“… That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:29-30 Continue reading
Filed under: Leadership Issues, Pastors, Spiritual Maturity | Tagged: Christ as Lord, faith, Gospel, impact, influence, Jesus Christ, joy, leadership, poured out, renewed, successful, transformational faith, transformed | Leave a comment »
…if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel… Colossians 1:15-23
Christ is Supreme! That means He is also the Head of the Church! We tend to run our churches as if we were in control, basing our decisions on gathering needs and developing programs to fill those needs. Yet, as good as this may sound, the main thing in church leadership is left out. Where is Christ and where is His purpose and direction? We close the door to our Lord! He is the head; that means we must line ourselves up to Him and His Lordship, not our ideas, trivialities, and agendas. We are to seek Him as Lord over all—over our lives as well as our churches!
Remember the Dead Sea; if all we do is allow Him to flow into us and not out, we will stagnate. If we just try to go it alone without our Lord, we will fail. We cannot flow out if nothing flows in.
The responsibility is clear; we are to allow His Spirit to flow in and out, as we are His tools, His children, and His love. When our faith becomes strong, we will not be moved from it, and that means we will not be moved away from Christ. This is what steadfastness is all about: not being shaken from our beliefs and faith in our Lord. When we stray off our path, we tend to substitute steadfastness with stubbornness that takes us far from the purpose and responsibility of the Lord’s church. Being firmly rooted in Christ means keeping to the integrity of Scripture and His teachings, for when we stray from that path, our church will stray away from His opportunities and call. Christ gives us the hope and opportunities to grow, learn, and abide in Him; we are to respond to the call and opportunities He gives with hope and joy.
We must do this in all things—worship, relationships, our thought processes, how we make decisions, and how we institute and instigate the work of the church.
It all must flow and come from Christ our Lord, our Leader and God, and from nowhere else. When we stop experiencing Jesus as our Lord, and He becomes only a figure in the sanctuary, then we will not be a purposeful or called Church for Him. When we are singing praise choruses and hymns that point to His Holiness and Greatness and as Head of our lives and church, do we mean it? Or, is it merely rhetoric and repetition that has no meaning behind it?
The church exists as a response to the grace of our Lord. Because of what He did, we are to glorify, magnify, praise His name, and then respond further from our worship of Him to our works for Him. Remember that works have no saving construct; they are only the appreciation and response we are give to His majesty and redemption. Grace working in us will produce the work and will of our devotion and holiness to set us apart for His plan. Our response is to accept His teachings and love with joyful excitement, and replicate it in our lives, thoughts, and actions, and to grow and perfect the relationship and work He gives us.
Filed under: Building a Fruitful Church, Leadership Issues | Tagged: Call for the Church, called Church, character of God, Christ is Supreme, Colossians head, control, dead sea, Gospel, grace of our Lord, Growing in faith, Head of the Church, integrity of Scripture, Lord, magnify, majesty, praise, purposeful, reconciliation, redemption, relationships, responsibility of the church, rooted in Christ, supremacy, Supreme God, the church, worship | 1 Comment »
Remember: Christ did not give up on us when things went from bad to worse with our sin. His grace, forgiveness, and perseverance came to us anyway!
A Fruitless Church is a Big Problem!
One of the main problems I have seen in the churches I have served and consulted for or have researched is the lack of Fruit from its leaders and members. We have to see this as a travesty before our Holy God. It can come from the over-focus on the personality of a leader who is prideful or a preoccupation with a trend, giving no regard to the percepts of the Word, or the basic lack of kindness when you visit such a church. Some churches are good at one or two of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit to the exclusion of the rest of the Fruits. Maybe you will see big smiles from the pastor who is a good teacher, but sometimes impatient and cold—perhaps even smug. This can be from focusing on the Gifts of the Spirit while ignoring His call and Fruit of the Spirit. We have church leaders and pastors concerned about being deliberate and intentional, thinking that “my church is exclusively my ministry; this is all about me.” They are all about building a legacy to themselves and how they want to build their church to and for themselves, something which they rationalize away using statistics, pop psychology, and business trends while ignoring the Word.
How many people, in an average, good church, practice the Fruit of the Spirit in that church? Well, we do not know yet. The initial research is all over the map from a mere twenty percent 20% to a quantity of eighty percent (80%) of church leaders who deem themselves fruitful. In the mean time, those under their leadership show a small deviation; a measly eighteen percent (18%) to an over seventy percent (70%) see their leaders as bearers of fruit. How many practice it at home? How many practice it at work? This is the research we are seeking. When we know what we are doing with our faith and fruit and see what Christ calls us to do, perhaps we can improve our church’s workplaces and our homes!
It seems, from our initial research (our partner the Schaeffer Institute) and experiences, that most Christians respond to their faith with a rear end firmly planted in a pew that goes nowhere near fruitful service or glory to Christ. They hold on to a will that does not allow conviction or change to their routine or life. Thus, church is just a club for comfort and not a “huddle” to strategize and put forward how to play the game of Christian life after receiving our orders from the Coach. We need to know that Christ calls us to change our minds like we change the oil in the car. Look what Romans twelve tells us to do: “devote themselves to him; and avoiding conformity to the world.” In other words, we are to be changed, fruitful people so we can be change agents to others. Not to be infected by the world, but to help it along toward His purpose. We cannot do that when we are poured out to our will and desires only and not to our Lord. Oh, that we can be: “…conformed to his holy will”… “to think humbly”… “to exercise faithfully”… to mutual love, diligence, patience, hope, prayer, hospitality, compassion, and condescension …. “and becoming conduct towards all men”! Our devotion to Christ must be rooted in the mind and then let the Fruit translate it to the feet and the rest of our bodies in between—the body of us as human beings and a body of believers in relation to all those around us, which is our duty (Rom. 12:9-13).
Filed under: Church Growth Ideas | Tagged: atmosphere, Christianity, Church Development, Church Growth, Church Leadership, Church Leadership Development, Church Research, Example, faith, faithfulness, Fruit of the Spirit, fruitful, gentleness, Goodness, Gospel, joy, kindness, Leadership Development, love, mistreated, patience, peace, Research, self-control, unkindness | Leave a comment »
Does your church have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control pouring from its leaders and most of its people, on your campus and into the streets where its people are? If not, something is terribly wrong!
Christianity is not just the proclamation of the Gospel; it is also the example of the Gospel!
This begs for a question: why do so many Christians see their faith as “on hold” until when it may be needed, and/or are doing nothing or just what they can get away with?
Is the Fruit of the Spirit in you and in your Church?
How many of us have ever ventured into a church that was filled with unkindness, where we were ignored or even mistreated and where the church seemed more like a thorn bush than a fruitful vine…a church filled with a bad atmosphere from the bad spiritual breaths of its people making smog instead of the sweet fragrance of God’s presence and love?
As a pastor, I have a tough battle to make sure my flock behaves so that Christ would be pleased. And of course, I need to set the tone. I can try my best to set an example so I am not a thorn bush, and I can teach; but I cannot make them behave! I can model, teach, disciple, urge, and pray. But, real, authentic Christian love comes solely from a real, authentic Christian formation. This is caused from the Fruit of the Spirit growing in each of us. If someone is not growing in the Lord, he/she is not willing or able to treat others with love and respect, nor is he/she able to model and do and be as Christ exemplified and taught. Care, compassion, and a real affection for others will be moot, love will be stifled, and kindness absent; and no matter how good the campus, teaching, or mission are, all that will be noticed is an annoying noise. The church will be an irritating and frustrating club of stubborn prideful people, devoid of harmony and brotherly love—devoid of Christ! Do we really want that? If not, what are you willing to do about it?
No one wants to come to a club where the people are angry, bitter, immoral, impure, corrupt, into idolatry and witchcraft, and full of hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness…and so forth!
These are the key words Paul talked about in Romans, chapter one. It is the same with a local church; who wants strife when care and friendship are called for and needed? People will come to a place where there is love and joy, where they are treated with kindness, cared for, allowed to work on themselves while being shown patience and the composure of Christ from the leaders. We need to know that we display Christ by our attitudes and actions. If we do not do this right from what Jesus modeled and taught, we will get our churches all skewed upside down and wrong. We will be the church of the thorn-bush, a fruit-stand devoid of fruit, a place of dysfunction instead of a church of Jesus Christ and His transforming power!
Filed under: Church Growth Ideas | Tagged: atmosphere, Christianity, Church Development, Church Growth, Church Leadership, Church Leadership Development, Church Research, Example, faith, faithfulness, Fruit of the Spirit, fruitful, gentleness, Goodness, Gospel, joy, kindness, Leadership Development, love, mistreated, patience, peace, Research, self-control, unkindness | Leave a comment »
1. The healthiest churches have an active supportive and trained leadership—spiritual, growing and contented members who are excited about the Gospel.
2. The healthiest churches have a high reverence for the Bible and are involved in discipleship and the multiplication of it.
3. There is a direct correlation between the decline of small groups, those who actually study the Bible, or a decline of quality small group Bible-based curricula (versus a mere book study) and the decline of evangelism, stewardship, spiritual growth, and leadership participation!
4. There is a direct correlation between the decline of personal devotions and personal prayer and Bible study amongst leaders and pastors and the decline of church health, evangelism, stewardship, spiritual growth, and leadership participation!
5. American Christians increasingly tend to be more and more isolated from their non-Christian counterparts, in one’s family, workplace, and secular society in general. The more one is involved as a Christian, the less influence they have to others in the world for the Gospel.
6. Non-Christians, academia, and the media are more and more openly hostile to the Gospel. At the same time, many younger non-Christians (ages 14 to 30) are more receptive to the Gospel message.
7. Less than 10% of Reformed and Evangelical churches (not mainline or Catholic) have an evangelism program or plans for one.
8. The churches that are growing both numerically and spiritually in fruit and maturity have an active missions program and local outreach.
9. The churches that are growing both numerically and spiritually in fruit and maturity have preaching and small groups doing active teaching or expository or exegetical Bible sermons and not simple messages.
10. Younger people, 14 to 30 year olds, are seeking a deeper relationship in churches than previous generations. They want relevant worship, deeper Bible studies, preaching that is centered on the Bible and the glorification of Christ, and practical life-relational helps. The dropout rate of 14 to 30 year olds is at an all-time high—50% to 70%. The primary reason is that they want more and the churches they visit do not offer it! The other 30% to 50% drop out because of apathy and indifference, a loss of hope, and the Church cannot fulfill them anymore.
Filed under: Leadership Issues, Research | Tagged: academia, active teaching, Bible, bible study, Christ, Church Health, contented, deeper relationship, evangelism, evangelism program, excited, exegetical, exegetical preaching, expository, expository preaching, glorification, Gospel, growing, healthiest churches, hostile, indifference, isolated, leadership participation, loss of hope, maturity, personal devotions, Prayer, Preaching, reverence, sermons, small groups, spiritual, spiritual growth, stewardship, study the Bible, supportive, Trends | 2 Comments »
…conflict and gossip!
Healthy churches have a plan to recognize and then resolve conflict and sin. The best plans and calls of the Lord will stall out in the presence of conflict! If the rumors, conflicts, and lack of Fruit are not managed, the people will leave because all that is left is inhospitality. The people who stay will be the “problem people,” continuing to create factions, disunity, and strife. Healthy churches are on the lookout for people and leaders who have agendas and attitudes that are contrary to God’s Word. They are counseled, and if they will not stop, they are removed from fellowship until they repent.
(Proverbs 4:23; 9:8; 10:12; 17:27-28; 26:20; Philippians 2:14; Colossians 3:13; 1 Peter 4:8; 3; James 1:2; John 9-12)
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. James 3:5-6
Filed under: Church Growth Ideas | Tagged: Church, Church Growth, Church Leadership, Church Leadership Development, Church Research, conflict, doing Church, Gospel, gossip, Healthy church, Healthy churches, Hospitality, Leadership Development, Preaching, preaching ability, Research, Research Findings, Results, sermons | 1 Comment »
…the love and Fruit that is real, felt, and displayed!
(This is why the Mormon Church grows, even with aberrant and cultic doctrine; people will look past that when they are loved. Imagine what would happen if we honestly loved and taught real, biblical, uncompromised truth—yet so few churches do that!)
People are motivated to bring other people when there is “real” hospitality and warmth in the Church—where they feel welcomed and a part of, connected, safe, and content, as well as stimulated to learn and grow. These church people are motivated by Christ and thus are learning and growing in Him, demonstrating they care for Him.
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5: 20
Filed under: Church Growth Ideas | Tagged: care, Church, Church Growth, Church Leadership, Church Leadership Development, Church Research, doing Church, fruit, Gospel, Hospitality, Leadership Development, love, Research, Research Findings, Results, uncompromised truth | Leave a comment »
Acts29.org 
Acts29.org is about continuing the work of doing Church…
We will fill this Blog with solid research, insightful articles, practical curriculums, essays, tools, and resources to help you prepare your church to grow in Christ and glorify Him! Our articles and studies have been carefully, exegetically prepared with careful, steadfast, inductive analysis and word studies of God’s most precious Word. We do not add anything to God’s Word that is not already there nor do we take away from insights and ideas that are there.
These blog entrees will be the real deal, what God may have to say to us. These are offered to you so you may understand what is in His Word and in your church, to appreciate, comprehend, and to be challenged to grow richer and deeper in your relationship to Christ and be better used for Church Leadership Development and then to others around you.
It is our intention to use this blog as a sounding board for the Schaeffer Institute, to post some of our research findings on what is the Church universal and your church is up too,
See our home site: www.churchleadership.org
The entity of the resources on this blog will be research made practical!
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Acts, Acts 29, apathy, Biblical understanding, Church, Church Development, Church Growth, Church Leaders, Church Leadership, Church Leadership Development, Church Research, Church Research Findings, comments, Development, doing Church, dysfunction, experiences, faulty trends, Fruitful Bride, Gospel, insights, Jesus Christ, Kingdom of God, Leadership Development, Leading Churches, reactions, reflections, repentant, Research, Results | Leave a comment »