple, even though he was under the new covenant.
The kingdom of God is said to come upon those whom Jesus healed, even though the kingdom was supposed to come in a fuller way at Pentecost.
Creation is longing to be restored, even though there is supposed to be destruction by fire.

Being intellectually honest requires us to fairly acknowledge all legitimate points of view. In fact, when we do this, we actually make our argument stronger.

What verses do you feel that the church discounts or ignores?

My experience at OC's Quest Lectures

Last Thursday afternoon, Becki and I got into the car and headed off to Oklahoma City for OC's lectureship. The OC Lectures are now named "Quest," and they have a new format that includes some highly interactive sessions after each lecture. They are also offering specialized tracks throughout the year.

I am one of those helping with the Missional Church track. Last year I was on the Missional Church panel and helped facillitate, and this year I gave three presentations on the missional church. It seemed to be well received, with high attendance in the classes and good participation. I am encouraged that the missional movement has begun in the heart of Oklahoma, and that people are responding. A couple of years ago I had done some presentations on this concept with the staff of the Edmond Church of Christ, sponsored by my dear friend and mentor, Don Vinzant. One of the deacons from Edmond that was at the session said that the Edmond church had been seeking to go down the missional path for the last couple of years. It was great to hear that this was spreading beyond the top leadership there.

I also heard some great missional concepts in David Duncan's presentation. David, who was on staff at Edmond a couple of years ago, and who is now the preaching minister at the Memorial Church of Christ in Houston, Texas, gave a fabulous talk on serving the community. More on that later.

One of the things that was suggested that we cover next year in the missional church sessions was practical implications of the missional church. Mission's relationship to worship was also suggested as a topic. I am excited that people are looking forward to next year. I'm grateful to John Harrison and Don Vinzant, the co-directors of Quest, for their leadership in this area. Interactive formats are the way of the future, and may be able to help bring back the next generations. See http://blogs.oc.edu/ee/?/quest/index

Do you like interactive formats, lecture formats, or a combination of both?

My encounter with a stranger--was God speaking to me?

On Tuesday, right before I left work, a man came in needing help with gas. He had a job, but needed needed some help. With gas at nearly $4 per gallon, I'm sure that those who need help with this will only increase.

So we went out to the gas station and I pumped gas for him. As we talked, he asked me how long I had been at the church. I told him a couple of months. Then he said that he felt that the Lord was giving him a prophetic word, and said, "Transitions are hard. But stay with it. You are going to bring a focus at this church that they have never seen before. Don't give up."

On Sunday I had spoken about how if we pray for God to bring people into our lives whom we can show hospitality, that he would respond, and this interaction would bring us blessing. Coincidence? or Godincidence?

Do you think that God speaks to people in this way today? Do you think that strangers can be angels?

Leaders equip and train other leaders

I am increasingly convinced that the larger the church, the greater the need for ministers to be "equippers." For instance, I could spend a tremendous amount of time starting one small group and doing this really well. Or I could equip multiple small group leaders. Which would have a greater impact?

I like the following quote on leadership from Bill Easum, author of Leadership On the Other Side. When he speaks of the "OtherSide," he is speaking of the quantum changes that are needed to be made in order to meet today's ministry challenges.

"Leaders know that unleashing the DNA occurs when they equip individuals to discover and use their own giftedness to enhance the DNA . . . Leaders equip individuals to replicate the church's DNA through the use of their gifts. Their role is to create an environment in which people are encouraged to soar by discovering and living out their spiritual gifts. God gives each person special gifts to be used on behalf of the Body of Christ. Indivdiuals discover their destiny when they are equipped to use their gifts on behalf of the Body of Christ. Disciples are grown, not on preconceived organizational needs, but on the God-given giftedness of the individual.

However, in today's fast paced world, it is not enough for leaders to do one-on-one evangelism. Multiplication is required on the OtherSide. Exponential growth, like on the day of Pentecost, is the goal. Leaders equip other leaders to grow disciples. They in turn are equipped to grow disciples."

See http://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Other-Side-Rules-Clues/dp/0687085888/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211924487&sr=8-1

What do we learn about equipping from Jesus' training of the Twelve?

The lost art of hospitality--welcoming the stranger

On Sunday I'll begin a new sermon series on hospitality. Whereas today we think of hospitality primarily in terms of inviting our friends over for dinner or throwing welcome parties, the original roots of hospitality go to welcoming strangers, the poor, and those who are vulnerable due to their status as aliens. I have been highly influenced in this by the the book Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition by Christine D. Pohl. http://www.amazon.com/Making-Room-Recovering-Hospitality-Christian/dp/0802844316/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211568502&sr=8-2

Hospitality of all kinds is almost a lost art in American society. People rarely have people of any kind into their homes. Going out to eat with friends is good. But it pales in comparison to the level of intimacy and familiarity that is gained by bringing a person into our homes, with our children running around us. It is much easier to pay others to provide food for friends than it is to take the time to devote to entertaining people in our homes.

But again, I have slipped back into thinking of hospitality as primarily directed towards friends and people of equal socio-economic status. Ancient hospitality was directed towards the stranger, the alien, and the poor. In some mysterious way, the Bible says that through these interactions we encounter God.

Why do you think that hospitality is a lost art in today's society? To whom should we extend our hospitality?

Shepherds can help members discover their Spiritual gifts

Last night I had a great Strengths and Spiritual gifts session with one of our shepherds here and his wife. It was a great time as I got to learn more about them. Of course, as long time Christians and church leaders, much of this time was an affirmation of ways in which they are already serving. And yet, as with most all of these sessions, even for long time members, it seems that this time helped give a language to describe the ways that God had created them and the promptings of the Spirit which they felt in their lives. We found applications for using their gifts in their marriage, their jobs, and in the church. All of us can benefit from having someone lead us through something like this. In most marriage seminars I do not learn a lot of new things, but ask my wife if we still need to go!

I am excited that they are going to work as assessors, helping others go through the Strengths and Spiritual gifts assessments. These tools can help not only in outreach and ministry, but also in marriages and families. Ephesians 4:11 says that God gave some to be pastors/shepherds to equip God's people for service. I'm grateful that one of the shepherds here is taking up this ministry. My good shepherd and friend John in Liberty also was an assessor. It is an important role.

Do you think that there is a lack of equipping in the church? Why or why not?

Some Good Missional Reading

Here is a link to the current reading list of Alan Hirsch, one of the leaders of the missional movement. http://www.theforgottenways.org/reading/ Trust me, whatever Alan is reading, you will want to read if you are interested in the missional movement.

I'll be speaking at the upcoming Quest lectures at OC (see http://blogs.oc.edu/ee/?/quest/presenters), and I'll bring a reading list then for those who are interested.

The low birthrate of Europe and Japan reflects a low value on life--could the US be next?

Below is an except from a fascinating briefing on life, birth rates, and euthenasia in Europe and Japan that one of my friends sent to me today. I'll make some comments after the article below.

A GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING FOR CEOs by HERBERT MEYER

Europe and Japan are dying because their populations are aging and shrinking. These trends can be reversed if the young people start breeding. However, the birth rates in these areas are so low it will take two generations to turn things around. No economic model exists that permits 50 years to turn things around. Some countries are beginning to offer incentives for people to have bigger families.

For example, Italy is offering tax breaks for having children. However, it's a lifestyle issue versus a tiny amount of money. Europeans aren't willing to give up their comfortable lifestyles in order to have more children. In general, everyone in Europe just wants it to last a while longer. Europeans have a real talent for living. They don't want to work very hard. The average European worker gets 400 more hours of vacation time per year than Americans. They don't want to work and they don't want to make any of the changes needed to revive their economies.

The summer after 9/11, France lost 15,000 people in a heat wave. In August, the country basically shuts down when everyone goes on vacation. That year, a severe heat wave struck and 15,000 elderly people living in nursing homes and hospitals died. Their children didn't even leave the beaches to come back and take care of the bodies. Institutions had to scramble to find enough refrigeration units to hold the bodies until people came to claim them. This loss of life was five times bigger than 9/11 in America, yet it didn't trigger any change in French society.

When birth rates are so low, it creates a tremendous tax burden on the young. Under those circumstances, keeping mom and dad alive is not an attractive option. That ' s why euthanasia is becoming so popular in most European countries. The only country that doesn' t permit (and even encourage) euthanasia is Germany , because of all the baggage from World War II. The European economy is beginning to fracture. Countries like Italy are starting to talk about pulling out of the European Union because it is killing them.

When things get bad economically in Europe , they tend to get very nasty politically. The canary in the mine is anti-Semitism. When it goes up, it means trouble is coming. Current levels of anti-Semitism are higher than ever. Germany won't launch another war, but Europe will likely get shabbier, more dangerous and less pleasant to live in. Japan has a birth rate of 1.3 and has no intention of bringing in immigrants. By 2020, one out of every five Japanese will be 70 years old. Property values in Japan have dropped every year for the past 14 years. The country is simply shutting down.

-------------------------------------------------

As I read this, I could not help but think how selfish all of this is and how it reflects misplaced values. Not having children so that you can live a more indulgent life at the beach. Not wanting to let in immigrants because they might contaminate the culture. Not going back to bury your father and mother because it would cut short your vacation. Why is this happening there? Because Europe and Japan, for all of their rich history and beauty, are godless nations. Church attend in Europe is almost non-existent.

Is the US so far behind? We are a nation of much smaller families than past generations. Part of this is birth control, but much of it is economic. Are we trading the joy of children for bigger homes and nicer cars? Have we placed things over humans? And if the crushing financial burden of retiring boomers and parents starts costing families their life fortunes, will calls for euthenasia be far behind?

I am not criticizing anyone in particular on this. I came from family of four children, and we only have two. We may or may not have more, a decision which is partly up to God. We have to balance Becki's stress level and my overachieving work schedule in this decision and waht God allows, but we have tried not to make economics a deciding factor in this. If we do not have more children, I hope that it will be for other reasons, not simply so that we have less cost and more income. But without valuing relationships (and our valuing of God is tied to this), why would a nation not place things above children?

Obviously, no matter what, we will not have nine children as people did in the past. With commutes, school schedules, etc., life really is different than Little House on the Prairie, where everyone was together on the farm. Time is as much of a factor as money. But it is a disturbing trend that birth rates in civilized countries are diminishing. And with the US driven by materialism, dropping in church attendance, and an aging population, could we soon reflect the values (or lack thereof) of Europe and China?

What do you think of the birth trends and attitudes towards life in Europe and Japan? Do you think the US will follow in their paths?

David Archuleta and Lessons from American Idol

Last night I came home after a meeting and watched the results of this week's American Idol. As expected, Syesha, the lone remaining woman in the contest, was voted off. While I was not much impressed with her in the first few weeks, she had really peaked in the last few weeks. This week, however, she only did good, not outstanding, and could not come close to competing with the two superstars in the show, David Cook and David Archuleta.

In the show, the producers showed scenes of each contestant in their home town. David Cook is from Kansas City, MO (actually Blue Springs, which is right by KC) where I lived for six years, and so that was interesting. This must be all over the news back there. While he had a great reception, David Archuleta was mobbed by thousands of teenage girls. It was like scenes from the Beatles coming off airplanes.

Archuleta has a crystal clear voice and a big teen fan base. But I think that most people like him because, well, he smiles a lot and seems to love life. One of Steven Covey's pieces of advice on winning people over is smiling.

I love life, and I love to laugh. Part of my "wooing" of Becki was making her laugh. But sometimes I can get in "work mode," and forget to smile.

As Christians, we have a lot to smile about. God has blessed us richly.

Do you like people who smile? Why do we like these kind of people?

Can we get addicted to our own adrenaline?

Can we get addicted to our own adrenaline? The answer, according to Dr. Archibald Hart, is yes. Dr. Hart gives the following as symptoms of being addicted to our own adrenaline:

• You would rather engage in your activity than sleep.


• When you stop your activity, you feel restless.


• You only feel excited or encourgaged when you engage in your activity; at other times you feel "low."


• Your activity helps you forget your problems.


• Whenever you feel depressed, you turn to your activity to make you feel better.


• You fantasize a lot about your activity when you are away from it.

One of the things that Dr. Hart suggests is slowing down our behaviors, which can slow down our metablism and reduce our need for adrenaline (which is released during high stress situations). He suggests:

• Speak more slowly and deliberately.


• Pause regularly between phrases.


• Learn to be a better listener.


• Walk more slowly.


• Don't do more than one thing at a time.


• Eat more slowly and savor your food.


• Drive more slowly.


• Do nothing for thirty minutes every day.

Here is the link to Dr. Hart's book on Adrenaline and Stress. http://www.amazon.com/Adrenaline-Stress-Exciting-Breakthrough-Overcome/dp/084993690X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210606183&sr=8-1

Doing nothing just about kills me. But this weekend, I did feel a need to get some more rest. I took a two hour nap on Sunday, and felt like I could have used some more. I've never had an addictive personality, but could it be because I already have an addiction--adrenaline. I think that Paul was also a person who was a high achiever and driven to try to accomplish great things for God. I don't think that in this sense he was normal. But even he spent three years in Arabia without any recorded activity (Gal. 1). I wonder what he did there in the desert? Did he feel non-productive?

Do you think that our society is too fast-paced? Do you struggle with being productive or being too productive?

Real change starts with little movements

There is a great temptation in churches to try to bring about change from the top down. The thinking is, the leadership decided this, go out and tell people, and they will do it. However, while some might go for such marching orders, most will not. Human nature kicks in and many will naturally resist.

How then, do you bring about change in a congregation? Change happens primarily from a gound up, grassroots movement. While it is great to have all or most of those in leadership "on board," there merely needs to be enough support from the top to not kill change movements.

Missional leaders can start change movements in the following way:
1. Start to raise awareness of the missional concept through preaching, teaching, and most especially, through individual conversations.
2. Begin to work with a small group of individuals who really "get the concept." This group of individuals who are Innovators and first adopters may constitute 10% of the congregation.
3. Start some missional outreaches with the Innovators. Sell these as being "experiments" if there is resistance from others.
4. Begin to expand the circle of missional adopters to key leaders who have the influence with others who are less innovative. (Often the innovators are at the fringe of the official power circle.) These Influence Brokers will be able to spread the concept through their relational channels.

After these steps are taken, people will generally be able to see the success of the experimental missional outreaches and will hear the support of the Influence Brokers. This will lead to full scale adoption by most of the leadership and congregation. However, there is a danger now that the movement--which was once fluid and dynamic--will become institutionalized, as the leadership seeks to "get this under control." If this happens, then the entire process must start all over.

What causes such resistance to new ideas and positive change in a church? How have you seen this overcome?

Our kids are a lot like us

Today I picked Gina up from school and took her home. As we drove home, she read one of her books the whole time. Then when I got home, Becki told me that Gina asked her earlier in the day, "Mom, if an intruder broke in, would it be okay to lie about where we were?"

Once again I thought, This child is a lot like me. I was reading and pondering the meaning of the universe and philosophical questionsat a young age, much like her. I started reading the Lord of the Rings at about age seven, the same age as Gina.

One of the reasons that we love our kids so much, I think, is that we see ourselves in them. A bit self-centered? Perhaps. But it also may be God's way of trying to get us to love something other than ourselves, in "baby steps."

What do our children teach us about God and about ourselves?

Sunday Reflections

On Sunday we had our send-off for two mission efforts--a Let's Start Talking going to St. Petersburg, and a Hispanic church plant for Collin County. In addition to highlighting these efforts, I was able to use the occasion to talk about sending and its relation to worship.

In the past, worship was seen as where evangelism took place. The whole concept of being sent and going where people are was lost. Rather than seeing worship as primarily being the place to directly convert people, we should see worship as being the a time in which we are commissioned to go out during the week and share Christ with others. (The assembly does play an important part in a person's conversion, but in a more indirect way.) The great commission was given in the context of worship of Jesus. Isaiah was sent when he encountered God on his throne.

At lunch, we went out with a great young couple that has recently been married. We had a good time, and Becki and I were able to share some of our young couple experiences. I was also able to invite them to study together, and they readily agreed. One grew up in our fellowship, and another grew up Catholic. It will be good to go through the Story of Redemption together with them. See www.storyofredemption.com

Then we went to the Hispanic Church Plant's opening worship service. It was a good turn out. The speaking was translated into English, and the songs were all in Spanish. Carlos, the church planter, had different people who had been reached prior to the worship launch of the church stand and be acknowledged. One was a man that he had met at Starbucks. Another was a neighbor. Another had been baptized, I believe. I was so glad to hear these stories.

That evening we went out to Dave and Jan's house for small group. They live in Prosper, and are seeking to begin 3-4 groups out there. The group had unanimously decided to study Spiritual gifts, a subject which I am passionate about and on which I had recently spoken. Those there all signed up to start their Strengths and Spiritual gifts assessments, which I am excited about. There is a lot of potential for these groups out there. I was encouraged to hear Dave clearly lay out a vision for serving their neighbors through these groups and inviting them into the group. Eventually there needs to be a church in Prosper, and these groups could form a good nucleus for this.

Well, it was a long full day, and I'm just now getting to writing about it. But a very good and productive day.

Ben Stein's Movie Expelled Has Some Intelligence

Last night I took off after church and after tucking in our kids and went and saw Ben Stein's movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. This film is a documentary that seeks to:

1) Show that intelligent design (ID), the theory that life shows evidence of being designed rather than randomly evolving from a single organism, is being excluded from the academic debate;

2) Show a link between evolution and atheism; and

3) Show a link between amorality (not having morals) and evolution.

As to the first, it is certainly taboo to question the established scientific worldview that all of life evolved spontaneously from a single organism without a creator. I am sure that this academic oppression occurs, though I do not know if the people who were cited were good examples of this or not. It is the nature of those who question paradigms to be shunned, ostracized, and even persecuted. Note Galileo. Until there is an alternative theory, people will stay with a worldview even if it doesn't really work until there is another theory to replace it. And usually it takes the old generation who believed in the previous theory dying off for the new theory to become accepted. There is a great book on the nature of scientific revolutions by Thomas Kuhn. Fascinating stuff for those interested in science and worldviews. (You'll have to google it--I'm writing quickly).

As to the second, certainly many who have accepted full scale Darwinian evolution have become atheists. But there are many theistic evolutions, people who believe that God used evolution to bring about the species and guided it along the way. (By the way, all scientistis, Christian or otherwise, believe in small scale evolution, that change happens within a species. Viruses, bacteria, animals, etc. all evolve). So this is a bit of a one-sided portaryal.

As to the third, not all atheists are amoral. But the "natural" implications of atheistic evolution can certainly lead to the believe that there is no right or wrong. The film well brings out the link between Hitler, Eugenics (breeding a superior human race and killing those who are unfit), abortion, euthenasia, and atheistic evolution.

While critics can rightly cry that certain viewpoints were not equally represented in the film, the climax of the movie was quite profound. Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion (a book I am reading) and a proponent of atheistic evolution is caught making some amazing admissions.

Dawkins admits that he doesn't know where life came from.

Dawkins admits that he doesn't know how the universe began.

Dawkins says that there is some evidence for intelligent design, but that this design was performed by aliens.

As to the first two, I have always said that no matter what a person believes about evolution, that is not really the question. The question is, where did the universe come from? Evolution assumes a world, a sea, lighting, and amino acids floating around. And a sun, and a moon, and a galaxy, etc. These were created in a big bang. Okay. I think God could have used that too. But the athetists must ask, where did the big bang come from? This is a question for which they have no answer. Evolution might describe a process for how humans came into being--which people can accept or reject--but it does not explain how the world and the universe came into being. In short, it answers very little, and would do so even if it were absolutely correct.

As to Dawkins' last point, I find it hard to believe that he let himself be taped saying this. Panspermia? You've got to be kidding. So life here shows sign of intelligent design. But aliens from another plant came and planted the seeds of life here and left. But these aliens (or designers as he says) must have evolved without a designer. Something that didn't happen here, according to this theory, but happened somewhere out in space.

I'll have more to say about this later. I will just say that anyone who believes in aliens planting on earth rather than God somehow, in some way, creating us, has more faith than I do.

Have you seen the movie? What do you think of panspermia?

Ministry Flows Out of Relationships

A great book on leadership is Reviewing Leadership: A Chirstian evaluation of current approaches by Robert Banks and Bernice M. Ledbetter. This is from the excellent "Engaging Culture" series from Baker Academic.




I like this quote from the authors:



"Emerging leaders like people because they thrive on relationships. The presence of people energizes rather than drains them . . . Fellowship and minstry flows from relationships . . . Consequently, leaders must embody the values they would encourage in others."

Ministry flows from relationships. I so much believe in this, which is why I try to spend time with both Christians and non-Christians in relational type settings. Church leaders often spend far too much time in meetings, rather than being out amongst people. How many many meetings do we find in Scripture? Not many. But we do see Jesus eating with people, spending time with them, and sharing life with them.

Link to Amazon for this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Reviewing-Leadership-Christian-Evaluation-Approaches/dp/0801026903/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209571988&sr=8-1

Do you feel that you know your leader or the people whom you are seeking to lead?

Reaching Out is a Walk in the Park

I didn't really have much of a day off today, despite efforts otherwise. However, I did break away for a couple of hours with Becki and Emily to a park nearby the house. While there I met a young family named Matt and Courtney who have a son that is 15 months old. He is a music producer who also tours with a band. Anyway, when he asked what I did and found out that I was a minister, he started asking about High Pointe. He was interested in a non-denominational church, which we are, and in short term mission trips. I told him that on Sunday we are sending off a short term mission group with Let's Start Talking to St. Petersburg, as well as praying for the Hispanic church plant that officially launches that day. Now what are the odds that this would happen? God is amazing.

When I explained where the church building is, the Courtney asked, Are you the church that has the consignment shop? (Yes.) I know right where that is! I was just in there two weeks ago. I explained that we had partnered with a consignment shop seller who wanted to give any unsold items to a church that would give it away to needy people in the community. I explained that this is exactly what we are doing, giving away food and clothing to those who are in need.

My friends, we are called by God to be a church that is a light to the world, that feeds the hungry and clothes the naked. That goes into all the world. That sacrifices time and money to further the good news of Jesus Christ. When we do this, people take note. They want to be a part.

In order to reach out to people, we must go to where they are. Parks are a great place for families to meet other families. I talked today with one of our visitors, Art, who works at Raytheon and holds a Bible study at his workplace. Coffee shops, bars, work out centers, community centers--these are all places where people are. This is where the church must go, and serve those around us and share the good news with everyone. And along the way, we will find more and more people like Matt and Courtney who want to join us in this mission of God.

Want to reach out? Take a walk in the park. Remember, God has already gone before you, preparing the way.

What kind of encounters have you had with people that seem to be "G0d-incidences," not mere coincidences?

Why Christianity Needs to Be More Like Seinfeld

The motto of Boomers (when they were younger) was "never trust anyone over 30." For my generation, it might be "never trust anyone who isn't a Seinfeld fan."

There is a reason why this sitcom has been voted the best of all time. The casting was great, the comedic timing was perfect, and the writing was creative and original. But the reason it so resonated with people was that, despite its characteristic New York flavor, it was about real life. Hardly a day passes that I do not find myself in a "Seinfeld moment." The fans of the show know what I mean.

The churches, preachers, shepherds, and Christian books which are resonating with people today are a lot like Seinfeld--they illuminate real life and daily Christian living. I'll spare you the contrast between modernism and postmodernism. But most people don't have the time or the interest in high brow theories. That is not to say that "theories" are not important to learn, but simply that the interest level and need for daily Christian living is great. People need to know how to sense God's presence Monday-Saturday, how to be a Christian at work, how to make love to their wives (read Song of Solomon! and note the success of Rob Bell's book, Sex God), and a whole lot of other things.

I love theology and concepts. Our theology must drive our ministry. However, most people do not live there. So my suggestion to churches and church leaders as I give missional church seminars is to give members practical ways to be missional. http://www.highpointechurchofchrist.org/missional-lifestyles-bells How to bless people's lives. Some weekly spiritual practices. People are desperate for this, and they will often respond enthusiasticly.

Did you like Seinfeld--why or why not? Does Christianity need to become more practical?

Our Little Emily

Becki took some great pictures of Emily. Here is one of them. Little Emily has had a bit of a tough time adjusting to the move. But her normal self is just bubbly--she is a little Becki.

Today Emily drew a picture which she said was of me and mama (Becki). But I noticed that there was only one person drawn on the paper. So I asked here where I was. She giggled and said, "There wasn't enough room." Then she drew in a picture of me as a little baby.

We are truly blessed to have two beautiful daughters!

Sunday Reflections--Giving Food to the Hungry

On Sunday, I spoke on how we transform the world. Rather than depending upon laws, Christians are called to reach the world by being salt and light. That is, we are called to do good deeds, actively serving people, so that the world may praise the Father in heaven. This is something we are to do together as a church, as well as in our personal lives.

As I spoke on blessing people in our daily lives, I knew that there were stories out there of people in our congregation who blessed people this week. Several people shared how they had blessed someone, and it was if a "light" came on. You mean this is ministry? Absolutely.

After the sermon, there was a woman who came back to the offices who wanted financial help. Hmm . . . I had just spoke on being this kind of church . . . So we prayed, I took her to Wal-Mart to buy her some food, and then paid for a night of her hotel. These situations pose a dilemma for me. This was someone whom I had been warned had regularly come for help in the past, and might not be interested in changing her situation. Plus she was a bit pushy, saying over and over again that God had told her that she was being used to test churches. And maybe she is.

I know the gospels, and remember that Jesus said to give to those who ask for something from you. Then Paul says that those who do not work will not eat. We don't want to enable, and yet we don't want to neglect or fail to show God's love.

Should we help people, no questions asked? Or should we be careful not to enable or perpetuate a non-productive lifestyle?

Eating Together Builds Relationships--and can be missional

This week, I have had a breakfast, lunch, or dinner appointment every day, some twice a day. On Friday, I am booked for three meals. Someone suggested to me today that I might need to start watching my waistline.

Why so many meals? Because that is how you build relationships--through food. Food draws people together, and it generates conversation. You want to encourage fellowship? Bring on the potato salad! You want to kill fellowship? Drop the food and drink from any event or gathering. Sine I am trying to get to know different members and build relationships, this means that I am eating a lot.

Sharing meals with others (eating together) is a common pasttime of preachers. It was also a common pasttime of Jesus. In his book, Come to the Table, John Mark Hicks highlights the many meals that Jesus shared with others. He points out that food was a major part of Jesus' ministry. Note the passages that he lists from the book of Luke in which Jesus shares a meal with others, along with the purpose that he assigns to each meal.

5:27-32 Banquet at Levi's house - Evangelism
7:36-50 Dinner at Simon the Pharisee's house - Reconciliation
9:10-17 Breaking bread at Bethsaida - Mission/service
10:38-42 Hospitality at the home of Martha - Discipleship
11:37-54 Noon meal at a Pharisee's house - Inner life
14:1-24 Sabbath dinner at a Pharisee's house - Invitation to all
19:1-10 Hospitality at the house of Zacchaeus - Salvation for all
22:7-38 Last Supper--a Passover meal - Thanksgiving
24:13-35 Breaking bread at Emmaus - The Living One
24:36-53 Supper with the disciples - The missionary community

When we share meals with non-Christians, these meals become a missional activity. One of the missional practices that I seek to have (but do not always succeed at) is to share 3 meals a week with others--1 a Christian, 1 a non-Christian, and 1 can be either. Imagine if a whole church were doing this! When we share meals with non-Christians, we tell them that we care about them and that we take them where they are. These meals open up conversations about real life, God, and our faith. Then when the church does have an event, the church can invite friends whom we have eaten with, not total strangers.

How often do you share meals with other Christians? How about non-Christians? What would happen if we all ate with both of these groups each week?

You get what you pay for--should churches charge for events?

I read an interesting article today on the psychology of price. One of the points of the article is that people often instinctively believe that higher priced items are better in quality. They also often will ignore or undervalue things that are free. See http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/apr2008/sb20080414_027855.htm?campaign_id=rss_smlbz.

On the second page of the article he indicates that churches would be better to "charge" for outreach events, even some nominal fee. Otherwise, people will ignore the event because it will be perceived to not be of much worth. On many church related things, this has been my experience as well. People are more likely to come to a marriage seminar or financial peace seminar if they have to pay a registration fee than if they do not. People value the Strengths Finder assessment when they have to pay for the book, even if at a reduced cost. Churches will value an outreach seminar more if they have to pay for it. We have a "free concert" for a Russian singing group on Sunday night at High Pointe. In retrospect, we probably would have more people come from the community if we had charged some kind of small admission fee.

This is a delicate balance for churches to walk. If a church overcharges, they will be viewed as being after people's money. But if they charge something reasonable, ironically, more people will usually come and more people will be reached.

Why do we place a higher value on expense things?

generational differences - why blogging has typos and emails can be in lower case

since we have a lot of people who are new to blogs who have joined us lately (some really hip older people) i thought that i would explain the nature of blogging

you see in blogging, it is important to blog nearly every day

this leads the blogger to write at unexpected times, in short snatches of time wherever they may be found

because of this blogging is meant to be a bit raw not an essay

so you will often find in blogs ttypos and spelling mstakes and runon thoughts

for those of you who get my blog by email, you get it raw and the first draft. but i will often go back and correct some mistakes that are glaring because i was a senior in college when al gore invented the internet. if i had grown up later though i not care i suppose

you can also find a lot of email today without capitalization. i remember first noting this in one of brian mclaren's books in which he printed in his book actual email correspondence with young adults, and they were lower case and had some typos i thought, what is this? this movement has only increased with the advent of texting

okay if this style of writing has bugged you then you are probably not a millenial you are a gen xer like me or above

after this i will probably continue to write with capitalization though if i start submitting my blog articles through my blackberry then i don't know putting in those caps on those messages is rather annoying

what do you think of the new styles of writing? is it more important to communicate quickly and on the fly and therefore have more communication, or is it better to have less and have it checked and edited before it is sent out?

Spiritual Gifts Assessments Beginning at High Pointe

Last night Becki and I went to a dinner party with two young couples and their families, Chris and Christy, and Kevin and Meriann. We had a great time. Our kids played together, we shared some good laughs, and we talked about the church. There used to be a Wednesday night meal at High Pointe, which really helped young families come on Wed. Going on Wed., after a long commute and with young children, is really difficult. Plus, they liked being able to sit down and fellowship with people of different generations and people they would not normally eat with, like elders; however, apparently there was no who could take up this ministry once those who began it were ready to pass it on.

My ears picked up at this for lots of reasons. First, there is a real need for intergenerational ministry at High Pointe. Currently, everything is segmented by age groups (Bible classes, small groups), and somewhere in the church life there needs to be a mixing of ages. Second, High Pointe needs a church-wide evangelistic/follow-up ministry such as Monday Night for the Master (MNFTM). MNFTM has a central meal, and then the church goes out and visits people, writes cards to seekers and those who are hurting, prays for the lost, etc. The meal is essential to this success, and it sounds like there would be support for something like this again. Third, since no one could be found to continue the meal ministry, it was again made clear that there is a great need for Strenngths and Spiritual gifts discovery at High Pointe.

Aftering talking, our new friends indicated that they were excited about the Spiritual gifts ministry. They want to serve, and want and need some help in discovering how they can best serve. All four said that they wanted to go through the Strengths and Spiritual gifts assessment. The people here are hungry for this discovery. At a women's retreat, one of the women from the search team talked about the need for Christians to discover their gifts. I am excited about starting these assessments with members, staff, and ministers. This will help me know how to better know people and put together ministry teams, as well as hopefully help members serve and reach out. I am excited about beginning this, and so apparently are others.

As I go through these assessments, I will have to be looking for other equippers--people who can quickly catch on and begin assessing others. For some research on how Spiritual gifts discovery and use helps people serve, reach out, and discover God, see http://www.storyofredemption.com/page22.html.

Do you think that most people know their strengths and Spiritual gifts or need help in discovering this?

Our New Web Site is Reaching a Lot of People

I know that most of this online community has probably seen the website of the new church that I'm at, the High Pointe Church of Christ. But just in case you had not, here is our web address: www.highpointechurchofchrist.org.

We are getting about 80 unique visitors a day, which translates to about 2400 unique visitors a month. And we are just now starting to show up in the search engines on Google. Without personal contact, technology is limited in value. But as a point of first contact, the power of the Internet is tremendous. As the site is established, takes on more great content, and is promoted by our members, we will see this traffic increase even more.

No one under age 40, when looking for a church home, goes to the yellow pages. They all do web searches. And if the site is bad, many will rule out this church automatically. Why? Because a church without a good web site--such a vital part of today's culture--shows that it does not care about nor understand the world in which we now live, particularly in regards to young people. And this is increasingly applying towards older people too, as they become more familiar with this technology. A great number of our registered users on our website are older, which is great.

Today I met Laura, a woman who has a consignment sale at the church and then donates the remaining clothes to our church's clothes closet. She said that she looked at the site, and loved all of its "bells and whistles." She said that if she didn't live in Denton, she would go hear. Of course, she says this not just because of the site, but because of the wonderful people here. She just bragged about them, to which I heartily agreed! So technology alone will not reach anyone, but it can be a powerful tool to help introduce people to a loving church and the people of God.

What features do you think most people who are looking for a church are drawn to and help them want to visit? What would you look for in a site if moving into an area or searching?

The great need for equipping, especially in ministers

The longer I am in ministry, the more I am convinced of the absolute necessity of equipping Christians for ministry. I just came from giving a missional church seminar in the town of Odessa, Missouri. It was clear that the church was made up of great hearts, and they really want to reach out. They simply haven't really fully known how to do this. The same is true at High Pointe. The people here have great hearts--they simply need equipping, training, and encouragment.

This equipping and training is the role of church leaders. Paul says that God gives"gifts" to the church such as evangelists, shepherds, and teachers to equip people for service (Eph. 4:11). While this is important in smaller congregations, it is probably even more essential in a large congregation. For example, I bemoan the fact that in a congregation the size of High Pointe, I cannot greet every visitor that comes through the doors. While I can reach a greater number of people through preaching and teaching, proportionally, on a relational level, I am spread three times as thin as I was at Liberty because the church here is nearly three times larger.

During my trip to KC, I got to see Matt and Kevin, two good friends from Liberty. When I was a minister there, I spent time with these guys--going to eat, going to civic clubs together, working on various projects. They are both on the outreach team now at Liberty, and are continuing much of the work there. They both came out to the missional church seminar, and we crammed in a bit more personal training as well. Equipping involves both strengths and Spiritual gifts assessments, as well as personal time with future leaders.

All Christian leaders need to be involved in equipping. In regards to paid ministers, I once had a professor descibe it this way. There are three tiers of people that you can hire.

• 1st Tier - You can hire someone to do a job. So you pay someone to run a ministry, like youth. This position is then limited by what one person can do.
• 2nd Tier - You can hire someone to do a job and equip others to do this job as well. So you hire someone to do youth ministry, who also can build up other youth-type leaders.
• 3rd Tier - You can hire somone to do a job and to equip people who can equip others (equip the equippers). In this case, there is a tremendous multipying affect.

In a large church especially, it is essential to hire the third tier kind of person.

Have you ever had a church seek to equip you on a personal level?

Sunday and Monday Reflections

On Sunday, I spoke about how we must not be a worldly church; instead, we must be a Christ-shaped church. The worldly church judges success in worldly terms--size, budgets, and facilities. The Christ shaped church judges success in terms of lost people who are reached, transformation of people's lives, and service to the community. The temptation that Jesus faced from Satan was to use his power and resources to serve himself. This is the same temptation that the church faces--to serve itself, to devote its resources to itself, rather than the lost.

What I want to head off is the problem that many large churches have in fast-growing areas--being satisfied with transfer and demographic growth, rather than evangelistic growth. Being satisfied with being the biggest church, rather than the most servant-oriented church. This is dangerous waters in Texas, where size is the measure of greatness! However, I was so glad to have this message well received from a wide range of ages. In speaking of how the church is called to be selfless and reach out, one member said, "If this represents what this church is about, then I am on board." In preaching a counter-cultural sermon such as this, it is good to not have this message affirmed and see that people want to be a part of a servant-oriented church.

After Sunday morning, my new friend Travis took me to the airport (a big step in a male relationship, as Seinfeld fans know). I flew to Kansas City to speak at an area-wide church unity gathering called Heartland. The message was about seeking and saving the lost. There was a blending of black and white churches, which was wonderful. (And encouraging for a preacher, as you get a lot of hearty amens!) A large group from the Liberty church came out, and I got to see many of our dear friends. I really got a wonderful sense of God's blessing, knowing that we have great friends all across the US.

Monday night I gave the first half of the missional church seminar at the Odessa Church of Christ. Odessa is a town of 5000 just outside of the KC metroplex ring. Most churches that I have given this seminar for have been suburban. I was glad to see so many turn out. I was touched by the hearts of the people there and their receptivity. Many of these concepts are challenging requiring a rethinking of the central place of mission in the church and new ways of reaching out. And yet, so many older people also affirmed these thoughts. This was just great to see.

Well, I have too many things to get done during my short time here. So I must run.

My Upcoming Speaking Engagement and Seminar

On Sunday after morning worship, I'll be headed to the airport to fly back to Kansas City. Tonight I'll be speaking at an area-wide assembly called "Heartland." Then I'll be giving a Missional Church seminar at the Odessa Church of Christ. See www.storyofredemption.com for the seminar sessions. I'll try to keep up the blog during the trip and keep you posted, but it may get busy.

I really love helping churches reach out, so these seminars are very fulfilling. The only thing that I have to watch is being away from my family. Check with you guys soon!

How Selfish Are We?

I came across a good article this week on being selfish/selfless. Check out http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/07/how-selfish-are-you/. As the author makes clear, it really is hard to have selfless motives.

Why are we so easily self-centered?

People are very friendly in Texas

I've always know it, but it has been some time since I've lived here--people are friendly in Texas. I am amazed at how polite people are about letting others in a lane while driving. Three lanes of traffic will leave open a wide gap when stopped at a light to allow anyone who might want to cross get through to a store or exit. It really is rare compared to the rest of the world.

What makes Texans--and people in the South--so friendly?

The word is getting out about High Pointe

I just spoke with our real estate agent here, Barb. She is a great agent who is a lot of fun. Anyway, she said that she had a conversation with a young couple who was looking to sell their home. It had has a big game room and might be close to the type of floor plan we are looking for. Well, she told them that it was a house that she would like to look at because she had a client who was a preacher who was looking for that type of home. When she mentioned that it was the High Pointe Church of Christ with a new preacher, they said, "We were planning on visiting that church this weekend and checking it out."

God is at work! Thank you to all who have talked with their friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. May be show those who come our way love, kindness, and a church that seeks to serve the community.

What do you think of this story?

Rethinking everything to emphasize our mission

In a recent speech, presidential John McCain spoke of the need to rethink how the US responds to the world. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080403/pl_nm/usa_politics_mccain_dc_20

"We must rethink, renew and rebuild the structure and mission of our military; the capabilities of our intelligence and law enforcement agencies; the purposes of our alliances, the reach and scope of our diplomacy" against the threat, he says.

Any time I hear the word "mission," I of course think about the church. So what if we took McCain's statement, and changed it to apply to the church. It would read something like this:

"We must rethink, renew and rebuild the structure and mission of [the church]; the capabilities of our [leaders]; the purposes of our [relationships], the reach and scope of our [love and care]."

The church's mission must be what gets first priority. It must be constantly emphasized in sermons, classes, bulletins, announcements, small groups, personal conversations, print media, and the web. The church's structure must emphasize the mission, which leads to critical questions. How does the church spend its time? Do the church's weekly meetings and monthly calendar place a priority on mission--or are we just a worship and Bible study club that talks about mission but never finds time for it?

What about our leaders? Are they simply care-takers and managers? Or are they moving the church towards mission? Are they equipping people to serve God and others in their daily lives?

What about our relationships? Are our lives consumed with work, or are we building friendships with churched and non-churched people? To whom are we showing love and care--just our church friends, or the world? Jesus says even pagans love those who love them. We are called to be like Christ and love the world.

If we are serious about our mission, we must rethink everything.

What aspects of church and personal life do we need to re-think in order to prioritize our mission to reach the world? What is the toughest thing to change?