When I arrived at FBC Perry in August of 2017, I knew there was a great deal of work ahead. This truth was communicated by the search team that brought us to Perry. It did not take very long to learn just how big the job was/is. The church was/is in decline. The blame for the decline could not be laid at any one person’s feet. Everyone had a part to play in the church’s condition – the same way every person will have a part to play in the church’s turn around. I did very little to begin with. I listened. I loved. I observed. I preached faithfully. I prayed for clarity, direction, and vision. Early in 2018, God began to reveal what I believed was the way forward for FBC Perry. In June of this year, over two Sundays, I shared with the people of FBC Perry a new purpose, vision, core values, and specific strategies that would serve as our guide going forward. This would also allow us the freedom to say “yes” to what we needed to say “yes” to and the permission to say “no” to what we needed to say “no” to for we had already decided what was important and worthy of our time, energy, and resources. at FBC Perry, we believe that our job is to connect the people of Taylor County and beyond to Christ, help them mature in Christ, and together serve Him by serving others.

In my mind there was/is one critical question:  What type of church were we going to be? Churches regularly exist somewhere between two opposing ministry models: staying and sending. What do I mean by that?

Staying Churches – “I go to church” – attractional, consumer

The church is seen as a dispenser of religious services.  People come to church to be “fed”, to have their needs met through quality programs, and to have “professionals” teach them God’s Word. The focus is often on ministry programs with success defined by the number of people who gather in the building.  These churches acknowledge their community but do not necessarily feel responsible for it.  Budgets and ministry programs reflect an inward focus. The tendency is to look through the rear-view mirror instead of the windshield.

Sending Churches – “I am the Church” – missional, kingdom-focused

The church gathers in Christian community for worship, encouragement, and teaching from the Word so that they will be equipped and empowered to live as Christ-centered, outward focused disciples wherever God daily sends them to be His witness. There is a commitment to sending people and resources into the community for the sole purpose of introducing people to Jesus Christ. The acknowledgment of their community translates to responsibility and action. Budgets reflect an outward focus.

For us to fully embrace our mission statement, it was necessary to make a commitment regarding the type of church we are going to be. FBC has existed somewhere in between these two models throughout the years. To be perfectly honest, as hard as it was to say, FBC was/is a staying church. If FBC was going to connect the people of Taylor County and beyond to Christ, we would need to make an intentional and significant shift to the sending model. In the next two posts, I will share our core values and strategies we are utilizing to begin the difficult turn toward a thriving, sending church. We have begun to make the turn. How can I say that so soon? The people of FBC have embraced the current reality of decline and have committed to a different future. That’s a win.

I have been thinking a great deal lately about ministry effectiveness. Over the past five or six months I have experienced highs and lows around the church. I have witnessed meaningful ministry take place. At the same time, I have witnessed some things that got in the way of meaningful ministry. In a recent Missions Team meeting I was challenged by a question no one in the room was expecting. We were debriefing a recent ministry event; having shared the highlights of the night (how many people, types of activities, how much food, etc.) At the end of the discussion, this question was asked, “Yeah, but did we tell them that God loves them?” It was uncomfortably quiet. I had to face the fact that I assumed our service automatically conveyed this truth. I had to face the fact that we were so busy serving (giving away water, popcorn, candy, food, etc.) we didn’t intentionally focus on engaging people with the truth that God loves them and desires a personal relationship with them. In summary, our focus was not clear. I’m not saying that no one had a gospel conversation with those we were serving. I know a few did. Although we served well, overall, we missed the most important thing. We must do better next time. I must do better next time.

When the focus in wrongly placed, we shift the direction and movement of the church into reverse.  It is in reverse that good is accepted in place of great. Activity becomes a suitable alternative to difficult conversations. Personal agendas become more important than the Lord’s mission. Criticism and fault-finding starve out encouragement and love. Evangelism and missions give way to committees and constitutions.

The lost person is always on my mind. Their condition convicts me. Their future frightens me. Their worship is desired by God. They deserve a New Testament church that is focused on the important things. They deserve truth, not excuse. They deserve love, not a loathsome look. They deserve a verbal witness, not simply a prayer or nod of acknowledgment. I wonder what the lost person thinks of the church today? I have often wondered what kind of questions go through their mind. What would the questions of a lost person look like? I believe it may look something like this:

1. I am lost. I do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You do. Why do you spend most of your time adding and perfecting programs that appear to be designed for those who already know Him? What about me?
2. I am lost. I do not have peace in my life right now. You do. Don’t others have the right to hear about the source of your peace? What about me?
3. I am lost. I do not know why I am here. You do. Why do you choose to build buildings instead of building bridges? What about me?
4. I am lost. If I were to die today, I would enter an unimaginable torment. You would not. Have you forgotten what it is like to be separated from God’s presence?What about me?
5. I am lost. I do not know the good news of the gospel as you refer to it. You do. Why do you spend so much time debating and discussing trivial matters while futures of many like me hang in the balance? What about me?
6. I am lost. The only father I know is my earthly father. You know Him. Are you content with letting me figure out this “salvation” thing on my own? All religions are the same, right? What about me?
7. I am lost. I will not be held accountable for keeping my mouth shut. You will. Is the fear of embarrassment and rejection more of a concern to you than obeying the God you say you love? What about you?

Guilty.

Church leaders must understand the “why” of community engagement. These leaders must understand what drives them beyond the walls of the church and into the mission field – the neighborhoods, businesses, and schools where their community works, plays, and studies. God told Israel in Jeremiah 29:7 to, “seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.” In Acts 1:8, the disciples would very shorty be empowered to be bold witness for Jesus Christ wherever they found themselves. Together these verses reveal an important truth: the church has a responsibility to engage, pray for, and minister to those who are outside its walls. Without a doubt life-changing ministry in difficult. Life-changing ministry can be messy. Life-changing ministry can be time-consuming. Life-changing ministry has a financial component to it as well. Funding is required for materials and services. From time to time those inside the church will wonder, if only to themselves, “What are we getting out of all this work and involvement in the community?” This question, at the very basement level, is one of reimbursement.

There is a danger associated with the church expecting reimbursement from the community for ministry on its behalf. To reimburse means to “make repayment for expenses or loss incurred.” If the church sees community ministry as a loss from the very beginning, certainly there will be cries for reimbursement. If the church sees community ministry as a mean profit materially from the people, certainly there will be demands for repayment and compensation. What would this look like? How might a church unintentionally seek reimbursement from their community?

Filling a seat in the sanctuary.Churches may take a stance such as “we went to them now they need to come to us.” A common question asked by congregants is “Where are the people we have been ministering to?” The easiest measurement of ministry success is an occupied seat in the sanctuary. Although the easiest measurement, it is not always the correct one. Ministry is an investment. It may require multiple engagements before the gospel is understood and embraced. Churches must be comfortable with the fact that beneficiaries of their ministry may never connect to their church body. Churches must understand they are involved in a kingdom work that is slow coming. This is not easy for many.

Filling the offering plate. Churches may also take a stance such as “we gave to them financially now they need to give back to us”. Our world has conditioned us to expect something in return for services rendered. The old saying goes, “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” This would be true if you viewed your community exclusively from the business standpoint, viewing them as merely consumers. Is it true that your community may take a consumer approach to the church? Absolutely. The church must resist the temptation to “even the books” and fully embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ where we are reminded that to whom much is given, much is required.

Ministry in which the gospel is communicated and delivered, regardless of the acceptance of it, can never be viewed as a “loss incurred.” If there is no loss incurred, there is no need of reimbursement. Church leaders, the economic laws of supply and demand and return on investment are measured much differently in the church. Be generous. Give what you have.

Today is Veteran’s Day. It is a day set aside to honor and recognize all the men and women who have served in our armed forces. Veterans Day originally began as Armistice Day, a day which celebrated the signing of the armistice, or peace agreement, between the Allies and Germany that ended the major hostilities of WWI. These hostilities ended at the 11^th hour on the 11^th day of the 11^th month of 1918. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first holiday for November 11, 1919. On that day he said, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with lots of pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.” Armistice Day was later changed to Veterans Day in 1954. Since the change veterans from all services and campaigns are recognized and honored.

Our service members sacrifice a great deal in the defense of our country. They sacrifice their personal comfort. Living conditions are not always ideal. From spending weeks in the field training to enduring extreme hot and colds in locations around the world, comfort is not always a priority. Our service members also sacrifice their families to some extent. Multiple deployments and extended training times pull our service members away from the ones they love. In some cases, a year or more. They miss important family dates (birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, etc.) and miss seeing their children grow up. More than anything else, they sacrifice themselves. Our service members expose themselves to not only physical harm, but emotional and mental trauma as well. The images of war are everlasting and life-changing. Our soldiers not only come home physically hurt, but mentally scarred as well.

On this Veterans Day, I would like to simply say “Thank You” to every Soldier, Marine, Seaman, Airman, Coast Guardsman, and National Guardsman who has given a part of themselves in defense of the country we love so much. You and your family are appreciated more than words can express. If you enjoy the ability to come and go as you like, work where you wish, worship in the place you choose, freely and without restriction, thank a veteran. If you enjoy being able to participate in the democratic process, speak in opposition to government officials, vote, and even question why our military is fighting, thank a veteran.

One of the primary obstacles facing the Christian faith today is the apparent advocation and promotion of indiscriminate violence by the God of the Old Testament. A cursory reading of the Old Testament could lead one to believe that God is in fact, as atheist Richard Dawkins asserts, “the most unpleasant character in all fiction; jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” As a result, many find it impossible to place their faith and trust in an unseen God who appears to have no rhyme or reason for His acts of violence against His own creation. The view of God as a lover and promoter of violence stands in opposition to His loving, merciful, and just nature that is chronicled throughout the Old Testament. Many are left struggling with questions such as, “If God is truly merciful and loving, why did He give the command to not leave alive anything that breathes?” “Why did He command entire cities be destroyed?” Because of the violence, many are unwilling to even consider the possibility that a loving God who cares for His creation and desires a personal relationship with them can exist.

In his new book, The Old Testament Case for Nonviolence, attorney Matthew Curtis Fleischer takes the position that the violence associated with God throughout the Old Testament was neither random or indiscriminate. From the very beginning, Fleischer acknowledges the problem that many have with the God of the Old Testament. He writes, “At first glance, the situation isn’t pretty. In fact, it’s downright ugly.” He offers a laundry list of instances where God commanded violent acts against people, animals, cities, and entire nations- acknowledging His appearance as that of a moral monster. Fleischer sets out to answer three primary questions relating to the reconciliation of the Old and New Testament positions of violence and nonviolence, who we should imitate today as believers, and God’s true nature. At the beginning of chapter two, Fleischer provides the key to resolving the apparent moral contradiction between the testaments. The remainder of the book unpacks his main idea. He wrote that:

 God revealed His ethical idea to humankind. He unveiled it within a developing story, not in standalone rules meted out of one verse, paragraph, or incident at a time. That’s why the Bible is a narrative, not an encyclopedia or constitution. Its ethical storyline goes like this: (1) God chose a specific group of people, (2) set them apart from the rest of the world, (3) gave them a list of rules that improved their ethics beyond anything the world had ever known, (4) gradually continue revealing ethical improvements to them, and (5) then completed His ethical revelation in Jesus. God didn’t just fly by earth one day and drop off a list of finalized rules. He first established a relationship with His chosen people and then progressively taught ethics to all of humanity through them.

Fleischer states the importance of interpreting God’s actions in the Old Testament not from the “modern post-Jesus” perspective, but within the historical and cultural contexts of humans who lived during the time of the Old Testament.  He introduces the reader to many codified laws of other Near East countries. Put into its proper historical context, Fleischer demonstrates how the often-violent commands and strict laws were in fact was an improvement over the laws of that day. Fleischer refers to this improvement as incremental ethical revelation. This revelation made improvements to areas such as slavery, criminal penalties, protection for the disadvantaged, women’s rights, and warfare policies. What appeared to be violence for no reason should be considered as mode of deterrence. There are many instances of what could be considered case law – directions that allowed for punishment in the worst-case scenario. It was not intended to be a license to commit such an act. He goes on further to state that God never intended for His Old Testament commands to be, “universally or eternally applicable. They weren’t directed at all humankind. They weren’t even directed at future believers.” Fleischer details the responsibility the nation of Israel had as God’s people and how those rules refined their worship of God and pointed toward the Savior. To answer his question on who believers should follow today, Fleischer wrote, “God gave Jesus the final word of Christian ethics. His life and teachings represent the culmination of incremental ethical revelation. He fulfilled the law by revealing God’s perfect, eternal, and universally applicable moral code.”

Fleischer has written a powerful and necessary book. It is a fine balance between being over-scholarly and shallow. With skill, he lays out the argument against God from those who would seek to define Him only as impartially violent. He then counters their argument with reasons why God acted in the way He did, demonstrating His loving care for His people in increments they could handle and understand. Fleischer cuts through the noise and offers a biblical defense for a loving, generous, and just God. This is an important apologetic work. For the one who would mistrust God and questions His love, Fleischer’s book challenges their doubt in a non-judgmental manner. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who desires to be sharper in their apologetic of God or knows someone who cannot move past the belief that God is a violent, blood-thirsty tyrant. You need this book on your shelf.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Today is the day – the first day of a brand-new year. It is a day many people anticipate. Some view today as the best day for watching college football (I am one of those). Some view today as simply a day off from work. Others view today as a chance for a new beginning. Those who view New Year’s Day as a new beginning will make resolutions to stop or start something. Resolutions offered today will include such things as weight loss, increased family time, saving money, to name a few. Personally, I don’t make resolutions. I do however believe in making commitments based on an honest evaluation of the past. With my family at the top of this list, I would like to share with you the commitments I am making this year.

1. I plan to read smarter, so I may write better. If you are at least an occasional reader of my blog, you know I enjoy reading and writing. The two are joined at the hip in my eyes. My plan this year is to focus and confine my reading to the areas of ministry and leadership. In 2018, I will choose quality over quantity. For me, this smarter reading will sharpen my focus and lead to more beneficial writing here.
2. I plan to say “no” more often to what pulls me away from my pastoral duties. I tend to say “yes” too often. As a result, I have found myself stretched thin and overloaded. I have been the pastor of First Baptist Church of Perry for five months. It is a huge work. I am enjoying getting to know and spend time with our people. I have a long way to go. My church deserves and needs my attention. I believe God is going to do a great work among His people this year. He is giving me a vision for our church going forward. I/we cannot afford to be distracted.
3. I plan to be more focused in my preaching and teaching. Having looked back at my preaching and teaching this past year, I realize that at times it was scattered. My prayer is for the Lord to make me increasingly aware of the needs of my congregation, as well as the struggles and issues plaguing our city, state, and nation and speak to them biblically and strategically. This will involve dedicated time away from my pastoral duties for sermon planning/writing. I cannot say how thankful I am that First Baptist Perry makes this time available to me.
4. I plan to spend more time with my ministerial staff this year. I am privileged to lead the largest ministerial staff in all my years in the gospel ministry. I anticipate the addition of another staff member this year. My desire is to encourage and strengthen them in their areas of ministry. My desire is to move away from “I’m here if you need me” and move toward “Let’s do life and ministry together.”
5. I plan to begin my book this year. For years I have I have flirted with the idea of a writing a book. Over the past three years I have completed two large bodies of work. The first, a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Ephesians. This exposition was a requirement for my Doctor of Ministry degree. The second, a three-hour training conference outlining the principles of community ministry and engagement. I envision either of these works serving as the framework for my first book.

Why share these commitments publicly? Accountability. I hope throughout 2018 those who read my blog will ask me, “How are you doing in these areas?” What commitments have you made?

I hope this collection of thinkers and ministries will further challenge you to live an on-mission lifestyle. Enjoy.

Read:  I recommend The Hole in Our Gospel; What Does God Expect of Us? by Richard Stearns, president of World Vision. It is the true story of a corporate CEO who gave up worldly success for something far more satisfying. God’s calling on his life removed him from his corner office at one America’s most prestigious companies and allowed him to walk with the poorest of the poor in our world. His journey demonstrates how the gospel – the whole gospel – was meant to change lives and make people whole in Christ.

Follow:  Tim Rice. Tim is the Missions Mobilization Director for the South Carolina Baptist Convention. He is passionate about assisting individuals and churches to live missionally and engage their communities, state, and the nations with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know Tim personally and you will be both encouraged and challenged by what he shares with others. You can find him on Twitter: @timricesc

Get to Know: The Sunshine Girls – a weekly outreach ministry to women who work in the Adult Entertainment Industry in Savannah, Georgia. Their goal is to shine the life-changing light of the Gospel into these dark places. The mission of the organization revolves around establishing relationships and opportunities for another way of life. You can learn more about them here. Pray for the work these women are doing in some very hard and dark places. I am thankful to know one of these Sunshine Girls personally.

Listen: If you enjoy podcasts, I highly recommend you subscribe to The Briefing. Each weekday, Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY delivers a daily analysis of the leading news headlines and cultural conversations from around the world through the Christian worldview.

By the Numbers:

According to the Pew Research Center, 26% of the world’s Christian population lived in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2015. Pew Research Center predicts it will continue to grow. In fact, they foresee that 42% of Christians in the world will call Sub-Saharan Africa home by 2060.

According to the Barna Group’s most recent study, 38% of Americans are active church members, meaning they have attended church in the past seven days. Throughout America, the top “churched” cities—or the cities with the highest percentages of active church members—are: Chattanooga, Tennessee; Salt Lake City, Utah; Augusta and Aiken, Georgia; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Birmingham, Anniston and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

I am thankful for the many voices, resources, institutions, and ministries who assist the local church in living out a missional lifestyle. The purpose of Missional Monday is to raise awareness and foster conversations around the need for the New Testament churches to be missionaries in their individual contexts. I regularly share my own thoughts on this subject here at The Road Less Traveled. However, mine is not the only voice. Because our work is a kingdom work, I want to connect the readers of this blog with others who are speaking about missional living. I hope this collection of thinkers and ministries will further challenge you to live a missional lifestyle.

Read:  Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive by Thom Rainer. Autopsy is a short, but powerful book based on interviews that Rainer conducted with the staff/leadership 12 closed churches. Through these personal interviews he identified trends and symptoms of dying churches: lack of evangelization, inward focus, lack of prayer, and failure to budget for mission work, etc.  Rainer’s hope is that the autopsy conducted on the 12 dead churches will aid current churches in recognizing similar symptoms and make the necessary adjustments before it’s too late. Along with highlighting symptoms that lead to the death of the 12 churches, he provides suggestions on how churches can reverse the dying process.

Follow:  Henry Criss. Henry is the Lead Pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Ridgeland, SC. Henry is a good friend of mine and is currently in a replanting work at Faith. His approach to the work necessary to revitalize a church whose doors were near closing is encouraging and insightful. You can follow him on Twitter – @HenryCriss

Get to Know: Clubhouse Guatemala. Clubhouse is a Christ centered ministry founded in 2008 whose focus is making a difference in the lives of children and adults through block parties, shoe distribution, face painting, Vacation Bible School, and other visible demonstrations of Christ’s love. Clubhouse also assists with discipleship and education and provides many physical needs including medical/dental, water filters, school supplies, and much more. Clubhouse’s focus is meeting the physical needs so they may to earn the right to meet the spiritual needs of adults and children. I am thankful that First Baptist Perry partners with Clubhouse Guatemala and sends mission teams annually.

Yesterday I began writing on the top 10 reasons why I believe in Sunday School. I shared the first five reasons: entry, relationships, education, accountability, and potential. I want to finish today with reasons six through ten.

6. Function: I believe healthy Sunday Schools make healthy churches. A healthy Sunday School looks and functions like a small congregation. The church has five over-arching purposes: worship, fellowship, discipleship, evangelism, and ministry. A healthy church has a balance of all five. Sunday School classes take on these functions as well. As our Sunday School classes begin to share the gospel through evangelism, prepare the people’s heart for worship, serve others through ministry, spend time with each other in fellowship, and take the growth of every believer to heart through discipleship, our churches will be healthier.

7. Fellowship: Age-graded Sunday School classes allow Christians to fellowship together through common life experiences. It is critical for Christians to spend time together away from the church building. These times of fellowship are very important. These times of fellowship build a sense of community and offer a non-threatening way of inviting a lost friend.

8. Development: I believe that Sunday School offers an often-over-looked benefit: leadership development. Within the Sunday School classes, there are positions of leadership on the micro level. Teachers, apprentice teachers, care group leaders, and outreach directors are just a few. As a person leads out on the small group level, it builds confidence and prepares them for areas of leadership and service to the larger church body.

9. Evangelism: Sunday School is evangelistic in nature. Sunday School is a great avenue for a Christian to invite a lost friend or family member for them to hear about Jesus Christ. Although a gospel message is regularly given from the pulpit, Sunday School offers a needed component. As a lost person sits in a small group, they can hear the gospel explained in greater detail and even asks questions about what it means to be a Christian. Sunday School is a safe and non-threatening environment for the lost to begin to explore the claims of Christ. Under the umbrella of Sunday School is Vacation Bible School which serves a major outreach event for children.

10. Ministry: I believe Sunday School because real ministry happens there; both inward and outward. Because of Sunday School classes being smaller, a more aware and focused care for the members can take place. Inwardly, classes minister to each other in times of sorrow, joy, and need. Outwardly, Sunday School classes themselves can minister to those outside in the community through mission projects. When this happens at the micro level, the excitement and passion spreads to the macro level.

I am a Sunday School pastor. What I mean is that I am a fan and proponent of Sunday School. Today, this open time of small group Bible study is being called by different names. Some churches call it Small Groups, rather than Sunday School. Some churches call it Cell Groups, rather than Sunday School. Some churches call it Life Groups, rather than Sunday School. The name is not as important as the concept. I want to share with you my top ten reasons I believe in Sunday School.

1. Entry: Sunday School classes serve as an entry point into the local church. In Sunday School, an individual can find an entry point, an open door, to the church as a whole. An individual can determine the church’s mission, vision and gain a better understanding of what the church is all about; before committing to full membership.
2. Relationships: As a church leader, I am learning more and more how relationships matter to people. Sunday School gives a person the opportunity to meet and build relationships with others who are at the same place in their lives. This small group time is critical in building relationships that aid in the removal of other obstacles and barriers.
3. Education: We teach the Bible in Sunday School. Paul told Timothy to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Sunday School is our primary time of corporate Bible study. Groups come together for an ongoing and consistent time of learning. While it possible to study the Bible on our own, Sunday School gives the opportunity to hear how God is working in the lives of others. We learn from their experiences.
4. Accountability: Every Christian is first accountable to God. After that, each Christian should then have someone else to whom they are accountable. Sunday School offers this needed connection. It is in this small group setting that one can share their cares, concerns, personal challenges, and fears. When a Christian has someone who will be asking about how their journey is going, there is an increased effort in pursuing Christ-like lifestyle.
5. Potential: Sunday School has a wonderful future. It is flexible. As specific needs in our community are discovered, Sunday School has the potential to respond. Sunday School, cell groups, life groups, or whatever you may call it can go off-site and begin to meet the need quicker than the entire church can. This potential should move us to seek pockets of people with specific ministry needs.