There are many churches in America that need revitalization. These churches have been in decline for years both in attendance and finances. There is little ministry occurring outside the walls of the church building. The building itself has often been neglected. There is a sense of helplessness and hopelessness felt among many members of the congregation. Perhaps the church does not have a good reputation in the community. Few, if any, conversions have occurred in recent years. It is likely that the church has a revolving-door pastorate. People go through the motions of worship but without any sense of passion. No one is really interested in inviting their friends to worship there. Why would they? They're not even sure they want to be there any longer. If even some of these things sounds like your church, it needs to be revived.
The first thing that must happen for revitalization to occur in a church is that the church must admit there is a problem. I've encountered churches with nearly all the symptoms described above who would still not admit there was a problem. They are convinced that if everyone just tried a little harder or if they can find the right pastor that they can get over this slump they are in. Never mind that this slump has lasted 20 years. You cannot fix a problem if you refuse to admit that one exists.
Once a church admits it is in trouble, the pastor must provide the leadership necessary to bring new life into the church. All research I have seen points to pastoral leadership as the key to revitalization. He or she must possess the vision, the passion, the courage and the strength required to bring new life into the church. Revitalization is not easy, and not all pastors have the ability to lead such effort.
Not only does revitalization require strong pastoral leadership, it also requires a strong coalition of lay leadership. These individuals must be committed and forward-thinking. They may not always be found in the official leadership positions in the church. This in itself can create problems as elected leaders in the church may feel they are being set aside as a new coalition begins to lead the way.
Of course, revitalization will require that some things will have to change. As I've told more than one church: If you could grow by doing what you've been doing, you would already be growing. Since you are not, it's evident that something will have to change. I've never met a church yet that embraced major changes no matter how desperate their situation might have been.
With change may come the loss of members. While working with a congregation one of their lay leaders said to me and the others on the board that if they approved the change he and his family would leave the church. Immediately, I looked at the board and told them that was OK. I wasn't mean about it, but I explained that sometimes people are not comfortable with a particular change and need to leave. What they could not do was to allow that to prevent them from doing something if they really believed it was best for the church.
Do not start a revitalization process by thinking about how to grow the church. Start it by looking for ways to serve your community. Identify needs in your community and ask people to volunteer to meet those needs. In the book of Acts we read of the explosive growth of the church, but we also read how the church was ministering to people's needs. It was through that ministry that the growth occurred.
The final thing I'll say about revitalization is that it takes time. Seldom does a church enter a period of decline overnight, and neither will revitalization occur over night. It can take years, but it is time well spent if it brings new life to the church and enables the church to further the work of the Kingdom of God.
Friday, July 31, 2020
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
The greatest need of the church today
Many books have been written recently about all the things today's church needs in order to stop its decline. No one questions that it is in decline. It is decline in both numbers and in its influence on our society. Thousands of churches close their doors every year. Growing numbers of people report no religious affiliation. Self-professed Christians struggle to hold to worldviews that are any different than those of their unchurched neighbors. Many church members are biblically illiterate unable to defend their faith or understand or recognize basic biblical teaching. Any way you look at it, this all represents church decline. So, what is it that the church needs most to turn this around? My answer to that question is that the church is in great need of pastor-theologians.
In the early days of our nation's history church many pastors were recognized as true theologians. Men like Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Hopkins and others were trained theologians serving as pastors of their churches. As a result, they were able to provide intellectual leadership to many of the issues of their day and provide theologically rich teaching to their congregations.
Unfortunately, this began to change. Theologians abandoned the pastoral ministry for the universities and seminaries. In their book, The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision, Gerald Hiestand and Todd Wilson explain, "As theologians moved from churches to universities, the theological red-blood-cell count within the pastoral community, and within congregations, fell markedly. No longer is the pastoral community as a whole able to provide serious intellectual leadership for the crucial issues facing the church....It should not surprise us that the near-universal removal of our theologians from the pastorate has resulted in a deep and chronic theological deficit within our congregations."
Pastors are expected to perform many tasks within their churches. I've often said that if a church has 50 members there are 50 different job descriptions for the pastor. In addition, there is the job description the pastor holds for himself or herself. Too often, trying to fulfill all those expectations keeps the pastor from the most important task a pastor has: preparing and preaching messages that offers theological answers to the needs of our people and society.
There are pastors who take this task too far and refuse to do any pastoral ministry such as provide leadership at church leadership meetings or do pastoral visitation. They want to spend all their time in their studies limiting contact with the members of their churches and communities as much as possible. Unless we are with people at their point of need how can we minister to them? Can we teach the love of God best in a 30-minute sermon on Sunday morning or by sitting with a family during a time of loss trying to theologically answer some of their toughest questions? I believe the pastor-theologian will be with people as much as he or she is studying the Scriptures.
These are difficult times we are living in. People have a lot of questions that deserve more than the pat answers that come from politicians, the media and too many pulpits. They need answers that are grounded in sound theology, and if they can't get those answers from their pastors where can they get them?
If you are a pastor, someone considering the pastorate or a church member whose church is seeking new pastoral leadership, I recommend the above book. I've also found helpful Pastor as Public Theologian by Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan.
In the early days of our nation's history church many pastors were recognized as true theologians. Men like Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Hopkins and others were trained theologians serving as pastors of their churches. As a result, they were able to provide intellectual leadership to many of the issues of their day and provide theologically rich teaching to their congregations.
Unfortunately, this began to change. Theologians abandoned the pastoral ministry for the universities and seminaries. In their book, The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision, Gerald Hiestand and Todd Wilson explain, "As theologians moved from churches to universities, the theological red-blood-cell count within the pastoral community, and within congregations, fell markedly. No longer is the pastoral community as a whole able to provide serious intellectual leadership for the crucial issues facing the church....It should not surprise us that the near-universal removal of our theologians from the pastorate has resulted in a deep and chronic theological deficit within our congregations."
Pastors are expected to perform many tasks within their churches. I've often said that if a church has 50 members there are 50 different job descriptions for the pastor. In addition, there is the job description the pastor holds for himself or herself. Too often, trying to fulfill all those expectations keeps the pastor from the most important task a pastor has: preparing and preaching messages that offers theological answers to the needs of our people and society.
There are pastors who take this task too far and refuse to do any pastoral ministry such as provide leadership at church leadership meetings or do pastoral visitation. They want to spend all their time in their studies limiting contact with the members of their churches and communities as much as possible. Unless we are with people at their point of need how can we minister to them? Can we teach the love of God best in a 30-minute sermon on Sunday morning or by sitting with a family during a time of loss trying to theologically answer some of their toughest questions? I believe the pastor-theologian will be with people as much as he or she is studying the Scriptures.
These are difficult times we are living in. People have a lot of questions that deserve more than the pat answers that come from politicians, the media and too many pulpits. They need answers that are grounded in sound theology, and if they can't get those answers from their pastors where can they get them?
If you are a pastor, someone considering the pastorate or a church member whose church is seeking new pastoral leadership, I recommend the above book. I've also found helpful Pastor as Public Theologian by Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan.
Monday, July 27, 2020
First Church of the Pandemic
Covid-19 has impacted every area of our lives during the first half of 2020, and we don't know how much longer it will continue to continue to impact us and in what ways. I'm sure books are being written about all the various ways the pandemic has changed life throughout the world. In fact, some may already be on bookshelves now. My focus in this article is on the church and how it has been impacted by the Covid pandemic.
For several weeks, in many states, churches were not allowed to have services. Some churches resisted that mandate and saw state police in their parking lots writing down license numbers. While threats were made by state officials to enforce quarantines on those attending services I'm not aware that any of those threats became a reality. Most churches accepted the closures forced upon them by authorities and sought other ways to provide worship opportunities. Those that could began broadcasting their services over social media, on YouTube and their own websites.
Something unexpected happened. Many churches reported that more people were turning to the broadcast services than normally attended their regular services. People who may not have been comfortable attending a church service were willing to watch it in the privacy of their own home. Maybe they were seeking answers to questions they weren't getting from the politicians and the media about what was happening. Maybe they were just curious about what the churches were doing. Maybe some, like me, watched several services on Sunday to hear pastors they knew they would probably not see in person. Whatever the reason, it became obvious that people appreciated the online services.
Some churches began holding their Sunday school classes online as well as children's ministries. I know one church whose children's minister would put a packet of material on the porch of the kid's homes during the week that they would use on Sunday morning during their online children's ministry broadcast. Small groups met online and leadership training was offered through the same format. One judicatory has a weekly pastor online session providing training and offering support. One has moved their lay leadership training online as well and now can offer it throughout their region rather than limit it to those who can travel to a central place.
Most of us, at least of a certain age, want to be able to return to full in-person services with choirs, praise teams, no masks, hand-shaking fellowship and all the other things we've associated with church throughout our lives. I hope that day comes, but when it does, we cannot forget the lessons we've learned during this pandemic. There are many ways to do church rather than gathering in a big building one day a week. We've learned that many people may not be comfortable coming together in that way, but they want to be a part of what we are doing. It's important that we continue to provide them with opportunities to be a part of all we are doing.
I think we've just scratched the surface of all the things we can do to be the church to our communities. Let's not stop at the lessons we've learned, but let's continue to seek new ways we can reach and serve those individuals God has given us. Maybe we need to begin sharing with one another what has worked well for us and those things we may have tried that didn't work so well. The church has been through a lot in recent months. Let's not lose the lessons we've learned.
For several weeks, in many states, churches were not allowed to have services. Some churches resisted that mandate and saw state police in their parking lots writing down license numbers. While threats were made by state officials to enforce quarantines on those attending services I'm not aware that any of those threats became a reality. Most churches accepted the closures forced upon them by authorities and sought other ways to provide worship opportunities. Those that could began broadcasting their services over social media, on YouTube and their own websites.
Something unexpected happened. Many churches reported that more people were turning to the broadcast services than normally attended their regular services. People who may not have been comfortable attending a church service were willing to watch it in the privacy of their own home. Maybe they were seeking answers to questions they weren't getting from the politicians and the media about what was happening. Maybe they were just curious about what the churches were doing. Maybe some, like me, watched several services on Sunday to hear pastors they knew they would probably not see in person. Whatever the reason, it became obvious that people appreciated the online services.
Some churches began holding their Sunday school classes online as well as children's ministries. I know one church whose children's minister would put a packet of material on the porch of the kid's homes during the week that they would use on Sunday morning during their online children's ministry broadcast. Small groups met online and leadership training was offered through the same format. One judicatory has a weekly pastor online session providing training and offering support. One has moved their lay leadership training online as well and now can offer it throughout their region rather than limit it to those who can travel to a central place.
Most of us, at least of a certain age, want to be able to return to full in-person services with choirs, praise teams, no masks, hand-shaking fellowship and all the other things we've associated with church throughout our lives. I hope that day comes, but when it does, we cannot forget the lessons we've learned during this pandemic. There are many ways to do church rather than gathering in a big building one day a week. We've learned that many people may not be comfortable coming together in that way, but they want to be a part of what we are doing. It's important that we continue to provide them with opportunities to be a part of all we are doing.
I think we've just scratched the surface of all the things we can do to be the church to our communities. Let's not stop at the lessons we've learned, but let's continue to seek new ways we can reach and serve those individuals God has given us. Maybe we need to begin sharing with one another what has worked well for us and those things we may have tried that didn't work so well. The church has been through a lot in recent months. Let's not lose the lessons we've learned.
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Don't let the past control the future
In the foyer of the church I pastored was a picture of a large group of men as they were building the church building in which we worshiped. They took the clay from an adjacent field to make the bricks they used to build the building. In front of the men stood a little boy. An older member of the church, then in his 80s, told me he was that little boy. His job was to take water to the men when they got thirsty. This picture represented an important part of the church's history.
Another story I often heard was how the church used to be overflowing with people to the point that in the warm months people would sit outside to join in the worship. The windows would be open, and people would sit in chairs to sing and hear the message. Those were the "good old days," but when I went there as pastor the church had discussed closing the church due to poor attendance.
Later, I became a judicatory leader, and I found in many of the smaller churches I served similar pictures to the one described above. These were often taken when the church had a "dinner-on-the-grounds." Some churches would have a series of these pictures lined up on the walls approaching the sanctuary. I would look at those pictures and wonder how all those people fit inside their building, and what had happened since then to cause the church to fall off so dramatically.
These pictures and histories are important to churches, but they must not be allowed to be the focus of the present congregation. When the past looks better to a church than does its future, the church is in trouble. I believe churches and pastors should honor the history of the church, but its focus must always be on its present ministry and its future. What God did in the past is wonderful, but He wants to do even greater things in the future of the church if the church will allow Him to do so.
Often, congregations believe if they could just go back in time, do things the way they were doing them when the church was filled and growing, that they could start growing again. That's not the answer. Look around at the churches that are reaching people for Christ today. None of them are doing the things that your church used to do. God is doing a new thing, and any church that wants to be revived and effective again must find out where God is moving and become part of that. We can't ask Him to bless the old things when He wants to do something new.
I love history, but sometimes I wonder if the pictures I've described above actually do harm to churches. They remind people of a past that will never be recaptured, and they distract the congregation from looking to the future and what God wants to do in them and through them in that future.
If you choose to let it, your future will be much greater than your past. Roughly 100 churches close their doors each week because they cannot see a future ministry. At the same time, in many of those same communities, we see new churches springing up because people do have a vision for ministry.
The challenge for many of our smaller churches is to decide if our past or our future will dominate our thinking. Will we be content to dwell on our past successes or will we continually seek a fresh vision from God for our future ministry? I encourage you to honor your past, but always be looking for what God has for you in the future.
Another story I often heard was how the church used to be overflowing with people to the point that in the warm months people would sit outside to join in the worship. The windows would be open, and people would sit in chairs to sing and hear the message. Those were the "good old days," but when I went there as pastor the church had discussed closing the church due to poor attendance.
Later, I became a judicatory leader, and I found in many of the smaller churches I served similar pictures to the one described above. These were often taken when the church had a "dinner-on-the-grounds." Some churches would have a series of these pictures lined up on the walls approaching the sanctuary. I would look at those pictures and wonder how all those people fit inside their building, and what had happened since then to cause the church to fall off so dramatically.
These pictures and histories are important to churches, but they must not be allowed to be the focus of the present congregation. When the past looks better to a church than does its future, the church is in trouble. I believe churches and pastors should honor the history of the church, but its focus must always be on its present ministry and its future. What God did in the past is wonderful, but He wants to do even greater things in the future of the church if the church will allow Him to do so.
Often, congregations believe if they could just go back in time, do things the way they were doing them when the church was filled and growing, that they could start growing again. That's not the answer. Look around at the churches that are reaching people for Christ today. None of them are doing the things that your church used to do. God is doing a new thing, and any church that wants to be revived and effective again must find out where God is moving and become part of that. We can't ask Him to bless the old things when He wants to do something new.
I love history, but sometimes I wonder if the pictures I've described above actually do harm to churches. They remind people of a past that will never be recaptured, and they distract the congregation from looking to the future and what God wants to do in them and through them in that future.
If you choose to let it, your future will be much greater than your past. Roughly 100 churches close their doors each week because they cannot see a future ministry. At the same time, in many of those same communities, we see new churches springing up because people do have a vision for ministry.
The challenge for many of our smaller churches is to decide if our past or our future will dominate our thinking. Will we be content to dwell on our past successes or will we continually seek a fresh vision from God for our future ministry? I encourage you to honor your past, but always be looking for what God has for you in the future.
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Does your church need revitalization?
For many years we have been told that 80 percent of the churches in America are plateaued. I have argued that most of those churches are actually in decline. Churches do not stay on a plateau for long before they begin to slide down the decline side of their life cycle. These churches need to be revitalized in order to be useful to the Kingdom of God, but the longer they continue in decline the more difficult revitalization becomes.
In his book Revitalize, Andrew Davis provides us with the signs of a dying church that needs revitalization.
First, the church must regain a clear image of God and His holiness and power. Without that image, churches will continue to do their own thing. With that also needs to come a renewed relationship with Jesus Christ. The unchurched have no problems talking about God. They often struggle to talk about Jesus Christ. The same is true with nominal Christians. Our relationship with God is based upon having a personal relationship with Christ. Revitalization will not occur unless that relationship is renewed and central in all we do.
Secondly, we must recapture an awareness of the authority of the Scriptures. The Bible is not a book about God, but God's Word to us. It is not a book of suggestions and recommendations but a book that provides each of us with directions for how we are to live our lives. It is infallible in all it teaches, and a church that wishes to find new life must recognize its authority to speak into our lives.
Church revitalization is not easy, but in a majority of our churches it is necessary if these churches are to effectively be used by God. You may find the book mentioned above to be a helpful resource in your efforts to bring new life to your church.
In his book Revitalize, Andrew Davis provides us with the signs of a dying church that needs revitalization.
- A low view of Scripture. This can often be seen in many of the church members having little knowledge of biblical teaching. They desire the milk of Scripture and reject the meat of biblical teaching.
- They are man-centered, not God-centered. This church is more concerned about what people think of it than what God thinks.
- Poor shepherding of members and no church discipline. Such churches have bloated membership lists of people who haven't attended in decades and no accountability for the behavior of its members.
- Little evangelistic effort. These churches ignore the clear mandate given to the church by the Great Commission.
- Disunity and bitter factions. This is often the result of controllers who see the church existing for their benefit. These ungodly leaders continue to sow seeds of discord in the church demanding to get their way.
- Disrespect for godly leaders which results in short pastorates. These churches have little respect for godly leadership from their pastors which leads to a revolving-door pastorate. This is also often the result of allowing controllers to hold leadership positions and have a voice in the life of the church.
- Disordered polity. Many churches are more concerned about following Robert's Rule of Order than the Bible. Worldly leadership practices have replaced biblical mandates.
- Clinging to traditions with a stubborn unwillingness to change. This can range from the music used in worship to dress requirements for leadership and everything in between. These churches talk more about their "glory days" than planning for the future.
- Selfish spending patterns. Dying churches spend almost all their money on themselves with little earmarked for missions or evangelism.
- Little zeal for corporate prayer. The old time prayer meetings in those churches that still have them are poorly attended and little prayer occurs beyond praying for the sick of the church.
- Increasingly worldly doctrines and behaviors. Dying churches avoid the controversial teachings of Scripture preferring to satisfy the politically-correct crowd. Members of these churches have a worldview that is based upon the philosophies of man, not biblical teachings.
First, the church must regain a clear image of God and His holiness and power. Without that image, churches will continue to do their own thing. With that also needs to come a renewed relationship with Jesus Christ. The unchurched have no problems talking about God. They often struggle to talk about Jesus Christ. The same is true with nominal Christians. Our relationship with God is based upon having a personal relationship with Christ. Revitalization will not occur unless that relationship is renewed and central in all we do.
Secondly, we must recapture an awareness of the authority of the Scriptures. The Bible is not a book about God, but God's Word to us. It is not a book of suggestions and recommendations but a book that provides each of us with directions for how we are to live our lives. It is infallible in all it teaches, and a church that wishes to find new life must recognize its authority to speak into our lives.
Church revitalization is not easy, but in a majority of our churches it is necessary if these churches are to effectively be used by God. You may find the book mentioned above to be a helpful resource in your efforts to bring new life to your church.
Monday, July 20, 2020
Evidence for God's existence
Bertrand Russell abandoned his Christian faith at the age of 18 and spent his life trying to disprove the existence of God. He was once asked, "If you meet God after you die, what will you say to Him to justify your unbelief?" He responded, "I will tell Him that He did not give me enough evidence." Wrong answer!
Last week we watched the International Space Station fly over our home five nights. We missed one night because I lost track of time. In addition, we saw the comet Neowise. We were able to watch these in space because their exact flight paths and times were available, and the reason they were available is because God has so fine-tuned this universe that scientists are able to map out the exact location of every planet, star and man-made object in space. Such fine-tuning is not possible if the universe came into existence through a series of random events. This points to a Creator who created the universe and our planet with everything necessary to sustain life.
Many elements that make up our universe are limited to minute fractions of one percent in order to sustain life. I won't begin to list them in this post, but they make an interesting study. If any of these elements are off by fractions so small our human minds cannot grasp them, life could not exist on Earth and our universe would cease to exist.
Every time I watch the space station fly over our home it is a time of devotions for me. I stand there watching it rise above the horizon and continue its flight until it is out of sight, and I marvel at the power of God and His creative ability. Quite often I am reminded that the God who created this amazing universe is interested in me, that He cares about me, and one day reached into my life to draw me into a relationship with Him. These are amazing truths that should give anyone pause.
Apologists offer us many reasons to believe in the existence of God, and one rejects these arguments at great peril. Personally, I doubt that Russell will be able to make his charge. The Bible tells us that as we stand before God we will kneel and confess that Jesus is Lord. At the moment Russell stands before the Lord he will immediately realize the foolishness of his claim against God, but it will be too late.
God has given us more than enough proof of His existence if we are willing to honestly look for it. For me, the fine-tuning argument is sufficient. The other arguments are just icing on the cake. As I look up at the sky and watch the stars follow the paths they have been given, as I watch the ocean tides come in and go out with perfect timing, as I learn more about the precision with which our universe exists I am convinced that there is a God, and this God is worthy of my worship and service.
I pray the same is true for you.
Last week we watched the International Space Station fly over our home five nights. We missed one night because I lost track of time. In addition, we saw the comet Neowise. We were able to watch these in space because their exact flight paths and times were available, and the reason they were available is because God has so fine-tuned this universe that scientists are able to map out the exact location of every planet, star and man-made object in space. Such fine-tuning is not possible if the universe came into existence through a series of random events. This points to a Creator who created the universe and our planet with everything necessary to sustain life.
Many elements that make up our universe are limited to minute fractions of one percent in order to sustain life. I won't begin to list them in this post, but they make an interesting study. If any of these elements are off by fractions so small our human minds cannot grasp them, life could not exist on Earth and our universe would cease to exist.
Every time I watch the space station fly over our home it is a time of devotions for me. I stand there watching it rise above the horizon and continue its flight until it is out of sight, and I marvel at the power of God and His creative ability. Quite often I am reminded that the God who created this amazing universe is interested in me, that He cares about me, and one day reached into my life to draw me into a relationship with Him. These are amazing truths that should give anyone pause.
Apologists offer us many reasons to believe in the existence of God, and one rejects these arguments at great peril. Personally, I doubt that Russell will be able to make his charge. The Bible tells us that as we stand before God we will kneel and confess that Jesus is Lord. At the moment Russell stands before the Lord he will immediately realize the foolishness of his claim against God, but it will be too late.
God has given us more than enough proof of His existence if we are willing to honestly look for it. For me, the fine-tuning argument is sufficient. The other arguments are just icing on the cake. As I look up at the sky and watch the stars follow the paths they have been given, as I watch the ocean tides come in and go out with perfect timing, as I learn more about the precision with which our universe exists I am convinced that there is a God, and this God is worthy of my worship and service.
I pray the same is true for you.
Friday, July 17, 2020
The changing world of book publishing
Like everything else in society and the church world, book publishing has changed dramatically in the past few years. Between 2000 and 2013 I published eight books through three different publishers. One publisher requested the book I wrote for them. For the other two publishers, I submitted proposals which they accepted. Today, the vast majority of publishers will not even accept a proposal unless it comes to them through a literary agent.
I have no doubt that publishers have seen their profit margins squeezed considerably over the past few years. Many brick-and-mortar booksellers have gone out of business with Amazon and other online book sellers picking up much of the business. I would assume publishers have reduced the number of people who, in the past, would have reviewed the proposals coming in and now depend upon the literary agents to do that work for them. Of course, I'm speculating here, but this seems to explain why proposals are only accepted through agents.
The options for an author are limited. Find an agent, self-publish or offer the book as an eBook. I continue to seek an agent for the two newest books I've written as that seems the preferable option for me. Self-publishing too often results in a garage full of books with limited means of marketing them. E-Books get lost in the myriad of such books available.
When my previously published books became available people would approach me asking about how to get their book idea published. In the past I would warn them of the challenges facing them and the low rate of return most authors receive for the time spent in writing, editing and finding a publisher for their work. Now, I have additional warnings to give.
Writing has to be a passion. Obviously, there are authors who become wealthy through their writings. Others use their books to promote their speaking events. My books have led to numerous speaking opportunities throughout the United States and Canada. But for most authors, we write because we believe we have something to say that's important. We have knowledge we want to share with others.
As I've watched the publishing world change so much over the past two decades I have to wonder what new changes are yet to come. I also wonder how many prospective new writers with information we need to hear will be silenced by these changes. I think this is something publishers, especially Christian publishers, need to consider.
I have no doubt that publishers have seen their profit margins squeezed considerably over the past few years. Many brick-and-mortar booksellers have gone out of business with Amazon and other online book sellers picking up much of the business. I would assume publishers have reduced the number of people who, in the past, would have reviewed the proposals coming in and now depend upon the literary agents to do that work for them. Of course, I'm speculating here, but this seems to explain why proposals are only accepted through agents.
The options for an author are limited. Find an agent, self-publish or offer the book as an eBook. I continue to seek an agent for the two newest books I've written as that seems the preferable option for me. Self-publishing too often results in a garage full of books with limited means of marketing them. E-Books get lost in the myriad of such books available.
When my previously published books became available people would approach me asking about how to get their book idea published. In the past I would warn them of the challenges facing them and the low rate of return most authors receive for the time spent in writing, editing and finding a publisher for their work. Now, I have additional warnings to give.
Writing has to be a passion. Obviously, there are authors who become wealthy through their writings. Others use their books to promote their speaking events. My books have led to numerous speaking opportunities throughout the United States and Canada. But for most authors, we write because we believe we have something to say that's important. We have knowledge we want to share with others.
As I've watched the publishing world change so much over the past two decades I have to wonder what new changes are yet to come. I also wonder how many prospective new writers with information we need to hear will be silenced by these changes. I think this is something publishers, especially Christian publishers, need to consider.
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Preach to the lives of your people
When I was serving as a Resource Minister I would visit in different churches in my area of responsibility. A pastor was called to one of the churches for which I had responsibility who was a PhD student at a nearby seminary. I visited one Sunday morning to join them for worship. To this day I am convinced he repeated a lesson from one of his doctoral classes. I could tell from the looks of the people sitting around me that many of them had no idea what he was talking about. The sermon may have been theologically sound, but it said nothing to the lives of this rural congregation.
Whether Jesus was speaking to a crowd or to individuals he spoke to the things that was important to their lives. To the woman caught in adultery He spoke words of forgiveness and repentance. To the woman at the well He spoke of relationships, the one thing she had been seeking all her life, and the relationship He offered was one that would never fail. To Lazarus' sisters He offered hope. When He spoke to the religious leaders He addressed their hypocrisy and challenged them to turn from their rituals and law-based religion to a living faith in a living God. Every message was not only theologically sound but also addressed real life needs of real life people. We who stand in the pulpit each week can do no less.
As a pastor I gave every sermon I prepared the "so what" test. More than once I tossed a sermon that I realized didn't really speak to what was happening in people's lives at that time. Yes, everything in it might have been true, but so what did that matter if it didn't pertain to people's lives?
To be a pastor one must know his or her people, and that only happens when the pastor leaves the office and spends time with those being served. When I first began my pastoral ministry I spent time in people's homes, in their hospital rooms, in their barns to get to know them. I went fishing with them and even went with one coon hunting. The better I understood their lives, their hopes, their fears, the better I could speak to them in my messages.
It's equally as important to know what is happening in the lives of the unchurched persons in your community. Just as we need to exegete Scripture, we need to be able to exegete our community. At least 80 percent of every county in the United States is unchurched. How well do you know the lives of that 80 percent in your area? Without knowing their lives, how will you effectively minister to them? After sharing this with a church the pastor asked how he could know what the lives of the unchurched were around them. This church was in the middle of a residential area with houses surrounding the church building. I looked at him and responded, "Walk up and down the streets and talk to the people you meet. Go into the local cafes for a coffee or lunch and talk to the people there." He looked at me like that was something he had never considered!
There is a book called Never Eat Alone, Expanded and Updated: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time. It's a book about networking, building relationships, to help one be more successful in business and life. What's true for careers is also good for ministry. The more time we spend with others the better we will be able to speak into their lives.
Whether Jesus was speaking to a crowd or to individuals he spoke to the things that was important to their lives. To the woman caught in adultery He spoke words of forgiveness and repentance. To the woman at the well He spoke of relationships, the one thing she had been seeking all her life, and the relationship He offered was one that would never fail. To Lazarus' sisters He offered hope. When He spoke to the religious leaders He addressed their hypocrisy and challenged them to turn from their rituals and law-based religion to a living faith in a living God. Every message was not only theologically sound but also addressed real life needs of real life people. We who stand in the pulpit each week can do no less.
As a pastor I gave every sermon I prepared the "so what" test. More than once I tossed a sermon that I realized didn't really speak to what was happening in people's lives at that time. Yes, everything in it might have been true, but so what did that matter if it didn't pertain to people's lives?
To be a pastor one must know his or her people, and that only happens when the pastor leaves the office and spends time with those being served. When I first began my pastoral ministry I spent time in people's homes, in their hospital rooms, in their barns to get to know them. I went fishing with them and even went with one coon hunting. The better I understood their lives, their hopes, their fears, the better I could speak to them in my messages.
It's equally as important to know what is happening in the lives of the unchurched persons in your community. Just as we need to exegete Scripture, we need to be able to exegete our community. At least 80 percent of every county in the United States is unchurched. How well do you know the lives of that 80 percent in your area? Without knowing their lives, how will you effectively minister to them? After sharing this with a church the pastor asked how he could know what the lives of the unchurched were around them. This church was in the middle of a residential area with houses surrounding the church building. I looked at him and responded, "Walk up and down the streets and talk to the people you meet. Go into the local cafes for a coffee or lunch and talk to the people there." He looked at me like that was something he had never considered!
There is a book called Never Eat Alone, Expanded and Updated: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time. It's a book about networking, building relationships, to help one be more successful in business and life. What's true for careers is also good for ministry. The more time we spend with others the better we will be able to speak into their lives.
Monday, July 13, 2020
Staying true to biblical teaching
The church faces many challenges in the coming years, but I believe one of the biggest challenge will be to stay true to biblical teaching. In our PC dominated world today anything that doesn't fit with the beliefs and values of the majority are challenged and often resisted. We regularly see conservative speakers uninvited to speaking engagements because a vocal minority rise up in protest. Business owners who do not toe the PC line are threatened with boycotts and worse. GOYA is only the latest to feel the wrath of liberal politicians, celebrities and other left-wing radicals who want to destroy this Hispanic-owned food company.
Some denominations and churches abandoned biblical teaching years ago in an effort to appease the PC crowd. Those who continue to hold to biblical authority can expect pressure to conform its teachings and values to that of the unchurched community. We must resist that pressure even though there may be a price to pay in doing so.
The Bible is the Word of God. It is authoritative in everything it says. No church, no denomination, no individual has the right to change its message. Rather than changing the message to match the lifestyle, we need to change our lifestyles to match the Scriptures.
One of the reasons we see the chaos and difficulties in our nation today is that we have drifted far away from those biblical teachings. Without absolute truth and absolute morality everyone is free to do whatever they please, and as we have seen in recent months that can only lead to chaos, division and lawlessness.
Our pulpits must be faithful to preach the truth of God's Word without apology. Not everyone will like that, and that may include some of our strongest leaders in our churches. For me, if I am given the choice of offending God or the chairman of the deacons with my preaching, I'm going to offend that deacon. The worst he can do to me is cause me to be fired, but I would rather experience that than have to stand before God and explain why I failed to stay faithful to His Word. We must love people enough to teach them the truths contained in the Scriptures.
The church stands in a unique circumstance right now. Many churches who began to broadcast their worship services during the pandemic reported that their viewership exceeded their normal worship attendance. That tells me that our current situation has caused some people to seek answers to their questions about what is happening in our world. These are individuals who hunger for truth and want something solid upon which they can base their lives. The Gospel provides that firm foundation, but they will only know that if we are faithful to proclaim it to them. If all we can offer is spiritual mush that comes from some denominational office or a concoction that contains a lot of humanistic philosophy and personal opinion that is hooked to a Bible verse to give it credibility, they will not hear what they need most.
Pastors, commit yourself to boldly preaching the infallible Word of God. Lay leaders, encourage your pastors to do so even if it makes you uncomfortable at times. The Word of God has been silent too long in too many churches. It's time to change that.
Some denominations and churches abandoned biblical teaching years ago in an effort to appease the PC crowd. Those who continue to hold to biblical authority can expect pressure to conform its teachings and values to that of the unchurched community. We must resist that pressure even though there may be a price to pay in doing so.
The Bible is the Word of God. It is authoritative in everything it says. No church, no denomination, no individual has the right to change its message. Rather than changing the message to match the lifestyle, we need to change our lifestyles to match the Scriptures.
One of the reasons we see the chaos and difficulties in our nation today is that we have drifted far away from those biblical teachings. Without absolute truth and absolute morality everyone is free to do whatever they please, and as we have seen in recent months that can only lead to chaos, division and lawlessness.
Our pulpits must be faithful to preach the truth of God's Word without apology. Not everyone will like that, and that may include some of our strongest leaders in our churches. For me, if I am given the choice of offending God or the chairman of the deacons with my preaching, I'm going to offend that deacon. The worst he can do to me is cause me to be fired, but I would rather experience that than have to stand before God and explain why I failed to stay faithful to His Word. We must love people enough to teach them the truths contained in the Scriptures.
The church stands in a unique circumstance right now. Many churches who began to broadcast their worship services during the pandemic reported that their viewership exceeded their normal worship attendance. That tells me that our current situation has caused some people to seek answers to their questions about what is happening in our world. These are individuals who hunger for truth and want something solid upon which they can base their lives. The Gospel provides that firm foundation, but they will only know that if we are faithful to proclaim it to them. If all we can offer is spiritual mush that comes from some denominational office or a concoction that contains a lot of humanistic philosophy and personal opinion that is hooked to a Bible verse to give it credibility, they will not hear what they need most.
Pastors, commit yourself to boldly preaching the infallible Word of God. Lay leaders, encourage your pastors to do so even if it makes you uncomfortable at times. The Word of God has been silent too long in too many churches. It's time to change that.
Friday, July 10, 2020
Don't play "Follow the Leader" when the pastor goes to another church
One Sunday when I was a pastor, our youth minister announced at the start of the service that he was leaving for another church. As soon as he said that, two of our youth got up and walked out of the building, never to return. It was not easy to preach after that!
Anyone who has been involved with churches for very long has seen similar things happen. A pastor leaves the church, and some people start to leave as well. Sometimes, it is planned. Some pastors consider this church planting. As a Resource Minister I worked hard to get a pastor a severance package from the church when he resigned under pressure. A couple of weeks later I received a call from a very angry church leader who told me the former pastor was starting a church in the community and using the church directory as his prospect list. I tried several times to call this pastor, but he refused to accept my calls or return them. Highly unethical. In another situation, a music minister left the church, and for the next several weeks nearly the entire choir met with him at a nearby lake for worship.
Often, the former pastor moves far enough away that the people don't follow him or her. They just leave the church. Perhaps they came to faith under this pastor's ministry, or they developed a close relationship with the pastor. Now that the pastor is gone they have no connection to the church. This is unfortunate because we are not supposed to follow a person; we are to be followers of Jesus Christ.
Pastors come and go. It always amazed me how surprised church members can get when their pastor leaves. Every pastor is a departing pastor from the first day he or she begins. Whether the pastor leaves vertically or horizontally, unless the Lord returns, that pastor will one day leave. But, Christ is always there at the church. Where two or three are gathered, He is there. If our eyes are upon Him, as they should be, the pastor leaving should have no impact on our relationship to the church.
I pastored one church for twenty years. The last four weeks I was there I tried to remind everyone that they should not look for another pastor like me. (I doubt they could have found one anyway!) As I explained to the congregation, if God wanted their next pastor to preach like me, to minister like me, to act like me, He would have left me there. They needed a pastor with different gifts than I had.
One of the things I often recommended to pastors when they were seeking placement in another church was to move far enough away that no one would be tempted to follow them. While pastors need to be sensitive to God's leading, I think this is sound advice. Taking another church in the same community or the same association or district invites the problem of people following the pastor to the new church. Personally, I think we do our former church and its new pastor a disservice if we do that.
It's perfectly acceptable to grieve over the loss of a beloved pastor, but please do not attempt to follow him or her to their new place of service or leave your church when the pastor moves. Your gifts are needed where you are.
Anyone who has been involved with churches for very long has seen similar things happen. A pastor leaves the church, and some people start to leave as well. Sometimes, it is planned. Some pastors consider this church planting. As a Resource Minister I worked hard to get a pastor a severance package from the church when he resigned under pressure. A couple of weeks later I received a call from a very angry church leader who told me the former pastor was starting a church in the community and using the church directory as his prospect list. I tried several times to call this pastor, but he refused to accept my calls or return them. Highly unethical. In another situation, a music minister left the church, and for the next several weeks nearly the entire choir met with him at a nearby lake for worship.
Often, the former pastor moves far enough away that the people don't follow him or her. They just leave the church. Perhaps they came to faith under this pastor's ministry, or they developed a close relationship with the pastor. Now that the pastor is gone they have no connection to the church. This is unfortunate because we are not supposed to follow a person; we are to be followers of Jesus Christ.
Pastors come and go. It always amazed me how surprised church members can get when their pastor leaves. Every pastor is a departing pastor from the first day he or she begins. Whether the pastor leaves vertically or horizontally, unless the Lord returns, that pastor will one day leave. But, Christ is always there at the church. Where two or three are gathered, He is there. If our eyes are upon Him, as they should be, the pastor leaving should have no impact on our relationship to the church.
I pastored one church for twenty years. The last four weeks I was there I tried to remind everyone that they should not look for another pastor like me. (I doubt they could have found one anyway!) As I explained to the congregation, if God wanted their next pastor to preach like me, to minister like me, to act like me, He would have left me there. They needed a pastor with different gifts than I had.
One of the things I often recommended to pastors when they were seeking placement in another church was to move far enough away that no one would be tempted to follow them. While pastors need to be sensitive to God's leading, I think this is sound advice. Taking another church in the same community or the same association or district invites the problem of people following the pastor to the new church. Personally, I think we do our former church and its new pastor a disservice if we do that.
It's perfectly acceptable to grieve over the loss of a beloved pastor, but please do not attempt to follow him or her to their new place of service or leave your church when the pastor moves. Your gifts are needed where you are.
Thursday, July 9, 2020
Baseball as it is meant to be
This past week I've been in Atlanta watching my youngest grandson play in a 12u baseball tournament. He lives in Texas, and his team joined 75 other teams from 22 states to compete in this tournament. They won their first six games before losing in the semifinal game to the #1 ranked team in the US.
Yes, these 12-and-under teams are ranked, and play some amazing baseball. Many of these pitchers throw over 70 MPH with some hitting in the high 70s. With the shorter distance to home plate this would be the equivalent to fastballs coming in over 90 MPH. This was a level of youth baseball I've never seen. The hitting was just as amazing as the pitching with a number of home runs. To cap it off, I saw some incredible fielding as well.
What I enjoyed as much as anything was the passion with which these young men played the game. While the major leagues is dealing with union talks about resuming the season and playing with no fans in the seats, these kids are out there simply playing a game they love. There might not be a minor league season this year either, but there is a lot of good baseball being played in parks around the country by young men who are playing just for team pride.
It was also great being with our son and grandson for the week as well. Since they live in Texas, we don't get to see them as often as we would like, so getting to spend an entire week with them was wonderful.
In my last post before taking these days off I wrote about a pastor's self-care. This is an example of what that looks like. Taking time from the church to create memories with family and loved ones. The house we rented had a pool table so we played a lot of pool after the games. We tried new restaurants. We enjoyed the ball games, and it was nice for my wife and I to just relax away from the phone and get away from social media.
Practicing self-care, taking mental-health days, is good for you, your family and your church. Make sure you leave time in your schedule for plenty of such times.
Yes, these 12-and-under teams are ranked, and play some amazing baseball. Many of these pitchers throw over 70 MPH with some hitting in the high 70s. With the shorter distance to home plate this would be the equivalent to fastballs coming in over 90 MPH. This was a level of youth baseball I've never seen. The hitting was just as amazing as the pitching with a number of home runs. To cap it off, I saw some incredible fielding as well.
What I enjoyed as much as anything was the passion with which these young men played the game. While the major leagues is dealing with union talks about resuming the season and playing with no fans in the seats, these kids are out there simply playing a game they love. There might not be a minor league season this year either, but there is a lot of good baseball being played in parks around the country by young men who are playing just for team pride.
It was also great being with our son and grandson for the week as well. Since they live in Texas, we don't get to see them as often as we would like, so getting to spend an entire week with them was wonderful.
In my last post before taking these days off I wrote about a pastor's self-care. This is an example of what that looks like. Taking time from the church to create memories with family and loved ones. The house we rented had a pool table so we played a lot of pool after the games. We tried new restaurants. We enjoyed the ball games, and it was nice for my wife and I to just relax away from the phone and get away from social media.
Practicing self-care, taking mental-health days, is good for you, your family and your church. Make sure you leave time in your schedule for plenty of such times.
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Favorite books for the first half of 2020
With the shelter-in-place that's been in effect during much of 2020 I've spent a lot of time reading. This year I've done something I haven't done in the past. I've been reading a lot of fiction. More specifically, I've been reading books from the Star Wars story. Yes, I enjoy Star Wars so I decided to read some of the books rather than just watching the movies over and over again. What I didn't realize is that there are over 350 of them including young adult, ebooks, etc., and the list keeps growing. I doubt I'll get them all read!
However, I've also been reading non-fiction and thought since we are beginning the second half of the year I would share some of my favorite reads so far this year.
By far, my favorite read (based on the amount of highlighting and margin notes) is Salvation and Sovereignty: A Molinist Approach by Kenneth Keathley, a theology professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. As the subtitle indicates, this book looks at theology from a Molinist perspective. I found it very interesting as the author looks at the differences between Calvinists, Arminians, and Molinists regarding salvation. He replaces the TULIP approach of Calvinism with a ROSES approach.
I also enjoyed reading Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities by Roger Olson, a professor of theology at George W. Truett Seminary. This was probably the most helpful book for understanding Arminian theology that I have found. Olson is very kind to Calvinism but clearly addresses the myths many Calvinists believe about Arminianism.
No year goes by without me reading at least one book by John Maxwell. This year it was The Leader's Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders. This book discusses the importance for leaders to develop other leaders. This is a book that is greatly needed in much of the church world today as we in ministry do not always do a great job of developing leaders in our churches. Of course, it is equally important that all organizations invest in leadership development. This was a good read.
Sometimes in our efforts to help others we actually do them harm. This is the thesis in When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. They emphasize that good intentions are not enough. Churches have to find ways to provide assistance to those needing it without making them dependent upon that assistance. Every church with a ministry to the poor should read this book.
The final book I'll mention is It's Dangerous to Believe: Religious Freedom and Its Enemies by Mary Eberstadt. Most Christian leaders understand that we are facing religious freedom challenges today that we've not seen before in America. The author points out how recent laws and court decisions as well as the attacks on many university campuses towards Christian viewpoints are serious threats to religious freedom. I found this book very enlightening.
I would recommend each of these books to any church leader.
However, I've also been reading non-fiction and thought since we are beginning the second half of the year I would share some of my favorite reads so far this year.
By far, my favorite read (based on the amount of highlighting and margin notes) is Salvation and Sovereignty: A Molinist Approach by Kenneth Keathley, a theology professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. As the subtitle indicates, this book looks at theology from a Molinist perspective. I found it very interesting as the author looks at the differences between Calvinists, Arminians, and Molinists regarding salvation. He replaces the TULIP approach of Calvinism with a ROSES approach.
I also enjoyed reading Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities by Roger Olson, a professor of theology at George W. Truett Seminary. This was probably the most helpful book for understanding Arminian theology that I have found. Olson is very kind to Calvinism but clearly addresses the myths many Calvinists believe about Arminianism.
No year goes by without me reading at least one book by John Maxwell. This year it was The Leader's Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders. This book discusses the importance for leaders to develop other leaders. This is a book that is greatly needed in much of the church world today as we in ministry do not always do a great job of developing leaders in our churches. Of course, it is equally important that all organizations invest in leadership development. This was a good read.
Sometimes in our efforts to help others we actually do them harm. This is the thesis in When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. They emphasize that good intentions are not enough. Churches have to find ways to provide assistance to those needing it without making them dependent upon that assistance. Every church with a ministry to the poor should read this book.
The final book I'll mention is It's Dangerous to Believe: Religious Freedom and Its Enemies by Mary Eberstadt. Most Christian leaders understand that we are facing religious freedom challenges today that we've not seen before in America. The author points out how recent laws and court decisions as well as the attacks on many university campuses towards Christian viewpoints are serious threats to religious freedom. I found this book very enlightening.
I would recommend each of these books to any church leader.
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