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