Tag: Digging in Deeper

Happy Birthday, America

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“For freedom, Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1 CSB – Read the chapter)

Tomorrow the United States of America celebrates its 250th birthday. Personally, I’m going to be up early claiming a spot on Main Street where I will watch our town’s annual Fourth of July parade. It’s the largest such parade in the area. I’ll be joined by 30-35,000 of my closest friends who will park…everywhere there is to park in our town of about 2,500 people. After that, I’m going to be hunkering down in the AC (for my European friends, that is a miraculous invention that allows you to make it dramatically cooler on the inside than it is on the outside) because it will be nearly 100 degrees already by the time the parade ends. Then I’ll go to a cookout with some friends and close the day out by watching the largest fireworks display our town has ever had on the last day of our weeklong carnival. The next morning, I’ll get up early and head to church. In other words, it’ll be about the most American weekend you could imagine. Let’s talk a bit today about what makes America so great.

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Children and adults participating in a Sunday school activity with crafts, books, and a guitar in a bright room

Pick Your Ministries Well

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“Start a youth out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs‬ ‭22‬:‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

Sometimes a thing isn’t obvious even when it feels like it should be. Or maybe I should put that like this: Sometimes a thing that should be obvious is, but we don’t do it anyway. For the last month we have been talking about how to grow a church. Well, that’s not entirely true. We have talking about things that have all contributed in some way to the growth gay my church is currently experiencing. Yes, there are things like preaching that have hopefully played some small role, but the list we have been working through have all played a bigger one. Today, let’s talk about item number four on the list: ministry focus.

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Man dressed as Jesus warmly greeting young children with backpacks outside a school entrance

Opening Gospel Doors

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“Jesus said, ‘Leave the little children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'” (Matthew 19:14 CSB – Read the chapter)

For the last couple of Fridays now we have been talking about various things that have resulted in the church I pastor being in the position that it is. We are growing. There is life and momentum and excitement everywhere you look right now. New families are connecting regularly, and most of them are young and with young kids. It really is a fun season. But it isn’t a season that has arrived overnight. Things have been slowly building in this direction for several years. There have been several decisions the church has made along the way that have contributed in important ways toward what we are experiencing. Exploring some of these with you is why I’ve started this series. We have looked at two so far – eating together and clarifying our identity – today, let’s take a look at a third one: getting into our local school.

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Large group of people gathered outdoors near a church with hands raised worshipping at sunset

Knowing Who You Are

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“For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭CSB‬‬ – Read the chapter)

When I was in seminary, I had to take two different leadership classes in my third and final year. I didn’t want to take them. They were a required part of the curriculum. Throughout that journey I struggled more than once with whether or not my path was going to lead in a circle back to the academy, or if I was bound for the local church. The local church had pretty well gotten the nod at that point, but I was far more drawn to my theology and biblical studies classes than anything else. Taking two leadership classes was about the last thing I had in mind. One of them in particular was going to make us do lots of group work which I hated the thought of even more than taking the class in the first place. Wouldn’t you know it, what I learned in that class has probably had more of an impact on my ministry since than what I learned in just about any other class. As we continue our conversation this week about the things that are contributing to my church’s growth right now, let me tell you about what it was.

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People of various ages and backgrounds sharing a meal at long tables in a church community dining room

Unpacking a Growing Church

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“For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body – so also is Christ.” (1 Corinthians 12:12 CSB – Read the chapter)

Across the country right now the average church is not growing. It is plateaued at best. Many are stagnant as a prelude to dying. I have a member who travels regularly for work all across the state, but never more than day trips. He has returned several times with stories of seeing more and more churches with for sale signs in their front yards. Over the last 10-15 years, one of the fastest growing interest movements within the church is the church revitalization movement. A big part of the reason for this is that a whole bunch of church leaders have realized all at about the same time that the church isn’t in great shape. There are some significant signs of life in recent days, but many churches are still limping along at best. It seems worth noting, then, when a church is experiencing the opposite of all of this. Well, my church is experiencing the opposite of all of this right now. I thought we might spend at least this Friday exploring some of why I think this may be.

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