Total Church
In week 3 of our series ONE PRAYER at RVC we talked about Gospel Community.
There is a fantastic book by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis called Total Church. Total Church discusses a radical reshaping that needs to take place in the church around Gospel and Community.
It is hands down the best book I have ever read on Gospel Communities. It is reformed and theologically robust, while at the same time practical with insight in how to see Gospel Community happen.
If you are passionate about the Gospel, community and mission and are a small group (community) leader this a great resource to look through. I am hoping to have a summary of the book done over the summer at some point.
Also, the Resurgence has provided training from Steve Timmis on Gospel Communities. You can find the sessions linked below:
Total Church Training – Session 1
Stuff
This Sunday I am running the Mother’s Day Marathon here in London. It’s both scary and exciting! I’ve got my Ipod loaded and my goal is to finish… haha.. I would actually like to finish in four hours. Mainly because I want to have Mother’s Day lunch with my mom and family.
Tomorrow at EMG we start our new series Prodigal. I’m praying that people will make decisions to follow Jesus over the next number of weeks. All of us want to rebel, walk away and give up. And even through all of this Jesus welcomes us home!
I’ve also come across some great teaching from a couple different conferences where they give it away for free online. The ARC had their All Access Conference and you can access their stuff at www.allaccessconference.com. Perry Noble also had a conference at his church called UNLEASH. You can get ahold of the stuff from there at www.newspring.cc/unleash.
Faithfulness
We had a great weekend leading worship and sharing at the Outpour Weekend at FTL. It was lots of fun.
I was thinking about the very first retreat I ministered at just outside of London a few years ago. We took a band from EMG and I spoke. It was good times but there were some things discouraging about it. It was a smaller event with only about 8-10 students and I remember speaking and while I was speaking students were getting up and leaving. At first I thought people were leaving because my message sucked (which was probably true), but later I found out that students had other obligations leaving the six of us from EMG and three of their students in the end.
I felt bad and I remember being discouraged. After getting over myself I remember hearing God say, “Be faithful!”
Faithfulness is a powerful thing. We’re promised that if we are faithful with the little things then we will have opportunity in the bigger things.
It’s amazing to see some of the doors that have opened and it has come from faithfulness. I looked at our EMG boys this weekend as we led worship and thought back to leading worship a bunch of years ago. I remember the days of being in the hot Upper Hall leading worship at youth on Fridays. These boys have been faithful and now their being blessed with great opportunity. Not only on Tuesdays and Sundays but their borders are being expanded. I love it!
One thing I’ve noticed at EMG is that we’ve done the same things whether there was a lot of people or not. I love that fact that over the last three years we’ve been consistent in doing the things we do to reach people day in and day out. A whole group of people have been faithful and I believe we benefit from that today!
We’ve been talking about the seven churches in Revelation at church. Last night we talked about the church in Thyatira. Like the other six churches there were things that were going well and things that needed correction. I love how Jesus instructs this church to continue to be faithful and I especially love what faithfulness brings. Jesus says, “To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations.”
Faithfulness brings promotion! In a culture where it is so easy to give up and move on to the next thing Jesus says that authority will come your way if you are faithful.
I’m beginning to wonder what the church would look like if we truly faithful in everything we do?
Outreach: Department or Culture?
There’s a been a lot of talk in the last number of years about being MISSIONAL. The idea that missions is not a department within the church but that we are missionaries wherever we go. I love that!
I believe that the same should be applied to outreach and evangelism. There should be a culture in our lives of outreach. Maybe we should stop asking what the last outreach event we put on and started to create a culture within our churches that is outward focused in everything we do.
We met with our team at EMG tonight. One concept that we are developing is SERVOLUTION. Each of the 11 groups at EMG are going to develop their own serve projects in the community to reach out to people. Students coming up with ideas to serve their community! That’s amazing. We are going to do this every other month. 6 times a year 11 groups will be doing different projects. Some good things just may happen!
Digital Discipleship
It’s been to long. A month has passed and lots has gone on.
I recently heard a church leader say that he viewed blogging as digital discipleship. I like that! It’s true that we are called to do life together and you never know what avenues can help yourself and others as you develop as a person.
A couple weeks ago I was apart of the Nova Conference in TO. It was a great time for our team to get away and I believe that we were challenged in a number of different areas. I also enjoyed being able to sit in and chat with Mark Batterson for a little bit. He’s a great guy and has lots of good things to say.
This past weekend Heather and I were with Lakemount’s Jr. High group up at Riverview Bible Camp for their Spring Camp. We had a great time. Spoke four sessions with them just sharing about life and stuff. It’s great to be among friends and Drew and Andrea are probably the best youth pastors on the planet.
I will say this. We are extremely excited with what’s happening at EMG and at Royal View. Tuesday nights are exciting and alive. Students are connecting with Christ and I believe the community we are experiencing is for real.
Last night we finished our series BE THE CHANGE and we talked about purity. It was a challenging talk but I feel like God is moving.
Our hearts bleed for students that are coming from all over the community. We’re not perfect and there’s lots to work on but I know that we are overwhelmed with what we are seeing happen. I guess I’ve just felt a refueling passion for East London in the last few weeks.
I’m learning through this that people may come and go but when you feel called to a demographic of people you’re the one that has to stay. I walked home today from the church and was able to rub shoulders with people in our community. There’s people are people all over looking for life. That’s why we’re here!
I’m beginning to see more and more that our existence as a church and youth ministry is not to have big, beautiful services. Even though we have this when we come together, this whole BEING THE CHURCH deal is more about what we are seeing happen in our communities, schools, and workplaces. This is where we measure how effective we actually are!
I guess I just run into a lot of pessimistic Christians. I can’t live like that. The future is bright!
Values
Tomorrow we are going to meet with our EMG leaders for some training and hang-outs. We are going to start to do this once a month. With our team growing we really believe that it’s important to bring our leaders together to keep everyone on the same page.
I’ve been hashing through, with our interns, the things that we value at EMGyouth. We have seen growth over the last three years and I believe it’s important to stay focused on the things that fit in line with our vision.
7 things we value at EMG:
1) The Bible
- teaching and leading from the Word of God
2) Everyday Worship
- expressive praise and worship when we gather together
- living a life of worship and devotion to God every single day
3) Mentorship/Accountability
- Life Groups
- One-on-One Mentorship
- Accountability Partners
4) Leadership
- strong group of EMG leaders
- Life Groups
- students leaders influencing overall community (Oxygen)
- graduates groomed as EMG leaders
5) Serving/Outreach
- Opportunity to serve within EMG and church life
- SERVOLUTION (outside the walls of the church)
- school and campus ministry
- serving through and reaching out through everyday life
6) Creativity
- students and leaders flowing in their gifts within the church
- being the church through different creative outlets
7) Fun
- creating an atmosphere where people are having fun while living out their faith
Balanced Evangelism
There are so many different theories on EVANGELSIM and how to share your faith. There are two general sides to the theology behind evangelism.
First, there are those who lobby for making Christ look attractive. I’m currently reading the book UN Christian by David Kinnaman from the Barna Group. It is true that there are many who call themselves Christian and do a pitiful job at representing truly who Jesus Christ is. It’s a major problem and it is frustrating that many won’t give any Christ followers the time of day because of what other Christians have done in the past.
Here’s a quoe from the book:
“The primary reason outsiders feel hostile toward Christians, and especially conservative Christians, is not because of any specific theological perspective. What they react negatively to is our “swagger”, how we go about things and the sense of self-importance we project. Outsiders say that Christians possess bark – and bite.”
* I completely agree with this quote and I will comment on it some time. Also, just to clarify, I hate the word “outsiders”.
This first group also see love, helping the afflicted and justice as a way to share their faith. Many of us have heard the quote, “Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” This group holds it in high regard to represent Christ in a loving way.
Second, there are those who share their faith through reason, the moral law and the truth of the scriptures. I’ve just read a good article BEGINNING A CONCERSATION ABOUT CHRIST from theresuragance blog. Many in this group feel the need to approach people on an on going basis and confront them with the truth of sin and the need for a Saviour.
Today, I sit here and I truly see the need for both sides. Are we supposed to represent Christ well and make him attractive? Absolutely! In Acts 2 the scriptures talk about a community that was so full of life and attractive for God that the people on the outside looked in and SAW WHAT THEY LIKED! I believe that we are supposed to live like this as we live in community with other Christians.
I’ve recently seen more than ever that though we always want to show people the life in Christ there will always be opposition when speaking the truth. Not everybody is going to like what you have to say and it is true that the gospel can be confrontational. We certainly don’t go out of our way to fight, which by the way most in the second group do, but the scriptures give us examples of great men who were apart of the early church and were persecuted for sharing the message of Christ publically. It came from their mouth as they spoke.
We need a balance of both. I have some questions for myself. Maybe I’ve been one sided in this area. I love talking about mission and discipleship, but it certainly hasn’t been easy to talk about persecution.
I’m excited about the days ahead and being able to incorporate this balance.
Small Group Community: Does it work?
It’s a question many are asking. “Do small groups really work? Are small groups worth it in church life? Is it a biblical model? Is it what the church should look like?”
I’ve been in a number of small groups in the past and it seems that the effectiveness of a small group comes down to one common denominator… LEADERSHIP. There is no doubt that leaders are the driving force behind small group community.
Most of us have probably had both positive and negative experiences if we’ve been around the small group block. There’s nothing worse than an “awkward, dead, the people are weird, I’m afraid to smile, can I go home now?” kind of small group. I do believe there are some very simple things that leaders can do to make small group gatherings fun, full of life and Kingdom building.
Atmosphere
Atmosphere is important! By no means should your small group time look like a mega-church, but leaders need to create an atmosphere that is full of life and excitement. If the leaders are bored and complacent then group members will no doubt follow. In most cases, people are in small groups because they want to be in community and most times people are looking for someone to follow.
A major objective of your small group is making people feel comfortable. Create an atmosphere that doesn’t allow for people to feel awkward or out of place. Be specific in who you ask questions towards and if you feel that somebody is not as confident then don’t put them on the spot or make them read an entire chapter in Leviticus! If you make people feel comfortable they are guaranteed to return.
If you are leading a group in your home, make sure that the atmosphere is convenient for a group meeting. Limit distractions and provide refreshments that will make group members feel as though they were in their own living room connecting with you.
The Open Chair Rule
It is vitally important that leaders create a culture in their group that welcomes new people. To often groups become so tight together that they neglect new people entering community. Create an open chair rule where group members understand their responsibility to embrace visitors.
“Our group is getting to big!” No it’s not! If there are to many people involved then new leaders need to raise up and groups need to multiply.
“Our group is age, gender or special interest specific.” It’s great that people connect around interests, but we do need to understand that the one common interest among us that actually matters is Jesus Christ. In the end its people that matter to God! We must do whatever it takes to welcome people into our groups. I don’t want to stand before Jesus and regret not letting people into Christian community because they looked different or had different interests.
Bible Study vs. Community
I love studying the bible. To me there is nothing better then being enriched by the Word of God and being challenged to live different. The challenge is balancing applicable study and great community in your group. If all you are doing is studying and there is no strength in relationships and care for each other then the objective of the group is off track.
There must be a balance of biblical study and focus on community within small groups. The challenge should not be applying one or the other, but rather incorporating both to see the group move forward. We need the Word of God to lead and direct our lives, yet we also need to put our bibles down and live out in our groups what God has instructed. The best small groups will incorporate both.
24/7
When small groups are done properly you begin to see that it is more than just a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly meeting. When small groups are done properly people are cared for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It goes from gathering together to doing life together.
There are two major things that small group leaders should provide that takes small groups beyond a gathering.
Mentorship and Accountability
Small group leaders should mentor and keep group members accountable. This should include one-on-one partnership. Group members need to feel like they have a covering under their leader. Small groups are not just events where the leader teaches and then everyone goes home. Small group leaders should cultivate a culture of mentorship that goes with connecting on an on going basis. The group should not stop when everyone heads home, but rather be a network of people that are growing together.
Care
Small groups should also provide care for everyone involved. I love hearing stories of when small group members have gone through a difficult situation and other group members and leaders have been there to help. This is true community and this is what God desires.
In church life, small group networks can help in keeping the overall body unified and aware of what is going on in church life. They provide care, prayer support and connection with each other.
Acts 2:43-47 (The Message)
“Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met. They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.”
I believe that we can live like this. That people would see true community, mentorship, accountability, care in small group community and they would love what they saw! At the very core it will be quality leadership that will advance the Kingdom through small group community. I hope that we can engage in this type of community to see people reached and set free.
Do Christians Get On Your Nerves?
I like Ed Stetzer. He was interviewed on CNN after he did some research on Christians. Here’s how it went.
