SUMMER 2010
AN CHUR D C CH HUR PL CH ANT GRO ING WT H
• Creating a Positive Church Image • How to View Change in the Church • Emphasizing Water Baptism • New Avenues of Communication
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Vol. 6, No. 3
CONTENTS
Quarterly Focus: Church Planting and Church Growth
23 Why a Billion People? James O. Davis
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The Spirit of Mailbox: Creating a Positive Local Church Image, Michael L. Baker
26 Seven Ways to Communicate With Church Members, Keith L. Ivester
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Fast-Growing Church Plants, Ed Stetzer
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How to View Change in the Church, Dennis McCallum
28 Scared or Prepared? Comprehensive Emergency Planning for Today’s Church, Melody Lawrence Scott and Derwood L. Perkins
11 Church Planting Brought Into Focus for the Church of God Church of God Trend-Setters
Departments
12 Lee University: Growth Strengthens Core Principles, Cameron Fisher
34 Cross/Opinions: Facing the Music: Lights, Sounds, Action
Church Ministry
36 Money Matters: New Legal Challenge to the Ministers’ Housing Allowance, Art Rhodes
16 Ways to Stress the Importance of Church Membership, Jerry J. Jeter
37 Legal Issues: 501 (c) (3) Status—A Brief Revisit, Dennis Watkins
18 Emphasizing Water Baptism, Kip A. Box
38 Engage Inteview: Reggie McNeal
20 Raplexity: Coping with Rapid and Complex Change, Leonard C. Albert
40 Days of Awakening—Days of Action: September Prayer Initiative
GUEST EDITORIAL | Tim Hill, First Assistant General Overseer IF THE CHURCH OF GOD does not advance its efforts in church planting and aggressively employ relevant and cutting-edge methods to engage and coach prospective church planters, we will eventually fade away into irrelevance as a denomination. How is that for diplomacy, finesse, and political correctness? How is that for the truth? It is a proven fact that a denomination must maintain at least a new-church-plant rate of 3 percent of its number of already active churches in order to keep ahead of the number of churches closing each year. For the Church of God, that would be about 180 annually. This denomination must renew its commitment to planting churches. Historically, it has been in our DNA and must resurface now as our most passionate enterprise. Since 2008, an intentional effort has been made to identify every department with at least some level of church-planting focus within its framework of existence. Once these departments were identified, a purposed effort was made to consolidate all of those energies toward a common achievement—more intentional and life-giving church plants through training, mobilizing, and coaching. Strategic partnerships have been formed with the Association of Related Churches (ARC), Dynamic Church Planting International (DCPI), and other assessment agencies. This has been done while also reducing and consolidating offices, as well as restructuring an entire division to focus on USA missions. Restructure does not mean abandonment of mission and purpose. We will simply finetune our energies, efforts, and finances to help more people fulfill the Great Commission at a local level. Church planting is the most effective way to do it. This issue of Engage identifies the church-planting need and introduces you to some who are leading the way. May we all be inspired to join them and see our efforts and results doubled. Recently, I heard retired Brigadier General David Grange speak on several principles of strategic success. One statement that captured my attention was this, “When in battle, all guns must be in the fight.” At every level of ministry, the Church of God must be involved in planting new churches. There is no other option.
engage SUMMER 2010 • VOL. 6, NO. 3 Engage journal is published in the interest of providing resources for Church of God pastors. It is produced under the auspices of the Church of God Executive Committee. Executive Committee Raymond F. Culpepper, general overseer Timothy M. Hill, first assistant Mark L. Williams, second assistant David M. Griffis, third assistant Wallace J. Sibley, secretary general ENGAGE Journal Raymond F. Culpepper, executive editor Cameron Fisher, editor Floyd D. Carey, consulting editor Bob Fisher, graphic designer Phyllis Liner, editorial assistant Shirley Williams, marketing assistant Nellie Keasling, copy editor Engage invites feedback from readers on the content of the journal and suggestions for future issues. Please e-mail comments to engage@churchofgod. org or mail to Engage, P.O. Box 2430, Cleveland, TN 37320-2430. For information on purchasing ad space, please e-mail
[email protected] or call (423) 478-7894.
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The SPIRIT of
MAILBOX
Creating a Positive Local Church Image ■ by MICHAEL L. BAKER
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REQUENTLY, in my travels as an administrative bishop, I will go by unannounced and visit a church property just to get a quick view of the facilities. I don’t see anyone; I don’t call anyone—I just want an objective quick view. These encounters tell me a great deal about a church, its leadership, image, and focus upon community and connectivity.
A few years ago, I intentionally visited a church about two weeks prior to a pastoral transition. Here is what I observed. First, this was a beautiful building, spacious, and well located. However, the grounds were off the chart with grooming needs—grass was growing in the parking lot. Then, I saw something that caught my attention. The mailbox was attached to a typical pole but had been broken at the ground. And, there it lay in the gutter. I thought to myself: This must have just happened, and they have not had an opportunity to fix it. Two weeks later, I came to the church and met with a sizeable congregation about the process of change. To my astonishment, the mailbox was still in the gutter. I thought: What in the world does the mailman perceive of this church? He stops every day of the week, steps from his vehicle, and places the mail in the box. Furthermore, what about the people who pick up the mail? They go to the box, reach down to the ground, get the mail, and do this repeatedly every day. Yet, they do not see the mailbox in the gutter! During my vision casting with the church, I said, “One of the challenges you face is ‘the spirit of mailbox.’” They were puzzled and actually seemed confused. Evidently, they came to church every week, walked into their church, worshiped, and left—never even seeing the mailbox in the gutter. They had become conditioned to the condition. While I was speaking, three men left the church. In a few minutes, they walked in with
the mailbox and pole and walked to the front. They said, “Bishop, this will never happen again, and this mailbox will be up and looking right by tomorrow.” They got it! But what about the people in the community—those who came by checking out the church? Where are they? Today, the church leadership has provided a vibrant vision, focused upon image modification, and is growing with a whole new image in their city. Here’s the question: Do any of us have the “spirit of mailbox?” Can we identify the image of our local church? Are we conditioned to our condition? THE CONCEPT OF IMAGE Two of the critical facets of growing a healthy church are, (1) how well the church relates to various publics, and (2) the perception of the local church throughout its circle of ministry influence. One of the outcomes of the exchanges between a church and its targeted audiences is that they develop a positive image of the local church. Do you know what your image is? Every local congregation has an image, regardless whether they realize it or not. The essential value is to understand the importance of relational ministry and ascertain the perceived image of the local church, its leadership, and ministries. The key operational word is “positive.” To develop a positive image, you need a product worth promoting.
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Without understanding what it is you wish to advance, you cannot be successful. A first-step action is to realize that you cannot project what you do not have. Positive image efforts and resources would be best invested on improving the product—in other words, its subsequent style, quality, relevance, and presentation. A local church should have a solid interest in how the various publics view their ministries, services, structure and connectivity. Creating a positive image is a process of securing and maintaining favorable understanding and support. Image is the aggregate of the perceptions, feelings, beliefs, attitudes, impressions, thoughts, ideas, recollections, conclusions, and mind-sets that a person or group has of an organization. People with a positive image of a local church will be drawn to it, while those with a negative image will avoid or disparage everything about it. A strong, favorable image is achieved when the congregation creates real satisfaction for its members and other users of its ministries and services. All a church has done and is doing combine to shape what people think, and ultimately form their thoughts about your church. As you begin the process of creating a positive image, here are some of the questions to ask: • Can you identify your image (church, leadership, membership, ministries)? • Can it be measured? • What are the image determinants? • Can you identify your desired image? • How can you make image modifications?
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IMAGE MEASUREMENT As you begin the process of evaluation, you must understand the concept of publics. Generally, you can categorize them into two groups: (1) internal, and (2) external publics. Internal publics are those inside the church, including members, attendees, leadership, and ministry teams. External publics are those outside the church, including suppliers, media, regulatory publics, local publics, and general public. If you are to shape a positive image, you must have a grip on public attitudes in order to implement a program of action to earn understanding and acceptance. One of the first steps in identifying the image of the local church is to measure how favorable the congregation’s image is. The primary variable is to establish how familiar each public is with the congregation and how favorably they feel toward it. Creating a positive image requires that you know where you are today, know where you wish to be in the future, and make modifications throughout the journey.
An excellent means of evaluation is the use of a questionnaire survey. A psychometric instrument called the Likert Attitudinal Scale is commonly used in questionnaire survey research. The instrument comprises a questionnaire with various statement items. The respondent is asked to evaluate items, indicating their level of agreement or disagreement according to any kind of subjective or objective criteria. Usually, five ordered response levels are used: (1) strongly agree, (2) disagree, (3) neither agree nor disagree, (4) agree, and (5) strongly agree. In the local church setting, the response levels could be the following: (1) very unfavorable, (2) somewhat unfavorable, (3) indifferent, (4) somewhat favorable, and (5) very favorable. As you endeavor to evaluate perceptions of your local church, there are a number of differentials to note. These include, (1) determine what it is you want to measure (facilities, worship experience, preaching, etc.); (2) decide who it is you want to be respondents (sampling or whole population); (3) average the results; and (4) interpret the information. Getting a handle on identifying current image perceptions will help to create actions for implementing a positive image initiative. IMAGE MODIFICATION Once you have focused upon the process of image measurement, do not be surprised or shocked by the results. Reality can be a hard pill to swallow, but remember the question: “Are we conditioned to our condition?” The only way to create a positive image is to know what it is, and to know what actions will be needed. The way publics view a local church and how leaders see it can be substantially different. Do not be caught by the temptation to complain about the evaluation process. If the results are objective and reliable, leaders must consider their current image, what they want it to be, and how it can be modified. First, develop the process of reimaging. Develop a portrait of the desired image you would like to have in contrast to the current image. Second, determine and prioritize the image dimensions you wish to first address. For example, maybe the image of the facilities needs immediate attention. Then, you would evaluate what renovation needs to be completed, how much it will cost, and when to do it. Other dimensions could include communication, both internally and externally. This could include implementation or redesign of a church Web site and its relevant presentation of local church ministries, signage, church publications, billboards, mass media, technology, and other pertinent communication mediums. Other image dimensions could address points of connectivity, location,
friendliness, various programs, effective worship experience, preaching, ministry outreach, and the list goes on. Remember “the spirit of mailbox!” If you avoid the questions, there will be no answers and the image will remain the same. Creating calls for action. It calls for revisioning, rethinking, retooling, and refocusing upon relevant ministry. A positive local church image is not this nebulous “thing” that people just talk about. It is real and dramatically impacts the effectiveness of a church. Develop an image modification plan which involves planning and the sequence of steps through which a local church and its leaders transform its current image into its desired image. It will take time; however, if the local church is to be genu-
inely missional, it should attempt to make an investment in creating the best image possible. So, what about the mailbox? Go outside, pick it up out of the gutter, retool it, and replant it for its effective use. Instead of being conditioned to your condition—change your image. Imaging requires careful measurement, investment, and continual upgrading over time to maintain and increase the value of a local church. A positive image can be a motivating force and reveal new opportunities. Create a positive local church image—it’s the right thing to do! ■ Michael L. Baker is administrative bishop for the Church of God in Virginia. (www.vacog.org) ■ by ED STETZER
Fast-Growing Church Plants
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CCORDING TO STUDIES, most new churches start and remain small. However, strong interest exists in the “launch large” approach. Acts 1 and 2 indicate that the early church went from 120 believers to 3,120 believers overnight. In the first year after Christ’s death, the number of believers increased to over 20,000.1 Church Planter Ron Sylvia is one of the voices who believes “launching large is congruent with the best of missionary theology and with the methods of Jesus.” 2 Such large starts lead to momentum, credibility, and status as self-supporting will soon follow.3 Stephen Gray is a researcher who compared 60 fast-growing church plants and 52 struggling church plants to try to understand the factors that enabled churches to grow larger than 200 in their first three years. He has a new book developing this research called, Planting Fast-Growing Churches. Gray found that in successful church plants: • 88 percent have church-planting teams. • 63 percent have a core group of 26 to 75 people. • 75 percent use a contemporary style of worship. • 80 percent put 10 percent or more of their budgets toward outreach and evangelism. • 16 percent have a higher rate of full-time pastors than struggling church plants. • 63 percent of planters leading fast-growing plants raise additional funding, compared to 23 percent of those who are struggling. Church planters leading fast-growing church plants felt a greater sense of support from their pastoral colleagues and surrounding churches; they have more fellowship with other pastors; their work is more highly celebrated by their denomination; and they experience far less negativity from their direct superiors than did those planters leading struggling church plants. Ed Stetzer is missiologist and senior director of the Center for Missional Research at the North American Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention. Used with permission. 1 Bill Easum and Bil Cornelius, Go Big: Lead Your Church to Explosive Growth (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006), 7. 2 Ron Sylvia, Starting New Churches on Purpose (Lake Forest, Calif.: Purpose-Driven Publishing, 2006), 108. 3 Ibid., 109.
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How to View
CHANGE in the Church ■ by DENNIS McCALLUM
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HEN LOCAL CHURCHES face large-scale change, their members often feel upset. They often ask: “Why do we have to change the way we do things?” “How many more upheavals will we have to endure?” These are some of the feelings that unavoidably come up when major changes in direction are presented to the church. • A Biblical and godly response to these issues includes several points.
PROBLEM WITH THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH Many of us have been mystified by the strange and out-of-date practices in the modern church. Music that is hundreds of years old, strange seats, stained glass, a language people can’t understand, and robes that date back to Reformation times all say, “No change!” These features don’t seem to do the church any good in accomplishing its mission. They may alienate and confuse the unchurched. And yet, the church refuses to change! Culture rolls forward, but in the church, the anthem is the same: “As it was in the beginning, so it is now, and ever shall be. . . .” Unfortunately, in the liberal church, even the doctrines of the Bible are allowed to change. But even then, they often continue to refuse change in structural and cultural areas. This is the worst-case scenario—changing the things we should never change, but holding fast to the things we should be willing to change. BIBLE EXAMPLE Acts documents the struggle between the Holy Spirit and humans running the church. Over and over again, God tried to move through the church to reach the oceans
of lost people outside the church’s enclaves. But He was met by hyperconservative, foot-dragging Christian believers who were not willing to change. Acts 10 and 11 are some of the clearest passages on this unfortunate tendency. Luke goes to great lengths to demonstrate that God practically had to thrash Peter into preaching to Cornelius and his household in Acts 10. Three times Peter answered God’s command with the odd and self-contradictory formula, “No, never Lord.” What provoked such a spirit of resistance in Peter? God was calling him to change. Once Peter finally obeyed, his charming greeting to his eager audience was, “You know it is not lawful for a Jew to enter a Gentile’s house” (see Acts 10:27). Notice Peter, like most traditionalists, had lost track of what was biblically “lawful,” as well as his outdated, selfish tradition. The Old Testament never said Jews couldn’t enter Gentiles homes, so countless Gentiles may have been deprived of biblical witness because of this preposterous, hyperprotective tradition. Nevertheless, he carried out his mission, and the entire household was converted. Afterward, the brothers in Jerusalem called Peter on the carpet accusing him of sin
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for visiting a Gentile. A long, seven-point defense follows in Chapter 11 of Acts, including a complete repetition of the vision already described in Chapter 9 and citations of Scripture and the words of Christ. Luke is again at pains to indicate how difficult this transition was. Finally, they admitted, “God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life” (Acts11:18). But it is impossible to mistake the next comment juxtaposed to their admission. Verse 19 declares that “those who had been scattered . . . traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cypress, and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews.” What a shocking statement! Is it possible that even after such a convincing episode, they still had not changed? Eventually, the center of God’s activity shifted from Jerusalem (which was still mired in the old skins according to Acts 21) to Antioch because they were more willing to change. Jesus warned that old wineskins become rigid and brittle. They will not flex enough to contain His new wine. He also said: “No one, after drinking the old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better’” (Luke 5:39). APPLICATION FOR TODAY God has a terrible time convincing even His true followers that change is an essential and never-ending need in the church. What is wrong with leaders who call for change? Nothing at all! There will never be a time when substantial and even sweeping changes will not be necessary. When we feel dismayed by leaders perennially calling for change, we are subconsciously thinking, If we made the right decisions in the first place, we wouldn’t have to change. But this simply isn’t true. No decision is so correct that it removes the need for subsequent change. With culture and the church’s membership constantly changing, that which was right one decade will likely be wrong the next. A church that cannot change, even in deep ways, has erected an idol which offends the character of God. Jesus said, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!” (Mark 7:9). In our fleshly efforts to control our environment, we have put our personal comfort ahead of the needs of lost people outside the church. God is not pleased, and He will move on to find another group that is willing to change to do His bidding.
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DIFFICULTIES CAUSED BY CHANGE Change will always lead to errors and problems from time to time. The severity of the problems have to be weighed over time when evaluating the wisdom of given leaders. However, anyone who wants an error-proof
system is also insisting on a change-proof system. But as soon as we refuse to take chances, we are also refusing to follow God. As a Christian leader, I have had the experience of leading people in the wrong direction on a number of occasions. On other occasions, the direction I set was good, but there were attendant problems that I had not anticipated. The realization that people get hurt and time is wasted because I called for the wrong thing is part of the sometime sickening burden of leadership. However, I will continue to insist on forward movement and change as long as the responsibility of leadership rests upon me. The menace of not changing, even in the face of ineffectiveness, is worse than anything I will face as the result of carefully considered change. Howard Hendricks has written an interesting article called “Good Reasons for Doing Nothing.” Among his list of reasons and his answers to them are the following: • The proposal would set a precedent! But no one has yet figured out how to change without setting precedents. • There is no precedent to guide us! How anything ever gets started must remain a mystery to all those who use this objection. • We haven’t proved the old method can’t be made to work. Anyway, how do we know whether the new one can? But there can never be proof that something that doesn’t even exist works. Do we have to wait until there is absolutely no hope of using the old method at all? If so, we would have trouble getting anyone to change from the traditional church model. • The time is not ripe. Teachers, parents, or the public aren’t ready for it. We don’t have all the facts. These, plus others, are the “good reasons” for doing nothing. The things we dare not do! The ground swell of children in the church threatens to bury any church based on childless people unless that church is capable of timely, massive change. As we move forward into a new way of doing ministry and community, no one is suggesting we shouldn’t feel nervous. We must be vigilant! But we must also change. ■ All Scripture quotations in this article are taken from the New International Version ®. NIV ®. Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Dennis McCallum is lead pastor of Xenos Christian Fellowship in Columbus, OH. (www.xenos.org)
CHURCH PLANTING Brought Into Focus for the Church of God
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OR THIS LAST Assembly period, the Church of God has sought to coordinate and bring together church planting initiatives to better serve the changing face of the American church. For the church to survive in the 21st century and beyond, new methods must be researched and resources implemented to effectively respond and relate to societal trends. America Ablaze, a 21stcentury strategy which contains a track for the Church of God to fulfill the Great Commission, was launched as an experimental churchplanting initiative. It incorporated three major emphases: hosting church planting conferences, coaching and mentoring of prospective church planters, and coordination of a relatively new initiative called the American Missionary Experience, or AMx. This past general assembly period, the concept had a four-dimensional strategy which included: 1) emphasis on the “Mother/Daughter” concept of church planting, which essentially means larger churches “mother” the new “daughter” churches; 2) training for all church planters; 3) launching of a program where young people give one year or more of their lives on site as part of a church plant team; and 4) conduct church revitalization for churches in existence that need a restart. During the past two-year period, training and equipping has been the emphasis of several conferences. In January 2010, a conference took place at the North Cleveland Church of God which attracted potential church planters of all ages who gathered for three days of intense instruction and information regarding the latest trends and concepts of church planting.
The American Missionary Experience (AMx) was introduced as part of America Ablaze, concentrating on an accelerated life- and ministry-formation experience designed to prepare and mobilize passionate followers of Christ to serve as missionaries. The AMx concept provides a theocentric process of living and learning for self-motivated individuals who are actively seeking to share their life destiny as servantleaders. AMx provided a “supervised formational experience that fosters the discovery of ministry identity, the development of leadership gifting, and the deployment of vocational direction in order to produce American missionaries to carry the gospel to every aspect of culture/society.” It asked the questions: “What has God called me to do?” “What are my skills, talents, gifts, and calling for ministry? and “Where, when, and with whom will I serve? “Establishing new churches and properly training upcoming leaders in the concepts of how to do it is critical to every church organization,” stated Orville Hagan, who has led America Ablaze during this period. “In many ways, planting a church is like starting a business…there are essentials and techniques that will help make the startup more successful. And it doesn’t stop once the doors open.” America Ablaze was launched in 2008 as a pilot program and will now give way to a more enhanced and focused church-planting initiative. The most successful concepts, as well as research and development applied during the 2008-2010 Assembly period, will be implemented in a new Church of God church-planting model to be developed in the near future. ■
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Growth Strengthens Core Principles
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HE JOURNEY OF Lee University, particularly over the last quarter century has been nothing short of phenomenal. The blessings of enrollment growth, academic respectability, and capital improvement rival any college or university in the United States. This growth compares to all institutions, state or private, secular or Christian. All the while, Lee University has kept to its deep Christian roots and firm foundation in biblical liberal arts instruction. Rather than compromise, Lee University students, faculty, and staff have strengthened the commitment to Christian integrity and held tight to principles that set Christian higher education apart.
A new science and math complex is the centerpiece project of the latest capital campaign: Press Toward the Mark.
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Lee’s distinctively Christian—and Church of God— origins started in Cleveland, Tennessee, where a teacher named Nora Chambers opened the first session of Bible Training School (BTS) on January 1, 1918, with 12 students on the second floor of the Evangel Publishing Company. In that year of the tragic flu epidemic that swept the nation, killing thousands, two from that inaugural class of BTS succumbed to the illness. What might seem like an ominous beginning would galvanize the movement toward education of the rising generation. Slight, steady growth over the next 20 years would constitute the purchase of the former Murphy Collegiate Institute in Sevierville, Tennessee. The sprawling campus
afforded students and faculty a place to call their own, and from 1938 to 1947, enrollment and the physical plant grew, including the construction of a new dormitory. In 1947, Bob Jones College, located in Cleveland, Tennessee, voted to move their campus to Greenville, South Carolina. This created an opportunity for BTS to return to its place of origin, as well as the headquarters city of the sponsoring denomination. The new Cleveland campus consisted of approximately 20 acres situated near downtown Cleveland between 11th and 15th Streets. On the cusp of their thirtieth year of existence, the move sparked a chance to rename the school to Lee College, after F.J. Lee, the second general overseer of the Church of God to more accurately reflect where the institution was headed. The next 30 years would mirror the first 30, again experiencing mostly steady growth in both enrollment and programs. By the mid-1960s, Lee College had overcome a downward trend in growth to reach just under 1,000 in enrollment. In its fiftieth year, 1968, Lee emerged from Junior College status to become a full four-year liberal arts institution. The 1960s also realized the construction of an administration building, science building, and two new dormitories. The 1970s was another decade of positive progress. New programs were launched and the 1,800-seat Conn Center was built to accommodate student enrollment growth which reached a new record of over 1,300 in 1979. A nationwide decline in high school graduates in the early 1980s affected enrollment at most colleges and universities, including Lee. By the spring of 1984, student numbers had dipped below 1,000, and analysts at the time advised Lee officials to prepare for further decline . . . perhaps bottoming out at 700 students.
Unwilling to accept this forecast, leaders at the college pushed an aggressive recruitment agenda, a campuswide capital improvement program and a stepped-up publicity campaign. In the fall of 1984, enrollment began an upward trend, reaching ng 1,154 students. Sincee that Dr. Paul Conn initial turn, Lee ee was appointed enrollment hass president of Lee in never looked 1986, where he has back. A new led the growth which record was set has taken place in 1988 with h over the last ts, 1,534 students, 24 years. and for the past 22 years, the record has been broken every year with the latest number at 4,264 set in the fall of 2009. Much of the credit for the success lies with the decision to embrace the broader evangelical Christian community in both acceptance of students and the recruitment of faculty. While Lee remains committed to its denominational affiliation, the institution’s inclusive enrollment policy now attracts students
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with a variety of religious traditions, academic abilities, and ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Lee draws students from every state, and the percentage of minorities and internationals is one of the highest in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. While the story of enrollment is miraculous, it is only a portion of the prosperity God has seen fit to rain down upon this Church of God institution over the last quarter century. From 1985 to 2010, growth and improvement in virtually every aspect has placed Lee University within the highest echelons of institutions across the country. This rise in stature has created a respect among accrediting agencies, national publications, and academic organizations. Lee’s competitiveness in athletics has also risen to new heights with the crowning of their first national championship won by the women’s soccer team last year. The most visible change over the last 25 years is the complete transformation of the Lee campus. Virtually every building is either new or extensively remodeled. Since 1985, the physical campus acreage has increased nearly fivefold from approximately 22 acres to over 120 today. During this period, adjacent parcels were acquired to make way for six classroom buildings, ten dormitories, a student union, dining hall, parking, and recreational fields, and facilities. Lee University acquired the former Mayfield Elementary School in 2007 and turned it into a multiuse facility to include an art studio, day care, various classrooms, and student meet-
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Lee has been nationally recognized by many organizations, including a Top Tier listing in U.S. News Best Colleges edition for the last seven years
All Lee students participate in service learning projects, personal strengths development, and cross-cultural experiences.
ing space. On June 13 of this year, it was announced that Lee had purchased the downtown campus of First Baptist Church. The acquisition opens up even greater opportunities for expansion than the Mayfield purchase. The latest and grandest of the new facilities is a $14 million science and math complex which will open this fall. Academic training has been advanced with the introduction of multiple programs of study, new majors, and a more diverse faculty. In 1997, Lee made the transition from
college to comprehensive liberal arts university, which today includes more than 100 undergraduate and 15 master’s degree programs. While being nationally recognized, such as in the top tier of the annual U.S. News Best Colleges edition, Lee University led the way in incorporating benevolence and service learning, personal strengths development, and cross-cultural studies as a regular part of every student’s educational experience. This has led to further accolades from the Honor Roll of CharacterBuilding Colleges by the Templeton Foundation for Lee’s leadership in preparing students for responsible living. In addition, the Institute of International Education Open Doors has ranked Lee University among the top five master’s degree-granting institutions nationwide for its application of global and cross-cultural studies. As Lee University approaches its 100th birthday this decade, the Church of God’s premier educational institution stands as a shining example of God’s grace and favor. It is a place where the future glows with tremendous potential as it continues to evolve as a primary example of the success that can be realized by keeping Christ at the center of the educational experience.—Cameron Fisher
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CHURCH MINISTRY
Ways to Stress the Importance of
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP ■ by JERRY J. JETER
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FOUND IT! I was on a quest to find out more about the history of the church I had just come to pastor, and there it was. Stacked on the steps leading up to the baptistery was a collection of old songbooks and ledgers which contained the original minutes and membership records of the church dating back to 1914. As I began to read through the records, one thing quickly caught my attention—just how seriously
they took church membership. Meetings were held, investigative committees appointed, and questions were asked— all to determine if prospective members were living by the standards to which Church of God people were held. Beside each member’s name in the registry was the date they joined, their age, and sadly, in many cases, the date on which they were “disfellowshiped,” and the reason why (backsliding, lack of attendance, going to shows, bobbing hair, etc.). I was amazed that the church had survived through the years, because it seemed they turned more members out than they took in! Those early church pioneers took their church membership seriously. They also took their commitment seriously and delivered to us the church we are part of today. Although no one is advocating that we return to those days, it does seem that the pendulum has swung too far to the opposite side. In some places, little value is placed on the importance of church membership and the commitment it encompasses. This is evidenced by the fact that many Church of God membership rolls are filled with people who have not been seen for years, or in some cases, even deceased. So, how can we turn the tide and emphasize the importance of church membership in a culture that increasingly avoids commitment? I think we can do so by emphasizing three fundamental characteristics of membership in a local church—partnership, fellowship, and stewardship. SUMMER 10
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MEMBERSHIP IS PARTNERSHIP A fundamental idea behind joining a local congregation is the concept that we can do more together than we
can do alone. In a highly individualistic culture, pastors must emphasize the need to work together to accomplish Kingdom tasks. After all, Jesus sent them out two by two. He also stated, “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). Partnering with others in church membership goes against the tide of self-centered ideologies which place primary value on, “What can I get out of it?” It lets people see they are part of something far bigger than themselves. Practical Application: Emphasize the importance of church membership by teaching new members that they are not only part of a local church but also part of the Church of God—an organization ministering to millions of people around the world. MEMBERSHIP IS FELLOWSHIP Fellowship was a primary part of the New Testament church. Acts 2:42 says of the early church, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Becoming a church member is about entering into a special fellowship with other believers built around a common commitment. It signifies that you are indeed a member of the church family. Growing up in the Church of God, I remember when church members called one another “Brother” and “Sister.” A special bond is formed by committing to one another. Practical Application: Emphasize the importance of church membership by having new members come before the church and “fellowship them in.” As a kid, I remember
how each member would come by and extend the “rightt hand of fellowship” to new members. This may be imprac-tical in some places due to size and time, but churchess should find ways to demonstrate publicly that new mem-bers are part of a special fellowship. MEMBERSHIP IS STEWARDSHIP It is said that every army has enlistment, every team m has a roster, every school has enrollment, and every y employer has a payroll. Church membership is impor-tant, because it records who can be counted on to carry y out the responsibilities of the church. For a church to o move forward and fulfill the biblical mandate to reach h the world with the gospel of Christ, it takes much work k and financial resources. Membership sets apart thosee who have committed to be stewards of the ministry y entrusted to the local church, as well as the Church off God internationally. All too often, though, people join the local church h without a clear understanding of the stewardship calll to take responsibility for the welfare and health of theirr church. On occasion, I emphasize this aspect of steward--
ship with a simple illustration. I tell students in the membership class: “If you are walking into the church and see a piece of trash lying in the parking lot, pick it up. It’s your church.” They usually laugh. But I want them to see that church membership means they have a responsibility to take care of their church. With this call to stewardship also comes the opportunity to take part in the business of the church and serve in leadership capacities which yield great rewards for the Kingdom. Practical Application: Emphasize the importance of church membership by having membership classes which must be attended before joining the church. By asking prospective members to attend these classes before joining illustrates the importance and accountability that comes with the privilege of church membership. ■ All Scripture quotations in this article are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV). Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, 1995, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers. SUMMER 10
Jerry Jeter is pastor of Riverlife Church of God in Bradenton, Florida.
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Emphasizing
WATER BAPTISM ■ by KIP A. BOX
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PERSON’S LAST WORDS are powerful. Last words have been called “forever words.” The Bible gives us the privilege of hearing Jesus’ last words before He ascended to heaven. In His last words, Jesus gave the church its Great Commission. As church leaders, we often need to be reminded of this commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing
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them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). In making disciples, Christ commanded us to baptize those who believe in Him and the gospel. Water baptism is the first step in transformational discipleship. Prior to beginning His ministry, Jesus set the example for believers by being baptized Himself. To a reluctant John the Baptist, who said that he needed to be baptized by Jesus, Christ answered, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). John Phillips writes of Jesus’ baptism: “Its initial purpose was to identify the Savior of sinners with those He came to save.” Through His baptism, Christ publicly consecrated Himself to God and His kingdom fulfilling God’s righteous requirement. We are allowed to hear the Father’s affirmation of Jesus at His baptism when He spoke from the heavens saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Matthew 3:17). In spite of Jesus’ example of being baptized and His command to be baptized, some have failed to emphasize the importance of being baptized in water. General
Overseer Raymond Culpepper in his book, The Great Commission, notes: “The church seems not to take baptism seriously. For example, records indicate that in 2008 the Church of God in the United States reported 251,303 saved and only 35,387 baptized in water. This means for every 100 persons reported saved, only 14 of them were baptized.” While some have tried to make water baptism a requirement for salvation, others, out of fear of falling into the error of regenerational baptism, have neglected the need of water baptism. We must never insist that water baptism is necessary for salvation, because believers are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). However, when a person has been saved and understands the meaning of water baptism, he or she should be baptized. As pastors, we should fulfill the Great Commission by emphasizing the importance of water baptism. PASTORS CAN FIRST EMPHASIZE WATER BAPTISM THROUGH TEACHING.
In His Great Commission, Jesus commanded us to teach, and this teaching can be done through the pulpit and new believer’s or membership classes. As pastors, we must
teach what water baptism is. First, we teach water baptism m as an outward sign of an inward change in a person’s life,, and second, water baptism is the believer’s identification n with Jesus Christ (Acts 2:41). Furthermore, we may teach h the symbolism of water baptism in the believer’s conver-sion. The word for baptize in the Greek New Testamentt means “to go down under, to dip, to submerge.” Waterr baptism represents the believer’s identification with Jesus’’ death, burial, and resurrection. When believers are bap-tized, they are buried into a watery grave and rise to walk k in the newness of life in Christ. WATER BAPTISM MUST ALSO BE EMPHASIZED AS PART OF THE DISCIPLESHIP PROCESS.
While water baptism is not a means of salvation; it iss a serious first step in discipleship. It is a mistake not to o insist that new believers show proof of their commitmentt through water baptism. It can be called the first act off obedience, and the Lord wants to see obedience in every y new believer. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep p
baptismal service, the pastor and church office should ask the baptismal candidates for the names and addresses of friends and family and then mail invitations from each candidate to their respective friends and family; therefore, the water baptismal service becomes an outreach to others. The service may further be highlighted by videoing or recording individual testimonies of the baptismal candidates and playing the testimony just before each candidate’s baptism. Certificates should be presented to those baptized. The certificates help to commemorate this event as a milestone in the believer’s life. As pastors and church leaders, the mandate to disciple believers and baptize new believers is one we cannot neglect. Water baptism was observed in the early church from the believers at Pentecost (Acts 2:41) to the Ephesian disciples (Acts 19:5). The Book of Acts contains no less than eight examples of new believers being baptized in water. The account of the Ethiopian after he received Christ tells us: “And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he
“IN SPITE OF JESUS’ EXAMPLE OF BEING BAPTIZED AND HIS COMMAND TO BE BAPTIZED, SOME HAVE FAILED TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING BAPTIZED IN WATER.” My commandments” (John 14:15). Water baptism allowss new believers to tell the world that they are not ashamed d of Christ as their Savior. Charles Crabtree in his article,, “The Crisis of Discipleship in the American Church,”” (Enrichment, Winter 2008) writes of believers and their obe-dience through water baptism: “We must seriously ques-tion the validity of an oral confession without the attending g act of water baptism.” If individuals do not obey Christ in n this initial step of discipleship, they will most likely nott obey in future points.
baptized him” (Acts 8:38). The Philippian jailer and his family were also baptized soon after their conversions (Acts 16:33). In keeping with the early church’s example, let’s baptize believers as soon as possible after their conversion. Almost thirty-four years ago, I was saved in a Sunday evening service; the next Sunday night I was baptized in water. I will never forget the joy I experienced in conversion and water baptism. It is a beautiful experience for the believer. May we ever emphasize its importance and significance as identity with the body of Christ. ■
WATER BAPTISM CAN BE EMPHASIZED THROUGH THE SERVICE ITSELF. What pastors and church leaders deem importantt becomes important to the congregation. Several yearss ago, I started placing importance on the baptismal servicee by including it in the Sunday morning worship servicee rather than the Sunday evening service. Prior to the waterr
All Scriptures in this article are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB). Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission. SUMMER 10
Kip A. Box is pastor of the Oak Park Church in Mobile, Alabama. (www.oakparkministries.com)
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RAPLEXITY Coping With Rapid and Complex Change ■ by LEONARD C. ALBERT
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ANY OF US can remember the famous words of Captain Kirk of Star Trek fame at the end of an episode when he would say, “Warp speed, Mr. Sulu!” That is what is happening these days with knowledge and technology in the world. We live in a time of unprecedented changes that are both rapid and complex, and they are coming toward us at “warp speed.” This has prompted management guru Peter Drucker to coin the word “raplex.” Warren Bennis, the world’s preeminent writer on leadership, in his book, Old Dogs, New Tricks, coined the word raplexity to signify “organizations and individuals who have to deal with the rapidity and complexity of change.” Raplexity is a reality to us because of the intrusive and unrelenting pace of modern technology. Here is just a glimpse of some of the changes that are happening all around us: • Soon China will become the number one Englishspeaking country in the world. • India has more honors kids in school than America has kids. • The top 10 “in-demand” jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004. • The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s college student will have 10-14 jobs by the age of 38. • There are 31 billion searches on Google every month. (Where did we go for information before that?) • The amount of new technical information is doubling every two years. • The first commercial text message was sent in December of 1992. Today, the number of text messages sent and received every day exceeds the total population of the planet. What about all this change? It seems to me that just when we get used to things, along comes a whole new set of rules, principles, and technologies that are “musthaves.” I just get “single core,” and I find I need “core duo.” I finally get “Wi-Fi” and find that I need “Bluetooth.” I get a cell phone and find that I need a “smartphone.” The list goes on. Many churches are just now getting used to using PowerPoint, and now we are being told we need to use video services and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. It is tough for many of us “old guys.” John Nuveen, a business leader from “yesteryear” said, “You can judge your age by the amount of pain you feel when you come in contact with a new idea.” That’s really the problem, isn’t it? It’s all this change. What I am saying here is, we have to recognize it and learn
to cope with it. The futurist author Alvin Toffler said, “The illiterate of the future are not those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Here are some pointers that have helped me: 1. DON’T FEAR CHANGE Did you hear about the man who walks into a psychiatrist’s office? He says, “Doc, every time I see nickels, dimes, and quarters, I have a panic attack! What can my problem be?” “Oh, that’s easy,” the doctor answers. “You’re just afraid of change.” You can’t be afraid of it, and you can’t deny it—it is inevitable. You will hear many leaders who are so “yesterday” say, “Well if it was good enough in my granddaddy’s day, it is good enough now. Here’s the real truth: If your granddaddy were here today, he probably would accept the new and get rid of the old. 2. DON’T REJECT CHANGE It goes like this: “If the King James Version was good enough for Paul, then it is good enough for me.” God has given us this technology to advance His kingdom. If we embrace change and let it work for us, we can use it to spread the gospel around the world with blazing speed. We can impact the unsaved, win more people, and disciple them with greater efficiency. All we have to do is stretch ourselves a little bit. 3. DON’T DELAY CHANGE Churches can jump on bandwagons, but they rarely do so in a timely manner, and usually only after protracted and pointless debate and study. Many in the church are still debating the merits of methods and technologies that are now already obsolete. We are faced with the challenges and opportunities presented by newer social media vehicles immensely popular right now, such as Facebook and Twitter. Do you remember what our denominational growth consultant, Dr. Conrad Lowe, said? He said, “If the 1950s ever come back, I know many Church of God churches that will be ready.” It upset me at the time, but the more I travel and work with local churches, the more I realize that many are stuck in a time warp. WHAT ARE WE TO DO? The world of raplexity is a different world indeed. We can’t continue with business as usual. Indeed, our churches, which do God’s business, are being transformed whether we like it or not. Like the dinosaurs, we are discovering that when the environment radically alters, such that the old way of being is no longer appropriate, the choice
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is fairly clear: evolve, or go extinct. History proves that the dinosaurs did not fully understand this. In short form, we need to come to grips with the epochal change as our culture transitions from a modern world to a postmodern world. We must adapt to advanced technology and learn from it every day. Generation Y and Generation X were raised on technology, and churches need to take advantage of it. Our leaders are going to have to be comfortable with technology and learn to embrace it. I am not talking about abandoning the past. Just like driving and regularly looking in our rearview mirrors, we cannot forget the past, but we cannot navigate the future if we live in the past. I am not talking about the “unchangeables” either. The Word does not change; our doctrine does not change. Nothing can take the place of anointed preaching—it never grows old or outdated. A great PowerPoint will never help a lousy sermon! Nothing can take the place of great worship. There is no technology on the planet that can take the place of one mighty move of God. Let me give you some examples of what church leaders can do to cope with raplexity: 1. EMBRACE THE TECHNOLOGY So many preachers spend way too much time fighting culture. Andy Stanley says we should see it as the wind, something to be harnessed. I first heard of Twitter from Dr. Leonard Sweet at our last General Assembly in San Antonio, Texas. He was conducting a workshop and told how he sent out “tweets.” I thought, This is really different. Now 80 million people visit and use the site every month. There is understandable resistance to using new technology in a ministry sense because we fear that which we do not understand. It is important to understand the limits of social media—what they can and cannot do. A “tweet” is only 140 characters long, but it can convey a powerful message about God. The KJV of John 3:16 is only 117 characters! You cannot preach with it, but you can converse with it. Just think what would happen if every one of your members could get a “tweet” from you about your upcoming revival or sermon series, prayer needs, or any other exciting information! Also, Rev. Rick Warren of Saddleback fame now has 34,000 followers on his Twitter account. Imagine the potential. SUMMER 10
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2. KEEP LEARNING Take a computer course. Learn a software package. Buy a video projector. Go to YouTube and find some powerful
(and free) video clips. Send your church leaders to some technology seminars. Get a high-speed Internet connect for the church. Get rid of that old “steam-driven” computer and buy some new equipment to help in getting the gospel out to those who need to hear it. Make needed changes to make it easy for people to experience God in your church. 3. FIND A TECHNOLOGY MENTOR OR COACH If you are the one who is in the know, start coaching others. If you do not have a clue about where to begin, find someone who can help you. Identify people who are good coaches and mentors in your church. Get guidance from these people. Learn from those who know and understand technology, and find out what can be accomplished if you use it. After church one Sunday night, I was speaking with a brother in the church and telling him the difficulty I was having in just setting up a computer printer. When he began to talk, I recognized that he really knew computers. That was 15 years ago, and the assistance, information, teaching, and understanding about technology that I have received from him is priceless. He helped me with a Bible program that has 463 study books included with it. It has 17 commentaries, five dictionaries, hundreds of sermons, book titles, maps, and photos. There is a “learning curve” here, but once you know how to use it, you will never go back to the old ways. There is nothing that can equal its power to teach and assist you in Bible study. 4. LEARN TO STRETCH Subscribe to a tech magazine. Give other leaders around you “stretch assignments.” Read new books, learn new ways. Don’t be afraid to try new methods. When you consciously embrace change wholeheartedly as an inevitable part of your life, and align your focus to creatively seek ways to utilize new changes to make your life (and that of your church) more abundant, easier, and fulfilling, your life will evolve with a more graceful flow. You will experience change as an opportunity for growth and new experiences. You will energize your spirit with possibility and wonderment. God will be glorified, and His message will go forth with power and anointing. We need not fear change, but rather we should embrace change with God’s help, because as the world changes His love and presence will never change. ■ Leonard C. Albert is director of Lay Ministries for the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee. (www.lifebuilders.to)
WHY A BILLION PEOPLE? ■ by JAMES O. DAVIS
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OR MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS, the church has worked to fulfill the Great Commission of our Lord. After all our collective work, in A.D. 1900, just 45.69 percent of the world was evangelized. With another century behind us, more than 73.09 percent of the world has heard the gospel. Yet today, more than 2.4 billion people have still never heard of Christ. Church leaders are rushing to fill
this great, unacceptable gap. After all these years, why should we race to win a billion more people to Christ in 10 to 15 years? EVANGELISTIC GROWTH Globally, Christian leaders can choose to continue with their present strategies, and in A.D. 2200, 83.25 percent of the world will be evangelized. This appears to be great progress, but the world population will exceed 9.5 billion by 2050 and will reach nearly 11 billion by 2100. That means, the unevangelized population would continue to increase over the next 100 years. The staggering fact is that at the current rate of growth, the global church will win
more than 3 billion people to Christ by 2100, but still over 2 billion will be unreached, having never heard the gospel even one time. Comparing church growth to population growth, the church will not fulfill the Great Commission even by A.D. 2500. Billions upon billions of people from near future generations will die, lost forever. EXPONENTIAL GROWTH Statistically, if Christian organizations do not partner to work together but continue to try to win the world alone— the way they’ve done for centuries—then our children’s children and their children’s children will not come close to seeing our Lord’s Commission finished in their lifetimes.
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3. To publish current research for successful evangelism and church planting. 4. To prepare strategic recommendations for global partners. 5. To produce reports measuring the progress of the Billion Soul Initiative.
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This approach has brought us this far, but it will not take us to the finish line. What got us “here” will not get us “there.” In another scenario, the global church could choose to synergize our efforts and share our resources. A growing number of Christian denominations and organizations, now numbering more than 1,000 and comprising nearly 400,000 churches, believe it is possible to speed up church growth by helping each other to plant 5 million new churches and win 1 billion souls to Christ in the next 10 to 15 years. More leaders are becoming more convinced that the way we can follow our Lord’s command faster is by being willing to “leave logos and egos behind” and become serious about fulfilling the Great Commission. This philosophy does not mean that one has to surrender his or her uniqueness in Christ or doctrinal distinctive in order to network for compounding results. In such a scenario, we retain our uniqueness, but do not care who gets the credit as long as God gets the glory. This moves the church from evangelistic growth to exponential growth, from traditional missions to global missions, and from showing our fellow laborers what we think they should do to serving our fellow laborers! The Billion Soul Network is being built through a five-layer strategy authored by Dr. Paul L. Walker of the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee: 1. To provide relationship-building opportunities for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. 2. To promote shared resources for Kingdom-minded leaders worldwide.
EXPANSIVE GROWTH “I knew from our first meetings,” states Dr. Jack Hayford, president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, “that this partnership would be more than just a cohort of like-minded leaders who hoped to make some difference in the world. This has grown into one of the most embracing missional partnerships representing the diversity of the body of Christ in church history . . . We agree we must, together, find ways to understandably share the good news with and to serve these for whom Jesus died and rose again! It blesses me when I see our brothers and sisters as the bride of Christ respond to the clarion call to be ready for the return of Jesus through the fulfillment of the Great Commission.” David Sobrepeña, former general superintendent and president of the Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God, and cochair/church planting, has led church planting movements in his country by starting more than 2,000 churches in the past eight years. “Church planting already is an integral and strong part of outreach in many countries outside the United States,” he said. “The goal is bigger than the role—this vision to establish 5 million churches has to go beyond denominations and traditional methods.” Roland Vaughan, former World Missions director for the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee, developed a divinely-inspired approach to networking among the unreached people groups of the world. His Finish-Line
metaphor encompasses the strategic analogy of the thrusting of the arrowhead into its target. This Finish-Line approach allows any local church to seek the lost, save the lost, synergize for the lost, sow into the lost, and send to the lost. This powerful sequence begins with one or two disciples in an unreached people group, then moves to Christians in the area, the national church in the country—such as the Bible colleges, seminaries, missionaries, denominations—then to the strong Christian forces in a region, and finally to the North American Church. See how this works at www.Billion.tv/missions. EDUCATIONAL GROWTH Stan Toler, general overseer for the Church of the Nazarene, Kansas City, Missouri, articulates, “Through our Billion Soul Network partnership, we are able to make available some of the finest resources in the body of Christ today. The global tsunami wave of the future is not the West going to the rest, but the best going to the rest. It is not about the West telling the rest of the global church what to do or not to do. It is about synergizing for effectiveness, strategizing for evangelism, and sharing for equipping to finish the Great Commission.” Today, nearly 200 of the finest ministerial teachings can be found at the Billion Soul Network (www.Billion.tv/resources). These ministry resources have come from every major world region, representing a collaborative approach to bringing the best resources from the global church to the global church and from ministers everywhere to ministers everywhere. ETERNAL GROWTH In the years ahead, these new trends in ministry mean the measurement of a pastor’s ministry will not be the number of people worshiping at his local church, but the number of dynamic partnerships he or she has built worldwide. God is raising up synergistic leaders to network throughout the earth. I am often asked, “What is going to happen to Western Europe? Is there any hope that millions will come to Christ in this world region or that thousands of churches will be planted? Will America cool down spiritually like Europe? Can America be turned around before the culture passes the tipping point?” Big questions deserve big answers. One thing we can rely on is that the global church will never be any smaller than it was yesterday! Some missiologists today believe that the “rise of global Christianity” will not only impact Europe and North America, but also the entire world. I believe this, and I have seen it. We are witnessing before our eyes the rise
of a global church that is just as committed to fulfilling the Great Commission worldwide as in each individual world region. By 2030, 70 percent of the global missions force will not be from North America. In the single, greatest missional shift in church history, missionaries from every world region are headed to every world region. The Great Commission will be fulfilled! God will keep His promise!
The World’s Mission Force Going from the West to the Rest to the Best to the Rest
70%? Greatest Shift in the 21st Century
In the last five years, the global church has witnessed more than 1.4 million new church plants with more than 200 million coming to Christ. The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is growing faster than in any other time in history. When one measures the global growth of the church, we are on schedule to witness firsthand the doubling of the size of the church, from just over 1 billion to more than 2 billion in our generation. Ours can be the generation that puts the cross on the roof of the world and lets the whole world know that Jesus died for every nation and every people group! When this is achieved, we will have a satisfaction that no previous generation has ever had! The global church will achieve what no one of us can do alone. We need to be motivated about what movitates heaven. How many souls will you be responsible for? How many churches will you help plant? How many missionaries will your church send? We can achieve more together than we ever could alone by synergizing our efforts to bring back the King. Can you think of anything more important to accomplish with your life? In the future, those who are not networking will eventually not be working. I look forward to networking with you, so we can place the cross of Christ on the roof of the world. As the great evangelist Reinhard Bonnke says, “If we are interested in soulwinning, then heaven is interested in our success. God’s main purpose is winning the lost.” ■ SUMMER 10
James O. Davis is cofounder of Billion Souls Network. (www. billion.tv)
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SevenWays to
COMMUNICATE With Church Members ■ by KEITH L. IVESTER
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HE WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY has taken the church to a new level of communication and church growth. No longer do churches go doorto-door witnessing and inviting people to attend church. Times have changed! Communication with church members, visitors, and those in the community has gone to a much broader base.
Many churches offer a Web site which gives information concerning their church: mission/vision, times of services, directions, introduction of pastor and staff members, etc. Many people find a church home by surfing the Web and looking for a church that meets their needs and the needs of their family. Web sites are a fraction of the cost they used to be. It is affordable to every size of church. Visual information is the focus of today. The old adage, “A picture is worth a 1,000 words,” has never before been more true than today. With one click, e-mails (electronic mail) can be sent to everyone on a church mailing list. Gone are the days of individual letters which are typed, copied, folded, stamped, and mailed. You can reach your church mailing list in just a few minutes. E-mail is one of the best ways to stay in touch with members and attendees. People check their e-mail daily where snail mail sometimes goes into the garbage. Threeday information is obsolete. People want instant messaging. Along with the e-mail, you can add attachments such as schedules, upcoming events, photos, and videos. Another way of communicating is through the phone tree (interactive voice response system). This system allows the individual to hear your voice and the inflec-
tions you are trying to make about the subject matter being covered. People still like to hear a familiar voice on the other end. Every church should have phone numbers of members and regular attendees. It is very important to be concise—stick to the subject matter—do not be lengthy. If care is not exercised in the style of communication, the receiver will not listen to the entire message. Facebook is a social networking Web site that was originally designed for college students, but is now open to anyone over the age of 13. Facebook provides an easy way for individuals or churches to have a presence on the Web without needing a Web site. Facebook makes it easy to upload pictures and videos. Therefore, anyone can publish a multimedia profile. Blog is the short name for Web log. It is a Web page that serves as a personal journal for an individual. The blog is usually updated daily by the author. This can be another way for a pastor to share personal thoughts on a scripture or a personal journey of faith. Blogs typically reflect the personality of the person writing the blog. Twitter is another trend in social networking. It is brief and to the point. It keeps people updated on your status—in other words, where you are and what you are
doing. Sometimes, it can incorporate ideas and comments of an event that has taken place or an upcoming event. It is simplistic in nature and can keep members up-to-date with current events as they are taking place. Texting is a “short message service.” It allows for short text messages to be sent from one cell phone to another cell phone. Pictures can be sent through texting as well. This is another way of staying connected to church members and prospective members. A quick message can be sent about upcoming events and other important data. Today, many ways of communicating can occur without leaving your home or church office. Technology has come a long way in just a few years. Everyone can know what is going on if they so choose. It is up to us as ministers to put the right information out. We can use technology to benefit the Kingdom work like never before. Staying in touch has never been more readily available. With all the technology available, we should never forget that our goal is to use technology for evangelistic purposes—in other words, to get the gospel of Jesus Christ to those in your social network. It should be used to lead people to Christ, to promote the goodness of God, and to mobilize the church to win the lost. If you are limited in what you can do, choose one or two things your church can do and do it well. Choose what
is affordable and what the majority of your church feels comfortable with. There may be someone in your church who is computer savvy enough to help in establishing communication systems. Sharing Jesus in whatever means possible is what we should strive to do. This means a willingness to utilize new ways of communicating the good news. Paul said in Ephesians: “God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet” (6:10-13, TM). ■ Scriptures marked TM are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Keith L. Ivester is overseer of Kentucky. (www. Kycog.com)
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SCARED OR PREPARED?
Comprehensive Emergency Planning for Today’s Church ■ by MELODY LAWRENCE SCOTT and DERWOOD L. PERKINS
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ULF COAST HURRICANES, California wildfires, Midwest flooding, ice storms, tornadoes, earthquakes . . . the list of threats to our churches is never ending. As if dealing with natural disasters were not enough, we also face hazardous materials being trucked into the heart of our cities, increased vandalism and robbery, pastors being shot in their pulpits, children abducted
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from the premises, and the threat of terrorism, especially in major metropolitan areas, is never far from our collective thought. According to the Christian Security Network, as of March 10, 2010, Christian organizations in the United States have experienced 13 acts of violence resulting in three deaths, 20 arsons, and tens of thousands of dollars in property loss. “Criminals are becoming more aware that churches are ‘soft targets’ and targeting them with greater frequency, whether it is property crimes or personal attacks” stated Jeff Hawkins, executive director of the Christian Security Network. The Department of Homeland Security also considers churches “soft targets” for terrorist organizations—foreign and domestic (National Catholic Reporter, Oct. 22, 2004). The goal of this article is to call the church to preparedness and response planning. As Christian organizations, we are always at the ready to assist areas hit hard by natural disasters or some other tragedy. We are ready to reach out to Haiti or New Orleans to bring comfort and aid, but are our houses of worship prepared and protected? Do we have trained personnel in place to protect life and property? Have policies and procedures been drafted? Do we have a comprehensive, all-hazards emergency operation plan? Do we know and interface with the local first responders and emergency management agencies? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then our churches are not prepared for any of the aforementioned threats.
As hurricane season approaches, it is a great time to think about emergency preparedness of every kind. Churches in coastal areas are keenly aware of the impending season, but all churches, regardless of location, should take this time to address the safety, security, and emergency management needs of their congregations. Too often, we rely on state/local/federal officials or first responders to “take care” of us, when in reality, the initial phases of response to any threatening situation is our individual responsibility. When a situation threatens a church congregation, the pastor and staff have the solemn task of ensuring the safety of a congregation, as well as the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets that must be protected. Aside from natural disasters, our pastors and congregations stand in line of direct threats. The following are some simple guidelines we recommend for churches as they begin an emergency/disaster planning process. Formulating a written plan is the most important step to take in preparing for disasters. By alleviating panic and aiding the process of decision making, such a plan can greatly mitigate loss of life and reduce recovery costs. • Assign responsibility. While one staff member may have the main responsibility for organizing and updating the plan, a disaster team must be formed. Include first responders in your congregation, as well as a mix of staff and laity. • Do preliminary research. The disaster team can review articles about disaster planning and recovery and
attend pertinent workshops/seminars about church safety and emergency planning. • Set up liaisons with local emergency agencies. The team should contact community personnel such as local fire marshals, law enforcement, and local emergency management personnel. • Establish goals and tasks for team members. Team members should be cross-trained to do other tasks in addition to their primary responsibilities. One person may be designated as the main contact on the team, and a chain of command determined. Realistic deadlines should be set for the completion of the various stages of the disaster planning process. • Conduct a comprehensive inventory of all church property and prioritize recovery efforts. Top priority should be given to unique items that are difficult or impossible to replace. These items may also be essential to the ongoing operation of the church or represent significant monetary value. • Locate and assess potential hazards. A vulnerability assessment is essential to identify the types of emergencies that may occur, determine the probability of their occurrence, and judge how much of a danger each would pose to the continued operation of the church. • Consider financial implications. The team should have an idea of how much money would be available in case of a disaster, and how and by whom it could be accessed. The church’s insurance policy should be examined to determine whether the existing levels of coverage are adequate and to ascertain what procedures the insurer expects the church to undertake following a disaster. Preparing a plan may also reduce your insurance premium. • Implement the plan. It is of utmost importance that the written disaster plan be easy to implement during a crisis. Instructions must be concise, clear, and com-
prehensive. Because no plan, no matter how well written, can anticipate every detail of every possible emergency situation, it should be flexible enough to allow for adjustments and improvisation. Staff must receive adequate training (and cross-training) and should participate in frequent drills to ensure that skills are kept upto-date. Essential supplies for quick response to the kind of disaster that is most likely to occur should be stockpiled in various easily accessible locations throughout the church. • Test, revise, and maintain the plan. It is imperative that the plan be updated regularly, whether or not a disaster has occurred. Even the most well-written plan, if it is not up-to-date, will not be effective when a disaster hits. It is, of course, humanly impossible to be fully prepared at all times for any danger that could conceivably strike our churches. Be that as it may, we cannot abdicate our responsibilities as the guardians of our congregations and properties. We must realistically assess our vulnerabilities and familiarize ourselves with all the necessary steps to take in response to any emergency scenario we may have to face. There is no substitute for good advance preparation when it comes to disaster response. Time invested now in establishing an appropriate and effective plan will pay big dividends in ensuring the well-being of the congregations and facilities entrusted to our care. ■ Melody Scott is the owner of The Scott Consulting Firm, LLC, an emergency management consulting firm in Mobile, AL, specializing in protecting America’s churches and Christian businesses and a member of the Forest Hill Church of God, Mobile, AL. Derwood Perkins is the senior pastor of the Forest Hill Church of God, Mobile, AL.
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cross opinions FACING THE MUSIC: Lights, Sound, Action (Editor’s Note: The following insights were obtained through interviews. They are personal opinions and are set forth to stimulate creative thinking.)
and there is a praise team only. We have one church in two locations, with both congregations growing.
REACHING A YOUNGER GENERATION
• “Young adults today have created their own culture. They respond to what they see, hear, and feel. The church must understand their culture and create an environment that attracts their attention and holds their interest. • “We do have an elaborate, multicolored lighting system, a semidark sanctuary, a large praise team on risers, and a variety of musicians. This type of environment speaks to those in the 20-35 age groups. At the same time, the music is blended so older church members are not turned off. • “You can’t pour new fresh wine into old wineskins. You can’t recapture a time that is gone. We must speak to young adults where they are. They are both visual and auditory, they must see, hear, and experience. We know truth never changes but methods do. • “Here again, we must meet and speak to young adults where they are. This doesn’t mean we compete with Hollywood or Las Vegas. It does mean that our environment and approach does not take them into a time warp, into another period of time they cannot identify with. • “The key is balance—real and relevant for today, but with vintage foundational truths and symbols that denote the holy and sacred. The leadership of the Holy Spirit is crucial. The Spirit shows, molds, and holds the church together as a unified body.”
• “The church must continue to be a bridge—bridging one generation to another, to another, to another. We can do things differently and reach a younger generation without losing our identity. • “We have a robed choir, 60-70 every Sunday, plus a praise team. We project lyrics on large screens in addition
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to pictures that illustrate the message. This combination connects with all age groups. • “Bridging to a younger generation is the pattern we use. This method creates understanding, unity, worship enrichment, and attendance increases.” • “During the summer months, staff members do not wear ties, and our ushers wear dress pants and shirts. At our second location, the leader does not wear a coat or tie,
MINISTERING TO A NEW CULTURE
TRADITIONAL VS. CONTEMPORARY • “I don’t feel that you have to have one or the other. There can be a creative mix, a relevant blend. I don’t want to be boxed in. There are many options in crafting a worship service that is Christ-honoring and soul-inspiring.
• “Media enhances worship. We use PowerPoint, background scenes, and illustrated sermons. We have a robed choir, praise team, band, and orchestra. Every kind of Christian music is included in our worship format. We have several different ethnic groups, and occasionally, we will feature a song in Spanish. • “I believe you can mix the old and the new together in such a way that both the young and the old are led into the presence of God for an experience that honors Him and builds worship integrity and enrichment.”
GENUINE WORSHIP EXPERIENCE • “True worship that honors God lays aside personal preference. Look at John 4:24: ‘God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth’ (NKJV). It does not say ‘worship according to preference.’ Worship is about God, not what I like or the style of music I like.
• “Style and look are important, but a true, genuine worship experience crosses all cultural barriers. We must be on guard to ensure that true worship does not become lost in the elements. • “In my experience, it is becoming more and more difficult to engage people’s attention in worship. They turn you off before you get started, because they are so opinionated by style and preference. • “When the focus is on worshiping God, you might like something you thought you wouldn’t like. When God’s presence fills the room, the entire agenda—style of music, lighting, and musical instruments—becomes culturally relevant.” ■ Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, 1995, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
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ART RHODES
money matters New Legal Challenge to the Ministers’ Housing Allowance N OCTOBER 2009, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) filed a federal lawsuit in California challenging the income tax exclusion of the ministerial housing allowance. This issue was the subject of major litigation some eight years ago when author and pastor Rick Warren’s ministerial housing allowance was brought to the attention of the Internal Revenue Service. The case involving the Saddleback Church’s pastor was ultimately resolved by specific legislation being introduced and passed by Congress that made the lawsuit moot. Some legal scholars believed that the current case would be thrown out immediately. However, in May 2010, a California federal district court held that the Freedom From Religion Foundation had adequately argued that the ministerial housing allowance has the unconstitutional
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“The lawsuit, brought by the Freedom From Religion Foundation, seeks a declaration that tax code provisions allowing housing benefits for ‘ministers of the gospel’ violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”
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effect of advancing religion—and therefore ruled that the case could move forward for a more in-depth hearing on the merits of the case. Although there had been rumors that a new lawsuit would be filed, the current case caught many by surprise since it was filed with little advance notice and hardly any fanfare. The lawsuit, brought by the Freedom From Religion Foundation and 21 named plaintiffs, seeks a declaration that, on their face and as administered, tax code provisions allowing housing benefits for “ministers of the gospel” violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Not only are the plaintiffs asking that the ministerial housing allowance be declared unconstitutional, they are also asking that the court immediately enjoin any use of such tax benefits for ministerial housing allowance under both federal
and state law. The named defendants in the lawsuit are the U.S. Secretary of Treasury, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, and the director of the California Franchise Tax Board. The argument advanced by the plaintiffs in this lawsuit is that employees of secular organizations are not allowed these same tax benefits (i.e., exclusion of the value of the parsonage or the housing allowance paid by the church), therefore, putting secular organizations in a situation where they “incur comparatively greater compensation costs” and thus putting them at a “competitive disadvantage.” While most expected that any lawsuit involving the ministerial housing allowance would be brought by the law professor who handled the former case against Rick Warren, the plaintiffs in this case are represented by Michael Newdow. Newdow, an atheist, is widely known for having brought the California case on behalf of his daughter regarding the Pledge of Allegiance. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately found that Newdow’s daughter did not have standing to bring a lawsuit challenging the mention of God in the Pledge of Allegiance. The ministerial housing allowance lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court, Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division. You can read a copy of the complaint by going to the FFRF Web site at http://ffrf.org/ news/2009/CAlawsuit.pdf. You can be assured that the Benefits Board will carefully monitor any developments in this case. ■ The Board of Trustees and the staff of the Benefits Board are not engaged in rendering financial advice, tax advice, legal advice, or other financial planning services. If such advice is desired or required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Art Rhodes is president and CEO of the Church of God Benefits Board, Inc.
DENNIS WATKINS
legal issues 501 (c) (3) Status—A Brief Revisit COUPLE OF YEARS AGO I wrote an article about 501 (c) (3) status for our churches. This subject needs to be revisited. There is a specific issue of how 501 (c) (3) status applies to new church plants, and this issue also relates to the incorporation of our local churches—which are increasing in number.
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there are definite benefits of not having to complete this form. It is extremely lengthy, detailed, and complex, and it takes months for the IRS to review it. If you truly desire to put yourself through this process, as the old saying goes, then “Knock yourself out.”
APPLICATION THE ISSUE This principle does not apply to a local church which The narrow issue, which is presented to me on a regu- is not duly organized as a Church of God, such as a “mislar basis, is this: Must every local Church of God file for sion” or “satellite” church. The mission or satellite church its own separate 501 (c) (3) status must operate through a sponsoring with the IRS? Also, how does this church or file for its own status. “Must every local question relate to a new church Also, if your church changes Church of God plant? What if the new church its name or does become incorpofile for its own plant is not an organized church rated, then you need to advise the 501(c) (3) status but is only a “mission” or “satelBusiness and Records Department with the IRS? lite” of another church? for the Church of God of this change, How does this so that it can properly record this relate to a new DISCUSSION change of name in its annual group chuch plant?” I get regular inquiries from exemption update to the IRS. local pastors who tell me that they have heard some tax preparer or CONCLUSION “expert” opine to them that every I hope that this is helpful inforlocal Church of God must file for mation, and I know that it is someits own separate 501 (c) (3) status. what technical. I get a great deal of This, hypothetically, includes a questions about 501 (c) (3) status, local Church of God which elects and of course, there are concerns to incorporate. I repeatedly tell about it for the future. However, if these ministers that, in my opinyour church acts like a church and ion and in the opinion of the CPAs who advise me, this is does the kinds of things that churches do, then hopefully absolutely not correct. Every local Church of God, as long its 501 (c) (3) status will not be in question. ■ as it is properly organized and registered with Church of God, enjoys 501 (c) (3) status, whether incorporated or The writer is not engaged in rendering legal or other profesunincorporated. This derives from the “group exemption sional services herein. If legal advice or other expert assisletter” granted to the Church of God and each local Church tance is required, the services of a competent professional of God in 1972. See Rev. Proc. 80-27, 1980-1 C.B. 677. should be sought. If you have ever gone through the process of completing IRS Form 1023, which is the application for obtaining Dennis Watkins is director of Legal Services for the 501 (c) (3) status for an organization, then you will see why Church of God. (www.churchofgod.org/legalmatters)
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REGGIE McNEAL
engage interview The Challenges Facing Church Leaders EGGIE McNEAL was one of two keynote speakers at the recent Engage Conference held at the Mt. Paran Church of God in Atlanta. Reggie enjoys helping people, leaders, and Christian organizations pursue more intentional lives. He currently serves as the missional leadership specialist for Leadership Network of Dallas, TX. Reggie took some time during the Atlanta conference to offer his insight on some key issues facing the church today. The following are excerpts from the interview…
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ENGAGE: Why is it necessary for pastors and church leaders to go to “school” all the time? McNEAL: We have to be lifelong learners in order to serve the world we are called to minister to, because the world is always changing. Lifelong requires lifelong unlearning. This is often steeper than the learning curve. There are vices, biases, habits, and behaviors to be shed. Reggie McNeal
ENGAGE: Why is there a widespread hesitation among pastors to release church members for community transformation? McNEAL: Pastors are reluctant to release their members because there is a scarcity mentality as opposed to an abundance mentality. It is something that takes time away from the work of the church. We’re afraid it’s going to come out of our “bank account” of time and ministry. God works from an abundance mentality, and community transformation comes to life only when we reach that abundance mentality. ENGAGE: What is the greatest challenge facing denominational leaders in guiding pastors to focus on character and spiritual connectedness to God and others? McNEAL: Leaders have to ask the question, “What is the big challenge for ME?” The biggest challenge is we’re consumed with church “busyness.” Because of that, issues of character and serving are choked out by the managing of the system. ENGAGE: In what ways does the “Refuge Paradigm” militate against church renewal?
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McNEAL: The refuge paradigm prevents us from “being” the church. We focus instead on “doing” church. We focus on an artificial environment. We create an enclave of the old world. We become renewed by focusing on the mission…it cannot be prosecuted from a refuge paradigm.
ENGAGE: What is the greatest problem local churches face today in fulfilling the Great Commission? McNEAL: The greatest problem the church faces is being unengaged with the world. Jesus prayed that we would be in the world and not of the world. Unfortunately, the church is more of the world and not in it. ENGAGE: How can the church show the community He cares and that we care? McNEAL: In a single word: service. All my client congregations actually interview community leaders to ask, “What one or two things, if we addressed them, would make the most difference in our community?” Sometimes this leads to profound insight and a way to galvanize the church to action. In all cases, I recommend that congregations adopt a local public school to pour their service on. There is absolutely no quicker way to connect with a community. All the issues and problems in a community show up in public school. ■
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N SEPTEMBER 2010, Church of God congregations around the world will unite in 30 Days of Prayer. The denominational emphasis will coincide with a prayer initiative launched by other groups in the United States, including the Awakening Alliance and the revival arm of Mission America. The September initiative for the Church of God is titled Days of Awakening—Days of Action. The initiative will include several events:
WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRAYER EVANGELISM TRAINING On Wednesday evenings, September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, a special teaching-preaching emphasis will take place. The themes will be: • September 1 . . . . The Priority of Brokenness— Personal Repentance • September 8 . . . . The Place of the Solemn Assembly— The Church, Corporate Repentance • September 15. . . . The Prerogative of Servants— The Servant Heart—Access to Power • September 22. . . . The Privilege of Sharing God’s Love—Witness! • September 29. . . . The Power of Living by God’s Principles—Discipleship! The flow of revival begins with us, with our own honesty before God. Humility before the holiness of God infects a church. Pride is slain, and a servant spirit emerges. Humble servants have access to God through portals of power. It is with the spirit of a servant heart that God’s love is shared most effectively. Conversion, however, is not the goal; Christlikeness is the goal, and the route to such transformation is discipleship. “Most men pray for power, the strength to do things. Few people pray for love, the quality to be someone” (Robert D. Foster). Emphasize transformational prayer! SUMMER 10
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SUNDAY THEMES Each Sunday will have a special corollary theme with support materials:
• September 5 . . . Seeing His Face. A call to holiness, humility, brokenness and transparency. • September 12 . . . Sensing His Heart for the World. A call to see the harvest, to consider the area around us as our mission field. • September 19 . . . Serving by Demonstrating His Love. A call to care. A call to make a difference in neighbors. A call to be missional. • September 26 . . . Sharing by Declaring His Truth (the gospel). A call to evangelize, to share our faith, to witness to friends, to talk openly about faith in ways that solicit searching hearts to inquire of His goodness. DAYS OF AWAKENING — DAYS OF ACTION September 5-12 will be titled DAYS OF AWAKENING. These eight days of prayer and repentance will be observed in a number of denominations and congregations across the nation. Prayer guides will be available. Special prayer services will be promoted, including at-home resources for families. On Saturday, September 11, Christians of all denominations are invited to pray at noon, at their courthouse for a national great awakening. September 19-26 will be a special focus within the Church of God called DAYS OF ACTION. These eight days will be loaded with suggestions for community impact. Dwight L. Moody reminds us, “Every work of God can be traced to some kneeling form.” S.D. Gordon believed, “Prayer is partnership with God in His planetsized purposes.” RESOURCE MATERIALS In early August, additional bulletin materials will be available for use by local churches following the themes of renewal and revival, awakening, and united prayer. Check the site: www.awakeningamerica.us and www.praycog.org. CONGREGATIONAL RENEWAL On Wednesday evening, September 8, conduct a Solemn Assembly. Use the guidelines provided on the Web site; call the church to repentance. Remember the moment when Moses exhorted Israel to ready themselves to meet God. For three days, the Israelites were to prepare themselves for a conference with God at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19–20). Encourage people to “prepare themselves” for a public meeting with God on behalf of their community on the courthouse steps on September 11, at noon. Look for support materials or links on the Web site. Join dozens of other churches in a nationwide, simultaneous prayer gathering. In the classic work, The Kneeling Christian, we find this observation: “All hindrance to prayer arises from ignorance of the teaching of
God’s Holy Word on the life of holiness he has planned for all His children or from an unwillingness to consecrate ourselves fully to Him.” Open your church for prayer throughout the day on at least one day during the Eight Days of Awakening! Plan a prayer service, with scripture and prayer every half hour. Create prayer stations that represent community needs, and encourage people to pray at prayer stations for those specific needs. MARKETPLACE PRESENCE Encourage believers to challenge one another to live humble and helpful lives, godly lives marked by character and grace. Encourage them to be the best workers at their place of employment, the most loyal, the most dependable—Christlike. Encourage noontime prayer gatherings all over the city, Monday–Friday, during the “Eight Days of Awakening.” Encourage small groups of Christians to gather to pray for the business in which they work, for their city and county, and for their friends and family. FAMILY WORSHIP C. H. Spurgeon once said, “God visits every house where night and morning prayers are made, but where these are neglected, sin is incurred.” Encourage family gatherings throughout the 30-day period, aimed at the restoration of the family altar. Encourage couples to pray together—husbands leading the initiative. Consider a Men’s Prayer Gathering as part of the “Eight Days of Awakening.” Call men to repentance. Then, call them to action. Give them resources in order to provide spiritual leadership. Divide them into small groups—triads for follow-up accountability. Then conduct a call to action during the Days of Action. Encourage family worship and prayer events around the table of the Lord at home. Celebrate Communion as a family. Open the church doors and the altars all day for families and individuals to come to the altar for prayer and Communion. PRAYER MOBILIZATION Conduct 24-7 prayer chains. Organize intercessors into small efficient teams of three to five to mobilize them more effectively. Give them prayer assignments. Map your city, and systematically send prayer teams driving and walking throughout the county in the weeks before the rally, particularly during the week of the rally. Pray at the entry points to the city. Pray at information gates. Pray at airports, train, and bus depots. Pray at schools. Pray at seats of power. Pray for industrial/
commerce sites. Pray for jobs. Pray at banks. Pray for the blessing of God on the county. Pray for churches. Read scriptural promises over the land and the county, do so in small teams, quietly and prayerfully, without calling attention to yourself. Pray for the intervention of God on behalf of your county. Send “Prayer Ambassadors!” to city/county leaders in teams of three to five. Send them, as Christ sent His disciples—into the city, bearing good news, with a message of hope. Have them pray prayers of blessings. Make a list of the significant leaders and influencers in the county to which these ambassador teams are sent. These intercessors operate out of the “priestly” dimension, building bridges. YOUTH PARTICIPATION Encourage youth prayer initiatives—student-led prayer gatherings in schools as a prelude to See You at the Pole. Have your youth leaders coach students on appropriate prayer themes during the Days of Awakening and Action. Consider a “Midnight Fire!” This could be a youth prayer event on Friday, before the prayer event at some point in the 30 Days of Prayer. Pick a neighborhood project for teens: a clean-up project, paint a house, help the poor and elderly—take action in the name of Christ. BLESSING EVENTS Do “blessing events!” Youth groups might offer “free car washes” for the privilege of praying over the car, for the driver, and for his family. Offer the gift of “free prayer!” Set up a prayer tent at the local flea market or some high-traffic area. Simply offer to pray. Consider some predetermined community project—a fix-up for a needy family; a clean-up effort for a park; a work project at one of the schools. Collect food during the 30 days of prayer for the food bank. Ask each family to bring a food item or a cash donation for the needy. Have a large food bin to collect the donations. Samuel Chadwick stated: NO POWER LIKE THAT OF PREVAILING PRAYER There is no power like that of prevailing prayer: Abraham pleading for Sodom, Jacob wrestling in the stillness of the night, Moses standing in the breach, Hannah intoxicated with sorrow, David heart-broken with remorse and grief, Jesus in sweat and blood. Add to this list of records of the church, your personal observation and experiences. . . . Such prayer prevails. It turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings God. ■
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Non Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit No. 317 Cleveland, TN 37311
