Hospitality

Most people decide whether they will return to a church within a very few minutes after arriving on the church property. It happens long before the music begins or the pastor preaches. Their decision is based on what they see and what they experience in those first few minutes. If a church is serious about wanting to reach new people it is critical that they become very intentional about providing great hospitality to every person who comes on their property.

"Pastor's Peeps": Bivocational Ministry: The pain that exists in small churches

"Pastor's Peeps": Bivocational Ministry: The pain that exists in small churches

Actions Speak

Whether or not you are aware of it, your behavior—both what you do as well as what you don’t do—affects your witness for Christ. It is an issue of testimony: What does your life say about God to the friends, relatives, coworkers, neighbors, or even strangers who might be watching you?

Legacy

When you begin a ministry in a new place one of the things you need to recognize is that one day you will leave there.  You may be called elsewhere, be fired, retire, or die, but if the Lord tarries you will one day leave that church, and you will leave a legacy.  People will remember certain things about your ministry in that church.  The person who follows you will either build upon that legacy or have to tear it down in order to build something positive.  The earlier in your ministry in that place you recognize this the more likely it will be that your legacy will be a positive one.  You cannot control what you will encounter when you begin a new ministry, but you can control how you respond to that and the legacy you will leave behind when you leave.  Don't leave a mess for others to clean up.  Make sure your legacy is a positive one upon which the next leader can build.

Glorify God

The very purpose for which you and I exist is to give glory to God, that's what it's all about.  Jesus is called the Lord of glory. We are to give Him glory. He deserves it. And it is the mark of a committed Christian; it is the mark of a really genuine disciple that he gives God glory. His life reflects the attributes of God. God is praised by the way he lives.

Vision

The cause of poor giving to a church is a lack of vision.  If the only thing a church is going to do with its finances is pay the utilities and salaries, that is all the money that will come in.  People give to vision; they give to ministry; they give much less to maintenance activities.  In a lifetime of attending smaller churches I've seen it happen numerous times that a church that struggles to pay its bills each month suddenly raises a large sum of money within days or weeks to fund a major project.  That alone proves the church is not without resources.  The problem is that we've not challenged the people to part with those resources for something more exciting than an electric bill.

Rejection

Rejection can be extremely cruel. Israel was a unique nation, chosen by God to be the guardian of His Word and the proclaimer of His Kingdom. The OT records His miraculous and providential care for her throughout the centuries. The prophets told of One who’d come as her great Deliverer. Israel eagerly awaited the promised Messiah. But the story has a surprise ending. In the person of Jesus Christ, the Messiah finally came and presented Himself to Israel. The religious leaders examined Him carefully, measuring Him every way they could. But He didn’t fit their blueprint. They expected a reigning, political Messiah who’d instantly deliver them from Roman oppression. They felt no need for a spiritual deliverer, so they rejected Him and tossed Him aside like a worthless rock.

Maintenance-Mindset

Many of our smaller churches have a maintenance-mindset that has greatly limited their impact on their communities.  These churches have an inward focus rather than an outward one, they seek chaplains rather than pastors to lead them, they work very hard to preserve their resources instead of using those resources for ministry, and they see missions as something they support instead of do.  Most of these churches are either plateaued or declining with the majority of them in decline.  They can often survive for decades in this state, but for all practical purposes they have forfeited their right to call themselves a church.  They long ago forgot their purpose for existence was is to impact their communities with the Gospel.

Jesus said, "Follow Me"

What can we learn from the disciples’ response to Jesus’ call?
• What does Christ expect you to leave behind to follow him?
• What sacrifice of personal achievement, wealth, or position does Christ ask you to make?
• What prevents you from following Jesus immediately and wholeheartedly?
• What must you do to eliminate these hindrances from your life?

Crazy Christians

Brad Paisley’s great new song — Those crazy Christians, I was gonna sleep in today But the church bells woke me up and they’re a half a mile away Those crazy Christians, dressed up drivin’ down my street Get their weekly dose of guilt before they head to Applebee’s They pray before they eat and they pray before they snore They pray before a football game and every time they score Every untimely passing, every dear departed soul Is just another good excuse to bake a casserole Those crazy Christians, go and jump on some airplane And fly to Africa or Haiti, risk their lives in Jesus’ name No, they ain’t the late night party kind They curse the devil’s whiskey while they drink the Savior’s wine A famous TV preacher has a big affair and then One tearful confession and he’s born again again Someone yells hallelujah and they shout and clap and sing It’s like they can’t wait to forgive someone for just about anything Those crazy Christians Instead of being outside on this sunny afternoon They’re by the bedside of a stranger in a cold hospital room And every now and then they meet a poor lost soul like me Who’s not quite sure just who or what or how he ought to be They march him down the aisle and then the next thing that you know They dunk him in the water and here comes another one of those crazy Christians They look to heaven their whole life And I think, What if they’re wrong, but What if they’re right You know it’s funny, much as I’m baffled by it all If I ever really needed help, well you know who I’d call Is those crazy Christians

Cheap Grace

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.” (The Cost of Discipleship, 43-44)

What's The Difference?

Calvinism and Arminianism: What's the Difference? This information came from a blog titled, "Quadrilateral Thoughts" 1. Natural State of humanity •Both Calvinists and Arminians believe that humans are completely fallen (total depravity) and cannot do any good in their own power. •There are some pop-Arminians who believe in complete free will (and are thus Pelagian), but this is not the official Arminian position. 2. Who is chosen? •Calvinists believe that God determines entirely who will be saved (unconditional election). It's called "monergism," since God alone does all the work. •Arminians believe that God empowers us all to be able to sign up for more grace if we will and that God includes us in his kingdom on the basis of our response to his call (conditional election). It's called "synergism" because, by God's grace, our wills work together with his will. •Wesleyan-Arminians call the grace that reaches out to us in our powerless state, "prevenient grace." 3. For whom did Christ die? •In the most stereotypical version of Calvinism, Christ only died for those God has predestined to be saved (limited atonement). There are "four point Calvinists" who would say Christ died for everyone, although obviously only those whom God has chosen will receive the benefit. •Arminians believe that Christ died for everyone and that anyone can potentially be saved. 4. Can we reject God's grace? •Calvinists believe that, if humans could say no to God, it would undermine his sovereignty or authority over the creation. Therefore, they do not believe a person could reject God's grace (irresistible grace). And it is only natural that, if God chooses who will be saved, that such people will be saved and make it to the end (perseverance of the saints). •Baptist Arminians potentially fall into a gray area here. Once a person is "in" the people of God, they do not believe a person can fail to be saved (eternal security). Many Baptists would no doubt say that a person who went apostate after conversion was probably never truly saved in the first place (related to perseverance of the saints). But you do sometimes hear the pop-Baptist position that, even if you tried to reject God's grace after salvation, you could not. •Wesleyan-Arminians believe that God, in his sovereign will, has made it possible for a person to be "in" and yet later reject God's grace (cf. Heb. 10:26-29) and thus not make it.

Passion

There are many reasons pastors lose their passion for ministry. We face challenges that threaten to overwhelm us, people who oppose what we are doing, frustration due to a lack of immediate results, fatigue, a sense of loneliness in ministry, and the various pressures that go along with ministry. However, those by themselves are not enough to rob us of passion. Andrew Blackwood once wrote, "In pastoral work the most serious obstacles lie within a man's soul." It is not the problems themselves that take away our passion, it is how we choose to respond to those problems.

Inspiring Worship!

What a great morning at Burton-Richland Center UMC.! So many people are involved in different roles within the church. The music was wonderful and having four different folks who can play instruments is unusual. How fortunate I am to be able to serve as pastor.

The Bible

Americans overwhelming (77%) believe morals and values are declining in the U.S. The most-cited cause for the decline is a lack of Bible reading. As in previous years, the survey found that the Bible remains a highly valued, influential force in America. But beliefs about the Bible and its role in society are becoming increasingly polarized—particularly when the data is examined by age group. The research also uncovered a significant disconnect in belief versus behavior. While 66% of those surveyed agreed that the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life, 58% say they don’t personally want wisdom and advice from the Bible and about the same amount (57%) read it fewer than five times per year. Key findings: •1 in 6 people reported buying a copy of the Bible in the last year •80% of Americans identify the Bible as sacred •Americans have plenty of copies at their fingertips—with an average of 4.4 Bibles per household •56% of adults believe the Bible should have a greater role in U.S. society •But actual Bible reading and perceptions about the Bible have become increasingly polarized, with 6 million new Bible Antagonists in the last year alone •More than half (57%) of those ages 18-28 report reading the Bible less than three times a year or never

He Has Indeed Risen!

Tomorrow I have the privilege and the huge responsibility of beginning my ministry at The Burton-Richland Center United Methodist Church. I have found these people to be very warm and eager to draw closer to their Lord and Savior. I am thrilled to be able to stand before them and expound the Word of God while making it applicable to each life. God's Word is timeless, consistent and true. As we come together in the morning I'll be sharing how a small group of disciples behind locked doors for fear of detection and arrest suddenly found themselves in the presence of the risen Lord. Halleluiah, what a savior!

Distractions

A church of any size can get distracted from the bottom line of Christians being in the world: love God and love each other. In church, we love God in worship. We love each other inside the walls by getting along. We love those outside the walls by mission. That’s really all there is. The rest is distraction.

Two Great Books

I've been reading a couple of great books recommended by Pastor Matt Haynes. "Greater" by Steven Furtick and "The Tangible" by Hugh Halter. I bought the e-books at Kindle and would recommend them as must read for Christians on fire for Jesus or even those who have lost their edge.

Jesus On The Cross

They put Jesus on the cross. His cry six hours later when he died shows that the cross was a time of anguish for him in his humanity. Some like to picture Jesus as calm, cool, and collected on the cross. John's presentation leans in that direction, with Jesus giving instructions about his mother to the beloved disciple from the cross. But each gospel has its special features, and one of John's is a minimizing of Jesus' human struggle. In Mark, Jesus asks for this cup to pass (14:36). In John, Jesus dismisses the very idea (12:27). John gives us Jesus in hindsight, the spiritual understanding of Jesus. In Mark we get a little more literal picture. So I believe the cross was a time of anguish. John does not give us the cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me" but the confident, "It is finished." Mark gives us the pain of the moment, the intense suffering. Jesus is so in anguish that he dies hours before a crucified person normally would have. The physical struggle was not the worst possible death, but his anguish was spectacular. There's no evidence that God turned away because of him taking on our sin--that's just a fun story driven by a particular theology. I fully believe God the Father was there with him on the cross. But I also suspect that Jesus himself wasn't feeling it at the time.

Wisdom From Age

Reading through the Old Testament it seems that many of God's choicest servants began some of their best ministry in their later years. It seems a shame that some of our churches fail to see the value in the experience and wisdom that many of our older pastors could bring them. These ministers who have seen and heard it all could be the non-anxious presence that some of our churches need to be able to move forward.

Make It As Sure As You Can.

The Lord Jesus Christ was wonderful in His resurrection. When His body was laid in the grave, Pilate gave orders at the request of the Pharisees to seal the sepulchre. “Make it as sure as ye can” (Matthew 27:65), and they did! Nature made it as sure as she could, for a large stone was before the sepulchre, but “up from the grave He arose,” the angel of the Lord rolled the stone away and sat upon it! The Roman government made it as sure as it could and placed its seal upon the grave; but “up from the grave He arose” and now He carries the keys of death and hell. The world, the flesh, and the devil conspired to keep Him in the grave, but “up from the grave He arose” that “death might be swallowed up in victory.”

Great day at Burton-Richland Center Church!

Got to meet and worship with some wonderful folks this morning at the church. Good Sunday School lesson and great preaching by Pastor Don. The music was inspiring and glad to see so many little ones. Palm Sunday was a great start to passion week.

Study The Word.

Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfolded, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul. Packer, J. I. (2011-09-26). Knowing God (p. 17). Intervarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

Bi-Vocational Ministry

Many of us in ministry, especially those of us who are bivocational, are in constant motion. We go from church to job to family activity to a dozen other things. What often suffers in all that activity is our own personal walk with God. We are so busy doing things for God that we fail to spend time with God. We spend so much time with people that we can never really be with any of them.

"Pastor's Peeps": Fear

"Pastor's Peeps": Fear

Work To Do

“The Barna Group reveals that one-third of the adult population (34 percent) has not attended any type of church service or activity, other than a special event such as a funeral or wedding, during the past six months. Citing past research that discovered most unchurched adults were formerly churched, the new study indicates that six out of ten unchurched people (62 percent) consider themselves to be Christian, four percent say they are Jewish, four percent are associated with an Eastern religion, and 24 percent say they are atheist.” • The most recent research studies by the Barna Group “reveals that one out of every three adults (33percent) is classified as unchurched—meaning they have not attended a religious service of any type during the past six months. When these statistics are projected across the aggregate adult population, the numbers are staggering. An estimated 73 million adults are presently unchurched. When teens and children are added, the total swells to roughly 100 million Americans.” “Since 1991, the adult population in the United States has grown by 15 percent. During that same period the number of adults who do not attend church has nearly doubled, rising from 39 million to 75 million—a 92 percent increase.”4 “Roughly half of all churches in America did not add one new person through conversion growth last year.” In America, it takes the combined effort of eighty-five Christians working over an entire year to produce one convert. Smay, Matt; Hugh Halter (2008-11-03). The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community (Leadership Network Publication) (pp. 11-12). John Wiley and Sons. Kindle Edition. Smay, Matt; Hugh Halter (2008-11-03). The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community (Leadership Network Publication) (p. 11). John Wiley and Sons. Kindle Edition.

Two Come Together!

The two became one when Burton UMC and Richland Center UMC decided to meet together and worship God. It will be honor to serve this family of believers as their pastor beginning April 1, 2013. A wonderful pastor; Don Nunemaker, will be retiring after the Resurrection celebration this Sunday. Please keep he and his family in your prayers. Please pray for the church and the this servant.