tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23658143816571539792024-03-28T23:35:40.992-04:00Bivocational MinistryA community for all bivocational ministers and the churches they serve.Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.comBlogger2160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-61189438002239662212024-03-28T10:01:00.000-04:002024-03-28T10:01:32.280-04:00Easter Sunday<p> I want to invite everyone who does not have a church home to join us at North Madison Baptist Church, 1906 Orchard Street, Madison, IN for our Easter service. Our worship service begins at 10:30. The Bible is clear that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith. It is no surprise that Satan has done everything possible to cause people to doubt that Jesus rose from the grave. In my message I will prove why it is reasonable to believe in His resurrection and why it matters. We would love to see you.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-78827460050358752402024-03-27T13:31:00.000-04:002024-03-27T13:31:46.805-04:00Dealing with unrealistic expectations in ministry<p> The first of the Four Spiritual Laws reads that "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." Someone has changed that to read, "God loves you and everybody has a wonderful plan for your life." This is especially true for those us serving in ministry. Your church may have a job description for the pastor, but if you are serving in a church of 100 people there are 100 different job descriptions you are expected to meet. We seldom get into trouble for not meeting the official job description, but many pastors have got into trouble by not meeting the other 100.</p><p>In yesterday's post I addressed the need for pastors to find balance in their ministries and their personal lives. But, how does one do that with so many expectations that people have for their pastor? When some of these expectations are unrealistic it makes it even more difficult.</p><p>As a young pastor I struggled to tell anyone no. That got me in a lot of trouble. I was soon like a stray dog at a whistler's convention. I didn't know where to go or what to do next. Eventually, I became better at telling people no. I couldn't attend every event people wanted me to attend. I couldn't make every visit someone thought I should make. Some requests made no sense. Our small, rural church had a Sunday morning and evening service. About 55 attended the morning service, around 12-15 came on Sunday night. A lady asked about starting a Wednesday night service, and I told her we would not do that until the evening service attendance matched the morning attendance. She responded that we would probably never have a Wednesday night service, and I told her she was probably right.</p><p>Some readers might think that serving a church of 55 people shouldn't have been that much of a deal, but at the time I was bivocational working full-time in a factory and working on my college degree. It was a big deal if I wanted to maintain any sense of balance in my life.</p><p>Where do these unofficial job descriptions come from? Somewhere in these person's lives a minister met those expectations, and it was assumed that all ministers would in the future. Dr. Phil says that we teach people how to treat us. I believe it's true. When we agree to something that is outside the boundaries of what we should be doing we are creating expectations, not only for our future but also for the future pastors who will serve there. </p><p>Every pastor will have people come with ideas for new ministries. They usually want the pastor to lead these ministries. What many pastors now do is to affirm the idea and suggest that since God has given them the idea for this ministry they are the best person to lead it. Our role is to equip and resource you (Eph. 4). Then ask, how can I help you get this started. You will often find that these folks will really run with this, and your church will have a new ministry that is being led by someone else.</p><p>Our challenge in many traditional churches is that the members were brought up at a time when the pastor did lead everything in the church. We have to begin to correct this wrong concept of ministry. Our role is to equip and resource, not lead everything. Our members will never become disciples if they are only expected to sit and give. We have to teach them that God has called them to do ministry, and our role is to help them in that endeavor. If we do this well, we will change the expectations that people have for the pastor and help prepare the church for a more healthy future.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-24984067592887931022024-03-26T10:25:00.000-04:002024-03-26T10:25:07.816-04:00Balancing the work of ministry<p>I sometimes like to tell people that pastors are invisible six days a week and incomprehensible on the seventh. It usually gets a laugh, but it does point out something very real about pastoral ministry. Many people do not know what we do, and this makes it very easy for a pastor to fall into two errors.</p><p>One is pastors can become rather lazy. As a resource minister with our judicatory I once had a pastor who played golf 4-5 days a week. He couldn't understand why people in the church had a problem with that. I finally told him one day that he needed to decide if God had called him into ministry or if he should get his PGA pro card. He left that church in less than a year and took a position as an associate pastor in another church. At a seminar one day his senior pastor confided to me that he could not get that young man to do anything without being told. I told him his associate was like an old Harley-Davidson. You had to kick start him to get him going.</p><p>This young man is an extreme example, but it is easy to let pastoral duties slide. Most of the time people do not know where you are or what you are doing. They assume you are ministering somewhere to someone, but nobody really knows. This can be true for those of us who have been in ministry for some time. The old sermon barrel can look pretty comforting even though those old sermons may not really be applicable today for your church. Some of those old messages can be repeated, and some of them probably shouldn't have been preached in the first place, but using them saves a lot of time in preparing a new message.</p><p>The other extreme are those pastors who work too much. A fully-funded pastor can easily work 50-60 hours a week, and some work more than that. Once you exceed that 50 hour mark you are probably sacrificing time that should be spent elsewhere...like maybe with your family. I realize that some weeks may require more hours than that. There are unexpected events such as hospitalizations and funerals that can take more time in a given week, but when pastors regularly schedule too many hours on their calendar, there is a problem.</p><p>When I served as a pastor I scheduled family time on my calendar. A date night with my wife was a weekly occurrence, and it was written on my calendar. If someone wanted me to do something during that time I told them I already had an appointment for then. There was never a problem. If a true emergency came up, then we would reschedule the date, but this seldom happened. I had set times for reading and sermon preparation, and I tried to protect those times from those who just wanted to see the pastor for a few minutes. (Have you ever noticed that people who have nothing to do want to do it with you?)</p><p>Every pastor needs to find a balance in his or her ministry. We have been called by God to an exciting, fulfilling task, but it is not a task that should consume our every waking minute. Even Jesus took time to go off by Himself and rest and pray. Many pastors could have avoided burnout if they had just created more balance in their lives and ministries.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-7296718231841729902024-03-22T13:49:00.000-04:002024-03-22T13:49:56.364-04:00Leading change in a small church<p>I told our congregation recently that no one likes change except a wet baby. They all laughed because it's a funny line and because it's true. Congregations do not like change, and neither does the pastor for that matter. Change is often hard and always challenging. It's easier to keep doing what makes everyone comfortable, but this seldom leads to growth. People do not grow by doing what they've always done and neither do churches. When pastors serve a church that is change-resistant or has not experienced any change in a long time, what is the best way to proceed? S-l-o-w-l-y.</p><p>This a challenge for me. Patience is not one of my spiritual gifts, but I have learned that anything important that needs to change in a church will take much longer than I think it should. Some pastors get too far ahead of their congregations which can lead to an early exit.</p><p>One important thing to remember when leading change is to start small and let the church get some wins under their belt. When that small change is accomplished, celebrate before moving on to the next challenge.</p><p>In my first church we needed to do something that would cost the church about $1,600.00. The church did not have that much money so we began raising the funds for the project. It took us a year to raise $1,600.00, but we were able to do the project. The congregation felt good about their success so we were ready to move on to the next project that needed done. Guess what, that one would also cost &1,600.00. We were able to raise it in about 9 months. Now we had two small victories that we could build on which we did. More changes were introduced into the church, most of which were successful leading to a more positive image the church had of itself.</p><p>Notice I said most changes were successful. Some of the ones we attempted failed, but because we had more victories than losses, those losses did not have a negative impact on the church. We were able to look at it as an effort to change something that didn't work without feeling defeated.</p><p>The second thing to remember when introducing change is to create a sense of urgency. Failing to create a sense of urgency is one of the major reasons most change efforts fail. There must be a reason for the change, and the more urgent the reason the more likely the church will support it. If there is no urgency, it becomes easier to put it on the back burner for another time.</p><p>Change does not have to have an negative impact on a church. When properly presented pastors often find their people are not as change-resistant as they might have thought.</p><p> </p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-71255915388813987862024-03-21T12:48:00.000-04:002024-03-21T12:48:47.967-04:00The permission giving church<p>For too long there has been a disconnect in many churches regarding ministry. It has long been thought that the ordained minister in the church is the minister. Every ministry was done by the trained professional while the congregation watched, took notes and made sure the minister knew when he or she had failed. However, that is not the biblical understanding of ministry. Ephesians 4 makes it clear that the congregation is called to do ministry, and the ministerial staff's role is to equip them to do ministry. For this to occur, the congregation must be given permission to do ministry.</p><p>Here is how this would work in the ideal church. A member of the church would feel that a specific ministry was needed. Perhaps it would be a ministry to unwed mothers, or single mothers or to those caught up in addictions. In a permission giving church, this member would discuss this with the pastor or staff who would then help that member begin such a ministry. Maybe this specific ministry has never been done in the church before, but that doesn't matter. If the person presenting the ministry has the spiritual gifts and the passion for the ministry, then he or she must be given permission to begin that ministry. The pastor's role then, according to Eph. 4, is to equip and resource this individual.</p><p>Think of the impact this mindset could have on the church. New ministries could begin in the church that are lay-led by people who feel a passion for the ministry. How might this impact the growth of the church? More importantly, how might this impact the growth of the Kingdom of God?</p><p>One of our responsibilities as pastors is to help people identify their spiritual giftedness. Many believers cannot tell you how God has gifted them for ministry. There are many resources that can be used to help them identify their gifts. Once those gifts have been identified, the next question has to do with their passions. What would they like to do in ministry? What gets them excited? When the giftedness and passion match needs in the community, they can be encouraged to begin their ministries.</p><p>Some pastors will feel threatened by this. Having been trained in seminary that they are the minister, some pastors will not want to give up ministry to untrained lay-people. Perhaps they will make mistakes. So what? I don't know any pastor who has done everything perfectly in his or her ministry, so why not give permission to our laypeople to make mistakes as well. My guess is that they will make fewer mistakes if we are faithful in our equipping roles.</p><p>I encourage every pastor reading this post to begin challenging your people to pray about how they can best serve God. I like to remind people that their baptism was their ordination to ministry. Let's quit simply asking people to serve on various committees in the church and begin asking them to consider how God has gifted them for ministry and what they feel passionate about. Let's encourage them to work in those areas of giftedness and passion. </p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-54846655162701882772024-03-20T13:38:00.002-04:002024-03-20T13:38:24.374-04:00The pastor's family<p>When I began my pastoral ministry in 1981 I met with an older pastor in our association. He was telling me about some of his experiences in ministry. One that he struggled with was his relationship with his family. He said his children seldom came to see him because he had ignored them so much while doing ministry. He further admitted that his wife nearly had a nervous breakdown, and he wasn't even aware of it until later. His pastoral work took precedence over his family.</p><p>Sometime later I was sitting before an ordination council. This pastor was on that council. A question was asked about my ministry/family priorities, and I explained that my family would come first. He challenged that comment which was confusing to me. He had admitted several months earlier the decisions he had made concerning his family and the negative impact they had on his relationship with his family, and now he is suggesting I should make the same decisions!</p><p>Years ago pastors were often told by denominational leaders and others to focus on your ministry, and God would take care of your family. IMHO, that is one of the dumbest things I ever heard. Scripture is clear that if one does not provide for his family he is worse than an infidel. Nothing in that passage says anything about pastors being excluded.</p><p>Your church has probably had many pastors before you, and if the Lord tarries, it will likely have many pastors after you. But, you are the only husband or wife your spouse has. You are the only father or mother your children have. You have an obligation before God to meet the needs of your family. One statement I have often made to pastor groups and to churches is that I will not sacrifice my family on the altar of ministerial success.</p><p>Part of this is that I have never placed expectations on members of my family because I was a minister. When my kids were growing up I told them that they did not have behave a certain way because I was a pastor; they should do the right thing because it was the right thing. When one church commented that my wife would be the head of the church's mission circle, I told them she would not. My wife prefers to not be in leadership roles, and part of my responsibility is to protect her from the expectations of others. She is free to serve, or not to serve, in any area of church life she wants.</p><p>Churches can place unrealistic expectations on the families of their pastors. We cannot allow that to happen. When beginning a new ministry, the minister needs to make it very clear to the church the roles his or her family will play in the church. </p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-20022874422162635892024-03-19T08:58:00.000-04:002024-03-19T08:58:58.701-04:00Contrasting worship<p> Back in the mid-1980s I went to Haiti for a mission work trip with a group from our Region. The first several days we worked to rebuild a youth center that had been burned. For a couple of days we toured some of the mission efforts our denomination supported: a hospital, a seminary, an agricultural center and others. Each of them had an impact on me and others in our group. But, for me, the greatest impact came from two worship services I attended.</p><p>The first was a 7:00 AM service held in Creole in one of the churches we sponsor. When we arrived, the building was already full. They were in the process of building on to the back of the building and only had the rafters and roof over that area. People were sitting in the rafters! People were seated on the platform around the pulpit, not in chairs but on the floor. People were moved from the front pew so their mission guests would have a place to sit. The singing was lively. When the offering was received, those who were tithing were asked to come forward and place their tithes in the baskets. (Try that in your church!) When they finished, the ushers were around to receive the financial gifts from others. The service last about 1 1/2 hours. As we were leaving, people for the 10:00 service were already arriving, many carrying chairs from home to ensure they would have a seat.</p><p>The second service I attended was that evening at the missionary compound. It was done in English and was similar in many ways to what I was used to. What struck me was the prayer right before the message. The person prayed for the church in America. He prayed that the church's eyes would be opened, that people would be moved from their apathy, that the churches would have a burden for those who were lost and hurting. As he prayed, I was deeply ashamed. These men and women had sacrificed so much to fulfill the work to which God has called them. They were doing incredible things with very limited resources while our churches were doing very little with abundant resources. </p><p>It is my understanding that due to the current political climate in Haiti our missionaries have relocated to the Dominican Republic and working with Haitian refugees who have fled there to escape the turmoil in their country. They continue to work long, difficult hours with still limited resources. I ask you to pray for them, and for all missionaries around the world.</p><p>I also want to ask you to consider what your church is doing to address the spiritual emptiness felt in many lives in your community. If your congregation committed to seeking and saving those who are lost? Is it externally focused or internally focused? Do you do ministry from a mindset of abundance or from a scarcity mindset? I have worked with hundreds of churches over the years, and I've heard all the excuses why they can't do more. Reflecting back this evening on my time in Haiti I'm reminded once again that they are just that, excuses. Unfortunately, I have to confess that I've made the same excuses in the past.</p><p>Scripture tells us that God gives seed to the sower. He does not give seed to the hoarder. If we are on mission with Him, He will give us all we need to accomplish the work we've been given to do. When we are on mission with Him, then we will be free to worship in spirit and in truth as I experienced in Haiti.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-16947880529306784192024-03-18T09:17:00.000-04:002024-03-18T09:17:25.050-04:00The mission field around your church<p> Approximately 100 churches in North America close their doors each week. Many of these are smaller churches. For years, they have watched their congregations grow smaller and grayer. Income dropped as the attendance decreased. It became increasingly more difficult to find pastoral leadership. Often, savings accumulated over the years was depleted in an effort to keep the doors open as long as possible. Eventually, the lights were turned off for the last time.</p><p>The question that must be asked is: why? Why did the church have to close? One report I've read is that a minimum of 50 percent of the people in every county in the United States is unchurched, and in some counties it can be as high as 90 percent. We now know that the United States is the largest English-speaking mission field in the world surpassed only by India and China. Churches do not close due to a lack of work that needs to be done; they close because they have lost their vision for ministry.</p><p>When a church's primary focus is on survival and not mission it is well on the road towards closing. God never intended His church to be concerned about surviving. The church is called to mission, and if a church has no mission beyond survival it has ceased being a church. It may be an organization that meets weekly to sing songs, pray and hear a message, but it is no longer a church.</p><p>Many struggling churches may not have to go more than a mile from their building to find enough unchurched people to double their membership. The problem is that they do not know the people who live within a mile of the church. The larger problem is that those people do not know that church exists.</p><p>Back when I first began serving as a regional minister I was scheduled to meet a pastor search team from one of our churches. The small church was located in a rural area. Other than an initial sign on the highway, there were no signs directing anyone to the church. This was before GPS devices were common. I was hopelessly lost and even stopped at two houses to ask if they could direct me to the church. Neither family was familiar with the church. It was now dark, and I was already a half-hour late for the meeting. I decided to turn around the first place I found and try to find my way back home. The place I found to turn around in was the church parking lot. That church was no more than a mile from either of the houses I had stopped for directions!</p><p>Your church is in the midst of a growing mission field, but those individuals are not going to come to you. For too long, we've unlocked the doors of our church buildings on Sunday morning and said, "Y'all come." Nobody came. The Great Commission tells the church that we are to GO into the world and tell people about Jesus. In order to do that, we've got to connect with our mission field, build relationships with them, and earn the right to tell them about our Lord.</p><p>How can you best do that in 2024? I encourage you to discuss that in your next leadership meetings.</p><p><br /></p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-51177778306605285762024-03-14T09:19:00.002-04:002024-03-14T09:19:26.803-04:00The challenge of ministry in traditional churches<p>So much of ministry depends on traditions. Older pastors, like myself, were taught to do ministry a certain way that may have applied to people in previous generations and in previous contexts. I recently blogged about ridding my library of a lot of books. Many of them reflected the thinking of the past and were really outdated for the 21st century. (Some were outdated for the 20th century!) When I told someone I had tossed them into a dumpster I was asked why I didn't give them to a young pastor starting out. I responded that they would be of no value to that young pastor or to the church he or she might lead.</p><p>Existing churches struggle to find pastoral leadership, especially smaller and mid-size churches. One reason for this difficulty is that many younger pastors want to serve in more non-traditional settings. They feel led to new church planting to avoid the growth-limiting traditions found in many existing churches. Some are drawn to churches after the planter leaves to start another church. Few desire to go to a 150 year old church with few or no young people. Others are unwilling to deal with the challenges of ministering to three or four generations who have different expectations of their minister. We may not agree with their thinking, but it is the reality that older, existing churches face.</p><p>Pipe organs, hymnbooks, liturgies, denominational Sunday school literature still meet a need for some people, but the numbers of those people decrease every year. One church with two services each Sunday, one contemporary and one traditional, see fewer numbers each year in the traditional service. A gentleman I know who attends the traditional service in that church asked me once what they could do to see that service grow in attendance. I responded that no one in that service is having babies, so the only way I knew of was for them to begin inviting their unchurched friends. He was not encouraged because his circle of friendships was growing smaller each year, and the ones who were left all attended churches. I imagine this story could be said of many churches.</p><p>I have read one church growth person who suggested that churches should close down after 50 years. I can understand his reasoning, but I don't think it's necessary. What is necessary is that churches, and pastors, may need to reinvent themselves to better reach the younger generations. This will impact how we preach, the music we use in worship, our worship styles, the way we structure the church, its outreach and discipleship ministries, and virtually every system in the church. Traditions that limit our ministry effectiveness need to be abandoned. Other traditions can be used as foundations upon which we can build new ways of doing ministry that will impact people's lives and the Kingdom of God.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-25648876494809511842024-03-12T09:14:00.002-04:002024-03-12T09:16:43.656-04:00The pastor's prayer life<p> <span style="font-family: times;">The Scottish pastor, Robert Murray McCheyne wrote, <span style="color: #404040; font-size: 16px;">“What a man is on his knees before God, that he is, and nothing more.” While this is true of all Christians, it is especially true for pastors. Unfortunately, many pastors, myself included, often find it difficult to spend the time in prayer we need.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #404040; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;">Young pastors sometimes feel they have been trained and equipped through their education to lead a church. While they may say they are committed to prayer and following God's will for their church, that is not always the case. They may be more committed to following the latest fad they learned from a book or a recently attended conference. Those with a CEO view of ministry may want to focus on management skills they've learned, and these skills can often lead to some success, but they do not necessarily take the church where God is wanting to lead it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #404040; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;">Older pastors may want to depend upon their experiences in ministry. The longer one is in ministry the more one learns, both good and bad. Those experiences can help both the church and the minister, but, again, they may not lead the church to the place God wants it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #404040; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;">It is only when we spend time in prayer seeking God's vision for our churches that we can move in the direction He wants. As I write this I must confess that I struggle here as much as many pastors I've met. Too often my life prayer has been an after thought. I've asked God to bless my plans rather than seeking His will. I've asked Him for guidance, and then went my own way without stopping to listen to His leading. I read about some of the great prayer warriors in ministry and then overload my schedule with things to do without setting aside time to pray and worship.</span></p><p><span style="color: #404040; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;">Anyone who has pursued a doctoral degree knows that there is a lot of reading required. When I was in my doctoral studies I marked time on my calendar for reading. I would set aside an hour or two at least once a week to devote to reading. It was on my schedule. I had an appointment. Why do we not do that with our prayer lives?</span></p><p><span style="color: #404040; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;">I find myself spending more time in prayer these days now that I've gotten older. Life really hasn't slowed down, but I find more time to pray. I'm glad, but I do regret the former years when I didn't pray as much as I should have. I can only imagine the blessings I've missed because of it.</span></p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-2434679794147501302024-03-11T08:46:00.001-04:002024-03-11T08:46:45.887-04:00The impact of a long-term pastor<p>A number of years ago a church went through another major conflict. Denominational people had to be called in to resolve the conflict. When things returned somewhat to normal one of the deacons addressed the congregation and stated, "We can never do this again."</p><p>One of the reasons for the problems this church had was they had a series of short-term student pastors from a nearby seminary. These pastors seldom stayed longer than 2-3 years which meant they were never leaders in the church. The real leaders came from the four primary families who made up the majority of that church. A member of each family had to be represented on every board and committee in the church. Unfortunately, these families were often at odds with one another. Sometimes there was turmoil within a family which also spilled out into the church. The pastors were helpless to address any of this and could only watch, and run, when conflicts rose up. To say the church was unhealthy would be an understatement.</p><p>The church finally called a pastor who was not a student. He accepted the role of full time pastor of the church. He was able to build relationships with each of the families. The people liked him and trusted him. More importantly, he stayed and eventually became the leader of the church. Each of the families were still actively involved in the church, but with a long-term pastor there was no longer a leadership void to fill. When problems occurred, as they will in any church, they were able to work through them because of the influence of their pastor. He has now served this church for over 30 years, and it is a much healthier church with a good ministry.</p><p>George Barna reported years ago that it takes a pastor between 3-11 years to develop an effective ministry in a church. I've stated elsewhere that it took me seven years in my church. It also had a revolving-door of student pastors who stayed for an average of 12 months. There was a huge leadership void in the church which resulted in many problems. After my 7th year as pastor, it began a significant turn-around and begin to enjoy a much more effective ministry. </p><p>Pastors are called to lead churches, but, except in the larger churches, they are not going to be given the authority to lead until the congregation knows they can be trusted. A congregation must first know their pastor loves them, and, secondly, that they can be trusted. Depending on a number of factors, that can happen within a short period of time or a much longer period of time. I can tell you that once a pastor crosses that trust threshold, ministry become much more enjoyable.</p><p>The problem is that pastors today stay at a church for an average of only four years. That number can fluctuate a little according to whose studies you read. But, if Barna's findings are correct that means that most pastors never stay long enough to earn the trust they need to lead the church. The pastor moves on, usually to a larger church, and the church is left wondering what is wrong with them that no one wants to stay and lead them.</p><p>I can hear someone now saying that some churches won't let a pastor lead, and I agree with that. There are a lot of toxic churches out there that do not deserve a pastor. When I served as a resource minister in our denomination there were a couple of churches in my area that I refused to help find a new pastor. I told them I would work with them to become a healthier church, but I would not sacrifice another good pastor on the altar of their dysfunction. Neither of them took me up on my offer to help them become healthier.</p><p>While there are toxic churches out there, there are also a lot of good churches truly seeking someone to come and love them and lead them. Once you earn their trust, you will be amazed at how they will allow you to lead them into the next phase of ministry. Yes, you can go to a larger church that someone else has grown, or you can have the satisfaction of seeing the church you now serve grow to become a larger church.</p><p>One of the mantras I've adopted in life is "It's always too soon to quit." I apply this to everything I do. I encourage you to consider this as you consider your next phase of ministry.</p><p> </p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-83990922690343463052024-03-05T10:12:00.000-05:002024-03-05T10:12:52.913-05:00The local church and world missions<p> March is the month that American Baptists receive the America for Christ offering. This money helps our denomination support various ministries in the US and Puerto Rico. A percentage also goes to each ABC region to help support their ministries. It is one of four special mission offerings the denomination receives each year. </p><p>In recent years there has been an emphasis on churches having a missional mindset. Such a mindset challenges churches to see their community as a mission field. This is appropriate, and I have challenged churches for years to develop this mindset. I encourage members of the congregation to stop seeing themselves as simply members of the church but to see themselves as missionaries gifted by God to impact their community. I also encourage them to stop seeing their church as merely a church, but to begin to see it as a mission station placed in the midst of a rapidly growing pagan culture.</p><p>Unfortunately, some churches, trying to adopt that mindset, no longer see the importance of global missions. Some have stopped giving to their denomination's mission work and diverted that money to local missions. I an aware of one church that had been giving approximately $12,000.00 a year to its denomination's mission work until a new pastor, who was not favorable to that denomination, convinced the church to spend that money to reach local youth. While reaching local youth is certainly a worthwhile vision, both could have been done. Local mission work and global mission support are not an either/or endeavor; it is both/and. Not only did the denomination lose the funding for mission work, the last I knew there was no increase in the number of youth attending the church.</p><p>I have long advocated that God honors churches that honor mission. The Great Commission not only challenges us to reach those surrounding our church, it also challenges us to reach persons around the world. God calls certain individuals to go to far-off places to share the gospel, but He calls each of us to help support that work financially. Some churches do that by supporting specific missionaries while others do it by giving to their denomination's mission offerings. Either way is acceptable.</p><p>American Baptists have four special mission offerings each year. These go towards different ministry objectives of the denomination, and each of them should be supported by ABC churches. Let's not tie the hands of those God has called to serve in a mission field by failing to support them with our prayers and our financial gifts.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-81835609537814066642024-03-04T16:30:00.000-05:002024-03-04T16:30:37.356-05:00The pain of a library purge<p> This past Saturday I endured one of the most painful experiences of my life. I began to purge my library. I'm far from complete, but the pain became almost overwhelming, and I had to put off any further removal of books for a later date. I could not bear trying to count the books, but I would estimate I eliminated between 150-200 in this initial effort.</p><p>What books did I eliminate? Some were simply outdated, and any attempt to use material from them would have been useless. Some were books from my college and seminary days that no one would ever use in the real world. A few books were purchased when I was doing regional ministry, and they were more appropriate as denominational and regional resources, but they were no longer needed by me. Several were books that sounded good, but when I got them I found out they were not really what I was looking for. That's one of the problems with Christian bookstores such as Lifeway going out of business. I could go in there and check out the books to see if they were something I actually wanted. Now, we order the books from CBD or Amazon based upon someone's recommendation or a review we read, buy it, and only then learn it isn't at all what we wanted.</p><p>You may be asking why I started getting rid of some of my books? A couple of reasons. One, I'm double-stacking books on my shelves, and my study is already filled with bookshelves. When you start double-stacking, there's a good chance you'll never see the ones in the back ever again. A second reason is I'm 75 years-old. I've got plenty of books left my wife might have to deal with when I'm gone. There's no sense in her having to deal with books I haven't used in 40 years</p><p>My reasons for disposing of books makes sense, but it doesn't make it any less painful for someone who loves books and loves to read. I have more books on Kindle and NOOK, but I seldom buy books for those devices anymore. I like to hold a book in my hands, highlight passages and write in the margins. I enjoy walking into my study and seeing shelves of books surrounding my desk.</p><p>My wife walked by a few minutes ago and asked what I was going to do with the empty selves. I responded I guess I'll have to fill them up again. She was not amused!</p><p>I'll wait a few days, gather some more boxes and start emptying some more shelves. By then, the pain should have subsided!</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-34758279953174357112024-03-01T13:07:00.002-05:002024-03-01T13:07:54.099-05:00The challenge facing Christian conservatives<p> Os Guiness points out in <i>The Global Public Square </i>that "In 2010, for the first time, the United States moved into the top sixteen countries of the world where there was a rise in both government restrictions and social hostility toward religion." That is a staggering announcement that shows how far we have come in America as a nation that was founded on Christian values and teaching to where we are today. Conservatives, both political and religious, are under increased attack by many of our political leaders and the "woke" crowd in Hollywood and throughout the nation. The Cancel Culture is doing all it can to silence conservatives in the public square, and the courts often support their efforts.</p><p>Maybe this is one reason we see fewer and fewer people attending our worship services. When so many in the media focus on negative happenings in the church world, and so many are arguing against the core values of the Christian faith, and so many are working to promote their progressive agenda and the courts are making legal the very activities the Bible teaches us is wrong, it become easy to understand why people fail to see the importance of faith and the church in their lives.</p><p>Recently, I was watching a documentary of Nazi Germany and saw the Jews forced to wear a yellow star on their back so everyone would know they were Jews. At the time, I wondered if the time would come when Christians would be forced to wear a cross on their backs to make it easy to identify them. Perhaps that is far-fetched. Perhaps not. We live in a society that is growing in its dislike for Christianity. I see things happening in our world that I never dreamed would ever happen. So maybe my thoughts are no so far-fetched after all.</p><p>We have yielded too much ground to the woke progressive crowd. We have allowed them to have a much louder voice than they deserve, and it's time we answer back. If we are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, then we need to make sure people know that. It's not enough to just proclaim it within our churches to those who already believe what we believe. The public square is as much ours as it is theirs, and it's time we reclaim our part of it.</p><p><br /></p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-76797064666805798282024-02-29T09:29:00.003-05:002024-02-29T09:29:51.961-05:00The importance of worship<p> John Maxwell once talked about one of his early Sundays in a new church. As he was preparing to deliver his message, the organist was playing a special. He found it especially sad and felt it set the wrong mood for the message he was about to deliver. As best as I remember the story, he invited the organist to lunch that next week and asked about the song he had played. He learned it was an 18th century funeral dirge. He then asked the organist if it would be possible for him to purge the urge to dirge.</p><p>Maxwell understood that worship and music sets the stage for everything else that happens in a worship service. I often define worship as that which allows people to encounter God in a way that is meaningful to them. Assuming that definition is correct, it presents a problem. In many churches there are usually four generations represented, sometimes five. Can each of those generations encounter God in a way that is meaningful to them in one worship service? I sometimes ask the question this way: How many people listen to the same music their grandparents listened to? The grandparents may have enjoyed Lawrence Welk; their grandchildren are asking Lawrence Who? Another question I often ask is how many people today are downloading pipe organ music from their Apple account?</p><p>Every Baptist church I know of in the area where I live have hymn books in their pew racks. They may not use them and instead project the words on a screen behind the pulpit, but it's the same songs that are found in the hymn books. Songs written in the 18th and 19th century filled with King James English, often with archaic words that have little meaning to postmodern people. For example, how many people know what "here I raise my Ebenezer" means? Yet, we sing it.</p><p>I struggle writing these words because I was raised singing the great songs of the faith. These great hymns are filled with sound theological teaching. I enjoy singing some of these great hymns, but I grow weary when they are sung with little to no feeling, when they are sung with no passion, no power. I remember once in a church where I was leading the worship that morning. We were singing "We're Marching to Zion," and the singing was so lackluster that I stopped after the first chorus and told the congregation we would never get to Zion at this pace. I urged the pianist and the congregation to sing with more enthusiasm.</p><p>As much as I love the old hymns of the faith, I also recognize that many younger people do not. They do not help that generation encounter God in a meaningful way. Rick Warren was correct when he noted that once we determine our music we will have determined the people our church is going to reach. He is correct. If your church is serious about wanting to reach a younger generation it will not do so by only singing the songs in your hymn book.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-67409892483339595552024-02-28T13:20:00.000-05:002024-02-28T13:20:28.536-05:00What is happening with bivocational ministry?<p> A friend recently asked if I had any new thoughts on the direction of bivocational ministry. I'm not sure that I do, but I do believe that the thoughts I've proposed in the past are even more valid today. The need for bivocational ministers is growing across denominations, and many denominations remain unaware of this need or have no idea what to do in light of the need.</p><p>In 2008 I took a sabbatical and questioned a number of denominational leaders about what was happening with bivocational ministry in their denomination. One leader confessed that the need was growing, and they didn't know what to do about it. I fear that has not changed. Nor has it changed in the seminaries. Few offer programs specifically designed for bivocational ministers. They continue to crank out graduates prepared to manage mid-size churches ignoring the fact that the median size church in the US has 75 in attendance. Many of these churches are struggling to find pastoral leadership, and few will be able to afford a fully-funded pastor in today's economic climate.</p><p>It appears that Lyle Schaller's prediction in his book, <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3IgQ4O8">Innovations in Ministry</a></i>, that by 2018 churches averaging under 120 in worship would be served by bivocational ministers or teams was correct.</p><p>One of the things that troubles me is that God is not surprised by this situation. I am convinced that He has called people to fill the role of being a bivocational minister in these churches. Why are more people not answering that call? One reason might be that no one is challenging them to consider such a call.</p><p>As a new Christian, I had only been a member of a church for a couple of years when our pastor asked me if I had ever felt God was calling me into the ministry. The fact was that I had felt that calling even as a young boy but had never pursued it. The fact that someone challenged me made me rethink that calling. I would suspect that most ministers reading this would affirm that someone challenged them to consider if God might be calling them into the ministry at some time in their lives. About a year went by before I asked the church if they would license me into the ministry which they did.</p><p>How often is anyone challenged to consider that God might be calling them into ministry today? We can't call someone into ministry. Only God can do that, but we can encourage people to consider that He might be calling them to do that. What they do with that challenge is up to them. There are a number of persons serving in bivocational ministry today because I challenged them to consider such a calling, and they are doing a great job leading their churches.</p><p>Regional and denominational leaders need to begin talking to their pastors about persons in their churches who might demonstrate gifts fit for ministry and begin talking to them about the possibility that God might be calling them to serve as a bivocational minister. Instead of automatically looking outside the church for a bivocational pastor, why not start the search by seeing if someone already a member of the church might serve that role. Seminaries need to recognize that today's church does not look like it did in 1950 and begin to prepare their pastors accordingly. Churches must take the initiative to seek qualified pastors themselves and not wait for or depend on their denomination to do this for them.</p><p>Those reading this post need to ask if you might be one God is calling to this ministry. Pray about it. Talk to your pastor, spouse and other mature Christian leaders. A church right now may be waiting on you to say yes to God's call on your life.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-71656918718674806412024-02-27T12:52:00.000-05:002024-02-27T12:52:15.296-05:00Sermon planning<p> When I served as a pastor I began planning my sermons out at least a month in advance. I had a title and a text which I would give our pianist who selected the music for each service. This gave her time to prepare a worship service that complemented the message. I am now serving my third church as the Transitional Pastor, and I have done the same thing in each of these churches. This allows for a better worship service because everything is connected.</p><p>Notice I said I have a title and a text. I know where I am going with the message, but I usually don't have the message prepared yet, but I can tell you it's much easier to prepare the actual message when you know what you are going to preach compared to when you get to Saturday night and you still haven't decided on a sermon for the next day. I've preached a few "Saturday night specials," and they aren't fun.</p><p>Eventually, I was able to plan out my sermons at least a quarter in advance. Again, this was just with a title and a text, but this helped me be even better prepared. For instance, when I pastored I would preach through a book of the Bible or a major section during the summer months. Knowing in advance which book or section I would cover enabled me to purchase needed commentaries or other Bible helps well in advance. This strategy also gave me an opportunity to explore a section of Scripture in more detail which, in turn, helped the congregation become better informed about what the Bible taught. An additional benefit was that it prevented me from skipping over the "hard" teachings of the Bible. Let's face it, there are some passages many preachers would just as soon avoid, but when you are committed to preaching through a biblical book you can't avoid those passages. (For total transparency, I still have not preached through the Song of Solomon.)</p><p>There are still some ministers who insist they never prepare their sermons in advance but depend upon the Holy Spirit to direct their words when they stand to speak. I've heard a few of those sermons, and I would not want to blame the Holy Spirit for them. Listen, He can lead you in preparing your messages a month in advance the same as He can lead you in preparing them on Saturday night or Sunday morning.</p><p>While I am a big advocate for planning your preaching in advance, I recognize events may require the minister to change the schedule. For instance, the Sunday after 9/11 I did not preach the message I had planned for that Sunday. Instead, I prepared a new sermon that addressed the events of 9/11 and tried to speak to the fears and concerns many people had at the time. Here is where the Holy Spirit can lead us in a different direction, and it's important that we are sensitive to that leading.</p><p>Whether one is a bivocational pastor or a fully-funded pastor, he or she struggles with time constraints. Planning your sermons in advance is a great way to save time in your busy schedule. While it takes time to plan a preaching schedule, you will save much more time by doing so.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-72796145599210684492024-02-26T12:40:00.000-05:002024-02-26T12:40:45.892-05:00Churches just need to say no<p> While serving as a Transformational Pastor of a church I did a walk though of the building one day. During this walk through I think I counted about 8 pianos in various rooms, none of which were being used. In countless churches I've seen numerous couches "donated" to the youth ministry. Perhaps the worst thing I witnessed in one church was a Sunday school room with shag carpet that had been donated by a family who had replaced the carpet in their home. Rather than disposing of the carpet, they had "donated" it to the church.</p><p>Churches need to say NO to such donations. No, we don't need your piano that you cannot sell. (I do not accept pianos in my auctions because no one will buy them.) No, we don't want our young people to have to sit on your old couch that you have decided to replace because it's broken down and dirty. Let the furniture company take it and dispose of it. No, we definitely don't want your shag carpet! And, no is a complete sentence.</p><p>I cannot tell you how many churches I've seen cluttered with "donations" from well-meaning church members. These out-of-date, dirty "donations" make the church look trashy. Can you image what a new guest will think when they walk into their Sunday school class and see orange shag carpet on the floor? There's a good chance you won't see them again.</p><p>Many churches need to bring a commercial dumpster on the property and have a major spring cleaning. Toss the pianos, the flannelgraphs, the craft items from 1984 VBS programs, and all the other clutter that has accumulated since the Civil War into the dumpster. And when people come wanting to "donate" their unwanted items to the church, just say no.</p><p>You can thank me later. </p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-89546943257434466922024-02-23T12:08:00.000-05:002024-02-23T12:08:19.781-05:00Don't quench the Spirit<p>I recently had an interesting thought the other day. How would most of the churches I know handle an outpouring of the Holy Spirit as the early church did in Acts 2? I would imagine many of them would call an emergency meeting of the pastors and deacons to discuss how to control this unprecedented event in the life of their church. Surely, they would reason, people must understand that God doesn't do things like this any more. This is nothing but pure emotionalism. The age of miracles is over. Speaking in tongues ended when that which is perfect had come. Everything must now be done decently and in order.</p><p>I've heard all these arguments all my Christian life. I've heard it from pastors, from denominational leaders, from seminary professors and from lay leaders. I've heard all the proof texts that "prove" this is not the way God works today. What I've not seen is 3,000 people saved in one day as a result of the Holy Spirit moving in a powerful way. I've not seen the church adding daily all those who are being saved. I have not seen a bold church that would not be stopped by the political forces that are determined to stop the spread of the Gospel.</p><p>My tribe (Baptists) do not spend a lot of time focusing on the Holy Spirit. I think we're afraid of Him. I think we recognize that He cannot be controlled. He might disrupt the order of our worship service as it's listed in the bulletin. Heaven help us if someone wanted to get saved before the pastor gave an invitation. (I'll help those who might be wondering: that was sarcasm.) </p><p>Actually, that fear is real. The Holy Spirit cannot be controlled. He can be quenched. The Spirit will not come where He is not welcomed. He will not force Himself on anyone. But, once He is invited into our midst He will not be controlled. He is God. We do not tell God what He can and cannot do.</p><p>I often pray that the Holy Spirit will have free reign to do whatever He wants to do in our church. I invite Him to move throughout our congregation and address every need anyone might have. I am not afraid of an outpouring of the Holy Ghost in our church. I welcome it. I can preach the Word of God and invite people to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but the Holy Spirit is the one who truly transforms lives. He is the one who brings people to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the one who brings real transformation.</p><p>I want to see lives transformed, and only God can transform lives. How incredible it would be to see 3,000 people saved in a single day, and only God can do that. Come Holy Spirit. Fill my life. Fill our church with your presence. Come in all your power, touching and transforming lives.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-80899532186332178922024-02-22T14:26:00.002-05:002024-02-22T14:26:43.692-05:00Reaching people for Jesus Christ<p>Across denominations we know baptisms are down. Churches are dying. We are told young people are no longer interested in attending church services, and people in general have little interest in Christianity. This, despite the fact that we are also told that people in the 21st century tend to be more spiritual and are seeking spiritual truth. The problem is they do not believe they will find what they are seeking in the traditional church.</p><p>Wait a minute! Churches are actually growing in South America, the Philippines and Africa. In fact, they are growing at an incredible rate. Here is the US there are churches that are experiencing tremendous growth, not by stealing sheep from other churches, but by regularly helping unchurched people find a relationship with Jesus Christ.</p><p>A church I sometimes watch on You tube announced at their New Year's Eve celebration that in 2023 they led over 2,200 people to faith in Jesus Christ and baptized 381 individuals. I have attended this church while on vacation and, like I said, I sometimes watch the services online. I am amazed at the number of young adults and teens in that church. The number of small groups overwhelms me. The energy in their worship services is unlike anything I've experienced before. Why are they able to reach young people, celebrate with joyful worship each week, preach doctrinally sound messages each Sunday and lead so many people to faith in Jesus Christ when we are constantly being told none of this is possible today in America? I've decided the answer is really quite simple: They intentionally plan on doing each of these things.</p><p>They recognize their mission is found in the Great Commission. They do evangelism on purpose. Not by knocking on doors or passing out tracts, but by demonstrating Christ in everything they do. Their worship calls people to faith in Christ. In fact, the pastor often invites people to receive Christ as Lord and Savior, not at the end of his sermon, but at the close of the worship time. When many churches are moaning about how it's impossible to reach teens and young adults, they are doing it. When churches go for years without seeing one person come to Christ, this church is seeing over 2,000 people a year come to faith. When some church's baptisteries have cobwebs growing in them, this church is baptizing several hundred people each year. Again, they are intentional is sharing the gospel, and they expect people to respond.</p><p>The great pastor Charles Spurgeon was once confronted by one of his students who was concerned about his lack of converts. He admitted to Spurgeon that he had been preaching for months and had not seen a single conversion. Spurgeon asked the young man if he really believed that God was going to save souls every time he opened his mouth. The young man responded, "No sir." Spurgeon then responded that was the reason the young man was not seeing people saved. If he had believed, the Lord would have given the blessing.</p><p>Until we believe that people will respond to the Gospel and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior it probably isn't going to happen in our churches. Until we become committed to fulfilling the Great Commission we will continue to lose this current generation. Until we become intentional about sharing our faith with those who do not yet know Christ, we will never see souls saved.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-18645873848137735342024-02-21T06:42:00.001-05:002024-02-21T06:42:43.292-05:00Knowledge of the gospel<p> I recently had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine that eventually began addressing the spiritual understanding of many who call themselves Christians. He and I both shared a concern that many Christians lack an even basic knowledge of God, the Gospel and basic doctrines of the faith. We were not questioning their love of God or their salvation experience. We were concerned that their understanding of Christian teaching seemed to be shallow. I agreed it would be very difficult for many Christians to explain to someone else what they believed which is why a majority of believers are reluctant to share their faith with others.</p><p>Why is there such a lack of awareness of basic Christian doctrine? Certainly, there is no shortage of material available to explain biblical teaching. Churches continue to dot the landscape. Although many of them have abandoned the faith, there are still many who remain faithful to preach and teach the truth. So, what's the excuse?</p><p>As noted above, some churches have abandoned the teachings of Scripture and now teach the philosophies of men. They offer little more helpful suggestions about life. Other churches, even holding to sound doctrinal beliefs, fail to teach those beliefs to their congregations. These churches seek pastors who will tickle their ears (2 Tim. 4: 1-4) with encouraging messages. These churches continue to provide milk and not meat to the congregations resulting in them remaining babes in Christ (1 Cor. 3: 1-3).</p><p>However, even in those churches that do provide sound doctrinal teaching, the typical church member often isn't present to hear it. According to the Pew Research Center, only 36% of adult Christians attend church services once a week or more while another 33% attend once or twice a month. A typical sermon may last 30-45 minutes with many pastors preaching shorter messages than that. Many churches see fewer and fewer adults in their Sunday school classes. How does one expect to learn sound biblical doctrine when they are exposed to it for 30 minutes a month?</p><p>In some parts of the world it is illegal to own a Bible, and being found with one can lead to one's death and the death of his or her family. Forget about owning Bible commentaries or other books to help one learn more about God and Christian teaching. Yet, in this country many homes have multiple copies of the Bible which are never read. We have access to tens of thousands of resources to help us understand our faith better which also gone unread by the majority of believers. </p><p>People leave churches with the excuse that "the pastor isn't feeding us." That may be the case, but it also may be the case that they never show up when it's feeding time. And, how about feeding yourself? Adults should not have to depend on someone else to feed them.</p><p>Receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is only the first step in our walk with God. The next step is becoming a disciple of God, and when we can only grow in our discipleship when we begin to grow in our knowledge of Him, His Word and His will for our lives.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-68593377291357740632024-02-20T09:30:00.000-05:002024-02-20T09:30:04.971-05:00Jimmy Carter<p>Last night I read an article stating that Jimmy Carter had been in hospice care for one year and was alert, aware of events going on and doing as well as could be expected. He is now the longest living president at 99 years old. His wife of 77 years passed away just a few months ago.</p><p>Carter was, in my opinion, not one of our strongest presidents. The country suffered under his leadership, but historians will have to decide how much of that was due to his leadership and how much of it was beyond his control. Presidents get blamed for a lot of things that they really do not control, and they often get (take) credit for good things that happened in spite of their leadership. A hundred years from now historians will be in better shape to point out the positives and negatives of Carter's presidency. We do know that the country begin a quick turn-around when Ronald Reagan became president limiting Carter to a one-term presidency.</p><p>However, Carter was a much more inspirational leader after he left the White House. His work with Habitat for Humanity inspired many people to pick up a hammer and make a difference in their communities. He received a statesmanship award for his work in improving relations between the US and China. He established the Carter Center which monitored elections around the world. I have no doubt that historians will find that his greatest accomplishments occurred after he left the White House.</p><p>Jimmy Carter was also probably the most religious and moral president this nation has ever had. Perhaps one of the reasons his presidency wasn't more effective was that he refused to play the political games common in Washington. He couldn't be bought, and, to my knowledge, he refused to compromise his religious convictions. That alone sets him apart from the corrupt and immoral politicians that thrive in Washington, DC. In this age of compromise in which we live he should be an example to us all.</p><p>Jimmy Carter continued to teach his Sunday school class in his home church after leaving the presidency. I wonder how many ex-presidents became Sunday school teachers after leaving office. He may be the only one. During his campaign he was not hesitant to talk of his faith, and he certainly lived it during his presidency and afterwards. If someone seeking the highest office of the land was not reluctant to speak of his faith, why are we so hesitant to do the same?</p><p>America would be better off with more people like Jimmy Carter, a man unashamed of his Christian faith, a man who not only spoke of that faith but lived it every time he swung a hammer building a home for someone else. He not only followed the Prince of Peace, he worked for peace both inside and outside the White House. His life should be an example to each of us who name Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. </p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-78700872260553020352024-02-19T08:56:00.004-05:002024-02-19T08:56:29.601-05:00Turn your life around<p> Dr. Tim Clinton was one of my doctoral professors at Liberty Theological Seminary. He is a professor of counseling and pastoral care and the president of the American Association of Christian Counselors. The class I took under him focused on family care. About half-way through the first class day I asked if this material was offered in any other degree program than the DMin. He answered it was not, and I said that was a shame because I had learned more in two hours about ministering to families than I had learned in my entire life. I have since bought several of his books and found each of them very beneficial.</p><p>In <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3ON3Xr0">Turn Your Life Around </a></i>Clinton discusses about how our past can and does keep us from enjoying life to the fullest. We all know that life does not always turn out the way we had hoped. Marriages fail, people lose their jobs, the economy falters, illness takes over one's life, and the list goes on. At these transition points in a person's life they have to make some choices. Some will choose to rise above them and move forward with their lives. Others will fall into addictive behaviors that can have destructive consequences.</p><p>We have become an addictive society. We usually think of addictions that involve drugs, alcohol, sex, pornography, gambling and the like. But in today's world people also can become addicted to technology, shopping (retail therapy), work, power, the pursuit of success and wealth, and this list goes on as well. Even religion and serving in a church can fall into this line-up of addictive behaviors. Clinton notes that each of these are often attempts to replace the God who disappointed us by allowing the bad things to come into our lives.</p><p>The good news is that anyone who finds themselves in this path of destructive behavior can be set free. This freedom, Clinton believes, can only come when we develop healthy attachments to God and to other people. Just because one is a Christian does not mean that he or she enjoys a healthy attachment to God. For many Christians, God is Someone they think about on Sunday mornings but seldom at any other time. What marriage would work if a spouse only thought about his or her partner one hour a week? That relationship would surely not survive, or, at least, it would not be the kind of relationship that would help one through difficult times. Clinton offers some helpful suggestions for how to grow in our attachment to God.</p><p>There's more good news. Clinton writes, "I should warn you that true transformation usually occurs in the middle of pain and life's adversities." True change in one's life is often found in the painful times in our lives. I don't know about you, but I do know this is true for me: I have grown much more during hard times than I ever did when everything was going well. </p><p><br /></p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-35130428659532245222024-02-13T10:39:00.000-05:002024-02-13T10:39:04.844-05:00The church as missionaries<p> The church in North America, as we know it, is currently involved in a major transition. For the past two or three decades we have believed that we were still at the center of life for most people. That wasn't true, but we preferred to believe it was. As a result of our confusion, we were surprised that our numbers were decreasing as well as our impact on society. Many were challenging our mistaken beliefs by pointing out that the traditional church was dying, but many of us refused to listen. Our refusal to listen has resulted in approximately 100 churches in the US closing its doors every week.</p><p>We failed to recognize that God was calling His church to once again become missionaries into its community. America is no longer a Christian nation, if it ever was. We are a rapidly emerging pagan society (my favorite way of looking at our nation today) that desperately needs missionaries to proclaim the eternal gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that connects with our current generation.</p><p>This will require that we explore new ways of understanding the life of the church in today's postmodern world. We can no longer hide behind the walls of our "sanctuaries" singing our hymns and praying the same prayers we have prayed for years and believing we are doing the work of the Kingdom. I am convinced that in 2024 God is calling His church to become missionaries to the communities in which it serves. This means that today's church must reinvent itself.</p><p>First, we must stop thinking of ourselves as simply churches that gather once a week, listen to a sermon, sing a few songs and return home inspired to eat lunch. Churches today must begin to see themselves as mission stations placed in the midst of this rapidly emerging pagan society to proclaim the saving message of Jesus Christ. Likewise, church members can no longer be content to view themselves as just members of a church but to recognize that God has called them to be missionaries in their community. God has given them spiritual gifts that are to be used to minister to others, and every member of every church must begin to use those gifts as missionaries.</p><p>Secondly, we must recognize that the culture we are called to reach is often much different than the one in which we were raised. The music is different, the worldview is different, the beliefs about truth and morality are different, the way they pursue spirituality is different. We can complain about these differences or we can adjust how we minister to this younger generation in a way that recognizes these differences.</p><p>Throughout church history the music has undergone many changes. Most traditional churches that sing from their hymnbooks fail to recognize that some of those songs were quite controversial when they first appeared. Many traditional churches today want to protect traditional hymns from being replaced by more contemporary music and fail to realize that these traditional hymns were once viewed as a scandalous attempt to replace "true" Christian worship. That fact is that there are many great worship songs today that will speak much more to today's culture than the ones written in the 1800s found in our hymn books.</p><p>Any time a missionary enters a new mission field, he or she must adapt themselves to that culture. That is not compromise; it is a simple acceptance that they have entered a new culture. They must learn to eat new food, listen to the music preferences of the people, learn new languages, identify the cultural practices of the people and learn how to best present the Gospel to this mission field in light of what they have learned.</p><p>The church in North American can do no less if we are to be faithful to our calling to reach this current generation.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2365814381657153979.post-24721948391029691102024-02-12T08:54:00.000-05:002024-02-12T08:54:22.549-05:00Training for bivocational ministers<p> About the second or third month of my time as a Regional Minister in our Region our Executive Minister notified me that we had a training program for lay leaders, and it was part of my portfolio responsibilities. He further said, "It's broke, fix it."</p><p>I scheduled a meeting with the committee that oversaw that program and soon learned why it was broken. After a couple more meetings we determined it was broken beyond repair and needed to be replaced with something new. Some of the people left the original committee, and I was able to bring new people on board. After several months we developed the Church Leadership Institute, a two-year program of study for anyone in a church leadership position. We set a date for starting the program, and decided if we had 10 people register we would consider it a success. That first class began with 30 people registered!</p><p>When the first group neared the end of their two-year program they kept asking, "What's next?" We went back to the drawing board and designed another year of classes making 15 classes total if someone wanted to complete all three years.</p><p>Although the program was originally designed for church lay leaders, we found many of our bivocational pastors began taking the classes as well. In fact, for those who completed all three years we awarded them a Diploma in Pastoral Ministries. Many of the bivocational pastors in our region received their training through our CLI program. We even had the occasional bivocational pastor from adjacent states attend our program driving three hours each way to attend classes. By any measure, CLI was a tremendous success for our region. But, it has ended.</p><p>Our region has entered into a partnership with Kairos University-Sioux Falls Seminary to provide leadership training for our pastors and lay leaders. A former colleague of mine is the dean of this program so I know it will be highly successful. I don't know why the region made the decision to switch from CLI to this opportunity, but I know it was done for the right reasons.</p><p>It's been an interesting few months since learning that CLI, which was such an important part of my ministry when I served as a Resource Minister, was being replaced. While I know all things come to an end and need to be replaced by something better, I also know how it feels when changes are made in a church that makes the current members uncomfortable. I'm currently serving as a Transitional Pastor in a church that needs to make a number of changes. I know exactly how some of that congregation will feel when changes are made because I know what I felt seeing CLI ended.</p><p>I want to make something very clear. All things must come to an end. CLI served its purpose for its time, but when something better came along it was right to make the change. For anyone invested in something, that change can be hard. We pastors who want to come in and change things need to understand that. We sometimes complain that people are being difficult when we try to make needed changes; we need to understand they are not being difficult, they are hurting. Something meaningful has been taken from them. While they may understand the need for the change, that doesn't make it any less painful.</p><p>The good news is that our region continues to provide training for its bivocational ministers and lay leaders. While I have not talked to anyone from the region, I assume this is open to anyone who wants to enroll in this training. I could encourage you to check out that web page for the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky to learn more about the program. There are also a number of schools such as Campbellsville University that also offers an educational program for bivocational ministers. </p><p>When I began as a bivocational pastor in 1981 these types of training opportunities were very limited. Now that many of these are online, there is no reason that every bivocational pastor doesn't take advantage of the oppotunties.</p>Dennis Bickershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09632447492918233808noreply@blogger.com0