Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Daniel 10
NT: James 3
W&W: Psalm 131
Today’s Reflection:
What’s Bugging You? With what are you concerned? The Psalmist wrote: “I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me…” (Psalm 131.1b).
As I get settled into a new ministry, I am overwhelmed by the magnitude of changes that I must make due to the distance between this church and previous assignments. Not physical distance, but the methodical differences that are required.
Even so, I am content here in Bethel, Ohio. It is a good place to be. I know that trials will come. God calls pastors because people face difficulties and sheep need a shepherd – even when they would rather roam free. But, I also know that God will give me grace to meet and overcome every challenge we as a church face and I as a pastor face.
Recent developments in my life have begun teaching me that I have at times been concerned with the wrong things. God is teaching me to be more concerned about people and less concerned about the church. After all, it is Jesus’ church and he will build it. My ministry is about people. One by one. Need after need. Joy upon joy.
Visions of “greatness” and “wonderful accomplishments” are laid aside for a simple shepherd’s heart. I like that. Give me more and more the heart of the Great Shepherd, O Lord!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
James 1.22: Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Towne Hall Meeting – Keep the Information Flowing!
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 14-15
NT: 1 Thessalonians 4
W&W: Psalm 118.15-29
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 16-17
NT: 1 Thessalonians 5
W&W: Psalm 119.1-8
Today’s Reflection:
Finishing up on the questions submitted to the Towne Hall Meeting, following is my response to the question asked about getting people connected to the church:
I have said a lot about what I believe to be the necessary marks of a disciple. A follower of Jesus Christ is one who…
· Knows God in Worship
· Shows Love in Relationship
· Grows Up in Discipleship
· Goes Out in Citizenship
· Sows Seeds of Partnership (praying, giving, inviting, serving)
· Flows Out in Leadership (This sixth component is not requisite for all Christ-followers because God does not call everyone to lead.)
With that in mind, I believe we should design the ministries and programs of the church to develop all these ingredients of the Christian life. But, we also need to be simple in our approach and not duplicate our efforts. I believe we should plan one main activity to provide for expression of each of the first 4 marks of the disciple. Something like…
· Know – our worship service
· Show – our Sunday school
· Grow – our Sunday night (used to be “evangelistic hour, but no longer…”)
· Go – Wednesday night ministries and Mission and community involvement
There could be other ways to meet these needs, but we must keep the structure simple and communicate it.
These 4 ministries would grow out of the seedbed of…
· Sow – pray, give, invite, serve
And the first 5 would be overseen by identified leaders:
· Flow – equipping God’s people for works of service
More important than the ministries and programs themselves, however, are the transitions between ministries. We not only need to plan good ministries, we need to be purposeful about how we are going to get people to transition along the path of spiritual development. For example, one of the main concerns during our worship time should be how are we going to encourage people to move into small groups. We need to make a structure for that to happen and build it into our weekly ministries.
In summary, I plan to increase member engagement by:
· Doing what we do best
· Getting everybody in small groups
· Focusing on transitions
· Planning clear and positive methods of communication
I hope these blog postings have been helpful to you – both Bethel Nazarenes and others who have kept up with them.
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.25: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
OT: Ezekiel 14-15
NT: 1 Thessalonians 4
W&W: Psalm 118.15-29
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 16-17
NT: 1 Thessalonians 5
W&W: Psalm 119.1-8
Today’s Reflection:
Finishing up on the questions submitted to the Towne Hall Meeting, following is my response to the question asked about getting people connected to the church:
I have said a lot about what I believe to be the necessary marks of a disciple. A follower of Jesus Christ is one who…
· Knows God in Worship
· Shows Love in Relationship
· Grows Up in Discipleship
· Goes Out in Citizenship
· Sows Seeds of Partnership (praying, giving, inviting, serving)
· Flows Out in Leadership (This sixth component is not requisite for all Christ-followers because God does not call everyone to lead.)
With that in mind, I believe we should design the ministries and programs of the church to develop all these ingredients of the Christian life. But, we also need to be simple in our approach and not duplicate our efforts. I believe we should plan one main activity to provide for expression of each of the first 4 marks of the disciple. Something like…
· Know – our worship service
· Show – our Sunday school
· Grow – our Sunday night (used to be “evangelistic hour, but no longer…”)
· Go – Wednesday night ministries and Mission and community involvement
There could be other ways to meet these needs, but we must keep the structure simple and communicate it.
These 4 ministries would grow out of the seedbed of…
· Sow – pray, give, invite, serve
And the first 5 would be overseen by identified leaders:
· Flow – equipping God’s people for works of service
More important than the ministries and programs themselves, however, are the transitions between ministries. We not only need to plan good ministries, we need to be purposeful about how we are going to get people to transition along the path of spiritual development. For example, one of the main concerns during our worship time should be how are we going to encourage people to move into small groups. We need to make a structure for that to happen and build it into our weekly ministries.
In summary, I plan to increase member engagement by:
· Doing what we do best
· Getting everybody in small groups
· Focusing on transitions
· Planning clear and positive methods of communication
I hope these blog postings have been helpful to you – both Bethel Nazarenes and others who have kept up with them.
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.25: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Towne Hall Meeting – Ideas for Connection - I
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 13
NT: 1 Thessalonians 3
W&W: Psalm 118.1-14
Today’s Reflection:
A concern submitted to me for response at our Towne Hall Meetings was: “What are your ideas on ways we could get some of our adults connected to the church and grounded? (So many seem to have a very loose connection to the church and are uninvolved in any kind of ministry or even in Sunday school.)” I responded as follows:
This morning, I mentioned how important it is to be engaged in the church. Engagement is less about what you do as how you feel about the church. And how you feel is influenced by small groups, by communication, and by working in your areas of strengths and giftedness. We are going to do a congregational assessment in October to help us begin working toward having an engaged congregation.
But, considering the small groups factor of this equation, I am a Sunday school man… I believe that the old Sunday school song we used to sing is still true today: “Everybody ought to go to Sunday school!” We need to get people connected in relationships with one another. If a person does not make friends in the church in the first 6 months, then there is a great likelihood that he or she will drop out. Sunday school is the perfect structure for the making and keeping of spiritual friendships. I think we should set as a goal that 100% of our members should be actively involved in a Sunday school class – whenever they meet! We are planning to train the youth in REACH – a simple method for using Sunday school to care for each other and reach others outside the flock. We also are planning the addition of a new adult class this fall. I also want to continue visiting the adult Sunday school classes to help EACH one REACH one.
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.25: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
OT: Ezekiel 13
NT: 1 Thessalonians 3
W&W: Psalm 118.1-14
Today’s Reflection:
A concern submitted to me for response at our Towne Hall Meetings was: “What are your ideas on ways we could get some of our adults connected to the church and grounded? (So many seem to have a very loose connection to the church and are uninvolved in any kind of ministry or even in Sunday school.)” I responded as follows:
This morning, I mentioned how important it is to be engaged in the church. Engagement is less about what you do as how you feel about the church. And how you feel is influenced by small groups, by communication, and by working in your areas of strengths and giftedness. We are going to do a congregational assessment in October to help us begin working toward having an engaged congregation.
But, considering the small groups factor of this equation, I am a Sunday school man… I believe that the old Sunday school song we used to sing is still true today: “Everybody ought to go to Sunday school!” We need to get people connected in relationships with one another. If a person does not make friends in the church in the first 6 months, then there is a great likelihood that he or she will drop out. Sunday school is the perfect structure for the making and keeping of spiritual friendships. I think we should set as a goal that 100% of our members should be actively involved in a Sunday school class – whenever they meet! We are planning to train the youth in REACH – a simple method for using Sunday school to care for each other and reach others outside the flock. We also are planning the addition of a new adult class this fall. I also want to continue visiting the adult Sunday school classes to help EACH one REACH one.
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.25: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Be My Guest! (Or Can I Be Yours?)
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 12
NT: 1 Thessalonians 2
W&W: Psalm 117
Today’s Reflection:
A question was submitted for our Towne Hall Meeting at Bethel Nazarene concerning visitation: “Are you and Lana visiting your flock in their homes or do Pastor Noel and Jean do all the visitations for the church?”
Concerning visitation, I’ve answered a similar question in my posting of September 3, but the phrasing of this question allows me to address it from another perspective.
First of all, Lana is visiting with me, but you cannot always expect her. She loves to come, but her schedule does not always match the need.
Second, when it comes to visiting “in their homes” I would say yes and no. If there is a need, and I am aware of it, and as time passes, I am going to visit in homes. But I am not making cold calls in homes. I call for an appointment or respond to your invitation to come to your home. I sometimes receive requests for a pastoral visit or input as to when a visit may be needed, and I respond appropriately. But I am not able to make it a practice just to visit in the homes of my flock. Time simply does not permit it. I enjoy being with my people, though. If you want to invite me over, I’ll do my best to get there! But, make sure some un-churched people are there, too! Let’s be wise and make the most of every opportunity.
I am thankful for Pastor Dale and Jean and the work they do. Dale works alongside me and visits as he is able. We are still working out a plan, but they way we have initially set it up is for me to visit pre-surgery in the hospital if I can and for Dale to follow up after the surgery. If an extended hospital stay is required, I try to make it back. I’m glad that Dale is gifted and available as he is! Isn’t God good to provide the leadership and service we need!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.25: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
OT: Ezekiel 12
NT: 1 Thessalonians 2
W&W: Psalm 117
Today’s Reflection:
A question was submitted for our Towne Hall Meeting at Bethel Nazarene concerning visitation: “Are you and Lana visiting your flock in their homes or do Pastor Noel and Jean do all the visitations for the church?”
Concerning visitation, I’ve answered a similar question in my posting of September 3, but the phrasing of this question allows me to address it from another perspective.
First of all, Lana is visiting with me, but you cannot always expect her. She loves to come, but her schedule does not always match the need.
Second, when it comes to visiting “in their homes” I would say yes and no. If there is a need, and I am aware of it, and as time passes, I am going to visit in homes. But I am not making cold calls in homes. I call for an appointment or respond to your invitation to come to your home. I sometimes receive requests for a pastoral visit or input as to when a visit may be needed, and I respond appropriately. But I am not able to make it a practice just to visit in the homes of my flock. Time simply does not permit it. I enjoy being with my people, though. If you want to invite me over, I’ll do my best to get there! But, make sure some un-churched people are there, too! Let’s be wise and make the most of every opportunity.
I am thankful for Pastor Dale and Jean and the work they do. Dale works alongside me and visits as he is able. We are still working out a plan, but they way we have initially set it up is for me to visit pre-surgery in the hospital if I can and for Dale to follow up after the surgery. If an extended hospital stay is required, I try to make it back. I’m glad that Dale is gifted and available as he is! Isn’t God good to provide the leadership and service we need!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.25: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Keep the Information Flowing!
Monday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 11
NT: 1 Thessalonians
W&W: Psalm 116
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 12
NT: 1 Thessalonians 2
W&W: Psalm 117
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 13
NT: 1 Thessalonians 3
W&W: Psalm 118.1-14
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 14-15
NT: 1 Thessalonians 4
W&W: Psalm 118.15-29
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 16-17
NT: 1 Thessalonians 5
W&W: Psalm 119.1-8
Today’s Reflection:
This week I will finish up my reports from our Towne Hall Meetings at Bethel Nazarene. Two people expressed concern about receiving updates from the board meetings. One person even wrote: “We never know what happens at board meetings. We don’t need to know everything discussed but we deserve to know what decisions are made. Some people who are not board members know everything but most of us know nothing.”
This is an important matter as I believe poor communication is a leading cause of confusion in a church family. I responded to these concerns as follows:
Concerning the board meetings, I am sorry we haven’t kept you adequately informed. I believe in openness! We are taking steps to post the board minutes and treasurers report along with other reports. Elaine has prepared a place for us to post them. Also, in the future, I hope that our Towne Hall Meetings can move beyond these initial concerns and move to the ongoing progress of our ministries. We have much to pray over and work toward, don’t we!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.25: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
OT: Ezekiel 11
NT: 1 Thessalonians
W&W: Psalm 116
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 12
NT: 1 Thessalonians 2
W&W: Psalm 117
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 13
NT: 1 Thessalonians 3
W&W: Psalm 118.1-14
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 14-15
NT: 1 Thessalonians 4
W&W: Psalm 118.15-29
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 16-17
NT: 1 Thessalonians 5
W&W: Psalm 119.1-8
Today’s Reflection:
This week I will finish up my reports from our Towne Hall Meetings at Bethel Nazarene. Two people expressed concern about receiving updates from the board meetings. One person even wrote: “We never know what happens at board meetings. We don’t need to know everything discussed but we deserve to know what decisions are made. Some people who are not board members know everything but most of us know nothing.”
This is an important matter as I believe poor communication is a leading cause of confusion in a church family. I responded to these concerns as follows:
Concerning the board meetings, I am sorry we haven’t kept you adequately informed. I believe in openness! We are taking steps to post the board minutes and treasurers report along with other reports. Elaine has prepared a place for us to post them. Also, in the future, I hope that our Towne Hall Meetings can move beyond these initial concerns and move to the ongoing progress of our ministries. We have much to pray over and work toward, don’t we!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.25: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Towne Hall Meeting – Music - IV
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 7-8
NT: Colossians 3
W&W: Psalm 114
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 9-10
NT: Colossians 4
W&W: Psalm 115
Today’s Reflection:
In the Towne Hall Meeting, another person was wondering about… singing songs from our hymnal on Sunday mornings with the piano and organ. Following is my response:
We’ve addressed music already, but let me say that we are taking the approach of John Wesley when the great Methodist revival swept across Great Britain. We need to be sensitive to our target audience. The Wesleys used the music that related to the people of the day. They often borrowed barroom melodies and wrote Christian lyrics for them. Many who would attend Wesley’s field meetings felt uncomfortable in the Anglican Church. They felt out of place, and even unwanted. Wesley used music to bridge that gap and welcome the sinner home to the Savior.
We would all agree that we want young people and lost people to feel comfortable at our church. If we don’t make them feel welcome, our church will no longer exist two generations from now. But at the same time, we want to feed and nourish the souls of the saints.
The two goals are not antithetical. I had an eye-opening experience several years ago at Rick Warren’s church and David Jeremiah’s church. I attended Warren’s service on Saturday night. It was very informal with drama, contemporary choruses and a relaxed atmosphere and dress. Jeremiah’s service the next morning was very formal with pipe organ, 200 voice choir, and an orchestra leading in hymns. Both services were filled with people of every age. Music reaches people. But, if we take it and make it a wedge issue, it will divide us and we will be conquered. For us, a blend is needed. We can do it together! We can!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.24: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
OT: Ezekiel 7-8
NT: Colossians 3
W&W: Psalm 114
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 9-10
NT: Colossians 4
W&W: Psalm 115
Today’s Reflection:
In the Towne Hall Meeting, another person was wondering about… singing songs from our hymnal on Sunday mornings with the piano and organ. Following is my response:
We’ve addressed music already, but let me say that we are taking the approach of John Wesley when the great Methodist revival swept across Great Britain. We need to be sensitive to our target audience. The Wesleys used the music that related to the people of the day. They often borrowed barroom melodies and wrote Christian lyrics for them. Many who would attend Wesley’s field meetings felt uncomfortable in the Anglican Church. They felt out of place, and even unwanted. Wesley used music to bridge that gap and welcome the sinner home to the Savior.
We would all agree that we want young people and lost people to feel comfortable at our church. If we don’t make them feel welcome, our church will no longer exist two generations from now. But at the same time, we want to feed and nourish the souls of the saints.
The two goals are not antithetical. I had an eye-opening experience several years ago at Rick Warren’s church and David Jeremiah’s church. I attended Warren’s service on Saturday night. It was very informal with drama, contemporary choruses and a relaxed atmosphere and dress. Jeremiah’s service the next morning was very formal with pipe organ, 200 voice choir, and an orchestra leading in hymns. Both services were filled with people of every age. Music reaches people. But, if we take it and make it a wedge issue, it will divide us and we will be conquered. For us, a blend is needed. We can do it together! We can!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.24: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Towne Hall Meeting - Music, III
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 6
NT: Colossians 2
W&W: Psalm 113
Today’s Reflection:
Continuing on the topic of our music at Bethel Nazarene Church…
We sing hymns and choruses together. And, I am glad, for the beautiful, theologically rich hymns are a staple of our experience of God. I think that the mix was working when I arrived, and it is still working. As far as singing them from the hymnal, that is not as easy as I thought it was. Our Worship Director can explain that for us… (Mark then did so, but I did not “capture” the content of his response. If you are interested, the audio is available on BNC’s website which can be accessed from my favorite sites.)
In response to another, related, question…
I once had an old and very wise evangelist tell me that he never closed an invitation until he had sung at least three verses. He said it took three times for the people to loosen up and respond. I’ve watched that since then, and I’ve found it to be true more often than not.
Sometimes we sing choruses three times in order to really let it penetrate into our hearts. I know that many of the old hymns – which have 3 or 4 or 5 verses – often have a chorus or refrain between each verse. It has been a part of the church’s music for generations – probably dating back to the chanting style worship songs sung by the early congregations – to repeat choruses to drive their message home. Even the Psalms, used in ancient worship, provide us evidence of reinforcement through repetition.
I trust the Lord to lead our worship director to fulfill his calling and assignment. And, by saying that, I am not passing the buck. If I feel the Lord saying to me that we need to make a change, I will not hesitate to instruct Mark. He works for me and we both know that I have the final say (humanly speaking) in our services. And, I accept responsibility for the content of our services.
Tomorrow we will finish up our series on the music at BNC!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.24: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
OT: Ezekiel 6
NT: Colossians 2
W&W: Psalm 113
Today’s Reflection:
Continuing on the topic of our music at Bethel Nazarene Church…
We sing hymns and choruses together. And, I am glad, for the beautiful, theologically rich hymns are a staple of our experience of God. I think that the mix was working when I arrived, and it is still working. As far as singing them from the hymnal, that is not as easy as I thought it was. Our Worship Director can explain that for us… (Mark then did so, but I did not “capture” the content of his response. If you are interested, the audio is available on BNC’s website which can be accessed from my favorite sites.)
In response to another, related, question…
I once had an old and very wise evangelist tell me that he never closed an invitation until he had sung at least three verses. He said it took three times for the people to loosen up and respond. I’ve watched that since then, and I’ve found it to be true more often than not.
Sometimes we sing choruses three times in order to really let it penetrate into our hearts. I know that many of the old hymns – which have 3 or 4 or 5 verses – often have a chorus or refrain between each verse. It has been a part of the church’s music for generations – probably dating back to the chanting style worship songs sung by the early congregations – to repeat choruses to drive their message home. Even the Psalms, used in ancient worship, provide us evidence of reinforcement through repetition.
I trust the Lord to lead our worship director to fulfill his calling and assignment. And, by saying that, I am not passing the buck. If I feel the Lord saying to me that we need to make a change, I will not hesitate to instruct Mark. He works for me and we both know that I have the final say (humanly speaking) in our services. And, I accept responsibility for the content of our services.
Tomorrow we will finish up our series on the music at BNC!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.24: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Towne Hall Meeting – Music - II
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 4-5
NT: Colossians 1
W&W: Psalm 112
Today’s Reflection:
In the Towne Hall Meeting, I have answered several questions about music. I am continuing my response below:
“Let me tell you what I told Mark from the beginning as far as how a service should flow:
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.24: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
OT: Ezekiel 4-5
NT: Colossians 1
W&W: Psalm 112
Today’s Reflection:
In the Towne Hall Meeting, I have answered several questions about music. I am continuing my response below:
“Let me tell you what I told Mark from the beginning as far as how a service should flow:
- Start on a pretty energetic tone.
- Put a hymn or two in the beginning of the service if it fits.
- Get me up to preach within 15 minutes whenever possible.
- Work with me on the response song and let’s follow the lead of the Holy Spirit together.
- After the prayer of response, let’s sing some songs that will transition us from meditative (prayer, surrender, obedience) to more celebrative. I want to go out on a high note, just like we came in on.
- The announcements will continue to be a part of the offering time, but we will limit them and plan them in advance, asking our people to be more attentive to their bulletins. (By the way, that means I really don’t want you to give me announcements on Sunday morning if at all possible to avoid it. We need to plan a little further ahead when we can.)
- I also told Mark that for the evenings, let’s keep doing what you’ve been doing as, except that I want to add a children’s sermon so I can minister directly to the kids. (That’s on top of my Smarties© ministry!)
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.24: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Monday, September 7, 2009
Towne Hall Meeting, Music I
Monday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 2-3
NT: Philippians 4
W&W: Psalm 111
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 4-5
NT: Colossians 1
W&W: Psalm 112
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 6
NT: Colossians 2
W&W: Psalm 113
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 7-8
NT: Colossians 3
W&W: Psalm 114
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 9-10
NT: Colossians 4
W&W: Psalm 115
Today’s Reflection:
In the Towne Hall Meeting, I have answered several question about music. The first was submitted as follows: Pastor, I was wondering about: “our congregational singing on Sunday morning. Are we ever going to sing from our hymnals those beautiful hymns of faith and inspiration that have served the church so well in the past?” Below is the first part of my response:
“I’ve asked Mark to help me address that topic. But before he speaks, I want to tell you about how we plan the services. When I arrived, I didn’t want to change very much, and that included the way you were worshiping (except as you recall, I did move the offering to the end of the service). I did realize however, that there were some minor adjustments that I needed to make in order to reflect my style.
“I want to thank the board and Pastor Roberts for giving me such a helper as Mark Owen. He is a wonderful Christian young man and adds much to our services. It is a pleasure working with him. In the wisdom of Pastor Roberts, the church board, and even our DS (for he approved his remaining here during the interim), Mark was planning the music when I arrived. He was doing a great job from all I could tell. I knew that I wanted him to continue to express that God-given talent and call and that for that to happen, I should not limit him too much. I sensed that he was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and I liked his style. I knew we could work well together.
“As I observed the first couple of weeks, I thought it was a good blend of hymns and contemporary songs. I wanted Mark to keep things the way they were in that regard in order to reach a broad spectrum of people. I’m very pleased with the balance he has achieved.
Tune in tomorrow for more about the music at Bethel Nazarene Church!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.24: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
OT: Ezekiel 2-3
NT: Philippians 4
W&W: Psalm 111
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 4-5
NT: Colossians 1
W&W: Psalm 112
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 6
NT: Colossians 2
W&W: Psalm 113
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 7-8
NT: Colossians 3
W&W: Psalm 114
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 9-10
NT: Colossians 4
W&W: Psalm 115
Today’s Reflection:
In the Towne Hall Meeting, I have answered several question about music. The first was submitted as follows: Pastor, I was wondering about: “our congregational singing on Sunday morning. Are we ever going to sing from our hymnals those beautiful hymns of faith and inspiration that have served the church so well in the past?” Below is the first part of my response:
“I’ve asked Mark to help me address that topic. But before he speaks, I want to tell you about how we plan the services. When I arrived, I didn’t want to change very much, and that included the way you were worshiping (except as you recall, I did move the offering to the end of the service). I did realize however, that there were some minor adjustments that I needed to make in order to reflect my style.
“I want to thank the board and Pastor Roberts for giving me such a helper as Mark Owen. He is a wonderful Christian young man and adds much to our services. It is a pleasure working with him. In the wisdom of Pastor Roberts, the church board, and even our DS (for he approved his remaining here during the interim), Mark was planning the music when I arrived. He was doing a great job from all I could tell. I knew that I wanted him to continue to express that God-given talent and call and that for that to happen, I should not limit him too much. I sensed that he was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and I liked his style. I knew we could work well together.
“As I observed the first couple of weeks, I thought it was a good blend of hymns and contemporary songs. I wanted Mark to keep things the way they were in that regard in order to reach a broad spectrum of people. I’m very pleased with the balance he has achieved.
Tune in tomorrow for more about the music at Bethel Nazarene Church!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Matthew 16.24: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Thursday, September 3, 2009
I Choose to Follow Jesus!
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Lamentations 4-5
NT: Philippians 2
W&W: Psalm 109.21-31
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 1
NT: Philippians 3
W&W: Psalm 110
Today’s Reflection:
The following questions were submitted to me at the Towne Hall Meeting by “An Old Lady” (I discussed anonymous communication in an earlier question. See my posts from August 17, 18, and 19 concerning “Openness”):
Are you visiting the sick from Church? Pastor Roberts is a hard one to follow. We were told you wanted to get back to visiting again.
Have you ever been on a mission trip?
This is a tough one to answer, because I know that there is no right answer. I read once that whether or not you think your pastor is a good pastor depends on if that pastor is doing what you think he or she should be doing. That makes sense. But, it sets the pastor up to fail – if he or she tries to model his ministry based on what others think.
But, let me hasten to say that I am glad that I am not “following” Pastor Roberts in this regard. If I placed that burden on myself, it would not be fair to me or to Pastor Roberts. It would certainly not be fair to you or to the Lord of the church who called me here to take the next step in our church’s great history.
I model my ministry based on what I understand Jesus did, based on what I read concerning how the Apostles and Paul conducted their ministries in the early church, based on Paul’s letters to the churches and pastors in the New Testament, and based upon what I feel the Lord leading me to do for the good people of Bethel Nazarene Church. If we finish these questions tonight – and as the Lord leads – perhaps I will preach a message next Sunday night on the role of the pastor. I’ve always wanted to do that, but I’ve been a little hesitant – even fearful. But, a dear friend of mine called me fearless last week, and I don’t want to disappoint her. Besides, it would only be helpful to us all to understand the biblical view together.
That said, I am visiting the sick from the church. I find it a little harder to do, but I also try to visit the sick of the church! And, yes, I am glad to be in a position where I can invest more in the pastoral care of my flock. I feel that that is an area of giftedness for me. At times, Lana joins me on those visits, but not always. I’ll get back to this in a moment.
Concerning mission trips, yes, I have been on several. Two out of the country – in Trinidad and in Canada, and two in the country – in Chattanooga and in Iowa.
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Let’s put Romans 3.21-25a together: 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
OT: Lamentations 4-5
NT: Philippians 2
W&W: Psalm 109.21-31
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 1
NT: Philippians 3
W&W: Psalm 110
Today’s Reflection:
The following questions were submitted to me at the Towne Hall Meeting by “An Old Lady” (I discussed anonymous communication in an earlier question. See my posts from August 17, 18, and 19 concerning “Openness”):
Are you visiting the sick from Church? Pastor Roberts is a hard one to follow. We were told you wanted to get back to visiting again.
Have you ever been on a mission trip?
This is a tough one to answer, because I know that there is no right answer. I read once that whether or not you think your pastor is a good pastor depends on if that pastor is doing what you think he or she should be doing. That makes sense. But, it sets the pastor up to fail – if he or she tries to model his ministry based on what others think.
But, let me hasten to say that I am glad that I am not “following” Pastor Roberts in this regard. If I placed that burden on myself, it would not be fair to me or to Pastor Roberts. It would certainly not be fair to you or to the Lord of the church who called me here to take the next step in our church’s great history.
I model my ministry based on what I understand Jesus did, based on what I read concerning how the Apostles and Paul conducted their ministries in the early church, based on Paul’s letters to the churches and pastors in the New Testament, and based upon what I feel the Lord leading me to do for the good people of Bethel Nazarene Church. If we finish these questions tonight – and as the Lord leads – perhaps I will preach a message next Sunday night on the role of the pastor. I’ve always wanted to do that, but I’ve been a little hesitant – even fearful. But, a dear friend of mine called me fearless last week, and I don’t want to disappoint her. Besides, it would only be helpful to us all to understand the biblical view together.
That said, I am visiting the sick from the church. I find it a little harder to do, but I also try to visit the sick of the church! And, yes, I am glad to be in a position where I can invest more in the pastoral care of my flock. I feel that that is an area of giftedness for me. At times, Lana joins me on those visits, but not always. I’ll get back to this in a moment.
Concerning mission trips, yes, I have been on several. Two out of the country – in Trinidad and in Canada, and two in the country – in Chattanooga and in Iowa.
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Let’s put Romans 3.21-25a together: 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
What Does the Pastor Do All Week?
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Lamentations 3
NT: Philippians 1
W&W: Psalm 109.1-20
Today’s Reflection:
At the Town Hall Meeting, I answered the following questions:
- What are the days and hours of the week you would prefer not to be disturbed?
- What day is your “day off?”
I’m glad you asked that. I have given this a lot of thought in the last several months, and I have come up with an “ideal schedule.” Through prayer, and seeking the help of others, I have come up with a general pattern that I like to follow:
Mornings are my best time, so I need to spend that time – whenever possible – in the highest impact activities. For me that is preaching preparation, prayer, and personal formation. When possible, I try not to schedule appointments in the morning. I need that time with the Lord and to feed my soul. Afternoons are such that I am ready for more personal contact with people: pastoring.
Monday through Thursday, I usually get up between 5 and 5:30 and spend some time in prayer and Bible reading. My goal is to tithe my time, but I find that a hard goal to reach. Lana and I spend about 30-45 minutes together in the morning – on a walk and then breakfast and devotions. I usually arrive at the office at 8:30. On Tuesday mornings I have a meeting with Mark to review the weekend services and prepare the coming service.
I try to have the first draft of my morning sermon done by Tuesday noon. I want to give it to those preparing PowerPoint as early as possible. Sometimes, though, I don’t get it done until Sunday at 11:20! But, usually I’m pretty much done with it by Wednesday and don’t look at it again until Saturday. I try to finish my Sunday night teaching early in the week also.
Starting with lunch, I like to make appointments for pastoral visitation and administrative meetings. I also spend time in administrative tasks during the afternoons. The focus of my time varies depending on the needs present. If needed, my sermon preparation bleeds over into the afternoon.
I like to have everything done for the weekend by Thursday afternoon, because Friday is my day off. For that same reason, I prefer not to schedule meetings on Thursday evenings. (In the same way, I know you wouldn’t want to have meetings at work on Friday evenings.)
Friday I take the whole day off whenever I can, which is usually most weeks.
Saturdays vary depending on the church calendar. I don’t really have a set schedule except that I know I will be reviewing my sermon to add notes to it, re-reading commentaries, etc. If there is nothing pressing, I may not come into the office.
Do I stick with this schedule? Sometimes pretty close, but often I am not able to observe it “religiously.” That bothered me until I remembered what a pastoral coach once told me: “Make your ideal schedule, and if you can get to 50% compliance, you’re doing great.” I would say, by that standard, that I’m doing great.
Summary: I work Sunday through Thursday all day; I’m off on Fridays; and I take it easy on Saturdays as much as possible. I need undisturbed time in the mornings to adequately prepare for preaching and teaching the Word of God and for prayer.
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Let’s put Romans 3.21-25a together: 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
We Need More Space
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Lamentations 2
NT: Ephesians 6
W&W: Psalm 108
Today’s Reflection:
One of the concerns at the Towne Hall Meeting was: “No one ever mentions the building fund. Is it still active? We need more space. Should we have an active push to save money for this? I think a member of the board should lead this effort.” Following is my response from the meeting:
The building fund is still active. However, to my knowledge, we do not have an active plan in place to encourage contributions to a capital project. I guess – as the new kid on the block – I would ask you: “Should we have an active push to save money for this?” Talk to me. As far as a board member leading it: I couldn’t agree more!
Let me talk for a moment about our stewardship. Stewardship is part of the “Sow Seeds of Partnership” component of being a disciple. (The other two ingredients are prayer and serving). The church board and I are floating the idea of having a stewardship team – apart from the finance team of the board. The stewardship team will be responsible for stewardship awareness, education, and special fund drives. I hope that we see some good progress on this by the first of 2010. If you are interested in Christian stewardship, please see me. We don’t have the team assembled yet!
Let me address the comment: “We need more space.” In my vast experience here I would both agree and disagree with that statement. Let me tell you what happened to me this morning. During Sunday school, I felt an inner compulsion to go into the basement of our education wing. So strong was the compulsion that I could not – not do it – even though it would make me late for the staff prayer time at 10:15. (My wife and my staff can tell you how I don’t like being late!) Now I know why I felt that compulsion: this question, which I didn’t answer until this afternoon required that I take that trip down there.
In the basement I was confronted by the Lord: “Pastor, why are these rooms empty?” That’s right – the rooms were empty! Oh, church, it breaks my heart to say it! The rooms were empty! Fans were running in two of the rooms, but no children were running in the hall. The air conditioners were making some noise but no teens were. Yes, they were at McDonalds, I know. I think God did sent me down there while the teens were gone on purpose so he could really drive this point home. Fill up those rooms! Do what it takes to make the rooms usable and fill up those rooms! Maybe it won’t work due to mold or low ceilings or whatever. I don’t know. But I do know this: getting more space will take a plan, and the first place we need to look is right under our nose, or – if you happen to be over there during Sunday school – right under your feet!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Let’s put Romans 3.21-25a together: 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
OT: Lamentations 2
NT: Ephesians 6
W&W: Psalm 108
Today’s Reflection:
One of the concerns at the Towne Hall Meeting was: “No one ever mentions the building fund. Is it still active? We need more space. Should we have an active push to save money for this? I think a member of the board should lead this effort.” Following is my response from the meeting:
The building fund is still active. However, to my knowledge, we do not have an active plan in place to encourage contributions to a capital project. I guess – as the new kid on the block – I would ask you: “Should we have an active push to save money for this?” Talk to me. As far as a board member leading it: I couldn’t agree more!
Let me talk for a moment about our stewardship. Stewardship is part of the “Sow Seeds of Partnership” component of being a disciple. (The other two ingredients are prayer and serving). The church board and I are floating the idea of having a stewardship team – apart from the finance team of the board. The stewardship team will be responsible for stewardship awareness, education, and special fund drives. I hope that we see some good progress on this by the first of 2010. If you are interested in Christian stewardship, please see me. We don’t have the team assembled yet!
Let me address the comment: “We need more space.” In my vast experience here I would both agree and disagree with that statement. Let me tell you what happened to me this morning. During Sunday school, I felt an inner compulsion to go into the basement of our education wing. So strong was the compulsion that I could not – not do it – even though it would make me late for the staff prayer time at 10:15. (My wife and my staff can tell you how I don’t like being late!) Now I know why I felt that compulsion: this question, which I didn’t answer until this afternoon required that I take that trip down there.
In the basement I was confronted by the Lord: “Pastor, why are these rooms empty?” That’s right – the rooms were empty! Oh, church, it breaks my heart to say it! The rooms were empty! Fans were running in two of the rooms, but no children were running in the hall. The air conditioners were making some noise but no teens were. Yes, they were at McDonalds, I know. I think God did sent me down there while the teens were gone on purpose so he could really drive this point home. Fill up those rooms! Do what it takes to make the rooms usable and fill up those rooms! Maybe it won’t work due to mold or low ceilings or whatever. I don’t know. But I do know this: getting more space will take a plan, and the first place we need to look is right under our nose, or – if you happen to be over there during Sunday school – right under your feet!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Let’s put Romans 3.21-25a together: 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Hitch Up the Horses: We're Headin' East!
Monday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Lamentations 1
NT: Ephesians 5
W&W: Psalm 107.33-43
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Lamentations 2
NT: Ephesians 6
W&W: Psalm 108
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Lamentations 3
NT: Philippians 1
W&W: Psalm 109.1-20
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Lamentations 4-5
NT: Philippians 2
W&W: Psalm 109.21-31
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 1
NT: Philippians 3
W&W: Psalm 110
Today’s Reflection:
As I answered questions at our Towne Hall Meeting last week, I shared the following illustration that I had heard from Gene Wood. (It is also in his book Leading Turnaround Churches.)
The church is like a wagon hitched to a team of horses. Now that wagon has a destination. The destination is the vision and dreams and goals of the congregation. At a minimum that would include getting people saved and maturing in their faith, don’t you think? Or, as I like to say it: making Christ-like disciples (in the nations)! And remember a disciple is one who knows God, shows love, grows up, goes out and sows seeds. Making disciples – that is our destination.
Every local church, however, has to determine the route it takes to get to its destination. Some churches will go east and some will go west. That’s OK as long as the route leads to the right destination. There is nothing intrinsically better about going east than going west, but you have to decide!
When I pull out of this parking lot tonight, I need to decide: “Do I want to turn south and go through the winding roads of Clermont and Brown County – through Poetown and Feesburg – to get home? Or, would I rather head east and go through the speed trap of Hamersville to get home?” I’ve tried it both ways, and it really isn’t better to go one way or the other. But I have to go one way or the other! If I decide to go west and Lana says, “No, I want to go south!” and tries to steer a different direction, what happens? Chaos ensues!
Now the local church is like that, too. We need to decide on a direction, hitch up our horses and do the best we can to get to our destination. Now, someone may come along and say, “I want to hitch up a team of horses to go this way…” What should we do? If enough people start pulling in many different directions, our progress will grind to a halt and we will never reach our destination of getting people saved! Let’s all pull in the same direction!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Let’s put Romans 3.21-25a together: 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
OT: Lamentations 1
NT: Ephesians 5
W&W: Psalm 107.33-43
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Lamentations 2
NT: Ephesians 6
W&W: Psalm 108
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Lamentations 3
NT: Philippians 1
W&W: Psalm 109.1-20
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Lamentations 4-5
NT: Philippians 2
W&W: Psalm 109.21-31
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Ezekiel 1
NT: Philippians 3
W&W: Psalm 110
Today’s Reflection:
As I answered questions at our Towne Hall Meeting last week, I shared the following illustration that I had heard from Gene Wood. (It is also in his book Leading Turnaround Churches.)
The church is like a wagon hitched to a team of horses. Now that wagon has a destination. The destination is the vision and dreams and goals of the congregation. At a minimum that would include getting people saved and maturing in their faith, don’t you think? Or, as I like to say it: making Christ-like disciples (in the nations)! And remember a disciple is one who knows God, shows love, grows up, goes out and sows seeds. Making disciples – that is our destination.
Every local church, however, has to determine the route it takes to get to its destination. Some churches will go east and some will go west. That’s OK as long as the route leads to the right destination. There is nothing intrinsically better about going east than going west, but you have to decide!
When I pull out of this parking lot tonight, I need to decide: “Do I want to turn south and go through the winding roads of Clermont and Brown County – through Poetown and Feesburg – to get home? Or, would I rather head east and go through the speed trap of Hamersville to get home?” I’ve tried it both ways, and it really isn’t better to go one way or the other. But I have to go one way or the other! If I decide to go west and Lana says, “No, I want to go south!” and tries to steer a different direction, what happens? Chaos ensues!
Now the local church is like that, too. We need to decide on a direction, hitch up our horses and do the best we can to get to our destination. Now, someone may come along and say, “I want to hitch up a team of horses to go this way…” What should we do? If enough people start pulling in many different directions, our progress will grind to a halt and we will never reach our destination of getting people saved! Let’s all pull in the same direction!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Let’s put Romans 3.21-25a together: 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Let It Be Us!
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 50-51
NT: Ephesians 3
W&W: Psalm 107.1-16
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 52
NT: Ephesians 4
W&W: Psalm 107.17-32
Today’s Reflection:
I have been praying: let it be us! God, you give the increase… Give it to us! In our Towne Hall Meeting, as I finished answering a question about possible ministries to add, I shared the following thoughts from my prayer journal:
Several years ago I was in the habit of praying the scripture found in Psalm 2.8: “Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” I had kind of gotten away from that, but God reminded me of it in this morning’s Old Testament reading: “With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people… and I give it to anyone I please” (Jeremiah 27.5). God made Bethel and the people in it and around it. He will give this community to anyone he pleases.
Oh, God, give them to me! Give me their ears. Give me their hearts. Enable me to speak Your Word to them and enable them to hear. Give me these souls to feed and nurture, to love and care for, to win and disciple.
Do this so that they may become disciples of Jesus Christ:
· Knowing God in Worship
· Showing Love in Friendship
· Growing up in Discipleship
· Going Out in Citizenship
· Sowing Seeds of Partnership
I challenge you to pray that prayer with me!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.25a: God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
OT: Jeremiah 50-51
NT: Ephesians 3
W&W: Psalm 107.1-16
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 52
NT: Ephesians 4
W&W: Psalm 107.17-32
Today’s Reflection:
I have been praying: let it be us! God, you give the increase… Give it to us! In our Towne Hall Meeting, as I finished answering a question about possible ministries to add, I shared the following thoughts from my prayer journal:
Several years ago I was in the habit of praying the scripture found in Psalm 2.8: “Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” I had kind of gotten away from that, but God reminded me of it in this morning’s Old Testament reading: “With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people… and I give it to anyone I please” (Jeremiah 27.5). God made Bethel and the people in it and around it. He will give this community to anyone he pleases.
Oh, God, give them to me! Give me their ears. Give me their hearts. Enable me to speak Your Word to them and enable them to hear. Give me these souls to feed and nurture, to love and care for, to win and disciple.
Do this so that they may become disciples of Jesus Christ:
· Knowing God in Worship
· Showing Love in Friendship
· Growing up in Discipleship
· Going Out in Citizenship
· Sowing Seeds of Partnership
I challenge you to pray that prayer with me!
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.25a: God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
But Our Church Can Do Some Things
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 49
NT: Ephesians 2
W&W: Psalm 106.32-48
Today’s Reflection:
In answer to questions asked at the Towne Hall Meeting concerning:
1) A Sunday school class for college age people;
2) A bus ministry; and
3) A choir – Maybe just for holidays and/or special occasions
I responded as follows:
In October I am meeting with the board and others interested in planning anywhere from 3 to 5 goals for the rest of the church year: things we feel called of God to attempt. The size of the group will be limited so that we can have good discussion. But, if you are interested in being a part of it, let me know. And as always, we value your “owned” input! Tonight, I am meeting with a group of people who will help me gather your responses to specific questions about spiritual commitment, spiritual health and member engagement. We will take that information and make some longer-range plans.
Having said all that, Let me address the three things asked:
1) I do believe that a choir would be on the list of things we could attempt. I believed it when I arrived, but since we did not have one when I arrived, I took the admonition of our DS and of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 7.20: “Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.” I do think – as Elaine mentioned – that a seasonal choir for Christmas would be a good way to use a choir as part of our music ministry. As a matter of fact, from the very beginning of my time here, Mark – our Worship Director – has told me that that is precisely the plan – if we have the interest – shown by commitment – on the part of the those involved.
2) Also, we do need to reach out to our college age adults… Is there someone who feels led of God to do so? “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10.2). But, remember no church can do everything. What does God want us to do? Pray! Fast! Plead for God’s mercy!
3) Now about the bus, it would be nice, but are we ready for it? I am wondering if we are using the busses God has already given us. [Hold up Church Directory] Do you recognize this? 144 families. If we conservatively estimated 1.5 cars per family, then God already has 216 buses. Are we using them? I was saved as a result of that kind of “church bus.” A friend of mine in high school invited me to church; she was riding with her neighbors, the Frieces. When I finally agreed to go to church, they picked me up in their car! I rode that bus and others like it for all the years of high school!
Remember this: it isn’t until we are faithful with the small responsibilities that God will give us greater responsibilities.
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.25a: God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
OT: Jeremiah 49
NT: Ephesians 2
W&W: Psalm 106.32-48
Today’s Reflection:
In answer to questions asked at the Towne Hall Meeting concerning:
1) A Sunday school class for college age people;
2) A bus ministry; and
3) A choir – Maybe just for holidays and/or special occasions
I responded as follows:
In October I am meeting with the board and others interested in planning anywhere from 3 to 5 goals for the rest of the church year: things we feel called of God to attempt. The size of the group will be limited so that we can have good discussion. But, if you are interested in being a part of it, let me know. And as always, we value your “owned” input! Tonight, I am meeting with a group of people who will help me gather your responses to specific questions about spiritual commitment, spiritual health and member engagement. We will take that information and make some longer-range plans.
Having said all that, Let me address the three things asked:
1) I do believe that a choir would be on the list of things we could attempt. I believed it when I arrived, but since we did not have one when I arrived, I took the admonition of our DS and of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 7.20: “Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.” I do think – as Elaine mentioned – that a seasonal choir for Christmas would be a good way to use a choir as part of our music ministry. As a matter of fact, from the very beginning of my time here, Mark – our Worship Director – has told me that that is precisely the plan – if we have the interest – shown by commitment – on the part of the those involved.
2) Also, we do need to reach out to our college age adults… Is there someone who feels led of God to do so? “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10.2). But, remember no church can do everything. What does God want us to do? Pray! Fast! Plead for God’s mercy!
3) Now about the bus, it would be nice, but are we ready for it? I am wondering if we are using the busses God has already given us. [Hold up Church Directory] Do you recognize this? 144 families. If we conservatively estimated 1.5 cars per family, then God already has 216 buses. Are we using them? I was saved as a result of that kind of “church bus.” A friend of mine in high school invited me to church; she was riding with her neighbors, the Frieces. When I finally agreed to go to church, they picked me up in their car! I rode that bus and others like it for all the years of high school!
Remember this: it isn’t until we are faithful with the small responsibilities that God will give us greater responsibilities.
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.25a: God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
No Church Can Do Everything
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 48
NT: Ephesians 1
W&W: Psalm 106.19-31
Today’s Reflection:
Continuing with responses to questions submitted to Bethel Church of the Nazarene’s Towne Hall Meeting, I turn now to someone who was wondering about …
· A Sunday school class for college age people
· A bus ministry
· A choir – Maybe just for holidays and/or special occasions
Following is the beginning of my response:
A church our size cannot do everything. No church can do everything…
I didn’t come in with a program. I was advised by our district Superintendent – and it is good, godly council – to get to know you and love you and to make changes slowly. (I got real bold, however, and I hope you’ll forgive me – I moved the offering to the end of the service!) Seriously, as you are aware, I have felt led of the Lord himself not to put any programs in place until we get to know one another better: God led me to pastor, preach, and pray.
Our church has had many starts and stops in the last dozen years. I have experienced that myself in the last half dozen years. I want to make a good start here so that we don’t have another stop a year or two down the road.
So, let’s not just add ministries, let’s work in our areas of strength, where:
1. We are called
2. We are gifted
I want to get to know you: What are our strengths? What is God calling us to do? I want all our church folks to be fully engaged in what God has called them to do and be – as persons first and then as members of this church.
We all have a mission: to follow Jesus. How are we to express that in our individual lives and work? How are we to join with others in the Church to accomplish the mission of making Christ-like disciples (including ourselves) in the nations? What are your strengths and passions and desires? I want to know. This Towne Hall Meeting is part of my finding out. And it is part of you finding out about me. We will seek other ways to help us get to know each other, but it all takes time.
When I arrived, we already had much on our plates and there has since been no shortage of things calling for our attention:
1. Mission Trip to Guatemala
2. Faith Promise
3. New Board
4. Budgets and Departments
5. Staffing Decisions
6. Weekly services
7. Knowing your names and responding to your needs!
8. Church insurance review
9. Sealing the parking lot
10. And, there are several key departments with whom I have yet to meet.
All this takes time, and we don’t want to hurry the process. Let’s address what is before us. God is not in a hurry, and we can take time to pray and decide together about what we will change about our ministries and programs.
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.25a: God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
OT: Jeremiah 48
NT: Ephesians 1
W&W: Psalm 106.19-31
Today’s Reflection:
Continuing with responses to questions submitted to Bethel Church of the Nazarene’s Towne Hall Meeting, I turn now to someone who was wondering about …
· A Sunday school class for college age people
· A bus ministry
· A choir – Maybe just for holidays and/or special occasions
Following is the beginning of my response:
A church our size cannot do everything. No church can do everything…
I didn’t come in with a program. I was advised by our district Superintendent – and it is good, godly council – to get to know you and love you and to make changes slowly. (I got real bold, however, and I hope you’ll forgive me – I moved the offering to the end of the service!) Seriously, as you are aware, I have felt led of the Lord himself not to put any programs in place until we get to know one another better: God led me to pastor, preach, and pray.
Our church has had many starts and stops in the last dozen years. I have experienced that myself in the last half dozen years. I want to make a good start here so that we don’t have another stop a year or two down the road.
So, let’s not just add ministries, let’s work in our areas of strength, where:
1. We are called
2. We are gifted
I want to get to know you: What are our strengths? What is God calling us to do? I want all our church folks to be fully engaged in what God has called them to do and be – as persons first and then as members of this church.
We all have a mission: to follow Jesus. How are we to express that in our individual lives and work? How are we to join with others in the Church to accomplish the mission of making Christ-like disciples (including ourselves) in the nations? What are your strengths and passions and desires? I want to know. This Towne Hall Meeting is part of my finding out. And it is part of you finding out about me. We will seek other ways to help us get to know each other, but it all takes time.
When I arrived, we already had much on our plates and there has since been no shortage of things calling for our attention:
1. Mission Trip to Guatemala
2. Faith Promise
3. New Board
4. Budgets and Departments
5. Staffing Decisions
6. Weekly services
7. Knowing your names and responding to your needs!
8. Church insurance review
9. Sealing the parking lot
10. And, there are several key departments with whom I have yet to meet.
All this takes time, and we don’t want to hurry the process. Let’s address what is before us. God is not in a hurry, and we can take time to pray and decide together about what we will change about our ministries and programs.
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.25a: God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Towne Hall Meeting, Outreach II
Monday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 47
NT: Galatians 6
W&W: Psalm 106.1-18
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 48
NT: Ephesians 1
W&W: Psalm 106.19-31
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 49
NT: Ephesians 2
W&W: Psalm 106.32-48
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 50-51
NT: Ephesians 3
W&W: Psalm 107.1-16
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 52
NT: Ephesians 4
W&W: Psalm 107.17-32
Today’s Reflection:
In Bethel Church of the Nazarene’s Towne Hall meetings begun on August 16, I was asked about plans for outreach. I emphasized that outreach should be a part of the lives of our church members, part of our daily walk with Christ. As we follow Jesus, we are called to:
· Know God in worship
· Show love in relationship
· Grow up in discipleship
· Go out in citizenship
· Sow seeds of partnership
The “Go” of this formula is the part that specifically addresses outreach. There are at least three dimensions of outreach that are connected but distinct: Compassionate Outreach, Evangelistic Outreach, and Missionary Outreach. Last week I addressed Compassionate Outreach. Today I will address Evangelistic and Missionary Outreach.
So, let’s turn to Evangelistic Outreach. Jesus said, in what we call the Great Commission (Matthew 28.18-20): “Was given to me all authority in heaven and on the earth. Going, therefore, disciple ye all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatever I gave command to you; and behold I with you am all the days until the completion of the age” (emphasis mine, Greek Interlinear New Testament).
I quote that from the Greek in order to make the point that the going is to be just that: a going… constantly. As you are going about life, make disciples. This is outreach. Where you live, where you go to school, where you work, where you worship, where you serve, where you play – wherever you may go – make disciples! It’s in the going that you are to do the doing! Hence, our evangelistic outreach becomes more about what we are than what we do. This is the reason Jesus said, “You will be my witnesses” when the power of the Holy Spirit comes on you (Acts 1.8). He didn’t say you will speak my witness, but you will be my witness.
My philosophy of evangelistic outreach was forged in the fires of revival when I was first saved with Nelson Perdue as my pastor. It is a combination of incarnational and invitational outreach: living it and inviting others to be a part of it. People need to see Christ in your life – in attractive winsome behavior, attitudes and words – so real that they want what you have. That is incarnational outreach. Any outreach “program” that does not have that at its heart is doomed to fail. Then, when your family, friends, coworkers and business associates are drawn to it, you can be ready with an invitation. At times you may have opportunity to invite them to faith in Christ. Most of the time, I suspect, your opportunity will be to invite them to church – whether a service or an activity. That’s why we want every Sunday here to be of the best quality and with an eye on seeing people saved. I want you to be proud of what we are doing here so that you can invite your friends. I want you to make us proud by living a life of consistent love, service, and holiness. Invitational and incarnational.
Finally, when speaking of outreach, we should think of Missionary Outreach: reaching out beyond our community. Our outreach also includes global missions and district missions. We sent a team to Guatemala to work and to witness. We plan on doing another one. We have pledged over $20,000 for World Evangelism as part of our local church budget. We have partnered with Covenant Community Church in downtown in the past. We have opportunity to do so again this fall. God will honor a church that is mission-minded, that is concerned with others. After all, doesn’t that describe his heart?
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.25a: God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
OT: Jeremiah 47
NT: Galatians 6
W&W: Psalm 106.1-18
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 48
NT: Ephesians 1
W&W: Psalm 106.19-31
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 49
NT: Ephesians 2
W&W: Psalm 106.32-48
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 50-51
NT: Ephesians 3
W&W: Psalm 107.1-16
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 52
NT: Ephesians 4
W&W: Psalm 107.17-32
Today’s Reflection:
In Bethel Church of the Nazarene’s Towne Hall meetings begun on August 16, I was asked about plans for outreach. I emphasized that outreach should be a part of the lives of our church members, part of our daily walk with Christ. As we follow Jesus, we are called to:
· Know God in worship
· Show love in relationship
· Grow up in discipleship
· Go out in citizenship
· Sow seeds of partnership
The “Go” of this formula is the part that specifically addresses outreach. There are at least three dimensions of outreach that are connected but distinct: Compassionate Outreach, Evangelistic Outreach, and Missionary Outreach. Last week I addressed Compassionate Outreach. Today I will address Evangelistic and Missionary Outreach.
So, let’s turn to Evangelistic Outreach. Jesus said, in what we call the Great Commission (Matthew 28.18-20): “Was given to me all authority in heaven and on the earth. Going, therefore, disciple ye all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatever I gave command to you; and behold I with you am all the days until the completion of the age” (emphasis mine, Greek Interlinear New Testament).
I quote that from the Greek in order to make the point that the going is to be just that: a going… constantly. As you are going about life, make disciples. This is outreach. Where you live, where you go to school, where you work, where you worship, where you serve, where you play – wherever you may go – make disciples! It’s in the going that you are to do the doing! Hence, our evangelistic outreach becomes more about what we are than what we do. This is the reason Jesus said, “You will be my witnesses” when the power of the Holy Spirit comes on you (Acts 1.8). He didn’t say you will speak my witness, but you will be my witness.
My philosophy of evangelistic outreach was forged in the fires of revival when I was first saved with Nelson Perdue as my pastor. It is a combination of incarnational and invitational outreach: living it and inviting others to be a part of it. People need to see Christ in your life – in attractive winsome behavior, attitudes and words – so real that they want what you have. That is incarnational outreach. Any outreach “program” that does not have that at its heart is doomed to fail. Then, when your family, friends, coworkers and business associates are drawn to it, you can be ready with an invitation. At times you may have opportunity to invite them to faith in Christ. Most of the time, I suspect, your opportunity will be to invite them to church – whether a service or an activity. That’s why we want every Sunday here to be of the best quality and with an eye on seeing people saved. I want you to be proud of what we are doing here so that you can invite your friends. I want you to make us proud by living a life of consistent love, service, and holiness. Invitational and incarnational.
Finally, when speaking of outreach, we should think of Missionary Outreach: reaching out beyond our community. Our outreach also includes global missions and district missions. We sent a team to Guatemala to work and to witness. We plan on doing another one. We have pledged over $20,000 for World Evangelism as part of our local church budget. We have partnered with Covenant Community Church in downtown in the past. We have opportunity to do so again this fall. God will honor a church that is mission-minded, that is concerned with others. After all, doesn’t that describe his heart?
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.25a: God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Towne Hall Meeting, Outreach, I
Thursday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 44
NT: Galatians 4
W&W: Psalm 105.23-36
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 45-46
NT: Galatians 5
W&W: Psalm 105.37-45
Today’s Reflection:
As I mentioned at the beginning of the week, the first question I addressed was wondering about “any plans for outreach ministries.” After I addressed the need for openness and vulnerability, I went on to address outreach.
First, I would say that I do have specific plans for outreach, and I will be able to partially answer them in coming Towne Hall Meetings. But at this point, I want to emphasize that I believe outreach should be a part of the lives of our church members, part of our daily routines.
We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are called to
· Know God in worship
· Show love in relationship
· Grow up in discipleship
· Go out in citizenship
· Sow seeds of partnership
Remember these 5 things: know, show, grow, go, and sew. The Go part of this formula is the part that specifically addresses outreach. There are at least three dimensions of outreach that are connected but distinct: Compassionate Outreach, Evangelistic Outreach, and Missionary Outreach. I will address them in turn.
First, let’s consider Compassionate Outreach, or community involvement. At times when we discuss outreach, we have the in mind the very specific component of deeds of mercy and compassion and service. Those are wonderful characteristics that things should define each of our lives. Don’t wait for the church to have an outreach program to reach out with the love of Jesus! If you see your brother sick, visit him! If you see your sister hungry, feed her! Lonely? Visit him. Oppressed? Stand with her. There are hundreds of ways for us to do that every day. And there are dozens of agencies (Christian and non-Christian) doing good works that need Christian volunteers! Go!
Get involved in our community. Be a good, service-oriented citizen of Bethel or Clermont County or Brown County… Volunteer at the school, with the pregnancy center, at the free store. There is an opportunity coming up that I want to mention. There is a Crop Hunger Walk on October 11 called “Crossing Bridges.” Get involved! I personally have spoken with Fay Wagner about being a reader at Bethel Primary, and I plan to speak to Happy Guy about mentoring in her classroom. I may not get to do either one, but I need o do something. I tell you that for two reasons: 1) Hold me accountable and 2) Follow me as I follow Christ!
Still, we must consider, “Is there something for which God wants Bethel Church of the Nazarene to be responsible?” We do our part in helping support some agencies financially and in volunteer hours. Plus, we do what we feel we can and should for people who come to us with needs for assistance. Also, for years we had a very effective outreach ministry called “The Community Class.” We no longer have that. Do we have anything to take its place? Are there other things we are currently doing? (After the meeting I was reminded that we have an excellent outreach ministry called MOPS – Mothers of Preschoolers – and we are planning to expand its evangelistic impact this year.)
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.23-24 (How sad that many of us – including me – know Romans 3.23, but we neglect the message of grace in verse 24!): 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
OT: Jeremiah 44
NT: Galatians 4
W&W: Psalm 105.23-36
Friday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 45-46
NT: Galatians 5
W&W: Psalm 105.37-45
Today’s Reflection:
As I mentioned at the beginning of the week, the first question I addressed was wondering about “any plans for outreach ministries.” After I addressed the need for openness and vulnerability, I went on to address outreach.
First, I would say that I do have specific plans for outreach, and I will be able to partially answer them in coming Towne Hall Meetings. But at this point, I want to emphasize that I believe outreach should be a part of the lives of our church members, part of our daily routines.
We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are called to
· Know God in worship
· Show love in relationship
· Grow up in discipleship
· Go out in citizenship
· Sow seeds of partnership
Remember these 5 things: know, show, grow, go, and sew. The Go part of this formula is the part that specifically addresses outreach. There are at least three dimensions of outreach that are connected but distinct: Compassionate Outreach, Evangelistic Outreach, and Missionary Outreach. I will address them in turn.
First, let’s consider Compassionate Outreach, or community involvement. At times when we discuss outreach, we have the in mind the very specific component of deeds of mercy and compassion and service. Those are wonderful characteristics that things should define each of our lives. Don’t wait for the church to have an outreach program to reach out with the love of Jesus! If you see your brother sick, visit him! If you see your sister hungry, feed her! Lonely? Visit him. Oppressed? Stand with her. There are hundreds of ways for us to do that every day. And there are dozens of agencies (Christian and non-Christian) doing good works that need Christian volunteers! Go!
Get involved in our community. Be a good, service-oriented citizen of Bethel or Clermont County or Brown County… Volunteer at the school, with the pregnancy center, at the free store. There is an opportunity coming up that I want to mention. There is a Crop Hunger Walk on October 11 called “Crossing Bridges.” Get involved! I personally have spoken with Fay Wagner about being a reader at Bethel Primary, and I plan to speak to Happy Guy about mentoring in her classroom. I may not get to do either one, but I need o do something. I tell you that for two reasons: 1) Hold me accountable and 2) Follow me as I follow Christ!
Still, we must consider, “Is there something for which God wants Bethel Church of the Nazarene to be responsible?” We do our part in helping support some agencies financially and in volunteer hours. Plus, we do what we feel we can and should for people who come to us with needs for assistance. Also, for years we had a very effective outreach ministry called “The Community Class.” We no longer have that. Do we have anything to take its place? Are there other things we are currently doing? (After the meeting I was reminded that we have an excellent outreach ministry called MOPS – Mothers of Preschoolers – and we are planning to expand its evangelistic impact this year.)
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.23-24 (How sad that many of us – including me – know Romans 3.23, but we neglect the message of grace in verse 24!): 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Towne Hall Meeting, Openness, III
Wednesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 41-43
NT: Galatians 3
W&W: Psalm 105.1-22
Today’s Reflection:
This past Sunday at Bethel Church of the Nazarene, we had the first in a series of Towne Hall Meetings. I began the evening with addressing an unsigned question about outreach. Since anonymous communication is “anathema” in my book, and since this was obviously an innocent question, with no underlying message, I used it to address the issue of anonymity. This post continues the excerpts from my teaching on anonymity. I hope it helps you…
And as long as we are on the topic of openness, did you know that board meetings are open? That’s right. You can attend any meeting you want as long as it is not in executive session. As a matter of fact, you can attend in my place! Just kidding! At times, board meetings may called in executive session, in which case only the elected board members and those they choose to invite would be allowed in attendance. But 99% of the time, the meetings are open for your observation. And, if you want to speak to the board, you can request – in advance – to be included on the agenda. You must ask in advance and share the nature of what you want to address, and the board or board chairman must approve of adding you to the agenda, but you can come!
Having said all that about openness, there are a few things that will not be aired publicly in the church:
· Personnel issues over which we are bound by law or courtesy or integrity or propriety to maintain privacy
· Issues that would impact one’s dignity
· Counseling
· Moral lapses not involving the congregation as a whole
So, the rule here is openness and transparency whenever possible. We just ask that you be open about the origin of any idea, question, comment, or concern. Is that fair?
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.23-24: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
OT: Jeremiah 41-43
NT: Galatians 3
W&W: Psalm 105.1-22
Today’s Reflection:
This past Sunday at Bethel Church of the Nazarene, we had the first in a series of Towne Hall Meetings. I began the evening with addressing an unsigned question about outreach. Since anonymous communication is “anathema” in my book, and since this was obviously an innocent question, with no underlying message, I used it to address the issue of anonymity. This post continues the excerpts from my teaching on anonymity. I hope it helps you…
And as long as we are on the topic of openness, did you know that board meetings are open? That’s right. You can attend any meeting you want as long as it is not in executive session. As a matter of fact, you can attend in my place! Just kidding! At times, board meetings may called in executive session, in which case only the elected board members and those they choose to invite would be allowed in attendance. But 99% of the time, the meetings are open for your observation. And, if you want to speak to the board, you can request – in advance – to be included on the agenda. You must ask in advance and share the nature of what you want to address, and the board or board chairman must approve of adding you to the agenda, but you can come!
Having said all that about openness, there are a few things that will not be aired publicly in the church:
· Personnel issues over which we are bound by law or courtesy or integrity or propriety to maintain privacy
· Issues that would impact one’s dignity
· Counseling
· Moral lapses not involving the congregation as a whole
So, the rule here is openness and transparency whenever possible. We just ask that you be open about the origin of any idea, question, comment, or concern. Is that fair?
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.23-24: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Towne Hall Meeting: Openness, II
Tuesday’s Scripture Readings:
OT: Jeremiah 40
NT: Galatians 2
W&W: Ecclesiastes 12
Today’s Reflection:
This past Sunday at Bethel Church of the Nazarene, we had the first in a series of Towne Hall Meetings. I began the evening with an unsigned question about outreach. Now, anonymous communication is “anathema” in my book, but since this was obviously an innocent question, with no underlying message, I decided to use it to address the issue of anonymity. This post continues the excerpts from my teaching on anonymity. I hope it helps you…
… Another thing: I don’t have time to worry with anonymous letters or responses. If an opinion is worth sharing, it is worth owning. By the way, when it comes to unsigned communication, I have one rule: ignore it. I always look for the signature first, if there isn’t one, I don’t read it. And I tell my staff the same thing. Period.
I need to address another practice of communication with you. You all have provided me with a wonderful secretary, Elaine. In addition to the work she does for the church, there is a great amount of work she does to help me in my job. Thank you! Let me tell you up front, Elaine has access to all my mail and email correspondence. She often reads it before I do. As a matter of fact I ask her to screen my correspondence – incoming and outgoing – for me. This does two things: 1) it keeps me accountable for the purity and appropriateness of my correspondence, including computer usage, and 2) it relieves me of the burden of over-communication. Now, you can have things confidential between you and me. If you want something to be confidential with me, speak to me directly or send it to me in written form clearly marked “confidential.” And for your own protection – not just with me but in general – remember that no computer correspondence is ever completely private. Be careful what you put in emails and on Facebook, etc. If it gets in the wrong hands it can go around the world quicker than you can say “World Wide Web.”
Also, as a matter of courtesy and efficiency, I will always tell you what an appointment is about when I make it. I ask that you do the same so I can be adequately prepared. None of us like surprises! Speaking of appointments, in this busy day, I like to have Elaine to schedule my visits with you. And sometimes schedules don’t mesh, and the phone works better than the car!
To be continued…
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.23-24: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
OT: Jeremiah 40
NT: Galatians 2
W&W: Ecclesiastes 12
Today’s Reflection:
This past Sunday at Bethel Church of the Nazarene, we had the first in a series of Towne Hall Meetings. I began the evening with an unsigned question about outreach. Now, anonymous communication is “anathema” in my book, but since this was obviously an innocent question, with no underlying message, I decided to use it to address the issue of anonymity. This post continues the excerpts from my teaching on anonymity. I hope it helps you…
… Another thing: I don’t have time to worry with anonymous letters or responses. If an opinion is worth sharing, it is worth owning. By the way, when it comes to unsigned communication, I have one rule: ignore it. I always look for the signature first, if there isn’t one, I don’t read it. And I tell my staff the same thing. Period.
I need to address another practice of communication with you. You all have provided me with a wonderful secretary, Elaine. In addition to the work she does for the church, there is a great amount of work she does to help me in my job. Thank you! Let me tell you up front, Elaine has access to all my mail and email correspondence. She often reads it before I do. As a matter of fact I ask her to screen my correspondence – incoming and outgoing – for me. This does two things: 1) it keeps me accountable for the purity and appropriateness of my correspondence, including computer usage, and 2) it relieves me of the burden of over-communication. Now, you can have things confidential between you and me. If you want something to be confidential with me, speak to me directly or send it to me in written form clearly marked “confidential.” And for your own protection – not just with me but in general – remember that no computer correspondence is ever completely private. Be careful what you put in emails and on Facebook, etc. If it gets in the wrong hands it can go around the world quicker than you can say “World Wide Web.”
Also, as a matter of courtesy and efficiency, I will always tell you what an appointment is about when I make it. I ask that you do the same so I can be adequately prepared. None of us like surprises! Speaking of appointments, in this busy day, I like to have Elaine to schedule my visits with you. And sometimes schedules don’t mesh, and the phone works better than the car!
To be continued…
This Week’s Scripture to Memorize:
Romans 3.23-24: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
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