Mission Northwest

When God Invades the Seams

2011-12-19T11:30:00.000-08:00

Not long after coming to the northwest my wife encouraged me to take up fly fishing again. She’s a good wife. Actually, she thought our son would love this Northwest sport. Plus it would be something we could do together. She was right on both counts. Now he out fishes me on any day. (Proof of such can be found on my Facebook page.)

As I was learning to think like a trout someone said, “You’ve got to fish the seams.” That was confusing advice at first, but I found it to be true. Fishing only calm waters produces few trout. It’s better to cast in a place where fast water and slow water converge, that is, a seam. Seams carry foam, bubbles, dirt, trash and muddy water in them marking the convergence of the two flows. Trout cruise alongside seams, and dart inside ingesting any bugs that are in the mix. And, there’s usually more bugs in seams than most other places in the stream. Seams have the potential to produce trout for the wise fisherman.

The glowing lights and glitter of the Christmas season can mask the fact that God sent Jesus into the seam of this world. Under the sparkling veneer the world has been, and continues to be, a broken and trashy mess. According to the Scriptures, the world is under a curse and in desperate need of liberation. For the creation was subjected to frustration…in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay. (Romans 8:20-21) Jesus came into our dark world to bring the light of His grace and salvation. And, to free us from our bondage to sin and evil. But, to do this, he had to step into the muck and mess of this world, and die.

This is a shock to those who expected God to show up at the local religious club for some nice chit-chat. Jesus came to this world to save sinners, not the righteous. That’s why we find Him on the wrong side of the tracks. He came for the spiritually destitute. God, through His Son, invaded the seams of this world in order to save the world. Jesus indicated so with these words, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17)

As Christ-followers we are called to emulate our Lord. Jesus saves us, then deploys us. His disciples eschew huddling together with backs turned against the world. Rather, He sends His people into the world to serve it through the announcement of the Gospel accompanied with ministries of blessing (and, sometimes, vice-versa). Jesus calls us to be fishers of men.

For churched people like us, our best prospects for fishing will always be in the world’s seams. Jesus calls us to minister first to the un-churched, pre-churched, and de-churched. That is, we are to fish the seams before tending the aquarium. This goes against our natural grain, especially at the institutional church level. Too often we assume that the church’s business is to focus on church business. But, it isn’t. As C.S. Lewis once wrote, “The church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time . . . It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose.” This is why we have to constantly challenge ourselves to put feet to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment and obey both.

Missiologists inform us that the church is most effective when it emulates Jesus in this way: ministering in the seams; going to the boundaries. Church Growth 101 confirms it to be true. If a church desires to be effective in outreach it would be wise to Identify, and reach out to, the people who are most likely to be receptive. (George Hunter writing in The Apostolic Congregation, pg 64)

Studies have confirmed that the people most receptive to the Gospel are those who are living in a seam. These can be people who have recently lost their job, or secured a job. It can be people who have moved into the community. Or, it can be young couples starting a family. Or, singles who have just graduated from college and starting a career. Or, it can be people who are addicted to alcohol, drugs or gambling, and they are looking for a way out. Receptive people can be those who are grieving, the poor, the physically disabled…it simply takes willingness to identify them and reach out to them. That is, we have to follow the Jesus-way and wade into this worlds’ seams by discerning the needs and the possibilities that we find in them for ministry.

As we all reflect on the mystery of the Word become flesh throughout this Advent season let’s not lose sight that God invaded the seams of our world for His redemptive purpose. He calls His church to join Him in this work of liberating the world from the darkness of its sin and decay through spreading the Gospel of His Son, whom He gave. I’m so grateful that He did so. God bless you richly this Christmas!

Advantages of a Covenant Group - Part Two

2010-10-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation of a previous post about clergy peer groups. ABCNW is heavily invested in these. We call our groups, "Leadership Learning Communities." Two recent studies provided concrete evidence that such groups yield many positive benefits for pastors and their churches. I listed several of these in a previous posting.

The study also investigated whether there was any correlation between congregational growth and peer group involvement. The resounding answer was "yes." Participation in a group correlated with congregational growth.

There were two caveats, however. First, longevity in group involvement was a factor. The longer the pastoral leader participated in a group the more likely it was that his or her congregation would experience growth. The most productive years seemed to be in the fourth year of participation and beyond.

Second caveat, the peer group had to have structure, usually marked by a trained facilitator and an established curriculum.

The researchers discovered a strong relationship between congregational health as marked by growth and peer group involvement. Much stronger than they anticipated. This factor was as important as other, more obvious predictors of church growth. For the record, the other predictors of church growth, according to their research, included a youthful congregation, broad hands-on participation in ministry by the laity, little or no congregational conflict, spiritual vibrancy and clear mission. The researchers noted this consistent thread in their study: Pastors involved in structured peer groups tend to be missional leaders and are personally involved in their communities. Growth is one predictable result.

Based on their investigation the researchers also listed the practices of effective peer groups:

A high level of contact between group members (including meetings but especially emails/phone calls)
A leader/facilitator who inspires confidence
A group that provides accountability and practical help with some attention to intellectual challenge & spiritual refueling
A group that is cohesive, "like a family"
A group whose practices focus on ministry improvement through exploring innovative ideas & resources as well as sharing/getting feedback about personal & ministry problems.

They summarized these characteristics with this comment: "peer groups that renew their members' ministries provide a stimulating mix of the practical, the intellectual, and the spiritual along with a certain amount of 'holding each others feet to the fire' in terms of accountabilty."

The results of this study impressed upon me that we are on the right track in providing Leadership Learning Communities for our pastors. LLCs are a great resource and they are working for us. I encourage every pastor to be an active participant in one. The next step for us in this journey with leadership clusters is the extension of their benefits to lay leaders. Concepts for doing this are being considered. So, stay tuned.

The study I reference in this posting was financed by the Lilly Endowment and conducted by the Austin Presbyterian Seminary. Title: "A Study of the Effects of Participation in SPE Pastoral Leader Peer Groups." Published, April, 2010.

Back to the Heart of Worship

2010-10-20T15:19:00.000-07:00

The following reflections on worship come from Chad Marvin, Pastor of Worship and Arts at The Summit Church in Boise, ID. These are thoughtful words for all who struggle with the shifts in music style, a necessary move to reach various cultures and generations for Christ:

"One of the questions that surfaces from time to time is why we provide the type of music we do during corporate worship. Some would prefer to hear all things contemporary, while others would prefer all things traditional.

For many people traditional music provides them with rich experiences with Jesus. These songs make up a good portion of their heart language. They are reminded of who God is and what He's done and what He's doing now. They can draw us in and contribute to wonderful moments in His presence. Many of these songs do not have generational boundaries. They have the power to reach any age. Occasionally, I'll have someone, even in their teens, ask if we could do a hymn like "How Great Thou Art" or "Amazing Grace" or an older chorus like "Great Is the Lord." I think that's cool!

However, I've also come to understand that what speaks to one culture may not speak to another. I'd like to believe that this isn't true. I'l like to believe that whatever I've experienced: whatever has moved me, whether it be a particular type of music or something else, whatever has drawn me closer to Jesus; would be the same thing that will draw everyone else from every walk of life to Him. If that were true, being in the service of my Creator King would be so much easier. But, that isn't the case.

Different cultures are moved by different forms of communication and each culture has its own heart language. This has been the struggle with worship music even as hymnody was coming into play centuries ago. Isaac Watts (author of "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and 750 more hymns) was told that he shouldn't be writing lyrics that weren't taken directly from the Psalms. Critics admonished he should only be writing "inspirational hymns." For some, Watts' "uninspired hymns" didn't make the cut and he was beaten up for his music on several occasions. If you're not familiar with the music of Isaac Watts, take some time and look up his name on the internet. You may be surprised at what you learn.

Like many churches, the Summit Church is made up of several different cultures; people from different walks of life. When it comes to music here, some people are drawn into a rich experience with Jesus through older choruses; some by listening to a piano solo during communion and others through the sweet voice of an oboe playing the opening lines of "Come Thou Fount." So we have the 8:30 AM service which is blended with all of the above.

Still others are drawn in by the steady beat of the band and the lyrics of the song "Bring the Rain" by Mercy or "Here I Am" by Downhere. Many would prefer a more driving worship experience with the music of Hillsong. So we have a contemporary service at 11:00 AM.

It's not perfect by any stretch. We don't always manage to speak to everyone with their heart language. I don't expect we ever will. I can't imagine we could do better than Isaac Watts though (I don't expect we'll ever come close), and I do believe that God works through the music and corporate worship every week in powerful ways. I'm so looking forward to worshiping with you this fall and throughout the coming year."

How Do We Engage Our Culture?

2010-09-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

Recently Pastor Dave Roberts, in his church's newsletter, provided some excellent thoughts regarding the challenge of Christians engaging culture. He acknowledges that all of us live in the culture and each of us are effected by it. He presses on to ask an important question, "Since every culture is 'fallen' what do we do about it. What should be our stance towards the culture?" Here are some of his thoughts:

"Some take an adversarial position, saying that culture is the enemy of Christ and the church. Their perspective is that Christ will come and make it right. In the meantime the Christian's job is to rescue as many people as possible by pulling them out of the culture. Christians are to live separated and apart from the culture.

Some embrace the culture. These Christians say that it's best to go with the flow. If we are to gain a hearing for Christ, we can't appear to be too odd or different for fear that the culture will just dismiss us as a crazy sect or quacks. Therefore, we need to re-order our values so we can get close to others and sound enough like them they will listen.

Some say we engage the culture for the purpose of Kingdom transformation. This is where I see myself and the church needing to be. We need to be in the culture but to keep our eye on Christ. We have to be in the culture for the right reasons...For me, this means paying attention to what's going on 'out there.' We need to be able to 'speak the language,' but speak in a way that's filled with God's justice and compassion.

The culture is constantly pushing and enticing us to use the language and speech patterns of the world. Yet, when we find our identity in the Lord, we, our speech, and actions are transformed. Where we are (in the culture) is not the source of our identity. We can be in a mess, but not have our identity be a mess.

The forces at work within a culture (not just our American culture) have always and will always be at work calling us to this idol or that idol rather than to the living God. God calls us to be transformed, to change from the values of the culture to the values of the Kingdom of God. We can then take that transforming power into the culture."

[Rev. Dave Roberts is co-pastor with Rev. Manuel Luguin at First Baptist/Communidad Cristiana of Yakima, WA, a multi-ethinic congregation within the ABC of the Northwest.]

Advantages of a Covenant Group-Part One

2010-06-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

How important is it for pastors to engage in a clergy covenant group? According to two recent studies it's extremely important. The difference between pastors engaged in a group and those not involved shows up in their churches. In our Region we call them Leadership Learning Communities (LLCs). Here's a summary of what was discovered:

Those who participate in a covenant group are more likely to create a culture of involvement within their congregations. What's that mean? It means pastors were more likely to involve their people in leadership and ministry. There was more participation by laypeople in each of these areas: 1) New member's classes 2) Communion 3) Worship leadership 4) Church ministries and 5) Rotation through leadership roles.

Pastors involved in a covenant group have churches with an organized presence and involvement of youth. This included the greater likelihood of a youth minister on staff. Additionally there were higher incidences of the following: 1) A youth program including conferences and camps 2) Congregational events planned and led by youth 3) Youth serving on congregational committees and boards.

There was more intentional involvement in the community including a vision of the congregation as a community change agent. Pastors engaged in a group led their churches with a strong emphasis on community service. There was an expectation within the church that the pastor would be out in the community representing the congregation.

Furthermore, pastors who were involved in a group enjoyed more congregational support for continuing education. Their churches committed more dollars to finance the ongoing retooling of the pastor. There were congregational expectations and requirements for the pastor to do continuing education.

These factors alone are enough to build a solid case for life-long engagement in a clergy learning group. But, there's even more reason for pastors to be a part of a LLC. More on that in the next posting.

Thanks to Joe Kutter with ABC Ministers Council for directing me to this information. If you are interested in digging deeper into these findings go to Austin Presbyterian Seminary College of Pastoral Leaders.

N.T. Wright on Resurrection and Mission

2010-03-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

N. T. Wright's book, Surprised by Hope, is full of biblical insight on the resurrection and the ascension in light of God's plans for our future. Throughout the book he makes the point that the hope of resurrection is not an escape plan into a future realm called heaven. Rather, it is the first fruit of a great transformation which will eventually result in a new earth and a new heaven. Through the atoning death of Christ and His resurrection power the entire world will eventually be completely overhauled. Until that day we are called to join God in expanding the reign of Christ in this world while anticipating that His reign will be fully consummated in the world to come. In other words, resurrection, is not only a basis for our present and future hope, it is a call to engage in mission. Here's a short quote to whet your appetite for more:

"[The resurrection and ascension] are designed not to take us away from this earth but rather to make us agents of the transformation of this earth...

Faced with his beautiful and powerful creation in rebellion, God longed to set it right, to rescue it from continuing corruption and impending chaos and to bring it back into order and fruitfulness. God longed, in other words, to reestablish his wise sovereignty over the whole creation, which would mean a great act of healing and rescue.

He did not want to rescue humans from creation any more than he wanted to rescue Israel from the Gentiles. He wanted to rescue Israel in order that Israel might be a light to the Gentiles, and he wanted thereby to rescue humans in order that humans might be his rescuing stewards over creation...

Atonement, redemption, and salvation are what happen on the way because engaging in this work demands that people themselves be rescued from the powers that enslave the world in order that they can in turn be rescuers. To put it another way, if you want to help inaugurate God's kingdom, you must follow in the way of the cross, and if you want to benefit from Jesus's saving death, you must become part of his Kingdom project.

Heaven's rule, God's rule, is thus to be put into practice in the world, resulting in salvation in both the present and the future, a salvation that is both for humans and, through saved human, for the wider world. This is the solid basis for the mission of the church."

But you are the chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you--from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted. ~ 1 Peter 2:9-10 Message

Encouraging Personal Evangelism

2010-01-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

During the last six years, or more, I've urged pastors and leaders to move their churches in an externally focused direction. Our pastors have read books that describe what this looks like. These have included: The Externally Focused Church by Rusaw, Breaking the Missional Code by Stetzer & Putman, and The Present Future by McNeill...just to name a few. We've had some of these same leaders speak at our leadership training events. Many churches have started new ministries composed of loving acts of service to their immediate community. A simple desire to do good for others is the motivation, with the hope that in some small way God will receive credit for the blessings that invariably come through such ministry.

It is also hoped that through such self-less ministry that some will recognize that Jesus followers really are people who love others, radically. And, perhaps, this will jump-start spiritual conversations. Rick Rusaw explains it like this, "We decided long ago that we aren't going to serve to get noticed. We serve for two reasons: to meet basic needs and to create positive relationships." In other words, good deeds create good will so that people may be open to hearing the good news. All of this is in line with our current, and historic, theme as American Baptists, "Serving as the hands and feet of Christ."

I rejoice that many of our churches are riding the wave of externally focused ministries. The instances of churches engaged in community-based ministries have multiplied in recent years.

As our churches continue to transition from inward focus to outward focus it's important that we not jettison sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, with WORDS. Good deeds alone are insufficient to lead a person into a saving knowledge of Jesus. People must hear the truth in order to believe. And, it is the believing, in a faith and trusting sense, that saves. (Romans 1:16 & 10:17)

So, I'm advocating here for doing the hard work of evangelism, that is, talking to people about Jesus, in addition to engaging in outward focused ministries. I was reminded of this as I was reading some words penned by Dick Ottoson, the highly esteemed Minister of Seniors at FBC Anacortes (WA). He expressed his desire to see his golfing buddies come to know Jesus, and admitted, quite honestly, how hard it is at times to have them consider the person of Jesus.

Dick writes: "But I find one essential ingredient [in my discussions about Jesus with my golfing friends]. These affirm and deepen my own certainty of faith in Jesus Christ my Lord. And I believe that it has the potential to profoundly affect my friends' conclusions about the Son of God....For my friends, there are several things I need to do to influence them toward Christ. First, I need to love them, to be there as a trusted friend. Secondly, I feel called to pray for them regularly, for all the parts of their lives, including knowing Christ. I also want to gently ask probing questions about eternal issues. And as I can, I wish to encourage and assist them in looking at the New Testament accounts of the One called Jesus. In many cases, these friends have chosen to walk away from sterile or rigid forms of traditional Christianity. I don't blame them for rejecting a caricature and distortion of Jesus Christ. But how I long to help them find the real thing. Or should I say, the real person?"

Personal evangelism. I know it's challenging. I know it makes us uncomfortable. I know we can feel guilty about our lack of doing it. And, we can feel very inadequate as we attempt it. But, we have a Savior who promised that with God nothing is impossible. And, that includes talking to others about Jesus. I believe that externally focused ministries will place many opportunities before us for engaging in such conversations. So, let's open our mouths, and talk! About, Jesus, that is!

Beginning a New Year

2010-01-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

This posting is an edited version of an article written by Pastor Jim Steiner of The Summit Church, Boise, ID. Jim is also a LLC Mentor Pastor with ABC of the Northwest. These are good words for the start of 2010:

2009 was a very challenging year, and for many of us, we are glad to see it go. But I must say this last year was also a year of watching God be God in the midst of so many things that were out of our control.

It is at times like these when all I could do was remember and remind others of God's promises. It was Jesus who said not to worry but to trust a Father who knows what we need and promises to take care of us. It is God who says that "He will never leave us or forsake us." (Hebrews 13:5)

It has been a comfort and assurance to me that God has allowed me to live some life with Him. Maybe that is the greatest blessing of age in that we have lived to see God's faithfulness. I have been through it and know that God is on the other side. Hopelessness threatened to crowd out hope, and despair to overcome faith. But God! He is the one who proved that He is God and answered in ways that now seem so simple and yet completely miraculous.

It was God who pulled back the curtain on hardships to let us see the "behind the scene" working for our good. It was God who assured us in the midst of this great grace and peace we have received in Jesus, we can exult in tribulation. God declares through Paul, "we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance proven character, and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:1-5)

God knows that in the end, proven character with hope is far more valuable than anything we had to give up to get it. I must confess that the greatest times of spiritual growth in my life have come in and through the hard places. It was during these times that I have been pressed to God and have found Him to be all that He says that He is. He is a loving Father who is always doing the best for us and He is always to be trusted.

So we begin a new year. We begin with the same promises and the same God who made those promises that we ended with in 2009. I am confident in this one thing. That whatever 2010 holds, God is still God! His promises are true and He is faithful to perform them. God cares deeply and is always working for our good. He never wastes our pain and has a wonderful plan for our life and eternity with Him to come.

God Sent

2009-12-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

He was sent from God. He was not sent to shed new light on the human condition. He was not sent to be the greatest of all moral examples. He was not sent to point us towards some inner spark of divinity already residing within us. He was sent to redeem! ~ Galatians 4:3-5 NIV

When it comes to the Christmas season I find myself pulled between two poles: The “Splendor of the Season Pole” and the “Bah! Humbug Pole”. When I wrestle with a tangled cord of Christmas lights, half of which are not working, I am pulled towards the “Bah! Humbug Pole." On the other hand, when I am celebrating communion in the midst of flickering candles reflecting on the mystery of the Incarnation I am pulled towards the “Splendor of the Season Pole."

Christmas is a study in contrasts. There is the contrast between cheap tinsel on a tree and the “gold” of wrapped presents underneath. There is the contrast between the crass commercialization of the season and the greater meaning of gift-giving that is the season’s very foundation. There is the contrast between the announcement of peace unto all the world and the ugly reality of war’s constant presence. It’s a season of contrast; a season of dark and light.

Before the first Christmas the world was cloaked in darkness. Evil, death, bondage and decay reigned supreme. But, then light entered the world. Eternal light. That light was not a new philosophy, or self-help program, or even the birth of a new religion. That light was the pre-existent Word, the second person of the Trinity, who donned human flesh and became one of us.

He was sent from God. He was not sent to shed new light on the human condition. He was not sent to be the greatest of all moral examples. He was not sent to point us towards some inner spark of divinity already residing within us. He was sent to redeem!

Redemption language finds its true context in the realm of slavery. In the ancient world slavery was a fact of life for a great number of people. A slave could be freed if someone paid the owner the value of his property. Once the price was paid, the slave could be released into a new life of freedom. Some slaves were set free in this way. Another path to freedom transpired when a wealthy, childless man would adopt a young slave. Then the owner would trade the young man’s slavery for sonship. This resulted in special dignity and family membership to someone who would otherwise be a slave.

God sent Jesus to redeem. He paid the price that releases us from bondage (the condemning law, sin, death, addictions…the list is long). In doing so He made it possible for us to become sons of God. Through Jesus’ redemption we move from slavery into sonship, from bondage to release, from captivity to freedom. Now, that’s a study in contrast! And, it’s exactly what God set in motion when He sent His Son into the world at that first Christmas.

What God did in sending His Son to redeem us should be at the heart of a church’s motivation for ministry. Just as the Son was sent, so too, is the church sent. God sends His sons and daughters into the world proclaiming the Good News of redemption. He sends us into a dark world, just as He sent His Son, to be light and hope and blessing… that eventually the world will be turned from darkness into light, from bondage to freedom. This is our mission. A mission that was first launched in the heart of God and is now working out its full effects until that day when the world is completely and wholly made.

Blessings to you during this wonderful Advent Season of 2009.

Thankful for the Community of Faith

2009-11-29T12:15:00.000-08:00

Although Thanksgiving has passed, the practice of thanksgiving continues. Scripture encourages us be thankful in all things. The national emphasis spotlights a normative spiritual discipline, reminding us to be people who are grateful every day.

As I read comments posted on Facebook on Thanksgiving I was pleased to see that most people expressed gratitude for their family and friends. Some mentioned physical blessings, but few made this the big emphasis. And, several mentioned their church friends.

I wonder how often we give thanks for the community of faith? Being a church leader can lead to concentrating on church problems to the exclusion of the positives. Perhaps, part of our own spiritual discipline as church leaders should include taking some time to list all the people who give of themselves to the church--those who help the Body function in a Christ-honoring way. Then give thanks for each one, and ask God's special blessing and empowerment on them as they continue to give of themselves to the Body.

It seems that the Apostle Paul was in the habit of doing this very thing. In Ephesians 1 he writes, "For this reason ever since I first heard of your faith in Jesus Christ and your love for all the saints I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." (verses 15-17)

I wonder what would happen within our churches if we prayed in such a way for those who serve, lead, encourage, witness, pray, visit, and give of themselves to strengthen the community of faith?

Ministers Conference Reflections from Paul Burnham

2009-09-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

Pastor Paul Burnham, pastor of Newport Hills Community Church in Bellevue, WA, sends out a devotional email to his congregation EVERY DAY. He usually reports on something the church is doing, and then uses that as an illustration, or tie in, to biblical insights. In that way he keeps his church up to speed on their current ministry efforts. He reinforces their mission, vision and values. And, he inspires devotion to Christ. He does this all with a simple email message. It's a great practice. Today he sent this out to his folks. You'll get a taste of the emphasis of this year's All Region Ministers Conference. Also, you'll get an idea of how Paul uses this discipline to lead and inspire his people.

"The first day of the conference Leona and I are attending in Post Falls, Idaho was great. The speaker for the day reinforced a lot of the things we are already doing and gave me a few ideas to help us continue to make a difference in our community for Jesus Christ.

He kept saying what I have been saying for many years, "It is not about us." We are not saved to just for ourselves, we are saved to serve our God and other people. So the focus is on Jesus and what He wants us to do because He has saved us from ourselves and from destruction.

You see, true Christianity is not a religion based on rules and rituals, but a living relationship with Jesus Christ.

Many people reduce Christianity down to attending church services and Bible study meetings and trying not to commit a list of certain sins. But being a Christian is being united with Jesus, a member of His body, with His life in your heart that motivates you to a life of service.

Jesus should be your focus -- not religious activity -- but the person of Jesus, the Lord and Christ and how you can honor Him with the way that you live your life.

1 Corinthians 1:9 NIV
9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Church services, Bible study meetings, Bible reading, etc. can be good, but should not be allowed to become an end in themselves. They are tools to help us know Jesus, serve Him with our lives and serve others out of our love for what Jesus has done for us.

The Bible says we are to be faithful; but faithful to what: a religious system, an organization -- or, a Person? So the question is; Are you serving Jesus and others or are you serving yourself?

The focus of our lives should be to please Jesus.

Colossians 1:18 NRSV
18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.

Does Jesus have first place in your life? In your schedule? Are the things that are important to Jesus important to you? What could you do today to serve your Lord and keep your focus on what is important to Him?"

We Attract or Repel

2009-09-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

I was made aware this week that Granger Community Church is holding it's annual training conference, Innovate 09. Without a doubt, this is one of the most creative churches in America. And, they multiply new followers of Jesus like crazy. God bless them for their efforts. One of the staff pastors is blogging the conference. It's worth following at Entermission by Rob Wagner.

Senior Pastor, Mark Beeson, kicked off the first session. In the middle of his talk he made the following comments:

"Part of what holds your team together is you. Please know...it IS personal. When many people say NO to your church, they are saying NO because of you.

Many people who are saying Yes are saying Yes because they want to pursue the mission and vision with YOU.

Honestly, I do not want to think about the implications of this. If true, and I know it is, then we need to seriously evaluate how we are doing with our own spiritual health, our passion for Christ, our love for people and the clarity of the vision we are casting. If we're sputtering along in these areas people will not be compelled to follow us. If we're making progress in these areas more and more people will desire to be a part of our team. It's that simple, and that hard.

If I Were a Pastor Today....

2009-09-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

I was once a pastor for almost 18 years. Prior to that I served on five church staffs in various capacities. I've often thought about what I would do differently now that I've gained some new perspectives in my present role.

One thing is certain, I would take as many of my leaders to training events as I could. As a pastor I did some in-house training. I pulled all our elected leaders together for quarterly training events. In the fall I met with our Sunday School teachers every other week. Throughout the year I trained our small group leaders and our congregational care providers on a monthly basis. But seldom did I take these same folks to outside training events.

If I were a pastor today I would be loading up the van, or bus, or a bunch of cars, whatever, to take my key movers and shakers to hear someone else say what I had been trying to say to them all along.

This is one of the main reasons we have been lining up great speakers for our Area and Region events. These presenters will reinforce your efforts in leading your church towards health and outward focus. It's just kind of funny how you can say things until you are blue in the face, and then one visit to hear the outside expert who says the same thing, and they all become believers. Amazing. That's what I'm talking about here.

So, I just want to reinforce the value of leading the charge to take your people to one of the ABCNW/Area fall celebrations. Each event is heavy on training. We've lined up great speakers. Reinforce the direction you are taking your church in by exposing them to excellent leaders.

These are the top trainers we have coming to each event:

Dane Aaker, senior pastor of Centerpoint Church, Colton, CA. Will be speaking at the Big Sky Area Celebration September 18-19 and Intermountain Area Celebration on October 17. Dane will talk about how to accomplish more through moving towards simplicity, improving worship services to have greater impact, and how to make progress in your evangelism efforts.

David T. Olson, executive minister for church growth and evangelism for the Evangelical Covenant Church and published author. Will be speaking at the Far West Area and North Puget Sound Area combined meeting on Saturday, October 10. David has a keen understanding of the church today based on 200,000 interviews conducted among the American population about their church attendance, or lack thereof. Not only does he show the problems, confirms the hunches, and explodes the myths, but he will offer a clear path for solving some of the greatest challenges to the American church today.

Michael Quicke, is the professor of preaching at Northern Baptist Seminary (ABC) in Lombard, IL. He has published several books including these excellent works: 360 Degree Preaching and 360 Degree Leadership. Dr. Quicke understands the power of the preached word to help a congregation move in an outward-focused, missional direction. He is the guest speaker at the Inland NW Area Celebration October 23-24. Check out Michael's blog.

Details for registration, etc. may be found at www.abcnw.org. To receive notices for all ABCNW events send your email address to communications@abcnw.org. I'm looking forward to seeing you at our fall events!

Excellence in Teaching & Preaching

2009-09-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

I think engaging, life-transforming, biblical preaching is huge. Same thing goes for teaching. Pastors are under tremendous pressure to be at everyone's beck and call. As a result it's easy to cave to the pressure, attend to all the needs, and fail to give sufficient time for sermon preparation. Shoddy, shallow sermons can be found at the top of the list for reasons for failure in the church.

One of these days I plan to do a blog series on preaching. Until then I cam across this simple four point message from Josh Hunt about good Sunday School teaching. I thought every point was equally applicable to preaching, including the fourth one about "involvement." A preacher may not involve the congregation with the message the same as in a Sunday School class, but there should be the intention that the people will engage at some level. Excellent preachers monitor the involvement of the people during the delivery. Changing the pace, asking a rhetorical question, walking out into the crowd, using a prop...these are ways to keep people involved in the message.

Anyway, check out these four points from Josh Hunt. Good stuff:

Solid Biblical Content/Depth

The number one complaint I hear about lessons is "lack of depth". People want to learn something. They want to hear something they have not heard before. In my lessons, I try to include quotes from some of the greatest Bible scholars around. Great teachers are always investing in great books, scanning the Internet and doing whatever they can to bring some depth to the table. Crummy teachers give Sunday School answers.

Humor

I love to laugh. In a healthy group, the group will provide the humor. It is not such a bad idea to try to find some funny stories in every lesson. Obviously, we want the story to relate to the text and the point of today's lesson. One of the many reasons I like John Ortberg is he nearly always sprinkles a little humor into his messages. Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down, and just a bit of humor makes every group better.

Personal application

Big question: what do you want me to do about what I heard today? Our goal is not to make smarter sinners, but to teach people to live the John 10:10 abundant Christian life. Not, "teaching them everything I have commanded you" but, "Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Good lessons have lots of take-home value--something for me to do this week to make me a little more like Christ.

Lots of participation

In an ideal class, everyone participates--more or less evenly. No one is completely silent, and no one dominates the conversation. I am working an experiment in my own group where I pass out the lessons to each participant and have them take turns asking the questions. They can answer or not. It is going pretty well.

Josh Hunt offers excellent teacher training materials and ideas on his web site: www.joshhunt.com (most of it is free). If you are running a Sunday School program I would suggest signing all of your S.S. teachers up for a weekly email message from Josh. Very good stuff here.

Celebrating Six Years with ABC-NW

2009-09-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

I came to the ABC of the Northwest six years ago today. I'm taking just a few moments to say thank you to all the pastors, churches, lay-leaders and the Region Board for the opportunity to serve in this capacity. And, most importantly I thank my God for bringing me to this particular duty station. It is a privilege and an honor to serve the pastors and churches of this great Region.

I was asked today what my vision is for the coming years. My answer was quick in coming, and simple. I believe that God wants our association and work together to yield more and more churches that are healthy, mission-focused and increasing in their ability to multiply disciples of Jesus Christ. I hope that sounds familiar to your ears. We have made significant progress in reaching our vision, but we have many more miles to go. This is not a time to switch visions. Rather, it is a time to increase our intensity in pursuing this vision.

At the same time, as we pursue this vision, I believe that God is calling us to a renewed emphasis on Word and Spirit. The Word is both the Living Word, Jesus Christ, and the inscripturated word of the Bible. The Spirit is the living breath of God that causes the Word to come alive in our hearts. When we study the Word, proclaim the Word, and apply the Word through the Spirit's power, lives are transformed.

Word without Spirit leads to aridity; a mechanical, functional form of Christianity. Spirit without Word results in a chaos of mysticism, individualism, and wide-eyed fanaticism. Spirit and Word are needed in equal measure. Both are found together in Scripture. Jesus preached the Word and ministered through the power of the Spirit. Both are inseparable for effective, life-transforming dynamic ministry.

Paul wrote, "For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction." (1 Thess 1:3,4)

Baptists, who hold to a high view of Scripture, are more comfortable with a Word-centered ministry. We would be wise to balance that important emphasis with an equal appreciation for the work of the Holy Spirit. We need the renewing, empowering movement of the Spirit in equal proportion to our knowledge, understanding and application of Scripture. Would it not be a great thing to redouble our study and application of Scripture? And, simultaneously invite the Holy Spirit to use the Word powerfully in our lives to transform us, to renew us, to empower us. Not so that we would be puffed up with right knowledge, but that we would become more like Jesus. And, that we would be more effective in serving and blessing a lost world with the love and grace of our God.

What would happen if we diligently prayed for a fresh moving of the Holy Spirit in our churches? What would happen if in these same churches there transpired a great devotion to the preaching, teaching and application of God's Word? Picture the result of that wedding for a few moments, and pray that it would become a major part of our future together. What an exciting future that would be!

Dane Aaker Coming to ABC-NW

2009-09-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

I was talking with Dane Aaker this morning about the talks that he will present later this fall in our Region. Dane is senior pastor of Centerpoint Church in Colton, CA. He's also a friend of the ABC-NW and has spoken at previous events.

He will be speaking at two of our Area meetings: Big Sky Area Convention, September 18-20; and Intermountain Area Celebration, October 17. His topics will be the same for both gatherings:

"Doing Less For More Results"
"Building a Church that Attracts Seekers"
"Building Worship Services that Make an Impact"

What I love about Dane is his continuing quest to be the best. He never rests on his laurels, or past achievements. For 25 years now he has led his church to continuously adapt, seeking to reach more and more people. As a result, the average age of the church is the youngest in its history, and its attendance is at an all time high (1100 to 1200 on a given Sunday). That's pretty amazing for a 122 year old church in a downtown location. The most recent surge in growth took place this summer! Yet, in spite of all of this success Dane is one of the humblest men I know. That's one of the many reasons I respect him. It's also why I try to learn as much as I can from Dane. I hope that you will take advantage of Dane being in our Region. If you are in the Big Sky Area or the Intermountain Area do your best to attend, and bring a pile of people along with you. They will learn a ton of stuff.

You can watch sermon videos of Dane at this location: www.centerpointcolton.com

Little Brown Church Roof Repair--Part 2

2009-08-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

I received this additional information and pictures from Pastor Mike Iverson from the Yellowstone Church in Billings, MT:

"After many email discussions and pleas for help we had the following people participate in the Little Brown Church re-roofing project:

Doyle, John, Rock, Aaron, Marty, Laura, Zach, Mark, Rock's Grandson - Belgrade Community Church
Red, Travis, Marcus - Roundup Emmanuel Baptist Church
Ross and Paul - Billings FBC
Mike, Leonard, Michael, Bill, Zach - Billings Yellowstone Church
Doug - Hardin FBC
Wayne - Crow Agency Community Church
Larry - Little Brown Church
Nancy, Newton, Olivia, Kenny and several ladies from Lodge Grass provided wonderful hospitality and food while we were there.

I think that this was a tremendous example of what we can do if we choose to work together. When we think of missions work - or projects, we often tend to think of traveling long distances or maybe even overseas, but I think it is important for us to remember that there are people right in our own back yard that need our help.

A couple of things that I thought were noteworthy: As we were wrapping up the project, some neighborhood ladies walking down the street stopped to talk with me about what was going on at the church - people in the town of Lodge Grass took note of the activity that was taking place and were very impressed that people would come from all over the state to help the church in Lodge Grass. I was also very impressed with the camaraderie that took place between people of different churches, but also amongst people of the same church. I noticed people from BCC and Yellowstone Church who previously hadn't known each other very well begin making new friendships.

I think it is significant that in a time of need we were able to come together and meet a need that the people of Little Brown Church had almost given up hope on. They had $3000 in a fund to replace the roof, but had received quotes that were significantly higher than this from various roofing companies. After excess materials were returned - the final cost of materials for this project was $3087.64 (plus some miscellaneous supplies brought from the Belgrade team).

The people of Little Brown Church often feel as if they are forgotten or abandoned and felt very blessed and encouraged to have our churches come together to help meet this need. Thank you to everyone who participated and to everyone who encouraged members of their various churches to participate."

--Pastor Mike Iverson, Yellowstone Church

Little Brown Church and LLC-led Mission Project

2009-08-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

I just received this wonderful report from Pastor Ross Lieuallen (Billings FBC), the Region's mentor pastor for central and eastern Montana. I hope to add pictures from this story when they're sent to me. Again, this is another excellent example of connection and missions working hand in hand together:

"In our May LLC, I asked Rusty Strickler to lead the 'dreaming' portion of our meeting. He asked if he could try 'something' different....and he let me know he wanted us to dream about something we could together as pastors/churches. He did a fantastic job of leading us in this 'dream.'

As our discussion took many directions, we knew that Little Brown Church in Lodge Grass, MT needed a partial, or total roof repair, and probably did not have the people resources to tackle a huge project. Though it is not a huge building, nonetheless a roof project is no easy matter. Rusty and Mike took the lead of contacting a contractor--Mike had one in his church. They surveyed what needed to be done. At our June LLC we committed to a potential date for August 22nd. It's a busy month with last minute vacations, getting back to school....and it didn't feel like it was going to happen. Mike surmised we needed at least 15 workers to make it happen in one day.

But it came together. Sadly, Rusty was called out of town on that weekend with a family death. He was the one who really moved us toward this project. Mike Iverson, with his contractor leader/church member, coordinated all the details of materials, finances, and leadership of the day. Mike did a great job of leading with this and all the details. Little Brown did have the necessary funds for the project, and with a few donations from others, I think most of the costs were handled at completion.

Churches represented were: FBC Billings, Hardin, Roundup, Crow Agency, and Belgrade, and of course a few folks from Little Brown Church. I would also say that Belgrade had the most volunteers bringing a considerable amount of the equipment we needed. And in talking with some of them, many have only been a part of the Belgrade church for a few months!

I know some pastors wanted to be there but had work crews coming to their churches that day from other ABC churches; some had last minute emergencies or vacations already planned. Mike Iverson, Wayne Gentry, and I spent the day there. And all total there were 12 to 15 men ( I can't remember exactly how many) and several women.

I believe the folks of Little Brown Church were blessed that other ABC churches and people care and wanted to bless them. This project really built a bridge to a church and the Reservation that sometimes we forget about. Mike said it well at lunch, "we often think of missions as overseas or disaster relief elsewhere in our country. But this was a project in our own backyard that we could do to really help our brothers and sisters."

And last but not least, this came out of our LLC group under the Holy Spirit's prompting and Rusty's faith to try something different!"

--written by Ross Lieuallen

Connecting Through Mission-Focus

2009-08-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

I happened to speak with Pastor Gary Gilman (FBC Filer, ID and Mentor Pastor for ABCNW in south, central Idaho) this morning. As we talked he filled me in on some mission support activities he has been involved with over the last two weeks. Very recently he participated in a training event in Spokane, WA for the Missionary Partnership Team (MPT) for ABC missionary Walt White. But that's not all.

Previous to this, from July 31 through August 4, he escorted Daniel Chetti, our ABC missionary in Beirut, Lebanon, around to churches in the Intermountain Area. Daniel preached at the 9:30 AM service in Filer, and then the 11:00 AM service at FBC Twin. After that Gary transported him to FBC Elko, FBC Jerome, FBC Emmett, and FBC Nampa. Also, he planned to take Daniel to Cambridge and Midvale, but Daniel had to shorten his trip and was not able to visit our churches in those locations. That is a lot of time on the road!

I appreciate that Gary not only does an outstanding job leading an alive and vibrant church in Filer, but he has a heart for our ABC missionaries. In this way, and in numerous others, he is helping his church be healthy and mission-focused. Additionally, he is in an early adopter in the new approach to mission support that is unfolding at International Ministries.

The bonus in what Gary has been doing is the connection he is making from ABCNW church to ABCNW church, and to our ABC missionaries.

As a Region we value four Landmarks: Leadership, Church Planting, Church Transformation and Connection. To be effective in attaining these Landmarks, the ownershp of each must extend beyond Region full-time staff (three of us!). That's exactly what Gary is doing. What Gary did could be done by any other pastor and lay leader in the ABCNW. I hope others will follow his example. And, knowing Gary he would be happy to tell others how to do the same.

For information about International Ministries MPT approach to suport click here.

Great Quote

2009-08-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

I saw this original quote by Worth Wilson on his Facebook profile page. Plus, I haven't posted anything in a while, and this well help me jump start some new posts.

“Lack of worship puts our circumstances between us and God, but faith filled worship puts God between us and our circumstance.” C. Worth Wilson

Worth is the pastor of Cle Elum Community Church in Cle Elum, WA. He also pastors the Presbyterian Church in Roslyn, WA. He wears many hats for the Region including serving as a Mentor Pastor.

Region Consultation and Online Survey

2009-07-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

I am sending the following announcement to our churches and pastors sometime today or tomorrow:

The Region Board and I wish to inform the churches, pastors and leaders of the ABC-Northwest that we have contracted with Dr. Bill Hoyt to conduct an assessment of the Region. Significant changes in the Region's vision, ministries and structure have transpired over the last seven years. The Region Board and Dr. Revis believe it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of these transitions, and also map out additional improvements as we move together into the next seven years.

Dr. Hoyt was a logical choice to conduct this review since he's already familiar with many of our ministries and churches. Dr. Hoyt is the executive director of NexSteps Consulting, a mentoring, coaching and consulting ministry. In addition to having successfully led a denominational region for fifteen years, Dr. Hoyt has extensive experience consulting with denominations and churches. He is also involved with mission work in Vietnam. (for more information go to www.nexstepconsulting.org)

A major part of the consultation will be an On-line Survey. The primary people we are requesting to complete the survey will be pastors, church staff, and church leaders (officers and ministry team leaders). We are assuming these folks will be more familiar with the Region and its ministries than the average attender of an ABCNW church. Dr. Hoyt will activate the survey on August 12th and he will close it on September 16th. It is our plan to invite all the people listed above from as many of our churches as possible to participate in the survey.

There are two ways you can help us as we conduct the survey. You can provide the names and email addresses of your staff and leaders. (Many of you have already forwarded this information to Cherie' in the ABCNW office. Thank you!) As we launch the survey they will receive an email invitation with a link inviting them to go on-line and complete the survey. Some pastors may choose to invite their staff and leadership by forwarding the email invitation directly from their own list. Either way will work. The link to the survey will also appear on the home page of the ABCNW web site (www.abcnw.org).For folks with limited internet access we suggest that the church print out a hard copy of the survey. Have them complete the hard copy and turn it into a designated person in your church who will enter this information on-line for them.

I wish to express my appreciation for your help with this project. It is our desire that we excel in our efforts to “grow healthy, mission-focused churches that mulitply disciples.” The survey, along with Dr. Hoyt's recommendations will assist in pursuing our God-given vision.

City View Church--Growing & Reaching Out

2009-07-11T10:40:00.000-07:00

As a Region, ABCNW is passionate about churches growing through reaching out to their surrounding community. One of the wonderful stories of church transformation as a result of renewed external focus is unfolding at City View Church in Renton, WA. Pastor Chester Gross has led the church in renewal and outreach since coming to the church almost two years ago. At the time he accepted the call as pastor the church had dwindled to 35 in worship, and now they are up to 150. Chester reports that since the congregation has been focusing more on reaching its immediate community it is becoming a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural congregation. In other words, it looks more like the surrounding community. That's a sign of successful outreach. The worship music has also become more multi-cultural. Other initiatives have included renewed focus on children and young families.

They also changed their name from First Baptist Church to City View Church. After the name change attendance jumped by 30 people in one month. Unfortunately, the name "Baptist" has negative connotations for many in the Renton environs who are searching for a spiritual family. In changing their name, they removed this unnecessary hurdle. They continue to be a Baptist church. However, they are demonstrating what we Baptists have always believed and practiced when we are at our best: It is more important to be effective in reaching the lost than to hang on to a tradition that has become a hindrance to that goal.

I love their description of the kind of church they are striving to become (taken from their web site).

The Church that we see....

Is passionate about saving the lost

Is a church which loves and honors God through relevant and genuine worship

Is a multi-cultural church diverse in age, gender, culture, race and creativity

Is a church of thriving disciples who are equipped to live the message of Jesus in view of the community

Is a church which empowers believers to become leaders in the church and the market place

Is a church which partners with other churches and ministries to advance the Kingdom of God

Is a church which sees beyond it's own time and leaves a legacy for succeeding generations

Find out more about City View Church at www.cityviewchurch.com.

Making Jesus Famous?

2009-07-02T07:53:00.001-07:00

One of our solid pastors has been criticized for making this public statement, "We want to make Jesus famous in our city."

Should we attempt to make Jesus famous? My response would be, "Can you imagine doing the opposite? Hiding Jesus from a lost world?" Of course we are to make Jesus famous. We are to publish His name in all the earth. The Bible expects this to be our number one job. We are to proclaim from the rooftops, "Jesus is the Lord, the Savior of humankind." We are to lift Him up so that all will know his wonderful grace and love.

Habakkuk prayed, "Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord." (3:2).

Paul, in his incarnational hymn of praise writes, "Therefore God exalted Jesus to the highest place...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." (Phil 2:9-11) That's just a little bit famous.

Our culture is obsessed with worshipping the "famous ones" of Hollywood and pop music stardom. Many, at this very moment, are grieving the death of one who proclaimed himself the "King of Pop."

In the midst of this misdirected obsession is it not right and proper to lift up the name of the True King? And, make Him more widely known than any of the pretenders who display only a fading glory. His is the glory that will shine for ever. Why not get a head start on worshipping the One who has everlasting glory? Why not make Him the truly "Famous One" in all the earth?

Of course, we want people to move beyond knowing about Jesus to personally encountering Him as God, and as Savior, and as Lord. That goes without saying. But for some people you have to fill in the lines so they can see the full picture, which is impossible to do when the real issue is not the presenting issue.

Perhaps the objection is rooted in a misunderstanding, that we are to avoid recasting Scriptural principles in the vernacular of our culture. No doubt there is always a danger of miscommunication when we attempt to employ contemporary cultural idioms. Yet, there is a greater danger if we do not. And that is to fail to communicate to this generation at all. It seems to me it's well worth the risk to employ popular language and concepts to convey biblical truth, which is exactly what the pastor was attempting to do. The beloved paraphrase of the Scriptures, The Message by Eugene Peterson, attempts this very thing, and in spades! And, I would add, with great success.

This is a lengthy way to say that I agree with the pastor. Let's make Jesus famous! In all the Northwest! In all the world! I can't think of a greater calling than this one thing!

I'll close this long posting with words from a "famous" modern hymn:

You are the Lord
The famous one, famous one
Great is Your name in all the earth
The heavens declare
You're glorious, glorious
Great is Your fame beyond the earth
For all You've done and yet to do
With every breath I'm praising You
Desire of the nations and every heart
You alone are God
(Chris Thomlin)

Audacity for the Right Reasons

2009-06-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

As I witness the transformations taking place in our churches I've noticed a common pattern. The pastors of these churches have stepped up to a higher level of leadership. They've become more focused, full of vision and bolder. You might say they've become "audacious". They are willing to go out on limbs like never before. Their churches are changing because their people are going out on those limbs with them.

Because of fear some people never go out on a limb. Their fear is understandable. There have been more than just a few limbs that have broken while the leader was standing out there all alone. Falling out of a tree hurts. On the other hand there are many instances when the limb has proven to be strong enough to bear the weight. It takes faith to crawl out on a limb, even when you are convinced it's the limb God is calling you to dance on. There is no guarantee the limb will hold. Faith, then, is the hallmark of the audacious.

But some would disagree. They would say that ego is the hallmark of the audacious. In some instances this may be true. We've all witnessed audacious people who's boldness stems from an overdose of narcissism, or even stupidity.

There is an audacity which is courage. On the negative side there is a courage marked by impudence and temerity.

There is a short paragraph in The Radical Leap that distinguishes between the two, "The difference comes down to love versus ego. Love-inspired audacity is courageous and bold and filled with valor. It's the kind of audacity that's required to change the world for the better. Ego-inspired audacity is just a pain in the a**. In other words, some people are audacious just for the purpose of drawing attention to themselves; they're not concerned about anything other than their image."

As Jesus followers we are called to be audacious out of love for Christ and His Gospel. The Spirit of Christ leads us to be daring and courageous so that people's lives will be changed, the church will grow and the Kingdom will advance. Audacious leaders are finding success in church transformation because of their inspiring and courageous love, along with the daring leaps that are expressions of that love.

On the other hand, there is a type of church leader that pushes hard for church growth and change, because they want to be a success in the eyes of others. They strive for bragging rights. Seldom does such motivation lead to lasting church transformation or growth. We can all be prey to this temptation, and we should guard against it.

Temptation to be audacious out of wrong motives will dog leaders, but that is no reason NOT to nudge the audacious quotient up the scale in our leadership styles. Leadership by definition means getting out in front of the pack. In itself, that can be daunting for some pastors. Yet, when motivated by deep love, for people, for Jesus, for the Kingdom, we will find the courage to make some audacious moves. So, get out there and bust some Holy Spirit inspired moves for the Kingdom! Even if your feet get a little tangled up in the effort, you will make Jesus smile!

Adaptive Stance Towards the World

2009-06-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

I'm reading The Monkey and the Fish by Dave Gibbons. I usually don't do this, but I just have to pass along a quote from his book. Sorry, it's a long one:

"In my journeys, what's becoming clear to me is that the more adaptive we are to the Holy Spirit and to diverse people groups and settings, the more we reflect who Jesus is and impact this new flat world.

Author Thomas Fiedman has become a bit of a prophetic voice in this regard in the area of culture, politics, and business. In his seminal book, The World Is Flat, he describes some of the forces at work that are creating the groundwork and necessity for a third-culture movement in the church: 'Two aspects of culture have struck me as particularly relevant in the flat world. One is how outward your culture is: To what degree is it open to foreign influences and ideas? How well does it "glocalize" (a term that combines the necessity of both local and global initiatives--it's not a choice)? The other, more intangible, is how inward your culture is.'

In other words, organizations with cultures that intentionally or unintentionally maintain an inward focus--a culture of exclusivity and a leariness of and even suspicion toward differences and change--are in real trouble in this twenty-first-century global village of ours. Conversely, the more an organization's culture naturally glocalizes--the more easily our local cultures can absorb and embrace foreign ideas and best practices and meld those with the best of traditions and values--the greater the boon we will enjoy in the new world."

Gibbons goes on to say that the task of the church today is to live as third-culture people. He defines "third-culture" as the mindset and will to love, learn, and serve in any culture, even in the midst of pain and discomfort. It's what God did for us in Jesus when He stepped into our rebellious milieu to love us and rescue us. In turn the Father sends us into the world, just as He sent His Son. We do this best when we accomplish it in a third-culture, adaptive manner. Missionaries "get" what Gibbons is saying. We can learn from them, because increasingly every church will need to be missionary in ministering to today's world.

Ordained ABC Minister Compensation Comparisons

2009-05-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

Each year MMBB (The Ministers & Missionaries Benefit Board) publishes a report which provides the average compensation of ordained American Baptist ministers organized according to regions. Across the entire denomination the average compensation (cash salary & housing benefit) reported on January 1, 2009 was $48,380. This represents an average increase of 2.21% over the prior year as reported on January 1, 2008.

As a minister you may be interested in how the ABCNW compares to other Regions in the ABC-USA.

There are 35 regional units. Some of these are mostly urban, such as Washington, D.C., New York Metro, Philadelphia Baptist Association and L.A. City Society. It should be no surprise that these have some of the highest average ministry compensations. Indeed Washington, D.C. tops the list with an average compensation of $73,786. However, the second highest compensation is the Region of the South with an average of $66,710.

ABC of the Northwest ranks 31st out of all Regions with an average compensation of $40,293. This figure represents a meager increase of 0.53% over the prior year. We're fifth from the bottom. The lowest compensation is in the Dakotas with an average of $36,577. By comparison the average compensation in Oregon is $52,570. In Growing Healthy Churches (ABC West) the average is $57,478. And, in Evergreen Baptist Association the average is $53,745. EBA experienced an astounding 22.55% increase over the prior year in which the average was $43,855.

What does this tell us? One, is that on the whole churches in the ABCNW are struggling to pay ministers at the level they deserve. Second, we are a Region with many small churches in rural settings where economic conditions may be a challenge. I know of some churches that pay their pastor less than that of a starting school teacher, yet expect the pastor to work 50 to 60 hours a week. This is hardly fair. Other churches are generous, and are compensating their pastors as they should.

I would remind all that the Bible urges fair remuneration for those who work in the "field of the Lord." Paul writes in 1 Timothy 5:7, "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching." The word "elder" may be translated as "minister" or "pastor" in that the church in Ephesus, about which Paul is writing to Timothy, was led by a team of elders. These elders worked diligently for the church, directing its ministries. They regularly preached and taught. Paul asserts that these ministers "are worthy of double honor." This is Paul's euphemistic way of saying "double pay." The work of a pastor is extremely important, and as such deserves compensation at such a level it would be considered twice the norm. In other words, it is right for a congregation to be generous, not stingy, as it compensates its pastor.

I once heard someone say that a pastor's salary should be equal to that of a High School Principal, or at least that of an Elementary School Principal. Given that the pastor operates in a myriad of roles, including that of leader. Given that the pastor must do significant research and provide a public talk every week based on that research. Given that most pastors have completed 7 years of higher education. And, given that working in the spiritual realm is highly significant work, I think this suggested guideline is defensible.

You should know that MMBB works with our Region in providing information regarding average compensations in specific locales. On request, MMBB will produce an analysis comparing churches of similar size in our Region. If you have need of this service please call the ABCNW office. We have done this for a good number of our churches. It's good to have MMBB as a partner in our ministry together.

Popularity Is Overrated

2009-05-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

I was listening to a recent podcast by Mark Driscoll today. He was speaking about pastors, using 1 Peter 5:2-4 as his text. In the message these words jumped out at me:

“Wolves have high approval ratings. If your whole goal is to be liked and known, to have nobody upset, nobody leave the church, nobody to speak ill of you. Nobody gets their feelings hurt. Everybody gets their way. A really small church with a really enabling leader maintains peace and popularity at the expense of conversions and fruitfulness. Everybody’s happy because everybody gets what they want. And that’s not faithful to Jesus because that means He’s not always getting what He wants. We serve an audience of One, we live for an audience of One. We live in submission to godly authority. If you are a leader you have to do what’s best for the whole flock, not for just a few loud disgruntled sheep. Furthermore, you can’t just follow the applause. Sometimes decisions need to be made, things need to be done that are painful and unpopular. People will leave the church. Some people will feel as though they were not heard and accommodated... Leadership in ministry is not a popularity contest. It’s a hard lesson, but exceedingly important.”

I don’t buy everything that Mark teaches, but this comment is right on the money. Far too many pastors either never lead, or quit leading, because they discover that to lead means giving up the quest for popularity. Leadership requires sticking your neck out. Leading necessitates taking a stand. Both postures place the pastor in target position. Someone will take a shot at you, try to take you down, or, they will oppose you. And, that’s always painful, unless you are a pastor with absolutely no feelings. If maintaining a high approval rating is a high value for you, you will resist getting out in front of the sheep to lead them. It’s easier to hang out among the sheep, and just become one among the many.

Many years ago I participated in an Alban Institute seminar focusing on the long-term pastorate. At the time I had been the pastor of my congregation for ten years. I instinctively knew there were both opportunities and dangers in long tenures. One of the dangers is “going native.” Or, another way to describe it is “becoming domesticated.” It’s another way of saying that over time the pastor is inclined to take fewer risks in leadership. During the course of the long tenure certain strong personalities wear down the pastor. The pastor learns what topics must be avoided and what paths have a roadblock sign permanently placed on them. It’s easier to just go along with the flow. It’s more popular to start wearing wool and emit an occasional bleat. Going native by throwing in the leadership towel becomes the standard operational procedure.

Here are some tell-tale signs that you have become domesticated: You no longer cast vision. You avoid conflicts. You fail to lead the charge to take the next hill. You choose not to preach on difficult subjects. You find yourself always asking the church what they want to do, and you have no idea yourself. You quit counting attendance, conversions and baptisms. You dream only of finding a nice place to sit and read a Clive Cussler novel. And, worst of all: You love to hear people tell you how much they appreciate how peaceful the church is under your leadership.

The only approval we should be seeking is that of Jesus, who is the Head of His church. All of us should be constantly praying and listening to be certain that we are leading the church in the direction that the Chief Shepherd dictates. There is plenty of material in the N.T. that gives us clues as to what that looks like. The last thing it looks like is a flock of aimless sheep, without a shepherd, scattering across the hills in a myriad of directions. I think it looks much more like the church in Antioch, pulling together as one team, under a band of visionary leaders, seeking to take the Gospel to the entire Gentile world. That may not be popular with some, but it makes Jesus smile. And, that’s the thumbs up we should seek.

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” 1 Peter 5:2-3

Honest to Goodness Church Attendance

2009-05-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

A popular notion that originates from George Barna is that 47% of Americans are church goers. Not according to David T. Olson. Having completed the most extensive study of church attendance in America, Olson challenges Barna's data. He has concluded that on any given Sunday the percentage of the population attending church in America is only 17.3%.

This number is far lower in the Northwest. Here are the percentages of the population attending a Christian church on any given weekend in the states that compose the ABC of the Northwest.

Montana - 16.9%
Washington - 13.3%
Idaho - 10.2%
Nevada - 9.4%
Utah - 2.9%

According to Olson's research the present trend indicates these percentages will continue downward. This tells me that we have a lot of work to do.

Using his findings Olson also makes a strong case for renewed efforts in church planting. He reasons that as established churches age they become increasingly ineffective in evangelism. Even if a few are able to buck the trend there is a critical need for new churches. Otherwise the church in America will fail to keep pace just with the increase in population size.

His insights are well worth sharing with your congregation and its leaders. You can find out more by checking out his web site at www.theamericanchurch.org. You can also read his book, The American Church in Crisis. The following video is a teaser for the more extensive DVD, "Where Are the People?" It's worth the seven minutes it takes to watch it.

Power & Hope in the Face of Pessimism

2009-04-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

I attended my favorite continuing education event last week, Exponential 2009, a church planting conference in Orlando, FL. I'm able to stay with my parents in St. Cloud and commute to the gathering, about 35 minutes away. In the coming days I intend to write about some of what I learned. (I returned to a busy week, Interim Ministers training here at Ross Point Camp and Region Board meeting later this week. So, for now it's a little too hectic to report out what I learned.)

Exponential has become the largest gathering of church planters and church planting organizations in the U.S with over 3,000 in attendance. Not only is it jam packed with learning opportunities, it's a great event for personal spiritual renewal. I find that church planters understand, more than most of us, the need to rely on the Holy Spirit for empowerment in their work. They also make evangelism and discipleship their priorities, which I believe to be Christ's priority for His body, the church. Through Spirit-empowered preaching and worship along with encouraging fellowship I came away energized to engage in more work for the Kingdom.

We all need to be re-energized in the ministries we do. This is especially true during difficult days. Along with the economic downturn can come a spirit of despair and discouragement. Enough to take the wind out of our sails. We need power to hang tough, to endure, in order that we may attain the goals to which Christ has called us. And, to pursue it with a Spirit of joy and hope in the face of pessimism. For me this comes through prayer and mediation on God's Word. But it also comes by being around charged-up believers, and being renewed through worship and powerful preaching. I know I say it over and over again, but it is one of the fundamental reasons I desire that every pastor find connection through a leadership learning community. We need each other. We need to pray for each other. And, we need to encourage each other, stirring up the Spirit of God in each others hearts.

It is during challenging days that we need reminding that there is available to us a deep well of spiritual vitality and power through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. There is a text that speaks to me about this, "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know...his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead." (Ephesians 1:18-20a).

Also, this morning I read these words from an old devotional book that I read occasionally:

"Our Christianity is often only registering its surroundings, instead of remedying them. The early disciples did not go around registering the current pessimisms; they changed them. They didn't go around saying, 'Look at the problems,' but 'Look at the Saviour.' Their emphasis was not on sin abounding, but on grace much more abounding. And they spoke with transforming force. For the 'Acts of the Apostles' were the Acts of the Holy Spirit working throught the apostles. And what they began we can continue. 'To be continued,' is written at the end of the 'Acts of the Apostles.'" (E. Stanley Jones, Abundant Living)

These are great words, are they not?!? I pray for God's empowerment in your life as you lead in the face of difficulties and challenges. I pray that we will all be filled with the Spirit of Christ and his joy, peace, grace and hope. And, through such empowerment transform the world around us.

Prayer Request for Mike DeLuca -- Mission Trip to New Guinea

2009-04-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Mike Deluca, pastor of FBC Darrington, WA, has forwarded the following prayer request to me:

In a couple of weeks four of us will travel half way around the world on a 3 1/2 week mission to Papua, New Guinea. We will be traveling to the highlands to minister to several of the churches there and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. We leave May 4 and return May 28.

The four of us are Steve (the missionary), John (seminary student), Caleb (pastor), and myself. The first three have been there before, I am the green horn on the trip.

Steve's father helped evangelize this area in the 50's and Steve continued the ministry afterward.

Please pray for us as we travel to this remote place. Pray for health, for energy, for our families we leave behind, for the churches and its leadership while we are gone.

Pray that the presence of our Lord will be felt through the ministry that we will be sharing.

Matthew 28:19-20 "Go into all the world . . ." We will attempt to be a small part of our Lord's great plan to save the world.

Good Friday Service Idea for 2010

2009-04-15T08:48:00.001-07:00

Where does an executive minister find a Good Friday service in Post Falls and/or Coeur D Alene? Almost no where. I didn't even try to find one this year because last year I called several churches only to discover that NONE of them had a Good Friday service. (I was looking for one mid-day...which, I'm sure was part of the problem.) I gave up!

As I was reviewing what some of our churches did for Holy Week this year I came across this really cool idea from Second Baptist in Boise, ID. Chad Marvin, is their pastor of worship and arts, and he announced that they would host a "Come and Go" service from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Good Friday. He described it in this way: "This means that the service runs from 6 to 8 and you're free to come and stay for as long or as little as you want. The worship center will be sectioned off into several smaller areas where you can reflect on the sacrifice that God's Son gave; the price He paid for us at Calvary. There are slide shows to watch, readings to reflect on, and activities to participate in as you walk through the Passover, the garden, the upper room and the crucifixion. It's experiential and incredibly moving...."

I know Holy Week is now 12 months away, and you may forget this idea, but I would encourage you to host an event like this on Good Friday to reach out to your community. (Maybe post yourself a reminder in February 2010.) If your church is located near businesses, such as a downtown location, you might consider offering this drop-in approach to the Good Friday Service from Noon to 2:00 PM, and again in the evening. Don't forget to send out lots of invitations, and post it in the local newspaper. If you provide this kind of a Good Friday Service, let me know, I may show up!

Quick Praise Report From The River Church (Boise, ID)

2009-04-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

Pastor Dave Griewe, church planting pastor, of our newest church, The River Christian Church (Boise, ID), has sent out this brief report. Last Sunday was their official launch day. I am praising God for this excellent news. I would request that you join with me in continuing to pray for the new congregation and the leadership team as they endeavor to capitalize on this win for the Kingdom!

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers!

We had 268 people at church today! 116 in the first service and 184 in the second service... We subtracted 32 people who were working at both services. It was an awesome day! God was praised and two people made commitments to Christ! Now we are praying that most of them come back next week!

The Life-Changing Power of Grace!

2009-04-08T15:26:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the good folks at The Bridge (Snohomish, WA) I watched this powerful message on grace by Louie Giglio. You cannot watch the whole thing without shedding some tears, AND giving thanks to Jesus for what He has done for each of us at the Cross. This is a wonderful reminder of how great Jesus' love is for us. And, the message also reinforces the truth that it is Jesus' love and grace which transforms lives (not religion, not trying to be good, not going to church, not being nice, not being p.c., not belonging to a certain denomination, not doing social action work, not....you get the idea!). This strengthened my love for Jesus today!

The message is entitled "Fruitcake and Ice-Cream." Check it out. Make sure you watch it until the end, and tell others!

http://www.northpointministries.org/player/player_large.jsp?occurrenceID=3140

Prayer Update for The River

2009-04-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Pastor Dave Griewe has sent out this list of prayer requests as he and the team continue to prepare for the grand launch of The River this coming Sunday. After the list is an encouraging praise report.

Please pray that we reach lots of people with the news of our new church.
Pray that the people who come to hear the Good News will respond to Christ by giving their life to Him. We are praying for a minimum of 200 people to come to our Grand Opening and stick around to become a part of our church.
Pray for a large crowd of young families to show up for the Easter Egg Hunt. Pray for them to have a great time and to desire to check out our church and Easter Sunday.
Pray for two full services at 9:30 and 11:00 AM on Easter.
Pray for a successful and safe children's petting zoo we are having for our Kidz Krew (our children's ministry) on Easter Sunday.
Pray the enemy is restrained.
Pray for the last minute details to come together for the launch.
Pray for Pastor Dave as he prepares the message this week, "Why Does the Resurrection Matter to Me."
Pray for our church finances as well as the support needed for staff.

Praise report

Our youth ministry is doing a great job! We have over 20 students who have come and enjoy the fellowship and teaching time. This is huge! Two families have decided to come to The River as a result of our youth ministry.
Our people have grasped the responsibility to get the word out and we had enough people sign up to distribute postcards for Easter.
We have had a good response to helping us put on the Lexington Hills Easter Egg Hunt.
We have had 6 good weeks of preview services with an average of about 85 people a week who have been coming and well over 100 who consider us their new church home!

P.T. Forsyth on the Cross of Christ

2009-04-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

It is appropriate this week to read those biblical passages that speak of Christ's atoning sacrifice on the Cross. Meditating extensively on what Jesus did for us in His death and resurrection renews the core of our faith. It's also a good week to brush off some of the better theological texts and review what they have to say about the Cross.

I'm a big fan of P.T. Forsyth (1848-1921), a Scottish theologian writing at the turn of the 20th century. Although trained in liberal theology in Gottingen, he came to the conclusion that liberalism failed to adequately deal with the fallen state of human beings. This led to his own deep reflection and subsequent transformation. He renewed his belief in the atoning work of Christ and he developed a great interest in holiness and the atonement. His study resulted in several outstanding works on the Cross and the Atonement of our Savior. In particular are The Cruciality of the Cross and the classic, The Church and the Sacraments. If you can find a copy, these, along with his masterful Preaching and Modern Mind and The Person and Place of Jesus Christ, are well worth studious reading and reflection. Here are a few quotes for this Holy Week.

In writing about the early believers' worship of Jesus, Forsyth explains:

"What produced this [worship], so amazing, so blasphemous to the Jews? It was the cross, when it came home by the resurrection...It was then that Jesus became the matter and not merely the master of gospel preaching. It was then that He became Christ indeed, then when He became perfected! Perfected! He became the finished Savior only in the finished salvation. And, for those who worshiped Him first, all He was to them centered in the cross and radiated from there. It was the Christ who was made sin for them in the cross that became for them God reconciling the world to Himself. He was all to them in the cross, where He died for their sin, and took away the guilt of the world, according to their Scriptures...That was the starting point of the Gospel, that made it missionary, made the Church. It is the content of the Gospel. And it is always to there that the Church must come back, to take its bearings, and be given its course." ~ The Cruciality of the Cross, pg. 15

And, in writing about the church as a supernatural body of the risen Christ he posits:

"Where does the super-natural and Church-building element in Christ lie? It lies not in His character and teaching but in His office and work--in His atoning Cross and Resurrection...there He is the Son of God with power. His spirituality is evangelical. It is moral power so radical and revolutionary that it is regenerative and nothing less. He is the Christ of the Holy Father, not as the Ideal of the pure, but as the Savior of the lost. What makes Christ Christ is what He did as His life's crowning work; not how He was born or grew up, not even what He said and did from day to day--except as such words and deeds take their consummation, and have their last meaning, in His condensed word and summary work of the Cross." ~ The Church and the Sacraments, pg. 33

Change, or Die!!!

2009-04-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

When I came across this quote, it hit me like a ton of bricks, especially as it relates to the church.

"When the rate of change inside an organization is slower than the rate of change outside an organization, the end [of that organization] is in sight." ~ Jack Welch, former CEO of GE

Most sociologists tell us that we are in the midst of a rapid cultural shift. I agree, I can no longer find cassette tapes for my aging 1992 Previa! I gave away 300 vinyl albums when I moved to N. Idaho (wish I had them back now). I couldn't get them to play in my svelte CD player. Seriously, we're at a key inflection point not unlike what has occurred at other pivotal points in world history.

One example is what happened when the printing press was invented in 1439. Gutenberg's printing technology spread rapidly throughout Europe and is considered a key factor for ushering in the European Renaissance. The Gutenberg Bible was first printed in 1455. Soon the masses had access to Scripture. And, eventually comic books in 1935. (Every positive move in technology has a concomitant negative move, I believe.) This tectonic shift has been labeled the Gutenberg Revolution. The impact on the church was massive. The Catholic Church, corrupt at every level, yet powerful, could not contain the outbreak of the Protestant Reformation. That movement radically reshaped the church. In addition to prophetic leaders such as Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and Melancthon, the Reformation was greatly advanced through the dissemination of printed materials.

Likewise, the computer, the Internet, cable optics, cell phones and a host of new advances in communication are playing a huge role in the changes that are swirling around us. Add in the effects of post-modernity, multiculturalism, international free trade, and the fall of communism, and there is no doubt that we are moving through a "worm hole", as some have called it. What awaits us on the other side of all of this remains to be seen. One thing is certain, the world we experienced in 1950 and 1960 is not returning anytime soon. Sorry, Elvis fans. We are in the midst of a giant change, and the pace is quickening.

In the face of all this change, many churches are hunkered down, perpetuating ministry patterns designed in the 1950s and 1960s. The question I would ask is, "How is that working for you?" Actually, there is a better question, "Are you still as effective at reaching the lost and making disciples as you were three or four decades ago?" Most likely not.

Throughout the ages and in various cultures when the church has experienced renewal and growth, one major factor has been the adoption of new methods. The church adapted in order to effectively reach its target group with the Good News. Here again examples abound. Consider the various innovations of John Wesley, D. L. Moody, William and Catherine Booth, Hudson Taylor, Billy Graham, and Bill Hybels. Each had a passion for reaching the lost. Each created new methods, relevent to the culture, to convey the Gospel in more effective ways. The result? Millions of people have been saved from a hellish eternity by coming to know the Savior of the world.

The ramifications for the church are huge. If an individual church intends to do its part in helping to depopulate hell, it must be willing to adapt, continuously. The search for fresh wine skins is never called off. Change in the church's methods and ministry forms must be continuous. In certain periods the pace of change must quicken as the changes in culture accelerate. This is such a time.

I know that resistance to change is endemic to our species, especially as we age. (I still prefer Tom Brokaw to Brian Williams on the evening news....sorry, Brian.) And this is exacerbated by the penchant to transform the church into the last refuge of constancy in the middle of the surrounding cultural storm. Longing for a safe haven we can turn the church into a religious museum. How? Insure that everything about the church stays the same, from the furniture to the carpet, to the music and the programs, and, vigorously resist anyone who tries to change it. The result will be slow death. I guarantee it. It may not come this year, or the next, depending on the size of the endowment fund, but it will come.

But, is this the way of Jesus? I think not. He ushered in radical change. In everything! He turned the Jewish religious establishment upside down. Worship would no longer be confined to a physical temple. The priesthood would no longer be for a privileged few, but for every man, woman, boy or girl who became a Christ follower. He broke down the dividing wall between the religious insiders and the secular outsiders (see Ephesians 2:11-19). He is a wild man for change, especially when it results in transformed people--old creations into new creations--that sort of thing.

Jesus taught with a warning in his voice, "Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins...No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved" (Matt 9: 17). In this new age of the Holy Spirit, whatever structures and methods the church employs to pursue its God given mission, one ingredient must be constant, pliability, or the new wine will burst through. The old wineskin will be ripped apart, destroyed.

I know this is a great challenge for real churches in real places. But, God is able to calm our fears, take us by the hand, and lead us into exciting new days of ministry, while helping us make the changes that are needed to make it happen. So, I encourage you, embrace change. Or, prepare to die. To vigorously resist change, I believe, is to abandon our God-given mission. Rather, we must embrace the mission, and discover creative ways to carry it forward. Let us emulate Paul who wrote that he was willing, "to become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." (1 Cor 9:22)

For more great reading about change I recommend the following:
Who Stole My Church? by Gordon MacDonald
The Present-Future by Reggie McNeall
Leadership Next and ChurchNext by Eddie Gibbs
Deep Change by Robert Quinn
The Shaping of Things to Come by Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch
Change or Die by Alan Deuschman

The River Christian Church Launches on Easter!!!

2009-03-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

The River Christian Church, the newest church in the ABCNW, will be launched on Easter Sunday, April 12th. Pastor Dave Griewe came to the Boise area in the Spring of 2008 with a clear sense that God was calling him to plant a new congregation. He and his wife, Cathy, settled on the Eagle area. Although there are other growing churches in Eagle he believed there was a need for a church specifically targeting people who would not come to a traditional church. They want to reach people that no other church is reaching. Part of their strategy is to create a "come as you are" culture, making it extremely easy for the unchurched to attend and check out spiritual issues. The ABCNW churches in the Intermountain Area have welcomed this new work with open arms, and many have lent their support in a variety of ways.

The River Christian Church held their first preview service on February 28th. They had 101 people in attendance. 20 of these were new people who had not shown up at any previous gathering. They had one re-commitment to Christ. Guests gave them rave reviews. And, the service went well. No glitches, according to reports from Pastor Dave. They have continued with preview services each Sunday, ramping up for the big launch on Easter Sunday. They've assembled a full staff, which is a great story in itself. People are getting excited.

Would you join us in praying for the Lord's blessing on this new work in our Region? Here are some of Pastor Dave's specific requests:

Pray that people will come to church! We ordered 4,000 extra cards to distribute door to door in the neighborhoods surrounding the school where we meet. Pray for them to be well received and for a huge response!
Pray for God to open the floodgates so we can lead many people to Christ over the next three weeks.
Pray for our Easter and Grand Opening service details. We go to two services on Easter 9:30 and 11:00. Our hope is to stay with two services and not look back.
Our children's ministry will have a special Petting Zoo on Easter Sunday. Pray for all the details to be worked out, including having enough animals and for us to find the money to pay for the cost of animals and set up.

In the midst of this new work Pastor Dave and Cathy have been beset by several medical challenges. Please keep their health in your prayers. You can learn more about this new project at www.riverchristianchurch.com. Also, you can request to be on Dave's email list. He sends out a weekly update on their progress and needs. His email is Pastordg@aol.com. The church needs financial support. If you can help, even if it is a small amount, they would appreciate it. There is also a need for assistance in paying for their medical bills. [The picture at the top of this post shows the staff: Dave Rowe, Susie Tilton, Dave Griewe, Don Steinke, Kason Wedel, and Phil Eastman.]

Karen Refugee Ministry @ FBC Boise

2009-03-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

Many ABC-USA churches are stepping up and assisting Karen refugees as they make their way to the U.S. from refugee camps overseas. Most Karen are Christians who came to know Christ through the faithful efforts of American Baptist missionaries who came to their area in the 19th century. They consider American Baptists to be their spiritual forebears. FBC Boise has been working with the Karen in the Boise area for more than a year now. The ministry continues to mature and is truly wonderful. I received this brief update from Pastor Bruce Young several weeks ago:

I wanted to forward a very cool picture from yesterday. After church yesterday we had a potluck gathering for just our Karen refugees and the FBC volunteers who have adopted them. It was very cool to see what God has brought together and the true friendships that have developed between the FBC people and their assigned families which they have adopted.

If you would like to assist with this ministry I am sure that FBC would love to tell you how. Contact information may be found at their web site: www.fbcboise.org.

Jesus @ the Center

2009-03-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

This morning I continued reading in the LLC book for March, The Relational Way by Scott Boren. Often I read chapters out of order. I will read the last chapters to get to the bottom line, and then later go back and read the rest. Today I was doing just that, reading Chapter 2, "Gathering Around the Presence."

Boren makes the point that we often subcumb to the temptation to organize small groups around a particular good thing, and then we expect them to thrive. In doing so we miss the true dynamo that creates Christian community. Jesus Christ is that power. Groups need to be centered first in Jesus Christ. The things that eclipse Christ's centrality can be "excellent curriculum", "dynamic group leaders", "the perfect small group organization system", and "the right group model." (He explains each of these in the chapter.)

As I thought about it, we can get tripped up by this temptation at any level within the church. We can "organize" our hopes for church transformation around great worship, attractive programs, charismatic personalities, tasty lattes, and the latest church growth techniques. We can become disillusioned and even embittered when none of these produce the results we were expecting, e.g., stopping decline, inreasing attendance, attracting young families, improving the finances, etc.

Consider the corrective to this expectation in the following quote from Boren. I've replaced the word "group" with "church." See if this doesn't have great implications for us:

"The job of the church leader is to take people to Jesus and to take Jesus to people. Jesus is the authority and only his keys matter. At the same time, Jesus provides practical ways to improve the church. He uses books and seminars to highlight activities and tools that work. However, these things are not the starting point. Jesus is. The books or seminars on church leadership describe the keys, but they do not provide them. A leader can only get these keys directly from Jesus. The keys are based upon the revelation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Jesus is the one who brings life to a congregation. He is the one who causes people to share honestly. He is the one who touches lives and changes people. He is the one who moves through the body to reach out to the unchurched. He is the one who raises up leaders who begin new ministries and new churches. Jesus is the key." (pp, 60-61)

Increasingly I am convinced that church vitality and effective disciple-making, will never happen until we experience a deep renewal in our love and devotion to Jesus Christ. He is the Center. Of creation. Of life. Of salvation. Of discipleship. And, of the Church. Apart from His life-giving vitality and presence, all of our efforts, even the good ones, are only so much hollow strivings. In His presence there is life, hope, joy, energy, direction, creative ministry initiatives, and dare I say it, FUN! (Read Boren's chapter and you will see why I put that last one in....)

One last quote to close this out: "If Jesus is the head of the church (Col 1:18), then the church is only the church of Jesus Christ when it is living in vitality with the head." (p, 47) Amen, and amen!

(If you would like to know what the Leadership Learning Communities are reading check out the book list at http://abcnw.org/pastors/llc-reading-lists/.)

One Church, Multiple Congregations

2009-03-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I visited Spokane Valley Baptist Church where Dr. Norm Haupt is the pastor. I was pleased that they showed a video clip from the America for Christ promotional DVD (I've embedded it at the end of this post.) This clip showed Stan Crews and the revitalization taking place at Monte Vista Baptist Church in Phoenix, AZ. Over the years the congregation has experienced dramatic aging and decline. However, it has recently been renewing its vision for outreach. They jump started their outward focus by opening their facility to other churches that needed meeting space. (One is Hispanic and the other is Karen.) And more than providing space, they partner with these congregations in ministry so that together they are reaching their community for Christ. The presence of these two congregations holds the potential to help the "mother church" start a new life cycle of renewed vision, outreach and growth.

There are several churches in the ABCNW that are hosting a congregation within their facilities. Some are congregations that have their own identity, a church within a church, if you will. Some of these are "fellowships" comprised of a particular ethnic group.

For example, under the first category there is the new Communidad de Esperanza meeting at FBC Bremerton; the new Everett Community Church meeting at FBC Everett; El Camino meeting at Southside UP Church; Tabernaculo Biblico Bautista de Utah at FBC Ogden; Primera Iglesia Bautista Hispana at FBC Buehl; and Beautiful Baptist Church, a Korean congregation, meeting at The Bridge in Snohomish, WA. Blessed Life Church in Bellevue, WA was planted by Seattle Chinese Baptist Church, and originally met in the facilities of the Newport Hills Community Church.

Under the second category there is a new Mongolian fellowship meeting at Newport Hills Community Church. At this point their intention is to be a fellowship group within the congregation, not a separate church. Also, there is the Karen fellowship which is a part of FBC Boise (more about both of these exciting developments in another blog).

There is a third category that is emerging, which I believe to be the wave of the future. And that is the intentionally, multi-ethnic congregation. This is one church composed of multiple ethnic fellowships or sub-congregations. But there is one board, one budget, one staff team, and one church. This is the direction that FBC Yakima and La Verdad are taking. It's been a long and challenging journey, but as of last Sunday the two previous congregations officially affirmed the transition into one, multi-ethnic church. Congratulations to pastors Dave Roberts and Manuel Luquin and the people of both congregations in this historic transition!

In fact I am so excited about this last model that we selected our 2010 ABCNW Biennial speaker in part for his commitment to multi-ethnicity. Efrem Smith, pastor of the Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis, MN, will be our speaker. What a dynamic guy! His church was planted in 2003 with the intention of being multi-ethnic from the ground level. This is now a thriving congregation of a 1,000 people in worship attendance. We have much to learn from churches like his. (For more info and sermons go to http://www.sanctuarycovenant.org/)

I believe that sponsoring a new church plant, or embracing an emerging ethnic Christian fellowship, within an existing church's facility is one way to be a church that is truly mission-focused. Indeed, the world has moved to our front door steps, and the possibilities for engaging in mission in our own communities are endless.

Anxiety in the Church System

2009-03-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Leadership insights may come from surprising places. After watching the movie The Changeling I was checking out the bonus features on the DVD. John Malkovich, who played the social activist Presbyterian minister, complimented Clint Eastwood's directing. He said, "[Clint] doesn't give you his panic and his pressure. A leader has to sort of keep that to themselves and find a way to help you keep your eye on the prize." Wow. Right on!

Family systems theory reveals that anxiety in any social system can effectively block progress. As a church journeys through transformation conflict increases, and along with it anxiety. It's not unusual for the pastor to unnecessarily increase tension in the body by processing his/her own anxious thoughts among the church members. In this way the pastor unwittingly acts as an anxiety accelerator. This increase in anxiety can manifest itself in strange ways. Often they are subversive. For example, the pastor may take the lead in a new initiative, which in itself may be benign. But the push back from some is so intense that the pastor will wonder, "Where did that come from?" The pastor will have little idea that he or she helped set the stage for it.

Conflict in the church is a normal part of transformation. It should be expected. In fact, an absence of conflict is a certain indicator of little forward movement. So, how should a pastor and the leaders process their anxious feelings which are a normal part of leading change?

Certainly not among the general church members! This is the first rule. Learn to bite your tongue. Externalizing one's pain without discretion is a mistake many pastors make to their regret.

Self-discipline is required to process anxiety in a safe place. This leads to the second rule. Pastors must select carefully with whom they will process their pain. A trustworthy covenantal group of ministerial colleagues is one best place. This is one of the primary functions of the Leadership Learning Communities (LLC). Not only can the LLC listen and empathize and pray, the group can coach the pastor to take appropriate responsive action.

A third rule is to increasingly pour out one's worries and anxieties to God in prayer. This is one of the good things that can come from conflict as the tension reinforces motivation for pursuing spiritual disciplines. Personally, I am more consistent in prayer, meditation and scripture memorization when I am dealing with conflict. I recommend applying what Paul commanded, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:6-7)

And, fourthly, follow the example of Clint Eastwood (I never imagined I would be giving this advice) and become a non-anxious presence for the congregation. Concentrate on avoiding defensive reactions. Lead by continually refocusing the church on its God-given mission of reaching the world for Christ. These steps will help reduce tension in the system, providing a more conducive environment for discernment and forward movement.

Tools for the Trade & Rick Rusaw

2009-03-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

Every year in March we host a training event in Western Washington called "Tools tor the Trade." This year the event took place on Saturday, March 7th at FBC Everett. There were at least 195 people in attendance. Our guest plenary speaker was Rick Rusaw, and he hit a home run every time he spoke. Rick has become a real friend to our Region and a supporter of what we are trying to accomplish. (Check out Rick's church, Lifebridge Christian Church, for more info.)

Thanks to the leaders in the Far West Area and FBC Everett for making it happen. I'm especially grateful to the following: Pastor Roy Lindberry (Gorst Community Church) who was the point person for the planning team; Brian Harpell, senior pastor of FBC Everett, Alan Love, associate pastor and local arrangements coordinator; the worship team led by Gloria Love; workshop leaders; and many others from FBC Everett and other churches in the Far West and N. Puget Sound Areas. I know there were many behind the scenes persons, and I'm grateful for their hard work. Thanks to everyone who helped.

I would press upon you the importance of how externally focused thinking is changing how churches understand their purpose. Many of our pastors have discovered the transformational power of having their leadership board and key influencers read certain seminal books together. In particular these four are having notable influence. I recommend that your church study these writings and take them to heart:

The Externally Focused Church, by Rick Rusaw and Eric Swanson
The Present-Future, by Reggie McNeal
Simple Church, by Thom Rainer
Breaking the Missional Code, by David Putman and Ed Stetzer

To whet your appetite for ideas along these lines, consider these quotes from Rick Rusaw:

"One of the most effective ways to reach people with the message of Jesus Christ today is through real and relevant acts of service. Honest, compassionate service can restore credibility to the crucial message we have to share. To tell the truth, we must show the truth."

"Good deeds create good will that open hearts to Good News."

Five Characteristics of Externally Focused Churches:

They believe the community cannot be healthy without the church.

They believe that Christians don't grow until they begin serving, outside the church as well as inside.

They understand the power of service to open hearts.

They are evangelistically effective.

They partner with other agencies and entities, secular and Christian alike.

Purpose of the Mission Northwest Blog

2009-03-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for checking out my “Mission Northwest” blog. The digital communication revolution continues to accelerate, doesn't it? It used to be that a printed newsletter did the trick. Well, maybe so, maybe not. Newsletters are slow, expensive to produce and mail, and aren't accessible through electronic means. Employing blogging as a communication tool, in addition to the Region's web site and periodic emails, makes good sense in today's digital universe. This is all an effort to communicate more often and more widely. I'm going to give it my best shot.

Here's what I hope to accomplish with this blog:

Provide updates on what God is doing in local ABCNW congregations.
Communicate insights related to the Region's vision: “Growing Healthy, Mission-Focused Churches that Multiply Disciples.”
Reinforce the Region's Landmarks: Leadership, Church Transformation, Connection & Church Planting.
Pass along ideas, resources, reflections, quotes....anything, that will help the churches and the pastors of this great Region advance the mission of Jesus Christ.
Inspire a deeper commitment to faith in Jesus Christ who calls us to venture out of our safe havens and take a wild walk with Him on the mission side of the street.
Pass along prayer requests. (“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone” 1 Tim 2: 1)

I hope you will check in often. Make sure you leave a good comment every now and then.

Grace and Peace!

Good News from Clearfield, UT

2009-02-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

I flew to Salt Lake City, UT on Saturday, Feb 7th, to attend the installation service for the new pastor at the Clearfield Community Church (20 miles north of downtown SLC). Their new pastor is Rev. John Parsley. Yahoo! God really does answer the prayers of His people. I had been praying, along with the search committee and congregation, for a long time for God to send someone really special to serve there.

John started in Clearfield in November '08. He came from Plainfield, Indiana, where he had been pastor at FBC for 21 years. He and his wife, Susie, first met when they were students at Butler U. They have lived their entire life in Indiana. In the course of John's tenure the church grew from about 110 to over 300 in worship. Many found Christ through the church's outreach efforts. In 2000 they completed a 2.4 million dollar expansion to their facilities. John & Susie's adult kids live in Indiana, and so do John's dad and Susie's mom. For the time being Susie continues to live in Plainfield until the house is sold and she can join John in Clearfield. Please pray that in spite of the discouraging housing market that their house will sell.

I'm telling you this in part so you will be introduced to John & Susie. Also, I would ask you to pray for the Clearfield Church as it transitions into this new and exciting chapter of its ministry. The church is growing. Eight people joined on Sunday morning. One gave her life to Christ for the first time. Praise God! What a great set-up for an installation celebration.

John's decision to accept the call to become the pastor at C.C.C. is definitely a God thing. According to the world's values it makes no sense. The secularist would call this "downward mobility." But John and Susie, like all serious disciples of Jesus, understand that when He leads, they are to follow, even if it is flies in the face of the world's value system. Their servant hearts and commitment to Christ are an inspiration to me.

This is what leadership in the Kingdom of God is about. It's first about giving over our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It's being willing to go wherever He sends us. To trust that He will never abandon us, even as we sail uncharted seas. It requires uncommon courage. Big faith. And usually calls for great sacrifice. Such are the leaders who lead churches into mission with Jesus Christ.

"...and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: 'Take nothing for the journey--no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic'...So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere." Luke 9:2-3,6 (NIV)