One of the greatest compliments!

I remember many, many years ago as a new believer in Jesus Christ when a man whom I deeply respected commented to me how Christ was visible in me.

That was the greatest compliment I could remember ever receiving.

I was humbled and almost embarrassed because I realized that God really was working through me and I feared that the joy of that truth would be overcome by my pride - the pride of knowing that God was working through me and that that made me special.

Now, the truth is this: God does work in and through us. But, what we often forget is that it is HIS work IN and THROUGH us, not ours, that makes “things happen,” that changes us, that impacts other people. So, it’s not pride to recognize that truth.

However, it is pride when we begin to see ourselves as better, more righteous or closer to God than others because of God’s work in us.

That with which I struggled wasn’t really about God working in me. What I realized was the tendency in me to turn God’s amazing work of grace and make it a badge of pride. Something like, “See! God is working in me. Aren’t I special? I AM special and a little better than many others because of it. As a matter of fact, I am holier than others because of how close I am to God.”

Interesting how quickly the grace of God becomes twisted in our minds and becomes a work of our own fleshly, selfish me-ism.

That statement made so many years ago affected me deeply. I WANT to walk with God. I WANT to know Him deeply. I WANT to be used by Him in His work, in His way & timing.

I simply want to walk with Him. Then, if He should choose to impact others through me, the greatest compliment would be for me to hear what Zechariah 8:23 says, “And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

That’s the greatest compliment ever!

What a compliment!

Zech. 8:23 - “And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

Wouldn’t this be the ultimate compliment to hear from another person?

The truth is, for born-again believers, that He is indeed with us. However, we have to ask the question whether we are with Him? Whether we walk with Him as He does with us?

More pix from our kids' program

We r watching the kids' Christmas program at our church

Salvation, fruit and John 15

It is interesting to me that so many people use this passage to “prove” the possibility of losing one’s salvation. It appears to me to do just the opposite.

The concept of being a branch that does not bear fruit is a branch that is “unsaved” is inconsistent with the notion of losing one’s salvation.

In John 15, verse 2 starts with this Greek phrase: “παν* κλημα* εν* εμοι* μη* φερον* καρπον* αιρει”

Directly translated, it looks like this: all/any branch in Me wasn’t bringing fruit

It’s the phrase that “in Me” that is so interesting to me. A branch “in Jesus” cannot be a branch without salvation. But this is a branch that is not bearing fruit.

Further, the branch that is not bearing fruit (a continual condition, not a one-time act), is not “cut off”, but is “lifted up” (the Greek word “airo“) in order for it to receive better light & air and not be sitting in the dirt/mud.

The simple & short conclusion is that it must be possible to be a branch and not bear fruit - it must, therefore, be possible to be a believer in Jesus Christ and not bear fruit.

Just musing...

"The Great Choreographer"

I have a new name for our Lord. I don’t mean to be disrespectful at all to our great & gracious God, but He certainly IS the Great Choreographer!

The word “choreography” comes from the Greek in the late 18th century and has the sense of a written notation of dancing. It comes from 2 words being joined together - “khoreia” which means “dancing in unison” and “grafos“ which means ”to write.“

Originally, the main responsibility of a choreographer was to ensure that a ballet was well-executed in the unison of the various dance moves so that through the gestures, arm movements, poses, motions, colors, sounds and all, the ”message“ of the ballet was clearly communicated to the watching audience.

As I have been traveling through this magnificent country, I have been struck with how “The Great Choreographer“ does a phenomenally amazing job of choreographing lives, countries, histories, but even hours, minutes and seconds to bring people, places, times and situations together

Key thoughts to remember regarding The Great Choreographer:

1. He is the one who decides what the Big Picture should look like


2. He is the one who determines who plays what role in making the Big Picture ”work“


3. Our role as ”dancers“ is obedience to The Great Choreographer


4. The choreography may appear incomplete, chaotic, confusing or just plain bad - from the dancer’s perspective - at a given time


5. It is not our individual dance that is the focus of the choreography, it is the dance of the whole choreographed dance troupe


6. As a dancer, my privilege is to watch my part contribute to the whole, the Big Picture, which the Great Choreographer Himself knows intimately and is working to bring to a climactic expression of His greateness, love, holiness and so much more!

I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts about The Great Choreographer. I heard recently that John Eldredge called Him ”The Grand Weaver“ or something like that? What other names do you recall that ring true with this attribute of our Lord?

Dallas Stars vs LA Kings game

This is our view at the game!

Candace & Dad @ Newsboys Concert

Hey,

We're enjoying the Newsboys in an outdoor concert in Tucson!

My son-in-law coaching middle school basketball

Update

Sat in the Denver Airport for 4 hours more tonight than planned. The plane to Phoenix had a hydraulic leak, so they bought a new part, installed it, tested it and tested it and now we’re airborne.

Had a wonderful weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I stayed in Don & Pat Ball’s home. Very nice home, wonderful people! Pat came with the Tulsa team in the summer of 2007 to help with our Big House English Camp. Don is a hoot! I love that guy! We talked motors, cars (he’s got a Chrysler Crossfire with a magnaflow exhaust! Wow! I’ve attached a couple of pics of the car and Don in it), ministry “war stories,” theology, current events, and life! I could spend weeks sitting and talking with them. Don’s got more stories to tell than the Library of Congress!

Here are a couple of pics of Don and his Chrysler Crossfire:






Spent time with Nancy Davis, Tom Reynolds, Jamie Elliot, Michelle Snider, Jennifer Smith and Carla (Nancy’s daughter) a few times throughout the weekend. We had the privilege of presenting a summary of the camp at Kirk of the Hills - a supporting church in Tulsa) and then I shared about our work in Slovakia. God was good.

I chatted with Brad (Don & Pat’s son-in-law) for a little bit on Sunday afternoon. He has a business called Hicorp (signs, etc. for advertising) and works with Young LIfe ministries quite extensively.

I also was privileged to have coffee with Dan Bair (the missions pastor from Kirk of the Hills) and discovered that the pastoral staff at The Kirk has read the book “Simple Church” by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger (previously I had the wrong author - that’s what I get for going from memory on an airplane ride after a long weekend!). They are desirous of moving that direction - at least with their new church plant. Dan was encouraged to hear of our plans to assist and encourage a similar approach to church planting in Slovakia.

All in all it was a great weekend. I even got to go shopping with Don Ball and was able to buy a dress shirt, 2 polos (Izod and Geoffrey Beene) and 1 silk shirt and a casual Hobie shirt (retail $60) for a grand total of $75. He’s quite the bargain hunter (and finder!).

Observations on America

I’ve now been back in the USA for 31/2 weeks. I’ve made a few observations. They may not be profound to you, but they have become startlingly (is that a word?) obvious since I lived here for a year in 2005-2006.

Here are some theologies of the USA (a country I deeply love & appreciate!):

The Theology of Comfort - If there is one theology that is “preached” in the USA, it is this one! I’ve ridden in or driven busses, planes and cars in the past 3+ weeks and the vast majority of complaints have been in the context of comfort - hard seats, not enough leg room, too hot, too cold, too noisy, no food, no toilets, etc., etc.

If it’s not comfortable, it’s not right and it needs to change. Comfort reigns king in the realm of decision-making in our country. Convenience. Availability. People apologize to me for putting me on “the guest bed” (I’m thrilled to have a place to sleep!) or for not having Wi-Fi or Starbuck’s coffee (now, that one might be unforgivable!).

Others reel in shock and/or horror at my decision to travel 12 hours by bus to visit friends/churches/supporters. “Why don’t you fly? It’s so much more comfortable.” True, I think, but then I miss out on the time to think, read, rest, listen (to other people preach for 2.5 hours on a recent prophecy they heard at their local church outreach) and see the country from the ground.

I think comfort is over-rated. I like sleeping in a sleeping bag in a tent on hard, rocky ground - for a time - to get close to nature and away from the chaotic rush-about over-scheduled, over-committed thing we call “life” in the USA.

The Theology of Entitlement - This theology goes hand-in-hand with the Theology of Comfort. We have the right to have ice in our soft drinks, to drink alcoholic beverages, go on vacation, eat 4 times as much food as we need, buy 2 times as much stuff as we need, rest, relax, take it easy, enjoy entertainment and on and on.

We believe that we are entitled to everything that the next guy has. He has a house? I should have a house. He has a boat? I should have a boat.

The Theology of Gluttony/Materialism - Recently, I was in Atlanta, Georgia, and as I walked through the neighborhood where I was staying (a mighty fine neighborhood it is, too, I might say! - enormous houses (some with even 6 bathrooms!) and STILL their Lexuses (or is it Lexi?) and Toyota Land Cruisers and other fine automobiles are parked in the driveway (why do we park in driveways and drive in parkways? (thanx to Steven Wright for that one) because their garages are brimming with STUFF! I stood in the driveway of one home and admired the collection of stuff that was stacked, stashed & jammed onto shelves & piles in their garage. “Hm”, I pondered, ”I could really use that and that.“ Then I laughed at my momentary conversion to the Theology of Gluttony/Materialism. I didn’t even know I ”needed“ that thing until I saw it sitting in the garage prominently on display for my lusting eyes to covet. I know that’s what marketing is all about - making me want what I don’t have - but suddenly need - so that I will buy it and then stash it away after a use or two.

It’s even come to the point of deception, this Theology of Gluttony/Materialism. One commercial touts that if you purchase their allergy medicine, not only are you stopping those nasty drips, sniffles and itches, but as a bonus you get 2 hours of time! (That’s nothing new. Jim Croce sang ”Time In A Bottle“ some 35+ years ago!) But really, I’m buying time? How stupid do you think I am?

And further, what is with the gluttonous portions of food in restaurants? I can’t buy the child’s portion (something about my age!), but that’s exactly what I’d like to buy! I don’t need to buy lunch, breakfast & dinner all at once - which is usually what I end up eating when I go out to eat in the USA. I love the food, but no so much of it!

I’m going to make some people mad with this next statement. Why do we preach against lust, greed, envy abortion, murder, and so many other sins, but not about gluttony in the USA? Forget the fact that obesity is costing us literally billions of dollars a year (maybe if we trimmed down, we could get out of debt!) and is affecting our productivity as a nation. The fact that gluttony is a sin should worry us more than anything else.

I’m sorry if you’re offended. And I KNOW that some people have health problems that cause overweight issues. But when 30-40% of our NATION is obese, we need to take a hard look at what causes are in place and what to do about it. And, Christians, we are just as at fault - if not more - than the rest of our nation. When t-shirt sizes change (I used to wear an X-Large, now I wear a medium and I’m basically the same size as I was 25 years ago.) to reflect the average size in the nation, we need to take stock and ask, ”What’s happening?“

Gluttony, materialism, entitlement & comfort are acceptable sins in the cultural realm of our nation. It’s wrong. Let’s look at our nation’s condition through the eyes of someone who can be more objective than we are - Jesus Christ.

Is it right to eat so much that I gain 10, 20, 50, 100 pounds while so much of the rest of the world is starving? Young people - if you’re serious about making a difference in the world hunger problem, trim down yourselves!

Is it right that we can’t give to charitable organizations because we spend so much of our income on stuff that sits in our over-laden garages?

And what makes us think that we deserve a bigger ”this“ or better ”that“ or another ”one-of-those“? Where do we get the idea that we deserve anything? It’s by the grace of God that we’re here in the first place. Let’s not forget to be thankful for what we have and to learn to be content with what we have and to work to not pursue anything that doesn’t propel or project the Kingdom of God forward. Let’s go back to ”seeking FIRST His Kingdom and His RIGHTEOUSNESS and (then all) these things will be added to you.“

And the next time you’re backside hurts from sitting in an uncomfortable chair, be thankful that you had a chair (or a seat)! Use those ”uncomfortable“ and ”inconvenient“ settings to ask yourself ”Is it really all that bad?“ Maybe it’ll be an opportunity for some physical exercise (we could all use more of that!), or to smooth off some rough edges that grow from too much comfort - who knows?

I’m sure that Jesus was uncomfortable on His cross - but what a pay-off! Aren’t you glad His Theology of Comfort didn’t guide His decision to stay or not stay on the cross?

Me, too.

Catalyst Conference 2008 - Andy Stanley #2

Andy Stanley wrapped up the conference with “Recent Random Thoughts On Leadership”

1. *** “To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do things no one else is doing.” (This is a quote he took from Craig Groeschel) Andy elaborated on this thought by emphasizing that he’s talking about radically different things, not just tweaking an already-existing service, ministry or activity.

The “Take Away” is: Become preoccupied with gaining those you haven’t reached as opposed to those you are trying to keep.

1. *** “The Next Generation product almost never comes from the previous generation.” (Quote from “Focus” by Al Reis) My job is to recognize the good/great ideas!



2. The “Take Away” is: Be a student not a critic. Critics rarely learn anything. Usually, the things that are most threatening to me are those things that are most unfamiliar.

1. *** What do I believe is impossible to do in my field... but if it could be done would fundamentally change my business? (from “Future Edge/The Paradigm Book” by Joel Barker)

The “Take Away” is: Pay attention to the people who are breaking the rules.

*** If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what would he do? Why shouldn’t we walk out the door, come back in, and do it ourselves? (from “Only The Paranoid Survive” by Andy Grove)
        No pain, no change.
        Where are we “manufacturing” energy? These are the areas where we’re needing to make changes!

The “Take Away” is: Acknowledge what’s not working and own up to why you are unwilling to do anything about it.

*** “When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near.” (from Michael Hammer)
        I don’t want to be an expert in how to do ministry in the past 15 years.. I want to be at the epicenter of how to do ministry NOW!

The “Take Away” is: Don’t let success overshadow your vision.


Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure.

Catalyst Conference 2008 - Andy Crouch

Andy Crouch - author of “Culture Making”

Okay, I’m going to confess something here. This session was the most difficult for me to swallow. Not because the language was techo-jargon or I couldn’t follow his presentation - he was quite clear & well-prepared.

My problem is this: Are we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, called to shape culture? To make culture?

One of Andy’s early comments/questions in his talk was, “Why aren’t we shaping culture? Copying, condemning & critiquing culture is what we’re comfortable doing.”

Here are some comments from Andy’s talk:

Gen. 2:15 - We are to cultivate culture, to take what is good & keep it good.
Rev. 21:2, 26 - We are to create culture.

CREATING CULTURE:

1. It always starts in community/together (often with 3 people) - something becomes possible when culture is changed, that originally did not exist or is makes something possible

Then he communicated how to begin change:

Start with 3 people - Andy calls 3 the “suspension of impossibility”
Then you bring in others to have between 3-12 people to build DEPTH
And finally, you expand to 120 people which gives you BREADTH.

Constantly ask others who their 3-12-120 are?

What are you cultivating/creating?

Celebrate the answers.

Maybe I need to read his book to catch the essence of his talk. Maybe I just needed a cup of Land of a 1000 Hills coffee (I discovered this at Catalyst and the Rwandan coffee is excellent - trust me. I’m picky about my coffee and this is good stuff.)

Anyway, I felt like I lost the point of Andy’s talk. Sorry, Andy, nothing personal and I’m certainly not “dissing” your book or work. I just wonder if the Kingdom of God is about changing culture as a strategic point as opposed to a by-product of people becoming true disciples of Jesus Christ and serving & meeting the needs of the world as an expression of the Kingdom.

Catalyst Conference 2008 - Dave Ramsey

Dave Ramsey, a personal money management expert, was a hoot! He is funny, passionate & committed to excellence!

Dave has a radio talk show on finances that is heard throughout the nation. He also has a TV show and has written several books.

Here are some of his thoughts from his talk “The Enemies of Unity” from Gen. 11:5:

ILLUSTRATION:
        1 Belgian plowhorse can pull 8,000 lbs. by himself
        2 Belgian plowhorses (who have not been trained to work together) can pull 24,000 lbs. together
        However, 2 Belgian plowhorses (who have been trained to work together) can pull 32,000 lbs. together - 4 times as much as 1

The point? Unity, synergy & training!

You cannot have synergy without unity.

1. Few organizations experience real unity.


2. The 5 main enemies of unity are:
   
   
   
   • Poor communication
   
   
   • Gossip
   
   
   • Unresolved disagreements
   
   
   • Lack of shared purpose
   
   
   • Sanctioned incompetence
   
   
   
   


3. Poor communication can take many forms, but when the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing, strife sets in.


4. Gossip is degrading and will destroy a church or organization.


5. A successful leader develops & maintains a culture in which negatives are handed up (to a leader who can do something about it) and positives are handed down & laterally.


6. By definition, gossip is when a negative is discussed with anyone who can’t help solve the problem.


7. Unresolved disagreements happen when a leader doesn’t know they exist or when that leader avoids confrontation. A leader must have a backbone!


8. A little confrontation cleanses the wound and allows the parties to go forward in a spirit of unity.


9. When you are aware there are hurt feelings and/or disagreements, act quickly and decisively. (Don’t have the “squirrel-caught-in-the-middle-of-the-road theology.) Nobody ever shot anything with, ”Ready! Aim! Aim! Aim! Aim! Aim!“


10. Lack of shared purpose is caused when a leader doesn’t re-state the goal, the vision and mission early and often.


11. It has been said that sanctioned incompetence demoralizes. (Be kind. Investigate. We are all incompetent at something.


12. Team members will eventually become demotivated when someone else on the team can’t or won’t do their job and a leader will not take action.


13. For the sake of unity in the entire group, the leader must go to battle early and often with any of these enemies of unity.


14. When unity is valued in the culture, the team will also act to keep these enemies from the gate. (Knowledge & perception remove fear.)

Catalyst Conference 2008 - Tim Sanders

Tim Sanders (former Chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo!) spoke on the topic of taking your faith into the marketplace in his talk titled, “Saving The World At Work.”

His core message, as he dictated it to us was, “Tell your people to take their values to work!”

Here are a few thoughts from his talk:

If not you, then who? If not now, then when?

As an individual, I have virtually nothing; in community, however, we make a great stew!

“Good is the new great!” (The meaning behind this is that people want to work for companies that do good in their communities or the world. People will actually change jobs to companies that do good.

The Law of Interdependence - make people successful and the world comes to you!

The Law of Observed Reciprocity - also called “Contagious Compassion” - Leaders gauge reality and give their people hope (how appropriate in our current situation with the 100+ billion dollar bail out.

A single act of compassion can create a ripple of love. One person stepping out boldly to commit an act of compassion can create a ripple effect of compassion throughout a community - even the world!

Catalyst Conference 2008 - Craig Groeschel

Craig Groeschel is senior pastor LifeChurch.tv which includes 12 physical campuses & an internet campus (whatever that means!).

On a “fluke” (I really don’t believe in “flukes” or luck), I was walking through the Gwinett Center’s exhibition areas and spotted a flyer on a table in the food court that caught my attention. Next to the flyer was a black “it” cut out of card stock paper with a note glued onto it that said, “You’ve found it! Return ”it“ to (such & such a table) for a free copy of Craig Groeschel’s book titled, ”How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It.“ So, I returned it and received a free book. After I read it, I’ll give you run-down and some of my thoughts about the content.

Craig’s talk “Finding It When You’ve Lost It” was captivating at worst and cage-rattling in my soul at best!

His text from Scripture was Joel 2:12-14 and he named the “it” that “something special of God, without defining it further than that.

With ”that“ said, here’s what he said about ”it.“

1. God makes ”it“ happen.


2. We cannot create ”it.“


3. ”It“ is not a model, system or program.


4. The upside of ”it“ is that lives are changed.


5. ”It“ attracts critics.


6. Sometimes our ministries quench ”it.“
   
   
   
   • How am I measuring success? By inward obedience? or by something else?
   
   
   
   


7. Simple prayers bring ”it“ back.
   
   
   
   • Prayers like ”God, stretch me!“ There is more in you! You think you’re at the end of your rope, energy, strength - no, there is more in you!
   
   
   
   


8. Who/What will stretch me to help me get ”it“ back?

God must stretch me to get ”it” back.

Before God can stretch me, He must heal me.
Before He can heal me, he must ruin me.
Joel 2:12-14 - “weeping, mourning & fasting”

Am I broken at the things that break God’s heart?
Am I angry at the things that anger God?
Do I have a passion for Jesus above all else?

My prayer from this segment by Craig is:
        Ruin me!
        Heal me!
        Stretch me!

Catalyst Conference 2008 - Seth Godin

The short & sweet of Seth’s talk, “Tribes” is “Where’s my tribe & what am I doing to feed & care for them?”

“Am I doing something FOR the tribe or TO the tribe?

A tribe is defined as a group of people, often self-selected and often with a leader. A tribe is also defined by who isn’t present. The point is CONNECTION.

WHAT THE TRIBE WANTS:

• To connect


• To create meaning


• To make a difference


• To be noticed


• To matter


• To be missed

sethgodin.com

tribes.com
crossfit.com

You EARN a tribe, you don’t deserve one.

Statistics & research show that it is now 4 Degrees of Separation, not 6.

The move in marketing now is not Marketing Management, but Tribal Leadership, so now some other questions appear:

1. How do I grow my tribe? (The simple answer is to ”escalate the positive deviants.“)


2. How do you start a tribe? You have to start with at least 10 people. Any less and the tribe will not grow or continue to exist. 100 people is better and 1,000 is excellent.
   
   
   
   • Do something people criticize!
   
   
   • Find people who are alone in the world
     
     
     
     • Find people who are like those who are alone in the world.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   • Put people together who normally would not be together.
     
   
   

• It’s about LEADING, not CONTROLLING!

Nobody follows mediocre!

Become a ”heretic!“ (Martin Luther)

Heretics challenge religion while still embracing the faith.
Heretics don’t let rules & religion stand in the way of their faith!

Leadership = marketing and vice versa.

WHAT LEADERS DO FOR THEIR TRIBE:

• They challenge their tribe.


• They create a culture for the tribe.


• They are curious (and continue learning for the good of the tribe) (italics are my added thought).


• Leaders get charisma when they lead - not before.


• They communicate to the tribe.


• They connect the tribal members to each other


• They commit themselves to their tribe.

Seth then donated a copy of his latest book ”Tribes“ to each of the 12,500 Catalyst Conference attendees! After I read the book, I’ll give some more feedback on this whole concept of tribes.

Catalyst Conference 2008 - Brenda Salter McNeil

Brenda Salter McNeil wrote the book, “A Credible Witness.”

Her talk was entitled, “Shake It Up” and came from Acts 1:8 and Acts 2:1-12

Here are thoughts from Brenda’s talk:

“God wants to change the world more than we want to change it!”

The spread of the Gospel starts where we are, but it doesn’t stop there!

Jerusalem = our home
Judea = close to home, but not home - sub-cultures fit in here
Samaria = hostile territory - we don’t identify with these people at all
                - We are uncomfortable with them
                - We feel weird around them
                - This is where we’re going to feel like we’re going to get shaken up!

Catalytic events provide the substance for movement.

God always intended for His Kingdom to be GLOBAL. We need to find out where we fit in with that GLOBAL PLAN!!!!!

Catalyst Conference 2008 - Jim Collins

Jim Collins (www.jimcollins.com), author of the book “Good to Great” had a boat-load of things to share with us Though not a believer, his approach to business has strong Scriptural ties & foundations. Here is some of what he shared with us:

“Not all of life is equal.” (with regards to seasons of life)
“Good is the enemy of great.”

“We are not imprisoned by our circumstances; we are freed by our choices - mostly, the choices that are not visible to others.”

We need to foster a culture of discipline in our organizations, churches, etc.

He uses an illustration of a bus for building a great organization. The first thing he says that is crucial to do is to get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off of the bus. In that context, he stated, “When you start compromising the quality of people on the bus, you will fail.”

Better “who’s” on the bus produce completely naturally better “what’s.”

The ultimate preparation for the future is the “who” you have on the bus - not the whats or anything else.

The cornerstone of a culture of discipline is the ability for the leaders to articulate their responsibilities, not titles. True leaders do not need managing, they need leadership. Leadership that recognizes the abilities of a leader and releases him to carry out his responsibilities is good leadership.

“Whenever you feel the need to tighten up your management of someone, it’s probably because I have the wrong person on the bus - or best case scenario, that the right person is on the bus but in the wrong seat.

“Pay your mentors back by mentoring others!” (Peter Drucker said this to Jim Collins)

“The presence of a To-Do List without an equally robust ”Stop To-Do List“ is undisciplined.”

The questions spinning in my head re: this seminar are:

1. Do I have a culture of discipline in my PERSONAL life? My family life?


2. Do I have the right people on the bus in the various ministry works I lead?


3. Am I passionate about my work? How am I contributing to those with whom I work?


4. And am I resourcing those with whom I work (do they have the people, money, brand recognition, etc.) that they need?

Catalyst Conference 2008 thoughts - Andy Stanley - 1

Last week, I had the privilege (and that’s what it was) of attending the Catalyst Conference at the Gwinett Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

As always, it was like trying to drink from a fully-opened fire hydrant. My brain still hurts. My heart still races when I think of what God did through the speakers, the worship and so much more!

I’ve decided to do several short blurbs (each from a particular session) in hopes that I can pass on to you some of what I heard/learned and what I’m processing as a result and how the Lord spoke to me or touched me through it.

(There is no particular order to the choice of sessions...)

Andy Stanley spoke from Nehemiah and called it “Louder Than Words.” His main Bible text was Neh. 5:6-18
(more messages by Andy Stanley at www.northpoint.org)

The question he answered from his talk was: Why, in verse 12 and then again, in verse 13, did these leaders - who had been confronted by Nehemiah so directly about their abuse of power - so quickly, immediately and without complaining agree with Nehemiah and promise to return what they had wrongly taken and not to do it again?

Why didn’t they argue with him?

In short, it is because of Nehemiah’s MORAL AUTHORITY.

Moral authority defined is: public alignment between our creed and our deed.

Nehemiah’s moral authority was a 1:1 ratio. Read the chapter and you’ll see why. Nehemiah PRACTICED what he PREACHED for 12 years before he had the confrontation with the leaders.

Moral authority is the only influence we (as leaders) really have on people. It is ALL WE HAVE.

“People who really influence us rarely have authority over us.” Andy Stanley

Andy then applied these truths to 3 areas: Forgiveness, Finances & Family. The following is from what he stated per each point:

        FORGIVENESS: This is our message! Forgiveness in Christ Jesus! Our moral authority here is to forgive ASAP every single day of our lives!

        FINANCES: Is there hypocrisy in our finances? Do we have a problem raising funds because of financial hypocrisy? Do we live according to Scripture in our financial lives?

        FAMILY: “If my wife/family thinks that the ministry is my mistress, I have no moral authority in their lives.”
                “I’m the only dad my kids will ever have. Why would I sacrifice that for a different role that many others could do just as well - or better - than I?”

Moral authority, character, integrity - these are words that captivate the heart of the follower of Jesus Christ.

First, we must BE disciples of Jesus Christ. Obeying Him in our family responsibilities, financial dealings and ministry work. Then, secondly, we can DO the work that He has called us to do. To reverse these two points is to destroy the essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Visit with Jim & May Manion

Yesterday we attended church at Sierraville Community Church in Sierraville, CA. It is the smallest of our supporting churches (about 30-40 in attendance on Sundays).

We had the privilege of sharing about our ministry in Slovakia & Europe and what the Lord is doing in our family, work & lives. It was really nice to re-connect with this church of believers walking with Jesus.

After church, we were invited to have lunch with Jim & May Manion - long-time friends, members of Sierraville Community Church and (Jim) a California Highway Patrolman for 30+ years. They blessed us with a wonderful Mexican lunch and time together talking about life, family, our country & ministries.

Thanks, Jim & May, for blessing us!


Jim & May Manion

CMA Article - "Keeping the main thing the main thing"

Here’s a link to an article written by Neil Cole, director for CMA (Church Multiplication Associates) and author of “Organic Church” and “Search & Rescue: Becoming a Disciple Who Makes A Difference.”

http://cmaresources.org/node/269

I found it disconcerting that in one research project that many churches listed as foundational elements for a Biblical/healthy church the following items:

1.  A group of believers gathered together regularly...
2.  That considers itself a church...
3.  That has qualified elders present...
4.  That regularly practices the ordinances of baptism and communion as well as church discipline...
5.  And that has an agreed-on set of doctrinal beliefs and evangelistic purpose.

As Neil Cole mentioned, the Lord Jesus was completely left out of the equation. The typical response is that Jesus is a given in the equation. But why do we assume that to be the case? As many of us know (especially if you have traveled much), to assume that Jesus is present in the church is just that, an assumption! There are too many other desires, egos, etc. vying for attention - and, unfortunately, often winning - that we cannot ignore.

I think one of the greatest challenges for a pastor/church leader is to keep the local church focused on Jesus Christ in everything - administration, leadership, organization, ministries, relationships, etc.

A commitment to “keeping the main thing the main thing” (namely, Jesus Christ!) is a good assurance to keeping things in their proper perspective and place.

New forms of church - random thoughts

Next week, I’ll be attending the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, GA. A “pre-conference” event will be with NewThing. They are into new forms of church that will reproduce.

I was invited to be a part of a group of 150 leaders from around the globe to attend this “pre-conference” event and trust that God knows what He is doing by allowing me to be there.

I’ll give you a run-down on the event hopefully the evening of the event. This is my first real contact with them, so I’m not sure what to expect.

I do really like their front page on their web site (NewThing.org) where they very prominently displayed “A catalyst for the movement of reproducing churches.”

More later....

Linda, Mirka & Candace

I just thought I’d put a pic of 3 beautiful women in my life! Linda, my wife, on the left, Mirka, a gal pal of Candace’s who came to the USA for Candace’s wedding and, of course, one of my princesses, Candace.

(I was also testing the ability of my blogging software to upload photos into my blog.)

Cool hair, huh? I asked him if I could take his picture and he was more than happy to oblige!

I spotted this guy as we drove through Mesa, Arizona, today, and he let me photograph him. Cool, huh?

 

Wedding day!

It’s September 27, 2008. Candace & Luke will be tying the knot in about 3.5 hours.

I dreamt about the wedding last night and ever since I’ve awakened, I have been struggling to identify the emotions running through my gut, mind, veins.

I’m nervous - very nervous. Part of that is certainly due to the fact that I have the privilege & responsibility of officiating at the wedding ceremony for the Unity Sand and Candace & Luke’s first Lord’s Supper as a couple. But that’s not the biggest thing that I’m dealing with emotionally.

Linda & I talked about it and she explained it as the “passing of the baton” of care of my first little girl to another man and that I’m not 100% sure that he can care for her as I have and blah, blah, blah.

Actually, I believe that Luke is VERY qualified to lead Candace and I really don’t fear that he’ll be able to care for her emotionally, spiritually, financially & otherwise.

I know that I’m not losing a daughter, but gaining a son. But there’s still something else that is weighing on my heart and I still can’t put my finger on it.

I’m wondering if this is the “leaving” part of the relationship that is mentioned in the book of Genesis in the Bible. It would certainly make sense in that the Scriptures say in that passage that a man is to leave his parents and “cleave to his wife.“ I’m wondering if the feelings are more like a ”cleaving“ of my relationship with Candace so that she can then leave us (Linda & me) and then become one with her husband, Luke.

I do believe that there is more than a mental assent to the leaving and cleaving. I believe that marriage is a union that takes place physically, emotionally & spiritually. I’m further convinced that divorce is a rending, a tearing of the one again into two. And, as we all know, when something has been glued together, it never comes apart into two again as cleanly as it was when they started as two separate units/things/people. (I believe that is why divorce is so messy in so very many ways.)

So, with all of that in mind, I guess this feeling of ”loss“ is real, but not in the sense of a loss when someone dies and the person is no longer present with us. I believe it is a loss of a primary role of leadership/headship/impact/influence and perhaps more.

So much for waxing eloquent in my final hours as a virgin ”father-in-law.“ I’ll post more if I get some insights from others who have had this experience and give me more insight.

Any thoughts from you?

My view on my walk this morning in Tucson, Arizona

This is today's sunset in Tucson, Arizona

Elder Ministry Farewell Barbecue

Last night, I said good-bye to the elders at our church as it was my last official function as an elder and as chairman of the elder board.

I made a baton and wrote the following verse on it: “Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.”

As I passed the baton of the Elder Board leadership to Milos, I stated why I believed that this elder board was a gift from God to the church and encouraged them to continue to seek His face, listen to His voice (above the voices of the congregation) and, above all, to love Jesus Christ first and foremost and then to love people to Him.

Here are a couple of pics from our barbecue. It was a bittersweet time. God is good.



Our newest elder is sitting to my right - his wife just gave birth to a son this past week.



Milos (pronounced “Me-lowsh”) is the one with the goofy grin at the end of the table - makes you wonder about his leadership abilities, doesn’t it? Actually, he is very qualified and the entire board & church recognizes it. Pray for him, please.



The passing of the leadership baton.



        

Today is the start of Yarmok - a week-long cultural festival

Ministry opportunity

I received a phone call from the Baptist Union president this morning.

He's asked me to get back to him in the next week or so about a request.

He has asked me to be a part  of a "2-man team" for the central region of the Baptist pastors. The other person role is to function as an administrator (handling the logistical issues of where to meet, when, etc.). My role would be spiritual leader for the monthly meetings of the pastors in the central region.

I asked him to clarify what that means (spiritual leader) and here is a summary of what I recall him telling me:

1. The spiritual leader is to guide the pastors meetings to stay focused on being disciples and making disciples.

2. The Baptist denomination as a whole has stopped nurturing disciples at all levels. We need more than sharing at these meetings, we need the pastors to be able to leave knowing that their hearts and lives are pure before the Lord and that when they lead & preach, that people are following their example, not just their words.

3. The Great Commission & Great Commandment are to remain high priority during these meetings.

That means that on a monthly basis I need to be with these pastors and it may mean mentoring some along the way if the need arises (Tomas didn't say that, but I'm extrapolating from our conversation.)

The Central region will be meeting from now on in Lucenec (about 45 minutes from Bystrica), not Poprad (almost 2 hours away). (Yesterday, they divided up the regions - again - as they should be.)

Okay, so what do you think? I'd appreciate any feedback, hard questions, etc., so fire away!

Thanks for praying for/with me on this. I'll share my position on this after I hear from you all.

Financial concerns

I recently sent out an email to our supporters that informed them of our painful financial situation. For the past 4 months, we have been seriously under-supported.

This chart typifies the percentages of our support for the past 4 months.

As a result, we are needing something like $16,000 to bring us back to where we should be. We would surely appreciate your prayer support in this.

Our income in the past months has averaged 61.35% of what should be our normal income. June has an unusually good look to it, but it's deceiving. One of our supporting churches is facing a lawsuit within it's denomination and wanted to be sure that we received our support through the end of 2008, so they gave 6 months of support in June.

In reality, the amount would have been 67% for June, bringing our 4-month average down to 56.85%.

We can say - with Paul - “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Phil 4:11-13

Really, the “peace of God which passes all understanding” is our portion in these days. Linda and I have committed to pray and let the Lord worry about our needs and - so far - we have been pretty worry-free.

Thanks for praying!

We are celebrating with the Euroquesters at a special dinner! Emily (w/me) and Michelle (w/Nathan). We're sure thankful for these young women!

Some photos from our time in Odessa, Ukraine

I’m putting some pics up from our time in Ukraine at the Baptist Youth Congress.

About 3200 young people (and some old folks, too!) were in attendance. It was quite an experience to see this event. The young people dressed up quite nicely. Many - if not most - of the gals wore dresses or skirts and lots of the guys were in slacks and dress shirts - some even in ties. Believe me, I felt under-dressed - which is worse than feeling over-dressed - especially as an older person!

Many of the speakers wore coat and tie and the orchestra - yes, full-on orchestra - was in black & white - either dresses, skirts or black slacks & white dress shirts throughout the week.

It was a nice change from sweats, baggy shorts with underwear name brands hanging out, t-shirts, flip-flops and all. I’m not opposed to shorts, t-shirts & flip-flops - I grew up with them and am very comfortable with them. But sometimes it’s nice to dress up and look sharp and at this congress it was a breath of fresh youth air!

The Congress did - at first - appear to have the flavor of being organized by older folks FOR the younger, but as the week wore on, the music got more lively & on Saturday night, they offered a concert from midnight to 4 am that rocked!

We met lots of young people and several teachers from seminaries & schools. I was disappointed that Slovakia was not represented, but have hopes that at the next congress we’ll have some representation there.

My brain suffered from cramps in listening to 3 hours of Russian each night - for 2 nights we did have translation - and I reminisced about our first days in Slovakia when we’d go to church & try to understand a few words of Slovak during the sermon, announcements, intro to prayer and all. (It felt worse than Neo’s head during his “training” in “The Matrix,” I”m sure!)

All-in-all it was a culturally interesting & educating event. I look forward to future contact with the youth leaders that I met and trust that the Lord will catalyze more rapidly reproducing churches in the former USSR through these young people!

On Sunday, we had no meals provided, so we scrounged up what we could - here's the breakfast of champions (of the Baptist Youth Congress)!

3 of my new Russian friends - they spoke almost no English, so we mixed Russian, Slovak and English to communicate - what a hoot!

Nathan at the Black Sea - notice the difference between the afternoon & morning pics - the wind kicks up later in the day, creating white caps

Sorry it's blurry. We're jammed into a tram with bodies pressed against us from every side - it was tough to get the pic -let alone something in focus! ;-)

Some of the architecture in downtown Odessa.

My early morning run rewarded me with this gorgeous sunrise on the Black Sea! The early bird sees what few others do!

Nathan & I are standing on the beach of the Black Sea at sunset. Gorgeous weather today!

Our view of the main stage at the Baptist Youth Congress 08 in Odessa, Ukraine - like the flower beds?

Nathan reads at the Budapest Airport while waiting for the flight to Odessa

Kelly & Linda @ Big House Camp 2008

The simple things remind us of the Great One!

I went to Tesco (our supermarket) on Monday evening to pick up some groceries and what - to my delight - did I spy in the frozen food section but chocolate ice cream - plain chocolate ice cream!

It doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, I’m sure. But when you’ve lived for over 12 years in a country where plain chocolate ice cream can only be bought on a cone from the little stands scattered throughout town - this is indeed a special day! God is good! What a tasty treat to enjoy at home on occasion!

God does care about these little things in our lives. Recently, I was GIVEN an iPhone. I have wanted one since they came out, but never could figure how to pay for it - and now, thanks to a special friend, I’m using one on a day-to-day basis. God cares about our “little” desires.

I’m convinced that we don’t see our Lord in the “mundane” things of life. We want hurricane-like experiences. But Isaiah teaches us that He is in the still, small voice - one that is easy to miss in the 150 mph lifestyle we often live.

Last night, we had a BBQ for the first youth meeting of the year. For the first time in a long time, I was able to stay late, chat with those who could sit around the fireside and talk about life, the Lord and what we’re experiencing with Him. How refreshing!

I’m reading a book titled, “I Became A Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt.” It’s fresh. The author contends that Jesus lived “at the speed of love” and that we live the hurried & harried lifestyle of the 21st century that causes us to miss His still small voice and the opportunities to see Him in the lives of others as we listen, talk and watch WITH them.

It’s the simple things that remind me of the Great One - the Lord Jesus Himself - these days.

I want to live at the speed of love. What about you?

Logos software

Okay, not only do I get a free book from Logos for writing this entry, but I do get to talk about one of my favorite programs of all - Logos Bible Study Software.

I actually switched from the Mac to a PC sometime back around 1994 almost exclusively because of Logos Research System’s Bible study software. I love the software, but for 11 years I regretted the switch to PC.

Well, almost 3 years ago (December or so of 2005), Logos reported that they had started porting their program over to the Mac and just yesterday, I downloaded the beta version. They seem to be making rapid progress in the past couple of months and I am anticipating the first final version in the next couple of months. I can’t wait.

So, Logos has a promotion and with that promotion, I am able to download a free book. It is actually a hook to get customers buy a set of books (to which the one freebie belongs).

At any rate, I love my Logos program and recommend it to anyone looking for a serious Bible study program.

Nature & belief

I went running this morning just as the sun was rising. I’m in the village of Zavadka nad Hronom for the Worldview Conference. I was struck by the beauty of this region and enjoyed running through fields of mowed grass.

On my return trip ( the 2nd half of my run), i turned as I topped a hill and started my descent and was struck by a huge field of sunflowers running as far as I could see - and off in the distance were the mountains of the Low Tatras. The blues-ish shadows of the valleys and the sun glistening off of the wet grass, the quietness of the entire area (I didn’t see nor could I hear an automobile at all), the smells of grass, trees, mountain air - all of it was so refreshing....

Then the thought crossed my mind - How can anyone who works the land ever doubt the existence of a loving, sustaining, beautiful Creator? The colors, smells, sights, sounds - the soft padding of my feet as I bounced along the grassy field - the running water of a creek as I neared my destination...

It’s no wonder that Jesus got up early and WENT OUT to a lonely place to pray. Sure, it’s nice to sit in my easy chair with my cup of coffee and Bible at the beginning of my day - but what a refreshing sight the sunrise is. And to be alone with God in all of His earthly-created glory -- all I can say is, “Ahhh, God is good and I’m so glad He’s chosen me to be His child.”

Titus says that when God saved us and gave us a new birth, that “He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. “ What a wonderful God we have - don’t you agree?

Report from Georgian missionary

The following is from a missionary friend of ours who lives in Georgia. It certainly gives a different spin on the situation than we see in most of the media.

****************
On August 6th there were reports of fighting in South Ossetia.  Every summer there is fighting in South Ossetia.  For instance last year about half of the Villages, mostly in the eastern part of South Ossetia, voted to be under the leadership of pro-Georgian Ossetian government.  The separatists in the Capital tried to cut all supplies to these villages and in response the Georgian government built, under fire, an alternative network of dirt roads to supply these villages with gas, food and water.  The fighting was so bad that the pastor that we work with in South Ossetia could not get back from Tbilisi to his churches in South Ossetia.    That was last year and that was just one story I could tell.
            I wanted you to know that because on August 6th everyone here greeted news of fighting with a shrug.  However this year the Ossetia rebels really pushed things and not only began shelling the villages with mortars but also began shelling the Georgian troops in Georgia.  The Russians version of peacekeeping lead them to warn the Georgians not to respond to the attacks, literally saying it was Ok for the Ossetian rebels to shoot at Georgians but it was not ok for the Georgians to shoot back.  Early in the morning on August 7th Saakashvili ordered the Georgian Army to end the Rebel threat once and for all.  Using the alternative road network built last year the Georgian army bypassed the Russian peacekeepers and attacked the Ossetian “militia” directly.
            Now it needs to be said that the so-called Ossetian government is just a mafia ring that happens to be backed by the Russian government.  The corruption and crime is so rampant that last year “retired” Russian army officers took over most “cabinet” positions in the “government” of South Ossetia because the entire enclave was close to total collapse. The militia of South Ossetia is made up of criminals, smugglers, black market arms dealers and narco traders and the other part are young Ossetian men, untrained and innocent but with no prospects of a job or trade see the militia as a way to earn money.  By the way I have been to South Ossetia and spoken with militia men.  I have first hand information.
            That having been said they were no match for the Georgian army and pretty much ran away as fast as they could.  The Russians tried to force some to stand and fight for the capital of Tskhinvali but after a few score died from engaging the Georgian forces they ran away again.  By the night of August 7th South Ossetia was controlled by Georgian forces and there was peace in the region.
            At this point we were all relieved here and very happy.  The Russians seemed shocked by how fast the Georgian take over was since there was no more fighting we thought that things would stay peaceful.  Everyone thought Russia would do something but we did not really expect an invasion.  Again showing how surprised the Russians were by the speed of the Georgian take over they had sent in special Russian trained militia to reinforce the Ossetian militia over a 1,000 of these militia rushed into Georgia but the speed and power of the Georgian military was so great these militia also ran away.
            So on August 7th late at night the Russian army invaded.  The first wave of troops had more armored vehicles than the entire Georgian army.  All the next day the battle raged for South Ossetia and Russian jets began bombing all across Georgia.  Things became very intense as a lot of men that I know had to go and join the army and get ready for the fighting.  People became increasingly nervous and the first Georgian civilians were killed.  People began to flee from Gori and surrounding villages and we lost contact with a large group of believers there.  Most of them had fled. 
            By end of the day on the 8th the Georgians had lost the battle for South Ossetia and fled back to Gori.  Russian jets were flying all over Georgia and bombing military and civilian targets and they were attacking cars along the roadsides at random.  Driving anywhere in Georgia was dangerous and if you heard or saw jet in the air you could be attacked.  I saw Russian Jets overhead twice and praise God that was as close as I came to the actual fighting.  I have to say though that you just can’t imagine how it feels to have enemy planes over your head knowing they could drop bombs, shoot rockets or strafe you at will just for fun.  I hope you never have to experience that. 
            We also had our first refugee problem a short term trip of American medical personal was in Gori when the bombing started. They fled to Kakheti stayed there for a day and then got away to Armenia.  At the same time another group of American short term missionaries were in Tbilisi and they had planned to visit us but with the escalating conflict they decided to leave as well.  So all the short term people made it out safely.
            The Georgian army withdrawal from the South Ossetia had been as much about limiting the conflict as much as defeat.  From the hills south of the capital of South Ossetia the Georgian army could have fought for another day or two.  Because of the bombing of Georgia from the Russian air force the Georgians decided to retreat and let things cool down.  However Russians were not really there for “peacekeeping” as they claimed.  If they had been peacekeeping then they had succeeded by the end of this day.  However instead of allowing peace to return to the country they invaded.  The bombing continued included some in the southern regions of Kakheti roughly 40 miles from my home.  At this point the Georgian army fled in a panic and retreated to Tbilisi for a last stand leaving the rest of the country vulnerable to attack.
            At this point we briefly had refugees here from Tbilisi.  A rumor started that Russian armies were entering Tbilisi.  What had happened is that some of the retreating Georgian soldiers had been mistaken for Russians.  This lead to several thousand people to flee the capital, also this is when the mass exodus of Americans and other foreign nationals began.  By this time hundreds of Americans had fled the country going to Armenia because the airport here had been bombed. 
            Also the refugee situation became even worse because the Russians opened a second front in the breakaway region of Abkhazia.  Again the Russians say that they were peace keeping but since there was total peace in the region the invasion was breaking the peace. Also the Abkhazian rebel forces attacked Georgian government positions in the region which would obligate the Russians to stop them. However the Russians claimed that this was no problem for “peace” in the region.
            The last few days of the fighting were really just the Russians driving all over the western half of the country destroying Georgians military equipment and buildings and shipping in truck loads of Ossetian mafia and Abkhazian militia to loot towns and villages under Russian control.  They claimed they came into these regions to protect the Georgians from vengeful Abkhazians, who had never been attacked, and Ossetians but he Russians shipped them in themselves and they protected them as they looted.  At this point the Abkhazians and the Ossetians began shooting children, women and men at random, robbing, looting and raping young women all while the Russians looked on.
            Meanwhile in the Kakheti we were spared all these troubles and we as churches began prepared to receive possible refugees and to start relief efforts.  That is where we are now.  However it has been incredibly hard watching what has happened here and how Russia has tortured Georgia.  First provoking the fight in South Ossetia and then escalating the conflict and involving the Abkhazians.  It also has been hard to see all the wounded, dead and destroyed.  To see Russian troops standing where I have often been and watching them destroy things that I have been too and even used. It is has been hard but at least we have all been safe here and others have been much worse off. I thank God that He has given me the opportunity to be placed to help the broken hearted and those who are so desperately in need of Christ.
**********
Please keep this whole situation before our Lord in prayer and continue to pray for our Christian brothers & sisters as they bring the good news of Jesus to this once-again war-torn land.

Prayer Time results

I spent this entire morning in prayer & worship and was truly blessed. Here are some thoughts that the Lord impressed on me. (You can help keep me accountable in applying these things!)

From the book of Philippians:

Phil. 1:3-5 -- Express our thanks & blessings to our prayer & financial supporters

Phil. 2. 2:4 -- as I contemplate my own personal needs & desires, I need to consider the needs & desires of other people

Phil 2:14 -- “do everything without complaining and arguing” -
Interesting words used here by Paul. “Complaining” is the word that means “muttering” and has the meaning of a secret displeasure that is not openly avowed. The Greek word is pretty cool - it’s pronounced “gong-goos-mos” - it even sounds like muttering!

The other word (arguing) has the meaning of reasoning, disputing, arguing. The Greek word is pronounced “dee-al-og-is-mos” and looks like two words put together “dialog” and “ismus”. So, you could say that it is the ability to reason for the purpose of arguing. Not a good attitude at all!

Phil. 2:15 - This living w/out complaining & arguing is part of the proof that we belong to an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present God! No matter what the situation, we have hope, peace and assurance that God is in control!

So, my one desire from today’s time is that my relationship with Jesus Christ would continue to become more & more precious - a relationship, not a religion, not a habit and not a duty. I want to experience the deep, deep love of Jesus and know Him better than anyone else I have ever known!

I know that all of this is possible because in chapter 4, Paul says, “The Lord is near!”

The Price is "Fright" Game

I’ve put together a little game called, “The Price is “Fright!” to give you a fun way of comparing prices between the USA and Slovakia for some common household items. Check it out below. I tried to create a simple web page for it, but that’s getting out of my ability-zone. So, just select the answer you think is right and drop me an email with your answers. I’ll publish the right answers next week.

In the past 2 years, the drop of the dollar (36%) and the rise in prices here in Slovakia has caused over a 50% drop in buying power. Basically, that means that 2 years ago, we could buy an ice cream cone on the square for about 60 cents for a triple scoop cone. The same cone today costs about $1.42. No biggie when you consider that B&R costs about $4.50 for a triple scoop (at least the last time I was there!), but when you figure that’s true across the board whether you’re buying gasoline, detergent, food or whatever. That hurts.

Anyway, check out “The Price is “Fright!” for a little fun insight to our lives here in Slovakia!

1. A 1.35oz-sized Dove Deodorant Roll-on in Slovakia costs:
        a. $4.68 or 89 crowns
        b. $5.26 or 100 crowns
        c. $5.99 or 114 crowns
        d. $7.84 or 149 crowns

2. A gallon of gas in Slovakia costs:
        a. $3.50 or 67 crowns
        b. $5.25 or 99.75 crowns
        c. $6.33 or 127 crowns
        d. $8.84 or 168 crowns

3. 6.6lbs of charcoal (3 kg) in Slovakia costs:
        a. $4.00 or 76 crowns
        b. $5.26 or 100 crowns
        c. $9.95 or 189 crowns
        d. $15.84 or 301 crowns

4. 13.2 lbs of laundry detergent in Slovakia costs:
        a. $4.00 or 76 crowns
        b. $12.26 or 233 crowns
        c. $16.95 or 322 crowns
        d. $31.50 or 599 crowns

5. Gillette Mach 3 razor blades (pack of 2) in Slovakia costs:
        a. $4.60 or 87.5 crowns
        b. $5.99 or 114 crowns
        c. $9.95 or 189 crowns
        d. $11.95 or 228 crowns

6. Nescafe Instant Coffee (200g/6.76oz) in Slovakia costs:
        a. $4.50 or 85.5 crowns
        b. $4.99 or 95 crowns
        c. $6.95 or 132 crowns
        d. $17.85 or 339 crowns

Just email your answers in the form of 1a, 2b, 3c, 4d, 5a, 6b and I’ll let you know how you did! Here’s my email address:

Freebies in missions?

I am struggling with something. I have a friend who is a Slovak. He has a degree in theology, lots of experience in evangelistic kinds of ministries and is a generally nice, hard-working kind of guy.

He decided to pursue missions in his home town, so he decided to find support outside of his church so as not to burden the church with financial issues.

So, here is the situation:

He is a fully-supported, missions-minded worker for the local church.
The church provides him some space for an office and some other amenities like copying, etc.

Now, the confusion. Is there any church that wouldn’t want to have at their disposal a full-time Christian worker reaching out to their community, expanding the Kingdom of God?

But it appears that this church is having some trouble with making the adjustment to having a full-time paid (by others, not by the church) missions worker.

Can you shed some light on this? I have some thoughts, but I’ll hold off on that ‘til later.

Rest, run, visit & cherries

I decided that my body needed a day to rest, so I slept until I woke up - I slept for 12 hours solid!

I got up, talked with Linda for a bit and then we had a visit from a long-time, close buddy (Tomas Babiak). He’s been away studying in the Czech Republic, so it was nice to catch up with him. He stayed for a few hours after which I decided that I needed to take a run.

I took my longest run in quite some time. I was out for over an hour - I have no idea how many kilometers I covered, but I will measure it in the next day or so.

I’m in a battle with fat! I put on about 10 pounds or more on my travels in January-March and have been complaining about it ever since. I decided that it was do or die and have been slowly, yet steadily, losing some fat around the waist.

After my run, I went into the back yard to check on the cherry tree. It’s not doing all that well because the pear tree is so big that it’s shading the cherry tree. In spite of that, there are some cherries and delicious ones at that. These are the sour cherries that are great for pie! I must have eaten a few dozen - all that I could reach from the ground that were ripe ended up in my stomach.

Afterwards, we (Linda, Nathan & I) played a game of Monopoly in which Linda thoroughly kicked our bankrupted behinds!

What a great day off.

Eating out - a cultural perspective

Last Wednesday, we had the privilege of having lunch with a missionary family with whom we will running our Big House English camp this summer.

As we sat under the tent-like structure on the town square and ate lunch, it occurred to me that eating out has become a rare experience for our family. I mused on that for a moment and realized that it was due to the drop in the strength of the US dollar, the increase in the cost of living in Slovakia and perhaps a few other factors.

In the past, we ate out regularly as a family. As a matter of fact, we had almost a ritual of eating out on Sunday afternoon after church so that Linda didn’t have to cook. It also gave us opportunities to be on the square or in town amongst the folks of our beautiful city.

Now, rarely we eat out. If we eat out 2x a month, it is unusual. In some ways, I miss it. In other ways, I don’t. We eat at home more together - at least once a day on the average. It’s a great family time connection, not to mention the money we save by doing so!

In the USA, it seems to us that most folks eat out on a regular basis - but more fast food than in restaurants. Hey, why don’t you tell me how often you eat out. I’d be curious to hear how the recent economic situation in the USA has affected you all.

Organic church planting

I went through my notes from Neil Cole’s Greenhouse that I attended in Cologne, Germany, with Linda & Martin. There’s a lot of good stuff in the notes, so I decided to make it into a .pdf and put it onto the web in case you had any interest in perusing my thoughts.

Here’s the link: http://www.bighouse.org/pnp_updates_2008/jun_2008/greenhouse_notes.pdf

Blessings!
Kelly

Church response to my announcement of resigning from elder board

Our church had a business meeting today. At the end of the meeting, I announced my resignation from the elder board effective Sept 15, 2008.

The responses were varied, but overall, I had the sense that most people were truly surprised and even shocked. The general impression was a feeling of loss (which, of course, makes me feel good from the perspective of have a place in the hearts of many of the people).

But, I don’t believe that the loss was a hopeless kind of loss. I assured them that the Lord has plans to care for them and encouraged them to see Him through all of this.

One of the seminary professors made a poignant observation that our church is in a dangerous place right now and that prayer is of the most crucial need. His statement went something like, “Whenever the church loses it’s leader, it is in a dangerous place where the sheep can feel abandoned and lost.” The elders, however, are already making plans to move things ahead with more elder selections and finding a replacement for me as chairman of the board.

It’s a good feeling to know that I’m doing what the Lord is leading me to do, but the “birth pains” of watching our church struggle with the transition is difficult.

I hope that you’ll be praying for direction, wisdom & men to fill the gap of leadership in our church.

Resignation from the elder board

You all have been praying for me and asking about my ministry and all, so I thought I'd drop a note to let you know that I gave the official  word tonight that I'm resigning from the elder board as of Sept. 15, 2008.

You could have heard a pin drop - even on the carpet. They were shocked. Here's what I told them:

I read the following Scripture passages: Eph. 4:11-16, 1Tim. 5:17, 18;  Acts 20:28 and 1Pet. 5:1,2

Then, I explained that just as the Lord led me to become a part of the elder board 5 or 6 years ago and that I had come on board with dreams, desires and plans, that now He was leading me off of the elder board.

I shared some of the goals I believe we have achieved and how I have  been debating this decision for some time.

Then I told them that I am expressing & feeling thanks, delight, joy  and sadness. I thanked them for their patience, trust, cooperation,  brotherhood, support, love and their relationships with the Lord Jesus.

I told them how they have delighted me with their desire to be used of the Lord and consistent desire in serving Him.

I expressed the joy that they have often brought to me and that God  has things in plan (some of those plans are already in motion) for the  church and that it will be a joy to see those things come to fruition.

And finally, I shared with them my sadness in that I won't be working  side-by-side with them as the Lord works through them, in them and  around them in our local church.

As I stated, they were all shocked. It was unbelievably quiet for  quite some time. Eventually, they began to share their shock,  disbelief and concern. We talked more and they began to understand  that I'm staying in the church, will preach occasionally, and serve as opportunities arise and time allows, but that my focus is going to a  broader sphere - Slovakia and beyond (said in the tone of Buzz  Lightyear!).

Anyway, please continue to pray for them and me. There is a sudden desire to add at least one if not 2 or 3 new members to the board and that means interviews, etc. They're feeling like they need to do this  by September 15th - which, of course, they don't - so that they have a  "full" board.

Would you mind praying especially for Milos, please? He was silent almost exclusively after my announcement and I think -- no, I KNOW --  he is taking it the hardest. I'm hoping that he is not losing hope in this, but that he is seeing that the Lord has His ways of moving His church along. Pray that he will see with the Lord's eyes and not mine  or his own.

I'm scheduled to make this announcement at the church business meeting  this coming Sunday, so if you know someone from our church, I would  ask that you please not say anything to them until next week. Thanks.

Greenhouse with Neil Cole

Nope, this entry isn’t about gardening - unless we’re talking metaphorically.

Linda, Martin & I attended a “Greenhouse” this past weekend. A Greenhouse is a conference/seminar where the concept of organic church is presented, discussed, debated and learned.

It is really a form of simple church or house church. The difference or at least the emphasis is on multiplication - from day one!

In many ways, organic church is so simple and transferrable and applicable cross-culturally that I’m surprised that the Christian community hasn’t adopted this “form” many, many years ago.

The purpose of organic church is for the church to be and do what it was called to be & do and not get weighed down with the trappings of some traditional church models (buildings, staff, programming, etc.).

Frankly, I think it’s high time that we move this direction and I look forward to seeing more from this and doing more with this.

Here is a link in case you’re interested in gaining more info on organic churches:

www.cmaresources.org

Various thoughts from the Bible

Just a few thoughts from my daily Bible reading.

From Psalm 119:

v. 109
I am always ready to risk my life;
I have not forgotten your law.

I have to ask myself, “Am I truly ready to risk my life for Jesus?” Surely, if someone came to me, captured me by gun-point and said, “Deny Jesus as Lord or I’ll kill you,” I’d not deny Jesus. But, am I willing to risk my life in day-to-day living and be thought “different” or “weird” or a “Jesus freak” for Him?

Jesus said that he is faithful in little (a little embarrassment in being recognized as one of His) will be entrusted with much.


v. 112
I have decided to obey your laws
until the day I die.


Yeah, now is the time to make such decisions - not “in the heat of the moment” as they say. This is my desire, Lord. To obey you until my last breath.

Laptop fixed

Just got my laptop back today (MacBook Pro for those who really want to know). The display just went “kaput” about 5 weeks ago - For some reason, I don’t blog on the desktop - I know, weird.

Anyway, now that I have the tool, I’ll start blogging again, so stay tuned.

Church discipline - a lost "art" of obedience?

At our church’s last business meeting held this past Sunday, we put a couple into church discipline because they have recently divorced.

There was discussion as to whether or not the discipline has any meaning now that they are divorced. Of course, various opinions were offered, but the elders are convinced that the disciplinary action is not an act of punishment for getting divorced, but a recognition of the fact that this marriage is in total disarray and needs help to be restored.

It was one of the most difficult meetings I have lead to date as chairman of the elder board. The couple has been a part of our church body for many, many years and to watch the disintegration of their marriage is painful, saddening and sobering.

I read the following passage of Scripture at the end of the meeting:

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5 for each one should carry his own load.

6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature a will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Makes you stand up and take stock of where you are in your own marriage right now, doesn’t it?

Various thoughts re: Central Europe

I chatted with Frank Zauflik today about the Central Europe East region in Greater Europe Mission. In preparation for a Consultation Day in September, we discussed a variety of issues, but one stood out to me in particular.

It’s a question, really. What are the things that we assume are true today about the CEE culture that USED to be true, but may not be true now?

For instance, for many years, I have heard missionaries state that Slovaks as a culture are not responsive to the Gospel. They just don’t respond to the salvation message.

I have had experiences contrary to that statement. But, I have to ask the question whether or not it is really true.

Another consideration: Do Slovaks (Central Europeans) have a high tolerance for risk-taking (overall) or not? According to one survey, they have a very high tolerance. According to my experience, they tend to shy away from risk-taking.

However, most of my experience has been in the context of Christian people and that may skew the average.

But my first question remains. What is it that I (as a missionary) hold true in my mind/heart today that maybe at one time was, indeed, true, but may not be true today?