Hot August Nights

That night in 1985 was one I will never forget. It changed my life forever.

Just over a day earlier my fiancee, Joyce and I had wrestled with Elena, a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, as it churned in the warm waters offshore, giving no hint of the direction it would travel. Our wedding rehearsal was scheduled that Thursday, but residents of the city of New Orleans had decided that they didn’t want to accept the company of this angry stranger, so their cars were “parked” on Interstate-10 heading west out of town toward Baton Rouge.

The men in our wedding party had joined me late that afternoon to pick up our tuxedos and run other necessary errands before heading home to prepare for the rehearsal and the subsequent dinner. Only we never got home.

The “parking lot” on the highway refused to give way, even for a wedding candidate. I was stuck, unable to get home, get cleaned up and find appropriate clothes to wear for the evening. Panicky and frustrated, I discovered one of my groomsmen had an extra shirt, with a neck measurement three sizes too big and in a color I wouldn’t have chosen for such an occasion. On the other hand, it was clean and available and so I headed to see my bride and our wedding party in someone else’s clothes!

The rehearsal as I remember it was a mess. There were many moments of confusion and some tense and anxious moments with family. We were pressed for information and details that were still undecided. But we got through it, and on out into the evening to travel to the West End for our group dinner reservation at a most well-known French restaurant in the city.

But Elena, the fickle storm that wouldn’t commit, was still troubling the patrons of this annually anxious city. With her sitting offshore, the restaurant had made the decision to close early, with one exception: us! I’m fully convinced that had we not secured a reservation for this special event months before, we would not have been welcomed that night, either. The windows were boarded up and all unnecessary personnel had been sent home. The restaurant had an uncommon silence to it; an eerie feeling that accompanied us through the evening. Then there were the servers: they were determined to “rush” us through every course as quickly as possible. We could certainly understand and yet, I felt angry and frustrated. It had not turned out as planned.

Wedding day started in much the same way. I awakened to discover the indecisive Elena was still sitting offshore and rendering us incapable of being sure we could safely travel away from the city for our wedding night plans. So, with less than twelve hours until our anticipated arrival I had to cancel our wedding night location and scramble to find another, one in town and very close by. Later in the day, the stress on my dad, who was performing the ceremony grew heavy in the thick, humid air that blanketed our hometown. He lay on the floor in front of an oscillating fan, trying to find a way to cool down. I knew in my heart that it wasn’t simply the physical heat of the day; the wedding was getting to him, too.

Then the time arrived. The hurricane that never appeared had cleared the sky, so that it was a deep, beautiful blue draping the route to the church. The church people and friends had failed to get that message though, and thinking Elena was still on her way to join us, they had determined there wouldn’t be enough “room” for them, too. Many stayed away—far away, like Baton Rouge and Hammond.

And of course, the photographer was running late, so we sat and waited for what seemed like hours as the organist droned on and on two, then three times as long as expected before the ceremony actually began. By this time Dad was pacing, and sweating again…a lot.

The word finally came that my bride was ready to enter the sanctuary, and with that the languishing details of the previous 24 hours melted into a blur of humbling bliss and beauty. The most wonderful woman I’d ever met was marrying me! ME! I didn’t believe it then, and I still wonder, how? why? to this very day.

Sunday we celebrated our 24th anniversary, and truth be told, I still don’t know why she fell in love with me. She’s way too good for me; far too beautiful; exceedingly beyond my grasp. She is a constant and glorious reminder of God’s grace to me, and I thank Him daily for her.

Twenty-four years ago she took a chance on me, and she’s breathed meaning into every step along the path of life. She is the reason I get up in the morning; she is the last thing I want to see at night. She is the song in my heart; she is the love of my life and my best friend.

So these hot August nights, they bring back a rush of memories. Memories of confusion and crazed activity. Memories of hurricanes and boarded-up buildings. Memories of beauty and peace. But most of all, memories of you, Joyce, and the way (thankfully) you have changed my life forever.

As Neil Diamond would say, “good times never seemed so good...” May God grant us many, many more!

Monday Morning Rewind: Dangerous Obedience

The early church lived out its mission with an unswerving, uncompromising,  unhesitant obedience to the Lord. This obedience, which I’ve labeled “dangerous,” is the seventh characteristic of effective churches in the book of Acts. What do I mean by dangerous? I mean that their obedience was extreme, it was radical and it went beyond the simple command of duty. It was lived out with passion and zeal, often at the expense of comfort and concern for self. The message of their life was ALL for JESUS, not one ounce less.

This obedience was dangerous not to the apostles, but to those who dared to oppose it. When the Sanhedrin attempted to squelch the efforts of the early church’s witness to Christ by imprisoning, threatening and later beating the apostles, the response they received from Peter and the others was simply, “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5.29) Such obedience becomes dangerous when opponents  are not feared, nor the death or persecution they promise; you see, the only thing the apostles feared was failing to obey their Master, Jesus Christ. What can you do to stop a person like that?

How did the apostles “learn” such radical, extreme obedience? How can we live dangerous lives before the opponents of Christ, too?

It starts first with an attitude of the heart (v. 29). The key word in this verse is “must;” it is the same word Jesus used of Himself when He prophesied of His own suffering, death and resurrection. Scholars have called it a “divine imperative,” indicating the non-negotiable nature of the action mentioned. What this means is that the disciples had come to the place where they realized that the ONLY option for them was obedience. There was no compromise, no alternatives to consider, no plan B; there was only surrender. Peter and the apostles had learned this the hard way, for early in their experiences they resisted mightily. But they had come to understand the call was obedience was simple (just do what you’re asked); we are the ones who complicate it and make it hard. Once they learned obedience they were able to discover harmony, fulfillment and victory. We can, too.

Second, their obedience continued with unswerving loyalty to the Master (v. 21). After the apostles were imprisoned, an angel of the Lord came and released them, telling them to go to the temple courts and share the Good News as they had opportunity with any who they could. The Scripture goes on to tell us that they went “as they had been told,” with no variation, no improvisation or change to what the angel had asked of them. They were exact and specific in their obedience. But here’s where they “dangerous” part comes in again–the Scripture says they went “at daybreak,” even though the angel said nothing to them about the “when” of their obedience. They chose the earliest possible time to make sure they didn’t miss the first people in the temple courts who needed to know about Jesus. They didn’t care about the consequences! They just cared about their testimony, as Peter later reported again “we are witnesses of these things” (v. 32). Wow.

Finally, we learn that obedience brings “open doors of opportunity” (v. 19). They had honored the Lord with their radical obedience; He saw fit to bless them in turn (not by keeping them from opposition or persecution) by providing a way for others to hear of what God had done for them. God continues to do that in the lives of faithful believers, who are willing to risk all in obedience to Him. When we do, He swings open the opportunities for others to see what ONLY GOD CAN DO. But such believers have to be willing and able to trust and follow their God–even if it leads them into the lion’s den! Who would have noticed Daniel’s deliverance if he hasn’t been obedient? Who would have seen the 3 Hebrew children without a hint of smoke upon them, much less fire, if they hadn”t been radically surrendered to their Lord, too? In the same way, the apostles committed all to the Lord Jesus and He provided everything they needed to show what His–and only His–Almighty hand can do.

Oh to God, that we would live such radical, extreme, unflinching obedience for our Lord and Master before the world! Wesley is supposed to have said once, “Give me 100 men who hate nothing but sin and love nothing but God and we will change the world.” I pray that we would be found in that company of 100.

The previous messages on the first six characteristics of effective churches found in the early chapters of the book of Acts are listed on previous “Monday Morning Rewinds” on my blog. Simply check the Monday posts that have been placed here in the past two months.

Fridays are for Friends & Family 08.28.09

Another week has come and gone, and what a week it has been! A couple of months ago I posted about the student missionaries with whom I served in New Hampshire in the summer of 1977. I have continued to “find” more of these colleagues over time; in fact, only four remain undiscovered to date: Valerie Brewer from Mississippi, Debbie Johnson from Maryland, Billy Redford from Georgia and Charlie Westbrook from Oklahoma.

(I'm @2nd table on left)

In the meantime, this week I traveled to Nashville to participate in the new  ”invitation only” Church Planting Leadership Network. The group of about twenty or so leaders representing multiple evangelical denominations included the leaders of the groups responsible for more than half of all of church plants in America annually. Ed Stetzer has written about the group meeting on his blog and you can read what he wrote here and download any of the presentations that were shared with us as well.

So, while I was in the Nashville area, I had the opportunity to “catch up” with two of my former colleagues: Michael Hogue and Christy Brendle. It was great to hear what’s been happened in their lives over the past 32 years since we last saw each other! God has really been doing some marvelous things. Thanks Michael and Christy, for the chance to visit and hear about your families and your lives!

AND if that was not enough, I discovered in this investigative journey that our ‘boss,” the pastor who supervised us that summer at the Agape-In in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, also lived just a half-hour outside of Nashville. So, Monday night I was able to travel over to fellowship with my first ministry supervisor and pastor for whom I ever served on staff, Rev. William T. (Brother Bill) Jenkins. He and his wife, Hellen, along with daughter Janet, reminisced with me into the wee hours of the morning. What fun it was; serendipitous and meaningful for me like few other experiences in my life.

Thank you, Father, for this special moment in time.

More Thoughts on Wagner’s “Planting New Churches” Quote

(continued from a post on August 19; you can get to part one by clicking here.)

Dr. C. Peter Wagner, formerly of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, is well-known in church planting circles for his oft-quoted, emphatic declaration that “the single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is planting new churches.” (Church Planting for a Greater Harvest, 1990.)

My gut feeling is that church planting ought to be the most effective disciple-making methodology under heaven, too. It tells me, too, that no serious transformation or impact will ever be made until we recognize and implement a strategy that acknowledges that church planting is not the objective of our efforts.

That statement alone is enough to give some people in the church planting world pause. I have met many planters and leaders in the world of church starting that believe the ultimate “end game” is to plant churches. So naturally, such a statement may rile such a person. Not me.

Now granted that Wagner’s words are not “inspired” and that he is subject to error like any other human, I still often ponder the significance of the word choice in his declaration. What especially gets my attention is his use of the word “methodology.” Dictionary.com defines this as “a set or system of methods, principles, and rules for regulating a given discipline.” Wagner acknowledges that church planting, as an method or system of evangelism, is the most effective means to be found. But if it’s method or means to an end, then what’s “the end?”

In my opinion, it’s disciple-making. This is the “end game,” the ultimate objective of our church planting efforts. After all, Jesus NEVER commanded or even suggested that his disciples plant churches; in fact, He told them HE would build His church (Matt. 16.18). What He did command them to do was to make disciples (Matt. 28.19).

The disciples under the leadership of the Holy Spirit gathered them as the church in Jerusalem (Acts 2). As a result, they quickly realized that disciples could not be made in isolation, but only in community. And the local church–wherever they went–was “the methodology” to do that.

So church planter (even the term seems somewhat misdirected), starting the church should NEVER be your ultimate objective. Even establishing it, so that it survives and thrives over time as a self-supporting, self-governing, self-propagating entity, is not enough. Be a disciple-maker; make that the “end game.”

My belief is this: you can plant a church and not make disciples (in fact, many do), but you cannot truly make disciples without it resulting in new churches. So, focus on joining the Holy Spirit in creating and shaping “fully devoted followers of Christ.” If you do that, He’ll take care of the rest.

Monday Morning Rewind: Faithful Stewardship

This week we looked at the sixth characteristic of effective churches—faithful stewardship—illustrated from the life of the early church as recorded in the book of Acts. In chapter four, verses 32 through chapter five, verse 11, the inspired author records the second significant “summary statement” of the church between the specific events of the dramatic prayer meeting we looked at two weeks ago and the contrast of Barnabas with Annanias and Sapphira at the end of this passage. These summary statements are important because they emphasize the on-going lifestyle of the early church during these days.

In this passage the emphasis is on the role of stewardship lived out in the congregation’s life. They clearly and impressively demonstrate the reality of what the apostle Paul talks about when he later writes the Corinthian church, “It is required of stewards that they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4.2). This role of stewardship is EVERYWHERE in the passage, though the word does not appear here at all. It means to manage or administer “the household affairs;” but NOT as the owner, but as someone given responsibility to oversee “the trust” on behalf of the said owner (in this instance, God). The church—and we as believers—need to accept that responsibility to live out that stewardship, in order to honor God and bless others in the process.

In fact, healthy effective churches like the Jerusalem church during these days give generously and sacrificially to meet the needs of the Kingdom of God. In order to do that, they must apply the credo of John D. Rockefeller to their own lives: “Every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity an obligation; every possession a duty.”

What then do we learn about the possessions and stewardship of the early church that can help our church be more effective today? First, stewards recognize that NOTHING belongs to them (v. 32). The text shares with us an important detail here: the believers did not “claim” rights regarding their possessions. The emphasis is on voluntary, willfully relinquishing control or rights to these possessions as their own; they realized they belonged to God. As such, they kept the focus on people and their needs, rather than on possessions and self (one of the devil’s great temptations found in materialism). In fact, the passage suggests clearly that the unity of heart (one love) and mind (one purpose) brought a common lifestyle of stewardship: it was “the norm” because it was the right thing to do.

Second, stewards share EVERYTHING they have with others (v. 32f.). The word used of the early church here is the word from which we get “communion,” or as my colleague likes to point out “common unity.” This spirit of having “in common” led to a lifestyle of sharing, especially with those less fortunate. The world saw them practicing what they preached, putting others first and being a blessing from God to meet needs wherever they could. In other words, their stewardship ENHANCED their testimony, so much so that the Holy Spirit gave great power to the proclamation of Jesus and His resurrection. Their stewardship added to their credibility, and thus to the words their shared. In addition, God blessed their efforts so that much grace fell upon “them all,” a sign of the Father’s pleasure at their eager and willing stewardship for the benefit of others.

Third, stewards SACRIFICE to help meet the needs they see (v. 34f.). This willingness to help others in need inevitably led many to sacrifice possessions and personal “things” for the privilege of being used of God to bless others. Please note that sacrifice is a normal part of the Christian experience, when lived like our Lord who sacrificed even His life for us! This congregation exhibited more than a recognition of this fact, but an eager willingness to demonstrate generosity toward others. The contrast between Joseph of Cyprus (known to us better as “Barnabas”) with Annanias and Sapphira is instructive here. Both willful sold property to help others. Both were willing to allow the apostles’ to direct how it was “distributed to anyone as he had need.” But Barnabas’ gift came from a pure heart: done for others and with honesty and integrity. Annanias and Sapphira’s gift was clouded by deceit, in all likelihood for personal accolades and glory. God judged them to protect the purity of the church and as a witness of the serious nature of our responsibility in being faithful to the truth.

It is said that someone asked Howard Hughes, at that time the richest man in the world, how much money is enough, to which he supposedly relied, “just a little bit more.” The story well illustrates the reality that many of us have fallen prey to what Bill Hybels calls “the myth of more.” In reality, if we don’t develop habits of generosity, stewardship, unselfishness and a desire to help people now, then no amount of money will change that. After Hughes death, someone else asked how much he left behind; he was reminded that he “left it all.”

In stewardship, money is NEVER the issue. Jesus said, “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also” (Matthew 6.21). The Bible tells me clearly where the heart of the early church in jersualem was. Where is the heart of your church? Where is YOUR heart? Purpose now to live your life as a faithful steward of what God has entrusted to you. Use your possessions and opportunities to bless others, for Jesus’ sake.

The notes from the previous five characteristics of effective churches found in the early chapters of the book of Acts are also posted here on my blog. You can find them one a week over the previous six Monday Morning Rewinds.

Fridays are for Friends & Family 08.21.09

It’s the end of the week and time again for another “Friends & Family” edition! This week we begin in church planting with one of my colleagues of whom I have the utmost respect, Bob Roberts. Bob, who pastors NorthWood Church in Keller, Texas, recently blogged on “The Shape of Theology” in his own life and how it both affects his behavior and worldview as a church planter and trainer of other church planters. It’s a must read for every new church starter! Check it out here.

Speaking of theology (and social media), Leonard Sweet, author of so many thought-provoking books and articles (Soul Tsunami was a life-changer for me; thanks, Len), recently became a “Twitter-er,” and as is typical with Sweet, he jumped in with both feet and got quickly involved. He recently posted on his site an article that is definitely worth the read in regards to this:  “Twitter Theology: Five ways Twitter has changed my life and helped me be a better disciple of Jesus.” You can get to it from here.

Ed Stetzer on his blog recently interviewed Steve Addison, the Director of Church Resource Ministries (CRM) Australia, and author of a new book, Movements that Change the World. According to Ed Stetzer, Steve “is called to encourage church planting movements around the world and is therefore a student of the history of movements that spread the gospel.” Steve’s book focuses on the five common characteristics found in these historical movements that have had such far-reaching impact. You can read about the book and the movements it studied by going to Stetzer’s site from here. By the way, this book is published by Missional Press, the same company who published our book PlantLIFE, as well.

Web Picture of the Week

Speaking of Dr. Stetzer, I believe he was the one who posted this picture earlier in the week of a chapel service many years ago at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Can you tell who it is?

That’s right; Mr. Purpose-Driven himself, Dr. Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in California.  Wow; great picture…

Finally, this week is the LAST CHANCE for my Boston Red Sox to stay in the Eastern Division race of the American League. A pivotal three game series with the Yankees starts tonight at Fenway Park in Boston. After losing all four games last week in the Bronx, the Red Sox must sweep this series or be banished to fight for the “Wild Card” through the rest of the year. As you can see, I’m not ready to write them off, just yet; after all, they’ve won eight games in the series this year to only four for the Yankees. You can read about the series and watch a video preview here. Will they do it? Stay tuned. It all starts tonight at MLB.TV.

What Peter Wagner FAILED to Say

Dr. C. Peter Wagner, formerly of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, is well-known in church planting circles for his oft-quoted, emphatic declaration that “the single most effective evangelistic methodology under heaven is planting new churches.” (Church Planting for a Greater Harvest, 1990.) I would go so far as to say that it is the most referenced statement about the value of church planting in the last twenty years, though I have nothing but anecdotal evidence to support it. What I can support is that his categorical statement has been researched multiple times since then and it has in every instance of which I am aware (Christianity Today, Fuller Seminary doctoral dissertation and LifeWay over the decade from 1991-2001) found him not only to be correct in his assessment, but rather overwhelmingly correct. By a ratio of no less than 3:1, church plants are more effective evangelistically than churches over fifteen (sometimes ten) years of age!

Such a researched FACT should rightly be shouted from the mountaintops and proclaimed in every classroom. In addition, every church planter needs to recognize the optimal opportunity they have in their infancy (years 0-3) to make enormous evangelistic impact, because this period  typically will dissipate and unfortunately, does not normally return again–at least in the same measure. This is important and should not be overlooked! In fact, our church multiplication ministry has become so convinced of its priority that we will no longer recruit church planters who fail to have the passion and fire for evangelism at the foremost of their church planting vision.

But there’s still something that haunts me about this statement. I’ve read it hundreds of times over the past two decades and I have to confess, in most of those readings, I focused on what Wagner DID say. Lately, I’ve been asking myself what he FAILED to say in that bold, brash statement: he never says in that context–or anywhere else to my knowledge–that church planting is the most effective DISCIPLE-MAKING methodology under heaven. In fact, while the scope of my research in limited to be sure, I have never seen any author say that; have you?

Ouch.

Now I quickly realize that this omission could be missing because there has not been any research on it. After all, how would you measure success in disciple-making? It’s certainly easier with evangelism (at least the “conversion” part). So maybe I need to lobby Ed Stetzer or George Barna to do some research on the subject, in hopes of putting my mind at ease. Maybe it’s just the absence of reliable data that is at the basis of my concern.

Maybe, on the other hand though, church planters are not prepared, trained and adequately equipped to facilitate the disciplemaking process through church planting in the same way they are readied in evangelism. Perhaps this, too, is why many church plants are heavily invested in the worship experience (using either a gather-the-crowd then “scatter the seed” evangelism strategy or a “feed the flock” information-dump-for-disciple-making strategy) and weak elsewhere. And maybe leaders and coordinators feed this by asking about attendance and conversion experiences without ever trying to help church planters figure out how to measure success in disciple-making.

My gut feeling is that church planting ought to be the most effective disciple-making methodology under heaven, too. It tells me, too, that no serious transformation or impact will ever be made until we…(to be continued next week)

No Monday Morning Rewind This Week

Due to the fact that I did not preach yesterday at the church where I am serving, there will be no “Monday Morning Rewind” on my blog today. I will resume the series of messages on “Characteristics of Effective Churches” next week.

You can find the first five messages in this series here on my blog on each of the previous five Mondays. You will find the concluding five messages in this series on my blog, starting next Monday morning.

If you’re looking for these message notes, I hope you’ll return then. In the meantime, I’ll be posting a new “church planting” article on Wednesday and a new “Friends & Family” edition on Friday, per usual. Stop by then to check in on what I’ve posted and to add your input, too.

Fridays are for Friends & Family 08.14.09

Another week has come and gone, so with Friday upon us we turn our attention once again to what’s been happening of note around us on the Web this week. Let’s start with a very short video that has made every sports and news show this past week. The question everyone’s asking: is it real or not? What do you think?

On the denominational front this week, a new website has emerged authored by a handful of individuals, including our own BCM/D pastor/author David Phillips (see my blogroll on the side). The authors at missioscapes.com are all Southern Baptist pastors and leaders. They have started the site

Authors promise not to take selves too seriously

“with a series of posts designed to interact with a current important topic in SBC life, the Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) Task Force.  This seven-part series, entitled ‘If We Were The Great Commission Task Force…’, will provide a means for us to share some ideas that we’ve had about the task force, providing positive fodder for discussion.  The purpose will not be to provide a critique of decisions made by the group (as evidenced by our writing in advance of decisions they will make), but what we would do if we were the group itself.”

You can check it out here. Search the Category “Denominationalism” for the GCR posts.

In church planting, if you’ve been following my blog for at least a few weeks you know that David Putman wrote a post about “mistakes” church planters make and I linked to it here. Following his post, I put up a couple of articles of my own dealing with this topic. Currently, others are writing on this too. Shaun King, planter of Courageous Church in Atlanta, a current practitioner, wrote on this from his perspective, too. His thoughts are different and will connect with some of you starting new churches. You can go to his article here.

In leadership this week, Leadership Network is hosting a unique training event called “The Nines” on September 9 (9/9/09, get it?), starting at 9:09am (that’s right).  It is

“a free one-day event that will take place totally on-line.  It is specifically designed for any church leaders who is interested in learning valuable things about church leadership….Leadership Network asked some of the church’s greatest communicators:  ’If you had nine minutes to talk one-on-one with thousands of church leaders, what is the one thing that you would tell them?”"

I’m planning to join the online training day and I want to encourage every church planter and pastoral leader to do the same. The lessons learned from over 50 key leaders in the American church will be invaluable. You can register for the FREE event here.

I’ll catch up with you all again next week!

A Church Planting Manifesto

I Believe…

1. That healthy planters are the number one key to a healthy new church
2. That we too often focus on making converts rather than disciples
3. That we educate people beyond the level of their obedience
4. That we have fallen into the subtle mis-priority of focusing on “the unchurched” rather than “the lost”
5. That seeking to make disciples that result in new churches should be a higher priority than planting churches that may result in making disciples
6. That ongoing sponsor churches in only rare instances will come from churches over fifteen years in age
7. That the problem that we have is not with the harvest, or even with the lack of laborers, but with us and our lack of prayer
8. That turfism (competition rather than cooperation) is one of the greatest sins of the North American church
9. That the DNA of churches is essentially set in the first five years of life and will only alter dramatically in times of great change
10. That the day of the attractional church is over (or at best limited) for those churches under 400 in size, and it’s necessary for the church become incarnational instead
11. That the spouse of church planters is the most neglected, and yet in some ways, most vital person in the church planting system
12. That the church still struggles with the correct order of these three verbs for dealing with lost people in new churches:  Belong, Believe, Behave
13. That God created all living organisms, including His church, to reproduce “after its own kind”
14. That the church exists as a means primarily to two ends: to advance the Kingdom of God and to be the necessary incubator community for making disciples
15. That a church planting movement can never happen if the system is built on outside funding, professional clergy, and real estate

to be continued…