But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David." (Luke 2:10-11)
As I read the Scriptures, the ability to have joy is a gift. We may not always be “happy” with our circumstances, but we can have joy. With the equivalence of hope, joy is a condition of our heart beyond the situations life may bring. It was “good news of great joy” the angels announced at the birth of Christ.
Four days ago I was hanging out with Every Nation pastors from China, Taiwan, and Malaysia. I’m supposed to be mentoring these men, but when I am with them, I think I learn more than I teach.
During lunch, a young Chinese pastor talked about the “Five Togethers” that serve as guidelines for pastors in our nine Every Nation China churches. We joked that since the official Chinese government sanctioned church is called the “Three Self Church” then the Every Nation Churches should be called the “Five Together” churches.
Sheikh Hanif was a seasoned Muslim leader. He had studied the Qur’an for many years and was responsible for organizing Muslim communities and launching new mosques. One night he had an overwhelming dream in which a graceful man addressed him by name and introduced himself as Isa al Masih (Jesus the Messiah). He simply said he wanted Hanif to serve him and listen carefully. In the dream he showed Hanif a tree on a hill nearby and the face of a man. “Go now and wait under the tree by the road. Look for this man, for he is my servant. You will recognize him when you see him, and he will show you the true answers to all your questions about God."
“Church planting is the most effective form of evangelism under heaven,” missiologist C. Peter Wagner once said. But is this still true today? Global nomad and missionary Andrew Jones, who works with emerging ‘Jesus movements’ around the world, suggests it’s time to rethink our missions practice, and move from ‘church as a weekly meeting in a building or a house’ towards ‘more sustainable, holistic, and measurably transformational Kingdom solutions.’
For more than seven years Jerry Trousdale studied disciple making movements in the Muslim world, especially in West-Africa. In that period more than 6,000 new Muslim-background churches were started in 18 countries, comprising 70 different Muslim people groups. Trousdale found that ‘church’ is being done in a specific way:
Can God use ordinary people to launch miraculous movements? Certainly, says Jerry Trousdale, director of International Ministries for CityTeam International and author of ‘Miraculous Movements’, a book that captures the stories of 130 Muslim leaders and entire communities in Sub-Saharan Africa who have embraced Christ over the past few years. The key to this remarkable harvest was the return to biblical principles and approaches of discipleship: helping Muslims to discover and obey Jesus and make new disciples. Trousdale uses the term ‘disciple making movements’ rather than ‘church planting movements’ to describe what is happening.
New Testament writers warn us again and again about the reality of spiritual attack. The apostle Paul, a leader extraordinaire, challenged believers to wear the full armor of God (Eph. 6:11), being ever aware of the enemy’s schemes (2 Cor. 2:11). The leader of the church at Jerusalem, James, called followers of Christ to resist the devil (Jms. 4:7). Peter, the leader among Jesus’ apostles, warned against the adversary who seeks someone to devour like a roaring lion (1 Pet. 5:8). It is no wonder, then, Paul reminded the church to choose leaders who are not set up for the devil’s traps (1 Tim. 3:6-7).
Based on years of my studying spiritual warfare, here are eight ways I’ve seen leaders allow themselves to be vulnerable to the enemy’s arrows:
Most churches — more than eight out of ten — are busy. Too busy. These churches need to slim down their plethora of programs, activities, and ministries. They need to go a busyness diet.
Unfortunately, many church leaders equate activities with godliness or ministry fruitfulness. For certain, churches must have some clear plan of discipleship for their members. Sadly, some of the busiest churches actually diminish discipleship fruitfulness. And ceasing certain activities in the church can be extremely hard. You can run into sacred cows and favored ministries. Still, most churches should pursue a busyness diet for at least seven reasons.
I talk to pastors and leaders my age and older who want to see a new generation of leaders but either don’t know how or can’t seem to find them. Frankly, some pastors I talk with are frustrated with what they see as a lack of leadership among the newer generations.
I’m frequently asked how we have managed to find so many talented young leaders at Grace Community Church. Much of the work God has done among us has been done through the leadership efforts of people 10, 15, and 20 years younger than me. I’m not the oldest guy on staff anymore, but I’m definitely outside the mode, mean, or median average.
I've said many times before that if the 1950s were to make a comeback, there would be all too many churches who could go on without missing a beat. The good news is that they found a ministry strategy that works. The bad news is that the people they reach are now seventy years old.
There is a lot of talk about discipleship these days — and it is about time. Jesus seemed to think discipleship was a big deal, putting it as the heart — and the verb — of the Great Commission to "make disciples of all nations." Yet, it seems discipleship has fallen on hard times in many churches in the West — for example, English-speaking places like the U.S., Canada, Australia, and England where there are Christians who are just not as desperate and committed as their sisters and brothers in the Two-Thirds World.
Your life will be shaped by some big story. Do you understand your part in the story, and how it calls you to participate in God’s mission of redemption?
The Bible opens with the creation of all things and ends with the renewal of all things. In between, it offers an interpretation of the meaning of all history.
One of the main reasons many Christians do not fully comprehend the biblical concepts of work, calling, and vocation is that we have lost the vision of this grand biblical narrative. The biblical narrative makes a comprehensive claim on all humanity, calling each one of us to find our place in God’s story.
If we study Scripture for the wrong reasons, we risk pride and self-righteousness. Reading the Bible through the lens of the cross helps us understand Scripture in context and teaches us humility and hope.
What is your motivation for reading the Bible?
Over the last few years, I have been thrilled to watch an increasing number of American Christians explore the idea that their faith requires them to break out of the confines of their middle class lives. In response to a deep yearning and the clear message of some authors and speakers, many followers of Christ are adopting children, moving across town or across the ocean to minister to those in need, and discovering exciting new callings to live out the mission of God.
Three sparks every movement needs.
Actual movements are tricky things, but the word has never been more popular.
People keep referring to themselves as "a movement for global change" or "a church planting movement." If we're honest, however, that's usually not the case. You shouldn't even be the one declaring yourself a movement.
All churches love certain things. Some love fellowship, some worship, some prayer. Those are good loves. Some are neutral loves. Some are not. Other churches love their building, their history or their strategy.
Those can be good or bad, depending on what we mean by love and how we value those things. But, some things that churches love hurt their mission and hinder their call. Here are three I've observed from my work with thousands of churches.
As a seminary professor, I work with young leaders. They have passion, vision, energy, and zeal. They understand the importance of social justice and global outreach. In both the church world and the business world, I have met young leaders who give me hope for the future.
I have learned the most, though, from leaders who have been long-term leaders. To be honest, I have seen far too many young leaders quickly lose their integrity and sacrifice their leadership influence. Too many start well but do not end well.
Three years before my father passed away, he turned to Christ for salvation. It was amazing, actually. My dad had quite a temper prior to his conversion. My childhood memories of his displays of anger still echo in my mind. Though my grandmother was a strong believer, Dad never showed interest in Christianity. In fact, he first believed that many routes lead to God; “we’re just following different paths,” he told me.
“They waffled: “Why don’t you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what’s going on? When we see what’s up, we’ll commit ourselves. Show us what you can do. Moses fed our ancestors with bread in the desert. It says so in the Scriptures: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ (John 6:22-71, especially verses 30-34 - The Message)
There are few vocations that can engender burnout like the pastorate. The demands on a pastor’s time, emotions, and energy can be overwhelming. When I was a pastor, I often felt at least the symptoms of burnout.
I recently spoke with 17 pastors who had experienced burnout, or who felt they came precariously close to burnout. The good news about these pastors is that they moved out of burnout; and now they are re-engaging in exciting and visionary ministries.
What does the future hold for cities? Stephen Um shares five tips for a faithful gospel mission. Let’s consider just a sampling of the facts:
- 5.5 million people move into cities every month—that’s the equivalent of a new San Francisco Bay Area being created every 30 days. (UN-HABITAT)
- Right now, there are 23 megacities, with over 10 million citizens. By 2025, there will be 36 such cities. (UN)
- In 1900, only 14% of the world’s population lived in urban areas. The number was 30% in 1950. In 2011 the world became 51% urban. By 2050, the world will be nearly 70% urban. (PRB)
In an blogpost earlier this week, I presented the findings of my “autopsy” on a church that just closed its doors and died. I knew the church well because I had been their consultant ten years earlier. The only surprise I found was that the church kept its door open five years longer than I had anticipated.
The post generated much interest. Indeed it is still buzzing today. Many church leaders and laypersons saw early warning signs in the post that related to their own churches. Many are concerned. Many want to know if there is any hope.
The title of this post has a bit of irony. If a church is dying, it cannot then by definition find life.
I must say from a pure statistical perspective, most churches with the symptoms I noted will die within a matter of a few years. Though I don’t have hard data, I would be comfortable suggesting that the percentage exceeds 99 percent.
I was their church consultant in 2003. The church’s peak attendance was 750 in 1975. By the time I got there the attendance had fallen to an average of 83. The large sanctuary seemed to swallow the relatively small crowd on Sunday morning.
The reality was that most of the members did not want me there. They were not about to pay a consultant to tell them what was wrong with their church. Only when a benevolent member offered to foot my entire bill did the congregation grudgingly agree to retain me.
I worked with the church for three weeks. The problems were obvious; the solutions were difficult.
C.S. Lewis said, “Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth ‘thrown in’: aim at Earth and you will get neither.” Similar juxtapositions have been said about desiring the gifts over the Giver, or redemption over the Redeemer. What you aim for affects what you value, what you measure, the methods you use, and what you emphasize.
I am a church consultant who loves helping God’s church. The churches I consult, though, aren’t always as excited, as a church consultation is sometimes like a medical physical—we know we need it, but we don’t like being poked and prodded by an outsider. Nevertheless, a good consultation prods with some important questions. Perhaps these questions will help you analyze your own church.
In just a few days, believers around the world will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Congregations will meet before sunrise to focus on the truth that Jesus is alive. Families will dress in their finest clothes for this special day. Folks who typically don’t attend church will do so this week. As you celebrate Easter this year, think about these practical ways to celebrate the holiday:
Simon Peter is one of my favorite Bible characters. He is so real . . . so human. He was the leader of the apostles, named first in the lists of the disciples in the New Testament. Still, though, he fell in a dramatic way (Luke 22:31-62).
The story of Peter’s fall is filled with warning signs for today’s leaders. Though these signs don’t always happen in a linear fashion, each one should cause us to slow down and evaluate our lives.
If you intimately know whom you want to reach, then you will be better set up to engage people effectively with the gospel of Jesus.
An inability to interpret the signs of the times is to be guilty of what we might call . . .
. . . the “Great Omission.”
#1 – The Vision Is Not Clear
If people don’t know where a church is supposed to be going…then it will attempt to go everywhere and eventually wind up nowhere. (Interesting experiment–ask people this coming Sunday at your church, “What is our vision” and see if people give you the same answers or different ones.
As culture drifts more and more toward individualism, transformational churches are taking on the responsibility of moving people into authentic relationships with each other, many through the instigation and encouragement of small groups.
Though a hermeneutically responsible scriptural case cannot be made specifically for the institute of small groups, the Bible does offer examples of the need for and benefits of small units of community.
Discovery Discipleship seeks to empower emerging leaders to bring about sustainable transformation in society and to ignite self-sustaining, reproducing movements of Jesus’ disciples making more disciples, and through that, to build healthy reconciled communities and nations. Discovery discipleship is based on Biblical principles of personal and community obedience to Jesus Christ.
As you know, I am passionate about discipleship. But it often happens that as soon as I speak my passion with some people they get a glazed look in their eye, and then start backing out the door! I think they feel some potential pressure and guilt coming their way, or maybe another program they need to give time to.
But, of course, those are things I don’t believe in. I love relationship.
Any good physician will make certain your physical exam includes at least three components. First, the doctor will want you to have thorough lab work. Second, all exams include a comprehensive look at your physical body. Third, the physician will ask you a series of questions that would lead him or her to know more about your overall physical and emotional health.
In my work with churches across America, I often ask a series of questions that help me assist the church to become more evangelistically focused. Recently, I took time to write down the questions I ask most often. Look at these ten questions to get at least some hints of the evangelistic health of your own church.
Someone emailed me recently and asked me for my “top 20 leadership tips”. They were doing a presentation on leadership and were asked to share 20 aspects of great leadership. The added catch. They needed something short they could expand upon, so they suggested I share them in “Twitter length.”
I’m always up for a challenge though, so I wrote down the question and pondered it for a couple weeks. I added a few at a time. Then I sat down to compile the list.
Clear Expectations
Has executive leadership clearly communicated its expectations for the team’s performance and expected outcomes? Do team members understand why the team was created? Is the organization demonstrating constancy of purpose in supporting the team with resources of people, time and money? Does the work of the team receive sufficient emphasis as a priority in terms of the time, discussion, attention and interest directed its way by executive leaders?
