Meeting Together

So we are in the beginning stages of launching a new small group ministry at Mt Oak. The question is, what makes it new? What is it that will distinguish this year's small group ministry from previous years? How will we overcome the issues that were faced in the past? How will we overcome any inertia in people that makes them resistant to meeting in a small group?

A while ago I wrote about the McDonaldization for church and how some pastors my try to reproduce exactly what another church does with their congregation - the problem with this is that God may not have called them to be that other church - they need to do what God has called them to do. How does this apply to small groups you may ask, well, we would like to create a model for small groups at Mt Oak that will be followed by all groups even though the subject matter that each group is discussing/studying may be different.

So what is the model? It is a simple one and consists of 4 things to do each week as well as an outward focus where the group reaches out to their friends or community.

Worship - each week every small group will have some form of worship. Worship is not just about singing, it is about taking time to focus on God and tell Him how much we love Him. Worship can accomplished with singing, with meditation, through art or painting (always fun to do in small group) or just reading a passage aloud. Whatever way each group does it, they must do worship - worship connects us to God. It is important.

Word - there should be some form of bible study or devotional study. Some groups may use a book they are corporately reading, some may study a book of the bible, others may do topical studies and prepare them each week. There are loads of resources available - DVD series, video podcasts that can be shown on the TV, access to teaching material is not a difficult. Let's make disciples by studying the Word.

Prayer - each group will be encouraged to keep a prayer journal and to record the things they pray for and also the ways in which God answers their prayers. How encouraging is it to hear that God has met a need or fixed a situation? Shouldnt we be celebrating those things? Small group is a place where personal prayer can easily occur and celebration of God's power can also be done.

Witness - each group should be looking for ways to grow - numerically and not just educationally. Personal invitation to a small group is a key way to bring people into a church and introduce them to Jesus. Each of our groups needs to develop an outward focus - and each focus can be different - as long as it forces us out into our community.

We can do this, we just need to stop saying stuff like, "We have never done it that way before" and "I dont know if I like that" and just get on with it and do it. It has been my experience that even though some people may not have used this model before, once they do try it they will find their groups come to life.

Let's make it happen

Who Influences You and Who Do You Influence?

Influence is the measure of your ability to persuade others to take an action.

I read this line and started thinking about influence. Influence is one of those abstract concepts that affects every one of us each and every day however it is incredibly difficult to measure and quantify. Through reading a piece of written work such as this blog you yourself will be influenced - however each person that reads this may be influenced in a different way. Our ability to influence people is not just dependent on the things that we say and/or do, but it is also dependent on where those who we influence are in their lives at the time we come into contact with them.

Let's take a simple way that people can be influenced. Have you ever tried a recipe for a meal that you had at someone's house? Well, you were influenced. The meal you had was so good that you went out, bought the ingredients and attempted to recreate the meal yourself. If we can be influenced in simple things like sharing recipes then how can we influence people into the Kingdom?

Maybe it is easier than many of us think. I watch my kids and I see things that I do or that my wife does being mimicked by them. We have influenced them. I see them do things that their friends in pre-school do. They have been influenced. I wonder if by just living our lives we actually have the ability to influence people towards the Kingdom. Could it really be that simple? For many of us when we think about introducing people to a relationship with Jesus it seems so difficult. It seems to us that we need to know the right things to say and the right things to do all the time and to be ready for that special moment. I wonder if it isn't a lot simpler than that. I wonder if we just live our lives unashamedly will people see what we do and be influenced?

I heard a story this evening of how we have influenced people in another state. This week there is a group of young people camping at their church and going into their community to reach out to those in need in a StreetReach venture in Pennsylvania. Dione's brother in law is a youth pastor at his church and he was so influenced by what he heard that we had done here that he is in the middle of their first StreetReach Mission week.

That got me excited ... and to be honest a little frightened. If we can have such a strong influence for good then that is great. It scares me though that I may have had an equally strong negative influence on someone somewhere.

"The secret of my influence has always been that it remained secret."
Salvador Dali

How Young Do You Need to Be to Change a City?

I haven't written in a couple of weeks. There are two reasons for this: last week was vacation. A vacation from the computer, from the internet, from the phone. A time to spend with my wonderful family - uninterrupted time.

The week before that was spent with a fabulous group of missionaries taking time each day to reach out to a hurting city through practical acts of kindness. On Sunday July 12th a group of 40 young people assembled together, set up camp and prepared for a week of service projects at homes in what to many could be considered as a wealthy, middle class city. What is not as readily apparent to most people is that behind the shiny veneer that many people put up, behind the front doors of many of the homes in this city are untold stories of pain, and heartache, and disease and death. This city did not take long to travel to for most of our team, in fact, for 95% of the team this city is where they call home. July 12th - 18th was our 2nd annual StreetReach mission week into our own city. We set up camp, real tents, organized work crews and for the entire week we served, served, served. we worked in 40 different homes during the week from small jobs like planting trees, to complete yard transformations and removal of fallen trees. Our team worked their hearts out. They smiled as they worked, they sang as they worked and they even prayed as they worked. Throughout the entire week they showed the people of our city that God loves them.

The whole point of StreetReach is to take the love of Jesus out to a hurting world and to show people through acts of kindness that they are special in the eyes of God and that He loves them.

I think that through the week I was most impressed with the attitude of our team. They just got up each day and set themselves to serving. They rarely grumbled, they rarely argued. There were an increasing number of water breaks taken as the week progressed, but they served their hearts out.

I think that the thing that caused me most concern through the week was that we still did not seem to engage the adult church much. Sure there were a large amount of youth that were engaged, but I was struck by the lack of adults who came out to serve for a even just one day. There were a few, but most days the adults could be counted on one hand. Maybe I just need to accept that people have limited vacation days and taking one to help out on StreetReach just is not a priority. Or maybe the adults don't know how much they are actually needed. This year we were very limited in terms of our adult (over 18 yrs) volunteers. We had 4 who were there every day. we even had to ask one of our adult youth leaders to sleep in the camp and then go to work each day because we needed an adult female to stay in the camp. We only had 3 people old enough to drive the vans we were donated, thankfully we only had three vans. It became very apparent to me that we need more adult help for next year. If we grow next year to the same extent that we did this year then we have to have more adults.

How do we engage people over the age of 25 to get involved? How do we get this demographic to join the youth and truly have the whole church actively involved in reaching our city with the love of Jesus? Over the next few weeks I need to consider how to reach the adults in our church to engage them to reach out with the youth.

Do You Want Fries With That?

I dont know how much time you spend thinking about your church. I spend a lot of my thought time contemplating how we can continue to transform our church into an effective function body of believers who have a heart for the poor and the lost and who are willing to step outside of their comfort zones to reach their city. This can be a very disheartening endeavor but it can also be a very rewarding endeavor.

Recently I have had a few people write to me or contact me with suggestions as to how we can improve our Sunday morning services. Now dont get me wrong, I am open to hear people's opinions and ideas, but having weighed the suggestions that I receive from everyone with what I believe God would have us do on a Sunday morning I make decisions and set our services up. I dont pretend to get everything right all the time and I am very much aware of the responsibility that I carry and the judgment that awaits in heaven for those in leadership.

I think the thing that has recently frustrated me is the attitude of some to 'have it their way' with regards to our worship services. We have become a society that has everything our way and that is it. When Burger King was looking for a way to carve out a little more of the fast food burger market from McDonalds they decided to give their customer choice. Now you go to a fast food burger chain and get your burger without pickle and tomato. McDonalds kept making burgers the way they always did, and the customer had to remove the pickles and tomatoes themselves. In the church across America, and also to a degree here in Mt Oak, it seems that we are developing an attitude of 'Want it your way'.

When 300+ people gather together there are going to be differences in style and taste, especially in things like music, or message content or message length. Yet at what point do we trust our leadership? At what point do we trust that those whom God has placed in leadership might have a good sense of how our services should run? I dont think that the leadership should be left to their own devices and not be willing to hear suggestions, but I do think that when those decisions have been considered in light of all of the other factors that leaders hold in tension and decisions are made where some people dont get it their way then there should be some willingness of the people to trust and follow those in the lead.

Can you imagine how our Sunday services would look if we did everything that everyone wanted to do. If we became the Burger King of churches where everyone got their Sunday services how they wanted then I doubt we would be very effective. God has called us to be a body with Jesus as our head. can you imagine the confusion if your left arm wanted McDonalds, your right arm wanted Burger King, your left leg wanted Subway and your right leg wanted Chik-fil-a? YOu would end up paralyzed as each part pulled in its own direction. The same thing can happen to a church. We can be paralyzed as each group pulls in its own direction.

Is it time to follow the leaders and trust that they are doing their best to stay in step with the Lord?

I think so.

The Most Beautiful Girls In the World

Last week I spent the entire week relaxing, playing, laughing, swimming, floating, fishing and having a great time with three of the most beautiful girls in the world. As the week progressed I found myself at different moments with each of my girls realizing that I have been blessed beyond belief with these three precious treasures.

It wasn't in the big things, it was the little things. It was the way Emma would look me straight in the eye, smile her wry little smile which just melted my heart with love for her. That look which for her may have meant something else, but for me I believe was just unconditional love of a daughter for her daddy.

There was the moment when a little hand just reached out for mine as we walked along and held on tight. There was no request from me, no need to hold hands for safety, but Cara just wanted to walk with her daddy and hold hands. As I looked down at this beautiful little girl I once again was reminded of the tremendous blessing that God has bestowed on me.

There was the moment when I looked across at my beautiful wife, Julie, who was sitting on the boat with Cara's head resting in her lap as we slowly headed towards the sunset after a perfect evening of fun and laughs.

Each day there was one moment after another. Nothing big or great, but each little thing which would melt my heart once more. Even the stuff that often can be frustrating would somehow become sweet. The sticky fingers and faces covered with melted marshmallows, or covered with chocolate ice cream or covered with ketchup. It didnt matter what the mess was, behind the mess there were looks of love, looks of acceptance, looks that reminded me once more how blessed I am.

As we returned home there were still more moments when Cara would say something silly or Emma would sing a worship song to herself, or Julie would challenge my thinking on something I had been reading. Again, no major life changing flash, but each moment enough to challenge me on how much I return the love to my beautiful girls. Each moment a challenge to be the head of the household in every aspect, and that means I need to give out more hugs, more kisses, more praise, more encouragement, more prayers, more support for each of my girls.

My prayer has become that God would give me the strength to be the dad that He has called me to be. That I would have the wisdom to be the husband that God expects me to be. That I would love more and be slow to anger. My prayer is that God would knit our family together with bonds of love that cannot be broken, regardless of what comes our way.

This week was supposed to be about relaxing and recharging as we/I prepare for a couple of busy weeks of church service.

This week was actually about me falling in love with my girls all over again. Don't get me wrong, I never fell out of love with them, but this week was a week when my love for them deepened and God showed me the specialness of each of my girls.

To Julie, Cara and Emma - I love you with everything that I have. You are my treasures, you are my inspiration, your are my loves. I pray that God would richly bless each of you in the calling on your lives and bless us as a family as we seek to do His will.

Choices

This coming Saturday two very special people have the chance to make a choice that will change both of their lives forever. Sean and Janelle will be asked the most important questions of their lives and their choice is simple - "I do!"

We all have choices that we make every day. There are simple choices - like which radio station to listen to in the car on the way to work, and there are more difficult choices - like donut or muffin? Seriously though, we all make choices every day.

I would like to challenge us all to make some choices that will potentially have wide reaching effects. I would like to challenge us all to choose to get fully involved in the things that are going on at Mt Oak over the next few weeks. We have such an exciting opportunity to reach out to this city that we live in, but there is one thing that is holding us back - US. The biggest hindrance to the advancement of the Kingdom of God from the time of Jesus until now is not the Lord and His willingness to move, it is our choices and our decision to make ourselves available to be used by God or not.

As I write this I have a sense that this posting may cause some offense, and please hear me when I say that this is not my intention. I do not want to guilt anyone into action nor do I want to upset anyone, but I do want to bring the reality of the choices that we make and place it right in front of us for everyone to consider.

I know that for some, the idea of talking to people, or even walking and praying through a neighborhood is a scary thing. In fact, I am sure there are some of our congregation who have already chosen to attend another church on July 12th rather than take part in Amazing Sunday. I want to encourage you to reconsider that choice. I want to encourage you to choose to join with us as we reach out to a hurting city.

I want to encourage you by telling you that last Sunday we had all the kids up on the stage at the end doing actions to our closing worship song. Among those kids was one little boy who you probably did not recognize. Now dont feel bad that you dont know all the kids, because for this little boy the only person in the congregation who knew him was his mom. You see, this little boy who was up on stage trying to follow Babette as she led the kids in hand actions was a first time visitor. His mom met someone at the StreetReach booth at Bowiefest and she made a choice - she chose to come to church.

Last Saturday we had a small team walk through the P section dropping leaflets at doors. People who made a choice to come and serve. On Monday morning Milford received a call in the office from a resident on Pinelake Lane asking for help with some yardwork.

A simple choice to stand beside a booth and hand out information led to a new family visiting our Sunday service. A simple choice to walk through a neighborhood and hand out leaflets led to a connection with a new family and a chance to serve.

As you look at your schedule over the next few weeks what choices will you make? Will you choose to take your family out of town on Amazing Sunday weekend or will you choose to stay in town, come to Mt Oak and reach out to the city. During the VBS will you choose to stay at home in the evenings or will you choose to come and serve as a helper or will you choose to invite your neighbors along?

Its your choice.

Busy-ness is a bad business

I got sick last week - and I am still sick. Here it is the middle of June and I have what feels like the flu, and it wont go away. The funny thing is that I know why I got sick. Without fail the main reason why I get the flu is that my body is screaming for a break. It is crying out for some rest and some time to just do nothing. I find that hard to do, but have done my best this week to have a 'quiet' week. What is strange to me is that in this, my 'quiet' week I have worked in the clinic two afternoons, presented a poster at a National Conference for PT's, had a meeting to discuss my research agenda for the next year and a half, talked with church staff about some significant changes, had two meetings at church and had a softball game canceled due to rain.

Aside from these few items on my to-do list this has been a quiet week. I have had 3 mornings at home and been able to do absolutely nothing - which I must admit feels a little odd.

When I say that I am doing nothing at home that is not really an accurate statement. With our Summer StreetReach mission only a few weeks away we are busy organizing and planning. This is a busy time, but it will all be worth it. One more week of busy-ness until we have a week away as a family - and that will truly be a week of down-time.

So here is to hard work, and here is to looking towards good rest.