Coming together in difficult times

As difficult as this pandemic has been, and continues to be for many people, there have been some good things come from it. Many communities have been on bear hunts. People are driving around the communities with their children looking for bears which people have placed on their front porches, in their yards and in their windows. It's a way to get the children out of the house and engage in a fun activity. My Facebook page is filled with pictures of some of the bears the people have found. BTW - There is a bear lurking on my front porch for all the hunters out there.

I remain convinced that there are people watching live streaming of church services who would not have physically gone to a worship service. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to watch two services, one in Indianapolis and one in Evansville. I heard two message by two friends of mine who I've never heard preach before. Dr. Ron Blake, DS of the Indianapolis District of the Church of the Nazarene, spoke in the first service I watched. James Wells, who is co-pastor with his wife Julie at The Cathedral in Evansville, spoke in the second service. Both were excellent messages that, although they came from different texts, presented the same encouraging word. They reminded us that when we find ourselves in difficult times we can cry out to God who not only hears but will act on our behalf. What timely messages! I know that anyone who heard them were encouraged.

We have seen people reach out to help one another. Many people are checking on the elderly to ensure they have sufficient food and supplies in their homes. Schools are providing meals to children unable to attend classes who are often dependent on their school meals for nourishment. When it was announced that there were not enough masks for the medical personnel, many people began making masks to address the need. Some stores even began donating the material to anyone who wanted to make masks.

Yes, there are those who are hording supplies. There have been reports of price gouging. There will always be selfish people who want to take advantage of crisis situations. Even the House of Representatives couldn't pass a bill to provide financial assistance to out-of-work Americans without filling it with billions of dollars of pork for things that have nothing to do with this crisis. Personally, I don't see this as any different than a store charging $25.00 for a case of bottled water. But, I also don't expect any better from those we elect to office.

I watch medical people putting themselves in harm's way to treat those who have contracted this virus, and I applaud them. I see the small business owners fighting to keep their restaurants and stores open, and I see heroes. In the evening news I hear area governors and the president talk about steps they are taking to address this crisis, and I recognize the hours and hard work they are putting in this effort. Parents who are home-schooling their children and answering their questions about what is happening are incredible. All around us we see heroes working together to bring us through this.

Most of us were disheartened when we heard that the stay-in-place mandates would continue at least another month. The president is right when he says most Americans want to get back to work, but we want to get back to work when it is safe to do so. For some, another month at home sounds horrifying. I encourage you to use that time to reflect on how little control we have on what happens in our lives. Spend some time reading good books. Listen to what God is speaking to you during this time. Use this downtime to strengthen your spirit. Look for ways to encourage others and bless them. Together, we will get through this just fine.

What message can the church send at this time?

For the past couple of weeks my wife and I have been staying at home except for the occasional trip to the supermarket or a run to pick up a meal from one of our local restaurants. Today was the first day of the mandated stay in policy here in Indiana. We spent some time reading and enjoyed some time on the back deck soaking up the sunshine on this beautiful day. We had three nice meals. At one point my wife commented that it was nice not to feel like we had to be somewhere and to be doing something. She said it reminded her of their family visits with her grandparents where they did nothing but sit and visit with one another.

On the news this evening we heard the reports of how the virus is spreading in various communities and the critical need many hospitals have for supplies. It appears Congress may pass a package to financially help individuals and small businesses. We heard the tragic news of more deaths today from the virus and added pleas for people to stay in place and keep their distance from others when they do have to go out. There was also one story of how some churches are refusing to obey these orders and holding services anyway. Rick Warren was asked what he thought about these churches. He commented that God gave us a brain and expects us to use it. Common sense would tell anyone that avoiding crowds is the best way right now of slowing the spread of this virus.

I remember the Sunday after 9/11 I commented to our congregation that our nation would never be the same again. Time has proven my words to be true. National security concerns have impacted air travel and brought Big Government into our lives in ways most of us could not have imagined. We have much less expectations of privacy than we had before 9/11. It will be interesting to see how this outbreak of coronavirus affects the future of our nation and the relationships we will have with other countries around the world. Now that we have seen a virus bring the world to its knees we should not be surprised if we don't once again find ourselves living in a new normal.

This is an opportunity for the church to shine. People are frightened. They are afraid of the virus, they are afraid of shortages, they are afraid of the financial markets, they are afraid of losing their jobs, and most of all, they are afraid of the unknown. This is the time for the church to reach out to the fearful, the elderly, and the hurting. We can check on them to make sure they are OK. This afternoon I called a lady to make sure she was doing all right, and she assured me she had plenty of food and that her pastor had already called promising to bring her anything she needed. If everyone in the church made just one such phone call a day during this pandemic it would do much to reassure people they were not alone.

We also have a message for their fears. The Gospel is a message of hope. It reminds us that God is present in the worst of times and is a comfort to those who seek Him. Right now we can't hold worship services, and we shouldn't, but with the technology available we can still broadcast that message out for all to hear it. For the past two Sundays there has probably been more worship services and gospel preaching on social media than any time since we had the Internet. I have to believe that there are some who heard that message that would never have darkened a church door. Maybe this is part of the new normal that will come out of this.

Let's not give people cause to condemn the church for ignoring the mandates to not assemble in large crowds. Do we really want to put our people at risk that way? Besides, it sends a message to the unchurched that we think we are better than they are because we don't have to follow the same rules they do. That's not the message we want to be sending. The message we want to send is one of hope and one that points people to God.

Let's pray for one another. Pastors and medical professionals are working hard to serve their people so let's especially pray for them. Let's pray for the individuals who are battling this illness and for the families who have lost loved ones already. Let's find new and creative ways to broadcast the Gospel to everyone who will hear it. Let's check on one another frequently. When we've done all that, pick up a good book, prop up your feet and chill.

Need something to read during the pandemic?

Since many of us are ordered to remain in our homes except for essential reasons, it might be a good time to think about reading that book you've been putting off because you've been too busy. Or, if you don't have a book you've been wanting to read you may be wondering what would be a good one,

This year has gotten off to a slow start for me, and my wife and I have been staying in for the past two weeks already, so I've read a lot more than usual this year. I've already read 20 books this year, about to complete a couple more and have three more on order.  Let me suggest four books for you to consider from the ones I've read this year. I will warn you, Amazon is focusing on shipping essential items first, and instead of getting a book you order in 2-3 days it may take 2-3 weeks. I've actually received used books from third party sellers quicker than I've got new ones from Amazon.

One book I enjoyed reading is The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision by Kevin VanHoozer and Owen Strachan. While many pastors view their ministries as counselors, leaders or motivational speakers, the authors remind us that our most important role is that of theologian. We are called to help our congregations think theologically about all aspects of their lives. We also serve the same role as we relate to our communities. As we relate to persons within our communities we have the opportunity to speak to the issues important to them through the eyes of sound theology. I would certainly recommend this book to any pastor who has not read it.

Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael Emerson and Christian Smith is another book I found very interesting and helpful. The authors conducted a survey of 2,000 white Evangelicals and an additional 200 face-to-face interviews to gather their views on the racial issues affecting our nation. The results were quite interesting and helps us to better understand the racial divide that exists in this country.

Those who know me won't be surprised that John Maxwell's latest book, The Leader's Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders is on this list. I often write and talk about the importance of developing leaders. This book provides a lot of helpful information on how to identify potential leaders and develop them. No organization can rise above its leadership so it's important to constantly be seeking and developing leaders.

The final book I'll recommend you consider reading is The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek. He begins the book by describing finite games and infinite games, Finite games have fixed rules and an agreed-upon objective that when reached ends the game. Infinite games are played by known and unknown players, lack fixed rules and have no finish line. So often people talk about winning or being the best. The problem with such language is that it suggests that they are playing a finite game, and business and ministry neither one is a finite endeavor. The book is written for business people, but I found so much in it that spoke to ministry.

Let me share an early quote in the book that really struck my interest. Sinek wrote, "In the Infinite Game, the true value of an organization cannot be measured by the success it has achieved based on a set of arbitrary metrics over arbitrary time frames. The true value of an organization is measured by the desire others have to contribute to that organization's ability to keep succeeding, not just during the time they are there, but well beyond their own tenure." To me, this should speak to every pastor, every church leader, every denominational leader. We get so caught up in buildings, budgets and baptisms (all of which are important), but we forget that we are in this until Jesus comes. What is ultimately important is not just what we accomplish this year but what we are accomplishing for the Kingdom of God for all eternity.

Happy reading!

The church and mental illness

I have been very open about my struggle with clinical depression back in the mid-1980s. It was a very challenging year as I battled the disease with medicine and counseling. One of the saddest aspects of my struggle was that I never told the congregation what I was dealing with until I had recovered. I can blame part of my reluctance to share that information on the fact that I wasn't thinking clearly for part of that time, but the real reason is probably that I wasn't sure how it would be received. I still remember thinking back then that if the sheep knew the shepherd was sick they might leave.

Generally speaking, the church does not do a good job addressing mental health issues. We are quick to pray and minister to people battling cancer or recovering from surgery, but we tend to back away when there are mental illness issues. Some in the church call mental illness the "no-casserole illness." This is a shame because there are people sitting in our pews every week dealing with such illnesses.

Leadership Journal did a survey of 500 church leaders. 98.4 percent of these leaders reported that they were aware of people within their congregations who were dealing with mental illnesses or disorders. Despite that, only 12.5 percent of these leaders said that mental illness was discussed openly and in a healthy way in their churches.

To get an idea of how prevalent mental disorders are in this country, these illnesses are the number one cause of disability in America. About 25 percent of Americans 18 years of age and older are diagnosed with a mental disorder each year. In addition, about 20 percent of children are diagnosed with some type of mental disorder as well. If our congregations are typical of the American population about 25 percent of the adults and 20 percent of the children in our pews are dealing with some type of mental illness. Unfortunately, in far too many cases they, and their families, are not getting the support they need from their churches.

These figures come from a new book I started reading this week called Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church's Mission by Amy Simpson. Although I've just started reading the book it has touched me as I've thought about the people who have sat under my ministry over the years who needed ministry for these types of issues and never received it. It has made me think of my own mother who suffered from serious depression after a major stroke. Her illness was so severe at times that she had to be hospitalized. Our family felt so helpless. When she was home, which was most of the time, Dad provided most of the care she needed. He admitted to me there were times when he felt overwhelmed, but he was committed to caring for his wife.

Mental health illnesses are no different than physical health issues. Some people have asked why I went to counseling when I was depressed. My answer is that if someone has pneumonia they would go to the doctor, so why wouldn't someone seek medical help when they have a mental disorder in their lives? Mental illness is not a sign of a lack of faith; it is a disorder that needs to be treated by professionals. It is also something that the church can minister to.

I haven't read far enough in the book to learn the author's recommendations for how the church can help. One thing I've often thought the church could do is to provide some day-care for adults. Many churches have day-care centers for children, but few have such ministry for adults. None in the area in which I live have such ministries.

Think how helpful it would be if a caregiver could get away for a few hours to relax, to shop, to work or do whatever needs to be done knowing that their loved one is safe. With the increasing numbers of people with dementia and Alzheimer's Disease such a ministry will be even more needed in the future.

Maybe a church would not have sufficient resources to offer such ministry, but most churches would have people who could spend time in the home with the individual while the caregiver does what he or she needs to do. These individuals could be taught some basic information about caring for persons with mental illnesses and then allowed to provide much needed ministry.

Churches could offer support groups for caregivers of those with mental illnesses. Caregivers often feel all along and confused about what is happening and how they can best respond. Such groups can address this and support them with their prayers and fellowship. Mental health experts can be brought in to talk to the caregivers to give them additional insights and tools.

There is much the church can do, and it's important that they recognize how needed this ministry is.

Financial challenges for churches during the crisis

This past Sunday marked the second one that many churches did not have live services but broadcast the service over social media. While some churches continue to gather each Sunday, in many states that is not permitted due to the coronavirus and the states mandating that no large groups are allowed to meet. In a few states people have been ordered to stay in place.

No one knows how long these quarantines will last; therefore, we don't know how long it might be before churches can once again gather together for Sunday worship. Many churches have never live streamed their services and do not have the equipment to do so. Some are trying to videotape messages from their pastors to share over their social media pages, but in some cases churches do not have social media pages and in others they do not have anyone with the knowledge of how to do this. Smaller churches, especially, are being impacted by these challenges.

Regardless of the size church, many are reporting a drop in income has already been experienced. Since many churches have no way for their members to give electronically, they must rely on their congregation to send checks through the mail. The churches still holding live services report much smaller attendance and reduced offerings. In addition, churches are losing income due to day care centers and other groups who may be renting facilities in their churches canceling their services. This is putting a financial burden on churches who must still pay staff, utilities, and maintain many of their ministries.

To make the problem worse, we know that lost revenue in churches is not often made up later. After the economy tanked in 2008 many churches experienced a sizable drop in offerings, and, in many cases, those offerings never returned to pre-2008 levels. Although the coronavirus emergency may correct itself within a few months, the income lost during this time is unlikely to be recovered in many churches.

What can churches do to help themselves financially?

1. Don't be afraid to remind your members that the ministries of the church and regular expenses such as utilities, salaries and other expenses continues even though the church may not be able to physically meet. It's not necessary to beg like some televangelist, but do not shy away from talking about finances during this time.
2. Recognize that some within your congregation have lost their jobs or seen their hours cut back substantially. They are going through financial hardships right now and may be reluctant to donate. They are having to cut back. It's important that churches cut back some of their unnecessary spending as well. This will show people that you are in this with them. This is not the time to buy a new sound system for the church and ask people to increase their giving to pay for it.
3. Every church needs a social media page. I've been preaching this for years in pastor gatherings, but I still get push back from small church pastors. They insist they don't have the skill sets to set up such a page. If you have a junior-high age person in your church you have all the skill sets you need to create and maintain a social media page! These pages are the best way to stay in touch with your congregation during a time such as this, and is a great way to remain in contact with them when things return to normal.
4. Every church needs a way for people to give online. I realize many older people will not use this feature, and that's OK. Younger people will. In fact, for some younger people, if they can't donate electronically, they probably won't donate. You may be surprised to find many of your senior saints will use this feature, especially if they are away during the winter months.
5. People are going to need financial assistance during this time. Even though your church may experience a financial short-fall during these next few months, be prepared for increased requests for financial help from those who have lost jobs or seen significant decreases in their own personal income. Tap into your reserves if necessary to provide this assistance. Just like this is not the time to be hording toilet paper, this is not the time for churches to be hording their financial reserves. This is a time to minister to the real needs of people.

The church has always been at its best when going through crisis times. With a little wisdom and a lot of grace we will get through this time just fine and have the opportunity to show people the love of God and the care His churches have for the people they serve.

You will always find what you are looking for

As part of my devotional time each morning I am currently re-reading Craig Groeschel's book Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World. Let me share a paragraph that really touched me this morning.

You will always find what you are looking for. Think about the difference between two birds: a vulture and a hummingbird. Vultures soar high in the sky, looking and searching. What does a vulture find? Dead things. The ugly oversized bird doesn't stop until he finds lifeless, rotting road kill. Contrast the vulture to the tiny hummingbird. With wings flapping twenty beats a second, what does this small bird find? Not dead things and disgusting rancid meat, but instead, sweet, life-giving nectar. Daily each bird finds what he is looking for.

The same is true of each of us. We can always find thing to complain about, things that are negative in life, and things that don't go the way we wanted. Some people dwell on finding such things. Zig Ziglar used to say that some people go around looking for the bad as if there was a reward for finding it. Any of us can get locked into such negative thinking which can never help us live life as it was meant to be.

How does this happen? One way people get locked into negative thinking is by spending more time listening to the news than they spend reading the Bible. "If it bleeds, it leads" is the mantra of the news profession. Like vultures they fly through the sky seeking the ugly things in life to report. Yes, we are battling a pandemic that needs reporting. Yes, there are shootings and murders and ugly things out there. But, there are also many positive things happening in the world that never get covered. We don't hear about them because they are not considered newsworthy. If such things receive any mention at all it's in the last minute of the newscast after our minds have been filled with the other stories.

Another way this seeking the negative occurs is through the self-talk we do every day. Growing up we may have been given the seeds of negativity that were planted in our minds. Perhaps you were told you would never amount to anything, that you were dumb or unattractive. Maybe you were bullied by others. People who were supposed to protect you harmed you instead. Such seeds of negativity can be planted deep within a person. They produce thoughts in our minds that never seem to go away until we finally begin to believe them ourselves. We're not surprised when something doesn't go our way because we've convinced ourselves through our self-talk that we don't deserve good things to happen to us.

There's not space to cover any of what I'm about to say in detail, but let me make three suggestions.

1. Spend as much time reading the Scriptures as you do listening to the news. Yes, bad things do happen in the world, but remind yourself that God is still in charge. Read Philippians 4:7 every time you begin to feel overwhelmed by what is happening in the world.
2. Take control of your self-talk. Be aware of the negative things you speak into your own spirit and refuse to accept them. Again, the Bible has much to say about how God views you. Fill your mind with His words.
3. Pastors, this is not the time to preach a series through Lamentations. People are concerned and some are scared. They need to be reminded that God is with them, and those who do not know the Lord may be looking for something, or Someone, to become an anchor for their lives. Preach the Gospel, the greatest message of hope ever known to mankind! Help people find what they are really looking for in life.

Doing ministry in the midst of coronavirus

As disrupting as the coronavirus is to our lifestyles today, it does provide the church with the opportunity to engage in some much-needed ministries. Many school districts have canceled classes for the next few weeks. This has an impact on many children who depended on the schools for their meals each day. I understand some school systems are ensuring that these children continue to receive their meals, but this is also an opportunity for churches to step up and ensure these children do not go hungry.

Schools shutting down also puts pressure on working families who may not have someone who can watch the children during the day. This could be an important ministry for churches to consider. Families could suffer greatly if working parents had to miss work to care for their children until schools resume. In some cases, it could cost the parents their jobs, and, even worse, if children are left along without safe supervision it could be even more devastating to the child and the family. Without going through all the hoops to open a day-care facility, perhaps people in the church could watch these children during this time when schools are suspended.

Many colleges and universities have shut down and sent their students home. What about international students who may be unable to return home? Could church members open up their homes for these students to live until things return to normal?

I understand that some stores are reserving the first hour they are open for senior citizens to shop. That is wonderful. but are there seniors in your community who need someone to take them to the stores or assist them in getting the supplies they need? Is your church keeping check on your seniors to make sure they are not dealing with illness? Do some of them need transportation to be checked for the virus?

Yesterday in this space I commented on the churches who live streamed their worship services. Churches who do not normally do that need to have some discussion about continuing doing so. I have to believe there were people who watched church services on social media this past Sunday who would have never attended a service in person.

In a world in which many believe Christians care not for the needs of those outside the church, this is a great opportunity to show them how wrong they are. Many people are frightened and confused right now. They need to believe that things are going to get better, and the Christian message is a message of hope. Many also have physical needs and are fearful they are not going to be able to have those met. What a wonderful time for the church to be the church and address those needs!

In AD 361 Julian "The Apostate" assumed leadership of Rome. He received this nickname because he was the first Roman ruler after Constantine to reject Christianity. He did many things to stamp out Christianity in the Roman Empire but was not successful. After he took office a plague hit the city of Caesarea, one of the larger cities in the Roman Empire. Many people left the city, but the Christians remained caring for those who were sick.

As a result of their actions Julian wrote to one of his pagan priests, "When it came about that the poor were neglected and overlooked by the [pagan] priests, then I think the impious Galilaeans [His term for Christians] observed this fact and devoted themselves to philanthropy....[They] support not only their poor, but ours as well, all men see that our people lack aid from us." He went on to suggest that the pagan priests be as devoted to the poor and sick as were the Christians.

We live in a time where the church can do much good. As James reminded us, "Faith without works is dead." I encourage you to look at the community God has given you and find the ministries most needed during the difficult time. I'm sure if God gives you a vision for the need He will also give you the resources and the will to meet it.

Finding the balance between fear and being responsible

All we hear today on the news is the latest information about the coronavirus. The news media has created a panic among the public as seen in the buying up, hording, and profiteering of hand sanitizers, toilet paper and other cleaning supplies. If anyone questions the reality of the universal sinfulness of mankind one only needs to watch people in lines at the grocery stores these days.

Yesterday, many churches closed their doors as a caution, especially to their older members. Many of them live streamed their services on social media. I watched the service of Madison First Baptist Church on my I-Pad as they live streamed it for the first time in their history. They did not close their services, but provided live streaming as an alternative for those people who didn't want to be in a large gathering. Am I afraid of being in such gatherings? No, but I do think it is wise to limit contact with other people during this time.

In recent days I've read many comments from Christian leaders reminding us that God has not given us a spirit of fear. They seem to be saying that we should just continue to do whatever we've been doing and ignore this illness. That does not seem to me to be a very responsible position. As I said, I am not afraid of coronavirus, but at the same time I want to be responsible to myself, my family and those around me. Knowing that, even if I am not showing any symptoms of the disease myself, I could still infect someone which might cause them serious problems or even death, it seems to me the responsible thing to do is to limit my contact with others. For that reason I don't plan to go out much for the next couple of weeks except to, hopefully, pick up a few things we need.

Some were opposed to the idea of churches closing and doing live streaming on social media.  I admit that when I first heard some churches were going to do that I wasn't pleased either. Churches have remained open in the midst of far worse problems than a virus. But the more I thought about it the more it made sense. China has proven that if people avoid contact with others for a short period of time this disease can be controlled very quickly. Since more washing of hands and less contact with people helps stop the spread of the disease it makes sense to do both.

Besides that, for many churches this was their first attempt at broadcasting their services. I have to wonder how many people might have watched a church service on Facebook this past weekend who would not have attended a church service otherwise. I also wonder how many of them might have heard the gospel for the first time in their lives. Could God use something like a virus to take His message of redemption to those who have not heard it before? Now that these churches have found how simple it is to live stream a service, might not many of them continue to do so even after this emergency is over? We'll have to wait and see, but I'm hopeful that churches will continue to broadcast their services.

Some churches suggested their congregants meet in small groups and watch the live streaming of the service to promote a safer gathering of a small number of people. This would allow them to participate in the service together and have an opportunity to discuss the message. This is similar to what many home churches are doing.

I realize that many churches like large numbers of people in their services, and some might not like the idea of people staying home watching the service on Facebook. It does add many challenges for church leaders such as how to do Communion, how to have participatory worship, how to share prayer concerns and pray for one another and how to receive offerings.  However, each of these challenges can be overcome, and live streaming the service can make it available to shut-ins and people who don't attend church services for one reason or another.

The church leaders I referred to earlier are correct: God has not given us a spirit of fear, but He did give us wisdom and, I hope, a sense of being responsible for the well-being of others. In time, this outbreak will be over and things will return to normal. But, maybe there will be some lessons in this for how we do church that will need to continue.

Helping others without hurting them

Yesterday I posted about a mission trip I took to Haiti back in the 1980s. A youth center our denomination supported had a fire that damaged the second floor. We were going to help remove the walls and begin the process of building new ones. When we arrived most of the walls had already been removed and a group of Haitian workers were in the process of tearing down the last one.

One of the things I appreciate about our denomination is its approach to doing missions. We don't do things "for" people in need; we work "with" these people to best serve them. We were not going to do this project for the people who used the youth center, we were going to work with them to begin the process of rebuilding the facility.

While I agree with this approach, it's not easy for a Type-A personality like myself to work at the pace of other people. I would have preferred to have attacked this project knowing that we were only going to be there one week, and others in our group felt the same way. But, this is a recipe for doing more harm than good. Working with the local laborers we worked at a much slower pace, but we also built relationships with these workers that helped them feel like they had an important part in this project. For the long term best outcome, this is much more important for Kingdom building than quickly finishing a building project.

It so happens I'm currently reading When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. They report that in 2016 there were 2.2 million short term mission projects costing $1.6 billion. One would think that with this many mission projects that much good was accomplished, and it was, but there was also a lot of damage done in some cases. Sometimes when Americans do mission work the people being served are made to feel inferior and disrespected.

This is exactly what we did not want to have happen with our Haitian co-workers and their foreman. We wanted them to feel respected and appreciated for what they were doing which is why we worked at their pace, using their techniques and including them in everything we were doing. After work one day we accompanied the foreman to his home to see where he lived and enjoyed a cold Pepsi with him and his wife.

One day when we all felt like a mid-morning snack was needed, the missionary with whom we were working went to a street seller of oranges near where we were working to get each of us an orange. That may have been the biggest sale she had that day. Respecting and working within the culture has a long-term impact that can far exceed what we are trying to accomplish.

While working on the building one day I noticed a building that was obviously not completed and had been in that state for a long period of time. I asked our missionary if he knew what that was supposed to be. He explained that it was a house that was being built by a well-known American televangelist as a mission project in Haiti. He said similar buildings are found throughout the island that are started by various ministries and never completed. He explained that they raise money to do such projects, but when the money runs out, they find another "hot spot" that needs help and begin to raise new money for it. I can't help but wonder how that influences the people's thoughts about Christianity.

As churches minister to their own communities and its needs, these are important things to remember. Sometimes, in an effort to help we can actually do harm to people. It's easy to throw money at a problem; it's much more difficult to carefully think through how best to address the problem. While it might feel good to attack a problem and "fix" it, it might be better to take a long-term approach and address it in a way that honors the ones being helped and God.

The bivocational minister and mission trips

In the mid-1980s the American Baptist Men of Indiana and Kentucky took a mission trip to Haiti. The church I served as their bivocational pastor agreed to pay for my way to go on that mission trip. They even bought me a round-trip ticket! I can say it was a truly life-changing experience.

Our main project was to help rebuild part of a youth center that had been burned. Most days we worked alongside our Haitian brothers, first tearing down the existing walls and then replacing them with new blocks. Each of us took tools with us that we gave to our Haitian brothers when we left. While most of us on the trip worked on the building, one or two dentists (I forget how many now.) worked at a nearby dental clinic.

We also spent time traveling to other mission projects our denomination supported in Haiti. We visited a hospital, an agricultural center and a seminary. We spent a lot of time with our host missionary and caught his passion for ministry to the people of Haiti. On Sunday we attended a local church that was packed with worshipers to the point that some sat on the floor around the pulpit area. Sunday night we worshiped with a group of missionaries in their own service.

The first afternoon in Haiti we went to a local market with voodoo drums announcing the arrival of the white missionaries. One evening, sitting on our hotel's front porch, we watched a parade of people dressed in white garments going down the street to a voodoo temple a few blocks away. The drums from that temple kept me awake a good part of the night. It showed me the spiritual battle that goes on for the souls of the people there.

We had the opportunity to meet a number of people whose lives had been changed by work of our missionaries. Through their efforts these people had encountered Jesus Christ in a way that transformed their lives.

I learned more about mission work in that one week than I could have learned from any class on mission work taught in any seminary. That week gave me an opportunity to spend time with some of our denomination's missionaries and see the work they do in one of the poorest places in the world. Although our little church had been very supportive of our missionaries through its financial gifts, we became even more supportive as I began to share some of what I had experienced in Haiti.

Every bivocational minister would benefit from such an experience. Many denominations take such mission trips, and I would encourage my readers to go on at least one in their lifetime. It will change your life and that of your church. I would also encourage churches to fund these trips for their bivocational pastors. Every church, regardless of size, can afford to do that, and it will have a great impact on your pastor and church that will be well worth your money.

More Christians defend the Bible than read it

For my devotional reading right now I am reading through the New Testament using The Message and reading J. I. Packer's book A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life. In my reading a couple of days ago I read in 1 Timothy where Paul challenged Timothy to "Stay at your post reading Scripture...." That same morning I was reading in Packer's book how the Puritans expected the parents, especially fathers, to study the Scriptures so as to be able to teach their children. When they returned home from the church service the fathers were to examine the family to see how well they retained the sermon and to answer any questions any of the family might have about what they had heard. In order to do that, they had to first learn the faith themselves.

When I read these passages I thought about how much more difficult it was for Timothy and the Puritans to study the Scriptures than it is for us today. On one shelf in my study is a row of Bibles of various translations. On the opposite side of my study is nine shelves of commentaries and other Bible study helps. I realize that as a minister that might be more than most people would have, but the fact is each of us has access to that much, and more, aids to understanding the Scriptures. The question is, how many of us are spending time reading and studying the Scriptures.

During a stint as a Transitional Pastor in one church I invited the congregation to join me in reading through the Bible in one year. Several did so. One family read through it together with their children. A long-time Christian man told me it was the first time he had ever read through the Bible in a year. A few talked about how difficult it was, especially when they came to some of the OT passages that challenged their concepts of God being loving and merciful. Many told me that reading through the Bible in that way was a good experience.

As a pastor, I wanted people to read and study the Scriptures as much as possible. We spend a lot of time defending the Scriptures against those who challenge its authenticity. We complain that the courts have taken Bible reading out of the schools. But, many of us spend little to no time in personal Bible reading and study. That's obvious by some of the comments Christians make and how some live their lives. We expect our pastors to teach us what we need to know. More than once I've heard someone explain that they left a church because they "weren't being fed." How about feeding yourself? You're an adult. Feed yourself. Yes, the pastor has a responsibility to teach the people who listen to him or her, but each person as a responsibility to feed themselves from the richness of the Scriptures.

One other thing needs to be said, unfortunately. Some of what some pastors teach is poison to one's soul. Some seminaries produce ministers who have a very low view of the Scriptures, who do not accept them as inspired or authoritative. Such ministers teach things that are not biblically sound which can do great damage to those who listen to them. People sit in these churches week after week listening to such sermons and conducting their lives according to what they are hearing without realizing the faulty message they are hearing. They do this because they do not take time to study the Word for themselves.

The Bible is the inspired Word of God given to us to teach us sound doctrine and instruct us how we should live our lives. Every Christian should be a student of the Scriptures and should spend time every day reading and studying it. If this is not your habit, I pray it will become so.

Prepared for Sunday's sermon

Most church attenders expect their pastors to be prepared to preach on Sunday morning. They expect the pastor will have studied the Scriptures, prayed over them and crafted a message that will speak to their spiritual and physical needs. These expectations are valid, but how many of them will have prepared themselves to hear the message? While some might complain that a minister does not know how to preach, how many of our church members know how to hear? If people rush around getting ready to go to a worship service, come in at the last minute, frustrated with one another, how much value will they receive from the worship service or the message? The same is true with the person who constantly glances at his or her watch wondering how much longer the service will last.

It's important that people come with hearts prepared to worship and to hear the message that will be preached. You are there to encounter God, not to check off a box on your weekly spiritual to-do list, and it's important that each of us are prepared for that encounter. The Puritans understood this and one of their preachers, Richard Baxter, explained how one should receive the message. He wrote

Come not to hear with a careless heart, as if you were to hear a matter that little concerned you, but come with a sense of the unspeakable weight, necessity, and consequence of the holy word which you are to hear; and when you understand how much you are concerned in it, it will greatly help your understanding of every particular truth....

Make it your work with diligence to apply the word as you are hearing it....Cast not all upon the minister, as those that will go no further than they are carried as by force....You have work to do as well as the preacher, and should all the time be as busy as he...you must open your mouths, and digest it, for another cannot digest it for you...therefore be all the while at work, and abhor an idle heart in hearing, as well as an idle minister.

Chew the cud, and call up all when you come home in secret, and by meditation preach it over to yourselves. If it were coldly delivered by the preacher, do you...preach it more earnestly over to your own hearts....

I have often joked that Sunday dinner in many Christians' homes is roast preacher. How much better would it be if that dinner time was used as an opportunity to reflect upon and discuss as a family what God might be saying in the message just heard? Could we not benefit from spending time after the service meditating on the message to learn what God is saying to us personally? Where do I find myself in the message, and how should I respond to that?

Several years ago, before I went into the ministry, I heard a preacher share the story of the Good Samaritan, a text I had heard preached many times. The thing that caught my attention was that he said that, at different times in our lives, we all are each of the characters in the story. Sometimes we are the robbers, sometimes we are the one beaten up, sometimes we are the ones who pass by without offering help, sometimes we are the good Samaritan and sometimes we are the innkeeper. I have thought about that message many times since then, and at different times in my life I have found myself playing one of those roles. For over 40 years that sermon still speaks to me and challenges me.

Sermons will have their greatest impact on those who have prepared themselves to hear them, are willing to spend time meditating on them and then applying them to their lives. As pastors we need to help teach people how to be prepared each Sunday to worship and to receive the message.

Cultural shifts and the church

A few years ago David Platt wrote an excellent book Counter Culture: Following Christ in an Anti-Christian Age that discussed several cultural shifts that have occurred in recent years. These shifts have created a lot of difficult conversations among churches and denominations. Some have turned away from biblical teaching in the areas of the shifts and embraced the changes while others have stood steadfast in promoting traditional marriages, sexual morality and religious liberty. Platt urges believers to keep their focus on the holiness of God and His mercy towards all while remaining faithful to the teachings of Scripture. I read this book when it first came out and am in the process of reading it again.

No one can argue that our nation and world has not gone through tremendous cultural changes over the years. Traditional values have been set aside by laws, by the courts, by churches and denominations and in the thinking of many within our culture. Behaviors that not that long ago were rejected by the majority of society is now openly displayed and approved by many. As Platt writes, "Godless worldviews thus leave us with a hopeless subjectivity concerning good and evil that is wholly dependent on social constructs. Whatever a culture deems right is right, and whatever a culture deems wrong is wrong." What God has to say about a matter doesn't matter to an increasing population, including growing numbers of people within the church.

For the past several years numerous denominations have created multiple committees and councils to "study" these changes in the culture and report back so the denomination can issue a Statement on the issue. In some cases, these Statements are not binding upon their churches but are only an opinion on the matter that churches can accept or reject. If enough reject it another committee is formed for further study. Personally, I think many of these studies consists more of checking to see which way the wind is blowing rather than to determine what the Word of God has to say about the matter.

The late Francis Schaffer saw this day coming. Platt quotes Schaffer who wrote, "Where is the clear voice speaking to the crucial issues of the day with distinctively biblical, Christian answers? With tears we must say it is not there and that a large segment of the evangelical world has become seduced by the world spirit of this present age. And more than this, we can expect the future to be a further disaster if the evangelical world does not take a stand for biblical truth and morality in the full spectrum of life." Powerful words, and even more powerful when one realizes he wrote this in 1982!

It is precisely because the church did not speak with a clear voice when these issues first began to rise that we find ourselves where we are today. The worldview that welcomes these cultural changes is one that ultimately leads to destruction and pain in the lives of those who hold it. We see even now the damaging results of a worldview that rejects God in the violence, the lives ruined by drugs, the number of children growing up in single-parent homes, the poverty that holds so many in its grip, the sex trafficking that is damaging so many lives, the rising suicide rate in our country, the confusion around sexual identity and the emptiness so many experience in their lives.

There is but one answer to this pain and confusion and that is to return to God and His standards. The church must become united in not only speaking God's truth to this culture; it must also become actively involved in countering it. I recently read of a group of Christian women who began ministering to the workers of a strip club. They went to the club to meet the women and begin to know them. As they built relationships with them they were able to share Christ with them. In time, the owner even allowed them to have a Bible study there for the women before the club opened. Their pastor led the Bible study, and for some of the workers he was the first male in their lives who treated them with respect. Some became Christians and found other employment. One of the things that stood out to the Christian ladies was that they were the first to treat the women who worked there with respect. They were told that many of the workers often received letters from church people who condemned them and what they did, but no one ever reached out in love to build a relationship with them. How many church folk will go into a strip club to love people and invite them to encounter Jesus Christ in a transforming way?

Standing against the culture of our day will not be popular, even within some churches. Many prefer to not rock the boat, not take an unpopular stand and avoid any controversy as a way to attract people to the church. We need to remind such people that the Gospel itself is controversial and yet if we fail to proclaim it we are doing people a disservice and, worse, making the sacrificial death of Christ of no effect. No church can take on every cultural change, but every church can do something.

Check out my books

I've tried to not call attention to the books I've written too often, but I suppose I should remind my readers that I have published eight books. These books are written especially for bivocational and small church leaders. Some are no longer in print, but are still available through Amazon, but most of them are available through your local Christian book store, Amazon, CBD and through this site. You'll see a list of the books in the right-hand column.

I also have an eBook that I wrote that addresses small business. As some of you know from reading this blog, for a number of years I owned and managed a small business. We eventually had to close the business which was one of the hardest things I've ever done. One reason it was so hard was because I felt much of the reason we closed it was due to mistakes I had made.

I find that most bivocational ministers are entrepreneurial by nature which means that some will own small businesses which they will operate in addition to their ministries. I wrote Mistakes: Avoiding the Wrong Decisions That Will Close Your Small Business to help small business owners avoid the mistakes I made. The book sells for only $4.99 which is a small price to pay to avoid mistakes that could hurt your business. Believe me, it will be much easier for you to learn from my mistakes than to make them yourself! If you prefer using a NOOK device it is also available through Barnes and Noble.

Each of these books were written to add value to the reader.  Check them out, and if you think they will be helpful to you and your ministry, I hope you'll consider buying them.