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Forcing Us to Grow

January 26, 2012 in Ministry, Personal with 2 Comments

Let’s talk about making that real lasting investment in our communities, and making it outside of our church.  (Catch-up with the introduction HERE.)  I love MY church, THE church, and the calling of the church.  However, sincerely believing that doesn’t mean that the Church Can Do Everything, and it Helps to Make our Message Real.  The other great side-effect of serving in an uncomfortable place is it Forces us as Leaders to Grow.

When we take ourselves of the comfort our churches afford us, we begin to see all kinds of discipleship happen in our own lives.  I know what your thinking… “Where are you getting this churches lead to comfort talk?”

I believe that when all our interaction with people is within the confines of our Christian environments, that we become separate from the real lives of so many around us.  We actually begin to exists in environments we can explicitly control, and when we control the environment of our interactions we can easily grow comfortable.  When we step outside of those things we can control, then we are forced to be hands and feet for a gospel message to those that need it the most.

It’s time that we make personal growth and discipleship a priority, and just as we encourage people to serve in our areas of ministry; we need to back it up with our own service in their lives.  Don’t believe the myth that all your personal growth will happen within the context of your local church.  You can and will grow as a leader and a believer by taking the reality of the gospel outside your church walls and into your community.

 

Helping to Make our Message Real

January 25, 2012 in Ministry, Personal with 2 Comments

Let’s talk about making that real lasting investment in our communities, and making it outside of our church.  (Catch-up with the introduction HERE.)  I love MY church, THE church, and the calling of the church.  However, sincerely believing that doesn’t mean that the Church Can Do Everything, and it doesn’t end there.  One of the most important benefits to us as leaders to serve outside of our churches, is it Helps to Make our Message Real.

I know that for years I would speak, preach, teach, and talk family, family, family.  However, it wasn’t until I started fostering kids in my home that people began to listen.  There is something about backing up your message that will soften the hearts of the people you lead.  Those you influence will begin to see you truly leading from your passions in all areas of your life, and there may be no greater testimony that that to the people in our churches.

What in our personal life backs up what you preach?  And don’t say the work you do at the church! That’s only part of it.  Your calling is bigger than that 3 hour window on Sunday Mornings!  Put some legs to all your talk of life-change, family discipleship, and bringing hope to children.  It’s time for those in churches to back up our Sunday talk with some Monday living.  We are not exempt from community outreach, just because we are ministers within a local church.

But what does it look like?  That’s up for you to decide.  

The Church Can’t Do Everything

January 24, 2012 in Ministry, Personal with 4 Comments

This week we are talking about making that real lasting investment in our communities, and making it outside of our church.  (Catch-up with the introduction HERE.)  I love MY church, THE church, and the calling of the church.  However, sincerely believing that doesn’t mean that the Church Can Do Everything.

I believe that it was never the intention of the local church to replace individual outreach.  It’s not the church’s job to reach out to my next door neighbor, or coach my kids baseball team, or volunteer at the public school in my community, or share Christ with the hurting world I interact with everyday.  As Christians, it is our duty to bring life change to wherever we are living.

The purpose of the church is more of a launching pad.  There is no doubt that we can create some effective outreach from within the walls of our church community, and I’ve seen great churches make an impact in their communities as a whole.  But, isn’t church also to be the place that we launch people out into the world?  Isn’t the local church meant to encourage those in attendance to live a life that brings glory to God and therefore spread the Gospel the world over?

Those of us working in churches, are often the last ones to get this message.  We spend 50+ hours a week creating amazing experiences for the families that attend our church (and we should), but many of us spend rarely an hour a year investing in our community without our church name badge on.  Why?  This has got to change if we are truly to be leaders at taking the Gospel to a hurting world.

Let us force the community of believers we serve with to see Christianity as permeating our everyday life.  Let’s bring light to our hurting communities, and in the process bring the light to our own churches.  I’ve never once served in my community, and NOT seen my church get the attention in some way.

Many of us have personal passions that we are dreaming of fulfilling, and fell restricted by our local church.  Let this not be.  It’s my prayer that you find the solution to carry on the mission of your calling both inside your church walls and outside them as well.

Outside of the Church

January 23, 2012 in Ministry, Personal with 0 Comments

I’ve been in a struggle.  This week, I’d like to take you on a journey my family and I have been on for the past couple of years.

I serve in a local church.  I love the local church, and I fully support the mission my church lives to fulfill.  However, how do we take this great message of hope and salvation, and move it outside of our church walls? And more specifically, how do we do it as a family outside of our homes? I’d like to evaluate the different reasons that Church leaders should be investing in their communities on an individual level.

Before talking about any of this, I believe it’s important to talk about what the church is.  For me, I sincerely believe that:

  • The Church is the vehicle that takes God’s plan for salvation to the world at-large.
  • The Church is the greatest organization to bring about true life-giving relationships in the world.
  • The Church should be the greatest collective effort of believers to reach the community in which it resides.
  • The Church is strong relevant, and growing!

 Why be involved in your local community, when your church does so much already?

Reboot for 2012

January 9, 2012 in Bible, Personal with 0 Comments

Years ago I managed an IT department on a university campus, and every conversation we had with end-users (those are the ones with problems) began something like this, “Have you rebooted your machine?”  I swear back in the 90′s this would fix 90% of the problems on a Windows 95 machine.

January is official reboot your life month, right?  You might prefer the word resolutions, quick-fixes, or get better ideas for 2012.  I personally like the idea of rebooting things. Well at this time of year, let me ask you…

“Have you rebooted your resolutions and goals this year?”

Here are 5 ways to take the time to push the reboot button on 2011, and amp up for 2012.

1. Quit pretending everything went perfect in 2011.  What went wrong?  Define it, meditate on it, look into why it didn’t go your way in these areas, and then bury it.

2. Quit pretending everything was terrible in 2011.  What went right?  Some of you might have to look hard, but I can guarantee you that you’ve done something noble and honorable this year.  Define it, meditate on it, look into why it went your way, and then bury it.

3. What challenged you this year?  Notice I used the word “challenge”, not the word “troubled.”  What was hard for you to do this year?  Why was it harder than you thought?

4. What do you want to do this year?  <Insert Dream Here>

5. Pray.  Work through these top 4 and then pray.  But why pray?  Well the Bible tells us so!

Psalm 107:28-30 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven

Matthew 7:7  ”Ask, and it will be given to you seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Mark 9:29  And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Mark 11:24  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

John 14:13-14 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it

Acts 9:40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.

Ephesians 6:18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

James 5:14-16 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

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