General Baptist National Missions Blog

Called and Sent

November 12, 2008

As I did my devotions this morning I was reminded once again of the importance of God's calling.

John 11: 41-43 says, 'Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, 'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.' Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!' And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Loose him, and let him go.'”

What a powerful story! Jesus raised a dead man back to life against all odds. No one would have imagined that Lazarus would ever breath again. Jesus told Martha that she would the glory of God if she simply had faith. Seconds later, Martha understood.

It's hard to imagine what the crowd was experiencing at that time. To use a Bushism, "Shock and Awe" was probably the order of the hour. However, something peculiar happens at the end of this portion of scripture. Once Lazarus was raised from the dead, and came out of the tomb, Jesus told those around Lazarus to "loose him, and let him go." Why didn't Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead and have him exit the tomb without the grave clothes? Interesting isn't it?

It may be that Jesus wanted the people to understand that Lazarus had been dead. So, he raised him with the grave clothes still on him so they would not have any delusions that Lazarus, Mary, Martha ad Jesus had pulled a trick on them. Could be but I don't think so.

It could be that Jesus wasn't powerful enough to remove Lazarus' grave clothes. That idea seems silly all together. If He can raise a man from the dead, surely grave clothes are no object. Honestly, the scripture doesn't really tell us why Jesus allowed Lazarus to come out of the tomb still bound.

Jesus raised him from the dead, but he asks Lazarus' friends and family to loose him. I wonder if this story doesn't help us understand our role in God's Kingdom work. Without a doubt, Jesus raises those dead in their sin back into life. But a life of sin leaves its mark on the heart and soul of fallen creatures. While it is the power of God that raises them to new life, we as co-workers with Christ spend our lives helping fellow believer become unbound from the stench of their sin stained grave clothes.

Do not misunderstand; I am not belittling the power of Jesus to set us free. Nor am I stating that Jesus' power + something else, makes us whole. What I am saying is that this side of the grave, we will always wrestling with the stinging smell of sin. God completely forgives, but consequences still remain. Those affects of those consequences will stay with fallen humanity until the day God redeems the whole earth. I believe we are called and sent to share the glory of God with sin-sick people, watch Jesus raise them to new life and then spend our lives helping one another become unbound from the grave clothes of sin.

Posted 11/12/2008 in Stephen Gray

0 Comments - Add Comment

Why do YOU do what you do?

November 6, 2008

How we do church, is not as important as why. If we don't have a good foundation of "why" we do what we do, then "how", doesn't really matter. If we concern ourselves with the "Why", then how we do church, (or any spiritual thing for that matter) will naturally follow. Understanding why, is infinitely more important than understanding how. Our orthodoxy is much more important than any man-made concept of orthopraxy. What we hold dear about the “why” will always be reflected in what we do.

We do not attract that which we want, but that which we are. In other words, everything we do flows out of what we think. Everything flows out of our theology of "Why". The size of a church, its ministry and growth (or lack of) is the direct result of what we think. The question then must be answered. What do we "THINK" about God, and His mission to the world? And how does our belief about God's mission effect our co-mission?  Are we on the same mission? Why did Jesus do what he did? The main issue for churches to discuss is not "How" but “why”.

Churches often spend more time bantering over, and fighting about "HOW" to do missional work and little time discovering "WHY" we are to do what we do. Just consider how much energy the churches spend on arguing over endless methodologies and you will discover the truth in that statement.

More churches today fight over foolish things like, changes of worship style, services, color of carpet, and color of paint on the wall. Many seem to worship their methods and traditions more than Christ Himself. When a church says that no change is needed, in effect, what they are saying is “What is, and has been, is all that God wants to and can accomplish through this church”. And yet, the harvest is still ripe!

The fact is, God blesses every form, kind, style and method of church. He even uses opposing denominations. God uses Baptists, Wesleyans, Arminians, Calvinists, house church movements, attractional churches, purpose driven and etc... Yet many of them openly contradict one another. Many of the founders of theses movements openly, and strongly opposed one another. Still today, we debate over the endless minutiae and forget the main thing. Yet, we cannot deny that God has, and is still using these very different groups in powerful ways all across the world.

How is it that God can pour out his power, inexhaustible resources, and send His Holy Spirit on people groups who seem to stand in such sharp contrast to one another? How is it that God can bless those who seem so opposed to one another?

The Answer: God seems infinitely more concerned about why the church exists than splitting theological or methodological hairs. It seems to me that we are more concerned than God with how-to-do-church.

Ask yourself this: Why do you do what you do?

Sunday worship, board meetings, money, outreach and the like must all have a "So that..." attached to them. The church exists “so that”... sinners might be saved, …the Father might be glorified, …the Body might be built up, …people might be discipled and trained to work in the harvest.

Without a proper "so that..." we simply have a place where the righteous meet the righteous, where our emotional well-being is served, where our bank account is well padded, where our church is safe from outsiders.

So, what is your "So that…"? As you look at your life and the life of your church regardless of denomination, method or style, "why" should be infinitely more important than "how".

Posted 11/6/2008 in Stephen Gray

1 Comment - Add Comment

If I Were President...

October 23, 2008

Imagine if you were President of the United States. what would you do? What policies would you change? What would you like to change about America? Go to www.makemethepresident.net and write your two-cents worth.

Posted 10/23/2008 in Stephen Gray

0 Comments - Add Comment

Denominations? - A Case For Connection

October 13, 2008

The idea of being an independent/non-denominational entity has gained a lot of ground over the last decade. Many believe that it is unbiblical to belong to a denomination. "After all, there are no denominations in the Bible.” While that statement may be true, the question comes from a misunderstanding of the calling and purpose of denominational bodies. 
 
I want to build a case for connection. Does the Bible support independance or interdependence?  Which state of existence will enable your church to become a globally-minded body of believers and will enable you to fulfill the Great Commission with greater efficacy?

Think about this: Autonomy breeds contempt.
 
 I realize this long, but bear with me. The six reasons for connecting to a larger body.
 
1. The Bible teaches Christians to be interdependent not independent.
 
Paul’s description of the church is a body. “…the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the working of the measure of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the edification of itself in love.” (Eph 4:16). It is not possible to be a part of the body when you are disconnected and isolated.
 
Never in the Scripture will you find a case for being separated from other believers. Jesus prayed that those who follow Him would “…be one; just as he was one with the Father.” (John 17:21).
 
Christianity is to be lived out within the context of community. There is no such thing as a “lone ranger” Christian. Only in this Western culture do we have a sense of "rugged individualism that drives us to try and live outside the context of the body. Scripture also supports that local churches are to be interdependent of one another not “lone ranger” churches. The Churches of Acts were all interdependent.
 
The autonomy of the local church, while celebrated, must be kept in context of the larger body of believers. Even though each individual church in the New Testament was different and distinct, it was not by itself. The council in Acts 15 clearly shows us that each church was connected and held accountable. The council acted much like a governing body.
 
2. In the Old Testament, there were no independent Jews; everyone had a tribe.
 
 The nation of Israel was a prototype of the church. Today’s church is the new Israel.  “After all, who is a real Jew, truly circumcised? It is not the man who is a Jew on the outside, whose circumcision is a physical thing. Rather, the real Jew is the person who isa Jew on the inside, that is, whose heart has been circumcised, and this is the work of God’s Spirit, not of the written Law” (Rom 2:28-29).  
 
We believe that denominational families resemble the tribes of Israel. As you study the history of Israel, you will quickly discover that each tribe was different. Many times they had differences of opinion and sometimes even warred with one another. Yet,  all of them were a part of God’s chosen people. There were no independent Jews.
 
3. The power of being connected to a denominational fellowship is that it provides  local churches the ability to do what they could not do on their own.
 
We are called as the body of Christ to be a witness for Christ “…in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). No church is able to accomplish this on its own. Our obedience to this call must not stop with our local area. God has called us to be globally-minded as well.
 
Ministry in the local area is expensive. At best, most local churches are able to reach Jerusalem and Judea. Being connected enables the local church to more fully fulfill the Great Commission and become an Acts 1:8 church. As local churches cooperate with other churches, the ability to do work for the Kingdom greatly increases. The local churches’ global potential for reaching across social, economical, and ethnic barriers can be experienced only when we join together. Together we can do what no local church can do alone.
 
4. People in denominational families can walk hand-in-hand without seeing eye-to- eye.
 
 Paul wrote to the Philippians, “If there is therefore any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tendernesses and mercies, then fulfill my joy, that you may be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind” (Phil 2:1-2).   
 
To be in “one accord” does not mean that we see eye-to-eye on everything. To be in “one accord” means that we are extending our hand of fellowship to each other in order to accomplish the task that God has called us to do.
 
You don’t have to read very far in the New Testament Book of Acts to see that differences existed between very godly men. Paul and Barnabas didn’t see eye-to-eye on using Mark. Peter and Paul struggled with viewpoints about who is a Jew. The council in Acts dealt with differences between Gentile and Jewish believers. While these differences existed, they were still all in one accord.  
 
Two great men of church history, John Wesley and George Whitfield, didn’t see eye-to-eye on theological issues. Wesley said to Whitfield one day, “Is your heart one with my heart? Then give me your hand” (2 Kings 10:15-16).
 
Where we must always see eye-to-eye is on the essentials. 

 
5. Jesus is present in imperfect local churches and denominational families.
 
I’m sure every one of us has heard people make negative comments about the imperfections of the local church. The problems many churches face are the main reasons many people stay outside the churches and denominations. There are literally millions of people who don’t like the idea of the church, let alone denominations. 
 
God told Hosea, “Go and get married; your wife will be unfaithful, and your children will be just like her. In the same way my people have left me and become unfaithful. So Hosea married a woman named Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim” (Hosea 1:2-3).
 
I think we all understand that God is calling Israel His bride, much like the church today. The church is seen as the bride of Christ in the New Testament.
 
 God’s point is this: Israel or the church is my bride; I love her; she is mine in spite of all her problems and imperfections, and they are many. But I love her. Listen to how Jesus speaks of the church. “Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church–a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness.” (Eph 5:25-27).
 
God asked Hosea to marry a prostitute. Why would anyone subject himself to a relationship that had so much trouble attached to it? Why would God ask Hosea to marry such a tarnished and imperfect person? Because this is the way Jesus loves the church, even with all of its problems and discord. 
 
Why does Jesus love the church this way? Because in spite of all the human trappings and problems of the local church and denominational families, they are God’s chosen means of bringing blessing and salvation to a desperate world.
 
No church is perfect, nor is any denomination. As long as we live in this imperfect world, we will deal with imperfect systems. The good news is that God works through these imperfect systems in spite of all the problems. 
 
6. Denominational families offer fellowship and accountability.
 
We all need each other. This world stands against all we proclaim, and according
to God’s Word it will get worse as the end draws near. That is why the writer of Hebrews
said, “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer” (Heb 10:25).
 
Fifty-eight times in the Bible it uses the phrase “one another.” It says, “Love one another, care for one another...Greet one another...Encourage one another...Pray for one another...Counsel one another...Share with one another... Help one another….” It is the mutual ministry of the body to itself.  There can be no doubt about it, we need each other.

 ***This was adapted from Falling In Love With The Church. By Larry McKain***

Posted 10/13/2008 in Stephen Gray

0 Comments - Add Comment

Responding To The Financial Crisis

September 30, 2008

Over the last few days, several people have emailed me and asked about my thought on the financial crisis facing our country. So, I decided to blog about it and see what your thoughts might be. As the crisis continues to be prolonged, there is no doubt the effects will be felt in the local church. So, how is the church supposed to respond to this crisis? How can the local church continue to do ministry with ever-tightening budgets?

1. Don't panic! God is ultimately in control of this world. If he so chooses, He can do more with one word, in a single moment of time, than every politician or financial expert on Capital Hill could do in a lifetime.

2. Don't ignore the problem! One of the worst things any church can do is to continue to do "business as usual." We have a voice and we should express our outrage, but we should also plan for the future. This problem will affect the bottom line of most church budgets so plan ahead. Sit down and rewrite your end of the year plans and next year's budget. Understand that your people are struggling as well.

3. Recast the vision. Why does your church exist? What is your purpose? Too many of today's churches still function on "expected loyalty." Gone is the day when people give to the church just because it is a church. People want to give to a great cause, not a building or program. You have to justify what you do and why. Spend time reminding the people why you exist. Remind everyone that people still need to hear the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. They’re giving to reach people, not to build a facility or pay the light bill. Ultimately everything they give is used in some small way to share the truth of God.

4. Explain how you spend church money. Anger and suspicion is at an all-time high, and rightly so! Politicians and Wall Street fat cats have acted criminally and mismanaged the taxpayer’s hard earned money. Don’t think for a moment that the church gets a “pass” from this suspicion. Take a few minutes on a Sunday morning to explain how the church spends its money and makes financial decisions. Do everything you can to set attendees minds at ease. Show them how you use their generous, hard-earned contributions.

5. Adopt an “Open Book” policy. This is another way to cut down suspicion. Let everyone who attends your church know that you are hiding nothing and what to be held accountable. So, you have decided to adopt a policy that opens the books for anyone who wants to see the detail. Don’t just lay a printout sheet of your financial records in the lobby, but do make them available to anyone who asks.

6. Start a financial training class. The church is great at asking for money, but poor when it come to helping members understand how to handle the rest of their money. Start a Financial Peace University (Dave Ramsey) or the like to help church members cope with the financial crunch they are feeling.

7. Engender hope. This is not our final home. Paul reminds us, “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Rom 8:18) This difficult time is only a temporary time of trouble for us. This world and all its trappings will soon fade away. I’ve read the end of the Bible and it tells me that in the end, “We Win!” So, help you people not to get too disillusioned with these current problems.

Well, those are my thought. What do you have to add?

Posted 9/30/2008 in Stephen Gray

0 Comments - Add Comment

A New Opportunity

September 20, 2008

As I sat watching the news this morning listening to all the problems America is facing I was overcome with a renewed sense of hope. It seems that in times like these, the church has an opportunity to move forward in a powerful way. In the midst of great difficulty and pian, the church has always come alive. We have the opportunity to show our country that the church is not antiquated or irrelevant.

In the midst of this unstable economy, and an uncertain world, the Local church has a unique opportunity to help this nation find hope, peace, renewed joy, restored relationships, and a sense of the future as never before. This is an opportunity for the church to shine.

Posted 9/20/2008 in Stephen Gray

1 Comment - Add Comment

Imagine if...

August 7, 2008

I have always considered myself a bit of an adrenaline junkie. In my sophomore year of college I went on a trip during a j-term, with my science class.  Our eventual destination was the Baja of California. There we would study the tide pools of the Pacific Ocean. On our drive to the Baja we made several stops. One of those stops was in the Chiricahua mountain range in the Southeastern part of Arizona. While there, the group leader decided to take us to an operating copper mine. This particular mine had a long winding road for travelers to follow to the top. I thought that trail was for sissies and so I decided to climb straight up the face of the mountain and beat the rest of the group to the top, at least that was the plan.  

Several hours later I found myself in a precarious place. I considered myself a pretty good rock climber but I had come to a crossroads. I was perched on a straight, smooth ledge looking down about 500 hundred feet. The only way up was to move along the sheer-faced rock until I was able to reach a ledge that was about four inches out of my reach. I had tried several times to reach the lip but found myself sliding back down. I tried to climb back down a ways and soon discovered that going up was easier than going down. So, I made a decision, one that didn’t really hit home until I reached the top of the mountain and realized that the whole group had been watching and praying for me. I climbed up as high as I could get, bent my knees, and in one giant burst of energy jumped for the ridge that was just out of reach. Let me pause for a moment and remind you that youth, and brains do not always go hand in hand.  Fortunately, youth had an advantage for me that day. I reached the ledge, climbed up and over it to the top of the mountain. That leap took a lot of faith and good deal of foolishness. When I reached the top the teacher first congratulated me for making it to the top and then proceeded to scold me for being such an idiot.

Jesus was notorious for gathering huge crowds. One day as he was teaching he found himself in the midst of five thousand hungry followers. He used this event to test the faith of his disciples. As the crowds pressed in, the disciples asked Jesus to send them all away. Jesus responded, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” (Matt 14:16) Okay, just stop for a moment and think about the humor in this moment. Thousand press in, the disciples want them gone, and Jesus says, “Feed them.” Can you imagine the what they might be thinking? I’m sure a few of them thought Jesus was simply misinformed. How could they do something so great with so little? One of them interrupts Jesus and says, “Excuse me Jesus. I know math and five loaves and two small fish is barley enough for one person. This is all we have. Where are we going to find enough food to feed everyone?” They challenged Jesus to consider the great sacrifice it would take to feed everyone. It was a logistical nightmare, and massive impossibility.

Jesus responded “bring them to me.” He broke the bread, bless the food and everyone was fed! I want you to notice one simple thing. Jesus didn’t ask them to give the masses what they didn’t have. He asked them to simply give what they had. Jesus took what they had and multiplied it. Realize that God’s desire to feed the crowd was greater than the disciples desire. Jesus, in his desire, asked them to sacrifice what they had, no matter how big or small, and then he preformed a miracle and met the needs of the crowd.

Imagine with me for a moment what might happen if we gave God what we have and trusted him to do the rest. You say, “But the task is just to big! Bringing hope and salvation to this world is a massive job. There is no way we can meet everyone’s need.” Interestingly enough Jesus never asked us to do what we cannot do. Rather, he asked us to do our part and He will do the rest. Imagine what might happen if we stopped looking at the enormity of the task, took that leap of faith, and gave what we have for the sake of the gospel. It not about doing what you can't do, but what God can do if we give him what we have.

Posted 8/7/2008 in Stephen Gray

0 Comments - Add Comment

Should we celebrate when churches die?

July 23, 2008

       Churches die. That's a fact. Yet, many of us have bought into the idea that our church was meant to last until Jesus comes. That is simply not the case. Too often churches struggling to stay alive pursue the search for the fountain of youth. Many believe that if they can’t find that fountain of youth, the doors will close and they will be considered a failure. While we may mourn the passing of a great work, I think we need to correct our ecclesiology.

Understand that there is a big difference between "church" with a small "c" and "Church" with a capital "C". The Church (capital C) is eternal and will never die. But, the local church (small c) is community of believers. Those involved in these local community of believers age, move away, and eventually die. Churches have life-cycles. Some last longer than others and some are churches for a season.

If a church closing is a failure, then all of the churches of Acts were miserable failures. Realize not one of them exists today. However, what we do have is the legacy they left. The churches of Acts were springboards, stopping off points in history for the spreading of the gospel. They served as the foundation for future works. Your church is proof of that. Your church exists today because the churches of Acts were sending bodies that did not think about self-preservation. Rather, they thoughts about the multiplication of the kingdom and the spreading of the good news.

    No church was intended to be around forever. The problem rests in the fact that many congregations see their church as a castle to protect, instead of a small part of God’s kingdom-building process. We are not called to be castle fortifiers, but kingdom builders. We need to come to terms with the fact that many of our churches will not last for another 15 years, but they might be a stepping stone in the history of God’s multiplying and spreading kingdom. Instead of fighting to keep a church on life-support, let's celebrate what God has done. Let's have proper funeral and throw a party for their faithfulness.

    Can you imagine what might happen if churches fighting to stay alive, where celebrated, closed and the assets where used to plant another vibrate, growing church? What kind of a legacy could that church leave for future generations?

    Why even talk about such a fatalistic issue? Why bring up such a difficult subject? Because the Church in America is in a severe crisis. Watch this video from David Olsen. If the video peaks your interest visit The American Church and order his book.

Posted 7/23/2008 in Stephen Gray

0 Comments - Add Comment

The Emerging Church

July 12, 2008

Over the last few years the fight for truth has heated up between fundamental and postmodern thinkers. Those on the side of postmodernism proclaim that the church has lost its power an influence in our culture. Those in the fundamentalist movement accuse leaders of the emerging church movement of syncretism. So what are we too make of this whole debate? Who is right and how can we find balance in the midst of the chaos? Both are right on some level and wrong on another.

Let me suggest a few things for you to consider.

1. Let’s be honest. The church has lost touch with this culture. The latest research from David Olsen reveals that only 17.5% of Americans attend church on any given Sunday. I hope that number causes you to stop and weep. For decades the Church as fallen asleep at the wheel and slowly but surely lost touch with the culture they serve and survive in.

Some in the fundamental camp say, “Well, that is just a sign of the times, that is the way things will be in the end. People will fall away from the truth.” True, the scripture reminds us of that fact several times. My problem is that those who quote that phrase too often use it a way of excusing themselves from fulfilling the great commission by engaging the culture in an appropriate way. “Oh well, that is just the way things are.” What a foolish and lazy perspective. As if God has excused us from trying because we live in a sinful world.

2. Again, being honest. Many in the emerging church movement are way out of line. Theologically liberal, lacking any moral and ethical base, except that which is relative to the situation.  This movement was born out of a frustration at the established Churches in ability to address the culture. I do think the emerging church needs to be heard. While I do not agree with every writer, (some I agree with very little) still they offer the Church the ability to enter into dialogue about being Jesus to the world.

Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger, in their book, Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures (Baker Academic, 2005) define emerging in this way:

"Emerging churches are communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures. This definition encompasses nine practices. Emerging churches (1) identify with the life of Jesus, (2) transform the secular realm, and (3) live highly communal lives. Because of these three activities, they (4) welcome the stranger, (5) serve with generosity, (6) participate as producers, (7) create as created beings, (8) lead as a body, and (9) take part in spiritual activities."

    Its hard to speak against these 9 practices. After all, this is what the church should be. The difficulty, as I see it, with the emerging church movement is that it is too young to have any strong bearings yet. Typically this movement is stereotyped by the most liberal leaders in the movement like Chris Seay, Tim Keel, Brian McLaren, and Mark Oestreicher.

I thinks it is important for us to step back away from both sides and take a proper, objective look at both sides. Instead of using fear-mongering tactics to ignite discord among believers, open dialogue and learn how to best reach a sin-sick culture with the Truth of God’s word.

Posted 7/12/2008 in Stephen Gray

2 Comments - Add Comment

Reaching Men

May 9, 2008

It has been a while since I wrote a new blog. I have spent the last month traveling far too much. April 21-24 I attended and spoke, at the invite of Ed Stetzer, at Exponential 08. Exponential is a national conference designed with the church planter in mind. The seminars covered everything from "Nuts and Bolts" of church planting to the "Organic Church" movement. I highly recommend this conference to anyone interested in church planting. Next year's conference will have an international flavor to it as they look to understand church planting movements across the globe.

So, while I sit in the airport in Tampa Bay waiting for my flight home I thought I might share a few facts I discovered while reading The American Church in Crisis by David T. Olsen. This is a must read book for anyone in the church. If Olsen is right, and the church continues on its path without a fresh vision, and drive for planting strong, healthy new churches we are in serious trouble. Planting new churches is the only way to revitalize our declining church base and begin a revival in the U.S.

One striking statistic Olsen shared blew me away! The stat is so shocking I think it needs some serious attention and should spark numerous conversations about how we plant churches. Olsen reports on page 89;

          "A Study in 2000 from Switzerland provides insight on the importance on male attendance on the religious development of children in the country. 'In summary, if a father does not go to church, no matter how regular the mother is in her religious practice, only one child in fifty becomes a regular church attendee. But if the father attends regularly, then regardless of the practice of the mother, at least one child in three will become a regular church attendee.'" 

Even though that research was done in Switzerland, I believe that it will hold fairly true in the U.S. as well. The disparity between "one in fifty" and "one in three" is huge! Just stop and think about those numbers for a while. That should cause us o consider how we are designing our church plants. From the color of the curtains to the use of PowerPoint backgrounds, we need to target the men. If we are honest, much of what we do appeals more to women. While we need and are thankful for those women who have faithfully served our churches over the decades, we must reach the men. I heard Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle share on a video The Good Soldier, if want to win the war, you have to win the men.

Steve Gallimore, pastor of Tennessee Valley Community Church, recognized this need several years ago and launched a NASCAR series. The church was located in an old car dealership and the stage and worship room was completely set up for this theme. The stage had a set of gummy tires from a racing car and when the service started the speaker roared with the sound of squealing tires and smoke machine added a sense of realism to the burnout. While many may find that kind of service sacriligious God used this series to bring hundreds of men into a saving knowledge of Christ and kept them active in the church.

Paul tells us to "become all things to all men". What does that mean? It means, in simplistic terms, we must use the culture to our advantage and find a way to connect with people where they live. Some call that compromise of the scripture and a watering down of the gospel. I think Jesus was accused of that several times. Remember, Jesus was faced by the Pharisees several times asking him why he didn't do things the right way. In reality the Pharisees, as well as many today, have confused their tradition with biblical principles. The Gospel was not written in a cultural vacuum. It was written in a specific culture and yet transcends that culture.

Posted 5/9/2008 in Stephen Gray

1 Comment - Add Comment

Transformation vs. Accommodation

April 9, 2008

This week I am in New York at the Q-Conference. The main thrust of this conference is a conversation about our culture, the changes we are experiencing, and how the Church might engage this new culture.

I have been reminded, at this conference, of the massive job the Church owns to engage a Post-Christian, pluralistic nation. Chuck Colson shared that Christians are having increased difficulty sharing their faith with neighbors and family because most don't know what they believe and, therefore, can't defend or articulate a coherent belief system. You can find more about his ideas in his new book "The Faith"

One speaker has been a particular challenge for me Eboo Patel. Eboo is the director of the Inter-Faith Youth Core (IFYC) in New York City. I had hoped to hear of his conversion or at least about his journey toward Christianity. Sadly, however, Eboo is a devout Muslim and not about to change. He shared how he hoped that Christians and Muslims could join together for the sake of humanity, even though we have fundamental theological differences.

His presentation made me very uncomfortable, especially as I looked around the room and watched heads bobbing in agreement with what Eboo. I wondered how many young pastors, and church leaders were buying into his ideas without critically thinking about the implications. One church planter excitedly told me how his new church plant was going to involve the three big faiths; Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. ???? Exactly! What is he thinking? How can you join together belief systems that are so diametrically opposed?

Here is just one of many problems with following that idea. The basic presuppositions, held by both of these faiths radically differ, as it concerns humanity, sin, evil, and goodness. These presuppositions determine how we deal with, view and help humanity. One faith looks at humanity and sees the desire to eradicate human suffering on earth, therefore solving the human problem. The other faith looks at humanity and understands a deeper problem; Sin. Sin is the root cause of all human suffering. Joining hands to eradicate human suffering, according to a Christian worldview, ultimately comes down to repentance for sin and a life spent with the Savior. The only true remedy for the condition of humanity is Jesus. No program can alleviate sin. Joining hands to help humanity must be Christo-centric! We do what we do, as Christians, because of our faith. That is not what those of the "Inter-Faith" movement have in mind. We are asked, in a sense to take on a compartimentalism to accommodate their worldview. But our faith does not exist, or at least should not exist, separate from the whole of our life.

Posted 4/9/2008 in Stephen Gray

1 Comment - Add Comment

Missional vs. Cultural

February 28, 2008

Does God endorse a particular style or method of "doing" church?

That question seems to be debated time and again in our churches, on the various blogs and even among different church planting movements. Should we focus on planting "Organic" style churches, "Programmatic" style churches, "Attractional" style churches, or even "Cell-based" style churches? My answer to that question is "YES"! Yes, to all. God does not endorse any one style of "doing" church. We need every style, flavor, and method of new church possible.

The only thing we should concern ourselves with, when it comes to planting a church or refocusing a church, is our theology. If our theology is in line with Orthodox Christian theology, then how we "do" church is not an issue.

The problem is many believe that they are defending the Gospel, when in fact they are simply defending their own cultural heritage. Too often, leaders fail to understand that the Gospel, while supracultural, was written within the context of an historical culture. Jesus came during a specific time in history. He lived, taught, died and embraced the good aspects of the culture of which he was a part. Culture is not evil or the enemy of the Gospel of Christ. The scripture endorses no culture, it is culture-neutral.

Now, back to the question of "doing" church. We should be able to exegete the cultural context God has placed us in as well as the particular calling God has placed on our lives. A failure to understand either of these issues will bring disaster upon any style or method of "doing" church.

As leaders, we must be able to contextualize the Gospel. We should be intelligent and shrewd enough to realize that God uses different people and different styles and methods of "doing" church to reach everyone possible. As Paul stated, "I have become all things to all men, in order that I might win some." (1 Cor 9:22)

We should not be debating about methodologies and styles. It's a foolish debate. The issue is not should we plant Organic, Attractional, Programmatic, Cell-based, or Purpose-Driven churches. We should concern ourselves more with the dwindling effect of the church on the American culture and how we are going to take back the ground Satan has taken from us.

I believe that Aubrey Malphurs said it best in his book A New Kind of Church. "To fail to be culturally relevant is to muddy the Gospel with unnecessary trappings that serve only to miscommunicate the Christian message." (pg.105)

Posted 2/28/2008 in Stephen Gray

1 Comment - Add Comment

Missional Giving

February 19, 2008

I have just finished reading "The State of Church Giving Through 2005". By John and Sylvia Ronsvalle. This report may not sound like a good read to most of you, but I highly recommend it! I was challenged through this report and I hope you will be as well.

Let me share a few quotes with you.

"members are not challenged about increasing giving beyond maintenance levels for the larger vision of the church, and stories about and references to missions are used as flavoring to make everyone feel that present levels of activity can be viewed as significant."

According to this report only 2% of every dollar given to churches goes toward missional endeavors. Think about it, that means 98% of every dollar goes toward maintaining the status quo. When a church wants to raise additional dollars to build the budget, missional-type works are spoken about, but only as a means to an end. That is alarming!

"In our industrialized society, money, as both a fungible medium of exchange to obtain other types of material possessions and as a possession in and of itself, is an available standard measure of the heart condition. The issue to be considered in the present discussion, then, is whether the church is producing changed hearts, resulting from turning to God and repentance, as shown in the relationship of church members to their money....spending patterns of members help track whether the church is pursuing God's intention for its existence."

That quote calls the church to consider its mission. Why do we exist? What is our purpose and how are we doing in the fulfillment of that purpose? Churches seem to have a greater vested interest in maintaining the status quo than fulfilling the Great Commission. While Americans have more spendable cash than ever before, giving to the church has been on a steady decline. The lack of giving has caused most churches to scramble for more dollars and adjust their bottom line.

What was once used to fulfill the Great Commission is now being diverted to maintain the status and standards of the local church. Missions, while an aspirational value of every church, is not being realized.

Pastors, and denominational leaders alike, who should be challenging, confronting and discipling their members/congregations to become outward minded and evangelistically driven are too busy downsizing and restructuring their departments due to lack of funding. Interestingly enough, they have less funding because they are inward focused and people are not interested in giving to institutions. Most will give to something significant, but few will give to maintain an institution.

What does all of this have to do with church planting? Everything! I think it stands as a stern warning to those starting new churches to keep the outward focus primary to the life of the church. In my research on fast-growing church plants, I discovered that one of the major factors that stifled the growth and self-sufficiency of the new churches was an inward focused, self-maintenance mentality. Giving to missional work, must be a part of the DNA of a church plant. Leaders of these plants must go to great lengths to keep this focus out front if we are to see effective and lasting results in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

IMAGINE WITH ME!

I spent a week in the Tampa, Florida area in early Feb. This area is wide-open for new churches. Florida is set to explode by almost 100% in the next 15 years. The problem is, the church is not keeping up with the growth curve. As it stands there is only one church for every 2500 people in Florida.

What might happen if we/you really got a passion for planting more churches? If everyone reading this blog gave only $25 towards the planting of a new church in that area, how much could we raise and how many lives could be changed?

God has given us the resources and responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission. Americans have more extra, spendable cash than ever before. The question is: What will we do with what he has given us?

Posted 2/19/2008 in Stephen Gray

1 Comment - Add Comment

The Big Idea

January 29, 2008

Just finished reading The Big Idea by Dave Ferguson, Eric Bramlett, and Jon Ferguson. It was a good book. I highly recommend that everyone read this book. The authors challenge the church to get more focused in our communication of the Gospel. This book is one that  every pastor should consider.

One caution however, I feel must be addressed. While I enjoyed the book tremendously, the opening chapter left me saddened and frustrated. I have to admit, in some ways it tainted the rest of what I read. I have heard many church leaders calling the church world to abandon the use of the title “Christian” and to replace it with the concept of “Christ Follower." Their reasoning is that the title is misused and causes confusion. While I agree that there are many abuses and a great degree of confusion about what it means to be a Christian, I hardly think it is a good reason to abandon the title. This title was first used in the book of acts and has been carried on throughout the generations. My caution really comes down to the logic behind abandoning the term.

The author's logic for the abandoning of the term is flawed. Why do I say that? Basically because they build the argument off of Barna’s fallacious "Christian" classification of undeserving Americans. Just because someone calls himself or herself Christian, does not make him or her one. This faulty classification is no fault of the authors. However, when you start with a faulty premise, you often end with a faulty conclusion.

Such as: If I proclaim to be a brain surgeon, and teach you or tell you something false or cannot do surgery,  it does not, and should not reflect upon all who turly are brain surgeons. I am a brain surgeon, not by my actions or behavior, but by my own admission. However, if we follow Barna's logic, I am one because I call myself one. Therefore, all brain surgeons resemble my thoughts, deeds and words and every brain surgeon should abandon that title. Or maybe we could use lawyers instead, that might fit better into a broad based classification. Maybe we could even talk about used car salesmen.  In fact, we could apply that logic to almost anything and create a mess. There is a distinction between those so-called Christians, who proclaim to be something they are not and those who are truly Christians. I would rather reclaim the title rather than abandon it because some misuse it.

Again, let me reiterate, I did enjoy the book and I do understand the issue the authors are trying to address in the opening chapter. I suppose I show my weakness in that I allowed myslef to be side-tracked by this chapter. To say that we should never call ourselves, or anyone else, Christians is simply silly. I am sympathetic with the idea, but I feel it is overstated. I refuse to abandon a title because some misunderstood and/or misused it. Should we not attempt to educate our society about its true meaning? What happens if the new title gets abused? Do we then set out to find another?

Just food for thought. Read the book, it will help you think deeply about the issue of focus and how you are educating your people with the truth of God’s word. I hope you are not as foolish as I am and allow yourself to focus on the opening chapter.

Posted 1/29/2008 in Stephen Gray

0 Comments - Add Comment

Go Big

January 28, 2008

Well, it has been a while since I posted a blog. Life in the office seems to be at a break-neck speed. I have been reading through "Go Big" by Bill Easum & Bil Cornelius once again and I am even more impressed the second time around. This book is excellent! Several of the pastors, whom I have given the book, are using it as a growth manual over the next two years. Two of them have seen phenomenal results in just the last 4 months.

Here are the first three chapters and a brief synopsis of each.

1. The Only Difference Is The Zeros - The size of your church doesn't need to dictate your hopes and dreams for the future. "Don't fall prey tot he small-church syndrome and feel that just because you are small you can't aim for quality and excellence." In other words, size shouldn't affect your drive to dream big and achieve excellence. The difference between 40 and 4000 is a few zeros.

2. A Wild and Crazy God - God wants to do great things through every church. The Church is his bride and he loves her. His design is growth. So, why are many not growing? The Pastors vision is either wrong or too small. "Every church eventually is a shadow of its leader." God is looking to work through bold, visionary men and women who are not afraid to think big. In God's economy, our big is small to Him.

3. Structuring Your Church for Growth - Most churches don't grow because their structure won't allow them to grow. Every system is perfectly designed for the outcome it produces. "Democracy is great for a nation, but not for a church."

I hope you buy this book and enjoy reading it as much as I did. Growth is God's idea. Anyone who says that God is looking for quality and not quantity, misunderstands the great commission to "GO" to all nations.

Posted 1/28/2008 in Stephen Gray

0 Comments - Add Comment

Performance vs. Transformation

November 29, 2007

Ever felt like you were just going through the motions? As a pastor or church planter, we get so busy "doing stuff" that sometimes we end up feeling as if we are just going through the motions. I wonder if we allow enough time in our schedules to slow down and allow God to transorm our hearts?

I have had the privilege of traveling around the U.S. and listening to many wonderful pastors ,and some not so good ones as well ,over the last few years. What I've noticed is that whether or not they are traditional or contemporary, expositional or topical, confrontational or narrative, some preach to perform and others preach out of their transformation. Let me explain:

I have heard many wonderfully scripted and polished messages, yet there seemed to be little passion or authenticity. At other times I've listened to poorly scripted and planned out messages, and yet was cut to the very depths of my heart. Was it because the Spirit spoke to me through the one and not the other? Possibly. Yet, I think something more was happening as well.

So often in our performance driven society pastors are expected to hit a "homerun" every Sunday. So, as pastors we look for that perfect message or perfect series to "WOW" the audience. We work hard to polish our messages in order to drive home our point with a series of strong stories and catchy phrases. Yet, week after week, it seems as if we preach to closed ears and deaf hearts. I wonder if it is because we have focused too much on performance and not from a transformation of our own hearts?

I'm not talking about whether the pastor borrowed the sermon off the internet or wrote it themselves.  It goes deeper than that. A pastor can use another man's message and be profoundly and personally affected. A pastor doesn't have to be originial to be transformed by the word.

I heard Wayne Corderio share it this way. He said that as pastor's we tend to preach like this.

(He took his hand grabbed at his bible and threw his hands out as if scattering the words of God on us.)

Wayne continued by sharing that the most effective and powerful preaching comes when we preach like this.

(He took his hand grabbed at his bible, brought his hand to his heart as if spreading the word into his heart. He then took his hand grabbed at his heart and threw it at the crowd as if scattering the seed of transformation.)

I guess what I am saying is, good preaching is more than simply sharing a polished story, reading a few pungent scriptures and calling for a time of commitment. Good preaching inloves, the transformation of the speaker. Before we can expect the people to be touched and transformed by God's word, we, as pastors, must be touched and transformed by God's word.

We can perform well, once the word of God has transformed us. The question remains whether or not we can perform well without transformation first?

Posted 11/29/2007 in Stephen Gray

2 Comments - Add Comment

Life In The Fast Lane.

November 13, 2007

Church planting requires focus, and hard work. Never a dull moment and never a moment of peace. The demands grow greater as the church begins to grow and soon we find that every waking moment is spent "doing" something in the church. "It's our baby and we have to make sure it survives and thrives." We have invested our lives into this work and so we get busier and busier trying to make it better and stronger. The fact is the harder we work the more buried, behind and busy we get. God has created us to have rest. Don't live life in the fast lane.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like the day always ends about three hours too early. There are some days that pass me by and I’m wondering what happened. Dance lessons, ball games, music lessons, homework - before we know it, bath time and bedtime. Where does the time go on weekdays? We as adults are busy with these daily responsibilities in our fast-paced society. Microwaves help prepare quick meals, drive-throughs provide food on the run and while an occasional evening of "running" is okay, a lifestyle of being on the run can be very stressful. In fact life on the run exemplifies most families today.
I have been the National Missions Director now for two years. I have discovered, it's not everything it was billed to be. Up early, on the road late, meeting hundreds of people and spending little time with family.

Does that resemble your life in any way? It does for millions of Americans everyday. Your day may not be exactly the same, but it’s just as hectic. 

Here is what I am learning. I hope it helps you to avoid my pitfalls. 

1. Constantly running at break-neck speed is exhausting in every aspect of life physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Our bodies can only handle so much activity and when we live a hurried life we will begin to see signs of this lifestyle become evident in our health. We suffer with personal illness and depression. Stress, heart attacks, constant illnesses of all kinds and chronic fatigue. Some of you here today are seeing doctors right now for things that are related to the constant stress which you allow in your life.
    When Jesus was in the midst of His ministry he sent out the disciples to preach in the surrounding cities when they returned Jesus said to them. Mark 6:31-32 “Jesus said, come of by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest. For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat.” (Message) Jesus recognized that the body will wear down if not properly rested. In fact this is not a new concept. In Gen 2 We see God putting his stamp of approval on one day for the purpose of rest. He called it the Sabbath. In the book of Exodus, as He was giving the law to Moses, He declared, “Work for six days, and rest on the seventh. This will give your ox and donkey a chance to rest. It will also allow the people of your household, including your slaves and visitors, to be refreshed.” (NLT) God created this body and understands the effects of a hurried life. When we abuse our physical bodies because we are not treating them properly, it becomes a spiritual problem. 1Cor. 6:20 "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's” (NKJ)


2. Living a life without margins breaks down the family. I have found that my children suffer because I am not there to give them the full attention they need.  Pro 22:6 says, “teach your children to chose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.” (NLT)  Actions speak louder than words. If you want your children to grow up living the hurried life, teach them early and they won’t depart form it.
       
  3. Life without margins causes Spiritual weakness. Living life in the fast lane has serious spiritual ramifications. If you are anything like me, by the time the day is over, you finally sit down and attempt to read the Bible you are almost too tired to do so. Soon you find yourself drifting off to sleep. The eyes grow tired and pretty soon we find that you've read the same verse ten times and we still don’t know what it says. When we are not feasting on the word of God our spirit’s are dying of malnutrition.

My challenge, as well as yours is to sit down and learn to set proper margins in your life. Proper rest, quiet time with God, fun with the family are all godly endeavors. Sometime, as pastors, we get it into our mind that the harder we work for God the stronger our spiritual life becomes. In reality that is rarely the case. 

Posted 11/13/2007 in Stephen Gray

1 Comment - Add Comment

Church Plants And Tithing

October 4, 2007

A lot of conversations take place about the issue of tithing and church plants. Over the last few years I have heard many church planters and church planting leaders passionately defend their viewpoint of the issue of tithing. Should a church plant be required to tithe from the beginning? Should the tithe be directed back toward the birthing entity, denomination or should it be focused on the community in which the church plant is being birthed? What do you think? Here are the three most popular ideas being shared and defended. (Maybe you can add another.)

1. No. A church plant should not be required to tithe from the start. It is expensive to plant a church and they need every dime they can gather in order to survive. A plant should be given at least 3 to 5 years to get on its feet before tithing.
2. No. A church plant should not be required to tithe, but they should give something. A new church needs a lot of money to start off right, but should give a portion of their income toward the birthing entity. The rest of their money should be focused on the community it is trying to reach.
3. Yes. A church plant should be obedient from the start. They should tithe back to the entity that birthed it in order to assist in the planting of other churches. God does not ask us to obey in increments. God will not bless us if we don't do what's right form the beginning. Besides, tithing off of a little, from the start, is easier than trying to tithe once the budget goes up. If tithing is not in the DNA of a church from the start, it will be hard to start later on.

Posted 10/4/2007 in Stephen Gray

3 Comments - Add Comment

Church Planter Training

September 28, 2007

Recent research reveals that greater care must be taken when training church planters for the field. Often church planters attend a one week/three day seminar. But is it enough?

God has not called us to be foolish about our preparation for the work he has commissioned us to do. Any denomination that takes church planting seriously should focus on the issue of training. That training should be specifically designed to prepare a church planter for work on the field.

Sixteen years of ministry in an established church did not prepare me for the difficulties involved in church-planting. Most of what I learned I gained through reading and mentoring from outside my own denomination. I was lacking a broad base of knowledge required to be an effective church planter. A proper training, specifically designed for church planters, would have given me a greater level of success.

This realization that specialized training is a necessary part of good church-planting has grown over the last decade. Bob Logan was one of the first to offer a “boot camp” for church planters. The success of those boot camps has led to the development of others. Now, dozens of parachurch organizations that offer the training needed to prepare planters more adequately for the process.

While many church and parachurch organizations have recognized the need for this type of training, few have researched the impact of training on church-planting. An analysis completed by the North American Mission Board, on the church-planting process of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2003, shows that training made a major impact on the effectiveness of their church-planting efforts. Worship attendance of churches whose pastor had received specialized training was three times higher than those who received no training.  Church-planting training has become a key component of the church-planting process.

The research studied the difference between struggling church plants and fast-growing church plants. A total of 21 difference were discovered between these two groups. One of the findings revealed that more training may be need to prepare a church planter than has been typically offered.

Planters leading fast-growing church plants indicated they received significantly more church plating training than did leaders of struggling church plants. A majority of struggling church plants (76.5 percent) received less than a week of training. By contrast, a majority of fast-growing church planters (74.4 percent) received one week or more of training more than two weeks of training.

Posted 9/28/2007 in Stephen Gray

2 Comments - Add Comment