More Lessons from Former President Ford.

I read today that President Ford's son graduated from Gordon-Conwell Seminary (in my opinion perhaps the best evangelical graduate school on the East Coast). Gerald Ford was asked to speak at the graduation ceremony and his words are included in the article below. He made some GREAT observations about leadership and dependence upon God!

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/decemberweb-only/152-32.0.html

Leadership lessons from President Ford.

As the news has been eulogizing President Ford the last couple of days, I have been contemplating 2 lessons that are relevant to your leadership.

1. He has been quoted as saying "I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your President with your prayers." Those of you who lead children's ministry may feel very much as Ford did. Your students did not choose you, but you hope they will give you a chance. (Those who teach adults have been chosen by your students. They may not have chosen you on a ballot, but they vote with their attendance each time you meet.) This goes to the reality that God sovereignly appoints those we lead and those who lead us. Consider yourself blessed that God would allow others to follow your leadership and follow gracefully those He has called to lead you.
   
2. The defining moment of Ford's presidency was pardoning Nixon. It was not a popular thing to do and many say it cost him the next election to Carter. History has now shown that it was the right thing to do--The country needed to heal and move on, more than it needed to exact a penaltly. Our sense of fairness wants to demand justice for others, but longs for mercy regarding our own faults. The Lord challenged this notion when He prayed "forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." As those who have influence over others, would "forgiving" be a quickly thought of word to describe your character?
   

In the days ahead I challenge you to consider how you can follow graciously and lead mercifully.

When Was the Last Time You Prayed for New Legs?

 As we progress through the Christmas season, I wonder if you have allowed yourself to experience AWE. The Christmas story is full of AWE-filled events: Mary was amazed that God would use her, Shepherds were filled with awe when they received the heavenly message, and villagers were in awe that Shepherds would be the messengers of Messiah's birth.

A little Awe is a good thing. Which brought me to think about the role of small group leaders and teachers. What do you expect to happen in the lives of your students? Read below for a challenge from the lips of a child.

A recent conference speaker told the story of how he and his son went grocery shopping to pick up a few items for supper. While at the store, they encountered a man with no legs. They politely said ‘hi’ and went on with their business.

Later that night, when they were praying before bed, his child asked his dad if he would pray for the man with no legs.  He said, ‘That’s a great idea”.  He said he then delivered a rather eloquent prayer for the man; asking God to bless him and help him deal with his physical disability.  Then his son prayed and asked God to give the man new legs.

How humbled he was as he thought that the next time they saw this man in the grocery store, he would be hoping to see a man dealing with his problem; while his son was envisioning a man, not in a wheelchair, but walking around with perfectly fine legs.

Isn’t it funny how our kids view God?  God isn’t just a God who can make us feel good or comfortable; but he is one who can perform the miraculous.

Anyway I look at it; I’m humbled by the view of God that some of our children have.  I wish I could approach God with that amount of innocence and expectance.  I want to learn to do that more and more each day.

So… when was the last time you prayed for new legs?  And how will that change your day today?

Source: MondayMorningInsight.com > When Was the Last Time You Cried for the Lost or Prayed for New Legs?

Small Groups - Breaking and Entering

Enjoy this summary of an article by John Ortberg about the value and importance of true community. 

One of the great stories in the Bible about community involves a paralyzed man and the friends who brought him to Jesus (Mark 2:1-8).

Imagine what life was like for a paralytic in the ancient world. This man's whole life is lived on a mat three feet wide and six feet long. Someone has to feed him, carry him, clothe him, move him to keep him from being covered with bedsores, clean him when he soils himself. He will never know the sense of independence we prize so fiercely. He has no money, no job, no influence, no family, and seemingly not much of a future.

What's he got going for him? He has friends. He has amazing friends. He is in one of the killer small groups of all time.

In one sense, this whole story takes place because of his friends. Without his friends he never makes it to Jesus, never gets healed, never gets forgiven.

Choosing community
Because of his physical condition, the deck was stacked against friendships emerging here at all. This is a fast-paced world, and it is not a very gracious place for those who can't run as fast as others.

Yet, here is a little band of men who refuse to let any obstacle stop them. And this is a key point: Their little group did not come about by accident. In the face of formidable obstacles—social stigma, inconvenience, financial pressure, a high cost of time and energy—they chose to become friends.

The requirement for true intimacy is unhurried time. If you think you can fit deep community into the cracks of an overloaded schedule—think again. Wise people do not try to microwave friendship, parenting, or marriage. You can't do community in a hurry.

You can't listen in a hurry. You can't mourn or rejoice in a hurry.

Many people lack great friends for the simple reason that they have never made pursuing community a high priority you can't carry somebody's mat in a hurry. And everyone comes with a mat.

The Fellowship of the Mat
Think about what the paralyzed man goes through in order to be friends with this group of men. He must have wrestled with his sense of dependence. It is a very vulnerable thing to have someone carry your mat. When somebody's carrying your mat, they see you in your weakness.

There is the gift between these friends: trusting vulnerability and dependable faithfulness. This mat, which according to society should have created a great gulf between him and them, instead became an opportunity for servanthood and acceptance. This group becomes the Fellowship of the Mat. Wherever human beings love and accept and serve each other in the face of weakness and need, there is the Fellowship of the Mat.

If you want a deep friendship, you can't always be the strong one. You will sometimes have to let somebody else carry your mat.

A gang of roof-crashers
Then one day Jesus comes to their town. These four men find out about it, and naturally they want to hear this famous rabbi.

One of them says, "We can't just go ourselves. We've got to get our friend there. To do that is going to make things harder logistically, but they're not thinking about themselves. They are thinking of him. Friends do that. Friends serve each other.

When they get to the home where Jesus is teaching, it is standing room only "There was no room left, not even outside the door," the Bible says. Then one of them gets an idea—probably the youngest guy the tattooed and pierced guy, because he's an outside-the-box thinker.

"Dudes! What if we make a hole and lower him through the roof! Whoaaa!"

The man's friends must wonder how Jesus will respond to their unconventional plan.

Jesus looks up and sees the faces of four friends staring down at him. They have nothing to ask for themselves. Their only thought is, "If we can just get our friend close to Jesus … " That's what great friends want to do for each other.

Then the text says an amazing thing: "When Jesus saw their faith … "

Usually healing stories speak of Jesus seeing the faith of the one asking for healing for themselves or their child. Here it's the faith, not primarily of the man, but of his friends.

A big hole in the ceiling, four faces in it—sweaty, dusty, anxious, hopeful faces thinking only of their friend and trusting somehow that Jesus will respond. Jesus sees a group that possesses and acts on an irrational commitment to the well-being of one of its members.

Jesus turns and looks down at this twisted, motionless body on a mat. He sees not only a broken body but—as in every one of us—a broken, fallen soul.

He speaks tenderly: "Son, your sins are forgiven."

I wonder what the man on the mat thinks at this point. He hadn't really signed up to have his sins talked about.

It is striking that Jesus knew the man needed forgiveness as well as healing. A friend of mine asked recently, "What sins can a paralytic do, anyway?" Jesus understood, of course, that the deadliest sins—resentment, arrogance, judgmentalism, lovelessness—are ones we can commit without lifting a finger.

The gift that keeps living
A key part of this story is that there are others present in the room—teachers of the law, people who were thought of (and thought of themselves) as spiritual giants. They apparently arrived on time and got good seats. But you will notice that they had no friends to bring to Jesus. They were supposed to be the spiritual ones—but apparently no one they knew was hurting or confused or needed Jesus.

There is an important implication to this. It is simply impossible to love the Father without also sharing his heart for people.

I grew up in circles where many people thought they were becoming more spiritual because they attended many church services or watched many preachers on television or memorized many Bible verses. But their hearts for people—especially for people far from God, for the lost, for the searching, for people with bad habits—got a little harder and colder and more judgmental year after year. What is bad is not just that this happened but that these people thought they were growing spiritually.

The truth is, the more spiritually mature you grow, the more you will find your heart drawn to people. You want to reach out to people, especially those neglected by society or far from God.

The man stands up. He lifts his mat off the ground. He folds it up. He has spent his whole life on that thing. And suddenly—never again.

His world has enlarged from three-by-six to as far as his feet can carry him. Not just his body has been healed. His heart has also. His soul. Every sin has been forgiven. Physically, relationally, spiritually, he is the healthiest guy in the room.

Imagine when he becomes an old man and hits 80. The other members of his small group are using walkers and canes. His legs are still running strong.

Source: Small Groups - Breaking and Entering

The Faith of Advent

I received the following from a long-time colleague and friend in ministry. I thought it was a seasonally appropriate devotional.

As I've been studying for this weeks sermon, I uncovered two quotes about faith that I just had to pass along.  Mary and Joseph demonstrated such incredible faith, the shepherds lived out faith, and the wise men were men of faith as well.  Oh how I need to grow more in this area and be a better man of faith!  So what is faith?  Philip Yancey said: "Faith is believing in advance in something that will only seem logical when seen in reverse."  Stop and ponder that thought for a moment.  As Americans, we want all our ducks in a row and we want to know the logical conclusion before we ever step out, but is that really faith?  I don't think so.  Mary and Joseph weren't like that.  They didn't have all the facts.  The shepherds weren't like that.  They didn't know all the details.  And the wise men for sure weren't like that.  They didn't even know where they were going when they started out their desert journey.

Father of the Bride

I found the following article interesting. It takes the scriptural allusion to the "Bride of Christ" and draws lessons for those in leadership of the Bride. It was first written for pastors, but has implications for teachers and small group leaders also. 

Provide.  A father provides the basic needs of life for his daughter: food, shelter, clothing.  He also provides education, discipline, and many of the mere wants of life.  In the same way, a pastor provides spiritual food appropriate to the maturity of his daughter, the church (1 Cor 3, Heb 5).  He provides for at least some physical needs (Ac 6).  He provides training (Ac 11, 15; 2 Tim 3) and discipline (Mt 18; 2 Tim 3).  Certainly the pastor is a provider.

Protect.  A father protects his daughter from disease, from external dangers, from her own self-destructive potential, and even – if he is a wise father – from his own failures and shortcomings.  A pastor protects the church from false teachers, legalism (Ac 15), doctrinal errors, and from the church’s own tendency to get caught up in needless, fruitless arguments (1 & 2 Tim, Titus). 

Nurture.  A father nurtures his daughter spiritually, emotionally, socially, intellectually.  He helps her to be healthy in each of these areas.  This is a harder concept for me to grasp because it is less concrete, but a pastor must love and nurture his church to healthy growth in these areas, as well. 

Prepare.  A father prepares his daughter generally for life, but he also prepares her specifically for her role as wife and mother.  He provides an example of a godly man, a godly husband, a godly father.  He prepares her to choose wisely the man she will marry, prepares her to meet her new husband and to be united with him.  A pastor prepares his church for life in a hostile world, for its role as salt and light in that world, for its roles as defender of the faith and attacker of the gates of hell.

Present.  On the day of her wedding, a father presents his daughter to her new husband.  There is great significance in this, not only for the daughter but for the father as well: he is turning over responsibility for these tasks to the man with whom she will be united in marriage.  Will he be able to say that he has done his job well?  Is his daughter prepared?  Has she been well-protected, provided for, and nurtured?  Will you, pastor, be able to say to Jesus that the bride whom he has entrusted to you is well-prepared for her union with him?  Have you protected her?  Trained, nurtured, and provided for her?

Source: MondayMorningInsight.com > Father of the Bride

Top Ten WORST Small Group Ice Breakers

 I received this list and was reminded that often our creativity gets in the way of what God wants to accomplish in people's lives. I know I have been guilty of doing things in a classroom that later caught up with me. Usually because I acted spontaneously, rather than doing the necessary work of preparation. Read through this list and take a moment to contemplate the possible negative results.

10. Share the worst sin you’ve ever committed.

9. If you were God, who would you punish first?

8. Which person in this group do you think needs to find Jesus the most?

7. Which people at your church do you wish would find a different church, and why?

6. If you could erase any verse out of the Bible, which one would it be?

5. Share the juiciest piece of gossip you know so we can pray about it.

4. If you could have anything from your neighbor’s house, what would it be?

3. What’s your favorite of The 10 Commandments to break?

2. If you could change anything about your spouse, what would it be?

1. If you could commit any sin and get away with it, what would it be?

Source: scotthodge.org: Top Ten WORST Small Group Ice Breakers

Mentoring That Makes a Difference

 There is a book that has been on my shelf for 15 years. I read the book when I first received it, then forgot about it until I received this quote in an email - taken from the last chapter of this book.

   Below are the highlights and you can click on the link at the end of this post for the full article.

As a mentor I don't want to tell people what God's will is for them; I want them to discover it for themselves. And that happens best, I've noticed, when I affirm what's going right with a person.

• Express encouragement regularly. A young lawyer in a class I taught recently wrote a paper on 1 Corinthians 15. He didn't just parrot back my lectures, however. He went beyond what I had taught, doing his own study and making his own breakthroughs. He grappled with issues we hadn't discussed in class; he dared to draw his own conclusions. It occurred to me as I read his work that I was learning from this student. So on his paper, along with his grade, I wrote a note saying his ideas had inspired me.
• Build trust. I can encourage another in the things that matter only if the person will share what's important to him with me. That means I have to attend to the slow business of building trust. And that involves listening with interest to what the person shares with me and affirming the good in what they say and do.
  Gradually, the person I'm mentoring will share deeper thoughts and talk about their more exciting dreams. And that's when my encouragement will really count.
• Don't qualify the affirmation. I meet many people who are discouraged because what personal encouragement they have revived has been qualified: "Yes, that's true enough. But you forgot about this." I look for ways to give simple, direct affirmations without the "buts," without having to add anything. Since the people I mentor are serious about their walk with Christ, I know in most cases they'll eventually figure out where they fall short. In the meantime, I'm giving them confidence that, when they do see a shortfall, they'll be able to do something about it.
  I call this kind of prophetic mentoring the ministry of agreement.
• Confront only when you've earned the right. Naturally, as in any meaningful relationship, there comes a time when the mentor must confront the person being mentored.
  A mentor, then, offers encouragement, and sometimes direction, so that the person mentored can move ahead on his own with confidence.

Source: Mentoring That Makes a Difference - BuildingChurchLeaders.com

Take Time to Be Holy

   You may have heard about the cruise ship last week where hundreds of passengers got sick. The link below details the virus and announces that the ship has been docked for a complete cleaning.

   This reminded me of an old hymn that admonishes us to intentionally pursue activities that contribute toward spiritual health. Here are the lyrics to that song:

Take time to be holy, Speak oft with they Lord;

Abide in Him always, And feed on His Word:

Make friends of God's children, Help those who are weak'

Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.

 

Take time to be holy, The world rushes on;

Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone:

By looking to Jesus Like Him thou shalt be;

Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.

 

Take time to be holy, Let Him be thy guide,

And run not before Him Whatever betide;

In joy or in sorrow Still follow they Lord,

And looking to Jesus, Still trust in His Word.

 

Take time to be holy, Be calm in they soul;

Each thought and each motive Beneath His control;

Thus led by His Spirit To fountains of love,

Thou soon shalt be fitted For service above.

 

Link to FOXNews.com - Cruise Ship Docks for Cleaning After Hundreds Sickened - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

Look at All the Lonely People

 As the holidays approach consider what you can do in your small group or class to reach out to isolated people. This is a secular resource that reveals a problem that the Church can address. It reminds me of Jesus' comment in Matt 9:36 when he had compassion on helpless and bewildered people.

Look at All the Lonely People

In Norman Rockwell's classic 1943 painting, "Freedom from Want," an extended family is gathered around the table to celebrate a holiday feast. Fast-forward 63 years to Thanksgiving 2006 and—while lack of food is still a problem for too many in this land of plenty—you are much more likely to find want of a different kind. More and more Americans are starving for significant relationships.

Earlier this year, the American Sociological Review published a disturbing study, "Social Isolation in America: Changes in Core Discussion Networks over Two Decades." Researchers Miller McPherson, Lynn Smith-Lovin, and Matthew E. Brashears reported a "remarkable drop" in the size of people's core network of confidants—those with whom they could talk about important matters.

As of 2004, the average American had just two close friends, compared with three in 1985. Those reporting no confidants at all jumped from 10 percent to 25 percent. Even the share of Americans reporting a healthy circle of four or five friends had plunged from 33 percent to just over 15 percent.

To draw our culture to Christ, evangelical churches spend enormous amounts of money on slick marketing materials, enormous amounts of creative energy crafting "authentic" worship, and enormous amounts of intellectual capital on postmodernizing the faith. We're not convinced these strategies get to the heart of our cultural malaise.

Perhaps another "strategy" is in order. What if church leaders mounted a campaign to encourage each of their members to become friends, good friends, with one unchurched person this year?

Oh, but that would require so much commitment, sacrifice, and humility! Exactly.

Source: Look at All the Lonely People | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Keeping Your Eye on the Ball

You may or may not have seen the news reports of Ted Haggard in Colorado Springs. Regardless of how the timing of this story is politically motivated, by Haggard's own admission, he has behaved immorally.

The lesson for us as teachers/leaders is 3-fold.

1. Ensure that you are personally spending time with God apart from lesson preparation
2. Don't allow yourself to become so busy that you let your guard down.
3. If you are advancing the cause of Jesus Christ, know that Satan has you in his crosshairs. God has guaranteed victory to all those who walk in it, but that doesn't erase the attacks by the evil one and his minions.

The link below expounds on these thoughts.

When Pastors Fall: Keeping Your Eye on the Ball

Source: MondayMorningInsight.com > When Pastors Fall: Keeping Your Eye on the Ball

Four Secrets of Great Team-Based Leadership

Found this article on Team Building (there is a difference between a "team" and a "workgroup"). Below I share the bullet points and a link to the full article. 

Four Secrets of Great Team-Based Leadership
Leadership as a team makes ministry enjoyable and effective.
By Dave Ferguson

Here are four secrets of great team based leadership:

THE SECRET ABOUT THE CAUSE—"We are committed to the cause first and each other second."

Great leadership teams are always clear about the cause. There is no great team that is not clear about the cause. There is no good team that is not clear about the cause. A lot of other stuff may get fuzzy, but the cause is always very clear. 

THE SECRET ABOUT COMMUNITY—"We don't know when we are working and when we are playing."

I love the way Eric Bramlett describes working at CCC; "working here feels like recess". I can't tell the difference between working and playing; they feel the same!

When we are looking for new staff, my team mates have been coached to consider the three C's of character, competency and chemistry. For us, chemistry is always the first priority.

THE SECRET CHARACTERISTICS – "We may look crazy or chaotic to you, but there is a method to our madness."

One of the secrets of a great leadership team is that in their relentless pursuit of the cause they become a community with characteristics that are exactly how God made them. This may appear crazy or chaotic to the outsider, but there is a unique method to their madness.

THE SECRET FOR CREATING CULTURE—"We REALLY are going to change the world."

It is the lead team more than any other team that will create the culture and the ethos for a church. When you have a lead team that is clear about the cause; willing to die for the cause; and where serving feels like recess you have created a church culture where people start to believe that we REALLY are going to change the world!

Dave Ferguson serves as a resource for other churches and leaders seeking to expand through multiple church sites and provides visionary leadership for the NewThing Network (www.newthing.org).

Source: Four Secrets of Great Team-Based Leadership - BuildingChurchLeaders.com

Small Groups - How to Lead a Small Group

Received this article today and thought it might help some of you with "nuts and bolts" of SG leadership. 

How to Lead a Small Group
10 practical suggestions to help Christians grow.
From the Church Leaders Answer Book

The success of any small group starts with the leader. Effective leaders are not teachers or lecturers. They are facilitators and catalysts whose primary job is to get people to interact with each other. Almost anyone can lead a dynamic discussion by following certain guidelines.

1. Come to the study prepared. Ask God to help you understand and apply the passage to your own life. Unless that happens, you will not be ready to lead others. If you are using a good study guide, it will probably take you an hour to read the passage, work through each question in the guide, and become familiar with the leader's notes.

2. Pray for the members of your group before the study. If the Bible is to have an impact on their lives, the Holy Spirit must be at work in their hearts before, during, and after the study.

3. Begin the study on time. If people know the study begins on schedule, they will work harder to arrive on time.

4. Explain that the studies are meant to be discussions, not lectures. Encourage everyone to participate, but realize some may be hesitant to speak during the first few sessions.

5. Encourage more than one answer to each question. A good question should have more than one possible answer, and each person has his or her unique perspective. Ask, "What do the rest of you think?" or "Anyone else?" until several people have responded.

6. Affirm people's answers. People often are reluctant to speak up unless they know you appreciate their insights. Simple words such as "That's a great insight," "Good response," "Excellent idea," or "I hadn't thought of that before" are enough to show people you value their comments.

7. Don't be afraid of silence. It usually seems longer to you than to the other members of the group.

8. Resist the temptation to answer your own question. Rephrase the question until the group understands what you are asking. A group will become passive and silent if they think you will do most of the talking.

9. Never reject an answer, even if you think it is wrong. When you reject people's answers, they feel rejected as well, and they may decide it is too risky to give their opinion again. A better response would be, "Which verse led you to that conclusion?" Or let the group handle the problem by asking them what they think.

10. End the study on time. A healthy small group will do more than study the Bible together, so leave enough time for other activities such as sharing and prayer. If these are merely tacked on at the end, the health of the group will suffer.

— Jack Kuhatschek. Adapted from "How to Lead a Small Group Bible Study Effectively," for Zondervan, http://fm2.forministry.com. Used with permission.

From The Church Leader's Answer Book, copyright © 2006 Christianity Today International, published by Tyndale House Publishers.

Source: Small Groups - How to Lead a Small Group

Small Groups - Ministry Blah

Here is a list of 5 things to consider when you are feeling caught in a routine. 

Ministry Blah
What can you do when you're discouraged about your God-inspired service?
By Cory Whitehead

Do you ever get a case of "ministry blah"? I define the "blah" as "a consistent discouragement with your place of service." It can be further defined as "feeling like your ministry is useless, that you're not supported, and that no one else cares."

Remember Your Original Passion
Do you remember proclaiming "this is where I'm called to be" or "this is where God wants me to serve"?

1 Peter 4:19 says, "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." When the "blah" brings suffering in the form of discouragement, remember your original passion and that will help you dig in a little deeper. Jog your memory of the early days and the calling you felt.

Talk About It
God has a funny way of working, and our friends are sometimes the vitamins we need to get spiritually healthy again.

Fast Until There Is Healing
I've found that when I have the "ministry blah," it's often because I'm not staying well-connected with God. Spiritual disciplines, like prayer and Bible reading, fall by the wayside, and slowly, often without recognizing the symptoms for what they are, I'm bombarded with feelings of discouragement, incompetence, and carelessness.

Set a Goal
Sometimes God shuts down a ministry or moves us to a different area of service. I've experienced times when I felt God wanted to give me a break and build me up for the season ahead.

For this reason, it's not always simple to tell if you're sick with the "blah" or if you just need to change your ministry diet. Besides connecting with God regularly, I often set a goal for myself in regard to the ministry.

Stay Faithful
"Ministry blah" is part of spiritual life. You're not a worse Christian because you have it. You're not wasting your time in your ministry. You're not useless. Actually, the fact that you are in ministry says something important about you. You've stepped out of the boat. You've stepped into a life of service, and that pleases God.

At times when I want to quit, I realize that I have to fight it off. Satan doesn't want us serving God, so he'll do everything that he can to discourage us.

Let's fight the "blah" and persevere in the task that God has called us to.

Source: Small Groups - Ministry Blah

Leadership - budgeting your priorities

Our church is currently in the budget cycle as we seek the Lord's direction for our role in the Kingdom for 2007. Budgeting may seem worldly and lacking in faith, but it can be an exercise in wisdom, discernment and leadership which are all admonished in Scripture.

Here are some personal guidelines that I am challenging some our leaders to consider.

My personal opinion is that activities designed to minister to the needs of people outside of the Body of Christ [evangelism & outreach] should be underwritten by those within the Body of Christ – MT 10:8.

Matthew 10:8 …Freely you received, freely give.

I think that we need to honor leadership by underwriting supplies and training [equipping] so that it does not cost more financially to be a leader than to be a participant (the leader is already donating time and expertise) – 1 Tim 5:17 & Gal 6:6.

1 Tim 5:17 "Elders who provide effective leadership must be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard in speaking and teaching."
Galatians 6:6 "Now the one who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with the one who teaches it."

Fellowship and growth events [building] should be self-funding – Acts 4:32. (participants “share” by giving of tithes & offerings which are used to provide facilities, hospitality supplies, administrative & publicity needs.) Part of “having in common” is providing scholarships for those who cannot afford an activity.

Acts 4:32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common.

I realize that people with different passions would set different priorities, but my perspective is that priority in allocating resources should be given to outreach, leadership resources and scholarships and that those who benefit from an activity should bear the costs of it.

What do you think?

Has Sunday School gone the way of the Dodo bird?

Found this and thought it was a good summary of some thoughts I heard expressed at a conference 7 or 8 years ago. Here is a summary, link to original is at the end of the post. 

How did Sunday School become a dinosaur?
As I've conversed with other senior pastors of large, growing churches, it seems that our situation is the norm. These days, a church with a strong, thriving Sunday School is the exception rather than the rule.
What in the world happened to Sunday School? Why is the old dinosaur on the verge of extinction?
Here are a few possible explanations:
1. The focus of Sunday School has switched from Outreach to Instruction.
2. The "invitation" of friends is to the worship service, rather than a Sunday school class.
3. Midweek gatherings have replaced Sunday School as the "second hour."
4. Sunday School is the "coffee shop" and the midweek programs are like "Starbucks."
5. The biggest reason for the demise of Sunday School is because the leaders have quit working it.
Maybe Thom Rainer is right when he says, “Sunday School has not stopped working for churches; churches have stopped working Sunday School.”

Source: Revitalize Your Church: Sunday Schoolsaurus

Small Groups - What Do We Want to Study Next?

The following is abridged from ChristianityToday.com/smallgroups a link appears at the end if you want to read the original post.

Five principles for selecting the right study for your group.

by Michael C. Mack

1. QUESTION: Why does the group exist? PRINCIPLE: The main purpose of every group should flow out of the mission of the church.

Once you have clarified your group's mission, you then need to answer the question, "What can we study next that will help us carry out that mission? What should we study that will help us make disciples or make fully devoted followers of Jesus?"

2. QUESTION: Who is in my group? PRINCIPLE: The small group leader's main function is that of a shepherd who knows his or her sheep.

Here are a few questions a good shepherd will ask:

• Where are people spiritually? As a shepherd, you must know where people are individually and where the group is as a whole. Are participants newborns in the faith, like spiritual teenagers, or are they mature adults? (See passages such as 1 John 1:12-14; 1 Peter 2:2; 1 Corinthians 3:1-3; and Hebrews 5:11-6:1 for discussions on how to shepherd people at different spiritual levels.)
• In what areas do they need to grow? Do they need more knowledge about beliefs and doctrine? Do they need to learn the disciplines or practices of the Christian life? Do they need to understand the virtues of the Christian life or the fruit of the Spirit?
• How do they learn best? Do participants in your group tend to learn best through application-oriented discussion, by doing, hearing, reading, or a combination? Would individuals learn better in a group, or would some one-on-one mentoring be helpful?

3. QUESTION: What do you believe? PRINCIPLE: Teach what is in accord with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1).

As you choose curriculum, be sure it leads you to study God's Word, not just someone's opinions, even opinions that relate to Scripture. Examine a Bible study closely before using it in your group. If you don't feel confident or competent to examine a curriculum piece for doctrinal purity, ask a church leader to do so first.

4. QUESTION: What are your group's capabilities and limitations? PRINCIPLE: A group agreement can help establish some basic ground rules for Bible study selection.

Some considerations:

• Depth of studies. Are the studies too deep? Not deep enough? Just right for your group?
• Homework. Has your group agreed to do "homework" between studies?
• Length of study. How many weeks will the study take? Most groups get antsy with more than a six or seven week study. The old standby of 13 week studies just does not seem to work anymore.
• Length of time in each study. How much time will you spend in Bible study in each session? Are there too many questions for the time allotted by the group?
• Good questions. Will the questions in the study lead to discussion and lively interaction, or do the questions sound like a pop quiz, looking for one-sentence answers?
• Open or closed. A long study or series may inadvertently close your group. Do sessions build upon each other or are they somewhat independent, so that new people can easily join at anytime?
• Cost. Discuss with your group how much members want to shell out for Bible study guides.

5. QUESTION: What are your own capabilities and limitations? PRINCIPLE: Know yourself. Don't get in over your head.

• Functionality. How easy is the study to use? Does it include everything you need?
• Prep time. How long will it take to prepare for meetings?
• Cost. How much is this going to set you back personally? Will you have to purchase a separate, and more expensive, leader's guide?
• Passion. Do you like the study? Can you get excited about it each week?

Answer all five of these questions and follow these principles, and you can navigate the sea of curriculum choices successfully. Better yet, you can lead your group to the destination God desires for you.

Used by permission from www.SmallGroups.com.

Source: Small Groups - What Do We Want to Study Next?

Fasting: It's not always about food

 I found this quote from Greg Atkinson and thought it might prompt some self evaluation.

Recently my family and I went to our church’s “Family Camp”, which took place in the middle of No-where, Arkansas. Not only did they have a rule about not bringing laptops with you, but I couldn’t even get a cell phone signal, so trying to find an Internet connection would have been a joke. Though I was not crazy about the idea, I went totally “unplugged” for the entire week of Family Camp. I mean: no cell phone, no iPod, no laptop, no TV – nothing! The first day and a half I was having withdrawal symptoms and really wanted to check my email. But eventually I accepted the reality of the situation and decided to make the most of it. Now don’t misunderstand me, I’m glad to be back in civilization and checking email, etc., but that week of being “unplugged” was amazing. I had some amazing quiet times with God and could actually HEAR from Him for the first time in a long time.

It’s funny, once the noise, the distractions of my TV, iPod, laptop and cell phone were missing I found myself more sensitive to the Spirit and felt more connected to God. I don’t know if that’s a law of nature or what, but the more disconnected I am from the world, the more connected I am to God. I had ideas flowing left and right. I kept a notebook/journal with me and ideas and thoughts were just constantly coming to me. It was as if I had tapped into this spring of creativity and vision and I was drinking away.

Source: MMI Weblog

Good Mentoring

I have condensed this story for you to get a taste then included a link to the original at the bottom if you want to read the full copy.


Good Mentoring: Is your time well spent?
3 success stories compiled by Lesa Engelthaler
Nobody has time to mentor. In fact, conversations with Christian leaders reveal that the number one reason they don't take on a disciple or facilitate a mentoring program is that they simply have no time.
Here are three stories from one church that makes the time.

Mentoring is simply pointing them in the right direction and walking with them
on the journey.—Mark Engelthaler

Mark's Story

One afternoon, I received a frantic phone call from Dan's wife, Anne. Dan was in the hospital with heart problems and wanted to talk to me. After intense conversation and much prayer, Dan made it through heart surgery, and during the process, he became a follower of Jesus.
A few weeks later, Dan asked, "Mark, I believe that Christ died on the cross for my sins, and yet I still have a lot of questions about God, creation, miracles, and so many other things. Will you meet with me so I can sort through these issues?"
"Of course!" I said.
Dan and I try to meet each week for an hour in my office. We began with the Navigator study Growing in Christ and added C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. The combination of the two books has spawned great conversation.
Often the men I ask to meet with me come from my natural circle of influence, such as the Bible study I'm leading or younger guys on staff with me. I ask them hard questions up front (Do you seriously desire a deeper and more committed walk with the Lord? Can you commit to a couple of hours a week?) to determine their level of commitment and willingness to see change in their lives. On the whole, my personal screening of potential disciples makes the dropout rate low and the success rate high.
I am also surprised by how people really do grow. Several years ago, I met with a man and, to be honest, at the end of the year I wondered if he had grown at all. Last month I attended a small group meeting during which this guy led the Bible study capably and with deep insights. He had really grown. It's both fun and encouraging to watch God work in people and to know that I had a small part in that growth.
What's the price to be paid? I had to learn to open up my life and calendar to this kind of commitment. But when I choose to meet with these men, God always blesses me too.
Several years ago I mentored a new believer who was so enthusiastic. It was exciting just to be a part of his life. Yet, I chose to use a Bible study with him that was out of his league and too intense. He and I laugh about it today, but I learned that mentoring is more about modeling and relationship and less about proper exegesis of a particular passage.
I want the men in my church to take off their "rugged individualism" mask and see that Christianity is about growing up in Christ and learning to be dependent on him and others. I'm learning that the investment of my time every year to meet with a man one-on-one is an important part of that process.
—Mark Engelthaler

Lesa's Story
Much of my formative spiritual growth resulted from older Christian women saying yes to my cries for help. I was clueless about the sacrifice they made to add me to their schedules. Because of their modeling, I felt compelled to do unto others what they had done unto me.
Yet, as I grew older and "did the math," mentoring one woman a year didn't seem enough. In 1996, I prayed for God to show me other women in our church with the same passion. The answer to that prayer was for me to begin a program to partner women one-on-one for a one-year commitment.

I had one rule for the program: keep it simple. I didn't want something that
took tons of administration.—Lesa Engelthaler

It was not an easy decision. I'm a pastor's wife with a career and already involved in many areas of the church. Where would I find time? So I had one rule for the program: keep it simple. I didn't want something that took tons of administration, and the women involved certainly didn't need "one more meeting."
My keep-it-simple mantra came from C.S. Lewis: "Think of me as a fellow-patient in the same hospital who, having been admitted a little earlier, could give some advice."
In the fall of 1997 we had an informational meeting to explain details: our goal is not intense Bible study, but meeting for encouragement. The commitment is once a month for one year. The participants fill out an information profile, which helps us prayerfully pair them.
This is the hardest part, yet every year I'm in awe at how God sovereignly pairs up women we've never met. Then we contact each woman to provide her partner's name, and the program basically runs itself.
The only extra commitment is attending two group meetings each year. This has become a vital part of the ministry, because when women look around the room filled with others who think discipleship is important, it helps us see that we're a part of a bigger multiplication plan.

Role Reversal

One thing I discovered about mentoring is that I often benefit from what my mentorees have to say.
As I slid into the seat across the restaurant table from my mentoree Melissa, I had anything but "I'm the older godly woman" thoughts in my head. I'd come straight from work, preoccupied with a job-related frustration. Waiting for our dinner I silently uttered an SOS prayer, "Lord, you gotta show up because I have nothing to offer tonight."
I asked Melissa about her day, her family, how her personal time with the Bible was going. Then something happened that was so God-like. Melissa is about ten years my junior, and she's also fairly new in her faith. Yet her profession as director of human resources makes her my "senior" in the work world. Melissa asked me about the situation I was facing. When I told her, then out of her mouth flowed the most amazing managerial wisdom, which was exactly what I needed to hear.
That night, God showed up, but not in the way I'd imagined. He used my mentoree to mentor me.
—Lesa Engelthaler

Bill's Story
One morning I'd planned to ask Randy about his relationship with his wife, Donna. When he arrived, we talked briefly about the Mavericks game, ordered breakfast, and just as I was about to ask my first question, Randy asks one of his own: "Bill, I'm really struggling at work. My boss is asking me to do some things that are unethical, maybe even illegal."
For the next several meetings, Randy and I talked about the risks and rewards of maintaining integrity in the business world. We reviewed some valuable principles from Proverbs and the New Testament about the Christian and his work.

Mentoring is about relationships and influence. It's really life-on-life.—Bill
Brewer

Originally, the subject of work was further down my list of topics for discussion, but that morning, the situation with Randy's boss moved it to the top of the list. God often sets his own agenda through current life experiences. And being flexible is where the power of mentoring is most effective.
Randy worked things out with his boss, and three months later at breakfast, I asked him, "So, what investments have you made lately in your relationship with your wife?"
Mentoring is not about a carefully outlined curriculum. It's about life-on-life relationships.
—Bill Brewer

Books we really use
Mark: Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders (Moody); Growing in Christ (Navigators series)
Lesa: Becoming a Woman of Influence by Carol Kent (NavPress); Down to Earth Discipling by Scott Morton (NavPress)
Bill: As Iron Sharpens Iron by Howard & William Hendricks (Moody)
Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.Click here for reprint information onLeadership Journal.Summer 2006, Vol. XXVII, No. 3, Page 84

The full article is located at:http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2006/003/8.84.html

Big Mistakes and Big Rewards

I read the following story about an executive at Google a couple of weeks ago and can't get the story out of my mind.

I am NOT a risk-taker by nature, but wonder if there might be bigger rewards for those I am discipling if I provide a save environment to take risks.

In my parenting I try to protect my kids from this kind of failure. Am I limiting their chance for success?? (by making this statement I know I am setting up somebody to talk about the sovereignty of God)

What the Church Can Learn From Google
I was just reading my new copy of Business 2.0 magazine; and found an interesting article on Google. There was the story of Sheryl Sandberg, one of the Vice Presidents at Google.com who committed an error that cost Google several million dollars...

"Bad decision, moved too quickly, no controls in place, wasted some money,” is all she’ll say about it—and when she realized the magnitude of her mistake, she walked across the street to inform Larry Page, Google’s co-founder and unofficial thought leader. “I feel feally bad about this,” Sandberg told Page, who accepted her apology. But as she turned to leave, Page said something that surprised her. “I’m so glad you made this mistake,” he said. “Because I want to run a company where we are moving too quickly and doing too much, not being too cautious and doing too little. If we don’t have any of these mistakes, we’re just not taking enough risk.”

Hmmm… how does this apply to the church?

If you’re not making mistakes, you just might not be risking enough!

The original story can be found at this link.
What the Church Can Learn from Google

Is Scripture Memory just for Children?

I received the following quote from a partner in ministry. He attributed it originally to John Piper. I think it has some good information that is helpful for any teacher who wants to "keep his razor sharp"

First, a few testimonies: I have it third hand, that Dr. Howard Hendricks of Dallas Seminary once made the statement (and I paraphrase) that if it were his decision, every student graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary would be required to learn one thousand verses word perfect before they graduated.

Dallas Willard, professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, wrote, “Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization” (“Spiritual Formation in Christ for the Whole Life and Whole Person” in Vocatio, Vol. 12, no. 2, Spring, 2001, p. 7).

Chuck Swindoll wrote, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. . . . No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified” (Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994], p. 61).

One of the reasons Martin Luther came to his great discovery in the Bible of justification by faith alone was that in his early years in the Augustinian monastery he was influenced to love Scripture by Johann Staupitz. Luther devoured the Bible in a day when people earned doctorates in theology without even reading the Bible. Luther said that his fellow professor, Andreas Karlstadt, did not even own a Bible when he earned his doctor of theology degree, nor did he until many years later (Bucher, Richard. “Martin Luther’s Love for the Bible“). Luther knew so much of the Bible from memory that when the Lord opened his eyes to see the truth of justification in Romans 1:17, he said, “Thereupon I ran through the Scriptures from memory,” in order to confirm what he had found.

So here are a few reasons why so many have viewed Scripture memorization as so essential to the Christian life.

1. Conformity to Christ
Paul wrote that “we all, . . . beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18)) If we would be changed into Christ likeness we must steadily see him. This happens in the word. “The Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord” (1 Samuel 3:21). Bible memorization has the effect of making our gaze on Jesus steadier and clearer.

2. Daily Triumph over Sin“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. . . . I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:9, 11). Paul said that we must “by the Spirit . . . put to death the [sinful] deeds of the body” (Romans 8:13). The one piece of armor used to kill is the “sword of the Spirit” which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). As sin lures the body into sinful action, we call to mind a Christ-revealing word of Scripture and slay the temptation with the superior worth and beauty of Christ over what sin offers.

3. Daily Triumph over Satan
When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness he recited Scripture from memory and put Satan to flight (Matthew 4:1-11).

4. Comfort and Counsel for People You Love
The times when people need you to give them comfort and counsel do not always coincide with the times you have your Bible handy. Not only that, the very word of God spoken spontaneously from your heart has unusual power. Proverbs 25:11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” That is a beautiful way of saying, When the heart full of God’s love can draw on the mind full of God’s word, timely blessings flow from the mouth.

5. Communicating the Gospel to Unbelievers
Opportunities to share the gospel come when we do not have the Bible in hand. Actual verses of the Bible have their own penetrating power. And when they come from our heart, as well as from the Book, the witness is given that they are precious enough to learn. We should all be able to sum up the gospel under four main headings (1) God’s holiness/law/glory; 2) man’s sin/rebellion/disobedience; 3) Christ’s death for sinners; 4) the free gift of life by faith. Learn a verse or two relating to each of these, and be ready in season and out of season to share them.

6. Communion with God in the Enjoyment of His Person and Ways
The way we commune with (that is, fellowship with) God is by meditating on his attributes and expressing to him our thanks and admiration and love, and seeking his help to live a life that reflects the value of these attributes. Therefore, storing texts in our minds about God helps us relate to him as he really is. For example, imagine being able to call this to mind through the day:

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14)

I used the word “enjoyment” intentionally when I said, “communion with God in the enjoyment of his person and ways.” Most of us are emotionally crippled—all of us, really. We do not experience God in the fullness of our emotional potential. How will that change? One way is to memorize the emotional expressions of the Bible and speak them to the Lord and to each other until they become part of who we are. For example, in Psalm 103:1, we say, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” That is not a natural expression for many people. But if we memorize this and other emotional expressions from the Bible, and say them often, asking the Lord to make the emotion real in our hearts, we can actually grow into that emotion and expression. It will become part of who we are. We will be less emotionally crippled and more able to render proper praise and thanks to God.

There are other reasons for memorizing Scripture. I hope you find them in the actual practice.

Monday Encourager - 10/9/2006

I found the following at Christianity Today. I thought it was a good reminder of ONE WAY we can use modern technology to ASSIST in the care of our students. I have condenses the original so that you can get a short tast. If you want to read the whole story, click on the link at the end of the article.

Cyber Pastors
by T. R. Robertson
Our weekly small-group Bible study has been over for nearly an hour. The last of the lingerers has just pulled out of the driveway to head home. I'm picking up the popcorn bowls and coffee cups. My wife is already logging onto the computer, preparing to send quick e-mail messages to several of the young women she has just been talking to.
E-mailing someone she has just spent an evening with may seem odd, but for the young married couples in our small group, it's a vital connection. Some of them will be eager to get home, not to go to sleep, but to log on and see what Karen has sent to their inbox.
Friday morning, I'll be at the computer myself, sending a longer e-mail to a young man who asked a complicated doctrinal question during the evening's discussion, a question that would have derailed the whole study if we had tried to explore it fully at the time. But the next day I can compose a well-thought-out explanation and include links to Scripture references or other online resources for further study. By the time I see him again Sunday morning, he will have had a chance to read it all, and I'm sure he'll be ready to hit me with follow-up questions.
Ministry E-fficiency
In our ministry with college students and young married, we have discovered that a strong sense of personal connection is vital, and intimate relationships are fostered by combining face-to-face and e-contacts. Their expectations for immediacy, heightened by technology, have made our use of the Internet more important. Our contacts now are not only more immediate, they're more frequent.
Small-group ministry is no longer a once-a-week event. It's often daily.
Ministry has changed since we were students thirty years ago. Many contacts we once made in person are handled more naturally and efficiently by e-mail, if we do it right. But the most important things we've learned have little to do with the Internet itself.
We Mentor Young Ministers
I received an e-mail from a young man who had just been asked to perform the eulogy at the funeral of his wife's aunt. The family tabbed him for the job because they know he is religious, plus they knew there would be enough emotional distance for him to handle the task better than those who were closer to her for a longer time.
The problem was, the young man had never done a eulogy. In fact, he had attended very few funerals. Not only did he need guidance and information, but he needed it immediately, since they were leaving for the distant funeral within hours.
I quickly located some helpful and practical eulogy guidelines on a funeral home's website. I sent these to him with some personal encouragement and advice.
Like so many search engines and websites, Karen and I have become Internet resources, of sorts, for people with ministry needs.
We Carry on Theological Dialogue
I was sitting at the computer one afternoon when an instant message popped up on my monitor from Allan: "Hello there!" I responded and we began to chat.
Soon, Allan began asking some serious questions. He was concerned about his faith, and was wondering whether he was really a Christian, since his memories of his salvation experience at age 10 were dim.
I began to ask him specific questions about what he understood about the gospel. Gradually I turned the conversation to questions about his current spiritual life, his prayer life and ministries.
We were able to talk through his dilemma until he could see that his problem might not be whether he was saved back when he was 10, but how he is living the Christian life today.

Here’s a link to the whole article - http://www.christianitytoday.com/smallgroups/articles/cyberpastors.html

Another blog to check out

Check out this blog by a partner in ministry. I respect his integrity and the values that his life represents. He has been in corporate consulting his whole life so his thoughts do not come from "behind the stained glass." This man has great wisdom to offer those who want to make a difference and leave a legacy with their lives.

His Time in His Way

Monday Encourager - 10/2/2006

I received the following in an email from a ministry colleague last week and I thought it might be encouraging to you.

The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember...
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer... AND
Lazarus was dead!

Now! No more excuses!
God can use you to your full potential..
Besides, you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.

Monday Encourager - 9/15/2006

This is the first installment of the 2006-07 Monday Encourager. For those who are new teachers/small group leaders you may want to know that this USUALLY comes out on Mondays and is meant to be an encouragement in your role as a discipler of others through the ministries of our church. You may also want to know that there are weeks when this won’t come at all. If you check your email inbox or the blog on Tuesday and there is no new message from me, do not worry that there may have been a partial rapture and you got left behind. It probably means that I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

Some of the messages will be comforting and some will be challenging, but they all come from my belief that God has chosen to use you in very significant ways in the life of this local church body. You are valued and appreciated.

This first edition comes from an email I received last Spring at the end of our Christian Education year, so I have been saving it all Summer just for this occasion. I hope it inspires you to consider how the Lord can use you in the weeks and months ahead.





The Five "Ms" Every Leader Should Know
What it takes to be a small group leader.
by Brett Eastman

1. Minister to the needs of your members.

Okay, so that may seem obvious, but one of the critical roles of a small group leader is to shepherd the people in your group. Does the word "shepherd" scare you? It shouldn't. God has provided you with the gifts and abilities to care for those in your small group.

In a healthy small group, the members, as well as the leaders, must be "healthy." In fact, I would say that the success of your small group depends on its health. A healthy small group integrates all 5 biblical purposes into its life, but it's the leader's job to establish the biblical purpose of "fellowship" within the first few weeks of your group's existence.

As the small group leader, you need to pray for and "love on" each member of the group. That means making sure people feel connected with other members in the group, being attentive to what people say in the group - perhaps, for example, you may sense after the first several meetings that one couple in the group is struggling in their marriage. Your job as a leader is to pray for them. After you develop a deeper friendship with the couple, you may even suggest talking to a pastor or Christian counselor.

My point, simply, is that as the shepherd of the small group you need "eyes" to see the needs of your group.

2. Mentor their spiritual maturity.

An effective small group leader seeks to cultivate the spiritual habits of his or her group.

And how do you do that?

You must first know the condition of your "sheep"-those under your care. In the back of your mind, as you lead the group, you need to ask this for each person in the group, "What is the next step in his or her spiritual maturity?"

For an unmarried couple who is living together, they need to get married! That's their next logical step in obedience to Christ. For others, it may be baptism. Others may need to learn how to give or focus on their family or attend church more regularly or step up their service in the church or community.

3. Motivate the "shape" (spiritual gifts) of your members for ministry.

You, as the leader of the group, must model this principle. It's the "trickle down" approach to spiritual maturity. What your members see in you is what they begin to emulate in their lives.

Do your members know what your spiritual gifts are? Do they know you have the gift of leadership? Have you described to them your pathway in becoming a small group leader?

Are your group members growing in their gifts? Where are they serving now? Where should they be serving in 6 months or a year?

One of the key "shepherding" functions of a small group leader is to motivate each member to harness his or her spiritual gifts for service in God's kingdom.

4. Multiply the life and mission of your members.

It's not enough for your members to stay members. Every member must become a multiplier—to multiply their life through passing on the faith to others, through starting a new small group, through training others to assist in the development of the small group.

As a small group leader, your vision must be to see your group collectively—and its members individually—to take the next logical step in development. There must always be movement—growth towards reaching the mission of God's kingdom.

That may mean training another set of leaders to launch another small group. Or it may mean making sure the "empty chair" is always filled. Or, it may mean that you challenge group members to make a difference in their daily lives or profession.

Your role is to pour your life into your group members, so that they will pour their lives into others.

5. Model a surrendered heart.

Pride and arrogance and worldly leadership have no place in a small group. Never forget that what is happening in your group is the work of God Almighty. Not you.

If your leadership is effective, if your shepherding is making a difference in the lives of your members, expect spiritual warfare. That is, expect conflict, struggles, and trials. Satan loves to strangle healthy small groups through, for example, petty conflicts among members.

That's when you, the leader, need most to model a surrendered, humble attitude.

God works best in our weakness—when things are blowing apart—that's when God is strong. What is your Isaac? That is, what do you need to lay down on the altar to be consumed by the fire of God's presence? God loves the confessions and prayers of a broken and contrite heart. Worship God no matter what your circumstances with a thankful and hopeful heart. Your soul—and the very health of your small group—is at stake.

Monday Encourager - 9/22/2006

Hello teachers,

I trust you have had a good week of ministry since the last time I sent the Encourager. Now that we are several weeks into our Fall schedule I hope you are establishing some sort of normalcy in your classroom/group. I know that my S.S. class has been growing and I have heard some good reports from some of our groups that have started with greater participation and new energy.

In my past churches I have been forced to wrestle with the question of “How important is it to bring our Bibles?” We placed Bibles in the hymnbook rack or projected the scripture reading or included it in our study guides so people felt like they did not need to bring their Bibles from home. I know I have this discussion with my kids on a regular basis. I try to tell them that going to church without their Bibles is like going to school without their textbooks. And they reply “some of our teachers keep the textbooks in their class so we can’t take them home.” This reminds me of the days in church History when the Bible was chained to the Altar and people were not allowed to have personal copies.

I wonder if we have developed a disregard for the Bible or if distribution of the printed Word has been so saturated that we have several copies? I know I have a copy in by briefcase, one on my desk, several in my office, several in my home, one in each of our automobiles, etc.

I received the following from my accountability partner a few weeks ago and thought I’d share it with you.



I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it as we traveled?

What if we used it as a standard part of our lives AND for emergencies?

What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?

Now my friend... where is that Bible of yours?




Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we really don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Christ already paid the bill...



Is the Word of God as important to you as your cell phone? I hope more so!



The psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:



15 "I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. 16 I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word. 20 My soul is consumed with longing for Your laws at all times. 24 Your statues are my delight; they are my counselors. 30 I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on Your laws. 35 Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight. 47 I delight in Your commands because I love them. 58 I have sought Your face with all my heart. 81 My soul faints with longing for Your salvation, but I have put my hope in Your Word. 92 If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have preserved my life. 97 O, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long. 103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 129 Your statues are wonderful; therefore I obey them. 174 I long for Your salvation, O Lord, for Your law is my delight."

Mug shot

This is what I look like when I'm all cleaned up.

First Post

I'm a newbie to this whole blogging thing. Two of my kids started blogs this summer and one of them posts about every day. I am wondering if anybody cares about my thoughts, but it will be a fun experiment.