Resources, "They Are Available"

"My God will supply all our needs according to God's riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:19

Sitting here in D.S. Training at Lake Junaluska (I am paying very close attention) and marveling at all the cool resources that are available to us that I never took the time to learn about. For example,

For info on turning your church around, mobilizing your laity, position descriptions, stewardship programs, church vitality indicators, etc., visit The General Board of Discipleship online at gbod.org.

For financial related info, GCFA is online at gcfa.org.

For spiritual formation, The Upper Room, at upperroom.org (though it's not working for me at present).

For more innovation stuff and starting new churches, visit Path1 at path1.org.

In addition, in our District, we have some of the best resources in purely human form. Area pastors and church leaders would be more than happy to consult or share their experience and wisdom. We have some of the best churches and leaders in the world.

Apportionments, "Renewing Our Mind"

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be ye transformed [How?] by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2

Had a really neat conversation with one of our pastors recently that he initiated. His church has been unable to pay their apportionments...for awhile. It led into a great discussion surrounding stewardship, which is one of the larger issues. It caused me though to think about some of the ways I have had to retrain my mind over the years. Thought I'd jot down some of those various thoughts. Periodically, I might blog some more on them. On the bottom of this internet page, look for the tag, "Apportionments," as we chronicle the different articles over time.

1. "As" (my shorthand for apportionments) aren't "have-to's," they are "get-to's." We don't have to pay them, we get to. We don't have to do anything. I hate it when I catch myself, "I have to do" this or that. I'm retraining myself to always say, "I get to," no matter what it is. (e.g. "I get to preside over a funeral for a really great saint." "I get to go to the dentist." I'm still working on that one.)
2. Every "A" represents a key missional objective. If you or your church isn't motivated to pay them, then some more learning is warranted on what missional objective is behind them.
3. That missional objective then becomes the key motivator by which we can promote the "opportunity," instead of viewing it as a "conference demand."
4. When we look closely enough, we might find we agree with some. We might disagree with some. I have found I can get on board with most however, usually 99.9%.
5. If I disagree with something, my best recourse isn't to boycott paying them. I have learned it is to become a proactive voice in the process to change them.
6. Not paying "As" perpetuates a victim mindset. It is the weakest thing we can do, and rarely has any real impact.
7. If you really want to do something radical and honoring to God, become the best leader you can be and earn real influence. I would be more than happy to help any church or leader expand their lid on this.
8. Methodism represents one of the greatest resources of change on the planet. We do not have to be a passive and reluctant participant, but a proactive agent of change for the cause of Christ in the world.
9. If your church isn't currently paying them, the answer isn't to just sit there and hope no one notices. It is to begin an open conversation with your District Superintendent about growing into your opportunity. I don't expect you to instantly go from 0% to 100%, but each year we can take another significant step forward...in real influence and an effective use of your power.
10. The larger issue is "Right-sizing" (not "down-sizing") our church budgets and growing our church's level of stewardship. And again, I'd truly enjoy helping anyone do that. Stewardship started off as my least favorite thing, and now has become one of my greatest joys and privileges. Stay tuned for more of my thoughts on that.

Church Visit, "A New New," Eaton St. Paul/Crossroads

Back from a week off, preached at a joint service of Eaton St. Paul and their YMCA Campus Church, Crossroads. What a neat congregation: young and old, children and elderly, traditional and contemporary. They present an innovative model of ministry to the people of Preble County. What, however, was new and innovative just a few years ago, they are now meeting to discern the future God has in store for them. Instead of succumbing to the temptation that they have already done enough/we're already cutting edge, they are beginning to trust God for new. In the Book of revelation, Jesus said, "I am making all things new." I'm pretty sure He meant all things when he said all things. That includes therefore me and us today. The mark of authentic followership for the Apostle Paul was, in fact, a state of constant change and transformation, new creation status (II Corinthians 5:17). When was the last time you experienced, "brand spanking new?" How are we modeling the power of the resurrection for our people?

Leadership Summit 2009, Stillwater UMC

Sitting here at the Willowcreek Leadership Simulcast at Stillwater UMC. Hybel's opening talk is always worth the price of admission for me. Gary Hamel though stole the show, well worth looking him up and buying any book he has written. Great talk. My favorite line: "Sometimes we're so far stuck in a rut, that the edge of the rut looks like our horizon." As the speed of change increases are we keeping up with our reality, or are we increasingly losing our influence in the world??? The statistics show the latter. Four times as many atheists in our country today than there were in 1990. Only 17% in our culture are in church on any given Sunday morning. Oh God, what is it You want to do in me to help You reach the rest of the world? Hamel: "We are in a race to uncover our own orthodoxies." What do we take for granted that we can't any longer? What it means to be the Church? Where it has to be? What it has to look like? Who is included in it?

Church Visit, "Making the Most of What You've Got," Nation Chapel UMC

Driving out to Nation Chapel, my wife and I passed a house with at least three Ham Radio towers shooting up and out of it. It looked like a forward assault post for an alien invasion. Once we got to the church we encountered another, a forward outpost for Christ's kingdom. Rev. Johnson and the folks at Nation Chapel are doing servant evangelism and need meeting ministries as good as all the best. Though not specifically located directly in a town, they are making inroads all around. Whether you need a prayer, food, clothing, a car repaired, or a handicap ramp built, teams of volunteers live to serve you and reach out in Christ's love. Imagine...need meeting ministries that reach out to people at their point of need rather than what we think it should be. They are truly making the most of what they've got. The food pantry does double duty as an Adult Sunday School Class, Children's Sunday School Class, and the Nursery all on any given Sunday morning. Averaging now 85 a week even in the middle of summer (with two area county fairs going on), they still had to set up metal folding chairs in two adjacent Sunday School classes just to make room for all the people. A knockin' out praise band to boot--guitars, bass, electronic drums, keys, AND harmonica. Way to go one and all!