Back in 1980, Dr. Jimmy Draper, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention and at the time pastor of First Baptist Church in Euless, Texas, and later executive director of Lifeway Christian Resources, wrote a book called Authority: The Critical Issue for Southern Baptists. The book was released shortly after a movement that has now been called the "conservative resurgence" began in the Southern Baptist Convention. The issue of which Draper wrote, and which essentially fuelled the conservative resurgence was the authority of the Bible in the local church. Draper, who was one of the leaders of the resurgence, insisted that there had been a theological "drift" in the seminaries operated by the convention away from traditional views of the Bible held by most Southern Baptists, and in his book, he defined the place of the Bible in the preaching and teaching of the church. His book, and the movement he was part of, succeeded in turning a major Christian denomination back toward a theology much more grounded in the scripture than what had developed in mainstream Protestant Christianity in America at the time, and away from the direction that the convention's seminaries were apparently headed.
Garden Oaks Baptist Church is firmly anchored in the scripture, believing it to be the written Word of God, and along with the Holy Spirit's guidance and illumination, the source of the faith and practice of the church. For us, today, outreach and discipleship, not spiritual authority, have become the critical issue. I believe the same holds true for most of the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention as well.
This church has existed for going on 69 years, and has been through several transitions related to what constitutes its membership. It has survived through crisis, weathered demographic changes, freeway construction, several major neighborhood transitions and the encroachment of megachurches, along with transitions and changes in the way it worships and does ministry. It is still here, a congregation of about 250 active members, meeting in relatively the same place for almost seven decades.
The critical issue we now face may be among the most serious of the church's long existence. We are located in an inner city neighborhood that has transitioned over the years from being a suburban refuge to a culturally diverse community where property values are soaring, and the affluent population moving in, and now making up the majority of the community, is largely disconnected from the church culture. The church itself has transitioned into a smaller church than it once was, with a larger percentage of people from the "old fabric" of the neighborhood among the active membership. We have few members who are between 20 and 40 years of age, and not a tremendous number of members between 40 and 50. This is a critical issue from several perspectives.
First of all, in terms of evangelism and outreach, we need to be touching the lives of people who live around us and ministering to them. The fact that we do not have a large number of individuals between 20 and 50 in our church is a clear testimony to the fact that, whatever we are doing in our outreach and our ministry, it is not reaching this age group. More than any other single piece of evidence, this is proof that deep change must occur in our approach to outreach and ministry. There is nothing inherently "wrong" with what we are doing now, and of course, since we are familiar with it, and it appeals to us, we don't think change is necessary. But we need to heed the words of Paul in I Corinthians, "I have become all things to all people in order that I might save some." Clearly, with regard to 20 to 50 year olds, we are not there yet.
Second, and perhaps almost equally as critical, is the viability of the congregation. We occupy a facility built to accomodate a neighborhood church running 850 in Sunday School and 900 in worship, during the 1940's and 50's. Maintenance, utilities and insurance costs consume a lot of resources. If our growth does not keep up with the loss of members past 65, who, over the next decade or so will be very diminished in number, the point will come where the church will not be able to maintain either its current ministries, or its facility. If we are pre-occupied with things that distract us from our mission and vision to reach people for Christ by things related to just keeping the doors open and the lights on, we will miss out on missional ministry opportunities.
This summer, in June and August, on specific Sundays, we will be having a leadership seminar from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. This is for all of our church leadership, including Bible study teachers, home group leaders, policy team members, ministry leaders and deacons. But it won't be exclusive! Anyone who is interested in helping the church find ways to reach those individuals who live around us will be welcome to come. We will meet in the library, where we can be comfortable. In June, we will examine principles and concepts from Essential Church by Thom and Sam Rainer. The book is about reclaiming church dropouts, particularly those in the younger age group, who say "I did not see church as essential to my life." We'll look at ways to make the church essential in this Biblically based study. In August, we will look at principles from Comeback Churches by Ed Stetzer and Mike Dodson. Ed is director of Lifeway Research, and Mike is a church planting specialist in Pennsylvania. Come with an open mind and an open heart.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
"Recharging" the Spiritual Batteries
The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference is a long name for the event in which I am participating this week. It gets part of its name because it takes place at the Lifeway Ridgecrest Conference Center located just east of Black Mountain, North Carolina, high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The other part of its name comes from the fact that it is a gathering and meeting place for Christians who write either as a career or as a hobby, along with editors and publishers who help provide churches with curriculum materials for Bible study, small groups and all kinds and age levels of discipleship ministry, and books and materials sold on line or through Christian book stores for individual inspiration, Bible study and, in general, something to encourage spiritual transformation. I've heard those two words a whole lot in the two and a half days since I arrived here.
So why did I pick this particular conference? That's a good question.
First of all, let me say that I deeply appreciate the church's provision of a ministry-related expense account for such things. Actually, I think we are now calling them accountable reimbursement expenses, (A.R.E.) or something like that, but it is money that you provide for this sort of thing. In past years, I have applied these funds to things which will help enhance my ability to do the job you called me to do at Garden Oaks. I've generally attended a major conference related to a designated area of my work at the church, such as the Willow Creek Group Life Conference, and then tried to find two or three similar events offered locally to get as much done as possible for as little money as necessary. I've represented the church at the Southern Baptist Convention and also at the Baptist General Convention of Texas as these events also pertain to my job, and the BGCT offers exhibits and break-out sessi0ns that are very informative.
This year, things are just a bit different. Because of my summer schedule, with World Changers coming during the week of the 4th of July, I cannot attend the SBC. The BGCT is in Houston, which will not require any travel or hotel expense. This opened up a rare opportunity to participate in a couple of additional conferences beyond what I would normally be able to do.
It is extremely important that our church become trained and prepared to reach the younger generation, and to do it in such a way that we are able to connect to the people who live within an easy reach of the church facilities. That is critical to our future, and if you read my job description, a significant part of that responsibility is included in it, through the discipleship and lay mobilization ministry of the church. We absolutely must get how to do this, we must be equipped to do it, and we must be motivated to do it. The conferences I will be attending this year all have that particular element in common. I need to help you catch this vision, pin it down, and put it into place.
Second, our church has been pastorless for almost a year, and until recently, also without a youth pastor and children/preschool ministry director. We are on the verge of filling those positions, thank the Lord, but we are still pastorless and may remain so for a while longer. I deeply appreciate those of you who have expressed your gratitude to me during this time and have thus made what could have been a very tiring and thankless task seem much less difficult. The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference is one I picked with the past eleven months specifically in mind. For one thing, it runs from Sunday evening to Thursday at noon, which is a long time for a conference. For another, it is most definitely an environment in which the "spiritual batteries" can be recharged. Worship happens here every morning and every evening, and there is no lack of either inspirational music or spirit-filled preaching. Likewise, the break-out sessions, combining writing technique with scripture and inspirational topics, have been like fountains of refreshing water, and the workshops challenge the mind.
As the Psalmist says, "I will lift my eyes to the hills, from which my help comes, it comes from the Lord." Ridgecrest is literally named. It sits at the top of a ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains that leads up to the highest peaks in North Carolina, just a few miles to the north. Walks at dawn around the campus, in the chilly morning, and in the afternoon through the prayer garden have been incredibly spiritual moments. And you meet dozens of other people doing exactly the same thing. There is a long porch upstairs over the walkway to the dining hall containing dozens of rockers, facing the panoramic mountain views. I've spent several hours this week, sitting in a rocker, and those have been extremely restful moments. I could write a book....well, after this week that's certainly a possibility!
Low advance airfare has also helped me squeeze in a third conference this year, Connect, offered by our own Lifeway publishers. This conference will feature Ed Stetzer, Thom and Sam Rainer, and Mark Batterson, pastor of the National Community Church in Washington, D.C. which has been highly successful at reaching the under 30 generation. This conference will be a crucial part of helping us develop a strategy for this kind of ministry. Start thinking about getting on board with that, the conference is in September, and I want our church to be ready to jump in with both feet when the time comes.
So why did I pick this particular conference? That's a good question.
First of all, let me say that I deeply appreciate the church's provision of a ministry-related expense account for such things. Actually, I think we are now calling them accountable reimbursement expenses, (A.R.E.) or something like that, but it is money that you provide for this sort of thing. In past years, I have applied these funds to things which will help enhance my ability to do the job you called me to do at Garden Oaks. I've generally attended a major conference related to a designated area of my work at the church, such as the Willow Creek Group Life Conference, and then tried to find two or three similar events offered locally to get as much done as possible for as little money as necessary. I've represented the church at the Southern Baptist Convention and also at the Baptist General Convention of Texas as these events also pertain to my job, and the BGCT offers exhibits and break-out sessi0ns that are very informative.
This year, things are just a bit different. Because of my summer schedule, with World Changers coming during the week of the 4th of July, I cannot attend the SBC. The BGCT is in Houston, which will not require any travel or hotel expense. This opened up a rare opportunity to participate in a couple of additional conferences beyond what I would normally be able to do.
It is extremely important that our church become trained and prepared to reach the younger generation, and to do it in such a way that we are able to connect to the people who live within an easy reach of the church facilities. That is critical to our future, and if you read my job description, a significant part of that responsibility is included in it, through the discipleship and lay mobilization ministry of the church. We absolutely must get how to do this, we must be equipped to do it, and we must be motivated to do it. The conferences I will be attending this year all have that particular element in common. I need to help you catch this vision, pin it down, and put it into place.
Second, our church has been pastorless for almost a year, and until recently, also without a youth pastor and children/preschool ministry director. We are on the verge of filling those positions, thank the Lord, but we are still pastorless and may remain so for a while longer. I deeply appreciate those of you who have expressed your gratitude to me during this time and have thus made what could have been a very tiring and thankless task seem much less difficult. The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference is one I picked with the past eleven months specifically in mind. For one thing, it runs from Sunday evening to Thursday at noon, which is a long time for a conference. For another, it is most definitely an environment in which the "spiritual batteries" can be recharged. Worship happens here every morning and every evening, and there is no lack of either inspirational music or spirit-filled preaching. Likewise, the break-out sessions, combining writing technique with scripture and inspirational topics, have been like fountains of refreshing water, and the workshops challenge the mind.
As the Psalmist says, "I will lift my eyes to the hills, from which my help comes, it comes from the Lord." Ridgecrest is literally named. It sits at the top of a ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains that leads up to the highest peaks in North Carolina, just a few miles to the north. Walks at dawn around the campus, in the chilly morning, and in the afternoon through the prayer garden have been incredibly spiritual moments. And you meet dozens of other people doing exactly the same thing. There is a long porch upstairs over the walkway to the dining hall containing dozens of rockers, facing the panoramic mountain views. I've spent several hours this week, sitting in a rocker, and those have been extremely restful moments. I could write a book....well, after this week that's certainly a possibility!
Low advance airfare has also helped me squeeze in a third conference this year, Connect, offered by our own Lifeway publishers. This conference will feature Ed Stetzer, Thom and Sam Rainer, and Mark Batterson, pastor of the National Community Church in Washington, D.C. which has been highly successful at reaching the under 30 generation. This conference will be a crucial part of helping us develop a strategy for this kind of ministry. Start thinking about getting on board with that, the conference is in September, and I want our church to be ready to jump in with both feet when the time comes.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Worship Survey Results
Recently, the Development Team surveyed the congregation related to attitudes regarding our worship services and their format. The results, not surprising, were also not conclusive. What we discovered is that our worship services are meeting some specific needs, that there is no clear consensus in the church about whether we should go back to one service or continue with two, that we have some people who don't have a preference and choose the service they attend for more practical reasons, and that there is a wide variance of opinion related to worship in the church in general, and in our church in particular.
We received a total of 124 surveys back, over the course of two or three weeks, which some D-team members thought was disappointing. However, considering that we are averaging between 215 and 230 in worship, and that between 35 and 45 of those are probably youth, adults and preschoolers, we probably got responses from 75% of our adults. That's not bad at all. And just to remind us we live in the 21st century, some individuals faxed or email their survey forms. We got 52 surveys from people who primarily attend the 8:30 service, 58 from people who primarily attend the 11:00 service, 8 from people who attend both, and apparently, 6 from people who attend neither, or just didn't indicate.
Four out of ten surveys, an almost equal number from both services, indicated that they thought the volume of the music was too loud. To that, I can say that we are actively working on it. Perhaps you have noticed in the last few weeks that the sound is clearer, and the volume is much better. This is due to the absence of all of those monitors on the stage, replaced by an in-ear monitoring system which not only helps the musicians stay on track, but cuts down on unecessary noise on the stage. Our sound booth operators now have much greater control over the volume.
Many people in our church, regardless of their own personal preferences, realize the importance of offering worship services which meet the spiritual needs of others. As a whole, our congregation seems to have an understanding that worship here needs to be done in such a way that it invites the presence of the Holy Spirit to enter, and that his transforming power is necessary to meet the spiritual needs of those who have gathered to worship. Even among those who expressed a preference to see the church offer just one worship service, there is a realization that while doing so might meet their own needs, and match their own preferences, as a church we need to do what is best for building others up, and to do what pleases God, and not ourselves. (I Corinthians 10:31)
Some people are concerned that having two services creates congregational disunity. However, I have been in many churches with just one worship service that were far from being spiritually unified. And if you look at the examples of the church in scripture, which should be our model, you will find that the early church rarely worshipped together in the same location. Rather, the church in a particular city was very much unified around Christ, while worshipping in dozens of different locations in people's homes, and not under one roof. People are looking for the intimacy that comes through friendships and relationships with others who are their brothers and sisters in the faith, not the individuality and privacy that comes from a large group setting. We are unified in Christ, and will experience unity as we minister together. Having more than one worship service enhances our worship experience, and contributes to that sense of relationship and intimacy that God desires for us to have.
Thank you for participating in the survey. You made a contribution that will be used to make us a better church.
We received a total of 124 surveys back, over the course of two or three weeks, which some D-team members thought was disappointing. However, considering that we are averaging between 215 and 230 in worship, and that between 35 and 45 of those are probably youth, adults and preschoolers, we probably got responses from 75% of our adults. That's not bad at all. And just to remind us we live in the 21st century, some individuals faxed or email their survey forms. We got 52 surveys from people who primarily attend the 8:30 service, 58 from people who primarily attend the 11:00 service, 8 from people who attend both, and apparently, 6 from people who attend neither, or just didn't indicate.
Four out of ten surveys, an almost equal number from both services, indicated that they thought the volume of the music was too loud. To that, I can say that we are actively working on it. Perhaps you have noticed in the last few weeks that the sound is clearer, and the volume is much better. This is due to the absence of all of those monitors on the stage, replaced by an in-ear monitoring system which not only helps the musicians stay on track, but cuts down on unecessary noise on the stage. Our sound booth operators now have much greater control over the volume.
Many people in our church, regardless of their own personal preferences, realize the importance of offering worship services which meet the spiritual needs of others. As a whole, our congregation seems to have an understanding that worship here needs to be done in such a way that it invites the presence of the Holy Spirit to enter, and that his transforming power is necessary to meet the spiritual needs of those who have gathered to worship. Even among those who expressed a preference to see the church offer just one worship service, there is a realization that while doing so might meet their own needs, and match their own preferences, as a church we need to do what is best for building others up, and to do what pleases God, and not ourselves. (I Corinthians 10:31)
Some people are concerned that having two services creates congregational disunity. However, I have been in many churches with just one worship service that were far from being spiritually unified. And if you look at the examples of the church in scripture, which should be our model, you will find that the early church rarely worshipped together in the same location. Rather, the church in a particular city was very much unified around Christ, while worshipping in dozens of different locations in people's homes, and not under one roof. People are looking for the intimacy that comes through friendships and relationships with others who are their brothers and sisters in the faith, not the individuality and privacy that comes from a large group setting. We are unified in Christ, and will experience unity as we minister together. Having more than one worship service enhances our worship experience, and contributes to that sense of relationship and intimacy that God desires for us to have.
Thank you for participating in the survey. You made a contribution that will be used to make us a better church.
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