How is your church doing on outreach?

Churches and change

I have come to realize that if I were to go to another small church there might be some changes that I may want to make. I have always heeded the advice that I learned a long time ago to "take it slowly." I thought I had done that at La Junta, but still there was resistance to even, what I considered, minor changes. So I learn from my mistakes and trust that God will continue to use me wherever He may lead. However, I did come across a great article on making changes in church without "getting people steamed." Here is a quote from the beginning: An old farmer once said, "Go slow. Churches are a lot like horses. They don't like to be startled or surprised. It causes deviant behavior."
The fiercest battles are seldom fought over theology. More often, they are fought over change, sometimes even the slightest change.
Check out the rest of the article at http://lists.christianitytoday.com/t/8977380/1790648/139647/0/

Answered Prayer

Karen and I have been in much prayer this past week concerning the Ft. Bragg church. We realized that it would be very difficult to have me in CA and Karen in La Junta. The winter can get quite harsh here and Karen would have to deal with it by herself. So the Lord answered our prayers with the Ft. Bragg church realizing the same thing. Bill Yeomans e-mailed us this morning--part of the e-mail stated "It was an almost unanimous decision that we feel it would be a disservice to you, to ask you to give up so much to come here, when we have such a limited congregation and as you clearly stated, "an uphill climb" to develop a viable ministry."

So we are still waiting for God's leading regarding another ministry.

If you would like to get insight into a search committee's search for a pastor, this is an interesting web page to visit. It details their process. Their initial search began in July and they have just recently re-posted the position to start the search process again: http://www.hillmongrove.org/Pastor%20Search%20information2.pdf You can see why it takes a long time to hear back from a church!

Visiting

We visited a small church in Las Animas which is about 20 miles east of us. We met the pastor, David Barber and his wife, this past summer. They are the closest CBA church to us. I also was with them at the Pastor's Retreat I attended last month.
The church had about 45 adults in attendance. It was a very simple service, with an old-fashioned traditional feel to it, although they did sing some older praise choruses along with hymns. When I read the profiles of churches who are looking for pastors, I think that the majority of them are like this church. And I wonder how we would feel about being in a church like the La Junta church again.
I think that the more progressive churches are going to be larger or in larger cities. Or younger than 25 years old. Are there older churches which are meeting the needs of the younger generation? Or is it only the mega-churches that are doing so?

I have been subbing this week at two different small school districts. They are the only ones who will let me sub without the paperwork back from the state. Apparently, they need subs more than the two larger districts. Then again, Karen's school district is small also, but they won't let me sub yet, either. I feel a lot like Frank and Earnest, so we are just thankful for the little extra money for next month.

Lifestyle of Christians

I have written before about the fact that it is not only the preaching of the Word of God that will win people to Jesus Christ but also it is living out the Word of God. I came across an article in the latest Christianity Today magazine that I found very interesting. Quite often we hear of people saying that it is looking at the life of Christians that keeps them from coming to Christ for themselves. Many people will say, "If that's what a Christian is, I don't want to be one."

However, the CT article referrs to a study done by the mission folks at Fuller Seminary. In this study, they look at the experiences that most influenced Muslims to convert to Christianity. The respondents ranked the lifestyle of Christians as the most important influnence in their decision to follow Christ. Most of those who responded were not Americans, but citizens in countries and areas such as North Africa, Egypt, Oman, Arabia, etc. What a lesson we American Christians can learn from our Christian brothers and sisters in the midst of Islam! As the saying goes, our life may be the only Bible some people will ever read.

How much change is too much?

Next?

After the discouraging yet insightful weekend in Fort Bragg, I have to decide what is next for us. I am still in prayer about the church there in Ft. Bragg--they do have some finances but not enough without me working too. But is it worth it to leave Karen in Colorado while I am out there? And then again, every soul won and discipled for Christ is worth it. At this point it would seem that it will not work out for me to go but we will see.
That means waiting here in La Junta for another opportunity to open up--but that typically can take 2 to 3 months of working with a church before they will select their pastor. For example, I just heard back from a church that I sent my resume to today--they e-mailed back and said that they would 'narrow the field' down in late November. However, I am so glad that I serve a faithful God who I know cares about me. And He will lead me to His best place of ministry. So until then, please keep the prayers going up up up!

Sunday Summary

We had a very interesting morning at the church--Cornerstone Christian Fellowship. It meets in the 7th Day Adventist Church. And there were only 8 other people there, with us making 10. Bill told us that a couple of people/couples were out of town. But I think that the church is down to about 12-15 people on a Sunday with one couple bringing 5 to 7 mentally handicapped children with them. (They left the children home today so that Bill's wife who usually does a class with them could stay to listen to the message.) I think Bill has been a little too optomistic with us about the church--He himself says that he sees the 'glass as half-full' while his wife sees it as half-empty. But tonight at dinner he was a bit more honest with us about the situation (which we had pretty much determined after this morning). Basicallly, the church needs to be rebuilt since they have lost several of their original members. He said that the core group was pretty tired and wearing down--they need a 'general' to give the 'army' some direction and encouragement. Am I that 'general'? I'm not sure yet.
The church will decide next Sunday about whether to call me as their pastor or not. At this point I am not sure about what my decision will be if they chose to call me.
Please pray that God will give me clear direction about coming to help them rebuild.

In Fort Bragg

We are tired! We left Colorado Springs at 6:15am (arriving at the airport at 5:15am) and pulled into our hotel at about 3:15pm (California time of course). We hit quite a bit of rain driving from I-5 to Hiway 1, but then it cleared up tonight.
We had dinner with Bill Yeomans from the church tonight, and then we will get together with him and his wife tomorrow afternoon/evening. Tomorrow during the day we plan on during some sightseeing and perhaps take in the Huckleberries and Hounds Festival in town. And of course a walk on the beach!

On the way driving we listened to a CD of funny stories from Chuck Swindoll from his sermons. He made the point that if more Christians showed more joy in their life perhaps they would have a better testimony in their world! Karen suggested that I use at least one funny story in every sermon to help give our Christians joy. If you have any good humorous sermon illustrations, please feel free to share them. :)
Let's all try to spread some humor and joy around to others!

Preaching the Word

Joylene had a link to another blog on her site Therapy. http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/ It was dealing with the future of the church --which I am greatly interested in since I am seeking to pastor a "future church." Anyway, the following comment caught my attention:

The churches that thrive will be Biblical churches. God’s Word will be preached. People will feel uncomfortable, challenged, convicted. The future church will be more about preaching and living God’s Word than about attracting people with clever sermon titles, videos, and programs. Sure, we might use those things (or maybe not… GASP!). But only those who preach God’s Word will thrive. The rest will die.

We have had a few people share with us that they think some of the people left our church in La Junta because they felt "uncomfortable, challenged, convicted." The Word of God was being preached, yet some of the older members were leaving, and we were getting new people coming in their place. Unfortunately, the rest of the older members didn't catch on to what was really happening. Why didn't our church thrive if we were preaching the Word?
But there is more to building a church then just preaching the Word of God. It is a big part of course, but building relationships with those who come is very important as well. When I went to a small church in No California several years ago, I thought, "Preach the Word, and they will come." But "they" didn't come because they didn't have any relationships with those who were coming already. The challenge for the established churches then, is to not only "to preach the Word" but also to make connections with others so that they will come to hear the Word preached. And the above article also mentions a key to getting people to come: "and living God's Word." Part of why those people are not making the connections is because many of them are not "living the Word." Those around them don't see the truth of the Word being lived out in the believers they know.
I think it is easier to get a new church moving this direction than it is to get an older established church to move. Every time I look at a position posting for a church seeking a minister and see that it is over 100 years old, I wonder how those people are doing in getting new people to come to hear the Word preached.

What do we do to get people to come and hear the Word that we know will change their lives?

A Pastor's Daydream

Joy in Christians

I have been thinking about what to preach on when I go to Fort Bragg next Sunday. Karen suggested something on joy, like from a sermon series I did on Philippians 4--"How to have joy".
It is interesting that I came across this article from Preaching Today about the joy that Christians have. I will give you a few excerpts:
...our preacher shared an interaction he'd had with a supermarket clerk. As she checked each of his items, she stopped to look him in the eye and say, "We always know when your church lets out on a Sunday—saddest, meanest group we deal with all week long." I look back on the state of our church and wonder how our attitudes were affecting the children of the congregation. The Sunday School teacher probably stood before the class each week, singing, "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands," only to be met by a dreadful stretch of silence. But who could blame the kids for not even flinching at the invitation? Their little, peering eyes had been on a downcast mom and dad all week! We held fast in our hearts to the Good News, but joy—even that wonderful state of happiness that joy often brings about—seemed just beyond us. At the beginning of "A Christian's Happiness," Timothy Keller confesses that even as a Christ follower, he often struggles with issues of joy and a more consistent state of happiness. So it pleases him to no end that Paul's words in Romans 8:28–30 show a pathway toward a more impervious, relentless joy.

And then a sermon illustration that I might use in my message:
America Is World's Saddest Nation
According to a recent study by the World Health Organization and Harvard Medical School, America may very well be the saddest nation in the world. Researchers found that 9.6 percent of Americans suffer from depression or bipolar disorder—the highest among 14 major nations polled. Those nations that scored better than the U.S. suffer from ongoing wars and rumors of war (Lebanon), vast unemployment (Mexico), and profound poverty (Nigeria). In his Wall Street Journal article, "The Great Depression," Bret Stephens argues that perhaps America scores poorly as a nation because its population is generally comfortable and wealthy. Such luxuries allow more time for critically picking apart life situations and personal circumstances. Those who live in countries torn apart by varying social and economic issues have less time to fret over personal gain and ambition. They are simply too busy trying to survive. So what could turn our sad nation around? The research shows that the citizens of the world's happier nations find a steady source of joy in their families, their religion, and their traditions. —Brian Lowery, associate editor, PreachingToday.com; source: Bret Stephens, "The Great Depression," The Wall Street Journal (3-9-07)

How is YOUR joy?

Going to Church

After I typed the title of this post, I remembered a quote that I heard on the radio this past week when I was traveling. It was something like this, "Too often people just think of 'going to church' instead of 'being the church.'" Anyway, I was going to write about 'going to church' this morning--I think you know what I mean by that. We went to the Mennonite church around the corner from us as they had asked me to speak. As we sat in the adult Sunday School class of about 10 people (with everyone older than us), I was again reminded of the state of mature Christians in the church. I wondered how long the older people had been Christians and reflected on the questions and answers during the discussion. There seemed to be a lack of spiritual insight in the discussion considering the age of the participants.

I had thought previously that it might be nice if a church in the area asked me to be their pastor so that we wouldn't have to move. But after being with this church today, I am excited about the possibility of going to a church that is only a year old. Many established churches, like this particular one, are just too "old fashioned" for me, I guess. I hope that the people of the Fort Bragg church are willing to be a bit more contemporary. We will see....

Seeking His Will

It is often difficult to know God's will for your life. There are many verses in Scripture that give us instruction regarding His will, I know. For example, it is God's will that we not sin. It is His will that we tell others about His great love. It is His will that we love others.
And then there are those areas about daily living that we wonder about His will which He hasn't specifically revealed in Scripture. Is it God's will that I should go to college? What college should I go to? What is His will regarding marriage? Should I marry? To whom?
And of course, there is the question of serving Him. Should I be a pastor, a missionary, a teacher? These are all questions that I have wrestled with. And right now, is it His will that I should continue to serve Him as a pastor, and where?
I bring this all up because of the opportunity to go to Fort Bragg, CA, to serve Him. We want to know God's will. We have been in communication with a leader from the Fort Bragg church (I didn't even catch the name of it, only that it is a So Baptist church). Bill Yeomans is the father and father-in-law of one of the young couples who were members of our church in La Junta. He has asked us to consider coming to be their pastor. So we are flying out there next weekend, Oct. 19-22 to meet them, interview, speak, and to determine if this would be God's will for us.
We appreciate your prayers for us--going there would mean a sacrifice in many areas, especially financial, and perhaps of being separated for a while until our house sells. God seems to be closing all other doors at this time; yet we want to be in His perfect will and move in His time.
By the way, I was asked to speak at the Mennonite church in our community that is without a permanent pastor. I will be speaking there tomorrow. Thank you again for your prayers for us.

Back Home

Wow, what a drive from La Junta to Dalton, Georgia, and back! But it was great to visit with Jeff and Joylene and see what their life is like. It is also great to be back home with Karen and our life here. (I even killed a wolf spider for her within an hour of being back!) We are still praying that God would open up a church near Joylene and Jeff or other family. We miss them!

Last week I had a link to the Christianity Today site about maturity in Christians. They took a little on-line poll about the maturity of believers today. Very interesting results! How would you answer the question?

Results of Last Week's Poll
Big Babies: Compared to what we know about believers a generation ago, how would you assess the maturity of most of today's Christians?
Less mature; so many spiritual babies: 74%
About the same level of maturity: 12%
I'm not sure: 10%
More mature; so many strong believers today: 5%

Relaxin'

Not much new to add lately. I have just been spending time with Joyelene and Jeff and kind of relaxing and hanging out with them. I have seen a few sights around the area such as a civil war battlefield (Chickamuga) and the 1820's Cherokee council site.

We are still praying about whether God would lead us to go to Fort Bragg to the small church that has contacted me. It is a situation where a church plant of a year ago lost their pastor and are asking me if I would consider coming. In light of that, I spent some time with Jeff talking about what he has learned about church planting. (Although his ministry is not a 'church', he has studied a lot about the subject.)

One key area is to get the core leaders to have a vision. I think this applies to any church, large or small, new or ancient--the leaders need to have a vision of where and what they want the church to be. And the pastor is one key element to helping the church form that vision.

As I said, we are still praying about the Fort Bragg position and seeing if God will open or close other doors while we are waiting. Thanks for your prayers for us!

Not to Turlock

I heard from the Turlock church yesterday--they have decided to pursue another individual for their pastor. God has closed the door there, and now we are waiting on Him to show us where He would have us serve Him. We know God is in control, but we also want to know the 'where' and the 'when' of His control. We are still praying that we would be able to move closer to family.
Please pray for our house to sell at just the right time and for our car to sell so that we wouldn't have that financial burden.

Georgia on my mind

Yes, I've felt this way lately!

But now I am in Georgia after 2 long days of driving. Boy, is Kansas a long state to drive through! I made it to Columbia, MO, on Monday, and then on in to Dalton, GA, on Tuesday. I arrived in time to have a great fried-chicken dinner with Joylene, Jeff, and Karen (Jeff's mom) before heading out to ONE, the ministry that Jeff heads up.

It was great to see 60 young adults worshipping in their way--with a live band playing quite loud, even for this Baby Boomer. While I prefer to worship in a softer, yet comtemporary style, it was interesting to see how these 20-somethings were really "into" the worship. Some of the praise songs were the same as we have done at our church, but the delivery was a lot "bolder"! Our generations have become quite distinct in their worship styles, which makes a "blended" service harder to accept for the generations at each end of the age span. I understand why some churches choose to have separate services for each generation although I feel it tends to lead to less community in the whole body. Do you think it is better to have a worship style for each generation separately, or to have a blended service in which many may have to compromise in their favorite way to worship?

Jeff did a great job of communicating his message. He told me afterwards that he never had any preaching classes in seminary (since he was a theology major), and he felt that was probably to his advantage in how he communicates in this particular setting. I agree.

What a challenge to get this generation to really grow in their walk with Jesus without "doing church" which many of them have rejected!

Here is an interesting article that I read about the lack of "mature" Christians in the church: http://www.christianitytoday.com/leaders/newsletter/2007/cln71001.html