Re-Thinking Church

A lot of good religious folks are talking about the church, and are rethinking and redesigning the church.  This May 1 and 2 the congregation at Sweetwater, TN will host a series of meetings designed to help us "Think About the Church."  If you are close by or are traveling through, please stop in.  Below is the advertisement for this series of meetings.  Oh, by the way, I am the guest speaker :-)

Scott

How to Help Your Church Family Grow

Where you worship is probably similar to Parrish, where we attend and where I preach.  We are a good group of people.  We are active in our faith and are decent folk.  But like you, we can be better.  I put some thought to this idea of congregational self-improvement and I have a few suggestions on how we can all Help Our Individual Church Family Grow.

First we help by Living Pure Lives. The local congregation needs to have the respect of the community it is in.  That level of respect lies squarely upon the shoulders of each member.  "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, (Titus 2:11-12)."

Next we help by Being Friendly. Each visitor needs to feel welcome.  They should see we appreciate them and love them. Such a realization will make them want to return.  Do not stand back and let someone else greet visitors -- you be one of the first.  The Hebrew writer says, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. (Heb 13:2)."

We can also help by Giving Our Full Support to the Leaders.  Effective leaders are a great blessing to any congregation of God's family.  None can progress without faithful and efficient leaders, and as members we can make or break our leadership.  Again from the Hebrew writer we learn, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Heb 13:17)."

Another way we can help our church family grow is by Promoting Unity. Peter gives us a formula for unity in 1 Pet 3:8-12, "Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For 'Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.' " The unity formula is:

1. Unity of Mind.
2. Sympathy for each other.
3. Brotherly Love.
4. Having a Tender Heart.
5. Having an Humble Mind.
6. Not Being Vindictive.
7. Bless each other.

A fifth way to help our congregation is by Working Hard at Being a Soul-Saver. This is as simple as letting your non-Christian friends and family know why you are a Christian and how you came to Christ.  Remember the wise preacher tells us, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise. (Prov 11:30)."

To be a Soul-Saver, Living in Unity, Supporting the Leaders, Friendly, while Living Pure Lives, takes Living a Life of Full Surrender. Jesus said it best, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27)."

Keep Growing  for the Lord.

Scott

Top Ten Ideas to Help Destroy the Local Church

The home office is feeling quite sarcastic this morning and provides us the following top ten list:  Top Ten Ideas to Help Destroy the Local Church.

10. Be irregular or at least habitually tardy in attendance at Bible Classes, worship, and other activities.
9. Talk critically about church leaders in public, around other members, and to your family.
8. Be apathetic in you singing.  Please do not move you mouth and never demonstrate emotions when you sing.
7. Do not come prepared for Bible Classes and worship when you do attend.
6. Talk about where you attend in terms of "they" instead of "we;"  As in, "Do you know what 'they' are doing down at the church?"
5. Constantly criticize and look for opportunities to complain or to think the worst of the church or other Christians.
4. Do not study your Bible at home or anytime you are away from the assembly.
3. Do not be "ready to give an answer" for the "hope" you have of inheriting eternal life.
2. Do compartmentalize your life into sections such as: a) Private Life, b) Public Life, c) Church Life, and d) Family Life.  Do not let these separate lives cross over and merge.
And the number one idea to help destroy the local church is  . . .
1) Expect others to do more (contribute, work, etc.) than you are willing to do.

Seriously, take each of these ideas and do the opposite to help the local church grow!

Scott

Jubilee!

This past month, after 5 years and 3 months, the congregation at Parrish paid off our mortgage on our mortgage. In 2001 we located and purchased 17 acres of hill, hollow, and creek on the new road between Parrish and Oakman. In 2004 we completed construction on our current building. Then in 2007 we added a second building for fellowships. This month we paid the last payment on our mortgage. This is a year of Jubilee. This will open the door for us to do more in the way of missions and outreach. The elders planned to pay off the mortgage by 2014, but the "people had a mind to work." Below are pictures of our building, and mortgage burning last Sunday night!

Our Main Building in Parrish, Alabama

Denny Pugh, Sr. one of our elders reminds the congregation that in 2001, We began with 70 active members, and now have more than 150.

Charles Earnest who has served as Treasure for 49 years starts off the burning.

Elders, Ed Earnest and Denny Pugh watch the mortgage burn!

 Roger Minor, another of our Elders is happy to see those flames!

Scott

Getting back to blogging

I am at Exposure Youth Camp this week and will not take take to blog.  I will try to wrap up the whole Exposure Experience on Thursday when I get back to a somewhat regular routine.  For now here is a promo video for EYC:



Scott

The Religion of the SEC

In my part of the world - about 45 miles north of Tuscaloosa, Alabama  (For the uninformed and those outside of the US, that is the home of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide) there is a good bit of excitement concerning the Tide's number 1 ranking and defeat of the Florida Gators.  In the past few days numerous people, both friends and strangers, will stop others who are decked out in Crimson and White or Houndstooth to talk about NCAA Football and specifically Bama's rise to title-hood and their hopes for a 13th National Championship.  In the SEC Football is almost if not already on par with religion.  Most will change churches before they change which team they follow. With all this in mind I made the following observations.

1. We make time for football.  We will set aside time weekly if not daily to watch or read about our favorite teams and players.
2. We support football financially.  We buy tickets to games, travel great distances to attend those games.  We buy clothing and other paraphernalia in support of our team.
3. We raise our children to love football.  I have friends who refuse to let the colors of their rivals to enter their house.
4. We get excited about football. We love for our team to win.  We can't wait to go to a game or watch them on TV.

Now consider the following passages:
"I was glad when then said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the Lord.'" Psalm 122:1
"Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again, Rejoice!" Phil 4:4

Can I and do I get enthusiastically excited about the things of God?

Scott

What I Like About the Holidays

In this picture - Sister-in-Law (Tammy), Mom (Anna), and my lovely wife (Amy) model their "Santa" aprons while making deviled eggs.

While there are many more reasons to like the holidays than I have room to list, here are a few of my favorite reasons.

1. FAMILY. During the holiday season, both of my brothers, our wives, and children gather at our parents house. Although my one brother lives 10 minutes away, we all spend few nights at Mom and Dad's.

2. FAITH. All of my family are active in their faith, we pray together, and we are usually there at least one Wednesday and get to go back to the congregation where we grew up as children. We always enjoy catching up with old friends there and joining them in praise to God.

3. CHILDREN. Doug (my older brother) has two daughters the oldest is almost 20 and is engaged to be married this summer. His youngest is 16 and full of life. Charles (my younger brother) has two preschool girls. The oldest will be in Kindergarten next year. The youngest is 2 years old. They are a lot of fun. I have one son (Andrew) who is 12. He and his cousins have a lot of fun.

4. GAMES. Usually we play Mexican Train or some other table game, but this year we had Wii Bowling, Wii Golf, and Wii Tennis Tournaments. Mom pushed us to our limits in Bowling!

5. FOOD. We have the usual turkey (Cajun fried), ham, dressing, deviled eggs, and various deserts. Then we have a traditional dish for my families Christmas; my great-grandmother's (and possibly her mother's) seafood gumbo.

And that is just my side of the family. I get to Amy's side later . . .

Scott

What Does it Cost?

Ted, one of the members the Parrish Church of Christ, works and live in Birmingham during the week and worships with a congregation there. One fellow employee at his company was curious about Ted's faith and commitment. This co-worker is new to the United States coming from an Asian country. When he and Ted talked about church, Ted's friend asked, "How much does it cost to go to church?"

When Ted first shared that story with me, I chuckled, then I felt sad for his acquaintance. Sad that somewhere he understood that churches "charged" admission, or at least considered tithes as a "church tax."

However, I began to wonder what does it cost to go to church? My thoughts are below. After reading my answers, give the readers what you think.

1. Time. Just a few hours a week.
2. Fuel or transportation costs. Depending on how far you live from the building and how you get there this will vary slightly.
3. Energy. You have to get up and get moving.
4. Emotion. When you pour your heart into worship and fellowship, you invest your emotions. Specifically, the emotions of love, sorrow, and joy.
5. Your All. To be a part of the Church cost everything you are and will be: Luke 14:26ff (BTW you get this back 100 times over - Matt 19:29).

These costs are well worth being a part of the Lord's Church. What do you think?

Scott

Double Overtime

Last night the Oakman 8th grade boys won 47 to 44 at Curry. Oakman lead at halftime by 11 points. Curry came within three with less than 10 seconds on the clock. Then buzzer beater three pointer to end regulation and send the game into overtime. Their fans went wild. Three minutes later Oakman scores at the buzzer to send the game into a second overtime; Oakman's fans go wild! With one second on the clock Oakman rebounds a missed shot by Curry to hold on for a three point win! Wow! What a game. No one expected a such thriller! No one left because the game went into overtime twice. Almost every fan stood throughout both overtimes cheering on their team!

I wonder. I wonder what would happen if worship went into double overtime this Sunday . . .

Scott

Who Do You Love?

In our Bible class yesterday morning, Rick W. told us about three statements he heard in a sermon recently. I cannot help but think about what the preacher said. Let me know what you think.

"If you attend worship on Sunday Morning, you love 'your church.'"

"If you attend worship Sunday Morning and Sunday Evening, you love 'your preacher.'"

"I you attend worship Sundays and Wednesdays, you love the Lord."

Scott

A Football Classic and a bonus Top Ten

Hope you enjoy this classic from Andy Griffith; They Call if Football.


Now that you had a mid-week chuckle; here are the top ten reasons I have decided to never attend another football game.

10. The Public address system was too loud at times and not loud enough at others.

9. There were teenage girls dressed inappropriately.

8. The referees made calls I disagreed with.

7. The coaches used the same plays they did the last few games.

6. The High School Principal did not welcome me or shake my hand.

5. The band played songs I did not know or like.

4. There were people there to socialize (gossip) and not watch the game -- those hypocrites.

3. I had to pay to get in, pay to get a snack, pay for a program -- football is all about making money or the school not about guys playing ball anymore.

2. The lady beside me screamed too loudly.

and the number one reason I have decided not to attend another football game . . .

1. Large crowds are bad on my nerves and raise my blood pressure too high.

Why do these excuses sound familiar?

Scott

A Model of Ministry

A Model of Ministry

Last Thursday, Sept 17, Adam Faughn posted a blog I authored concerning the Church and the Pulpit. There was a lot more that I wanted to say; the following model of ministry is some of the extra material I think is valid for all ministers. This model is a practical example of the philosophy of ministry discussed in the previous chapters. This ministry model grew out of a lecture given by Randy Stephens at the FHU Lectures in the year 2000. I weekly strive to put these principles in practice

1.Build Credibility. Remember that relationships matter and that in ministry we should involve ourselves in the lives of people. Work side by side, not only in evangelism but also digging ditches. Attend sporting and school events in the community to show members and their friends your genuine interest in their lives. Have integrity and deal with people honestly.

2.Go Long Term. Remember the statement from Ruth to Naomi and Christ to his followers, “I will never leave nor forsake you.” Cultivate, fertilize, plant, water and wait for growth in people and in the church. The relationship of minister and congregation is often like marriage, it gets better over time.

3.Remember that God Looks at What We Can Become, Not What We Are. God is patient with you, therefore, be patient with his people. Look at what the congregation can become. While teaching and encouraging change remember that how you say something is as important as what you say.

4.Stay with the Text. Go through the Bible as you preach and teach. Use exposition wisely, letting the Bible speak and answer questions.

5.Know That People Still Want to See Jesus. Point to Christ not to yourself. Jesus is an attractive charismatic person, let people see Him and follow.

6.Pray Continually. Paul tells the Thessalonians to “pray with out ceasing.” Ministry cannot occur where God’s power is lacking, and pray is our connection with the power of God. Pray for the church, for people, for souls, for self, and pray for wisdom and strength. This will result in good that you may never know about.

7.Be Responsible. You are responsible to the people, not for them. You are there as a servant to help them grow closer to God through Christ. You are responsible to the eldership of your congregation, and ultimately you are responsible to God.

8.Challenge Christians. Christians need challenges to grow or they will sit idle and wither on the vine. Help the congregation set physical, financial, and spiritual growth goals. Help them set and meet evangelistic goals.

9.Teach and Live Delayed Gratification. Sports heroes do not develop overnight and neither do mature Christians. Help people see their growth and not only their short-comings

10.Welcome New Ideas and Insights. Be teachable and malleable yourself. Allow those around you to teach you and help you grow. Spend time in God’s Word and with him in solitude. Ministers must continue to grow, mature, and learn if they are to effectively teach others.

11.Be Balanced. Behold the goodness and severity of God. Teach the love of God and teach the wrath of God. Show how these go hand in hand.

Application of the above suggestions, living as a Christian should in love with God and in love with man goes a long way in making ministry the life of diligent service it should be.

Scott

Fighting Apathy . . . Maybe.

When I was a teenager, I was reading through a BC Comic book. In one particular strip, Peter and Curls were discussing an upcoming election. Peter asked Curls if he was voting for the Apathy Party or the Lethargic Party. Curls replied, "I don't know, I just don't see any difference any more."

Apathy is a real issue not only in politics, work, or school, but apathy invades the church as well. An attitude of apathy can destroy efforts to do what needs to be and should be done. The wise man recorded, "Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys," Prov 18:9 (ESV). Apathy reveals itself in our lives and actions. Below you will find a list of symptoms of apathy. If you see more than one in your life, take time to pray and to refocus.

Symptoms of Apathy Toward the Work of God and Christ:
1. Irregular Attendance. If I struggle to be motivated to attend worship and other church events, my actions suggest I do not care.
2. Lack of Participation When I am Present. I will come to worship, but not to Bible Classes. I am here, but I will not participate in class discussions. I am here, but I will not open my mouth to sing praises. I am here, but . . . Well you get the picture.
3. Consistently Arriving Late. Tardiness indicates that an event (church in our discussion) shows a lack of concern. If I am truly excited about an event, I will arrive on time - if not early.
4. Waning Effort to Teach the Lost. This may be one of the early indicators of apathy. If I do not care about others or about the cause of Christ, I will not share the message.
5. Few (if any) Private Devotionals or Personal Studies. This is the first cause of alarm. If I am not spending time growing in my relationship with God, my lack of effort communicates that I no longer care about being with God.

Just somethings to think about. Now we need to look for motivation to get moving. That's another post.

Scott

Instructional Models

Yesterday we explored learning styles, today I want us to take that a step farther as we discuss Instructional Models. There are in my experience four basic models: 1) Large Group Instruction, 2) Small Group Instruction, 3) Individual (one on one) Instruction, and 4) Private (Self-Guided) Instruction.

Taking these models into the Church setting, here is where they fit in.

Large Group Instruction is the area that we excel in. We gather each Sunday and during our worship time one man stands before the entire congregation and presents a lesson. This basic format of this lesson is lecture. Some use visual illustrations, bullet filled computer projected outlines, or handouts to aid in learning. We use a similar format in large adult classes. We also have meetings, lectureships, and revivals that follow this pattern.

Small Group Instruction is a second area we emphasize. Each Sunday and then again midweek, many gather for Bible Classes. These classes are smaller groups divided by age and interest and the can include lecture, handouts, and participation that reaches all three learning styles. Some churches spread out into homes on Sunday evenings with the goal of creating a smaller environment for better learning.

Every preacher, elder, and Bible class teacher of my childhood, teen, and adult years encouraged us as students to spend time in Private Study at home. There are Biblical passages that encourage the same - 2 Tim 2:15, "Do your best (ESV), Study (KJV), Be diligent (NKJ) to present yourselves approved unto God. . ." And do not forget those in Berea who "searched the Scriptures daily." This is a vital part of our growth.

The instructional model I skipped is the model I think EVERY Christian should pay more attention to; Individual or One on One Instruction. Look at these passages: Titus 2:3ff, 2 Tim 2:2. Women are to teach younger women, Christians are to teach others who can teach others. This is the area where real teaching takes place. This can include dealing with morality issues (Gal 6:1), apprenticeships (think of Paul taking Titus and Timothy with him or Jesus and the inner circle), and this is the model that best suits evangelism (Ananias and Saul, Philip and the Ethiopian, etc).

My challenge for you and me is that we improve on our one to one teaching and encouraging.

Scott

How Do We Learn?

Education professionals divide learners into three basic learning styles.
1) Auditory Learners. These people learn from listening to lectures or presentations in class. They may take notes, but learn mostly from what they hear. You can give these people verbal directions to a destination and they remember those directions.

2) Visual Learners. This group learns from what they see. The will take copious notes of lectures so they can read them later. They like charts, graphs, and pictures to reinforce what they hear. When you give them directions, draw a map or have them draw it as you direct them.

3) Kinesthetic Learners. I know this group well. I am this type of learner. We like lab work, apprenticeships, etc. We learn best by doing. We might hear what you say, but we remember it so that we can try it out. You can give us directions and draw us a map, but what really helps us is getting in the car and driving. Get us there once and we know our way.

I know I over-simplified the descriptions of learning styles, but I think you understand each one a little better now. My reason for mentioning them is to generate some thought about how we as Church leaders reach each group. Much of what we do in a Church setting we gear toward Auditory learners (sermons, lecture classes, and so on). How do you try to reach the other two groups? What are methods do you find successful for the Visual Learner, for the Kinesthetic Learner? Where can we improve?

Scott

Giving our Best

How good is good enough? You know why I ask such a question. Many people in and outside of Christianity compare themselves with others using the "I'm as nice, moral, good, etc. as the next person" statement. Again, how good is good enough? Is 80% good, good enough? Is 90% good, good enough? What about 99.9%?

Most of us would agree that 99.9% is really good. But consider the following statistics. If 99.9% is good enough then:
1. The IRS could lose 2,000,000 documents and that would be alright.
2. 22,000 checks could be deducted from the wrong account each hour.
3. 30 passenger planes crashing each day in the US would be acceptable.

I don't know about you, but I am not satisfied with those figures. I wonder then if God is satisfied with 99.9% from us? The simple truth is 99.9% is not enough for God, unless I have an arbitrator (Job 9:33).

Paul tells us about an Arbitrator that is available for us. After describing his own inability to be 100% he writes in anguish, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" He immediately answers his own agony, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin." (Rom 7:24-25, ESV).

We still should strive to "Walk in the light" (1 Jn 1:7-9). We should do our best to live a life "worthy" of our "calling" (Eph 4:1). but walk knowing that if we are doing the best we can while covered by the blood of Christ, our short-comings are wiped away. "Thanks be to God!"

Scott