Does it really matter?

This advent we are taking special effort to de-clutter Christmas, to surgically remove anything that detracts from a godly celebration of the incarnation. The last 2 weeks in our worship services we have discovered that “bigger is not better” and “frenzy is not beneficial.” We are finding that without conscious review, our practices morph into something unintended.

As I thought of the things that get added to our celebrations and practices I thought of the marine creatures known as Barnacles. Wikipedia describes them this way “Barnacles are encrusters, attaching themselves permanently to a hard substrate” and goes on to say there are over 1220 species of barnacles.

One of the “barnacles” that gets attached to the incarnation is the debate as to the date of the birth of Christ—was it 4 B.C.? was it 2 B.C.? was it truly year 0 as the basis of the Julian calendar? If it happened in Winter what were shepherds doing in the fields? What was the “star” that was observed by the Magi and when did it appear? (According to this website, Jesus may have been born on June 17.)

I don’t think this really matters and it is just a distraction from the truth of the incarnation. IMHO, (that’s text language for in my honest opinion) the Bible never instructs us to remember or celebrate the birth of Christ. His Death, Resurrection and 2nd Coming are to be remembered in Baptism and Communion. His Resurrection is to be celebrated on the first day of each week. But his birth was never an event that was ceremoniously observed until hundreds of years later.

Back to my original thought…What are the “barnacles” that get added to your class or small group. Some elements start with very good intention (e.g. snacks/beverages help people to relax and become more open) but then become a distraction from the main purpose (i.e. becoming better followers of Jesus). Sharing of prayer requests can turn into a game of “nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen.” Even the study of God’s Word can become an opportunity to showcase the knowledge or the library of the leader.

Over 20 years ago I heard a quote attributed to a former President of Moody Bible Institute, George Sweeting, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”

As we celebrate Advent and lead our groups, are you keeping your eye on the main thing?

Redefining Success

I just read a blog post from a church leader in Oklahoma that I follow. Although he leads a LARGE ministry, he does not define success in numbers. He asks 3 questions that could be asked of Bible Study leaders, Small Group leaders and Sunday School teachers.

1. Is your group successful if you are failing morally in your personal life?
2. Is your group successful if your family is being neglected?
3. Is your group successful if your personal passion for Jesus has grown cold?

If your character is intact, your family is nurtured and your love for Jesus is growing, you may be more successful of a teacher/leader than you realize.

Be ENCOURAGED! If you would like to see the original post and/or read comments on it click the link below.

http://swerve.lifechurch.tv/2008/12/08/successful-ministry-1/

Doing what comes unnaturally…or challenging assumptions.

This morning was the first significant snowfall of this winter. As I came in to the office, our secretary mentioned that it would be a perfect day to cuddle up in a blanket next to the window with a good book. While the women of our family agree that this is the type of day best spent “hunkering down” the men had a different idea! We got up earlier than usual, bundled up and chose to serve our neighbors!

(Full disclosure statement: We just bought a new snowblower so the motivation was more because of the testosterone release of men working with a new power tool than it was in the satisfaction of helping others!)

Now back to the story…after finishing our drive and walkway I cleared the driveway entries where the street plows had piled snow for 4 of our neighbors and cleared the front sidewalk for an elderly couple across the street. The point is that we did not do “what comes naturally”

Yesterday I overheard a couple of families talking about seeing each other at their small group meeting that will be held this evening. One of the individuals had assumed that the group would not be meeting because of the holidays.

I think we often assume people are busy so we think we are doing people a favor by cancelling classes or group meetings. In reality, we may be perpetuating the problem where the “head cheerleader never has a date to prom because everybody assumes she’s already been asked.”

Naturally, a cold day when it gets dark early makes us want to seclude ourselves in our comfortable homes and we assume others may want to retreat to their own homes also. But the holidays and the cold weather provide great opportunities to encourage one another personally, with a phone call, with a personal note or email to the individual members of your group/class.

SAD (seasonal affective disorder) caused by the lack of sunlight and Vitamin D is a very real concern here in the upper Midwest. Some respond with supplements or tanning beds. I wonder if Hebrews 10:25 might be relevant (“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching”). I’m not talking about Sunday morning attendance, I’m suggesting we take steps to encourage one another!

How they Want to Get There

Last week I introduced 3 questions to help your students/small group leaders: 1) Where are they? 2) Where do they want to go? and 3) How do they want to get there?  This week we focus on that third question.

My GPS system allows me to specify if I want to avoid toll roads or if I prefer Interstates to county roads. The designers of these systems have figured that some people prefer quick, others prefer short, and others prefer scenic. In the same way, your class or small group represents different preferences. Some prefer experience, some prefer story, and some prefer logic.

I was reminded this morning that information alone is not enough to bring about change. The Surgeon General’s warning has appeared on cigarette packages for decades and some young smokers have never touched a cigarette package without that warning label. However, many have not quit because the information alone is inadequate to motivate change.

I am taking an online class and one assignment was to ask 3 people to rate your listening ability on a scale of 1-10. All of the family members I asked gave me a “6” largely because I hear the facts but don’t listen to the emotion behind it.

Ask your learners what they prefer—words/stories, thoughts/ideas, or experiences. Some leaders have found their most productive lesson of the year is when they actually DO something compassionate rather than just talk about compassion. Few people can remember an outline from last Sunday’s sermon, but they remember a story told 5 years ago. Others “check out” when the group goes off on rabbit trails of individual stories and are frustrated until you “get back to” the lesson (maybe the stories ARE the lesson).

I am learning that a skillful teacher doesn’t look for students who learn according to his preferred method, but a skillful teachers looks for methods appropriate to the preferred learning styles of the learners.

A Reason for Thanks and prayer

I have heard in recent months about increased persecution of Christians in India. This is personal to me because in 2002 I taught for a week at a Bible College and spoke to 200 pastors at a pastors’ conference in Orissa (the State where all this is going on).

 

I have some other pictures of the students and pastors who attended but will not post them here to protect them from the people described in the story below.

In America we think of a “pastor” as someone who has attended years of College and/or Seminary and somebody who has been a believer in Christ for several years and demonstrated maturity. Many of the “pastors” in India have no more training and no larger congregation than small group leaders in the USA. Using their language, YOU would most likely be considered a “pastor”

In Orissa, Hindu extremists are offering $250 (about a year’s wages) for any Christian pastor who is killed.

I share this for 2 reasons: 1) motivate thanksgiving that God has placed you where he has and 2) mobilize prayer for your persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. Would you join me in remembering them at your Thanksgiving celebration?

Click here for the story reported in World Net Daily.