I have an eclectic taste in music. I enjoy styles from contemporary Christian to 80’s music (I am a child of the 80’s). One of my recent favorites is the song, “Hey There Delilah” by the Plain White T’s. I am also a fan of Christian comedy, especially Tim Hawkins. I heard him for the first time at the Florida Baptist Pastors Conference several years ago. His style of comedy is clean and is based upon church life. In case you need to laugh, please enjoy this song by Tim Hawkins.
Reflection on the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force Initial Report : Part #2
Component #2: “We believe in order for us to work together more faithfully and effectively towards the fulfillment of the Great Commission, that our North American Mission Board needs to be reinvented and released. Therefore, in order to do this, we will ask Southern Baptists that the North American Mission Board prioritize efforts to plant churches in North America and to reach our nation’s cities and clarify its role to lead and accomplish efforts to reach North America with the Gospel.”
The GCRTF envisions a restructure of the North American Mission Board. NAMB has had its share of problems over the past few years that have led to a decreased effectiveness. Constant turnover of leadership at the top, duplicated ministries (down the associational level), and a broad focus have contributed to this ineffectiveness. Many would say that NAMB is broken. I would not go that far as to agree. This envisioned restructure is centered around the belief that the planting of healthy new congregations is the most effective way to reach North America. Dr. Ronnie Floyd, Senior Pastor of FBC Springdale, AR and Chairman of the GCRTF said, “This reinvention of the North American Mission Board that we envision will implement a direct strategy for planting churches in North America with a priority to reach metropolitan areas and under-served people groups. We desire for the North American Mission Board to encourage Southern Baptist churches to become church planting congregations. Regardless of the size or location of our churches, we want each to have a vision for and get involved in planting churches some way, somewhere in North America. It is our desire that at least 50% of the ministry efforts of our North American Mission Board be given to assist churches in planting healthy, multiplying, and faithful Baptist congregations in the United States and Canada.”
The task force is calling for the following specific actions to be considered, including church planting, pastoral leadership development, local church assistance in evangelism and discipleship, and putting more Cooperative Program money where it will be most effective. The task force is also recommending the dissolving of “cooperative agreements” between NAMB and state conventions, where NAMB forwards portions of their CP budget dollars back to the state. Dr. Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and task force member states, “The idea of Cooperative Agreements is simple – the North American Mission Board (and originally, the Home Mission Board) established agreements with each state convention in order to avoid overlap, confusion, and duplication of work. When the Great Commission Task Force recommends the phased elimination of these agreements, we are calling for the North American Mission Board to rethink how it should relate to the state conventions so that the mission board retains a more focused ministry of assisting Southern Baptist churches to reach North America. In the year 2009, about $50-million dollars was routed through these Cooperative Agreements. Many of these dollars were spent on the salaries of workers in the state conventions and associations. The monies are allocated and channeled in way that are difficult to trace, much less prioritize.”
The goal of dissolving these agreements is to streamline the work of NAMB, increase productivity, and improve accountability of CP dollars. There are parts of this component that I like and some I don’t like. I agree with the focus on church planting and leadership development. Aspects of these cooperative agreements trouble me greatly. Also in the initial report the task force envisions giving priority to the top 100 metropolitan areas of North America. While I understand that these large urban centers require more effort and resources (due to population), what about the other areas of North America? What about the pioneer regions of North America where lostness is just as real? What about the rural areas of North America? Will funding to reach these types of areas be sacrificed for the sake of reaching the top 100 metropolitan areas? There are still many questions left to ask, and answer.
Reflections on the Great Commission Resurgene Task Force Initial Report : Part #1
Better than a month ago, the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force released the interim report of their work leading up to the final report to be given at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Orlando this summer. This report was the first of two to be made public (the other in early May) sharing their progress. I have written on the origin and function of this task force. You can read it here. Simply, the purpose of the GCRTF is to examine ways in which the SBC can more effectively carry out the Great Commission and report its findings to the messengers at the annual meeting in June.
This highly anticipated initial report has prompted much discussion across the SBC. Many articles have been written about it the state newspapers. Bloggers have critiqued it, giving their own reasons why it will and will not be beneficial to the church. State convention executives have even gave reasons as to why they can and cannot support the recommendations contained in the report. In the grand scheme of all things SBC, my opinion won’t make any difference. Denominational structure won’t shift because of what I write. My words won’t change the course of current policy. However, being the pastor of a small church (defined by the SBC as having fewer than 200 in the primary worship service), which is the make-up of approximately 85% of all SBC churches, my opinion may matter after all.
The initial report contains six components which may or may not be presented in the form of formal recommendations that require a vote for passage. When the final report comes out in May, there may be more or less than these initial six. Over the next three posts, I want to share each component, what it means, and my thoughts on each one.
Component #1: “We believe in order for us to work together more faithfully and effectively towards the fulfillment of the Great Commission, we will ask Southern Baptists to rally towards a clear and compelling missional vision and begin to conduct ourselves with core values that will create a new and healthy culture within the Southern Baptist Convention.”
Basically, this component calls for all SBC churches to come together around one central vision that is missional in nature. The term missional basically means to take on the mindset, attitude, and practice of missionary living in everything you do, instead of just “doing” missions. The task force calls for the SBC to embrace and pursue eight core values as part of this new vision: Christlikeness, truth, unity, relationships, trust, future, local church, and kingdom. I believe this is a good starting point. Unless the convention comes to terms with where it wants to go, the remaining components do not matter. Every local church has their own vision based on their local context. Embracing this vision and these core values will collectively give the convention a unified direction to move in.
Book Review: The Sacred Journey
There is a statement made in today’s culture that goes something like this, “getting there is half the fun.” In The Sacred Journey: The Ancient Practices Series by Charles Foster, getting there, wherever “there” may be, seems to be the most important thing in life. Foster sets out to show that man was created to be a wanderer, a person on pilgrimage, and happiness can’t be found in just sitting still. He uses the writings of prominent belief systems (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism) to support his position that man, by nature, is a pilgrim on a journey. To me, it was not clear if Foster believes the journey itself is a means to an end to find a relationship with God, or if God expects a pilgrimage of some kind from us in order to be drawn closer to Him. As a result of this not being clear, I was left to debate that question throughout the entire book.
I had a difficult time with this book. I hoped that I would like it, but I could not get there. In the beginning of the book, Foster deals with the story of Cain and Abel. The story was used to support the notion that God favors the wanderer more than others. Foster shares that God despises cities and that permanent structures indicate that man has stopped his journey. I found one statement to be especially hard to agree with. Foster wrote, “Throughout the Bible (with a crucial last-minute twist) God hates cities. He is much easier to find in the wilderness. He takes the side of the itinerant shepherd against the factory farmer.”
The reader, as I was, is somehow left with the impression that if you never have the opportunity to leave the comforts of modern life and take a journey of some sort you will never be satisfied. Although one example is given to the contrary, the initial impression still stands. Although I did not like this book, I was challenged by it. The Sacred Journey is well written and well researched. Foster challenged me to remember that our lives as a Christ-follower is a journey: every day moving closer to Christlikeness. He challenged me to be active in my pursuit of Jesus Christ.
Book Review: Imaginary Jesus
Imaginary Jesus is a fast-paced, off-the-wall, not-quite-so-true story of Matt Mikalatos’ search for the real Jesus. The author goes to extreme and amusing lengths to show how believers today can easily create their own idea of what Jesus should be, based on their own need and desires. This can be seen in a need for his Imaginary Jesus to get him out of a parking ticket. Along the way, he exposes imaginary Jesuses such as Legalist Jesus, Magic 8 Ball Jesus, Free Will Jesus, Bargain Jesus, Testosterone Jesus and Televangelist Jesus (by far the funniest of all) in his pursuit to find the authentic Jesus. Although these Jesuses have bizarre names and act strangely at times, Mikalatos does a great, through them, to show how easy it is to focus on the wrong thing and miss the joy of following the real Jesus.
The reader should know something up front. Imaginary Jesus is not a theological treatise on the person of Jesus Christ. It was not intended to be. It is however a light-hearted, fun and dizzying journey of one man looking for the real Jesus. This story takes the reader from a coffee shop in Portland to ancient Judea and a talking donkey. In places, this book is laugh-out-loud funny. In other places you can feel the pain of the author as he struggles with God’s goodness and will in the midst of a personal struggle. I highly recommend this book. As the reader, you have to make a decision up front to stay with it and keep reading. If you do, you will not be disappointed. Imaginary Jesus will challenge you to seek the true Jesus and refuse to settle for the imitation.
Book Review: Everyone Communicates, Few Connect
How many times have you connected with the person to whom you were listening? Perhaps it was a teacher who made a difficult subject interesting and fun. Maybe it was a conference speaker who provided the motivation you needed to keep going in a less-than-glamorous job. What was it that moved them from simply talking to connecting? It was their ability to understand the listener and care more for their listener than for themselves. John Maxwell, in his new book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, offers solid guidance and real-life tools to help leaders and other communicators move from simply talking to an audience to making real connections by making every word count. Maxwell defines connecting as “the ability to identify with people and relate to them in a way that increases your influence with them”.
I am a fan of Maxwell and a past-reader of his work. As usual his simplistic yet insightful style of writing makes this book an easy read. He does a great job of mixing his content with real-life experiences which add to the credibility of his writing. Maxwell offers five connecting principles and five connecting practices. He helps the reader to understand why connecting with the listener is important. He then goes on to give the reader the nuts and bolts of how to better connect. The highlight of the book, in my opinion, is chapter six where Maxwell talks about how crucial it is to find common ground with the listener. On the other hand, the book does have a low point that I struggled with. In chapter five, Maxwell gives way to his writer, Charlie Wetzel, in order that he might tell how good of a communicator Maxwell is. To me, this section seemed out of place and unnecessary. I wish this portion had been left out.
I was challenged by this book. As a pastor, I speak to many people in many different settings. This book made me aware of the fact that speaking is not enough. As a communicator, I can’t assume that my words and messages are received by my listeners just because I share them. This book has led me to understand that I need to be more intentional in my speaking. Whether you are a communicator in the business sector, the educational field, or the pastoral ministry, I highly recommend this book to you as an aid to making every word count.
Seeking and Finding a Church Home
We lived in Graceville, FL while I attended the Florida Baptist Theological College (now the Baptist College of Florida). Graceville is a mostly farming community that boasts a Baptist college. After moving and getting ourselves settled, we began looking for a church home. I figured that being a college student in a town with a Baptist college, finding a church home would not be that difficult. I was wrong. We visited four or five churches before joining Holmes Creek Baptist Church in Chipley, FL.
I think back to that time for me and my family and am thankful. I am thankful that we found a church home and am also thankful for what I learned in that process. If you have ever been through the process of seeking a church to call home, then you know how tiring and stressful it can be. As a pastor, I am sympathetic to those seeking a church home. When I see a guest at church and they declare “actively seeking a church home”, I understand what is involved.
Think about the process for a minute. You wake up on Sunday morning and prepare your family for attendance at a worship service where it is likely you will not know anyone. Introductions are made and you tell the story of what brought you to the community and to the church. While you sit and take in the service, you ask the Lord for a peace, one way or the other, about returning or not. Once again, you greet and speak with other members as you leave. Perhaps on your drive home, or over lunch somewhere, several critical questions run through your mind. “Is this the place the Lord would have me to be, or is this the place I want to be?” Another, “Does this church share my biblical beliefs and theological convictions?” Another question, “Can the spiritual walk of my family be deepened by attending here?” Still another, “Will this church provide for me the opportunity to utilize my spiritual gifts?” Lastly, “Can I positively impact this church so its mission and purpose will be fulfilled?”
The stressful point comes when the above process is repeated multiple times in multiple churches. It can be very tiring being “new” in church every week in a different church. It can be tiring investing time and energy seeing no immediate result. However, it is part of the process of seeking and finding. This is why I believe that seeking a church home can be one of the toughest jobs that a believer will do.
I believe in the local church. I am a fan of it. I serve there and have given my life to it. Pray for those who are seeking a church family to belong to. As members of the body of Christ, we each have a responsibility to make this process easier for them. Be intentional and purposeful in making this process a little less stressful.
Coming Attractions
As my three-week time-out comes to an end, my mind is full of thoughts that I wish to put into words. Over the next few weeks I will be writing on topics such as church ministry, Southern Baptist life, and matters of inspiration and encouragement. Here is a preview of what is to come.
1. I will continue my weekly “Friday Is For Scripture” article.
2. I will be writing about the purpose of and effectiveness of the local Baptist association.
3. Over the past three weeks, the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force released their preliminary report. The task force shared six recommendations that will be presented to SBC messengers for approval in Orlando in June. I will be sharing my thoughts and reactions in a three-part series.
4. I am awaiting the arrival of two books for review. For Thomas Nelson Publishers, I will review John Maxwell’s “Everyone Communicates, Few Connect”. For Tyndale House, I will review Matt Mikalatos’ “Imaginary Jesus”.
Stay tuned.
Book Review – A Century Turns : New Hopes, New Fears
I was a sophomore in high school in 1988. It was about this time I began to follow and understand politics and pop culture. It seems strange to refer to this period of time as “history”. Books written about history often have a disconnect with the reader with unrelatable places and unrelatable people. Not so in this book. A Century Turns: New Hopes, New Fears by William Bennett is a different and enjoyable look into our country’s history. A Century Turns surveys the time period of 1988-2008, taking into account the people, places, tragedies, victories, and events that helped to shape our country. He writes an unbiased account as one who was there and had intimate knowledge of the people, personalities, and issues of which he wrote.
Bennett makes a statement that a lot can change in twenty years. He is absolutely correct. He writes of the events and people of the time that made us laugh, made us cry, gave us hope, and brought us close as a country. From presidential elections to terrorist bombings; from Tiananmen Square to Rodney King and the LA riots; from Whitewater to Hurricane Katrina; from Monica Lewinsky to the Gulf War; and from the beginning of the internet to Barrack Obama, Bennett reminds us of the importance of understanding history.
I found this book to be consuming and difficult to put down. I found myself reliving this book. It was during this period of time that I was able to vote for the first time. I served in the Marine Corps during the Sr Bush and Clinton administrations. I was sitting in a college classroom on the morning of September 11, 2001. For those who have an interest in history, politics, pop culture, and how it all seems to work together, I highly recommend this book. It will not disappoint.
Taking a Break
My writing has been, at best, sporadic as of late. I truly love writing and have a desire to write every day, however, priorities come first. Currently, there is a great deal going outside of my writing related to the church where my attention is needed. For example, we are in the process of putting into place our new outreach strategy here at Port Royal Baptist. Between new ministries such as this, studying, pastoral ministry, and family, my time is stretched. I would not have it any other way.
So, I am giving myself permission not to write for the next three weeks. I am in the process of reading some new books and will be posting a review, as well as other ministry related articles, once my self-imposed timeout is up. Thank you to those who read what I write here and a further thanks for your encouragement. See you in three weeks.
The Road Less Traveled 