I’d like to wish you a Merry Christmas. And a Happy Christmas. I’d also like to wish you a Happy Hannukah and Happy Kwanzaa. And also a Merry Chanukah and a Merry Kwanzaa.

If you are an atheist, then just happy and merry to you.

Happy boxing day, December 26th, which is a day we celebrate our urge to kill our family members the day after, by not killing them, but by just boxing them around a bit. That’s the day we float like a butterfly, but sting like a bee, as a prophet once said.

Have you bought all your gifts? I haven’t bought any gifts yet. I’ll probably wait until after the New Year. It allows me to miss the rush and get to some post- New Year’s sales. I’m waiting for the 90% discount sales at Hermes.

I’d like to support the economy more, but for now, I’m just avoiding the madness. Not because I don’t like madness, and there’s nothing wrong with a little madness, if only because it helps you appreciate sanity. I just don’t want to be stuck in traffic.

Perhaps it is enough to sing some hymns and have a good dinner. Perhaps you will open that Chateauneuf du pape you’ve been saving from last year, when you splurged after a wine tasting one evening. Or you decided to get your ingredients from Whole Foods, including some wild mushrooms and artisenal cheese. Instead of spending a few hundred dollars on that diamond necklace, or getting some extravagant electronic device, you bought truffle oil for your mashed potatoes.

Wise choices. Truffle oil is far more important than a 75 inch plasma screen.

For the great theologian Schleiermacher, the feeling of the love of Christ was best represented by a family singing hymns around a piano after a delicious meal. He did not say it was found by a new camcorder.

Although the Flip is pretty cool.

The story of Christmas actually begins with the story of his return, with His words of peace and reconciliation. It begins with Easter. The body of believers began to understand that Christ’s love overcame the power of the gods who maliciously manipulated the lives around them. When they saw how being loved changed lives into lives that were full of potential, maganimity and creativity, they listened to the stories that were being told about Jesus’ early life, including his birth.

Tonight we celebrate the story of his birth.

And no, there is little historical evidence when or where. But we can recognize a few things within the events, the snippets of the lives told from the religious imagination of the people.

The first is that God is in surprises. The shepherds, Mary, and pretty much everyone, were a bit surprised. God as a baby makes God vulnerable and dependent, which is much different than the God who throws his weight around, making lives miserable. Granted, not all surprises are good, which is why we spend a lot of time avoiding them.

The second is that our life in the spirit is one of engagement. The child is dependent upon his family and the generosity of strangers. We are likewise truly dependent upon each other. And we’ll probably learn more about this as the year continues.

And last, Jesus loves a party. If there is a victory, if love does work, if there is justice at the end of time, if there is reason to hope, then we can afford to be magnanimous toward our enemies, patient in our work, and optimistic in our orientation. It may not get better for us, right here, in our individual lives, but the work we do together does make things better for others, even in the midst of individual sorrow and pain.

Therefore, we have plenty to celebrate about.

This is why the church placed Jesus’ birth square in the middle of Yuletide. Because the pagans had a good idea in holding parties, Christians agreed that the birth of Christ is a pretty good reason to party in itself.

So we’ll see you tonight at some time.

“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.”  Douglas Adams, Author

Raising customer service levels in ministry is a necessity.  A study was conducted on why people leave church revealed some disconcerting statistics:

•  1% die
• 3%  move away
• 5% leave because of other relationships
• 14% leave because they don’t like what is taught
• 68% leave because of an attitude of indifference demonstrated to them by an employee/volunteer.

 In many ministries member care is the responsibility of helps ministry; pastoral care, ushers, greeters, etc.  If the ministry is large enough to have a call center or prayer center then those departments also assume responsibility for member care.  However, everyone serves a member; some serve the member directly, others serve the staff (enabling them to serve the member) but all in all, the entire ministry is responsible for serving members.  Barna Research conducted a study not too long ago and the findings are most disturbing:

 Human beings could NOT be reached at 55% of the nation’s churches.

• Twenty percent (20%) had neither a person nor an answering machine.
• Sixteen percent (16%) had an answering machine respond to all calls.

People call churches because they are in need so is there a wonder members feel disconnected from their church when the result of a phone call is endless ringing or an answering machine? 

Eight Member Care Tips

 1) Smile, then answer your phone. A caller can “hear” a smile so be sure to wear one.  Call forwarding and automated routing systems are detrimental to the health of your ministry. 

2) LISTEN, then respond with empathy and the resolve to “make it right.”

3) Provide a solution even if there is not an immediate benefit in doing so.

4) Whoever answers the call should “own” that member and make the necessary phone calls to resolve the complaint, don’t send them off hinder and yon to find a solution…find it for them.

5) Don’t say you’ll do something unless you are committed to doing it.  If you promise to call back make sure you do so, even if it is to say “I don’t have an answer yet but I’m still working on it for you.”

6) Watch what you say about members to your staff.  Your attitude about them will determine your behavior toward them. If you denigrate them using such terms as “special” and talk about how demanding, unreasonable, stupid, etc., they are your staff/volunteers will mirror that attitude.  Members should be revered and respected because God chose to send them to you. 

7) Treat your members as you want to be treated.  Remember the bad service you once received and the action you took as a result and resolve to never treat a member in the same manner.  Then remember the most wonderful service you ever received and determine to do it better.

8) Show appreciation; send holiday greetings, have volunteer appreciation functions, say thank you and say it often.

 Never forget that your members are not a nuisance, they are people who God has entrusted to your care.    Caring for members must be a ministry-wide value that is reflected from the Pastor to the maintenance team; then, and only then will you have earned the right to expect member loyalty.

The Manhattan Declaration: Review of an Interview with J. Ligon Duncan

12/18/2009 – James White

We started half an hour early yesterday on the Dividing Line so that I could play the majority of the comments made by J. Ligon Duncan in defense of his signing of the Manhattan Declaration. We also read through some material by Dr. Nielsen who likewise signed. Hopefully we found a solid ground upon which to speak to the issue without losing our balance and throwing such brothers as Dr. Duncan or Dr. Mohler under the bus. Took a few calls toward the end of the program as well.

 Here’s the program.

Cultural differences often arise in a multi-cultural church such as the Nicosia International Church. As we worship, learn, obey, and fellowship together as one community from many nations, we’ve noticed significant differences between the ‘global north’ (Europe and North America) and the ‘global south’ (pretty much everyone else). Obviously, these are gross generalities with many exceptions, but we have noticed them as general trends.

1. Worship in the global south often begins with a shout of victory. Worship in the global north begins with a cry for forgiveness.
2. Prayer in the global south petitions God and expects intervention and deliverance. Prayer in the global north asks for strength to endure.
3. Leaders in the global south are expected to have spiritual power. Leaders in the global north are expected to have spiritual wisdom.
4. Jesus in the global south is seen as a reigning King. Jesus in the global north is viewed as a suffering servant.

I’m not sure how to articulate them, but I suspect there are differences in community, mission, and the Bible as well.

For those of you with cross-cultural experience, can you offer any help here?

I pray that this has been a great year for you & your church. I know that 2009 has been a historic year @VOSD & a wonderful year of breakthrough. I truly believe that we have certainly met all of our goals for 2009 & have stepped into 2010 with a driving passion to continue to reach God’s best for our church.

The next 3 blogs will speak to breaking church growth barriers in your church. I will certainly be speaking from a senior pastor’s perspective, but hopefully this information will be helpful to any of my friends who may use this blog as reference. Please feel free to leave a comment or question.

Breaking the 400 Barrier in your church.

1. Develop an identity that speaks to your community. Here is a question. Which ministry in your church speaks loudest to your community? When people think of your church, what do they think of? To break the 400 barrier, it is very important to present the ministry that you feel will cause for people to join you in that mission. Answer the question of: “Why should I get involved?” Which ministry is your star?

2. Develop/Add more staff to your team. How many full-time minister’s serve your church? In order to break this barrier, staff is vital. It is virtually impossible to maintain a growth pattern without a staff that will serve & support the pastor’s of the church. There may have been times of growth, but in order to sustain growth, staff is vital.

3. Develop another Sunday morning service. For a church of 200-400 people, chances are there are limitations with facilities. One great tension of a growing church is Sunday morning seating, parking & children’s space. If you find that you have hit some of these barriers, an additional Sunday service may be in the cards. Here is a sure fire way to know. If a service is 70% full, it is full, if it is 80% full, it is too full, if it is 90% full you may be losing people. (There is also a way to monitor if your your new additional service is failing or succeeding.)

4. Develop a more quality ministry. As your ministry grows, expectations grow, because word of mouth grows & that is your greatest promotion. When people start to invite others to church, because they have had a life-changing experience, those new people come with a lot of hope. It may be worthwhile to evaluate your ministry leaders, ministry operations, children ministry, etc.

We only get one chance to make a first impression.

Dr. John MacArthur examines Oral Roberts’ Influence

Measuring Oral Roberts’ Influence.

Daily Bible Study Acts 9 Daily Bible Study Acts 9 Daily Bible Study Acts 9 Bible

Daily Truth Bible Study  Acts 9:22-43   Let us continue to follow what God is doing in the Church during its formation. How does this compare with what is happening in the “church” today?

Verse 22 tells us that Saul/Paul confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus proving that Jesus is the Christ. Now we know that it was not the lesser of the Jews he was confounding because, in every other situation we have seen, the leadership of the Jews is always out in front of the confrontation. It was true in the very beginning. The Jews who were leading the battle against Jesus were the leadership and that continued. So do not think that Saul/Paul was sneaking around and talking to the lowest level of Jew only. He was confounding the leadership and proving that Jesus was indeed who He had said He was.

How did Saul/Paul do this? I would say that he did it the same way he continued to do it throughout his ministry. He taught that Jesus is the Son of God who died, rose, and ascended to be with the Father. He taught that there is salvation in no other name except Jesus. This is the same message Paul taught throughout his ministry. The power of God was also involved without question. God’s power was at work to accomplish His purpose. Saul/Paul was only as able as God made him to be.

Now, I would like to combat the thought popular today that “since modern people do not want to hear about doctrine, we need to be relevant to them and meet them where they live”. This type of thinking is bankrupt. It implies that God and His word is not relevant unless man gives it the right to be. This is an abomination! God is Holy, Holy, Holy. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-encompassing. He determines what is relevant.

The “relevance to the world” crowd are working from the belief that man is sovereign in determining whether or not he will accept God. They may not admit it but it is true. Why else would a person think it necessary to the relevant to a group in order to tell the group what it needs to hear? They are trying to get the group’s approval or buy-in.

We have already covered the fact that God is sovereign and determines those who will be saved and is justified in doing so. God predetermines and calls those who will be saved unto Himself. This is why God is always relevant. People need to hear the truth so the elect will come to God in repentance (which is a sign they are the elect). 

Saul/Paul could talk the talk and reason with the educated. He was a well-educated pharisee before his conversion. If he had wanted, he could have argued Jewish beliefs all day long. As an educated man, he could have also argued Roman politics and world events. He did not do this however. He preached Christ alone as the savior of the world.

Next, look at verse 23. After many days, the Jews plotted to kill him. Here we go again. Not much has changed. The Jews realized they were in trouble of loosing their hold over the people. Saul/Paul’s message threatened to undo their religious system. Their hardened hearts were not capable of repenting (apparently) and thus they planned to kill the messenger so as to remove the problem.

Wow, what a religion! They could not win the argument with facts and they did not apparently have a great deal of faith in their religion so they plotted to kill Saul/Paul to quiet him.

What does this tell you about Saul/Paul and his message. There was real power there. If not, would the Jews desire to kill? Maybe. Saul/Paul’s message was considered blasphemous to them. However, watch how they planned to kill him. They were not planning to walk up to him and kill him publicly. They waited at the gates to catch him. This may suggest the Jews were not acting with the popular opinion of the population of the area.

Regardless of the exact reason for their plans, Saul/Paul was not to be stopped. God made a way for his escape. Saul/Paul was a force to be feared by the Jews. He carried the message of redemption to his part of the world.  

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By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY

NEW YORK — Susan Hong stops Pastor Tim Keller as he dashes up the steps of a Baptist church on a hectic corner of Broadway and West 79th Street.

She heard him preach at 10:30 a.m. on the Upper East Side. Now she has brought friends to hear him at the West Side 5 p.m. service. He briefly greets her, then slips into the service just before his sermon.

In 45 minutes, before the final hymn, Keller’s gone — off to deliver the same sermon, “The Gospel Changes Everything,” on the East Side. Then, again, Keller, founder and senior pastor of Manhattan’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church, will dash back to West 79th Street for his fourth service of the day at three leased locations.

Read the Entire Article

Yesterday I was attended a meeting at Christ-Ballenger Creek UMC church.   I walked in the aroma of fresh baked cookies which filled the vestibule and the sanctuary. After our meeting I saw the reason for the cookies. Christ Church is next door to a middle school and when the school let out hundreds of children came to the church for their afternoon snack.  Some  played Wii some did their homework, and just hung out as parents picked some of the children up outside and others began their journey home on foot I was rejoicing at seeing a congregation involved in market place ministry that made sense and made a difference.  Some of the young people said that instead of going home to wait until their parents got home they enjoyed being with their friends and making friends with some of the people from the church.  Yeah GOD! Yeah Christ –Ballenger Creek!

This morning while I stood at the bus stop with my daughter I was pleasantly surprised for a van to pull up and three joyful people jumped out offering the parents coffee and hot chocolate along with a simple card that said God loves you and the address of the church. With three busses going through the sub division picking up about 75 students that is a lot of contact with parents that might never step into a church.  I began to wonder how many parents at other bus stops would have also appreciated a hot cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. How many churches do we have where a group of three people would be willing to give 2 hours of service to sharing the love of God with their neighbors? That was the first time I had experienced such radical hospitality as servant evangelism and became recommitted to proclaiming that every pastor and congregation should be involved in marketplace ministry and servant evangelism.

As I work with churches that are attempting to engage marketplace ministry or servant evangelism for the first time, I understand how it can be overwhelming to start and make a large enough impact that it feels “worth while”.  Anytime we serve someone because of the love of God that we have experienced we are introducing people to God whose grace is available to those outside of a personal relationship with God.  So the simple key is to figure out what makes sense for your ministry context and available resources and to get started as soon as possible.

You have probably heard every cliche there is in regards to leadership, “Leaders go first”, “Everything rises and falls upon leadership”, “An organization can only grow to the size of its’ leadership”, I’ll spare you there but here is the key, every bit of it’s true. No matter which way you say it or write it, it must be acknowledged and obeyed. Leaders are the keys that unlock the next dimension of ministry and for every dimension there is a new qualifier. Leaders who are willing to re-qualify  themselves are welcome to enter in. What are the 5 Challenges of a Growing Leader?

1. Leaders must face their fears. In a new dimension, leaders must recognize that your greatest fear will confront you at some point and time. It is inevitible, accept it, it is going to happen. Whether your fear is raising money, dealing with a difficult staff member, speaking to an important city official, correcting a personal issue, nothing comes easy. I believe that it is all a part of the process of growth, the quicker we accept it, the faster we can move forward. If we develop the habit of making excuses for our fears, guess what, we don’t get to graduate.

2. Leaders must recommit to family. A hard lesson for a leader is when he or she has moved so far ahead in their work only to look behind themselves to see that their family has stopped moving with them. A great leader can never rise higher then his/her marriage. I have learned that marriage is a series of commitments, a series of changes & a series of renewed vows. As my wife & I grow, we become more committed to each other in our hearts and in our assignment from God.

3. Leaders must reorganize. It is so true that the old things in our lives do not have permission to join us in a new dimension. What takes up the majority of your time outside of your main priorities? What things in your life add value, what things in your life subtract value? Where does your energy go to?

4. Leaders must develop new relationships. I have learned that relationships can create comfort. Now do not get me wrong, but we were created for relationship, relationships are the currency of the kingdom. However, which relationships in your life challenge you? are you the smartest person in the room on a continual basis? Who do you allow to speak into your life? Who do you allow to speak into your ministry? Who do you allow to speak into your church? Amazing when you honestly think about it.

5. Leaders must take an evaluation. Be honest with yourself. What works, what is broken, what doesn’t work anymore? What do I need, what can I do without? Where am I going, who can help me to get there? Why do I keep hitting this same wall? What needs to change?

I was (and still am a geek).

I graduated with an industrial engineering degree from Ga Tech with high honors.  That industrial engineering school has consistently ranked #1 in systems engineering (think efficiency experts).

I also earned two graduate level degrees from two seminaries. My engineering degree was by far my toughest degree.

That degree taught me to think systematically. I’ve added to my competency tool box many books on church planning plus two churches where I’ve served have engaged in year-long visioning processes with church consultants. So, I’m well versed and trained in the church visioning/planning process.

Recently, I read Will Mancini’s seminal book on the subject, Church Unique-How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement.

…an outstanding read and a fresh approach to the church planning process. I highly recommend it.

In chapter one in a section called “Lost on the Way to Your Own DNA,” he lists subtle thinking patterns that can suffocate vibrant thinking. He coins these patterns, ‘thinkholes.’

I’ve listed them here with brief definitions.

• The ministry treadmill-busyness eliminates time for reflection…leads to just adding more programs
• The competency trap-presumption that past methods will continue to work decreases appetite for learning…leads to just working harder
• The needs based slippery slope-consumerism removes the need for discernment…leads to trying to make people happy
• The cultural whirlpool 1: BuzzChurch-innovation short circuits self-awareness…leads to just trying to be cutting edge
• The cultural whirlpool 2: StuckChurch-change outpaces the discipline for learning…leads to glorifying the past
• The conference maze: success increases the temptation to copycat…leads to just modeling best practices
• The denominational rut: resources disregard local uniqueness…leads to just protecting theology

At times I’ve been caught up in these thinkholes. How about you?

Do you agree that these issues can hinder effective ministry? What has helped you overcome them?

Charles Wesley, Hymn-writer and Evangelist

Charles Wesley is mainly remembered for his excellent poetic gift. This gift, thoroughly saturated in Scripture, produced some of the church’s best-loved hymns.

If you are in an English speaking church context it is quite likely that you recognize these well known opening lines from Charles Wesley hymns:

• Hark! The herald angels sing,
  “Glory to the newborn King;
  Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
  God and sinners reconciled!”

• Love divine, all loves excelling,
  Joy of heaven to earth come down;
  Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
  All thy faithful mercies crown!
  Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
  Pure unbounded love Thou art;
  Visit us with Thy salvation;
  Enter every trembling heart.

• And can it be that I should gain
  An interest in the Saviour’s blood?

• O for a thousand tongues to sing
  My great Redeemer’s praise,
  The glories of my God and King,
  The triumphs of His grace!

Actually, it’s difficult not to just go ahead and include whole hymns for the pure pleasure of enjoying them.

A Passionate Evangelistic Preacher

But my point is that Charles Wesley was not only a hymn-writer but also a passionate evangelistic preacher.

Like George Whitefield, his preaching mentor, Wesley also enjoyed great infillings of the Holy Spirit as he preached (see also, Acts 4:7-10).

Some excerpts from his journal of 1741 will give us a flavour of the kind of passion he employed in his efforts to bring men and women to Christ.

‘April 13^th. While I was in great love…the Spirit of power came down, the fountain was set open, my mouth and heart enlarged, and I spoke such words as I cannot repeat. Many sunk under the love of Christ crucified…’

‘April 22^nd. I sharply reproved three or four inflexible Pharisees; then prayed the Lord to give me words of consolation, and immediately I was filled with power, which broke out as a mighty torrent.

‘All our hearts caught fire in a moment, and such tears and strong cryings followed, as quite drowned my voice…’

‘Sun May 3^rd. At Kingswood [Bristol] as soon as I had named my text, ‘It is finished!’ the love of Christ crucified so constrained me that I burst into tears, and felt strong sympathy with him in his sufferings. In like manner, the whole congregation looked upon him whom they had pierced, and mourned.’

His preaching was effective and many were converted. One particular Kingswood resident wasn’t happy though. Charles wrote:

‘May 5^th. A wild collier [coal miner] brought me four of his children…crying, ‘You have got the mother, take the bairns [the kids] too!’

(All quotes from Arnold Dallimore, Charles Wesley, A Heart Set Free, Crossway Books, p.107)

An Inspiring combination of the Poet and the Evangelist

Charles Wesley was an Evangelist, and an effective one at that. We’ll return to his heroic story later, but for now, let’s not forget that many of his hymns were written in the very context of urging his generation to come to Christ.

His hymn ‘Lovers of Pleasure’ provides us with an excellent example of the combination of his poetic and evangelistic gift. Enjoy!

‘Lovers of pleasure more than God,
For you He suffered pain;
Swearers, for you He spilt his blood;
And shall He bleed in vain?

Misers, for you his life He paid,
Your basest crime He bore:
Drunkards, your sins on Him were laid,
That you might sin no more.

The God of love, to earth He came,
That you might come to heaven;
Believe, believe in Jesus’ Name,
And all your sin’s forgiven.

Believe in Him that died for thee,
And, sure as He hath died,
Thy debt is paid, Thy soul is free,
And thou art justified.’

Charles Wesley

For more on the hymns of Charles Wesley and other Methodists see, ‘A Collection of hymns for use by the people called Methodists’)

More next time…

© 2009 Lex Loizides

Everyone can lose his or her focus, given enough time. Churches are no different. Within one generation a church can move from a vibrant soul-saving beacon of light, to a dim ember that is about to go out. I’ve seen it. I’ve pastored in those churches. But in Jesus Christ there is always hope. Just as Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb so that he could live to proclaim his Savior’s praise, so too Jesus desires to call dead and dying churches back to life for His glory.

Although many more Bible churches need to be planted, there are an abundance of churches that already exist, that have lost their focus and have become inwardly focused and outwardly stagnant. Imagine if 100 dying churches once again became alive in their communities what an impact we could make!

If you find your church in this situation, don’t leave. Don’t jump ship. Instead, ask yourself these questions to begin to determine how you can begin to turn around your church:

• Are we seeking to fulfill the Great Commission or are we merely in a maintenance mode?

• Are we making excuses for ourselves (the area has changed; the church down the road keeps stealing our members), or are we dealing honestly with our own sins and faults?

• Are we seeking programs and gimmicks to be our savior instead of seeking the will of the One who walks among our churches (Eph 2:1)?

• Are we looking back to the “glory days” of the past instead of looking forward to the glory days that God has in store for our future?

May the Lord guide our churches that have lost their way into becoming vibrant, soul-saving beacons once again so that the glory of God may shine bright.

A essay about Starbucks, wifi and church in the USA today.

“Styrofoam cups in church, Father. Kids running up and down the aisles. Can you believe it?”

It’s here. A parishioner asked me if we could serve eggnog before the Christmas eve service. She’d provide the nog.

(Methodism and the Mob Part 6)

The Mob Reacts – The Death of William Seward

How do you respond when you hear that a Christian missionary is in trouble for distributing Christian literature, or for some other attempt to communicate the Christian faith?

Maybe your first response is to assume that the believer lacked wisdom. You may be right, of course. Christians can get carried away as they try and verbalise how wonderful they think Jesus Christ is. Each incident needs to be assessed separately.

But on the other hand, we’ve got to a slightly strange place when our assumption is that a follower of Christ trying to share their faith is automatically over-zealous or unwise.

Don’t misunderstand me: the Christian needs to communicate his faith with respect, wisdom and grace, with an ability to listen to others’ objections and beliefs. (see Col 4:4-6)

But the idea that a negative response to an honest attempt at presenting the gospel is always a correction, or, worse, a sign of God’s disapproval, merely reveals our evangelistic immaturity. Jesus made it clear that there would be times when the message would be rejected. Even He was rejected (see John 15:20-21).

And it’s difficult to think of how the Christian Faith advanced from its earliest days apart from believers courageously communicating the gospel to those who didn’t respect the Christian ideals of tolerance and debate.

Another thought before we re-join the 18th century battlefield: put yourself in the position of the hapless ‘missionary’ who is in jail for trying to share the Christian faith. It’s quite likely that you would be your own harshest critic as you retrace the decisions or statements that got you into trouble. My guess is that you’d want folk to pray for you.

The First Methodist Martyr
In October 1740,William Seward and Howell Harris were out again preaching the gospel in Wales. This time, they visited Hay-on-Wye.

Suddenly, someone from the crowd took aim and Seward was hit with a large stone and lay unconscious on the ground.

Dallimore writes, ‘he was carried from the scene unconscious. For a few days he hovered between life and death, but sank steadily lower till on October 22, 1740, his spirit passed away.’ (Arnold Dallimore, George Whitefield, Vol 1, Banner of Truth, p.584)

Seward’s death, at age 38, was a blow to the young movement. But it did not stop their passionate preaching. Undeterred, they continued to present the gospel to the masses in Britain.

It was a personal blow to Whitefield, both in terms of friendship and financial support. Seward was helping fund Whitefield’s Orphan House in Georgia and Whitefield now carried that financial burden alone. Tragically, Seward had not made a will (ibid, p.585)

Trusting in God’s Sovereignty
John Wesley wrote in his journal for Mon Oct 27th, ‘The surprising news of poor Mr Seward’s death was confirmed. Surely God will maintain his own cause! Righteous art thou O Lord!’

Wesley’s trust in God’s sovereignty is totally appropriate. Is there any individual, or people too hard for God to reach by His grace? No! ‘The earth is the Lord’s and its fullness.’

We might question Seward’s enthusiasm, especially when he had been a target for violence before; the sin, however, was not his, but the one who threw the stone.

And the message of forgiveness of all sins through Jesus Christ continued to be preached throughout Britain during the 1740’s.

See Methodism and the Mob Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
© 2009 Lex Loizides

“We must stop being so worried about the “sustainability” of churches, and focus on the quality of the disciple due to their time in that community…”

A few days ago I mentioned I was going to continue with what I felt was one of the most important lessons we learned during our time in Las Vegas. To get caught up, Click Here to read the previous post…the following is among many of the things we have learned in the past two years, but something I have been thinking a lot about lately. It will shape & mold how we do things from here on out, and have a tremendous impact on how we will pursue “things” once we arrive in Austin…

Overall, I have determined that Christ is TRULY concerned with the individual Disciples who make up His body (the Church). He is concerned with the growth of those “parts”, knowing that if they are healthy then the body as a whole will be healthy. Many of us fall into the trap of caring/worrying/pursuing more about the “sustainability” of the new “church” or “community” that the health of the individual disciple can be overlooked. The fact is if the disciple is not healthy the church is not healthy. The truth is while most simple/organic churches will not (in many cases SHOULD NOT) be in existence for more than a couple of years, the quality of the disciple will live on forever no matter where they are geographically. (This has been our experience thus far)

As many of you know, at Intentional Gatherings we do like to see new faith communities birthed as a result of discipleship. However, we must constantly fight, and remind ourselves that these new faith communities are a means to an end; they are not an end in themselves. The hope is that they would produce and foster healthy, mature, and reproducible disciples. As disciples are reproduced the Body of Christ (Church) grows and is made more pure for His return. This is a beautiful thing.

I know what some of you are SCREAMING right now: “Aaron, are you saying you aren’t concerned with the actual church that is made up of those individual disciples, and are you saying Christ is not concerned with each individual church!?” I am saying that I feel Christ is extremely concerned with each individual disciple, and their obedience to whatever particular community of faith they are a part of for that time in their lives. We must remember that while there are individuals inside of different communities of faith there are also communities of faith that make up THE CHURCH. We must start with the health of the disciple. From there we will ALWAYS get a healthy community of faith (Healthy does not always mean it will “live” forever=), and thus a healthy body as a whole. If we skip the disciple and try to have a “proper” or “sustainable” faith community then we “chop the legs” out from under the Body as a Whole.

I’d rather have a church of 10-15 made up of extremely healthy kingdom-minded Jesus followers that lasts for 2-3 years than one of ANY number that lasts for decades. You see, I know that wherever those 10-15 go throughout the  rest of their lives they will continue to be that disciple, or potentially start a new church of their own.

“We must stop being so worried about the “sustainability” of churches, and focus on the quality of the disciple due to their time in that community.”

May we all begin, and continue to focus on the disciple more than we do the “entity” (whether big, small, mega, or house) in which we call, “church”. As we pursue individuals gaining a deeper understanding of the Gospel, and fall more in love with their Savior, Jesus, may HE do the rest…”build HIS Church”.

Realize the potential of a good website

Early in the life of South Hills we realized the need to have a good website, and as our church has grown, so has our website adapted to meet our needs.  Our website is a priority to us at both South Hills and Celera Group, as a website will often be someones first impression of your organization.  If you have a poor web presence (or none at all) it could be a huge detriment to your church.  The following is an excerpt from an article found at www.internetevangelismday.com/church-growth.php I encourage you to visit their website, as you will find much more detailed information there.

Making church sites into evangelistic tools

1.Most church websites are designed entirely for their members, or unwittingly exclude non-Christians because of their choice of language and content.
2.A good church site must communicate with three very different target groups:
3.This ‘three-way stretch’ is a challenge, but can be achieved.
4.Take time to consider the needs and viewpoints of non-Christians.
5.Avoid all ‘churchy’ jargon and ‘Christianese’ language throughout the site, especially on the homepage.
6.Non-Christians may have negative images of Christians: boring, killjoys, judgmental, etc.
7.Christian outreach often fails because Christians do ‘megaphone proclamation’ from behind the protecting walls of their ‘ghetto’.
8.A primary task of the website is to convince non-Christians of these four things:
9.Do not think of your church site in isolation, merely as a stand-alone online brochure.
10.Church is people: the home page should have at least one photo of a church member. This is absolutely foundational to good communication, yet infrequently done.
11.Internal pages on the site can include photos of both outside and inside of the church building.
12.Include some ‘meet our members’ pages.
13.All links, page titles, and sub-headings should sound enticing.
14.If testimonies are used, they should be completely free of religious jargon, exaggeration and sentimentality.
15.Consider a ‘New to this site?’ visitors link on your homepage. This enables you to offer a particular welcome to an outsider.
16.Games and fun stuff are attractive and make a site sticky.
17.Consider adding some ‘bridging’ pages to the site.
18.Involve your church members in praying and supporting the web design team, and ‘owning’ the site.
19.Demonstrate a specific welcome for people with disability.
20.Summing up: the overall impression of the site must of a gentle, loving, enticing welcome. But…
21.Sadly, it is this issue of welcome and assimilation that frequently breaks down.
22.The context of your country, area and culture may lead you to apply these principles in different ways.
23.Church websites are not the only form of web evangelism.

Design

24.Your church site will be the first point of contact for many people in your community. First impressions count.
25.Do not place too much information on your homepage.
26.And all important information should be ‘above the fold’.
27.Avoid ‘churchy’ graphics – open Bibles, stained glass windows, doves, candles. And appeals for money.
28.Use at least one graphic of a person’s face on the homepage.
29.A 3-column layout is often the most suitable for a church site.
30.Never use an introductory ‘splash page’.
31.Every page should display the same overall appearance, with the same navigation options in the same place.
32.All links, menu options and buttons should be clearly identified as ‘active’ – they should change color when hovered.
33.If you use Javeascript for any effects, ensure everything on the site still works for those with Javascript disabled.
34.Don’t use frames for site design.
35.Learn how to use ‘include’ files – a great time-saver.
36.Also learn how to use CSS.
37.Use colors correctly: understand how to choose a color scheme, how colors relate to each other, and what mood they communicate.
38.Don’t use patterned graphic backgrounds behind body text.
39.Consider a ‘liquid’ page design: the content should flow naturally and fit together, at any screen resolution (i.e. size of the monitor screen measured in pixels) or reasonable font resize by a user.
40.And don’t put ‘best viewed at resolution’ or ‘best viewed in browser Y’ on your website.
41.Don’t include ‘mailto’ email addresses in plain coding on the site.
42.Your site need not be large or complex.
43.Don’t leave out-of-date content online.
44.Use several people to proof-read for typos and poor grammar.
45.Make your pages printer-friendly.
46.Take time to assess your target audience, their interests, needs and circumstances.
47.Not least, pray – both for planning and implementation.

Your church webmaster/team

48.A church webmaster or team needs a clear job description.
49.What if there is no-one technical in your church, to take on the webmaster role? You can use a pre-designed template system. These also answer the problem of what to do if the only technical person in the church moves on, leaving a website that no-one really knows how to update. Follow ‘Extra’ for a listing of providers and how to assess the features they offer.
50.A larger church site can benefit from ‘CMS’ – Content Manegment which enables multiple users to keep the site updated.
51.Learn from others. Help is only a mouse-click away.

Readability

52.For normal body text, use black font on a white or near-white background.
53.Do not used fixed font size in your coding.

54.Therefore make all font sizes relative, so that users can resize text if they wish.
55.Choice of fonts is important. The Verdana font is designed for computer monitors, and is widely perceived as the most readable for body text.
56.Understand how to make your site user-friendly to color-blind and visually-impaired visitors.
Testing
57.Test your site from a technical viewpoint in different browsers, and at different screen resolutions.
58.Also test your site with real first-time users. Remember, you know your site backwards. They do not.
59.Find non-Christians to critique your site. Yes, non-Christians! They are your primary target audience.

Navigation and usability

60.Good navigation allows a first-time non-technical visitor to move round your site easily.
61.Good navigation gives visitors constant clues to fulfill the vital requirements: ‘Where am I, where have I been, and where can I go’. Many websites, of all types, fail to be effective because they lack a good intuitive navigation system.

62.Do not offer too many links in your navigation menu.

63.You can use ‘paper prototyping’ to plan different ways of structuring links within the site.
-evangelism.com/resources/starting.php]
64.Make sure your pages download quickly.
Being found – online and physically
65.The title tages  in the head of your homepage, which should contain the full name of the church, plus town, state and country.
66.Your church name, street, town, area/state, country and phone number should also appear in unabbreviated form in a small font in the footer of your homepage (or preferably every page).
67.Submit your church site to main search engines and secular directories.
68.Make every page of your site a logical entry point to your site.
69.Framed Pages present problems to being listed in search engines.

70.Ensure the church URL is easy to remember. Take every opportunity to give it a high profile.

71.Make full use of press releases to local newspapers and radio stations. These should always include your URL. Larger churches can consider publishing regular news using an ‘RSS’ feed.

72.Include clear directions for finding the church. Give details of parking, public transport links, and a map.

Responding to emails

73.Ensure that every day, someone reads incoming emails to the church.
74.Some people may be emailing for help on serious life issues.
75.It need not necessarily be the pastor or pastor’s secretary that does this, especially out of hours.

One last thought… A good website does not have to cost a fortune. A good website can be very simple,and there are great website templates out there, and designers who will give a church a break. Remember, since it is the web, you don’t have to limit yourself to designers in your area.

Until next time,

Chris Sonksen

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“Visitors are increasingly checking out churches online before walking into a service.”
– Tom Harper of ChurchCentral.com

This week we moved into a new church building. No, it is not the one we are building although that will be soon enough! We moved into a new school building across the street from our church property. So many amazing things happened that blew me away. First, so many wonderful volunteers showed up to help us figure things out. I mean we had some ideas of where things should go but we needed so much help to test it out and make sure it all worked. The volunteers impressed me so much because they understand they did not just put out a chair, set up a kid’s class, EQ the sound, sweep the hallways, hang signs or even raise up pipe and drape. Each and every “thing” that was done was affecting eternity. They were making a place for people to encounter the very presence of God. Each person who volunteered was doing way more than most would see; they were literally snatching people from the jaws of hell by doing their part. To think that we can seat 200 more people than before is so awesome!

Another thing that blessed me so much was that we quickly realized that our sound needs were going to be more than anticipated, to the tune of $2,000. Yep, one of the volunteers ran out and got what the sound team needed. It brought tears to my eyes to know that in a last minute crunch like that someone decided to be generous so that others would be touched. They did not even hesitate to do it, not at all. Let me tell you, when the music started I saw tears streaming down some of the musicians faces (yes the men!) and many people in the crowd too. The presence of God was tangible. It was thick!

A sweet Hindu man came and introduced himself to my husband. He had heard about the church from a friend. Troy talked to him about receiving Jesus and he did, right there on the spot!! Troy asked him if he had a bible and the man said no because he was a Hindu. Of course the response was, “No you are not anymore!” He gladly accepted the bible and they laughed!

A group of college students came up to one of the pastors on our staff and said, “Where do we sign up, we love this place!” Our Financial Director had a family come to her and say, “Now this building feels more like a church, we are now going to join because it just feels better and looks more permanent now.”

Don’t get me wrong, there were major traffic issues and flow issues in the hallways we have to work out by next week. It was not totally glitch-free. But that was so not the focus. The feel in that building was amazing. People just were at ease and so thrilled to be there. I have not seen the official numbers yet but the crowds were undeniable! Shocking! Amazing! Incredible! All those words and more are what I would use to describe our first time in our new building!

If you have not been, you must come check it out for yourself! Our new website will be launching soon too! htp://www.FreedomHouseChurch.org

Ministry is pretty stressful.  Anybody who has ever worked in a church can attest to that.  Along with crazy schedules and unrealistic expectations from people within your own church, comes the analytical eye of other ministry leaders outside your church.  These are the guys that are watching you but don’t necessarily agree with your vision (but that’s o.k., they don’t have to).

Some of these guys watch to learn, some watch to compare, but a few watch to criticize.  One of the most important things that you have to learn as a ministry leader is that not everybody is going to sing your praises.  There are going to be people that look at you and accuse you of “being too worldly,” of “compromising the gospel,” of “chasing after the world.”  Now, I’m not going to say that accusations like these are always false, because there have been some guys out there that have lost sight of what the church is truly about; there’s no doubt about that, but what I am saying is, you have got to know that you are doing exactly what God has called you to do.  Check your motivation.  Be clear that you are doing ministry for God’s purposes and not your own.  Check your ego and leave it at the door.  Once you have done that, you will be ready to walk the path that Christ has set for you.

Jesus said, “Straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be that find it.”  When I look at that passage I get a totally different image than is commonly painted by commenters.   I see a man walking on a high road with a slippery slope on either side of him that leads to destruction.  I see a man on firm ground, but in his peripheral vision, on either side awaits danger.

Most commenters paint a different scene.  They paint a man standing on a plateau overlooking a cliff.  To his right are lush green pastures and to his left is the slippery slope of destruction.  He is constantly called to the right, constantly warned to stay away from the edge.  The further right he goes the safer he is and the more protected he is from the danger.

Christianity is not a religion for people who want to play it safe.  Jesus, never stepped away from the cliff.  He stood right there dangerously close every day of His life here on earth.  The pharisees begged him to go one way, the sadducees another, but he refused to listen.  He kept his eye on the path.  He walked between the two slopes.  He kept His footing on solid ground and He never ventured to the left or to the right.

If you know you are doing what God has called you to do, beware of those who would call off the path.  They might actually be standing on a slippery slope thinking they are on a plateau.  True biblical leadership is radical, dangerous, and not for the faint of heart that would run so far from the edge that they loose the opportunity to pull someone up from the slope.

(Methodism and the Mob Part 5)

William Seward
William Seward was a wealthy supporter of the work that George Whitefield and Howell Harris were doing.

He also helped John Wesley with generous funding for the meeting place in Bristol, even though Wesley was assuming a leadership role there that Seward felt excluded Whitefield (See here for how Whitefield began the work in Bristol).

Seward had accompanied these preachers and witnessed both the joys and dangers of massive crowds.

In 1740 he travelled with Howell Harris in Wales and records several occasions when the crowds became violent.

Seward with Howell Harris
On Sept 9 he wrote, ‘We had been singing and praying and discoursing for half an hour when the mob began to be outrageous, and to pelt us…till at length I was struck with a stone upon my eye, which caused me so much anguish that I was forced to go away to the Inn.

‘Bro. Harris continued to discourse for some time afterward…I got my eye dressed and went to bed as soon as possible.

The next morning they went out again, preaching in the same place to the same crowds.

Stones, dirt, a cat and a dead dog
Seward writes, ‘We had continual showers of stones, walnuts, dirt, a cat and also a dead dog thrown at us…

‘I was struck on my forehead and under my right eye again, and also on my side with a stone.

‘A drum was ordered to be beat, which drowned [our] voices…the Book [the Bible] was all covered with dirt.

‘After Bro. Harris had done, I spoke a few words, but I found my call was more to suffer than to preach.’ (from William Seward, ‘Journal of a Voyage from Savannah to Philadelphia and from Philadelphia to England’ p.27)

Perhaps he should have backed down. Perhaps he should have let others do the preaching. Perhaps…

Seward would accompany Harris again in October, 1740 as Harris preached powerfully to hostile crowds. It would be the last time Seward would share in the struggle to bring Britain to Christ.

More next time…

Also see: Methodism and the Mob Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

© 2009 Lex Loizides

Job 23: 16 God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me.

I feel sorry for Job. He was living at a time when people believed that personal pain and suffering occurred because God was angry with them. This meant that any tragedy was clouded with a terrifying fear that God was punishing the people. Any illness or sickness, any setback or obstacle was seen a sign of God’s wrath. Only repentance and sacrifice would suffice to appease God. Only humility and contrition would placate the Almighty.

Thank God then that we are New Testament people! We are no longer bound by those primeval fears. Christ has come into the world to tell us not to be afraid. Christ has given the ultimate sacrifice for all of our mistakes and sins. The threat of divine punishment is no longer to be dreaded. Instead of being terrified of God, we are attracted to Him through the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

Out of the 6.5 billion people on this planet, about 5 billion live under the religious fear of God’s wrath. They are terrified of plagues and famines, wars and earthquakes, floods and disasters. They are anxious about offending God and worry over the smallest of mistakes. They constantly spend their resources on appeasing false gods and try to buy divine blessings. Christianity, however, has a real message of hope for all of these people who are plagued by superstition: Do not be afraid and be of good cheer.

In this pre-season of Christmas that we call Advent, we should constantly pray for the world to be open to Christ’s message of goodwill, forgiveness, and peace. It has the potential to save the entire world from its fears and to lovingly restore everyone to God’s favor and blessings. If only Job knew way back then what we know now, he would never have been driven to despair through his fear of God. He could have been comforted, embraced, and encouraged by God through the presence of Jesus Christ in his life.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we all carry hopes and fears in our hearts and minds. We pray that You will diminish our anxieties by graciously responding to our concerns. Guard us and guide us. Embrace us and bless us. In Your Holy Name, we confidently pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. He enjoys reading your reflections.