Palm Sunday! Why Palm Leaves?

 Holy Week, the week of Easter we start with Palm Sunday. Can you picture standing in the streets of Jerusalem. You start to hear this yelling of crowd coming at you people rushing to see what's going on. It's Him! He you have heard so much about, This King of Israel, Jesus! You start to shout "Hosanna, Hosanna" You grab your coat off your back and lay it down in front of him you grab a Palm Branch and start to wave it in victory. What a triumphal entry one fit for a king!
  As we enter into the

 "The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written..." - John 12:12-14

     So let’s back up here. Every time I read this story over the years I always have the question, “why palm tree branches?” For starters I think it’s important to understand where the palm branches came from. This is in Jerusalem it’s a desert here, one of the driest pleases you can think of. Palm trees take a lot of water to grow and in this kind of environment require daily and detailed care to keep alive. Ever see a movie where the actor is stuck out in the desert with nothing out there. He walks and walks for miles and miles then to see a shape of something off in the distance. What is this thing, He starts to get closer and sees it getting larger and taller. After days of walking in the heat of the summer desert this actor is feeling sick with thirst, just one drop of water would mean to world, Life! And he sees it. Victory! It’s a Palm Tree. Where there is a palm tree there is water to drink.

   In the City of Jerusalem these trees where mostly potted in large pots. The kings men would take detailed care of these trees. Giving them fresh water helping them grow strong and healthy. These trees were statements of power, strength, and if still standing, victory after a battle. Every time the men would return after a battle palms would be planted and added to the kingdom in honor of the victory that was won. In ancient Greece a palm branch is awarded to athletes when they complete the games. This giving it a sign of competition.
  Something else I think we miss is they produce fruit. (Doesn’t this sound like something we have heard before.) No matter how old the tree gets it can grow a fruit and in this case is a date. These dates where used at the king’s table. Not all dates grown on these trees can be eaten but those that are, are taken and given to the king and his men. So what a honorable way to welcome the King of Kings, Lord of Lord! What a way to give the best and roll out the red carpet!

Great Reminders! Little Joys!

Before leaving the South, I was was reminded of God's Greatness through our campus painter, While chatting with him and getting him something he needed, he stopped me in the laundry room (small 5x7 room) and started praying the spirit over me and over this new chapter in our lives. What a powerful reminder I was given to how real the Holy Spirit is.

While driving over 3 days to start this new chapter in life I was able to spend many hours in the 27 foot moving truck praying and worshiping God a long the way. Without a CD player, tape player or good radio I was left without music besides anything local on the radio. While tuning each channel on the radio I came to the song "One Thing Remains" I was reminded that after everything in this life, when things looks dark and to the end His Love still stands. I then came across the song "City on A Hill" and was reminded that in that darkness of the world we meaning myself (I) can share the light unto the world! A few states a way I came across the song "Potters Hand" A song I have heard for the past year more then I would ever want to. But In listening to this song. I heard the words that I have heard so many times before but this time they spoke to me in a differant way. I was reminded that when I am broken He can heal me when everything seems pointless and lost. Before entering the state of CO I heard one last song called "Its a New Life" and I was reminded that Today starts a new day in the Lord.  The sun comes in the morning and nothing can take the Love of Christ away. While listing to this song I started to pray once more for God's Blessing and Thanking Him for the safe travel and giving Debbie and I peace over all of this and while praying and the ending of this song lead into Chris Tomlin's song "Whom shall I Fear" It got stuck in my head and I kept hearing over and over again in my head:  

                                                          "I know Who goes before me

                                                            I know Who stands behind 
                                                            The God of angel armies
                                                             Is always by my side
                                                            The One who reigns forever
                                                            He is a Friend of mine
                                                            The God of angel armies
                                                             Is always by my side"

What a great way to end the beginning of something new! 

In His Grip, 

-JD

~Happy New Year's~

"To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."

 -Ephesians 4:22-24

~Christian Movies~

    I am so not a fan of Hollywood's style of "Christian Movies" But I really must say I am really drawn to the new movie, "Exodus: Gods and Kings". I think for the main reason that its on Exodus. I have preached for years many of the stories that will be played out in this movie. I really do hope its made well and true to scripture. I very much disliked the last few "christian" movies that Hollywood has come out with. I think they want so much to add the hardcore violence and sex that they put a twist on it to sale more tickets. (Then we wonder why people look down on Christians, Wow we will save that rant for another time) I think if they would really dig deep into scripture they would find that that stuff like all that already is there. The Bible does not have a PG rating all the time. With some of the things found in scripture they might have to give the movie a rating of R. My word they could make a porno out of Song of Solomon. They can do a Murder Mystery with Moses and who knows what else they could make. I hope that This movie will make it where I feel the movie "Noah" failed in. Don't get me wrong I know that may people loved the movie Noah but I feel they really tried to rewrite the story all together.. I am just glad they even had the ark and didn't change it to some spaceship or tour bus or something. Oh wait Noah and a Spaceship....... now that would be some movie. Oh well Exodus comes tomorrow so I will be interested in what the review are by others. Until then here is the movie trailer.

 

~The Time is Now~

BIG CHANGES COMING: So after many months of prayer and fasting. Debbie and I have accepted a call from God to embark on a new Journey in life to take a large leap of faith. This Journey will by no means be easy for us to take. It will cause us to leave family and friends in the southeast. And those around us we have grown to love over the past year here in Atlanta. In January Debbie, the children and I will be moving to Colorado. To the details of what, how and when of this new Ministry can be found at www.HavenHouseofCo.org in the coming future (Spring 2015). Until then you can sign up for our up and coming family and supporters newsletter that will be going out by Spring 2015. We welcome everyone's prayers as we start this chapter in our lives. Over the next few weeks and month you will be able to get more details to what we will be doing in the immediate future by following Debbie and I through Facebook and our Blogs. There you will get more info about, jobs, home, school, ect... So stay tune. Again thank you for your love and support over the years. God is good!

"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 

“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” 

Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

-Isaiah 6:8 

~Fitting In~

Fitting in is something I am learning is just pointless to do in life. Too much stress, and work has to go into being the right person for everything. Something we are told when we are teens and children don't try to fit in and be a follower. But then we become older and wake up to the fact we are doing just that as older adults, trying to fit in. we have to wear the right cloths, speak the right words. pray the right prayer. But when thinking on it why do we really do that?!?! I am not sure I even really know why. Is it that we feel we need the acceptance of others. Maybe we have trapped our selves into that center minded world. Maybe we grow up that way and don't know any other way. In Romans 12:2 it says.. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." We don't need to try to be perfect in the eyes of man but we are already perfect in God's eyes! It's that a great word of truth and good feeling to know that we don't need to try to be people we are not. I think that is one of the reasons I loved Rich Mullins so much not just as a music artist but person. He was a person who was not trying to impress anyone. He lived for Christ and no one else. He dealt with his own struggles and not anyone else's. And that's something to note about how he lived. I think we get so enmeshed into other peoples problems in life. We feel we are able to fit what is broken then there lives. Or we try to pull people into our mess thinking they have a quick fit. But in reality It's only Christ who can mend the broken. I think even in the local culture we try to fit in. Take our American regions for example. We have the Southerners, the Yankees, the Westerners and the Foreigners. Why is it we must fit into one of these groups just by the way we act or sound. I think this creates a boundary, But that's another topic for another day. I think over all we need to define ourselves for who we really are and not that person or persons we try to become. I think our Worship can be in the same way. We try to worship God in a way that sees fitting for a group of people or that person your trying to please. Why can't we just be who we are. Worship the way we want. Speak, act, walk and do what is true to ourselves. Without having that label or worrying about having to "fit in".

Something to think about,

-JD    

~Choices We Make~

Don't you wish life was spelled out for us on a map from A to Z leading us down the right path each
turn. "Go left, right, right again and stay forward into the life God has for you." Sadly I am not sure life is every that simple and easy. Even in the pain of God shutting doors I find it helps in picking the right door when others close making the light on your path more clear. But what happens when God allows more then one door to stay open. Then the choice that can be hard to take. Not knowing if your walking into the right door or not. Not knowing whats on the other side. But at some point we know if we don't take that first step we will be standing in the same place going nowhere in life. Sometimes I am given the picture of my son who when sometimes told to go inside or to go somewhere he will just stop and stand there thinking. "Do I go do it or do I choose to stay." I think we start to find our safety in staying in one place as there is so much unknown by picking a way or door to go through. Sometimes I don't think God really cares if we make this choice or that one. I think He wants to see if we have the Faith to just stand up and move. I once was told that if God allows more then one door or path to come open He will bless you in whatever path you choose to take as long as it's for His Glory. I have to think that statement is true... So as I take this time to think, pray and wonder, The time counts down, life goes by and my heart stays incomplete until I stand and take a step. The sad part is I really know know where I am going, what will happen or even what way I am going to go. All I know is I have to stand and just walk.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

6 

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight."-Proverbs 3:5-6      

In His Grip,
-JD

~Joy Comes In The Morning~

I love fall! Its that time of year again where we can bring out the colors, put on the coats, light the good smelling candles and buying a but load of pumpkins to place around the house and yard. Oh How I love this time of year! Even the smell outside is amazing. Even this morning while drinking my coffee and having my window open I came across some "Fall" music to listen to. Yes, I know really, there is music just for the season. Even as I am able to get a little blogging in I am listening to a CD called Hello, October. It's got a indie/folk genre feel to it. Anyway you look at it I think its all fitting for this great season. While thinking about fall I am reminded that how blessed we are. Even when we have times we face that are stressful and deal with those times we just want to call "The BLAH of our Life" (as I can't think of any other name for it). There seems to be a lot of Blah times we face in our lives but Thank the Lord the joy comes in the morning. I am always telling me self joy comes in the Morning.. "For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."  -Psalm 30:5 I hold on to that truth each day.

In His Grip,

-JD 

~FALL on me~

It is fall praise GOD! I love the fall season. The weather becomes cool, the leaves change color and Pumpkins Spice becomes the smell day to day from the Coffee at Starbucks to the plug-ins placed in my office to the candle I burn in the bedroom. Even as I type this I am drinking my last cup of lemonade for the summer season. There is just something off about drinking a lemonade in the fall and winter months that seems wrong in all ways.
     For the past week I have been listening and really hanging on to the the words of  Chris Tomlin's song "Whom shall I fear" It says "I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind...." It goes on the say "My Strength is in Your Name For you alone can save, You will deliver me, Yours is the victory Whom shall I fear. Whom shall I fear!" I think my life right now this song is what I need to hear each day. Its everything I feel I am currently facing put in one song to let me know He is greater, He is bigger and He is all I need. I love knowing that He has gone before me to the place I fear the most. and He knows whats on the other side of the cliff. I guess the hard part is wanting to take that step into not knowing what will happen or not knowing what I will do, who I will meet, or how I will survive. Over time I think I will get more into why I have the subtitle of "where the rainbow leads" but I will hold off on just that. But before the rainbow comes the rain, and sometimes a storm. I feel like I have been in the storm way to long. But what happens in the storm seems to cause us to grow the most. It goes back to the breaking of the bread in 1 Corinthians 11 I have preached on in years past. We must be broken before we are blessed. We must withstand the storms of life before the rainbows come. Who said life was going to be full of peace and unrest.
    Speaking about the promises of the Rainbow God gave I am sometimes reminded as a child I would come to find a random Bird feather laying on the ground. My grandmother would also tell me pick it up and always remember when a father is found. It's a remember that Jesus Loves You! I think that stuck with me even today. Besides the horrid germs I am sure that are on those things. (Note: I don't think I was so much a germaphobe when I was young as I am today) Even today when I find a father laying on the ground I reach over to pick it up and remember that no matter where I am in life. Jesus Loves Me! I know it might sound odd and even corny but hey what can I say. Whom shall I fear!

In His Grip,

-JD

~Fresh Beginnings~

A Fresh start...You will notice that it’s been one year from my last post. You will also notice a lot of changes to this site as well as new domain name. This is due to a new focus of where I hope to take this blog. For the past many years this site has become one for church and ministry leaders and follow pastors. It’s been a place of training, discipleship, encouragement and place of healing for leaders facing the hardships of ministry and life. Well after many months of praying and seeking a new direction for this site and blog. It’s time to embark on this new journey and chapter in life. Over the past year we have had a lot of changes from leaving our friends, church family, places of ministry and employment and setting off across the state to a new place of ministry, met new friends, tried to settle into a new environment. It has had both its challenges and blessings, its ups and downs. But more importantly I think we as a family have grown in Christ. I hope at some point I am able to share some of those challenges and blessings during this new chapter in this blog.

                Why the new domain name? Well it’s not a new name at all. The original name for this blog was “Southern Coffee”. After a few years of blogging I wanted to come up with a name that was outside of the box but still kept to who I was as a person. So I changed the name to “Southern Kafes” as the Greek word for coffee is Kafes. The Name comes from this: “Southern” as I am from the South and a Southern at heart, “Coffee” as I love Coffee with a passion. And “Kafes” as I am Greek by tradition. I wanted to bring this back this title as its best fitting to what I want this site to become, a place of random ramblings. Please note I am not leaving ministry nor my call as a pastor but instead digging deeper into my call as a Shepard and Missionary to my country and community. I think this will become clearer over time. It’s hard to tell what the whole picture is when I myself only have a snapshot of it. Many things during this journey are uncertain however I do know my strength in Christ and pea size Faith will get me through to His coming Promises.

                The Old and New! You may be a new reader to this Blog and I welcome you. You may be a past reader and came here hoping for some encouragement or for a new ministry training post. I understand and do hope that maybe want is say at times will be able to encourage you and maybe something I say at some point will be able to bless you in your ministry however at this time this blog is about me and for me. It’s where I can focus on my journey and walk in Christ. It’s where I can come meet with The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit and we can have a party. It’s where I can allow my words to go unjudged by the world. If you do wish to follow this blog with all this understood please know it’s my hope I am able to keep updated however due to life happening I may not always update daily, But will try to post at least once a week or more. If you are looking for ministry posts and encouragement only feel free to get out my Twitter account instead. 

Busy Bee....

Yeah I know my blog is so out dated. I guess over the past few months I have been too busy to be able to sit down and think. Hopefully in the next two weeks life will slow down to be able to think and write. Til then.

Pastor J

~Happy 4th of July~

"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord    as the waters cover the sea."
-Habakkuk 2:14

Unbelief

If you have been following along this last week you know I have been talking about the differences with Faith and unbelief and can someone have Faith yet have unbelief. I know this is very different from my normal post on church ministry and leadership however I have found this to be a great topic and study to think about and dig into the Word of God with. I think once we understand what are the differences and how can we stop and destroy the unbelief in our lives we can see our faith do great things. I will try to hit on some more things this week. But for now its VBS time!

In His Grip,
Pastor J

~Differences~

I’ve been thinking about what it means to live by faith.  Saying that you believe in Jesus is one thing.  Exercising faith in Christ through the challenges of life is another.  It’s easy to confess faith but then to speak and act in unbelief. Here are just ten distinct differences I have noticed about the two.


1. Faith sees more in a promise of God to help than in all other things to hinder. Unbelief sees more in the things that hinder than in God’s promise to help.
2. Faith sees love in the heart of Christ when He speaks to reprove us. Unbelief sees anger in God’s heart when He says that He loves us.
3. Faith gives comfort in the midst of fear. Unbelief brings fear in the midst of comfort.
4. Faith helps the soul to wait, when God defers to give. Unbelief takes the huff if God makes us tarry.
5. Faith will suck sweetness even out of God’s rod, but unbelief finds no comfort even in His greatest mercies.
6. Faith makes great burdens light. Unbelief makes light burdens heavy.
7. Faith lifts us up when we are down, but unbelief throws us down when we are up.
8. Faith brings us near to God when we are far from Him. Unbelief puts us far from God when we are near to Him.
9. Faith purifies the heart. Unbelief keeps the heart impure.
10. Faith finds the ways of God pleasant and admirable. Unbelief makes them heavy and hard. “Lord, I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief, (Mark 9:24).


In His Grip,

Pastor J

~Whom Shall I Fear~

You hear me when I call
You are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night
It cannot hide the light
Whom shall I fear?

You crush the enemy
Underneath my feet
You are my sword and shield
Though trouble linger still
Whom shall I fear?

I know who goes before me
I know who stands behind
The God of angel armies is always by my side
The One who reigns forever
He is a friend of mine
The God of angel armies is always by my side

My strength is in Your name
For You alone can save
You will deliver me
Yours is the victory
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?

And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I'm holding on to Your promises
You are faithful
You are faithful

 

 

Dominating Unbelief

A fellow pastor and good friend  gave me a podcast to listen to by a local GA Pastor. After listen only half of it and waiting for the other part to come out in the coming days my mind is blown away.. How is it I missed this simple truth over all these years. The difference between having Faith and Unbelief. I am digging deep in to the word studying this simple truth. Maybe its not that we have lack of Faith as its we have Unbelief that He is going to do something or something will happen. My mind is still going crazy over this fact and how I missed it in all these years. I am sure I will post more in the next few days as I listen to the rest of the podcast as it comes out. Until then I will dig and do a study of my own on just this topic. "Maybe it's not that I need more Faith but I need to decrease my Unbelief." Here are a few powerful truths I found on it so far.


- Faith believes the Word of God; but unbelief questions it (Psa 106:24).
- Faith holds fast to a promise of God to help; but unbelief says, “How can these things be?” (Rom 4:19-21; 2 Kings 7:2; John 3:11,12).
- Faith will make you see love in the heart of Christ; but unbelief will imagine wrath in his heart (Matt 15:22,28; Num 13; 2 Chron 14:3).
- Faith will give comfort in the midst of fears; but unbelief causes fears in the midst of comfort (2 Chron 20:20,21; Matt 8:26; Luke 24:26,27).
- Faith will suck sweetness out of God’s rod; but unbelief can find no comfort in his greatest mercies (Psa 23:4; Num 21).
- Faith makes great burdens light; but unbelief makes light ones heavy (2 Cor 4:1; 14-18; Mal 1:12,13).
- Faith helps us when we are down; but unbelief throws us down when we are up (Micah 7:8-10; Heb 4:11).
- Faith brings us near to God when we are far from him; but unbelief puts us far from God when we are near to him (Heb 10:22; 3:12,13).
- Where faith reigns, it declares men to be the friends of God; but where unbelief reigns, it declares them to be his enemies (John 3:23; Heb 3:18; Rev 21:8).
- Faith puts a man under grace; but unbelief holds him under wrath (Rom 3:24-26; 14:6; Eph 2:8; John 3:36; 1 John 5:10; Heb 3:17; Mark 16:16).
- Faith purifies the heart; but unbelief keeps it polluted and impure (Acts 15:9; Titus 1:15,16).
- By faith, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us; but by unbelief, we are shut up under the law to perish (Rom 4:23,24; 11:32; Gal 3:23).
- Faith makes our work acceptable to God through Christ; but work done in unbelief is sin. For without faith it is impossible to please him (Heb 11:4; Rom 14:23; Heb 6:6).
- Faith gives us peace and comfort in our souls; but unbelief works trouble and trial, like the restless waves of the sea (Rom 5:1; James 1:6).
- Faith makes us to see preciousness in Christ; but unbelief sees no form, beauty, or comeliness in him (1 Peter 2:7; Isa 53:2,3).
- By faith we have our life in Christ’s fullness; but by unbelief we starve and pine away (Gal 2:20). - Faith gives us the victory over the law, sin, death, the devil, and all evils; but unbelief lays us obnoxious to them all (1 John 5:4,5; Luke 12:46).
- Faith will show us more excellence in things not seen, than in them that are; but unbelief sees more in things that are seen, than in things that will be hereafter;. (2 Cor 4:18; Heb 11:24-27; 1 Cor 15:32). - Faith makes the ways of God pleasant and admirable; but unbelief makes them heavy and hard (Gal 5:6; 1 Cor 12:10,11; John 6:60; Psa 2:3).
- By faith Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob possessed the land of promise; but because of unbelief, neither Aaron, nor Moses, nor Miriam could get there (Heb 11:9; 3:19).
- By faith the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea; but by unbelief the generality of them perished in the wilderness (Heb 11:29; Jude 5).
- By faith Gideon did more with three hundred men, and a few empty pitchers, than all the twelve tribes could do, because they believed not God (Judg 7:16-22; Num 14:11,14).
- By faith Peter walked on the water; but by unbelief he began to sink (Matt 14:28-30).

Also something to think about is this. Many times when we don’t see the answer to our prayers, we believe we lack faith. However, at the point of salvation, every Christian received THE measure of faith. (That's a topic in it's self as the Greek says "The" not "A") The issue is not a lack of faith but the presence of unbelief. Unbelief cancels out faith and renders our prayers ineffective.

In His Grip,

Pastor J

Church? or Community?

Have you ever noticed when you see churches become larger their communities in which they serve don't seem to change much. Why is this?!?! What is the difference between being focused on church growth and being dedicated to influencing community. Well here are a few things to look at.

You grow a church with talent and leadership Vs. You impact a community with compassion    Churches that are blessed with talent (musical or otherwise) and great leadership are likely to grow. Most of these churches are considered good churches and in many ways they are. But that doesn't mean the community has been changed - which for me is the mark of a great church. In my thinking, it is impact that matters. This does not discount the huge significance and eternal value of growing churches that are big because of new things. I'm talking about a kind of impact that not only wins people to Christ, but that does so with such impact that the community takes notice and is changed. I'm all about people coming to Christ. But there is a corporate force that will enable us to ultimately win more to Christ if we have better served our communities. This means we must get involved in things that the community values, not just what we care about. I believe this all begins with compassion. Churches who reach out with servant oriented efforts that will not ultimately result in anyone coming to their church demonstrate compassion that has true impact. I believe that the best way to do this is to prayerfully think through the various services in your community that did not originate from your church, and choose to serve and be a resource to them.

You grow a church on your terms Vs. You reach a community on their terms
  Who sets the "terms" matters. If your church insists that everyone you connect with must do so on your terms, you may grow your church, but you won't impact the community. This is not about sloppy theology, going "liberal", or abusing grace. It's about a willingness to adapt your church's attitudes and behaviors, including receptivity to people who aren't like you, in order that more unchurched people may be willing to try you out and even come back.

You grow a church by offering good "programs"  Vs. You reach a community by offering good relationships

Good programs are important. Especially, a strong children's, and Student program. But if programs are the focus, people will come and people will go. You can test if you are program oriented or relationship oriented by the decisions you make and the actions you take. When you emphassize relationships and extend yourself to the community, you have potential to change the community. I like to see churches not about programs but steps. This is something I have talked about many times in the past.

You can grow a church on history and tradition Vs. You must become relevant to impact a community
    Let me close with a few thoughts on relevance versus history and tradition. We know history and tradition can be good. Some of the church's most sacred elements come from the richess of history and tradition. The point is not to throw them out, but first be relevant in order to reach the community. I don't mean to pick on any churches her (okay may I do), but some of the sermon titles I see on church signs out front of churches are just embarrassing. We are not connecting with people when we communicate in church "code" about things that don't matter to peoples lives. Then when some churches do get people in the doors they hear sermons about Paul's missionary journeys and some obscure law in Leviticus. These people have gotten out of bed, fought to get the kids ready, sat in an unfamiliar setting, and we give them stuff that has nothing to do with their life. (Not to say that learning about Paul's journey would be a great small group or bible study to have elsewhere in the church) That is what I call a perfect description of "irrelevant." speak on a relevant topic. We must be relevant to reach and impact our community. A side note on this: people don't always want to hear over and over again each Sunday how sinful we are and how everything ends in Hell if one is not driven to the front of the church to "repent" each Sunday. Bring a message of hope and grace. As well as how to grow in our walk for those who have accepted Christ. Have a healthy bounce for both.  

In His Grip,

Pastor J  

Going Social

Once again not my own post however my friends over at Lifeway shared this great info about social media. Also to put in a short plug for my cousin Terrace Crawford who wrote #Going Social. Check out this great book for any church ministry or leader.

If your church uses social media or is thinking about social media, here are 5 things to keep in mind:

1.Your audience. According to churchleaders.com, church websites should be geared toward new people, church/ministry social media should be geared toward people who are already involved. Keep your audience in mind when composing messages; update frequently, and promote your social media networks in church bulletins, newsletters, etc. If you plan on using social media as a primary means of communication, make sure church members know where to find those announcements.
  2.What you’re sharing. This is especially true for children’s ministries. Be careful when posting pictures and/or names of kids in your ministry, especially if your ministry page is set to public. The safety of those kids should be a very high priority. If you’re thinking about posting pictures, make sure you have parental permission. It’s probably a good idea to have parents sign a photo release form just incase. And if you’re going to share meeting locations where children will be present, (parks, playgrounds, etc.) be sure your Facebook page or Twitter feed is set to private to prevent unsafe people from acquiring that information.
3.How often you update. Social media is a weird thing– it’s only effective if it’s used consistently. Once you’ve gotten everyone on board and they know to check your pages for updates, make sure you actually post them! Facebook pages are great tools for communicating ministry events and updates if you use them consistently.
4.Grammar, composition, and accuracy. This should go without saying, but sometimes it must be said! Your social media outlets represent your church. Make sure the updates are grammatically correct, composed in a way that is easy to understand, and contains accurate dates, times, and locations.
5.Who runs the account(s). When you hold the password to a social media account, you hold a lot of power. Be wise in selecting the administrator for your social media accounts. It’s a good idea to choose one or two trusted people who can keep up with your ministry’s happenings and who can communicate with one another about what gets posted.

Some simple but yet great things to keep in mind when starting or running your site or sites.
I hope this helps one step to bettering the ministry God has created for you!

Don't forget to "Reach"

In His Grip,
Pastor J

Connent for Change

I wanted to share this great post by friend and Pastor Chuck Bomar:
  
As a leader, we want to get people connected into what we are doing. The question is, how do we define connected?
Well, practically speaking, this is often defined by physical involvement. If there are large numbers of people coming to what we are doing, we assume people are connecting. However, just having people show up in the same room at the same time doesn’t mean they are connecting with one another—especially across generations. And that’s important to differentiate.
It’s one thing to get people to something and even have them serve in some capacity. But it’s an entirely different thing to help people connect inter-personally with others and bridge the generation gap. This is more difficult to do than just having people show up. It takes more time and an entirely different strategy.
Here are THREE practical ways you can work to become a connected church across generations and do so in sustainable ways. I will categorize these into Long-Term, Mid-Term and Immediate ideas to keep in mind and implement.

Long-Term. To build a culture that is connected inter-generationally, the people involved must be motivated by the gospel. I’m not trying to sound over simplistic or super spiritual. I really mean this. The reality is, people who have only accepted the benefits of the gospel and have somehow missed the call of the gospel will only serve as a hindrance to becoming a truly connected church.
The gospel, at its most basic level, calls us to be selfless (Mark 8:34), with a unique focus on Jesus and others knowing Him. The gospel motivated Paul to use his personal liberties for the sake of others (1 Corinthians 8:13) and it led him to give up his personal preferences so that others might come to a saving faith in Jesus (1Corinthians 9:22).
This is the mentality that feeds relational connectivity. True and sustainable connectedness will be robbed unless the most basic principles of the gospel are serving as the motivators for the people involved. Our gospel presentations, then, must include both the benefits and the call of the gospel.

Mid-Term. Be very intentional with the terminology you use. Whether it’s in a one-on-one conversation or from a massive stage in front of thousands of people, we must talk about the unifying aspects of everyone involved.
For instance, when we use the word “family” in church contexts, we are most often referring to individual family structures. Our motivations are good, but if we are not extremely careful we can alienate college-age people, anyone else that is single and possibly someone that comes from a broken family.
To be a connected church we ought to redefine words like family, as the “family of God,” which allows everyone to have common ground. It’s in little nuances like this that change a culture and lead to being a connected church.
Another facet is to stay away from terminology like, “Big Church” because it inherently carries an “us and them” tone.

Immediately. Actually connect two people on some sort of common ground. This can be any facet of life, really. Take vocation, for example.
Consider connecting two people from two different generations for one cup of coffee and do so over the common interest in a particular industry. Maybe an older woman in your church is an engineer and you know a college student who is interested in engineering.
Ask the older individual if she would mind sitting down with a younger woman who is interested in this field of work just to “talk shop” and be available to answer any questions about it. This type of inter-generational exposure to people is what cultivates a connected church. Not every one of these connections will become an intimate relationship, but many of them will. And if connecting people like this is a pattern in your life it will, in fact, lead to your church being a connected one.

Happy Father's Day!