Video Postcards

This week at our Annual Meeting in Towson, our organization introduced a number of (what I call) video postcards to our messengers. These included a variety of ministries that cover a sampling of the services we provide to the 510 or so churches we support here in our multi-state region.

Our church multiplication ministry, known as Mid-Atlantic Church Multiplication, is highlighted in the following video which is also posted on YouTube, bcmd.org and my Facebook page.

Other videos, now also on YouTube, that were presented at the Annual Meeting include:

• Partnership Missions
• Restore My Soul Retreat Ministry
• Women’s Missionary Union
• BaptistLIFE Newsjournal
• Uncharted Youth Evangelism Conference 2009
• Shepherd’s Rest for Ministers and their Families
• Rockbridge Seminary
• EMBRACE Wilmington
• I’m a CP (Cooperative Program)
• e-quip.net

You are free to use and/or share them as you see fit. Enjoy and get connected!

Confirm, Don’t Ignore

If you don’t know it already, I’m a Facebook fanatic. I didn’t really jump on the bandwagon early, but after some of the people with whom I work and serve got involved, I did too. And I’m glad I did. It’s opened doors for renewed relationships with old friends, deeper on-going relationships with current friends and brand new relationships with acquaintances who would like to be friends.

One of the premises on which Facebook operates is the theory of “degrees of separation.” This theory assumes that you and I know somebody who knows somebody, and they in turn, know somebody, etc. There are no more than six degrees of separation, so the theory goes, that separate you and me from any other person on the planet! As a result, I’ve met people on Facebook I probably would have never met otherwise.

This got me thinking as we head into our Annual Meeting of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware: we are all only one degree of separation from Almighty God Himself. The Bible tells us that “there is one God and one mediator between God and men: the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). This is an amazing and incredible reality: Jesus is the only intermediary any of us ever need to connect with God ourselves! It’s all about WHO you know, not WHAT you do.

Now to make the connection is one thing, but to develop the connection is another matter entirely. In order for that to happen, you have to invest in the relationship. You have to spend time with God, just like you would anyone else you wanted to get to know. You have to listen and learn, not just ask and tell. You have to “open up” and be vulnerable for the relationship to deepen. Relationship has to be your top priority.

Connection with God, more than any other person I’ve ever known, has taught me to value the relationship more than the experience. Do you know what I mean by that? Many times relationships are about what we do, where we go, the things we share, etc. With God, the most important thing is who we are, more than what we do! He constantly reminds me that He loves me for who I am. In our productivity-minded world, it is a refreshing reminder that with God BEING is more important that DOING.

But sometimes relationships in my life “go bad.” Something happens to disrupt them, usually something that compromised my trust in the other person. When that happens, it makes me hesitant to trust anyone else, too. God, though, is not like that. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Since He is faithful and reliable, how can we grow to trust Him more? The same way we grow to trust anyone: by spending more time with Him. Getting to know someone better builds trust.

You see, connecting is a choice. With Facebook, I can confirm or ignore every potential relationship presented to me. But even when I choose to confirm that relationship, I only get out of it what I’m willing to put into it. Connection leads to conversation. Conversation leads to cultivation. Cultivation leads to commitment. But it all starts with a choice. Connecting with God, the “friend who sticks closer than a brother,” (Proverbs 18:24), is offered; we must be willing. Connecting has to be intentional.

So, click confirm, not ignore. And certainly don’t “delete.” At this Annual Meeting of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, “connect” with God: get to know Him better, deeper. You’ll be glad you did.

(This was originally posted at the BCM/D Annual Meeting site as a part of it’s “Get Connected…” blogging series. You can check out the entire series by clicking here.)

Fridays are for Friends & Family 11.06.09

Welcome to another week-ending edition of FFF! This week has been a flurry of activity as we finalize plans for our organization’s Annual Meeting, which begins here in Towson, Maryland, on Sunday. You can read about it here; in addition, you can register for several events by going to this page. I hope to see you there!

Sarah, my daughter in Vancouver, Canada, has picked up a number of new writing and photography assignments in the past few weeks. Last week, she roamed the sidelines of the British Columbia Lions (CFL) for a photo shoot. She also has entered a proposal on a potential future for journalism with the Knight Foundation. You can read her suggestion on how to build readership for newspapers in a more user-friendly manner by clicking here. In fact, you can register for FREE and add your “rating” and “comments.” Sarah would greatly appreciate it, I’m sure!

Last week I cited Al Mohler’s compilation of the responses author of the Great Commission Resurgence document Danny Akin has made to some of the concerns addressed (or not addressed) in the document. This week I highlight a concern raised by Dr. Bill Brown, ever the outdoorsman, formerly on faculty at Southeastern Seminary himself and now teaching in the distance-learning program at Liberty. You can read his thoughts here. This is not the first time we’ve highlighted concerns with the GCR document; this link will take you to another item surfaced by Tom Cocklereece a few months ago.

One of the most interesting “Christian” websites I’ve come across this year is the very entertaining “Stuff Christians Like.” The author, Jonathan Acuff, continues to compile short articles about a variety of items that are normative in “typical” Christian culture, behavior and experience. The “stuff” is over 650 items long at this time and continuing to grow. (It will be published as the book on the right early in 2010.) Part information and part entertainment, it is fascinating to me to see how pervasive our “Christian world” is and the impact is has on what we think and do. You can click here to begin your journey through his site.

Last week I mentioned the recent leadership event with Mike Huckabee…(if you missed that you can read about it here.) Another outstanding speaker at that event was Rev. Rod Hairston, chaplain of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. Rod did an exceptional job talking about character in the life of a leader. What you may not know is that Rod is also a church planter, having planted Messiah Community Church in the Owings Mills area about four years ago. You can find out more about Rod, including how you can have him come and speak at your next event, by clicking here. I am indeed blessed to consider him a friend.

Well, that’s it from here this week. I’ll be reporting next week from our Annual Meeting in Towson. Hopefully, my colleagues and I will see you there. So until next time, keep on moving at the speed of God!

An Opportunity to CONNECT

Beginning this Sunday, November 8, we in the Mid-Atlantic region will have a unique opportunity to celebrate the Great Commission cooperation we share within our “tribe.” This year’s Annual Meeting of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware will meet at the Sheraton Towson (Maryland) and has been reformatted to be more worshipful, interactive and participatory. There will be less business, more learning and more chances to serve in the midst of our conference together. How will we do this? Several ways come to mind. We will share in meal times together before sessions. We will have small group break outs for learning and application. And we have streamlined the business portions of our meeting into very small segments, the minimum necessary to keep us focused on God’s vision and presence among us.

We at BCM/D are billing this as a time to CONNECT, and anticipating the chances we will have to share in worship, live life and minister together.

CONNECT with God (Sunday evening). Our evening starts at 5:00pm with a banquet planned for those of you who are church planters and young missional pastors. As I mentioned last week, founding pastor Ron Sylvia of The Springs in Ocala, Florida, will be our banquet speaker. He will share about some of the lessons he’s learned in church planting and now pastoring a large church, with an emphasis on maximizing your walk with God and strengthening your marriage during the process of planting a church. He will answer questions from you, the planters and pastors, who are present, about concerns and issues that are pressing to you at this time. Later in the evening session he will speak again, along with North American Mission Board “Ambassador” Charles Roesel, from Leesburg, Florida.  Their goal is to assist us in getting a fresh vision of God and to be Kingdom risk-takers for Him. Spouses are welcome at the banquet (no extra charge) and babysitting is provided for children up to age 5 (at all sessions and mealtimes, as well).

CONNECT with each other (Monday morning). We will start off with some fun and humor as “Christian Illusionist and Extreme Balloon Man” Steve Gambrill entertains and “teaches” us. We will worship together as Gary Hollingsworth, pastor of Immanuel in Little Rock, Arkansas, preaches and Keith & Kristyn Getty from Northern Ireland, authors of “The Power of The Cross” and “In Christ Alone“, lead us in worship. Then we’ll have brunches for everyone present: ministers, their wives and lay people (register in advance: NO COST).

CONNECT with the community (Monday Afternoon). During the afternoon, we’ll worship together with Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue in New Orleans preaching. Then, we’ll have break out sessions on “helping hurting people,” “ministries that impact,” “building an evangelism strategy,” “money management” and “impacting our changing culture.” All will be led by local and national leaders who are specialists and practitioners in these fields. We’ll also have a three-hour “plunge into the city” for those who want to be involved in a first-hand missions experience. There will be opportunities to assist some of our church planters in their fields of ministry or learn from them as they share in the break out sessions.

CONNECT with the world (Monday evening-Tuesday Morning). In the evening session on Monday, we’ll hear vision messages to challenge us with our Great Commission mandate from our Executive-Director David Lee and our Convention President Byron Day. On Tuesday morning, in the final session, we’ll hear from Scott Preissler of Southwestern Seminary and Larry Steen of Westminster, Maryland, to wrap things up.

Our church planters will want to be present for the networking and “surprise” events that will take place too. I will have gifts for you and opportunities for future experiences available to those of you at the banquet and other items for those of you who come during the Monday-Tuesday sessions. Wives present will be blessed with these “extra privileges,” too. And of course, our “booth” will have information and individuals who gather to share with each other and collect information for ministry.

Finally, this is a great opportunity to celebrate our cooperation as Southern Baptists, one of the cornerstones of our identity. If we ever lose this value, we will cease to have the impact on the world and each other we’ve shared for the past century and a half.

So come celebrate with us! and CONNECT…the Great Commission still calls us forward, together.

Pediatric Care

My cousin celebrated the birth of newborn Gabrielle Grace Jackson last week. We, along with all the family, rejoiced in this wondrous occasion. New life is one of the greatest miracles of all and with it should come the recognition of God’s creative work. Each of us is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

Unfortunately with Gabbi, she has had some physical complications that have made her health precarious. Doctors and technicians are watching over her 24/7, and more than that, our Heavenly Father and an army of believers are watching over her spiritually. Many of you have been praying for her and for that, our family is eternally grateful. Please continue praying for her!

This experience got me thinking: what if Gabbi did not have doctors and technicians to assist her in this part of her journey in life? What if she and her parents had not had so many people in the family of God surrounding them with prayer and support through these days? I can’t help but believe that her situation would be markedly different; in fact, probably terminal.

The most neglected part of the church planting journey for almost every new church start is the time AFTER the plant has had its “birth.” These formative months and years are critical to the health and development of the infant church. And just like a newborn child, there are needful things that should be done to ensure its growth. We at the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware do our best to provide the essentials for an infant church to thrive during this early period in the church’s young life.

Food, Rest and Play. These essentials for life are needed by all human organisms. Proper training provides the nourishment needed to fuel the fledgling church. With it, though, are needed adequate seasons of rest and “play,” found in the focused efforts to streamline “busy-ness” in the plants by helping planters get away for renewal and opportunities to have fun together with each other and as families.

Love and Attention. Crossing the major milestone “of birth” doesn’t end our support for the plant and its leaders. On the contrary, we seek to become a listening ear and a cheerleading advocate to encourage them on as they look to the future. We do our best to “brag on them” and even pull out the pictures and show others, given the chance. We want to be ready and available when they sense a need.

Prayer. We are constantly aware that this is a spiritual endeavor, not a business enterprise. As such, like parents and other loved ones, we recognize there are limitations to our abilities and even our insight into what needs to happen. Because of this we are earnestly and often in deep and passionate prayer for God to work in the plant’s life. We pray for God to reveal more of Himself to that new child in His kingdom work and for Him to do for His new church what only God can do.

Check-ups. At regular intervals in the life of the new church, we evaluate the health and development of the fledging congregation. Our attempt is to be prescriptive in our diagnosis, in order to keep the “child” healthy while very young, when it is often most vulnerable. These check-ups are an attempt to help the new church value the process of reflection and evaluation and learn how to make the adjustments necessary to keep growing, qualitatively as well as quantitatively.

Booster “Shots.” As the new work grows in a healthy manner, we initiate contact with those who need these injections to (1) protect it from outside threats and/or (2) to catalyze it so that it can grow faster and stronger. Like all injections, there is a process to follow for one’s safety and strength, but when followed, it can result in meaningful and significant development beyond whatever level the plant currently is experiencing.

Parental Support. Babies don’t come into this world alone; they have parents who also need support and encouragement on the journey. Churches who parent new works finds coaches and trainers to assist them in knowing what and how they should go about helping this new church plant grow and develop as it should. Cautions against over-protectiveness and negligence are both addressed. More than anything, though, parent churches find friends for life, who will celebrate and serve them in whatever way possible to make the parenting experience a joyful one that will be repeated often.

Ultimately, Gabbi’s health and well-being is in hands of our Lord; the same is true of every church plant. But like any good parent and friend, we seek to be good stewards over the gift of life that God has shared with us in these new “children.” Our hope and dream is that they too will become trophies of His grace and will, in turn, share His love with generations yet to come.

(The above is an advance release of the article that I have written for our state newsjournal, BaptistLIFE, this coming month.)

Friday is for Follow-Up

This week was an amazing one! So many experiences, topped by the conference we hosted for Dan Kimball. Many of you were there and participated with us in learning much about the culture, evangelism and how to be the church as we were intended to be. If you have not read his most recent book, They Like Jesus but Not the Church, I would encourage you to pick it up, as it will help you go deeper in understanding these issues and possible responses to them. Click here to read a book review that my colleague, blogger and fellow attendee Ryan Weaver, recently posted on his site.

Dan also showed this video during our time together on Tuesday. It’s a thought-provoking look at how fast our world is changing. Check it out.

Dan also mentioned Origins Project. This network/community is in its fledgling stage, so you can get in on the ground floor if you so desire. Dan and Erwin McManus are the primary founders behind it and a number of others, including Mark Batterson and Rick McKinley are also involved. It’s purpose is to keep the main thing the main thing: that is, evangelism. You can find out more about it or register by clicking here.

After the conference was over, Dan and I headed down to my office to tape the most recent edition of the “Moving at the Speed of God” podcast about culture, his book, the Origins Project…and his hair! You can listen to it or download it here. It will also be up on iTunes in the next day or two.

My thanks and the thanks of my organization, the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware, go out to Dan and his lovely family for their graciousness, friendship and passion for Jesus and life…and for sharing these things with us.

Are you a BCM/D Church Planter?

If you are, then this message is for you!

I don’t want you to miss out on one of the most important learning opportunities of the year so I will cover the full $50 price for you to join us tomorrow at “A Day with Dan Kimball” in Columbia, Maryland, from 9:00am-3:30pm.

Here are the conditions:

1. You have to come for the conference tomorrow in person.

2. I can only pay for you (not a spouse or lay leader).

3. You have to stay for the whole event.

4. You have to have started with our organization no earlier than 2004.

5. And this is important: You have to write me back a comment to this blog post that says you plan to attend and take advantage of this offer.

FYI: IF YOU’VE ALREADY REGISTERED and you fit the description I just gave, I will refund your money too, if you write me a comment in response to this too.

AND if you are in the “pipeline” for assessment with our organization (meaning you’ve already begun the process), whether or not you’re already registered, I’LL PAY YOUR BILL TOO (OR REFUND YOUR MONEY) if you also respond with a comment to this post.

I’m in a generous spirit, so don’t let me keep my money…write me now and see me here in Columbia tomorrow.

Greatest Hits: Year One

Today we celebrate the one year anniversary of the start of this blog, “Moving at the Speed of God.” MSG has been an attempt to do several things: to share some of my story and learning (especially from the Scriptures), to help you see the ministry lessons in real life (often found in sports analogies) and perhaps most of all, to challenge our thinking on church and church planting issues.

We began this blog at our organization’s website, http://bcmd.org/church-multiplication as “David Jackson’s blog” on the Ministry Resources Guide and two weeks later moved it to the current WordPress site. From very humble beginnings (the stats page says we had only 28 “hits” in May last year) to being acknowledged by at least one aggregate SBC blog website as one of the 64 blogs important enough to be included in their March Madness event, my journey with the blog has been exciting and enjoyable. Thanks for your participation and dialogue here with me!

So without further ado, here are the highlights from year one.

Most Viewed Post from “Monday Morning Rewind.” Monday Morning Rewind has been a regular addition for much of the year. It is a weekly post that shares my sermon notes from the previous day’s message.  Take a Look in the Mirror on Matthew 7.1-6 on March 30 from my series on the Sermon on the Mount caught the most interest from visitors.

Most Viewed Post from “Fridays are for Family & Friends.” Another regular week post is my FFF each week. The post on Friday the 13th, Fridays are for Friends & Family 03.13.09 with our BCM/D recruiting video, my daughter’s first sports writing attempt (hockey, no less!) , Dr. Lee’s podcast forecasting the future and church plant Iron Hill in New Castle, Delaware, were highlighted.

Most Viewed Post on a News Item. The inauguration of our new President earlier this year garnered a great deal of attention. However, it was Rick Warren’s involvement, both before the event and as a result of the event, that impacted those who came to my site. Rick Warren’s Invocation at the Inauguration was the most interesting news item I posted for viewers this year.

Most Viewed Post on a Sports Item. Most readers here at MSG know that I’ve a big New England sports fan (Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics). However, it wasn’t any of my articles about these teams that attracted your attention. More than any other, the post about Tim Tebow and the National Collegiate Football Championship Game was read by you.

Most Viewed Post on a Live Blogging Event. BCM/D Annual Meeting: The Pastor’s Conference with Ed Stetzer. Dr. Stetzer attracts a lot of attention whereever he goes to speak. So when he came to our Annual Convention and was the focal speaker at our Pastor’s Conference, my live blogging of that event caused a large spike in viewership both here and at my Twitter account.

Most Viewed Post on Church Planting. The publication of my book PlantLIFE: Principles and Practices in Church Planting by Missional Press received more hits than any other post dealing with church planting all year.  Why Student Ministers Make Good Church Planters is less than a month old post but is a fast-gaining runner-up in this category.

Most Views of Any Post All Year: Surprisingly to me, my 25 Random Things about Me post–essentially just a “cut and paste” job from the Facebook phenomenon last year–has been the most viewed post in the history of MSG!

Most Ignored Post All Year. This post, a very early addition to my blog, reflected on an observation by Alan Hirsch that I actually heard him repeat last week at the Exponential Conference. I have found his thought on this challenging and troubling at the same time. If you missed it, you can read Remove the Queen here.

Most Comments on a Post All Year. There have been a flurry (by MSG standards) of comments to Why Student Ministers Make Good Church Planters since it came out last month. Most of them have been by student ministers actually with some great observations and questions of their own.

Most Searched Item All Year. Ever wonder what people search for on a blog? Well, here they searched primarily for 25 Random Things about Me. Paul Harvey and the rest of the story was a distant second.

Most Referrals to My Blog All Year. Far and away, I received the most referrals (source which led others to this blog) from my Facebook account. But when it comes to other blogs, Wally Yocum’s soundofhearts.blogspot.com has had more visitors click through to my site than any other source.

Most Interesting Notice of My Blog. The inclusion of MSG in the SBC Voices Blog Madness was unexpectedly and humbling. While I am pretty sure I was the last addition to the contest (out of 64 blogs) and I didn’t make it into the second round, I was honored to be included, especially in my first year of posting.

Most Click Throughs. More people clicked through my site to My Twitter account than any other. When it came to my blogroll, more click throughs went to my wife’s site, Planting Home. Joye also serves our organization as our Church Planters Spouse and Family Coordinator.

Most Click Throughs to a Photo. This one stumps me. Of all the pictures I have posted on my site, the one that has attracted the most hits is this picture from a worship experience last year at the North American Mission Board’s Summer State Leadership Meeting.

Most Click Throughs to a Video. The video which has been viewed the most this year through my site has been Our Mid-Atlantic Church Planting Recruiting Video.

Biggest Surprise of the Year. The top two posts in terms of number of hits dealt with me personally: 25 things and about me. I certainly didn’t expect that! But I guess it goes to show that people are not just interested in other thoughts; they are interested in the person connected to them.

So thanks to all of you who have journeyed here over the past year. You’ve made the adventure more enjoyable and satisfying. Here’s to year number two, with hopes that it will be more meaningful, interactive and engaging for us all.

Thank You, BCM/D!

Today marks the completion of my eighth year with the Baptist Convention of Maryland/ Delaware! Wow, I am as amazed by that fact as any of you out there. This is the longest I’ve ever “worked” on one ministry assignment in my life. Some of you probably thought I wasn’t a good match for the work here (I wondered that early on); some of you probably thought I’d be elsewhere by now (I’ve had those moments too). But I still believe with all my heart that God called me here to lead our church planting effort and that He’s not through using me to expand His kingdom in this way.

We’ve seen some success over these years. Over 220 churches have been started. Thousands of people have become followers of Christ. Families have been transformed by Jesus. Communities have been impacted by the love of our Lord. Churches have become engaged in larger Kingdom priorities here and even around the world. All of these things are reasons for rejoicing.

I want to thank God for the privilege of serving here. It’s been a blessing and a joy to learn from Him and to serve His people in this region.

I thank my wife and children for their support and encouragement in joining me in fulfilling the call of God upon our lives, which led us here from Boston in 2001.

I thank Dr. Lee, our Executive-Director, for “taking a chance” on me and believing I was the one God wanted to serve with him here in the ministry of church planting. And I thank the rest of the staff–the missionaries and the support staff–for the privilege and opportunity they’ve given me to partner with them in the joint ministry we share here in the Mid-Atlantic area.

I thank the churches of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware for the honor of serving them. I love the pastors and the people God has here in these congregations! They have richly blessed my life. And I especially am thankful for those in the churches where I have served as an interim pastor: you have helped me grow in my walk with the Lord as we’ve journeyed together on the path God set before us.

And I thank the church planters, whom I’ve had the privilege to know and serve over these eight years. You are my heroes–your courage, faith, determination and creativity, among many other things, have made my spirit soar as I’ve watched what God has done through you.

There are others, too, of course, in the larger Christian community that have blessed my life immensely over these eight years, including those of you who over the past eleven months have started to read and comment on this blog. Thanks; I am humbled by you and the way you have all blessed my life.

Now on to year nine and beyond, as the Lord allows! One thing I know: every day is an exciting adventure with the Lord Jesus Christ. While there are twists and turns along the journey, the walk is deep and rich, and meaningful every step of the way.

I can’t wait to see what God’s going to show us all next. To Him be the glory!

Dan Kimball Coming to Town

Just a heads up for all of you out there who are interested: Dan Kimball, church planter, pastor, author, blogger and one of the leading voices among younger evangelicals in America, will be with us here in Columbia, Maryland, on Tuesday, May 12.  “A Day with Dan Kimball” will focus on what’s happening among emerging generations and why they are disappearing from our church.

During the day Dan will talk about “the emerging church” and discuss its developments, including the differences taking place within the movement (including why he personally no longer uses the term “emerging church). In addition, Dan will discuss how churches are viewing themselves as missional and what that means to the average pastor and church in terms of a variety of things, including leadership, evangelism, preaching, worship and even facilities.

Dan will speak a portion of the day addressing some of the concerns that the emerging culture in America has in regards to Christians in particular and the church in general. These criticisms includes perceptions that the church is judgmental, homophobic, anti-intellectual and oppressive of females. He will conclude with thoughts about what we as the church can do about it without compromising the Scripture or truth.

Dan serves as founding planter/pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California. He has written a number of cutting edge books, including The Emerging Church, Emerging Worship and most recently, They Like Jesus but Not the Church. He is currently completing his Doctor of Ministry degree from George Fox Seminary. For more information about Dan, you can go to his own blog here.

The event is open to the public. The cost is $50 per person. To register or for more details about location, click here.