Where are the preacher boys? It seems there are not enough to fill the empty classrooms of Bible Institutes in different parts of the country. The question is being raised: "Is God still calling men into the ministry?" And the answer is "of course He is". Others answer it this way, "God is calling but men are not answering". That may be true to some lesser degree as it has always been.
Perhaps another question should be asked: "Where are the preacher boys going?" Going? Yes, if God is calling men to preach and some are answering, and our Institute classrooms are depleting, then where are they going to get their training for ministry? They are going to other schools of training. Many of them will not come back.
And yet another question is begged: "Why are the preacher boys going?" Many answers could be offered here. Maybe your answer is the right one.
My observation is that it will require a larger vision to capture the hearts of young men than what they are receiving if we are going to keep them. Spiritual motivation and inspiration to the highest degree is critical to developing the man of God in order that he might strive for his God given vision for ministry. We have emphasized the "letter of the law" and diminished the power of the Spirit all too often.
It is also my observation that the single most motivating factor for a young man of God is the amount of personal soulwinning experience he receives. Wherever there is genuine spiritual excitement it is because there is active soulwinning and new churches being started. It is like a magnet that pulls hard on the soul of the man of God. It stirs the soul of all of us when these wonderful things occur. And is it happening, yes! But where? Wherever some of these young men of God are going!
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Multi-Cultural Ministry
Multi-cultural ministry is here. It is time for churches to step up to the challenge.
Reacting to the cultural changes in our country in a positive and spiritual manner is critical to bringing in what is probably the greatest harvest of souls this country will ever see in this generation.
It is most noticeable on the weekends in my local Wal-Mart, but at most any given time that I might go, there they are, people from all over the world. Where have they come from? Africa, Asia, Russia, the Middle East, South and Central America, etc. It is truly a phenomenon to many who are living in small-town America because many of these new cultures are represented there as well. When an East Texas town has its own mosque you know that things are rapidly changing everywhere.
Reach out? or Run? We can't run forever. It's time to turn around and reach out with the love of God and show our new neighbors who Jesus is. I am proud to say that more and more of God's people are witnessing to the Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs that they come in contact with.
It is time for our churches to begin looking more like Wal-Mart. And it is possible to bring them to Christ and to your church. You will be surprised how open your new immigrant neighbors are to friendship.
If you need resources to help reach the new people in your town please contact us and we will be glad to help you.
Reacting to the cultural changes in our country in a positive and spiritual manner is critical to bringing in what is probably the greatest harvest of souls this country will ever see in this generation.
It is most noticeable on the weekends in my local Wal-Mart, but at most any given time that I might go, there they are, people from all over the world. Where have they come from? Africa, Asia, Russia, the Middle East, South and Central America, etc. It is truly a phenomenon to many who are living in small-town America because many of these new cultures are represented there as well. When an East Texas town has its own mosque you know that things are rapidly changing everywhere.
Reach out? or Run? We can't run forever. It's time to turn around and reach out with the love of God and show our new neighbors who Jesus is. I am proud to say that more and more of God's people are witnessing to the Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs that they come in contact with.
It is time for our churches to begin looking more like Wal-Mart. And it is possible to bring them to Christ and to your church. You will be surprised how open your new immigrant neighbors are to friendship.
If you need resources to help reach the new people in your town please contact us and we will be glad to help you.
Glocal
Church Planting globally is my burden. The term 'glocal' (global+local), describes more specifically the scope of my vision.
It often occurs that when we emphasize the global vision that people get convicted about the needs for evangelism at home, locally. This is nothing more than the Holy Spirit at work awakening us to the fact that we have been negligent of our duties at home and needful of fulfilling the Great Commission here as well. However, some will ignore the conviction they experienced regarding the call to global missions and justify themselves by arguing "Let's take care of our own 'backyard' first." Unfortunately, the work just doesn't get done in either place as it should.
So let's talk about the glocal picture. Glocal more adequately defines Acts 1:8 doesn't it? We are called to go both here at home and to the uttermost regions of the world with the Good News. Nearly everytime we take missions teams overseas God calls missionaries from those teams, or stirs fires in the hearts of those who go that they become change agents in their local churches. Because of the global missions experience of just one person the local church to which he/she belongs becomes the recipient of God's blessing. Want your church to be blessed? Go on a missions trip. What is interesting is that if only the local picture is emphasized the global vision is seldom caught. But if the global vision is promoted, the local vision is more likely to take root. Hence 'glocal'.
It often occurs that when we emphasize the global vision that people get convicted about the needs for evangelism at home, locally. This is nothing more than the Holy Spirit at work awakening us to the fact that we have been negligent of our duties at home and needful of fulfilling the Great Commission here as well. However, some will ignore the conviction they experienced regarding the call to global missions and justify themselves by arguing "Let's take care of our own 'backyard' first." Unfortunately, the work just doesn't get done in either place as it should.
So let's talk about the glocal picture. Glocal more adequately defines Acts 1:8 doesn't it? We are called to go both here at home and to the uttermost regions of the world with the Good News. Nearly everytime we take missions teams overseas God calls missionaries from those teams, or stirs fires in the hearts of those who go that they become change agents in their local churches. Because of the global missions experience of just one person the local church to which he/she belongs becomes the recipient of God's blessing. Want your church to be blessed? Go on a missions trip. What is interesting is that if only the local picture is emphasized the global vision is seldom caught. But if the global vision is promoted, the local vision is more likely to take root. Hence 'glocal'.
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