Rethink: Strategy

Since we're rethinking the church we should start with why and how we do it! We need a strategy for why we're trying to reach people so that we'll know how to do it. It's been my experience in most all churches that I've served in that people are passionate, love Jesus, but completely lost on exactly what they should be doing. This may sounds weird or even harsh, but it's easy to fall into this trap when all our ministries are silos. We go from day to day carrying out our ministry without an overarching purpose for our churches. So the answer is clear; we need a Strategy. My wife and I have been in ministry for 12 years and we've heard a few people talk about this, but with few answers. Recently we went to the Orange Conference. This was amazing and helped with an answer. We need to talk about what the purpose of the church is, get everyone on the same page, and monitor each other to make sure we're on purpose. Does this get to happen in most churches...sadly no! I know this seems really easy, but it's extremely hard. It'll involve some hard conversations. It involves listening to others and allowing others to have some say so in your ministry. What really...in your ministry ! Yes, this is the ministry of the church. This isn't ours, it's God's. Let other people in! Ok well if I haven't lost you yet, then that's good. It means you want things to change and you want your church to be more. Our churches need to keep God's life changing message the same and change our methods regularly. We need to do whatever it takes to reach those without Christ. This means we need a strategy. I'd start with figuring out why you do what you do. Start with your main service; why do you have that service. It could be, for example: To show church is different, to reach the lost, for Christians, or simply to get people to know more about your church. Whatever it is, do it amazing. We've spent to much time being sub-par Christians and people are noticing. Time to stand up and be a Christ follower! After you've identified what you want your church to be about and what your main entry point is about, move on to what you want people to be. Do you want them to be disciples followers, do you want them to know more about the bible, have a quiet time, what do you want. Now you've got a goal, but it's to far from your starting point. You can't make that jump no matter how hard you try. You need stepping stones in the middle to get you there. So decide on steps you need to get to the goal. Maybe it's programs, maybe it's just creating some way to disciple people, or maybe it's just to make a small group for different types of people. If it gets your people closer to your goal, does not violate scripture, then let's go for it! So your strategy is easy. You figure out a purpose, find a starting point, decide on the goal or the end point, now just get all those in between steps you need to get to your goal. Now go change your methods and reach more people. We live in a culture that expects awesome, and how is there anything more awesome than God's amazing message through His church. God Rocks, JW

Let's rethink church

This is the intro of a series where I'm looking at how we do church, why we do church the way we do it, and more importantly talk about what we can change to be the hands and feet of Jesus to more people.

Don't read this and think I'm down on the church because I know the church is how God speaks to people. I don't see a lot of people asking why or what's the purpose of what we're doing.

I'll be looking at different things we and others do at church, examining if we should be doing that, and then discuss different ways we can change what and how we do things if needed.

I welcome any comments or ideas on how these things could be changed. Let's discuss this and make the church a brighter lighthouse for those that need Him.

God Rocks, JTW

Tinker bell & my 2 year old

My daughter is 2 years old. This means that I unfortunately have to watch Disney things. Most of them are frustrating but sometimes I hear things & God teaches me right then & there. We were watching a Tinker bell movie today & tinker bell fixed some holes in a roof so a little girl could spend more rime with her dad. There was a long, complicated process through which tinker bell did this involving hoses and boots. It was very inventive and she went to a lot of work just to make sure this little girl could spend time with her very busy father.

It was at this moment that I asked myself if I do this for God? Do I go out of my way to help others so they can get to see & experience God? The little girl so wanted her father, & honestly I wish we all had such furor for God (our Father) as this little girl had. Maybe if had a love for Our Father & a willingness to change people's lives then we'd spend less time trying to convince people of God & more time being the example they'd desperately want to be!

Just my little thoughts on How Tinker bell can influence our life for Christ!

What have we come to without love for one another?

John 13:34-35

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Where have we come as a Christian nation when caring and loving on others as Christ did is now legislated? Today I find myself confused. Has God ever put a passion for helping others in your heart? Well I have that and my passion is leading students to learn more about what it means to be a Generation that wants to change the world for Christ. Well one thing I believe is that they must learn to care for others and serve. Well I've learned that sometimes giving to others involves sacrifice, but it's never more than we can bare.

Today I learned that we've come to a place as a Christian nation that I thought I'd never see. I saw that passion become legislated. This is what I mean; you give your time, effort, all that you have to help others and others from the outside complain. At what point should intentions and the fear of others overshadow serving?

Christ's work was overshadowed by the legalistic people of the day and their fear put on his intentions. It lead him to the Cross, but it did not stop his message. Has our nation come to the place where we're so in fear of what people will think or what we do that we can't allow Christ's followers to serve and to give as Christ did?

What do we do? Do we sit back and wait for God's greater plan to work out while Christians are afraid to share their faith, give to others, or even carry a Bible because someone might see their intentions and bring harm to them? I don't know and that makes me afraid. What should I be willing to give up? At some point where do Christians say enough is enough?

Would you do it?

I have a quick question that will take you a long time to answer. The question is...would you do something if you were sure that God was telling you to do it? It seems like a no-brainer for sure, but it deeply disturbs me. Here's why, I think about what that would mean. I've made leaps and jumps for God in my life without knowing if He would be there, but he always has been.

Recently I was faced with something that I know God was asking of me. I was posed with this question and it become a very hard one. Would you do something if you knew God was telling you to do it. Most Christians I think would say yes without question; at least until they find out more information. What if it meant you would give up your life. Some people would be lost right there, but others are willing to give up life for God's service. What if it were more day to day than this though. What if you had to give up your job? What if you had to give up your family? What if you had to give up your spouse? What if you had to give up your home? What if you had to give up your reputation? What if you had to say yes when even those that walk daily with Christ told you they wouldn't do it? When it comes to the day to day this fundamental question gets very hard.

I've been a Christ follower since 1993 and would never go back. I'm also a student pastor and love sharing God's word and God's truth with this generation. Recently when I was posed this question I had to make a choice. I decided to sit back and wait. I let the situation that I knew God was saying for me to jump on, just walk away. I don't know if I was just wanting the easy way or if I wasn't ready to stand against the things I may have to give up for that thing.

Here's what I decided and what i'm doing. If anyone ever reads this and finds themselves in this situation, then I hope this helps. Every day since the day I let it happen I've been sad and angry at myself. I understand if you're reading this, you know what I mean. I've decided to keep my eye on what God has asked me to do from a distance. I have multiplied my prayers in this situation and have added this situation to every prayer i have right now. I've not decided to pray that God put me in the situation, but instead for God to change either me or those around me to make it happen. Have I given up? NO! There might be a day really soon where God decides to make this happen and give me a chance to redeem myself. If not I'll be happy knowing that God changed my heart to let me know what I should do now.

Keep me in your prayers for this situation is very hard on me!

Wierd but awesome!

A few months ago something happened that doesn't happen often to me. I told a few people, but just didn't get a chance to put it on here.

I heard a knock at the door one day. When I went to the door a lady was standing there. This is a lady I've never seen and haven't seen since that day. She told me that someone downstairs wanted her to give me something.

She gave me an envelope. The envelope had a couple of Bible verses on the front of it. After I saw the verses I went outside and looked for the lady, but even though it had only been a minute she was gone. I even went downstairs and there wasn't anyone nearby.

So I opened the envelope. There was $100 inside. I called everyone that I knew that I thought would give this gift to me. No one knew what I was talking about, but praised God with me for what had happened.

It was incredible. We don't know if someone just left us this awesome gift, or if maybe it was an angel. I don't know and won't know this side of Heaven.

Praise God for this gift.

God Rocks, Jtw

Bring it!

Mark 10:46-52 (New Living Translation)

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus
46 Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road.
47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.
But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”
So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” 50 Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.
“My rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”
52 And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

I was reading this today and it really stuck out to me. Sometimes we feel bad because we bring to much to God. We forget that he doesn't see it that way. He wants us to come to Him and bring everything to Him. He loves us and wants us to be with Him. All we have to do is bring our hurts, our praises, our wants, our needs, our selves to Him.

I often forget this. Then at other times I feel bad when I scream at God. David did this often in the Psalms and he was the man after God's own heart. This is God's will, that we come to Him. That's all we need to know.

Go read the verses again. The blind man came to Jesus when he knew he was there. He came without anyone telling him and didn't stop calling even though he was being ridiculed . He brought it all to Jesus. That's enough!

God Rocks, Jtw

Give Thanks?

Today I was reminded to give thanks. It's something to simple yet in our culture very very over looked. Tonight I heard a pastor teach about 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Basically this verse says that God wants us to give him praise no matter what.

This reminded me of a situation that I haven't told many people about, mostly because it blew me away. I have seen a lot of things in my life and am not very often surprised. When I talk about being blew away, it means it changed me forever.

Here's what happened. If you know me you know I often dislike my job. The reason I don't like it is because basically I have a pastor's heart and there I'm almost forced to be a jerk. When I'm not a jerk I get fussed at. One day I had an evaluation by someone who doesn't like me at all. They basically said all the horrible things they could think of and how horrible I was at this job.

That day like many days a church volunteer group comes in. I was feeling pretty bad at this point right. So the the pastor preaches like normal and during the song he walks over to me. He leans over to me and says "don't give up now preacher, it'll get better." Before you ask, I've never seen this man before. When I looked at him he just smiles at me and walks away. I quickly realized that I just physically heard from God. I've never seen the guy, or even told the guy that I'm a pastor at all. He's never seen me. A few months later he came back and asked me if things got better. When I said yes he said that I should praise God and wait for the next thing.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says for us to give God praise no matter what happens and that's what God wants us do. This moment changed my life. I began looking at this job as somewhere that God's placed me until I get to the next thing that God has for me. I began giving God praise for the job, and that changed my life. Now even though I don't necessarily like being a jerk, I've changed how I approach the job.

So can you give thanks to God no matter what? Can you praise God when you have to go to a job that frustrates you daily? Can you praise God when you lose a friend? It's easy to praise God when we have something great happen, but how about when our life is falling apart? Think about this, praise God anyways. Often when I get frustrated because something isn't working out, I find out that God had something planned and I see how it was for the best. Sometimes I don't see the outcome, but again I must praise no matter what.

Praise God!!

God Rocks, Jtw

unthink?

Today I was watching some T.V. and that KFC commercial came on about unthinking their fried chicken. Something hit me like a ton of bricks. Today's culture is all about "unthinking" things and challenging all we know and how we do it. Think about it this way, we've rethought about fuel and come up with cars that run on corn or electricity. We've rethought how information gets passed and we came up with the Internet. We've taken what we've always known and decided it can be better and we asked "why" do we do this this way.

This is what hit me so hard. If we're in a culture where we're asking "why" we do things they way we do and we change things that don't work, then why is the church the same. God's church is God's hope for all of us and it should be the leading component of change and be the decider, not playing catch up.

We know that God's gospel changes lives and God's people (the church) are the people to spread that Gospel. When does change happen with us? When do we start thinking "let's unthink how we do church and how God's people relate?"

This generation of teens have the highest probability of not accepting Christ. They way we've always done things isn't working on this generation as well as it has before. It's time we UNTHINK how we do things. God never changes, but the methods he chooses for us must change.

We've got to start thinking outside of the box if we're going to express the only chance for people to not die and go to Hell. Do I know what that change is....no! Each day I pray that God will show me His methods and His vision for the future of His people.

It's time we pray and Unthink what we've always done. We have a present generation and many future generations at stake if we don't. I for one don't want to take the chance that I didn't do all I could to reach them.

God Rocks,
Josh

On the Roll again...the update!!

Ok so it's been a while, but a lot has happened since my last update. Also, I spent a lot of my blogging time on Northstar's blog.

Since i last blogged...My church I was serving at merged with another one, my daughter was born, I've moved, the new merged church dissolved my ministry, and I work at a juvenile justice center.

OK, well that's a whole lot in the past few months huh!!

I'm on the roll again because of that dissolving of the ministry thing. You see I'm called to student ministry. When I say called I don't mean I just like doing it. I mean I'll do whatever it takes to go where God wants to send me and share the Gospel with students.

I'm looking for a place to serve. I love God and love people. I spend my life pushing toward my 2 main areas: Worship and Service. These 2 things are what I'm all about and what i put into any ministry I'm apart of.

For now I serve at a church plan (the merged church) and play bass guitar there. I work (TO MUCH) at the kids jail and try to have to much fun with my beautiful wife and gorgeous daughter.

So that's the update...have fun with it and if you have any leads I can pray about let me know.

God Rocks,
Josh