We are approaching April and to my knowledge there are 5 new works that have been started since July of last year. We are somewhat behind last year's tally at this same time period. 5 is fine but not anything to be getting excited about when there is such a great need.
My concern for our fellowship is that there doesn't seem to be an urgency for starting new works. Planting churches is still the best form of evangelism. You would think that we would see a lot of new works started since we believe in the local church so strongly. It only makes sense that if we believe in the local church we would want to start as many of them as possible.
Let's start some new churches/missions soon. Let's stir up our young men to go out and do it! Older men too!
David
Friday, March 20, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Missionary Statistical Report Form could help find new works
Over the years we have heard the report of thousands being saved every year in our associated ABA work. I am always excited about that! We are also told about how many thousands of sermons were preached and lessons given and how many were baptized. That's interesting and it makes good reporting.
But where is the information that will really tell us about the disciples that are being made? We have no idea about how many missions or churches were established as a result of the souls saved and baptized. Wouldn't this information be helpful for us to know? I have tried to gather research on how many new churches have been started in the last two years and it is very difficult to find out. We have learned of only four new works so far this year. Maybe someone out there can tell me about more that I don't know about. There is a way to gather that important information; it's called "The Missionary Statistical Report Form". Every missionary could simply tell us what we are trying so hard to find out.
By having this information we could know more accurately what our missionaries are achieving and how well we have been doing the Great Commission. It would be a simple addition to the statistical report form. Apparently it will take a vote of the messenger assembly to add these questions.
The Missionary Statistical Report Form does not have a place for this necessary information. Here are some questions that need to be included in that form:
1. List the number of new missions established under your ministry during this reporting period.
2. List the number of new churches organized under your ministry during this reporting period.
We could include two other questions that would actually give us much more accurate information about the status of church planting in our work. They would be:
1. List the number of missions that have closed their doors or disbanded.
2. List the number of churches that have closed their doors or disbanded.
Some feel the above questions are too negative and should not be included. My answer to this is, why shouldn't we want to know the whole truth of what is happening in our ABA missionary work, if it will help us to do better in the future? To my knowledge there is little or no statistical work being done among our churches or missions to ascertain the progress or development of our associated work other than some local associations scattered about.
If you are interested in having this information added to the Missionary Statistical Report Form please let me know.
David
But where is the information that will really tell us about the disciples that are being made? We have no idea about how many missions or churches were established as a result of the souls saved and baptized. Wouldn't this information be helpful for us to know? I have tried to gather research on how many new churches have been started in the last two years and it is very difficult to find out. We have learned of only four new works so far this year. Maybe someone out there can tell me about more that I don't know about. There is a way to gather that important information; it's called "The Missionary Statistical Report Form". Every missionary could simply tell us what we are trying so hard to find out.
By having this information we could know more accurately what our missionaries are achieving and how well we have been doing the Great Commission. It would be a simple addition to the statistical report form. Apparently it will take a vote of the messenger assembly to add these questions.
The Missionary Statistical Report Form does not have a place for this necessary information. Here are some questions that need to be included in that form:
1. List the number of new missions established under your ministry during this reporting period.
2. List the number of new churches organized under your ministry during this reporting period.
We could include two other questions that would actually give us much more accurate information about the status of church planting in our work. They would be:
1. List the number of missions that have closed their doors or disbanded.
2. List the number of churches that have closed their doors or disbanded.
Some feel the above questions are too negative and should not be included. My answer to this is, why shouldn't we want to know the whole truth of what is happening in our ABA missionary work, if it will help us to do better in the future? To my knowledge there is little or no statistical work being done among our churches or missions to ascertain the progress or development of our associated work other than some local associations scattered about.
If you are interested in having this information added to the Missionary Statistical Report Form please let me know.
David
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Why Europe?
http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2009/02/i3-paper-why-europe.html
Check out the above blog written by Ed Stetzer. Especially those of you who are in Europe doing ministry. It is very insightful.
There is a growing opportunity for serious ministry in Europe. There is still freedom by and large to do church planting. The climate is changing dramatically with nearly 25% Muslilm population throughout Europe. Those who are going or are already there need to look closely at bridging to these interesting people.
David
Check out the above blog written by Ed Stetzer. Especially those of you who are in Europe doing ministry. It is very insightful.
There is a growing opportunity for serious ministry in Europe. There is still freedom by and large to do church planting. The climate is changing dramatically with nearly 25% Muslilm population throughout Europe. Those who are going or are already there need to look closely at bridging to these interesting people.
David
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Fireproof Movie Event
Our "Fireproof" movie event turned out well. Although we did not have the kind of attendance we were hoping for, yet God brought those that needed to come (121 on a Sunday night).
One thing that has really been a blessing is watching our church rise to the occasion of such an outreach event. Everyone was ready for whatever God was going to do. Our greeters were ready, our Welcome Center folks, our ushers and the parking lot attendants and the fellowship crew (food); all had made their preparations. This was good training for our folks who are learning to prepare for the harvest.
The Movie "Fireproof" was excellent. As a result we will have some new small groups with new people attending them. This was part of the outreach. And it worked.
We thank God for all of His blessings.
David
One thing that has really been a blessing is watching our church rise to the occasion of such an outreach event. Everyone was ready for whatever God was going to do. Our greeters were ready, our Welcome Center folks, our ushers and the parking lot attendants and the fellowship crew (food); all had made their preparations. This was good training for our folks who are learning to prepare for the harvest.
The Movie "Fireproof" was excellent. As a result we will have some new small groups with new people attending them. This was part of the outreach. And it worked.
We thank God for all of His blessings.
David
Thursday, February 5, 2009
One more saved Tuesday night
We have set a goal for 50 souls to be saved this year through our church people and outreach. We had 22 last year, our first year as a church.
Tuesday night we had another young boy receive Christ in one of our small groups. Praise God, we have now seen 4 children saved in this home where we are conducting small groups.
We finished up on Bill Faye's "Share Jesus Without Fear" last week and it was excellent. It has stirred a number of our folks up to be witnesses for Christ. Then last night we viewed Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort's "Way of the Master" video. It gave us another perspective on soulwinning.
Our prayer is for many to be saved and added to the church this year.
David
Tuesday night we had another young boy receive Christ in one of our small groups. Praise God, we have now seen 4 children saved in this home where we are conducting small groups.
We finished up on Bill Faye's "Share Jesus Without Fear" last week and it was excellent. It has stirred a number of our folks up to be witnesses for Christ. Then last night we viewed Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort's "Way of the Master" video. It gave us another perspective on soulwinning.
Our prayer is for many to be saved and added to the church this year.
David
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Starting a Church without Losing Your Soul
The following article was written by Ed Stetzer: All church planters would do well to read this excerpt that I have pasted here. You can read the whole article at: http://blogs.lifeway.com/blog/edstetzer/2009/01/starting-a-church-without-losi.html
Spiritual Renewal
I know this sounds basic, but many church planters neglect fundamental spiritual disciplines. An informal survey of Nehemiah Project church planters (North American Mission Board) revealed their greatest challenge was spending time with God. I talk to church planters all over the country from many denominations and I am amazed at how many find it difficult to maintain a quality relationship with God. They love God and trust him for the future of the church plant but for most it has become a long-distance relationship.
Church planting is a rigorous task that leaves planters physically, emotionally and spiritually drained. Church planters are busy and stressed. The inherent instability of church planting places constant pressure on these Alpha-leaders to excel. They feel that every sermon, every service, every advertisement, every contact, and every event must be exactly right for them to succeed. Performance pressure overwhelms their theological moorings as to who they are in Christ creating an incessant anxiety which drives them even further into the work that drains them. It's a vicious cycle.
Finding rest in the presence of God is the only answer. But rest rarely comes when the planter's mind is a vortex of what must be done next. "Next" becomes the enemy of God's work in their lives "now." Consequently, the planter's relationship with God gradually erodes over time leaving him spiritually dry and empty.
If you find yourself enslaved in the vicious cycle, there is only one answer-stop! Now, I don't mean push the "Pause" button on the church plant. But you need to put some of the responsibilities into the hands of others (even if they will not do it as good as you think you will) and give yourself more time for with God. Guarding your life with regular times of prayer, solitude, and Sabbath where you sit unhurried before God will ensure a rich and abundant reservoir of spiritual life and power. Planters who fail to keep their time with God a priority will invariably suffer in their personal walk and the church plant will feel the profound effects as well.
Ed Stetzer
Spiritual Renewal
I know this sounds basic, but many church planters neglect fundamental spiritual disciplines. An informal survey of Nehemiah Project church planters (North American Mission Board) revealed their greatest challenge was spending time with God. I talk to church planters all over the country from many denominations and I am amazed at how many find it difficult to maintain a quality relationship with God. They love God and trust him for the future of the church plant but for most it has become a long-distance relationship.
Church planting is a rigorous task that leaves planters physically, emotionally and spiritually drained. Church planters are busy and stressed. The inherent instability of church planting places constant pressure on these Alpha-leaders to excel. They feel that every sermon, every service, every advertisement, every contact, and every event must be exactly right for them to succeed. Performance pressure overwhelms their theological moorings as to who they are in Christ creating an incessant anxiety which drives them even further into the work that drains them. It's a vicious cycle.
Finding rest in the presence of God is the only answer. But rest rarely comes when the planter's mind is a vortex of what must be done next. "Next" becomes the enemy of God's work in their lives "now." Consequently, the planter's relationship with God gradually erodes over time leaving him spiritually dry and empty.
If you find yourself enslaved in the vicious cycle, there is only one answer-stop! Now, I don't mean push the "Pause" button on the church plant. But you need to put some of the responsibilities into the hands of others (even if they will not do it as good as you think you will) and give yourself more time for with God. Guarding your life with regular times of prayer, solitude, and Sabbath where you sit unhurried before God will ensure a rich and abundant reservoir of spiritual life and power. Planters who fail to keep their time with God a priority will invariably suffer in their personal walk and the church plant will feel the profound effects as well.
Ed Stetzer
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
A Soulwinner's Dilemma
What is a Soulwinner's Dilemma? To some it might be being stuck in an office or some other situation where you cannot meet people regularly and build relationships in order to witness. Or if you are a pastor or missionary, your dilemma is that when you are out witnessing you feel you need to be back in your study preparing lessons and sermons. Or visa versa.
But have you ever experienced the following dilemma? You discover that someone you lead to Christ a week or a month ago gets saved again? You will ask yourself, where did I go wrong? What did I forget to say or explain about salvation that they felt they weren't saved the first time? Or were they really saved the first time and were just confused by someone elses well meaning efforts? Now don't get me wrong, it doesn't matter to me who leads someone to Christ, as long as that person is genuinely saved. But that is the issue: who determines if someone is genuinely saved?
Here is the dilemma: You lead someone to Christ and another Christian witness comes along and determines that the person you brought to Christ wasn't really saved because that person wasn't lead to Christ by him personally. In other words, some people feel that unless they lead the person to Christ he is not really saved. I have seen this happen many times. It bothers me just a little.
I have actually experienced pastors and missionaries not accepting new converts simply because they didn't lead them to Christ themselves. Or they weren't there to supervise the soulwinning experience personally and give approval to the new converts profession of faith. Only after they personally counsel with the new convert and pray with them the sinner's prayer are they genuinely saved, in their opinion.
Personally, I'm just glad that the person genuinely gets saved. However, I am very concerned about the confusion that some new converts will experience because of this. I am also very suspicious of the motives of the person who doesn't accept the soulwinning efforts and successes of another witness for Christ. I'm all for 'double-checking' a person's experience in receiving Christ, but this goes a little bit too far, in my opinion.
Is there anyone else out there that has experienced this?
David
But have you ever experienced the following dilemma? You discover that someone you lead to Christ a week or a month ago gets saved again? You will ask yourself, where did I go wrong? What did I forget to say or explain about salvation that they felt they weren't saved the first time? Or were they really saved the first time and were just confused by someone elses well meaning efforts? Now don't get me wrong, it doesn't matter to me who leads someone to Christ, as long as that person is genuinely saved. But that is the issue: who determines if someone is genuinely saved?
Here is the dilemma: You lead someone to Christ and another Christian witness comes along and determines that the person you brought to Christ wasn't really saved because that person wasn't lead to Christ by him personally. In other words, some people feel that unless they lead the person to Christ he is not really saved. I have seen this happen many times. It bothers me just a little.
I have actually experienced pastors and missionaries not accepting new converts simply because they didn't lead them to Christ themselves. Or they weren't there to supervise the soulwinning experience personally and give approval to the new converts profession of faith. Only after they personally counsel with the new convert and pray with them the sinner's prayer are they genuinely saved, in their opinion.
Personally, I'm just glad that the person genuinely gets saved. However, I am very concerned about the confusion that some new converts will experience because of this. I am also very suspicious of the motives of the person who doesn't accept the soulwinning efforts and successes of another witness for Christ. I'm all for 'double-checking' a person's experience in receiving Christ, but this goes a little bit too far, in my opinion.
Is there anyone else out there that has experienced this?
David
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