7 desires of people

     Yesterday I mentioned that 4 out of 5 people do not think the church is important for spiritual growth.  These numbers are alarming and should cause the church and church leaders to stand up and take notice.  We cannot continue to do church as usual if we are going to meet the expectations of the people around us. 

     Scott Appleby provides a good assessment of what people expect from a local church. Though much of these insights were about the role of the pastor, they are applicable to the local church as well.  After all no church is comprised of just a pastor.  Every church works together as a the body of Christ to minister to people in the community.  These seven insights are a tremendous help to the local church as they try to meet the rising needs of the community around them.

     First people desire a sense of belonging. People want to be more than a group that meets together or a collection of strangers, they want to be a family or a community of friends that share one another’s hurts and joys. The church needs to create this environment if it wants to meet this desire of the people.

     Second, people desires meaningful worship. This is the battleground that has been forged in many churches today. More than anything else, it is not a battle for doctrinal purity, but for worship in spirit and truth. The church should be able to provide authentic worship understanding the diversity that exists in the group.

     Third, people desire practical preaching or relevant preaching. This particular aspect has more to do with the pastor than the church body, but it could be applied to teachers as well. People want the word of God applied to their particular situation in life. The people expect the Word to speak to the issues of the day and help them to live a godly life in an ungodly world.

     Fourth, people desire relevant discipleship.  People desire discipleship that addresses particular areas of concern. They do not want programs for the sake of programs, but they desire something that is meaningful and practical for their lives.  In this day and age when time is so precious, people need to know that the ministry is going to be beneficial to their particular area of concern, whether that is parenting classes, financial planning, or how to take care of aging parents.  They want programs that minister to them where they are in their life stage.

     Fifth, people want to be involved in ministering to those in need.  This desire goes beyond giving to help the needy, this means personal involvement in meeting needs.  Appleby stated, “the sense of personal ownership of the charities of the church has declined.”  Perhaps the reason for this decline is because people want to put a face on ministry.

     Sixth, people desire consistent leadership especially in the realm of spiritual decisions.  Again much of this desire relates to the pastor it can be applied to all church leadership.  The pastor must be careful not to be an authoritarian while at the same time not giving too much leadership to others.  A pastor must learn to balance his leadership between these two extremes.

     Finally, the people desire a pastor that is accessible to them.  They do not want a pastor that is cooped up in the office and never available to the people.  What is true of the pastor is also true of the body of believers.  The church members need to be accessible to others.  This truth means that they are not Sunday only members, but are available to others. It means that we must be willing to get involved in their lives. 

    I will try to flesh these out in the next few days and demonstrate how these needs are not new.  Jesus confronted each one of these needs in his ministry and we can learn from his example.  Remember our desire is to reach out to the 4 out of 5 who no longer think the church is important for spiritual growth.  I hope you will tag along as we examine what Jesus did to minister to people.  He was relevant then and He is still relevant today.

Is church important for spiritual growth?

      This week I had a young lady and her 8 year old daughter show up at my house looking for some help.  It was not spiritual help she was looking for, but financial help.  As we talked very briefly about things I asked her if she went to church anywhere.  She told me she prayed and she read her Bible, but she did not attend church anywhere.  I have heard this story hundreds of times.  I talked to her about the reasons that she needed to be in a fellowship and she nodded her head in agreement, but I do not know what she will do with this information. 

     It is amazing how many people do not attend a church anywhere, but they always know to go to a church when they need assistance.  I have opinions on why this happens, but that is not the purpose of this post.  The purpose of this post is to ask is church important for spiritual growth?  You might be surprised how many people believe that it is not important.

     A study conducted by the Barna group in 2006 had some alarming news for the church: Less than 20 percent of American adults believe participation in a congregation is critical to spiritual growth, and just as few agree that participation in a church community will help them reach their full potential spiritually.


     Is this not a wake up call for church leaders everywhere to realize that traditional church alone as we've known it is not going to be the most successful model for reaching the lost?  Here is the struggle that we have as a church.

     The world, even when they are searching and longing for spiritual growth, isn't even looking to the church as a possibility for that growth.  According to this survey 4 out of 5 people do not view the church as a valuable source for spiritual growth.  The church has lost it's salt.  The church has ceased to be light.  80% just don't believe the church to be valuable to them except for maybe a wedding or a funeral (by which time it will be too late).

     Even those who attend the church have a diminished view of how the church can and will help them.  A growing percentage of those still involved in the church disagree that being a part of the church can help them reach their full spiritual potential.  Other studies reveal this same truth.  A growing number of Christians feel they are spiritually fit while not being involved in any local church.

     So what do we do as a church?  What do church leaders do?  Do we continue to do church as usual and reach out to the 1 out of 5 who say the church is relevant?  Or do we try something different?  I know I don't have very many answers.  And perhaps I just use this post to express my ideas (opinions) to an audience of one.  But I believe in the church.  I believe it is the most important institution on earth.  I know this truth because the Bible says that Christ died for His church.  The church is the bride of Christ. 

     Over the next several days I want to talk about some things I have gleaned from research and by experience (very little I may add) and see if we might find some truths that will help the church be relevant in this generation.  I hope that you will dialogue with me and perhaps as we combine our stories and our knowledge we will gain a better insight in to the church and the ministry of the church to this world in which God has placed us.  I hope to hear from you soon. 

Traveling in the dark

     Last night was visitation night for our fellowship.  For those of you that do not know what I am talking about when I mention visitation, let me tell you.  Visitation is where the church makes an intentional effort to visit people in the community.  Some of them have visited the church and others have not, but nevertheless we go out two by two into the harvest field.

     I had an unusual time as I went out last night.  I was by myself last night as when we divided up into the groups we had an odd number so I thought it would be best for me to go out by myself.  Our intent last night was to start visiting the 1000 families that have moved into our area in the last month.  You might remember I wrote about them in my last post.  Anyway, I proceeded to make my way to the homes and realized that it was extremely dark and would be difficult to find the homes.  I was right.  The first home I never did find an address.  I know the house is there, but the lighting was poor and the addresses were no where to be found.  I decided to move on to the next house and look for it.  At first I could not find the street, and then I finally found the street.  It was  not a well lit street so it made it difficult to locate the house as well.  When I finally found the proper address, it was the last house on the street, the long drive way was dark and there were no lights on in the house.  I decided that it was probably not best to make the visit that evening.  Of course now that I have surveyed the area it will be much easier to visit them the next time. 

     There were a couple of things that made the visits extremely difficult.  First, I am still trying to learn the lay of the land, but the main reason was that it was dark.  These homes were not in well lit neighborhoods, but more like country roads that were not lit with street lights.  It is hard to get around in the dark.  It is hard to discern where you need to go.  I think there is a spiritual parallel as well.

     The Bible states that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.  As children of the light we are to be spend our time in his light.  In fact Peter states that God has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.  It is so much better to move around in the light.  However for the most part people still choose to walk in the dark.  Jesus spoke about this very issue in John 3 when he stated "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed."

      My attempt as visting people in the dark brings this truth to reality.  In the darkness I cannot see where I am going.  It is the same way in the spiritual realm.  When I choose to live in the darkness I do not know where I am going.  I cannot see what is in front of me so I stumble and fall.  I make mistakes and mess things up, because I am not able to discern what lies ahead.  I need a light to help me in my journey.  God's Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path.  Ultimately Jesus is the light of the world that gives light in the darkness.

      Are you tired of stumbling in the darkness?  Are you tired of trying to navigate the road of life without a light?  Then perhaps it is time to turn to the light and allow Him to light your path. 

     I want give up on visiting people in the night, but the next time I will take a light with me are I will go earlier so that I can find my way.  That sounds like a pretty good suggestion for all of us as well.  We do not have to try to walk the road of life without a light.  Jesus has shown us the way.  All we have to do is walk in His light. 

To invite or not to invite

      I heard an interesting statistic this week about the community in which I live.  My friend Dave was telling me that in the last month over 1000 new families have moved into our community.  Actually it was within a five mile radius of our church.  That is a lot of people coming to our area in a short amount of time.  I know nothing about any of them.  And I do not believe any of them have attended our fellowship in the last month.  You might think we would have one family drop in by accident, but that has not been the case.

      Dave has been diligently working to organize the names in a systematic way so we can drop by their house and welcome them to the community.  Did I say that it was over a 1000 new families and Dave is organizing them so that our fellowship can contact them.  You know every church needs a Dave.  Dave is the guy that works behind the scenes to keep us on our toes to reach out to our community.  He is an incredible asset to a church and is utilizing his gifts for the kingdom.   I hope your church has a Dave.  But this post is not about Dave, it is about the 1000 families new to our area.

     How do we as a church reach out to these new families?  We may not know them, but we know that God knows them.  So we must some how find a way to extend a gracious invitation to them.  The best way is to invite them to attend church.  I was reading an interesting statement the other day that said 8 out of 10 unchurched persons said they would come to church if they were invited.  WOW is that true?  According to scientific research that number is correct.  I guess the old statement "if we invite them they will come" has validity.

      However, even though the unchurched will attend if invited we as followers of Jesus Christ are not doing a very good job of extending an invitation.  According to research, only 21 percent of active churchgoers invite anyone to church in the course of a year.  However the statistic becomes even more alarming when we discover that only 2 percent of church members invite an unchurched person to church. 

     This whole discussion brings me to another friend of mine named Georgia.  Georgia blames it on me, but I think it is just who she is a person.  Georgia invites everyone to come to church.  She was in Curves the other day and invited someone to church.  She was getting the oil changed in her car and invited someone to come to church.  I get excited when Georgia tells me these stories and she challenges me to do a better job of inviting people to church.  Every church needs a Georgia.  Does your church have a  Georgia? 

     Here's the scoop: we do not necessarily have to share the gospel with those we invite, the first step is just extend an invitation.  Everybody likes invitations.  It makes them feel important.  It makes them feel special.  Now in the process if you get the chance to share the gospel, by all means do so.  But the least we can do is invite someone to attend.  So what do you think?  Should we as a church invite people to attend or should we just wait for them to show up? 

What do you see?

     Have you ever stopped to just watch people?  Have you ever wondered what is going on in their life?  Often times when we see people we may become annoyed by what they are doing and possibly even mad at them for some reason.  They may be an inconvenience in our little world or perhaps they just get in our way.  After all everything centers on us anyway?  Yet, in order for us to truly be able to share the message of Christ with the world we need to see people through a different set of eyes.  Stephen Covey in his highly successful book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People tells a story that reveals the need to see people differently.  Covey writes:

     I remember a min-paradigm shift I experienced one Sunday morning on a subway in New York.  People were sitting quietly - some reading newspapers, some lost in thought, some resting with their eyes closed.  It was a calm, peaceful scene.
     Then, suddenly, a man and his children entered the subway car.  The children were so loud and rambunctious that instantly the whole climate changed.  They sat down next to me and their father closed his eyes, apparently oblivious to the situation.  The children were yelling back and forth, throwing things, even grabbing people's papers.  It was very disturbing.  And yet, the man sitting next to me did nothing.
     It was difficult not to feel irritated.  I could not believe that he could be so insensitive as to let his children run wild like that and do nothing about it, taking no responsibility at all.  It was easy to see that everyone else on the subway felt irritated too.
     So, finally, with what I felt was unusual patience and restraint, I turned to him and said, "Sir, your children are really disturbing a lot of people, I wonder if you couldn't control them a little more?"
     The man lifted his gaze as if to come to a consciousness of the situation for the first time and said softly, "Oh, you're right.  I guess I should do something about it.  We just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago.  I don't know what to think, and I guess they don't know how to handle it either."
     Can you imagine what I felt at that moment?  My paradigm shifted.  Suddenly, I saw things differently, and because I saw things differently I thought differently, I felt differently, I behaved differently.  My irritation vanished.  I didn't have to worry about controlling my attitude or my behavior; my heart was filled with the man's pain.  Feelings of sympathy and compassion flowed freely.
     "Your wife just died?  Oh, I'm sorry!  Can you tell me about it?  What can I do to help?" 
     Everything changed in an instant.

     Before we can truly bring meaning and relevance to the people we must begin seeing them differently than we did before.  Let me ask you again.  What do you see when you see people?  Do you see people as an irritation or someone that just gets in your way?  Or do you see them through the eyes of Christ and have compassion for them?

Do we exist?

     Several years ago I was driving around in a town where I previously lived and became aware of a church that I did not know existed.  I had never heard of the church.  I had never heard of the pastor of the church.  I had never heard anyone talk about the church.  I did not know what the church believed or when they met.  I wondered "does this church really exist?" 

     My question was relevant then and it is still relevant now.  Just because there was a small sign indicating that there was a church did not prove that the church existed.  So my question for us to consider is "when do we know a church exist in a community?"  What is the sign that a church is present in a community? 

     You see the truth is that just because there is a building present does not mean a church is really in the community.  I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this idea. 

     Here is another idea to consider.  "If a christian works in your workplace and no one knows that a christian works in your work place, does the christian really work in  your workplace?"  What do you think?  Perhaps you have seen the dilemma in this question.  The key to anwering this question is seen in the idea of YOUR workplace.  Do others know that a Christian exists in your workplace?  What are you doing about it?  I would love to hear your comments. 

     I guess I could ask "if I write a blog and no one notices the blog does the blog really exist?"  Now that is a question that begs to be answered.  Perhaps you can provide me an answer. 

Twenty years later

     I want to warn you right up front that some of you are going to get mad at this post.  Some of you will get irritated and be offended.  So if  you are that type of individual I would advice you to stop reading now.  My intent is not to anger or provoke, but to cause you to think in a different way.  Let me assure you that God has been working on me with a big stick and I still need Him to work on me some more.

     Years ago a popular movie came out called Crocodile Dundee.  There is a scene in the movie where Mick Dundee, hero of the Australian outback, checks into a hotel in New York City and looks around and sees a television in one corner of the room..  Mick responds "Television.  I haven't watched TV for twenty years."  He turns on the set only to find the opening credits to I Love Lucy rolling across the screen.  Mick mumbles to himself as he turns off the set "Yep, pretty much what I remember."

     What's the point?  How many people have returned to our churches after a long absence and discovered that nothing has changed?  We are singing the same songs and saying the same things and basically doing things the way we did it 20 years ago.  They walk into our churches and say "Yep, pretty much what I remember."

     Please do not get me wrong.  The message of the church never changes "salvation is found in Christ alone by grace alone, through faith alone."  Yet how do we package this wonderful message?  There are people today that need the message we have to share.  Some of them have left the church only to return at a later date.  Others have never attended church, but would attend if a friend invited them.  When they come what will they find? 

     What do you think?  I would love to hear your thoughts and dialogue with you about the plight of the church.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas. 

Are we ready?

    Apparently there were people in the time of Jesus that thought the way people still do today.  During the time of Jesus many individuals believed that when people died in natural disasters or were the victims of an attack that they must have been more guilty than others.  The idea was that God caused these things to happen because they were more sinful than others.

     Jesus quickly dispels this myth.  God does not cause some to die because they are more guilty than others.  Instead Jesus points out that unless we all repent, we too will all perish.  (LUKE 13:1-5) The point that Jesus was trying to stress is the importance of being ready to face eternity.  We never know what will happen in the future.  We must be prepared for the future today.  The time to be ready for eternity is to be ready today.

     As I think of these teachings from Jesus I can't help but wonder how many people from 9/11 were ready to face eternity?  How many people during hurricane Katrina were ready to face eternity?  These are just two examples, but it really goes for any natural disaster or attack by man.  Are we ready to face eternity today?

     The thing is that many people may think that they are ready.  Later in the same chapter Jesus is asked the question "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"  Jesus does not answer the question, but instead tells them to make every effort to enter through the narrow door.  Many people will try to get into the kingdom of heaven in a variety of ways, but Jesus states there is only one door by which people may enter.  These individuals will know who Jesus is and what he taught.  As they are standing outside the door crying out to be let in, they are heard to say "We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets."  But Jesus will reply "I DON"T KNOW YOU."  In other words I did not have a relationship with you.

     The sad news is that there are many people today who know a lot about Jesus.  They have even enjoyed being around other Christians, perhaps fellowshiping with them.  They have heard the teachings of Jesus, but the problem is that they have never made a commitment to be His disciple.  They have not placed their faith in Him as the only way to spend eternity with God.  They have not prepared themselves for that day today. 

     However there is another angle in which we need to consider this idea.  What are we doing about it?  What are we doing to communicate to people the need to be ready for eternity today?  We never know what the future may hold.  We do not know what will happen tomorrow or next week.  We might be driving down the road minding our own business when suddenly we wake up some place else.  Are we ready for that day?  It is not my intention to scare you or to manipulate you into believing in Jesus.  Yet it is my desire to stress to you the importance of being ready for that day.

     Do you think that the people who died on 9/11 were ready?  Do you think the people who died in hurricane Katrina were ready?  Perhaps those events happened to open our eyes to our own mortality and lead us to make sure that we are ready as well.  In the words of Jesus:  "Do you think those New Yorkers that died on 9/11 were more guilty than you?   Do you think those from New Orleans were more guilty than you?  I tell you no!  But unless you repent, you too will all perish." 

     Are we ready?  Are you ready?  What are we doing about it?

Does God understand?

     Have you ever wondered if God really understands what is going on in your life?  Do you question if He knows your address or is aware of your circumstances?  If not, then you probably do not need to continue reading this post.  But if you are like me and have these questions then continue reading and hopefully we can find some assurances together.

     There are many people like me that wonder if God is listening or if God cares.  You know I have a house to sell and have been praying for several months that God would send someone to buy my house.  Yet as of today He has not answered my prayer, or at least in the way that I think He should.  Hello, God this is Bruce can you hear me?  Have you ever felt like this in your life?  Sometimes we wonder do we not?

     I heard a story once that helped me in my struggles and continues to do so today. There was a family that lived in Kansas that went through a tornado that destroyed their home.  From that point on the little daughter became frightened every time the sky darkened and storm winds began to blow.  In her mind's eye another tornado was approaching.

     One evening a terrible thunderstorm developed.  The torrential rain pour, the loud thunder and the cracking of the lightening frightened the little girl.  When it was time for her to go to bed, she was afraid to go upstairs to her bed.  Her parents took her to bed and tucked her in.  However from the living room down below the could hear her crying, so her father went upstairs to see if he could calm her fears.

     He tried to console her and told her "there's no reason to cry.  It is only a thunderstorm.  It will soon be over.  There is no reason to be scared or afraid."

     The little girl responded to her father, "Yeah, Daddy, that's easy for you to say you don't know what it's like to be little!"

     We often times are like this little girl.  We go through difficult times and we wonder if God really knows what we are going through.  Does God know what it is like to be human?  Does He know what it is like to be like me?  That is the message of the gospel.  The Bible is clear that God does understand.  The incarnation of Jesus Christ reminds us that God knows exactly what it is like to be human.  Because He knows, He understands us, even better than we understand ourselves.  No other religion has a God who understands. 

     Paul states that Jesus took "the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man."  Jesus was just like you and He was just like me.  He went through difficult times in His life as well.  He knows what it is like to hurt.  He knows what it is like to lose someone He loved.  He knows what it is like to struggle.  He knows what it is like to suffer.  In fact the writer of Hebrews states that we have a God "who has been tempted in every way, just as we are."  God understands and you do not have to wonder if He knows your situation.  He wants you to cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for you.   Be encouraged in whatever situation you are in.  God knows and He cares.  I pray that you will sense God's presence in your life today and from now on.  Blessings to you as you go through life.

Monday morning lookback

      This past weekend was a good time of reflection and remembrance as Lynwood Baptist Church celebrated it's 50th year of ministry.  The core team has been planning for this event for almost a year and it was great to see the local body come together to make the anniversary special.  A 50th anniversary only happens once, but it will be remembered for a long time.  A special thanks to everyone involved for making it happen. 

We began the weekend with a trek to the original location of Lynwood, which was called New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in the beginning. The church met in Bristol Station in rented facilities.  Below is a picture of our first location.

It was the beginning of something special as Pastor Tom Winchester began preaching at this location.  It was great to hear the stories from brother Tom of those first few years at this location.  It was funny to hear the stories of the indoor outhouse that was behind the platform.  Those beginning days were marked with excitement and anticipation as God moved in the lives of the early church to plant a witness in the Fox Valley. 

Eventually the church purchased property on Highway 34 and erected their first building, which would later become the parsonage.  It was designed with the worship facility on the top floor and education space in the basement.  Brother Tom said it cost $16,000 to build the building, which was a significant amount for the young church to pay.  Most of it was built by church members and a handful of volunteers.  The church moved from Bristol to their new location in 1963.  Below is the church as it appeared during that time.  Brother Tom shared many stories of worship in that first permanent building.  He said it originally would hold 100 people for worship and had a small nursery in the back of the auditorium. 

      Brother Tom stayed at Lynwood Baptist Church for 5 years until he sensed that God was ready to move him elsewhere.  He eventually was led to start another mission church down the road in Newark, Illinois, where he stayed for 28 years as pastor of First Baptist Church, Newark.  The church continued to meet in this building for several years under the leadership of two pastors, Reverend Collier and Reverend Cupples.  Under the leadership of Reverend Cupples the church built another facility and converted the existing building to a parsonage for the pastor.  The building was built in the 70's, and originally looked like a red barn or so I have been told.  The church was painted white and is still in use by the body of believers that meets there today.  The building has added an educational wing and has been renovated a few times, including the steeple that is in the middle of the roof.  Former pastor Richard Van Cleave has a wonderful story about the addition of the steeple.  It was great to see the video of the steeple being erected .  Here is a picture of the church as it looks today.

    There have been many people that have come through the doors of Lynwood Baptist Church.  The original members are gone and there are a handful left from earlier times, but God is still moving in the body of believers to continue what was started in the beginning of Lynwood's history.  Lynwood now sets on the major roadway between two of the fastest growing cities in the area.  Even though the economy has slowed down much of the growth, I believe it is for a purpose.  The slow down allows Lynwood to regroup, refocus and reenergize for the task that lies ahead.  God has great plans for this body of believers for the next 50 years.  I like to tell everybody that we are built on a strong foundation to build a bridge to the future.  I thank all the pastors that led this body before me and the many members that have sacrificed to continue a viable witness in the community.  God is still moving in the hearts of our congregation today to reach out to our community with the love of Christ.  We are trying to incarnate the message of the gospel by loving God and loving people in real tangible ways.  Lynwood Baptist Church has a great past and a wonderful future.  Below is what our future building will look like as we work together to continue our task. 

To God be the Glory.  Great things He has done and He will continue to do so as we move into the next 50 years of faithful ministry in the Fox Valley.  I can't wait to see what God is going to do.  If you live in the area and want to be a part of our exciting future there is no better time than now to join us as we strive to serve our Lord.  We can make a difference if we will join together with God in what He is doing. 

Praying the rain will stop

     I am later writing my post this week as I have been preoccupied with many things.  Foremost on my mind is the 50th anniversary of Lynwood Baptist Church.  I have only been here a few months but I am excited about this weekend and meeting some of the heroes in Lynwood's history.  It should be a great time of remembrance and celebration.  The only bad spot is that it has been raining basically for the last several days and today has been the worst.

     We have been planning for quite some time, but it looks like we will have to go to plan C now.  I hope we have one.  I have been praying for the rain to go away, but so far God has not decided that my prayer needs to be answered.  Maybe I am not in the right posture, or perhaps my words are not right.

     I remember hearing a story about a 3-year-old boy who went to the grocery store with his mother.  Before they entered the store she told him, "Now you are not going to get any chocolate chip cookies, so don't even ask."

     She put him in the cart and he sat in the little child's seat while she wheeled down the grocery aisles.  He was doing just fine until they came to the cookie section.  He saw the chocolate chip cookies and he stood up in the seat and said, "Mommy, can I have some chocolate chip cookies?"  She said, "I told you not even to ask.  You are not going to get any at all."  So he sat back down.

     They continued shopping, but in their search for certain items they ended up back in the cookie section.  "Mommy, can I please have some chocolate chip cookies?"  She said, "I told you that you can't have any.  Now sit down and be quiet."

     Finally, they were approaching the checkout lane.  The little boy sensed that this may be his last chance.  So just before they got to the line, he stood up on the seat of the cart and shouted in his loudest voice, "In the name of Jesus, may I have some chocolate chip cookies?"  And everybody around just laughed.  Some even applauded.  Due to the generosity of the other shoppers, when mother and son left the store they left with 23 boxes of chocolate chip cookies.  

     You see it does matter how we pray.  How do you pray?  Are you praying in Jesus name?  The Bible says if we ask anything in his name, we shall receive it.  Of course we know that it must be according to the will of the Father, but still that is a pretty good promise.  So here it goes "IN THE NAME OF JESUS could you please make it stop raining."  That should do it.  Hope all your prayers are answered as well.  God bless you.

Facebook Friends

     I have finally moved into the 21st century when it comes to technology.  I finally created a facebook page for myself.  I have been resistent to doing so, but I decided it was about time that I entered into the internet for communicating and connecting with friends past and present.

     I was resistent because I was afraid that I would have no friends to connect with.  I look at my wife's facebook and everyone wants to be her friend and I thought maybe God might humble me and no one would want to be my friend or they might be a sympathy friend.  I know it is hard to believe, but sometimes being a pastor can be a lonely business.  Pastors are friends to everyone, but have difficulty being close to anyone.  It is not by choice, but often it is by necessity.  There are times when pastors have to make tough decisions and it may not be popular.  When those decisions affect friends it makes it much more difficult.  It also may hinder a pastor from making a decision because it might affect his friendship with someone.

     I remember in one church were I was pastor I had a staff member whom I loved dearly.  I thought he had wonderful potential, but the people in the church kept telling me to get rid of him.  He was rough around the edges, but had a great heart for worship and connecting people to God.  They basically informed me to either ask him to resign or they were going to fire him.  You know what the people did not like about him?  He led the church to sing contemporary songs.  Of course he did so at my direction.  But the point is that this guy was my friend and I had to make a decision that was heartbreaking about him.  Perhaps I was a wimp when I think about it, but that is another post. 

     This scenario could play itself out in many different ways.  When we do not want to damage a friendship it may keep us from doing the things that truly need to be done.  As a result many pastors live on an island with only a handful of close friends.  We want to please everyone and in so doing we really please no one.  I am reminded of the old story about an old man and his grandson who made their way into town on a donkey. The grandfather put the boy on the donkey until he heard people say, "Look at that selfish child making that old man walk!" The grandfather couldn't stand to have people criticize his grandson, so he asked the boy to walk while he rode. Then he heard the people say, "Look at that selfish old man riding and making the poor little boy walk." So he got off and they both walked. Then he heard the people say, "Look at those stupid two people. They've got a donkey and they're not even using it." So both the man and the boy rode the donky together. Then they heard people say, "Look at those cruel people abusing that poor animal!" They are going to break his back with that load!" They finally walked into town carrying the donkey!


     The point of the story is obvious, there is no way we can please everyone.  I have since gotten over myself and the thought that no one would be my friend on facebook.  I am not overly concerned if they do or they don't.  I cannot please all the people all the time so I don't try.  I have a hard enough time trying to please some of the people some of the time.  
    
     Think of your own situation.  Does your friendship with others keep you from making difficult decisions.  For some of you that might mean you have to tell your friends you can no longer do the things you did at one time.  It might mean you can't hang in the places you used to hang.  It might mean you cannot socialize with certain people because they might lead you down a path you cannot go.  Friendship is not easy and sometimes it makes demands on us.  But a true friend will love at all times, even if it means making the tough decisions.

     Ultimately we have one friend that we can always count on.  He will never leave us and he will always speak the truth to us.  He will never stop loving us and will be there in the good and the bad times.  As the old song said "What a Friend we have in Jesus."  I wonder if Jesus had a facebook would I be his friend?  More importantly would He want to be mine?  Now that is something to think about.  What do you think?  Have you ever wondered if Jesus would be your friend on facebook?

5 Principles continued

Principle 3: Felt needs are the connecting point


Most people are not walking down the streets of our community thinking about the eternal destiny of their soul.  Consider the graph below to illustrate this truth. 

However people are usually thinking about something of immediate interest: their jobs, friends, health, kids, finances, hobbies, and so on.  If the gospel of Christ is really relevant to all aspects of our lives, we need to show unreached people how it is relevant to what's on their minds.  Jesus did this throughout his ministry.  We should learn a lesson from Him.  Don't start with our agenda, start with theirs.  Here is a list from Neil McBride that summarizes needs of people today:

• People feel disconnected and isolated, they are looking for a place to belong and feel part of a family or community.
• People are feeling the pressure of a busy and stressful world. They are looking for a greater sense of balance and ways to manage priorities.

• People sense the shallowness of superficial encounters with others. They are looking for authentic relationships.

• People are feeling empty and drained from striving to meet their desires through work, material possessions, or entertainment. They are looking for spiritual answers to their unfulfilled "hunger."

• People are feeling overwhelmed by the pace of change in every aspect of their world. They are looking for help through transitions.

When we speak to the felt needs of people we gain an audience. The reason being is that our message has become relevant to them.

Principle 4: Relationships are the glue

Getting people in the front door of the church is one thing, but keeping them from quietly disappearing out the back door is another.  This is not a new problem.  How do we keep people connected to the fellowship?

The answer is relationships.  When people have friends at church, they stay.  If they don't have friends at church they won't.  According to one study, new members who stay beyond their first year made an average of seven new friends in the church.  Those who dropped out made fewer than two.

We need to be intentional in establishing relationships with people.  For this to happen it must go beyond the church walls.  Our relationships cannot be a Sunday only meeting.  We need to have people in our homes and we need to do things outside the church with others.

Principle 5: Transitions provide the window of opportunity

People in our community are not equally receptive to becoming Christians or members of our church.  Some are very responsive, others not at all. Jesus spoke of this principle in telling us to turn our eyes to the fields that are "white unto harvest" (John 4:35), to plant the seed of the gospel in good (receptive) soil (Matthew 13:1-9), to preach in the towns that are receptive, and leave the ones that aren't (Luke 9:1-6), and to not cast our pearls toward the swine (Matthew 7:6).

How do we identify people that will be receptive in our sphere of influence?  Life-transition events are one important way.  Significant changes in people's lifestyle move them toward spiritual receptivity.  Such changes may be controlled events (marriage, divorce, relocation, retirement) or uncontrolled ones (death of a spouse, medical crisis, job loss).  Be alert to people going through times of transition in their lives for it may open the door for ministry to them. Respond to them with genuine Christian love.

Statistics reveal that only 15 percent of the 300,000+ churches in North America are growing.  But they are growing in every state, denomination, and size.  According to researchers the principles mentioned here do work.  Our reason for wanting to reach out to people is not to build up our own kingdom, but to build up the kingdom of God.  The old song is right, “People need the Lord.”  However, the majority of people do not even know it.

What do you think?  Do these principles make sense?  Are they something you can put in practice in your life and in the church you attend?  I would be interested in hearing from you.  Perhaps you have an idea that would be beneficial as well.

The Top Five Church Growth Principles

The study of "church growth" has been part of the American scene since the early 1970s when researchers realized that the principles Donald McGavran was teaching to overseas missionaries had direct relevance to churches here in North America. Over the past 30 years hundreds of church growth principles have been identified and described.


Researchers state that there are five foundational church growth insights that we can take to the bank. Whether you are in a small church, such as the one I pastor or in a Mega Church, these principles will help us be the church God intended for us to bring glory to Him in all we do and say.

Principle 1: Disciple-making is THE priority

The longer a congregation exists, the more concerned it tends to become with self-preservation and the less concerned with its original purpose. Time, money, staff, and even the prayers become increasingly inward-focused.  I have seen this firsthand in churches of which I have been the pastor and where I have been a member.  The church begins to have all its arrows pointing inward instead of outward.  The result is that the church stops growing.  Researchers state that churches less than five years old do a better job of reaching out than more established churches.  For this reason many denominations place a premium on new church starts.  The reason, the more new churches started then more people will be drawn to Christ.

This first principle says that leaders must keep, or turn, the focus of their church away from themselves, and back to their primary goal, which is to make disciples.  A church must seriously analyze everything it does to determine where the church’s ministries and money is focused.  A church can do many good things.  A church should do a few important things.  But there is only one essential thing a church must do: make disciples.

Principle 2: Social networks are the vehicle

This principle states that people come to Christ and the church primarily through relationships with Christians. It may seem simple but it is amazing the number of churches and Christians who believe something other than friends reaching friends will somehow create growth.  Consider the attached graph and notice the number one reason that people attend a church.

Friends and relatives inviting people to church is by far the number one reason that people attend a church. One researcher suggested the following ideas to apply this principle.  First, encourage each person in your church to list their unchurched friends and relatives in the community.  This idea can be expressed with the phrase FRANgelism (Friends, Relatives, Associates, Neighbors).  The average Christian can list at least four or five.  Next, encourage members to pray specifically for these people.  Third, encourage members to invite one of these people to an appropriate church-related event in the next six months.  Remind members that they may be God's only connection to these unreached people.

What do you think about these two principles?  In my next post I will talk about the other three principles, but I would be interested to hear your comments.  Perhaps you have an idea that would be beneficial as well.  I look forward to hearing from you.