A Time Of Preparation

Everyday we prepare ourselves for something.  Presentations, lesson plans, performance reviews, papers, weekend trips and financial planning all takes preparation.   At this time every year, millions of Christians are in a time of preparation.  For some, it is the season of Lent, for others, it is a sometimes unnamed time of fasting, prayer and reflection not so coincidentally culminating with Holy Week and ultimately Easter Sunday, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus.

Preparation, by definition is preparing for someone or some event in the future.  In the early church, before the season of Lent (meaning Spring) was instituted by the church, this time prior to Easter was a significant time of preparation.   Interestingly over the centuries what believers were preparing for has changed.

In the first few centuries, this time of preparation included both the believers and the new believes called catechumens.  Catechumens had made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ but were going through a year of preparation that culminated right around Easter when the church initiated all of these new members into the church through Baptism.    Baptism was a huge annual celebration and many churches built large baptismal with stairs leading into and out of the baptismal.   Both the catechumens and the baptized members of the church fasted and prayed in preparation for this time of initiation.  Both to be closer to God and for the power of the Holy Spirit to accompany the event.

By the fifth century, the preparation was no longer about Baptism as infants were baptized soon after birth.  The time was to prepare to receive communion.    Communion, or the Lord Supper by that time was shared weekly by the clergy but only celebrated at a distance by the rest of the Church.  The term “Easter Duty” refers to the requirement of the faithful to receive communion on an annual basis and the medieval church prepared themselves through fasting and prayer during this time, by then called “lent”.

By the 20th century this time of preparation was the time that proceeded Easter.  For evangelicals, it was an opportunity to pray and fast culminating in what has become the holiest week in the year.  In the Roman Catholic Church, children were now receiving communion along with adults on a weekly basis.  Communion became the centerpiece of every worship service in the Roman Catholic Church and the previously annual 40 day period of self reflection and examination became 40-days-of-giving-something up and meatless-Fridays that still culminated with the celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Fasting and prayer as preparation of the eternal truths of Christ’s resurrection and our redemption should be an integral component in every believers’ life.   Jesus not only gives us eternal life but a life that is abundant, full and purposeful.    Don’t miss the time of preparation regardless of what you call it or how long you chose to fast and pray.

Don't Ignore Warning Signs

I’m amazed but no longer surprised when I see people ignoring sometimes very obvious warning signs.   In our relationships, our businesses, our finances and our health there are sometimes very obvious warning signs that should not be ignored.

Recently, I had the opportunity to listen to two young people about their relatively short tenure as a married couple.   Their marriage was in serious trouble and from the very beginning there were a number of warning signs that disaster was probable if not absolutely certain.   Warning signs like too much credit card debt, abuse of alcohol and drugs, as well as verbal abuse were obvious to family and friends around them but were ignored.

Just before Jesus went to the cross on Calvary he warned his followers: “So when you see the abomination that causes desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand ), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house.  And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. (Matt 24:15-18)

History records in great detail the horrific destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.  However, many of Christ’s followers were aware of this warning and left the city prior to the siege.    Later in the same chapter of Matthew, Jesus tells us, "Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. This is why you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Being ready for the return of Jesus Christ is also a warning.  It is a warning for all of us that we are not to get too comfortable with our day-to-day life. We should live each day with the anticipation that there is something better, Someone greater that is coming. 

What's In Your Hand?

Back in the late 1980’s TV audiences were introduced to special agent MacGyver.

MacGyver was a resourceful hero as he was able to use everything from household food and cleaning products to industrial solvents to create explosives, disable electronics and in general make things goes ‘boom’!

Like Indiana Jones but with a Swiss army knife rather than a whip, MacGyver challenged our imaginations to think about how ordinary things could be used in extra-ordinary ways.

As believers, we often think that we are ill-equipped to meet some of the significant challenges that we face on a regular basis.  Nevertheless, God has always assured us that ‘all things are possible’ and that we would be able to do more than we can even hope or think.

Moses was an ordinary man who was able to do extraordinary things.  He wasn’t always sure of himself but God showed him that He was able to be the instrument that God wanted to use at the time. Just before Moses was going to go and meet Pharaoh his confidence was a little shaky.  The Lord said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' 'A staff,' he replied" (Exodus 4:2).

When Moses said, “A staff”, God told him to thrown it on the ground and it turned into a snake.  God will use whatever we have in our hand for His glory.  Centuries later, Jesus would call upon a little boy to use the five loaves and two fish in his hand to feed a multitude (John 6:9).  Today, we have the privilege and can enjoy seeing God accomplish His purpose and His plan through our lives; even through the little things we have in our hand.

The fun thing about watching MacGyver was that it was the ordinary things that were used for a different purpose.  The fun thing about being obedient when God calls is that He uses ordinary people for a higher purpose.

Why The Next Pope Matters

Pope Benedict XVI surprised many Catholics when he announced that he would be stepping down later this month.   The 85-year-old former Cardinal Ratzinger said he no longer has the mental or physical strength to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics.

Since that time speculation has run wild in the western press with the names of American, Canadian and European Archbishops and Cardinals suggested as some of the possible successor to what Roman Catholic’s claim is an unbroken line of succession going back to the Apostle Peter.

Insiders and others have commented on the type of Pope they would like.  Many are hoping for someone more acceptable to the less conservative wing of the church, particularly someone that would fit in with the prevailing theme of going ‘younger and more appealing’ to the various, divergent and liberal views of those in Europe and in North America.   Women as priests, acceptance of homosexuality and the relaxation on birth control are often mentioned as ‘hoped for’ developments by the media in Europe and in the US.

However, the Church (neither the Roman Catholic or the rest of Christianity) is no longer European or North American.   After years of a European centered and often Italian dominated Papacy, the time is ripe for leadership to arise from the global South.

In the past fifty years the center of Christianity has moved south…way south.   In the 1950’s emerging Christianity in Africa and in Asia started to clearly differentiate themselves from a European and a North America style of Christianity.   The Catholic Church in Latin America is largely charismatic and Pentecostal just as the fastest growing non-Roman Catholic segments of Christianity are as well.  In Africa, the growth of the Roman Catholic Church has required the church to find better ways to involve non-ordained clergy including family groupings, house churches and women in leadership positions.

According to Philip Jenkins, Christian historian and author of “The Next Christendom” statements about what Catholics believe today refers only to what that "ever-shrinking remnant of Western Christians and Catholics believe.  Such assertions are outrageous today, and as time goes by they will become even further removed from reality.  Europe is demonstrably not the faith. The era of Western Christianity has passed within our lifetimes."

Today the fastest growing Christian areas geographically are Africa and Latin America.  Asia likely has almost 400 million Christians and the Catholic Church, despite the scandals and criticisms of the West enjoys a solid share of the Christian population, often exceeding 50% in many of these emerging nations. 

Likely the Catholic Church will embrace a respected leader from one of these emerging nations as the new Pope.  In doing so it will likely embrace the new reality of how the church is always adapting to new cultures, new worship styles and finds a way to be relevant in every part of the globe.  It will also be better prepared to address the issues that confront the church including celibacy and orthodoxy.  As Jesus said, “From Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Eyewitness Accounts

I have recently been looking at some of the claims by some uniformed skeptics and biased scholars that the New Testament cannon is result of a late (i.e. 4-5th century) compilation by the medieval church.   Their arguments are tiring but are widely published and as a result need to be refuted from time to time.

One of the best illustrations I can use to demonstrate that the New Testament writers were who they claim to be is a comparison to the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001.   Stay with me and I’ll tell you why this makes sense.

The writers of the New Testament claim to be primarily all eyewitnesses; eyewitnesses to the ministry of Jesus Christ and others as well to the early and powerful witness of the Holy Spirit in the early church. 

One example is Luke. This is what the Apostle Luke has to say at the beginning of the Gospel that bears his name:

"In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God."

Bible scholars (but not the skeptics) date the writings of Luke to be somewhere between 58 and 65 AD primarily because Luke doesn’t mention the death of neither the Apostle Paul (around 65 AD) nor the Apostle Peter (around 68 AD).

Just after the deaths of Paul and Peter, a Roman general named Titus, who would soon become the Roman Emperor, came with his army and sieged Jerusalem.   The siege of Jerusalem, beginning in April, A.D. 70 is a well-documented historical fact.  General Titus brought three legions against the Holy City.  In August of A.D. the same day when the King of Babylon burned the Temple in 586 B.C., the Temple in Jerusalem was burned again by Titus and his Roman soldiers.

Along with the Temple, all of Jerusalem was destroyed,  just as prophesied by Jesus and recorded by Luke (Luke 19:41-45)

In the New Testament the Temple is mentioned by name106 times; Jerusalem is referenced 141 times.

Now, back to the 9/11 illustration, imagine someone is writing about the United States and 106 times the World Trade Center is mentioned and New York City is mentioned 141 times.    What is the likelihood that the terrorist attack and the destruction of the World Trace Center would not be mentioned if the writing is AFTER 9/11/2001?     Since none of the four gospels, nor any of the 27 books of the New Testament that we refer to as the scripture mention the destruction of the temple nor Jerusalem in 70 AD the likelihood that they were written, edited or modified after 70 AD is very remote.

The writings and letters of these Apostles and other authors were widely circulated while other eyewitnesses were still alive.  Any falsehood or exaggeration regarding the miracles and the works of the Holy Spirit in the establishment of the early church would have been easily refuted.  Ultimately, the Church recognized the New Testament canon of 27 books based upon their apostolic authority, internal constancy, conformity to orthodoxy, and widespread acceptance.

NonProfit Boards and Funding

One of the big opportunities nonprofits have is to carefully understand the best roles and responsibilities of their board.  Whether a board of elders in a church, a board of directors or a board of trustees, organizational needs for the right type of board members changes over time.  Understanding when it is time for the board to be involved in fund raising is key to expanding mission and ministry

Role of the CEO is key

When does the board become fully engaged in fund raising?  That question is best answered by looking at the position of the chief executive officer.  This title is arbitrary and some organizations may call this key leader the president, the general manager or director or in the church world, a senior pastor.  However, the actual functions of management that the CEO is charged with fulfilling tell us much about their role as well as the role of the board.

The traditional functions of management are planning, organizing, directing and controlling and if the CEO is charged and fully responsible for these classical functions, than likely we have a true CEO and the board can take on other responsibilities.    Also, as the organization ‘matures’, there are more opportunities for the board to take on more strategic roles regarding fund raising.

The three phases of board maturity

I’ve discovered that all boards are not created equal, nor should they be.   While all board have the fiduciary responsibilities of governance, few if any need to spend all of their time on governance.    Annual executive compensation reviews, budgets and a financial audit take only a portion of the time leaving the board with other opportunities rather than responsibilities.

When a nonprofit is in its Developmental Stage, typically in the first few years and with revenues of less than $100,000, the members of the board of directors are likely the key volunteers.  They are idea people and dream with the founder about future possibilities.  Their selection and appointment to board status is simple, often not even formalized and usually happens through friendship rather than any strategic plan.

In the Growth Stage, typically in the second through fifth year of the organization and when revenues are still less than $500,000 to $1 million annually, the board of director’s role begins to change.  Rather than volunteers, these board members are key partners in the ministry.  CEO’s look for skilled people to fill these roles that provide expertise and service that otherwise would need to be purchased or gone without.  Attorneys, tradespeople, skilled technology people are great finds for these boards and they help out with services provided in-kind.   Governance becomes more important but board members are strategically selected for what they can bring to this growth stage of the enterprise.

The ultimate stage is the Expansion Stage, and the organization is likely more than five years old with revenues in excess of $1,000,000 annually. While less than 30% of all nonprofits ever get this large, there are still much more ministry that can be accomplished but the thing that is lacking is money.    The board of directors’ emphasis should be shifted to that of fund raising and board members are selected based on their networks of friends and associates.   These are connected people rather than skilled people (i.e. Growth Stage).  They are ambassadors of the mission and ministry.  They are the best people to be involved in growing the funding base.

Here are just a few ways for these board members to get involved in the effort. 

• Network!  Network is not fundraising, it’s just natural

• Host a Table!  Always have a list of upcoming opportunities and invitations ready

• Coordinate a Grant Writing Initiative (City, County, State, Federal, Philanthropic)

• Strategically create a list of top influencers to meet

• Plan an event at your club/home/work

• Host a lunch each week with a new prospect

• eMail, call or visit with donors just to say thanks

• Tell people why they serve as a board member

• Identify and recruit an in-kind service

Board Members that understand the opportunity to be involved as an ambassador build a stronger and more stable funding base.  They have the opportunity to be a key part of the growth and success of the organization.  They build a lasting legacy and transform hearts.

Reprint from ChurchExecutiveMagazine December 2012