I want to be the pastor of a GREAT Church.

What does a great church look like?

(You will see Bold letters in parentheses.  The explanation of these letters is found below.)

We live in an ungodly and non-Christian world.  We need to find a way to present the Gospel in a way that makes sense (understandable), meets a need (relevant) and inspires them to want to pursue God through faith in Christ. (G)

There are two groups of followers of Christ that need to be developed; followers and pursuers.  Followers are established in Christ and need to be developed as leaders and servants.  To take God-pursuers on a spiritual journey we need to build leadership teams.  These teams will be needed for the church as a whole and then broken down into three significant groups: children, youth and adults.  These leaders need to build teams to provide the service needed for significant and successful ministry.  (E)

The goal of ministry is transformed lives.  A transformed life is a life that commits to following and imitating Christ.  When a person makes a commitment to following and imitating Christ is making a decision to do what Christ says we must do as Christians. When we call Jesus Christ Lord means that we commit to doing whatever He tells us to do. (This often happens either during worship service or the result of a worship service.  Worship services should challenge the worshiper to take a faith step and make a commitment to follow and imitate Christ. (T)

The good news is that you don’t need to know or do everything at once.  As you grow and mature spiritually the Holy Spirit will reveal your next step of spiritual growth.)  Following and imitating Christ will change your life.  It will change how you think.  It will change how you behave.  It will change who you are.  People must experience and be taught two things: a personal and relevant experience of Christ Jesus through worship and learn who Christ is and what a follower of Christ should be and do (John 4:23-24). Pursuers become followers and imitators of Christ who assimilate into the leadership and ministry teams of the church.  These new followers are discipled in Life Groups and discover their unique identity and purpose in the body of Christ, the church. (R/A)

The goal then is that within three years (just like the time Jesus used to disciple His 12 disciples) these new followers will reproduced followers and imitators of Christ.  This means we go full circle.  We look for ways to be missional and intentional about taking the church into the world and finding a way to making the Gospel relevant, understandable and inspiring to an ungodly and non-Christian world who needs what only Christ can give.  Our message is simple.  Christ changes lives and what He tells us to do matters to the followers of Christ. (G)

Here is a question for you.  If you are a follower of Christ are you engaged in the process of seeing lives changed through Christ Jesus?  If not, are you willing to make a 12 month commitment?  Of the GREAT opportunities, which one would you like to be a part of in the next 12 months?  Before you answer these questions, do the following: Pray.  Ask God to inspire you to be a part of something significant.  Even though you may not know your God-given gifts for ministry, you probably do know where your interests are.  Are you interested in working with people: kids? youth? adults? with tasks: organizing? planning? helping?  Do you have a natural ability to lead?  Do you want to ask more questions?  Would you be willing to do something?

Here are my final comments.  Do you understand the eternal seriousness of our mission as a church?

•  Mission of a GREAT Church:

To be and make Fully Devoted Followers of Christ who Get God, Share Life, Give Back.

•  Vision of a GREAT Church: Transformed Lives that reflect Christ matters and changes lives

•  Values of a GREAT Church: G.R.E.A.T Church Values:

•     G: Growth through evangelism and outreach.

Text: Luke 14:23 “Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”

a.   sending church into the world: service projects in community

b.   bringing world into the church: evangelism, attraction events,

(i.e., Matthew Party like Christmas on the Corner, a time to bring unbelievers to mix with followers of Christ; or investing in the community middle school; using Face Book, texting, and other means for communicating with friends and family about the life and ministry of the church.)

•   R: Reproduce through discipleship.

Text: Matthew 11:29a “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me.”

a.  training mentors & leaders (1-2-1 Timothy discipleship)

b.  shaping followers of Christ (12 weeks)

(i.e., this is answering the question, what is a Christian? what does a Christian do? This is usually done in a Life Group and/or in a one to one teaching by a mentor.)

•   E: Equip to serve as leaders and teams.

•   Text: Ephesians 4:12 “For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”

a.   Leaders: Leadership training

b.   Teams: Team training

(i.e., This is raising up leaders who will own their specific ministry and develop leaders and servants to execute effective ministry.  Leaders must share leadership and ministry.)

•   A: Assimilate into community of church.

Text: Acts 2:47 “Praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord was adding to their numbers day by day those who were being saved.”

a.   Life groups: New life groups; new leaders; new members in group

b.   membership: community and covenant commitment to local church

(i.e., This is a place to share vision of church, teachings of Christ, sharing life, and calling individuals and groups to ministry that fits their gifts and abilities.)

•   T: Teach Relevance of Christ through an atmosphere of worship.

Text: Acts 5:42, “And every day in the temple and from house to house, they kept on teaching and preaching Jesus as Christ.”

a.   salvation & baptisms (baptism is symbol of salvation)

b.   sanctification: not saved for self alone, now saved for sacrificial ministry

(i.e., sanctification is a commitment to Christ and selfless service more than merely one’s own spiritual needs.)

Awanas has turned out to be a wonderful success. Many thanks to Wendy Elliot for her wisdom and guidance as our new commander. Our adult volunteers have been fantastic. It seems most of our begining of the year bugs, have been worked out. And we are well on our way to a great year. Our Cubbie program had so many children. We chose to make two separate Cubbie groups in order to accomodate everyone. This is happy news as we share God’s love with our little ones. Last week we celebrated our Fall Harvest Festival. Children and leaders alike were dressed in costumes. We decorated cookies and had special games and crafts. What a fun night for children.

As we head toward Thanksgiving our focus will be on keeping an “attitude of gratitiude.” It is so easy for us to loose sight of our blessings and focus on our trials. It may be cliche` but it is time to reset our focus.

“…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” Philipians 4:8

Do couples have affairs to get sex or better sex.  Syracuse University research tells us no.  In a list of the top 10 things couples want in a marriage, sex ranked # 9.  So what do men and women want in a marriage? The two most important things for both men and women is communication and humor.

For men, there are five things: First, respect.  His wife makes him feel capable of doing things well and praises him.  Secondly, refuge.  His wife makes home a stress free environment where he can get away from the stress at his job.  Thirdly, relationship.  It is a place to be yourself.  You can talk freely and unload negative feelings and get your mind wrapped around life before going out into the world. Fourthly, reserved time.  In the midst of all the other things she reserves time for him and takes sex seriously.  5. respect. She takes care of herself and the relationship and works at keeping herself clean and looking good and keeping the marriage fresh.

Women have a different set of important things.  Affection is number one.  Taking time to show that he cares is really important.  This can happen in numerous ways, kisses, romance, hugs, gentle pat, etc…  Conversation is the second one on the list.  It should be about her, not him or his day all the time.  It is his way of showing her that she is priority.  Thirdly, being open and honest.  Secrets only lead up to blow ups.  Dealing with things as they come up is key to not building up resentment and anger.  Fourthly is financial support.  It is rare for any woman to want a man to be lazy and not interested in providing for the family.  Even if it is a partnership, which is not uncommon these days, she wants to know he is ambitious and making an effort rather than being a mooch.  Lastly, she wants her man to be committed to the family and invest time and life into the kids individually and collectively.

These things, regardless if you are a man or a woman do not come naturally.  You have to make an effort to make your marriage partner a priority in your life.  You must be intentional about identifying slow leaks and taking care of it before it becomes a sudden blow up.

If he/she is not getting attention at home then he/she will take it from wherever and whoever gives it.  Men need their wives to communicate respect.  It is a hormonal need.  If she does not do it and another woman does, it is the first step to an affair, even if it looks innocent.  People who are in leadership and do a great job are sometimes admired by those who work with them. The encounter will look like an innocent compliment, but if the wife is not giving the compliment, it can open a door that he will go through to get his hormonal fix.  In like minded fashion, if the husband is not showing affection and having conversation, she will innocently go to someone who is.  In this day and age of Facebook and emails, affairs can begin with innocent online friendships that were never meant to go any further than a text message.

One of the things that both men and women want from their spouse is empathy.  They want to know that their partner understands what they feel and are going through.  Imagine if they don’t empathize.  Then he or she goes to work and some handsome man slightly touches her on the shoulder and let’s her know he understands, which leads to the break room. Or he is at the water cooler and she builds him up and strengthens him with compliments and even a rub on the shoulder and a renewal of respect that he was lacking is given, but from the wrong person.  All these things are innocent but they lead you to a place that should be reserved only for your spouse.  Then they go home and there is nothing but stress.  They don’t laugh.  They have bills.  They have things that need to be fixed.  They have crying kids.  They have softball, karate, dancing, homework… the list goes on an one.  Then they go back to work where the girl flirts with the guy and the guy with the girl.  There is a sense of unknown and forbidden that draws you even more.  It leads to what looks like an innocent lunch or dinner in the name of business but subconsciously they have a deep fantasy down deep. And they wonder what it would be like to escape the world of stress and live in this new world.  Are you getting the picture?

It starts with estrangement, then to encounter, then to empathy and then enjoyment.  Then it leads them to the execution.  It is all covered up but below the surface both know that this things that will lead to a one night stand will eventually lead to something more.

It will lead to expression.  It will be expressed through affection, sex and a lost of judgment.  The spouse or the kids will not be in their minds.  She will receive affection and he will receive respect.  Then they live with the long term effect.  A broken self.  A broken marriage.  A broken family.  One man said he never imagined that one night could do so much damage.

A man was victim of his wife having an affair.  Here is a little of what he said:  “One reason it feels so good to be married is the sense of being chosen.  Out of all the people in the world she chose me.  Me to touch, express intimacy; she chose me to share deepest sighs and groans.  It is only us…but after she had the affair, he said, “I felt unchosen and that I could not please her and that she took what was only ours to another man.  And that he would embrace her, hold her, kiss her…”

Affairs happen when marriages grow stale and stagnant from no movement and no growth.  Affairs happen when you give to another what should be reserved for your spouse.  I remember a time years ago when I had a personal problem and my secretary asked my if I wanted to talk about it.  I said, “I would love to, but I have reserved such conversation for my wife.”  Books are written on this subject.  But let’s keep it simple.  Are you affair proofing your marriage?  Are you helping your spouse grow as an individual and meeting their needs?  Are you investing in your marriage?  If not, it will not be affair proof.  Remember, men need respect and women need affection.  Focus on these two alone and you are a step ahead of many marriages.

Proverbs 5:15-23

May your fountain be blessed and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth, a loving doe, a graceful deer, may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.  Why be captivated my son, by an adulteress?  Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?  For a man’s ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths.  The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him, the cords of his sin hold him fast.  He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly.

by Dr. Stephen Forsyth

If the poor who loves God are the ones who inherit the kingdom of God then should we become poor, especially if we are considered rich in the eyes of the world?

There are so many distractions that hinder our worship. We must not deal with them as they come, but instead prepare our hearts beforehand. We must always stay in tuned with God through prayer and His Word.

Jesus, when tempted, used the Word of God to defuse Satan. His disciples often found him alone communing with the Father.

Do you live a life of worship when no one is looking? When tempted, is your mind renewed or do you scramble to renew it in the heat of battle?

Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1, 2 KJV)

Lord help me to lose this life that I would find it in You.

The 90 Day Tithing Challenge is an All-Church challenge to actually do what God calls on us to do: test what He says and see if it is true.  In Malachi 3:10 God tells us to tithe and see if we are blessed.  There are two things we will be challenged to do: live right and test God’s Word in the most difficult place-finances.

Principles to remember during these 90 Days

1.  God is the Owner of EVERYTHING.
2.  God is the PROVIDER of Every Good Thing.
3.  God appoints you as a MANAGER of His resources.
4.  God watches EVERYTHING you give.
5.  Do not become prideful of what you are GIVEN by God.
6.  No matter how much you receive from God you are called to TITHE on that amount.
7.  If you fail to PLAN then you will plan to FAIL.

Psalm 119:33-35(TLB) says, “Just tell me what to do and I will do it, Lord.  As long as I live I will wholeheartedly obey.  Make me walk along the right paths, for I know how delightful you are.”

Everyday you need to begin by giving the day to God.  He is in charge.  This is what is meant when we call Him Lord.  For the next 90 Days focus on making Jesus Christ Lord of your life.  It will make a difference – Guaranteed!

Pastor Steve

KIDS JAM is delighted to be sending home a new monthly publication called, Home Front.  You will see articles on family devotions. You will find articles to help equip parents as spiritual leaders. There are also ideas & activities to enhance family time.  The first issue of home from will be sent home with your child, September 4. You may also pick one up in the sign in area.

We are pleased to pass along the news that AWANAS is continuing. Wendy Elliot is our Commander this year. We look forward to seeing the children on Wednesday nights.

Our new fall KIDSJAM curriculum begins September 4. Preschoolers will spend this year learning the New Testament stories. The older children are starting a bran new curriculum from TRU that we are excited to present.  We are looking forward to fall and spending time with you and your children.

Ruth Bagley Ploppert

We want to do the right thing. We want to do what God says we should do. We want to but we often times, don’t. So many times it is so unnatural. So, in many ways we are no different than any non-Christian. In many ways our lives are identical with non-Christians. But what if today you were to make a commitment to live life how Christ tells us to live it-with no exceptions? What would change in your life? It does not have to necessarily be the big things. It can start with small change. Again, what would change in your life if you were to do nothing more or less than what Christ Jesus tells you to do.

Take time to read Luke 5:1-11. It’s a story of Peter and crew who did not want to do what Christ wanted them to do, but they did it and the result was amazing. The following is based on this account with Christ and Peter.

The first thing obeying Christ does is that it takes us out of your comfort zone. We would do what we don’t normally do. Q: What would that be? It might even seem a bit foolish to you at first. But you sense that it needs to be done in order for you to live in harmony with God and with yourself? In some ways it might seem foolish to someone from the outside looking in. You may not even understand it yourself. But you know that you need to follow what Christ Jesus says, no matter what. (Make sure when you do this that you keep what Christ Jesus says in context. Don’t just read a verse written in red and go do it without fully understanding the situation and what Christ Jesus was communicating.)

The second thing to do is realize that good results may not happen immediately. Sometimes it takes time for the results to materialize. Be patient and do not use immediate results as a way of measuring whether you should continue doing what Christ Jesus calls you to do. You need to be patient and committed to sticking to the new life even if good results are slow to come. (This is my personal problem. I want to see results or I make changes. I don’t allow things to develop and must discipline myself to do so.)

The third thing to do is to operate on the basis of faith not feelings. Feelings change all the time. You now must enter the world of faith that is believing if Christ Jesus said it that He will honor it when you obey it. Sometimes you will have to do something you do not feel like doing. (Are you married? If so, then this should be a no brainer! Many marriages are hurt because people forget their commitment and live by what they feel. Sometimes you may not feel like sharing the remote, going shopping with your wife, see the game on TV, but you do it because you are committed to give and take.)

The fourth thing you will do is bless others with the blessings you have received from God. God looks for people to bless who will share their blessings. As we look throughout the Bible we see that it is Christ Jesus’ desire to bless you and bless others through you. Once you see Christ Jesus working in your life it will change two things: how you see yourself and how you see Christ Jesus. You will see yourself as no worthy and you will the Bigness of Christ Jesus. You will initially will be surprised. But then a change will happen in your life. You will begin to expect surprises from Christ Jesus. You will wonder how He will do it next. You will ask Him for things in prayer and may not get it the way you asked but discover that He had something better in mind. The more this happens you will learn to trust God for greater things which often translates into greater blessings. It translates into greater blessings because Christ Jesus knows you will share those blessings with others. Then the real moment of confrontation with Christ Jesus: if you want to experience greater results and greater blessing then you must be willing to make greater commitment.

Christ Jesus has something greater in store for you. It is possible that Christ Jesus is waiting for you to step out of your comfort zone and do what He tells you to do even if it does not totally make sense. It is possible that Christ is calling on you to respond in faith and according to your feelings. It is possible that Christ Jesus wants to bless others through you. It is possible that when you start seeing Christ Jesus work in your life that you will be surprised and start to expect surprises. It is possible that when you see Christ Jesus working in your life that it will change how you see yourself and how you see God. It is possible that Christ Jesus has greater things in store for you as you begin to obey Christ Jesus in the things that don’t come natural. But if you know deep down this one point – things will remain the same until you make the decision to obey no matter what. If you want to experience something new – do what Christ says no matter what you feel.

Start to obey today.

Humanity was created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:26)

Before the first couple, Adam & Eve committed the first and original sin, humanity was both natural and spiritual. As long as their relationship was good with God they lived a life of ease.  Then the relationship with God was broken. When their relationship broke they lived a life of dis-ease.  All life is held together by God.  Take God out of the picture and life falls a part! (Colossians 1:16-17)

The spiritual part of humanity was dead.  The natural part remained alive and strong.  There was no other way to restore the dead and broken spiritual part of humanity than for a perfect sacrifice to be given on our behalf.  This perfect sacrifice is the Son of God; the 2nd person of the Holy Trinity; the Christ who came to earth and became human and known as Jesus. The purpose of Jesus coming to us is to pay for the sin (which requires a perfect sacrificial life) and to restore the spiritual part that is dead.

So, when we receive Jesus Christ into our lives we do a few things:

We invite him to represent us before God and ask God to receive his death as payment for the penalty of sin.  (make sense? Jesus is our substitute!). (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

Once the sin is dealt with, we then ask God to bring the spiritual part back to life.  (although it gets bad P.R. at times, we call it being “born again”.  Read the story of Nicodemus, Jesus explains this principle in simplicity and to the point, John 3:1-7.)

After the spiritual part is given new life, it then needs to grow.  Imagine a bar chart.  The natural part is real high and the spiritual part is real low.  Therefore the natural part will always have influence over the spiritual part.  It will be a struggle.  Our struggle will be wanting to allow the spiritual part that is connected to God to influence us but we are use to being guided and influenced by our natural part. (Read about Paul’s struggle AFTER he became a Christian, in Romans 7:14ff…the things he wants to do he does not do and the things he does not want to do he does…sound familiar?)

For example, have you ever wanted to start a good habit?  But even with good intentions, reverted back to bad habits.  We often go with what is easiest and does not require discipline.  we naturally want to satisfy our cravings.  If you are on a diet but crave brownies (which is common for me) you have a few options: you can just say no.  (I have found that this works for a day or two, but my willpower does not endure if brownies are constantly in front of me).    Another option is to set goals of when you can eat brownies and make that your celebration day (this works but sometimes when stressed I will not return back to right eating).  There is a third way, and this is different for all people, you can find something that takes away your craving for brownies and satisfies your need so that you do not feel the void.  For example, they say that fruit has natural sugar.  So, you might want to eat fruit instead of a sweet dessert.  This works but requires discipline.  As you can see, living by the natural cravings often leads to self-destruction and bad habits.  This is true with food and with spiritual growth. (Paul and the author of Hebrews writes about the importance of spiritual discipline: I Timothy 4:7-8, TLB. “Don’t waste time arguing over foolish ideas and silly myths and legends. Spend your time and energy in the exercise of keeping spiritually fit. Bodily exercise is all right, but spiritual exercise is much more important and is a tonic for all you do. So exercise yourself spiritually, and practice being a better Christian because that will help you not only now in this life, but in the next life too.”  What does spiritual discipline do for us? It helps us focus on running the race of life. It’s in the Bible, I Corinthians 9:24, TLB. “In a race everyone runs, but only one person gets first prize. So run your race to win.”  Spiritual discipline strips away the nonessentials. It’s in the Bible, Hebrews 12:1, TLB. “Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.”

To help the spiritual part of you grow stronger requires discipline.  You will have to do what you don’t do naturally (or in the physical).  The good news that as you consecrate or commit yourself to spiritual growth, God also provides spiritual power and strength.  The moment you receive forgiveness and give new life to the spiritual part of you, God gives you His Holy Spirit.

V. The Holy Spirit will do a lot of things: 1. gives you God’s perspective on life (this often happens by helping you understand the Bible when you read it.  Have you ever read the Bible and not understood it.  Sometimes it is not because of the content but because the Spirit is needed to help it make sense and relevant to your life in the here and now.  2. gives you a gut feeling about what to do when you don’t know what to do (This is often called conviction.  If you are open to hearing God, he will guide you with His Spirit.  3. will help you attempt things that require God to help you or to take a step of faith.  This often happens when you hear God say do something but it seems too great for your abilities. So you think, there is no way God is seriously expecting me to do this – is He?

Get this – unless you take on these new assignments and steps of faith by God, you will remain living in the natural and not in the spiritual zone.  You will call yourself a Christians and do the dos and not do the don’ts but you will not experience the power of God in your life.  You will be no different than a good person who follows good principles of living and never see God work miracles in your life.  (Take time to read John 14:15-31 and John 16:4-15 and get introduced to the person of the Holy Spirit)

Do you want to remain living in the natural?

Do you want to experience the supernatural or spiritual?

As Christians we should get real excited about inviting God to get involved in our daily routine as well as big life changing decisions.  It is what makes being a Christian different from being a good person.

If you want to see the power of the Holy Spirit work in your life, you need to take a step of faith.

A step of faith is when you step out and do that which God is telling you to do even though you in your natural abilities do not feel you can do it.  It can happen in various ways; service; giving; or even making a difficult decision that requires God’s intervention in order for the decision to succeed.

Challenge

Pray and then take action and then pray…

Here is what I want you to know.  Any time you act in the spiritual part of your life it will create a little chaos in the natural part of your life.  Like a diet, it brings a sort of shock to the system.  Initially the system cries out but eventually it will stabilize and if you stick to it, you will see the spiritual part become stronger and the natural part surrender to the spiritual life of faith. (Have you ever started to exercise after not exercising for a while?  You will hurt in places you did not even know you had places!  But as you continue to exercise your faith it will become a new sense of normal.)

John the Baptist described it like this,

i must decrease and He must increase (John 3:30)

When it comes to bringing your spirituality to life – your influence and control must decrease and Christ’s influence and control must increase.

Make sense?

One more thing…if you have or are planning on taking a step of faith, it is imperative that you tell another Christian so that you have someone to share the experience with you – good or bad!

Prayerfully take a step of faith and bring new life into your spiritual part.

Pastor Steve

I would like to tell you about my best friend.  My best friend doesn’t mind if I’m not the brightest, smartest, prettiest, thinnest or the best.  My best friend doesn’t mind that I wear sneakers, jeans and t-shirts instead of dresses, nylons and high heels.  My best friend will sit with me and talk, laugh and tell me like it is.  My best friend doesn’t mind if I sometimes stumble over my words and they come out different than what I meant.  My best friend doesn’t mind that I don’t have money or a high paying job.  I love my best friend with all my heart and everything that I am.  If I feel frightened, lost, as if I can’t take another step, my best friend will say “hold my hand, I will lead, but we will walk together.”

If I am feeling alone, sad, hurt, rejected, as if I just can’t do it anymore and the tears start, my best friend will hold me and let me cry.  When the tears finally stop and they are being dried, my best friend will say “lean on me, I am here for you, I will not leave you, we will go through this together.”

Would you like to have a best friend like mine? A best friend who is kind, understanding, compassionate, forgiving?  A best friend who will laugh with you?  A best friend who will cry with you? A best friend who knows you and loves and accepts you just as you are?

If you are feeling alone, lost, lonely, hurt, rejected, unloved, desperate, hopeless.  Call my best friend.  You won’t need to call on your cell phone, you won’t need to text, twitter, email, go on Facebook, u-tube or any other tube.   All you have to do is say my best friend’s name.   My best friend wants to be your best friend.  My best friend will be there for you and with you just as my best friend is here for me.  You can say my best friend’s name quietly in your head; you can whisper, use a normal voice or shout.  You can sit, stand or kneel.  Call upon my best friend.  My best friend is waiting for you.  Don’t wait, please turn to my best friend.  You will never be sorry, you see, my best friend is JESUS!

Kerry Gurnsey (Life Group participant)