It seems to me the latest trend is renaming your small group to something spiritual to convey its purpose more clearly for your own people and for outsiders looking in. I’ve heard Life Groups, City Groups, Community Groups, House Church, and the trendiest I know is missional communities.
I think some form of small groups is the only way for the church to exist beyond a Sunday morning. Our church began with Community Groups, but realized they were really only good for Community, but ended up leaving the church impotent when it came to mission. We adopted Missional Communities (Simply Defined: Community of believers on mission to expand the gospel in their spheres of influence) a few year ago.
The issue we’ve faced is the default for Christians gathering over the last 10 years has been Bible study which often accomplishes much needed knowledge of the scriptures and develops community. But bible studies often fall short of driving people toward mission and sending them. Because this is the default mode for most Christians, we continue to wrestle with how to train leaders and remind them the gospel demands outward expression through evangelism and service.
What does your church do? Do they have small groups in some form? If not, how is community developed? What about mission? How is the gospel applied daily in the lives of people who attend?
I finally have something to post that I actually think is worth writing and reading. I have been a bit down on blogging lately, but give me some time and I will turn the corner.
Here’s what I got:
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I often think of Mark Driscoll’s advice to pastors about life insurance. If I remember correctly, he has a policy of a million dollars or more that pays out to his church if something were to happen to him. His thinking behind that decision, in my words, is that he wants to be a blessing, not a curse, to his church – even in death.
“A blessing, not a curse, even in death”
That phrase changes my approach to a lot of things … it changes the way I think about building ministry and teaching discipleship. It changes the way I think about planting churches. It changes the way I think about where my money goes (well at least it should).
It changes the way I think about dying.
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Beth and I are about to be gone from home, traveling in Israel for ten days. There is something about being gone from your baby for ten days that really gets your attention, because it’s a big deal.
It’s a big deal and you feel the weight of it – the responsibility of parenthood … the responsibility of “what if”.
First and foremost among those “what ifs” is “what if Beth and I die together and leave Abbey behind?”
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“A blessing, not a curse, even in death.”
We all get the idea of leading our families spiritually, but how do you bless and shepherd your daughter if your dead?
The only way I know to less my daughter in death is to, practically, make sure she is provided for financially after my death and, more importantly, to make sure she is raised in a family that will love her, care for her, parent her, instruct her, and live in such a way that the gospel is paramount to everything.
It’s not an easy thing to deal with the reality that your life is not promised to your child, to your wife, to your church – but we’ve got to deal with it and do what must be done to shepherd our family.
“A blessing, not a curse, even in death.”
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Practical questions:
- do you have a will that puts forth your desires for your family, should you die?
- do you have life insurance that will pay out adequately and provide for the needs your family will have after you are gone? (enough that your wife would have to go to work to pay the bills? enough to provide for future needs & plans you have for your family’s good?)
- do you have a family in mind that would parent your children the way you hope to parent your children? does this family know you well enough to know how to care for your child? do they know you well enough to raise your child with a lot of bedtime “I remember when your daddy and I …” stories?
- have you written anything, videoed anything, let anything behind that, should something happen, let your children know how much you love them and how special they are to you?
- do they have something to read or watch over and over as they grow old? something that will comfort them and give strength to them? something that will allow them to hear your love for the gospel from your own lips? your hopes for them from your own lips? your prayers for them?
How will you be “a blessing, not a curse, even in death?”
I have the pleasure of working in a cubicle environment that I share with 50 people who I spend more time with during the week than anyone else. This presents quite a bit of opportunity to get to know each other and share the events and happenings of life with one another.
The biggest challenge I’ve faced is knowing how and when to share the gospel in the workplace. It seems awkward and is very easy to avoid, as religion and politics are often frowned upon conversations. Yesterday though I had the opportunity to go with a co-worker to deliver food and gifts for a Christmas family that my department adopted.
While we were returning from delivering the presents and dinner, we ended up talking about a conversation that we had together about a month ago regarding a fiction book she was reading involving engagement and marriage. The conversation had stuck with her and made her think about what she was reading and caused her to pick up a Christian fiction book. At the end of the conversation she asked me if I was raised to live this way, basically allowing me to share my testimony and the gospel.
As I reflected on it last night, I came to two conclusions.
First, I realized how much workplace evangelism and even evangelism with our neighbors is a progressing conversation rather than a one chance conversation. I have often thought I must present the gospel and ask them to believe by faith in Christ in the first conversation we have (which may be necessary if you think you’ll never see them again). It’s been encouraging to see that my conversations about a myriad of Christian topics and beliefs have made a lasting impression enough to further the conversation toward Jesus.
Second, our secular environment, both in the workplace and in our neighborhood, rarely involves purposeful conversation, but often hinges on surface topics and television shows. This allows for deep conversations to be more meaningful and lasting since they are rare in our secular world. The opportunities are great for believers to be intentional in developing relationships with the secular world that open to deeper issues and great impact.
The harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. We must be dressed in readiness because the opportunity may surprise you, but it is always joyous.
What has evangelism looked like in your contexts? What have you learned?
Ministries of Mercy by Tim Keller is a book that has completely changed my perspective on the poor and ministry to the least of these. It’s opened my eyes to how the gospel demands a response that extends the mercy I have received to the poor who need it as well.
I believe it is a must read for anyone leading a group of Christians because it refines your understanding of the gospel you embrace.
One of the things it revealed in me was that Republican policy had defined my approach to the poor rather than the Word of God. It was incredibly convicting that I would act as a judge of who deserves mercy and who is undeserving of mercy by their acts and lifestyle. This attitude is not a reflection of God’s mercy that is given without condition or righteousness demanded before it is received.
This book has shaped the way The Austin Stone Community Church has approached ministry to the poor in Austin and participating in the renewal of our city. The formation of the For the City Network, which partners with non-profits in an effort to transform the city both through our church and with volunteers outside the church doors, would like never have happened if this book has not been processed and discussed in community.
Have any of you read this book? How does your church approach ministry to the poor in your area?
I would highly recommend reading it and accompanying it with God’s Word to change you.
Unleashing the Word: Rediscovering the Public Reading of Scripture
I love it when Scripture reading is done really well. Too often when Scripture is read in a small group or even a worship service, its read with little interest or emphasis. Once the teaching or preaching begins there is finally some emotion, but the reading of the word is often lifeless.
Brothers, this ought not be.
Enter Max McLean’s new book (with co-author Warren Bird). Max McLean is perhaps the best known Bible reader of our day. He did the ESV Listener’s Bible, as well as other Bible translations, and has recently performed the entire Gospel of Mark at a theatre in Chicago (see video clip here).
The aim of this book is to provide simple and practical help for improving the quality of public Scripture reading. It certainly achieves that goal. The book is simple, brief, instructive, and even includes a DVD with examples of how reading the Bible can be done well.
How might your church be better served if more time and attention were given to the public reading of Scripture? Could you lead or encourage a team of Scripture readers at your church to bring more attention and devotion to the public reading of Scripture?
For those of us who are pastors, the public reading of Scripture is not optional. Nor is our investment in making progress in this area. God requires it of us (1 Tim 4:13-15). This book can help you toward that end. For that reason I recommend it.
This is a question I often get asked by college students when the subject of the Holy Spirit comes up. Recently, I had the college guys I disciple memorize Romans 8 with me and we discussed how we have often read this chapter, but had not noticed how the Spirit is mentioned so frequently at the beginning.
It soon led back to this question. As I’ve thought through it, I don’t think we see the Spirit any less today than we read about then, we just don’t acknowledge it when we see it. If we truly acknowledged that it is God’s work in us to delight in Him each day, to move toward Him instead of away from Him, to prevent us from sin and use us in our giftings, we would have to say it must be the work of the Spirit within us that acts.
But we are all too quick to give credit to hours of study and effort or a man’s ability to do great things, to teach great things. But it is clear through scripture that we are to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God is at work within you to will and work toward His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13).
Shouldn’t we rather be able to declare that we see the Spirit at work any time Christ is exalted in us or when good things happen around or through us? The Spirit is not merely one who does miraculous deeds of healings, but is what gives life to our mortal bodies.
When I think this way and start to acknowledge the Spirit’s work, it gives me great hope and makes me acknowledge my great need. What joy!
So how have you seen the Spirit move lately? Personally? In your congregation? Your students? Your family?
If only for the stunning nature of the statistics, I would encourage you to read the first two chapters of The New Shape of World Christianity. You can download them free here in pdf format.
If you find these two chapters interesting, the rest of the book may interest you as well.
Well, since Christmas is fast approaching, I think a Christmas-focused post is appropriate. I’ve always enjoyed Christmas, and since Camp is old enough now to know what is going on to some extent, Rebecca and I are really trying to figure out what traditions are helpful for our family and what might need to be thrown out. I was wondering if any of you guys had given this any thought. What things do you do with your family to celebrate Christ? Are there traditions that you believe are spiritually neutral that you love to include within your family anyway? What are some things that you try to stay away from?
Rebecca and I are reading a Christ-focused devotional with Camp every night leadning up to Christmas next to our beautifully lit Christmas tree. Also, although we aren’t banning everything Santa from our house, we’ve decided to keep Santa pretty low-key. We’re not really brining him up unless someone else does. What about you guys?
Its not often than you come across advice from two highly respected and godly men on the same subject in the same day. But today was an exceptional day…
Here’s some advice from Tim Keller for young pastors.
And here is some advice from JI Packer for new pastors:
“You have three priorities: teach, teach, and teach. Evangelical churches are weaker than we realize because we don’t teach the confessions and doctrine. Set new standards in teaching. Understand the word catechesis, and practice that art.”(you can find the rest of the great article this came from here)
We’ve probably all learned by know that asking questions is one of the best ways to learn.
When you are reading/studying the Bible (whether during your daily devotion, sermon prep, studying to teach, etc) what questions do you ask to help you learn from the text?
I’m guessing we all approach our reading and study a bit differently, so I’m hoping we can glean some helpful insights from each other here!
Lee Wilson
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