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FALL 2012 Vo
CONTENTS 4
General Assembly 2012 Report, Cameron Fisher
30 Engage Interview—Dan Reiland
8
How a Pastor Can Be a Champion for Student Ministry, Jeremy Guyselman
36 What’s the Big Deal About the Meal? David C. Cooper
10 Keeping Youth Ministry a Priority, Carson Robson
38 Facebook: The New Missional Tool, David E. Ramírez
12 Impacting Your Community Through Ministry to Youth, Allen King
40 Social Media and the Church, Dale P. Combs
14 Students Living to Please God, Rhonda Parris
42 Church Members and Church Growth, Floyd D. Carey
16 Finding, Attracting, and Pastoring Young Adults, Anthony Braswell
44 Five Ways to Make It Easy for Your Members to Give, Mark Brooks
20 Biblical Principles of Leadership, H. Lynn Stone
46 Same-Sex Marriage: A Biblical Perspective, French Arrington
22 Spiritual Gifts and the Call to Service, Mike Chapman 26 Paradigm Shifts in Volunteerism, Michael S. Grove 28 The Bridge Ministry, Rich Bowen
54 Reaching the Community at Christmas, Dwight Allen, Sean O’Neal, Roy Stewart, Bob Collins, Wayne Flora, Kip Box, Dan Tomberlin, Jerry Madden, Darrell Waller
FROM THE EDITOR | Cameron Fisher
Although I have never been a youth pastor, I feel like I have been an informed bystander in many ways through the years. I have been privileged to be a member of the same church for the past 36 years, and over that time I have watched—and experienced—the ministries of numerous youth pastors and observed how the local church functions in relation to youth ministry. When I arrived at my home church, I was a high school freshman. I had never been part of a youth group at a local church, so I had no idea what to expect. However, to this day, I look back on those four years in the youth group as perhaps the most spiritually formative of my life. I was lucky enough to have several friends from school who attended the church, and they became my closest friends. Dealing with school “stuff” and then being able to interact and worship with those young people on the weekends, Wednesday nights, church afterglows, and retreats created an unbreakable bond of unity that exists to this day. We have had reunions over the years and when we come together the love and friendships rekindle instantly. Ministry into the lives of young people at those critical years can set the tone for their lives. While not every church can afford to support a youth ministry—much less a full-time youth pastor—the benefits of making the effort are rewarding. Most congregations are going to have at least one member who is passionate about the younger generation and willing to sacrifice for the lives of the youth. That sacrifice can pay off in eternal dividends. Engage is now online! Download a QR reader app and scan the code at left on your smartphone or other portable device to read visiting www.cogengage.org.
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Engage journal is published in the interest of providing resources for under the auspices of the Church of Executive Committee general overseer first assistant second assistant third assistant secretary general ENGAGE Journal executive editor Cameron Fisher, editor 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 sug comments to cfisher@churchofgod. org or mail to Engage tion on purchasing ad space, please e-mail
[email protected] or call
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GENERAL ASSEMBLY
COURSE SET FOR THE
CHURCH OF GOD AT
GA2012
Rev. Mark Williams will lead the Church of God for the next four years. ■ by
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HE 74TH CHURCH OF GOD International General Assembly (GA2012) took place in Orlando, Florida, on July 24-27, 2012. Thousands flocked to the Orange County Convention Center where they participated in making history for the denomination. The Ordained Bishops General Council nominated the Executive Committee and ministry leaders, followed by discussion and deliberation on a variety of agenda items (for complete coverage of Assembly news, visit www.churchofgod.org/ga2012/). The business of the International General Council, including the nomination of leaders was confirmed by the International General Assembly later in the week. Elected to lead the denomination on the International Executive Committee were Mark L. Williams, general overseer, who has served as second assistant general overseer since 2008; David M. Griffis, first assistant general overseer, who has served as third assistant since 2008; J. David Stephens, second assistant general overseer, who has been state overseer of Florida since 2010; Wallace J. Sibley, third assistant general overseer, and
former secretary general since 2008; and M. Thomas Propes, state overseer of South Carolina for the past six years, who was elected secretary general. An action passed at the 2010 International General Assembly stipulating that the International Executive Committee will now be elected to serve four years. Therefore, this committee will be in place until 2016. Nominations of leaders for two departments—Youth and Discipleship and World Missions—immediately followed. Gary J. Lewis, assistant director of Youth and Discipleship since 2008 was advanced to the position of Director of Youth and Discipleship and David C. Blair, state director from South Georgia was tapped as the assistant director. Timothy M. Hill, a member of the Executive Committee for the past eight years, was called upon to lead World Missions and John D. Childers, overseer of Alabama since 2010 was nominated as the assistant director. Both Hill and Lewis are eligible to lead their respective ministries for two, two-year terms. By the end of the triple-session day of business for the International General Council on Tuesday, the body of Mark Williams ministers in the closing service
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NEW INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL - Seated (l-r): New Executive Committee members M. Thomas Propes, J. David Stephens, Mark Williams, David Griffis, Wallace Sibley. Standing (l-r): New Council of Eighteen members Víctor Pagán, Chris Moody, Dwight Allen, Thomas Madden, Michael Baker, Jerry Chitwood, Daniel Vassell, J. Martin Taylor, David Ramírez, Oliver McMahan, Niko Njotorahardjo, Kevin Wallace, Gerald McGinnis, William Isaacs, T. Bryan Cutshall, Ishmael Charles, David Cooper, Mitchell Maloney ordained bishops elected the Council of Eighteen (see photo above) before moving on to the agenda at hand. Delegates attended worship services beginning on July 25. Ravi Zacharias, an internationally known leader and speaker delivered a powerful message. Many proclaimed his message as one of the best ever heard by a guest speaker at an Assembly. Music was led by Ricardo Sanchez, a worship leader who is on the cutting edge of music ministry. Thursday evening, July 26 was the traditional Missions Night and the service lived up to its reputation for pageantry. A mass choir and a parade of missionaries and flags added to the glorious festivities, highlighted by a stirring message from Ishmael P. Charles, newly appointed overseer of the Caribbean region. By Friday, the International General Council had completed their agenda of business and entered into discussion and debate on a number of submitted motions dealing with a variety of topics. The International General Council session adjourned that morning, followed by the International General Assembly that afternoon. The session was scheduled Raymond Culpepper (right) introduces Wednesday night’s speaker, Ravi Zacharias
for 2:00–4:30 p.m., but it was voted to extend the time until 5:30 p.m. to allow as many delegates as possible to voice their opinions on the business before the house. The conclusion of the 2012 International General Assembly was highlighted by the installation of General Overseer Williams, which consisted of a formal commissioning service conducted by outgoing General Overseer Raymond F. Culpepper. Culpepper offered a prayer of consecration over the new overseer and his family, and passed a ceremonial gavel. The commissioning concluded Culpepper’s fouryear term as the denomination’s top leader. Ishmael Charles Mark L. Williams officially closed GA2012, but not before delivering a powerful message challenging the Church of God to embrace the 2012 theme: “Living the Word: Empowered for Our Future.” “I want us all to rediscover the power of the Scripture,” Williams admonished the packed convention center. “This is so profound, yet so simple. It (the Bible) is divine in its authorship; it is transforming in its power; it is powerful; and it will always endure. His Word will never pass away; it will stand forever!” Following thunderous applause, the new general overseer reminded the delegates that we live in a day of “scriptural illiteracy.” “Let me ask you this,” Williams said. “What would happen if churches around the world took the first seven days of the year to read the Scriptures around the clock? . . . My burden is for corporate Bible reading, and I am challenging HCNN"4234" 100,000 people to read the Bible through in one year.” gpicig On the back cover of this issue of Engage is more information on Williams’ initiative. ■ 5
PROFILE
New General Overseer MARK WILLIAMS Calls for a “Back-to-the-Bible” Emphasis ■ by
(Editor’s Note: The following is a profile of Mark Williams which originally ran in the July 27, 2012, issue of General Assembly Today, the daily news magazine distributed at the recent Church of God International General Assembly.)
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NYONE WHO HAS HEARD the preaching of Rev. Mark Williams is familiar with his unique and disciplined style of ministering the Word. His scripture text is memorized. His points are precise. His delivery is impeccable. His anointing is genuine. Those familiar with his leadership record know he has served in numerous posts, starting as a young evangelist traveling on the weekends while a student at Lee University. Upon graduation, he continued that evangelistic track for a decade, ministering across the nation in camp meetings, youth camps, prayer conferences, and conducting local church revivals. It was behind the concession stand at a Texas youth camp in 1985 where he first spotted Sandra Kay Collins, who would become his bride four years later. In 1995, he took his first pastorate, the South Cleveland (Tennessee) Church of God, one of the oldest continuing congregations in the denomination. After four years, the family, which now included Sandra Kay, and their young son, Austin, moved to Florida to assume the pastorate of the Riverhills Church of God in Tampa. While in Tampa, they were blessed with a second son, Ryan, born in 2001. The year before accepting the Riverhills pastorate, Rev. Williams was honored with the signature event of his ministry at that time—delivering the youth night message at the Church of God General Assembly in San Antonio, Texas in 1994. During the five years the Williams family spent at Riverhills, the church experienced exponential growth,
becoming one of the more prominent congregations in the movement. He was elected to the Florida State Council and was a chaplain with the Tampa Fire and Rescue. His ministerial colleagues acknowledged his leadership by electing him to the Council of Eighteen at the 2000 General Assembly in St. Louis. In 2004, Church of God officials took note of this up and coming leader and appointed him state overseer of California-Nevada. While pouring into the lives of the pastors and laity, Mark and Sandra Kay are also investing as much or more spiritually into the lives of their two boys. Without compromise, their sons are being raised in the fear and admonition of the Lord, yet they are being encouraged to participate in community and school activities and to strive to be all God has called them to be. Upon accepting the nomination as general overseer earlier this week, Williams made a promise to his sons: “I will still be your dad,” to which the International General Council gave a standing ovation. The International General Assembly of 2008 was a pivotal moment in the ministry of Mark Williams as he was elected to the position of second assistant general overseer at the age of 44. During the last four years, he has mentored and been mentored by his fellow Executive Committee colleagues Wallace Sibley, David Griffis, Tim Hill, and Raymond Culpepper. The five have prayed, toiled, laughed, and worked diligently through some of the most trying financial decisions ever heaped upon the leadership of the Church of God. These and other challenges have brought in this new general overseer who is well equipped for the task. * * * * * * Besides being well equipped and experienced in leadership, Mark Williams comes to the office of general overseer
with a rich heritage and loyalty to the Church of God. Born in Lubbock, Texas, in 1963 to W.F. (Bill) and Rose Marie Williams, he is third-generation Church of God. His father and maternal grandfather were both Church of God ministers. Saved in Iowa Park, Texas, at the age of seven, Mark Williams has been on a path to ministry ever since, even though he did not receive his “call” to ministry until he was a student at Lee in 1984. First enrolling at the University of Denver in 1982, he transferred to Lee College in 1983, eventually receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology. His commitment to the total package of Church of God education continued when he received the Master of Divinity from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in 1989. He is currently nearing completion of his doctorate in ministry degree from the seminary.
rization as he can quote the lyrics of most any song from the ’70s era. A job at a local airport did not turn out as well where he was tasked with filling small planes with gas. A wrong turn brought his truck in contact with a small Cessna. He was asked to, “take the rest of the day off.” For leisure, this Church of God general overseer loves to vacation at the beach with his family. He loves the ocean and water sports, such as jet skiing, fly fishing, and four-wheeling. A former starting forward on his high school basketball team, Mark’s love of sports has migrated to baseball, and he is a fan of the Atlanta Braves. While in California, he attended games at all five of the Major League parks. “Baseball is a game where time doesn’t matter,” he says. “The game isn’t over until the home team gets the last at bat.”
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* * * * * *
Anyone who has spoken with Mark Williams immediately senses his congenial nature and passion for others. Although called to full-time ministry, his interests are varied and help define his character. At a recent gathering of friends, the group was asked to write down two things others might not know about them. He was able to stump the crowd when he shared his two unknowns: (1) He was a ’70s music radio disc jockey, and (2) He once crashed into an airplane with a gas truck. Both involved former occupations. “In high school, I developed a great interest in radio,” Williams shared. He became mildly famous as the young DJ on KVWC in Vernon, Texas, and eventually to the larger Wichita Falls market and KNIN where he played country, Top 40, and ’70s hits. The experience helped with his memo-
Being the people’s choice for the Church of God’s new leader is humbling, but a task he takes very seriously. He sees a unique opportunity not afforded previous leaders to be able to project a four-year ministry plan rather than two. He is grateful for the theme of this Assembly—“Living the Word: Empowered for Our Future”—as it hits a hot button of passion. “I want to see the Church of God emphasize the centrality and power of Scripture,” Williams stated. “Many new believers enter salvation with a scriptural innocence. They have not even heard of ‘dreaming Joseph’ or ‘fearless David and his sling.’ I want our church to learn, live, and love the Word.” “These days there are lots of opportunities to engage in the Scripture via the Internet and through apps on iPhones and iPads,” Williams said. “You can always have the Word of God in hand.” He has a longing for children and students of the 4/14 Window to view the church as a place that captures their dreams. He also has a passion to stop human trafficking, to plant churches in rural areas as well as large cities, and a desire to see pastors return to being shepherds. “I am afraid that in our culture we have lost what it means to be a shepherd. Too many times pastors feel they must act as CEOs. I want to see the Church of God equip and deploy shepherds.” While just in the infancy stages of his vision for the next four years and beyond, Mark Williams sees the big picture. His heritage, praying family, intense trainMark Williams with his wife, ing, and experienced leadership gives the Sandra Kay, and their two sons Austin (left) and Ryan. Church of God a bright and secure future as he leads by the Master’s hand. ■
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HOW A PASTOR CAN BE A
CHAMPION FOR STUDENT MINISTRY ■ by JEREMY GUYSELMAN
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HE ROLE OF LEAD PASTOR is one that is vital to the health and growth of student ministry within the church. I know this from experience since I had the opportunity to grow up in a church where the pastor was a true champion for student ministry. He was a man who saw the value of utilizing the next generation. It was his influence that led me into ministry, as well as my brother, and five other members of our youth group. While growing up, one of the most valuable lessons I learned from my senior pastor was to allow the youth of the church to be a major part of the ministries of the church. Students are the church of today, not the church of tomorrow. When students are encouraged and utilized in ministry on a regular basis, they are being trained as future leaders and teachers of the church. Students can be a valuable asset in music and media ministry, children’s ministry, and greeters and ushers teams. With training and mentoring, students can help fill the gaps in some areas of ministry. By doing so, the pastor is also giving them ownership in the church. This will be valuable in keeping students after they graduate from high school.
In my own ministry, I have had the privilege to work with three excellent pastors who have taught me vital lessons in what a pastor can do to help mold student pastors into effective ministers. A lead pastor should focus on four key areas to help student pastors become more effective in ministry: Relationships, Communication, Encouragement, and Equipping.
RELATIONSHIPS In order to have a successful ministry with student pastors, the lead pastor must have a relationship with them. One thing I have learned in building a strong ministry and a strong church is that relationships are vital. Most student pastors are relational in nature, and most student ministry is based on relationships. It is our job as student pastors, whether part-time or full-time, to help fulfill the vision cast by the lead pastor. The best way this can happen is through building relationships. Some of the best times I have had with my pastor were not in the office or in a staff meeting, but rather on the river fishing and talking about the Lord, ministry, church, and life. It was in those moments that I really found out who my pastor was. It also became a place where a foundation of
trust was established. Trust cannot be established without a relationship first. It is hard to do ministry if the pastor is unable to trust the staff or if the staff is unable to trust the pastor. There is nothing I am not able to tell my pastor. In fact, it was my pastor who was by my side last year and picked me up during the hardest trial of my life. Without him, I probably would not be in ministry today. When a proper relationship is established, it makes ministry fun and exciting, because as a team, you move forward together fulfilling the vision that God has given for your church.
COMMUNICATION Communication is the key to keeping things together in ministry. I have found that the hardest times in ministry happen when there is a breakdown in communication. As a student pastor, it is my job to communicate to my pastor everything that is going on in my ministry. No pastor or student pastor likes surprises. Therefore, it is hard for student pastors to fulfill or accomplish their jobs without the pastor communicating the details. The best way to eliminate confusion or conflict is by establishing clear and definitive expectations for student pastors. If they are full-time, what is expected of them on a daily basis? What other areas of the church are they expected to be involved in? What procedures are they expected to follow? If they are part-time or volunteer, what is the time commitment that is expected from them weekly? The answers to these questions can eliminate headache and frustration on both sides. It is usually in the unknown that Satan would like to put a wedge between the pastor and the student pastor. However, if there is an open-door policy of communication, this leaves no room for Satan to try to tear apart this relationship. When the student pastor is able to communicate with the pastor openly and freely, things will run smoothly and effectively.
ENCOURAGEMENT Positive encouragement is the catalyst that helps turn failures into successes. Student ministry is a constant flux of trial and error. I can remember coming out of Lee University full of knowledge and tools to utilize, but also learning that real life works much differently than in a classroom. There were things I thought would be foolproof that failed miserably when first implemented. Had I not had a pastor who spoke life into me, I probably would have dropped some of the most successful programs in my student ministry at the time. It was the words of my pastor that keep me pushing forward in those times when he saw me struggling. He would tell me how much he believed in me and my vision for student
REGULAR BASIS, THEY ARE BEING TRAINED AS FUTURE LEADERS AND TEACHERS CAN HELP FILL THE GAPS OWNERSHIP IN THE CHURCH
ministry that made the difference. There will be times when correction and constructive criticism is needed. However, when you approach those times with a positive mind-set, a possible resistance will be defused, rather than what might have happened if the situation had been approached with a harsh tone or manner.
EQUIPPING Student ministry is constantly evolving and shifting; the more a student pastor is equipped to deal with this change the better. I currently serve at my church as part-time, and one thing I credit my pastor for is that he makes sure that I am equipped to do what he has asked me to do. He encourages me to attend at least one conference a year so I can learn new things. Here are two possibilities that can help youth pastors or leaders. The first thing is get them plugged into the National Youth Leaders Association (NYLA). This is a group of Church of God student pastors from around the country who are networking to help one another grow as pastors and leaders. NYLA is a great resource for helping to get student pastors connected with some dynamic student pastors who desire to help others grow in ministry effectiveness. The second thing I would suggest is to find a student pastor in your state or region whom you feel has an effective ministry and have your student pastor attend some of their services to help improve the student ministry at your church. Student pastors work to disciple and develop future leaders. If you are an active part of their lives and ministry, you will find that the fruit it produces will be a bountiful harvest. ■ Jeremy Guyselman, M.A. is the student pastor at East Chattanooga Church; Website: www.Eastchattcog.com; Email:
[email protected]
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Keeping Youth Ministry a
PRIORITY ■ by
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ET ANOTHER STAIN on the foyer carpet . . . a mysterious hole in the wall of the fellowship hall . . . a men’s toilet backed up again in the Sunday school wing. As pastors, these words are all too common. One of the typical responses from church leaders is, “It must be the kids!” It is interesting that nobody ever assumes, “It must be the middle-aged people!” or “It must be the senior citizens!” The fact remains that students get blamed for much of the damage that occurs in our churches. Often they are guilty of causing the problems; other times they are not. As a youth pastor for 22 years, I had the opportunity to explain why students under my care had done the things listed above or worse—sometimes much worse. Trust me, it’s no fun when you have to give reasons for things like the destruction of expensive equipment, stolen sound system items, or a student breaking the end off one of the church pews! As a lead pastor, I have the opportunity to see things from the other perspective. I am responsible for the care of our church, our facility, and all of the items we possess. The more students and children in our building on a weekly basis, the more potential we have for damage to all of it. And, I wouldn’t have it any other way! I’ve seen the unfortunate result of churches whose focus has slipped from reaching the next generation to catering to those who have already been reached. When they realize that their church is dying because they have failed to pass on their faith, they try to get the “younger generation” back into church. Those efforts often don’t have any real fruit. I know if I want our church to be successful in the long term, I have to maintain a continual focus on reaching students. The long-term viability of our ministry depends on maintaining a focus on students. Our leadership is focused on the fact that our church loves kids. Our people hear this constantly, whether it is a first-time visitor or those who have been members for decades. It is all too easy and subtle to have the church’s focus move from reaching the next generation to adapting to the priorities of those whom we have already reached. If we are
going to truly be evangelistic, a starting point is with our own children. This isn’t just the job of the youth or children’s ministry leaders. It must be led by the senior pastor. We need to be the leaders who set the example of making student ministry a constant priority. Delegating the responsibility for leading children and student ministry is wonderful, but it doesn’t change the need for us, as pastors, to maintain our focus and the church’s focus on students. As with so many other things, the church will adopt our priorities. We must lead, not just with our words but also with our actions. What is important to us will be important to those we lead. The older we all get, the more we have to work to stay relevant to students. We tend to be relevant to those who are within 10 years of our own age. You have probably already realized this, but in case you haven’t, let me state the obvious—you are getting older! You may not think of yourself as being older. You may not even think of yourself as “middleaged.” Whatever number the calendar defines you as being, the number is increasing. In the constant struggle for relevance to students, it can seem easier to give up on reaching them or to delegate to someone and leave the responsibility to them. But God has called us to be the leaders. For our churches to be truly healthy, I believe they must be multigenerational. We cannot leave anyone behind. The harvest includes every age—from the nursery to the nursing home. Just like us, everyone in our church is getting older. As we age, our tendency will be to reach people our own age. We don’t have to work at it or focus on it—our churches just naturally age. If we are going to break the trend, we have to be very intentional about reaching the next generation. We must keep it a constant priority. We have to retrain those in our church to celebrate students. When you have a win in this area, everyone should hear about it. Our church constantly hears me say these words, “Our church loves kids!” When there is an opportunity to highlight student ministry, I make sure that our church knows
about it so we can celebrate these “wins” together. We highly value children, students, and the workers who are dedicated to ministering to them. These are some of the up-front strategies of keeping a visual focus on student ministry. Our church is in a rural, economically depressed area. It would be easy to give the reasons why we can’t sustain youth ministry. We don’t have the resources that larger churches have. We don’t have the opportunities that churches in larger communities have. But we have chosen not to look at our limitations, but at our opportunities. God has placed us in our region for this time to reach a harvest. That harvest begins with students. God has placed your church in your community to reach students for Him. We must also recognize that there is a cost to focusing on student ministry. Working with students can be messy, tedious, and costly. For whatever reason, some of our members may just not “get it.” Most people won’t debate that our church should love kids, but when problems surface, tension rises. That is where we have to take the lead. The stains on the carpet cost us. Repairing the mysterious holes in the wall cost us. The manpower necessary to deal with issues that arise cost us. The energy and effort to consistently stay relevant to students cost us in time, focus, and resources. Keeping student ministry a priority costs us. But it is SO worth it! Churches benefit in so many ways by keeping a student focus. We are able to fulfill the Great Commission by reaching the students God has entrusted to us. Our churches become viable for the long-term by training up the next generation. We have an immediate connection with new parents when they see our church’s love and care for their children. We have the privilege of multiplying ourselves and extending our impact for years to come. We can see God’s Word come to life as we see our sons and daughters prophesy and minister mightily for the Lord! Our church has several strategies for keeping student ministry a priority. We make it a goal to send every student to summer youth camp. Lives are changed forever through the ministry of youth camp. Our church supports student ministry with a monthly budget. Seeing our student ministry
as a home missions project, our church Missions Department invests in student ministry regularly as well. We also pour into our students by keeping a constant focus on training up the next generation of young leaders. We give opportunities for ministry through worship, drama, and technical areas. Mentoring young leaders is a priority for us. Training students and giving them opportunities for ministry to younger children—nursery ministry or ushering and greeting ministry—meets the goal of releasing them into ministry and fills vital needs in the church. Students begin to see themselves as leaders and ministers and become more connected to the church in the process. Recently, I enjoyed sitting at a meal with several former students from our youth ministry. We laughed and reminisced about youth ministry days that we had together. Some of the things they remembered, I had forgotten. All of them are now involved in ministry in various ways. Some of them are now youth leaders themselves. One has just received his exhorter’s license and is preparing to enter full-time ministry. These young leaders are now preaching, teaching, and leading others. What a privilege I had to pour into their lives. Now, I am seeing awesome results. By keeping a long-term focus on students, we are reaping the benefit of seeing them take leadership roles in ministry. What an incredible reward! It’s SO worth a few stains on the carpet! ■ Carson Robson is lead pastor of Conneaut Church, Conneaut, Ohio; Website: conneautchurchofgod.com; Email: carson@ suite224.net
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IMPACTING YOUR
COMMUNITY
Through Ministry to Youth ■ by ALLEN KING
A Coffeehouse Ministry Reaches Beyond the Church Walls
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HEN I CAME to Valdese ten years ago, I immediately fell in love with the town and the church. However, there was an obvious problem. The church was over 75 years old and was dying a literal death. I was the youngest active male member of the church. Even though I had been in pastoral ministry for over 30 years, I knew something had to happen. If we were to survive, we must become a younger church. Valdese is a quaint little town in the North Carolina foothills with a population of about 4,200. Even in this small
town, our church had become invisible. To impact our town and see growth, we needed to find a way to engage the culture of our community. I noticed scores of teens who were spending their Friday evenings skateboarding, biking, or just hanging out on our street corners. God gave us a plan! We would concentrate our efforts and outreach budget on reaching those young people. I started a coffeehouse ministry in almost every city where I had pastored; I knew we would be more successful if we could have a facility away from the church to reach youth. This would serve well in a couple of ways. First, there
would not be the feeling that the youth were coming to a church. There would be time where relationships could be forged. Second, other pastors would be more open to sending their youth, and not feel threatened. This way, we would make partnerships with other churches. Third, having a building totally dedicated to one aspect of ministry eliminated the need to move equipment and rearrange the facility to accommodate multiple ministries. Though this is not always possible, there seems to be greater advantages to an off-site facility. However, fellowship halls and family-life centers can work well with careful planning. We felt that the coffeehouse model might have been a little dated. So, we set out to create a little more upbeat environment. We obtained a building that needed repair and renovation. We checked with our town council who were most helpful in resolving zoning issues, as well as offering their encouragement for what we were doing. We also found that people were willing to invest money in endeavors that positively impacted young people. Every Friday evening, our praise band leads in a time of worship. The facility features a concession area and a kitchen that offers incredible food that kids like to eat. The main room offers seating at tables and booths where the young people can relax with friends while a DJ serves up their favorite Christian tunes. We brought in video games and pool tables. We offer a variety of activities. After a lot of work and planning, Jethro’s was born. We chose the name “Jethro’s” because it was while Moses spent time at the house of Jethro that he heard the voice of God and found God’s plan for his life. Since 2003, Jethro’s has served as the center of youth outreach in our town, as well as spreading its influence throughout our county. It is open every Friday from 7–11 p.m., for ages 12 and up. Admission is free, but there is a charge for food and drinks. We have a wonderful adult staff of volunteers who keep things running smoothly. There are also counseling and prayer rooms for students with special needs. We have been blessed to have professional counselors come alongside us that we can call on as needed. We have also found that Jethro’s is a great place to stage many of our church’s outreach events. Adults who would not normally feel comfortable attending an event at the church seem much more open to coming to an off-site location. Even our local Chamber of Commerce uses Jethro’s for their meetings from time to time. The vision and hard work has paid huge dividends. We have had the privilege of investing in the lives of hundreds of young people. We have seen scores of teens and adults become followers of Christ. Our church has grown tremen-
dously as Jethro’s kids began to filter in and become an integral part of our congregation, along with their parents. Jethro’s has received commendations from our town council, and we have captured the attention of local school personnel. Jethro’s staff has served as tutors, grief counselors, and more. I am always amazed at how all of this came together so easily. All the Lord needed was an individual with a vision, a handful of willing people who love others, a small initial investment of finances, and a building that needed lots of TLC. We started with what we had. We are not as large as many churches in our area, but we have a big heart for the future of our town and our church. We did not have a lot of money to invest in this dream, but we serve a God who
OUTREACH EVENTS COMFORTABLE ATTENDING AN EVENT AT THE CHURCH SEEM MUCH MORE OPEN TO COMING TO AN OFF-SITE LOCATION
provides. It did not take long to see that when we move forward with a vision, God responds by granting favor, opening doors, and supplying needs. I have seen unexpected results from the ministry at Jethro’s. We have been contacted by the officials of a neighboring city who expressed interest in providing a building and resources to start a youth outreach, and they asked if we would help. A few months ago I received a call from a youth pastor in the state of Washington who had heard about Jethro’s and wanted help starting his own such ministry. I welcome the opportunity to share our experience, advice, and encouragement to those pursuing the youth of their city for Christ. One final blessing that has come out of all this; I am now one of the oldest men in my church. I am thankful! ■ Allen King is lead pastor of River of Life Church, Valdese, N.C.; Website: www.theriveronline.net, Email: pastorking@theriver online.net.
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STUDENTS LIVING TO PLEASE GOD How You and Your Church Can Make a Difference in Schools and in the Lives of Students Who Attend ■ by
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F
IRST THESSALONIANS 4:3-5 provides an exhortation (for students) to abound in holiness, to abound more and more in that which is good:
For this is the will of God, that you should be consecrated (separated and set apart for pure and holy living): . . . That each one of you should know how to possess (control, manage) his own body in consecration (purity, separated from things profane) and honor, Not [to be used] in the passion of lust like the heathen, who are ignorant of the true God and have no knowledge of His will” (Amp).
WHAT CAN YOU AND THE CHURCH DO FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS? There are many points of common ground between the church and schools. The mission of both has many similarities. They both are in the business of caring for people. In many ways teachers and administrators are like “school pastors.” Churches and schools should be on the same team! Below are some simple ways for schools and churches to partner: 1. Invite teachers to church events that apply to self-help staff improvement (marriage seminars; management, etc.) Consider calling the district school office to see if they will approve your event for teachers to receive self-selection and staff-development credit. 2. Invite teachers to your church as your special guests for teacher appreciation week or national day of prayer week to let them know that they are covered in prayer. Provide light refreshments following the service. 3. Take food/holiday gifts to school staff. Chaperone a school trip or event. 4. Provide transportation for students after school or tutoring sessions to assist parents. 5. Support a local Young Life organization or other student mentoring program. 6. Offer to speak or provide food for a school sponsored parent night or career day. 7. Participate in prayer events (i.e., See You At The Pole/ National Day of Prayer) 8. Help sponsor a local Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) event or meeting. 9. Attend as many school events as possible to maintain a presence of support.
10. Place flyers in teacher’s mailboxes inviting them, their families, and their students to church events—vacation Bible schools, camps, etc.
WHAT CAN YOU AND THE CHURCH DO FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS? 1. Inspire and support students to become leaders at school. 2. Motivate students to participate in and take leadership roles in positive organizations and clubs such as FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), Interact Club, etc. 3. Inform students of opportunities to serve their school in peer tutoring, teacher’s aide, and office assistance. 4. Educate students and make resources available regarding events and holidays that affect the body of Christ and patriotism. Explain their rights to participate in and provide leadership for special days such as Global and National Days of Prayer, Lent, SYATP (See You at the Pole), Easter, Veterans Day, etc. 5. Help students succeed academically and to set the standards for excellence in academics. There are many ways to demonstrate excellence in academics which include national honor society, state scholarship programs, and honors’ lists. 6. Teach students to pray and know their legal rights to pray in schools. (School faculty and staff cannot lead prayer, but students can!) 7. Encourage students to be “popular for their faith.” Students are evaluated by letter grades, GPAs, percentiles, tests, rubrics, and performance ratings. How do your church and students rate? Are you making “the grade”? Are your Christian works above average? Are we passing the “to be like Jesus” test? If teachers, students, and administrators of your local schools were evaluating you, your church, and your students, how would you score—would you make the “all-A’s” honor roll? Remind your students that they are in “dual enrollment” classes—academic and “holiness homeroom.” Lead students to be popular—popular for their faith, for acts of kindness to others, for a godly stance on dating and sexuality, for respecting teachers, for excellence in academics, for good sportsmanship, and a consistent walk with the Lord. ■ Rhonda Parris, M.A., Ed.S, is director of school counseling at a nontraditional high school for at-risk students. She has served in student ministry alongside her husband, Dr. Randall Parris, for over 20 years.
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FINDING, ATTRACTING, PASTORING
&
YOUNG ADULTS
■ by
O
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VER THE PAST several years my personal ministry and the ministry of our church has been built on one central truth: “Every soul matters to God, and if those souls matter to God, they must matter to us.” That truth surely has one exception—the soul of a YOUNG ADULT! That statement certainly can’t apply to a person who hasn’t really accomplished anything, but yet seems to have an answer for everything! Well, at least that was my take as a young pastor who took on the responsibility of pioneering our first college ministry. Reaching young adults was the hardest thing I had ever done in ministry, including teaching a junior high Sunday school class—that was a tough season of ministry! Since when did beating Halo on Xbox and living in your parent’s basement make you an expert on life? They wanted you to do everything for them, but they refused to commit to anything you did! Needless to say, my heart wasn’t in young adult ministry and it was not successful. The problem was, I wasn’t the only one in ministry struggling to find an answer to reaching young adults. George Barna noted that across Christianity, “A majority of twentysomethings—61percent of today’s young adults—had been churched at one time during their teen years, but they are now spiritually disengaged (i.e., not actively attending church, reading the Bible, or praying).” There is a huge chasm in the church that was once filled by teenagers who were passionately following Jesus. They filled our student ministries, youth camps, and auditoriums across the nation at our Winterfest events. Yet, as they transition from high school students to young adults, something happens. They vanish! David Kinnaman of the Barna Group elaborated, “The current state of ministry to twentysomethings is woefully inadequate to address the spiritual needs of millions of young
adults. These individuals are making significant life choices and determining the patterns and preferences of their spiritual reality while churches wait, generally in vain, for them to return after college or when the kids come.” These college students and young professionals are in a critical time of their lives. The decisions they make during those years ultimately will determine the course of their lives. If you make a bad choice when you are in your 50s–70s, let’s be honest, you don’t have to live with that choice for much longer! However, if you make a bad choice as a young adult, you spend the rest of your life trying to compensate for that decision. It’s terrifying to think that those choices are being made outside of a relationship with Jesus or the influence of His church. Ironically, when I stepped out to plant a church in 2007, the only people I could seem to attract were in fact, young adults. I had reoccurring nightmares of college ministry from my past and was convinced that we were setting up for failure. However, as a church planter, you are simply thankful for anything breathing that walks through the door, so we went with it! We did our best to capture the hearts of young adults with the gospel and engage them with opportunities for ministry. Honestly, I think we stumbled upon a valuable lesson and possibly the secret to a successful ministry to college students and young professionals. Most youth ministry models are built around attracting students to a place of “acceptance.” Middle and high school students are desperately searching for a place to belong. On the flip side, young adults are desperately searching for a place of purpose. They want more than acceptance. They want to make a contribution, and surprisingly enough, they have a lot to offer! Time and time again, we have found that those who are given the opportunity or take initiative to join or lead a
small group, volunteer on a service team, head an outreach event, or play in the band have fully invested in the mission of our church family, and in turn, they’ve stuck around. Over the past five years, literally hundreds of young adults have walked in the doors of our church. However, those who never seemed to find a place to plug in or were never asked to take on a task were not able to build relationships within the church family and were with us at the most six months. By no means are these scientifically tested theories or researched statistics, but it’s definitely a real-life trend experienced by our church and many other church families I know. So, how do we keep from missing the mark? What can we do to engage and invest in the lives of young adults today and in the future? How can we make them see the importance of church and live out the calling that God has placed on their lives?
GROW This age group is also thirsty for knowledge. They don’t want to be spoon-fed or take things at face value. Almost every young adult I know loves the challenge of discovering things for themselves. Soon after new young adults attend your church, let them know the studies and worship gatherings you offer. Help them get plugged in with a small group Bible study or pair them with others in the church who will help them grow in the Word and in truth. At whatever stage their walk with God may be—whether nonexistent or the next Billy Graham—I think you’ll find they have a thirst for knowledge, as well as an appreciation for making that available to them quickly.
SERVE Young adults in today’s society generally love to get involved. Finding purpose and making a meaningful contribution to the planet, to society, and to others are pretty common with the twentysomethings group. Whether it is community outreach, missions abroad, Sunday morning volunteer work, or various other activities, it’s important to make those things available and promote them well. If you notice young adults hesitant to get involved, go to them. Sometimes being asked is all it takes for someone to dive right in.
THIRSTY
DISCOVERING THINGS FOR THEMSELVES
HELP THEM GET PLUGGED IN WITH A SMALL GROUP BIBLE STUDY
CONNECT It starts by engaging young adults from the very beginning. From the moment they walk through the doors or fill out information on a guest card, get to know them. Who are they? What are they like? What are they passionate about? The only way you find answers to those questions is to spend time with them. Introduce them to others in the church family. Building relationships up front is key.
FOR KNOWLEDGE
GO Young adults are asking a very valuable question— “How can I apply biblical truths that I’ve learned on Sunday to make a difference in the world the rest of week?” This generation wants to do more than count their days. They want to make their days count. They crave opportunities to serve outside of the church walls and want to learn how to share their faith with others. They are also very open to traveling overseas or across the country for missions work. They may not have tons of money, but they do have time to invest their lives in sharing the gospel without the responsibility of marriage and family. Empower them with knowledge and release them to be the driving force in their generation that they have been called by God to be. Allow them the chance to pour those efforts into spreading the gospel and the mission of your local church in your city. It’s amazing that we actually planted a church with young adults in critical places of leadership. We were told on a consistent basis, “You’ll never build a church on college students.” I understand the reasoning. They obviously are not financially strong and can be very inconsistent and unreliable at times. However, what they failed to realize is that when young adults are passionate about something, God can use them to do amazing things. You’ll never know what a difference they may make in your church until you make the investment to empower them and release them to live on purpose in your congregation. ■ Anthony Braswell is lead pastor, Northpark Church, Raleigh, N.C.; Website: www.discovernorthpark.com; Email: pastor
[email protected], Twitter - @anthonybraswell.
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Biblical Principles of
LEADERSHIP ■ by
A BIBLICAL LEADER MUST BE WILLING TO “GO FIRST.”
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In Romans 12, Paul lists the charisma gifts of the Spirit which are necessary in order for a local church to be healthy and victorious. In listing the sixth of the seven Charisma gifts, Paul said, “He that leads,” let it be with “diligence” (Romans 12:8). The Greek word which Paul uses for this Charisma gift is proistemi. It comes from the root word histemi which means “to stand.” The prefix on the front of the word is a primary preposition which means “before, in front of, or prior.” The basic meaning of this sixth Charisma gift is “to stand before” or “to stand in front of.” The word indicates a person who leads or presides. The King James word rule is not a good translation for this sixth gift. The word rule in the English language today gives the impression of a type of despotic reign. It seems to imply a “one-man, decision-making process.” Biblical leadership, on the other hand, is a word that indicates a person who is willing to “go first.” He or she is gifted to “stand in front of” the people and to lead the congregation in its forward progress in the work of God. It is truly one who has the capability of being a “leader” of the “ship.” The word analogy demands that the individual must have both
the basic understanding of “seamanship” and the respect and submission of the “crew.”
A BIBLICAL LEADER MUST BE DILIGENT. Paul said that leadership should be done with “diligence.” The Greek word is spoude. It is the word from which we get such English words as speed, expedient, and expeditious. It comes from the primary root word pous, which means “foot.” So, the basic, fundamental meaning of a diligent leader is a leadership that has a “speedy foot.” The word is especially important in relation to spiritual matters. Peter said, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge” (2 Peter 1:5). Later he added, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” (2 Peter 1:10). Hebrews says we should show “diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end” (Hebrews 6:11). The word also carries the sense of “earnest care” (2 Corinthians 8:16; see also 7:12 and 8:7-8). In Romans 12:11, Paul uses the word again. He says, not “slothful” (KJV) or “lagging” (NKJV) in diligence.” Here Paul indicates that the opposite of diligence is slothfulness or lagging behind (okneros). This word means to be “tardy,” or
“indolent.” It also came to mean “irksome.” It is the word used by Jesus when He called the wicked servant “slothful” because he buried his talent (Mathew 25:26). So those who are gifted to “lead with diligence” are able to “stand before” the people. They are willing to go first in a timely manner. They are known to be capable of “leading” the “ship” to its proper destination. Instead of being tardy and slothful, they are timely and wise in both decision making and taking action.
A BIBLICAL LEADER MUST NOT ADOPT THE LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD. Possibly the most important principle for biblical leadership in the church, is the axiomatic truth that biblical leadership is not patterned after the leadership models of the world. After James and John (along with their mother) asked Jesus if they could be leaders in His kingdom, the other ten disciples were greatly upset. So, Jesus explained to them how that leadership in His church will be different from the leadership of the world.
WITH DILIGENCE
MANNER
TIMELY
ITS PROPER DESTINATION
A BIBLICAL LEADER MUST LEAD AS A SHEPHERD WATCHING OVER THE FLOCK.
ensure that leaders will not fall into the same leadership patterns as those that are used by the world: 1. Leaders must agree to lead out of a willing heart rather than being“ pressured” or “forced” to lead; 2. Leaders must “be eager” to lead to please God rather than serving for personal gain; and, 3. Leaders must lead by example rather than by a command structure. Peter used the same word for “not lording it over” (katakurieuo) as Jesus used. The only other time this word is used in the New Testament is in Acts 19:16. “And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” This is the type of leadership that grows out of a worldly model. It is based on a worldly system of power structures that establishes certain individuals as “lords” who are able to prevail against the weak because of the raw power of their position. But it often leaves followers “naked” and “wounded.” This is not the type of gifted leadership that Jesus has given to the church. The leaders of healthy, victorious churches must lead by example (tupos). This is the same word that was used when God told Moses to build the tabernacle according to the “pattern” he had been given on the mountain. In like manner, biblical leadership is to be a “pattern,” or example, for the sheep to follow. The leaders lead with a willing heart. They do not seek for money and personal gain. They lead the sheep in a lifestyle that looks forward to the appearing of the Chief Shepherd when all believers will be crowned with a glory that will never fade away. ■
Peter specifically gave a twofold charge to leaders: (1) Be shepherds; and, (2) Watch over the flock. The word translated “be shepherds” (poimaino) literally means to feed the sheep like a shepherd. Peter gave three specific guidelines to
H. Lynn Stone, D.Min., is administrative assistant for the Division of Education, Cleveland, Tenn.; Website: www.churchofgod.org; Email:
[email protected]
But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28 NKJV; see also Mark 10).
Years later the apostle Peter remembered his Lord’s words. As he was closing his first epistle, he spoke directly to the elders of the church. His words reflected the same spirit of leadership as that which was given by Jesus. To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away (1 Peter 5:1-4 NIV).
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SPIRITUAL GIFTS and the CALL TO SERVICE ■ by MIKE CHAPMAN
A
T A RECENT STAFF MEETING, we were discussing volunteer ministry at our church. As in most churches, this is a perennial topic. It seems there are never enough people to “fill all the slots” of our ministry programs. On this day, I asked the question, “Why do we need volunteers?” The answers were good, but typical. “We need volunteers because of the sheer size of the task.” “We need volunteers because people who volunteer truly buy into the vision and mission of the church.” “We need volunteers because our budget will not sustain hiring any more staff.” These were the quick, off-the-cuff answers. The conversation took a turn and became more reflective when one word was added to the question—“Theologically, why do we need volunteers?” Too often the practice of church ministry has only the underpinning of pragmatism. We are looking at the how and the what questions, but we have lost sight of the why. So, from a scriptural perspective, why do we need to call God’s people into service? It must be something more than “plugging bodies into slots.” Because of this, we need a more developed theological understanding of the church—its mission, ministry, and leadership.
THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION ON THE CHURCH’S MISSION AND MINISTRY Jesus defined the church’s mission (Matthew 28:18-20). We are not in the church programming business. We are in the people-transformation business. Disciple-making is our mission, and church programming must be focused on this mission, and this mission only, if it is to have validity. Discipleship is the journey of spiritual apprenticeship. Each follower of Christ is exactly that—a follower of Christ. We follow Him in order to be more like Him. Jesus described for us three crucial characteristics of a disciple: (1) A Wordfocused life (John 8:31-32); (2) A community-focused life
(John 13:34-35); and (3) A serving-focused life (John 15:8). The first results in obedience; the second results in witness; and the third results in bringing glory to God. The “machinery” of our church programs should be carefully designed to produce these results if we say we are following the mission of Jesus. Otherwise, we have already gotten off track. The epistles resonate with a clear message in regard to the serving-focused life. Typically, the message centers on the understanding of the body of Christ and the spiritual giftedness of every believer. These two passages are examples of this: Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:10-11 NIV). Because God has given me a special gift, I have something to say to everyone among you. Do not think you are better than you are. You must decide what you really are by the amount of faith God has given you. Each one of us has a body with many parts, and these parts all have different uses. In the same way, we are many, but in Christ we are all one body. Each one is a part of that body, and each part belongs to all the other parts. We all have different gifts, each of which came because of the grace God gave us (Romans 12:3-7 NCV).
It is clear that every Christian is gifted by the Spirit, and that this gifting bestows on him/her a special capacity for service within and through the body of Christ. As Peter referenced, it is through spiritual gifts that we become ministers of God’s manifold grace to others. Our theology of Christian ministry must change. We must break away from the old paradigm that ministry is a
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closely guarded privilege of “ordained clergy” and recognize that all Christians are called and gifted by God for ministry. We must move from a “one man/woman” ministry to a “one people” view of ministry. The ministry belongs to the people. Every Christian is called, gifted, and sent. This was the heartbeat of the Reformation, but, by and large, we still struggle to see its full implementation in today’s church, especially in America. Quaker theologian Elton Trueblood said it well: “The ministry is for all who are called to share in Christ’s life. The pastorate is for those who possess the peculiar gift of being able to help other men and women practice any ministry to which they have been called.” This is not about recruiting volunteers; it is about calling people to the goal of discipleship, which is bringing glory to God by fruitful service. It’s about calling people to their Christ-formed destiny. It is far greater than filling up a volunteer list. Paul said it clearly: It was he (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Ephesians 4:11-16 NIV).
Preparing God’s people for works of service must return as a major priority of Christian leaders if the church is to be healthy and growing. A key component of this preparation is related to the spiritual giftedness of each believer. This is where our ecclesiology (the doctrine of the church) leads us. It is not just pragmatic; it is theological.
CALLING PEOPLE TO SERVE THROUGH THEIR GIFTEDNESS An effective strategy of calling people to serve through their spiritual giftedness has four components: (1) Doctrine, (2) Discovery, (3) Deployment, and (4) Development.
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Doctrine For many Christians, this will be a new or unfamiliar topic. Therefore, solid scriptural teaching on this topic is crucial. People should be informed regarding the biblical teaching on spiritual gifts. They should come to understand
what spiritual gifts are, how individual gifts are explained and demonstrated in the Scripture, and how one’s ministry is an expression of the gift given to him/her by the Holy Spirit. This teaching could be a Sunday morning message series, special midweek Bible study, or a topic for small group discussions. Discovery Teaching must be followed with a “next-step” strategy. Too often we preach to the moment. We inspire and motivate, but we do not provide the next step of application. There must be a plan to help people do what Paul advised in Romans 12:3—to make an honest evaluation of oneself in order to gain insight into what one’s gift may be. Here is where the subject of giftedness can get a little sticky. It does not appear that all the spiritual gifts referenced in the Bible operate in the same way. Of course, this will depend on individual interpretation, but I suggest there are three categories of spiritual gifts given to us in the New Testament. Paul seemed to express this in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6: There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men (NIV).
There are gifts of grace (charismata). This is the Greek word used to describe the gifts in Romans 12:3-8 (prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership, giving, and mercy). There are gifts of service (diakonia). This corresponds well to the gifts of servant leaders in Ephesians 4:11 (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers). There are gifts of working (energéma). These are the power manifestation gifts in 1 Corinthians 12: 8-10 (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, speaking in tongues, and interpretation of tongues). The gifts of working are more than likely not permanent endowments by the Spirit to individual Christians. They appear in Acts as power manifestations given to any Spirit-yielded believer in response to an immediate need or situation. Most notably these gifts manifest to confirm the message of the gospel (Hebrews 2:4). The gifts of service are the gifts of people (servant leaders) who serve the body of Christ by preparing others for ministry. Some call these ministry gifts, and others refer to these as the “offices” of the church. Whatever the designation, these gifts could be thought of as callings given to people who help others discover their giftedness. This leaves us with the seven gifts of grace. When we say that every believer has a permanent gift that enables him/her to serve the mission of Jesus, this is where we should look.
The text and context of Romans 12:1-8 support this interpretation. Paul is encouraging believers to understand what their gift is and to use that gift in ministry. There are numerous spiritual gift questionnaires/inventories available today that focus on the gifts of grace. After you have taught on the gifts, encourage people to continue the journey of self-discovery by using one of these tools that you provide for them. Deployment The purpose of discovering one’s gift is to use one’s gift. This is not about labeling; it is about serving. Before you even begin teaching on the topic, a strategy should be in place that helps people find areas in the church or in the community where their gifts can be used. Consider these questions: UÊÊÊÜ
>ÌÊ>Ài>ÃÊvÊÃÌÀÞÊVÕ`ÊÞÕÊÕÃiÊ>Ê«iÀÃÊÜÌ
Ê the gift of leadership? UÊÊ7
iÀiÊVÕ`Ê>Ê«iÀÃÊÜÌ
ÊÌ
iÊ}vÌÊvÊÃiÀÛ}ÊÌÕV
Ê lives? UÊÊ7
iÀiÊ`iÃÊ>Ê«iÀÃÊÜÌ
ÊÌ
iÊ}vÌÊvÊiÀVÞÊvÌÊ¶Ê UÊÊÜÊÜÕ`ÊÞÕÊ`ÀiVÌÊ>Ê«iÀÃÊÜ
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iÊ}vÌÊvÊ prophecy? We only frustrate people when we help them discover their gifts and have no follow-up plan for deployment. In fact, if a person has no intention of serving, they need not participate in the discovery phase. One idea worth considering is to have specially trained people to consult with those who have completed the discovery phase. Those with gifts of encouragement or leadership serve well here. They will provide guidance to help people find a ministry or help launch a ministry that is fruitful and fulfilling. Development A person’s spiritual gift is God’s gift to them. What they do with their gift and how they develop it is his/her gift to God. Churches that are effective in raising up ministry partners (a better word, by the way, than volunteers) major on support, affirmation, development, and empowerment. Ministry partners are given opportunities to grow in their giftedness and their Christian maturity. That’s discipleship! Your strategy for calling people to serve through their giftedness cannot be static. You don’t just implement it once; it is ongoing. You can’t let it get stagnant. You should always be evaluating its effectiveness, tweaking it, and improving it as things change and needs dictate. ■ Mike Chapman, D.Min., is lead pastor of City Church, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Website: www.citychurch.cc; Email: mchapman@ thecitychurch.cc
The Gifts of
GRACE Romans 12:6-8
Gift of Prophesying: The God-given desire and ability of spiritual insight to perceive the desires of God and to pray and work for his will to be done. (Biblical example: Peter) Gift of Serving: The God-given desire and ability to meet the practical needs of the mission of God. (Biblical Example: Andrew) Gift of Teaching: The God-given desire and ability to study and present God’s truth in such a way that brings clear understanding. (Biblical example: Luke) Gift of Encouragement: The God-given desire and the ability to assist others in the application of truth to their lives and to motivate them in their spiritual development. (Biblical example: Paul) Gift of Giving: The God-given desire and ability to support the mission of God through extraordinary generosity. (Biblical Example: Barnabas) Gift of Leadership: The God-given desire and ability to motivate and coordinate people and tasks in order to accomplish the mission of God. (Biblical Example: James, the Lord’s brother) Gift of Mercy: The God-given desire and ability to sense the burdens and distress of others and to bring comfort and consolation to them. (Biblical Example: John, the Apostle)
DISCOVERING YOUR SPIRIT GIFTS by Dr. Mike Chapman A seven-part video course Includes a Self-Discovery Survey Available through the Church of God USA Missions www.usamissions.com
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Twenty-First-Century Paradigm Shifts in
VOLUNTEERISM ■ by
T
HE U.S. BUREAU of Labor Statistics states that volunteerism in America is alive and well. Of the over 60 million volunteers in America, the largest percentage of them volunteer through a religious organization of their choice (www. bls.gov/news.release/volun.toc.htm). Significant effort is required for any organization to recruit, train, and retain volunteers. The modern-day church must recognize these challenges in order to fulfill the Great Commission. Although the gospel message has never changed, society has, and the dynamic of volunteerism has changed with it. These new paradigms didn’t suddenly happen; they have come about as the social life of Christian volunteers has shifted in living out their faith in these last days. There have been several significant paradigm shifts:
MICRO-VOLUNTEERISM
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Gone are the days when people volunteered for long-term ministry. Today, nearly all families are dual income-earning homes. Time is a precious commodity. Many pastors know the challenge of finding a Sunday school teacher willing to commit to teaching for a year. It’s a rare thing indeed and
worthy of recognition and celebration of the person who has volunteered to a particular ministry for many years. Today, less may get you more! Churches that recruit volunteers for a six- to twelve-week period of ministry usually find people who are more willing to volunteer. One of the fears that many volunteers battle is volunteering to fill in for a few weeks only to find themselves in the same ministry months later when their intention was to only do so for several weeks. Keeping volunteers to a strict timetable and allowing them to stay for as long as what was asked or committed to reassures other believers that they can volunteer without the fear of battling guilt should there be no one to take their place.
SPECIALTY-VOLUNTEERISM Not so many years ago a person went to one doctor who would advise them on just about every illness or hurt. Today, a person may visit several doctors who are specialists in a particular area. Many volunteers hesitate because they feel insecure about being able to perform all the different aspects of a ministry. Churches today may ask a children’s Sunday school teacher
to lead the class in a few songs, teach the Bible lesson, and construct a craft. The teacher may be comfortable in teaching a Bible lesson, but fearful of trying to lead the class in a song. What church leadership may want to consider is asking one volunteer to lead the class in a few songs, another volunteer to teach the lesson, and yet another volunteer to come in and help the class construct a craft. I realize the thought may be that it is difficult to find even one volunteer, but when this format is introduced, more people will come forward to participate in a ministry they are comfortable with and enjoy doing. This particular format limits the time commitment of volunteers and allows them to participate in other things. It also enhances the class by the influence of several ministers, and allows volunteers to feel confident in serving the Lord and others. Another example would be cleaning the church. Instead of asking one person to clean the entire church, leadership may want to consider asking one person to clean only the windows, another just the bathrooms, another to only empty the trash, and so forth.
NETWORKING Training volunteers for ministry is a huge undertaking and very time consuming. The available time that most pastors have to invest in training has also diminished. Churches on a tight budget must be creative. Seeking help outside the local church for training is a huge benefit that many church leaders overlook. State youth and discipleship directors are a huge blessing to help train volunteers. Partnering within the district is another resource for training. Many larger churches of various denominations will often host local training seminars that are open to other churches. Webinars, websites, blogs, and literature are all assets in training. Today, most volunteers want to be trained before they volunteer. Providing regular training opportunities enhances the effectiveness of ministry and recruitment.
BUDGETING
Budgeting for volunteer appreciation also allows the entire church to become aware of the appreciativeness the church places in those who give their time and talents to Kingdom work. Church leadership can sometimes look toward volunteering as a means to save needed finances; however, failure to financially invest in volunteers who labor and minister will eventually cost the church in ministry resources and outreach.
PARACHURCH–VOLUNTEERISM Typically, when churchwide spiritual gifting assessments are given in the local church, church leadership learns that over 51 percent of the membership score highest in the spiritual gifting of helps (1 Corinthians 12:28). What this means is that we may be asking people to lead, when they are more comfortable with coming alongside a leader. It also means that we may have more people who are willing to volunteer than we have ministry. In small churches, there may be six or seven defined ministries; namely, preaching/teaching, music, media, usher/greeter, acts of service. Encouraging volunteers to engage in parachurch ministries is advantageous to the local church. When church members volunteer in ministries outside the four walls of the church, it expands the local church’s ministry outreach. It may also enhance the volunteer’s personal ministry growth and provide networking opportunities for other areas of local church outreach. As church leaders, we must never see volunteers as simply a means to accomplish a goal. Volunteerism can be the most effective disciple-making program. Volunteerism within the context of church ministry is still one of the most effective means of making disciples. Volunteerism is the body of Christ in action. Working with volunteers is not a means of accomplishing an end, but a building of relationships and the body of Christ. The old principle that says “a minority of the people do the majority of the work” need not apply to the modern-day church. Being aware of changes and addressing the valid concerns of today’s volunteers can bring about an influx of volunteerism, which may in turn expand the ministry opportunities of the local church. I suppose every church has its share of people who will have no interest in doing anything for God’s kingdom, but they are seldom the majority. Helping people discover their giftings, and assisting them to address their everyday life challenges may indeed lead them to help in ministry through volunteerism. ■
The requirements on today’s American worker have become increasingly more demanding. Many volunteers arrive at church in need of encouragement and support for themselves. Appreciation is a great way to pour support into the life of a volunteer. Although words of recognition and appreciation are always a positive, other acts of appreciation should be considered. Privately observing a volunteer’s birthday, free luncheons, dinner with the pastor and spouse, small appreciation social gatherings, significant Christmas gifts, and getaway packages are all great energizers to a hardworking and faithful volunteer. These things require a church Michael S. Grove, pastor, Praise Cathedral, North East, Pa.; to budget in order for the finances to become available. Website: www.pccog.org; Email:
[email protected].
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The BRIDGE
Ministry ■ by
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HERE’S NOTHING UNUSUAL about the 15th Street Bridge in Augusta, Ga. Nothing unusual, that is, until Saturday rolls around. Six days each week, this bridge simply supports the traffic along the John C. Calhoun Expressway leading people from the suburbs into the downtown area. However, on Saturday, this bridge becomes a cathedral for The Bridge Ministry—an outreach of New Hope Worship Center. It wasn’t an easy task to secure permission to make a wellknown bridge into a worship facility. The city refused to grant permission, claiming the bridge was the responsibility of the DOT (Department of Transportation). The DOT refused to grant permission, claiming the bridge was the responsibility of Augusta/Richmond County. The back-and-forth battle did not deter the determination of Pastor Roger Gardner, minister of outreach for New Hope. He just began to circle the area in prayer until God gave a breakthrough. With written permission in hand, the work began. The area had to be cleared and leveled. French drains were installed for water run-off and dump truck loads of sand were packed for a solid surface. With the ground for a floor and the bridge for a roof, we were ready to establish a church home for the homeless. Augusta’s homeless population has steadily increased with the down-turn in the economy. Because of the diversity of industry, Augusta has not felt the recession to the same degree as other cities its size. Augusta is also the home of a large military base and a large medical community. We count
all of this a blessing from the Lord. However, with blessings come responsibilities, and God has been preparing us for “such a time as this.” It started small and slow. Pastor Roger brought home a pull-behind trailer load of items from The Bridge Ministry in Nashville, Tenn. In addition to the donation of needed items, Candy Christmas gave Pastor Roger a crash course in how to minister to the homeless under a bridge. After all, she started the ministry there with a bowl of jambalaya. We learned much from the ministry in Nashville. From their years of experience, we were able to move forward rather quickly. The outreach team was formed, trained, prayed over, commissioned, and deployed. There were workers to drive the trucks, load and unload chairs and tables, set up and tear down sound equipment. There were prayer teams, safety-patrols, ministry teams, cooks, servers, and clean-up crews. There were musicians, singers, and a preacher. Everything was in place. With the music cranked loud enough to be heard for many blocks away, the crowd slowly began to gather. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the distrust of those who came. They did not trust us or each other. They kept a good distance between themselves and those around them as if protecting the few belongings they carried in plastic bags. We fed them a piping hot meal consisting of meats, vegetables, and desserts. They ate and came back for more. We sang and shared the Word. They visited the tables where they
were given nice backpacks in which to carry nonperishables to help them survive until we returned. This routine continued every other Saturday for several years. As time went on, the atmosphere began to change. Today, if you should visit a service at the bridge, you would feel right at home. People sit next to each other. They shake hands, give high-fives, hug necks, and act just like they are at church. In fact, the bridge is their church. It’s been an eye-opener for me as senior pastor to discover the variety of reasons people become homeless. I just assumed homeless people were drug addicts, drunks, and derelicts. There are those who fit that description; however, many people simply lose hope because of extended unemployment; a failed marriage, resulting in the loss of their kids; or an assortment of other problems. There’s a story behind every face. God has blessed The Bridge Ministry in so many ways. We’ve seen lives changed. In almost every service, there are salvations, healings, and miracles. Many of those who get saved at the bridge are brought to weekend encounters at New Hope. I can’t describe the joy of seeing these precious people set free from bondages and filled with the Holy Spirit. Last year the Lord brought the First Baptist Church of Augusta into partnership with us at the bridge. We are now able to minister every Saturday with the same excellence we were doing every other Saturday. Our teams cook and serve one week and First Baptist teams cook and serve the next. We all work together in ministry with Pastor Roger bringing the message each week. A host of other churches are assisting by bringing bands and worship teams to share music. Last year The Bridge Ministry served 15,700 hot meals. In addition, we gave away 40,000 articles of clothing and 200,000 pounds of food from our warehouse that serves as a clothing store and food pantry. Those who serve on the ministry teams consistently log more than 1,000 voluntary man hours per month. Two years ago, almost as if by accident, we discovered a way to break the spirit of poverty. Pastor Brad Bowen was conducting our annual Missions Conference. At the close of the 8:30 a.m. service, I stated that everyone should give something toward missions. As soon as the words left my mouth, I thought of the homeless people sitting in the service. I wanted to back up and make an excuse for them, but I couldn’t find the right words. I decided to just leave it alone and hope no one was offended. As soon as we dismissed, the homeless folks surrounded Pastor Roger and said, “You’ve been preaching to us for several years, and you’ve never received an offering. We believe we can plant a church in Africa.” We were shocked. However, at the next bridge service, Pastor Roger gave an opportunity for missions giving. They came forward with their nickels and dimes. One man said: “I’ve got to get a job. We’re building a church in Africa.” Nickels and dimes
have now turned to fives, tens, twenties, and hundreds as homeless people have miraculously found jobs. To date: The Bridge Ministry has planted eighteen churches in Africa, India, and South America. They paid for a well to be dug in South Africa and are helping to rescue young girls from human trafficking in India. To GOD be all the glory! If by chance you are visiting Augusta, Ga., on a Saturday afternoon and you hear some loud music, it may not be the car behind you; it may just be praise and worship going up to God from under a bridge. To learn more about the ministry and outreach of New Hope Worship Center, visit our Webpage at www.nhwc.org ■ Rich Bowen is senior pastor of New Hope Worship Center, Grovetown, Ga.; Website: www.nhwc.org; Email:
[email protected].
AFFIRMATION OF VISION
for Church Growth God has given our church a vision through the Great Commission for aggressive growth—reaching, teaching, baptizing, disciplining, and sending out. THEREFORE, we will make church growth . . . ""#"̊̋ºßø̇Ø"ıøÆæøÆß "ƺ"ŒÆœœÆæº"̨æ̊œ ""#"̌Ƹƺ̌"ıøÆæøÆß "ƺ"œßø̇ß̋̌Æ̊"ıØ̇ººÆº̌ ""#"ı̇œœÆæº̇ß̋"ıøÆæøÆß "ƺ"ıø̋©̇ÆØƺ̌"ıø̇ ̋ø ""#"ßø̇ºœ̨æøŒÆº̌"ıøÆæøÆß "ƺ"̶̇ø©̋œß"ß̶ƺŁÆº̌ ""#"¸̋Œ̇º¸Æº̌"ıøÆæøÆß "ƺ"¸̋©̋Øæıƺ̌"Ø̋̇¸̋øœ ""#"ø̋¬̇ø¸Æº̌"ıøÆæøÆß "ƺ"æßø̶̋̇̊"̇¸©̋ºßø̋ ""#")æ¸ ̶æºæøƺ̌"ıøÆæøÆß "ƺ"©ÆœÆæº"æ̈̋¸Æ̋º̊̋ ""#"ø̋̇ØÆß "ıøÆæøÆß "ƺ"̇ßß̋º¸̇º̊̋"ƺ̊ø̋̇œ̋œ “The whole city was favorable to them, and each day God added to them all who were being saved” (Acts 2:47 TLB).
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DAN REILAND
engage interview CHURCH GROWTH TODAY Dan Reiland is executive pastor of 12Stone® Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia, listed in Outreach Magazine as the number one fastest-growing church in America in 2010. He has worked closely with John Maxwell for 20 years, first as executive pastor at Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, then as vice-president of Leadership and Church Development at INJOY. His semimonthly e-newsletter, “The Pastor’s Coach,” is distributed to over 40,000 subscribers. A review of his book, Amplified Leadership, was featured in the summer issue of Engage.
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When you went to 12Stone Church in 2001, the average attendance was about 1,400. The attendance today is well over 12,000 with three satellite congregations. Share some of the concepts for this remarkable growth. Next to the favor of God, everything rises and falls on leadership. Therefore, I should first point to the senior pastor, Kevin Myers. He founded the church in 1987; and through thick and thin, brilliance and brokenness, he has led incredibly well for nearly 25 years. I think there is something to that: Godly and sustained leadership over time and sticking to a crystal clear mission—reaching people for Jesus. Kevin talks about the early years as difficult ones, but when he surrendered to a greater need for God, God was then able to do all that He planned from the beginning. That transformation took place about seven years after the launch in 1994 when the church averaged 200. From 1994 to 2000, it grew to about 1,400. My friend Sam Chand says that the culture of a church is more important than the mission, programs, finances, and staff. I believe that. In his great book Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code, he talks about what happens when the culture of a local church is toxic. Bad news! But when it’s healthy, God can do much. Our culture at 12Stone is clear and strong. We believe it’s healthy. There are three strands to our culture: Spiritual Intensity, Creative Ideation, and Leadership Development. Spiritual intensity speaks to a deep passion for God that results in a commitment to prayer and worship that is palpable. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we take God very seriously. Creative ideation is the freedom to express the gospel and the core of Christianity with cultural relevance. And we are deeply committed to developing leaders with a focus on the next generation.
When you were executive pastor with John Maxwell at Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, the total attendance reached 3,500—a 250 percent increase under Dr. Maxwell’s leadership. That was 17 years ago. Have principles for church growth changed since then? Leadership principles haven’t changed, but it’s essential that we keep learning how to translate leadership into current culture. In contrast, ministry has changed much. Technology alone has completely transformed ministry. From high-tech equipment and the use of video, to the cost of staff to make it all work—the landscape has changed significantly. Social media has changed how we communicate with people, and the breakdown of the family has reshaped how we design ministries. We have the same message, but the delivery systems look much different. There are three primary church growth drivers that have not changed, and I don’t think they will. They are prayer, evangelism, and leadership development. Too many churches try to overcomplicate and overprogram. They try to do more than they can pull off. I’m continually calling church leaders back to these three basics. In meeting with pastors in seminars and in consulting and coaching, what seems to be the three greatest barriers to church growth? Wow, this is a tricky one. Again, I’m compelled to start with leadership. A high percentage of church leaders are smart; they pray much and work hard. They are good, godly people, yet their churches struggle. If church growth was based on faithfulness, or work ethic or theological depth alone, thousands more churches would grow. Those are good things, but they don’t in themselves guarantee wise and strong leadership. You can shepherd a small flock, but you must shepherd and lead for the flock to grow. You know that John Maxwell, who pastored for 25 years, has mentored me. So leadership comes naturally to me, and I have personally experienced the difference it makes. When I graduated from Asbury Seminary in 1982, I was one green leader who had much to learn. I loved God and wanted to reach people for Jesus, but that mattered little if I didn’t understand people and didn’t lead well! John’s leadership coaching transformed my ministry. Leadership training will transform anyone’s ministry. I think the second barrier is overvaluing programs and undervaluing a heart for the lost. Basically, that means overbusy and missing the point. There are very few large, dynamic
Dan Reiland (
[email protected]). His semi-monthly e-newsletter, “The Pastor’s Coach,” is available at www.danreiland.com. Free newsletters on leadership are available from Charisma: www.freenewsletters.charismamag.com.
and growing churches that try to maintain a large number of ministries. In my consulting and coaching work, I’ve discovered a direct relationship between the size of the church and how many ministries it attempts to maintain. The vast majority of large churches, if growing, have a surprisingly small number of ministries. In contrast, I recently worked with a church of about 110 in attendance, that hasn’t grown in a decade, and has 52 ministries! It is not difficult to understand why that church is not growing. No one church can do everything, listen to God for direction and do just a few things well. A great book that helps communicate this idea is Simple Church by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger. The point is to reach out to people who are far from God, not exhaust yourself with church programs. The third is an unwillingness to change. I did my doctor of ministry program at Fuller Seminary, and my emphasis was small group leadership. At that time (early 1990s), I was completely dedicated—that was the only way to do small groups effectively, based on an apprentice model with a plan to birth new groups every 18 months. We did just that at 12Stone, until we didn’t (laughing). We changed to a semester-based small group system. That was a difficult decision and hard on all of us who did it one way for so long, but it was the right call for this season of the church’s ministry. Had I resisted or blocked that decision, the results could have really hurt the church. It’s not just ministries and how you do them, but change starts first inside each leader. We must listen for the voice of God and ask what He wants of us. A great question I love to ask leaders is, “What was the last thing God said to you?” Followed up by, “When was that, and did you do it?” We ask our people to change, to give financially, to serve, to love others, etc., but change must begin and continue within the leaders as well. How can a local church create a new vision among members for reaching the unchurched? At 12Stone, we talk and cast vision much about giving ourselves away. In fact, our mission statement is: We exist to inspire life, share life, and give life, because Jesus said: “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). That’s the first step. The church must believe its purpose is about reaching and serving others, not themselves. The purpose of the local church isn’t to create more reasons for Christians to hang out together. Fellowship is good, but it’s a means to an end. It helps us grow, mature, and be encouraged for the purpose of reaching others. A pastor called and asked me if he should build a bigger building because his current worship auditorium was completely packed. I asked how many services they offered, and he replied,
“One.” When I asked why he would spend a million dollars rather than start a second service he said, “The people wouldn’t like that, because they would feel like they couldn’t see all their friends. Our church is like family, and we don’t want to change that.” The change from inward focused to outward focused doesn’t take place by thunderous and guilt-ridden preaching. It takes encouragement, inspiration, and a steeled focus. As leaders, we must set the example and lead the way. Another important thing to help create fresh new vision is to keep it practical and simple. You really don’t need a 13-week course in evangelism, a special speaker on apologetics, and seven DVD’s to make this happen. You don’t need more meetings. If you cast a vision for the people to make a new friend and invite them to church, that’s it! When the friend engages your faithbuilding environment, given time, they often give their heart to Christ!! It may be the result of an invitation at the end of a message, a friend in a small group, or any number of pathways. I’ve often told our 12Stoners, (yes, we do call them Stoners!) (smile) that if they invite someone to church, they are an evangelist. That is vision-casting in a sentence. Discuss the scope of your position that the leaders you develop today will determine your ministry’s future. Every senior pastor, department staff member, or volunteer leader has a vision for ministry. The vision requires more leaders if it is to be realized. That’s the core of it. I believe God wants to pour out His blessings on the local church. Why wouldn’t He? It’s His church. It’s His heart. It’s His plan. My mental picture is of God with a pitcher of water looking for churches ready for His blessing to be poured out on them. If they are not ready, however, He can pour all He wants, and the water will just run off, be lost, and the Kingdom will not advance. Another way of saying it is, if God sends more people but the leaders don’t know what to do, and there aren’t enough leaders, the people will not flourish and will probably leave. The connection between the leaders you are developing today, and the future of your ministry, is the fact that leadership development is a slow process. It doesn’t happen with one book, one conference, or one class. It’s a long pursuit. Churches that begin to become consistent in leadership development should understand that they are looking at a good 18 months before they begin to see real fruit from that effort. If you surrender to the pressure of every seven days and only do programs and prepare for next week’s church service, you’ll never see the leaders you want and need. The power and favor of God, and more leaders, are both required in order to see your vision become a reality. ■
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What’s the Big Deal About the
MEAL? ■ by
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KINDERGARTEN TEACHER gave her class a “show and tell” assignment. The students were instructed to bring an object to share with the class that represented their religion. The first student got up in front of the class and said, “My name is Benjamin; I am Jewish, and this is a Star of David.” The second student got up in front of the class and said, “My name is Mary; I’m a Catholic, and this is a Rosary.” The third student got up in front of the class and said, “My name is Tommy; I am Baptist, and this is a casserole.” Sharing a meal has always been part of Christian fellowship (Acts 2:42, 46). The most important meal is the Lord’s Supper. Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples. The Lord’s Supper is a reenactment of the Passover—the annual Jewish celebration of their deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 12). There is no way to understand the Lord’s Supper without first understanding the Passover. Jesus showed that the Passover in Egypt not only celebrated the deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery, but it also pointed to Him as our Passover Lamb (John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7). The Passover Lamb offered in Egypt was a substitution for the people’s sins, so that they did not experience judgment. The Passover celebrated that the people were being saved from Egyptian bondage by the power of God and the blood of the Lamb (1 Peter 1:18-19). The word blood means life, according to Leviticus 17:11: “The life of a creature is in the blood” (NIV). Jesus’ shedding of His blood for us means He gave His life for us. He took our place on the cross, experienced our judgment, paid the penalty of our sins and now we are pardoned and forgiven so that “there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NIV). Jesus taught us to celebrate this meal in order to remember Him. It has always been an integral part of Christian worship. This meal is called the breaking of bread (Acts
2:42); the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:20); Communion (1 Corinthians 10:16); and the Eucharist, meaning “thanksgiving” (1 Corinthians 10:16). Holy Communion is not a symbol, but an experience of communion with Jesus. When administering it, we don’t say, “This represents His body,” because that’s not what Jesus said. He took the bread, broke it, and said: “This is my body broken for you.” Yet, when He said this is my body, He was still physically present, so there was a difference between the actual body of Jesus and the bread, which represents His body broken for us. There is a mystery about Communion. The word sacrament comes from the Latin meaning “mystery.” Paul the apostle shares some important truths about this simple, yet sacred meal: For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world (1 Corinthians 11:23-32).
A MEAL OF REMEMBERANCE Jesus said, “This is my body…this is my blood”—do this “in remembrance of me.” He says that twice. Paul tells us, “[we] proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Holy Communion keeps us focused on the cross. Communion specifically causes us to remember Jesus’ sufferings on the cross for our salvation. We are not saved by the teachings of Jesus, or the miracles of Jesus, or the prayers of Jesus, or the morality of Jesus, but by the death and resurrection of Jesus! “He was delivered over to death for our sins and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25). When someone asks you what is the difference between Christianity and other religions say, “Jesus died for our sins.” The body of Jesus: “This is my body which is broken for you.” He bore our sins in His own body (1 Corinthians 11:24 NKJV). Jesus is God incarnate (John 1:14). What Jesus did, He did “for you.” We need to personalize the gospel. Jesus did not die just for the sins of the world, He died for you. The blood of Jesus: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” (1 Corinthians 11:25). He gave His life as a substitution for our lives that we may be forgiven. His blood was shed for the forgiveness of your sins (see Hebrews 9:14; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5-6). The hymn “Near the Cross” underscores our need to focus on the sufferings of Jesus. “Jesus keep me near the cross/ there a precious fountain/ free to all a healing stream/ flows from Calvary’s mountain.” When we don’t stay near the cross, we drift into false doctrine, materialism, and legalism. Remember, the cross is the power of God to everyone who believes (see 1 Corinthians 1:18, 20).
A MEAL OF REFLECTION The Corinthian church had a lot of immaturity and spiritual issues. They grew in a pagan culture and now they were learning how to put off the old life and put on the new. Paul called them, as well as every believer, to examine himself or herself during the Lord’s Supper. 1. Self-examination prepares us for worship and for life. “A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28). The way we worship on Sunday determines how we live on Monday. If we are honest in our worship, we will be honest in our work. If we are generous in worship, we will be generous in life. 2. Self-examination frees us from judgment. “If we judged ourselves we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians 11:31-32). God disciplines us in love that we may share in His holiness the way a parent disciplines and trains a child
THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ACTUAL BODY OF JESUS AND THE BREAD, WHICH REPRESENTS HIS
MYSTERY
SACRAMENT
(Hebrews 12:5-11). The word judge means “to examine.” It doesn’t mean to condemn. The word judgment has a negative connotation these days, but it simply means to take a good look at yourselves in the light of the Word of God and make the changes you need to make based on that evaluation. 3. Self-examination brings spiritual growth. “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5). We suffer spiritual stagnation if we don’t evaluate ourselves from time to time. Think about the people around the first Communion table with Jesus the night He was betrayed. The disciples should have been evaluating themselves instead of thinking they were spiritually stronger than they really were. Judas needed to reflect on His motives for following Jesus. He would betray Him. Why? Was it for money or for political persuasion? No one knows for sure. But one thing is certain Judas followed Jesus for the wrong reasons. The disciples needed to reflect on their attitude toward service and leadership. After Jesus shared the bread and the wine, a dispute broke out among them as to who was the greatest (see Luke 22:24-27). Think of it—while He was focusing on the cross, they were arguing about who was the most important. He told them whoever would be the greatest must be the servant of all. He made an amazing statement about Himself: “I am among you as the one who serves” (NKJV). That should be our attitude at home, at work, in the church, and in every relationship. I believe it was the disciples’ argument about power positions that motivated Jesus to wash their feet that night to underscore the fact that they needed to examine their hearts. They needed to get rid of their pride and grow up in humility where they could reflect the likeness of Jesus who said, “I am among you as the one who serves.” —Continued on page 39
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: FACEBOOK The New Missional Tool ■ by
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ROM THE BEGINNING, the Christian church has used every tool available to communicate the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the peoples and nations of earth. Not only did Paul take advantage of his Roman citizenship, but he also used extensively the famous Roman roads and highways to reach the cities that he could not reach by the maritime facilities of that day. The missional strategy of Paul included the use of all the means of access and connection that the empire offered him, and he used them as instruments or tools for the mission of God. According the USA Today (June 12, 2012), Facebook—the largest social network in the world, with more than 900 million members—saturates the homes of the United States of America. Just in April of this year, seven of every ten people who used the Internet visited Facebook. This facility is completely free and is accessible to all individuals who are 13 years of age or older. It provides an opportunity for social connection through photos, videos, and texts which can be accessed by others at any time, day or night. The people who use this service, in whatever part of the world, can create their own personal and/or institutional profiles. The church of the third millennium should take advantage of this phenomenal tool in order to reach more people with the hope-giving message of Jesus Christ. Also, it is an effective tool that the local church can used to facilitate communication with each one of its members—those who attend and those who are potential disciples. On a missionary trip to Paraguay and Bolivia with Bishop Bill Isaacs and his son, Jason, together with other pastors
from Ohio, we discovered, in an orphanage in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, an urgent need for a lawn mower—large enough to maintain the property there. As soon as Pastor Jason Isaacs learned of the amount needed to buy such a machine, he immediately posted a message on his Facebook account by means of an iPhone, and in less than an hour, he had collected the $2,800 needed for the purchase. This is simply great---the use of technology as an instrument of mission.
HOW CAN WE USE FACEBOOK IN THE MINISTRY? 1. List of Members and Attendees. In this list, one can add any person who is part of the community of faith and who has a Facebook account and who accepts one’s invitation. On Facebook one can locate brothers and sisters with those whom one has lost contact and add other new people with whom one would like to maintain contact in order to exchange photos and messages related to the ministry of the church. The Facebook server has tools for searching and even suggests others who might want to be your friend. 2. Groups and Pages. This is one of the capabilities of more recent development. It is about putting together individuals of common interest. Each ministry or department of the church can have its own group on Facebook, through which all individuals connected to that group can keep themselves informed through a listing of activities, photos, and messages. The “pages” are created for specific purposes, and unlike the “groups” do not contain forums for discussions, since they are directed toward specific ends or individuals and there is no call for response. Further, “groups” have
their “regulations,” one of which is the prohibition of groups with discriminatory themes. 3. The Wall: The wall is a space in each user’s profile which permits the pastor, the leaders, or the brothers and sisters to write messages for the community of faith to see. It is only visible for those who are registered. It allows one to insert pictures and images and whatever logo or type one desires to use in the publication. 4. Photos and Videos: According to Facebook, there are 5 billion photos of users and 160 terabytes of storage. The church can maintain an archive of photos of each of its members, of special activities, of missionary work, etc. The church can also publish short, publicity videos and synopses of the Sunday messages. One of the more interesting aspects of Facebook is the ability to integrate it with the Web page of the local church or ministry. Then, each time that information is added to Facebook, it is also added automatically to the Web page of the church and vice versa. Personally, I dedicate from 40 to 45 minutes each day to my Facebook, giving advice and mentoring people in various countries. Every day I put a biblical phrase or verse on Facebook, so that it can serve as an inspiration to those individuals on my social network. Also, I post prayer requests and the formation of prayer chains for those who are sick. This
is a great blessing for them, for their friends, and for family members. I publish all the activities of the Church of God in Latin America on my profile or page at Facebook. It is interesting to see how many people respond positively. Many even make a commitment to pray and to participate in these special activities and events. On various occasions, individuals who were not Christians have contacted me and wanted to know if I am a pastor and how could they learn more about the faith. In some cases, I have helped people to find a church or a pastor near them. In summary, Facebook is a very useful tool for the work of the church; it is free and easy to use. I highly recommend it and challenge our young people to utilize it as a tool to do missionary work from their computers or their cell phones. Generally when I preach, I ask the young people to write a summary of the sermon—as they listen to it—on their cell phones and to send it out on their respective social networks. The multiplying effect and impact of that message is much stronger and reaches individuals that we never imagined we could reach. ■
What’s the Big Deal About the Meal?
that he would deny Him, but Peter said, “when you return,” and in particular, after His resurrection at the Sea of Galilee, He said, “Come and have breakfast” (John 21:12). Peter’s restoration to ministry happened over a meal. Jesus never mentioned Peter’s denial, but simply told him, “Feed my sheep.” In Revelation 3:20, Jesus calls for us to open our hearts to Him: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Notice the emphasis on the meal—“come in and eat with him.” The answer for the believers in the city of Laodicea who had grown lukewarm in their faith was to have a meal with Jesus. The meal is the place where we come back to Him and rededicate ourselves. ■
Continued from page 37
Peter needed to evaluate his commitment to Jesus. He said he was willing to go to prison and to death for Jesus (Luke 22:31-34). The fact is all the disciples deserted Jesus when He was arrested, but Peter actually denied Him. How strong is our faith? How deep is our commitment? What motivates us to follow Jesus? It’s easy to follow Him to hear the Sermon on the Mount, or to pray the Lord’s Prayer, or to feed the multitude, or to change water to wine. But what about following Him to Gethsemane, to Caiaphas’ hall of judgment, or to Calvary? What about following the risen Lord to the Upper Room where we admit our need of the Holy Spirit? Can we follow Him to make disciples to the ends of the earth and to all nations or to our comfort zone? Holy Communion is a sacred time, not only to remember Jesus, but also to reflect on where we are in relationship to Jesus as we examine ourselves.
David E. Ramírez, D.Min., is director of the Church of God in Latin America; Website: www.davideramirez.org; E-mail: david ramirezs.me.com
A MEAL OF RENEWAL We come back home to Him in the meal. The meal represents restored relationship. You invite your friends and family over for dinner. This meal came when Jesus told Peter
David C. Cooper, D.Min., is senior pastor of the Mount Paran Church, Atlanta, Ga.; Website: www.mountparan.com; Email:
[email protected].
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SOCIAL MEDIA and the Church ■ by
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DISCOVERED A WEBSITE not long ago dedicated to people who still believe the earth is flat (TheFlatEarthSociety.com). I did not know that people still believed in a flat earth. However, I do know some Christians who believe that the old-time religion is the best religion—I believe them! Some believe that preaching the gospel can be done only from the pulpit—I believe them! Some believe that using social media to present the gospel is too impersonal—I believe them! Unfortunately, what I believe is not the issue. The real issue is the millions of people who do not believe and how the church can connect its message to them. With over 200 media sites on the Internet, it is virtually impossible to ignore the potential these sites have on how the church can influence the global culture with the gospel. Can the church benefit by using social media sites to fulfill the missional mandate of Christ? In what ways can the
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church engage the culture through social media? Are there dangers that lurk behind the social media craze? One thing is certain, social media sites are here to stay. That is, until the next new technology is developed.
THE GROWTH OF SOCIAL MEDIA To wrap one’s mind around the vast influence social media has on this culture, consider this: It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million listeners. It took television only 13 years to reach 50 million viewers. However, it took Facebook less than nine months to reach 100 million users, and one iPhone application reached 1 billion users in only nine months. Presently, Facebook has over 800 million active users in 127 of the 136 countries in the world. If Facebook were a country, it would be third largest in the world. When the social media boom began, there were 16 social media sites that dominated the market share of the population. As of
2011, there are only six, and Facebook is number one. Now, the newest addition to connecting via the Web is the use of hand-held devices such as cell phones, iPads, and tablets, which are enabling people to connect to social media sites from any place they can get an Internet connection.
THE BENEFITS OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO THE CHURCH At first glance, it would appear that using social media is a no-brainer for the church community. After all, Jesus gave us a command to preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). This is the global mandate! Those who believe the church should reach the masses look at social media as the way to accomplish this. In fact, some now call Facebook the new mission field, as thousands search to find meaning and purpose in life. This can be a great benefit to a local church, especially when the median church in the United States has 75 or less regular participants in worship on Sunday mornings (National Congregational Study, 2011). A church with a small community presence can have a larger-than-life influence though social media. It is not surprising that 78 percent of churches have a Web presence, 47 percent have a Facebook account, and 40 percent of churches are using a social media site (Lifeway Research.com). In his eBook, The Social Media Handbook for Churches, Matt McKee (2012) shares that social media is supposed to be social, personal, and intentional. He sees the church seizing an opportunity to influence the culture, if they can see the need and recognize the potential of establishing personal connections. In order for that to happen, churches need to leverage social media. They cannot just blast their message out like a shotgun blast, hoping to hit the target. There must be focus. Social media sites are great tools that can make the task of reaching the lost more effective. Just as a mechanic uses tools, church leaders need to consider social media as a tool they can use to accomplish specific goals. For example, sites like Facebook and Twitter are connection sites where people can express what is on their minds and what they are doing at a given moment. Facebook allows a church ministry to build and connect people to a community with the hope of moving them off-line to connect and form relationships. A church ministry can give play-by-play accounts of the church and its mission on Twitter or Instant Messaging (IM). But remember, once you start, they need to be maintained daily to keep people connected. If a church leader enjoys writing, then perhaps a blog can be a mainstay for an online personal presence. A blog allows individuals to be creative and tell stories, share victories, and personal struggles. A person can even link the blog to
CREATURE
EVERY
THE NEW MISSION
FIELD
a Facebook or Twitter account. Creative presentations can utilize YouTube, Vimeo, and GodTube. These are great places to post video messages. It is important to remember that each social media site is a tool to be used for specific purposes. Fulfilling the missional mandate requires the use of different methods and conveying the message can be accomplished through these sites. Social media sites can be a great benefit to a church if used properly.
DANGERS FOR THE CHURCH THAT USES SOCIAL MEDIA An article from USA Today (June 21, 2010) stated that the boundaries are shifting in the church. The writer said, “Religious vitality requires a balancing act between private contemplation and public conversation, and both practices require the establishment of trust.” The danger that lurks within the social media frenzy is in the content. Social media sites are to be stewarded like any other gift given to the church. It is possible to misuse and misrepresent the message. The early church had issues with communicating the wrong message. This caused division among the body (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). The same can be true today. Church leaders who use social media must exercise caution regarding the content that appears on their sites. Many relationships are lost over the lack of “word stewardship.” There must be responsibility concerning what is written (Matthew 12:36-37). Social media sites are here to stay. Every church should take advantage of the opportunity to share its message. If done correctly, social media sites can help the church to be both culturally relevant and missionally focused. ■ Dale Combs, M.A., is lead pastor of Hobart Jubilee Worship Center, Hobart, Ind.; Website: www.jubileeworshipcenter.com; Email:
[email protected].
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CHURCH MEMBERS & CHURCH GROWTH ■ by
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OD WANTS every local church to experience both spiritual growth and numerical growth! Most church members want their local church to experience both. There is a big “however” in the mix of church members. There are two distinct groups: (1) church members who block the flow of growth by their disposition; and (2) church members who build growth by their dedication. As the characteristics of each group are studied, it will be evident why some churches remain small and other churches experience steady growth. The challenge is to transform the disposition of Group One and to spread the dedication of Group Two.
GROUP ONE—CHURCH MEMBERS WHO BLOCK THE FLOW OF CHURCH GROWTH
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As this group of church members is studied, keep in mind that their disposition has been shaped by relationships, culture, training, and experiences. The challenge is to lead them in a spiritual transformation process through acceptance, love, and guidance. There are seven different types of members in Group One. A brief description of each group will provide helpful insights. 1. Hang-ups—Church members with disturbing personal hang-ups that color their attitude about church life, spiritual leadership, organizational structure, and ministry participation. These hang-ups include ingrained cultural and traditional concepts, broken relationships, lack of ability to trust, and insufficient training to become mature believers. 2. Hold-outs—Church members who regularly hold out to get their own way. They hold out to gain support from other church members, to form their own team, and to advance their own patterns of how the ministries of the church should be performed.
3. Give-ups—Church members who give up when Satan attacks the church family, when the church is under financial strain, and when they are confronted with decisions about standing tall and facing the giants of opposition, conflict, and lukewarmness. 4. Show-ups—Church members who believe if they show up for church most of the time they have fulfilled their duty as a believer. They often cite a heavy work schedule, demanding home responsibilities, and the need for leisure time as the reasons they are not actively involved in church ministry. 5. Hold-backs—Church members who hold back on forming new ministry activities, expanding church facilities, and engaging in aggressive outreach action. The reasons include: “We need to do more research”; “We are not financially able”; and “We need more training and workers.” 6. Throw-ins—Church members who consistently throw in negative thoughts and comments about projects, people, and programs. They seem to always have objections and drawbacks to visionary planning. They also have the answers to why the church is not growing. 7. Fold-ins—Church members who fold in and build a wall around the church. Their stance is to protect church doctrine, to live separated lives, and to defend certain traditional standards. They isolate themselves from the people they are trying to influence for Christ. Every local church has an element of the characteristics of the seven groups that have been outlined. Here are five ways to transform the thinking of people in these seven groups: UÊ ÃÌ>LÃ
Ê/ÀÕÃÌ. Form a partnership spirit in fulfilling God’s design for the local church. UÊ Ài>ÌiÊ/i>ÜÀ. Match spiritual gifts with spiritual assignments. UÊ *ÀÛ`iÊ Ý«iÀiViÃ. Conduct field trips to growing churches. Highlight growth opportunities.
UÊÌÌi`Ê-i>ÀÃ. Offer opportunities to attend growth seminars. Supply church-growth material. UÊ `ÕVÌÊ6ÃÊ-iÃÃÃ. Demonstrate leadership which provides understanding and participation in outreach events.
GROUP TWO—CHURCH MEMBERS WHO BUILD CHURCH GROWTH Growing churches have growing church members. They consistently grow in their relationship with God, in applying biblical truths to everyday life, and in reaching out to minister to the unchurched. Their attitude has been shaped by a deep love for Christ, a willingness to be trained and to follow church leadership, and an understanding of God’s plan for church growth. Growing church members exhibit seven characteristics that grow churches. 1. Lift-ups—Church members who lift up Christ in worship, lift up other believers in fellowship, and lift up ministries of the local church through wholehearted support. Their lift-up spirit inspires and serves as a model of commitment. 2. Move-ups—Church members who have an overwhelming drive to move up in ministry excellence, in outreach motivation, and in endorsing new methods to get people involved in worship, sharing Jesus, and community service. Their move-up mind-set sparks creativity and a desire to excel in church ministry. 3. Send-outs—Church members who want to send out a message of love, care, and concern to the community by providing support services and participating in programs to enhance community life. This group also sends out messengers to minister to those in prison, to shut-ins, and to engage in social projects. Their send-out drive builds respect and appreciation. 4. Flow-outs—Church members who have a flow-out vision for the church to flow out in extraordinary faith, in supportive service, and in building a spiritual framework that supports Christ-honoring church growth. Their flow-out vision and work ethic fosters congregational energy for united advancement. 5. Throw-outs—Church members who throw out negative opinions, negative thinking, and negative approaches regarding the local church, fulfilling the Great Commission and ministering with power and authority. Their throw-out and all-out posture cements stability and generates a forward surge. 6. Love-ins—Church members who believe those who do not know Christ as Lord and Savior can be loved into the church through compassionate attention, heartfelt understanding, and tender-touch guidance. Their love-in walk and talk lead to conversions and increases in church membership.
7. Build-ups—Church members who build up the local body of Christ, build up the image of the church in the community, and build up excitement in developing contagious, outreach-minded, mature church members. Their build-up innovative initiatives foster confidence, goodwill, and strategic outreach planning. Every growing local church has members who fill roles in the seven outlined profiles. Keep in mind why they view things the way they do. It is the results of a propelling, creative vision, bold faith, and consistent reach-out maneuvers. Here are five ways to create the Lift-up, Move-up, Sent-out, Flow-out, Throw-out, Love-in, and Build-up philosophy: UÊ*,9° Ask God to reveal His growth and discipleship plan for the local church. Create a spirit of trust. Develop an atmosphere of believing and great expectations.
GROWING CHURCHES BIBLICAL TRUTHS THEIR ATTITUDE HAS BEEN SHAPED UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S PLAN
UÊ * ° Outline a forward-thrust strategy. Present the plans clearly and with contagious enthusiasm. Create ownership and set forth the dimensions of accountability. UÊ*," "/ ° Make the plan alive, thriving, and glowing through unique, creative, and comprehensive promotion. Employ a wide range of avenues for the goals to travel on. UÊ* ,", ° Emphasize action. Emphasize accountability. Emphasize advancement. Emphasize operational excellence. Performance brings together all of the essentials for progress—Prayer, Planning, and Promotion. UÊ *,- ° First, direct praise to God for His oversight and anointing. Praise should be wrapped in adoration and thanksgiving. Second, center praise on church leaders and workers—recognition, accolades, and honor awards. ■ Floyd D. Carey is consulting editor of Engage journal. He serves as a church consultant and can be contacted at floyddcarey@ comcast.net or 706-684-0176.
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Five Ways to Make It Easy for Your Members to Give ■ by
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AST WEEK at the close of the year, we were attempting to make a final contribution to our church. The problem was that we had run out of checks. We typically write only a few checks a month and those are to our church. With no checks to put in the mail before the 31st, I told my wife to go online and see if we could contribute there. Our church, which has a good website, has no ability to allow donations online. So, we had to go to the bank, get a cashier’s check and drive to our church before their offices closed. How many donors in your church would go to that much trouble? Very few. Lest you think I am being unfair to my church, let me tell you that few churches have online giving available to their members. Those that do often tuck the site away where you have to hunt for it. When you make it difficult for people to give, you should not be surprised when giving declines. Think about it. How many checks do you write? Most people now pay for nearly everything electronically. Yet the church, ever behind the times, refuses to admit the obvious— that how people utilize money has changed. We have changed from cash to checks, from checks to plastic, and now from plastic to electronic in a relatively short time span. With the rise of smartphones, we will soon see the replacement of billfolds. That is not something in the future; it is happening now, today. Entrepreneur magazine reports in their January 2012 edition that in 2011, mobile commerce sales hit $5.3 billion, up 83 percent from the previous year! How will this impact the church? We are in the midst of a technological revolution that is changing the
way we live. Few people now carry cash or checkbooks with them. Yet churches still primarily depend upon the offering plate or basket to bring in the majority of their donations. Unless churches change the amount taken in, the weekly offering will continue to decline as we become more and more antiquated in our approach. We have to make it easy for people to give!
FIVE WAYS TO MAKE IT EASY FOR YOUR MEMBERS TO GIVE TO YOUR CHURCH 1. Have an online giving portal that is clearly visible and easy to use. If you have to hunt for it, then it is not easy. Online giving is easy to set up and will generate additional funds if used properly. Don’t just set one up and leave it; advertise it, and drive people to the site. As we approach the winter season and services potentially are cancelled, an online giving portal could save you from losing all of those cancelled-services donations. 2. Consider installing giving kiosks at all key locations around your church. One of my clients takes in $2K a week through their giving kiosk. They are now considering adding additional sites utilizing iPads that allow people to easily access their website and give while at the church. With services like Square http://squareup.com you could easily design your own giving kiosks utilizing iPads. 3. Design an App for your church that also has a giving option within it. I am right now working with a group of guys to provide this service to our clients. In the next few weeks, we will be announcing a webinar
that will give information about this. Email me at Mark@ TheCharisGroup.org if you would like to be included. 4. Set up automated giving. EFTs (Electronic Fund Transfers) are not difficult to set up. Your church then receives regular gifts from your members even when they are on vacation! 5. Include postage-paid offering envelopes in every snail mailing you do. I know this article is mostly about online giving. Yet, the fact remains that direct mail still generates millions of dollars a year to charity. The same can happen for you if you provide donors the ease of simply mailing back to you their offering. Touch to Pay Offering Plates? I no longer use my Starbucks card when purchasing coffee. I simply pull out my phone, hit the Starbucks app, and then hit the Touch-to-Pay button and have them scan my iPhone. What if we could do
that for our offering plates? I just got off the phone with a guy who is working on that design! It’s affordable for even the smaller churches. Don’t think that these things are only for larger churches. You would be amazed at how relatively inexpensive it is to do all this. So don’t think it is only the large church that can pull this off. You can do it too. It is time we make giving to the church easy. When you make giving easier, then you will receive more donations. The times are changing. Are you? ■ Mark Brooks is founder and president of The Charis Group; A prolific writer of many books, his most recent book is titled, The Top Ten Stewardship Mistakes Churches Make; He can be found on Twitter as @Stewardshipman; Email:
[email protected]; Web address: http://TheCharisGroup.org; Used with permission.
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SAME-SEX MARRIAGE: A Biblical Perspective ■ by
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OD CREATED HUMANKIND. “Male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27 NKJV).* Being male and female made it possible for the first human pair to become husband and wife. Their resemblances to God enabled them to have a personal relationship with Him and with one another. From the outset they were set apart from all the other creatures, and their sexual distinction made their marriage natural and normative. God created Adam first, but God recognized that it was not good for the man to be alone. So God provided Adam with a suitable companion in Eve, binding them together in a marital relationship (Genesis 2:19-24). God blessed Adam and Eve, and He told them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (1:28). From the very beginning, God’s plan has been to populate the whole earth by those who know Him and serve Him wisely. As one who is committed to the authority of the Bible and the lordship of Jesus Christ, my intention is to examine same-sex marriage from a biblical point of view. The human
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*The New King James Version will be cited unless otherwise indicated.
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race began with an individual man and his wife named Eve. Created male and female by God, sex belonged to their basic nature. God declared all that He had done was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). In light of the biblical account of the origin and nature of the first couple, same-sex marriage contradicts God’s intention for the expression of human sexuality. Same-sex marriage is based upon homosexuality. In Genesis chapters 1 and 2, God’s creative design of male and female sexuality argues against same-sex relationships such as gay and lesbian marriage.
BIBLICAL PROHIBITIONS As signposts to God’s will, a number of biblical prohibitions emphasize the importance of staying on God’s path and avoiding the dangers of sexual sins. Many liberal-minded individuals in the church are now supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage, apparently assuming that God has no problem with homosexuality. The Bible gives us a very direct and solemn answer as to what God thinks about this controversial issue. An examination of a number of verses will show us what God’s opinion is of homosexuality and its extension to same-sex marriage. In addressing this sensitive issue, I want
to look at what the Bible says about gay and lesbian marriage and take a step by step approach. Scripture does not present a systematic treatise on sexuality and so the biblical view must be pieced together from many parts of the Word of God. The Bible says: But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD (Genesis 13:13). And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally” (19:5).
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due (1:26-27). …who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them (1:32).
The men of Sodom are said to be “exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord” because of having sex with men. According to the biblical text, the men of the city—young and old—were involved in an assault on the two visitors. These wicked men wanted “to know them.” In other words, as the Hebrew for “know” (yada) implies, they intended to have homosexual relations with the two guests. It is quite obvious in Genesis 19:5 and 8, that the men of Sodom intended to have sexual intercourse with the two visitors. From this incident, we get the word sodomy, meaning sex with the same sex. Acting wickedly against the two strangers, the men of Sodom brought divine judgment on the entire community. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah shows the appalling wickedness of the two cities and the surrounding cities as well. Sodom was guilty of other sins. Ezekiel declares that its citizens “had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and the needy” (16:49). Apparently, that area of the country was prosperous and offered material and cultural advantages, but the wickedness of the people brought death and tragedy. Jude identifies the chief sin of Sodom and Gomorrah as “sexual immorality” (1:7), referring to their homosexual activity. God’s judgment of the two cities became a symbol of eternal punishment to come. In the Book of Leviticus we read: “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22). This prohibition is against same-sex intercourse. Sexual intercourse is appropriate within the male-female relationship, assuming it is in the context of marriage. Homosexuality is completely at odds with the ideal of Genesis 2:24—“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh”—and is a radical departure from the normal male-female relationship. This cardinal principle is supported by the New Testament as well. The apostle Paul speaks clearly in his letter to the Romans:
These verses clearly speak against homosexuality as an immoral practice and provide a strong scriptural basis for the condemnation of same-sex marriage. God’s abandonment of the pagan society in Paul’s day to the obsession with sexual immorality and perversion was a clear sign of divine judgment. God’s wrath is revealed “against all ungodliness and unrighteousness” (1:18). God’s wrath was His holy displeasure at human wickedness. The pagan world suppressed the truth derived from creation and did not allow it to bear fruit in their lives. The culture of Paul’s day was that of sexual abuse and homosexuality. Paul identifies husband-wife relations as “natural” and homosexual relations as “unnatural” and “perverted” (vv. 26-27). Homosexual relations, the practice of men engaging in sexual relations with men and women with women, are not just wrong because they are immoral (contrary to God’s law) but also contrary to God’s design of the sexes in creation and therefore “against nature” (v. 26). .Since the natural purpose of sexual intercourse is procreation, clearly, only this purpose can be fulfilled by the sexual relationships of men and women. In creation, God fashioned the bodies of man and woman so that they would complement each other and so that they would thrive together in a devoted, loving relationship. This means that the very nature of men and women argues against same-sex marriage. Human depravity can disrupt the created order of relationships in individuals, families, and societies. Men and women can sink to low moral levels so that they do not only practice homosexuality, but also approve and give their applause to those who practice it (v. 32). As Paul says:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).
...for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine (1 Timothy 1:10).
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). HCNN"4234"
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The word arsenokoitai (sodomites) appears in both passages and refers to males who lie or bed with males, depicting males as having sex with males. In the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 echo the same—males engaging in sex with males. Immediately preceding arsenokoitai in 1 Corinthians 6:9 is the word malakoi (catamites, boys kept by homosexuals), literally meaning “soft,” probably referring to those who allow themselves to be sexually abused rather than taking the initiative in homosexual acts. Among those who will have no share in inheriting the kingdom of God are those who embrace a homosexual lifestyle and who persist in that lifestyle without repentance and living a chaste life. Therefore, even members of the Christian community who practice such a lifestyle forfeit their salvation and lose their eternal inheritance. The Lord determines that those who persist in homosexuality will “not inherit the kingdom of God.” A different sexual behavior is demanded in the kingdom of God than is practiced by the kingdom of this world. Different Times and Cultures. The Scriptures are the bedrock for our beliefs and practices. Regardless of the time or the culture, they consistently condemn homosexual acts or attempted homosexual behavior. Several biblical passages that refer to homosexuality vary in time and culture. All of them condemn it, including Judges 19, 1 Kings 14, 2 Kings 23, and Ezekiel 16, as well as the passages discussed above. The times and cultures differ; nevertheless, God is unrelenting in His condemnation of homosexuality across time and cultures. The case for not accepting homosexuality and samesex marriage has strong support in the Bible. The repeated inclusion of homosexuality in the vice lists is impressive and shows what God thinks of that sin (Leveticus18:6-23; 20:1021; Romans 1:24-32; 13:13-14; 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-20; Colossians 3:5-9; 1Timothy 1:9-10; 1 Peter 4:3; Revelation 22:15).The relentless renunciation of samesex relationships establishes the fact that such a practice is immoral and contrary to God’s will. Application. Many biblical prohibitions are against samesex relationships. The Bible is crystal clear that the practice is wrong in the eyes of God. In spite of differences in time and cultures, biblical teachings against homosexuality should be taken as binding today. Such prohibitions have an ongoing status, and homosexual relationships will prevent one from entering into heaven. God does not approve of any type of homosexuality between two men or two women, including same-sex marriages. The participation of Christians in this sin will lead them to death and is tantamount to their forfeiting their salvation. God has spoken loud and clear in His Word about this matter.
SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY A look at the history of civilization discloses that the family has always been the foundation of society. In the Garden of Eden, God designed the family to be led by one man and one woman comprised of their children and dependents. Therefore, from the beginning, family structure has mattered. The goal of society should be to maintain the natural family structure which basically involves a male and a female. As Genesis 2:24 states, a man leaves his parents and becomes united to his wife. Besides that, there are passages in the Bible that give clear instructions regarding marriage and the family such as 1 Corinthians 7:2-16 and Ephesians 5:23- 6:4. In light of the teaching of the Scripture from the very start, marriage has been strictly between a man and woman and is primarily for the purpose of building a family and providing a stable home and life for the family. Indeed, the natural, time-tested, traditional family has proved to be the bedrock of a healthy and stable society. A family headed by a biological mother and father is the best for the well-being of the children, the parents, and society as a whole. This understanding of marriage is universal. Not only Scripture, but the presence of the family in every human civilization argues against same-sex marriage. The giving of support to homosexual marriage reflects a misunderstanding of marriage and fails to realize what a redefinition of marriage will do to society. Marriage is not merely a social institution, but it is also a God-ordained institution and is not to be modified as society changes. To put it precisely, marriage is the name given to a lifelong, sexually exclusive relationship between one man and one woman. Homosexuality and the American Society. The sexual revolution of the 1960s has taken its toll on our society in general. Some of the most popular programs on television celebrate homosexual relationships and same-sex marriage. Our society has become more gay friendly, and more Americans are being allured to accept homosexuality as a normal lifestyle. In our society, some of the most influential people are promoting normalcy to that lifestyle. We know what happens to those who challenge the mentality of being politically correct. Proponents of a gay, same-sex lifestyle argue that is simply an alternate lifestyle and that homosexuality is simply another way of expressing love. Many of our youth are being influenced in the public schools, by television, and the Internet to believe that this alternate morality is normal and merely a matter of genetics. Recently, a university class on ethics was asked by the instructor if they believed that samesex marriage was wrong? Of the 40 students enrolled in that class, only four of them indicated that they thought it was immoral. Quite frankly, many of our young people are being brainwashed and many of them are prone not to challenge
trends in society, choosing rather to shrug their shoulders at the prevalence of sexual license in society and take an indifferent attitude toward what is happening. In many of their homes, the “old-fashioned” values are grossly lacking today, which explains in some measure why many of the youth lack conviction regarding monogamous marriage between a man and a woman and are indifferent toward the morals of this country. Homosexuality and the Church. As same–sex marriage has gained support in the general society, the issue has become divisive in a number of churches and denominations. Simply stated, the homosexual agenda has penetrated the walls of the church. How else can we explain the ordaining of homosexuals by some denominations and the emergence of churches whose pastors are avowed gays and lesbians and whose members are largely and openly homosexual? Like our society, the church in general has not been able to ignore the efforts of gay-activists to normalize and legalize homosexuality. Pentecostals, Evangelicals, and other conservative churches have been provoked by advocates of same-sex marriage. They have been rightly concerns about the gay agenda, particularly here in the United States where religious freedom may be jeopardized in the following ways: (1) Churches will be required to employ gays and lesbians for staff positions. (2) Christian broadcasters will be shut down because of church programs calling homosexuality sin. (3) People will be penalized or imprisoned for defending heterosexuality and describing homosexuality as abnormal or immoral. These are legitimate concerns, but the church cannot be too decisive and vigorous in its rejection of a gay lifestyle and same-sex marriage. As believers, we need to recognize and resist efforts to push the church away from its position on sexual morality. The Church of God recognized the dangerous trends in American society toward normalizing homosexual relationships and as a result issued a proclamation, stating: Uʺ/
>ÌÊÜiÊÀi>vvÀÊÕÀÊVÌiÌÊÌÊÌ
iÊ7À`ÊvÊ`Ê and its ever-present defense of marriage as a holy and sacred union between one man and one woman.” Uʺ/
>ÌÊÜiÊ`Ê
iÀiLÞÊÃÌ>ÌiÊÕÀÊ««ÃÌÊÌÊÌ
iÊÀÃ}Ê trend toward legitimizing homosexual unions; Uʺ/
>ÌÊÜiÊiVÕÀ>}iÊÕÀÊiLiÀÃÊÌÊ
i«Ê«ÀiÃiÀÛiÊ>Àriage as a sacred union between man and woman by living lives that model commitment to the Word of God, exemplify devotion to moral purity, and celebrate family responsibility” (Church of God 66th General Assembly Minutes,1996, pp.64-65). The Church of God and other church organizations are right in reaffirming the biblical vision of marriage and the
CHARACTER ASSURES US THAT HE WILL FORGIVE PURIFY SUFFICIENT family, but many more Christians also need to attest that marriage is a divine gift—not something we invent, but something that has been given to us in creation. A marriage act is natural sex between a man and a woman united in holy wedlock. This view of marriage goes against the grain of the current world in which we live. Our world is where Jesus’ and Paul’s teachings are especially relevant. The world in which they lived was not too dissimilar from ours. As Jesus taught, marriage is more than a human agreement; it is a relationship in which God changes the status of a man and woman from being single to their becoming “one flesh” as shown in creation (Matthew 19:4-6; cf. Genesis 2:21-24). From the moment a man and woman are married, they are united in a mysterious way that belongs to no other human relationship. More, however, is involved in marriage than the sexual union of husband and wife. They are to leave their father and mother and establish a new family. Their primary human loyalty is to one another, and their permanent union is consecrated by sexual intercourse. Like Jesus, the apostle Paul allows for no compromise of monogamous marriage between a woman and man. Sex has no acceptable context except in the marriage between a husband and wife. Marriage is the divinely appointed relationship for conjugal relations (1 Corinthians 7:2-5, 32-34). The flesh-union of husband and wife is compatible with the spiritual union of believers with the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:17), and their union reflects Christ’s relation to the church (Ephesians 5:31-32; 2 Corinthians 11:2). Christ’s spiritual union with believers has great significance in understanding the union of a woman and a man in marriage. Therefore, husband and wife are “one flesh,” but this does not erode the gender distinction of the sexual natures of female and male. When Galatians 3:28 says, “there is neither male nor female,”
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clearly Paul is not denying the physical distinction between man and woman nor the acceptance of same-sex marriage or homosexual relations. The apostle is teaching unity within diverse relationships, but not sameness. Consistently, the Bible teaches a high view of marriage and maintains the purity of sex in context of a man’s and woman’s marriage.
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
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There is a raging battle in our society over homosexuality and same-sex marriage. It cannot be denied that gay people have captured much attention in the church, in the media, and in the world. A number of judges in our courts care little about our traditional moral and spiritual values set forth in the Bible. The moral voice of the church has been stifled because of sexual scandals, divorce, flamboyant lifestyles, pursuit of money, ego battles, toleration of immorality, and accommodation to the spirit of this age of which some televangelists and church leaders have been guilty. The entertainment industry has aligned itself largely with the homosexual movement. Many have adopted a tolerant attitude because of political correctness and because that is a safe stance to take. But tolerance of what is wrong is in opposition to the gospel message which calls sinners to repentance—including homosexuals—and to the acceptance of Jesus Christ who died to give them deliverance from the power of sin. As Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” In recent years, the spiritual warfare has intensified. Demands are being made for homosexuals to serve in government and the military, but the immoral are not denied equality in the Bible. Many benefits have accrued to society from the institution of marriage of one woman and one man. For a few thousand years, heterosexual marriage has conferred on wives a higher status and more privileges than on concubines and mistresses and has produced children which same-sex marriage cannot do. Homosexual acts are a radical departure from God’s design of the complementary natures of the sexes and do not have the potential of begetting an offspring. As the battle has continued, some gay marriage proponents have recognized that they are out of step with the Bible and have resorted to attacking and reinterpreting it. Often, they argue that the Bible is wrong about homosexuality or that people misquote or misinterpret the Bible to support their preferences for heterosexuality. But Bible-believing Christians understand that the Bible is straightforward and clearly teaches that same-sex marriage is wrong. The truths of the Bible do not rest on our emotions or preferences. The Bible is to be examined objectively and fairly. Paul himself urges his readers to “test all things” (1Thessalonians 5:21),
“rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 ESV). God expects us to bring our lives in conformity to the divinely inspired Word. The issue of homosexuality reminds us, therefore, that the Christian life is a warfare and the demonic forces seeking to legalize and normalize same-sex marriage cannot be defeated except by relying on the strength of the Lord. The spiritual forces of evil are exceedingly powerful, but the devil and his allies are no match for the Lord, who “disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:15; cf. Ephesians 1:19-22). As Paul reminds us, we cannot rely on mere human resources; but must “put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:1016). To stand firm for the truth of the gospel and not to give into fear, prayer is our main weapon of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:18-20).
REPENTANCE, FORGIVENESS, AND RESTORATION As Christians, we are not to condone or ignore sin, but rather we are to share the love of God with those in need. Through Jesus Christ, God’s forgiveness of sins is available to all, including those who pursue a gay lifestyle. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Paul gives a list of unrighteous people who will never inherit the kingdom of God if they die in that condition. Among those whom Paul includes are homosexuals (arsenokoitai), passive partners (malakoi) in homosexual activity and other sexually immoral people. While it goes without saying, Paul strongly disapproves of the ten vices in the list; he does not end the discussion on a negative note. Before the conversion of the Corinthian believers, they had engaged in these activities; but they had been delivered from them by the power of the gospel. The Corinthians had practiced one or the other of these vices, but by the gospel, their former lives had been radically changed to a new existence. Reminding them that they were entirely different from what they were before, Paul says, “But (alla) you were washed, but (alla) you were sanctified, but (alla) you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (v. 11). The strong Greek conjunction alla (but) introduces each statement, showing the radical change that occurred in the Corinthian converts. When they came to faith in Jesus Christ and repented of their sins, there were three different ways the divine work took place that brought about a drastic change in their lives: (1) they “were washed,” (2) they “were sanctified,” and (3) they “were justified.” They “were washed” (apolouo) of their sins. The washing may be an allusion to the Corinthians’ baptism, which symbolized the removal of sins at the time of conversion. Titus 3:5 says that “He [God] saved us through the washing
of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Water baptism does not actually remove sins, but it signifies the spiritual washing away of all sin and guilt at conversion. They “were sanctified” (hagiazo).The tense of the verb does not express the ongoing process of sanctification, but sanctification as an accomplished fact. It is a specific act of God by which those who come to faith are set apart from sin to live a holy, dedicated life to God. Daily, a new and holy life was open to the Corinthians. They were now free to break away from the power and practice of sin. They “were justified” (dikaio) When the Corinthians believed in Jesus Christ, God declared them righteous in His sight. At their conversion, God not only cleansed them of their sins and separated them to be holy people, but also forgave them of their sins and credited to their account the perfect righteousness that belonged to Christ’s life on this earth. The point is Christ “became for us . . . righteousness” (1 Corinthians 1:30) when we and the Corinthians placed our trust in Him. Now on the basis of the saving work of Christ and by the Holy Spirit, the Corinthians believers were cleansed of sin, dedicated to God, and put in a right relationship with God. This threefold work of God had effectively changed their lives so that they could live in a way that was pleasing to God. Of course, some Corinthian believers were former homosexuals, but their conversion had specifically delivered the ones who had been guilty of homosexual sins. There is no doubt that the gospel still has the power to do the same. Several other scriptures give us the assurance that salvation offered by Christ is sufficient to deliver people from a homosexual lifestyle and enable them to live a moral, chaste life. In 1 Corinthians 10:7-10 Paul selects five sins of Israel and one of them is “sexual immorality,” which refers back to the lists of vices in 5:9-11 and 6:8-10. Going on, Paul tells the Corinthian believers, “God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with every temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). So regardless of the temptation—same-sex attraction or whatever allurement— God does not allow believers to be tempted beyond their ability to resist. Believers can depend on God for He is reliable and faithful, but God should not be put to the test (v. 9) by edging as close as we can to sin. Take, for example, those who are tempted to commit sexual sins. If they rely on their own resources, they will not be able to resist the temptation. But for those who rely on God and His power they can have absolute confidence that God will provide a way of escape. God always provides a moral solution. We never have to disobey God’s moral laws, for He is faithful to make available an option compatible with His will.
The persistent practice of sin is not a mark of a Christian (Romans 6:1-6). The Bible is clear that those who have homosexual lifestyles or who are involved in same-sex marriage are living in sin and cannot legitimately claim to have fellowship with God and have eternal life. Such people are not beyond hope; they can be changed by the power of the gospel. Every person is in need of God’s transforming grace and forgiveness of sin. The power of the gospel is “to salvation”(1:16), referring to God’s continuing ability to save whoever turns to Him in repentance and faith. Similarly 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteouness.” All of our sins need to be confessed to God, whether they are sexual in nature or not. God’s faithful and righteous character assures us that He will forgive us of our sins and purify us of all unrighteouness. Therefore, the gospel is powerful enough to cleanse us of each and every sin. There is no attempt to identify specific sins here—“all unrighteousness” is inclusive. God’s grace is sufficient for all sins, in all situations, and for all people. We must hold to the power of the gospel to transform and to change lifestyles. It is the only hope for this confused and unsaved world. The biblical view of conversion and sanctification involves more than behavior modification. There is a real inner change brought about in the believer’s life by the transforming and renewing power of the Holy Spirit.
Release Date:
NOVEMBER 5, 2012
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The Spirit helps to cleanse the outward person, but especially alters, strengthens, and restores the inner person with the desire, will, and power to walk in obedience to the Lord. With the help of the Holy Spirit and members of the body of Christ, those who turn from darkness to light will more and more have their lives conformed to the likeness of Christ. In summary, homosexuality must be dealt with as all other sins are. It is a heart problem, and God’s grace is sufficient.
THE CHURCH AND COMPASSION
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God must be given room in worship to break in and to minister to the needs of the hearts of men and women. When that occurs, real change and transformation are possible. The preaching and teaching must, in content and tone, welcome sinners, and pastors have a crucial role in telling the people what a difference Christ can make in their lives. Homosexuality must be called a sin and not be condoned by the church, but condemnation of gay relationships should be done in a way that avoids moral snobbery and treating homosexuals as the worse of all sinners. The apostle Paul takes the right approach in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 where he lists homosexuality along with many other different kinds of sins. The preaching of the pastor sets the tone, but special small group support and counseling may assist in breaking the power of dominating sexual sins. Often, those who have been delivered by grace can be helpful to the ones who struggle with same-sex attractions. The basic requirement to minister to those who struggle with homosexual temptations is to have a church that is living out the gospel. Prayer is vital to the ministry of deliverance. No sin is too difficult that Almighty God cannot set people free from its bondage. The impact of prayer from compassionate, Christian brothers and sisters can exceed our wildest thoughts and expectations. Indeed, God does answer prayer. Our tough love and God’s power may work together to deliver men and women from same-sex attractions and out of same-sex marriages. Believers, therefore, have a pressing responsibility to minister the compassion, the truth, and the power of Christ to all sinners. Those trapped in same-sex sin need Christian sisters and brothers to come alongside of them and to minister to their needs (cf. John 4:1-16). Pray for wisdom and discernment as you seek to help individuals to work out their salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13). What is needed is pastoral care with wise discernment. Proponents of same-sex marriage have accused Bible believing Christians of being guilty of hate. We do not oppose homosexuals because we hate them, but because the Bible is consistently opposed to the homosexual lifestyle and same-sex marriage since they are sinful. As Jesus did, we are
to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and contend for the truth “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). If, as Christians, we make a stand for the truth in love and the results are insults, attacks, or persecution, we must remember the words of our Lord: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (John 15:18-19 NIV). We take the position against the gay lifestyle because the Bible requires us to do so. Human reason and emotions must not be elevated above the authority of the Scriptures. The force of political correctness has a strong influence today. There are those who feel that because of social pressure that homosexuality and same-sex marriage should be accepted as normal. Their argument is that tolerance must be absolute among God’s people and that if the church is to attract people, it cannot afford to be less tolerant than the culture. These kinds of arguments are emotional appeals under the guise of love and compassion. Jesus did teach love, but He also taught a morality based on law: “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men to do so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19). Believers are to love homosexuals and have compassion on them, but the teaching of the Scripture must not be comprised. We need to discern that Satan has ensnared people who advocate or practice homosexuality and same-sex marriage. The Bible calls Satan a deceiver and the father of lies. His intent is to destroy the truth and people. We must avoid harsh judgment and finger-pointing at those who are caught in the web of spiritual darkness of homosexuality and samesex marriage. Let us pray that they will be delivered from such bondage and that they will become trophies of grace.
CONCLUSION Several passages in the Bible refer to homosexuality, all of which condemn it as a carnal behavior and a sinful practice. The Bible also renounces homosexuality’s extension in samesex marriage. God’s Word defines marriage as being between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24) and as being instituted by God himself. God ordained marriage to provide stability for individuals, families, and society, but homosexual marriage is, therefore, contrary to the role God intended for marriage to have. The biblical model is monogamous and a sacred union between one man and one woman. Same-sex marriage is not right or honorable in the sight of God, though such marriages do conform to the politically correct ideals of equality and tolerance, which in themselves are positive values in society.
But gay marriage is out of step with the truth and righteousness of God’s Word. We know biblically and instinctively that God created humankind male and female and that these complementary sexual beings are designed to become one flesh. Marriage between a man and woman is crucial to the stability of our nation and its moral posture. Indeed marriage of a man and woman is larger than husband and wife and their welfare. Their relationship is connected to children, family, and society. The future of human life and society depend on heterosexual marriage. The church’s vocation is to stand up for the righteousness and truth of Jesus Christ expressed in the Bible. The Scriptures give the church a mandate to protect the institution of marriage, but also society should protect this fundamental institution that fosters and nurtures human life. Homosexuality and same-sex marriage devalues and undermines the biblical institution of marriage and cannot be a good moral choice and value for the continuance of the human race. Same-sex marriage does away with that institution; in fact, it is the only institution we have to perpetuate the human family. In
the eyes of God, the institution of marriage is very holy, very sacred, and very special. ■ French L. Arrington, Ph. D., Taught at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary and was Chair of Lee University’s Department of Bible and Theology.
Bibliography Arrington, French L., The Greatest Letter Ever Written: A Study of Romans, Cleveland, Tenn.: Pathway Press, 2012. Hopko, Thomas, Christian Faith and Same-Sex Attraction, Ben Lomond. Calif.: Conciliar Press, 2006. Jones, Stanton L. and Mark A. Yarhouse, Homosexuality, Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press. 2000. Longacre, David (ed.), The Homosexual Debate and the Church, Boone, N.C.: L’Edge Press, 2007. Ukleja, P. Michael, “Homosexuality in the Old Testament,” BiblioSacra, vol. 140 (July-September 1983), 259-66. Webb, William J., Slaves, Women & Homosexuals, Downers Grove: Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1984.
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Reaching the Community at
CHRISTMAS DRAW THEM IN WITH CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS CHRISTMAS is the perfect time to draw new attenders. To take advantage of this, Cooper City has two special Sundays. The first is a children’s production. Every child is asked to invite seven new people to church for that Sunday. The child who brings the most new individuals receives a gift (e.g., a Wii game station or an iPod). The second is a churchwide program (choir, orchestra, drama, and dance) that involves as many people as possible. Brightly colored wristbands are ordered and full-color cards promoting the event are printed. The purpose of the wristband is when people ask what it is, they can be given the card which has information about the event, a map to the church, as well as the Web page and Facebook information. Advertising is done on Facebook which is inexpensive but effective. Average attendance has grown from 1,188 to 1,758. —Dwight E. Allen is pastor of Cooper City Church, Cooper City, Fla; Website: www.cccofgod.org; Email:
[email protected].
CHRISTMAS OUTREACH AT OAK PARK MINISTRIES
This was the backdrop for a Christmas program that included singing, skits, and a devotion. Tickets were printed and distributed to the community, family, and friends. A program was also created that had ads from local businesses. It was a huge success in spirit and attendance. The set was then the backdrop for all our Sunday services in December. Another program that we have done for Christmastime has been a children’s play. The cast of children usually consists of about eight speaking parts, 60 choir parts, and 20 Nativity parts for our very small children. This is very successful in drawing a large crowd and is a beautiful way to celebrate Christmas. Our church has also done a program in which we bless children who are faithful to attend church through our van and bus program throughout the year. We get sponsors to provide $100 per child, and on a Wednesday night those children are paired with adult “shoppers.” We take them to a local Target and give the adult shopper a $100 gift card. They shop with the child for clothing, shoes, and one toy. The adult checks out the items, takes off all tags, writes the child’s name in each item, places them in a bag with the child’s name written on it, and finally prays with the child. Then they have a snack in the snack shop while they wait on the others to finish. Afterwards, they ride the bus back to the church. This is a great blessing to everyone involved! —Kip A. Box is pastor of Oak Park Ministries; Mobile, Ala.; Website: www.oakpartministries.com; Email: blessedboxes@ bellsouth.net.
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ONE OF THE MOST successful outreaches we do at Christmas has been our Sanctuary Christmas Program. Last Christmas, our music pastor and his volunteers created a beautiful chapel in a park setting on the stage of our sanctuary. The chapel was created from foam crafted onto a wood frame, Plexiglass® windows with stained-glass film, and real light fixtures wired for lighting. The stage was surrounded with real 10- to 12-foot trees on stands, covered in flocking to simulate snow with white lights. The setting was incredible.
THE CANDLES OF CHRISTMAS WE SPONSOR a complete program with reading parts, music, and acting. Each theme is represented by a candle. ÊUÊ , /" Ê
ÀÃÌÊ >`i®—Genesis 1:1-5; 26:3. God creates heaven and earth, man and woman to live together in the Garden of Eden; Song: “Joy to the World.”
ÊUÊ " ",/—Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11. God comforts His people and calls them to prepare for redemption; Song: “Silent Night.” ÊUÊ *," - —Isaiah 7:10-14. God promises a child who will be called Emmanuel; Song: “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” ÊUÊ "1
/—Luke 1:26-50. The angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear the Son of the Most High; Song: “Hark! The Herald Angel Sings.” ÊUÊ ,/—Luke 2:1-20. The birth of Jesus Christ; Song: “Away in a Manger.” ÊUÊ7",-*Ê Ê
ÊUÊ ",/" —Matthew 2:1-11. The visit of the Three Wise Men; Song: “O Come All Ye Faithful.” ÊUÊ-" —Hebrews 1:1-12. In the fullness of time, God sent His Son whose reign is forever and ever; Song: “Go, Tell It on the Mountain.” ÊUÊ -1-—John 1:1-4. The Word was made flesh and we have seen His glory; Song: “We Will Glorify.” -«iV>Ê ÕÃV]Ê Õ° —Bob K. Collins is pastor of World Outreach Worship Center, Newport News, Va.; Email:
[email protected]
CHRISTMAS THEME: “GIVE IT AWAY” Jerry Madden THE DRIVING THEME at Praise Cathedral during the Christmas season is “Give It Away.” It is a time when the church and individual members look for opportunities to bless as many lives as possible. Here are a few examples of what takes place: ÊUÊ ,-/ -Ê 1- ° The centerpiece of our Christmas season is a two-night seasonal performance featuring our 120-member choir and orchestra, our drama cast with a live Nativity, and a special musical guest (past performers include Jason Crabb, Phil Stacey, and Voices of Lee). This event is presented without charge as our gift to our community, our friends, and our families. A love offering is received at each performance and is always designated to be given to a local charity, a ministry, or family in need. The annual response is overwhelming. ÊUÊ , Ê /"Ê / Ê " 1 /9° In addition to the annual musical production, we also reach out to the community by involving our people in programs such as the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child, Angel Tree Ministries to the children of those in prison, and numerous
local charities and their Christmas outreach (i.e., Salvation Army, Cops for Tots, etc.). ÊUÊ -- Ê/"- Ê7/ Ê/ Ê 1, ° Having reached out to the community, we also make a concerted effort to bless numerous individuals within the church. Monetary gifts are given to every widow, retired minister, single parent, and family known to be in financial need. Gifts are also given to all our volunteers throughout every department in the church. Also, every person in attendance the Sunday before Christmas receives a bag of Christmas fruit which is donated by a generous family in our church. —Jerry Madden is pastor of Praise Cathedral, Greer, S.C.; Website: www.praisecathedral.org; Email:
[email protected]
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES THAT ATTRACT FIRST-TIME GUESTS UÊ
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ÀÃÌ>ÃÊ *À`ÕVÌ° Our Christmas production attracts many newcomers. Each person involved in the program (participating on the stage by acting or singing, people working with sound, light, video, set design, costume design, and every aspect of the production) submits the names and addresses of five friends or family members to the outreach team at the church. The outreach team sends an invitation signed by the senior/lead pastor, inviting the guest to come to watch their friend or family member in the production. The production is presented during a Sunday morning service, and each guest is given a coupon for a free DVD that can be picked up the following Sunday. The invitation process has been significant to the event, being a great resource for welcoming new guests to the church. In order to achieve maximum impact from the Christmas production, our planning begins in July. Ê UÊ
ÀÃÌ>ÃÊ ÛiÊ -iÀÛVið Christmas Eve services are exciting experiences that provide opportunities for first-time visitors to connect with our church. We provide two opportunities for worship on Christmas Eve (noon and 8 p.m.). We advertise the services on our website, in the newspaper, with printed cards, and by word of mouth. Many regularly attending church members are away or with their families; however, these services attract first-time visitors to the church, provide an opportunity for them to hear the gospel message, and connect with the church community. Our goal is to provide a great one-hour worship experience, connect with guests, and invite them to a Sunday morning worship experience.
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UÊ ÛiÊ >ÌÛÌÞ° Although our live Nativity production is outside, it is successful in attracting people to our church. During three or four evenings, including Christmas Eve, we host guests at a live Nativity that includes animals, and people as characters, as well as a warming tent where there is a live band, doughnuts, coffee, and hot chocolate. This past year, our church was featured on the front page of the Monroe Evening Newspaper, and hundreds of guests experienced the church personally. Our goals included communicating the gospel to the community, connecting with people in the community, and connecting the community to the ministries of the church. UÊ-iÀÊ`ÕÌÊ`>ÞÊ iÀ° We mobilize the entire church to reach our community, and to connect with and honor senior adults. This total involvement experience brought senior adults to the church who had never been to our church, many who do not attend church, and others who have seldom ever attended a church. We serve a firstclass meal with a first-class presentation (each place setting includes glass plates, flatware, glasses, and coffee cups). Paper products are intentionally banned from the church for this dinner. Our congregation provides transportation, food, and the program. We work together to bless every attendee with a gift, compassion, the meal, and a great night. —Sean S. O’Neal, D.Min., is lead pastor of Stewart Road Christian Ministries Center; Monroe, Mich., Website: www.stewart road.org; Email:
[email protected].
MAXIMIZING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON Daniel Tomberlin
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THE CELEBRATION of Advent/Christmas should not be limited to one day. This is a season of six weeks on the Christian calendar, beginning four Sundays before Christmas Day. Therefore, in order to maximize the celebration, the pastor/worship leader should plan each Sunday’s worship of this season with the dual goal of evangelism and discipleship. The focus should not be primarily on seasonal entertainment, but on telling the story of Christmas—God with us. The Christmas story should include the prophetic anticipation, the Annunciation and Virgin Birth, the circumcision and naming of the Holy Child, the slaughter of the innocents of Bethlehem, the exile of the Holy Family, and the Magi’s visit. Musical selections, sermons, videos, and dramas should be selected to reinforce the telling of the story. Also, a special Communion service in which worshipers are served
around a manger scene would signify the redemptive nature of the Christmas story. Finally, during Sunday school or Wednesday evening, discipleship plans should be outlined to tell the story of the development of the various Christmas traditions, including Bishop Nicholas of Myra, the origin of Santa Claus. An excellent resource is The Origins of Christmas by Joseph F. Kelly (2004, The Liturgical Press). —Daniel Tomberlin is pastor of Vidalia Church, Vidalia, Ga.; Websites: www.danieltomberlin.net, www.vidailachurch. org; Email:
[email protected]
DECEMBER EVENTS AND FESTIVITIES Roy Stewart DECEMBER is an exciting time at the church as we focus on the birth of the Christ child. Our annual Christmas musical, featuring the New Covenant Choir and drama ministry, and our annual children’s program, featuring the Kids of Praise and our children’s department, are certainly highlights of this special time. Small groups meet together (Sunday school and children’s classes, the youth, the Young at Heart, the choir) for their individual gatherings of celebration. Our benevolence ministry and other ministries of the church aid families who find themselves in need of assistance during this time. The month of December usually includes observance of the Lord’s Supper. Pastor Stewart’s annual Christmas letter always adds a special touch and encourages each family to never forget the true meaning of Christmas. —Roy Stewart is lead pastor of Adamsville Church; Mobile, Ala.; Website: www.adamsvillecog.org; Email: go to Website and click on “contact us” at the top of the page and leave an email.
NIGHT OF JOY Wayne Flora “NIGHT OF JOY” was an off-night (Thursday evening), a celebration event that was well-attended versus the usual “Christmas program.” Planned and publicized well in advance, and prepared in a “dinner-theater” fashion, this particular presentation was a big hit for the whole family! Guests were seated at round tables and served good food. The Night of Joy included puppetry, musical drama,
comedy, traditional carols, and a touching closure with the pastor’s “Fireside Chat.” Reading the Christmas story, the closing appeal featured the famous “Who’ll Take the Son” story of the wealthy art collector, who awarded his Rembrandts to the highest bidder of an uninteresting portrait of his own son. Pastor Flora’s closing challenge was an invitation for everyone to “take the Son.” Many came to Jesus on the Night of Joy, and many others rededicated their lives to Christ. —Wayne Flora is pastor of University Church, Greenville, N.C.; Email:
[email protected]
SPECIAL EVENTS AT CHRISTMAS
UÊ ÛiÊ >ÌÛÌÞ° The Sunday prior to Christmas our foyer is transformed into a live replication of the Nativity scene. This occurs during our normal church hours, between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. When our guests arrive, the first thing they see is Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus and the manger surrounded by shepherds, live camels, sheep, and donkeys. Seasonal music is played in the foyer, and holiday scented candles are lit to add to the overall ambience of the scene. This quickly has become a favorite Christmas event at our church and is particularly wonderful in teaching and exciting the children of the church and community. Because we allow the scene to run prior to and during all church services, families are able to reflect, take pictures, and fellowship around the manger scene. ÊUÊ >`i}
ÌÊ Õ° Our Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service has become a local tradition. The sanctuary is softly lit, while stringed instruments set the atmosphere playing traditional Christmas carols. We begin with congregational singing of one traditional carol, and then proceed directly into Communion. Individual families are invited to one of six stations surrounding the altar to be served by one of our pastoral team members and their spouses. Prayer for the individual family occurs during this time and allows for our church to have a rare small-church feel. Once a family has participated in Communion, they are free to leave. We have over 800 people, and as a result of the “station” set up, we are able to complete the service in approximately 50 minutes. —Darrell W. Waller is senior pastor, Winchester Church, Winchester, Va.; Website: www.wcog.com; Email: Darrellwaller@ wcog.com
insights & trends American Christianity’s Greatest Contribution
Barna Group Survey Impact: How does your church respond to these areas of focus?
Church Social Networks In addition to Facebook, try these networking sites: SoChurch (sochurch.com churches connect with members, engage visitors, and spread their message in effective and relevant The City (onthecity.org a Web-based software platform that enables the daily life, community, and ministry of your whole My Flock (myflock.com the church with management software, social networking, and more (ChurchMarketingStinks.com
Women Give More Than Men According to the Center on Philanthropy, women give significantly more to charity than are the driving forces behind many of the gifts more women are working, their incomes have The percentage of women who make more money than their working husbands is now about Impact: Does this relate to local church giv
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