Spent part of this week crunching numbers getting ready for the Northshore Baptist Association’s staff mini-retreat next weekend. Every year I do this, it gets me thinking about what we measure. Are we measuring the right things? Are the metrics we use causing us to fire at the wrong targets? How would Jesus measure success in ministry? What do you think?
Came across a few interesting articles in this regard as well this week. Thought I’d share:
Corporate Church vs. Movemental Church by Mike Breen. This one really made me think!
Church Planting Numbers that Matter by Steve Pike. Great equations and guide for the “big launch” model of church planting.
How to Shrink Your Church – Some good thoughts on how dying is gain in church life. Are we pursuing the Hallmark moment and whatever works to grow?
What would you consider success for a church?
“Apathy is passionless living. It is sitting in front of the television night after night and living your life from one moment of entertainment to the next. It is the inability to be shocked into action by the steady-state lostness and suffering of the world. It is the emptiness that comes from thinking of godliness as the avoidance of doing bad things instead of the aggressive pursuit of doing good things.”
John Piper, in his latest book Bloodlines
“Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings. Soul, you’ve been rescued from death; Eye, you’ve been rescued from tears; And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling.” http://bible.us/Ps116.7.MSG
Enjoyed a restful Thanksgiving with family in Central Louisiana, including many of my 30+ first cousins getting together for our annual turkey feast & a change of pace BBQ dinner with Heather’s family in Pineville. Also, enjoyed a fruitful hunting trip with my boys and of course a fruitful Black Friday experience to get us way ahead for Christmas.
Looking forward to another year of movement making with these guys.
There is so much information available to us today. This year, I ran into questions like “How to clean a carburetor” and “How to pickle okra” and “How to change a delta shower faucet.” Found the answers all on Youtube! and in the case of cleaning a carburetor, found a video of a 10 year old demonstrating. Reminded me that “I don’t know how” many times means something else. Like: “I don’t really want to” or “I don’t really care” or “I’m not interested enough to make time to find out.” There is ignorance, which is defined as the state of being uninformed or unaware about knowledge that’s available. And in most arenas, ignorance is expensive: like my carburetor and delta faucet.
So, spiritually speaking, rethink your “I don’t know how.” Does it really mean something else? God’s word is available to you. Find a person that you know lives for God and ask for their help and prayers. Pray and ask God to guide you to the right stuff. “I don’t know how” is spiritually expensive when we think about the clock ticking on when the kids are grown and gone, the fatherless kids that need mentoring before they become a statistic, those who are depressed that need encouragement, those dying of curable diseases (estimated 26,000 per day), and those w/o Christ that need to know of his love before its eternally too late.
If it matters to us, we tend to find out how. Don’t settle for “I don’t know how” in your relationship with God, the needs of others, and issues that will matter when nothing else does.
A growing trend in church life is congregations taking a Sunday and scattering throughout the community to serve. Most are doing it once a year. Some, like the church I’m part of, are doing it once a quarter. I even heard of one recently doing this once a month! Outreach.com even created some products for this segment of congregations. Seems Pastors and church leaders either hate this idea or love it. Some reasons I’ve heard and can think of against this:
Brandon Hatmaker in his great book Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture talks about his church’s experience with this practice. Austin New Church does a “Serving Austin Sunday” every time there is five Sunday’s in a month. He gives three reasons why:
Other reasons for and against? Leave in the comments. I’ll share some of my thoughts for and against after two years and eight Faith in Action Sunday’s a little later.
Brandon’s book is well worth reading! Also check out his blog.
Possible answers: ME or GOD and OTHERS.
The key characteristic of someone maturing in Christ is a God-and-others-centered outlook. You begin to see God’s purpose for and in your life and you begin to see the needs of others as a priority as you grow spiritually. So who or what is it all about for you?
A few quotes from Jim Putman’s Real-Life Discipleship that have me thinking:
“when we see a person in need, it is an invitation from God to step in with love and service and words”
“When we know Christ, we start to look at people differently.”
How has knowing Christ changed your priorities? Who or what is it all about for you? Is your response to God changing the answers in your life?
A curmudgeon is basically a grumpy old man. But the spirit of a curmudgeon can come out of any of us whatever our age or gender.
The attitude is not very helpful in church and is actually spoken against in scripture (Philippians 2:14). The Church Curmudgeon is actually on Twitter and if you’re there you should follow him for a good laugh and for a good look at how generations are colliding in 21st century church life. Here’s a few of my favorite recent Tweets by the Curmudgeon. Have you heard or said any of these? See my first check-in here.
“the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart”
http://bible.us/Matt12.34.HCSB.
How can I know where I am spiritually or where are those I’m trying to disciple and lead? Try listening. Jim Putman in Real-Life Discipleship: Equipping Disciples Who Make Disciples breaks down five stages of spiritual maturity by what will be common phrases for a person at each stage.
Spiritual Infant
Spiritual Child
Spiritual Young Adult
Spiritual Parent
So where are you? If you’re moving toward spiritual maturity you may want to get this book or the training manual to learn more about how to be a spiritual parent and make disciples who make disciples. Here’s a few other great quotes from the manual:
Lane Corley 