Last week I finished reading a book yet to be published about the rural church in America. The author asked me to consider writing an endorsement for the book which I was pleased to do. It is the finest book on rural churches I've read. I will tell you more about it after it is released in early summer.
Reading this book reminded me of my childhood growing up on dairy farms. The author's life and mine growing up were quite similar. I was driving tractors and trucks in the fields when my legs would barely reach the pedals. I can remember driving the tractor during hay season when I didn't even know how to turn the tractor and wagon when we reached the end of the field. Dad would jump up on the tractor, turn it down the next row of hay bales, and then jump off to load the wagon while I tried to keep the tractor straight. I'm sure someone would call Child Protective Services today on a parent who did that which makes me glad I was a kid then and not now! Life wasn't always easy on the farm, but it was a good life.
It was in a church in a small, rural community where I was saved and baptized. It was there I heard the stories of the Bible. It was there I learned the great hymns of the faith. It was in rural churches I learned many of the values that continue to shape my life today.
For twenty years I served as the bivocational pastor of a rural church. In that church we saw people come to faith in God, we saw people's lives changed, we saw people come together when someone in the church or community needed help, and we shared life together. I have nothing against large churches or churches in the city, but I love the rural church. It provides a unique service to the people and community it serves.
Many of these churches are closing, and some say that more of them should close. I could not disagree more. While the rural church is facing challenges, they continue to provide needed ministry to their communities. While many people continue to leave rural America for the city, there is still a rich field of souls found in rural communities across this nation. We need to strengthen these churches to enable them to continue providing the ministries needed by those who live in these communities.
If you are serving in a rural church, God bless you. There is great value in what you do. Please remain faithful to where God has called you. Love those God has given you. Continue to impact your communities. One day you will hear those wonderful words, "Well done, good and faithful servant...."
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Monday, February 26, 2018
A passion for souls
The last time Billy Graham held a crusade in Indianapolis I attended the School of Evangelism that always accompanied his North American crusades. It was a week-long event with speakers throughout the day after which we would attend the crusade. Dr. Graham spoke in one of our daily sessions, and each member of his team and others spoke at the other sessions. It was one of the most enriching weeks of my life.
One of the things I remember about that day was the power that seemed to radiate from Dr. Graham as he entered the session in which he would speak to us. There was an authority about him that is not found in many people. He was humorous, down-to-earth, and at the same time, intense as he invited us to be soul winners.
Although the other speakers came from a variety of ministries and denominations they all held one thing in common. They sincerely believed that people without Christ were lost, and they were committed to doing whatever it took to reach as many as possible. They had a passion for the lost that permeated everything they said and did.
I'm not sure the church today shares that same passion, and that makes me wonder if many Christians still believe that people without Christ are lost. When I look at church budgets and planning I see little being done in the area of evangelism. We have "outreach," but it doesn't seem that much of it is focused on reaching people for Christ. More often, it's an attempt to get people into our churches. While that's a good thing, if this is all we mean by outreach we are not fulfilling the Great Commission.
IF we are people who believe the Scriptures as we claim to be, then we must accept the fact that persons without Christ are lost. And, if we truly believe that then we must become much more intentional about evangelism than many of our churches currently are. Eternity awaits every person, and we need more men and women like Billy Graham and his team who have a passion to reach every person for Jesus Christ. My prayer is that you are such a person.
One of the things I remember about that day was the power that seemed to radiate from Dr. Graham as he entered the session in which he would speak to us. There was an authority about him that is not found in many people. He was humorous, down-to-earth, and at the same time, intense as he invited us to be soul winners.
Although the other speakers came from a variety of ministries and denominations they all held one thing in common. They sincerely believed that people without Christ were lost, and they were committed to doing whatever it took to reach as many as possible. They had a passion for the lost that permeated everything they said and did.
I'm not sure the church today shares that same passion, and that makes me wonder if many Christians still believe that people without Christ are lost. When I look at church budgets and planning I see little being done in the area of evangelism. We have "outreach," but it doesn't seem that much of it is focused on reaching people for Christ. More often, it's an attempt to get people into our churches. While that's a good thing, if this is all we mean by outreach we are not fulfilling the Great Commission.
IF we are people who believe the Scriptures as we claim to be, then we must accept the fact that persons without Christ are lost. And, if we truly believe that then we must become much more intentional about evangelism than many of our churches currently are. Eternity awaits every person, and we need more men and women like Billy Graham and his team who have a passion to reach every person for Jesus Christ. My prayer is that you are such a person.
Friday, February 23, 2018
Whatever happened to the altar call?
When I was doing regional ministry I often preached in churches when the pastor was away on vacation or when the church was seeking a new pastor. I was amazed at the number of times people would come to me after the service thanking me for giving an altar call. Evidently, this was something that had not happened in their churches in some time.
During a recent Bible study in the church I currently serve as Transitional Pastor the topic of altar calls came up. One person mentioned that the church where her son attends there is seldom an altar call given. While some in the study were surprised by that, others said they had experienced the same thing in churches they had visited.
Maybe it's a sign of my age, but I cannot imagine preaching and not giving an altar call. I never know how God might be touching some person sitting in that congregation, and I need to give him or her an opportunity to respond to that touch.
Does a person need to walk an aisle to be saved? No. But, I remember how Billy Graham would tell his audience that he was calling them to make a public decision because Jesus always called people publicly. There is something that solidifies that decision when it is made publicly.
In my altar calls I invite people who want to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to come and allow me to pray for them. I also invite persons who might want to rededicate their lives to Christ and those who are interested in transferring their membership to our church to come. I invite persons to come who want prayer and explain that I am always glad to pray with people. I also mention that, for some reason, many Baptists have forgotten about the old-fashioned prayer altar. Sometimes a person doesn't need to talk to a preacher; he or she just needs to do business with God. I invite such persons to come to the altar and pray. We've been seeing people do that more than we used to, and it thrills my heart to see it.
Pastors, don't complain about the lack of converts in your churches if you do not give people an opportunity to respond to your messages. Yes, I know, it's old-fashioned, and in many churches it's not considered cool to have an altar call. But, I'm not nearly as interested in being cool as I am in giving people an opportunity to respond to God. As long as I'm preaching I'm giving an altar call.
During a recent Bible study in the church I currently serve as Transitional Pastor the topic of altar calls came up. One person mentioned that the church where her son attends there is seldom an altar call given. While some in the study were surprised by that, others said they had experienced the same thing in churches they had visited.
Maybe it's a sign of my age, but I cannot imagine preaching and not giving an altar call. I never know how God might be touching some person sitting in that congregation, and I need to give him or her an opportunity to respond to that touch.
Does a person need to walk an aisle to be saved? No. But, I remember how Billy Graham would tell his audience that he was calling them to make a public decision because Jesus always called people publicly. There is something that solidifies that decision when it is made publicly.
In my altar calls I invite people who want to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to come and allow me to pray for them. I also invite persons who might want to rededicate their lives to Christ and those who are interested in transferring their membership to our church to come. I invite persons to come who want prayer and explain that I am always glad to pray with people. I also mention that, for some reason, many Baptists have forgotten about the old-fashioned prayer altar. Sometimes a person doesn't need to talk to a preacher; he or she just needs to do business with God. I invite such persons to come to the altar and pray. We've been seeing people do that more than we used to, and it thrills my heart to see it.
Pastors, don't complain about the lack of converts in your churches if you do not give people an opportunity to respond to your messages. Yes, I know, it's old-fashioned, and in many churches it's not considered cool to have an altar call. But, I'm not nearly as interested in being cool as I am in giving people an opportunity to respond to God. As long as I'm preaching I'm giving an altar call.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Old books and new
Years ago I read that one should read books by dead authors. The person suggested that every other book read should have been written by an author who has passed away. I don't do that, but I do occasionally read some older books that have become classics. One such book I'm reading now is Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. I read this book several years ago, and had it in my library. Some time back I gave the book to someone and recently decided to purchase another copy to re-read. I'm so glad I did.
For many years Lewis was an atheist who was eventually converted while a professor at Oxford University. This book was originally given as talks on the radio to England during WWII. Reading this book while recognizing that it was being given to people in the midst of a terrible war just adds to the impact of his words. It's no wonder it has sold millions of copies since first published. If you haven't read it, you should.
The other book I'm currently reading is quite different. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, written by Daniel H. Pink, draws on a great deal of research in the area of timing. Rather than guessing at when is the right time to make important decisions, there is scientific evidence that demonstrates we can improve the success of those decisions by making them at the ideal time. I've found it to be a fascinating read with much that applies to many aspects of our lives.
I must mention another book I recently finished. I was stationed on board the USS Enterprise during the Vietnam war. On January 14, 1969, while qualifying to return to the Tolkin Gulf we experienced a major fire that resulted in the loss of 28 men with over 300 additional sailors wounded. Trial: Ordeal of the USS Enterprise 14 January, 1969 by Michael Joe Carlin describes what happened that day. Carlin was on the first hose team that attacked the fire and was a first-hand witness to much of what he has written. Besides his own personal experience he has done excellent research into other events of that day related to the disaster.
Because my General Quarters station was some distance from the actual explosions and fire there was much that I did not know about that day. This book filled in a lot of those gaps. I simply could not put the book down. If you were ever assigned to a flattop or served in the Navy in any capacity I think you would find this book a fascinating read.
For many years Lewis was an atheist who was eventually converted while a professor at Oxford University. This book was originally given as talks on the radio to England during WWII. Reading this book while recognizing that it was being given to people in the midst of a terrible war just adds to the impact of his words. It's no wonder it has sold millions of copies since first published. If you haven't read it, you should.
The other book I'm currently reading is quite different. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, written by Daniel H. Pink, draws on a great deal of research in the area of timing. Rather than guessing at when is the right time to make important decisions, there is scientific evidence that demonstrates we can improve the success of those decisions by making them at the ideal time. I've found it to be a fascinating read with much that applies to many aspects of our lives.
I must mention another book I recently finished. I was stationed on board the USS Enterprise during the Vietnam war. On January 14, 1969, while qualifying to return to the Tolkin Gulf we experienced a major fire that resulted in the loss of 28 men with over 300 additional sailors wounded. Trial: Ordeal of the USS Enterprise 14 January, 1969 by Michael Joe Carlin describes what happened that day. Carlin was on the first hose team that attacked the fire and was a first-hand witness to much of what he has written. Besides his own personal experience he has done excellent research into other events of that day related to the disaster.
Because my General Quarters station was some distance from the actual explosions and fire there was much that I did not know about that day. This book filled in a lot of those gaps. I simply could not put the book down. If you were ever assigned to a flattop or served in the Navy in any capacity I think you would find this book a fascinating read.
Friday, February 9, 2018
Denominations and bivocational ministry
Next Wednesday a doctoral student will defend his dissertation on bivocational ministry. A few weeks ago he sent me a copy of his paper for my comments as he was preparing his oral defense. The paper is very good, and I've encouraged him to consider reworking it later into a book. I think it would be very helpful.
The focus of his paper is on ways denominations can better serve and resource their bivocational ministers. His focus is specifically on his own tribe, but what he writes has wide application to all denominational groups. As a bivocational minister himself he feels the pain of being isolated and misunderstood by many of his colleagues. He describes what many of us serving in bivocational roles have felt, and he challenges denominations to reconsider how they view their bivocational ministers.
His comments are not new. I've written widely on the problem as have many others. Denominations struggle to identify their bivocational ministers and the churches they serve which leads to those churches and ministers being largely under served. With the growing number of bivocational ministers across denominational lines, and the expected continual increase, it amazes me that more isn't being done to better serve those ministers and their churches.
The relative lack of denominational support means that many of these denominations are writing off a third to over one-half of their churches. They do not understand why these bivocational churches are not more involved in denominational life and mission, and they seem unable to correlate that lack of connection with their own lack of interest in better serving these churches.
This young man's dissertation offers specific ways denominations can come alongside their bivocational leaders and churches to build relationships and provide resources. I hope it will be widely read and applied.
In the meantime, a big shout out to all my fellow bivos. You remain my heroes. You're doing great work for the Kingdom of God, and whether anyone else recognizes that, He does!
The focus of his paper is on ways denominations can better serve and resource their bivocational ministers. His focus is specifically on his own tribe, but what he writes has wide application to all denominational groups. As a bivocational minister himself he feels the pain of being isolated and misunderstood by many of his colleagues. He describes what many of us serving in bivocational roles have felt, and he challenges denominations to reconsider how they view their bivocational ministers.
His comments are not new. I've written widely on the problem as have many others. Denominations struggle to identify their bivocational ministers and the churches they serve which leads to those churches and ministers being largely under served. With the growing number of bivocational ministers across denominational lines, and the expected continual increase, it amazes me that more isn't being done to better serve those ministers and their churches.
The relative lack of denominational support means that many of these denominations are writing off a third to over one-half of their churches. They do not understand why these bivocational churches are not more involved in denominational life and mission, and they seem unable to correlate that lack of connection with their own lack of interest in better serving these churches.
This young man's dissertation offers specific ways denominations can come alongside their bivocational leaders and churches to build relationships and provide resources. I hope it will be widely read and applied.
In the meantime, a big shout out to all my fellow bivos. You remain my heroes. You're doing great work for the Kingdom of God, and whether anyone else recognizes that, He does!
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Competing worldviews
I just finished reading a book that will surely make my top 10 list for books I've read in 2018. Steve Wilkens and Mark Sanford wrote Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives back in 2009, and I've just now discovered the book. It is an incredible study of eight worldviews that competes with a Christian worldview. The authors point out the positives found in each of these worldviews and demonstrate how each of them fail to provide a comprehensive worldview for believers. They also share how each of these worldviews can infiltrate the thinking of Christians in ways in which we may not be aware.
Regular readers of this blog will know that in recent years I have read much in the area of apologetics and Christian thinking. For much of my active ministry years I focused a lot of my study in the areas of ministry practices, but now I find myself drawn more to the philosophical, apologetical, and theological works. While I still believe that ministerial leadership is a vital component of effective ministry I am also concerned about helping people develop the ability to think deeper about their faith. There is no value in complaining about the shallowness of the faith of those in our pews if we are not actively helping them go deeper.
The authors do a good job of identifying eight worldviews that shape the thinking and lives of many people today, including those sitting in the pews. The eight worldviews they cover are individualism, consumerism, nationalism, moral relativism, scientific naturalism, New Age, postmodern tribalism, and salvation by therapy. These are the worldviews often taught in the universities, promoted by the media and found throughout today's music, film, and television programming. When people are bombarded with these worldviews throughout the day, seven days a week, it's difficult to develop a Christian worldview attending a worship service one hour a week.
It's easy to discount these views without acknowledging the positive aspects of them. I appreciate the fact that the authors do point out those positive elements while also addressing the failures of each of these worldviews. As they write, every worldview provides answers to questions about ultimate realities, how we know things, and what's good and valuable. They are also correct when they assert that "One of the basic worldview questions is, who gets to be God?" Only a Christian worldview provides the right answer to those questions.
Last year I did a mini-series of sermons that looked at a couple of worldviews and pointed out their shortcomings. This year I will focus on two or three more as I try to help our congregation better understand the importance of developing a Christian worldview. This book will be an important resource for those messages.
Regular readers of this blog will know that in recent years I have read much in the area of apologetics and Christian thinking. For much of my active ministry years I focused a lot of my study in the areas of ministry practices, but now I find myself drawn more to the philosophical, apologetical, and theological works. While I still believe that ministerial leadership is a vital component of effective ministry I am also concerned about helping people develop the ability to think deeper about their faith. There is no value in complaining about the shallowness of the faith of those in our pews if we are not actively helping them go deeper.
The authors do a good job of identifying eight worldviews that shape the thinking and lives of many people today, including those sitting in the pews. The eight worldviews they cover are individualism, consumerism, nationalism, moral relativism, scientific naturalism, New Age, postmodern tribalism, and salvation by therapy. These are the worldviews often taught in the universities, promoted by the media and found throughout today's music, film, and television programming. When people are bombarded with these worldviews throughout the day, seven days a week, it's difficult to develop a Christian worldview attending a worship service one hour a week.
It's easy to discount these views without acknowledging the positive aspects of them. I appreciate the fact that the authors do point out those positive elements while also addressing the failures of each of these worldviews. As they write, every worldview provides answers to questions about ultimate realities, how we know things, and what's good and valuable. They are also correct when they assert that "One of the basic worldview questions is, who gets to be God?" Only a Christian worldview provides the right answer to those questions.
Last year I did a mini-series of sermons that looked at a couple of worldviews and pointed out their shortcomings. This year I will focus on two or three more as I try to help our congregation better understand the importance of developing a Christian worldview. This book will be an important resource for those messages.
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