Here is a quick update from Michelle -
After several scary incidents Tuesday night, Maya is still with us. The hospice nurse feels that it may be too strenuous for her to suck so she replaced Maya’s feeding tube. The nurses told J.J. and Erin that it could be a week to a month that she will still be with us. The really scary part is that she will continue to have episodes where she stops breathing but then starts again. They even said this could happen for as much as 15 minutes. I haven’t seen this myself yet, but I can imagine how completely awful it would be to see your baby stop breathing and turn blue. I know that everyone’s emotions are completely spent. We all said our goodbyes yesterday, and are happy she is still here, but scared about how to function knowing that one of the times she won’t come back. Please continue to pray that God would give J.J. and Erin the strength and comfort they need to care for Maya and also that they would know how to care for themselves. Pray that they would be able to rely on God and each other. I can’t imagine anything more emotionally and physically straining than what they are experiencing right now.
Thank you,
Michelle
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Maya is home
(An update from Michelle)
Hello friends,
I'm sorry to keep you out of the loop for so long. The last few days have been such a whirlwind I haven't had time to think enough to be able to relay what is going on. Yesterday evening J.J. and Erin took Maya home. It was a very scary time for them and we are praying that God would give them peace and a feeling of knowing exactly how to care for Maya. The doctors really have no idea how long Maya's fragile heart will be able to keep her alive. All babies have a valve that remains open on their heart until about a week after they are born. When that valve closes Maya's heart will have to work much harder, and we do not know if it is going to be strong enough to sustain her. She is eating well and able to keep her temperature up, and K.C. and I have been able to hold her. Our kids haven't had that chance yet so we are taking them over to her house today in hopes that they can hold her and love on her. They have been pretty afraid of touching her because she is so small and fragile.
It is extremely difficult for all of us to understand how it is possible that such a beautiful and perfect little baby has absolutely no ability to survive. We are still trying to grasp the exact nature of her condition. We found out yesterday that additional genetic tests revealed that she has full (not partial) Trisomy 18. It is a miracle that she made it full term and is doing as well as she is given that fact. It is very, very rare for a full Trisomy 18 baby to survive to term.
Please continue to lift up J.J. and Erin's entire family in your prayers. Everyone is completely exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. We will be taking shifts over the next week so that someone will be there with J.J. and Erin at all times. Thankfully we have a very large family with most everyone in town, so it shouldn't be too hard to accomplish that. A hospice nurse will be checking in on them each day.
Pray that Maya's heart will be able to keep her little body alive at least through Christmas. Of course feel free to pray for much more than that. Every moment we have with her is a blessing. Pray that J.J. and Erin would be able to experience the joy of their little girl even through all the sorrow. Please also pray that God would give K.C. and I the strength we need to care for our children and J.J. and Erin even through our own sorrow. It is difficult when we have to be apart so much in order to care for J.J. and Erin.
Please know that you are not bothering us if you call, e-mail or text. Your communication with us has been a huge blessing and will continue to be as we deal with the imminent loss of our niece.
Blessings to you all,
K.C. and Michelle
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Maya was born this morning shortly after 7:00am. Mother and baby are doing well. She is requiring oxygen, but is in her mother’s arms to stay warm. We do not have very much information yet. It will be this afternoon or evening before the test results come back. Right now we are all just enjoying taking pictures with her and loving on J.J. and Erin. Please continue to keep everyone in your prayers. There is still a lot of uncertainty.
The good news is that although Maya’s heart does have some problems, the cardiologist said that all but one should heal on its own and that the other one just requires medication. As long as the tests come back negative for Trisomy they will be able to give her the medication.
In a few hours we should know if we can rule out two of the most common types of Trisomy. Unfortunately they do not have test for all types, but anything that comes back showing that she doesn’t have a chromosomal defect is great news. Please pray that the tests come back negative!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Please pray for baby Maya
Dear Friends ,
Our family needs your prayers in a big way for our niece Maya Allen. She will be born by C-Section on Tuesday morning. A few days ago our sister in law Erin went in for a sonogram and the sonogram showed there were some problems in several of the baby’s vital organs. All the problems by themselves were considered treatable, but in combination they indicated a chromosomal defect called Trisomy. In all cases this condition is fatal. There is no way to find out if Maya has this condition until she is born. Please pray that she does not have Trisomy.
Of course you understand how devastated we are. We are trusting God for his miraculous healing for little Maya. Please join us in this prayer. Please lift up J.J. and Erin and our entire family this week. It is a very scary time of waiting until Tuesday to find out exactly what is happening with Maya.
Thank you so much,
K.C. and Michelle
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
"Make Disciples" --Jesus
Just before heading up to heaven, Jesus gave his followers a clear command. He said "Go and make disciples of all nations ...". In this concluding remark, he tells us clearly what we should be doing.
It seems simple. So why is it consuming my thoughts of late? Here's my problem, honestly, I'm not sure that I know how to do it! In fact, it seems like there are very few people around me who know how to do it. I suspect that if I asked many of my Christian friends, maybe even my pastor friends, how to make disciples, they would struggle with the answer.
I've been involved with the church my entire life. I even lived overseas for two years with the singular purpose of sharing Jesus. How is it that after all this time I'm still struggling with how to make disciples? It's not like my involvement with church has been a waste. I've learned many wonderful things, and in the process fallen in love with a God and Saviour. However, through all of it, I don't think I've learned how to make disciples.
AND THIS IS THE MAIN THING JESUS TELLS ME TO DO!
If you know me, you know I can't let things like this rest. I continue to think, ponder, read, and research until I come up with something that makes sense to me. Well, that's what I've been doing of late. Here's the premise I'm starting with: I don't think Jesus would tell us to do something and not show us how to do it. If that's the case, then instructions on how to make disciples must be in the Bible. More than that, I think it must be in the words and example of Jesus himself. How else could he tell his followers to do it?
In order to find the answer, I've talked to many people (some who I think have it figured out) and I've read several books on the subject, but most of all I've spent much of my time reading the Gospels. I've got to think that the Gospels are where the answer is.
Through all of it, a pattern is starting to form so I thought I'd share it with whoever reads these ramblings of mine and see what you think.
1. Love people. This is attractional. It draws people in. If we are truly loving people, people should be attracted to that, and start to come our way. The Gospels are full of Jesus doing this.
2. Pay attention. Jesus was always looking for the people who were responsive to spiritual things. In the midst of the people attracted by caring, there will be people who are interested in more.
3. Ask. Jesus consistently asked the responsive people a question. He asked them to do something. He challenged them. He asked something that revealed if their interest was serious.
4. Watch. Jesus watched to see how people responded to his questions. He looked for a willingness to obey God.
5. Mentor. Jesus mentored people who obeyed. He did this in the middle of real life. It was a relationship more than a teaching time, meeting, or program. His level of involvement varied depending on the person, but it almost always involved the person being asked to reach out to others.
6. Release. Jesus always released people. He freed them to go. More than that, many times he commanded them to go. They often were told to go back to their village, but sometimes they were told to go into the world.
I'm seeing this pattern everywhere. I see it in scripture, and I see it in the middle of movements toward Jesus happening around the world. I see it in raising my kids. I see it in the historical rise of most major denominations.
This is all intriguing to me, but I can't stop here. My challenge to myself is to begin living my day to day life in a way that loves people, that pays attention, that asks people important questions, that watches people's actions, that mentors people, and that releases people.
Easy, right?
On a side note, it's interesting to me that I don't think much of this can really be done within the weekend church service ...
It seems simple. So why is it consuming my thoughts of late? Here's my problem, honestly, I'm not sure that I know how to do it! In fact, it seems like there are very few people around me who know how to do it. I suspect that if I asked many of my Christian friends, maybe even my pastor friends, how to make disciples, they would struggle with the answer.
I've been involved with the church my entire life. I even lived overseas for two years with the singular purpose of sharing Jesus. How is it that after all this time I'm still struggling with how to make disciples? It's not like my involvement with church has been a waste. I've learned many wonderful things, and in the process fallen in love with a God and Saviour. However, through all of it, I don't think I've learned how to make disciples.
AND THIS IS THE MAIN THING JESUS TELLS ME TO DO!
If you know me, you know I can't let things like this rest. I continue to think, ponder, read, and research until I come up with something that makes sense to me. Well, that's what I've been doing of late. Here's the premise I'm starting with: I don't think Jesus would tell us to do something and not show us how to do it. If that's the case, then instructions on how to make disciples must be in the Bible. More than that, I think it must be in the words and example of Jesus himself. How else could he tell his followers to do it?
In order to find the answer, I've talked to many people (some who I think have it figured out) and I've read several books on the subject, but most of all I've spent much of my time reading the Gospels. I've got to think that the Gospels are where the answer is.
Through all of it, a pattern is starting to form so I thought I'd share it with whoever reads these ramblings of mine and see what you think.
1. Love people. This is attractional. It draws people in. If we are truly loving people, people should be attracted to that, and start to come our way. The Gospels are full of Jesus doing this.
2. Pay attention. Jesus was always looking for the people who were responsive to spiritual things. In the midst of the people attracted by caring, there will be people who are interested in more.
3. Ask. Jesus consistently asked the responsive people a question. He asked them to do something. He challenged them. He asked something that revealed if their interest was serious.
4. Watch. Jesus watched to see how people responded to his questions. He looked for a willingness to obey God.
5. Mentor. Jesus mentored people who obeyed. He did this in the middle of real life. It was a relationship more than a teaching time, meeting, or program. His level of involvement varied depending on the person, but it almost always involved the person being asked to reach out to others.
6. Release. Jesus always released people. He freed them to go. More than that, many times he commanded them to go. They often were told to go back to their village, but sometimes they were told to go into the world.
I'm seeing this pattern everywhere. I see it in scripture, and I see it in the middle of movements toward Jesus happening around the world. I see it in raising my kids. I see it in the historical rise of most major denominations.
This is all intriguing to me, but I can't stop here. My challenge to myself is to begin living my day to day life in a way that loves people, that pays attention, that asks people important questions, that watches people's actions, that mentors people, and that releases people.
Easy, right?
On a side note, it's interesting to me that I don't think much of this can really be done within the weekend church service ...
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Women, Ministry, and Pastors
I posted the following quote to Facebook from the book Untamed by Alan and Debra Hirsch.
"in just about every outbreak of a missional church movement in history, women have played a critical and up-front role ... interestingly, God doesn't appear to have the same hang-ups certain sections of the church currently have regarding women's involvement in official church ministry." - UNTAMED
Well, the quote sparked quite the conversation amongst friends. The comment section of Facebook isn't sufficient to explain my thoughts so I thought I'd do it here. Here we go ...
I will start with Ephesians 4:11 which lists the spiritual gifts that are given to believers to build up the church (apostleship, prophecy, evangelism, pastoring, and teaching). I think these gifts are given to all believers including women, and as such all believers (including women) should be using them in some way to build up the church. In my opinion, the current American church culture seems to value these backward. Teaching is most valued, followed by pastoring, followed by evangelism and so on. We in the States have no idea what to do with apostleship and prophecy! My observation is that in large Jesus movements around the world, the opposite is true. Apostleship is valued highest, followed by prophecy, and so on. Pastoring and Teaching are intended as church 'maintenance mode' gifts so when they are emphasized disproportionately, you get what the American church has largely become - a non kingdom expanding institution. Churches like Willow Creek and Saddleback started to emphasize evangelism over the last 20 years and structure their gatherings around it. This led to church growth. However, I think that in order to get true multiplication, and a true kingdom expansion movement, we will need to figure out how to emphasize apostleship and prophecy in the American church.
But I digress ...
So I believe women have these gifts and should use them. I agree with the quote above that the church is operating at a severe disadvantage and will never be what God intended as long as women are not allowed to use their gifts. I think that is why we see women deeply involved in most of the major Jesus movements around the world - because that is the way God intended it. However, this will call into question by some people (like some of my friends) passages like 1 Timothy 2 and 3. Here is how I reconcile all of that.
In all of the 'letter' books of the Bible, we must take into account the situation the book is being written to. Paul expresses core principles, but he also expresses specific practices. I think it is important that we not confuse the two. We should not make the specific practices a new sort of law. I think those practices were written to apply to that situation and we should read them as such. The principles, however, are universal.
For example, in 1 Timothy 2 and 3 we see several specific practices that should be applied in a situation like what Timothy was facing at the time (a growing church experiencing false teaching and disorder). I don't believe that for a church to be a church it has to have formal Overseers and Deacons as described in 1 Timothy 3. However, for churches who grow to a certain size and begin to experience disorder, this would be a really good idea - and we see most churches follow that model today. Paul is not defining church here. He is instructing Timothy on how to manage a specific church body and bring order to that church. We can learn a lot from it, but it is a specific practice, not a universal principle.
We would be good to take the specific instructions given here and use them when we appoint Overseers and Deacons. However, I believe these roles (Overseers and Deacons) are ones of accountability and service - not specific giftings. These 'offices' of accountability and service are intended to bring order and structure to the church. When we use these offices, we should follow the Biblical instruction and appoint men to these positions. However, I think verse 3:11 strong hints (particularly when translated deaconesses) at the fact that it should be a partnership with spouses being included in the role as well. After all, a married couple has become one. I don't see how these specific offices of Overseer and Deacon in any way would inhibit a woman from using her gifts like the gifts described in Ephesians 4:11. I also don't believe that Overseers and Deacons are required for every church - particularly one like a small house church.
So Overseers and Deacons are offices, not gifts, that a church can implement to bring order. When implemented, the Bible seems clear that they should be men (or couples).
Now - what about verses like 1 Timothy 2:11-12? Surely they limit a woman's gifts, right? I don't think so. I think we need to carefully separate the universal principle from the specific practice. Verse 11 contains the principle: women should practice an attitude of quietness and submission. This is consistent with principles given to women in other places in scripture. However these qualities are often inaccurately viewed and used to suppress women which is completely not Biblical. Accurately viewed, the principle incorporates verses like 1 Cor 11:11-12 and Ephesians 5:21. There is so much misuse of this principle! For example, I believe a woman could teach or lead while maintaining these attitudes just as I could teach or lead with an attitude of submission toward my church’s elders. I don't think it limits their gifts at all. It just provides a certain attitude that should be present when using the gifts.
Verse 12 is the specific practice: in that time and that place, the principle was best represented by not allowing women to teach and having them be silent. There could have been many reasons why this was appropriate at that time that I won’t go into here. Paul distinguishes this from a core principle by using the word ‘I’. To me this indicates that this is what he does … and it is not a universal principle. To put it in perspective for us, I think the early church much more resembled our small groups of today (where anyone could speak up) rather than our weekend services. There are very few people that would argue women shouldn’t speak at small group - which is where I'd believe you'd have to take this if you were arguing it was a universal principle.
You can find the same structure with a less controversial issue in 1 Cor 11 regarding head covering. Very clearly Paul is directing the practice that women use a head covering. He compares it to long and short hair, and many people use that comparison as an out to not apply these verses, but apply other ones like 1 Tim 2. But it is clear to me that hair is not what he’s talking about. He is just using it to emphasize his main point about head coverings. In India you can still see this practice of head coverings, and it is a beautiful symbol by the women of their godly attitude as they worship and pray. Why don’t we do that in the States? Because the core principle (a quiet and submissive attitude) is not well displayed by that specific practice (additional head covering) in our culture. Hardly anyone would argue that a woman should cover her head during small group or during the weekend gathering. That is because this was a practice for that time, and not a universal principle.
I'm not an expert, but this is what I believe and how I am able to work it all out logically in my little brain. The most beneficial thing for me is to realize that Jesus almost always spoke in principle, and not in specific practices. In fact, we see him ask wildly different practices of different people to reveal the core principles. He didn't ask everyone to give all they had to the poor - he just asked the rich young ruler. He was always going after the core - the heart. That is why I spend most of my time reading the Gospels. I think everything written in the New Testament we need to be very careful not to turn into more rules and regulations. We need to make sure we view it as it was written - advice to specific situations that demonstrate the core principles of Jesus. Personally, if I can't tie it to a core principle of Jesus, then I suspect that I'm probably reading it wrong. That's how I approach it. Don't know if it is right or wrong but it is helpful for me.
Let the comments begin ...
"in just about every outbreak of a missional church movement in history, women have played a critical and up-front role ... interestingly, God doesn't appear to have the same hang-ups certain sections of the church currently have regarding women's involvement in official church ministry." - UNTAMED
Well, the quote sparked quite the conversation amongst friends. The comment section of Facebook isn't sufficient to explain my thoughts so I thought I'd do it here. Here we go ...
I will start with Ephesians 4:11 which lists the spiritual gifts that are given to believers to build up the church (apostleship, prophecy, evangelism, pastoring, and teaching). I think these gifts are given to all believers including women, and as such all believers (including women) should be using them in some way to build up the church. In my opinion, the current American church culture seems to value these backward. Teaching is most valued, followed by pastoring, followed by evangelism and so on. We in the States have no idea what to do with apostleship and prophecy! My observation is that in large Jesus movements around the world, the opposite is true. Apostleship is valued highest, followed by prophecy, and so on. Pastoring and Teaching are intended as church 'maintenance mode' gifts so when they are emphasized disproportionately, you get what the American church has largely become - a non kingdom expanding institution. Churches like Willow Creek and Saddleback started to emphasize evangelism over the last 20 years and structure their gatherings around it. This led to church growth. However, I think that in order to get true multiplication, and a true kingdom expansion movement, we will need to figure out how to emphasize apostleship and prophecy in the American church.
But I digress ...
So I believe women have these gifts and should use them. I agree with the quote above that the church is operating at a severe disadvantage and will never be what God intended as long as women are not allowed to use their gifts. I think that is why we see women deeply involved in most of the major Jesus movements around the world - because that is the way God intended it. However, this will call into question by some people (like some of my friends) passages like 1 Timothy 2 and 3. Here is how I reconcile all of that.
In all of the 'letter' books of the Bible, we must take into account the situation the book is being written to. Paul expresses core principles, but he also expresses specific practices. I think it is important that we not confuse the two. We should not make the specific practices a new sort of law. I think those practices were written to apply to that situation and we should read them as such. The principles, however, are universal.
For example, in 1 Timothy 2 and 3 we see several specific practices that should be applied in a situation like what Timothy was facing at the time (a growing church experiencing false teaching and disorder). I don't believe that for a church to be a church it has to have formal Overseers and Deacons as described in 1 Timothy 3. However, for churches who grow to a certain size and begin to experience disorder, this would be a really good idea - and we see most churches follow that model today. Paul is not defining church here. He is instructing Timothy on how to manage a specific church body and bring order to that church. We can learn a lot from it, but it is a specific practice, not a universal principle.
We would be good to take the specific instructions given here and use them when we appoint Overseers and Deacons. However, I believe these roles (Overseers and Deacons) are ones of accountability and service - not specific giftings. These 'offices' of accountability and service are intended to bring order and structure to the church. When we use these offices, we should follow the Biblical instruction and appoint men to these positions. However, I think verse 3:11 strong hints (particularly when translated deaconesses) at the fact that it should be a partnership with spouses being included in the role as well. After all, a married couple has become one. I don't see how these specific offices of Overseer and Deacon in any way would inhibit a woman from using her gifts like the gifts described in Ephesians 4:11. I also don't believe that Overseers and Deacons are required for every church - particularly one like a small house church.
So Overseers and Deacons are offices, not gifts, that a church can implement to bring order. When implemented, the Bible seems clear that they should be men (or couples).
Now - what about verses like 1 Timothy 2:11-12? Surely they limit a woman's gifts, right? I don't think so. I think we need to carefully separate the universal principle from the specific practice. Verse 11 contains the principle: women should practice an attitude of quietness and submission. This is consistent with principles given to women in other places in scripture. However these qualities are often inaccurately viewed and used to suppress women which is completely not Biblical. Accurately viewed, the principle incorporates verses like 1 Cor 11:11-12 and Ephesians 5:21. There is so much misuse of this principle! For example, I believe a woman could teach or lead while maintaining these attitudes just as I could teach or lead with an attitude of submission toward my church’s elders. I don't think it limits their gifts at all. It just provides a certain attitude that should be present when using the gifts.
Verse 12 is the specific practice: in that time and that place, the principle was best represented by not allowing women to teach and having them be silent. There could have been many reasons why this was appropriate at that time that I won’t go into here. Paul distinguishes this from a core principle by using the word ‘I’. To me this indicates that this is what he does … and it is not a universal principle. To put it in perspective for us, I think the early church much more resembled our small groups of today (where anyone could speak up) rather than our weekend services. There are very few people that would argue women shouldn’t speak at small group - which is where I'd believe you'd have to take this if you were arguing it was a universal principle.
You can find the same structure with a less controversial issue in 1 Cor 11 regarding head covering. Very clearly Paul is directing the practice that women use a head covering. He compares it to long and short hair, and many people use that comparison as an out to not apply these verses, but apply other ones like 1 Tim 2. But it is clear to me that hair is not what he’s talking about. He is just using it to emphasize his main point about head coverings. In India you can still see this practice of head coverings, and it is a beautiful symbol by the women of their godly attitude as they worship and pray. Why don’t we do that in the States? Because the core principle (a quiet and submissive attitude) is not well displayed by that specific practice (additional head covering) in our culture. Hardly anyone would argue that a woman should cover her head during small group or during the weekend gathering. That is because this was a practice for that time, and not a universal principle.
I'm not an expert, but this is what I believe and how I am able to work it all out logically in my little brain. The most beneficial thing for me is to realize that Jesus almost always spoke in principle, and not in specific practices. In fact, we see him ask wildly different practices of different people to reveal the core principles. He didn't ask everyone to give all they had to the poor - he just asked the rich young ruler. He was always going after the core - the heart. That is why I spend most of my time reading the Gospels. I think everything written in the New Testament we need to be very careful not to turn into more rules and regulations. We need to make sure we view it as it was written - advice to specific situations that demonstrate the core principles of Jesus. Personally, if I can't tie it to a core principle of Jesus, then I suspect that I'm probably reading it wrong. That's how I approach it. Don't know if it is right or wrong but it is helpful for me.
Let the comments begin ...
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Yes - We're Strange
If you didn't know it, Michelle and I are a little strange. I didn't ask her permission to say that - so don't tell her. (I don't think she reads this anyway!)
Our strangeness is found in Ephesians 4:11 which lists the five leadership gifts that God gives to people in order to build up the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
There is varied opinion on if this is an exhaustive list, if these gifts apply to every believer, if they are listed in some sort of order, or if every leader has at least one of them. I don't want to get into those issues. Instead, I want to complain (vent) a little, and tell you why we're strange.
You see, Michelle and I tend to have the apostleship and prophet gifts. Before you think we've gone beyond strange to certifiably looney, let me define those gifts for you. (It doesn't mean we can see the future or we are one of the original 12!)
Here is our struggle: if you reverse the order of the list in Ephesians 4 (putting prophet and apostle last), it roughly estimates the importance the current church structure in the USA puts on each gift. Teachers are highly valued - after all what's church if you can't learn something new. Pastors are also highly valued, but if they can't teach well, they are always looking for a job. Evangelists are around - but make everyone uncomfortable and often end up striking out on their own. Then there are the prophets and apostles ... which most people in the church wouldn't even be able to define.
So, Michelle and I are here in the States trying to live out leadership gifts that we can't even define well under a church culture that usually doesn't think the same way as us. And we wonder why we're always frustrated! It seems that most people who think like us drift away from church. They go to work in non-profits somewhere or maybe they just give up on the local church altogether. We don't think God is asking us to be those people. He wants us where we are.
So whether you're working with us trying to figure out how to help our community at Engage, trying to help Indian women in poverty at Renew, trying to start church planting movements in India or South Africa, or even working with us on the ever exciting finance team, bear with us ... we're just weird people trying to figure this whole thing out.
Our strangeness is found in Ephesians 4:11 which lists the five leadership gifts that God gives to people in order to build up the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
There is varied opinion on if this is an exhaustive list, if these gifts apply to every believer, if they are listed in some sort of order, or if every leader has at least one of them. I don't want to get into those issues. Instead, I want to complain (vent) a little, and tell you why we're strange.
You see, Michelle and I tend to have the apostleship and prophet gifts. Before you think we've gone beyond strange to certifiably looney, let me define those gifts for you. (It doesn't mean we can see the future or we are one of the original 12!)
- Prophet - someone who sees in black and white and is constantly pulling the church back to the basics. They are able to look at the culture as a whole and see where it is going astray.
- Apostle - someone who has a big vision for the kingdom of God outside of any one individual organization. Someone who focuses on the needs of a culture rather than the capabilities of the church, and would rather train other leaders to be successful than have their own organization. Think about Paul in the Bible.
Here is our struggle: if you reverse the order of the list in Ephesians 4 (putting prophet and apostle last), it roughly estimates the importance the current church structure in the USA puts on each gift. Teachers are highly valued - after all what's church if you can't learn something new. Pastors are also highly valued, but if they can't teach well, they are always looking for a job. Evangelists are around - but make everyone uncomfortable and often end up striking out on their own. Then there are the prophets and apostles ... which most people in the church wouldn't even be able to define.
So, Michelle and I are here in the States trying to live out leadership gifts that we can't even define well under a church culture that usually doesn't think the same way as us. And we wonder why we're always frustrated! It seems that most people who think like us drift away from church. They go to work in non-profits somewhere or maybe they just give up on the local church altogether. We don't think God is asking us to be those people. He wants us where we are.
So whether you're working with us trying to figure out how to help our community at Engage, trying to help Indian women in poverty at Renew, trying to start church planting movements in India or South Africa, or even working with us on the ever exciting finance team, bear with us ... we're just weird people trying to figure this whole thing out.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
5 Transitions
At Engage** last week, I introduced 5 transitions that believers need to make in order to effectively and Biblically share Jesus. It is my belief that much damage has been done by people not sharing Jesus in the way the Bible teaches. All you have to do is look at the prevailing opinion of 'church' and 'evangelicals' to see the results of this.
These five transitions pretty much come straight from David Watson - someone who actually knows what he's are talking about. (http://www.cpmtr.org/) These may seem kind of 'out there' to some of you. I challenge you put aside your traditional understanding, and read the Gospels and Acts for yourself looking for these patterns. You will see them all over the place.
Transition #1 is from Comfort to Calling.
We need to live our life as if we are sent by God into the world to obey his commands resulting in making disciples. We live as 'sent' people because that's what we are. Obedience becomes the norm rather than just the gathering of knowledge.
Transition #2 is from Ministry Only to Searching for People of Peace
We obey commands such as 'love your neighbor', but we don't stop there. We also begin to look for responses from people that show God working in their life. We realize that God works in people's lives, not us. We don't force God on people who aren't interested, but we look for people who show interest.
Transition #3 is from individual to group
We don't look to pull one person from their group of family and friends into ours. Instead, we seek to develop relationships with that person's family and friends in hope that they will all discover God together. [Only 3 people came to know Christ individually in the New Testament. Individual salvation was the exception to the norm.]
Transition #4 is from group to Bible study group
We point the 'Person of Peace' to the Bible and let him/her work with their group to discover God together. We don't teach or convince. We guide and let them discover God for themselves.
Transition #5 is from Bible study group to Church
As the group discovers God, they develop habits of listening to Him and obeying his commands. This results in baptism, and eventually in Church.
These five transitions pretty much come straight from David Watson - someone who actually knows what he's are talking about. (http://www.cpmtr.org/) These may seem kind of 'out there' to some of you. I challenge you put aside your traditional understanding, and read the Gospels and Acts for yourself looking for these patterns. You will see them all over the place.
Transition #1 is from Comfort to Calling.
We need to live our life as if we are sent by God into the world to obey his commands resulting in making disciples. We live as 'sent' people because that's what we are. Obedience becomes the norm rather than just the gathering of knowledge.
Transition #2 is from Ministry Only to Searching for People of Peace
We obey commands such as 'love your neighbor', but we don't stop there. We also begin to look for responses from people that show God working in their life. We realize that God works in people's lives, not us. We don't force God on people who aren't interested, but we look for people who show interest.
Transition #3 is from individual to group
We don't look to pull one person from their group of family and friends into ours. Instead, we seek to develop relationships with that person's family and friends in hope that they will all discover God together. [Only 3 people came to know Christ individually in the New Testament. Individual salvation was the exception to the norm.]
Transition #4 is from group to Bible study group
We point the 'Person of Peace' to the Bible and let him/her work with their group to discover God together. We don't teach or convince. We guide and let them discover God for themselves.
Transition #5 is from Bible study group to Church
As the group discovers God, they develop habits of listening to Him and obeying his commands. This results in baptism, and eventually in Church.
**For those of you who don't know, Engage is a weekend service at our church (Westside) that Michelle and I lead. The intent is to form a community of believers who reach out to share Jesus with the community. Stop by at 6:30 on Saturday nights and check it out!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sheep, Goats, and Snakes
Is it possible to have salvation and not be on mission with God?
Careful how you answer that!
Here are two contrasting (and shocking) parables from Jesus that help me understand the relationship between mission, belief, and salvation.
Sheep and Goats
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story about the coming kingdom of heaven. He says that when He is on his throne, He will be like a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and welcome them into His kingdom. He will put the goats on his left and send them into eternal fire.
When the sheep ask "why am I a sheep?", and the goats ask "why am I a goat?", Jesus tells them it is because of what they had done to the 'least of these'. HE JUDGES THEM BY WHAT THEY DID. (Gulp!) If they had joined his mission of loving the 'least of these' (the poor, lost, and oppressed), they were in. If not, they were out.
You must join God's mission to enter into His kingdom! This is truth number one. (Notice, this does not at all negate the idea of grace - grace is still necessary. Just because you joined His mission doesn't mean you deserve to enter his kingdom; it just means you get to enter. You enter by grace.)
Snakes
In John 3:14-15, right before the famous John 3:16 verse, Jesus references an event from the time of Moses. In that time, the people of Israel had a snake problem. They were being bitten by poisonous snakes and dying. Eventually, the Israelites confessed their sin and Moses prayed for them. In response, God directed Moses to create a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. From that point on, if anyone was bitten by a snake, they could look at the pole, and live.
In verse 15, Jesus says that in the same way the bronze snake was lifted up, he must be lifted up so that all who believe in him will have eternal life. HE JUDGES THEM BY WHAT THEY BELIEVE. If people believe in him for salvation, they are in. If they don't, they are not.
You must believe in Jesus to enter His Kingdom. This is truth number two. (Notice, this also does not at all negate the idea of grace. Just because you believe in Him doesn't mean you deserve to enter his kingdom; it just means you get to enter. You enter by grace.)
Putting the sheep, goats, and snakes together
Truth #1 - You must join the mission of Jesus to enter His Kingdom.
Truth #2 - You must believe in Jesus to enter His Kingdom.
So which one is it? It is both! They are not opposed. True belief coincides with mission. True mission coincides with belief. They go together.
Jesus puts the truths together for us
For those of you who don't agree with Truth #1 (mission is required for salvation), look at Jesus words in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
For those of you who don't think you need Truth #2 (belief is required for salvation), look at Jesus words in Matthew 7:22, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons, and perform miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers!' "
If you didn't notice, the two verses above are in sequence (Matthew 7:21-22). Jesus ties it together for us! We need both mission and belief to obtain salvation by grace.
Do you agree?
Careful how you answer that!
Here are two contrasting (and shocking) parables from Jesus that help me understand the relationship between mission, belief, and salvation.
Sheep and Goats
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a story about the coming kingdom of heaven. He says that when He is on his throne, He will be like a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and welcome them into His kingdom. He will put the goats on his left and send them into eternal fire.
When the sheep ask "why am I a sheep?", and the goats ask "why am I a goat?", Jesus tells them it is because of what they had done to the 'least of these'. HE JUDGES THEM BY WHAT THEY DID. (Gulp!) If they had joined his mission of loving the 'least of these' (the poor, lost, and oppressed), they were in. If not, they were out.
You must join God's mission to enter into His kingdom! This is truth number one. (Notice, this does not at all negate the idea of grace - grace is still necessary. Just because you joined His mission doesn't mean you deserve to enter his kingdom; it just means you get to enter. You enter by grace.)
Snakes
In John 3:14-15, right before the famous John 3:16 verse, Jesus references an event from the time of Moses. In that time, the people of Israel had a snake problem. They were being bitten by poisonous snakes and dying. Eventually, the Israelites confessed their sin and Moses prayed for them. In response, God directed Moses to create a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. From that point on, if anyone was bitten by a snake, they could look at the pole, and live.
In verse 15, Jesus says that in the same way the bronze snake was lifted up, he must be lifted up so that all who believe in him will have eternal life. HE JUDGES THEM BY WHAT THEY BELIEVE. If people believe in him for salvation, they are in. If they don't, they are not.
You must believe in Jesus to enter His Kingdom. This is truth number two. (Notice, this also does not at all negate the idea of grace. Just because you believe in Him doesn't mean you deserve to enter his kingdom; it just means you get to enter. You enter by grace.)
Putting the sheep, goats, and snakes together
Truth #1 - You must join the mission of Jesus to enter His Kingdom.
Truth #2 - You must believe in Jesus to enter His Kingdom.
So which one is it? It is both! They are not opposed. True belief coincides with mission. True mission coincides with belief. They go together.
Jesus puts the truths together for us
For those of you who don't agree with Truth #1 (mission is required for salvation), look at Jesus words in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
For those of you who don't think you need Truth #2 (belief is required for salvation), look at Jesus words in Matthew 7:22, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons, and perform miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers!' "
If you didn't notice, the two verses above are in sequence (Matthew 7:21-22). Jesus ties it together for us! We need both mission and belief to obtain salvation by grace.
Do you agree?
Friday, February 19, 2010
Multiplication vs. Addition
Multiplication is a natural tendency in the world. Whether it is population growth, the spread of a cold, or the spread of weeds in my yard, multiplication is the norm.
Jesus knew this. That is why he knew that if the Kingdom of God was ever going to make an impact it had to multiply. He told stories about yeast spreading through dough, about a mustard seed, about a seed in good soil that multiplies 30, 60 or 100 times, and about how a seed falls to the ground before another tree can grow. It is why he started with 12 disciples instead of 12,000. Jesus understood the power of multiplication.
This is a concept that business world and church world are rediscovering. If you ever want to grow at a rate faster than population growth, you must multiply. The church in China and India has experienced this seeing millions of believers were there had previously been thousands. Business has seen it happen with Facebook and Twitter - words we wouldn't have recognized a few short years ago which are now a part of our everyday life. The idea that each individual person can invite others into the process who then in turn invite others is a powerful one.
However, I fear as we try to implement the concept, we are too easily tricked. Whether we are talking about multiplying leaders, customers, churches, or trees, we often miss the key point. Namely, that for multiplication to be multiplication it has to continue past the second generation. The second generation must reproduce.
I think we too often see that 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4, and we say 'we multiplied four times'. But this is inaccurate. We only added. Multiplication looks like this 1 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 8. We can be easily confused because the early stages look similar, but look what happens if you keep going.
4 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 7
8 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 64
Now we see the difference emerging. So what's my point? If you want to change the world, do something that multiplies. The way to tell if you are multiplying is to look at the 3rd generation and beyond. Don't be fooled by looking only at the generation you started. If that generation doesn't reproduce, you are only adding.
Jesus knew this. That is why he knew that if the Kingdom of God was ever going to make an impact it had to multiply. He told stories about yeast spreading through dough, about a mustard seed, about a seed in good soil that multiplies 30, 60 or 100 times, and about how a seed falls to the ground before another tree can grow. It is why he started with 12 disciples instead of 12,000. Jesus understood the power of multiplication.
This is a concept that business world and church world are rediscovering. If you ever want to grow at a rate faster than population growth, you must multiply. The church in China and India has experienced this seeing millions of believers were there had previously been thousands. Business has seen it happen with Facebook and Twitter - words we wouldn't have recognized a few short years ago which are now a part of our everyday life. The idea that each individual person can invite others into the process who then in turn invite others is a powerful one.
However, I fear as we try to implement the concept, we are too easily tricked. Whether we are talking about multiplying leaders, customers, churches, or trees, we often miss the key point. Namely, that for multiplication to be multiplication it has to continue past the second generation. The second generation must reproduce.
I think we too often see that 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4, and we say 'we multiplied four times'. But this is inaccurate. We only added. Multiplication looks like this 1 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 8. We can be easily confused because the early stages look similar, but look what happens if you keep going.
4 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 7
8 x 2 x 2 x 2 = 64
Now we see the difference emerging. So what's my point? If you want to change the world, do something that multiplies. The way to tell if you are multiplying is to look at the 3rd generation and beyond. Don't be fooled by looking only at the generation you started. If that generation doesn't reproduce, you are only adding.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Making Disciples vs Building Church
I've been spending some time reading the Gospels ... and had an interesting thought this morning.
Jesus gives us a clear command to 'go and make disciples' (Matthew 28:19). But, who did He say would build His church? He said 'I will build my church'. (Matthew 16:18)
Maybe we should spend less time worrying about how to do church, and more time worrying about how to make disciples. Seems like Jesus has said 'I'll take care of the church part.'
Just a thought.
Jesus gives us a clear command to 'go and make disciples' (Matthew 28:19). But, who did He say would build His church? He said 'I will build my church'. (Matthew 16:18)
Maybe we should spend less time worrying about how to do church, and more time worrying about how to make disciples. Seems like Jesus has said 'I'll take care of the church part.'
Just a thought.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Global Neighbors
For the first time in history the entire world is our neighbor. Isn't that amazing?
I'm reading a book called 'The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, the President of Worldvision. At one point in the book, Stearns reflects on the well known parable of the Good Samaritan. Realizing, that the Good Samaritan story is Jesus' response to the question "Who is my neighbor?", Stearns emphasizes that Jesus is telling us 'neighbor' has nothing to do with race, social status, or economic status. Instead, neighbor is simply defined as any person we see in need.
If I can see the need, I am a neighbor - and therefore should use whatever resources I have to help.
This challenged me as I watched the horrific destruction in Haiti. My initial response, and unfortunately my most common one to these type of disasters, was to try and ignore the situation. I did not want to stop and see what was going on there because I didn't want to feel bad. After all, why should I ruin a good week of feel-good K-State basketball?
Then I slowly began to realize that according to Jesus, these Haitians are my neighbors, and there is no excuse for ignoring them. God has blessed me with resources and if I don't help out, I am no different than the Priest who walked by the injured man on the other side of the road.
For the first time in history the entire world is our neighbor. TV and the internet allow us to see their need. So the question becomes, will we be good neighbors?
I'm reading a book called 'The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns, the President of Worldvision. At one point in the book, Stearns reflects on the well known parable of the Good Samaritan. Realizing, that the Good Samaritan story is Jesus' response to the question "Who is my neighbor?", Stearns emphasizes that Jesus is telling us 'neighbor' has nothing to do with race, social status, or economic status. Instead, neighbor is simply defined as any person we see in need.
If I can see the need, I am a neighbor - and therefore should use whatever resources I have to help.
This challenged me as I watched the horrific destruction in Haiti. My initial response, and unfortunately my most common one to these type of disasters, was to try and ignore the situation. I did not want to stop and see what was going on there because I didn't want to feel bad. After all, why should I ruin a good week of feel-good K-State basketball?
Then I slowly began to realize that according to Jesus, these Haitians are my neighbors, and there is no excuse for ignoring them. God has blessed me with resources and if I don't help out, I am no different than the Priest who walked by the injured man on the other side of the road.
For the first time in history the entire world is our neighbor. TV and the internet allow us to see their need. So the question becomes, will we be good neighbors?
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