The Christian Atheist

Today I'm in Oklahoma City meeting with other pastors and leaders. This meeting is a meeting of delegates and leaders from the Covenant churches in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Our meeting is at LifeChurch.tv where Craig Groeschel is the Lead Pastor. Craig's church is a wonderful place and this morning I enjoyed reading his most recent book "The Christian Atheist". This is a wonderful and practical guide for anyone looking to deepen their Christian identity. Many in our culture think of themselves as Christians, call themselves Christians, and have a list of reasons why they are Christians. But the reality is that they live most of their day-to-day life as if God didn't exist. It's to this point that Pastor Craig writes. It's a thoughtful, simple, and encouraging book for anyone. You can order it here: The Christian Atheist

Disturb us

I came across this prayer today and felt it timely and worth sharing

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
attributed - sir francis drake -1577

Assessment Center

Misti and I have been in the throws of being assessed as church planters over the last three days. This is basically a long interview process aimed at determining our personality, gifting, and ability to lead and plant a church. Nation-wide only 10% of church plant attempts will survive within three years of being planted. Conversely, 90% of those affirmed by the Covenant Assessment Center have self-sustaining viability after three years. This strong assessment process has flipped the national statistic. Though the process has been tough, it has been eye-opening and helpful. As of this afternoon we have completed all of the interviews, counseling sessions, and projects. We will receive our results in the morning.
For us the best part of this process has been the other couples that we've met who are also being assessed. This picture is of Julio and Katie Isaza and their little boy Samuel. Katie is 7 months pregnant with their second son. To their regret, they they nominated me to be the driver of our rental car. We've only got lost 3 times and amazingly they're still our friends. They live in Chicago right now while Julio finishes school. In a year and a half they return to Columbia where they will lead a church planting initiative. We have been blessed to make these new friends and look forward to a future relationship with them. We look forward to sharing more about our experience here when we return. We pray each of your are doing well. Thank you for your prayers and support. Pastor Bryan

Qualifications and Moldy Bread

Misti and I are preparing to attend the Covenant Church Planters Assessment Center this Wednesday through Saturday. The purpose for this assessment is to determine whether or not I am qualified and called to be a church planter. I have spent time reviewing the passages in I Timothy 3 and Titus 2 to remind myself of the specific biblical qualifications for spiritual leadership. These reflections reminded me of the significant emphasis that Scripture places on the qualifications for leaders. Sometimes in church, leaders are those that are either available or nominated, rather than qualified and called. One of the things the church needs most are those who that are qualified and called.
Those called to this office are not supposed to be spiritual rockstars, but servants to Jesus. The best church leadership begins with Jesus at the top. Ephesians 5:23 says that, "Christ is the head of the church." You may think it goes without saying, but I think it's important that Jesus be realized and recognized as our leader. He should be at the top of the organizational chart of every church. Leaders then submit to his authority and encourage others to do the same. Below are the passages from I Timothy 3. I pray that I may continually meet these qualifications as I hope to lead us forward. Throughout history some have questioned the necessity of these standards saying things like, "If Jesus is at the center, then doesn't he use flawed people." There are many responses to this kind of comment, but I think of it like eating a hamburger. The meat in the middle (Jesus) can be perfect, but if the bread is moldy then the burger is not worth eating. Moldy bread makes Jesus look bad. I know Jesus has got his part taken care of. Now the church must do our best to reflect him well. We are under grace, but we serve a King and Lord, and should not take this lightly.

I Timothy 3:1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. 8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Missional

I have been guilty of throwing around the word "missional" a great deal lately. Unfortunately this word proves to be quite confusing. As with any word, the intent is wasted unless the meaning is common. The "term" missional began being used by Christians about ten years ago and has continued to gain steam in the Christian community. Some confuse this term as describing missionary work overseas. Others call this term liberal or feel threatened by its usage. The word is overused by some and completely avoided by others.
For our purposes I will seek to give clarity to a definition of missional in order to give us a point of reference for future use.
For the individual believer missional can be an adjective which views all Christians called to be missionaries. Growing up in a mainline denomination, I saw a select and rare few individuals surrender to a call to become missionaries. They would quit their jobs, sell their house, and stand before the church and explain why they were going to China or Eastern Europe. Whereas missional pictures believers becoming missionaries right her at home. Overseas missionaries immerse themselves in language training, make friends within that culture, and begin discerning how the gospel can fit into the context of the place they're living. The current missional call for North American believers is to do these same things right here at home. For most churches baptisms are down, churches are closing, and our culture is becoming more and more post-Christian. Some in the church are peering over the wall and finding the world has changed. The un-churched are not flocking into the North American church, instead the church is now having to go into the world. For many who have lived the last 20, 30, or 40 years inside the insulation of churchy contentment, this is tough. Spending money on creative marketing schemes, fancy presentations, talented staff, and big buildings is just easier. Instead the missional movement pictures believers having conversation with their un-churched neighbor, knowing him, loving him, and praying for avenues to bring the gospel and church to him; and not just him to the church. This is the beginning of the value of "missional"

Asking Good Questions?

In Genesis 15 God makes some significant promises to Abraham about his future and about the blessings of following Him. Through God's work and promise Abraham questions God. He is not condemned for questions, but instead he is reassured. Through this reassurance he grows in faith and trust.
A significant lesson to gain from this section of Old Testament narrative is the beauty of asking questions. Jesus often taught valuable lessons asking questions.
My encouragement to you today is to ask questions. Ask questions of one another. Ask questions of me. Ask questions in prayer. Ask questions of neighbors, friends, and relatives.
The absolute key to fruitful and healthy missional ministry is transparent and incarnational living. In order for this to take place there must be an avenue for asking and answering good questions. The interesting thing about a regular church worship service is that often looks more like a presentation than a conversation. I love worship, and as a pastor it's great because I usually get to do all the talking. But where are your voices? How are they heard? What are your questions? What do you hope for? What are your fears? Help me ask good questions and let me hear yours.
Let us stand together and ask questions and hope for the promises of faith that Abraham received, "Fear not Abram, I am your sheild; your reward shall be very great."

Obstacles to Community Part 3

Obstacle #5
Busyness
Many people object to church involvement because of the demands on very busy people. North Americans are very busy and work 8 more weeks per year than the average western European. Busyness has become virtuous and reflective of good character. But busyness is a relative term and reflects more of value than activity. North Americans are very busy watching TV and spending time on the Internet. We watch an average of four hours of TV each day. Busyness simply means doing things we think are important. Busyness is simply an issue of priority.
A well-developed church will give North Americans a reason to dedicate more time and energy and will incite them to a vision beyond themselves- "to expect more from God and to attempt greater things for God."
Some churches try to overcome the busyness barrier by promoting church life as easy and painless. "Come to our church and we won't make you do anything." Yet having a goal of Sunday attendance, large offerings, and occasional involvement in church programs won't win our city for Jesus, and will fail to move them further and in their walk with God.

Obstacles to Community: Part 2

Today we are continuing to look at some of the objections to small groups within the North American context. These objections or hurdles are very important to understand as we move forward. We can’t pretend there aren’t difficulties in the process, but we’ll seek to best address these most common factors.

Objection #3
Individualism
Our culture tends to focus more upon the individual than the group. Great things are accomplished through recognizing the importance of individualism: individual dignity, human rights, and personal growth. The downside is that individualism run rampant has led to isolationism and family breakdown. One in six children born in the 1990’s in the U.S. will grow up in a single parent home. It’s incredible how many people will abandon their children for self-realization, personal comfort, or love interests. Therefore some have said that cell/ small group ministry doesn’t work in the U.S.
Individualism can be a hindrance in our culture, but cell churches are growing and flourishing in the U.S. We will visit some current examples in the coming weeks. In fact 75 million adult Americans regularly are attending and estimated 25 million small groups. Church analyst Lyle Schaller says, “the decision by tens of millions of teenagers and adults to place a high personal priority on weekly participation in serious, in-depth, lay-led, and continuing Bible study and prayer groups is the most important of all.” Ironically North Americans are increasingly feeling the need for small-group ministry because their isolationism has bread loneliness and created a new hunger for community in North America. “Unchurched people are increasingly drawn to a cell-based church where intimate relationships are a normal part of church life.”
Interestingly research shows the cell groups in North America are actually much more relational and transparent than their counter-parts over seas. Asian cultures are much more group oriented, but less transparent in their group settings as North Americans are proving to be.

Objection #4
Task Orientation
Most cultural studies rank North Americans high on task orientation and low on relationships. Commitment to getting the job done is part of our cultural life. For us busyness is a virtue and idleness is a sin. Lingenfelter Mayers writes, “Task oriented people consider social activities a drain on their production time and often prefer the solitude of working alone and uninterrupted. To achieve is more important than to build social relationships.” People from more group oriented cultures achieve success through developing relationships. They find their significance in maintaining and finding friendships.
We don’t want to minimize the relational factor, BUT small group ministry is also task oriented. The fastest growing cell/ small group churches work in a systematic “task-like” fashion. The cells in these churches are positioned to evangelize, develop leaders, and multiply. Goals are set for cell multiplication. Charts maps and financial resources help cells fulfill their goals and purposes. Great cell churches take seriously their work to penetrate entire cities for Jesus. Fellowship then happens through this process.
Community Groups will have the clear task to evangelize, develop leaders, and multiply. For churches that are growing there has to be forward momentum. Research indicates that fellowship (community) is enhanced when the group is reaching out and winning the lost for Jesus.
Small-group ministry is not, as some assume, only for relationally inclined people who are emotionally starved and need a touchy-feely environment. People of all kinds come together to use their giftedness together. Deep community is not mutually exclusive and works in harmony to reach a world for Jesus.

Obstacles to Community

Some have said to me, "Small groups just don't work." Out of context this sounds bad, but the reality is there are good concerns about developing a church centered around realistic small group ministry. For the next few days we will visit some of the concerns and address solutions. Some of these concerns may be your concerns, others will belong to many of the people we encounter as we invite them to attend our Community Groups. It is important to understand and appreciate the objections in order to provide reasonable solutions.

Objection #1 Church is a Sunday Morning Event
For many, going to church, is hearing a preacher preach on Sunday and then running home to eat the pot roast. Many people simply don't see the need for any "more" church than that. For centuries evangelical protestant theologians have said that church is, "a place where the gospel is rightly preached, the sacraments rightly administered, and church discipline correctly exercised." Though this statement is true, it can often be perceived as being something a pastor or church leadership does for the masses. The masses take no ownership of ministry, community, or gospel proclamation themselves. This is what the church does for them, not necessarily what they should do for the world.
The small group driven church conversely places a large emphasis on the priesthood of the believer and emphasizes Christians ministering to one another. "Preparing the laity to do the ministry is a radical, refreshing change," according to Comiskey. Within the small group the development of leadership and equipping takes on much more practical emphasis as people listen, speak, care, and evangelize.

Obstacle #2
The Church is a Building
Buildings are not inherently bad, but it is problematic when buildings are seen as "the" church. When the early church fathers spoke of "the" church, they were referring to groups of believers gathered together in homes. Churches across Asia are growing enormously, without any building.
Simply put, buildings should be thought of as neutral entities. One reason many churches focus so specifically on church services at a building is that people need a place to come and put money in an offering plate. For this reason Comiskey suggests taking up offerings at small group meetings. He says, "If cells can become a source of financial growth, the church will see cell group growth as another source of financial income and have less tendency to ignore cell ministry during times of financial crunch."
Buildings won't win people to Jesus and the good news is that small group ministry is not reliant upon a building. Instead they utilize the collective real estate of homes throughout the city.

Needing Small Groups

More and more people throughout North America are taking the time to join a life-giving small group. Participation in small groups that focused on prayer, Bible study, and fellowship shot up from 11% in 1994 to 26% in 2004. There seems to be a new excitement in small-group ministry- especially in the western part of the US where small-group involvement jumped 136% in the past ten years. Other church oriented activities did not grow at all, comparatively. Barna even says, “The findings might indicate that we are entering a new era of spiritual experience- one that is more tribal or individualized than congregational in nature.”
We’re on a mission field in North America, and this should refocus all of us ministering in the land. We need missionaries right here, right now. God is looking for church planters and pastors who are willing to study North America the way missionaries study foreign culture. Jesus strategy was always to make disciples first rather than attract a multitude. If the church is going to make an impact in North America, new strategies are needed to make disciples, deploy them, and send them out as harvest workers. Cell church ministry offers exciting possibilities for those doing ministry in North America.

BIG CHURCH AND SMALL GROUPS

Recently someone said, "If I go to church, I want a big church where I can sit in the back and no one knows me.” When she was invited to a small group she said, “No, I don’t do small churches. Sorry. I just like the big, impersonal ones.” Someone has said that the ABCs of the North American church are ATTENDANCE, BUILDINGS, and CASH- a sad indictment of a church that has lost its way. Larry Crabb, author and psychologist, says, “The future of the church depends on whether it develops true community. We can get by for a while on size, skilled communication, and programs to meet every need, but unless we sense that we belong to each other, with masks off, the vibrant church of today will become the powerless church of tomorrow.”
Gibbs says wisely, “To the extent that worship degenerates into spectatorism, boredom will eventually set in. The seeker-sensitive model requires a continuous flow of creativity in order for the entertainment factor to be sustained. Smaller, resource-strapped churches soon run out of ideas and their performance level is often embarrassingly amateurish and lacking in audience appeal.” Audiences tend to drift to the next show in town.
What saddens my heart is that various “model” churches seem to grow through high performance techniques, shorter sermons, and less worship. I call this “Christianity Light” to attract non-Christians. George Barna wisely says, “The church is fighting a losing battle by trying to become more comfortable and more attractive to the world around them. Church events cannot effectively compete with what the world has to offer. The only thing the Church can provide that no one else has is a life-changing, practical encounter- and on-going- relationship with the living God and with people transformed by similar encounters.” This is the living power of the Gospel.

THE MISSION FIELD

Part of understanding the solution is understanding the problem. The following is another excerpt from Joel Comiskey, giving an overview of our current North American situation. No battle worth fighting is easy, but an appropriate understanding of our challenge helps us to move forward with wisdom and care.

When we think of the mission field, we often hear exotic names like Timbuktu or Borneo. For too long we’ve considered going “over there” to do missions. It’s now time to realize that the mission field is North America. North America has so many unchurched people that it’s now one of the mission targets of Christians who live in other countries. North American culture, in fact, could be more accurately described as “pre-Christian.” Leonard Sweet, professor at Drew University, says, “Only two countries have more nonbelievers than the US: India and China. The US is the third largest mission field in the world.” The general North American population has increased by 15% since 1991. Yet in that same period, the number of people who do not attend church has increased by 92%- from 39 million to 100 million.
Though church attendance is declining, the proportion of those who say they have no religion rose from 9% to nearly 14% between 1992 and 2002. During that same period, the proportion of those who said they belonged to other religions- including Islam- increased from 3% to 7%. Members of non-Christian world religions don’t live “over there” anymore; Muslims, Buddhists, and Sikhs live and work along side Protestants and Catholics here in North America.
Much has been written about the proliferation of mega churches in North America. Though we should rejoice in church growth, the reality is that much of the mega church growth is transfer growth- which suits the consumer- shopping mentality of an entrepreneurial society. The fact that some churches are growing rapidly while attendance as a whole is declining should cause us to wonder whether the mega church phenomenon is working. The facts indicate that:
-81% of US churches are either plateaued or declining in attendance
-18% of US churches are growing primarily by transfer growth
-1% of the churches are growing by conversion growth
Eddie Gibbs, professor at Fuller Seminary writes, “Conversion growth is just not happening much in the US. Roughly half of all churches do not add one new person through conversion growth.” Clegg and Bird write, “in America, it takes the combined efforts of eighty-five Christians working over an entire year to produce one convert.” I don’t claim that the cell church offers a quick fix to this problem. I do believe, however, that it offers the best solution for sustained growth in both quality and quantity. As we will see, the cell church approach makes it possible for all believers to be involved together in reaping the harvest.
Please take advantage of the email address above, faithcommunityhouston@gmail.com, to ask for prayer about anything. As requests come in we will add them to the list daily.

Blessings,

Pastor Bryan

THE CELL GROUP

What is a cell (small group/ Community Group)? The most common definition of a cell (and the one we will follow) is this: a group of three to fifteen people who meet weekly outside the church building for the purpose of evangelism, community, and discipleship with the goal of multiplication. Implicit in this goal is the overarching goal of glorifying God and achieving spiritual growth in Christ.
All small groups are not cell groups. One of the major differences between cell groups and generic small groups is the cell’s emphasis on evangelism, leadership development, and multiplication in each cell. Cell churches also have other types of ministries (e.g., ushering, worship, prayer, missions, and training). These ministries, however, are not called cell groups, even though the particular ministry might be small and a group. The ministries in a cell church, rather, support the cell and the celebration (worship service). Everyone participating in a church ministry is also actively involved in a cell group, if not leading one. In the cell church, the cell group is the backbone, or center, of church ministry. Cell ministry replaces the need for many traditional programs. Church growth success is primarily measured through the infrastructure growth as the church grows from the core to the crowd. Some churches have cell groups as one of the programs in the church. In this scenario, the senior pastor, while overseeing all the programs, delegates the small-group ministry to another person. In the cell church, however, the senior pastor is personally involved in cell ministry and is considered the point person and cell visionary.
My hope is that the following information will give confidence and wisdom to start a church based on the cell church principals for community and growth from core to crowd. With three times as many North American churches closing each year as opening, God desires that churches would be beginning and not just ending. It doesn’t take a lot of money or complexity to start a cell based church. A church planter and few believers can open their homes, invite people, build a core, multiply the cell, eventually grow to a weekly celebration and continue the process of starting more churches. In the following days and weeks we will work to properly discern the North American context and look at the tools necessary to start a cell-based ministry.
Please take advantage of the email address above, faithcommunityhouston@gmail.com, to ask for prayer about anything. As requests come in we will add them to the list daily.
Blessings,

Pastor Bryan

The Church That Multiplies

The next several days I am going to be sharing information from The Church That Multiplies by Joel Comiskey. Many have asked how viable “small group” ministry can be for growing a church. I believe that small groups, or what we will call “Community Groups”, are the best and most practical building blocks for a healthy ministry. I challenge you to take the time to read these emails each day. My hope is that you will be encouraged, equipped, and excited about the ministry of Jesus through and among us.
(Comiskey will refer to small groups as “cell groups”, we will call them Community Groups- all are synonymous)
Every time I visit countries such as Korea, Brazil, Africa, Asia, or Latin America, I go away encouraged and amazed at the health and vibrancy of the church. The so-called mission field revives my spirit because of the amazing work God is doing. The atmosphere in North America, on the other hand, has become increasingly skeptical and post-Christian. It’s a harder mission field than many of the overseas locations where the huge cell churches are found. This book is an attempt to understand the secular, western culture and then to build a cell church strategy based on that difference.
Cell-based churches are flourishing overseas. While North American churches marvel at the incredible growth overseas, the immediate question is, “Will the same thing work here?” North Ameri ca is simply a different animal, and those ministering in North America understand the unique cultural differences. One pastor asks, “The cell model traces its lineage back to Cho’s church in Korea (the largest protestant evangelical church in the world). How much of the effectiveness of the model is attributed to the Korean culture and how much is actually transferable between cultures?” North American leaders aren’t even asking the same questions as their cell-based overseas counterparts. The western, post-Christian reality is so different, and the needs so distinct, that the questions are different. Questions for overseas churches include, “How can we reap the harvest? What model will do a better job of managing growth? What care structure will work best to disciple the multitudes?” Questions for those living in North America include, “How do I get someone to come to my cell group? How do I find people willing to enter into the training track and become a future cell group leader? How do I motivate my people to submit to their leaders? How can I promote the cell vision?”
Those ministering in North America and in the western world face unique cultural challenges that need to be understood. Will McRaney, a North American church-growth leader says, “The challenge before the church and the individual Christian is to exegete not only our message, but also our culture to ensure that our traditions do not hinder our understanding and communication of our message.” Those who implement the following principles will have to work hard. There is no magical cure. Yet the cell church, better than any other strategy, provides a built-in health mechanism as churches reach out to those without Christ.
Cell Church in its simplest form is a strategic approach that emphasizes both cell and celebration (worship service) on an equal basis. In the cell church, cell is the church and celebration is the church. Every worshipper is encouraged to attend both weekly cell group and weekly celebration service. Most people know what celebration looks like. Worshippers gather to hear the Word preached, worship the living God, and participate in the sacraments (e.g., the Lord’s Supper and baptism). But what is the cell? More tomorrow….

Pastor Bryan

FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE

I often reflect on exactly: What do I, as a Christian, or us as a church, have to offer the world? The answer I most often suggest is, the Gospel. But, Why should the world or the un-churched person care for knowing the Gospel? A thinking person would ask, Why do I need it?
I once heard one of Billy Graham’s evangelism teachers compare the situation to a doctor and patient: A patient may go to the doctor and may disagree with the doctor’s conclusion, You have cancer. But every patient would agree that they aren’t feeling well. The symptoms are there, whether they agree with the prognosis or not. The same is true of most all people in the world. They may not acknowledge that they are sinful, or that they need the Gospel cure, but they live a life seeking faith (something to believe in), hope, and love. I was listening to the radio just yesterday thinking, wow! So many songs I heard were an emotional response to a need for faith, hope, or love. Our world may not know they need the Gospel, but they desperately want what it provides- faith, hope, and love.
Unfortunately Christianity and “church” have often fallen short in our promise to deliver what we know the Gospel is intended to provide. Our political views, bookstores, activist groups, t-shirts, and private schools have done little to reach the world and more to isolate us from it. I believe one of the most effective ways in which we can serve the world is through a process of community redemption. We will strive to offer community to the world. I remember Jesus eating with Zaccheaus, visiting with the woman at the well, welcoming children to his side. Our development of a church based on Community Groups will provide a mechanism to offer a Gospel-centered community of faith, hope, and love to our world. Tomorrow we will begin defining what these groups are and how they will work within our context.
Blessings,
Pastor Bryan

Getting Started

GETTING STARTED

Yesterday the members of Faith Community unanimously voted on a motion to re-plant Faith Community. Your prayers and thoughts over the last few weeks are greatly appreciated. Our leadership has been working diligently over the last several months to see this process begin. And that’s where we’re at, a beginning. Thomas Carlyle once said, “In every phenomenon the beginning remains always the most notable moment.” It is no small thing that we are beginning anew, but we also have a great task ahead. These daily newsletters will give you snapshots of our future and help keep you up-to-date on all that is going on. You can also email daily prayer requests to faithcommunityhouston@gmail.com and requests will be added to the left side of this page each day.

The next several newsletters I will begin explaining the formation of a cell-church. We will closely follow a design described by Joel Comiskey in The Church That Multiplies. We will endeavor to answer many of these questions: How will we grow through re-planting? What exactly is a small group/ cell group? What do these groups do? What will my role be in the process? What will it take for this to work? Many of these questions will be answered, but as you grow in understanding many more questions will emerge. I encourage you to continue reading these updates each day, and I believe the peaces of the puzzle will begin to fall together.