Author Archives: Lane Corley
Wisdom Applied leads to #FaithinAction
The New Testament book of James teaches us that applying wisdom means:
- That we should live, not just learn the Bible [James 1:22]
- That pure religion cares for the orphan and widow [James 1:27]
- That loving our neighbor is the “royal law” [James 2:8]
- That mercy triumphs over judgement [James 2:13]
- That faith without deeds is worthless [James 2:16, 20]
- That knowledge should result in humble deeds [James 3:13]
- That wisdom from heaven is full of mercy [James 3:15-17]
- That failing to do “good” is sin [James 4:17}]
- That in our neglect we become oppressors [James 5:1-6]
(list found in the Barefoot Church Primer by Brandon Hatmaker)
“It may be simpler to live as if our actions and words function independently of each other, but one thing’s for certain – our observers never separate the two” ~ The Barefoot Church Primer
On Mission Kids Ministry
Ever thought about taking your churches children’s ministry to the streets? I think we should. Most children’s ministry is focused
on reaching/teaching/discipling kids that show up at my church on the weekends or midweek. Some of the questionable outcomes of this:
- Can teach kids that church is all about them & most importantly, about them having fun, falling just short of disciple-making.
- Wanting to grow our churches, we sometime start talking about kids as only a hook to get their parents “butts in the seats” (to quote Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act). “If the kids have fun, the parents will come back” ~ church growth quip.
- Children’s facilities can cost mega bucks.
- Can cut the rug out from under parental responsibility for discipling kids as they become more and more dependent upon the “professionals” down at the church.
AND the big one, that our team has been grappling with: WHAT ABOUT THE MAJORITY KIDS THAT ARE NOT COMING TO THE FULL COLOR KIDS MINISTRY EVENTS AT OUR CHURCH EVERY WEEK?
In my region of 345,000 people, demographic reports show that around 21% of the population is age 14 or below. That’s around 69,000 kids!!!! In my denomination, which is one of largest in the region with 11,500 worshipers on any given Sunday, approximately 18% of that number are children under 14. Meaning on any given week only 2,500 or so kids are attending, which is only about 4% of the population in the 14 and under age bracket. We average about 7,000 each year for Vacation Bible School, which is a 1-week, 4-hour overdose of Sunday’s Kids Ministry. That gets us to 10%. Add the other evangelical groups to the mix and best figures, after consulting with other church leaders, give me a number of 4,500 kids in an evangelical church each Sunday for faith & fun. That’s only 7% of the kids in our community. And many of these kids are growing up with absolutely no access to the Gospel story or a Christian witness in their lives. Are we losing a generation as we strategize on how to improve our children’s facilities? (& considering the # of kids that need to be reached, can we even build a big enough facility to do what’s needed?) & preach loudly about God being taken out of schools? & order next years Vacation Bible School curriculum? & continue to think of kids ministry as a facilities focused ministry?
A New Vision for Kids Ministry
What if we began to consider the 93% in our Kids Ministry strategy? Not neglecting the 7%, providing faith & fun on Sunday’s as we are, but also thinking of new ways to get God’s story into the lives of kids in our community. When you think of it like this you’ll realize there are more opportunities then you might imagine. Here’s a few ideas:
- Encourage your congregation to get involved in schools on their terms, not yours. There are a variety of mentoring, tutoring, encouraging opportunities that will equal relationships with unchurched families in the community & opportunities to invest in kids. Our church recently provided free popcorn for an area schools open house & met several families in need.
- Partner with local kids organizations that are serving children & asking (if not begging) for volunteers. In my community, there’s the Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, local multi-housing complexes, private schools. And we’ve found many of them are open to you sharing THE story as part of your work.
- Multiply what you do on-site, off-site. You’ve made great backdrops & costumes, produced cool videos & posters, you’ve bought expensive curriculum, & prepared awesome crafts, & you’ve trained volunteers who are loving it. Why not look for an avenue to multiply that in the community? Do the VBS at a local multi-housing complex or another church that would not be able to do it for the kids in their neighborhood on their own. Do a one day kids ministry event at a local park or multi-housing complex utilizing all the stuff you’ve done over the past few months.
- Local Festivals provide opportunities to show kids & families that faith is fun by providing some of the crafts or games or other elements you do each week. This is a great way also to build trust with community leaders & parents. And you can say, “if you like what we do here, you’ll love our Kids ministry at ______ Church on Sunday.”
- Get the Kids involved. Instead of seeing them as hooks to get more “butts in the seats.” See them as missionaries who can invest in their friends & demonstrate that faith is fun & meaningful in the community. Teach kids that it’s important to serve & that faith is not just about them but others, by taking them on a local mission trip to the park or festival or multi-housing complex for Kids Ministry Day.
- Start or get involved in a mentoring program for children without dads, grandparents raising grandchildren, foster children, etc.
- Instead of VBS. I heard of one church that instead of VBS they encouraged neighborhood Bible Clubs during the summer & trained & empowered people to reach the kids & families around them, utilizing the same curriculum sets & production quality, but in yards & subdivision common space all around the city.
- Other ideas?
We’ve reached a point where we can’t keep preaching about culture decay, God kicked out of schools, & bad parenting. We’ve got to get involved. The doors are open in our communities. It won’t be easy, but salt is no good left in the salt-shaker. Could our churches add salt by taking your kids ministry to the streets?
Just thinking. Please share other ideas, opinions, corrections, smart remarks, etc. in the comments.
Protecting Your SPIRITUAL Identity
Identity theft has generated a lot of attention over the last several years. A variety of products are offered everyday to assist you with 
protecting your identity. The constant message is: You must be intentional to keep scammers and criminals out of your personal information. I’ve purchased one of these products myself and at least one red flag has popped up advising me that my identity has been compromised and I’ve taken intentional action to close that risk.
To be a Christian is an IDENTITY as well. It’s who you are, not just what you do. And there are things that put our IN Christ identity at risk:
- False teaching. Anything that adds to or takes away from the person and work of Christ.
- Hypocrisy. Living with a gap between what we know we’re meant to and supposed to be IN Christ and what we really are.
- Sinful habits. What you do everyday is what you’re becoming. Secret identities are always exposed. And the IN Christ identity is all or nothing (Col 3;11).
And just as it may be necessary to protect your physical and digital identities, it is definitely necessary to protect your SPIRITUAL identity. In Colossians 3, Paul gives us some protection tips:
- Know your identity – “if you have been raised with Christ…” Col. 3:1. If you are a Christian, it’s more than just what you do on Sunday. “Christ is all and in all” 3:11. If you’ve identified your life in Christ there is effects that will be coming out everyday. New desires. New identity traits. A new trust outside of self. And a new desire to be identified only in Him in every area of your life. Is that true of you?
- Live with Intentionality – “seek what is above… Set your minds on what is above…” Col 3:2. We don’t just accidentally slip into spiritual maturity. God has given us tools and open doors to dive deeper into our identity. Seeking and setting takes intentionality. And part of the work of his spirit is to give us a passion to be where he is. What are you seeking? What are you setting your mind upon?
- Fight for your Identity – “put to death what belongs to your worldly nature…” Col 3:5. The temptations in this world do not end for us until we leave this world. We need extreme measures to protect our hearts identity in Christ. Putting something to death is violent, extreme, final. Do you have that kind of attitude toward the world and sin? That, “I’ll get rid of anything that threatens my relationships with Christ and my identity in Christ” kind of attitude?
And we are not alone in this fight. Today, for those who are in Christ, we have an Identity protector at work for us in Jesus himself. The Bible says that we can never be taken from His hand and that he is interceding for us and that He never leaves us or forsakes us. Our identity cost Him his life. Your identity was worth a lot to Him. What’s it worth to you?
Gospel Centered Discipleship
Understanding about Discipleship in today’s church ranges from it being optional or more about knowledge of the Bible or 
behavior modification or a linear system of progression to maturity. I loved Jonathan Dodson’s book Gospel Centered Discipleship as it forces us back to discipleship being about Jesus. This will be a good read for anyone strategizing in churches to make disciples. Here’s a few of my favorite quotes that have stuck with me since reading this book this summer:
- Jesus is not merely the start and standard for salvation, but…the beginning, middle, and end of my salvation.
- The gospel is necessary for getting right & doing right w/God, for salvation & sanctification.
- Disciple is an identity; everything else is a role.
- The gospel makes all-encompassing demands, and what the gospel demands, it supplies.
- Jesus, alone, should take the center place in our lives, not our Bible Reading, evangelism, character, or effort to be different or spiritual.
- … the gospel that makes disciples is the very same gospel that matures disciples.
- The gospel frees us from running ragged trying to please God with holiness and social justice, because Jesus has pleased God for us & secured the mission.
- … our approval before God rests, not on our performance but on the performance of Jesus.
- God’s forgiveness frees us from judgement, not from obedience.
- Repentance is not a one time act to get us into heaven, but an entire way of life to maintain Christian joy.
- Jesus didn’t die & rise to rapture individual disciples, but to make a community that reflects his glory through dependence on one another.
- The challenge of loving others as we love ourselves confronts our deep-down idolatries. It exposes our functional worship of individual privacy, convenience, & comfort.
Follow the Gospel Centered Disicpleship blog as well for great thinking on discipleship and life in Christ.
Why Small Groups?
This video takes a look at some common excuses and reasons why Small Groups are an important part of life IN Christ. Christianity is about Relationships: with God and with others, around the open Bible, and around God’s mission. Small Groups are the best place for that to happen. Feel free to use. Jump into a small group ASAP. Email me (lane@bridgenorthshore.com) about some of the groups meeting at Bridge Church.
Uprooted
A common sight around SE Louisiana in my 11 years here has been the uprooted tree. Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, & 
Gustav were the worst culprits. A few thoughts that have informed my faith as I’ve experienced trees in a Hurricane Zone:
- Trees that fall often have shallow root systems. Like the tree in the picture, root systems can be wide, but depth can be noted as shallow on many of the trees that fall. This may be no fault of the tree itself, because its planted in an area where water is near the surface so it doesn’t have to dig much for nutrition. And then the ground it’s rooted in may be muddy and soft instead of solid giving it even less stability.
- Trees that don’t fall are less likely to fall next time. As a matter of fact, an arborist told me after Katrina that if you could see underground during a storm, that scientists say you could visually see roots going down and trees digging in for all of their lives. So many trees that are leaning are unlikely to fall, because the catastrophic wind pushed them to develop stronger roots.
- Trees that fall are often standing alone. If you walk into a wooded area after a storm, unless there were tornadoes ripping trees apart, you’re not likely to see many trees blown over. They help each other shield the wind and their roots are intertwined in such a way that they help hold each other up. The most common site is the lone tree in the yard blown over. It simply had no help and had to try to stand on its own.
- Dead trees seldom fall. One thing a lot of folks were shaking their heads about after Hurricane Katrina, was why the dead trees seemed to be still standing. An arborists gave me a simple answer: there’s no fruit or produce on them to catch resistance. The wind has little to utilize in pushing them over, so they tend to survive catastrophic wind events, but fail because of their own death and decay.
Trees and Faith:
- When it comes to spiritual growth and surviving the storms of life roots are most important. Deep roots. And what kind of substance that root system is built in. Colossians 2::6-7 says, “as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, ROOTED and built up in Him…” Is your faith shallow, surface level, easy? Are you’re roots in something that’s not substantive? For the real Christian, storms serve a valuable purpose in helping our roots strengthen in Christ.
- When it comes to spiritual growth and surviving the storms of life having other strong folks with deep roots around you matters as well. How many strong people are you intertwining your roots with? How many people do you have that you can rely upon to help hold you up when things get windy?
- And what about the person that’s not trying, or is doing things dishonestly, or isn’t walking with the Lord at all? Why do they seem to make out ok against life’s storms? There’s no resistance. If you’re walking with God, bearing spiritual fruit, expect storms and wind and opposition. But also expect the God in whom you are rooted to hold you up in the midst of the storm.
ON Mission Christian Should be a REDUNDANCY
Something is REDUNDANT when part of a phrase can be left off without loss of meaning.
Here’s a few examples:
- Basic fundamentals
- Armed Gunman
- Unexpected surprise
- Working Mother
- On a can of bug spray I once read, “Kills Bugs Dead”
Some redundancies from famous folks:
- “sometimes you can observe a lot just by watching” ~ Yogi Berra
- “Smoking can kill you, and if you’ve been killed, you’ve lost a very important part of your life.” ~ Brooke Shields
- “If we don’t succeed, we run the risk of failure” ~ Vice President Dan Quayle
The Apostle Paul would add “On Mission Christian” to the Redundant list as well.
If our identity is In Christ, On Mission will follow. But here’s the question: Why don’t we see more Christians on Mission? Why is it so hard for us to pursue the mission of God? Why do I settle for going to church, when God’s calls us to go into the world on mission?
Here’s a few possible reasons that I’ve felt:
- We don’t think it’s our responsibility. Somebody Else will take care of that. Or we hire pastors to do those things.
- We don’t see the opportunities. We drive by the needs of the world so often that they become too familiar and we just accept them.
- We don’t think we can. It’s just too hard. I don’t have the gifts. I don’t know how.
Here’s the truth: It is hard. And the Bible never promises that it will be easy.
In Colossians 1, the Apostle Paul talks about his life as a follower of Christ and he spells out some of the reasons many opt out:
1. We’re called to suffer for the sake of others. http://bible.us/col1.24.esv. To not consider self first – “deny self, take up your cross, follow me” Luke 9:23. Paul says life In Christ, On Mission is “labor, striving…struggle” v. 29, 2:1. These word mean to work to the point of exhaustion, to agonize, strenuous effort. These are athletic terms used to describe a runner in a race. It’s not easy to give yourself for others. There must be a willingness to suffer and give and sacrifice.
2. We’re called to Make Mystery Known. http://bible.us/col1.25-27.esv. Yes the Gospel is so simple to understand that a four year old can receive it, but to effectively share it with others we have to work to communicate it in their language and through their cultural baggage. And we have to have the patience and willingness to answer difficult questions and silly arguments and to explain how God works through difficulty and pain. These are not easy 1-2-3 conversations to have. But it’s part of being On Mission. I’m afraid the majority of Christians have given up and given in to the excuse, “I don’t know what to say.” The stats back that up. A recent Lifeway study found that most Christians believe that sharing faith is important but they themselves don’t do it.
It’s hard. But we seem to find a way to negotiate our vacation packages, new car deals, and home mortgage rate reductions. It’s not that we’re incapable of understanding hard things. It’s a matter of willingness and responsibility.
3. We’re called to help EVERY man – http://bible.us/col1.28.esv. Paul had the audacious goal of presenting EVERY person complete in Christ when this life is over. How quickly have I given up on people and shrugged with, “you can’t reach everyone” or “some people will never change.” This EVERY man mission would require a radical reorientation of our lives. It’s an all-consuming mission to suffer for and make mystery known to EVERY person. We can’t do it alone. We can’t do it in our own strength. But it’s what the On Mission Christian aims for.
And the good news is, we don’t have to do it alone. Paul says it’s his strength that powers this mission. “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” http://bible.us/col1.29.esv.
I often ask God for strength. For safety, for provision, for help when I screw things up. He wants us to bring all our needs to Him. But how often do we ask God for strength for the EVERY man mission of suffering for others & making mystery known. His strength is promised for mission, not for the comfort of casual Christianity. So what does your prayers say about your identity.
If you’re identity is in Christ, On Mission living should follow.
This month, Bridge Church is studying through the New Testament Book of Colossians. Join us Sunday’s, 10:30am at the West St. Tammany YMCA. Or find the messages at bridgenorthshore.com or on Itunes.
Being Present in Crisis
The most deformative experiences in life often turn out to be the most formative. In times of crisis, we can help people see this as we are present with them.
What can I do? 
- Be a NAP. Non-Anxious Presence. Be there in some way. Make that call. Send that note. Share that picture. Help move that debris. Listen to that story. Ask, “How can I help?” “What do you need right now?” “How can I pray for you?”
- Go. If you are able, go. “I’m not sure if I should.” A little saying that I heard years ago that has never let me down: “If you don’t whether to go or stay, Go. If you don’t know whether to go now or later, go now.” I’m always glad when I’ve applied this.
- Be present. Aloneness and Isolation are among the most painful emotional & spiritual experiences. Yesterday, we made assessments of property damage in one of our hardest hit areas, and we found broken people that feel alone. And when you’re alone, small issues get bigger & bigger & can overwhelm the heart. Do what you can to be present.
Today, we’ll be working on removing trees from homes of some elderly residents, purchasing grocery store gift cards for people who are returning home to spoiled refrigerators, & doing what we can to be present for those hurting in our community.
You can give to the Hurricane Relief Efforts of Bridge Church here.
Blessing Local Schools #faithinaction
We often hear laments about churches not being able to “get into the schools”. Most of the time, we’re trying to get in on our terms
instead of thinking of ways to be a blessing (see Matthew 5:16, Philippians 2:3-4). We found one way that is enthusiastically accepted 100% of the time at our local schools: stuffing gift baskets full of goodies for teacher’s lounges at the beginning of the school year, holidays, & end of school. This year as part of our Faith in Action weekend, we focused on snacks, healthy & not so healthy. We’ve also done baked goods & office supplies. And always with a note of encouragement.
Praying for our local schools!
What are other ways that you or your church have been a blessing to your local schools?
What if every teachers lounge was filled with encouragement from local churches all year long?
The Church Planter’s Kid
Born 8 days after the very first service of our first church plant in South Lousiana, which started in an un-air conditioned fire station.
- Because his dad’s a church planter, until he was four we would drive past a fire station and he would yell “church” and when we drove by a steepled church building he would yell “space ship.”
- Because his dad’s a church planter, the first time we attended a church besides ours on Sunday, he asked where their fire truck was and why their chairs were so long (pews).
- Because his dad’s a church planter, he likes to hang out in coffee shops and has great bedside manner in hospitals.
- Because his dad’s a church planter, he doesn’t have as much as many kids in our area, but never complains.
- Because his dad’s a church planter, he doesn’t know that you shouldn’t wear shorts to church or that you shouldn’t be close friends with people of another race or class.
- Because his dad’s a church planter, he knows who Rick Warren & John Piper are, & asked every Friday morning, “Do we have a Block Party this weekend?”
HE TURNED TEN YESTERDAY and I’m looking forward to seeing what God does in the future with this church planter’s kid. Happy Birthday Jack!!!!!
Lane Corley 