~I Can Do All Things~

Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was scared to death, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff.

In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took a hold on the rope, and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her Contact lens. Well, here she is on
a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet below Her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn't there.

Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it. When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff.

She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that Bible verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me."

Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody

lose a contact lens?"

Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it!

Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words, "Lord, I don't know why you want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what you want me to do, I'll carry it for you."

carry it, I will."

I think it would probably do some of us good to occasionally say, "God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and It's awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will."

In His Grip,
Pastor J

~A little something~

It's Monday and oh boy how much I have to do this week. I am praying for a good week. While watching the kids this morning, cleaning house and preparing for Bible study tonight I got about a hour this afternoon while the kids where a sleep and I came a cross this video I have not seen in a few years. I am a Mark Lowry and have always enjoyed him on stage and off. Here is a good truth from Mark a little something to start out the week with a God focus mindset. It might be a little long to watch however It's a great reminder that we are second "God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and gave him great pleasure." Ephesians 1:5

~40 Days~

So we kick off 40 Days In The Word today at church. With great worship, a great word and ended the morning with a campus-wide lunch all to prepare our hearts for what God is going to do in the next 40 days. Week one will start next Sunday and will go on for 40 days of Prayer, Fellowship, Worship, Fasting, Getting into the word and even coming Face to Face with God's Greatness. I can't wait to see what God says during this time of going deep. In other news I am just blown away by how much networking God is doing in my new place of ministry. It's seems I can't even walk into Wal-Mart anymore without being stopped by one of my customers or ministry partners. I have even been blessed to meet some great people who I now attend church with on Sundays that I have met during the week over the past few weeks at work. I do have to say I am very blessed by God for all the things He has given me. Well as it's Sunday and the kick off to 40 days I have to leave you with a song. Here is a song from Passion 2012 many of us have all heard this song many times in church, on the radio however only at passion this year did they take it to the next step and like always once again blow it out the water with Power only the Holy Spirit could give. What a great reminder in this soug that His love is for us all...for all People, Listen to 40,000 People of God Sing with hearts lifted!

In His Grip

Pastor J

~Government Adjustment~

If you know me and are a daily reader of my blog you will know I am not one to speak much on the government and on politics, however I came a cross this photo today while reading over my daily Facebook feeds. I have to say it's a very strong statement and very powerful.

In other news It was a great end to the week after a nice busy week of work. I am enjoying coming to work to start the day with a morning staff prayer and bible study and end the day with a prayer. It was a great reminder last night when my back was hurting and feeling tired and ready to go home then after all the hard work come to a point right before it all ends to go to God in prayer with my co-workers and leadership team. I have to say even with working in the church world we miss doing that at times. Again what a great reminder to Gods Greatness!

In His Grip,

Pastor J

~Thy Word~

“I am personally convinced that if today’s Christians better understood the Bible’s basic teaching about the Holy Spirit and then invited Him to release His power in their lives each day, they would experience unprecedented joy and personal fulfillment. More than that, our verbal and non-verbal witness for Jesus Christ would sweep the world.” -Dr. Bill Bright

Holy Spirit Come...

    

Day of Rest? Yeah Right!

I have to say I am enjoying my day off. However No nap, no rest and no sitting around watching the planes fly by. Today I am Daddy, Doctor, Parent, Husband, Zookeeper, Cleaner, Barber, Student, Writer, Listener and Cook. However I am enjoying it all but I am not liking my back hurting. Super Dad once again lives... at least today! :)

~Book Highlight~

"Not a Fan" by Pastor Kyle Idleman is a great book to look into if you have not gotten it yet or if you are looking for a new read. Think of this.. If Jesuswere to sit down with you right now and have a DTR (Define the Relationship) conversation, how would you respond? Are you truly his follower or just a fan—or perhaps someone who doesn't even care about the difference? Not a Fan invites you to make Jesus not merely the object of your admiration, but the very center of your life. This book will really looking into your heart. I think it's great not just for the church goer but even someone in leadership and even church pastors to take a look at. Take a foot ball game. You have Players and then you have Fans. The fan doesn't always know whats going on behind the scenes and off the field. Fans just sit there and clap and cheer when goo things happen and cry and fuss when the bad comes. But never really getting into the heart of what go behind the game and noticing the little things that are going on. This book will make anyone think and re-look at are they a fan for Christ or are they a player for Christ. Saddly you can't be both. Here is the BookDescription:

Are you a follower of Jesus? Don’t answer too quickly. In fact, you may want to read this book before you answer at all. Consider it a “Define the Relationship” conversation to determine exactly where you stand. You may indeed be a passionate, fully devoted follower of Jesus. Or, you may be just a fan who admires Jesus but isn’t ready to let him cramp your style. Then again, maybe you’re not into Jesus, period. In any case, don’t take the question—Are you a follower of Jesus?—lightly. Some people don’t know what they’ve said yes to and other people don’t realize what they’ve said no to, says Pastor Kyle Idleman. But Jesus is ready to clearly define the relationship he wants with his followers. Not a Fan calls you to consider the demands and rewards of being a true disciple. With frankness sprinkled with humor, Idleman invites you to live the way Jesus lived, love the way he loved, pray the way he prayed, and never give up living for the One who gave his all for you.

What a great question Are you a True disciple... I think many people will find that they are just fans of the idea of Christ and not willing to get in the game and take a beating for Christ. For those who are not info reading check out the short movie on the book or even get involved in a small group bible study of "Not a Fan".

~Happy Sunday~

I really enjoyed the worship this morning at NorthPoint. Eddie did a great job on leading in a time of open heated worship. He is a great "Lead Worshiper". Emily even enjoyed it as well. Andy spoke on Trading Up. It was a shame that Debbie is sick however I hope next week all will be well and we can return to Grace for a great time of worship and a good word from Pastor Charlie. In other news the sink is now fixed and PTL we have running water again in the kitchen. I hope to be able to get some reading in today as I am reading one of Parry Stones books that I am really enjoying. He's has a lot of good books out there however I just don't have a lot time or funds to pick any more up other then what I have on hand. I found the other day one of Watchman Nee' s book that I do didn't know he had. It's on my list of books to pick up. Speaking of books and with me getting back into reading I think it's due to working around books most of the day.. LoL I am trying to see if a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet would be best for what I am looking for and need. I am taking the next few months to do some research on which one would be best, better price, specs and even if there is anything coming out in the next few months that would be better then both. Well It's Sunday and time to spend time with family and get some things done before a very busy week of work.

In His Grip,

Pastor J

~Let the River Flow~

So I get a phone call friday at the office from Debbie stating the kitchen sink blow up.... LOL only one can think of what in the world happen that made the sink "blow up". So I got off early to head home to see the guys working on the sink and after 3 to 4 hours later nothing was fixed however I am told there is a real plumber coming today to fix it. At least I hope?!?! It's 11:00AM and I have yet seen anyone come as I was told they would be here around 10:00AM?!?! Well I guess we wait and see. It is hard to live life with two kids and an house full of 6 and try to get life done, cook food and keep the place clean. Other then all that Friday was a great day I was to work later on Friday however after having to come home my day was cut by a hour short or so. However I will make it all up on Monday Morning. I am so tired but know that there is much in the house to get done. for starters working in the library trying to get my book in order and setting it up as more of a library/guess room. Maybe with a pull-out sleeper or something a long that line. Oh well off to see what I can get done today. Happy nice Saturday!!!!

In His Grip,

Pastor J

~Action in Savannah~

While on lunch today I saw a cop car flying the parking space next to me... Then number 2 cop car comes flying in behind me. Before long a Police Van pulls up and in less then 3 minutes there was a total of 8 cop cars about 10 officers all outside my truck. However they it was not me nor my truck they where looking for. It was the red 4 door car a cross the parking space from me. While eating my roast beef sandwich and watching the action out my window I noticed them pulling a total of 3 while bottles and one small baggie out of the red car. I guess........ Drugs! After about 20 minutes of them all around the car, The OIC (Officer In Charge) typing on a cool looking toughbook PC. a Tow truck pulled up and took the car off. It was some lunch break however I enjoyed my roast beefsandwich. :) Oh you never know what you are going to see in Savannah... You got to love it. Never a boring day in the City.

In His Grip,

Pastor J

~Blog Post 403~

Today marks the 403th Blog post... Who would think I would have so many post.. If I was a good blogger and posted on everyday of the year from the start of this site I am sure I would have a few 100 more. Well Happy 403!

In His Grip,

Pastor J

~Road Trip~

I had a great drive today to heading to a meeting in Evans,GA today. It was a great time to spend with God just me, myself and the Holy God for a whole two hours spending thinking, in prayer and giving thanks for all He has done over the past year. With all the things that has gone on over the past few weeks and being hurt by people and dealing with the stress of it all it was great to get my eye on Christ and get a refreashing start to this new chapter in my life. The meeting I had to go to went great and I did the mission at hand. That I am thankful for. It was also a great ride back. I got to enjoy starting my new audio book by Perry Stone, Purging Your House, Pruning Your Family Tree. Just the part I heard I was blown away at the great detail he goes into his book. I am ready liking it and even wished I had more miles to go so I could listen to it more. However I was running out of gas so was not able to go any more. But I will listen to more later in the morning and even some tonight before bed. Anyway What a great day and it ended a great day with a great time tonight at Church, Debbie had a great time at small group and Emily had a blast! I am so glade we found a loving church to be a part of at this time in our lives.

Feelng loved but Christ,

IN His Grip,

Pastor J

Failing Love Vs. God's Love!

Today I am reminded that people will fail you and it's sad but even churches will fail you too. In Romans it's written "...As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. In Romans 12 the bible says "...Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” I am thankful for a loving God but I am also thankful for a just God. It's hard to see ones say they love you and care for you then brake every part of your heart and look you in the face with a smile that is so fake. Today I learned even the church will fail you but God love still stands. It's the one thing that remains! Today I look past the hurt and keep my eyes on what matter in life and that is Christ! All I can do is Pray and Pray that they find the true love of God. The day is near and the time is short and when that time comes it will be late. Praise the Lord! I am set free from brokenss and set free from this world!! One of the best books written today is called Faking Church here is what they say about it. "Open the door to any church in America and you'll find once-enthusiastic Christians just going through the motions. Some have even abandoned the Body. Dan Schaeffer diagnoses this spiritual defection as a subtle heart issue: If our primary motivation for Christian service has become approval from others, we're on the road to faking church. Schaeffer deftly explores the common traps that seduce believers into becoming spiritual fakes and prescribes ways to adjust our fellowship and our lives so that the Holy Spirit can create in us a genuine servant's heart. Timely and provocative, Faking Church has the power to transform the Body. Get real with God by cutting through soul-destroying distortions, and choose to serve for His approval only. This book can change you." and Yes this book can change you and I pray it will reach many people who are just going through the motions. One of the key things this book highlights is It's all a heart issue! and I have to say Dan Schaeffer hit it on the nail when saying it all starts in the heart.

In His Grip,

Pastor J

~Busy Bees~

What a very busy day however a good day today at work. Spoke to alot of church leaders today about many media ministry things.. It seems many church in the area are trying to get updated into all the new things from media shout to videos to office software and to online membership programs and even online bibles. A good but busy day. I am thankful that I am so near debbie office as we where able to meet up today to get gas in both cars today and for the rest of the week we will car pool to save on gas and miles.

~Sunday~

Enjoyed a great refreashing time of worship today... I am thankful today for many things but more then anything my family and the time I have with them.

~Traffic~

I have so missed the perks of living in the city. I am walking distance to just about everything I would need right out side my office. One on the biggest things I have missed is all the people. I am so much of a people person so I like seeing and meeting new people. I think I have been in the woods way to long. I have noticed over the past few years I dress has go way down and I most of my cloths are getting out dated. I truck well It's so not a city car and the gas on the thing is killing me. It's nice to be working in a area where I can find a Starbucks or Cafe on every corner. I do have to say I so don't miss the city traffic however I didn't mind it too bad today as it took me a little less then a hour to get home. I think that is great. It's not Greenville or even Nashville where you wait and wait and wait. Another thing I think I will enjoy over all is Debbie's Office is right down the street from mine and I think that cool. God really lined things up in a big way there. She will be getting a company car so will not need to use ours however till then on the days we go in at the same time we can car pull and save on gas. One of the This I have started praying over is cars as over the next month or so I start looking for a new car. Something with good MPG, that can fit two car seats in it and to be honest that fits the "City Life". I have missed my Nissans I have owned in the past. I don't know what we will get but I would like something that is like a small SUV or something like that. Sporty and something that will last us for a good while. You never know when you look for a used but newer car but it will work out. God is good. I am ready to pass out now and I do have to go to work in the morning for a few hours to get ready for next week!

In His Grip,

Pastor J

~Resignation Letter Given~

Here is a copy of my resignation letter to Pineora:

Given Sunday January 8th 2012

Dear Church Family,

“The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord.” Every time I read this passage from Psalm 37:23 I’m reminded that my life is not my own. I belong to God. Debra and the children belong to God as well. We’ve committed both our individual lives and our marriage to His calling and purpose. We’ve resolved to travel together down the path that He has set before us as a family. We’ve entrusted our steps to Him.

It was God’s leading that brought us to Pineora in June of 2011. It was His plan for us to lead in the Student Ministry of Pineora. He gave us a passion for the students and over the last few months we’ve developed a love for each and every one of them. The blessings of God have been abundant and you have made this journey wonderful. I’m convinced that our days here have been ordained by the Lord in the short time we have been ministering with you.

After many weeks of prayer and Godly counsel Debbie and I are convinced that God is asking us to travel down a new path, a path that will lead us away from Pineora. This decision is a difficult one we’ve had to make however I feel it is best to part our ways.

In our hearts we never thought this day would come. I guess that’s why God has reminded us lately of Proverbs 16:9. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” We’ve served here with the mindset that we would be here for many years. However, the Lord has been stirring our hearts and we can say with full certainty that our time here has come to an end.

Today, January 8, 2012, I am officially resigning as your Pastor of Student Ministries with the full intent to provide transitional leadership for the next few weeks. Our last Sunday will be January 22, 2012.

God directs our steps and promises not to leave us nor forsake us. I’m confident that if God is leading us on to something new and wonderful then the same is true for all of Pineora. God will not take from one at the expense of another. If God is preparing to bless Debbie and I with a new work and ministry then He’s preparing to bless Pineora with a new Student Pastor. We really believe that your best days are yet ahead..

Respectfully submitted with love for all you.

In His Grip,

Rev. Jonathan D. Rogers

Now As we end that chapter in life we start a new chapter in life and I am over joyed by what he is going to do.

As Always In His Grip,

Pastor J

~Unhappy People~

Sometimes in life we face people who are unhappy. They walk down the path of life unhappy with everything in life. They lack joy in their life and even lack the Love of God. It hurts me to see these kind of people not that they try to hurt others or even myself but they make the choice to live in that darkness. Sometimes they have lived there so long they don't know anything different or even that there is more to life then that black and unhappy place they live. It gets me how those unhappy people try to tear others down. Makes me mad but even more then mad it makes me feel sorry for them. I might lack a lot of things in life however I don't lack joy, peace, love and even more the Love of GOD! I have great things to be happy for and I stand full of the Love of God. Why because there is more of God to go around! I think unhappy people put God in a box and give Him nothing but want everything from Him. It's even more sad to see those unhappy people in the church. Some even call themselves leaders and teachers, How can they teach to Word of God if they can't live the Word of God. Oh how sad it is.... We live in a fallen world of unhappy people. One day I hope and pray those unhappy people will find joy and love. And until that time I make a choice to leave them alone and stay away from their unhappiness. May God brake them! May He bless them and may He lead them His way!

In His Grip With Joy,

Pastor J

~A Page is Turned~

Many people starting to hear the news that I have been hinting around about for the last few weeks. It's official as of this past weekend however I am guessing the larger announcement may not be made until this weekend. Over the the past many weeks and even month Debbie and I have been praying about what's next in our lives. Back in November we felt God calling us to a new ministry in our area. So with much prayer and seeking His face over that time. God has opened doors for us in great ways over the past two weeks. God has been doing a great work in our lives and it has come that He is driving us to a place of much networking, new ministry outreach and even to the next chapter in our lives. Many times over the years God has turned the page of life and started a new life for us. So what does all this mean. Well it mean just that we start a new chapter in our lives. I officially resigned from Pineora (PBC) Sunday Jan 8' 2012 as their Pastor of Students. And I will be ending my next few weeks with the students being my last day on Sunday Jan 22' 2012. This has not been anything new or even a shock to what God is doing in our lives. This has been something that we have been praying over for a while now and been in fellowship with some of our past pastors and leadership who have given us wisdom on this calling.

With all that said what does this mean for our next chapter of life here in Guyton, GA.

We will be staying where we are and will not be moving anywhere - God has been called us to this area and we love it here. We feel over the next few months and year God will be doing a great work in us and will be ministering to the people of this area.

God has blessed Debbie with a great job in Savannah, GA and I am just blown away at what He has opened for her. Great paying job, benefits, and even a company van.

As far as myself God has also blown me away by blessing me with a great ministry job that is two-fold. I will be working with Lifeway Resources out of the Savannah GA. God has even lined up great in home childcare for both Emily and Ethan over the past week and I just can't wait to see what more God is going to do in our lives this year. When God says go we go! This is a great step for me, not just as this will be the most Debbie and I have ever made, but will be a great way for me to network and enjoy doing what I do. Don't get me wrong I love student ministry however God has been working in my heart of the past few months that my role in student ministry is coming to an end. This is not an end to my ministry but just the next chapter for my ministry. 11 years of full-time student ministry now to the next 11 years of my new ministry God is laying out in my life. May it be getting deeper into the Church Consulting or even into planting a new Church in the area. Thank you Lord providing great things!!!

In His Grip,

Pastor J

Monday!!! Monday!!!

What a great Monday it has turned out to be. I have to say God is doing a great work in our lives right now and this seems to a time of Him raining down blessings on us. I have to stop and give thanks to Him for all the things He is doing even the little things. But again I also have to stop and thank Him for the times He isn't raining blessings down on us as well. Why are have a choice to say yes in the good things as well as the bad. I have really been enjoying our new study we are doing during Cell Group where we are looking at our attitude and we can come to him with a mind of complaining all the time or a mind of thanksgiving and giving Him thanks for the things we do have. I have to say over the past few years we have not always had the best years the greatest times in life and even have had to face a lot of hurt in life. However I have come to the fact that God is bigger then anything and the class can be half empty or if can be half full. How are we going to look at it. My prayer this year is that I can change my attitude and keep the mind that the class is half full and in Christ I can do all things!

"Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord. and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried our to Moses, he prayed th the Lord and the fire died down. So that place was called Tarerah, because fire from the Lord had burned among them." -Numbers 11:1-3

In His Grip,

-Pastor J

~SONday~

A chapter in my life is about to close but a new one is about to open

I give thanks to God!
Details soon...

~Tour De Effingham~

What a great but long day! Enjoyed a lot of fun and fellowship all during the day and it ended with spending some time with some great friends at dinner. God is good! Can't wait for God to work this Sunday there are a lot of things instore for it and it may be a bittersweet Sunday for us but we know God has some great things He is going to do in Debbie and I's life. I will share a lot more in detail into what God is doing in our family later in the week. Now off to bed!

“The steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord.”

In His Grip,
Pastor J

God Spoke!

Wow God has doing some powerful things today.... I don't know what to say.. The Power of God is so powerful it leaves me with nothing to say! Just WOW I will share more later next week. Thank you Jesus for what you do. Thank you

WOW...

In His Grip,

Pastor J

~God's Timing~

"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." -James 1:5-6

~Going Deeper~ Part 8

Your Ministries Ignore People Outside the Church!

This excerpt from Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson’s recent book Rework keeps reverberating in my mind:
When you stick with your current customers come hell or high water, you wind up cutting yourself off from new ones. Your product or service becomes so tailored to your current customers that it stops appealing to fresh blood. And that’s how your company starts to die.
That’s consistent with one of the key attributes of churches in decline. When churches become inward-focused and start making decisions about ministry to keep people rather than reach people, they also start to die.
In Luke 15:4, Jesus said it this way:
If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?
Why do you think some churches slip into the mode where they’re so focused on keeping people that they neglect trying to reach people who are outside the faith? As I was reading the Bible, I stumbled upon 1 Corinthians 10:33:
I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. 24
Fascinating perspective, isn’t it? Typically, we don’t operate like that. We put personal conviction or preferences ahead of what may be best for others. Think about it . . .
• It isn’t worship if the music is too loud or too fast or the wrong genre.
• It isn’t discipleship if the content is delivered in a home or online instead of in a classroom.
• It isn’t missions if we help a neighbor who has wealth instead of focusing on people who live in poverty.
• The message is good if it calls out the sin of other people, but we’re offended when it’s our sin.
• Rather than embracing the ministries that are impacting the most people, we want the church to embrace our personal projects and passions.
• We’re more inclined to give when we can direct how the money is used.
Crazy! You’d think we’d be intentional about living out our faith to do what’s best for others. Instead, we make ministry decisions to try to keep people happy. That’s how we end up with churches full of happy Christians. That’s why churches stop growing. We start doing church for us instead of trying to impact the lives of people outside our walls.
The reality is that if we’re going to reach people outside the church and outside the faith, we’re going to have to be uncomfortable. And, once we figure out what’s best for others today, it’ll be different tomorrow. That will involve change. That means we’ll have to get uncomfortable again.
Let’s face it. It’s a lot easier doing ministry when our only goal is to keep people happy. Doing what’s best for others makes life and ministry messy. We have to be willing to rock the boat. We have to be willing to watch people who don’t have a "1 Corinthians 10:33" mindset leave the church.
When I stop doing what’s best for me and focus on what’s best for others, though, that’s when real life-change happens. It’s worth making "happy Christians" mad so that many may be saved.
People who walk through the doors of our church every Sunday may look okay on the outside, but many are dealing with some tough stuff on the inside. Addictions. Marriages collapsing. Kids heading in a wrong direction. Medical challenges. Financial crisis. Lack of purpose. Let me challenge you with these thoughts:
• When you teach on "felt needs," you aren’t watering down the message. You are helping people find forgiveness and healing and a new direction for their life. It’s easy to preach through the Bible. It’s much harder to preach to hurting people who need to understand how the Bible applies to their lives.
• When the person sitting beside you is dealing with a marriage crisis that’s leading to a crisis of faith, it makes your preferences of music and volume seem pretty insignificant.
• When you neglect the mission field in your neighborhood because of your sole desire to help people across the ocean, I wonder if you’re just choosing the path of least resistance.
• When you choose to focus on your theological differences at the expense of helping people find healing and hope, could it be that you haven’t spent enough time living out your faith because you’re too busy defending your faith?
I’ve looked in people’s eyes and heard many stories. They are the real stories of real people experiencing real pain. Let’s not forget why we do what we do.

In His Grip,
Pastor J

~Going Deeper~ Part 7

You Fail to Equip God’s People!

It’s easy to get caught in the trap of growing your staff without proportionately cultivating your volunteer assets. There are certain common refrains I hear as I’m talking with growing churches across the country. This is one of them—we fail to equip God’s people to do the work of God.
I’ve heard many leaders in recent months acknowledge that they’re trying to shift the ministry to volunteers rather than continuing to hire more staff. Likely, the economic challenges have precipitated that shift in strategy. Whatever the case, I think it’s a good thing.
Eric Geiger offered this thought as it relates to engaging volunteers in ministry. He explains how pastors and other paid staff may actually be hampering spiritual growth by holding on to ministry:
People who are gifted by God and called to serve Him are put on the bench as they watch the professional ministers make the ministry happen. Instead of fostering a serving posture among believers, this kind of "ministry" develops consumers. By keeping ministry from the majority of the people, they are taught to be moochers and consumers of the faith rather than participators and contributors. As their spiritual gifts go underutilized, they miss the joy of experiencing Christ by serving others.
Wondering where your church stands on this topic? Do a little math. Take the number of people who volunteer somewhere in ministry at any given time each month. Divide that by the total number of students and adults at your church. That’ll give you a percentage. Here’s my suggestion:
• If the percentage of students and adults serving is over 45 percent, you are in a healthy range for engaging volunteers in ministry.
• If you are in the 30- to 45-percent range, you’re doing okay but there’s room for improvement.22
• If you are under 30 percent, you need a volunteer strategy adjustment.

Now, I can hear the critics and skeptics already. They’re probably saying, "The larger a church gets, the more likely they are to have a big staff team handling the ministry of the church." It might surprise you to learn I see the direct opposite. For whatever reason, smaller churches I work with have a tendency to rely on the pastors and paid staff to carry the ministry load.
Many churches have a vision for getting more people to volunteer and serve in the ministry. Fewer churches actually make it happen. One of the reasons is because they lean on staff to do ministry.
With that in mind, Lifepoint Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia, needs to be on your radar. They’ve grown by over 50 percent in the last twelve months. But that’s not what’s most unique about this ministry.
What’s unique about Lifepoint is their commitment to giving ministry away to volunteers. They have several strategies for making that happen, but let me highlight the most obvious one—they don’t hire staff to do ministry.
Of all the churches I’ve worked with over the last couple of years, Lifepoint has the lowest staff-to-attendance ratio. They only have 1 full-time equivalent staff member (that includes all staff, not just ministry staff) for every 150 people in attendance. Only about 35 percent of their budget is spent on staff expenses.
Because they have very few staff, they are forced to empower volunteers to do the ministry. Almost 70 percent of their adults volunteer. That’s the highest percentage of adults volunteering of all the churches I’ve worked with.
So, if you’re following at home: Lifepoint has the record for the fewest staff compared to attendance, and they also broke the record for the most people volunteering. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
This is another simple reminder that you can have a strong vision, but it’s good systems and strategies that shift behaviors. This is just one example of that principle.

In His Grip,
Pastor J

~Going Deeper~ Part 6

You Focus on Activities Instead of Outcomes!

While many church leaders are full of vision and passion, they lack an effective strategy to accomplish their mission. That leads to a feeling of disorganization, and ultimately they feel stuck. When this happens, you’ll spend more time focused on activities instead of outcomes. How do you know you’re focused on activities? When you find yourself focusing on bigger versus better.
Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, said, "when we get better the customer will force us to get bigger!" In the church world, this means that we must take time to improve what we do, not just come up with bigger versions of what’s mediocre. Instead of trying to outdo your last event, set design, or sermon illustration, get together with your team and improve the little things.
You’ve got too many ideas and too little action. It’s more fun for leaders to brainstorm and dream, but that’s not the hard work of the ministry. Real effectiveness comes when we organize volunteers around a mission, create processes to follow up with guests and givers, and lead our staff with intentionality and intensity. Visionary leaders often make the mistake of thinking that their church can grow on vision. While vision is helpful and necessary, getting organized may have more long-term positive effects.
At some point, you have to just do the hard work and stick with it. A quote from Calvin Coolridge noted in the program at his memorial service in 1933 described it this way:
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.Are you distracted? As a church leader, there are many things that you can do. Even good opportunities can sidetrack us from doing what matters most. Instead of chasing new opportunities, go to work on your worship services, children’s ministry, and community service. Keep your eye on the ball. Don’t let too many new ministry opportunities dilute your core purpose.
Stop and ask if the activities on your schedule contribute to, or support, your core values and mission. If you don’t know your core values and mission, you’ve discovered one of your most glaring weaknesses!

In His Grip,
Pastor J

Happy New Years!

Happy New Years 2012!!!

May you have a safe and blessed year.

Monday we will get back to our "Going Deeper"

In His Grip,
Pastor J