Defining moments
Defining moments are those times in life that determine or alter your life's course. Defining moments can be big decisions or events such as getting married, having a baby, or choosing your career. These are defining moments that definitely determine your life's direction.
However, defining moments also happen in smaller, less tangible ways, yet they can have huge outcomes, both good and bad. For example, the small, simple decision to read the Bible daily has massive benefits for a person's relationship with God.
I feel GBCK is emerging into a defining moment in her history. While there's no big event or decision that I can specifically point to that makes this a defining moment, I feel we're at a time that we will look back on as a game-changer. How will it be a game-changer? All I can say at this point is GBCK will be a church that is more and more glorifying to God. I think this defining moment is a culmination of the lessons we are learning as a leadership, the clarity of our mission, the people God is reaching and sending to GBCK, our passion for the Gospel, and God's sovereignty.
So, what do we do? Nothing different. We just keep making disciples by reaching and leading others to develop their faith, to deepen their connections, and to devote their lives to God's mission.
Five Major Trends for Amercian Churches…
There's an interesting article at the ChristianPost.com about research that identifies five emerging trends in U.S. churches.
Here are the five:
1. Our nation will see the emergence of the largest generational mission field in over a century.
2. The dominant attitude of this huge generation toward Christianity will be largely indifferent.
3. Senior adult ministries in churches will experience steep declines.
4. The large Boomer generation will become more receptive to the gospel.
5. Family will be a key value for both of the large generations.
The question is how do churches adjust to these trends? Should churches adjust? How should churches respond?
Here are some of my thoughts:
• Whatever the trends are, make sure the gospel is preached. Self-improvement messages are catchy and attractive, but the gospel is God's power for salvation.
• People reach people, methods and programs do not. Continually communicate the truth of every believers responsibility and privilege to reach out to others.
• Prayer. No matter the flow of the cultural current, prayer is the driving force that transcends culture. More prayer, more power.
• Focus on making disciples. It's our job description. It's easy to be distracted by more "flashy" programs and events because disciple-making is repetitive and lacks pizazz. But always remember: changed people change culture.
You can read the full article here.
Gospel-driven ministry
Some good thoughts on ministry/church practices...
Gospel 101 from Sojourn Community Church on Vimeo.
Know your role
I love John's response to his disciples over their concern that they are "losing" people to Jesus' ministry: "God in heaven appoints each person's work." (John 3:27)
John had a confidence in and a clear understanding of his God-appointed role in ministry: To prepare the way for Christ - "that is all." (v.28) Nothing more, nothing less.
In a highly-pressurized ministry culture that says do more, grow more, multiply more, expand more, etc., can pastors and ministry leaders every say "that is all"? I think one of the keys to ministry is to know your appointed role, find satisfaction in your role, and stop trying to become like someone else or their ministry.
There is a distinction between "that is all" and "it is finished". To be clear, the work of the Kingdom is never finished until Christ's return. When John said "that is all" he wasn't declaring mission accomplished; he was simply saying I know my role on the grander stage, and I won't try to overreach and play someone else's role.
In short, know your role.
Change
At GBCK we are walking through a lot of change in areas of leadership, systems, spiritual growth track, and even our service times. Last Summer there was something brewing inside of me that as a church we needed to change; that is, what got us to our current state wasn't going to get to where we needed to go.
Here are some things we're learning about change, especially from mistakes we made:
• In general, people do not like change. You will always have your "early adopters", but most people adopt change slowly.
• Communication is critical to change. Communicate early. Communicate often.
• Change takes time. People don't soak up change like a sponge; change seeps in.
• Get your leaders and influencers bought into the change early. Don't assume they "got it".
• Change is a process. Plan out the steps to change and then work the plan.
• Vision is the engine to change. Vision makes change a mission. Without vision change becomes a duty.
• Change takes a lot of leadership energy at the front-end.
• Change is good, change is hard.
Latest tweets
- When in conflict are u trying to win the argument or trying to win your brother? Mt18:15 @danetokushige @gbckapolei twitter.com/mikeohara808
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- RT @3rdcupcafe: Tomorrow Night! Oh yeah, We got em' back! Canoes for Rent will be here Tomorrow Night From 8pm on! Come get your groove on! twitter.com/mikeohara808
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