Make a Unique Contribution

I have had the opportunity this week to talk, have coffee and chat with three people that were all in 'job search' mode. These were all Christian men, each one with a strongly profound faith, who have found themselves in transition for a number of reasons.

None of the reasons for their job loss were apparently related to unsatisfactory work performance. Nevertheless, all of these men now have a unique opportunity to not only find a job that provides for their family, but also experience a momentary pause in their busy life

These men weren't planning on putting their lives on hold. They had plans for vacations, were looking forward to their "life as normal" and one had a baby on the way. Family finances always take a hit and they are concerned but are trying to not be worried. They know that even with Federal-State Unemployment Compensation and a little savings in the bank there are always financial and emotional challenges during times when people are between jobs.

The thing that was remarkable to me and very apparent as I was talking with them was how much all of them are just as interested in finding exactly the right place and position for them and walking with God in this process as they are in finding a job.

They all knew that God is most interested in the unique contribution that we can make during this very brief time we have on earth. Jobs can come and go but with each job comes an opportunity to serve, to grow and to become the person that God wants us to become. God is at work in our lives, particularly when we let Him.

Whether it is a ministry calling or an opportunity to serve a company that provides great products and services, we all need to pause from time to time and thank God for the opportunity to find and make a unique contribution.

King Solomon, the wisest of all the earthly kings once wrote, “Whatever your hands find to do, do with all your srength” (Ecc. 9:10)

iPod, iPhone … iChurch?

I admit it; I’m hooked on some of the new instant message technology. I’m never more than a few thumb-clicks away from sending a message to all my friends on my ever-present Blackberry.

Technology has certainly been embraced by church-goers for ages. Just a generation or so ago, the advent of radio and television created opportunities to reach new people and create new pulpits for both the gifted preacher and the not-so-gifted.

Social networking, including instant-messaging, Facebook andTwitter(“texts, posts and tweets”), make it even easier to be in touch with not only our friends and the people in church but send a “shout out” to just about anyone that wants to listen. As with any new technology, there are new ethical challenges that accompany its embrace.

Our words are powerful

Our words are powerful forces and while we may be reminded that Scripture says that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21), all too often people that are tweeting and posting forget that their texts, posts and tweets will have similar consequences.

Recently, there was the first recorded occurrence of “text rage” actually leading to the severe beating of a 15-year old Florida student after a brief flurry of text messages earlier in the day with her attacker. We don’t have to look to police reports however to see the impact of inappropriate texts, posts and tweets within the church.

Social networking is an instant way to communicate with hundreds and even thousands of people but an inappropriate comment, word or accusation, once delivered cannot be retrieved. The harm is already done. I know of an unfortunate situation that involved a young pastor who posted just too much personal information on his MySpace profile. Anything posted on these social networking sites is never private and is really never restricted to the few friends that have been granted permission. Quite often, the most outrageous and damaging information, videos and messages are forwarded and reposted and can never be recovered.

Creating healthy boundaries

All of us really need to rethink the issue of privacy and formulate some healthy boundaries when it comes to our texts, messages and tweets. Individuals need to remember that comments that you may have had in private are not to be made public and all texts, messages and tweets have to be considered public. Christians should not be “flaming” or participating in rude spamming, trash-talking and arguing on the social networking sites.

Churches and other ministries should also be especially careful about the release of confidential information and the casual misuse of copyrighted material which seems to be all too common today. Churches should also consider whether unedited “comments” are allowed by anyone replying to posts or if some supervision is required.

Social media is a creative and inexpensive tool that can be used but is very easily abused.

By Ken Behr

reprint from ChurchExecutive.com April 2010

Multiplying is Not Necessarily Growth

Small Groups, LifeGroups, GrowthGroups, or whatever they may be called in your local church are "in".

More and more churches are finding that encouraging people to naturally connect outside of the church building during the week and "do life together" is good.

It's good because small groups are very Biblical, and are great ways for people to become more like Christ, to get to know people, to grow in your faith and exercise your gifts.

There is a time however in the life of every small group that the members dread. That's when it is suggested that perhaps it's time for the group to multiply. "Multiply" is a nice way of saying that the group needs to split into two groups.

Multiplying groups, while likely an objective of the Pastor, isn’t always an objective of a group.

Groups enjoy the fellowship of the small community and it is in community that they derive their strength and are nurtured and become interdependent. It’s not easy therefore for the group to be completely selfless and willing to divide and multiply. However, there are ways that churches have accomplished this and still encouraged strong fellowships to emerge.

One of the devices that can be helpful is to have regular “seasons” for small groups. For example, encouraging small group formation on an annual basis (for example, every September) leads to many new groups being formed and an easy process for previous groups to be reformulated.

Another process that has worked in the past is that when groups reach a size that it becomes too difficult to stay united and meet together (i.e. in excess of twenty or thirty people). It may be better to spin off two or three smaller groups but allow them to remain within the large “mother” group. Often these spin-off-groups continue to maintain an affinity and connection with each other, and even meet all together on an infrequent basis which can be healthy and encouraging for all of the spin-off-group members.

Reinventing the Church --- Please!

If you read the USA Today this week, you may have seen the headline, Survey: 72% of Millennials more spiritual than religious. The USA Today was quick to report the bad news for churches and referenced the extensive research recently completed by LifeWay here in Nashville. The LifeWay study will be included in a new book entitled, “The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation" by LifeWay president, Dr. Thom Rainer and his son Jess.

Millennials are those born between 1980 and 1991 and include our two children, now adults.

I’ve recently spoken with the fine people at LifeWay regarding this research and there is promise as well as a warning in these results. For one thing, this Millennial is actually more spiritual than expected. The survey found for example that while the Millennials hold diverse beliefs, about 60% say that their religious faith is very important in their lives today. Further even a greater percentage agreed that Christian churches are still relevant in America today.

65% however reported that they never or rarely ever attend church, despite the fact that the same percentage, 65% identified themselves as Christians.

The challenge here for those of us that are leading churches is to understand that we need to continually re-invent the church. "The most dangerous trends in the church are the trends we don’t see." (Quote from D.A. Carson to the Acts29 Network, September 2008). Many churches are reinventing themselves and finding ways to reach out to all generations and particularly to the lost. They are introducing dynamic worship and culturally relevant teachings, all the while continuing or re-committing to Biblical authenticity.

Most other churches however are in complete denial. Their typically shrinking congregations are wondering why fewer and fewer people are attracted to their services. Their attendance has been in decline for year or at best is failing to keep up with the population growth of the community. Visitors in many of these churches are becoming rarer than family night in today’s busy society.

This Millennial generation is now coming of age. They are having children and becoming like previous generations responsible and serious adults. They have a spiritual leaning that is God given (2 Cor 5:14) We constantly need to reinvent the church to attract those that are longing for truth in a world that is becoming more and more indifferent.

A Bimmer (BMW) or a Bummer

First off, here are some definitions: (source MotorTrend)

• "Bimmer" - proper and accepted slang for BMW cars. Most people don't know this.
• "Beamer/Beemer" - incorrect term for BMW cars; reserved and accepted slang for BMW motorcycles. You will hear this term used incorrectly by many people.
• "Bummer" - when you have to push your BMW

This morning, I saw one of my neighbors pushing his 2002 BMW into a parking space. It’s a nice vehicle, a 540i that looks like it’s really in good shape and has held up well for its age. It was obviously recently waxed and the windows and chrome wheels were sparkling.

But he was pushing it into the parking space because it stalled as he was coming around the corner and it wouldn’t start.

Bummer!

My mind immediately starting thinking about the contrast between how nice the vehicle looked vs. how poorly the vehicle was performing. This is not a commentary on BMW’s or their reliability; rather it’s a great opportunity to apply the same contrast on our own lives.

Often, we look pretty good on the outside. We may have the ability to appear to be in good shape, recently cleaned up and even our eyes may be sparkling. On the inside however, we are stalled.

The Bible has a lot to say about what is on the inside vs. what is on the outside. In Psalms 51 the Psalmist declares,

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”.

Just like an old BMW, it’s relatively easy for us to try to project something outwardly but without the right thing going on inside, our outward life is ultimately just a bummer.

Are You Useful or Useless?

I have a few items in my bottom drawer that are utterly useless to me. Things like a perfectly good power cord specifically designed for a particular power supply that no longer functions, a number of software CD's for operating versions that I don't use, a heating element for a coffee cup that has been lost.

In time, these items will be discarded and thrown into the trash. I'm not a sentimental person so it will be relatively easy for me to dispose of useless items.

I'm reminded however that my life is also be useful. I don't ever want to be something that no longer has purpose or worth. The Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, asked that Mark would be sent to him in Rome as Mark was "useful" to him (2 Tim 4:11). This word "useful" is a Greek word that is also translated "profitable". Paul uses a play on the same word when he writes about another person that is useful to him.

Onesimus was a run-away slave. The Greek word "Onesis" means "profitable" and "serviceable" (ref Strongs G3682) and Paul let's all of us know that while Onesimus was once utterly useless and even rebellious, Paul found that he could be useful in ministry.

If you want to be useful, you may need to find your Paul. If you have lost your usefulness, find a way to minister to others and become profitable once again in the Kingdom. The question we need to ask is, "Are we useful or useless?"

Looking for Mr./Ms. Right?

So do you think that maybe there is a soul mate out there for you?

You know, the one person that will make you complete. If you find him or her, you’ll be able to play “Bless the Broken Road” at your wedding and know that there was one person that every sign post pointed to and that everything was all part of grand plan to bring the two of you together.

That may be a very romantic and sentimental thought but I was asked recently if it is Biblical. In other words, does the Bible say that there is a perfect person out there for you, what some would say is a “soul mate”?

Great question and here is my direct and somewhat thoughtful answer.

“God is more interested in you being the right person than you finding the right person.”

If that went by you so fast you didn’t catch it, let me repeat: “God is much more interested and intent on you becoming the right person, including the right person in a relationship and ultimately a marriage, than you finding that person that will ring every bell, or make you happy in every way."

The instructions in the Bible regarding relationships and marriage are pretty simple. Among these instructions are the principles of honor and respect. These principles start when a couple starts dating. The bible never tells us that we are to get all of our happiness from another person or in sexual gratification, before or after marriage.

The Bible says that happiness actually comes from contentment. God’s love for us is never-ending and unfailing. God is the one that provides for us, give us purpose and ultimately gives you your spouse, your mate and the person that completes you (note, that is to be one person, don't read it as three).

Here’s another way to answer the question, "Is there one special person out there to be your soul mate?"

Long before we were born, God knew us. He loved us so much that He sent Christ to die for us so that we may have eternal life with Him. In His love He has provided all things for us (Phil 4:19). These things included ultimately the family we are born into and the person that we marry.

If we are willing to allow God to lead, we then follow in the footsteps as He directs. Trusting in God, keeping yourself pure and dedicated to what God wants for your life will lead you to that soul mate. Here is what the Psalmist declares:

“How can those who are young keep their way pure?

By living according to your word.” Psalm 119: 9-10 (TNIV)