Sunday Review: 1/22/12

It was a great morning of worship at Hope Church yesterday.  We are in the second week of our sermon series, Weird.  You can go to our website to listen to the first two weeks of the series in case you missed it.  You can also read the book, Weird, by Craig Groeschel, which has encouraged the series.

This Sunday, we looked at 1 Peter 1:13-16 as our jumping off point for our message.  Peter writes,

"Therefore prepare your minds for action discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formally had in ignorance.  Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."

Here are a few thoughts about this passage and the sermon on Sunday:

• Holiness is not a word that we hear too often- but it is something that we are to pursue.  John Wesley called it "Christian Perfection" and it was the idea that we would be "sanctified" (made holy) by pursuing God in our life.  If we are calling ourselves disciples of Jesus- then we need to be pursuing holiness- that we would be more like Jesus each day.
• Like last week when we talked about Romans 12:1-2- Peter reminds us that we are not to conform to the desires we had when we lived as the world did.  Following Jesus means that our thinking, acting, and speaking is transformed and always transforming.  
• We get to do this in community!  We are not Lone Rangers in our life as Christians.  We get to share this journey on the narrow path with each other. Just the other day I heard a couple people from our church talking about how they are reading the same books and discussing them as part of their spiritual growth.  That's exciting!   

The Hand-Off

Last week, I was reading in Acts 6 when complaints began to arise among the believers in the early church in Jerusalem. The problem was that the Greek speaking widows were being overlooked in the daily food service. The Twelve called a meeting and said, "It isn't right for us to set aside proclamation of God's word in order to serve tables." So seven well-respected men were chosen from the early believers who were well respectd and who would foucs on the daily food distribution so that that no one was being left out. This left the Twelve the freedom to focus on prayer and the proclammation of the word.

This is the struggle of a small or maintenence church. Most of the ministries revolve around the pastor. This is usually a result of the pastor not being able to let go- or of a consumeristic mindset of the congregation rather than a service/ministry mindset. Often it is the combination of the two. Reading the passage, I'm struck by the Twelve being able to focus on what they were best equipped to do- pray and proclaim the word. The food service was a ministry that others could do.

I went to a Catalyst Oneday event in Baltimore a few years back. I remember Craig Groeschel's words about delegation. He encouraged the crowd of pastors/leaders/worship leaders/youth pastors/and hipsters who love Jesus that we should delegate everything that only we can do. Groeschel said that there are only four things that only I can do. They are...

1. Be the best husbad I can be to my wife: If not, someone else will fill that void
2. Be the best father I can be to my children: If not, someone or something will take my place
3. Takes care of my body. It's the only one I will get and only I can decide to treat it right.
4. Take care of my spiritual life. No one can get up and pray for me- or study my Bible.

If we are equipping and releasing people in ministry- then we afford ourselves the space to work on that which only we can control. By delegating, we grow the faith of the people around us while growing our own faith. As 2012 begins to move forward, I want to equip others to share in ministry with me, to call men and women to minister in their passion so that I might be able to do the same. I want to hand-off important parts of ministry so that I can serve out of my passions and strengths for a great impact for the kingdom.

What are some things that you can delegate in 2012? Re-read the list above, which of the four areas have you been neglecting? How will you grow those areas in 2012?

My Thoughts on Craig Groeschel's Thoughts on the UMC- Part 6

In his final post on the UMC, Craig Groeschel says this...

"I think the United Methodist Church either needs to become united again or intentionally part ways."

It's certainly a controversial idea to encourage a split when sides cannot reconcile.  When General Conference comes up every four years, it is the areas of contention that get all the publicity.  Hot button issues such as homosexuality get pushed to the forefront when there are some many other important issues in the life of the UMC that need to be discussed. (Read more after the jump)

My Thoughts on Craig Groeschel's Thoughts on the UMC- Part 5

In the fifth blog from Craig Groeschel regarding the United Methodist Church, Groeschel addresses how many church (in the UMC and other denominations) have mainly/mostly empty buildings and how churches should attempt to share ministry/space/resources together.  Looking at it from my church perspective- there are parts of our building that gets used frequently, while there are some other rooms/areas that seldom get used.  It certainly maximizes the dollars a church spends on buildings if the entire building gets used throughout the week.  First some thoughts on our buildings and then some thoughts on sharing resources.

1. Our church buildings (or buildings of the church) have become too sacred.  The building is not the church- the people are.  With that in mind, our buildings are mearly a tool for the spread of the gospel.  Unfortunately, our buildings have become sacred cows and many churches are reluctant to truly do everything possible to make sure all the rooms in the building are multi-purpose (I'm looking at you, Sanctuary!)
2. I am a proponent of no pews in the sanctuary.  (Yes, I heard a collective gasp-maybe from Avenue's congregation!) I think sanctuaries should have chairs that are removable, whether your sanctuary is a modern "multi-purpose" room or a gothic looking sanctuary (like Avenue).  At Avenue, our sanctuary gets used on Sunday  for four services and then sporadically in the week (mostly music rehearsals for Sunday.)  If there were chairs in the sanctuary- the floor space could be set up in all sorts of configurations to hold meetings, classes, etc.  The sanctuary moves from being a tool to use only once a week for worship- into a tool that can be used everyday of the week. To me, a sanctuary that is only used on Sunday is wasted space.
3. Part of building use is tied to vision.  What kind of vision do we have to our church?  How does our tool (the building) help us meet our calling/vision?  If it doesn't- how can we remodel, change, rearrange so that our tool (building) helps us fulfill our vision/calling?  Those are some of the questions we should ask when looking at our facilities.

Groeschel also talks about churches working together and even brings up the "m" word (merging).  I was shocked when I was in youth ministry about how territorial churches can be.  At times I worked hard to try and reach out to other groups in the area to share ministry and each time was turned away.  After that, I'm sure I was guilty about focusing inwardly.  Working together in communities is something that all churches can improve on!

I give Groeschel credit for Open Lifechurch.tv and other resources that they (as well as other churches) are now making available free of charge.  A resource like this can be a great encouragement and be a catalyst for other churches to be creative in sharing the gospel. 

How is your church sharing resources within your community?  How are you using your tools (building) creatively/effectively to share the Gospel?

My Thoughts on Craig Groeschel's Thoughts on the UMC- Pt. 4

In Craig Groeshel's fourth blog on the United Methodist Church, he tackled our apportionment system.  Apportionments are part of the United Methodist Church's connectionalism.  Each church gives from their own budget/income to pay for the conference/jurisdictional/global iniatives of the Methodist Church.  This money supports ministry on a local, regional and global level.  Part of this money also supports the pension fund of the UMC (I believe).  I'll be quite honest, I have little grasp on how apportionments are decided.  What I do know is that they can have a large impact on both large and small churches. (Read More Below)

My Thoughts on Craig Groeschel's Thoughts on the UMC- Part 3

In his blogs on the UMC last week (pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3, pt. 4, pt. 5, pt. 6) Craig Groeschel focused his third posting on the ordination process of the United Methodist Church.  Here is a piece of what he wrote...

"As I continue to think about the future of the United Methodist Church, I’m hopeful that the UMC (and other mainline denominational churches) will attract and retain more young leaders.
To do so effectively would take many fundamental changes. One might include re-evaluating the ordination process. When I was a UMC pastor, I was an un-ordained “local pastor” for three years, spent four years in seminary (while serving full time at a church) and had two more years before I’d become fully ordained as an elder."

Groeschel goes on to say that many young leaders want to "get in the game" without the denominational hurdles to clear.  I have to admit, I agree with Groeschel 100% on this one.  I started my process towards ordination in 2004 when I was 25 (I'll be 32 later this year).  I have been in seminary for 4 years with one more year to go.  Hopefully I can be commissioned in 2011 and get ordained by 2013.  If that is how it works out, I will have been in this process for 9 years! Does it take 9 years to affirm that someone is gifted, called, and equipped for ministry?

It's been a struggle of mine to see other churches who have pastors in the early 20's leading the helm and impementing the vision that God has given them for the church and community.  Even if I was reappointed this year- six years would have passed from when I started this journey and I would just begin to be able to try out some of the skills and vision that God has placed in my heart. (As an associate, some of those have to simmer on the back burner for a while!)

I can think of Jon Weece (Southland Christian Church outside Lexington, KY) or Steven Furtick from Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC as examples of pastors who are leading large churches and doing many creative things- yet began their leadership in the church in their late 20's.  No, I'm not aspiring to becoming a mega-church pastor- but to bring out the point that they were placed in a position where they could lead and influence even though they were/are younger.  Had they been in the United Methodist Church- they might have left after seeing all the hurdles that must be cleared.

Some thoughts-

1. While I affirm seminary (and have enjoyed it), God does not need well educated people to bring about His Kingdom.  Do we need seminary to be a pastor?  If the UMC decides we need it- does one really have to graduate before they can become "ordained"?
2. Wouldn't the UMC be better equipped for the future if it cleared the pathway for younger pastors to be put in positions of influence to win over the emerging generations for Christ?
3. Does the length of the current process lend itself to creating effective pastors? Or is it more likely to lead to discouragement?

What are you thoughts on the ordination process?  Are you in it?  What is your experience?  If you could change something, what would it be?

My Thoughts on Craig Groeschel's Thoughts on the UMC- Part 2

The second area that Craig Groeschel lent his thoughts on the United Methodist Church to was in the itinerancy.  In the UMC- the Bishop and Cabinet can move a pastor when they feel the time is right.  We pray that they are hearing from God in these moves!  The itinerancy has worked in the UMC.  Back in the 1800's Cicuit Riders criss-crossed the continent to preach and celebrate the sacraments.  During this time, the Methodist Church grew by leaps and bounds. 

I was recently in St. George's United Methodist Church in Philadelphia.  This is one of the earliest Methodist Churches in America.  In the front of the sanctuary is a list of the pastors who have served at the church.  For the longest time- every year there is a new name of the pastor serving the church. I can remember growing up in the Methodist Church that we came to expect that our Pastor would get moved every 3-5 years. 

While I have yet to itinerate (I've been a lay hire for 5 years and appointed to the same church as a student pastor for the past 4 years), I have my own feelings about the system as a whole.  The first being- while I may have my doubts and concerns about itinerating, right now in the Methodist Church it is the system that I, and many others, have to live with.  I have made a commitment to the Church and to itinerate.  With that in mind- I do have some thoughts...

1. How do you build vision, goals, respect, and trust for ministry when you don't know when you could be moved?  When I itinerate, do I have three years in a particular location to do what I am called to do?  Or do I have 10?  When I was in youth ministry, it took me 3 years or so to really get a grasp of the culture, the town, the leaders and be able to cast a vision that moved the ministry ahead. 
2. If you're in a church whose pastor gets moved often- how do you build trust with your congregation.  Once I was appointed to Avenue- I immediately began getting people saying things like, "I know the Bishop is going to move you," or "How much longer do you think you'll be in Milford?"  (I'd like to think that was because they liked me!!!)
3. When it comes to my family (especially my daughter- who didn't agree, like my wife, to pursue ministry as a family- she was born into it), how will itinerating affect her growth and development as a person.  When she has to change schools, how will she make friends, etc.?

I think the itinerant system in the United Methodist Church is the ultimate leap of faith.  As a Pastor in the UMC, I have to trust that God will send me to a church where my gifts are a good fit. 

Your turn- What are the strengths of the itinerant system? Other weaknesses?  Has itinerating turned out to be a blessing in disguise?  What other options could we have in the UMC?

My Thoughts on Craig Groeschel's Thoughts on the UMC- Pt. 1

Throughout last week, Craig Groeschel- Pastor at Lifechurch.tv wrote a blog engaging some issues and thoughts on the United Methodist Church.  You can read through his post here.  Groeschel began his ministry in the United Methodist Church before becoming a church planter.  It was interesting to read through some of his thoughts- and read the comments from others both in and out of the UMC.  This week, I want to put some of my thoughts down on the topics that Groeschel writes about. The first thing that Craig wrote about was Financial Resources.

Craig brought up the Rethink Church advertising campaign that the United Methodist Church recently spent $20 million dollars on.  He suggested that rather than spending the $20 million on a advertising campaign that $20,000 could be given to 1000 new church plants.  Groeschel wrote that starting a new church is easier than revitalizing an old one. 

I really felt strong about the money the UMC spent on an advertising campaign.  I thought it was a waste of money.  (Kind of the like the Census Bureau creating a Super Bowl Ad- why is the government paying for a commercial??)  $20 million dollars could have been spent more effectively- whether putting it into new church starts as Groeschel suggested or by injecting it into leadership training for annual conferences and clergy in the four areas of focus of the Rethink Church campaign (Growing congregations, becoming leaders in the world, addressing poverty and fighting disease).  I personally have seen little to nothing happen in our local church or conference around this theme of Rethinking Church- or the four focus areas. 

That said, there are areas where more inertia could be created within the United Methodist Church.  First, is the Nothing But Nets campaign.  I have seen the campaign referenced in numerous places in the media and otherwise.  The campaign provides nets for people in high-risk areas of malaria.  This is the kind of ministry that young adults who are unchurch or nominally churched can get involved in.  The Nothing But Nets campaign could be a "door" for people to enter the UMC rather than a commercial.  This campaign and others (debt relief, anti-sex trafficking, HIV/AIDS ministries) are the places where we can "be the church" rather than attending a church.

What do you think?  Do you like spending $20 million on an advertising campaign?  How could the denomination do a better job of 'being the Church?"