“Let’s quit fiddling with religion and do something to bring the world to Christ.” ~ Billy Sunday
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Lost Population vs. Active Witnesses
Can we estimate how many Active Christian Witnesses there are in a given community?
In Louisiana, the North American Mission Board has established the lost and unchurched population to be 62%. That’s 2,889,672 people.
The estimated number of participating protestant believers in Louisiana is 879,479.
A Lifeway study found that only 54% of believers are willing to share their faith. And only 10% have actually shared their faith. And those who have shared their faith typically share it about once per month. We’ll call the 10% active faith sharers.
So, if there are 879,470 participating protestant believers in Louisiana and if 10% are active faith sharers. That would mean there are 33 lost persons for every 1 active faith sharer in Louisiana.
For Southern Baptist in Louisiana, if 10% of the participating members are active witnesses. There would be 1 active SBC witness for every 249 lost or unchurched persons.
Here’s how it breaks down by region:
| Lost Population | Active Protestant Faith Sharers | Active SBC Faith Sharers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Louisiana | 703,076 | 1 to 18 | 1 to 110 |
| SW Louisiana | 759,680 | 1 to 35 | 1 to 349 |
| SE Louisiana | 1,426,917 | 1 to 41 | 1 to 400 |
And by Metro Area:
| Lost Population | Active Protestant Faith Sharers | Active SBC Faith Sharers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Shreveport | 244,069 | 1 to 18 | 1 to 160 |
| Metro Monroe | 128,487 | 1 to 20 | 1 to 100 |
| Metro Alexandria | 94,482 | 1 to 19 | 1 to 120 |
| Metro Lake Charles | 137,978 | 1 to 32 | 1 to 217 |
| Metro Lafayette | 296,789 | 1 to 57 | 1 to 659 |
| Metro Baton Rouge | 540,101 | 1 to 34 | 1 to 480 |
| Metro Hammond | 82,611 | 1 to 30 | 1 to 219 |
| Metro Houma | 128,508 | 1 to 63 | 1 to 630 |
| Metro New Orleans | 789,053 | 1 to 54 | 1 to 540 |
You notice the drastic difference between North Louisiana and South Louisiana. 65-70% of protestant evangelical churches are in North Louisiana, while 70% of the population of Louisiana is in South Louisiana.
Observations:
- How can we develop more active faith sharers? I love the E3 Partners mission of training 1 million people by 2025. We’ve had over 1,000 trained in Louisiana. Trainees are equipped with a simple process and easy-to-remember tools to develop a personal ministry of evangelism. Doing nothing is not an option. How will you develop faith sharers in your church and community?
- Where is the church not? This is a great question to ask about your community. With low numbers of active witnesses, there are certainly pockets in every community where the gospel is absent. What segments of the population likely have few active witnesses? These would be great places to engage. For us, that has meant local multi-housing complexes, business networks, local gyms, and community organizations. Don’t just go where all the other Christians go. We’ve got to break out of our bubbles and build relationships where Christ is not being named.
- We need believers to consider investing in the least reached areas. Of course, these numbers are drastically worse around the country and across the globe. How can they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14). How can they hear the gospel without active witnesses in the neighborhoods, workplaces, playgrounds, and schools around them. Christians tend to want to locate where there are more Christians and Christian stuff. It’s safer there. It’s safer because someone at some point took the risk to move there and share their faith actively.
Let’s pray for more active faith sharers. And let’s pray for a missionary movement to south Louisiana and other parts of our world that are desperate for an active witness.
Character and Righteousness
- Psalm 51:6: “You desire integrity in the inner self, and you teach me wisdom deep within.”
- Ezekiel 36:26 – “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Character and Righteousness:
- Character is the face; reputation is the photograph.
- Character grows from within; reputation grows from without.
- Reputation is what you have when you move to a new community. Character is what you have when you leave.
- Reputation is what people think you are. Character is what God, yourself, and those closest to you know you are.
- Reputation is what man desires. Character is what God desires.
- Character is built over a lifetime. Reputation can be made in a moment.
- Character grows like an oak; reputation grows like a mushroom.
- Character is the one thing we develop in this world and take with us into the next.
- A single news report can give you a reputation. A life of diligence gives you character.
We’re not alone in our fight for a life of character. Through faith in Jesus Christ and His way of salvation, God has promised to put a new heart of character in us. Really, something more than character – RIGHTEOUSNESS. Righteousness is pure white, bright light, no blemishes, no decay. It is the character of heaven, living on earth.
Yes! We can choose character. Greater still is to receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Character will be a by-product.
Don’t Burn those Leaves!
What’s happening in the garden right now?
- Carrots are still in. We covered them during our rare ultra cold snap here in south Louisiana. Hopefully they made it through. We’ll harvest them in February.
- A little bit of lettuce planted. Lettuce can handle some cold weather. And lettuce is on a 15-30 day cycle, so it can be harvested as is or covered heavy should another cold snap come through.
- LEAVES! LEAVES! LEAVES! This month, most of my neighbors are raking and bagging leaves. I steal them from their driveways before the garbage truck arrives. I’ve probably collected close to 40 bags at this point. Along with another 20 or so of my own leaves. What are we doing with all these leaves?
- Mulching and Composting. As time allows, I’ll run over these leaves with my mulching push mower. Each bag is reduced down to about 10 gallons when mulched…
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Suburban Garden Update
Hit the break even point for the garden this week. About $200 worth of food so far this spring and summer from this 750 square feet space. With plenty still coming in.
Say Yes to the Jesus’ Commands
When asked by Pew research to define what Jesus’ teachings were, people answered:
- Take care of the environment
- Buy from companies that pay fair wages
- Live healthy and exercise
Not bad things at all, but Jesus actually didn’t say any of that. What did Jesus actually say? We can find his commands in the four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And his commands, his directives, were on his mind when he stood in front of his disciples before going back to heaven. He told them to “Go. Make Disciples. Baptize them. And teach them to obey EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED” (Matthew 28:19-20).
What if we focused on obey everything Jesus commanded? If you look at and seek to obey his commands, you’ll find everything you need for a dynamic spiritual life that will make an eternal impact. There are commands for situations, like “What happens when someone attacks me?” Jesus says, Love them, Bless them, Pray for them. “What happens if I’m running out of food?” Jesus says, don’t worry. The father knows your need and will provide.
You also find commands that give meaning and purpose for all of life and that you can literally build life on. Like, “Seek first the kingdom of God” and “Love God and Love Others” and “Go and make disciples.” Jesus commands give us more than enough to build life on and to know how to live in difficult times.
And the best news of all. We’re not alone when it comes to obeying Jesus. This is not a checklist that we have to struggle with. That’s religion. And its powerless. These commands are given in the context of relationship that Jesus paved the way for with his own life. Jesus, as part of this relationship, has promised to put these commands in the hearts of those who follow Him (Ezekiel 36:27). And he has promised power to obey in the person of his Holy Spirit to live within us. To struggle with obedience to Jesus may reveal something amiss about your relationship with him. Obedience is a product of an abiding relationship with Jesus. Saying no to Jesus’ commands is saying “I am the Lord of my life. Jesus, no thanks.”
Saying Yes to Jesus is a way of life. For the person who has made Jesus the leader of their lives, we find joy and strength in obedience to him. It’s the best yes of every life and should be the first yes of every day for those who follow him. Have you said yes to Jesus today?
How Do I Start a Multiplying Church?
THE GOSPEL – SIMPLICITY – MARGIN – LOW HANGING FRUIT – UNBRANDED MINISTRY
1. SHARE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.
The Gospel is a proven and tested VIRAL Idea. And Jesus promised to empower the spread of the Gospel through the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8
2. FIGHT FOR SIMPLICITY AND REPRODUCIBILITY.
Jesus’ started a movement which has exponentially multiplied, partly, because it was as simple as water, bread, and wine.Simple Church = Saying No to Almost Everything.Ask: Is my ministry 2 Timothy 2:2 Simple?
3. CREATE MARGIN.
We have so little multiplication because churches have so little margin. We have JUST ENOUGH, instead of MORE THAN ENOUGH.Margin is typically created through BIG CROWDS or RADICAL SIMPLICITY.More than enough can also be toxic. Like a sponge. Like buried talents. Jesus meant for us to use what we have.
4. LOOK FOR LOW HANGING FRUIT.
Persons of Peace. New Believers network of relationships. Apostolic Leaders. People Groups and Population Segments. Existing Social Movements. People Scattering and moving about the country. New Churches. New Ministries.
5. MAKE ROOM FOR UNBRANDED MINISTRY.
Is the invite to our brand of church louder than the invite to the head of the church? Build partnerships with like-minded ministries who are sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a heart to multiply. Ask: “Do I want to reach my community or do I want to see my community reached?”
Four Words for Every Stage of Church Planting and Church Life:
- Abiding – Ministry health and effectiveness flows from your personal abiding with Christ. Our first call is to intimacy with God.
- Discipling – Early church planting is really Disciple Planting. I’m sharing the gospel and leading one, two, three, a group, several groups into becoming a Disciple who Makes Disciples.
- Mobilizing – Groups of disciples should be mobilized to first make other disciples, then to form teams for the maturing of the body and continuing the mission.
- Building – Building systems, processes, teams to help mobilized disciples who are abiding in Christ to spread the gospel and make disciples in the whole region.
Which one is the biggest challenge for you and your church right now?
“Teach them everything” (What’s missing)
In Matthew 28:20, Jesus finishes the Great Commission with this challenge –
“teaching them everything I have commanded you.”
Jesus, Matthew 28:20
Did you catch it? Do you see what’s missing? Left out of this quote is that we are to teach them “to obey” or “to observe” everything.
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Jesus, Matthew 28:18-20
If you did catch it, does your church and your ministry obey this command? Are we teaching them “to obey everything” or are we teaching them everything we know in 30-45 minutes blocks and hope they learn or eventually know enough to become disciples who make disciples? Didn’t work for the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. Doesn’t seem to be working today. Knowledge doesn’t always lead to maturity or multiplicative disciple making.
How do you teach to obey?
Jesus modeled this for us by teaching PLUS answering questions and responding to concerns PLUS modeling PLUS sending PLUS debriefing. There cannot be teaching to obey without –
- Q and A for understanding,
- opportunities to practice what’s been taught,
- ongoing coaching and debriefing,
- accountability to keep practicing.
How does your church make room for teaching to obey? Where are the opportunities to understand, ask questions, process concerns? Do you give opportunities to practice what’s been taught? Is there ongoing debriefing and coaching? How do you hold others accountable to obey Jesus?
Yes, Jesus taught crowds in rows. But more frequently he was on the go, demonstrating what he taught; or around a table, teaching them to obey with Q and A and responding to concerns in the context of relationships. More than just teach the crowds everything we know. Let’s teach them obey in discipling relationships.
Would Jesus Wear a Mask?
The Jews didn’t like being forced to carry a Romans soldier’s bag one mile. Jesus said, carry it two (Matthew 5:41). No one likes being backhanded on one cheek. Jesus said, let them right cross you on the other also (Matthew 5:39). No one would like having a shirt taken in a lawsuit. Jesus said give them your coat as well (Matthew 5:40). Persecutors? Pray for them. Enemies? Love them (Matthew 5:44). Insults? Don’t return them (1 Peter 2:23).
Jesus wanted above all to REACH people. To seek and save them (Luke 19:10). We cannot do that from an adversarial posture. Jesus’ commands remind us that our posture toward society, even an unchristian society, should be loving, humble, self-sacrificing, and even radical in its actions.
There are people who can and will fight for the legalities of a thing. We have opportunities to support them as we feel led through civic means. Let the disciple’s business be about following Jesus into a life of loving, seeking the lost, and making disciples, PERIOD. I’m afraid that arguing, quarreling, disparaging others over a piece of cloth will prove to be a hindrance to that mission and a triviality in eternity. Let our passion be for the gospel, for the kingdom, and for the lost.
What does it say about my heart if wearing a mask or not wearing a mask is of greater concern and riles more passion in me than the lostness and brokenness of people in the world? or causes me to disparage fellow believers? The mission of God, sharing the Gospel, healing hearts and lives is too important at this moment in history to be passionate about anything else.
Lane Corley 