Category: Churchmanship

Doing Life Together

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A popular Purpose-Driven church has a Bible study series of the same title; but I just finished reading an article in Christian Single magazine (May 2009) on the New Monasticism. People are not running off to secluded places to escape society, but rather are getting in touch with one another within community, living communally, but also making a practical impact on the world around them. One quote from the article captivated me, “A lot of people are saying that they have bought in to the American Dream, and are lonely.” People are perhaps disenfranchised with consumerism, CEO salaries 400 times the rate of the average worker in the same company, and the injustices of the America way of life.

 

It seems these groups seek radical rebirth, grounded in God’s love and desire to build on the rich tradition of Christian practices that have long formed disciples in the simple Way of Christ. This New Monasticism is producing a grassroots ecumenism and a prophetic witness within the North American church. It is characterized by the following marks:

 

  1. Relocation to the abandoned places of Empire (the margins of society).
  2. Sharing economic resources with fellow community members and the needy among us.
  3. Hospitality to the stranger.
  4. Lament for racial divisions within the church and our communities combined with the active pursuit of a just reconciliation.
  5. Humble submission to Christ’s body, the church.
  6. Intentional formation in the way of Christ and the rule of the community.
  7. Nurturing common life among members of intentional community.
  8. Support for celibate singles alongside monogamous married couples and their children.
  9. Geographical proximity to community members who share a common rule of life.
  10. Care for the plot of God’s earth given to us along with support of our local economies.
  11. Peacemaking in the midst of violence and conflict resolution within communities along the lines of Matthew 18.
  12. Commitment to a disciplined, contemplative life.

 

I was a part of a group in Virginia Beach called Partners which embodied much of this spirit. The ministry was conceived and run by a couple ahead of their time! We lived together in a lodge at the oceanfront; ate together, ministered together, studied together… accountability, purpose, mission, mentoring, encouragement, personal and spiritual growth, seeking and rejoicing with the movement of God, with outreach to the poor, the homeless and the tourist. It was probably life as it was in the early church, much more than we see in the structures we have erected for a gathering on Sunday mornings.

 

How can we at King’s Grant get involved in real community? I’m not talking about selling property and living in a commune, but how can we embrace these principles and make an impact on our society in the name of Christ?

 

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, just feed one.” –Mother Teresa

 

“A church that lives within it’s four walls is no church at all.” –Pastor Morgan Chilulu

 

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Is This Sunday School or Just Christian Living?

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Beware; this is a long post, written in anticipation for the King’s Grant Strategy Rally, February 8 at 4:00.

I am a fan of small group Bible study and fellowship groups! Well, that’s probably not a real secret, but when I challenge classes toward growth and outreach, I hope that you are helping to move people toward higher levels of commitment to Christ and His church. If you have not heard by now, that last phrase is the vision statement for our discipleship ministry at King’s Grant. Where many may think I am just promoting a Sunday School program, what I am really doing is promoting proper Christian living.

Let me explain. When we are actively involved in our Christian lives, doing something with our faith and not merely believing the right stuff, Jesus is able to shine through. Our behavior, thoughts and attitudes reflect Christ. I hear you saying, “I know all this already. So, what does Sunday School have to do in all of this?” Sunday School is about community. The Christian life does not really exist outside of community. There are no Lone Ranger style Christians.

To truly become a Christian, it is much more than just believing the right information about Jesus (James 2:19), it’s about following Him (Matthew 4:19), being a disciple of Jesus (Luke 9:23), and allowing Him to live through us (Galatians 2:20). Christians are a part of the body of Christ (Romans 12:4-5) and have become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So, since we are to live out our Christian lives in community, what better community does the church have than the Sunday School?

There are small groups for every age group.

  1. Childcare is not a problem so adults can get together with people similar in age or life stage.
  2. There is Bible study and discussion on life issues to help each person move toward deeper levels of commitment to Christ and His church (there’s that vision statement again).
  3. There is life connection, through shared hopes, dreams, struggles and successes.
  4. Oh, one more thing, there should be hospitality!

I’m going to share a few Bible verses that ought to be lived out through the Sunday School. Out of that premise, I want to discuss two ideas that will foster community in your small group.

A Key Principle: Practicing Hospitality

Take a look at Romans 12:13.

The Living Bible paraphrases it this way: “Get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner.” I like that. Your small group needs to make eating together a habit! When we talk about hospitality, it is not the same as social entertaining. Entertaining focuses on the host (a spotless home with just the right food) while hospitality focuses on the guest and their needs (their nourishment or even a place to stay).

So, what is the nature of the language of this verse? Is this a proverb, prophecy, parable or command? It is a command, right? As surely as God has commanded us to pray or give, or serve, or do anything else in the Christian life, God has commanded us to get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner (showing hospitality).

Notice it is a habit. The word habit is actually not in the Greek. Kenneth Taylor (the author of the Living Bible) put it in there to emphasize that this is a present tense verb, which, in the original Greek, emphasized a linear action. It is not something we do one time and we are done. We do it over and again. It is a lifestyle. It is a habit. It is the way the Christian life is lived.

Christian living is not done all alone. It is not done sitting on benches watching the same events happen on the same stage, and looking at the back of someone’s head. We grow as we are joined together (Ephesians 2.21, 4.16). Remember that the church is the people rather than the building. The Christian life is a very connected life. Remember that the world is watching to see if we are living out what we say we believe.

Now notice the word invite. What can you expect to happen when you invite guests home for dinner? Not every person that is invited shows up, but you can’t do anything about whether they come. All you are responsible for is inviting. So, think about your small group. Are you inviting people to social gatherings and bringing them into the community of faith? How often can you reasonably have a social event in order to make practicing hospitality a habit?

Now let’s look at 1 Peter 4:9.

Again, what is the nature of the language of this verse? It is also a command to show hospitality. We are commanded to show, offer and welcome others. You can’t control whether or not people come, but you are to offer.

How are we to offer hospitality? This verse adds “without grumbling, murmuring, grudging or complaining.” I wonder why Peter had to add this phrase. Perhaps there are two reasons:

First, all good ideas can be reduced to work. When we have people over, we like to have the house clean. Somebody has to make the dessert, vacuum the floor, clean the bathroom and so forth.
Secondly, some people are kind of hard to love. Some times we will invite them and they will come and it will be fun and all is well. But, sometimes we will invite them and they will be boring, or obnoxious, or irritating, or late, or even ungrateful. So, offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Our next verse is 3 John 1:8.

We ought to show hospitality. It is not exactly an imperative, but it is something we ought to do; not just mentioned once, but this seems to be a theme in the New Testament.

Look at the word partners or fellow helpers; this means working together. Many times we as teachers are not too good at this part. We are into teaching. Our students are into discussing, reading and studying. Teachers generally are not the most fun people in the room; perhaps they are a bit bookish and cerebral. The good teacher knows that s/he needs partners in the ministry, and must let others know how much they are valued.

To me, work together implies we want to get a whole team of people helping with this. We want our team to include:

  1. Inreach leaders to invite every member
  2. Outreach leaders to invite every prospective member and guest
  3. Fellowship leaders to plan the social activities
  4. A class leader who will serve as an overall organizer and see that everything happens as it should.

The goal is not for the teacher to do the work of ten people; it is to get ten people involved in the work.

My final verse is Luke 14:12.

Have you ever had a lunch or dinner and invited only your friends? I believe all of us generally do it this way, but Jesus told us to live differently; to live open and inviting lives. He wants us to form a habit that each time we have a lunch or dinner we think about inviting and including someone who is not a part of the group. How can you organize your class to live out this Christian life principle? Josh Hunt, the “double-your-Sunday-School-in-two-years guy puts it into a formula: “invite every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month.”

Don’t just invite your friends. Invite people who are far from God, in need of a church, who would benefit from being a part of your community. Remember that we can’t just wait for them to join us, they need an invitation. Invite guests. Invite absentees from your class. Keeping inviting them to the party, or to your dinner!

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Are You Listening to God Firsthand?

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Can you identify with this situation? Let’s listen in on a brief conversation between Bob and Bill during lunch last Tuesday: 

 

  • Bob: I just don’t get it. I listen to the same sermon you do each week but I don’t seem to be growing.
  • Bill: If you only had a weekly, 30-minute conversation with your wife, you wouldn’t expect to be very intimate with her, would you? Are you in the habit of listening to God outside of Sunday morning? If you eat only once a week, it’s little wonder that you’re starving! 

 

ARE YOU REALLY LISTENING?

It’s easy to punch the clock on Sunday mornings in a comfortable pew while listening to the preacher speak for God. After all, he’s been in the Word all week, right? And if he’s “on” he’ll have a passionate message with a joke and a reference to football somewhere in there. But is this the sum total of what it means to hear God speak?

 

In Exodus 20:18-19, Moses had just come down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments. It’s like he told the Israelites, “God has been speaking to me, and now He wants to speak to you. C’mon, I know where to find Him.” But the Israelites wanted no part of it. They told Moses: “You speak to us, and we will listen, but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die” (Exodus 20:19).

 

WILL YOU PAY THE PRICE?

I wonder if this is the sentiment of too many American church-going men today, who say, “Study hard, preacher, and make my one hour on Sunday interesting. But don’t expect me to pray or get into the Bible during the week because I’m afraid if I really hear God speak, it will cost me my self-centered life.”

 

You know it’s true. It’s pretty tough to continually hear God’s Word and remain happily unchanged. God wants to speak to this generation of men and He wants to change us through what He says in His Word. So my challenge is to listen up because God is speaking!

 

BOTTOM LINE

Make sure you’re allowing God to speak to you personally through His Word. That will deepen your relationship with Him like nothing else can.

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Activity Without Achievement

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I recently ran across this story:

 

In a somewhat recent story in the L.A. Times, legendary coach John Wooden gave a different take on his famous saying, “Be quick but don’t hurry.” During UCLA’s game against Kansas, Wooden noticed Kansas was sometimes out of control and hurried too much. “I call that activity without achievement;’ said Wooden. (Source)

 

GETTING NOWHERE QUICKLY

Continuing the basketball theme, a basketball team that continues to aimlessly throw the ball around the perimeter of the defense without ever looking to attack will soon discover that the shot clock is quickly winding down and they’ve got to launch something up or they’ll turn the ball over with a shot clock violation. That kind of offense is, as Coach Wooden put it, “activity without achievement.” Too many unproductive trips down the court like that and they’ve got no shot at winning the game.

 

We sometimes do the same thing in life. We busy ourselves with a flurry of activity but seldom question whether our activity is achieving anything significant. We figure that as long as we’re doing stuff, good things must be happening. That’s not necessarily the case. Honestly, one of the hardest things to do in life is think clearly and well. It’s so much easier to avoid tough questions and just mindlessly go with the flow.

 

GETTING SOMEWHERE RIGHT ON TIME

The key to personal effectiveness, to achieving anything worthwhile, is to trust the Lord for a game plan and for the ability to execute it. We can accomplish more in an hour with His help than we can in a week without it. Or, as Psalm 127:1 puts it: “Unless the LORD builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain.” So go ahead and work hard. But be smart about it.

 

QUESTIONS FOR THE MEN OF STEEL TO CONSIDER

1.   Have you ever been called a work-a-holic? Why?

2.   What does Solomon renounce in Ps 127:1? How do those who rely upon their own efforts see their work? (127:2)

3.   Is the beginning of this psalm tied to the end? What is said about large families? What happens at the gate?

4.   Is God building your business? Family? Support systems? Or are you?

5.   Jewish society promoted big families. Are the obsolete today? Does society help or hurt family unity?

 

BOTTOM LINE

Are there areas of your life where you feel like you’re laboring in vain? Ask yourself if you’re trusting the Lord in these areas. 

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Gentle Jesus Meek and Mild?

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I think it is important to help children see the manhood of Jesus, but I’m afraid we don’t get a lot of help in this regard. I imagine that in the typical church, listening to sermons and Bible studies one hears only the softer side of Christ presented. As a matter of fact, a friend of mine who is in full time men’s ministry recently asked participants in two seminars to list characteristics of Christ. In both the women’s seminar and the men’s seminar, the descriptors were words like loving, forgiving, kind, compassionate, gentle. These are but a few words that are not very compelling to men.

 

I agree Jesus was all of these things; the most incredible example of each of these characteristics, but there’s more. He was also the most worthwhile example of courage, tenacity, service, assertiveness, righteousness, leadership, determination and godliness. These are characteristics that are more likely to get a man’s attention. Think about it, do we hear about these things often enough in sermons or in our Bible studies?

 

As an example, my friend Mike, from Noble Warriors, shared this story:

 

A couple of years ago I was asked to fill in as a substitute coach for my son’s Upward team. At the end of the game, I got to celebrate the kid’s efforts by giving out stars. After each game, stars are given to kids to recognize; Best Offense, Best Defense, Best Effort, Best Sportsmanship and Most Christlike.

 

There were eight kids on the team, four boys and four girls. This was week five in the season. I looked at the recognition chart and realized that all four girls had been awarded Most Christlike stars, one each week for the previous four weeks. Not a single boy had been awarded a Most Christlike star. Wow! I think that we have all been programmed to think about how nice Christ was and it’s probably easier for most of us to see someone being nice on the soccer field and recognize that child as Christlike.

 

I made a quick decision and gathered the parents around for the recognition time. I gave out the other stars then proceeded to explain that I like to observe characteristics of Christ that others may not think of very often. When I read the gospels, I see that Christ was tenacious, focused on the goal, determined, assertive, and that he was fully obedient to his Father’s will. I gave Most Christlike stars to two little boys who were tenacious, focused, determined, confident, assertive and obedient and made a big deal of how these two had followed Christ’s example of manhood.

 

I think we’d have more men following Jesus if we did a better job of helping men understand His incredible example of masculinity. I want to challenge you to keep this in mind as you read about Jesus in the gospels. Every time you read your Bible this week, look for passages where you recognize Jesus as an example of manhood. This simple challenge could open your eyes to some characteristics of Christ that you hadn’t noticed previously… and help you understand your own manhood.

The King’s Grant Men of Steel are meeting at the pavilion this Saturday, November 8 @ 7:30 to discuss this issue! 

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Christians Influencing Culture

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Christians are supposed to influence culture for the better, despite what many non-Christians might want. Richard Dawkins, the famous atheist professor at Oxford recently put signs on London busses stating that “There’s probably no God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” Probably? Perhaps he is not too sure about his atheism or the bus company made him tone down his message. Either way, the message is pretty clear, he wants people to live their lives as if there is no God… I wonder what that kind of world would be like?

I wonder what professor Dawkins might think about a world were no Christians exist. Gone are the 90% of Christians who desire to serve mankind in a positive fashion, help others when they are in need, offer comfort to those who are suffering or in grief, those who are the first to rush in with disaster relief… Dawkins must long for a world with no hope at the end of life, with no purpose in this life other than to eat, drink, conquer, procreate and die. Without Christians or the Holy Spirit of the Bible in this world, all that is left is the base of human cruelty, the survival of the fittest where only the strong survive.

My question is, “What does it hurt for people to believe in God?”

I recently read the Southwest Virginia Christian Leadership Network newsletter that quotes Reggie McNeal, from his book Practicing Greatness. He outlines seven spiritual habits or disciplines that lead to the spiritual influence we need within our culture. Since leadership is the art and science of influence, this is what McNeal writes:

  1. Self-awareness – understanding who God created you to be
  2. Self-management – managing emotions, expectations, temptations, mental/physical well-being
  3. Self-development – lifelong commitment to building on your strengths, not your weaknesses
  4. Mission – living out of a sense of God’s purpose for your life and leadership
  5. Decision-making – knowing the elements of good decisions and learning from failure
  6. Belonging – nurturing relationships with family, followers, mentors, and friends
  7. Aloneness – the intentional practice of soul-making solitude and contemplation

Seek ways to influence our culture with intentionality; not just seeking people to believe the way we do, but to allow people to see Jesus for who he really is!

Jesus and Peter on Loving, Caring and Feeding

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In the last chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus instructed Peter to care for the dearest object of His love—His sheep. Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” and three times Peter answered, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” Jesus then instructed him to, “Feed My lambs, take care of my sheep, and feed my sheep.”

Was Jesus unaware of Peter’s love? Of course not. His threefold question was not for Himself, but for Peter. He asked His questions to underscore the essential truth that only love for Christ would sustain Peter in the work that lay ahead—that difficult and demanding work of caring for people’s souls—perhaps the hardest work of all.

I am fascinated by the fact that Jesus did not ask Peter if he loved His sheep, but if he loved Him. Love for God’s people in itself will not sustain us. His sheep can be unresponsive, unappreciative, and harshly critical of our efforts to love and to serve them. In the end, we will find ourselves defeated and discouraged.

Paul tells us that the “love of Christ controls us”—our love for Him—which is the only sufficient motivation that will enable us to remain faithful in our task, to continue to care for and feed the flock of God.

Our task as leaders in Sunday School and Discipleship Ministry is to primarily be a shepherd of people, not just a teacher of lessons. Everything the pastor is to the congregation, teachers are to their students! Shepherds lead, feed and protect their sheep. Wow, that is so much more that just preparing a lesson each week!

Dedicated volunteers are the backbone of the discipleship strategy of our church; without whom the Great Commission would be stalled in this place. Thank you for the many who have faithfully served our Lord and fed His sheep through the years, and for the many more who have stepped up to feed His lambs (preschoolers and children), feed His sheep (students and adults) and take care of His sheep (leading, feeding and protecting the people entrusted to us).

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College Students and Church

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Virginia Tech is having freshman orientation this week and I have a friend’s son headed off to Tech this fall. It got me thinking about my own college days and the things that became important. While social networking is much different today, students will still seek out various organizations like fraternities or clubs on campus.

As a Christian student I became involved in Baptist Student Union, an organization that meets many needs of students away at college (fellowship, belonging, spiritual growth, community service, missionary efforts). A lot of students chose to make the BSU their church, choosing instead to sleep in on Sundays, but they missed out on many of the blessings they could have received by participating in a local church.

Besides the church being the only institution on earth that Jesus promised to build and to bless, here are a few great benefits of students getting out of the college bubble and participating in a local church:

  1. Steady spiritual growth
  2. Hear messages from God’s Word
  3. Exposure to older, wiser believers
  4. Exposure to career role models
  5. Exposure to marriage role models
  6. Exposure to parenting role models
  7. Opportunities for service using your spiritual gifts
  8. A chance to impact younger kids
  9. Participation in church ordinances
  10. Intergenerational worship and fellowship
  11. Doctrinal and moral accountability
  12. A safety net when times get tough
  13. A home/family away from your home/family
  14. Possible free meals from people who recognize you as a member of the family!

“The age-old question about joining a local church always comes up, “Why join the church if I know I’ll be gone during the summer and graduating in four years?” Membership has its privileges! When you are a part of the body of believers, it shows your commitment to the local church, and it allows the local church to be committed to you. If not membership, consider what is called “Watch Care.” It usually has all the benefits of membership without being allowed to vote in meetings! It still says that you are committing yourself, your gifts and your abilities into this particular congregation.

“The church is not a department store where you come and get the spiritual commodity you want, then go your way. To speak of loving Christ, while neglecting his body, the church, is hypocritical” – Donald Whitney

Remember that in your new freedom from your parents’ control, do the right thing and CHOOSE CHURCH!

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Teachers vs Shepherds

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I recently discovered a way to tell the difference between a teacher and a shepherd in Sunday School: ask the question, “What are you teaching right now in your church?”

The one who says they are teaching a five-week class on First John is the teacher; the one who says they are teaching middle school boys is the shepherd! I got this question from David Francis’ work on spiritual gifts. I found this to be a very provocative observation.

So often we believe that we are teaching lessons from the Bible when in reality we are teaching people the Bible! Here are other observations regarding shepherding:

  1. Shepherds know their sheep – The best teachers are those who take into account those whom they are teaching, we must know about life stages, gender differences, how to communicate, how this group learns, etc.
  2. Shepherds know their flock – They keep up with details about individuals in the class, maybe using a notebook to keep up with birthdays, anniversaries, hobbies, etc.
  3. Shepherds don’t wait for Sunday – Plenty of ministry opportunities await the shepherd when they are involved in the lives of their sheep during the week.
  4. Shepherds use a staff – They organize the class into smaller groups to help distribute the task of keeping up with the flock.

The key for me is that we teach people, we don’t teach lessons!

Building Relationships Jesus’ Way

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If Christianity is nothing else, it is about relationships; with God and with others. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. It’s pretty direct yet ambiguous as to how to do it, but a great foundation.

Jay Dennis gives some good insight in his book, The Jesus Habits: Exercising the Spiritual Disciplines of Jesus:

1. Jesus took the initiative to build relationships – the woman at the well (in John 4) is a great example of taking the initiative.

2. Jesus didn’t allow prejudice to affect his building a relationship, (her being a lower-class Samaritan). This tells me that He was cross-cultural in His mission.

3. Jesus demonstrated that sharing a meal is one of the best relationship builders – like the invitation of Zaccheus (in Luke 19). Hospitality is such a great way to serve others in the name of Christ.

4. Jesus didn’t give up on building a relationship with someone – like the woman caught in adultery (in John 8). It’s as if He’s telling her that He will not give up on her.

5. Jesus confirmed that relationships are more important than structures and organizations – like when Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath Day and took grief for it (in John 5).

6. Jesus even built relationships in the last moments before His death – like the thief on the cross next to Him (in Luke 23).

If authentic Christianity is going to spread throughout our city and the rest of the world, it will be done through relationships. I’m not against religious broadcasting, but adding people to the kingdom will not reach the world in time – multiplication is needed. We need to teach people how to become disciples of Jesus, yes, but it is more important to develop people into disciple-makers.

Disciple-makers are able to take the good news they received and invest it into the lives of others, who in turn will invest their lives into others. Paul set the example in his letter to his younger disciple, Timothy (2 Timothy 2:2). Let’s start small by finding a few people who have potential to become disciple-makers, and then invest time and effort into them!

How? I like this quote from Dale Carnegie, “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” People are not notches on your belt! Your interest must be genuine.