Why I Do This, Part 2

Posted on December 6, 2009 by Jay F Guin

I get emails —

Dear Al and Jay;

I wanted to thank each of you this holiday season for your ministries in re-teaching those of us in the Church of Christ branch of the Stone-Campbell movement.  There has always been for me a sadness in the holidays. I think because I saw so many people willing to express their faith in Christ and celebrate His birth, but somewhere inside of me was this really horrible, depressing,  soul  destroying, joy killing, and inspired by Satan thought that was saying to me, “These poor fools don’t even know they are bound for Hell and there is nothing you can do about it because no one wants to hear the message that the Church of Christ has to offer.”

For the last twelve months I have been intensively restudying and meditating on many of the issues that you have been dealing with the past several years. In the last 6 to 8 months I found your blogs (and some others) and have felt a tremendous relief, support, and God affirming grace for which I have prayed. I have no doubt that God’s providence helped me to find your teaching ministries.

The Bible makes more sense to me now than it has my whole life. I see my life filled with more blessings and riches of His grace than I could have ever imagined. And at the same time view my life and its many short comings as more sinful, shallow, and legalistic than I had ever realized. Amazingly, however, I feel closer to God because I know that in spite of my great and serious flaws, God loves me and has forgiven me entirely due to the riches His grace which He gives freely to all who believe in the good news of the gospel and trust in Him.

One of the incredible things about my theological (and I think spiritual) change is that almost any devout Baptist or Methodist would probably read the last sentence of the previous paragraph and say, “Well, DUH!”.  But for a life long “church ‘a christer”  and graduate of one of our mainline schools of preaching, it is almost as foreign as though I were saying “I have met extra terrestrials and have seen their mother ship.”  And, in fact, that is almost how my friends in the church look at me as I ever so gently approach them about the issues of CENI, patternism, Grace, and doing good works ‘because of’ and not ‘in order to’.  I told one friend of mine that I am looking at the same scriptures I have always read, but somehow everything looks different. …..like the way you look through a stained glass kaleidoscope and then turn it just a little bit and whole new figures and images emerge; everything has changed.

The changes I have experienced, which to me are so profound, are to my patient wife kind of like….  “yeah, ……  I figured he would come around one day”.    But then, she did used to be [non-Church of Christ denomination] before I got a hold of her. …  LOL ….

Seriously, as a result of things I have learned from your ministries my Christmas will be one of the most blessed and happiest of my life. My family will enjoy me more because I am more at peace with God in this season of peace.

God bless each of you, your families, and your ministries.

Your friend in Christ.

Dan Harris

That’s why I keep typing away.

We need to all understand how very important it is that the view of grace I advocate be taught. Please … spread the word every way you can.

(I can’t believe I was mentioned alongside Al Maxey!)

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Replanting a Church: Children and Teens, Part 2

Posted on December 6, 2009 by Jay F Guin

We are working through an article by Scott Thomas on replanting an existing church, that is, renewing a church so that it grows and matures as a church plant does.

In the last article, we considered how to re-set the goals of the teen ministry. That’s actually not the hard part. Not that it’s easy — because you have to persuade the ministers, the teens, and the parents. But what’s even harder is figuring out to produce that result.

I think the process is a lot like what it is for the adults. Something like —

1. Expect God to do the heavy lifting through his Holy Spirit. Go into it expecting success because it’s what God wants.

2. Prayer. Really. Pray a lot.

3. Surround the kids with adults with a passion for God and his word and his mission. If the teen minister doesn’t fit this description, you may have to replace him (or her). Continue reading →

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“Remember the Rose Bowl we’ll win then ….”

Posted on December 5, 2009 by Jay F Guin

The caption is from the Alabama fight song, and it’s a reference to back when the Rose Bowl routinely crowned the national champion. Finally, it all comes together.

(So glad Florida — like Texas — wears a witch-cursed fall color.)

And for those you wanting to singalong —

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The Shack: John Mark Hicks Posts E-book

Posted on December 5, 2009 by Jay F Guin

John Mark Hicks has just posted an e-book with his observations and reflections on The Shack: Meeting God at the Shack. Hopefully, I’ll have enough time over the holidays to grab a cup of coffee and an easy chair and settle in for some of John Mark’s wisdom.

It is, of course, wildly irresponsible for me to recommend a book I’ve not yet read, but I’ve read all of his several posts on The Shack, which he has expanded into bookform — and they are brilliant.

And I have read The Shack. It’s a fabulous book.

Read The Shack and then read Meeting God at the Shack. For some, it will be life-changing. (And it makes for a great small group study.)

I think everyone who has pastoral responsibilities, who may be called on to comfort and counsel those who’ve suffered severe emotional wounds — from an abusive parent, from a spouse, or from bad fortune — has to read this material, because it shows a path to healing through the beauty and love of God.

But I can’t explain it. You have to read it.

FTC Notice: I received a free copy of the e-book. But that’s because it’s free for everyone. 😉 (I’m glad to see more and more of our best thinkers publishing straight to the internet.)

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Replanting a Church: Children and Teens, Part 1

Posted on December 5, 2009 by Jay F Guin

We are working through an article by Scott Thomas on replanting an existing church, that is, renewing a church so that it grows and matures as a church plant does.

e. Envision an effective youth and children’s ministry

  1. Will they be integrated into the church ministry? If so, how?
  2. How will families be strengthened through the student ministry?
  3. How will the youth be encouraged and trained to evangelize their friends?
  4. What role will the heads of households play in the student ministry?
  5. Who (person or groups) will lead the youth and children’s ministry?
  6. What facility changes are needed to communicate the value of children and youth?
  7. What other positions of leadership need to be filled to be effective?
  8. What leadership development with the students will be put into place?
  9. What programs or customs need to be extracted from the youth and children’s ministry to avoid distractions from the ministry goals?

This is a tough one. You see, I don’t think we know how to do this. I’m not sure anyone does. In fact, in my experience, most of the time the success of a youth ministry is much more about the personality of the youth minister than any particular approach to doing ministry — and that tells me that we’re catering to the consumerist mentality of our kids (learned at the feet of their parents) rather than calling them into God’s mission.* Continue reading →

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It’s Friday! Lutheran Airlines Is Now Open for Business; Churches of Christ to Follow the Pattern

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Jay F Guin
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Replanting a Church: Dan Kimball Changes Positions on Church Buildings

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Dan Kimball, author of many books and a lead thinker in the emerging church movement, has long been opposed to churches owning buildings. He’s changed his opinion —

If you had asked me eight years ago what I thought about church buildings, I would have said, “Who needs a building? The early church didn’t have buildings, and we don’t need them either!” But I was wrong.

My anti-building phase was a reaction to having seen so much money spent on church facilities, often for non-essential, luxury items. I was also reacting to a philosophy of ministry that treated church buildings like Disneyland; a place consumers gather for entertainment. But these abuses had caused me to unfairly dismiss the potential blessing of buildings as well.

Consider the building occupied by Compassion International in Colorado Springs. It has a well-groomed lawn with sprinkler system, an attractive sign, and an expansive parking lot. It’s a nice facility. But it’s more than just a building—it is the headquarters and training center for a ministry that brings physical and spiritual nourishment to more than one million children in 25 countries. The Compassion building is used for a missional purpose, not simply as a place for Christians to gather and consume religious services. Continue reading →

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Replanting a Church: Community, Part 2

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Jay F Guin

We are working through an article by Scott Thomas on replanting an existing church, that is, renewing a church so that it grows and matures as a church plant does.

The Spirit

How do we get people to be all-in Christians? Well, we don’t. God does.

(Rom 2:29)  No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.

(Phil 2:12-13)  Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

(Heb 8:10)  This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

You see, when we make Christianity humanistic — supposing that it’s man who does it — it falls apart and becomes a caricature of the real thing. But if we let God handle things through his Spirit, everything changes. Continue reading →

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Ministry Ideas: Floresta, Part 4 (The Prosperity Gospel)

Posted on December 3, 2009 by Jay F Guin

jesus-washing-footIt’s become quite the fashion to dismiss the so-called “prosperity gospel.” And I agree, if by “prosperity gospel” we mean the notion that by virtue of being a Christian God will reign wealth down on us. I don’t believe that.

In fact, I remember years ago making a donation to brothers and sisters in Christ in Ethiopia who were starving due to drought. Good Christians. Starvation. I’m not willing to pretend that their problem was a lack of prayer or faith. Indeed, the scriptures plainly teach —

(Rom 5:3-4)  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

The scriptures expect that Christian will endure suffering.

And the scriptures speak of the blessings of poverty —

(Luke 6:20)  Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

(James 2:5)  Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?

The wealth promised the poor is faith and the kingdom.

Now, yes, God does sometime shower wealth down upon his children, but there’s no such promise to be found in the scriptures — and building a theology on the pursuit of wealth is very wrong indeed. Continue reading →

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Replanting a Church: A Comment Regarding Worship for the Readers to Respond to

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Jay F Guin

I get emails —

I read your 11/24 commentary about M.Smith concert.  Not as concerned about ‘bodily movement’ and clapping as about what is actually going on.  So, you believe these people are teaching one another and growing spiritually?  If so… we could ask them about what Michael said… what Scriptures he quoted… what the substance was.

A parallel:  I work in the same complex in Houston as the largest North American church:  Lakewood.  I see folks pouring in on Wednesday evening (I use the same parking garage); I talk to them.  What are they going to hear?  Shallow root-less ‘be successful’ teaching by J.Osteen.  But they LOVE his concerts.  That is the 21st century cultural model you are defending:  Christianity that has the root structure of a field of corn?  That is why folks cannot think through the ethical decisions they face.  They have very little understanding of the Word of the Lord.  I hear it day after day as I chat with folks where I work.  They have almost no concept of the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, even when they worship somewhere.  Some do not have any understanding of the letters of Paul!  If you are suggesting that the 21st Century model of concerts is helping people grow spiritually, nope, do not believe it anymore than I believe the high-octane Dionysus concerts that lasted for centuries were spiritually uplifting (after all, in our time ‘God’ can be whoever we say he/she is, right?… compliments of The Shack).

PS — And yes, I believe in worship assemblies that are meditative at times and also exuberantly joyful.  People need both.

Dear readers,

I’ve written three draft responses to this email, but I’m not happy with any of them. And so I thought I’d post some background material and ask you all to respond to the email in the comments as you see fit.

Jay

Continue reading →

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