I want to thank you for a wonderful Sunday Worship Service yesterday. There seemed to be a positive feeling in the room like the Holy Spirit was in our mist. One person said to me “there was something different about worship. It was so wonderful.” Thank you for being part of that!!!
On the Connection Cards, I asked you to answer this question; “What positive changes would you like to see happen over the next couple of months at our church?” I thought the responses were very thoughtful and positive. So, I would like to share them with you.
•Keep watching and praying for ‘the best is yet to come’. Let’s all ‘keep our forks.’
•More constructive conversation together about how we feel and what the direction of the church is. Goals on reconciliation
•Your sermon is so big, for all of us, to work together and helping each other, our community, our kids/families, life groups & sharing our story
•Stop ‘bickering’ & come together as a church family
•Help each other understand each other
•The continual warm feelings of our members
•Forget about the past and move forward
•Do God’s will, not our own
•Everyone get along and help each other
•A church without division and bitterness
•“Happy” place to be with Christians
•A church where you feel proud to bring guests and/or new members (especially families with children)
•More young families
•A youth program- Sunday School
•More people sign up for Sunday opportunities
•Follow up of the mediator results
•More sermons like today that give hope
•No more gossip or negative/hurtful behavior
•Everyone look outward instead of inward
•Revive the mission and start moving forward in a positive way
•Positive forms of communication to Board
•Prayer groups expanding
•Bible study expanding
•Our church looking to serve outside ourselves
•Find additional members
•Growth in church
•Reaching out to the community
•I’d like to see all members & friends in church at the same time-and every Sunday- smiling & feeling loved
•Would like to see messages/sermons again that aren’t focusing on all of our church’s ‘struggles.’ Let’s get back to ‘normal.’
•Members share life stories with church
•Give up the ‘it’ in our lives that separates us from God’s love and the church body
•Better attendance each week
•Would like to see people be thankful for what they have
Once again, thank you for your responses! Your feedback is very important for us to move forward.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Fishers of Men, not Keepers of the Aquarium
The blog below was sent to me recently by another church member. It is written by Pastor Steven Furtick. I think he hits the nail on the head and I wanted to share it with you.
http://www.stevenfurtick.com/leadership/keepers-of-the-aquarium/ [bolded words done by the author].
Fishers of Men, not Keepers of the Aquarium
People ask me all the time how we’ve been able to see so many people come to Christ in five years.
Outside of the favor of God, I could give you a lot of specifics. Tell you a lot of things that we’ve done. But none of it will help you until you make a decision we made in the early days of our church.
And that was the decision to be more focused on the people we’re trying to reach than on the people we’re trying to keep. As others have said, to be fishers of men, not just keepers of the aquarium.
We’re not going to cater to the personal preferences of the few in our pursuit of the salvation of the many.
And that includes if the few is ten people when we’re pursuing one hundred.
Or 5,000 when we’re pursuing 10,000.
Or 10,000 when we’re pursuing 20,000.
Most people and churches aren’t willing to do that. They’re keepers of the aquarium. They say they want to reach people, but in reality they’re more focused on preservation than expansion. On keeping people rather than reaching them.
They let saved people dictate style. Saved people dictate focus. Saved people dictate vision.
The result is a room full of saved people. Not people getting saved. Why? Because the people you’re trying to reach aren’t interested in the church that has been created by the people you’re trying to keep. If they were, they’d be coming. But they’re not.
For some reason, right here is where people usually play the discipleship card. They’re trying to disciple the people they’re trying to keep. They accuse you of pitting evangelism against discipleship.
But that isn’t the case. I just believe true disciples should care more about making disciples than freeze framing the church the way it was when they became one. Or wanting twenty-six programs customized to their liking. If the mark of Christian maturity is a bunch of people who want to create a museum glorifying and preserving their personal preferences and then sanctify it by calling it a church, count me out.
Some people say why can’t we have both? You can. Focus on the people you want to reach and you’ll keep the people you want to keep. Let the rest walk. They’ll find a church elsewhere to graze.
The way I see it is they’re just occupying the space of a person who needs to hear the gospel. You’ll fill their seat.
And it will be with the person who needs it the most.
http://www.stevenfurtick.com/leadership/keepers-of-the-aquarium/ [bolded words done by the author].
Fishers of Men, not Keepers of the Aquarium
People ask me all the time how we’ve been able to see so many people come to Christ in five years.
Outside of the favor of God, I could give you a lot of specifics. Tell you a lot of things that we’ve done. But none of it will help you until you make a decision we made in the early days of our church.
And that was the decision to be more focused on the people we’re trying to reach than on the people we’re trying to keep. As others have said, to be fishers of men, not just keepers of the aquarium.
We’re not going to cater to the personal preferences of the few in our pursuit of the salvation of the many.
And that includes if the few is ten people when we’re pursuing one hundred.
Or 5,000 when we’re pursuing 10,000.
Or 10,000 when we’re pursuing 20,000.
Most people and churches aren’t willing to do that. They’re keepers of the aquarium. They say they want to reach people, but in reality they’re more focused on preservation than expansion. On keeping people rather than reaching them.
They let saved people dictate style. Saved people dictate focus. Saved people dictate vision.
The result is a room full of saved people. Not people getting saved. Why? Because the people you’re trying to reach aren’t interested in the church that has been created by the people you’re trying to keep. If they were, they’d be coming. But they’re not.
For some reason, right here is where people usually play the discipleship card. They’re trying to disciple the people they’re trying to keep. They accuse you of pitting evangelism against discipleship.
But that isn’t the case. I just believe true disciples should care more about making disciples than freeze framing the church the way it was when they became one. Or wanting twenty-six programs customized to their liking. If the mark of Christian maturity is a bunch of people who want to create a museum glorifying and preserving their personal preferences and then sanctify it by calling it a church, count me out.
Some people say why can’t we have both? You can. Focus on the people you want to reach and you’ll keep the people you want to keep. Let the rest walk. They’ll find a church elsewhere to graze.
The way I see it is they’re just occupying the space of a person who needs to hear the gospel. You’ll fill their seat.
And it will be with the person who needs it the most.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Do You Know God?
Today, as we move into a new week, I just want to restate some things that I mentioned in worship yesterday.
Do you know God? Please don’t answer that too quickly. Many of us say we know God, but our actions speak differently.
1 John 4.20 says “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not see.”
John tells us that God is love and if we love others, God lives within us. But, if we do not love, care, and support others (including the people that we don’t get along with or like), then we really don’t know God b/c He isn’t living within us.
I believe that most of us have a broken relationship with God. Why??? Because we aren’t caring, loving, and support each other. We have done a good job of creating divisions instead of building unity.
So today, I would like to suggest that we step back, take a deep breath, stop focusing on church issues… and let’s repair our relationship with God. And when I mean repairing our relationship with God, I mean repairing our relationship with each others. If we are not caring, supporting, and loving each other, then God is not living within us and we don’t know God.
Let’s work together to know God better through each other.
Do you know God? Please don’t answer that too quickly. Many of us say we know God, but our actions speak differently.
1 John 4.20 says “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not see.”
John tells us that God is love and if we love others, God lives within us. But, if we do not love, care, and support others (including the people that we don’t get along with or like), then we really don’t know God b/c He isn’t living within us.
I believe that most of us have a broken relationship with God. Why??? Because we aren’t caring, loving, and support each other. We have done a good job of creating divisions instead of building unity.
So today, I would like to suggest that we step back, take a deep breath, stop focusing on church issues… and let’s repair our relationship with God. And when I mean repairing our relationship with God, I mean repairing our relationship with each others. If we are not caring, supporting, and loving each other, then God is not living within us and we don’t know God.
Let’s work together to know God better through each other.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Books
As you may know, I like to read a lot of books. I subscribe to the saying that “Leaders are Readers.” I enjoy reading, plus it helps me to grow spiritually and mentally. Some of you have been asking me what books I have read recently. So today, I want to share with you some of the books that I have read this year…
Professionally…
1.“Biblical Church Growth” by Gary McIntosh
2.“Leadership Gold” by John Maxwell
3.“Church Marketing 101”
4.“QBQ” by John Miller
5.“Comeback Churches" by Ed Stetzer & Mike Dodson
6.“Confessions of a Pastor” by Craig Groeschel
7.“Ten Most Common Mistakes made by New Church Starts” by Griffith/Easum
8.“Launch” by Searcy/Thomas
9.“Sacred Cows make Gourmet Burgers” by Bill Easum
Personally…
1.“Just One Closer Look” by Harlan Coben
2.“Call of the Wild” by Jack London
3.“By the Order of the President” by WEB Griffen
This week, I will be starting a new book.
“Decision Points” by Pres. George W Bush
If you ever want to borrow a book, let me know. I am always more than happy to share.
Professionally…
1.“Biblical Church Growth” by Gary McIntosh
2.“Leadership Gold” by John Maxwell
3.“Church Marketing 101”
4.“QBQ” by John Miller
5.“Comeback Churches" by Ed Stetzer & Mike Dodson
6.“Confessions of a Pastor” by Craig Groeschel
7.“Ten Most Common Mistakes made by New Church Starts” by Griffith/Easum
8.“Launch” by Searcy/Thomas
9.“Sacred Cows make Gourmet Burgers” by Bill Easum
Personally…
1.“Just One Closer Look” by Harlan Coben
2.“Call of the Wild” by Jack London
3.“By the Order of the President” by WEB Griffen
This week, I will be starting a new book.
“Decision Points” by Pres. George W Bush
If you ever want to borrow a book, let me know. I am always more than happy to share.
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