Joining God in His Work

Taking a Break

2009-12-12T15:51:00.000-05:00

This blog is closed for a while. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Misperceptions of Success in the Small Church: #4: Successful Pastors Are Growth Agents

2009-12-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

More misperceptions about success in the small church from Leading the Small Church.

Misperception 4: Successful Pastors Are Growth Agents
During the latter decades of the twentieth century, it was popular to say that successful pastors were those who were serving growing churches. Pastors were seen as responsible for the numerical growth of the church and for effectively leading the church through various stages of church growth. Pastors who effectively led their churches through substantial growth were lauded as successful leaders to be emulated and followed.

The reality, however, both biblically and practically, is that effective leadership does not always translate into numerical growth. Some of the greatest leaders in the Old Testament did not experience the joy of seeing substantial or even minimal growth. Elijah despaired in ministry because no one responded favorably to his victory on Mount Carmel. Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah were called to serve people who refused to listen to their prophecies. Even Jesus, at the end of His ministry, stood alone. What has been forgotten is that the growth of the church is not the pastor's responsiblity; it's God's (1 Cor. 3:7).

Misperceptions of Success in the Small Church: #3: Successful Pastors Are Program Developers

2009-12-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

More misperceptions about success in the small church from Leading the Small Church.

Misperception 3: Successful Pastors Are Program Developers
Some people would say that successful pastors are those who have the capacity to develop, implement, and maintain effective programs and methodologies. They are constantly pushing the church to develop new strategies and programs for growing the church so that it remains on the cutting edge of ministry. They organize social programs, evangelistic events, and recovery groups. They are always sensitive to perceived needs in the church and community, and they develop the right programs in the church to match those needs.

For pastors of small churches, such an emphasis on programs and methods leads only to frustration and cynicism. It is not always that the small church is unwilling to try something new; they simply do not have the luxury of unlimited resources to develop and staff new programs. Instead, they often struggle to survive, barely maintaining existing programs. Defining successful ministries and leaders by the size of their programs creates unnecessary pressure to always be doing something newer and bigger and better.

Feinstein Says It's "Morally Correct" For Taxpayers to Fund Abortion

2009-12-09T17:41:00.000-05:00

I wonder where Ms. Feinstein gets her morals?

Should We Be Teaching Pastoral Students About Church Culture?

2009-12-09T09:00:00.008-05:00

Nathan Finn, who is a friend of mine, wrote a post about Tim Keller's recommendation that seminary students should gain experience in a small rural church first before moving on to other churches. My comment to Nathan's post was as follows:

Good post. I agree with your encouragement for small church pastors in rural areas. However, I disagree with Tim Keller’s article because he seems to imply that pastoring a small church is a good “start” as if small churches are to be used as “stepping stones” for pastors to gain experience before moving to larger churches.

Also, I would like to see seminaries such as SEBTS begin to recognize that the majority of their students will minister in small churches, whether established or newly planted, and provide courses which will equip them to minister in the small church culture which is a completely different environment than is found in megachurches.

Les

Brother Nathan replied to my comment as follows:

Les, I also disagree with Keller’s implication that smaller churches are a “training ground” for larger churches. Though they perhaps *function* in this way for some pastors, that should never be the motive for taking any pastorate. I’m pretty old school on this, but my personal conviction is that pastors should assume–and hope–that the current church they are serving will be the last church they ever serve. That’s fairly counter-cultural in the SBC, but I’m sticking to it.

SEBTS doesn’t need to “begin to recognize that the majority of their students will minister in small churches. . . .” We already recognize it and frankly always have, long before I was around. We do not teach people to minister in megachurches (or any niche of churches)–we try to give them principles they can use in any and every type of church. Most of the “pastoral wisdom” our professors share with students actually come from small-to-medium church experiences since virtually none of us have pastoral (or other staff) experience in very large churches.

I’m not sure this comment will satisfy you because of your small church advocacy (which I appreciate), but I very strongly believe we don’t need to “provide courses which will equip them to minister in the small church culture.” Our curriculum already does this. And frankly, it also equips the rare student who will minister in a megachurch culture. (emphasis mine)

But I say this because I am firmly convinced that a seminary education doesn’t teach anyone to be a pastor of any size church. One learns to be a pastor by watching other seasoned pastors and with on-the-job experience. The best a seminary education can do is give a man some tools, skills, and priorities that, Lord willing, will aid him as he learns to be a pastor. That’s what we seek to do at SEBTS.

NAF

As I said before, I consider Nathan to be a good friend and I hold his opinion in high esteem. However, I am sonwhat confused when he says "a seminary education doesn’t teach anyone to be a pastor of any size church." This seems to fly into the face of his earlier statement "I very strongly believe we don’t need to 'provide courses which will equip them to minister in the small church culture.' Our curriculum already does this." Which is it? Does SEBTS curriculum equip pastors to pastor in the small church culture or does SEBTS not teach anyone to be a pastor of any size church?

Also, in reviewing SEBTS curriculum online, I cannot find any specific curriculum that addresses church culture. What I mean by church culture are the characteristics of different types of churches, i.e., suburban, urban, rural, small, medium, large, etc. If there is a course which specifically teaches this at SEBTS, will someone please point me to it?

Is there a difference between the aforementioned types of churches? Many people say there is a great deal of difference. The differentiation in culture between churches has a huge impact on how one approaches the pastoral duties of the church. We all want our churches to do the important things such as worship, evangelism, fellowship, ministry, and discipleship. I don't think anyone is debating that point. The point of difference of opinion is at the implementation phase. How a church does these things may be very different from church to church. Does the type and size of the church impact how these things are done? Absolutely.

The person whom Nathan referenced in his post, Tim Keller, has identified differences in churches and the changes in pastoral approach. Others who have written about different characteristics in churches and how the pastor should work within the culture are noted here, here, here, here, and here.

Nathan said, "The best a seminary education can do is give a man some tools, skills, and priorities that, Lord willing, will aid him as he learns to be a pastor. That’s what we seek to do at SEBTS." Agreed, brother Nathan. However, if our seminaries are overlooking the differences in church cultures and the impact they have on pastoral ministry, then I am afraid you will not meet that goal at SEBTS.

I have witnessed too many young pastors come into small churches without a clue about how a small church operates and try to force the church into his view of the "true church" within the first 90 days of his ministry. Too often this approach results in one of two things: 1) a church split, or 2) firing of the pastor.

For the sake of SBC churches as well as the young men coming out of seminary, I urge SEBTS and all of our seminaries to give them another tool in their pastoral toolbox: teaching them about church culture and the right and wrong ways of engaging them.

Misperceptions of Success in the Small Church: #2: Successful Pastors Are Effective CEOs

2009-12-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

More misperceptions about success in the small church from Leading the Small Church.

Misperception 2: Successful Pastors Are Effective CEOs
Another common definition of a successful pastor is one who efficiently and effectively runs the church organization. These pastors have good management skills and are able to make decisions quickly. They have excellent time management techniques, maximizing every minute and minimizing distractions. They don't waste time on meaningless conversation or "chit-chat," but keep their focus on the task at hand. They readily delegate minor issues to others and have their administrative assistants work out all the details. They are task-oriented individuals who strive for visible, definable results.

The problem for many pastors of small churches is that an overly efficient, task-oriented approach would alienate many of the people they serve. Isolating themselves from people in order to "do the work of ministry" would be fatal to the pastor's leadership in the church. To minimize "chit-chat" would undermine one of the more important elements of their ministries---building relationships. Some of the most important shepherding is "inefficient," accomplished not in a formal teaching environment or in a scheduled counseling appointment, but over a cup of coffee, in the cab of a combine, or on a golf course, where pastors have casual opportunities to discuss real-life issues from a biblical perspective. Most of Christ's ministry occurred, in fact, not in a classroom but on thoroughfares and in town squares where He used life situations to convey spiritual truths.

Regeneration Always Precedes Faith and Repentance

2009-12-07T09:00:00.008-05:00

From the November 2009 issue of Tabletalk magazine. I completely agree. Glory be to God!

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ." (Eph. 2:4-5)

We have seen repeatedly that God calls us to live a life of repentance, but how can we obey Him if we are born unable to fulfill the command to repent?

The doctrine of moral inability---that we are unable to repent prior to regeneration---is, of course, not embraced by all Christians. No believer would ever want to say that he can merit his salvation or is able, somehow, to appropriate it himself. But ultimately, the way many believers understand the new birth actually assumes that repentance is a result of something we do, apart from God's prior loving choice. Most Christians affirm that being born again happens after we have faith and repentance, that whether or not we are saved is ultimately due to our choosing of Christ. What is assumed here is that all human beings are born with a will that, while it might be inclined toward evil, has enough freedom left (by grace given to all) so that it can choose to repent and follow Jesus.

Certainly, we must affirm that human choice is real and that our decision to submit to Jesus---to repent and trust in Him---is integral to our salvation. But Scripture is clear that no person can make this decision without the special work of God the Holy Spirit, which is not given to all. As Paul tells us in Eph. 2:1-5, we who have believed were dead in our sin before our Creator made us alive. Dead people cannot do anything, and those who are spiritually dead can never decide to put their faith in Christ when they are left to themselves. God must first renew our hearts and grant us the ability to believe. This is the work of regeneration, and it happens before faith and repentance. First the Spirit gives us a new heart and then we exercise faith. Unless we are born again (the condition) we will not see the kingdom of heaven (the result, John 3:3). Regeneration precedes faith and repentance, not the other way around.

The Lord's command to repent and follow Him is impossible unless God changes our hearts. Thus, even repentance is a gift of the Almighty and not something for which we can ever take credit.

For those who may object that God would never ask us to do anything that we cannot do, I refer you to my post on Does God Command People to Do What They Cannot Do.

For those of you who would argue that God's merciful election and irresistible grace turns people into robots, I refer you to my post on My Response to the Robot Argument.

Repost: Our IMB Financial Reserves: The Truth

2009-12-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

In light of Wade Burleson's post accusing our IMB as being a "an organization with a hollow or false construct, physical or figurative, hiding an undesirable or potentially damaging reality," and his call for our IMB to "tap into the millions of dollars in reserves and pay our missionaries what we promised them," I offer this repost of my earlier post about the truth about IMB financial reserves.

In my dealings with SBC agencies, I have had only very good response to any questions I have had. Our IMB is no exception. My dealings with our IMB reveals a missions organization of which all Southern Baptists can be proud. Contrary to what others may think, our IMB is working hard to reach the world for Christ and also be a cost effective organization. For many reasons, our IMB is struggling financially. Currently, they have about sixty days in liquid cash reserves available. This is extraordinarily low for an organization the size of our IMB. Our IMB needs our help.

There have been some people who have raised questions about the financial reserves IMB has on hand. Some of those questions have been raised by anonymous commenters on my blog as well as others. Our IMB is open and honest about its finances. If anyone has a question about IMB finances, contact your regional IMB representative. They will be glad to answer your questions. If you are unsatisfied with the answers from your regional IMB representatives, contact our IMB headquarters in Richmond. I'm certain your questions will be taken seriously and given a great deal of attention.

In a spirit of being completely honest and open to all Southern Baptists regarding the current state of IMB financial reserves, I have been given permission to post the contents of a letter from an IMB financial officer in response to a question from a SBC pastor who cared enough to go to the source. Here is the content of that letter.

A recent caller to the IMB asked what on the surface appeared to be a rather straightforward question: "What are the total financial reserves of the IMB?" The caller was looking for one number: the total.

The staff member answering the call could have easily obtained that number by looking at the board’s balance sheet and indicating that number was about $216,000,000.

There are several problems with the answer to the question related above. The first problem is that the words reserves and investments cannot be used interchangeably. While it is true that reserves would be invested, there will always be investments (in particular short term cash flow investments) that are not reserves.

The second problem is that it would be most unfortunate if the caller were left with the impression that the IMB had anywhere close to $216 million in reserves, particularly if the caller might be under the impression that "reserves" means funds that are or can be made available for current expenditure without collateral damage to the integrity of the IMB's financial support.

An even more serious problem would be created if the caller were to mention a $216 million figure to others, who would mention it to others, etc. Thus providing a complete, accurate answer to the "reserves" question is most important. So what is that complete accurate answer?

1. Contingency Reserve $ 47,500,000
The SBC requires a Contingency Reserve for the
IMB, up to 50% of the IMB's annual operating budget.
That 50% maximum would be $152 million for 2008.

2. Missionary and Staff Life Insurance Reserve 35,000,000
The IMB was the first SBC entity to be self insured
for group term life insurance coverage. This has
eliminated all of the profit and nearly all of the
administrative costs from the insurance program.
GuideStone Financial Resources administers the
program and manages the investment.

3. Global Missionary Capital Reserve 26,000,000
The income from this reserve is used exclusively
for missionary housing and vehicles.

4. Missionary Catastrophic Medical Reserve 2,000,000
The IMB is basically self insured for missionary
medical costs and maintains this reserve to absorb
extraordinary costs.

In addition to reserve funds, there are other funds or sums of money that are committed, restricted or obligated in some way:

5. Endowment/Gifts Restricted By Donors 34,000,000
The donors have directed that either the IMB cannot
spend the principal or the gift is already restricted
as to its use.

6. Funds Appropriated to Missions 42,000,000
Trustees have already approved these funds for
expenditure and missions are in process of doing so.
Thus these funds are temporary in nature.

7. Real Estate Held For Future Use 1,500,000
The IMB owns as a temporary investment a small office
building adjacent to the IMB which is held for future
IMB occupancy.

8. Post Retirement/Employment Benefits 28,000,000
The actuarial present value of the IMB's
post retirement and post employment obligations to
emeritus missionaries and retired staff totals $143,000,000.
We are only able to set aside a portion of this obligation.
This includes board designated and undesignated funds.

Total (Reserves, Committed, Restricted or Obligated) $216,000,000

As much as the IMB is dependent on the Cooperative Program and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, annual growth in those two vital sources of support have not been sufficient to fund the Lord's blessing through extraordinary growth in new missionaries. The IMB is deeply grateful that this third vital source of support, investment income, has enabled the IMB to say Yes rather than No to those additional hundreds of qualified, approved candidates for missionary appointment.

No Cooperative Program or Lottie Moon Christmas Offering funds are ever added to IMB reserves.

Perhaps you have noticed I have used the phrase "our IMB." I use this phrase on purpose as a reminder to myself and to all who read this blog that the International Missions Board is truly "our" IMB. I have always supported the administration and the missionaries of our IMB. Personally, I have committed to doubling my Lottie Moon contribution this year. My challenge to everyone is to raise your offering to Lottie Moon by at least 25% over what you gave last year. For the 51% of SBC churches who gave nothing to Lottie Moon last year, I challenge you to contribute to the Lottie Moon Offering by giving at least $10 per member this year. $10 per member is not that much. You can do it.

It is essential that Southern Baptists stand up and support the greatest missions sending agency in the history Christian missions, which is our IMB. Everyday is one day closer to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. There are still 1.5 billion people who have not heard the gospel of Christ. We have plenty of people called by God to go, but not enough money to send them. The clock is ticking. The ball is in your court. What will you do?

Misperceptions of Success in the Small Church: #1: Successful Pastors Are Visionaries

2009-12-03T09:00:00.001-05:00

Glen Daman, author of small church leadership books, has given us some excellent insight into the small church culture. Once again, he does so, in this excerpt from Leading the Small Church.

Nowhere have cultural perspectives had a greater impact on the church than in the perception of what it takes to be a successful leader. Pastors of small churches often wonder whether their churches would grow if they worked harder, prayed more, were more skillful in ministry, or if their congregations were more open to new ideas. But the reason why pastors struggle in small churches and often become discouraged is not because of their work ethic or the inherent nature of small churches, or because their congregations are unwilling to change; it's because they have an inadequate view of what constitutes successful leadership. When the definition of success is incopmplete or skewed, the understanding of the pastoral role becomes misguided. In considering successful church leadership, it is common to labor under several misperceptions.

Misperception 1: Successful Pastors Are Visionaries
One of the more popular perspectives of leadership today is that an effective leader is a visionary who is able to foresee what the church will become. These "visions" are not, necessarily derived from scripture, but are more often based on the leader's assessment of what the church should do organizationally in relation to its setting and location and the perceived needs of the community. To many students of leadership, pastors who are not visionaries are seen as ill-equipped for ministry and likely not possessing the gift of leadership.

Unlike many contemporary definitions of leadership, the gift of leadership mentioned in Romans 12:8 does not imply the role of setting direction for the church. That is a recent, post-industrial development. Instead, biblical leadership entails the gift of administration and organization, which were primarily directed to the benevolent ministries of the church. Further, the focus of biblical leadership is on service for the benefit of others, rather than on authority and accomplishment, as in the modern emphasis.

The need for visionary leadership, and its importance, may characterize the role of a pastor in a large church. It is far less important, however, for the pastor of a small church. There, relationships rather than programs provide the strength of the church, and the congregation and/or "tribal chiefs" (individuals who by their position or family relationships exert great influence over the rest of the community) run the church. Although vision is important for churches of all sizes, in a small church the vision arises from the congregation as a whole rather than from a single individual. More importantly, the pastor must have a clear understanding of the biblical vision for the church as the body of Christ, as amnifesting Christ's character, and as an avenue for transforming the people of the church to be like Him.

The Political Incorrectness of Firmly Held Beliefs: Part 2

2009-12-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Until the past few years, no Christian who claimed to believe the Bible would have entertained the slightest doubt about the importance of a right view of God. But these days it seems the visible church is dominated by people who simply are not interested in making any careful distinctions between fact and falsehood, sound doctrine and heresy, biblical truth and mere human opinion. Even some of the leading voices among evangelicals seem intent on downplaying the value of objective truth.

That, of course, is precisely the path the greater portion of the Western intellectual world has taken in these postmodern times. Certainty and conviction are badly out of fashion, especially in the realm of spiritual things. Dogmatism is the new heresy, and all the old heresies are therefore now welcome back at the evangelical campfire. Academic freedom is extended to all of them (as long as they are not deemed socially unacceptable or politically incorrect by secular society's fashionistas). The word "faith" itself has come to signify a theoretical approach to spiritual things in which every religious belief is placed alongside contrary opinions, admire, analyzed, and appreciated but not really believed with anything like earnest conviction.

In this postmodern climate where no truth is held to be self-evident, nothing is more dissonant or strident sounding than the person who genuinely believes that God has spoken, that He managed to make His Word clear, and that He will hold us all accountable for whether we believe Him or not. Postmodern epistemology argues instead that nothing is ultimately clear or incontrovertible, least of all spiritual, moral, or biblical matters.

It seems that zeal for the essential doctrines of biblical Christianity has become virtually as unacceptable among evangelicals and post-evangelicals as it always has been in the world at large. The new rules call for perpetually friendly conversation, ideological largesse, non-judgmental transparency, and ecumenical tranquility. Especially when the discussion turns to doctrine, today's typical evangelical invariably acts as if a docile dialogue is morally preferable to any kind of conflict. After all, we mustn't ever be so passionate about what we believe that we express any serious disdain for alternative ideas.

In such a climate, evangelical dialogue about doctrine seems to have become a mostly aimless conversation for conversation's sake. The goal isn;t to arrive at any common understanding or settled conviction about what's true or what's false. Instead, the whole point seems to be to get as many different opinions into the mix as possible, and then perpetuate the lavish, lighthearted friendliness of the discussion indefintely.

But where God's Word speaks clearly, we have a duty to obey, defend, and proclaim the truth He has given us, and we should do that with an authority that reflects our conviction that God has spoken with clarity and finality. Take such a stand today, however, and you will be scolded by a cacophony of voices telling you that you are out of line and you need to shut up.

The Jesus You Can't Ignore John MacArthur

The Political Incorrectness of Firmly Held Beliefs: Part 1

2009-12-01T09:00:00.003-05:00

Sometimes, especially when a vitally important biblical truth is under assault; when the souls of people are at stake; or (above all) when the gospel message is being mangled by false teachers, sometimes, it is simply wrong to let a contrary opinion be aired without any challenge or correction. One of the worst things a believer can do is show a kind of feigned academic respect or artifical cordiality to the purveyors of serious, soul-destroying error (Ps. 129:4-8; 1 Cor. 16:22). The notion that an amiable conversation is always superior to open conflict is quite contrary to the example Christ Himself gave us.

Many today are advocating an ultraminimalist approach, paring back the list of essential doctrines to what's covered by the Apostle's Creed (or in some cases, an even shorter list of very broad generalities). That doesn't really promote harmony; it merely muddies all doctrine.

Jesus never took the irenic approach with heretics or gross hypocrites. He never made the kind of gentle private appeals contemporary evangelicals typically insist are necessary before warning others about the dangers of a false teacher's error. Even when He dealt with the most respected religious figures in the land, He took on their errors boldly and directly, sometimes even holding them up for ridicule. He was not "nice" to them by any postmodern standard. He extended no pretense of academic courtesy to them. He didn't invite them to dialogue privately with Him about their different points of view. He didn't carefully couch His criticisms in vague and totally impersonal terms so that no one's feelings would be hurt. He did nothing to tone down the reproach of His censures or minimize the Pharisees' public embarrassment. He made His disapproval of their religion as plain and prominent as possible every time He mentioned them. He seemed utterly unmoved by their frustration with His outspokenness. Knowing that they were looking for reasons to be offended by Him, He often did and said the very things He know would offend them most.

It is surely significant that the approach Jesus took in dealing with religious error is so sharply different from the methods favored by most in the church today. It's pretty hard to imagine Jesus' treatment of the Pharisees getting positive notice in the pages of Christianity Today. And does anyone really think His polemical style would gain the admiration of the average evangelical academician?

The way Jesus dealt with His adversaries is in fact a serious rebuke to the churhc of our generation. We need to pay more careful attention to how Jesus dealt with false teachers, what He thought of religious error, how He defended the truth, whom He commended and whom He condemned, and how little He fit the gentle stereotype that is so often imposed on Him today.

Furthermore, His attitude toward false doctrine should also be ours. We cannot be men-pleasers and servants of Christ at the same time.

The Jesus You Can't Ignore John MacArthur

Solutions for the Question Most Small Church Pastors Ask

2009-11-20T16:56:00.000-05:00

Previously, I posted about the question most small church pastors ask which is ""Why can't I get the church to do anything?". Then I posted about online and book resources for solutions to this question. Now I would like to summarize some of the church revitalization solutions proposed by some of the books. Hopefully you will find these helpful.

Can These Bones Live? Kevass J. Harding
1. Lay a biblical foundation through preaching & teaching God's Word.
2. Reach the lost by revitalizing worship and evangelizng the neighborhood.
3. Teach the found by rebuilding discipleship through Sunday School.
4. Sending the taught by rediscovering its identity through core values, mission and vision statements.

Turnaround and Beyond: A Hopeful Future for Small Membership Churches Ron Crandall
Twelve turnaround strategies from studies of 100 small church pastors:

1. Enhance congregational confidence and hope for the future.
2. Stimulate concern for unreached persons in the community.
3. Engage in proactive and effective pastoral leadership.
4. Encourage an open, loving atmosphere in the congregation.
5. Clarify your own personal vision and be an example.
6. Help develop a clear, shared congregation vision.
7. Work and pray for spiritual renewal among the members.
8. Provide high-quality preaching and inspirational worship.
9. Lead the effort to reach new people and grow.
10. Emphasize and practice prayer.
11. Develop new programs, especially for children and youth.
12. Plan to take risks and take them.

Comeback Churches: How 300 Churches Turned Around and Yours Can Too Ed Stetzer & Mike Dodson
Based on studies of 324 churches who had experienced five years of plateau and/or decline since 1995 (worship attendance grew less than 10% in a five-year period and that decline or plateau was followed by significant growth over the past two to five years which included a membership to baptism ratio of 35:1 or lower each year and at least a 10% increase in attendance each year.

1. Comeback leaders know that our Lord considers commitment to Him and His desires an indispensable ingredient to growing spiritually and numerically.
2. Comeback leaders have recognized that the congregation has to be part of the turnaround.
3. Comeback leaders took the initiative for change.
4. Comeback leaders shared the ministry.
5. Comeback leaders made choices about those in whom they invested their time and how they invested their time.
6. Comeback leaders quickly gave away non-ministry tasks.
7. Comeback leaders intentionally used their time and the time of others differently.
8. Comeback leaders intentionally planned to spend more time doing "people stuff."
9. Comeback leaders agreed that having a clear and compelling vision was foundational in the transformation of their churches.
10. Comeback leaders helped churches grow in love with the community through their preaching, teaching, and praying.
11. Comeback leaders helped their churches grow to love the lost.
12. Comeback leaders turned their churches outward.
13. Comeback leaders led their churches to develop the same passion, having a heart for service.
14. Comeback leaders led people to care more about their communities than their preferences.
15. Comeback churches don't focus exclusively on their own spiritual maturity or demand their preferences.
16. Comeback leaders led their churches to pray.
17. Comeback leaders and churches pray for their communities and then act on those prayers.
18. Comeback leaders make plans.
19. Comeback churches valued worship.
20. Comeback churches were substantially more contemporary than traditional.
21. Comeback churches practiced biblical preaching.
22. Comeback leaders know that preaching is more than just persuasive speech.
23. Comeback pastors are able to cast a compelling vision for outreach that is shared by the leadership and then the congregation.
24. Comeback churches have learned that it takes a whole church to win a community, but it takes a leader to help them do so.
25. Comeback churches know that the whole church has to embrace the mandate for evangelism.
26. Comeback churches said that creating an environment in which spontaneous and planned evangelism can take place is a key.
27. Comeback churches recognized, purposefully planned for, and utilized "doors of entry" to the church.
28. Comeback churches used strategies that help people stay and grow.
29. In many comeback churches,the people were taight that they were responsible for the ministry of the church.
30. Comeback leaders exemplified the power of small-group community.
31. Comeback leaders multiplied their ministry through small-group leaders.
32. Comeback churches often changed their facilities to help facilitate their growth.
33. Comeback leaders took time to learn.
34. Comeback leadersoften took it slow with older congregations.
35. Comeback leaders took time to disciple people before they made changes.
36. Comeback leaders helped people to see the reality of the situation.

The Healthy Small Church Dennis Bickers
1. Proper theology & doctrine
2. Vision
3. Transformational worship
4. Acceptance of change
5. The ability to handle conflict
6. Spiritual leadership
7. A sense of community
8. Financial health
9. Mission-mindedness
10. Long pastoral tenure
11. Involvement in outreach
12. Pursuitof excellence in ministry
13. Lay ministry involvement

This is my last scheduled post before Thanksgiving, so have a great Thanksgiving!

A Small-Church Presence on the Internet

2009-11-19T09:00:00.001-05:00

David B. Smith has written an excellent article for Church Solutions magazine entitled "A Small-Church Presence on the Internet." Here's an excerpt to whet your appetite:

Say the words, “small church” and stereotypes like “struggling,” “out-of-date,” “backward” and “scattered” come to mind. However, there is a silent explosion happening on the Internet among small church pastors and denominational leaders. A search on Google reveals 52 million hits just on the phrase “small church.” “Small church pastor” and “small church ministry” produce 18 million and 10 million hits respectively. There is even a hashtag on Twitter for small church discussions, #smallchurch. So what's happening? The simplest answer is that the stereotypes are being challenged.

There is a real movement happening in which small churches are beginning to be viewed as healthy, biblical, and desirable. The stereotype of the small church as a failure is crumbling. Praise God!

Revitalization of a Small Church in Canada

2009-11-18T09:00:00.001-05:00

The revitalization of a small church in Canada:

Beryl Nicolson and Bea Mooney have spent a lifetime dedicated to Laurentian Wesleyan Methodist Church -- watching it change, grow, shrink and come back over its 75-year history.

Their father, Rev. William John Major, came to Northern Ontario on a call to mission in 1934. He rolled into the area with his wife Catherine, five children and a family friend in a 1929 Chevy.

Major founded two churches -- one in North Bay, the other in Powassan -- in the midst of the Great Depression on the principle of Christian service, and that remains an integral part of the congregation's mission as it celebrates the milestone anniversary in a difficult economic climate.

Nicolson remembers that in the '30s, the church was not only a place of worship but a community of people who helped each other.

Women would gather scraps of fabric and sew quilts for fire victims, while Major helped find homes for orphaned children.

We didn't have the social services there are now," Nicolson said.

Mooney was part of the Powassan congregation and then North Bay's when she moved to the city to continue high school.

The first meetings of the church in North Bay were held in a building on Worthington Street East near Chippewa Creek.

They rented one room to worship, but the space was small and temporary. Soon they found a two-storey building on Worthington Street between Fraser and Ferguson streets. Rev. LeRoy and his family lived in the top part of the building and held services downstairs.

Mooney remembers there was barely room to walk through the aisle when they moved the large solid wood pews into the small space.

When full, the church was too cramped, and the aisle too narrow to carry a casket during a funeral service.

Although the church was in a convenient location, for a growing congregation, the space wouldn't do.

The congregation decided to take on a $50,000 mortgage to build a new church building.

As veterans returned from the Second World War and new developments were cropping up, land became available on MacKay Avenue, which included a bungalow for the reverend and his family.

In 1956 they purchased the property and started work on the church. By 1959 it was completed and officially opened in November.

Nicolson remembers a time when every pew was full and so many children wanted to sing in the choir they had to have two separate choirs.

In those years, Nicolson and Mooney also watched their sister, Bertha, become the first ever missionary from the region. She served five terms in Sierra Leone as a nurse, supported by her congregation who sent her funds, books and musical instruments.

Though the congregation grow, it took more than 20 years to pay off the mortgage.

Nicolson remembers moving back to North Bay just in time for the celebration, where they ritualistically burned the mortgage papers in a copper urn.

Soon after that, Mooney saw the congregation completely change.

Many of the original members died in the following years, leaving approximately a dozen core members at its lowest count in the late '80s and early '90s.

Nicolson said those who were left were strong members who were passionate about the church.

We always had wonderful people with a great sense of humour," she said. That's what kept it afloat."

Soon they started to see families return with a new generation of members. Descendants of the original families are now members, including the Fricker family, which has seen five generations sit in the pews.

Mooney and Nicolson's own families have returned to be baptized in the church and participate in services when visiting.

With young families, the church has been able to grow its youth group and take on projects that reach beyond their congregation and carry on their social services.

It's so alive," Nicolson said of the church today.

Last year they collected enough boxes of Christian literature for the Christian Salvage Mission to fill their balcony with banana boxes.

This year they are taking part in Operation Christmas Child, sending more than 3,500 shoe boxes of supplies to children in developing countries.

Along with these projects, the congregation's 65 members also financially support a sister church in Ensenada, Mexico.

Each year they hold fundraisers such as a fiesta night to raise funds for the projects.

Pastor Chris Lang had an opportunity to visit the church last year and work on improvements to the building.

Our small church is making an impact around the world," Lang said.

Church Revitalization Resources

2009-11-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

Here are some church revitalization resources:

ONLINE
How to Turn a Church Around

Becoming a Tribe of Remembering Encouragers

Existing Church Revitalization

Revitalizing Your Church with Five Key Decisions

BOOKS
Breakout Churches: Discover How to Make the Leap by Thom S. Rainer (2005)

Can a Church Live Again? The Revitalization of a 21st-Century Church by Ronald Russell (2003)

Change Your Church for Good: The Art of Sacred Cow Tipping by Brad Powell (2007)

Church on the Couch: Does the Church Need Therapy? by Elaine Hamilton (2009)

Comeback Churches: How 300 Churches Turned Around and Yours Can, Too by Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson (2007)

Dying for Change by Leith Anderson (1998)

The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church by Alan Hirsch (2007)

From Embers to a Flame: How God Can Revitalize Your Church by Harry L. Reeder III & David Swavely (2008)

How to Change Your Church (Without Killing It) by Alan Nelson and Gene Appel (2000)

If It Could Happen Here: Turning the Small-Membership Church Around by Jeff Patton (2002)

Innovative Planning: Your Church in 4-D by Bud Wrenn (2008)

A Mainline Turnaround: Strategies for Congregations and Denominations by Lyle E. Schaller (2005)

More Dumb Things Churches Do and New Strategies for Avoiding Them by Philip Wiehe and Linda McFadden (2009)

The Rabbit and the Elephant: Why Small is the New Big for Today's Church by Tony and Felicity Dale and George Barna (2009)

A Second Resurrection: Leading Your Congregation to New Life by William Easum (2007)

Springs of Living Water: Christ-Centered Church Renewal by David S. Young (2008)

Turnaround and Beyond: A Hopeful Future for the Small Membership Church by Ron Crandall (2008)

(Who Can Save) The Incredible Shrinking Church by Frank Page and John Perry (2008)

Whole Church: Leading From Fragmentation to Engagement by Mel Lawrenz (2009)

Can These Bones Live? Bringing New Life to a Dying Church by Kevass Harding (2007)

The Question Most Small Church Pastors Ask

2009-11-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

The one question I hear from small church pastors more than any other is:

"Why can't I get the church to do anything?".

Sound familiar? I think Thom Rainer has nailed these churches with his 5 Warning Signs of Declining Church Health post. His warning signs are:

1. The church has few outwardly focused ministries.
Most of the budget dollars in the church are spent on the desires and comforts of church members. The ministry staff spends most of its time taking care of members, with little time to reach out and minister to the community the church is supposed to serve.

2. The dropout rate is increasing.
Members are leaving for other churches in the community, or they are leaving the local church completely. A common exit interview theme we heard was a lack of deep biblical teaching and preaching in the church.

3. The church is experiencing conflict over issues of budgets and building.
When the focus of church members becomes how the facilities and money can meet their preferences, church health is clearly on the wane.

4. Corporate prayer is minimized.
If the church makes prayer a low priority, it makes God a low priority.

5. The pastor has become a chaplain.
The church members view the pastor as their personal chaplain, expecting him to be on call for their needs and preferences. When he doesn’t make a visit at the expected time, or when he doesn’t show up for the Bible class fellowship, he receives criticism. In not a few cases, the pastor has lost his job at that church because he was not omnipresent for the church members.

Dr. Rainer hits the nail on the head about way too many of our churches. He goes on to say that the bad news is that if these patterns become normative, the church will probably die. However, all hope is not lost. Dr. Rainer says that a few churches have moved from sickness to health. Sick churches can be saved if they move their focus off of themselves and onto Jesus and reaching people outside the church. I

If it was easy to turnaround churches, then everybody would be doing it. Obviously it's not easy. It will take a pastor who is willing to put Jesus first and who is willing to literally put his job on the line to turnaround the church. Do you have any advice for pastors of unhealthy small churches?

Forsyth County Battles For the Right to Pray

2009-11-13T12:53:00.000-05:00

In the eight years since I've been in the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina, I have had the privilege of praying at the meeting of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners several times. As always, I pray in my usual way, which is to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. I have been quoted in our newspaper as saying that if one is not praying in the name of Jesus Christ, then one is not praying. Jesus is God and there is no other. Unless we are praying to the Father through Christ, then we are mouthing words to a deity that doesn;t exist. That is not prayer. Now it seems our opportunity to pray may be soon gone.

As referenced in this article, local governments around us have ceased the practice of prayer before their meetings due to the threat of ACLU lawsuits. It seems that money means more to local governments than does preserving our right to pray in public.

Yadkin county has given up on prayer.

Yadkin County commissioners agreed in March 2007 to drop sectarian references from pre-meeting prayers, which are given by James Graham, the county attorney. The ACLU had asked the county to drop sectarian prayers. "I'm glad we are doing what we are doing," said Chad Wagoner, the chairman of the Yadkin County Board of Commissioners. "We have a nonsectarian prayer. We don't pray in Jesus' name. I hate to use the word generic, but our intent was to preserve the sanctity of prayer and be inclusive and respectful of all deities."

Mr. Wagoner says they want to be "respectful of all deities." Folks, that is government affirmation that there are other gods than the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Government is now officially taking the position that there are other deities than Yahweh.

The town of Clemmons has given up on prayer also.

Clemmons Mayor John Bost said that the village council also removed prayer from the agenda in response to the ACLU challenge, and replaced it with a three-minute public comment time in which anyone could say anything, including a prayer. While formerly there were some people who used the time to pray, Bost said that interest seems to have dropped off. "No one prays before meetings, not in the last six months," Bost said

Well, Mayor Bost, now that I have been made aware of your new policy, look for people from Lewisville Baptist Church coming to pray at your meeting.

I am calling on everyone to pray for our battle in the right to pray at Forsyth County Board of Commissioners meeting.

Where God is Working

2009-11-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

The end of one of my sermons.

Small Church Manifesto

2009-11-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

Small church pastor David Smith is writing some excellent stuff about the small church that he is calling the "Small Church Manifesto." His posts are worth your time to read his take on the small church. Here are links to what he's posted thus far:

The Manifesto
Manifesto Common #1
The Small Church is the natural and normal expression of the body of Christ.

Manifesto Common #2
The Small Church is God's design as revealed in scripture and throughout Christian history.

Manifesto Common #3
The Small Church naturally rejects faddish and market-driven church formula programs.

Manifesto Common #4
The Small Church is the guardian and instructor if sound doctrine which has been discarded by the big-church movement.

Manifesto Common #5
The Small Church, regardless of denomination, is the foundation for mission support and denominational strength.

Manifesto Common #6
The Small Church calls all denominational leaders to break with the money culture propagated by the current Christian marketing system.

More on Historic Premillennialsim

2009-11-10T09:00:00.004-05:00

This is a clip from a documentary on different views of the second coming of Christ. My part was the post-trib view.

Where is the Biblical Support For a Pre-Mil/Pre-Trib Rapture?

2009-11-09T09:00:00.005-05:00

My good friend, Tim Rogers, noted on the blog SBC Today, that he is excited about a conference to be held in Georgia on November 12-13, entitled, "The Acts 1:11 Conference." Tim says that "every speaker is known for being an expositor of God’s word and each one’s position on the Pre-Millennial rapture of the church is a result of proper exegesis of the Scripture." So this is a conference of notable SBC personalities Jerry Vines, Frank Cox, Ergun Caner, Danny Akin, Paige Patterson, David Hill, Richard Land, and Junior Hill, all who will be proclaiming the biblical validity of the pre-mill/pre-trib rapture position. This is not a conference I would find personally edifying because I don't believe the pre-mil/pre-trib rapture position has any biblical support. None. Nada. Zilch.

Personally I hold to the Historic Premillennialism view, otherwise known as the "Post-trib" model. I think I'm in pretty good company because Charles Spurgeon, Al Mohler, Russell Moore, Mark Dever, Wayne Grudem, and John Piper are Historic Premillennialists also.

I have tried to find any biblical support for a Pre-mil/pre-trib rapture but have been unable to find it. It's not found in 1 Thess. 4:16-17. These verses say that when Jesus "descends" the rapture will take place. There is no reference to Jesus and the raptured church turning around and going to heaven. The only indication in these verses of direction of Christ is the word "descend" which means to come down. Nothing to support a turning around and going back up.

It's not found in 2 Thess. 2:1-8. If anything, this passage supports a Post-trib rapture more than a pre-trib rapture. We're told by Paul that "concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him...that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition." In other words, no rapture until the great apostasy and Antichrist is revealed. Also, scripture is clear that the Holy Spirit is not the "restraining one" (v6) that is taken away because people come to Christ during the tribulation (Rev. 7:14) and they cannot come to Christ without the one who "guides them into all truth" (John 14:26).

It's not found in Matt. 24:37-42. Jesus says that when He returns, the world will be "as the days of Noah were." This world will be a very evil place. Then He describes how mankind didn't know destruction was coming even after Noah entered the ark. When the flood came, God's people, Noah and his family, were rescued from the outpouring of God's wrath and everyone else died. Thus, in the days of Noah, the wicked were taken away from the earth and God's people, Noah's family, was left behind. That's what verses 40 and 41 are referring to: one will be taken and the other left. Remember the context is "as the days of Noah were." The wicked were taken and Noah was left. This passage is talking about God's judgment on the wicked, not a pre-trib rapture.

Since I can find no biblical support for a Pre-trib rapture, I am teaching my church the Historic Premillenial position from scripture. I want my people to be prepared to go through tribulation because the church will still be here. Pre-tribbers say that the church won't be here during the tribulation because there is no mention in Revelation of the "church" when tribulation begins. While it is true that the word "church" is not found, there are many references to "saints" during the tribulation. Where there are those who trust in Christ, i.e., "saints," there is a church.

I have shown my church from scripture where God always protects His people from His wrath. Examples are clear in Noah and Moses. Noah was protected in an ark from God's wrath. The Israelites were protected from the ten plagues upon Egypt to the extent that not even a dog growled at them (Ex. 11:7). When God poured our His wrath on the first born of the Egyptians, He protected His people by the sign of lamb's blood over the door.

My only concern about those who teach an "escapist" theology such as the pre-tribbers do, is that when the tribulation does come, those who have been taught they would escape the tribulation may be discouraged to the extent that their faith will be completely shaken and they will turn away from Christ. I prefer to prepare my flock for the tribulation and trust that God will protect them from His wrath as He has promised (1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9).

If you would like to read a couple of good books on the historic premillennialist position, I highly recommend The Blessed Hope, by George Eldon Ladd, The Church and the Tribulation by Robert Gundry, and Case for Historic Premillennialism: An Alternative to "Left Behind" Eschatology by Craig Blomberg and Sung Wook Chung. Also, Denver Seminary recently held an International Conference on Historic Premillennialism on April 23-25, 2009. The audio for the conference speakers is online for free. Give them a listen.

And so, for everyone going to the Acts 1:11 conference, I hope you enjoy it. I will encourage you to pay close attention to the biblical support that is presented. Check it out for yourself. If you do find any direct biblical support for the pre-mil/pre-trib rapture position, let me know. I'd like for anyone to show me one verse or passage that says Jesus is going to rapture His church before the great tribulation.

Finally, let me say that we can differ on these things and still have great fellowship in the Lord. Do not let eschatology divide us. At best, these are secondary issues that should not divide us.

Bill and John Tell It

2009-11-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

Real country folk!

Jesus is Enough

2009-11-05T09:00:00.004-05:00

Recently, I took a look back at the history of the popularity of posts on my blog. I find it interesting to see what people are continuing to read months or even years after their original posting. Here are my posts with the greatest continuing interest:

1. Are All Our Sins Forgiven When We Receive Christ? (9/21/07)

2. Most Churches are Small Churches (11/21/07)

3. What is the Test of a Prophet? (10/15/07)

4. Learning to Pastor a Small Congregation (6/13/08)

5. Tim Keller on Church Culture According to Size (8/4/08)

Almost every day, my post on "are all sins forgiven" is read by someone around the world. I sense a longing from people to know whether or not trusting in Christ alone is enough. I think people are concerned that Christ has only forgiven "past" sins and not present and future sins as well. I sense an anxiety among believers who are more concerned with performance instead of faith. Performance in the sense that some pastors teach that if they have any unconfessed sin, their relationship with Christ is broken or at least damaged in some way. Performance in the sense that if they have not listed every sin they commit every day and repented of it, they are in danger of losing their salvation. There are too many anxious Christians trusting in some pastor's misguided sense of maintaining control of the people in his church by guilt and works. Many Christians are searching for answers to their sin problem and they already have found the answer in Jesus.

We need to tell them that Christ is enough because He is.

Joining God in His Work

Taking a Break

Misperceptions of Success in the Small Church: #4: Successful Pastors Are Growth Agents

Misperceptions of Success in the Small Church: #3: Successful Pastors Are Program Developers

Feinstein Says It's "Morally Correct" For Taxpayers to Fund Abortion

Should We Be Teaching Pastoral Students About Church Culture?

Misperceptions of Success in the Small Church: #2: Successful Pastors Are Effective CEOs

Regeneration Always Precedes Faith and Repentance

Repost: Our IMB Financial Reserves: The Truth

Misperceptions of Success in the Small Church: #1: Successful Pastors Are Visionaries

The Political Incorrectness of Firmly Held Beliefs: Part 2

The Political Incorrectness of Firmly Held Beliefs: Part 1

More Solutions for the Question Most Small Church Pastors Ask

Solutions for the Question Most Small Church Pastors Ask

A Small-Church Presence on the Internet

Revitalization of a Small Church in Canada

Church Revitalization Resources

The Question Most Small Church Pastors Ask

Forsyth County Battles For the Right to Pray

Where God is Working

Small Church Manifesto

Recommended Reading on Eschatology

More on Historic Premillennialsim

Where is the Biblical Support For a Pre-Mil/Pre-Trib Rapture?

Bill and John Tell It

Jesus is Enough