The Missional Network

Starting off

makingdisciples — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:09:00 GMT

This is my first blog entry ever. I am using this blog to write down my thoughts and happenings as I disciple my teen-age sons and as I begin meeting with a small group on becoming missionaries. If I figure this out, maybe people in my group can join and post messages as they go through the process. If anyone else reads this I would love to hear from you.

Lessons From the Harvest

Greg Penna — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:23:00 GMT

I grew up in church, so I was no stranger to words such as “sowing” and “harvesting.” However, like many Americans who live in an urban or suburban world, I didn’t really understand what these words meant. My idea of harvesting was to stroll down a grocery aisle and pick the food that looked like it would taste good. That all changed when I became the pastor of a rural church in southwest Louisiana. For seven years, I lived among some of the greatest people I have ever met—farmers. My time with them gave me a new appreciation for great biblical themes such as the importance of the land, the power of planting, and the miracle of the harvest. There were three specific lessons about harvesting that helped me when I was planting churches, and these are the lessons I want to share with you today.
First, I learned that the success of the harvest depends on a sense of urgency. It’s amazing the technology that farmers have at their fingertips to measure a plant’s maturity and moisture. This is because harvesting a crop too late can have a disastrous impact on the yield. During the harvest season, farmers labor both day and night to harvest crops at peek ripeness.
The lesson in this for ministers is that our ministry plans must deliberately include harvesting.

Many church planters are gifted at sowing the seeds of the gospel into their communities by building relationships among lost people and working as servants in their communities. It’s almost as if they believe the harvest will come on its own; but that’s not what Jesus taught. He said, “Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest?’ I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest” (John 4:35, NIV). A farmer, reading that verse, would understand that a good harvest requires a sense of urgency, and it must be approached with intentionality.

Second, I learned that gathering the harvest takes teamwork.

Most people have seen the beautiful pictures of combines moving together row by row, across a large field of grain, to gather wheat. I’ve had the pleasure of watching that firsthand, and I must tell you it’s quite an impressive sight. It’s almost like watching an orchestra in motion as the tractors, combines, and delivery trucks move together to gather the grain and bring it to market.
Working the field of souls is similar. It takes teamwork to present the gospel to a community, purposefully harvest, and then assimilate those individuals into the life of the church. Working as a team, the church can nurture the individual who has found Christ and grow that person as he or she becomes a disciple of Christ. Just as a farmer isn’t done until the grain has been brought to market, so a church planter hasn’t completed the process of evangelism until the individual that they reached is able to share their newfound faith with their own individual household. This requires church planters, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to involve everyone in their church to use their spiritual gifts to help assimilate and disciple new followers of Christ. Planters should also remember that God has blessed them with many partners beyond the church membership. NAMB, your state convention, and local association are all valuable partners that are part of a planter’s team and available to work alongside.

The third lesson I learned was that a successful harvest births a great time of celebration.

Harvesting is hard on farmers. They work long hours and invest a great deal of themselves to gather a good harvest. But once the harvest is in, they know how to celebrate God’s blessings! If you’ve never been to a harvest celebration, you’re missing a great time. For some, it’s a community-wide event filled with great food, great fun, and great friendships.
When we work with people, we must also learn to truly celebrate lives that have been changed by the power of Christ. Jesus declared in Luke 15 that all of heaven rejoices when one person accepts His offer of salvation. If a changed life brings about a celebration in heaven, then wouldn’t it be reasonable to have a celebration on earth? Celebrating changed lives is one of the best ways to inspire members of a congregation to share their own faith and instill a passion for evangelism into the life of a young church.
When I was a planter, we held the celebration service at the time of baptism. For us, the time of baptism wasn’t something that we tacked on before or after the worship service, we purposefully set it apart as a time when the whole church family got together to commemorate God’s amazing power to change an individual’s life. Most of these services took place on Sunday night in someone’s home. We needed to use their pool or hot tub because we didn’t have a baptistery. We would invite someone (usually a friend or family member) to share important information about the person with the entire church. Then, someone else would share a favorite Bible passage and a devotion followed by the baptism. The point here is that the changed life was the focal point of the gathering, and we took time to get to know the individual and celebrate the work of God. This service brought home for us the power of God to transform a person’s life and eternity. We left thankful for what God had done for us and passionate to see the change taking place in people that we loved.
These are simple lessons: move with urgency and purpose, move together as a team, and celebrate the power of God to transform lives. Yet these simple lessons made me a better church planter. I became intentional about sowing eternal seed into the lives of people in my community, and God gave us a great time of harvest.

In what ways have you intentionally involved your church in “harvesting souls” in your community?

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Sowing the Gospel Seed

Greg Penna — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:52:00 GMT

There’s a reason why Christ oftenreferred to His followers as sheep—because they follow a shepherd. Ifthe “shepherd” isn’t sowing gospel seeds, it is doubtful that his sheepwill. This is even more critical in the life of a church plant becausethe planter is infusing into the church the DNA that shapes the churchfor years into the future. If the planter is a passionate sower, hispeople will be as well.

To read more, click here.

How do you lead your church to actively sow the gospel in your community?

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God at Work Through a Renewed Emphasis on Acts 1:8

Tim Yarbrough — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 15:22:00 GMT

As I have traveled in the Southern Baptist Convention this past year, speaking on the Acts 1:8 Challenge at numerous local churches, associations and at state convention functions, I am amazed and humbled by the renewed passion God is creating among His people for His mission.

The Acts 1:8 Challenge is unique among denominational emphases of recent years. It's because from the beginning the purpose of the Acts 1:8 Challenge initiative was to not to become a program, but a passion!

Pastors and other key leaders of Southern Baptist churches of all sizes are identifying a return to a Great Commission-Acts 1:8 as God's way of refocusing their ministries. The purpose of the church is for every member to be actively sharing Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world..."in Jerusalem, in all Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth!"

When a church focuses on a Great Commission-Acts 1:8 paradigm of missions, every aspect of the church - His church - has purpose. For example, no longer is a small group Bible study, music or youth ministry, only for members who have been assimilated into the body of the church. Rather, these programs become strategic and significant outreach tools to share the message of Jesus Christ.

Recently, after preaching at a church that hosted a weekend Acts 1:8 Challenge Leadership Conference, I had the opportunity to visit briefly with the church's young pastor. During our conversation, the pastor shared with me that he was trusting God to help him lead the church that was founded in the 1800s to be more missional and outward focused. As with many churches its age, tradition often times trumps new and innovative ministry to the community. God had placed the church strategically to be a light in its community since its inception, but it seems the years had taken its toll.

The pastor shared one example was the time and effort the church put into planning and staging an elaborate Christmas program each December. It was a great tradition of the church, the pastor said, but was not seen as outreach tool to the community. He said he was working to try to change this and asked for prayer support.

A Christmas program that isn't used for evangelical outreach is beyond understanding to most of us. But situations like this are a reality in many of our churches.

That's why I teach through the Acts 1:8 Challenge that it is important to "reboot" the work of the church, so to speak, and install a new Kingdom focus "software" and missional DNA that fuels everything a church is and does. A commitment to making disciples of all nations by taking the gospel to a church's community (Jerusalem), region/state (Judea), nation/continent (Samaria) and world (ends of the earth) clarifies purpose and simplifies and gives direction to its earthly existence.

Since the launch of the Acts 1:8 Challenge in May 2004, nearly 3,500 Southern Baptist churches have "embraced the Challenge" and made a formal commitment to set out to become more intentional and comprehensive in their mission purpose to reach the world for Jesus Christ.

Most leaders have heard about the Acts 1:8 Challenge by now. For example, there have been more than 4 million advertising “impressions” in Southern Baptist publications and mailings since 2004. Articles and ads placed in various Lifeway publications (magazines and Sunday School curriculum), as well as SBCLife, On Mission magazine (NAMB), The Commission magazine (IMB), Voice of the Evangelist, Let’s Worship!, Baptist Press, as well as other publications.

There has been an Acts 1:8 Challenge exhibit at every annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention since 2004, as well as at many state conventions. In fact, the past two years the Acts 1:8 Challenge has been the ad on the back cover of the SBC program which is given to every messenger. Every state convention has had an Acts 1:8 Challenge coordinator since 2004. The original idea was not for IMB and NAMB to do all promotion of the Acts 1:8 Challenge, rather, for it to be a cooperative effort among NAMB, IMB, state conventions and associations.

As a leader of the Acts 1:8 Challenge, I am sometimes asked why only 3,500 churches have made a official commitment to this important denominational initiative. I respond in various ways, but one of the points I make is that, technically, all of our 44,000 churches and missions would not exist without a commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission through an Acts 1:8 delivery system. Why all have not made a commitment to our Southern Baptist interpretation of Acts 1:8 really should not be a mystery to leaders who are paying attention to trends in the evangelical world.

I believe one reason is because the Southern Baptist Convention - like all denominations in the 21st century - exists in a "post denominational" era. This means that churches simply don't "sign up" for emphases like they once did. Does this mean they are not using pieces of the Acts 1:8 Challenge initiative or pursuing an Acts 1:8 style of missions and ministry? Of course it doesn't. Before the convention identified and established an Acts 1:8 paradigm of missions as a strong direction for the local church, churches both Southern Baptist and other evangelical churches were "doing" Acts 1:8.

Another reason - and I would like to think more likely reason - is because when the Acts 1:8 Challenge initiative was launched it was simply a registration process and had few supporting features. By registering their churches, pastors and missions leaders were told they would be contacted by their SBC denominational partners - their local association, state convention, NAMB and IMB - who were "standing ready" to assist them with their efforts. Every church was mailed a packet of information that included an leadership (or implementation) guide. Problem was, because the initiative was so new, the church's denominational partners didn't always know the best ways to respond.

In order to "mature" the initiative, Acts 1:8 Challenge leaders representing churches, associations, state and national leaders decided new tools should be developed. It was determined tools would include events, conferences and seminars, churchwide curriculum and studies, a missional assessment, a renewal emphasis, sermons helps, churchwide devotions and more.

What this means is that the pastor or missions leader of any size church can determine how they plan, initiate and implement the Acts 1:8 Challenge. In one church a pastor may choose to preach Acts 1:8 messages or through the doctrine study. Other leaders may choose to attend an Acts 1:8 leadership event, Empowering Kingdom Growth or lay renewal emphasis around Acts 1:8. Still others may use a one-day Acts 1:8 rally or multi-day celebration event to kick-off their efforts.

The bottom line is there are now many tools to help any church of any size get on the missional track.

There is evidence that God is using the Acts 1:8 Challenge initiative to do just that.

Tim Yarbrough is a mission strategist and leader of the Church Relations Team at the North American Mission Board. He serves as the national coordinator of the Acts 1:8 Challenge initaitive.

Engaging our Community

Admin — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:01:00 GMT

Recent research tells us that 78 percent of the population would be willing to listen if anyone wanted to tell them about Jesus Christ. Almost 90 percent of these same people say they have close friends who are Christians. Johnny Hunt, President of the Southern Baptist Convention shares insight on how four very different churches are passionate, creative, intentional and relentless in their pursuit of engaging people for Christ. To read the article, click here.

How does your church engage the community for sharing Christ? What are the challenges that you're facing?

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Prayerwalking: A Vital Step in Transforming Your Community

Admin — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:48:00 GMT

When I prayerwalk, John 20:19-20 comes to mind: “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (NIV). Most of my church planting efforts have been in multihousing communities. Many of these are gated neighborhoods, restricting access to any “door-to-door” campaign. Yet the people who live there are similar to those mentioned in the above Scripture.

To read the complete article, click here.

Is there value in prayerwalking? Share your experience on how it impacted your community.

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Church Planting and the NEI

Greg Penna — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:16:00 GMT

Church planters and church planting leaders are excited about the new National Evangelism Initiative that Dr. Hammond, NAMB’s president, introduced at the 2008 Southern Baptist Convention. The initiative, launched under the banner of “God's Plan for Sharing” (GPS), consists of four areas of focus -- praying, engaging, sowing and harvesting. The initiative also has a bold vision, “Every Believer Sharing: Every Person Hearing by 2020.” While introducing the initiative Dr. Hammond explained that this is a crucial time for Southern Baptists to fulfill the great commission because our continent is becoming, “increasingly lost”.

To read the complete article, click here.

How do you plan to utilize the National Evangelism Initiative, GPS, to impact your community? To add a comment below, sign-in to the Missional Network site. First time users, click here to join.

Who is Hudson Taylor?

peter kendrick — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:51:00 GMT

Imagine you’re a contestant on the game show “Jeopardy.” Can you give the question to the following answer: During his 51 years of service, he established 20 mission stations, brought 849 missionaries to the field, trained some 700 indigenous workers, raised four million dollars, and developed a witnessing church of 125,000. It has been said at least 35,000 were his own converts and that he baptized some 50,000. The “Jeopardy” answer: Who is J. Hudson Taylor?

What urban church planting principles can we gain from Hudson Taylor’s missionary service in China for serving in the changing North American urban mission field?

First and foremost, the urban church planter must be a missionary driven by an agony of the soul and an unequivocal call to which they surrender.

Second, the urban church planter must have an absolute abiding trust in God.

Third, the urban church planter must be a Great Commission disciple-maker.

Fourth, the urban church planter must be contextually relevant and culturally competent.

Fifth, the urban church planter must be strategic in his work.

Sixth, the urban church planter must share his burden.

Hudson died in 1905 and was buried in Changsha, the capital of the last province to open, leaving a legacy for the next North American missionary.

Click here to read the entire article.

Have you planted a church in an urban context? If so, what are the unique challenges you’ve faced? To add a comment below, sign-in to the Missional Network site. First time users, click here to join.

When the economy is bad, it helps to give.

Mike Cogland — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:02:00 GMT

The Church Plant Survivability and Health Study, conducted by NAMB in 2007, called to identify the factors that helped a church plant survive beyond five years, found that church plants that have a proactive stewardship plan enjoy a 178% greater chance of surviving beyond five years than their non-proactive counterparts...to read entire article, click here.

To read the Church Plant Survivability and Health Study, click here.

What do you think? How have the economy and stewardship issues impacted your church plant?

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When God Tore His Robe?

PastorKelly — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 06:11:00 GMT

Why did people tear their robes in the Bible?

In the Jewish world, when a man hears blasphemy, he is supposed to tear his robes. You see this in the actions of the high priest during the trial of Jesus who believed He was hearing blasphemy from Jesus when He spoke of returning in power.

But that’s not the only reason a Jewish man would tear his robes. In Job, when he heard the barrage of news of his children’s deaths, Job tore his robes in grief. Typically, at least as I imagine it and have seen it depicted, the man would grab the top of his robe, the collar area, where his head sticks through, and pull, thus tearing the fabric and breaking the pattern of woven cloth. Eventually, the whole thing would fall apart, the tear would worsen.

When a man tore his robe it was to demonstrate or protest or convey the magnitude and impact of what has just happened before them. It was symbolic—his life would never be the same because he could never wear that particular clothing again—it would be forever ruined, a testimony to that moment, and was then useless for its intended design.

Now, I’m playing with an idea that I haven’t even quite worked out with. It’s the idea that there is a moment when figuratively speaking, God tore His robes. And it’s a new take on a passage that is very familiar with us and may be very ingrained into our thinking.

That moment is the tearing of the veil from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus’ death. I understand the traditional way of looking at this passage and I love it. I even wrote a song about it. The idea that through the death of Christ a way was made into the Holy of Holies—the veil that separates us from God is removed from top to bottom, by His hand. Our sin is atoned for and so we are granted access to the Almighty, most Holy God of the Universe.

What I’m proposing here shouldn’t take away from that understanding at all. It’s just adding a different angle to it. Figuratively speaking—the veil in the temple was a covering, a barrier protecting the holiness of God’s presence, preventing eyes from seeing what was not meant to be seen.

The veil was torn from top to bottom, as if, the hands of God had grabbed the top and pulled—ripping the fabric to the bottom. It was now useless for that purpose. The veil could never be used again.

What would God have seen in that moment that would have caused Him to “tear His robe”? A great tragedy and loss—the death of His One and Only Son. Even though it was the Father’s will to crush Him, even though it was pleasing to lay the sins of the world upon Jesus because it purchased our redemption—it was still a great and painful moment. The weight of sin, the forsakenness of Jesus, the wrath of God poured out on One who is Innocent and undeserving. Upon hearing the death of His Son, God tore His robe—the veil was torn from top to bottom never to be used again.

Thoughts?

Divisiveness Within

SRohlwing — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:37:00 GMT

After discussing this subject with numerous people, I have preliminarily concluded that there are significant causes of division within many groups and teams, and especially the church. Before I review my hypothesis, I’d like to take a look at how we unite first. If you think about how people are connected to the local church, the natural response is, “through God.” That is, people join first by something in common. Specifically, the initial intention is to either know God more or praise God (both in many cases).

Subsequent to people gathering for this intention, the connection tends to fall apart unless specifically guided back on track. I think it falls apart because although we are connected for one purpose, that purpose in itself has its deviations. That is, as Christians we all believe in God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, Salvation, Mercy & Grace, Eternal Life, etc. Or do we? The further the list grows, the more deviation occurs. For example, some believe Hell is fire and brimstone whereas some could make the argument that Hell is the absence of God and eternal nothingness. Since I’m not a theologian, I cannot make a strong argument either way, but the point is we are divided from the minute we walk in the building (but that’s okay, we’re human beings who are designed to be different).

Division

Within any given church (or group), there are those that continue to create or invite division. It seems to me there are three significant causes:

1) Expectations. Our backgrounds are different and thus our expectations of what the local church should be are different. It seems logical at least three things need to occur:

All members should understand what exactly their expectation is and be able to articulate it.
Churches should explain what their mission is and how they plan to accomplish that mission.
Existing members should re-evaluate their expectations to see if they are in concurrence with the church’s mission.

Note: It’s noteworthy to mention that expectations considerably affect those that are not connected, but our groups can help. By inviting people in our group/homes and discussing these factors, previous negative perceptions can be reduced if not eliminated.

2) Agendas. As expectations divide, individual passions divide. The fact of the matter is, among members in the church, there is little hierarchy if any. Some may be able to influence others because of their positions in performance (drama, music, testimonies, etc.), but there is no measurement of Christianity (thankfully) and because we are all created equal, our status in the church is equal.

In other words, we are all equal stakeholders in the local church. Some feel it incumbent upon themselves to drive the church towards what the church should be. That is, some use their expectations to motivate their own personal agendas.

3) Consequences. In this case, it doesn’t seem there are any consequences. In families, when individuals deviate from the family’s goals, conflict arises and living becomes difficult. In some cases, individuals are forced to move out and the family breaks apart. At work, those that pursue individual goals over the organization may suffer poor social relations with others, receive lower merit reviews & reduced merit-increases, performance management, and potentially termination. Within many groups where results are important, there is a consequence for deviation. What are the consequences at church? It seems there are none, but there is one substantial consequence which seems under-emphasized: damaged relationships (which can lead to banishment or disassociation).

The purpose of joining any group is to regain or enhance some feeling of community and support. Some may call the church an extension of their family. By pursuing anything other than the mission of the church/group, an individual falls into a downward spiral and is therefore defeating the initial intention of joining; in short – it’s counterintuitive.

Suggestions

What can be done about this phenomenon? Unfortunately, people are unpredictable and you cannot change peoples’ expectations, agendas, or eliminate the consequences (you can’t change them, but you might be able to influence them). I suggest you try the following:

1) As a church or group, try to understand and articulate what the expectations are of each individual. Just because your expectations vary, it doesn’t mean you don’t belong, it just means you have a different idea of what church should be. It’s okay to have a different idea, but remember three things:

You can alter your own expectations
You can emphasize (or de-emphasize) certain expectations
You can find a church that better meets your expectations

Change can be good and sometimes we feel we are “called” to be the instrument of change. If it means causing a divide in the church and damaging relationships, I would challenge who the call is from (it may be the antithesis of God himself. There may also be complex psychological issues at play). I’m not suggesting the call is wrong, but maybe there is a better approach to implementing change.

Also, ask yourself this, “How realistic are my expectations in the larger scope of things?” Or, “What am I willing to be flexible on?” Specific components within your expectations may include worship & praise (band vs. choir or Powerpoint vs. hymnals), atmosphere (stained glass & pews vs. multipurpose room & cushioned seating), and personal involvement (anonymity vs. participation).

2) Determine what the mission is and live it. If you look around your work environment, you may find a mission statement somewhere. I’ll bet this statement is on a plaque on a wall and rarely reinforced. Technically, your mission statement should have nine components:

Customers
Products/Services
Markets
Technology
Concern for survival/growth/profitability
Philosophy
Self-concept
Concern for public image
Concern for employees

(Source: David, F. (2005). Strategic management, concepts and cases. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall).

Fred David also states the following, “…the mission statement answers the question, “What is our business,” the vision statement answers the question, “What do we want to become?” Many organizations have both a mission and a vision statement” (2005, p.54). I believe what Dr. David is trying to say is that some mistake a “mission” statement for a “vision” statement. I don’t think the semantics are important, but the aforementioned material may help your organization answer the question that each statement asks.

Either way, whether you choose a mission or vision statement, follow it and talk about it frequently. When deviation occurs, refer back to the statement and ask, “How do your actions/behaviors/proposals fulfill or complement the mission/vision statement?”

Is it okay to make a suggestion for change? Sure it is, but a suggestion can be accepted or declined and should be received as such (is it a suggestion, or a command?). Just because your suggestion wasn’t accepted, it doesn’t mean you were wrong. At any rate, I recommend you follow Walt Disney’s advice, “Keep Moving Forward” (watch Disney/Pixar’s Meet the Robinsons for a full reference).

3) Iterate/reinforce the concept of “developing relationships.” Church is not about following one person. It’s about the collective body following the collective mission. That means being together, working together. Paul said it best in Philippians 4:5,

Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon (NLT).

There will be differences and you may disagree with the decisions of your church leadership. There comes to a point where the congregation may not know all factors in a decision, but do they need to know? I don’t think they do. We need to trust our leadership to some degree and understand that many factors affect a decision. Many times, I’ve questioned my own church with the decisions that are made, but I come back to the same conclusion: I’m there because I enjoy and learn something from the message on Sunday and I have made some great relationships. And overall, the decisions made do not affect my expectations.

Implications

Succinctly, groups help maintain cohesiveness amidst division. Review your expectations within your committees, groups, and teams and challenge yourselves with your agendas. There is no doubt that church dynamics are complex in some areas, but your groups can help clarify (if not simplify) your purpose.

In this case, the best any of us can do is to try and illuminate these three areas. Perhaps talking about them and raising awareness can help some overcome Satan’s tricks to create division. Does increased awareness guarantee change? Of course it doesn’t, but it’s one step closer to change and with a little prayer (or a lot) who knows, the “unity” in “community” could really stand out.

Church Planting Internships

Mike Cogland — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:49:00 GMT

Jesus started it. By allowing twelve disciples to follow Him around, eat with Him, drink with Him, teach with Him, and heal with Him, Jesus ensured that the gospel spread far beyond Galilee. Paul kept it going. By mentoring Timothy and Titus—by traveling with them, evangelizing with them, praying for them, and writing to them—he ensured that Gentile churches grew stronger and multiplied.

Recently, church planters are re-discovering the importance of sharing what they've learned and experienced with new church planters. This mentoring relationship has created momentum for new churches to launch and become healthy, thriving communities of faith. Click here to read more.

Are you part of a successful church planting story that resulted from a mentoring relationship? Is it part of your churches' DNA to train and mentor rising church planters?

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I was a church growth junkie.

john bailey — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:43:00 GMT

In the 1990’s, I was a church growth junkie and yes, a pragmatist. I hopped from one conference to another in search of the perfect solution, the perfect model, for reaching my community with the gospel. Within a few years, our church was purpose-driven, seeker-sensitive, creative, and contemporary. As long as I am being honest, I might as well admit that the majority of the adjustments we made fit my personal preferences. We moved out some of the furniture, added a video projector and screen, changed our worship style, and traded our suits for jeans and polo shirts! We canceled Sunday evenings and business meetings. We placed an emphasis upon children and youth (yes, I had four). We even moved our ministerial emphasis from within the church building into the harvest, among the unchurched.

Today, I can clearly see the errors of my ways as a young pastor. I understand that my context, and not some mega-church model or conference (and certainly not my personal preferences), should have determined our format and methodology. I now see we should have been biblically faithful while allowing our context to help shape our methods for reaching our community with the gospel. I now see the value of contextualization.

The world has moved in next door. We within the church planting community now speak of cultures instead of culture. Not only are we ethnically diverse, we find diversity within people groups themselves. People speak of living in a post-modern—post-Christian—society. We (the church) are accused of being irrelevant and intolerant. People are moving into urban centers and expressing their spirituality in a variety of ways. Some say they are rejecting the church and not Jesus. Technology is rapidly changing the world in which we live and how we connect with one another. The world as I—maybe even we—know it, no longer exists.

The challenge before church planters is this: How do we, people of God, effectively communicate the unchanging gospel in an ever-changing landscape? Too often, we have either been too late or have done too little in response to societal changes. On occasion, we have been reactive instead of being proactive. Some have accused many of our church planters of going too far, of watering down or even changing the gospel in an effort to be contextual. Many of our edgier leaders have accused the traditional church of becoming a fortress, rebuking the culture while seeking to maintain the status quo. I would contend that we must maintain a healthy balance between being missional while maintaining our biblical Christian faith (see Jude 3). We must be biblically faithful while being contextually appropriate—anchored to Christ, geared to the times.

Dean Flemming says, “Contextualization has to do with how the gospel revealed in Scripture authentically comes to life in each new cultural, social, religious and historical setting … Every church in every particular place and time must learn to do theology in a way that makes sense to its audience while challenging it at the deepest level.” Contextualization is more than a change in music, dress code, and furniture. Changes are not made because something works somewhere else, in another church, or in another city. A desire to be contextual is driven by a passion to make disciples among all peoples and, therefore, requires an understanding of the language, values, societal rhythms, and worldviews of the people you are seeking to reach.

As the people of God, we are commanded to make disciples of all nations—among all peoples. To do so, we should be guided by solid missiological principles, remain biblically faithful, and be culturally relevant. The following is a selection of principles to guide your effort to be contextual.

First, think mission, not church. We are commanded by God to gather people from every tribe and every tongue for God’s worship and glory. As a young pastor, I knew this, but to be honest, my intent may have been to build a great church. Deep inside me I may have wanted to be successful, to pastor a large church that affirmed my abilities. Today, my driving passion is to see all peoples come to Christ and live for God’s glory. I now see that because of the diversity in North America and in individual communities, no one church can be all things to all people. I see the importance of being driven by God’s mission and to have a heart for my city, not necessarily for the growth of a local church.

Second, continually seek to understand the context in which you serve. Build relationships, networking with the unchurched in order to understand their culture and share Christ. Learn to listen. Conduct demographic and psychographic research on your community, but understand that this alone is not adequate. Connect with business leaders in your community in an effort to identify trends. Read everything you can on culture and understanding your context. Finally, conduct intentional surveys with the unchurched in an effort to inform your strategies and direct your own culture. In all you do, continually ask the Father, “Where are You at work? What do You want to accomplish in this community? What barriers exist that hinder or stop people from hearing and understanding the gospel?”

Third, understand the culture of your church and your own personal preferences. Many church planters have moved into an area with their strategy prematurely in place without conducting on-site research or without determining if they personally were a fit for the area. People, like churches, have cultural preferences. And yes, there is a culture inside the church. The question is this, “Which culture do we prefer? Does it fit our community or the people group we are seeking to reach with the gospel?” We should be committed to developing a church culture and adapting personal preferences that serve the culture in which we are living without compromising biblical distinctives.

Fourth, send Christ-followers into the harvest to engage people. The radically unchurched are not seeking us out. Examine the apostle Paul’s use of teams and help your members focus their energy on networking for evangelism, starting small groups which might become churches, and raising up leaders from within the harvest. At the heart of this activity will be a commitment to making disciple-making disciples. Consider moving your evangelism equipping from a total emphasis upon harvesting to one that includes an increased understanding and practice of sowing the gospel. Help your people see that the process of sowing the gospel is slow, messy, and basically non-measurable. It requires that Christ-followers have a right relationship with God while building relationships with people in the harvest.

Finally, discern what the Holy Spirit is saying. God is working outside of the church building in some magnificent ways. He is gathering people from all over the world to live in your community. Some are very receptive to the gospel. What is God doing in your community? What trends are developing? What “surprises” have occurred in your mission field?

This urges us to ask, “What does God want to do in light of these changes? What new churches are needed? What new ministries need to be started? Does every person in your community have a church pursuing them in their heart language? As God reveals Himself in your community, what new thing is He showing you in His word? What new insights do you have? How are they impacting the work of your church?” The challenge to us, just like the apostle Paul, is to maintain a healthy strategy while being open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Being culturally appropriate while remaining biblically faithful is imperative in the mission of the Church. The diversity of our context and our commitment to making disciples demands we understand ourselves, and then the context in which we serve. A healthy tension exists between being biblically faithful and culturally relevant. Depend upon the Holy Spirit to guide your desire to remove barriers and build bridges to your community. See the tension as a gift from God, something to be celebrated, for with it comes a new and exciting opportunity to glorify God and fulfill His mission in our communities.

What practical ways has your church contextualized ministry, that has proven to increase effectiveness in making disciples in your community?

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To access other resources from the Planter Update, click here.

Using Social Media for Church Planting

Randy Ferguson — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:23:00 GMT

How much would you be willing to pay for a “magic tool” that could immediately help you understand your community better, increase your ability to engage the strangers around you, give you a convenient way to connect with and encourage the disciples you are making, and assist you in your task of evangelizing those far from Christ? What would a tool like that be worth to you? You probably couldn’t put a price on it—yet it costs nothing. It’s FREE! It’s yours to use … and it’s called “Facebook”.

Before you disconnect from this article, please consider these interesting facts about Facebook:
•    It is the 6th most-trafficked Web site in the world.
•    It has more than 70 million active users (up from 25 million one year ago).
•    Users spend an average of 14 minutes on the site every time they visit (up from eight minutes six months ago). Most users visit multiple times each day.
•    It is adding an average of 125,000 users per day.
•    It contains over 55,000 regional, school, or work-related networks.

If that isn’t enough to keep you reading, Facebook isn’t just for college students anymore. Although it began as (and was limited to) a social networking media for college students, now more than half of the users are not college-aged. Its largest and fastest growing demographic is adults over the age of 25.

Mark Zuckerberg, who founded Facebook when he was 21 (he is now 24), insists that Facebook is a tool and only a tool. When you open up the welcome page on the Facebook site, it says: “Facebook is a social utility that connects you with people around you” (emphasis theirs). In the same way you find it beneficial to use utilities like phone service, electric power and water, Facebook can serve your ministry as a helpful utility.

In a cover-story article in Newsweek (August 27, 2007), Zuckerberg gave an interesting quote: “(Facebook)…is a world-changing idea of unlimited potential.” Changing the world sounds like an assignment the Lord Jesus Christ gave to His followers just before He returned to heaven. It stands to reason that we might be wise to use a tool that is designed to be helpful in reaching that goal.

If you are new or a novice to Facebook, I recommend you sign-up and explore the site (www.facebook.com). At the sign-up page, click on the “ABOUT” link at the bottom of the screen to learn more about the site. Chris Forbes has written an excellent e-book (see link below) entitled Facebook for Pastors which is a great introduction to the utility and to using it in ministry. By far, the best way to learn Facebook is to “facebook” (now a verb as well as a noun).

I want to explore with you several ways Facebook can be used to assist in your church planting and ministry activities. Facebook should not determine the activities you do or the way you spend your time. It should simply be used to further the tasks and goals to which you are already committed.

EXAMINE YOUR COMMUNITY. After you have exhausted the standard demographic and population research for your community, why not use Facebook to help you get a more personal glimpse of individuals in your area? Facebookers join groups. By regularly exploring these groups you will begin to get a sense of the interests, activities, and causes in your own backyard. For example, a quick search for my community of just under 6,000 people revealed a wealth of information:

•    There was a group of 75 people interested in helping to save a local lake from the drought.
(I actually think they were trying to save their “party spot” for the summer.)
•    There was a group of 72 people supporting a “Walk for Diabetes”.
•    There was a political party group with more than 50 people.
•    There were more than 150 people who hate the congestion on our local commuter highway.
•    A group of 76 people were supporting a young lady going to Cambodia on a mission trip.

In addition to these, 15 groups had formed around existing churches or youth groups, one group was boycotting a local coffee shop, and there was even a white-supremacy group searching for members. Admittedly, this is very informal research, but it provides me with a revealing understanding of those I call my neighbors.

ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE. Since Facebook is all about connecting with people, it’s an excellent way to establish friendships and nurture relationships within your community. As you join groups in your area (or start new ones), you can gain “friends” by inviting them to be your friends on Facebook. These relationships can be developed around similar interests and experiences. The perceived anonymity of social networking encourages people to open up and reveal personal things about themselves. You can connect with people who “love the home team”, “can’t get enough of the local chicken wings”, or “have seen every Bette Midler movie”. Opportunities for community service and involvement flow throughout the groups. If a group forms in your community to clean up a vacant lot next Saturday, you can show up and rub shoulders with people who have the same passion.

ENCOURAGE YOUR DISCIPLES. Facebook is an exceptional method for connecting with and encouraging the people you are making into disciples. Lots of college and youth groups have discovered the value of this media for communication and promotion of events and programs. Why not form a closed group that can only be joined by those you approve? Use some of the powerful and creative applications available on the Facebook platform that share studies and thoughts, track progress, or provide levels of accountability. Have a daily meeting with each person using the Facebook chat function. While this approach could never replace the important, face-to-face interaction, it can provide a consistent and convenient method to express care and nurture on a regular basis.

EVANGELIZE THE LOST. The ultimate task of every church planter is to help connect those who are lost to God. Facebook can be one of the places you conduct that activity. Friends can be made and groups can be established for the purpose of giving God the opportunity to use you to connect people to Jesus. These relationships can give non-believers a safe environment in which to explore spirituality and hear from a believer in a neutral setting. In a day and age when Christians find it harder and harder to connect with those far from Christ, Facebook can be one vital link.

EXCHANGE IDEAS. Facebook is a very functional place to connect with other church planters and pastors for the exchange of ideas. You can involve yourself in chats with individuals or conversations with a group of people on a discussion board. The interactive features of Facebook make it extremely easy to post what you have read or are reading and even give a quick review of the book or blog. It’s simple to put a Web link on your Facebook page that would steer your friends to sites you found beneficial to your life or ministry. Facebook currently contains over 200 groups dedicated solely to connecting people interested in church planting.

Whenever a new opportunity presents itself, skepticism always accompanies it. As you entertain the prospect of using Facebook in church planting activities, be sure to proceed with all the caution and discernment you employ in every other decision. Start small and enjoy little victories. Happy Facebooking!

I'd love to hear how your church is utilizing social media to connect and communicate with people. What types of social media do you use, what has worked, and what hasn't worked?

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Gallery Church in NYC responds to AIDS crisis

adam — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:55:00 GMT

To think of how many people in New York City have HIV/AIDS but don’t know it
take Yankee Stadium and fill it. By the time they find out, they’ve already
infected their partners and potentially their children. By this time, often
their own health is gone.
This knowledge is critical in the artsy Chelsea community of New York, where
three-year-old Southern Baptist congregation, The Gallery church, calls
home. In this community, the New York Health Department says, 1 in 4 men
have the disease.
Working alongside The Gallery Church and the St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital,
more than 200 Southern Baptist volunteers are canvassing neighborhoods this
morning to bring New York residents out of the dark in the Bronx, Brooklyn,
and Manhattan. If the 22 testing sites are successful, between 500 and 1,000
residents, many from low-income areas, will have a good idea where they
stand with the disease and whether further testing is necessary.
“The stats stare you in the face,” says Aaron Coe, pastor of The Gallery.
“New York has the highest rate of HIV infections in the United States.”
“We spent a lot of time learning from others. Listening to people infected
by the disease and to other pastors and churches who’ve decided to respond
to it,” he adds. “We wanted to tread lightly and not be the
johnny-come-lately here to save the day. So we just asked St. Luke’s how we
could help.”
Today volunteers will provide hospitality to participants, passing out bags
of information on HIV/AIDS testing as well as bags of information on The
Gallery church. And to help curb the costs of transportation to go for
further testing, the church will provide each participant a Metro pass.
“It’s a preventable and treatable disease,” says Brad Cruse, a dentist who
attends The Gallery and works at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital. “It’s not a
death sentence if you find out early enough.”
This outreach, scheduled intentionally during Passion Week, is part of City
Up Rising, a four-day event in partnership with churches, city government
and non-profits to revitalize and bring new hope to New York.
“Every community deals with these issues,” says Aaron. “We just need to
provide an environment where people are cared for. When Jesus saw the demon
possessed man in Mark 5, his first question was not 'how did you get here?’
His first question was "what’s your name?’ It’s not my business how you got
to where you are, but it is my business that you’re here and you need my
friendship and help.”
Pray for the volunteers as they raise awareness about the power of
Christ to heal the whole person. Think about how you and your church may find
a place in ministry to people with HIV/AIDS. Visit www.cityuprising.com.

Is That You Jesus?

preach_da_cross — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 22:26:00 GMT

Have you ever had anyone come up to you and say “haven’t I seen you somewhere before”? I’ve been told I have that kind of face. A familiar face.

I’ve been working before and someone tell me I have a twin in their home town. They’ll say to their buddy, hey look at this guy, he looks just like so and so. I usually tell people the reason I look so familiar is because they’ve seen me on America’s Most Wanted or they’ve seen my picture on the post office wall.

What is it that makes a face familiar? I mean what is it that causes us to recognize our friends and family? Why are we able to pick them out of a crowd? Or what about when you see someone you haven’t seen in a long time? Maybe it’s been years and they come up to you and call you by name and you get this uncomfortable feeling in the pit of your stomach, because you have no idea who they are. And when they tell you who they are you say “I didn’t recognize you. You’re a lot fatter than you were in high school”. But what is it that triggers our memory and say “oh yeah, I remember you.” Is it their eyes? Their smile, their mannerisms or demeanor?

I think it’s all of the above. You see there has to be some rudimentary knowledge of the person that includes a portion of all their attributes that would make them memorable to you. The same way what makes a stranger a stranger is the fact that you have shared no experiences with them. You know nothing about them, and you’ve never spent any time to speak of with them. I want to ask you, what about Jesus? If He were to walk in to this room would you recognize Him? If you saw Him in the street or in a restaurant would you know it was Jesus? We always think of Jesus as the blond haired and blue eyed man depicted in many religious paintings.

But if we were to see Jesus, is that what He would look like?

Look at Matt. 25: 31-46

Here Jesus is teaching, and He’s talking about 2 groups of people who had encountered Him in their life’s journey, but didn’t recognize Him. So the purpose of this post is so that, if you encounter Jesus in your everyday life you will recognize Him. And so that you are informed of your responsibilities when it comes to recognizing Jesus. And finally, that you are warned of the consequences of not fulfilling those responsibilities.

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The first thing I want you to see t is that both groups thought they would enter in to their heavenly reward. Notice in v.44 where the goats answered Jesus and called Him Lord. You see, these people thought they recognized Jesus. They thought they knew Him. They thought their half hearted relationship was good enough. And many people today say they know Jesus as lord. But there are some evidences that must be present if you are going to make that claim. John wrote “If someone says they love God and hates his brother he is a liar.” He goes on to say “he who loves God must love his brother.”

But what does it mean to love your brother? Simply put, it means to do what our text says the faithful did. Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, help the stranger, and clothe the naked. It boils down to the command of Jesus to love your neighbor. When Jesus was asked “who is my neighbor?” Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. Where a priest and a Levite came upon the wounded naked man that had been robbed and left for dead, and they did nothing. You see the priest and the Levite in those days were the most religious, the closest to God. After all, the priest was the mediator between God and the common man, and the Levites were the people chosen by God in the Old Testament to be ministers to the temple. But they just passed by, traveling the road on the other side to put as much distance between themselves and this mans problems as they could. These are people you would be surprised not to see in heaven. In today’s context, these are the people you would see driving a car with a Jesus fish on it. They would be wearing a WWJD bracelet, wearing a t-shirt with a clever religious catch phrase on it, and they would be sitting right next to you in church every Sunday morning. And it was this kind of person that walked right past this wounded and helpless man. But who was it that stopped to help? A most unlikely candidate, a Samaritan. Who was probably the product of an unholy union between a Jew and a non-Jew. Who was thought of as unclean, filthy and immoral. A good comparison to a Samaritan in today’s culture would be someone with so many facial piercings they look like they were hit in the face with a tackle box. They would probably have tattoos covering both arms. The kind of person you would never expect to see in church, much less heaven. But I ask you the same question that Jesus asked, which one do you think was neighbor to him who fell among thieves?

You see the problem is, we do just as the priest and Levite did. We distance ourselves from the social concerns of those around us. We feel we have an obligation to help people, but only if they look like us, walk like us, and talk like us. You see, the Samaritan is some one who would never darken the door of this church. So how must we reach them? How can we love our neighbor when they never come where we are? When there are so many differences to overcome? The solution is simple really. Go where they are? And selflessly meet the needs of their circumstances just as they are. We need to stop making people feel like the have to behave and belong before they believe. We need to allow people to come to Jesus the way we did, just as we were.

Our text this morning is not a suggestion or an option, but a mandate to go into the world looking under every rock, seeking in all the dark places and say “is that you Jesus?” Because what you’ve done to the least of these you’ve done to Him. We don’t think of Jesus as hungry, naked, sick or in prison.

But when you love your neighbor, then you automatically love God. A good example of this is how we often hear about awesome and amazing experiences that missionaries have in the mission field. Even people who go on short term mission trips come back saying that it changed their life. This is because they went seeking to feed the hungry mouths, clothe the naked bodies, to care for the sick people and visit the lonely prisoner. IF YOU MEET THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE, YOU MEET JESUS ALONG THE WAY! Yes, you bless those who need it, but what an awesome thing to know. That you gave blessings to Him that gave everything for you.

You see folks this is on of those places in the scriptures that our Lord draws a dividing line between the faithful and the unfaithful. And the line is very clear, but few who call themselves Christian are faithful in it. Few who say they recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior would recognize Him if they came across Him today. Because He would look like our neighbor from the story. We do a great job ministering to ourselves, but how far does the long arm of love reach outside of the walls of our churches? How far do we reach into our community? Into the lives of our neighbors?

Thanx

Pastor Dave

Franchising Church. What can we learn from Chick-fil-a?

Mike Cogland — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:14:00 GMT

What can we learn from Chick-fil-a that translates to church planting? I'm not certain, but this story found in Monday Morning Insight's newsletter, explains how one church planter has embraced the Northpoint model and is thriving in a franchised church in Nashville, Tennessee. To read the complete article, click on the link below. What do you think?

Re-thinking the Franchised Church

When Life is a Mess

Mike Cogland — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:26:00 GMT

I am a little overwhelmed as I hear of friends and family who are hurting. Some are experiencing the tragic loss of a child, others are struggling through life-threatening diseases, and many young families are hurting from the after-effects of broken marital relationships. I am reminded that we live in a broken world filled with pain.

During a recent mission trip to South Africa, I met an amazing couple, Mac and Di. A few weeks after our mission trip, Mac was diagnosed with lung cancer. He has experienced intense pain both emotionally and physically, and his cancer has not responded well to treatment. Di, said in a recent e-mail, "I am just glad that this world is not God’s final plan 'cause it’s quite a mess!" When I read her email, I thought, "She's right, it is a mess." We live in a broken world, filled with broken people. No one in this world is exempt from pain and disappointment. Income, social status, power, popularity, or fame can't shield us from the effects of a broken world. The big question we must consider is, "How are we responding to the pain we experience in our circumstances?" As one friend put it recently, "My problems remind me to hold on tight to Jesus everyday." That is the answer. Hold on tight to Jesus, know that each day is a gift, and be relieved to know that there's more than this life, ahead of us. God ultimately holds us tight through our circumstances and won't let go. When life is a mess, remember Jesus' words in Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

The Need for North American Church Planting

Tubbs — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:00:00 GMT

The question, "Does North America need more churches?" is one that I have heard asked many times. Especially here in the south, where a church building is on every corner, the question seems like a valid one. However, statistical analysis of North America has revealed that there exists a HUGE need for new churches if the task of evangelizing North America is to be completed. Last night a friend sent me to this video which expresses this need.

Click HERE to see for yourself the need for a church planting movement in North America.

who is preach_da_cross

preach_da_cross — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:05:00 GMT

Howdy, from the great state of North Carolina. Just wanted to post a blog telling a little about myself. I am a pastor of a small congregation in Thomasville N.C. and have been since September of last year (2007). I'm very young in the ministry having only worked in vocational ministry for about 3 years. I am married and have 2 children, boy 14, and a girl 11.

I am affiliated with the Wesleyan church, and have been since the beginning of my ministry. I'm not sure if this site is connected to any particular denomination or not, but even so, we are all a part of one unaversal body, the body of Christ.

I would describe my ministry style as hard and fast. I believe a preacher ought to be passionate about what he preaches, namely the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I also believe this passion should be evident in the way I live my life. My life sould reflect no less intensity of entusiasm than my preaching.

I believe people come to our churches to be challenged, and i believe this is effectively done by expository preaching. As a child i recall the church services i attended, and how there was a call to the question at the close of each one. I feel this is a tradition that should be carried on. My prayer is that my preaching accomplishes God's will in the hearer. That is to say that they are called to repentance, or called to a closer walk with their Savior through holiness and service.

THANX

Pastor Dave

The Bruised Reed

Tubbs — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 03:21:00 GMT

Last night I started reading Richard Sibbes' The Bruised Reed (Banner of Truth Trust, 2005). Although written by a puritan in the 17th century, the words contained in this book still apply to us today.

In the first chapter, Sibbes explains why we, as adopted sons of God, are "bruised." Sibbes writes that we are "bruised," or convicted of sin by the Holy Spirit prior to conversion. However, we will not only be bruised at this time, but as we continue to grow in grace, we will continue to be bruised in order that we might learn to rely on God alone to be conformed to the image of Christ.

Sibbes writes, "After conversion we need bruising so that reeds may know themselves to be reeds, and not oaks. Even reeds need bruising, by the reason of the remainder of pride in our nature, and to let us see that we live by mercy." (5)

So, when the Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin, repent and look to Christ! We might not be oaks, but He is! He is the pillar of our faith. Where we fail, He has conquered! And, in some sense, be thankful that you are convicted, as you have the opportunity to dwell in the grace and mercy of our great God!

Is Mormonism Christian? (part 3)

Mike Licona — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:15:00 GMT

In the past two blogs we have taken a look at the basic history and beliefs of the Mormon church as well as the nightmarish problems it faces when the claims of its prophet Joseph Smith are checked against the facts. In this article I would like to answer the question "Is Mormonism a cult," then look at the issues involved in considering for whom to vote in the forthcoming Presidential elections.

There are many words for which there is no consensus definition. "Cult" is one such term. For this article, I will define cult as a group that refers to itself as Christian but which differs in one or more of the fundamental beliefs of Christian orthodoxy.

When we hear of someone belonging to a cult, we tend to have a very negative stereotyped images of deceived followers who belonged to organizations such as the Unification Church ("Moonies" for the irreverent) led by Sun Myung Moon, the People's Temple led by Jim Jones, and the Branch Davidians led by David Koresh.

Because of this stereotype, it is helpful to distinguish between a sociological cult and a theological cult. A theological cult is one that meets the above definition of a cult, whereas a sociological cult is a religious or semi-religious group that is socially or culturally deviant. For example, a sociological cult may have a leader who is very controlling and who makes inappropriate demands of his followers, such as telling certain women followers who are married to have sex with him or forcing adherents to live in a community closed to the public where they cannot leave at will.

Mormonism is not a sociological cult. Although the polygamous Mormon sect which recently made the news under the leadership of Warren Jeffs may certainly be regarded as a sociological cult, the Mormon church disavows this group as Mormon, since it officially ceased allowing polygamy by its practitioners in 1890.

However, Mormonism is a theological cult, since the Mormon church holds doctrines that differ fundamentally from Christian orthodoxy. Space prohibits numerous examples. But we may note that the Mormon church maintains that Mormon males (sorry ladies!) may become a god some day and of the same type as the God of the Bible. It is actually a form of polytheism, although the Mormon church maintains that the God of the Bible is the only God with which we have dealings. Of course, this is fundamentally different than what is taught in the Bible, that there is only one God -- period, and we will never become like Him. He shares His glory with no one and we will never be all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere as God is. (For additional examples of how Mormonism is fundamentally different from Christian orthodoxy, see parts one and two in this series.)

This brings us to the question of Mitt Romney and evangelical voters wishing to cast their vote for a social conservative. I see two ways of looking at this:

On one hand, some may argue, there is more to be concerned about in a presidential candidate than his or her religious beliefs. A candidate's positions on the war on terrorism, poverty, the economy, strictly moral issues such as "gay marriage" and abortion rights, and maintaining free speech all may play into a voter's decision, as can a candidate's character, trustworthiness, experience and track record. As this argument goes, if Romney excels in these areas over another candidate, why not vote for him? Americans are electing a president, not the pastor of our church.

On the other hand, others may argue, a Mormon president would provide Mormonism with visibility beyond anything it has had up to now and consequently give a boost to Mormon missionary efforts. The same may be said of a president who is a Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist. As this argument goes, a nominal Catholic president or one who is non-committed in his or her religious persuasion would not have the same effect on those who share his or her worldview.

Whether Mormonism is a deal-breaker for evangelical voters is something each one will have to decide.

Is Mormonism Christian? (part 2)

Mike Licona — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:11:00 GMT

In the 1990s I had a friend who was a former bishop in a local ward of the Mormon church. He and his wife were wonderful people and I still regard them as personal friends.

In 1997, he asked that I come to their home and listen to two Mormon missionaries. I went and when they began giving their presentation, I interrupted and said, "If Mormonism is true, I want to know everything about it. However, if it isn't true, I really don't care about all of its history and beliefs. So, would you mind if we focus on whether Mormonism is true?" They agreed and after a little further discussion we scheduled for all of us to return in a week's time and discuss the evidence. While they did their homework, I did mine. In this article, I'll share two of my findings that led me to conclude that Mormonism is a false religion.

My first discovery is that there is no specific confirmation of the Book of Mormon from archaeology. I phoned one of Brigham Young University's top Book of Mormon archaeologists and asked him whether any archaeological finds had confirmed anything in the Book of Mormon. He was cordial and to my surprise answered that there is no archaeological evidence that can be tied directly to the peoples and events described in the Book of Mormon. I placed a second call to BYU and this time spoke with a second Book of Mormon archaeologist. This man was also very friendly and honest, and likewise told me that no real evidence exists that specifically ties the peoples and events of the Book of Mormon to the known world. Keep in mind that both of these are practicing Mormons who are professional Book of Mormon archeologists.

What is interesting is that Mormon missionaries and Mormons in the pew are all told by the Mormon church that a number of archaeological discoveries have confirmed the truth of the Book of Mormon, while Book of Mormon archaeologists at BYU are making statements to the contrary.

My second discovery was that the Book of Abraham, which is counted among the Mormon scriptures, discredits founder Joseph Smith as a true prophet. In 1835, Smith purchased some mummies that were accompanied by some ancient Egyptian papyri. Smith claimed to be able to translate the papyri because they were written in Egyptian, very similar to the "Reformed Egyptian," which Smith claimed was the language of the Book of Mormon. As he translated the manuscripts, he asserted it contained the Book of Abraham, a book written by Abraham himself.

The papyri for the Book of Abraham contained some drawings with Egyptian writing that were subsequently published in Times and Seasons, a Mormon newspaper. The papyri were lost after Smith's death in 1844 but were rediscovered in 1967 by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York who returned them to the Mormon church which in turn confirmed them to be the originals and published them for others to see. A Mormon academic journal named "Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought" asked three prominent Egyptologists to translate the papyri. If Joseph Smith was a true prophet, the contemporary translation would be very close to Smith's. The stakes were high, since the translations of the Egyptologists either could confirm Joseph Smith as a true prophet or expose him as a charlatan. For if Joseph Smith was terribly wrong in his translation of the Book of Abraham, it casts doubt on the Book of Mormon, too.

John Wilson and Klaus Baer, both professors of Egyptology at the University of Chicago, and Richard Parker, a professor of Egyptology at Brown University, were asked to do the task. The results were devastating. All concluded that the manuscript was a common Egyptian document buried with mummies for guidance in the afterlife and was not used until at least a thousand years after Abraham. They also concluded that Smith's translation did not bear the slightest resemblance to the actual translation. This is especially important when we consider that Smith claimed that the Book of Mormon was written in the same language. Since it can be demonstrated that Smith was gravely mistaken in his translation abilities when it came to the Book of Abraham, why should anything but the same conclusion be drawn pertaining to his ability allegedly to translate the Book of Mormon?

Therefore, at best, Joseph Smith was mistaken to believe that he had the ability to translate Reformed Egyptian and, therefore, we should render the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham as unreliable. At worst, he was a fraud, and the gold plates he said he found and translated into the Book of Mormon never existed in the first place.

In other words, if Joseph Smith really believed he was divinely given the gift to translate and that the Book of Mormon contains an historical account of real peoples, he was either self-deluded or deceived. The other option is that Joseph Smith knew his claims were false. If this was the case, he was a deceiver. Deceived or deceiver? Either way, it seems pretty clear that Joseph Smith was not a prophet of God. Accordingly, despite the fact that the Mormon church embraces a few beliefs in line with biblical Christianity it is demonstrably a false religion.