Australian Pastors

Good scripture resource

2011-06-30T12:04:00.002+08:00

This might be a handy resource at some point, audio of bible....

Pastors cheating on their spouse

2011-06-07T10:19:00.003+08:00

Someone cheats in an exam because the fear of failing the exam is greater than the fear of being caught cheating.

Is it possible that some Pastors cheat on their spouse because the fear of failure in ministry is greater than the fear of cheating on the spouse and thus severely damaging their marriage?

Could a minister actually prefer to put their marriage at risk in order to get out of a Ministry situation where failure would be unbearable?
I think the answer is yes.

We need to honestly reflect on our ministry, and make sure we are not making it more important than it should be. It is not more important than our relationship with God, our wife/husband or our family.
If we fail in ministry, in our job/vocation...that is okay.

(Inspired in part by a post on Monday Morning Insight)

Are We Having Fun Yet?

2011-04-19T17:55:00.000+08:00

Christians generally don’t take much convincing that life is serious business. But what about the idea that life could be—or even should be—fun? Is that even a legitimate theological question? And who gets to ask such question like that in this troubled world? In the wake of floods, fires, earthquakes and tsunamis, it might seem frivolous, insensitive or even sinful to inquire about such things. Certainly, there is a question of timing—“rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep”. But perhaps this is in fact an ideal time to consider the place of fun. If, after all, Australian Christians live in an affluent culture that more or less takes it for granted that space for fun should be a given (some may even say ‘a right’!), looking at a theology of the enjoyment of life ought to have one eye on the realities of suffering and struggle.

We can expect too much from life in the present. But it is also possible to hope for too little. Any Christian assessment of life exists in the messy middle between two horizons: behind us, God’s good creation and benevolent intentions, including human flourishing; and, before us, God’s loving intentions for creation realised in the renewal of creation, or ‘a new heavens and a new earth’. It is possible to get so caught up in the messiness of the middle—where work can become toil, where delight meets disappointment, where friendships can be fractured—and lose sight of those framing horizons that remind us that the world is not out of control but our patient, faithful God remains in charge and will accomplish all He has set out to do.

In the opening story of Genesis, we are invited to see humanity enter the scene on God’s day of rest. Rest is a necessary precursor to work, just as it is a proper end or goal. Living without an appropriate sense of Sabbath rest distorts human life. How many people feel crushed under the weight of workloads that seem to pile up without end, weight that stays with them even when not in the office or on the job site? And what of ministry-without-end? A failure to rest ultimately takes its toll on our productivity but there are more than utilitarian reasons to rest. Marva Dawn speaks of Sabbath practice entailing ceasing, resting, feasting and embracing. ‘Ceasing’ opens for us a fresh space to see a world outside, beneath, above and beyond the logics of economy, productivity and growth. ‘Resting’ renews us. (For women as well as men—let the reader understand.) ‘Feasting’ shows us there is time to celebrate and be thankful. Unthankfulness is a fundamental sin in the progression of the world’s distortion and depravity in Romans 1, leading to a ‘futile mind’. ‘Embracing’ reconnects us with our primary community and family, ties of baptismal water and ties of blood rather than commercial exchanges. It is the time and place of generosity and hospitality.

We need to be released from a false sense of guilt for not being productive, even “for the kingdom”. Even theologies of ‘vocation’ can become complicit in a drive to work, to perform, to achieve. But the One who sought labourers for an imminent harvest in Israel also called those who were “weary and heavy laden” to find “rest”. The Suffering Servant was paradoxically known as one who frequented celebratory feasts as signs of the inbreaking reign of God.

Space to rest is one component of a life that flourishes as God intended. Delight is another. It is ironic that a culture like ours devoted to entertainment finds itself continually bored, avoiding feelings of futility, and looking for the next big thing. The entertainment culture is itself driven and without rest. There is an excess of stimulation and titillation around us—but little delight in the excess of God. Real enjoyment is thus threatened and fun becomes fleeting and unsatisfying. Delight cannot be contrived. If there is such a thing as ‘faithful fun’, then space to cease, rest, feast and embrace and so to cultivate moments of delight in God and God’s world must be a part of that. We must intentionally and regularly seek out this space. And having found it, let intentions fall to the side and let the freedom, spontaneity and surprise of play to take over.

False guilt for enjoying life does nothing to help those in less happy circumstances. It can even reflect a profound lack of thankfulness for being the particular creature you are in a particular time and place. Be thankful for the blessings that you have. And in the space of ceasing, resting, feasting and embracing, delight in the Lord, play before him, and be re-energised for your small part in the ongoing work of justice in the world. Enjoy that which God has allowed you to enjoy with some ‘faithful fun’.

And then think how you might generously share the joy of rest with those who go without.

Less is More

2011-04-06T08:25:00.003+08:00

I found this piece comparing the advertisement for two tablet computers quite interesting. Yes it's an Apple fanboi site, but the core message is true. Even luminaries like Seth Godin have held up Apple as a model for making presentations. Love 'em or hate 'em, they do this stuff really well.

So what does this say about the way we present church?

Bottoming out

2011-03-17T14:11:00.002+08:00

A church stuck in tradition and years of plateu may find itself needing to 'bottom out' before it is able to make deep painful change.

In a church which has plateued for a number of years you need to 'choose your pain'. The pain of slow death, or the pain of deep painful change.

However transitioning a church is the hardest task in church life. It required deep perseverance, vision born our of pain and prayer and commitment to the long process.
Most churches do not transition well...if at all.

It can be done, and the reward is there for those who try.

But be aware, many of those who begin the journey with you, wont be there at the end. Even good people. The pain of having to discipline church folk, say goodbye to many, change radically your programs, deal with misunderstanding and 'well intentioned dragons' will cause many casualties along the way.

Here is a story of how a football club dealt with it which has parallels for the church community.

"IN THE GAME: It was early 2008. Call it intuition, or perhaps a strategic analysis from an experienced football person with in innate and learned feel for the game and his club, it was nonetheless a sage observation.

The notion of bottoming-out as a mechanism for creating forward momentum is a most challenging concept, particularly for a first year coach and his players, competitive people who are training just as hard as their opposition.

It also a tough time for supporters who suffer the ignominy of loss and an accompanying sense of hopelessness."

more

Using Social Media to create community

2011-03-14T09:04:00.000+08:00

We live in a world where things are different for the Pastor.
Used to be that people had space in their life for a pastoral visit. They were at home a lot more.
Now in our increasingly busy age, peoples time is at a premium.
For many pastors the same is true.

Facebook is one way Pastors can keep in touch with their church folk and create values.
I am in contact with aproximately a third of our church through facebook. This allows me to put my slant on church, what happened on Sunday, and what is coming up. Its not a case of advertising it, more commenting on it, creating history about it. People read what I am thinking about church, they know how I feel about it.

Church E news is another way. Most of our older folk dont have facebook, but do use email. I send out a weekly enews, not too invasive, with a brief thought on the service just gone, and something about the service to come. It promotes again my 'history' of what has just happened, and anticipation of what is to come.

We may not have the time or opportunity to visit folk one on one much anymore. And that may actually be impossible with growth in church numbers anyway. But we can still communicate....and with facebook and email...it can be a two way conversation.

FiFo Ministry

2011-02-20T13:32:00.003+08:00

It's been a bit quiet here of late, I hope you're all thriving in ministry.

I have a question. Perth has a lot of fifo (fly in, fly out) mine workers. Different companies have different rotations and these guys can become very disconnected from Christian community, even with the best will in the world. Is anyone else doing ministry among these kinds of men, or know of any resources for them (particularly Christians, but unchurched men as well)? Just trying to find some ways of helping them connect.

India Missions Trip

2010-12-06T11:24:00.002+08:00

I've just returned from a 10 day mission trip to India. I met Pastor Deva at the Mighty Men's Conference in Perth this year, invited him to stay in our home, and God joined our hearts together. We'd originally planned to take a team of four but in the end only a friend, Steve Dennis, and I could make it.

All I can say is that it was an amazing experience. I was a mish kid for a few years and spent two years on the Doulos as a short term missionary and have been to India before, but this was entirely different to anything I have experienced. We ran a 2 day pastors conference and 5 nights of evangelism crusades. On the first evening outreach we saw a healing and conversion as we preached, before we'd made an altar call or prayed for anyone. God was up to something!

Deva works among the Dalits and in the sort of places that are rapidly becoming passe in mission circles. Certainly among people and in places popular speakers will never deign to venture. This opens up huge possibilities for pastors from smaller churches. Really, Steve and I are nobodies in the scheme of things. I'm a middling pastor in a small struggling church and Steve is unemployed! But God chose to use us, the people welcomed us like angels from God, and lives have been changed. Not least of all ours.

If you're thinking of doing something like this, just do it! We'll be going again in 12 months or so, and are looking to cultivate new partners in Australia (and internationally, God willing), so if this is something you might be interested in, I'd love to talk. Hey, if you just want a coffee and hear some great stories, give me a call (start with the comments below)!

You can also read more on my blog, which I'll be updating with stories over the next week or so. Audio of the report to my church will be up in a couple of days, I'll be posting on my blog when it's up.

Preparing for Christmas...

2010-11-28T16:07:00.002+08:00

This is a great article from RW on Christmas as an opportunity...
"Every healthy, balanced church needs a plan to reach its community for Christ – particularly when the Christmas season comes along. For us at Saddleback, part of that strategy is creating events designed to bring the unchurched to our campus for a non-threatening church experience. These “bridge events,” as we call them, typically bring as many as 45,000 people onto our campus in a weekend – and typically more than 2,000 people accept Christ. They are such exciting weekends!

We have at least two of these bridge event weekends each year – on Christmas and on Easter. What do we do differently for a bridge event where we may have double the amount of people on our campus during the weekend?

1. We have more services. We had 13 services this Easter – and we’re planning another 13 services at Christmas this year. Would one service have been easier? Of course. But we want people to connect with someone while they are on our campus. We also want them to know what a typical service is like at Saddleback. We couldn’t do that with fewer services. We’d have too many people on our campus at one time – and it would be anything but typical.

2. We use a different format. During bridge events, we typically intersperse the music and the message. We call this a “point and play” service. First a point of the message, and then the band and singers play a song. We’ve found that one of the great ways to communicate to large groups of seekers at bridge events is to have about five minutes of preaching, then about five minutes of music, then 10 minutes of preaching, and another five minutes of music. That allows new folks in the audience to take in some of the message and then relax a bit before taking in more of the message.

3. Our services have more music. Around Saddleback, we don’t do pageants or musicals. But we do pull out all the stops for our bridge events. Because we know people like music, these services usually will have more music.

4. We prepare our campus for more people. Obviously, you’re intending to have more people on your campus during these bridge events. That means you’ll have more cars – and, if you aren’t prepared, parking and logistical problems. We typically ask our members to give up the most preferred time to come to the service, so that we have room at those times for people coming the first time. Typically, for us, that means we save Sunday for those who do not regularly attend and ask our members to come on Saturday or other times during the week. If you have two Sunday morning services, consider asking your members to come to the early service so that guests can come to the later one.

You might also consider having the children’s choir sing at the early service. That’s a great way to get your members to attend that service. They’ll want to see their kids sing – and they’ll bring grandma and grandpa. "
More

Tim Keller on Urban Church Growth

2010-10-28T23:21:00.000+08:00

Tim Keller Argues For Churches In Cities [Lausanne] from Kenny Jahng on Vimeo.

Christmas resources

2010-10-25T09:55:00.002+08:00

Here's some Christmas sermon ideas from my vault. Please feel free to use and edit them however you please ...

All I want for Christmas is ... Joy
All I want for Christmas is ... Peace
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
An Early Christmas Present

Something Controversial

2010-10-20T10:44:00.002+08:00

I've had this tossing around in my head for a while and I want to throw it out here for some discussion to clarify my thinking... and maybe challenge yours. No flaming please!

The Bible explicitly forbids women from teaching or having authority over a man because of creation principles (1Tim 2.12-14, 1Cor 14.34). And yet many, if not most, Western Evangelical and Pentecostal churches accept women in ministry

The Bible also tells us that women should not pray or prophesy with their head uncovered, evidently for cultural reasons, but also 'because of the angels' (1Cor 11.10). And yet many, if not most, Western Evangelical and Pentecostal churches would not countenance expecting women to wear a head covering while publicly ministering.

The Bible explicitly forbids divorce and remarriage, labelling them adultery, again because of creation principles (Matt5.31-32, Matt 19.3-9). And yet many, if not most, Western Evangelical and Pentecostal churches at least tolerate divorce and remarriage, even among their leaders.

I know all the hermeneutical reasons and my point is not to argue for or against any particular position.

However, the Bible says the same things about homosexuality, and yet even though the same biblical and hermeneutical principles can be applied (and are by pro-gay Christians), most of those same Evangelical and Pentecostal churches would be opposed to homosexuality.

It seems to me that at the very least we're being inconsistent and something has to give! The question is, what?

Discuss.

Our devotional life is not seperated from our preaching ministry

2010-10-13T09:08:00.001+08:00

I was told to seperate my devotional life from my preaching life.
In other words, have devotions for you, study Bible for preaching.
I never felt easy with that advice. For me, my preaching comes out of my experience with God, and reflections on how church is....
Mark Driscoll agrees...

More than just asthetics

2010-09-16T15:20:00.002+08:00

This is a good blog post where Hillsong explain why the use some of the graphics they do.

Even better, they give three of them away!

More

It would be great to see larger churches continue to share some of their resources with all.

Fancy Pulpits

2010-09-04T09:33:00.001+08:00

I thought this was pretty funny from Stuff Christians Like: http://is.gd/eU2I6

Darrin Patrick | Re:Lit Book | Church Planter Intro

2010-09-02T10:20:00.000+08:00

Some challenging thoughts here about the role of men in church. What do you think? Is he on the money?

The Future of Evangelicalism

2010-08-03T12:41:00.001+08:00

Rick Warren's intelligence and ability to communicate complex issues clearly, continue to impress me. This is a (lengthy but) must read article ...The Future of Evangelicals: A Conversation With Rick Warren

(HT to Chuck Warnock)

Twittering CEOs

2010-07-16T15:55:00.003+08:00

An old school buddy I reconnected with on Facebook reflects on his experience when he asked the CEO of a large American Christian publisher a question on Twitter. Worth a read and consideration as pastors, I reckon. Read it here.

Does your Church suck?

2010-07-06T19:13:00.001+08:00

This is not too bad....

"

1. You’re not making a profit.

You can be really busy, and still not be able to make an impact. In other words you can’t equate busyness with godliness. You can’t keep doing the wrong things, and hope that one day some how it will make things right. In order for a church to stay in “business” (doing God’s work for the Kingdom), we can’t just do things right, we MUST be doing the right things!

2. You haven’t talked to a potential customer.

You aren’t involved in the community. You only have Christians as friends, and you are not actively involved in inviting the un-churched to your church. All “holy huddles” die! They do. God has not called His church to just congregate, but to mutilate the gates of hell! That can’t be done just hangin with the homies. Hit the streets & villages.

3. You don’t love what you do.

If you are leading in a church, and you would really rather be doing something else. Anything else! Please go do it. Those who stay in “ministry” just because they can’t find anything else aren’t looking hard enough! Those who hang just to get paid do the church and the work of the Kingdom great harm.

4. You can’t take criticism.

If someone comes to you with an idea, or input that is a contradiction to what you are doing, and you blow them off! They may be off base, but many times it’s an indication that something is wrong! Don’t be easily offended. That is a sign of pride. Remember what God does to the proud, He “opposes them.”

5. You don’t care about your customers.

The precious ones that God has brought to you, you take for granted. You don’t build leaders & try and just maintain a status quo. That strategy has and always will fail. The church is called to be a builder not a manager."

Here

Politics in the pulpit

2010-06-30T14:19:00.002+08:00

I have a policy at Inglewood Church....no politics from the pulpit.
What I mean is this...we don't have representatives from any political party.

Furthermore I try to be careful about letting slip who I vote for. Not that I necessarily think it would influence anyone....but more that I think that Christians all have varied views on politics.
Very varied.

So I don't want to take a political side.

There has been a lot of discussion about Gillard and Rudd...and the difference in how their faith...or lack of faith...informs the political debate in this country.

Having reflected on this I want to encourage people to vote for whichever politician they think is acting in the most 'Christlike' manner.

Zuckerberg on Aligning People

2010-06-23T09:07:00.002+08:00

This quote from an interview with Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook caught my eye. The part about aligning people resonates, the part about non-profits not so much. What do you think?

I think building a company is the best way to change the world, because it’s the best way to align the interests of a lot of smart people and a lot of partners to build something that’s great and that serves people. You can’t do that if you’re an individual, because it’s just you and there’s no one to align, and you can’t do it if you’re a non-profit, because you have no resources and you’re constantly out trying to raise money instead of generating it and being self-sufficient.

Evangelism Resource...free

2010-06-18T15:56:00.002+08:00

This might be worth checking out.
Steve Ingram from Parkerville Baptist (Fomerly) has developed this free 'mateship' style evangelism resource which you can hear about and download from Crossover...
Evangelism Link

Aussies Lead the Pack in Time Spent Social Networking

2010-06-16T07:12:00.002+08:00

Australia has one of the highest number of active Facebook users per capita, and not surprisingly: "Australians spend the most time on social networking sites: an average of 7 hours and 19 minutes in April — the U.S. and Italy came in second and third with six and a half hours each."

From Mashable.

Another article claims over a quarter of Americans over the age of 50 use social networks. This isn't just a phenomenon of the young.

The West Australian & where Church is really at

2010-06-15T11:09:00.003+08:00

Has anyone else noticed that when mainstream media need a comment from a Church they go straight for the easy source, the cliched source?

There are so many other choices a Media Company could use to go along with an article on religious faith, without resorting to the usual stereotypical priest in garbs and mainly irrelevance to modern contemporary society.
So very often the 'minister' pictured looks so far removed from what the local guy down the cafe looks its laughable.

There are so many contemporary ministers out there in touch with their local communities, part of the local fabric, involved in their state schools, passionate about their community, their faith and their church! And most of their churches are growing!

Our own Church, Inglewood Community Church, is really involved in the local community, and growing numerically...and full of young families and children. Modern music, good coffee and relevance to modern life!

Facebook Pastor Pt 3

2010-06-11T07:25:00.003+08:00

I thought this was an excellent interview with two pastors who are using Facebook in a huge way. A different, ahem, younger demographic than Mark and Wayne.

http://www.crossoveronline.com.au/connectedchurch/facebook-pastors-iii-part-1

http://www.crossoveronline.com.au/connectedchurch/facebook-pastors-iii-part-2

Book Review: Who Made God

2010-06-08T13:41:00.002+08:00

Edgar Andrews is a distinguished scientist who, in this easy to read volume, offers a strong defence of the Christian faith in the light of science. It is a witty, engaging and accessible read aimed squarely at the lay person and he takes complicated and esoteric ideas and makes them understandable.

Andrews doesn't set out to respond to any particular authors, although he does do so along the way and deals with numerous Atheistic arguments. Rather he posits the hypothesis that the God of the Bible is true, and then sets out to demonstrate how this hypothesis is supported by science. Andrews strength is very much in physics and he presents a fascinating discussion of the Big Bang theory, quantum physics, string theory, time and other issues. He also presents a very compelling case in regard to molecular biology, the creation of life and genetics. It may just be me but I got a little lost in some of the philosophical discussion, but that's not a major feature of the book, in any case. It should be noted that he doesn't deal with some of the thornier issues. For example, he presents a solid case against the spontaneous creation of life and macro-evolution, but doesn't deal with issues of the fossil record, evidence for the flood and so on, nor does he deal with the problem of evil in any depth (although he does touch on the fall). In this regard, I think, he plays to his strengths as a scientist and does so very well.

'Who Made God' is well worth a read and passing onto people in your church. It would also be useful for a seeker asking questions about science and the Bible.

At the time of posting this review you can purchase Who Made God from Koorong or Word for under $10. A bargain, in my opinion. You can visit the official website here.

Facebook Pastors Part 2

2010-06-07T07:30:00.010+08:00

Here in Part 2 of Facebook Pastors I talk about how I'm using this platform in mission and pastoral care. Video courtesy of Crossover Australia . And if you missed it HERE is Facebook Pastors Part 1 with Mark Edwards.

Location-Based Apps and Church

2010-06-04T08:26:00.003+08:00

I've been reading a bit lately about an emerging phenomenon - location-based apps. If you haven't heard of apps like Foursquare and Gowalla, don't worry, it probablhy means you have a life.

The basic idea is that when you visit a venue you 'checkin' with an app on your location-aware (e.g. GPS) smart phone. If you have friends who are in the area they can find you, but the really interesting development is that at certain locations (cafes, retailers) you can accrue points. Some business are are starting to use this as a customer loyalty rewards programme. At the moment the services have too few users to be useful as a social networking tool, but the basic idea is interesting (it also raises the never-ending privacy and security concerns).

This article speculates about the future of this phenomenon and has got me thinking about the application of location based apps in church. What could be done for visitors or newcomers who check in for the first time? Or a newcomer checks in over a number of Sundays triggering an invitation to some welcome event. (Note, this wouldn't be your only contact, of course, but part of the multiple ways we need to connect with people). Could it be used to help people interact during the sermon - ask questions that lead to a Q&A after the message? Maybe discounts off your tithe for frequent attendance?*

I'm in a small church and it will probably never be useful in that setting, but in a large church, it could have potential. Anyway, just something that I've been mulling over a little lately, maybe someone can develop the ideas in a useful way. Probably someone already has, so if you know of a church using this technology please leave a comment.

Anyway, now it's off my chest I'll move onto more important concerns =)

*That's a joke, for anyone who doesn't appreciate my subtle wit.

Living Local

2010-06-02T17:00:00.002+08:00

Just a quick thought.

If you are a local pastor...someone who pastors a church where perhaps 60-80% or your folk comes from the local area....as I am, then your mission field is outside your front door.

As I sit here on my verandah, typing this, a good friend and neighbour walks his kids up to the park. We chat.....

This happens a lot.

My local school is the mission field, as is the local community centre, library, cafe and pub.

I like to be seen out and about.
Being, living, residing local...for me, and my mission....is important

Twitter, why I use it

2010-05-28T12:14:00.002+08:00

My my....Alex has been busy on this site lately!

Here is a counter opinion, or perhaps a different slant on Twitter.

I am almost an inner city pastor.
What I have done with Twitter is intentionally seek out other 'Twits' who live in Perth, particularly in and around the city.
What I have found is there is lots of them, and they are active twitter users.
As much as you can, I have started to form relationships with many of them.
I have discovered that Twitter can be a great front door into peoples lives.
As people have realised I am not a 'spam bot' or trying to sell them something, they have responded to my DM's (Direct Messages) and interaction has occurred.
Also, they have commented on what is happening in my life. Toddler Jam, Church stuff, and of course a great common denominator in Perth...the Fremantle Dockers.

I am only really starting out on Twitter, and it is certainly a different medium to Facebook. On FB you really need to have a semblance of relationship with someone before you interact with them. Twitter is much more 1st step than Facebook.

Ultimately, it is fun and interesting. And even on another level, it has been a great information mine for things happening in and around our city.
Who knows where it might lead, but I am enjoying the journey thus far, and finding it helpful.

What Facebook Can Teach Us About the Young

2010-05-28T09:09:00.002+08:00

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it scary that Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook is just 26 years old? And only just 26.

Put this into perspective, the guy's barely out of nappies and he owns the the most popular website in the world. With over 550 million users it's the most visited site on the internet (possibly barring Google). And he's already a multi-billionaire.

OK, so Zuckerberg is a genius, there's no doubt. But it does give me pause to reflect on the potential and hazards of young people in ministry and leadership. Here's what I learn from Zuckerberg:

1. He thought outside the box. Let's face it, if you're over 40 you probably helped invent the box. Zuckerberg has managed to build something that the likes of Microsoft and Google have tried with far less success. In fact, MS tried to recruit him at one stage and now Facebook is considered a competitor to Google.

Releasing young people has the potential for out of the box success, but does pose a threat to the establishment.

2. He's managed to connect with a wide demographic. A lot of social networking services are are perceived to appeal to young, early-adopter tech-heads, but the fastest growing demographic on Facebook is older middle-aged women!

Raising up young leaders has potential to raise up everyone, not just the young.

3. He's made some really big blunders. In fact, he's downright arrogant. I can't repeat what he said about his users in the early days. And he clearly has no respect for user privacy, which has put Facebook at the centre of a privacy storm recently. Part of this is the commercial reality that Facebook makes it's money by selling data for advertising. But I suspect it's also got a lot to do with his personality (high geek skills often translate to low people skills, but that's just conjecture and I'd like to be wrong), and the fact that he has a whole lot to learn about life. He's obviously brilliant, creative, hard-working and a leader, but he's 26 for crying out loud!

When it comes to Christian leadership, character needs to trump gifting every time. There's a balance between releasing young leaders and giving them time to mature. Maybe that's why leaders need to be in relationship.

Stop Using Media

2010-05-22T11:36:00.001+08:00

Kind of a follow up to my last post. Great article on Collide Magazine website. Stop using media:

Stop using media when you have nothing to say.

Stop using media if you’re just trying to impress people.

Stop using media when you think you can’t communicate without it.

Stop using media if you’re all hot all the time.

Stop using media just because culture has passed you by.

Goodnight twitter

2010-05-22T10:49:00.003+08:00

I've been working on a social networking strategy for church, and the sticking point for me has been twitter. While it's a service that is growing in popularity, and many pastors use it to great effect, I've been struggling to find a real purpose for it in my workflow. It finally dawned on me why I'm feeling this conflict - it simply doesn't serve my purposes.

Ministering in an fringe suburban area surrounded by rural and semi-rural zones gives Ellenbrook an almost country town feel (even if you do have to join the peak hour parking lot to get out of the suburb in the morning). This makes ministry in Ellenbrook very local, at least it does for me. I'm not really that interested in much more than the 10km radius around my suburb, and most of that is vineyards or pine forest.

While Facebook is proving to be a very valuable local networking tool, twitter just doesn't cut the mustard. With facebook you can connect because you're local, not other reason. With Twitter, you sort of need a point, a shared interest beyond, 'Howdy neigbour.' At least, I do, YMMV.

So what's the point of this post? It's OK to say 'no', even hot, trending phenomena like Twitter, if it doesn't achieve your ministry goals. If you're going to harness tech for ministry, you really need to know why and what's going to work for you.

Now, I know Twitter works for a lot of people, and I wish it did for me. Maybe one day in the future I'll find a fit for it. But for now I'm say 'nigh nighs'.

Pastors on Facebook

2010-05-12T11:35:00.005+08:00

I feature in this this video from the excellent Crossover site. Facebook addict Wayne Field will feature in the next one.

Crossover

Free fuel for community volunteers

2010-05-02T07:37:00.002+08:00

If you're a not-for-profit volunteer and you use a vehicle to undertake your volunteering activities, BP want to hear from you. You could be awarded with free fuel to help you in your volunteering work.

Who can apply?
Permanent Australian residents who volunteer for a registered not-for-profit organisation dedicated to areas such as:

Education
Health and human service
Arts and culture
Development and community
Environment and conservation

Certain organisations are ineligible. These include:

Political and fraternal organisations
Religious groups (unless activities are non-denominational and benefit the general public - there's some helpful pointers in the "eligibility criteria")
Groups based on race, gender, belief or class

For more details, see our eligibility criteria

Why not apply? I think you deserve it. (You may notice I have filed this under "Miracles" ... because free fuel is a modern day miracle!!)

Tweeting in Church

2010-04-30T08:22:00.005+08:00

Here's an interesting post from Church Marketing Sucks. Should people tweet in church? Specifically, tweeting the sermon. Personally I think it would be great to know that people were tweeting my sermons (it's social note taking, really)! I know some churches use sms for Q & A times after the service - people can text their questions which are answered from the front.

Sadly (or maybe not - there is something uncluttered about being ignorant of all this stuff), most of my congregation wouldn't know what twitter is. However, I'm currently working on a social media strategy for the sake of those who aren't in church. We're already engaging a little, but need to be more deliberate.

Clearly all of our readers use technology to some degree or other, but do you use social networking and similar technologies in your service? I'd be interested to hear how.

Mark Driscoll Preaching Notes

2010-04-23T16:16:00.002+08:00

If you have not heard of Mark Driscoll.....where have you been?

All his messages are available as video and audio downloads freely online.
He has a massive online following and influence.

I enjoy most of his messages, and his passion, while I dont agree with all of his philosophy, thoughts and practices. I do however value a lot of what he does.
If you have heard or seen him preach, you will know he is a humorous, passionate and well researched speaker, who goes for about an hour. The fact is that for that hour, sometimes more, he is engaging and very listenable. Which makes the following even more suprising.

He speaks with barely no notes at all, just a few thoughts in his bible. He researches and studies for hours, but does not actually write down what he is going to say!
In fact he says this,

"Josh, I have hesitated to send you my preaching notes because...they're usually aren't any. When I do a topical sermon there are some. But, when I'm working through a text of the Bible I pretty much scratch a few words on a sticky tab and maybe in pencil put a few words in the margin and get up and go for an hour-ish. Most of the jokes, cross references, illustrations etc. are made up on the spot while preaching. In that way I'm pretty Spirit lead. I study a ton going in to fill up, and then get up and preach it out. This is a copy of my Bible from my latest sermon on the first half of Jesus High Priestly Prayer in John 17. I used about half the stuff on the sticky notes and preached for about an hour. I would not commend anyone to preach this way as it's the pastoral equivalent to driving blindfolded—exciting but dangerous. So, for what it's worth here it is." (source)

The second Reformation of the church

2010-04-12T10:32:00.002+08:00

My goal is the second Reformation of the church. Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther tacked his 95 theses to the door. The first Reformation was about creeds. This one is about deeds. This reformation needs to be about behavior, about what we should do. It's about the church's mission. I intend to give my life to this (Rick Warren)

Sign me up!

Obviously... NOT

2010-04-05T12:51:00.000+08:00

Last night I was preaching (at the Baptist church I was not so long ago on the pastoral team for) on Romans 6 and we had two baptisms scheduled. During the day, one of the candidates--a Christian of a few years now and from a non-Christian family--rang the senior pastor to delay his baptism. As it turns out, his father, who we gather is somewhat abusive and controlling of his son (late 20s, living at home) and wife, objected to the baptism. Why? Because his grandfather and great grandfather had been baptised in "the Church of England". So went an hour-long rant. And that was followed by a trip to the cemetery to point to gravestones indicating the tradition of the family in "the Church of England". The father didn't care what church he went to week by week but there was no way he was going to be baptised in it! (It is unpredictable what flicks on the 'religious' switch on some people.)

Out of concern for 'keeping the peace' with his father--read 'making life bearable for him and his mother' living with a volatile man-child--he delayed his baptism. After the service, we talked about a couple of possibilities, including being baptised across the road (yes) at the Anglican Church where we could all go across and be part of it. It was unclear whether the father would even be there. But perhaps this was a chance to engage this angry (alcoholic?) man. Good.

On another level this all disturbed me differently. In Romans 6, baptism into the death of Jesus in hope of resurrection is, as Paul goes on to make quite explicit, a new allegiance that completely calls into question our former ties, the 'old humanity' (not 'old self' - NIV fails again) which is enmeshed in the dominion of sin as a domineering, enslaving father, sorry, power. Its aim is a new obedience "from the heart" to a new "pattern of teaching". (And no, contrary to Augustine, baptism is not 'an outward sign of an inward grace' or experience or whatever.) Paul really does sound like the quite un-Protestant Jesus here. In the light of his resurrection and the bestowal of "all authority in heaven and earth", Jesus sends his followers to baptise and teach all nations to obey what he has commanded his disciples.

That got me thinking about one of the people that came to Jesus saying he would follow Jesus as soon as everything had been taken care of with his father (burying him - which I guess would involve settling all the matters of his estate and so forth). As it happened, the young man I spoke with said he had to weigh up being baptised alongside being cut out of his father's will... oh...

Now, this is was a real question for him. But he did say the answer was, in the end, "obvious".

In a situation riddled with all sorts of 'pastoral issues', I still have to wonder what is 'obvious' here. I don't single this young man out as failing in some outstanding way. Not at all. But I wonder whether our opinions (Do we have convictions now?) on baptism and church and our notions of what 'following Jesus' might actually entail are so privatised, internalised, individualistic and limp that they don't always go to the heart of situations like this. I wonder whether when we call everything 'spiritual growth', we can feel it is OK to defer the implications--even demands--of the divine call. When everything becomes 'pastoral', our concern too easily becomes soothing the troubled person rather than affirming that new, strengthening solidarity: 'the church in mission'.

As I listened over a cup of tea, I nodded...

"Cast aside your nets and come and follow me when you feel you are in a place of sufficient maturity and things have been worked out to the satisfaction of family and work."

Ten questions non churched people dont ask

2010-03-31T22:02:00.001+08:00

Great List from Perry Noble, point is...you need to think he is right that we should be concerned primarily with the non churched....I am and do think this.

#1 – “What do you do to disciple people?” (This question is usually asked by people who want to ‘microwave” spiritually, not understand that they themselves actually became mature in the “crock pot.”)

#2 – “Who is speaking this weekend?” (They usually don’t care about the WHO…it’s the WHAT that matters to them.)

#3 – “Are you reformed in your theology?” (Most of them have no idea what in the heck this means!)

#4 – “Is your church spirit filled?”

#5 – “What version of the Bible do you use?” (Many unchurched people don’t even really know there are different versions!)

#6 – “What denomination are you affiliated with?”

#7 – “How many different activities can I sign my family up for in order to add to the insane schedule that we already have?”

#8 – “Does your pastor teach exegetically through the Scriptures?”

#9 – “Are there lots of crosses and pictures of Jesus in your church?”

#10 – “Are you guys pre trib, mid trib, post trib or partial trib?”

Tagged: Church Issues
Here

Slapdown: Catholics versus Atheists. Who will win the battle of beliefs?

2010-03-25T10:02:00.000+08:00

Believers should not be sending missionaries to faraway places; they should be putting them on a bus from Horsley Park to the godless streets of Chippendale (Bernard Salt). [FULL ARTICLE]

Don't recruit volunteers, release leaders

2010-03-23T09:07:00.001+08:00

The Big Little Easter

2010-02-24T10:03:00.006+08:00

This is fantastic.
This church (St Pauls Auckland) asked everyone to make up a 'diaroma' and bring it to church. Inside the shoe box was that persons representation of what Easter meant to them.
They then had a display, as you can see below.
WHAT CREATIVITY! Awesome!

By the way, their church website is probably amongst the top three I have seen.

Seven errors to avoid if you want your ministry to last - Ministry Toolbox - Pastors

2010-02-18T10:08:00.001+08:00

Seven errors to avoid if you want your ministry to last - Ministry Toolbox - Pastors

Posted using ShareThis

The size of God should determine the size of your ministry goals - Ministry Toolbox - Pastors

2010-02-18T09:17:00.000+08:00

The size of God should determine the size of your ministry goals - Ministry Toolbox - Pastors

Posted using ShareThis

Christians must be rooted in Christ, not fads or therapies - Warren

2010-02-12T10:42:00.000+08:00

"[Rick] Warren, who has been training pastors for 30 years, believes most churches, pastors and Christian leaders are "spiritually rootless". While they chase the latest fad, methodology or technology, many are not rooting themselves deep in Christ, Scripture and love. And without deep roots, Christ followers give up ministry as soon as life gets hard" (Full article)

Crystal Cathedral

2010-02-11T09:46:00.003+08:00

At one stage the 'Crystal Cathedral' was at the tip of the arrow in terms of Church relevance. Robert Schueller had seen the potential of TV, and used it to the Kingdoms advantage.

Wayne Field and I visited the magnificent, and at points inspiring, Church and Church grounds in LA. (It is right near Disneyland!)

You could not help being moved by the stirring Biblical Scenes laid out on the grounds. We could not attend a service, and could only peek in through the doors, as there was a funeral on.

There has been a lot of funerals at the Crystal Cathedral lately.
This comment from John Charles, a spokesman at the Church is telling, "We have a lot of older retired people".
This has led to the church now having to sell off a lot of its property as revenue declines, and the Church is now even considering pulling its 'Hour of Power' Television show from the airwaves.
In recent times Schuellers son tried to transition the church somewhat. But from an outsiders viewpoint, this was not received well, and he has gone on to a different ministry.

The Crystal Cathedral is to me a stark reminder that we cannot expect to do the same thing for decades, and get the same result. Change is necesary.

As I approach my fortieth year, I wonder, what are the young people of today energised by? And how is my church changing and growing for them, so we don't become irrelevant.
(More on the Crystal Cathedral)

As a additional point of interest, the average age a churchgoer in the UK is now 61
(Article)

How's Your Soul?

2010-02-09T09:28:00.003+08:00

A thoughtful article from Church Warnock. Is the church a place where we just teach people what to believe? Or is somewhere we care for the state of a person's soul?

"What was lost in the 20th century was an emphasis on the condition of one’s soul, because that was displaced by the condition of one’s mind — what do you believe?

But if we return to asking the question, How is it with your soul?, we would accomplish several things."

Hope for a dying church

2010-02-09T09:20:00.000+08:00

In 2003 I was privileged to visit and study a number of churches in northern California that had experienced dramatic turn-around, or revival if you prefer. One of those was New Vintage Church in Sonoma, led by Andy VomSteeg. In 1980 there were 593 people in Sonoma county who identified with the American Baptist Church, the denomination with whom New Vintage identifies. By 2000 this number had declined to just 145. New Vintage Church had once been one of the largest Protestant churches in the county with a history dating back to 1868. By 1998 membership had shrunk to just 78, most of them elderly worshippers. That's when Andy took up the pastorate there and set about leading this church into a new season of relevance, growth and community impact. It was not without it's pain, however, and significant pain I should add. The process has born much fruit and late last year New Vintage Church moved out of their 380 seat auditorium into a local 1600 seat Arts Centre, they now have 1000 in regular Sunday attendance. The story is inspiring and it demonstrates that there is hope for a dying church if pastors are willing to lead and pay a hefty price. Read about it [HERE], and share it with those who need a new vision. The article contains the story of transformation along with testimonies of those who have come to faith at New Vintage and some detail on how the church is building bridges to impact their community.

Some favorite quotes ...

Church starts Sunday morning with rock music loud enough to rival Van Halen
A Christian congregation that markets itself as “the church for people who don't like church.”
In 2002, he took out the wooden pews at First Baptist with a chainsaw
He smashed the old church organ with a sledge hammer, brought in a rock band and installed video screens.
[New Vintage] communicates who we are,” VomSteeg said. “God wants you to have a quality life.”
A Rohnert Park man who is also in recovery from addiction said the church is a haven. “It's just easy to come here,” he said.
"Our level of spirituality is measured by how well we love one another.”

How Facebook ads filled my church

2010-02-08T17:43:00.001+08:00

Late last year we ran an evening dinner event to which our church invited their friends, they always do a great job of that. However, wanting to cast the net a little wider, we looked at advertising. The budget was tight (as usual), so we thought we'd try something new and place an inexpensive banner ad on Facebook. It was an experiment. In the end the ad was viewed 37, 623 times over three weeks and we did have some folks there that were not directly invited by our people, though it's hard to tell how they heard about the event. In my book the experiment was a moderate success and I suspect we will invest in Facebook ads again in the future. Here's the story of one church who had great success with Facebook ads. Have you used them? Would you in the future?

The Atheist Got This One Right

2010-02-04T09:36:00.001+08:00

Thank you to Mark Wilson from Revitalize Your Church blog for drawing our attention to this gem ...

Renowned atheist, Christopher Hitchens, was interviewed recently by Unitarian Minister, Marilyn Sewell in Portland Monthly.

Hitchens, author of God is Not Great, holds perspectives and opinions that are quite contrary to those shared by Bible believing Christians.

However, in this interview, there was one little part where Mr. Hitchens was spot on!

Sewell: The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal Christian, and I don’t take the stories from the scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make any distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?

Hitchens: I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.

Sewell: Let's go someplace else. . .

Amen, Mr. Hitchens!

HT Politics of the Cross Resurrected

Inglewood Church Web Presence

2010-01-29T14:03:00.000+08:00

This is a video I made up for a friend doing some teaching on using the web for church.

Church is drifting into paganism, says Packer

2010-01-17T16:10:00.000+08:00

"We are drifting back into paganism, that’s the truth," he said in a lecture last Saturday at St Matthew’s Cathedral in Dallas .... [More]

Should Christians use the name Allah to refer to God?

2010-01-08T16:27:00.000+08:00

I've been following a story in the Straits Times about the desire of some Christians in Asia to use the name Allah when referring to God. It has not been a popular request and now protesters are burning churches to vent their displeasure [Story]. I certainly don't understand all the reasons why Christians feel it necessary to use the name Allah instead of God, but when churches start to burn over the issue and when lives are put at risk I have to ask if it really is necessary. Are we really willing to be martyred over semantics? What do you think?

Abandonment of Christian doctrinal commitment

2010-01-02T07:58:00.000+08:00

A widespread abandonment of Christian doctrinal commitment — even doctrinal knowledge. Forget the rising number of people with no religious identity; the news to me is the vast number of self-identified Christians who have no real knowledge of, or deep commitment to, a specific Christian faith. You could say they were watering down Christianity’s teachings, but I question if they even know those core teachings.

—

Cathy Lynn Grossman, religion reporter, USA TODAY on the most significant change in Christianity in the past decade. HT to Todd Rhoades

Billy Graham on Technology and Faith

2009-12-31T17:18:00.000+08:00

A great resource for you and your leadership team

2009-12-11T10:26:00.001+08:00

On my growing list of "must do's", is "Attend the Catalyst Conference." With that little bit in mind, I was very excited to see the first volume of the Catalyst Groupzine in Koorong for a ridiculous $21. I would like to encourage you to grab a copy of this fantastic resource. Pour over it and then sit down with some mates and dive in with the questions. If anyone is interested in being part of some discussions about stuff in the mag, let us know!

http://orders.koorong.com/search/details.jhtml?code=1418503258&printable=true

Check it out, best $21 you'll spend I reckon!

Every blessing and all the best for Christmas and 2010!

Rick Warren biography claims rocky marriage, depression

2009-12-08T15:17:00.000+08:00

A new unauthorised biography of “America’s pastor” Rick Warren uncovers a marriage with an unconventional beginning and a time of depression that later gave Warren the strength to become who he is today. [Full Article]

‘In the World’ But ‘Not Of the World’: Holiness and ‘Headkickers’, Citizenship and Exile

2009-12-04T14:41:00.004+08:00

To be ‘in the world’ but not ‘of the world’ is a well-known phrase drawn from the final discourse of Jesus in John 17. It captures most fittingly the tension that Christians experience between the call to discipleship and the norms and pressures of the day-to-day world in which that discipleship must be lived out.

Seeking to be ‘in sync’ with the ‘not of the world’ call of Jesus, Evangelicals of an era not-too-long ago were especially concerned with certain activities which were considered to betray ‘personal holiness’ such as smoking, drinking any alcohol, dancing, watching particular kinds of movies—or any movies—and, of course, sexual promiscuity. These prohibited activities ranged from those clearly proscribed by the Bible to those that to fellow Evangelicals seemed rather arbitrary. Be that as it may, the thing which linked all these was the concern with personal morality.

Those activities which were more controversial in their prohibition carried an air of being ‘out of the world’. Interestingly, when many Evangelicals ‘rediscovered’ that public life was a worthwhile site of engagement, their new enthusiasm for being ‘in the world’ was often not matched with the scruples concerning its ‘worldly’ character that they had displayed concerning personal holiness. Involvement of Christians in politics was, on a very important level, indistinguishable from the involvement of others.

Sure enough, Christians often represented stances on particular issues—notably on sexuality and bioethical issues—that were distinct in that they were out-of-step with where many in wider society were going. On the other hand, on some matters where, given a close reading of the Gospels, one might have expected a distinctive Christian voice, there was little to be heard. Is it any surprise that those matters were the exercise of power and questions of violence? After all, what is wrong with a bit of political headkicking when I can get a bill through to further ‘Christian interests’…? Hmmm…

There is no question that Christians have a part to play—actually, a range of parts—in public life. But do we naïvely assume that grasping the reigns of power or voting in our preferred candidate is the ultimate political aspiration?

If we were to remove politics from the Bible, it would be a holey Bible indeed. The story of Israel and its covenant relationship with our Creator is nothing if not political. It is to that story we are often drawn (occasionally forgetting the Messiah may have something distinctive to say about ‘politics’). And furthermore, despite the warnings of God through the prophet Samuel, we are frequently attracted to the power politics of the monarchy for our political model. Yet the ‘height’ of Israel under Solomon, the son of David, is full of corruption and the ‘rot’ has set in. This is a story which is told from the point of view of exile. Power politics and the quest for military might is not a ‘success story’.

Neither is a story with which we may be more familiar, the rise and fading of Christendom. Along with many positive influences which came out of the infusing of the Bible in Western culture were many distortions of the gospel of Jesus Christ, particularly in relation to power, coercion and violence in order to further ‘Christian’ ends. No longer representing culture as a whole, no longer at the centre of power, Christians can rightly learn from the Jewish experience of Exile and Diaspora.

The prophet Jeremiah sent word to leaders, elders, prophets and priests, and all the people of God in exile to “build houses”, “plant gardens”, marry and multiply. As they did so, they were further told by God, “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:1-7). ‘Welfare’ is shalom: peace, harmony, prosperity with justice. Exile is transformed by grace from a place of despair to a new site and base for mission. Indeed the New Testament celebrates both our ‘return from Exile’ in terms of our reconciliation to and participation in the promised kingdom of God and also our continuance in an ‘Exilic’ mode of existence and mission.

We can expect too much from the ‘seat of power’ and in doing so expect too little of ourselves until some hoped-for ‘day of power’ returns. What if that is not what we are to be hoping for? What if in fact the politics of exile, of being trained as an exemplary minority with an alternative politics of genuine servanthood (and not trendy ‘servant leadership’), is the order of the day? What if Christian community is meant to be a genuine witness to God’s purpose for the world? What if Christians scattered in workplaces and households and neighbourhoods, living our their vocation of discipleship critically and constructively through their roles are the real hope of politics.

Herbert McCabe once said, “The relevance of Christianity to human behaviour is primarily a matter of politics…” I think he could well be right. But what kind of politics? Thinking beyond ‘party politics’ or ‘power politics’, might our primary political focus include the following:

1. Christians as a gathered community—a city on a hill, a light to the world—must inculcate a culture among themselves particularly committed to the transforming initiatives of the Sermon on the Mount and “teaching everything [Jesus has] commanded” (see Matthew 28:18-20)

2. Christians need to be involved in forming or perpetuating non-government social movements and ‘ministries’ dedicated to implementing restorative justice practices.

3. Christians in their various social roles should look for opportunities to contribute to the transformation of their institutions through analysis, critique, imagination, example and advocacy.

There are inevitable tensions between citizenship and discipleship yet discipleship is a non-negotiable calling. Civic responsibility does not trump Christian faithfulness. Yet, as a Christian ‘social philosophy’, citizenship should be recognised as a relative good which may be able to further the cause of Christ-inspired restorative justice.

Be ‘in the world’ but ‘not of the world’.

From Engage Mail 09-11 (November 2009) Contact me to subscribe

Getting out of our fundamentalist ghetto

2009-12-03T07:34:00.003+08:00

"Like many things the church does, 'Jesus. All about life' had its critics. There were fake web sites and some sections of the media saw it as an opportunity for ridicule. "We knew from the previous campaigns that people would have fun at our expense, but it was more disappointing to find that some Christians failed to understand what the campaign was about. They wanted to work from their fundamentalist ghetto and have people come to them whereas the 'Jesus. All about life' campaign is about the church getting out and engaging with the community around the name of Jesus," Daniel [Willis] said" ... (Full Article).

Should Christian Web Sites Charge a Fee?

2009-11-28T19:19:00.000+08:00

I've often wondered about this and found THIS article has some sound advice. I'd be interested in your response.

Dave Gilpin...top ten points for preachers

2009-11-21T13:12:00.001+08:00

Dave is a funny guy...but also perceptive...

"

Have your chance to see what goes on behind the scenes of Hope City Church by checking what senior Pastor Dave Gilpin is looking for from every resident and emerging preacher in the life of all congregations of Hope City. (Given out to everyone who preaches in any of the congregations of Hope City Church.)

Here are the tips…

1. Make sure you apply your message to ‘Average Joe’ and not immediately to those who need healing or a specific miracle. Make sure you have really gotten into Average Joe’s shoes and understand what makes him tick and how he can walk into your message (spend time praying over the congregation).

At the end of the message when you turn completely pastoral, its good to mention extreme cases of people struggling and how God is about to help them. (Word of knowledge or just what you feel).

2. If you’ve got a theme or a burden or a point of inspiration – realise that God has give it to you and then think why! Really think of the reasons why the message clicks with you and is good for them, This can really help you in your preparation and flow.

3. Always centre the message around one small passage. Try to work the passage by bringing your central theme from it and your 2, 3 or 4 points from it. Don’t bounce off the bible – dig into it and preach it."

More.....

Birth control role in cutting greenhouse gas emissions

2009-11-20T07:35:00.006+08:00

INVESTING in birth control to reduce population growth could be more effective in cutting greenhouse gas emissions than building wind turbines or nuclear power stations, according to a United Nations report. Taking action to prevent one billion births by 2050 would save as much carbon dioxide as constructing two million giant wind turbines [Full story in The Australian].
Just wondering how this sits with Genesis 1:28 .... "God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it ...."

Your thoughts?

Small town pastors

2009-11-19T09:30:00.001+08:00

Here is a good post from a pastor friend....
"I’m a small-town pastor, so let’s face it: on any given day you’ll find me wearing a number of different hats. Some hats—like the preacher hat or planner hat—are hats that fit me well. They’re hats I love to wear, because they match my personality and how God has hard-wired me together to do certain things well. Other hats, though . . ."
More

Organized Religion's Management Problem

2009-11-13T09:56:00.004+08:00

Gary Hamel is one of the presenters at the Willow Leadership Summit. He is a management author and consultant, a visiting professor at London Business School and director of the Management Lab. These three articles are leadership GOLD and the first one, "Organized Religion's 'Management problem,'" would have to be the most challenging I have read all year. Enjoy!

http://blogs.wsj.com/management/2009/08/21/organized-religions-managemen...

http://blogs.wsj.com/management/2009/09/29/what-really-kills-great-compa...

http://blogs.wsj.com/management/2009/10/21/outrunning-change-the-cliffsn

One Tactic to Turn Around a Church

2009-11-13T06:54:00.002+08:00

Two words: Prayer. Leadership.

From this article (thanks to Phil Bryant from the BUWA for sending it through).

Who do you Pastor?

2009-11-12T11:28:00.002+08:00

"Pastors must decide whether they are pastors only of church members, or if they also pastor a town or neighborhood where the church exists."

Karr and Bergquist

Who do you pastor? Who gets your best time? Where do you put your best energy? What is most important to you as a pastor?

More

Decline Is Never the Only Option

2009-11-11T09:35:00.000+08:00

Found this article (by John Ortberg) challenging in relation to denominations, churches, movements and on a personal level too. The best people don't want to be a part of something that's in decline but they do want to be in on something that's on the up. The hardest task is being a part of something in decline and working to turn it around. I love that challenge.

Decline Is Never the Only Option | LeadershipJournal.net

Five ways to manage the prima donna

2009-11-09T11:56:00.005+08:00

Highly skilled people are a fantastic asset to the church, but if they don't carry that skill with humility they can be a real headache too. Thankfully I haven't encountered people with this problem for a while. This article from Joanna Krotz has some helpful insights into how to handle the prima donna ...

We've all encountered them. Prima donnas are those employees who swagger into meetings, convinced that rules are made for everyone else.

They dispense tons of advice and ideas, but when it's time to jump into the trenches to dig, they're otherwise engaged.

"They are often visionaries, highly creative and they don't have good interpersonal skills," says Linda Finkle, a Potomac, Md.-based executive coach for small businesses. "The prima donna is often the person who is very good at his job and holds his employer hostage by this."

That's the rub, of course. Prima donnas are typically star performers. She's the salesperson who racks up monthly records. He's the IT hero who pulls off on-time delivery.

What's a boss to do?

It's tricky. You want to support the peak performance, offering challenges that sharpen the prima donna's stellar skills. Simultaneously, you must rein in hurtful or inappropriate behavior and be careful that the prima donna doesn't outrage customers or alienate other workers.

To retain the best traits and lose the rest, check out these five ways to manage a prima donna's performance. Included are guidelines to help figure out when there is an arrogant so-and-so who crosses the line and should be sent packing.

1. Feed the need. First, acknowledge the obvious and make a considered choice. This is an employee who requires extra handling. Too many business owners ignore that. "As an executive, you need to make a strategic decision that will make everything else fall into place: Are you willing to make them feel special? Or, do you have a sense of 'fairness' and want to treat this person the 'same' as everyone else?" says Kristin J. Arnold, a Fairfax, Va., management consultant who specializes in high-performance teams.Upfront, be ready to invest the individual time and attention that will yield the business benefits you want. If you've sidestepped the issue, or made a choice by default, you have only yourself to blame — not the employee — for the frustrations or lost customers that may follow.

2. Find the key. Outwardly, prima donnas tend to behave in similar ways, but their internal motivations differ. Management experts suggest that you look for what makes such employees tick. Some may crave more recognition for their higher achievements or creativity. Others will respond to compensation or flexibility, such as a bonus, time off or work-at-home privileges. Rewards can be geared accordingly, but ought to be conditioned, of course, on ongoing respect for co-workers and on an acceptance of any other rules or policies you set.

3. Build fences. There are a couple of ways to do this. One idea is to isolate the prima donna, assigning him or her to some crucial lone-ranger project that will boost his ego and keep him from disrupting other employees. For many such high-energy workers, this is just the ticket. For instance, one Phoenix, Ariz., programmer, a self-confessed "rehabilitated" prima donna has this to say:"Prima donnas are a different breed. We're good and we know it.... And as far as management goes, you can keep it. I may have learned how to contain myself, but I have no desire to learn politics, deal with idiots or hear how someone has a better cube than someone else. Just give me work and leave me alone."Another kind of fence keeps the prima donna corralled rather than walled off. Make him work within a team. Because prima donnas always think they know the best solution and because they prefer ideas to implementation, they tend to wander off the path. If you put the prima donna on a project that requires a team, you can focus his efforts, basically herding him or her into moving in the right direction.

4. Check the heart. Arrogance or rough edges is one thing. Actively working against the business is quite another. The most important thing in managing creative types that have "prima donna characteristics" is to "determine where their heart is," says Tim O'Brien, who runs his own communications company in Pittsburgh. Does the prima donna want the organization to succeed? Does he want you, the boss, to fail? "I managed a couple who actively worked to undermine my authority, including end runs and efforts to sabotage my position. I fired them because their actions were so blatant and none of the management guru stuff applied," O'Brien says.

5. Make them accountable. There's no room for high performers with faulty ethics or a disregard for policies central to the company's mission. If customer service is your watchword, and the prima donna makes customers feel bad, he's got to clean up his act, no matter what his level of genius. Otherwise, you'll develop a companywide problem."Integrity is the root from which morale, teamwork, customer satisfaction, sales and profits spring," says Joanne Cini, author of "Kingmaker: Be the One Your Company Wants to Keep... On Your Terms."

Before throwing in the towel, try to adjust the prima donna's behavior. "Handle it like a performance problem by first meeting with the prima donna to discuss the problem and offer coaching," suggests Joe Santana, co-author of "Manage I.T." Set a deadline for change, define the changes you want, and then make the prima donna responsible for making those changes within the time frame.

Peer evaluations or 360-degree performance reviews (always anonymously collected) can also help. Sometimes stars are unaware of the negative impact of their behavior.

Give it time and make sure to offer feedback and rewards for small victories. It will take several weeks and, for some, a few months before prima donnas change their behavior. If you see sincere efforts under way, be tolerant.But when that deadline rolls around, if the same old "I'm special" performance takes center stage, get rid of the prima donna.

Email

2009-11-08T13:43:00.003+08:00

How often do you check the email that comes through your church web site? Much of mine is spam from overseas, but every now and then there's an important message. This week it came from a person looking for a Bible Study group to join. I replied within a few hours, with a quick, polite message and I now have a new friend whom I met for the first time at Church this-morning. He said to me, "I have emailed a dozen churches in the last few months and you are the only one who has replied." It pays to check and answer your web site emails. Most churches would have someone who is willing to do this once a day. That's all it takes.

What Do You Count?

2009-11-04T07:12:00.003+08:00

I know that, by and large, we're over counting bums on seats. Pastors today don't live or die by attendance figures (unless numbers are going up or down, but that's another story). However, numbers are still useful and if you're going to count something, people are what we're about, right?

Which raises the question: what numbers do you count? On Sunday we had a low attendance (I'm over it, the therapy helped), but then in preparing to move our database to a new service I discovered a whole bunch of people who are a part of our church that weren't there on Sunday. They were there the week before, or maybe the week before that, and might be next week. Just not this Sunday (or Sunday fortnight, probably). When I count how many people 'regularly' attend in a given month, it looks a little different to a given day.

This is nothing new - every pastor knows this phenomenon. I'm just wondering how it applies when we're talking to colleagues and get past the point of polite avoidance about numbers and start sharing our good news, or crying into our coffee, with them.

How many people are we actually leading, as opposed to preaching to on a given Sunday? If you're a struggling pastor (like me), it might be cause for a little more encouragement.

Not that I care about that kind of thing, of course. Just talking hypothetically.

Windows Movie Maker

2009-10-30T17:12:00.002+08:00

Its a very basic product, and not one I use often...but....

If you are stuck, it will rerender Flash (think Youtube format) and Quicktime products into a more useable WMV format....

It will also allow you to rerender large MP3 files into more manageable smaller ones for uploading to the web. For example if you record your messages on Sunday, and they come out at about 40 megs, then get Windows Movie Maker can rerender them into a smaller size, say 3-4 megs for a 30 minute message.

I post this because I know many pastors don't use high end video and audio software, and sometimes need to get little jobs like this done. (And almost everyone who uses a PC will have a free copy of Windows Movie Maker on their PC)

Global Leadership Summit

2009-10-26T15:59:00.002+08:00

Through someone's generosity I unexpectedly attended GLS in Perth again this past weekend (second year in a row I haven't had to pay). People's reactions are fairly predictable when they find out the presentations are video taped, but you have to attend to appreciate how well it works. It's not just the speakers, it's the process. Anyway, this isn't meant to be a defence of the GLS format except to say, once again, it was excellent. What struck me this year was the variety, not just '10 points to becoming a great leaders'.

Two stand-outs for me were: Tim Keller (author and pastor) on Leading People to the Prodigal God (OK, now I have to buy the book, drat it) - pure gospel, wonderful, wonderful call to spiritual renewal without any gimmicks. Your Reformed friends will love it. Then Wes Stafford (CEO of Compassion Intl) on Leveraging Your Past. Now there is a man who speaks with a passion I doubt I will ever know born of pain I hope I never have to experience, he's the real deal.

And yes, lots of great teaching on leading through changing times.

So, if you've been wondering, give it a go. I'm booking in now.

Sunday Nights

2009-10-26T13:49:00.001+08:00

They really are the Pastors Friday night....
does that make Mondays our Saturdays??

Mighty Mens

2009-10-21T20:58:00.001+08:00

Get the blokes from your church along, it will change them...and your church, families and community will appreciate it!

Preview the new All About Life TVC

2009-09-23T09:28:00.001+08:00

Production of the All About Life commercial is complete and it will go to air on prime time TV as of this Sunday 27th September. Here's a preview.

Get ready. Here they come ...

2009-09-21T12:50:00.003+08:00

Get ready to show your congregation the JAAL TV adverts

We will be sending the exclusive Jesus. All about life TV advert to participating churches via email next Wednesday 23rd September. Churches are asked to share the preview footage with their congregation and celebrate the message of Jesus we are spreading.

About the adverts
The advert looks to change the tone of the campaign to a little more challenging and talk about some of the paradoxes of life - We chose to communicate the paradoxes of everyday life to communicate Jesus relevance in today’s community. The aim of the adverts is to get the audience to ask why these things happen and explore the answers Jesus has through the www.allaboutlife.com.au website, the current website will change on September 27th in line with the TVC going live on prime time tv, once on the website respondents will be able to order a Gospel of Mark or find out what’s on in their area. Ultimately we hope to create a platform where people can invite their friends to attend an event that will be run by churches in their local communities. Please continue to pray for people to be open to Jesus and for Christians to feel encouraged to share their faith.

Who are your clients?

2009-09-16T11:26:00.000+08:00

Tim Fowler has some good things to share....
'It stuck with me and I asked myself as a Church starting Pastor, “Who are your clients?” I think most churches would say “we exist to reach people for Christ.” So, who are your clients-that would be those who AREN’T there on Sunday/Weekend Worship…right? Yet, isn’t most of what’s done in worship and the squeaky wheels that get heard those that are there? Well that makes sense, the people there are paying the bills after all. But read your Bible, they’re NOT paying the bills. They’re giving out of obedience to God and are supposed to be about the purpose of reaching people.'
more

Marketing Jesus ... it's working

2009-09-08T21:20:00.004+08:00

I just watched the 7pm Project segment on the Jesus All About Life campaign online. Basically it's a load of fluff from people who have clearly taken just a quick glimpse at the web site, and no more. Pretty harmless commentary really and it's good to get a mention, so thanks to the 7pm Project team. What amazes me is how much traction this campaign is already getting after just 2 days online! The TV ads are still three weeks away (they start 27th Sept). So the viral phase of the campaign seems to be working effectively. If you haven't caught up with what's happening yet, in this first phase, people are being invited to log onto the All About Life web site and simply thank Jesus for something that means a lot to them. The aim is to build momentum and create awareness of the campaign in the community ... seems to be working.

Some good thoughts on money....

2009-09-02T12:09:00.002+08:00

If I was the Devil....
· convince Christians to believe that ‘poverty honours God & wealth is evil’

· keep pastors poor hoping they would model poverty as preferred option, remain ignorant & fearful of both money & rich people & ultimately handle their own money poorly

Rest....
John Finkelde

7 days to launch

2009-08-31T16:01:00.003+08:00

I've been privileged to be a part of a team that has worked to see these TV commercials on prime time TV across WA (and NSW). Launch date is just 7 days away but it's not too late to register your church for the campaign ... just visit the Jesus all about life web site. We need a church in your corner of the community to make contact with those who will respond to the ads.
.

Leadership from Seth Godin

2009-08-28T15:12:00.001+08:00

"Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead.

The scarcity makes leadership valuable. If everyone tries to lead all the time, not much happens. It’s discomfort that creates the leverage that makes leadership worthwhile.

In other words, if everyone could do it, they would, and it wouldn’t be worth much.

It’s uncomfortable to stand up in front of strangers.
It’s uncomfortable to propose an idea that might fail.
It’s uncomfortable to challenge the status quo.
It’s uncomfortable to resist the urge to settle.

When you identify the discomfort, you’ve found the place where a leader is needed.

If you’re not uncomfortable in your work as a leader, it’s almost certain you’re not reaching your potential as a leader."

(Seth Godin Thanks for Leading)

Some words of wisdom from Rick

2009-08-27T12:53:00.000+08:00

30 yrs ago Adrian Rogers told me
"Rick, the pastor who is available ALL the time won't be worth much when he's available."

Ordination is tough

2009-08-26T10:01:00.001+08:00

I'll be sitting on a panel next week interviewing pastors who desire to be ordained (or "accredited" as we call it in WA). There are plenty of very good reasons pastors should seek ordination but that's not the purpose of this post. What has struck me is a reminder of how tough the screening process is. It's been some years since I was ordained and I remember being shocked when a fellow applicant of mine was declined. That actually turned out to be a good call.

Candidates are still required to produce evidence of their qualifications and experience, professional references from Christian and non-Christian colleagues, as well as statements regarding their doctrinal beliefs, spiritual journey to faith and sense of call to ministry .... all pretty standard stuff. In addition to this candidates are also required to field questions on topics such as ...

The psychological and emotional health of both themselves and their spouse
Possible involvement in Eastern religions
Their financial aptitude and sincerity
Sexual orientations and experiences
Any possible experience of abuse or criminal charges relating to abuse
Possible use of illegal substances
Drinking and smoking habits
Relationship to extended family
Addictive behaviors
Driving record

You may not agree, and in any other "job" these questions may be considered highly inappropriate. The conditions are stringent but I certainly don't have a problem with the questions or the process.

New Creative - just days until launch

2009-08-24T09:54:00.001+08:00

"I'm a Nudist"

2009-08-22T07:30:00.002+08:00

Now that I have your attention I thought I'd share this video with you. I'm teaching a session on small group leadership at the Master Your Ministry day today and I'll be using this vid for a laugh. Hope you enjoy it. Which character are you?

Australind Baptist

2009-08-14T14:16:00.002+08:00

Pastor Wayne Field of Australind Baptist is one of my best friends. We are very similar in our style and values of ministry.
Very happy to see his church doing some seriously good things in Australind.

MEDIA RELEASE 14th August 2009
Community Boost brings Award Nomination

‘Boost’, a service program initiated by local church, Australind Baptist, has been nominated for the 2009 Curtin University of Technology Regional Service Award and Australia Post Community Of The Year Award, which forms part of the Regional Achievement and Community Awards for Western Australia.

The church was nominated by Australind Primary School Principal, Mr Darrin Tinley, in response to the support given to the primary school. In his submission he noted in the past 12 months members of the church has donated approximately $30,000 and an estimated 830 hours of voluntary service to initiatives which benefited the school community.

As well as financing a Chaplain, volunteers provide non-religious tutoring and mentoring to students, supervision for excursions, and gift vouchers to help cover personal expenses for people in need.

“They have given their time, hearts and minds to our students and staff and we are a much better school for their involvement. They would never do what they do to gain awards, however, we felt they deserved the recognition for the amazing support they give.” Mr Tinley said.

“This wonderful group of dedicated people is a significant boost to many in our school community; many of our students have benefited from the pastoral care they have provided.”

Australind Baptist Pastor, Wayne Field, says the nomination is a great encouragement, “In an age where some would question the value of the church, this nomination affirms that our people really do play a significant role in the community.”

“The ‘Boost’ program has evolved out of a genuine affection we have for the community. We did not go looking for it, but rather it developed over time as needs in the school became evident and as people in our church responded to meeting those needs.” Pastor Field said.

“Part of Australind Baptist Church’s vision statement is to demonstrate ‘life-changing love and compassion’ to the local community; the ‘Boost’ programme at Australind Primary School is the means by which we can assist people in our local community who need practical help to get back on their feet.”

Pastor Wayne Field and Principal Darrin Tinley outside Australind Primary School

Preaching Guilt

2009-08-09T18:00:00.003+08:00

Today I preached on divorce and remarriage. It was one of the hardest messages I've had to prepare for and pretty hard to preach because, probably like you, I have many divorcees in my church. But we're preaching through the Sermon on the Mount and that was what the text demanded (matt 5.31-32). God is good, and it seemed well received. In fact, one divorcee came and said it's the first sermon on the topic she's heard that hasn't left her feeling guilty, but at peace - and I was very direct in declaring divorce both a sin and failure of Christian discipleship!

Which leads me to ask, why do preachers leave their listeners feeling guilty? I believe that good preaching should bring conviction, but guilt and condemnation a very poor legacy for a sermon.

I think the crux of it is the cross! (If you'll excuse the pun). And a lot of hard work in exegeting the Bible! But mostly the cross. The cross doesn't just mean we're forgiven, it means that God can create something beautiful out of the tragedy and ugliness of sin and evil. If God's grace in the cross is not at the centre of our theology then we can have nothing useful to say on such sensitive and painful topics like broken relationships.

Singles Ministry

2009-08-07T14:33:00.003+08:00

Currently as someone who falls into the category of "single-pastor-but-not-for-much-longer-that-is-I'm-getting-married-soon-not-I'm-going-to-stop-being-a-pastor", I thought it would be great to acknowledge the single folks in ministry (that they do exist and in fact are real people...even if they are the deisgnated soft drink providers at "bring and share" lunches in case our poor single souls feel obligated to try and bring a meal and end up bringing lots of cold toast and a jar of peanut butter...and our only good knife).

Here's a humourous look at singles ministry from Jon Acuff.

If you're not already a fan of this site, you may soon become one. Many thanks to Ruth for introducing this to us in Melbourne! Bookmark the site and enjoy!

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2009/06/550-surviving-church-as-single.html

How to share church documents for no cost

2009-08-04T13:08:00.002+08:00

I have just started using Google Documents, so should you!

Many average size churches use volunteer staff, and staff who are not necesarily in the same office space.
Google Documents solves this problem, seemlessly.

If you are used to using Microsoft Office, it is a breeze, and is totally free.
Here are some examples.
We run a Artisan Markets at our church. We need to use a excel spreedsheet to chart the stallholders, whether they have paid, their details. Different people answer the phone, one person administers it. This means various people may want to check the list. They can, we all can, even at the same time, modify this document, online, easily and safely. No one else can see it except the people we want to.

Church Directory. If your church is like us, it is growing, and people are moving, changing details all the time, nightmare stuff. We have put our online. But for privacy reason, only certain staff member are allowed to access it, we dont want everyone seeing it! Easy, easily updated, in Word style format.

FAQ
It looks and feels like Microsofts product. You upload a word document, it turns it into a google document
You can then download it back to your pc, as a word, excel...whatever...document.
Another example
You have documents you only want certain people on staff to see. You can do that as well. You set the permissions, who can see it, who can't.
Its free, easy and a safe way to share documents, it is like it is made for churches!

What Coffee Machine to use at church

2009-08-03T14:24:00.003+08:00

I have done a fair bit or research on this, and been asked by a stack of guys what to do, so here is a post which gives some thoughts on it, and which I can point people towards.
Here are the assumed truths.
People in church are no longer satisfied with instant pablo served up with UHT milk.
Felllowship is important, lets get people to hang around, enjoy a good coffee, support and pray for each other.
Most churches have severe cost restaints, coffee is way down the list.

Options
1. Breville Coffee Percolator. These do about 15 cups of percolated coffee. As long as you make it about 15 minutes before needed, you will get reasonable good coffee to a reasonable crowd, quickly. They cost about $100 each from Target, and they are quick to serve people. Best: Cost, ease of use Worst: Not excellent coffee, but a lot better than instant

2. Refurbished Automatic Coffee Machine
This is what we use. I have just bought another one. You can pick them up reconditioned with warranty for $500. They make a good coffee, not exceptional, but it does have a good crema on it. The best aspect is that they freshly grind the beans as you go, and the extraction is under pressure.
Best: Improved coffee taste, price okay Worse: can be more complicated, but we do have someone serve and help. Takes a bit longer, but people will wait for a better coffee. If you have more than 200 people in church, you will struggle.
(Link for store in Perth)

3. Pump System
There are some large churches which use this system. It involves using pressured coffee pots with coffee under pressure. The coffee is not great, but a lot of people get served quickly. I don't reccomend it. It is expensive ($5000 +) and the coffee is only as good as percolated.

Some Final Tips
Always use fresh beans, 5 Senses are great, and can be ordered online.
If using a percolator, invest in a good conical burr Grinder. The grind is the single most important aspect of a good coffee. You can improve the quality of your coffee immensly, no matter which system you use, just by improving the bean and the grind.
Don't buy Vittoria coffee, it has been sitting on a shelf in a wharehouse for six months before you buy it. Use local, freshly roasted coffee beans, they dont cost much if anymore.

Everyone is a 10 out of 10 somewhere.

2009-07-30T14:36:00.003+08:00

I believe everyone is a 10 out of 10 somewhere. When it comes to leading volunteers in a not-for-profit organization like the church I have to help people discover their strengths and provide every opportunity for these valuable people to serve within areas they are passionate about. Each one is a 10 out of 10 somewhere and we just need to work together to find out where that is. So this week I caught up with broadcaster Graham Mabury to speak with him about the up-coming Master Your Ministry and Thrive leadership training day - a day where volunteers can discover and develop their strengths.

Graham is currently the President of our Baptist Churches in WA. He has been in pastoral leadership at Mt Pleasant Baptist Church for 29 years and has been hosting the 6PR Nightline talkback program for almost as long. Graham is also a recipient of the Order of Australia in recognition of his charitable work ... and he's an all 'round top Aussie bloke. Graham spends a great deal of time listening to ordinary West Australians in person and on air so when he comes to speak about The Church and Community Impact at our conference he does so as someone with a heart for and a deep understanding of real people and where they're at.

Also at the conference there’ll be a session from Mike and Monica O’Neil on Building Teams and Raising New Leaders. I’m really looking forward to picking up some tips in this session on how to encourage people to discover their gifts and join in the action.

Electives at the conference include:

Children's work with Mim Hosking (Children's pastor at Lakeside Baptist Church)
Worship with Eliot Vlatko (Worship pastor at Inglewood Community Church)
Technology with Craig Tucker (Sound and Tech guru from Riverview Church)
Small Groups with Monica O'Neil and myself (Monica is the director of Vose Leadership)
Leadership with Dr Mike O'Neil (Senior Pastor at Lesmurdie Baptist Church)

There's something for everyone so if you're into community based church work (paid or volunteer), then I invite you to grab your team or come by yourself and join me at Master Your Ministry and Thrive 12.30-4.30pm Saturday 22nd August. You are a 10 out of 10 somewhere, come and discover where that is and if you already know then come and build on your skills base. You won't regret it.

Childcare is available.

Rego and info forms can be downloaded [HERE] and should be returned asap to Vose Leadership College.

Are we done with drama in church?

2009-07-29T09:37:00.001+08:00

I think drama ... DONE WELL ... still has a place in church. I love the quote in this skit, "You have never let God down because you're not holding him up. He's holding you up."

I need your feedback please

2009-07-23T20:12:00.004+08:00

I'm doing some thinking around the whole life groups / small groups ministry and wondered what's been working for you? What's been your best, recent experience/resource of late in this ministry arena? Are any of our busy bods and frequent travellers using TokBox as a tool for connecting with other life group members? And if so is it working for you?

Sermon Feedback

2009-07-21T15:07:00.003+08:00

Sermon feedback is one of those things we often feel is beneficial but never really get around to. However, I'm giving it a go. I've seen forms that are fairly superficial, and others that are too long, I'm aiming for something of modest length but that is incisive.

Do you have a system of feedback? Care to share your insights?

What was the main idea of the sermon?
Did the sermon adequately unpack the Bible text/s? Y / N
In what ways, if any, do you understand or appreciate the text/s more?
What, if any, were one or two stand out points or illustrations?
How was the sermon relevant to you?
What will you do or change as a result of this sermon?
Did the sermon maintain your interest? Y / N
If no, how could the preacher have maintained your interest more?
Did the sermon seem too long or short, or was it about right?
How did you find the preachers style? Anything helpful or distracting?
Do you have any unanswered questions as a result of this sermon?
Any other comments, questions or concerns about the sermon

The next exciting phase

2009-07-20T13:32:00.004+08:00

Here's a really helpful, (and short) update explaining how the Jesus All About Life campaign is panning out so far, and how it will work. The dates given are for the NSW campaign and so WA readers will need to take into account a two week delay.

Jesus. All about life - New Creative from Martin Johnson on Vimeo.

Missions means ...

2009-07-20T09:32:00.001+08:00

"Missions means loving people so much they're forced to ask 'Why?'" (Phil Cooke)

Steve Timmis preachers at Driscolls Church

2009-07-16T16:27:00.001+08:00

What to say?
Its weird seeing him up there where Mark normally is. View
Steve is part of the 'Crowded House' Network, and I have heard him speak.
(Crowded House)

To see him in Driscolls mega church in Seattle is unusual.

Our Prime Minister

2009-07-16T15:20:00.002+08:00

Is there a government leader who is more online than our own Kevin Rudd?
I doubt it.
He is on Twitter, and now has a blog. Here

I myself find that well over 2/3rds of my church people have email, which means they are on the web.
Each week I send out a weekly 'e-news'
I am on Facebook, and Twitter, and obviously have a church blog, and a personal one.

Over 70% of new people to our church have come through our church website.
Things have changed, lets not think they have not.

A New Start

2009-07-15T10:22:00.002+08:00

I really like this vid. Something to add to your church home page perhaps? While you're at it you can also sign up for the Jesus All About Life campaign coming to WA and NSW in September and October.