I took a spur-of-the-moment, hour-long walk today around town. Literally.
My wife started at a new job and needed the car today for the first of several "transition days." So I walked our youngest to school (typical), and kept going to work (a whole 100 yards or so further: it's right next door to the school). I dropped my backpack in my office and decided to walk down the street to get some coffee at the local Mobil convenience store.
Several construction trucks and a backhoe were digging up the property of several trailer homes across the street. Coffee in hand, I trotted across to ask what was going on. They're connecting water and sewer for two of the homes and laying new pipe for four new homes.
Having now learned something new for the day, I headed back to work. But I kept going. I remembered I had to go to the bank, so I walked the mile or so to the bank. Took care of that. But I decided to not return the same way, and ended walking a route that circumambulated the lower side of town. [Never thought I'd ever use that word, circumambulated.]
Go back to work an hour later. Quiet walk. A couple of cement and demp trucks. A babbling brook. A gray sky with the sun barely easing through a translucent veil of clouds. Lots of thoughts along the way.
I may try this again.
17 October 2006
10 October 2006
Programming Team and Youth Ministry
Programming Team working great so far
We've been able to meet now for three weeks, and today we knocked out the first three weekends in November. I was very pleased with the dialogue and process today. Everyone had some great ideas and we were able to craft three distinct services that will complement the theme fo each day.
We're in the middle of our 40 Days of Community campaign. And the three Sundays in November are Worship, Missions (World), and Celebration Sunday, respectively. We moved elements around, such as the offering, or the greeting time (which I'm not a great fan of personally, but the folks here enjoy it for the most part) so the flow of each service made sense for the theme. In fact, we canned the greeting time for Worship Sunday so we could ensure all elements placed the focus on God. No message on Missions Sunday will allow a couple of missionaries to share. And a four-song opening set (coincidentally all in E Major) will set the stage for an exciting time of congregational sharing on Celebration Sunday.
The next step in this transition to the Programming team ministry is to invite the worship leaders on board so they can help shape and own their specific services. Before we can do that, however, I must spend some time devloping their ministry philosophy and training them in the new approach to services. For a long time, they have served more as emcees, walking people through the printed bulletin as if they couldn't read for themselves, announcing each song ("Now we will sing...") and coming across as mere adjuncts to the senior pastor, who monitored and controlled everything from the piano bench.
We also will try to establish a worship team (instrumentalists, vocalists and technicians) so they can be part of the rehearsals. Right now, the band and choir rehearses on the same night. Of course, half the current band members also sings in the choir so this has worked so far. But we'll eventually need to split rehearsals over different nights, I think, especially as we add more people to the mix, and look at more than the coming Sunday's music.
Student Ministry doesn't look like last year's
The senior high meets almost every week for service projects, group activities or just to just chill at the leaders' home. Parent's of junior high kids will take turns hosting/coordinating a monthly activity for their kids. I'm out of the picture leadershipwise. Yay! It's actually been great to see things take off. I still hope God will raise someone to take the leadership reigns for Junior High, but at least there's something (I still teach the JH Sunday School class).
And with neither group using the chuirch building every Sunday afternoon and evening, we are now considering educational options for parents and adults, which we haven't heretofore.
Now I need to focus on the church's website, which is woefully out-of-date, and hosted by a company that won't even return phone calls. So we need to look at a host, content-management software, and then build dynamic content. Yeah, that'll be easy. :)
We've been able to meet now for three weeks, and today we knocked out the first three weekends in November. I was very pleased with the dialogue and process today. Everyone had some great ideas and we were able to craft three distinct services that will complement the theme fo each day.
We're in the middle of our 40 Days of Community campaign. And the three Sundays in November are Worship, Missions (World), and Celebration Sunday, respectively. We moved elements around, such as the offering, or the greeting time (which I'm not a great fan of personally, but the folks here enjoy it for the most part) so the flow of each service made sense for the theme. In fact, we canned the greeting time for Worship Sunday so we could ensure all elements placed the focus on God. No message on Missions Sunday will allow a couple of missionaries to share. And a four-song opening set (coincidentally all in E Major) will set the stage for an exciting time of congregational sharing on Celebration Sunday.
The next step in this transition to the Programming team ministry is to invite the worship leaders on board so they can help shape and own their specific services. Before we can do that, however, I must spend some time devloping their ministry philosophy and training them in the new approach to services. For a long time, they have served more as emcees, walking people through the printed bulletin as if they couldn't read for themselves, announcing each song ("Now we will sing...") and coming across as mere adjuncts to the senior pastor, who monitored and controlled everything from the piano bench.
We also will try to establish a worship team (instrumentalists, vocalists and technicians) so they can be part of the rehearsals. Right now, the band and choir rehearses on the same night. Of course, half the current band members also sings in the choir so this has worked so far. But we'll eventually need to split rehearsals over different nights, I think, especially as we add more people to the mix, and look at more than the coming Sunday's music.
Student Ministry doesn't look like last year's
The senior high meets almost every week for service projects, group activities or just to just chill at the leaders' home. Parent's of junior high kids will take turns hosting/coordinating a monthly activity for their kids. I'm out of the picture leadershipwise. Yay! It's actually been great to see things take off. I still hope God will raise someone to take the leadership reigns for Junior High, but at least there's something (I still teach the JH Sunday School class).
And with neither group using the chuirch building every Sunday afternoon and evening, we are now considering educational options for parents and adults, which we haven't heretofore.
Now I need to focus on the church's website, which is woefully out-of-date, and hosted by a company that won't even return phone calls. So we need to look at a host, content-management software, and then build dynamic content. Yeah, that'll be easy. :)
28 September 2006
Better together
It's humbling when you are forced to put into practice something you intellectually agree with and even champion, but practically hold off implementing.
We start our 40 Days of Community campaign on Sunday. Its theme is "Better Together," and will emphasize God's design for the church. Specifically, we were meant to serve each other and to serve together. No lone rangers need apply.
Well, we discovered Tuesday morning we have a broken, clogged sewer line (read more here). Our pastor's wife graciously offered us the use of her washing machine, so we agreed to take her up on the offer today. I brought a load of dirty laundry and detergent with me to work (parsonage in next door), fully expecting to handle the domestic duty myself.
But she told her machine was a front-loader, used a certain kind of detergent (don't worry, she had enough), and had a few other precedural quirks. It's also a new machine. So, she offered to do laundry herself. I confess I felt a little bit of American individualism sneak under the radar: there's something unnerving about watching someone scoop your dirty underwear into a washing machine.
But the whole experience illustrates the core concept of "Better Together." There are times when we are more then capable of cleaning up our own messes. But there are also times when we need outside help. We just need to be willing to accept--and ask for--that help. And we need to be just as ready to offer and actually give help to others.
We start our 40 Days of Community campaign on Sunday. Its theme is "Better Together," and will emphasize God's design for the church. Specifically, we were meant to serve each other and to serve together. No lone rangers need apply.
Well, we discovered Tuesday morning we have a broken, clogged sewer line (read more here). Our pastor's wife graciously offered us the use of her washing machine, so we agreed to take her up on the offer today. I brought a load of dirty laundry and detergent with me to work (parsonage in next door), fully expecting to handle the domestic duty myself.
But she told her machine was a front-loader, used a certain kind of detergent (don't worry, she had enough), and had a few other precedural quirks. It's also a new machine. So, she offered to do laundry herself. I confess I felt a little bit of American individualism sneak under the radar: there's something unnerving about watching someone scoop your dirty underwear into a washing machine.
But the whole experience illustrates the core concept of "Better Together." There are times when we are more then capable of cleaning up our own messes. But there are also times when we need outside help. We just need to be willing to accept--and ask for--that help. And we need to be just as ready to offer and actually give help to others.
06 September 2006
Thou shalt not murder...ever?
When I deserve to be smacked in the head with the proverbial two-by-four, and it finally happens, should I complain because my head hurts? Do I even have the right to assess the grip and delivery of the one wielding the “board of education”?
Today, I caught wood twice, but I’ll only describe the first time here. It will be too easy to glibly say that correcting the underlying issues will require God’s help. Too often I think we say that as a way to excuse not doing anything substantive ourselves to address the issue at hand. Yes, it will require God’s work. But because of what God has already done for me, I am expected to do my part as well.
After two years, I realize my priorities are a bit out of whack. They’re too focused on execution—on completing the To Do list so I can successfully report tasks completed at the next meeting. This means relationships suffer—all of them. I need to fully submit myself to God, and then, to “slay my dragons.” Which brings me to that first two-by-four.
In preparing for a Bible study in Colossians I will deliver tomorrow, I ran across the passage in chapter 3 where Paul contrasts the old self and the new self. The chapter starts:
Today, I caught wood twice, but I’ll only describe the first time here. It will be too easy to glibly say that correcting the underlying issues will require God’s help. Too often I think we say that as a way to excuse not doing anything substantive ourselves to address the issue at hand. Yes, it will require God’s work. But because of what God has already done for me, I am expected to do my part as well.
After two years, I realize my priorities are a bit out of whack. They’re too focused on execution—on completing the To Do list so I can successfully report tasks completed at the next meeting. This means relationships suffer—all of them. I need to fully submit myself to God, and then, to “slay my dragons.” Which brings me to that first two-by-four.
In preparing for a Bible study in Colossians I will deliver tomorrow, I ran across the passage in chapter 3 where Paul contrasts the old self and the new self. The chapter starts:
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
[And here comes the swing…]
“Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.”
Those words “put to death” left a virtual imprint on my temple. They imply conscious effort, premeditated and carefully directed against the old self. But if we are a new creature in Christ—having been made alive together with Him (1:22; 2:6, 10, 12-13), what does Paul mean by this admonishment?
There are two ways, I think, to kill something. The first is to introduce something foreign and contrary to the needs of existence, such that death follows. Examples of this would be poisoning, stabbing, kicking, stoning, shooting, etc. Paul says that we need to take such action when these characteristics of the old self appear. Get rid of them—quickly!
The second way to kill something is to withhold what it needs to survive: such as air, food water, touch, love, etc. In this sense, Paul says we must keep the storehouses empty of anything that can give these characteristics sustenance. Don’t feed them. This is probably the only time murder is okay: to kill the old self.
So, I have some issues that I've never dealt with and have carried into ministry. Dealing with them will be a long road, but ultimately the best one for the sake of my family and the church.04 September 2006
Talk about a whirlwind...
When we last heard from our intrepid blogger...
The message went great...first service. I played the video clip from Star Wars and the tie-in was obvious. The message wnet smoothly, and considering I rearely looked at my outline, I pretty much covered everything. Only proplem was that I tended to forget to advance the Powerpoint slides.
Then second service came. We were half-way through the song right before the message when I realized I forgot to re-cue the video clip!. So I did my best impression of Yoda (not bad, if the chuckles from the younger kids in the audience mean anything), and forged ahead.
We've since purchased a wireless presenter mouse/control so we can work slides from anywhere in the sanctuary. I get to try it our for real this Sunday during our prayer service (to kick off the new year). I will combine music (live and CDs) with projected images as we conduct a "concert of prayer" using the Lord' prayer as an outline.
The message went great...first service. I played the video clip from Star Wars and the tie-in was obvious. The message wnet smoothly, and considering I rearely looked at my outline, I pretty much covered everything. Only proplem was that I tended to forget to advance the Powerpoint slides.
Then second service came. We were half-way through the song right before the message when I realized I forgot to re-cue the video clip!. So I did my best impression of Yoda (not bad, if the chuckles from the younger kids in the audience mean anything), and forged ahead.
We've since purchased a wireless presenter mouse/control so we can work slides from anywhere in the sanctuary. I get to try it our for real this Sunday during our prayer service (to kick off the new year). I will combine music (live and CDs) with projected images as we conduct a "concert of prayer" using the Lord' prayer as an outline.
03 August 2006
Second "official" speaking engagement approaches
Our senior pastor flew to Tuscon Monday to attend to his dying father (passed away this morning) and I am scheduled to fill the pulpit Sunday. No, we don't have a actual pulpit--a conductor's stand suffices, which I prefer, since I tend to wander from home base anyway. The pastor's absence was planned: he was supposed to speak in a church in Quebec City (via interpreter).
But I will continue in a series we started a month ago, based on C. Gene Wilkes' study on Servant Leadership. Last week, we finished the acronym SERVE:
The point is that we are all supposed to pass on to others what we have learned.
I'm excited about this opportunity.
But I will continue in a series we started a month ago, based on C. Gene Wilkes' study on Servant Leadership. Last week, we finished the acronym SERVE:
- Spiritual gifts
- Experiences
- Relational style
- Vocational skills
- Enthusiasm
- Encourage
- Qualif
- Understand & meet needs
- Instruct
- Pray
The point is that we are all supposed to pass on to others what we have learned.
I'm excited about this opportunity.
07 May 2006
Now THIS is what I call Church
Well, we held the first of what will likely be several parent meetings regarding the future of youth ministry. It went well as a conversation starter. We talked about cultural characteristics, generational characteristics and values, and then started to talk about parental issues.
The really neat part was a parent shared a particular need, and the meeting screeched to a halt so everyone could pray for the family. Now THAT's what "church" should be like all the time. Forget about the agenda. What does God want to do? Are we willing to go along for the ride?
I think Mike Yaconelli asked the same thing in "Messy Spirituality."
The really neat part was a parent shared a particular need, and the meeting screeched to a halt so everyone could pray for the family. Now THAT's what "church" should be like all the time. Forget about the agenda. What does God want to do? Are we willing to go along for the ride?
I think Mike Yaconelli asked the same thing in "Messy Spirituality."
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