FREED SCHOOL

Trends

2007-11-05T17:08:00.000-05:00

Trends
Presentation of Received Data and Interviews
Indiana Wesleyan University
By John Freed
November 5, 2007

Why we surveyed:
To discover the heartbeat of the congregation’s demographic of Generation Y we sought to capture their thoughts and impressions of a random Sunday morning Worship Venue at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church. The hope and desire for this survey was to hear their thoughts on the current worship venue being offered at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church (also refereed to as FCWC). There was a hope that the survey and interviews would result in a better understanding of the deep spiritual needs held by our current Gen Y crowd. Also we wanted to understand their desires for certain unique elements there were or were not in the current worship venue. Finally, we wanted to see what the result of the venue was on their own spiritual life.

Why Christian Generation Y:
When creating the survey and designating who was going to be surveyed we decided to survey current members of Generation Y who also attended the current worship venue at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church. We desired their input more than an unchurched member of Generation Y because they had a church background in which to compare their expectations with what was being offered. The current service at FCWC is modern in music style and we understood that many of our churched Gen Y members would be familiar with the elements of a service and how they should connect with them. A member of Generation Y who was unchurched, would find each element new and have no expectation for spiritual growth or have any idea of how different elements of the service related to them specifically.

How We Surveyed:
To reach the Generation Y crowd at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church we used communication tools that were unique to their generation. On Friday evening, we sent text messages by phone, notifications by Facebook, posted messages on MySpace pages and sent out a mass email inviting everyone born after 1980 and before 1990 (17-27 years old) to participate in the survey. Because most have attended the church once or twice in the past 6 months there was already a personal relationship built with all of those surveyed. This allowed for comfortable sharing in follow up interviews and a dedication to participate in the initial survey. On October 7, 2007 at 10:30am the surveys were dispersed to the members of Generation Y that attended the second, more modern venue, offered at FCWC on Sunday morning. There were no Generation Y adults in the first, more traditional worship venue. After the 10:30am worship venue we collected the surveys and found that 15 members of Generation Y participated in the survey.

Trends We Discovered about Fall Creek Wesleyan Church:
Certain trends were obvious while others were left to interpretation of circumstances. One obvious trend that must be pointed out here in the beginning of this report is that 15 adults, ages 17-27 filled out the survey. 100% of all Generation Y ages 17-27 that were present on October 7, 2007 in the modern worship venue participated in the survey. Meaning that out of the 168 Adults and youth (those younger than 17) only 9% were ages 17-27. This is a remarkably disturbing find and reveals that there is an obvious drop out rate from the youth ministry to the Sunday morning worship venue. Also taking into consideration the other worship venue that did not contain any adults (age 17-27) from the Generation Y, thus concludes that on October 7, 2007, of the 216 attendees in the traditional and modern worship venues offered on Sunday morning (168 in the modern plus 48 in the traditional), only 7% of the worshiping body was between the ages of 17-27. This 10 year gap of participation will resonate in the health of the church very soon unless something is done.

What Time is Best:
Surprisingly many of those surveyed found the 10:30am time OK. Many had mentioned enjoying the ability to sleep in, but really did not care what time the service was held. While many found the 10:30am time slot tolerable, several suggested an evening worship venue as a viable option for those in their age bracket.
Because all that were surveyed had a church background of 3 to 5 years, many found the 10:30am time routine for their week as Christians. The culture of the church and the times of the venue did not impact our current attendees in this age range.

Structural First Impressions:
Participants were surveyed on the impressions the building outside the worship center made on them. Most reported that the lobby felt uninviting. Many found the lobby to be cold, and something to be moved through and not to relax in. One reported feeling that lobby was uninteresting and unattractive to her age group. Nothing was mentioned as inviting or welcoming.
Many of those surveyed reported seeing areas designated for older adults (library), children and youth, but nothing that said this was a Gen Y focused church. However, most made note of the coffee and how they enjoyed having a cup of free coffee, but was unsure if it was proper in the worship center. Finally, one young man age 20, wrote, “the area doesn’t help me connect, a more relaxed, social lobby might encourage people to stay longer.”

Literature First Impressions:
This area received the lowest rank in satisfaction. All reported that the bulletin was attractive for Generation X and Boomers, but felt the design and what was offered wasn’t relevant. All reported that they were pleased to see the worship folder full of information, but the information was for Children, Parents, Youth or women. Nothing was noticed that would be inviting or where someone of this age bracket would connect.

Multi-Media First Impressions:
The participants surveyed agreed that they enjoyed the videos and having the words to the songs available for viewing. Also, they reported that having the projected sermon notes made following the sermon easier. There was no mention of audio aids for the venue. Participants also noted that the use of Audio/Visual tools helped create an environment that was easy to follow and understand. Many noted that they really enjoyed when a video was shown to illustrate a point.
While the Audio/Visual tools are helpful for participants, two found them distracting and similarly used to that of a college course. However, most did not give comment but agreed that the Audio/Visual components of the service are crucial in their grasping of new ideas and thoughts.

Elements of the Venue that Caught or Distracted their Attention:
Most of those surveyed reported that the stained glass windows caught their attention and they appreciated the cross up-front, as well as the stained glass that accompanied it. Also, others found the room set-up was attractive, in that they had the ability to see others and be in close proximity. Most found the “missions video” very motivational and grabbing of their attention. Some reported that they enjoyed the soft lighting, style of music and humor presented.
However, it must be noted that other than the stained glass windows, there really is no other decoration in the room. One interviewee felt the room seemed to be forgotten, with the plain white walls and lack of decoration. The general décor of the room was uninviting. Others mentioned the placement of the announcements in the progression of the program was seen as a distraction. There was also a feeling that the greeting time was awkward and several participants felt they had not truly connected.

Elements Desired in the Worship Venue:
There was an overwhelming emphasis on a need for authentic connection in the Worship Venue. Elements that the participants mentioned they would want to have included in the Worship Venue include more participation in community worship, such as communion and Scripture reading. Many felt that they did not experience a challenge to their Spiritual life, as one interviewee wrote, “He has a need for the presentation of God, not the presentation of principals.”

Elements That Were Loved About Our Worship Venue:
There was positive feedback about the music, as people enjoy the style and the words, though some would leave room Hymns. Others found the visual aides used with the sermon as their main focus in the venue. There is also an emphasis on the importance of fellowship with other believers through the venue, even if it is before or after the actual service.

Trends We Discovered about Generation Y at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church
This is where distinct differences between Generation Y and the other generations as Fall Creek Wesleyan Church become more evident.

How much does Technology influence your grasping of new ideas, concepts and information?
Technology is an obviously important element in the venue for grasping new ideas, concepts and information, however, many noted that when not used strategically, it could be distracting. A participant mentioned that we are a visual culture so we don’t really notice when it’s there, however, when it isn’t there, we feel lost.

How Important is a sense of Community in the worship Venue?
There was an overwhelming sense of agreement that interaction and a sense of shared experience in the worship venue is of utmost importance. Interviewees shared that they have a deep feeling of wanting to be connected and being understood. They desire to know those around them for reciprocal encouragement and challenging and accountable faith building.

What type of communication style in the sermon is most relevant to your life?
Simplicity, practicality and depth are of utmost importance. There is a need to understand what is being said, but also for it to relate to the individual’s daily life. There is a need for an emphasis on furthering the kingdom of God as well as showing a true passion for God that will challenge day-to-day lifestyle.
There is also a yearning to keep the sermon from becoming a lecture or being overly predictable. Authenticity is vital and there is a suggestion to leave out the corny jokes and recognize that the concepts are not always relevant to Generation Y.

How significant is the Music styling in a worship Venue?
The style is not as important as the quality, relevance and authenticity. There is a craving for good presentation that leads to an experience of truly connecting with God. Most found the worship music to be a main element that they look for and expect in the worship venue. Some even saw it as a essential precursor to the sermon. Everyone surveyed appreciated the music overall.

Trends of Their Impressions of the Current Worship Venue:
The survey from this point on reflects what the participants went away with, what ideas or concepts they gleaned from the worship experience. In this section we discover whether or not our current worship venue is offering a viable option for spiritual growth for the current attendees of Generation Y.

What Element would They Add to the Large Group Worship Venue?
Many of those surveyed expressed a deep desire for more opportunities for corporate prayer. One idea even included a two-hour venue focused primarily on personal prayer and corporate prayer periodically. Also, a desire for more expressions of communion, also using real bread and juice rather than the current wafers. Finally, others mentioned returning to more use of the altar as a place of life change, commitment, and prayer.

What Are The Most important Elements We Offer in the Large Worship Gathering?
The most important elements that participants wanted to see offered in the current worship venue focus around fellowship, good music, information on missions, the sermon, videos, prayer and communion. Many found the current elements desirable, but more emphasis would like to be seen on these particular elements.

What Other Sources of Spiritual Development Programs Are Generation Y, at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church, Participating In?
Of the 15 participants, 2 attend a Women’s Bible Study, and several volunteer in ministries for children or youth. The lack of participation is evident, however, this is likely due to the fact that there is nothing specifically offered for this group that they would consider relevant.

Final Thoughts About The Results
The survey was taken on an average Sunday morning on October 7, 2007. The results may have varied if they were taken over a period of four weeks with the same group of people. My initial thought is that the results and answers would have been able to be thought through a little better and the answers could have been a little more defined and specific. However, because of time restraints, I am very pleased with this window into the members of Generation Y represented at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church. This survey allows us to evaluate where our current influence is held and see what trends are obvious, what areas need to be researched more, and what areas can be improved.

Phone Interviews with the Experts:
On the week of October 7-14, 2007 a phone interview was completed with Dr. Jim Dunn (Jim), General Director of Spiritual Formation for the Wesleyan Church and Daron Earlewine (Daron) senior Pastor at “The Crux”, a church plant developed for Generation X and Y. In these phone interviews we were able to learn new ideas of what cutting edge ministries and our own Spiritual Formation Department at our denominational headquarters is discovering about this new generation.

Q: How has ministry to young adults/college age students changed in the past 10 years?
Jim: An awareness that we need to wake up to the fact that this group needs a lot of attention.
The most recent statistics show that 17% will stay in church after high school, this shows we are loosing this generation Also, the worship expectations have changed from a style of worship to a multi-generational method of worship. This change has caused a shift in resources, and today, we need more technology to relate and express new ideas. Surprisingly most churches don’t staff for this age, we staff for the older generations rather than staffing for the younger generations.

Daron: Seeing a change in paradox, many are dissatisfied with the experience being limited to just Sunday morning. Even opposed to congregational model,. Cell driven church has been a big turn in how we do church. More Missional. The majority of Generation Y is still looking for a good show, but not attractions.

Q: Have you seen the emergence of Generation Y and a new set if ideals and expectations in large group worship settings?
Jim: Church has become much more casual, a move from business formal to recreational causal in dress has been obvious. Worship has become more spontaneous rather than liturgical. The style of worship is more interactive. Worship is flowing, a more fluid worship style. This new style is much more interactive and unknown of the end.
Communication: preaching has become much more conversational, much more narrative style, using stories, and reflections.
The content or emphasis of a sermon has more interaction, sermon may include outlines, ways to follow a long and participate, also more involvement of children in the worship service-a strong family element. Generation Y wants to have children involved in worship. Not the whole time, but for a few moments in the service.
Finally, midweek or Saturday night worship services are the best times for Generation Y, and multiple venues, times and location. Options are wanted more than needed.

Daron: A deeper need for authenticity and a person who is real. Gen Y is looking for Truth in a pluralistic world. However, the unchurched are becoming guarded, hesitant, and yet expecting high quality in production. The Crux Ministries is refreshing in that it speaks to where the (other churches) are not. This type of environment is not found in other churches.

Q: How would you best describe the expectations and ideas of Generation Y in your current large group worship venue?
Jim: Generation Y are victims of society, that have this belief that if it is not my way I am leaving. Church has also become more casual, laid back and less formal. Generation Y longs for church to be more welcoming, and inviting.

Daron: We use videos as much as possible to get messages across. Also we are finding we must engage all the senses in the worship setting. We use multiple elements: songs, video, teaching, participation from the audience, and even touch. Communion is one of these elements we have used in our worship setting that has been very influential. We look to create a moment or an experience not a formal worship service.

After reviewing the survey results and hearing the thoughts from Dr. Jim Dunn and Rev. Daron Earlewine it is obvious that a shift or change is occurring. The survey results show that style of music is no longer an issue for this generation. Maybe this is due to the path Generation X and Boomers and blazed for them. However, hymns and liturgy was attractive to some that were interviewed. Also, I noticed that the idea of being “seeker sensitive” is now extinct in this generation. Somehow, for them, the spiritual formation occurs as much in the community interacting together as an individual participating on their own. Becoming “seeker sensitive” to Generation Y means engaging everyone into the community and not allowing anyone to feel disconnected.
One of the most obvious trends that I see emerging from these surveys and interviews is the need to rethink communication and fellowship and how these will play a role in the spiritual formation process of the large worship venues at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church. These will be the deciding marks of a ministry to Generation Y.

just a reminder...

2007-11-03T13:59:00.001-05:00

at this end of NOVEMBER I will be ending this blog. I have posted here for 2 years to share ideas with friends, and as you know graduating Dec. 15.

However, i will be posting again on a different....better=) blog. where ideas in leadership, ministry, church planting, spiritual formation and house church will be the topic of discussion. I hope to continue my Book-A-Week goal and hope to share those titles and thoughts.
jf

What do you think?

2007-11-03T13:57:00.000-05:00

As i watched this i was trying to figure out where i stand in these stream...or if i stand in them at all.

Where do you stand? On the banks tossing in stones, floating along like a lazy river?

My heart today is in the HOUSE CHURCH movement. From my early roots with K. Drury and an independent study back in 02 until now...my heart has been pulling in this direction.

Organic Fellowship [Beta version]

2007-10-29T15:45:00.000-05:00

ORGANIC FELLOWSHIP
Fellowship in Generation Y
Indiana Wesleyan University
By John Freed
October 28, 2007

“Where should we sit?” This is the key question of every single visitor that walks into Fall Creek Wesleyan Church. On a recent Sunday morning observation of the second service (10/28/07) it was interesting to see where all the Gen Y students where sitting. All of them were in some sort of small-connected group. In our service we found a pocket of high school students not sitting with their parents, or grandparents, but with each other in the second row. Those just outside of high school would sit with their families as if still searching for their independence in the worship venue. Finally, couples and singles 23-25 years old, those representing the oldest of Generation Y, again were flocking together in small pockets of chairs. Sitting together in a worship venue is important to Generation Y. Experiences are desired to be found and taken on in the format of community.
Britt is a student in the Fall Creek Wesleyan Church youth ministry. Britt plays lots of sports, like lacrosse, and competitive team jump roping. Britt has emerged in the last year to really be a strong leader in her youth groups small group program. Britt loves to share about Jesus in the context of community this is why she leads the group discussions in her small group of senior high school girls and also helps teach a Jr. high small group on Sunday mornings. This spring she will be graduating from high school and her churches youth ministry, meaning she will not have her small group connection anymore.
Britt’s life from high school where she participates in team sports, her youth group where she leads small groups will be dramatically shifting at graduation. The only sports groups offered at her community center or YMCA are only those for older women and are primarily scrap booking groups and tennis matches. Both are individual participant activities. Britt’s involvement at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church will dramatically change. No longer will she have the support from other students in multiple small group formats, now she will have the support of busy adults much older, in a large worship venue format. How will Britt make this transition? Recent stats show that she won’t. Only 17% of graduating high school seniors will remain involved or connected to the local church. This statistic and many more show how Generation Y after High School or the influence of youth groups are checking out of the local church, and later checking out of the Christian faith.
Generation Y is hungry for community. As mentioned multiple times in this report Gen Y is craving to be connected in a community that is spiritually growing, impacting the hurting world, and relevant to their daily lives. While these types of environments are huge cravings for Gen Y they are found to be in extinction in the local church.
How will Fall Creek Wesleyan Church create a worship venue environment that connects Generation Y into a growing community that will impact their life and keep them connected to Christian faith? How will Fall Creek Wesleyan Church make disciples through their large worship gatherings?

The New World:
To first approach these questions we first must take a look at the world from a larger perspective. Since the 1960’s the Western culture of the United States has been shifting from a modern world to a post-modern world. This shift has changed the dynamics of the culture and society around us. No longer is their an underlining set of morals people adhere to. Today, truth is pluralistic. Statements such as, “What is right or true for you, may not be right or true for me” are hallmarks of this shift of postmodernism. Robert Webber (1999) in his book, “Ancient – Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World” writes, Western history is not in a time of transition from the modern to an uncertain postmodern period. Indications of a postmodern worldview suggest that mystery, with its emphasis on complexity and ambiguity, community, with its emphasis on the interrelation of all things, and symbolic forms of communication, with an emphasis on the visual are all central to a new way of thinking (Webber.1999 pg.35).” And there in the midst of this shift rises Generation Y. They are the first generation to have little to know impact from the modern era. They are entrenched and infused with post-modern thought. Generation Y will and are questioning everything. Nothing is left out of a deconstruction thought process. They will also throw objective thought out the window and hold that all is subjective. Finally and more frightening for this writer is that absolute and capitol “T” truth is no more. Now truth only resides in the eye of the beholder (Jones, 2001).
The post-modern culture that Generation Y is being birthed in, and are forming their own worldview is the striking difference between them and their parents. Until this Generation, all American generations prior has had some sort of residue of Christian faith. Today, that is no longer true.
In a recent book by pollster George Barna, he reports that the American local church now operates in a post-Christian society. No longer does society have a foundation of Biblical understanding, or a concept of Biblical morals. Generation Y, have no concept of what the Bible teaches or the morals that are encompassed in its pages.
However, this quick post-modern/post-Christian glimpse at Generation Y may seem dark and bleak there is hope. Certain Gen Y cravings have also been birthed out of this post-modern/post-Christian worldview. One of the dominant cravings found in Gen Y is one for deep community (Jones, 2001). Which is a glimmer of hope for Christ’s Bride, which is the community of believers.

The Ancient World of Devotion
The early church was birthed in the same type of mindset as Post-modernity. Much of the Roman world operated in a type of ancient post-modern worldview concept. While many books have been written on this idea, the topic will not be discussed fully here, but it is important to note that as we search for ways to spiritually form Generation Y in a worship gathering at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church it is important to look at the early church and their response to the culture around them.
In the book of Acts chapter 2 verses 42-47 we find a brief description of the actions of that early church. In that text we find that the people in the early church described in Acts 2 were a devoted people. They devoted themselves to a whole laundry lists of items in which to separate or draw lines in the sand between them and their culture context. One of these specific lines was that of a devotion to fellowship. Fellowship is a deep Biblical explanation of community. Fellowship in this context literally means to “share life together” or in the Greek, “Koinwnia”.
The early church found this idea of Fellowship so powerful they devoted themselves to it. In the context of a individualistic, pluralistic society of post-modernity it is important for the local church to return to the ancient Christian roots of devotion to fellowship. The ancient church was devoted to fellowship and this resulted in the increase of numeric growth. Finally, Fall Creek Wesleyan Church should consider it’s church’s heritage and the devotion to fellowship John Wesley had in his classes, groups and large worship gatherings. The entire success of the Methodist movement was started in the context of fellowship.
While emerging churches in today’s context do not care as much about numeric growth as former generations, it is important to note that the Lord added to their number those being saved. This numeric gathering of those being saved is the primary goal of the ancient church and the church today. Deep Biblical fellowship has always resulted in changed lives, and this devotion to fellowship will be the hallmark of the emerging church movement. Also, Fellowship will be a major tool for spiritual formation in Generation Y and generation to come.

The Power of 15
How will Fall Creek Wesleyan Church shape these communities to build a network of fellowship? How will Fall Creek Wesleyan Church use a devotion to fellowship as a tool for spiritual formation in their large gathering worship venues?
The power for Fall Creek Wesleyan Church will emerge in the structure of it’s worship venues. In a previous chapter on communication with Generation Y we discussed the elements of the worship venue, in this chapter we will discuss the structure of those venues and the changes that will need to occur at FCWC’s (Fall Creek Wesleyan Church).
In his book “Tipping Point,” Malcolm Gladwell (2002) defines the power of small groups in the spread of a new idea. He contends that the spread of any new and contagious ideology has a lot to do with the skillful use of group power (Gladwell, Pg. 172). Gladwell goes on to share the story of John Wesley and the Methodist movement. This movement was birthed not in a university, or lecture hall but in the homes, barns and mines of the new world. While John Wesley had great attendance of listeners at his open air sermons, it was his ability to mobilize new converts into a small group structure. After preaching John would stay long enough to develop his enthusiastic converts into religious societies, which in turn he subdivided into smaller classes of 15 or less people. These smaller classes became the main thrusters of the Methodist movement. People saw life change occur not in the large worship gatherings but in these smaller groups. “Wesley realized that if you wanted to bring about a fundamental change in people’s belief and behavior, a change that would persist and serve as an example to others, you needed to create a community around them, where those new beliefs could be practiced and expressed and nurtured (Gladwell, pg.173).”
Gladwell uses this illustration of John Wesley’s Methodist movement to illustrate the idea of “Cognitive and Care Capacity” (Gladwell, pg.176). The Cognitive and Care Capacity is the capacity of deep caring relationships an individual can manage in their life. As human beings we can only handle so much information at once. The magic number of 7 has popped up several times in psychological studies of how much information humans can manage or “cognitive capacity”. Jonathan Cohen, a memory researcher at Princeton University concludes that humans can only process and manage at one time seven sets of information before becoming overwhelmed. This cognitive capacity affects then our caring capacity in the life of social relationships. Caring about someone else takes time, energy and can be deeply exhausting. Gladwell gives the example that if you were to list on a piece of paper the names of people you know who’s death would leave you completely devastated. Most people generate a list of 12 to 15 names. This represents also the care capacity a person can hold. Beyond this magic number of 15 a person can not give enough energy, time or empathy to each person. Thus a person will feel overwhelmed socially, disconnected from the large group and alone in their thoughts, ideas and personal life problems, yet all the while still surrounded by people. (Gladwell, 2002)
There is a magic number in all man of 15. This powerful number of 15 is the dimensions of a life a person can manage and grow out of. More then 15, they are lost. This powerful number of 15 is important as Fall Creek Wesleyan Church explores the idea of House Churches, and the structure in which they are formed. House Churches are small social communities that are developed for the purpose of fellowship. House Churches use fellowship in a group of 15 to spiritually develop Generation Y.

The Power of 150
The next capacity that Malcolm Gladwell unlocks for readers is the idea of a Social Capacity. This social capacity is defined as a “the maximum number of individuals with who we can have a genuinely social relationship, the kind of relationship that goes knowing who they are and how they relate to us. Putting it another way, it’s the number of people you would not feel embarrassed about joining uninvited for coffee if you bumped into them in a coffee shop (Gladwell, pg. 179)”. Bill Gross (Gladwell, 2002) and anthropologist of says that when a group of people reaches 150 people begin to become strangers to one another. Gross goes on to point out that, “in smaller groups people are a lot closer. They are knit together, which is very important if you want to be effective and successful at community life. If you get too large, you don’t have enough work in common. You don’t have enough things in common, and then you start to become strangers and that close-knit fellowship starts to get lost (Gladwell, pg. 180).” As Gladwell looks at many different studies of large movement, he is finding that groups were always around the size of 150. As the group number grew beyond 150, the impact of the movement began to fall. As the group became much larger then 150 the groups movement came to a stall, and finally the movement fizzled out and stagnation sets into the fibers of the community. (Gladwell, 2002)
The idea that power of community rests in the magic number of 150 is important as we reflect on the church and it’s structure to minister to Generation Y. Today, Fall Creek Wesleyan Church has an attendance of 250-300 people on any given Sunday through out the year. As they consider the next steps in developing a worship venue that ministers to Generation Y it is important to keep the powerful 150 number as a building block for how large to build up a worship venue before launching a new venue in the same place or possibly a different place. Keeping the worship venue to only 150 or less will allow for each person to have a social capacity that is empowering. As the worship venue grows beyond 150 people begin to loose the connection with the community and feel displaced. Gladwell reminds the reader that, “if we want groups to serve as incubators for contagious messages, then, as they did in the case of the early Methodist church, we have to keep groups below the 150 tipping point (Gladwell, pg.182).”

Elements of the Gathering’s Structure
Christian fellowship is a key factor in will make Fall Creek Wesleyan Church a vibrant church option in the lives of Generation Y in Fishers, Indiana. As we use this tool of fellowship to create a structure of worship venue for Generation Y we must consider three important elements of fellowship for Generation Y. First the FCWC fellowship must be custom fitted encompassing each person’s journey. Second, the FCWC fellowship must be organic in movement and leadership. Third, the FCWC fellowship must be authentic in expression and development.

Custom
Company’s all over the world are grasping the craving Generation Y has for custom products. Products from mp3 players all the way up to full size SUV’s are now custom made for each individual consumer. Today, if you walk into a SYON or Toyota (the parent company) car dealership you won’t shop for your SYON vehicle on the lot, you will purchase your SYON vehicle from a computer that is fashioned with a software program that allows the consumer to choose the make and model of their SYON and choose from a random assortment of elements to customize the vehicle to their lifestyle.
In the world today, custom fit is another avenue of self-expression. Web sites such as MySpace are attractive to Gen Y because of the customizable feature they offer each individual. While each person is loosely connected through a network of online communication each page is specifically designed and customized by the individual.
The same principals must be developed into the worship gathering experience at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church. As mentioned earlier Customizable can also be self-expression. In a worship gathering certain tools must be established so that people can make faith customizable to their particular life stage. This idea can be played out in different ways, but should always be birthed out of the culture that it inhabits. Some examples have been given, by such authors as Robert Whitesel (Whitesel 2006) in his book, “Inside the Organic Church”, where he share about the customizable elements that certain emerging churches are using to make the content of the worship venue custom fitted for each person. This customization takes place in the smaller groups or House Churches but is birthed out of the content, and result of the larger worship gathering. Grace Church in Carmel, Indiana uses the sermons from Sunday morning as fuel for the discussions in their small groups. Each small group discusses and customizes the content of the Sunday morning sermon to their particular life. Following the Sunday morning worship gathering at Cedar Valley Community Church (a Wesleyan Church) members of the worship venue are invited to stick around following the program and join groups of people at small tables in the lobby for rich coffee and discussion about the topic discussed in the worship venue. While these methods or elements of customization may be nauseating to Boomers or GenXers these elements are motivating to Generation Y and are exactly what they are craving.

Organic
On November 19, 2006 Generation Y and some Boomers and GenXers lined up at stores all over North America for the release of the “Nintendo Wii.” A revolutionary new concept of gaming that would change the market forever. The Wii offered something that no other game system to date could offer. Organic interaction. No longer were participants characters on video games that pushed buttons or rotated sticks on controllers for movement, this new game system was completely interactive. The marketers of the Wii announced that it was the first game system that you, “live with it, sleep with it, eat with it, move along with it.” (IGN.com, 2006) The entire game system is built around the idea that players from all over the world can interact and be in the game together. The name itself is meant to represent the controllers that allow the players to participate and the players participating themselves as the focus of the gaming system. The Wii is a perfect example of how video game console developers understand the craving of a new generation to be interactive and for that interaction to be self-created and free flowing.
Robert Whitesel (2006) in his book, “Inside the Organic Church” explores 12 churches to discover how organic elements in large worship gatherings are moving people into spiritual transformation. Whitesel points out that organic is the concept that can be found in theological and missional writings as a system of “interrelated parts that make up a wholistic and healthy whole. Thus organic has generally described a church that is composed of a network of interdependent people who thrive in relative harmony as a living and growing entity(Whitesel, pg. xxv).” Meaning that each person plays a role in the health and growth of the church. Church life is not based on the functions and practices of a church staff, board or elders.
In the book, Organic Church by Neil Cole, organic is outlined as authority for ministry comes not through a chain of command or a hierarchical leadership model but from Jesus Christ himself. Each member of the community is accountable to one another but authority for ministry comes only from the Christ. Cole points out that this is what caused Jesus’ ministry to be so revolutionary. The Pharisees and Scribes could not look past their model of hierarchical leadership and authority and missed the God given authority given to Jesus, which then also His disciples. Neil points out that authority is distributed through the group rather then delegated through a chain of command. A delegated chain of command teaches people to look to other people for all the power and permission in ministry developing a co-dependency that is unhealthy and will not prosper or reproduce. Rather Cole suggests allowing people to respond to the Gospel by joining in the ministry of the group and allowing leadership to form organically.
Organic leadership in the Fall Creek Wesleyan Church worship venue may be one where each member of the gathering is actively participating in every aspect of the worship gathering. Organic interaction would occur in the music, spiritual disciplines of the community, scripture study, tradition of the group and customization of the content. Each person would be interactively involved in the worship experience through avenues that participation was encouraged, abilities and gifts were tested and used, and finally edges of faith are explored and stretched. (Johnson, 2006)

Authentic
Fall Creek Wesleyan Church can not run away from the fact that it is an institution of faith, and in today’s post-modern culture it is not a good characteristic. However, there is a way to break through this barrier that large cooperation’s are adopting as well. Simply put, they are becoming more authentic. By becoming authentic Fall Creek Wesleyan Churches or any institution must, “forget about being slick, forget about over packaging, and forget about faking anything(Johnson pg.8)”. The participants in the worship venue from Gen Y crave disclosure. Viewing your venue as a process rather then a program will help develop this model, (which will be unpacked in the next chapter) but here are a few options to help move a mindset of perfection to a mindset of transparency.

Living Organism
The church is a living organism not a package of programs or a building with a big sign. Neil Cole writes in his book, Organic Church, “We spend so much time building nice barns with padded pews, air-conditioned halls, and state-of-the-art sound systems, yet we have neglected the field. We are as foolish as the farmer who builds a barn and then stands in the doorway calling all the corps to come in and make themselves at home. It is time for the Church to get her hands dirty in the soul of lost people’s lives (Cole, pg. 35.” Cole is calling the church to look more like a traveling clinic rather then a gorgeous retirement community.
Generation Y craves to be apart of a movement, a cause. Even on the online community of Facebook members can join causes and invite their friends. However, in the long list of causes that have organically developed out of the minds of the millions of members. No one has listed “the Church”, as a cause. Generation Y does not see the church or the institution of the local church as a viable cause to invest their life in. Being a living organism means movement is occurring, and lives are being changed.

Not Perfect but Exposed for Growth
First recognize that the church is not a set of programs but a living organism. When our concept of the church is a laundry list of programs we will get tied down by presenting perfect programs rather then working with broken people.
Boomers have created a world that is driven by perfection. The American dream is a perfect house; built with perfect income, in a perfect marriage with 2.5 perfect children a perfect cute dog or cat and a white picket fence wrapped around the perfect world. Many have pointed to the emerging of the suburbs and creation of the SUV as an aftermath of modernity’s desire for perfection. However, the real world shows nothing like this, and many in emerging Christian movements are calling for a reality check.
Every church in every part of the world has short coming. The media picks these out and makes them headline news each day, because for generations the church has presented a face of perfection. However, the reality exists that the church is full of hypocritical, dysfunctional, broken, hurting people, and the imperfect people in the church are only finding healing from a perfect God. As “outsiders” are able to view the imperfection of the church, they will feel welcome to come for healing as well. Hospitals are full today, because sick people know where sick people should go for help.
Being a transparent authentic fellowship means that people are welcome to be real, show imperfections, gatherings are not planned perfectly, and leadership ideas may fail. But as a living organism we are constantly changing, constantly developing. (Cole, 2006)

Observed Community Growth
Finally, as the community views itself as a living organism that is changing the world with the Gospel and imperfect people are invited into the fellowship for healing and regeneration outsiders and participants will view individual as well as community growth. As people are able to share their testimony at the worship gatherings or in their House Churches others are able to view the life change with those they have deep friendships and familiarity with. These observances of change invoke change and invoke a desire for change in the church as a whole. Spiritual formation and development is not only an individual pursuit but a fellowship pursuit as well. (Egeler)

The Connecting Church
Fellowship in the church develops a group of people who are devoted to connecting in community with one another. In his book “The Connecting Church” Randy Frazee (2001) outlines in details the steps to becoming a connected church and the influence these connections can have on the individual but also whole sections of culture such as Generation Y. Frazee to illustrate the idea of community shares in his book a quote by Francis Schaeffer, “Our relationship with each other is the criterion the world uses to judge whether our message is truthful- Christian community is the final apologetic (Frazee, Pg. 85).” These words are powerful when you observe the great cultural shift our young Generation Y is sifting through to find Truth. It will not be our buildings, leadership, programs, or even our music style that speaks to this Generation. Our fellowship will be the calling card of Christianity for this generation.

Citation:

“Ancient – Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World” .
Webber, Robert E. (1999). Backer Books. Grand Rapids, Michigan

"Nintendo Talks to IGN about Wii". IGN.com. April 26, 2006. Retrieved on
October 28, 2007 from: http://wii.ign.com/articles/703/703593p1.html

“Church Next” – Quantum Changes in How We Do Ministry. by Gibbs, Eddie. 2000.
InterVarsity Press . Downers Grove, Illinois

“Inside the Organic Church” – Learning from the 12 Emerging Congregations.
By Whitesel, Bob. 2006. Abingdon Press. Nashville, Tennessee

“Mind Your X’s and Y’s” – Satisfying the 10 Cravings of a New Generation of Consumers.
2006. Johnson, Lisa . Free Press. New York, New York

“Organic Church” – Growing Faith Where Life Happens. By Cole, Neil . 2005.
Jossey-Bass Inc. Hoboken, New Jersey

“The Tipping Point” – How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. By Gladwell, Malcolm.
2002. Back Bay Books/ Little Brown and Company. New York, New York

“The Younger Evangelicals” – Facing the Challenges of the New World. By Webber, Robert E.
2002. Backer Books. Grand Rapids, Michigan

“The Connecting Church” – Beyond Small Groups to Authentic Community.
By Frazee, Randy. 2001. Zondervan. Grand Rapids, Michigan

“Mentoring Millennials” – Shaping the Next Generation. By Egelier, Daniel. 2003.
Navress Books. Colorado Springs, Colorado

“Postmodern”- Youth Ministry. By Jones, Tony. 2001. Zondervan. Grand Rapids, Michigan

“Revolution” – Finding Vibrant Faith Beyond the Walls of the Sanctuary. By Barna, George.
2005. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois

Can you Hear me Now? (beta version aka: Unedited)

2007-10-21T22:31:00.000-05:00

Can You Hear Me Now?
Communicating to Generation Y
Chapter 4
Indiana Wesleyan University
By John Freed
October 20, 2007

Nicole has only one semester of high school left before she graduates! She is one of the smartest girls I have ever met, and she is a strong leader in her youth group at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church. All the younger girls in the youth group look up to her, and feel comfortable talking to her about their problems. She is going to be missed, and has shared many time how she will miss being in youth group. Graduation brings a lot of changes for young people; some go off to college while others go to the many high quality universities in central Indiana. Nicole, also wonders how it will feel to not be in youth group any more. As a little girl growing up in the church, her older sister was able to go on so many cool youth group trips and events, Nicole just couldn’t wait to join youth group. The last six years have flown by, and now she will be joining a larger community of believers. While she has always attended the Sunday morning worship venue at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church (sometimes referred to as FCWC), she always considered her worship to be in the youth group. How will this adjustment to an older crowd effect Nicole’s spiritual formation? Will the Sunday morning worship venue be enough for the needs of Nicole’s spiritual formation? Will she connect like she had in youth group now in the larger body life of her home church? Will this new method of spiritual formation that is found in the Sunday morning worship venue enough for Nicole to grow spiritually?
Nicole’s situation is unique in that her family supports her Christian beliefs while the world around her supports toleration and diversity in religious truth. The world around her declares there is no truth, while her parents have declared God’s Word is truth. Also, Nicole’s parents attend Sunday morning to the worship venue offered at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church with her. The world around Nicole is splintered, majority of families in her town are no longer attending church together. Many families have blended religious background and rarely attend church as a family or at all. Nicole has also been raised with a Christian worldview, and the world around Nicole is post-modern and post-Christian. Finally, while all of Nicole’s friend’s have parents who are divorced, Nicole comes from a nuclear family. All of these unique attributes and benefits for Nicole will benefit the filtration that Nicole will have to adopt as she sits in a Sunday morning worship venue directed and designed for attendees twice to three times her age. Nicole’s generation is a minority at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church (sometimes referred to as FCWC) and the worship venues are directed for young GenX families and older Boomer families. However, as mentioned before Nicole’s is blessed to have a strong unique situation, what will Fall Creek Wesleyan Church do with the thousands of Generation Y men and women in it’s community that have no church background, have a post-modern view of truth, and have no support of encouragement to discover the Gospel of Jesus Christ? How will they ever be able to filter through the method of the Sunday morning venue to hear this life saving message?
The good news for Fall Creek Wesleyan Church is that the soil is ready for planting. In her brand new book, “Mind your X’s and Y’s”, Lisa Johnson(2006), helps businesses market to the “10 cravings of a new generation of consumers (Johnson, pg.1).” In this eye opening book Lisa gives some startling statistics about the craving for spirituality that this generation Y holds compared to former generations. These studies reveal,
• 80% are interested in spirituality
• 76% are searching for meaning/purpose in life
• 74% have discussions about the meaning of life with friends
• 81% attend religious services
• 80% discuss religion or spirituality with friends
• 79% believe in God
• 69% pray (Johnson, pg. 200)
Recently in a summary report entitled, “The Spiritual Life of College Students” found, “(college students) are searching for deeper meaning in their lives, looking for ways to cultivate their inner selves, seeking to be compassionate and charitable, and determining what they think and feel about the many issues confronting their society and the global community (Johnson, pg.201).” These statistics and quote should be startling, when in a recent interview with denominational leader Dr. Jim Dunn, he reported the statistics in our Wesleyan denomination show that only 17% of high school graduates attend church after graduation. As a local church, and Wesleyan denomination we are hitting homeruns in youth ministry and children’s ministry, but striking out with graduates of Generation Y.
According to Johnson’s findings, Generation Y craves spirituality, but are not finding it in the local church. “Greensberg Quinlan Rosner Research” (Johnson pg.200) conducted a survey of 18-25 year-old Americans and found, “religion and spirituality are important elements of their lives, but they’re moving away from established religion to discover and experience their faith in informal, nontraditional, and highly personal ways (Johnson pg.200).” According to these finding, while faith is important to Generation Y, being apart of the Sunday morning venue at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church is not attractive.
The Bible is clear that Christ calls the church to make disciples of all people, all nations, and this of course includes Generation Y. For centuries the message of Jesus Christ and the power of the Gospel has not changed, but the method of communicating that message has shaped and reshaped itself around culture time and time again. Luther’s strategy to reach a generation was different then Calvin and different then Wesley. A small Moravian church’s methods inspired the Anglican Preacher/ Missionary John Wesley to change his methods of disciple making. Each one of these examples and the hundreds not mentioned in this context all show that the Gospel message never changes. Yet, the method in which it is delivered as a vaccine to the culture it houses must change. For the message of Jesus Christ to be delivered to the next generation of Fishers, Indiana, Fall Creek Wesleyan Church must make changes to it’s method of delivery, if not, an entire generation will be lost to roam and not won with revival.
To communicate to this emerging generation of spiritual shoppers, communication must take the form of movement and momentum. These two type of communication will be the key factors that help shape the method for the spreading of the message at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church.

MOVEMENT COMMUNICATION:
Communication that is active and contagious in the hearts, minds, and souls of this generation will be communication that results in a movement. A movement that produces change in the individual, community of believers and the culture that community is nestled in. In his book, “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell (2002) describes how a, “product, idea, fashion trend, the ebb and flow of crime, phenomena of word of mouth or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life, is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do (Gladwell pg.7)”. As a #1 national bestsellers list for large and small business Malcolm Gladwell gives a clear social scientific answer to why movements in culture occur. Movements are caused by three crucial elements:
First, many small focused decisions by an individual or a group that points the product, idea, etcetera, in the proper direction for change. Second, this placement in the proper direction causes small movements that then cause change to occur. Finally it is this change that changes the small environments of conflict where the product, idea etcetera is worked through or victory environments where management is toned and movement is duplicated. For example, Gladwell (Gladwell pg.11) gives the fall of New York City’s crime rate in the 90’s to show how the movement of an epidemic occurs. The movement that brought the crime to a screeching halt was not a large organized plan by people or programs but because change occurs with these three characteristics, first contagiousness, second, the fact that little causes can have a big effect and third, movement happens not gradually but at one dramatic moment. Gladwell points to the world of medicine and the spread of an epidemic.
Fall Creek Wesleyan Church must create this type of movement with the message of Jesus Christ in the Generation Y culture of Fishers, Indiana. Certain tools will be required to create an environment where communication causes a movement. These specific tools are portable, loose connections with passion points, and house churches.
Portable:
Generation Y has been described as the “generation that never Sleeps (Johnson pg. 4).” They are always on, always ready and always on the go. Generation Y has observed the hectic life of their Boomer grand parents or parents, and heard the latch-key stories of their GenX parents and thus have created a world of technology where everything is managed while on the go. Cell-phone, pagers, GPS, Bluetooth, “iPods”, Laptop computers, email, text messaging, and instant messaging are all designed to manage life while on the go. Many Generation Y (GenY) men and women no longer carry land-line phone services as many of them only use a cell phone.
Wi-Fi hotspots are popping up even at McDonald’s to support this portable generation’s desire to be free from structured environments, and still have the ability to access important information with a whole gambit of multi-media tools.
Because schedules are busier now then in any time in history Generation Y is forced to create a world that is portable. Multi-tasking through multi-faceted technological advancements have allowed work and play to intertwine. A GenY stockbroker on the west coast may be trading stocks online while also playing a hand of poker with in an online gambling buddy on the east coast.
To communicate to Generation Y, Fall Creek Wesleyan Church (sometimes referred to as FCWC) must also become portable. Allowing people to take the message of Jesus Christ with them into their everyday life. Some ways of accomplishing this may be through Pod Casting, a simple way to upload recorded worship venues, special announcements, special speakers or other recorded audio or video resources for people to download onto their personal iPod. Or share with their friends on their own web pages.
Also, many Gen Y men and women would rather receive a text message on their phone of an important event rather then an email. Many people in Generation Y now check their email once a day, while text messages are check instantly. A prayer chain would be better sent over text messages rather then an email. Email, requires a stationary computer, while phone are more portable.
Also, being portable means the ministry resources and tools that empower spiritual formation is accessible outside of the church facilities. Offering downloadable documents, PDF files, and other formats of digital resources will allow people to have access to information and empowerment resources during the week. Understanding a busy chaotic schedule will help FCWC in formatting communication for Gen Y to be portable.

Loose Connections:
Generation Y craves community and being able to connect with one another. Modern technology has allowed this craving to come to life. Today, Generation Y has instant access to one another. Through cell phone, text messages, and instant messaging people are connected loosely with one another instantly. However, while these connection do happen they are considered “loose”(Johnson, 2006) connections meaning the connection never really has the opportunity to fill the need for community because members don’t have to be completely focused on the other person. While your text messaging with someone across town, you can be enjoying a baseball game, and never really have that deep conversation that needs to occur for community to be felt and developed. However with the entire world now loosely connected, this causes our method of communication to change as well.
Lisa Johnson has studied the communication patterns of Generation Y and has found a startling underground network of loose connections. She writes, “reaching people en masses is becoming difficult to do, so companies need to learn how to communicate with these private subcultures and get invited to take part in the underground communities (Johnson pg.130).” She points to web connections such as “MySpace,” and “Facebook” which offer a large loosely connected personal profile pages where members share photos, files, music, videos even using it as a personal message system rather then email. Member develop a database of personal friends, family members and co-workers. To be apart of a members “friends” list, you must be invited or request membership to their “friends” list. On Facebook, only people on the “friends” list can view an individuals profile. Facebook also allows for people to send invitations, share ideas, ask questions and share all types of multi-media files. These online communities give instant connection to friends, and family members all over the world. No longer, are you wondering how Jim from high school is doing, you can invite him to be your “friend” on Facebook and catch up on old times. Many hospitals offer residents in intensive care or the prenatal unit to invite people to “Care Pages” an online community where residents in a hospital can share photos, give updates, and even send messages to family member or friends who can’t visit.
These loose connections speak volumes about the communication that Generation Y hears. First, “they desire to be special, exclusive and part of an inner circle (Johnson pg.136).” Second, each person is an active participant in the message getting communicated. Third, the method is customizable to specific confidentiality. Fourth, the message is able to be shared instantly through loosely connective technologies. No longer do you have to wait to share something exciting with a friend. The message is their instantly! Johnson (2006) sums up this idea of loose connection by writing, “The Connected Generation delights in loose connections- those brief conversations and encounters that are sandwiched between the more structured elements of the day (Johnson pg. 160).”
Passion Points:
Loose connections are tools that help connect Generation Y around “Passion Point” (Johnson pg. 160). These passion points are points of interest of certain small pocket groups. Marketers will develop products with these small connected pockets of people to pull participants into their product. This new strategy outlined in Lisa Johnson’s book is a good formula for the church to model as it communicates it’s message of Jesus Christ through these methods of communication. For example, a “passion point” for some may be basketball. A church that starts a basketball team in the community basketball program develops a “passion point” for people to get connected. Through these connections around a passion the message of Jesus Christ will have movement. These small steps to place the message in the proper position for movement is critical in reaching Generation Y. “Passion points” can vary by the many different types of passions represented in the culture. For example a “passion point” for Fishers, Indiana may be “coffee” as many new coffee shops are opening up all over town. When you enter these, there is often a member of Generation Y working behind the counter, or sitting on the couches. While coffee may be a small “passion point” the connection that can be made can be a method of moving the message of Jesus Christ into their daily lives.
House Church:
Up to this point we have discussed how communication needs to be portable, loose connections with passion points. Using this model of movement communication will help move the message into the daily lives of Generation Y. With out these tools, the message will go in one year and out the other, or be misplaced in a chaotic busy world. Using these portable, loose connections with passion points will help establish movement in the message of Jesus Christ from one member of Generation Y to another. Word of mouth and experiences are the new ways to communicate the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.
However, as mentioned before, these loose connections do not create the community that Generation Y craves. When you meet a specific craving of a Generation, you gain access to speak into that Generation. For example, Apple computers speak to the craving for “brand candy” (Johnson pg.79) that Generation Y is looking for. “Brand Candy” is the simple task of taking something everyone uses such as a computer, and make it stylish, sharp and high quality (Johnson). Even though all of Generation Y has grown up using Microsoft based PCs, everyone wants to be the “MAC guy and not the PC guy”. So creating loose connections do not meet a craving that Generation Y holds for deep community. To address this issue, we introduce the idea of House Churches.
House Churches are best described in Dan Kimball’s(2004) book, “Emerging Worship”. Dan Kimball begins with the question, “how are people transformed (Kimball pg. 199)?” Kimball goes on to share that this emerging generation desires and grows in the context of interactive community. Lisa Johnson (2006) in her book confirms this idea, that spirituality is discovered not in religious services but in small groups that join together around “passion points.” These passion points are events or activities that certain pockets of people gather around such as a music style, sports activity, hobby or cause. Robert Webber (2002) sees spiritual formation occurring in small (House Church style) group worship gatherings. These small groups answer the spiritual needs that younger evangelicals are not finding in the context of their parents church. This new generation cares nothing for performance as their parents had, but now they only care about the environment of community.
Dan Kimball (2004) begins his description of house churches be writing, “house churches are unique depending on their particular setting and leadership context. Lisa Johnson (2006), echoes this by showing how businesses market to pockets of people who gather around passion points. No longer to companies market to an age group, they market to particular pockets of that age group because people naturally move in groups and communities (Johnson, 2006). For spiritual formation to take place in Generation Y their must be the primary tool of House Churches. These house churches are unique by style of setting and leadership but singular in method.
The method of communication through House Churches is simple. Because “emerging generations long to experience authentic community. They crave to be in smaller worshiping community where they can have ownership, deeply share their lives (the good and bad), ask hard questions, and struggle with less than definite answers…emerging generations are expressing increasing ripples of desire to move beyond the traditional form of small groups into a New Testament house church format as part of their worship experience (Kimball pg. 196).” Please understand that house churches are separate continuing worship gatherings with 12-15 people that meet weekly for scripture reading, communion, sharing in praise and prayer, and evangelical outreach. These house churches are different then small group in that they function as small churches rather then book clubs, topic based groups, bible studies or planning committees. While house churches may contain common elements with small group styles of ministry, these house churches are small family gatherings that occur each week and are where seeds are planted for spiritual formation.
House Churches also allow for leadership to be owned by the entire congregation. Each house church engages culture in different ways, and contexts. The size of the house churches enables each participant to play an active and crucial role. No longer is leadership only from the top down, but leadership now becomes organic, starting from the ground up. While established Boomer or GenX churches turn to Pastoral staff or elder boards for pastoral care, members of the community fill these roles in the house church. Decisions are made as a family not as a committee.
These small house churches are the primary spiritual developmental tools that help form Generation Y. In his book “Organic Church” Pastor Neil Cole shares how these House Churches or organic churches are sprouting up all over the world. These small house churches are more intimate, and cause greater transformation then larger church settings can offer. Spiritual formation take place in Generation Y in the context of these spiritual hot houses or house churches and because the house church becomes the primary spiritual formation tool the larger worship gathering takes on a different method of communication.

MOMENTUM COMMUNICATION:
Once a movement has occurred through the communication mentioned above, their must be some type of method to produce momentum. Momentum communication is defined as communication that fuels the fire of spiritual formation in the hearts, minds and souls of Generation Y attending the established house church movement. Momentum does not cause movement, but empowers the movement. The seeds planted in the house church movement will be fertilized in a larger worship-gathering venue.
Many Boomer and GenX churches have this model backwards. They see the primary worship venue as the primary source of spiritual growth, while the small groups fertilize the seeds planted in the primary worship venue. However, this strategy will not work in the rising Millennial generation. Fancy presentations, and performed sermons no longer speak transformation into Generation Y.
Creative communicative moments that empower spiritual formation will be the method of communication that creates momentum in the spiritual journey of Generation Y. These methods include the use of creative moments, organic leadership, and ancient to future expressions.
Building Moments or Experiences
What is the Christian experience? When a Gen Y female purchases an iPod from Apple, they purchased an experience. The experience goes far beyond the small mp3 player, but continues to the specific ITunes software they will not use, the special features of that iPod and the software that she will now experience as she uses her iPod. The packaging of her iPod even includes stickers and a sleek modern take home bag. Apple are marketing geniuses when it comes to creating an experience with each product. The experiences of the Christian faith will communicate growth into a community and an individual. How those experiences are designed will communicate how the experience will effect the entire life of the community and the individual believer. In short, the design of the Christian experience that is found in the large worship gatherings will encompass the entire message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In her book “Mind Your X’s and Y’s” Lisa Johnson coaches marketing companies to create 3rd Places for Generation Y to connect in. Each person has three primary places of connections. These connecting places are safe places where commitments and formation occurs. If a company can fit it’s product into these 3rd places, they have found a nitch in which to market their product. The church can take this same advice by understanding the need for 3rd places in Generation Y.
Third Place
In researching Starbucks and their marketing trends Lisa Johnson points out that, “Forward-thinking Starbucks planned to tap into the burgeoning desire to merge home, work, and play with the assistance of rapidly developing technologies. They predicted a future where customers would enter Starbucks to pick up a cup of coffee as well as work, catch up on e-mail, and hang out. Starbucks, in other words, realized that when a person enters their stores for coffee, they weren’t just looking for a skim vanilla latte; they were seeking a ‘third place,’ a clubhouse of sorts that distinct from their home (first place) and their work or school environment (second place) (Johnson pg.61-62).” These third places are safe places for new ideas to be experienced and discovered. By creating moments of “third places” Fall Creek Wesleyan Church can build an experience where people are learning new ideas, testing them out in community and establishing them deeper into their daily lives. (Johnson 2006)
As described by Johnson a “third place” is like a clubhouse. Worship venue experiences that are like clubhouses are environments were you connect with friends, play out what you have experienced in House Churches and build momentum for everyday Christian living.
Also, “third places” can be designed to be moments of sacred space as Dan Kimball describes. These sacred spaces are designed through visual tools that are not common in first of second places. By creating a moment or experience around the idea of “third place”, the larger worship gathering can become unique in it’s ability to offer environments that encompass the Christian in message.
Multi Sensory
“Multisensory worship” (Kimball pg.81) will involve seeing, tasting, touching, smelling, hearing and experiencing. “This means out worship of God can involve singing, silence, preaching, art and move into a much greater spectrum of expression.” (Kimball pg.81) Often times worship can be placed in a box, with programming, but by focusing on multi sensory elements you bring the participants in at an active level. Generation Y desires to be actively involved in all elements of the service. While prior generations were content to observe and reflect, Generation Y craves action and participation.
More then any other generation in history technology has helped shape Generation Y’s conception of communication. This unique generational expectation requires the use of these multi media tools at many different points of the worship venue. Viewing four to five different multi-media elements in one worship gathering is not uncommon.
Less Clutter = Simple Worship
The world around Generation Y is full of clutter. Noise is constant, and companies are constantly shouting advertisements at them through pop-ups on the web, large billboards on the highways, commercials on television every 4 minutes and now even in movies companies are pushing products in the story lines. Having an environment that is not full of clutter is attractive and a craving according to Lisa Johnson (Johnson pg.103-104). She points out in her survey of this generations cravings that Generation Y craves less options. They are bombarded with options and choices that when they want to adopt a new idea or product they don’t want to sift through the clutter. They want the basics, the essentials to make choices and move to the next step. In the emerging worship venue momentum will be reached when the process for spiritual formation is simple. Simple spiritual formation will require the next action steps to be clearly defined, expressed and illustrated in the large worship gathering (Stanley & Willits, 2004).
Clutter that currently bogs down Boomer and GenX worship venues are style of clothing, formality in structure of program, projection of worship (what are we worshiping) and unclear measurements for spiritual growth. Clutter will always fog up, slow down and even cause the whole formation process in a person’s life to lock up. Clear direction must be expressed and communicated in a worship venue for momentum to occur. Some possible solutions to simplify the worship experiences is to offer, an
• Open dress code where style of clothing is not an issue and diversity is apparent in the style of clothing.
• A clear understanding of the worship projection. Often songs are sung or scripture is read but no clear understanding of its purpose in real life is given. These items are confusing and become clutter quickly.
• Finally, a clear understand of measurement or strategic steps for spiritual growth must be apparent. Many people wonder how they are doing spiritually, and if the wonder can never be settled they may become frustrated and can cause clutter in their worship experience.
When grasping and understanding the idea of clutter in worship venues the trap of confusing mystery for clutter is easy to make. Mysterious and spontaneous expressions and experiences in the larger worship gathering give life and wonder to the venue, while clutter detracts and deteriorates new life and wonder from a venue.
Surprising Personal Touches
Momentum is established in spiritual formation when communication has a surprising personal touch. Many large companies such as Wal-Mart uses their own employees in their advertisements rather than paid models. It is possible that Wal-Mart has discovered that personal touches create an experience that is authentic.
Authenticity is a characteristic that Generation Y is looking for in community (Webber 2002). While community is hard to experience in large groups of 150 or more, authentic personal touches help create atmospheres that set a tone of community (Gladwell 2002). Some possible expressions of personal touches in a worship venue may include using community members in advertisements, allowing members of the community to share their testimony, or open prayer sessions.
Rich Emotional Experiences
The church growth movement for many years spoke of seeker-sensitive evangelism that allowed seekers to experience the church, but not be pressured by emotional alter calls or other elements that seekers may fear or not understand. However, recent trends in Generation Y have found that they long and desire to have emotional experiences (Johnson 2006). The placement of furniture and the use of candles, stations and music in emerging worship venues has helped to produce emotional experiences for people to communicate the message of Jesus Christ (Kimball 2004).
The use of art and design in a worship venue invites people to reflect with their emotions on the work of the Holy Spirit in the active world and culture they inhabit. Allowing and opening the doors for emotional experiences in worship creates expression that cannot be duplicated in other venues.
Moments of Truth
How do guest experience the pinnacle of what they’re seeking in a worship venue? Communication that builds momentum in spiritual formation is communication that is clear and brings people to a moment of decision. Each worship gathering should cause people to come to a moment of decision, whether for action to make life change, a change in life focus or spiritual transformation issues such as repentance or forgiveness (Gibbs, 2000).
Generation Y is post-modern and post-Christian. This means their perspective of life is with out absolute truth and most have no prior concept of God in place. “Emerging generations are growing up in a completely postmodern world. This drastically affects how they think- it’s not just a change in style or preferences. It incredibly affects people’s spiritual viewpointsm, their understanding of “God,” and their thoughts about “Christianity.” It affects how people process what they learn and how they think. It affects what forms of communication they use, how they make decisions, and how they relate to one another (Kimball pg. 45).” As Stanley Grenz (Grenz, 2001) points out they have no foundation in which to build their life. The postmodern dilemma is one that forces the church to communicate in ways that cause moments of Truth. These moments when a Christian worldview is communicated and response is needed will put the GenY participant in a place where the Truth of God’s Word can shape their personal life.
Post-modernity has been a blessing to the church. The post-modern dilemma is one that has caused the Church to define her worldview and draw lines in the sand. These lines for Generation Y are intriguing and a force to be reckoned with. Stanly Grenz (2001) in his book, “Beyond Foundationalism” echoes this idea when he writes; “there is much evidence that suggests that the postmodern context has actually been responsible for the renewal of theology as an intellectual discipline after a period of stagnation under the weight of modernist demand concerning the acquisition of knowledge (Grenz pg. 22).”
Finally communicating through moments of Truth designed into a worship gathering will help give a community innovative solutions to the spiritual problems in the culture around them as well as in their own life. Moments of Truth empower a congregation to move forward in their faith development and evangelism. With a congregation community come to a conclusion of an issue they are inspired to share it with others, this is the beginning of life style evangelism. (Kimball, 2003)

Organic leadership:
Generation Y desire to be active participants in finding innovative solutions to common challenges (Johnson pg.176). By allowing for each participant to be involved in the communication of a worship venue allows for momentum to be developed out of organic leadership. Mary Jo Hatch in her book, “Organizational Theory” defines organic as, “an organization that is dependent upon it’s environment for the resources that support life (Whitesel pg. 131).” Meaning organic leadership is leadership that is developed from the ground up, rather then leadership passed down a hierarchal ladder of authority. Leadership is given to the community in decision making and planning of the worship gatherings. Rather then one person make decisions of the shape and elements of a worship gatherings, a committee of team are planning and creating together.
Many web companies who want to test the waters of success with a new product or software will pre release a “beta” version for free to a pocket of people. This pocket will test the software or programs and give feed back about likes, dislikes, problems and positive features. The company then goes through adapts the changes and releases the final version for purchase. This type of software development is a perfect example of organic leadership. The process of building something together is attractive to Generation Y. In communicating to Gen Y, organic leadership must be implemented to build momentum in the movement of communication.
Allowing for the large worship venue to be always changing, always discovering and always forming will communicate that active participation is needed in the leadership of the venue. This “let’s build it together” attitude is a craving and a creative communication process that is unique to Generation Y (Whitesel 2006). they would prefer to participate in a “beta” version Worship venue, than a non-participatory worship service program (Johnson 2006).
Lisa Johnson (Johnson 2006) also points out that this organic style of leadership produces a sense of trust in the leadership structure of the organization. A community that feels heard and those expressions are applied to the final product trust the company enough to invest or make sacrifices to purchase from them. This same truth applies to Christian community leadership. When a community of believers who together, and create a worship venue together, ownership of the idea is shared, and sacrifices are made to see the worship venue succeed. This type of sacrifice, and leadership communicates to Generation Y that Fall Creek Wesleyan Church can be trusted as a primary source for spiritual formation.

Ancient to Future
As stated earlier Generation Y is hungry for spirituality. However, besides looking to the Bible for direction Generation Y is looking to the past (Webber, 2002). There is a new surge for ancient practices of spiritual formation in emerging worship venues. Using ancient spiritual disciplines in the large worship gathering builds momentum in the communication of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Dawn Haglund echoes this new surge as she reflects, “we have introduced a number of things from past Christian history that have been left out of the contemporary church… liturgy and creeds, Lectia Divina, icons and are during worship… saints and ancient writers for the questions, insights and depth (Webber, 2002 pg. 179).” She goes on to share that she has “found a return to more ancient forms of spirituality, a trend that clearly fits their commitment to tradition, to resurrect the old and adapt it for use in a postmodern world (Webber, 2002 pg. 179).”
Webber in his book, Younger Evangelicals points to a resurgence of ancient premodern traditions. Such as observance of the church calendar, the importance of the sacraments which have been left out of modern church growth movements, and the institution of icons and art in worship venues of emerging church gatherings (Webber 2002). These tools have helped as Haglund suggests, bring Christianity back to is pre-modernistic roots.
Kimball points out that a revival of liturgy, ancient disciplines, Christian seasons and Jewish roots is occurring out of a backlash to modern business style of church leadership and structure (Kimball, 2004 pg. 92). However, while some traditions may be returning to their liturgical roots, denominations such as the Wesleyan Church are returning to their traditional Methodist movement roots. Camp meeting style gatherings, alter calls and freedom in the Spirit are becoming trademarks of the emerging Wesleyan church.
As Fall Creek Wesleyan Church seeks to engage Generation Y it must communicate the future of spiritual formation through the past. An adherence to the ancient practices of communal spiritual disciplines in the worship gatherings will work as a tool for momentum of the message of the Gospel.

Expression of Movement
A movement is only as powerful as the expression in which it uses to communicate itself. Generation Y watched as children as a lone man in June, 1989 stood in front of advancing tanks in Tiananmen Square. His expression came with out words, but communicated to the whole world a movement that was beginning. All across the United States Generation Y is checking out of organized and religious worship gatherings. However, statistics prove that this generation is craving and hungry for spirituality. More so then the thee other generation before them (Howe & Strauss 2000). How will Fall Creek Wesleyan Church communicate movement for spiritual formation and momentum to fertilize that eagerness? One way is by concentrating on Method and not style. As Dan Kimball warns at the end of his book a modern church should not create a emerging worship venue out of style, but out of a need and hunger to reach the lost (Kimball, 2004). Style and not be a motivating factor of a communication style for Generation Y, it must be birthed out of method.
A method, is a orderly thought, action or technique to accomplish a goal. Simply put, a method is how a goal is accomplished. Style are how those actions that lead to accomplishment are expressed. While it is easy to see only the expressions of a movement, we must first begin with the movement. Reaching out to Generation Y must begin as an organic movement that is built in the hearts of those in House Churches, and expressed in an large emerging style worship gathering.
Momentum can never come before movement. A movement can only occur when small choices, changes and environments are created and implements. These small movements are fueled by momentum, which gives energy to the movement and the cycle continues. To reverse the cycle and give energy only to the momentum, or in the case of this study, the large worship gatherings, would only solidify the stagnation of a generation and frustration and restlessness would be our only accomplishments.

Citation:

“Beyond Foundationalism” – Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context. by Grenz, Stanley J.
& Franke John R. 2001. Westminster John Knox Press. Louisville, Kentucky

“Church Next” – Quantum Changes in How We Do Ministry. by Gibbs, Eddie. 2000.
InterVarsity Press . Downers Grove, Illinois

“Creating Community” – 5 Keys to Building a Small Group Culture. By Stanley, Andy &
Willits, Bill. 2004. Multnomah Publishers, Inc. Sisters, Oregon

“Communicating for a Change” by Stanley, Andy & Jones, Lane. 2006.
Multnomah Publishers, Inc. Sisters, Oregon

“Emerging Worship” – Creating Worship Gatherings for New Generations. By Kimball, Dan.
2004. Zondervan. Grand Rapids, Michigan

“Inside the Organic Church” – Learning from the 12 Emerging Congregations.
By Whitesel, Bob. 2006. Abingdon Press. Nashville, Tennessee

“Mind Your X’s and Y’s” – Satisfying the 10 Cravings of a New Generation of Consumers.
2006. Johnson, Lisa . Free Press. New York, New York

“Millennials Rising” – The Next Great Generation. By Howe, Neil & Strauss, William. 2000.
Vintage Books. New York, New York

“Organic Church” – Growing Faith Where Life Happens. By Cole, Neil . 2005.
Jossey-Bass Inc. Hoboken, New Jersey

“The Church in Emerging Culture” – 5 Perspective. General Editor: Sweet, Leonard. 2003.
Zondernvan. Grand Rapids, Michigan

“The Emerging Church” – Vintage Christianity for New Generations. By Kimball, Dan. 2003.
Zondervan. Grand Rapids, Michigan

“The Tipping Point” – How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. By Gladwell, Malcolm.
2002. Back Bay Books/ Little Brown and Company. New York, New York

“The Younger Evangelicals” – Facing the Challenges of the New World. By Webber, Robert E.
2002. Backer Books. Grand Rapids, Michigan

CHATTER: LIt review

2007-10-21T22:29:00.000-05:00

“Chatter”
Literature Review
Indiana Wesleyan University
By John Freed
October 14, 2007

Zach has been attending Fall Creek Wesleyan Church every week for five years. His parents are not believers and do not attend with him. This past spring he was baptized at the Sunday morning worship venue. Zach first began attending the youth group because of an after school program Fall Creek Wesleyan Church sponsors and hosts for seventh and eighth grade students. Zach developed a relationship with the youth pastor who then invited him to their Wednesday night youth program called, “FUSION”. Through the involvement in the youth group and all of the events directed for him, Zach was eventually invited to the Sunday morning worship venue for all generations. As mentioned before, Zach’s parents don’t support his faith journey or participate in the worship venue. Zach’s faith journey is all his own, however, through relationships established in the church body, Zach has built friendships with other adults who care deeply about his faith journey. This spring, five years after being introduced to Fall Creek Wesleyan Church, Zach will graduate from high school, which also means he will graduate from the faith support network of the youth ministry. All he will have to depend on for spiritual formation is the Sunday morning worship venue at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church. Will he continue to come? Are the relationships he has created enough to support his faith journey? Will the worship venue on Sunday morning meet his expectations, ideals, and spiritual growth needs?
A recent statistic shared by Dr. Jim Dunn in a phone interview revealed that only 17% of this years graduating senior class who have attended youth group will actually stay committed to going to church. For Zach, without parental support and not having programs that speak to his age group, we may lose him in the abyss of the post-modern world.

Hearing the Chatter
In the late 1430’s Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press, and since then millions of books have been written about millions of topics. This review will narrow it’s look to only thirty. However the small amount is not due to lack of research but due to a lack of printing. Very little has been written or published about Generation Y compared to past generational study. Most information for this study was found on the Internet, the new source of thought publishing. Generation Y is just hitting the scene, with the oldest members only turning 25 this year.
Also, the church in the United States as a whole is being described as experiencing a cultural shift, shifting culture in areas such as modern to post-modern and Christian moral values to post-Christian values. Many new emerging ecclesiological trends are becoming the focus of new books and magazine articles and whole web sites, which have helped in this review, are dedicated to these ecological shifts.
Finally, how worship occurs in different Christian venues is a topic that has been written about for decades. This review will take a deeper look at worship that is directed at this emerging generation, as well as the ideals and expectations that have been revealed in their local contexts.

A Starting Point
To begin this literature review we must begin with the most quoted book on the topic, “Millennials Rising” by Neil Howe and William Strauss (2000). Howe and Strauss have completed one of the most in-depth social studies of Generation Y or as they label them “Millennials” than any one else in their field. All literature reviewed by this author, that speaks of this generation, has quoted this piece more than any other. Howe and Strauss understand that “each new generation of people in America is a new people (pg.61).” In their study of this generation they outline the unique events that have shaped this generation’s perspective and outlook on reality. They state the biggest events leaving impressions on the high school class of 2000, include the Columbine shootings, September 11th, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Lewinsky scandal and the death of Princess Diana. Each of these events, and many others that are outlined in the book, have shaped the perspective of this unique generation.
While Generation Y, or the Millennials, have experienced many defining moments they have been hailed as one of the greatest generations in history. Early Gen Y was labeled the “lost generation” (pg. 7) but Howe and Neil praise them for proving they are the “found” generation. According to their research, Generation Y is more optimistic about who they are and about their personal well being than previous generations, especially Generation X. Gen Yers are team players, accept authority, follow rules, and are the most educated generation in history (pg. 9). While Howe and Strauss point out many positive characteristics about Generation Y, they also remind the reader “nearly all of today’s teen negatives are residues of trends launched by Boomers and apexed by Gen Xers (pg.24)”. Many of the negative trends observed in this generation are from overflow of the decisions and trisection Gen X has assumed for Gen Y.
One of the most interesting points that Howe and Strauss’s research reveals is that, “history does not move in straight lines, the Millennials are not going in the same direction as the line from Boomers to Gen Xers (pg.27)”. Meaning that Generation Y, or the Millennial Generation, is going in a totally different direction than Gen X and Boomers. They are creating their own course of ideals, expectations, and definitions of reality. Howe and Strauss go on in their study to describe Generation Y as the “hero generation”, pointing out that many of the characteristics in Generation Y are the same characteristics found in the G.I. Generation, which was labeled the “greatest generation”. These findings play out in Generation Y’s spirituality. Howe and Strauss’s study is a social finding, not a religious finding, so only a few pages are dedicated to religion. However, in these very short pages, the study points out that this shift from non-spiritual Boomers who want to seek out faith individually, and GenXers who bash the establishment and embrace individuality in spiritual development is now turning to Generation Y, who care deeply about developing spiritually. The study points out that school prayer has risen from almost nothing to prevalent in every public school in every state. The study reveals, “Millennials think and talk more about faith, and do more with it than older people realize. It matters to them. In a poll, teens cited religion as the second-strongest influence in their lives, just behind parents, but ahead of teachers, boy/girlfriends, peers, and the media. Four teens in five say they’ve prayed at least once in the past week. (pg.234)”
Reading “Millennials Rising” by Neil Howe and William Strauss was a perfect place to begin my study of discovering from a sociology perspective exactly who is Generation Y. Many other literature sources in this field of sociology that address this generational shift have been imperative to this study and have helped propel many management and marketing books to give more attention and energy to this shift in perspective found in Generation Y.

A Look in the Mirror
In 2002 Robert E. Webber (2002) wrote the book, “The Younger Evangelical” a book based on the idea of presenting a look at the new kind of leadership found among twenty-something’s in the evangelical community. Webber has found that, “beneath the surface, there is another movement that is now emerging. They are the younger evangelicals who are neither traditional nor pragmatic evangelicals. They share common elements of the faith such as the authority of Scripture, the affirmation of the trinity, the deity of Jesus, the efficacy of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and affirmation of the church as the body of Christ. But they differ with both traditionalists and the pragmatists on how Christianity is presented and practiced in a twenty-first century culture (pg.41).” Robert Webber does a fantastic job of outlining the history of the evangelical movement, through Modern History and then through Post-Modern history to the current post-modern, post-Christian culture and context of the younger evangelical or twenty-something.
Webber points out in his study that Boomer and Gen X church movements were concerned with numeric growth and spoke of church growth strategies, while this younger Evangelical generation speaks of a journey and recovery type language keeping the focus upon personal growth and self-development (pg.45). Webber also points out in his study that “this search for faith may be the generation’s most important signature and is more important than fashions, tastes, or even behavior (pg.45).” With this statement Webber goes on to list the defining statistics and factors that cause this generation of Evangelicals to be very different than Generation X and especially Boomers.
Robert Webber writes, “many younger evangelicals, having rejected to worship as self-expression and to the me-ism of contemporary worship, are finding their way into liturgical churches (pg.195).” Webber even quotes the writings of Stephen Skaff, a former student and younger evangelical who wrote, “Worship is the action we do in community, not the passion I feel on my own; it is more about the whole body acting in unity that the individual “feeling” in privacy (pg. 196).” Webber goes on to describe this new ideal of worship as an art form or a community expression rather than a program or presentation. These new ideals and expectations in worship have affected the Sunday morning worship practice in most evangelical churches created by younger evangelicals. First, change is found in the order of service from a presentation style, to a free flowing community response. Through sensory details the church body is taken on a journey through the epic story of God, and the body of Christ is given their opportunity to respond with praise and hymn. “Finally the community of God goes forth, empowered by the Spirit to be a living member of God’s story in the world (pg. 200).”
Second, the primary focus of the congregational worship is centered around the Eucharist, feeling that the modern period has stripped the Eucharist of it’s sacramental power the new younger evangelicals have placed it as the center piece of the worship experience rather than the sermon or music.
Robert Webber has written a masterpiece with “The Younger Evangelicals.” He taken an in-depth look at every aspect of modern day “church”, analyzing it’s leadership, expectations, practices and ideals and then comparing them to the new Younger Evangelical with their leadership, expectations, practices and ideals.

Church Structure
So far we have looked at the main sources of conversation in the sociology of Generation Y and then Generation Y’s response to Evangelicalism. Now we will turn our sights toward ecclesiology and the structure in which it holds in the very near future, if not the present day. However, first I must point out that leadership structure across the board in business, politics, and religion is shifting drastically from a hierarchy structure of leadership to a more organic style of leadership. Leadership is no longer given from the top down, but has been flipped and is given from the top up. This concept has been in emergent since the early part of the twentieth century and the peak of the Modern world. However, it has come to it’s apex in the past decade with the emergence of Generation Y and the gaining influence of a culture that is post-modern and post-Christian here in the United States.
In 2005 Neil Cole published his book, “Organic Church”. While the book is fairly new to the conversation of post-modern, and post-Christian culture and it’s influence on Ecclesiology, it is important to note that the findings in this book have been echoed in most of the literature reviewed by this author. Many of the points of interest raised in other texts have all been cumulated in this one source. “Organic Church” by Neil Cole has really been birthed out of a result of the churches movement to a more organic style of structure.
Cole begins taking the reader on a journey through how idea of Organic church emerged. As previous studies have shown Organic Church was birthed out of a “restlessness” in the current U.S. local church. This restlessness has brought about a generation of Ecclesiology that is much different then the past modern culture. Cole raises the question, “We have made church nothing more than a religious show that takes place on Sunday, and after it’s done we all go home until church starts again next week, same time, same place. Is this what the bride of Christ is (pg.xxv)?” The question points out the fact that today’s church is about presentation, church growth tactics, and well planned out performances, and that Generation Y is rejecting this idea of church. In a recent book published by George Barna (2005) called “Revolution” Barna points out that this emerging generation is interested a great deal in Jesus but give very little credibility or attention to the local church. “Organic Church” is an ecclesiology structure that is birthed out of this culture fact.
Organic church sees the church structure moving more to house churches, and monthly or bi-weekly “worship gatherings”. These house churches or organic churches start with the congregation meeting weekly in home of 20-25 members. The structure is simple. Members share their praises, prayer requests, then they read great quantities of scripture together and share in communion and then pray for the evangelization the world in which they live. While the local church today may not speak to the expectations and ideals of Generation Y, these house churches have obviously hit a nerve. When “Organic Church” was published in the spring of 2005, hundreds of these churches had been formed all over the world. “In 2002, we averaged two churches a week being started and had 106 starts. The following year, we saw around 200 starts in a single year. We estimated close to 400 churches were started in 2004, but counting the churches has become a daunting task. At the time of this writing, there have been close to 800 churches started in thirty-two states and twenty-three nations around the world, in only six years (pg.26).” Meeting in pubs, restaurants, hotel lobbies, and of course homes in suburban, urban and rural areas of the country.
These church structures are simple, as mentioned before, but their impact is infiltrating all areas of spiritual formation. Church is now a movement that a congregation actively participates in. Leadership falls on each member of the congregation rather than a staff or senior Pastor. These organic churches are then more focused on each person in the group rather than a large mega church that provides generic programs that fit a demographic of the congregation. These organic churches also have a process of spiritual formation rather than a set of programs. Each member of the congregation carries out evangelism in his or her world and accountability for this is held in the house churches gatherings. Members of the organic church intertwine their lives together.
While some may see these organic churches as a birth of a small group program it must be noted that these house churches function without a larger governing body of elders or local board of administration. The Senior Pastor directs a staff that empowers these house churches, not programs. Leadership development occurs through one-on-one mentoring and discipleship, rather than leadership teams or committees. All participants in the organic church participate in a very active way. The success of each of these organic churches falls on the shoulders of the people seeking the Holy Spirit’s empowerment versus the talents, gifts and abilities of a senior lead pastor and his staff.
Emerging Trends
Dan Kimball has been creating worship gatherings for this new generation for the past 10 years, and recently, in 2004, he published a book called, “Emerging Worship” (2004). In this study of emerging trends in the structure of worship gatherings Dan Kimball points out many interesting findings about the expectations, ideals and perceptions of this emerging Generation Y. He too points to a “restlessness” in this Generation Y for a new style and structure for worship. Kimball echoes Robert Webber’s (2002) assessments that this new generation still holds to the foundational elements, but express those elements in multifaceted ways. Kimball also echoes Neil Cole (2005) in that house churches will be the new desired church structure for this emerging generation. While Dan Kimball’s goal is not to discuss these particular issues he does emphasizes them as he unpacks the idea of what emerging worship will look like, feel like, and produce.
Emerging Worship is a fresh Biblical look at the worship gatherings at the local church level. Emerging worship is not a structure or a plan to follow but outlines the different expectations, ideals and perceptions this emerging Generation Y craves in their worship gatherings. However, it must be noted that these worship gatherings are not a stand-alone program, but an experience birthed out of the relationships developed in the house church movement. The worship gatherings described in “Emerging Worship” by Dan Kimball (2004) are wrapped in the context of a strong house church movement, which he outlines in the introduction. Key elements exist in the emerging worship movement found in Generation Y. Those elements are outlined throughout the text.
The first element is a stimulation of thinking and creating, not simply duplicating what is done in other worship gatherings or venues, meaning each gathering is a different experience that is unique to that culture and place. Emerging worship moves away from spectator types of gatherings to active involvement in a experience. Also the worship gathering has an organic design, meaning the experience is developed and created in the moment, not completely pre-structured where there is little room for spontaneity. Finally, an area of sacred space is designed as an open canvas for the experience to be developed in.
Second, candles play a large role in the emerging worship not because they are trendy, but they symbolize many Biblical metaphors of light, fire and purification found in Scripture. Using candles in a worship environment is not a new trend, but has become evident as an emerging expectation for Generation Y.
Third, the environment is important as mentioned before and should have a “living room- like feel, even if 500 people are there (pg.80).” This is described as a movement past rows of chairs and looking for ways to use the space for community and interaction. Many venues even use round tables where people are able to open their Bible, have a cup of coffee, and share with those at the table. Space and use of space is incredibly important for this emerging generation and their worship. Some of the ways they express this is through a multisensory approach to the gathering environments. The use of sight, touch, hearing, tasting, and even smelling are all experienced in the worship gathering.
Much of the emerging worship movement with in this generation is very diverse, because this generation is extremely diverse. With this diversity, style of music will also be expected to be diverse and eclectic. Dan Kimball even predicts the choir will be big part of emerging worship, but goes on to write, “I’m not talking about the rather corny 1970s or ‘80s style of Christian choir music. Instead, I see choirs that go back and study ancient choral music and also sing gospel spirituals and other choir music that invokes both reverence and joy. If there is a choir, they will not sing from a stage all wearing the same color sweaters, all smiling, with lots of make-up. The choir is off to the side or in the back, out of sight, and out of the spotlight, so their voices are what’s noticed (pg.84).”
Fourth, an emergent of artistic expression will be an element for worship. More than just music, a full array of artistic talents and abilities will be used in the worship context and each member of the congregation will be invited to participate in them. Kimball gives the example of allowing each member of the congregation to write out prayers and read them as poetry during a worship gathering. Also, he gives the example of children coloring during the worship gathering as their way to express their love and praise for Christ.
Kimball gives the emerging worship a structure in how they will study God’s Word, through the ability to visit different stations where elements of the Scripture will be digested in various hands on activities. For example, one may walk through the stations of the Cross, as they prepare their hearts for the Easter season. Allowing the congregation to have a reflective time allows them to process the message and apply in to their specific or community life. The freedom to move in the worship gathering will be a great contrast to the current church structure of established churches.
The focal point in the emerging worship venue is not on a one or two person show. No longer is the Pastor or the building the focal point. The focal point becomes the community and the experience, which help create a message within the experience. The pastor becomes a facilitator for the experience, and teaching can be reflected and applied immediately.
As mentioned before, in the worship gathering, certain elements will not be discarded, in fact certain elements that the modern church has given less attention to, the emerging church is picking up and giving a higher priority. For example, communion, hymns, understanding of Jewish roots, liturgy, ancient disciplines and Christian seasons have all emerged as elements that must be given a greater stage than that of previous generations.
Finally, Dan Kimball explains that these new worship gatherings that speak the langue needed for Generation Y are centered on one thing: Jesus Christ. Communion or the Eucharist is the centerpiece for these emerging worship gatherings. Kimball describes this movement as the most refreshing, he writes, “the most refreshing value of emerging worship gatherings is the focus on practicing the presence of Jesus in everything (pg.95).” This element of worship is often time lacking in previous generations worship venues, but it is encouraging to find it in the emerging worship experience.
As we looked through these four texts, I must remind you that many books have been written on worship, emerging worship, emerging church and worship philosophy. However, the four books mentioned in this review should give us a clear context in which to ask the proper questions of Fall Creek Wesleyan Church. What types of changes or new experiences does Fall Creek Wesleyan Church need to offer to reach this emerging Generation Y in their Sunday morning worship venue? After reviewing of the texts, we obviously can see that certain changes or new venues may need to be offered, but exactly what shape or context those will take will need to be determined.

Other Reviews of Literature
To address the issue and accomplish my purpose I have reviewed books, web archives and magazine articles that address three specific areas, Spiritual Formation, Generation Y, and ministry strategies. These include the following resources:

Spiritual Formation:
“The Connecting Church” – Randy Frazee
“Building A Church of Small Groups” – Bill Donahue & Russ Robinson
“The Christian Educator’s Handbook on Spiritual Formation”
– Kenneth O. Gangel & James C. Wilhoit
“Organic Disciplemaking” – Dennis McCallum & Jessica Lowery
“The Organic Church” – Dr. Robert Whitesel
“Organic Church” – Neil Cole
“The Emerging Church” – Dan Kimball
“Emerging Worship” – Dan Kimball
“The Great Omission” – Dallas Willard
“Welcome to the Family – Discipleship Guide” http://www.thesource4ym.com/outreach/DiscipleshipGuide.asp
“The New Believers Survival Guide” http://www.elite.net/~ebedyah/PastorsSite/otherareas/survivalguide.htm
“Follow the Rabbi” http://www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=1458

Generation Y:
“The Younger Evangelicals” – Robert Webber
“Postmodern Youth Ministry” – Tony Jones
“A Primer for Postmodernism” – Stanley J. Grenz
“The Church in Emerging Culture” – Leonard Sweet
“Managing Generation Y” – Carolyn A. Matin, Ph.D. and Bruce Tulgan
“Mentoring Millennials” – Dr. Daniel Egeler
“Mind Your X’s and Y’s” – Lisa Johnson
“Next” – Michael Lewis
“The World According to Y”- Rebecca Huntley
“The Next Generation Leader” – Andy Stanley
“Beyond Foundationalism” – Stanley J. Grenz & John R. Franke
“Millennials Rising” – Niel Howe & William Strauss
“The Fourth Turning” – Niel Howe & William Strauss
“Four Spiritual Laws of Generation X” http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj9907&article=990759
“Church Leadership Conversations”
http://www.andyrowell.net/andy_rowell/published_writing/index.html
“EWeek.com – Generation Y for Dummies”
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2008351,00.asp
“Management-Issues.com – Motivating Generation Y”
http://www.management-issues.com/2006/8/24/research/motivating-generation-y.asp
“The Oberlin Review – Understanding Generation Y”
http://www.oberlin.edu/stupub/ocreview/2006/12/08/features/Understanding_Generation_Y.html
“Understanding Generation Y” – Mark McCrindle
http://www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/Colleagues/files/links/UnderstandingGenY.pdf
“Boomers Gen Xers & Millennials Understanding the New Student” – Diana Oblinger
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM0342.pdf
“Coaching Generation X” by Terri Nagle
http://www.coachingandmentoring.com/Articles/x's.html
Article - “How to Respond Rapidly to Changing Youth Culture” –Nathan Black–Christian Post Reporter

Ministry Strategies:
“7 Practices of Effective Ministry” – Andy Stanley
“Simple Church” – Thom Rainer
“Leader Shift” – Doug Murren
“The Winning Church” – Roland E. Griswold
“Creating Community” – Andy Stanley & Bill Willlits

Citation:

“Millennials Rising” The Next Great Generation. Neil Howe and William Strauss. (2000).
Vintage Books New York, New York.

“The Younger Evangelical” Facing the Challenges of a New World.
Robert E. Webber. (2002). Baker Book House Company.
Grand Rapids, Michigan

“Organic Church” Growing Faith where Life Happens.
Neil Cole. (2005). Jossey-Bass. San Francisco, California

“Emerging Worship” Creating a New Worship Gatherings for Emerging Generations.
Dan Kimball. (2004). Zondervan. Grand Rapids, Michigan

Geocaching

2007-10-21T22:26:00.000-05:00

“Geocaching”
Research Method (Ch.3)
Indiana Wesleyan University
By John Freed
October 8, 2007

Geocaching is a brand new hobby that is sweeping our world! A quick web excursion to geocaching.com, the official web site, will answer all of your questions about this new craze. Geocaching is a perfect example of how our times have changed. While treasure hunting has been around for centuries, the idea of using a “global positioning system” unit and the internet to seek treasure has only been around for the past seven years. Here is a brief overview of how Geocaching works.
First, a person must have a GPS (Global Positioning Unit), which communicates with satellites circling the earth. These satellites communicate with the GPS devise to tell it exactly where on earth it is, literally. Also, to go from point A to point B you must determine the coordinates of your current location and then enter your desired coordinates in the GPS unit. The GPS unit will then show you on a map, how and where your destination B is located.
Second, a person must log onto Geocaching.com and create a free membership to the online community of Geocachers, then, provide a “cach” in the online catalogue for others to find. A cach is a term used by computer programmers as a hidden place in a computer where information is stored. Also campers and hikers use the same term, “cach” to describe a place for concealing or storing provisions. The cach in Geocaching is small treasures hidden all over the world. Each member of this community has one and each member’s goal is to find each other’s caches. Each geocacher also has a unique token that he or she leaves in the cach that represents themselves and once on site, they also take a token away from the hidden cach.
After a person has picked up a GPS; created a membership to this online community and established their specific and unique item to leave at each cach, they are now ready to begin Geocach. To geocach, a person picks a specific cach from the online catalogue found only at Geocaching.com and proceeds to enter those specific coordinates for that specific cach into his or her GPS unit. The GPS unit then shows where on earth, literally, that specific cach is.
Finally, the person travels to the cach and retrieves the hidden treasure. For some this is easy, but most times, those caches are hard to get at, and require some backpacking, travel, and a lot of fun adventure. When the cach is found, the seeker excitedly gets to leave his or her unique item and take a unique item for themselves as a prize. Upon returning home, they log onto the community Geocaching.com and journal and reminisce about the adventure. The person who hid the cach can then read and respond to the person that found the cach. Each cach is a little harder and caches can truly be found all over the world.
Geocaching is a prime example of how new things have emerged from a new era in time. Treasure hunting, which has been around for thousands of years has changed in the echo of a digital revolution. I have shared with you this overview of Geocaching because much of the research method presented in this essay will reflect that of the process of Geocaching. To understand exactly where Generation Y is at, I must first understand their place in history, who is Generation Y in this postmodern and digital revolution era? What events in the past 25 years have come to shape their perspective of reality? To achieve this, we will explore and review a vast amount of business and marketing research books and articles from secular fields. Much has been written on the subject of Generation Y so as to market to them and adapt management styles to their ideals and expectations. Therefore, finding their coordinates in secular culture will not be too difficult. However, very little has been written in the past 10 years about how to spiritually develop Generation Y. Many books, articles and magazines have been published concerning youth ministry and college ministry, but specifically for Generation Y, little has been written. Yet, remarkably, as the oldest members of Generation Y turned 25 this year, many magazines, and articles in journals have been published concerning the spiritual formation needs of Generation Y specifically. As we explore this literature we will work to shed light on the current culture of Spiritual Formation and the ideas surrounding these recent developments.
Next we will need to join the Generation Y community, much like joining the Geocaching community, using online community tools such as “facebook” and MySpace. Using these tools, we will survey and interview current members of Generation Y that attend Fall Creek Wesleyan Church’s Sunday morning worship venue. Also, we will seek Generation Y out on-sight at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church. To better understand and join in the thoughts and conversations of this generation we will survey 20 Gen Y attendees in the Fall Creek Wesleyan Church Sunday morning worship venue experience for two weeks in October of 2007. Here are the exact questions that we will use to better understand their ideals, thoughts, and expectations of the Sunday morning worship venue:

Please rate your response on the following scale: 1 – Strongly disagree 2-Disagree 3 – Undecided 4 – Agree 5 – Agree Strongly

1. The current Sunday Morning time is the best time for adults my age to attend a large group worship venue [church].
Please Explain

2. The main lobby area sparked my interest in connecting into the larger church body as well as sparked interest in my attending of the worship venue.
Please Explain

3. The Bulletin or worship folder offered events, information, and other resources relevant for adults of my age and generation.
Please Explain

4. The Audio / Visual components of the worship venue were comparable to what I use in my daily life for entertainment, and communication.
Please Explain

5. What elements of the venue (media, design, décor, room set up, people placement) caught your attention or best prepared you for a worship experience?

6. What elements of the venue (media, design, décor, room set up, people placement) distracted your attention or limited your for worship experience?

7. What missing characteristic of the venue do you crave in your worship experience?

8. What was your favorite piece (event in the service) of the worship venue?

9. On a scale of 1 – 10 [1 least effective → 10 most effective] how much influence does technology have in your grasping of new ideas, concepts and information?
Please Explain

10. On a scale of 1 – 10 [1 no importance → 10 very important] how important is interaction and a sense of shared experience with the people around you in a worship venue?
Please Explain

11. On a scale of 1 – 10 [1 no relevance → 10 very relevant] how relevant is the type of communication style given by the Pastor in the sermon piece of the service?
Please Explain

12. On a scale of 1 – 10 [1 no significance → 10 very significant] how significant is the style of music and presentation of music to your worship expectation?
Please Explain

13. What major Spiritual concept did you glean from today’s worship venue?

14. What element would you add to the large group worship venue at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church that would best enable you to grow in your personal spiritual journey?

15. If Fall Creek Wesleyan Church were to completely redevelop it’s worship venue, what elements or pieces of the current worship venue would you hope they would continue to offer?

16. What other sources of Spiritual Formation [worship venues, small groups, Sunday school classes, prayer groups, accountability partners, spiritual retreats ect.] do you currently participate in?

17. Does today’s worship venue speak to your specific current life needs, desires or inner spiritual journey? Yes or No
Please Explain:

After each of the 20 participants have expressed their thoughts in the survey, we will follow up with each participant in a phone interview, reviewing each of the questions and seeking a more clear understanding of the responses.
Finally, we will go on a hunt for our “cach”, which is to understand the desires and ideals of Generation Y, while also interviewing four Wesleyan denominational leaders who are experienced in this area of Spiritual Formation for Generation Y. To accomplish this, we will use email and phone interviews. Here are the specific questions given to these leaders that will help us in our understanding:

Q: How has ministry to young adults/college aged students changed in the past 10 years? Have you seen the emerging of Generation Y and a new set of ideals and expectations in large group worship settings?

Q: How would you best describe the expectations and ideas of Generation Y in your current large group worship venue?

Q: What areas of change in communication format or service design have you worked to implement that has not been accepted or received well by this generation? What areas of change in communication format or service design have you found to be accepted positively?

Each of the phone interviewees responses will be recorded and documented to help form a basic understanding of how other Wesleyan churches across our denomination have adjusted their format of large group worship venue to better communication and spiritually form Generation Y.

RESEARCH METHOD:
Understanding Generation Y: In this chapter we will explore and discover, in simple terms, who Generation Y is, in a post modern context, answering the question – Who is Generation Y? What ideals, expectations and characteristics define this new generation? What cravings and motivations does this “millennial generation” hold? How does this “hero” generation view Christianity and religion? In this section I will interview 15 adults that are members of Generation Y. I will seek to grasp their ideals and expectation for Worship and large-group-gathering venues.

Discipleship Formation Methods: This chapter will define Spiritual Formation, and unpack the potential of process-driven spiritual formation within this new generational context. In this section, I will interview five Wesleyan denominational leaders who oversee nation-wide Young Adult/College Age Spiritual Formation, Youth Spiritual Formation, Children Spiritual Formation and finally Jr. High Spiritual Formation, outlining their observations of this new generations ideals and expectations in spiritual development methods. Understanding the tools of spiritual development will help outline a simple process of spiritual formation for Generation Y at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church

Communicating With Generation Y: Communication is key in establishing ideas and connections with Generation Y, but how do we communicate with this new generation? What are they listening to? What do they want to hear? Finally, how will they respond to the message of Jesus Christ? In this chapter I will outline some key avenues in which communication with generation Y has occurred successfully and seek out the need they have emerged out of.

Fellowship with Generation Y: A key element in the spiritual formation process for Generation Y is a clear understanding of fellowship. What characteristics of small groups appeal to Generation Y and how will this impact the layout of a large group worship venue at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church? How will Fall Creek Wesleyan Church use small groups as discipleship tools for this new generation in their large group worship venues?
Here is a basic overview of the course of action that will be used to accomplish these results:

Week: 1: Write a proposal and submit to facilitator for comments

Week 2:
1. Create a survey and invite 20 Generation Y members of Fall Creek Wesleyan Church to participate in the survey at the current Sunday Morning worship venue.
2. Set up a phone interview for the following week with 4 full time pastors who work with Generation Y and help develop Spiritual Formation specifically for this generational demographic.
3. Write a research method, “GEO CASHING” chapter, with actual survey, rationale and detailed instructions, then submit to facilitator.
4. Submit edited proposal to facilitator for final approval

Week 3:
1. Write Review of Literature “CHATTER” chapter and submit to facilitator.
2. Make edits to Research Method “GEO CASHING” chapter and re-submit to facilitator.
3. Continue to conduct survey’s and phone interviews.

Week 4:
1. Write chapter 4: “COMMUNICATING WITH GENERATION Y” and submit to facilitator.
2. Make edits to Review of Literature “Chatter” chapter and resubmit.
3. Follow up with all of those who participated in survey to clarify answers that require any additional thoughts.

Week 5:
1. Write chapter 5: “FELLOWSHIP WITH GENERATION Y” and submit to facilitator.
2. Make edits to chapter 4 and resubmit to facilitator.
3. Collect and Compile data from survey’s, phone interviews with Pastors, and follow-up interviews with survey participants.

Week 6:
1. Make edits to chapter 5: “FELLOWSHIP WITH GENERATION Y” and resubmit to facilitator.
2. Write Chapter 6: “PROCESS OVER PRESENTATION” with data sample taken in previous weeks, and submit to facilitator.
3. Write Conclusion.

Week 7:
1. Make edits to Chapter 6 and Conclusion, and resubmit to facilitator.
2. Write Abstract.

Week 8:
Make any necessary final revisions and submit final draft to facilitator.

Finally, I believe the key element that makes Geocaching so successful is the online community; the stories that are shared on discussion forums and the experiences that are mutual give life to the hobby. The same can be true for our research and study. As we use this method of research to answer the many question of Generation Y and explore the possibilities for Fall Creek Wesleyan Church I hope real life is breathed into this essay by way of the individual experiences and stories shared from this specific Generation Y, that is truly where Fall Creek Wesleyan Church will find new life and new possibilities for the future.

Masters FINAL PROJECT>>>>FOLLOW ALONG

2007-10-21T22:18:00.000-05:00

Hey Friends, i am writing my final project for my masters, and thought you may want to follow along with me as a write this out. Thanks to all of you that have helped me the past 2 years accomplish this!! I am sure my High school teachers would think the whole system was corrupt when John Freed gets a masters!

My final project will be on HOW Fall Creek Wesleyan Church will spiritually form Generation Y in it's worship gathering venues. This entire project is to project what types of worship, and spiritual formation this specific Generation Y is seeking. Hopefully i can accomplish this in the next four weeks.

NOTE TO READER:::::::the final document or project is due in late November. So the editing of grammar and spelling will occur then. Postings as of now, will be the pre-edited and formatted version. I guess you could say, these are the Beta Versions.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!

2007-07-09T11:03:00.000-05:00

About 5 years ago i read this book...it set the course for my ministry! Thanks to K. Drury for encouraging me to read this, it has been one of the best books I have read in the past 5 years. So I have outlined it, written a readers digest version and reflected on it's contents a bit. I urge you to purchase this book today, read it tomorrow and starting working the ideas and insights into your ministry this fall.

THE YOUNGER EVANGELICALS by Robert Webber (probably his best book yet)

ABSTRACT:
Part 1: Intro to the Younger Evangelicals
Ch.1: A Century of Evangelicals
→The book begins with a quick background of American church history from the beginning of the twentieth-century until present.
→Three main groups have dominated the Protestant church movement: Fundamentalist, Evangelicals, and today the Younger Evangelicals (also referred to as YE in this review). Out of these three main movements, also came many traditions, denominations, ideas, theology, and practices. With each generation came another change in how church was done.

Ch.2: New Kind of Evangelical
→ The twenty-something generation is looking for a stable society, a return to tradition. More disciplines life is a desire and to be authentic and real is their style of leadership. Here are a few characteristics of a Younger Evangelical (YE) the book points out:
1. Younger Evangelicals (YE) are conscious that they grew up in a post-modern world. They rejected the idea of individualism and embrace community. The old paradigm was behave - believe - belong, but the new paradigm is belong – believe – then behave.
2. Another feature of the YE is their willingness to live by the rules. Teens want rules and models of adults who live by the rules and embody in life what they say with their lips.
3. Technology! Internet is becoming a form of thinking for the church of the future.
4. Communication through stories, this frees the church to tell good stories.
5. Post moderns grasp the power of imagination, the idea if you can dream it, you can create it.
6. This recovery of imagination and creativity has brought about a resurgence of the arts.
7. New appreciation of per formative symbol. This generation is shaped by images, computer icons, symbolic forms of communication that extends to every area of life.
8. YE’s yearn to belong to a community.
9. YE’s are highly committed to multicultural communities of faith
10. Commitment of the YE’s to intergenerational ministries
11. Younger Evangelicals are attracted to absolutes
12. Yonger evangelicals have a readiness to commit.
13. YE’s seek out authenticity
14. YE’s realize the unity between thought and action.
• At the end of this chapter is alist of 24 characteristics of a Younger Evangelical.

Part 2: The Younger Evangelical Thinkers
Ch 3: Communication:
With every shift in culture comes a shift in communication:
1. Communication has to do with the effect it produces in me.
2. The current media revolution has pointed to the need to communicate faith through more complex and variegated means.
3. Communication occurs when a message takes up residence within the listeners life and heart.

Ch 4: History:
This chapter shows how YE’s are returning to the historical church. The church before Constantine, and also to John Wesley and the ideas he brought to Christianity.
Ch.5: Theology:
While the YE’s do not support a blank check theology such as some Lutheran’s, the church is shifting to a more liberal mindset. Seeing it is not what we do that makes us Christians, but that we love Jesus and our neighbor. However, emphasis is still on spiritual disciplines and thirsting after Christ. A huge amount of weight is focused on Christ and on the Holy Spirit’s working in and through the body of Christ.

Ch. 6: Apologetics:
This chapter first surveys the history of apologetics, and second looks at the foundationalism of the twentieth-century evangelicalism. Next the chapter shows the shift away from rational apologetics toward a nonfoundationalist approach to faith, and finally presents embodied faith as a way of life, an alternative to the evidential apologetics of modernity.

Ch. 7: Ecclesiology:
A return to the Ancient theology of Church. To say the church body is the body of Christ is to affirm the church in the continuation of the presence of Jesus in the world; its life is sustained by the energy of the Spirit who is “The Lord and giver of Life”; there is a divine side and a humane side to the church; the church is a witness to the drama of salvation; and the church is the presence of the eschatological future in the world. In this sense the church does not, “have” a mission, it is mission, by its very existence in the world. It is a mouth full but full of truth. The younger evangelicals are changing from an Orthodoxy mindset of – “What we believe” to Orthopraxy mindset of – “how we live” or “how we act.”

Part 3: The Younger Evangelicals Practitioners
Ch. 8: Being Church:
Moving from marketing techniques to grow a church. But being sensitive to the market and offering an alternative community of people. The Church embodies Christ. We are the mission of God, “to live by faith, be known by love, and be a voice of hope.”

Ch.9: Pastors:
Moving from CEO style of leadership to a team leadership, where authority is not completely centered on one person, but evenly distributed to a team of leaders. The younger evangelicals realize the church, which should be an army, “still looks like an audience.”

Ch. 10: Youth Pastors:
Youth ministry is changing from the big boomer services, from it’s lights, loud music, crazy games and silly songs to a more interactive worship, prayer, and bible studies. Creating community of open and real people. Immerse seeking people into communities of faith. Teens really want somewhere they can belong.

Ch.11: Educators:
Local church education to this point has been generation driven. Today we have classes for every age group, to the YE there is no generation target. When a family comes into church, they all go the same Sunday School class. Families learn together. Younger Evangelicals want family not isolation. While most of this chapter dealt with higher education it does spend time on the local church.
Ch. 12: Spiritual Formation:
The meaning of the word Spirituality has change from discipline of do’s and don’t, to a more freedom from bondage, and back to the basics of Christianity. The answer to legalism is unconditional love. Much energy is focused on a huge shift back to the past avenues of worship. Such as liturgies, the Eucharist, Lent, prayer with icons and a large return to the sacraments.

Ch. 13: Worship Leaders:
Worship is moving from music-driven casual worship to authentic forms of historical worship styles. Three trends in worship of the younger evangelical: 1. A reaction to entertainment worship 2. A longing for an experience of God’s presence 3. A restoration of liturgical elements of worship.

Ch.14: Artists:
It will not be uncommon to enter a new church and find art by members of the local body. Art is a growing way to present messages, feelings that have a biblical and spiritual base. Art is becoming more and more apart of worship. Again this reflects the style of worship that involves not just the hearing and seeing, but all the senses.

Ch. 15: Evangelists:
Moving from large group evangelism to relationship evangelism. One-on-one lifestyle evangelism, by bringing people into the community of Christ.

Ch. 16: Activities:
The church focus is changing from self-help group or focus on family issues, to a larger focus on the poor, homeless, and abused . Moving from neighborhood issues to city issues.

Part 4: Conclusion
Ch. 17: The new Kind of Leadership for the Twenty-First Century:
This chapter is basically hits on major parts of changing leadership. Leadership is changing from one person in leadership to more of a dynamic Team style of leadership.

Concrete:
Four years, ago I read this book and was challenged by the new ideas, and predictions of future ideas and ideals. As I began to plan for my ministry as a youth pastor I used this text as a field guide in developing a student ministries that would adapt and change with the emerging younger evangelical culture. One example of the ideas and ideals in this book being played out in the following years can best be described in Jake’s small missions adventure.
Jake was a great soccer player, and his bedroom closet was full of scrap books and pictures of his growing up years, on the soccer field. Now at the age of 16 he was missing a soccer game to attend a missions trip to South Chicago. Missing a soccer game, meant you would not be able to play in the next two following games. This was a real sacrifice for Jake who had dreams of playing in college. However, the idea of an opportunity to serve the Lord and experience the Lord in south Chicago was to great to miss. Our youth activities that year in the student ministries consisted of raking elderly people’s lawns, hosting a vacation bible school for Spanish immigrant children, and feeding the homeless of Milwaukee. This final trip to South Chicago would be a pinnacle event. Jake through these past events had discovered Jesus in a whole new way. Jesus was more then rule and regulations, Jesus was a movement or life transformation, that mere ordinary people are allowed to be involved and participate with. Jake’s life story over the past year had grown to be more then a soccer story, it had now become a world changing story.
As we set up our air mattress in a large inner city church, Jake built a tower of chairs so that he could look through the bars and glass of the windows 8ft up. As Jake peered through the window, the city streets and homeless nomads outside began to cause a quake in his heart. He began to weep as he watched this new world. I believe this is the point where Jake complete surrendered his life to Jesus. As I built my own tower of chairs to join Jake, said to me something that I will never forget, he said, “This is why I was made, to serve the Lord here”. These words caused a quake in my own soul and I too began to weep. The Holy Spirit has used a street in South Chicago, to put a divine calling in our hearts, and a deeper understanding of grace in our souls. There were no worship bands, or loud evangelists, only a young man and a life coach. As we peered out into the world, God spoke to us, drew us close, and showed us the harvest.
So often times, youth ministry can become Christian entertainment and not Christian development. Students are hungry for a community that is changing the world with love. Christianity is that community.

Reflections:
As Weber pens these thoughts I am wondering a few things:
1. How will younger evangelicals change Sunday morning worship services?
2. How does economic and geographical cultures reflect themselves in Younger Evangelicalism. Such as the poor folks in south Chicago compared to the rich folk of north Chicago or Lincoln Park.
3. As Generation Y is now in 25 years, old, how will this theory change as they now begin to have children?

Action:
As stated earlier in this review, I had read this text almost 4 years prior. Since then I have put into action the thoughts and ideas in this book. I have developed a Spiritual Formation strategy that is not built on programs, but on processes of development. Each student or adult is invited into a relationship with Jesus Christ that is played out in three different venues. Action:Wisdon:Fruit: or DO * KNOW * BE.
Also, our student ministries is more mission minded then entertainment minded. Each November we collect items for prisoners, collect coats for children in the inner city of Indianapolis, and rake lawns for elderly and disabled. Following our activities in the fall we also participate in missions trips. One domestic in context, this year we are taking 32 students and adults to the inner city of hurting Cincinnati, Ohio. Also, we will be offering an international trip for 10 students and adults in Czech Republic. By offering these events we are able to take students outside of their context and into a cross cultural context where Spiritual formation and worldviews and more easily form.

Abstract of : Primer of Post Modernism

2007-07-09T11:00:00.000-05:00

ABSTRACT OF TEXT:
The Postmodern Generation:
In the beginning chapter to “A Primer to Postmodernism” Stanley Grenz attempts to explain or illustrate the stark differences in modernity and post modernity. He also looks to point out the positives in each response. Grenz defines post modernity as, “truth is established neither by the correspondence of an assertion with objective reality nor by the internal coherence of the assertions themselves”…post modernity simply gives up the search for truth and is content with interpretation. Grenz later in the chapter goes on to illustrate the difference between modernity and post modernity with comparison to the television series Star Trek. The original series of Star Trek was comprised of an all human vessel traveling the universe to, “go where no man has gone before”. Also, their search was to understand the cosmos and discover new worlds. In the Star Trek Next Generation series the crew is comprised of all types of human and alien characters. The purpose of the voyage is to expand the universal community for peace. Technology was not always seen as good, and the show even included a god like character named “Q”.

The Postmodern Ethos:
Post Modernity was first penned in the 1930’s by a Spanish writer named, Federico de Onis in his book, “Antologia de la poesia Espanola e hispanoamericana” in which de Onis dedicated the term to describe the reaction with in modernism.
The Postmodern Conscious: post modernity (also referred to as PM in this reflection) has a conscious that would feel that the world is not better because of technology unlike modernity has expressed. Also, PM would have a conscious appeal to a world of pluralism and relativism.
Many aspects of pop culture and culture in general has propelled the postmodern thought rapidly in society. Tools such as literature, architecture, film and philosophy have all be vehicles in which a postmodern thought has reacted to modernity.
The Cultural Phenomenon: with these tools of post modernity many cultural changes have occurred. For example, the celebration of diversity, architectural changes, artistic expression, theater, fictional writing, and filmmaking. Grenz, points to filmmaking as a foundational tool for post modernity in culture. Also, sighting that television in our homes, is a form of this filmmaking tool.
Post Modernity is also expressed in clothing, labeling it “Bricolage”, meaning a series of articles of clothing that do not coordinate, but yet are worn as a style. Also, each type of clothing may come from a different time period or style. This diverse and collage in wardrobe is an example of PM in current cultural trends.

The Post Modern (PM) View:
Grenz begins this chapter by establishing the post modernity view of the world: “post modernity rejects the understanding of our knowledge of the world that stands at the foundation of the Enlightenment project and modernity. Specifically, the postmodern era has abandoned the notion of an objective world.” Grenz summarized this world view as moving from a objectivist mindset to a constructionist outlook.
Grenz, places PM understanding of knowledge into two camps: 1. PM view all explanations of reality as constructions that are useful but not objectively true, 2. PM deny that we have the ability to step outside our constructions of reality.
The PM view also marks the end of the metnarrative, or universal set of laws, and understanding that constitutes a knowledge of the world. PM has declared war on totality. PM also asserts and end to science as a means of gaining knowledge. Insisting that all understanding of knowledge is developed out of a tainted worldview. Science is seen as being birthed out of a prior worldview.

The Rise of the Modern World:
To understand the PM world, one must step back and understand the Enlightenment project and modernity. In this chapter Grenz seeks to unpack the ideas that shaped modernity. Thus comparing that to the postmodern response.

The Prelude to Postmodernism:
Post modernity is a reaction to the Enlightenment project. The Enlightenment was characterized as a placement of self as the center of understanding knowledge and reality. Elevating self to the center of intellectual agenda. PM rejects the Enlightenment through such voices as Friedrich Nietzsche. Attacking aspects of the Enlightenment such as hermeneutics questions the grammatical and psychological contexts of writings as well as the historical context of the writer and writings. Also brought into question is the use of Language and it’s interpretation through the tool of structuralism.

The Philosophers of Postmodernism:
The philosophers of PM are Michael Foucault, Jacques Derrida, and Richard Rorty. Each one of these men developed their own question of modernity. Questioning the Enlightenment thinkers psychological backgrounds, the cultures in which they wrote and developed ideas. Also, these philosophers called into question the type of writings by earlier Enlightenment thinkers, and finally questioning the relevance and totality of Truth, expressed by previous thinkers.

The Gospel and the Postmodern Context:
The final chapter of this text is dedicated to the practical use of the Gospel in a Post modern context. Pointing to the rejection of the rejection of the metanarrative, Grenz challenges evangelicals to hold firm to the metanarrative that the Bible expresses.
Grenz points out the common ground in which Post Modernity and Christ faith hold. Accepting that faith comes not from reason or knowledge, but from a divine source. Finally Grenz points to a Gospel that a PM world will hear. A gospel that is post-individualistic, post-rationalistic, post-dualistic, and post-noeticentric.

Citation:
“A Primer on Postmodernism”by Grenz, Stanley J. 1996. Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan

Pomo Youth Ministry Reflection

2007-07-09T10:48:00.001-05:00

Reflection of the book: POSTMODERN Youth Ministry by Tony Jones

Abstract:
“POSTMODERN Youth Ministry” is a simple book by Tony Jones that unlocks the mysteries of the postmodern culture found in youth ministry. The book gives a quick overview in the first chapter of Post modernity and then unpacks the elements of youth ministry with in the postmodern context. Using commentary from leading experts in discipleship, evangelism and postmodern church movements, Tony takes the reader on a journey through ideas, questions, and practices of today’s youth ministry. Here is a brief abstract of each chapter.
Ch. 1 Postmodernism:
The chapter begins with a brief overview of Modernity. Giving the read a good look at the past structural, and individualistic framework in which Post-Modernity emerges. Tony goes on to unpack as best as possible the complex ideas and credo’s of post modernity (often referred to as “Pomo” in this reflection) listing them as:
→ Objectivity is out, subjectivity is in
→ Question everything
→ There is no Truth with a capital “T”
→ Narrative as primary means of communication
→ Chaos and Inevitability
Tony writes that Pomo values, experiential learning, spiritual things, pluralistic beliefs and understanding of truth, relativity, altruistic or volunteerism, community, creative responses, environmental perspectives, global community, holistic living, and authentic living.
Finally, Tony summarizes his thoughts with the backdrop of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Tony makes a strong stand and says to believe in Jesus is to live counter culture, to go against the flow of post modernity. However, many of the values of post modernity would affirm the authentic Christian life.
Ch. 2 A Missional Agenda:
Youth ministry must change it’s focus and create a youth ministry culture that operates as missionaries to a new world. Youth Pastors must learn the language, pray, and study their unique contexts to engage pomo culture. Tony goes on to outline the history of the church, and it steps into modernity and back out to post modernity. Youth Ministry must make the same steps and allow for it’s perspective to expand and be stretched in this new pomo system of thought.
Tony also gives some good news about pomo thoughts, God’s popularity is on the rise. People are interested in mysticism and the ideas of a God or god’s. however, with this trend on the rise, another trend has emerged. People are not interested in conventional methods to discover God, they are looking for unique creative ways to engage a path of faith.
Ch. 3 Community:
As stated earlier in this abstract community is a high value to pomo. However, connecting in a entertainment model of youth ministry will no longer work. Tony reviews the entertainment model of ministry that was very popular in the early 80’s and through out the 90’s. Now a new generation of students have entered our youth centers, and youth rooms. They no longer desire entertainment but authentic community. Also this community exists to lift up a transcended God. A more fuller look at the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as deity rather then a good friend. This new mindset effects youth ministry worship, community building, discipleship process and definition of evangelism.
Ch. 4 Evangelism:
Tony begins this chapter with a brief history of evangelism then moves into the benefits of pomo evangelism. Tony shares that in the early church they use to have a saying, “extra ecclesiam nulla salus” meaning, there is no salvation outside of the church. Community plays a great role in evangelism in the pomo world. No longer do you accept Jesus Christ into your life as an individual, but you come into a relationship with Jesus Christ and his community.
This chapter is full of great quotes and also simple definitions. Tony gives a definition of Spiritual Formation that is very simple, and perfect for this pomo mindset, stating, “Salvation is a complex process that involves the individual and the community and results in a disciple who bears fruit.” A definition such as this allows the read to shape their thoughts with this book.
Salvation also is presented as a journey, rather then an instant occurrence. Faith in Christ is a long-term thing, not just a quick decision and spiritual formation occurs through experiences not logic. These dynamic shifts in evangelism and discipleship effects the programs we establish in our youth ministries.
Ch. 5 The Missing Piece:
Tony urges Youth Pastors and Youth leaders to teach that being a Christian means we are “set apart” by our words, concepts, traditions, doctrines, and values. We live differently then the world around us, and this is our unique calling. No longer should youth ministry look and feel like the night clubs or arcade, they must reflect a different life, different then the world.
This chapter gives a brief explanation of what discipleship is and what it means to truly be a disciple according to scripture. Tony breaks this down to three areas, language, doctrine, and distinctions between Christian-ees and true traditional thoughts and wording.
Going on he (Tony) describes the importance of knowing the Christian language. Pointing to certain phrases, words, texts that all Christians disciples should know and be able to articulate.
Ch. 6 The How of Discipleship:
Tony comes from a different church tradition from myself, and presents a process of discipleship that is wrapped in a Catechism format. The rest of the chapter is a “How To” guide in forming a catechism process that incorporates learning in language, doctrine and tradition.
Ch. 7 The Bible:
This chapter begins with a brief overview of liberal and fundamental hermeneutics. Establishing this former way of reading the Bible the author goes on to explain the need to recover the narrative nature of the Bible. Allowing for the stories to ring out and the experiences be the guide for the reader. Taking students on a “Jesus Journey” will allow them to find their story in the stories of the Bible and bringing to life the truth of the Holy Scriptures.
Ch. 8 Toward a Holistic Practice of Youth Ministry:
Finally, Tony concludes his 231page book with a call to Youth Pastors. A call to teach students the power of virtues in their every day life. Giving their faith a holistic approach, and not living from youth meeting to youth meeting. Life must be a journey, and allowing students to journey together as a community, for a end goal will produce a process or product driven youth ministry rather then a program driven ministry.

Concrete:
This book was a blessing to my ministry and my own personal life. After reading almost 8 books on the subject of post modernity I was utterly confused and bewildered, and in all honesty discouraged about the state of the church. However, after reading this text by Tony Jones, I am excited about the possibilities of youth ministry in the next ten years. Each spring we make long term goals, and begin to dream about the coming year’s youth ministry. This book has allowed me to form my thoughts, and critique my current ministry practices to better equip my adult leaders and student leaders to respond to pomo thought and values.
An example of this response was in the way we are handling our summer programming. Most years we offer youth camp, and a mission’s experience. However, this year we wanted to see more students experience their faith rather then attend a youth camp, and hear another band, and another great speaker. So we offered two missions experiences, one here in the states and one in central Europe. We also offered youth camp for our younger Christians. This year we had 41 students attend a missions experience and 20 attend youth camp. This response was exciting and fruitful for our ministry. From a discipleship and spiritual development stand point our programming has given students the opportunity to grow, and experience God in a new dynamic way, both at youth camp and missions experiences. From an evangelism standpoint our community was drawn closer together and made deeper. Each of these experiences was designed to build community in our ministry. And finally from a numerical stand point, we saw 60 students participate in a summer program that normally we would only attract 30-35 students.

Reflection:
Tony states in his book, “Salvation also is presented as a journey, rather then an instant occurrence.” My tradition and understanding of scripture speaks to a God that can work in an instant. I believe that Tony would agree to this, but it is not stated in this text. This area of discipleship and seeing salvation, as a journey is hard for be to digest. However, the idea that sanctification is a journey and a community effort is not too far out of my grasp. Understanding where one stands in theological and doctrinal issues is key in study post modernity.

Action:
Earlier I stated how this text has effected our summer programming in youth ministry, however, this text has also challenged our fall programming as well. This fall we will concentrate our efforts on building community and discipling students through mission’s experiences in our own back yard. From soup kitchens to women’s shelters we hope to become a force for love. Recently a small action we have taken was the purchase of a shopping cart. We are making plans to use it as a promotional piece and collection point for our food bank. While most youth rooms are setting up tv’s and pool tables, we hope to set up a cause, a response to the hurting world we live in. Offering these opportunities take small steps of change, and can create large movements for Christ.

pictures

2007-06-28T03:17:00.000-05:00

i promise the pictures are coming. Leo has sent them off to the web person, so keep Checking in on Czech!!!

please leave a comment, we share them with the team each night. we don't have email, so conenct with us here.

Jerry

2007-05-15T17:55:00.000-05:00

Jerry Farwell was a man who stood when everyone told him to sit, spoke when the world told him to hush, and didn't flinch when the world called him ridiculous! He stood and spoke out into the darkness with out flinching. We will miss you Jerry, but you inspired a generation of Christians to stand their ground against the darkness.

Thank you Jerry! We will see you soon!

Driving Ideas of Post Modernism

2007-05-15T10:37:00.000-05:00

Driving Ideas and the Post-Modern Critique:

Objective Truth/ Knowledge found through Reason:
Post Modernity (often referred to as PM in this essay) would see knowledge of an objective truth futile. Objective truth according to Richard Rorty (Grenz pg. 6) is dependent on interpretation, and thus objective truth will never be discovered but can be a continuing conversation.

Autonomous Self accesses Truth/ Knowledge through reason:
Richard Rorty would access “knowledge through reason” as an impossible task. One must also consider the emotions and intuition when seeking out knowledge, because the universe is not mechanistic and dualistic but rather historical, relational, and personal. (Grenz pg.7)

Human Reason provides objective view/ Knowledge of Reality:
As summarized in “A Primer on Postmodernism” Stanley Grenz critiques “knowledge of reality” from a PM mindset that says, “the worlds is not simply an objective given that is, ‘out there’, waiting to be discovered and known; reality is relative, indeterminate, and participatory. (Grenz pg.7)

Objective Truth/ Knowledge can be known with certitude and inherently good:
First we must realize that PM is confident in the belief that there is not center to the world or knowledge only different viewpoints and perspectives. To claim one view of Good is universal or one view of the world is certain is egotistical and ignorant according to PM. (Grenz pg.6)

Knowledge leads to technological advancement:
A PM would want to see how technological advancement would help the world, and the community in which they inhabit. Knowledge is not always good, but the result of knowledge as being good is determined in the context in which it would be interpreted. (Jones)

Knowledge and technological advancement allows benevolent control of universe:
Modernity is the me generation. That with knowledge the modern world could know and control everything. However, the PM would disagree and boldly state that reality is relative to each person’s place in life. Control can never occure because knowledge does not lead to Truth. (Jones)

Motifs of Post- Modernity and How each is a critique of a reaction to Modernity:

An objective unbiased truth or view of reality does not exist:
Modernity technology has made everything available to everyone (Jones pg.31). This allows for new ideas to be introduced, new interpretation of reality is easily accessible. Thus creating a pluralistic world in which what is good for you, is not always good for me, but this does not make it any less good.
Truth / Knowledge not inherently good:
Tony Jones in his book “Postmodern Youth Ministry” gives the example that when the shuttle went into orbit around the earth, they declared their were no boundaries to the universe, and CNN and the Internet only affirmed this statement (Jones). Post Modernity believes that truth and knowledge have no boundaries. Thus their definitions of good or bad is dependent on the interpreter or use. For example, what makes something beautiful? Is that not in the eyes of the beholder? Or is their certain knowledge of beauty one can hold that is universal?

No Inevitable progress (pessimism):
Because there are no boundaries there is no destination or conclusion to the story. This being a mindset of PM can be discouraging and deflating to the positive outlook on life.

Truth/ Know
To know TRUTH one must understand his own standing in the universe by which it is this point he will determine his own truth and knowledge.

CITATION:

“Postmodern Youth Ministry” by Jones, Tony (Jones). 2001. Youth Specialties.
Zondervan. Grand Rapids, Michigan

“A Primer on Postmodernism” by Grenz, Stanly J. (Grenz). 1996. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Rough Draft: Personal Definition of Post-Modernism

2007-05-14T14:02:00.000-05:00

Rough Draft: Personal Definition of Post-Modernism:
Post Modernism is something we all reside in, but rarely recognize.
Post modern is a architectural battle that has emerged in all areas of life. Such as designing a program to clone humans? This would be an architectural endeavor but a philosophical battle.

Post modern thought is motion from:

Written to Oral discovery of Truth
Post Moderns refuse to limit truth to their own rational dimensions. As PM’s work to determine it’s own reality and culture it does so by giving high priority to the instant revelation people hold, rather then the written revelation of past thinkers.

Universal to Particular sources of Truth
Post moderns are skeptical of universal truth. Believing that truth can be found in particular sections of the universe but not in one single source. One seeking truth must find it in all areas and then develop a view of truth in a persons particular context.

General to local in formulation of personal identity
Post Moderns are insecure about their own identity in the world. What is right in the general sector of the world may not be viewed as viable in the local setting.

Timeless to timely in Relevance of Truth
Post Modernism spends little time reflecting on the truths of the past but work to discover the TRUTH in this present moment.

CITATION:
DRAMA IN THE CHURCH A MATCH FOR POSTMODERNITY. (English):
Vassallo, Wanda1 wvassallo@earthljnk.net
Clergy Journal ; Nov2005, Vol. 82 Issue 2, p14-16, 3p
http://80search.epnet.com.oak.indwes.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=19887811&site=ehostnojs
Database: Academic Search Premier

Title: What should adults offer children--'Religion' or 'Spirituality'? Keynote address at third international conference, July 2002, King Alfred's college, Winchester, UK.
Authors:Lawton, Clive
Source: International Journal of Children's Spirituality ; Dec2003, Vol. 8 Issue 3, p281-287, 7p
ISSN:1364-436X
DOI:10.1080/1364436032000146548
Accession Number: 12057689
Persistent link to this record: http://80search.epnet.com.oak.indwes.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&an=12057689&site=ehostnojs
Database: Academic Search Premier

Title: Shifting terrain in an Emergent World , By: Taylor, Mark C., Architectural Record, 0003858X, Dec2004, Vol. 192, Issue 12
Database: Academic Search Premier Section: PROJECTS INTRO: Design Vanguard 2004

ARE YOU EMO ENOUGH???? Inventory of Spiritual / Emotional Maturity

2007-05-12T15:18:00.000-05:00

Inventory of Spiritual/Emotional Maturity
This PDF document is a diagnostic tool which is taken from the fourth chapter of The Emotionally Healthy Church. Reflecting on this simple inventory will give you a sense of where you are as a disciple of Jesus Christ, both as an individual and at church. It will help you get a sense of whether your discipleship has touched the emotional components of your life and, if so, how much.

Click on the Title of this post and the link will automatically take you to the pdf file.

4Shared.com

2007-05-08T09:27:00.000-05:00

Recently i was introduced to 4shared.com a file sharing site where people can pass their personal files back and fourth to people. I have set up my own account and would love to share with you some Spiritual Formation thoughts and helps for your ministry. These are items that i have written and produced, or have gained permission to share with a select few. If you are interested in being apart of this file sharing network let me know. or check it out for yourself.

Poured Out

2007-04-22T23:02:00.000-05:00

Life as a Christian is a journey, a quest for Truth, life, and love. However, many Christians today have no idea where they are heading or what this grand journey will entail. Because of the lack of knowledge of this journey, we have a churches full of so called, “Christians” who live lives centered around themselves. Living the life of a Christian is being willing to be poured out, emptying ourselves of our hopes, our desires, our sinfulness, and at the same time, God pours out himself to us. Jesus promises that if we are in Him, then He is in us. This is a beautiful picture of our lives being poured into with His hopes, His desires, and His holiness. As we take the next few moments and look through the following terms I hope you have a sense of “das heil”, meaning a sense of being healed and being saved. Our journey with Christ starts with the following steps.

A Cancer and Cure for All : Predestination
Theology is a science of faith, but theology is not faith in science. To approach this mysterious subject of predestination, we must first come at it through the lens of scripture. We already have a pre-knowledge that God knows everything, is in all places and is in control of all! He is also perfect in all He does. He has never made a mistake, and never will. As we look at 2 Peter 3:9 we must keep this for knowledge of God in place:
8But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. (NIV)
As we read this scripture we are assured that there is a cancer that effects us all. The arm of sin does not effect only a certain few and neither does the grace of our Heavenly Father. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross was not for a certain few, but for all, for everyone. I find comfort in this scripture, because God would not and could not allow any to miss that chance of Salvation found only in His Son’s death and resurrection. Paul writes similar statements when he writes, “God our Savior…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Timiothy 2:3-4; Ezekiel 33:11; Acts 17:30-31). Finally in early Christian discipleship material such as the “didactic” statements, hold to the truth that all men are eligible for grace. (Erickson pg. 298)
However, though men are eligible for salvation, their eyes see only darkness, and their hearts are hard. Is their hope? Can man find his way to the light, when the darkness invades every fiber of who we are? Are we destined to drowned in a sea of black, because we know not where the shore lies? No! Because God is everywhere, He is in the darkness, His grace is greater then our sinful deprived conditions. John Wesley coined the phrase “prevenient grace” as a way to describe how a sinner, a wretch like you and I can come to the throne of grace (Erickson p.301). It is empowerment allocated by our Heavenly Father through the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and established in our lives through the drawing work of the Holy Spirit allowing you and I, and all of humanity to make a choice to reach up for the life raft.
Millard Erickson in his book titled, “Christian Doctrine” gives this easy to digest definition of prevenient grace, “…grace that is given by God to all persons indiscriminately. It is seen in God’s sending the sun shine and the rain upon all. It is also the basis of all the goodness found in people everywhere. Beyond that, it is universally given to counter act the effect of sin.” (Erickson p.301). Meaning, God’s grace keeps humanity from imploding. Humanity is so dark, that if the Father had not imparted previent grace into the fibers of humanity, where would we be? Any good this broken world can muster up, is only through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. A disease cannot cure itself; an outside force must bring the healing.
Some believe that their may be an “elect” few who are allotted this grace, and others are simply “passed by” (Erickson p.301). Seeing predestination as for a select few. Scriptures that are held to support this view are Romans 8: “ 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified (NIV). While these few verses can be used to point to the idea that God chooses a select few to bring to glory there are still many verses in this same chapter that eludes that all human race are available to Christ’s sacrifice. I have observed through different readings that those who fall into this camp often times dwell to much on the lack of power of the human race, and give little attention to the power of the cross and the work of the Holy Spirit. I do believe that all humanity will be judged, however because God knows all He does know who and who will not choose Him. However, the choice still rests in the hands of humanity. With out choice, there can not be love. The love of God is not forced upon us, delt to us, or held back from humanity. However, we can reject God’s mercy, or hide from the Light.

14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. – John 3:14-17

The Invisible Fence : Law
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. – Romans 8:1-4

My wife Danielle and I recently made plans to purchase an invisible fence for our yellow lab “Zoe”. Not because we don’t love our dogs, and do not want her to have freedom and play, but because we live on a busy street where great danger lies only a few yards from our property line. Not having this invisible fence for our Zoe would make us unsafe dog owners, and irresponsible. The Bible tells us in Exodus how the Father established boundaries for His chosen nation. These invisible lines drawn in the sand were to give them boundaries in which to set up their life worship, life together, and life eternally. The writings found in Deuteronomy gives us boundaries for sacrificial worship that are so details they look as if they were the directions to building a nuclear bomb. However, the worship of the Father has a far greater power then that of any number of nuclear bombs.
The law was established also as a standard in which to shape life to honor God and live righteously. However, this great and unique nation fell away from God’s favor by rejecting these boundaries. Their sin was more unstable then their will to obey God’s law. Thus the law became a stumbling block for all of humanity. The lines in the sand were drawn by the hand of God for love, protection, and order, but humanity has stomped over these lines because of rebellious hearts, ignorance of the created order, and finally out of hatred for life. Then came the Son.
The Son was in their in the beginning when the created order was established, when hearts were righteous and when men dwelt with God in the garden. Now in one night Jesus greeted the world, the Son of God, and the Prince of Peace was not here, among us. A new order was established through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was and is the final sacrifice of atonement. His death on the cross and conquering of death allowed for the law to not only be fulfilled, but to also be finished.
Dr. Ken Schenck shares with his theology courses, the law given to the Jews in the wilderness was given so they would not spoil. He goes on to explain, just as milk needs the boundaries of the fridge to not spoil so the lives of God’s chosen people also needed the boundaries of the law to not ruin themselves (Schenck). Through the law humanity is able to see it’s own sinfulness. The law is not only a boundary of righteousness but a mirror image of the heart of God. Thus worship is also found in the boundaries of the law. Humanity in the Old Testament could not separate sacrificial worship and the Law. They were the key and lock to the heart of God.
In the life and death of Jesus Christ, He and He alone unlocks the law, releasing it’s boundaries and smoothing away the lines. This however does not mean that law the is shoved aside but rather fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. We find atonement through this work of the Son. Christ also fulfills the law, and now His likeness is the standard in which we frame out lives around. He is the rock of our Salvation, the firm place. We no longer find our righteousness in the invisible fence but in the visible Son.
The Holy Spirit thus releases us from the bondage of sin the law held over us. As the scripture at the beginning of this section reveals, we now live in the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, gentleness) are planted in our lives. As we were bottled up with the law, the Son releases the lid for our lives to be poured out. We then can be filled with the fruit of the Spirit as outlined in Galatians 5 (Schenck).
At last, the law is no longer the way in which we worship our Father in Heaven. However, through Jesus Christ we worship in Spirit and Truth as shown in John 4 in conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan Women at the Well. Life is found not through obeying the Law, but living in Christlikness, which is only found in the inner work of the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 9:22- In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Made Right : Atonement
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace – Ephesians 1:7
Reconciliation with God for the sin in our lives is only achieved through Christ’s offering. Thomas Oden gives a clear explanation of atonement by breaking this divine act into three united parts; “righteousness, reconciliation, and redemption”.
Righteousness: “Atonement is the revelation of the uprising justice of God- God’s own surprising and radical way of making things right- through the cross…”. We are able to view atonement through the righteous fulfillment of the cross. Jesus fulfilled the law, which was the condemning force in our sinful lives. Jesus came as a man under the law, not because God is under the law, because God is above all law, but to fulfill the law as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.
Reconciliation: “…the cross is a peacemaking event in the divine-human relationship. In the cross, the sin of penitent humanity no longer remains an obstacle in the divine-human relationship”. In the Old Testament when atonement needed to be reached, a sacrifice needed to be offered. However, in the New Testament Jesus Christ is the final and ultimate sacrifice for our sins. No longer does death separate us from a relationship with our Heavenly Father. Death has been conquered by the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Redemption: “Atonement is the liberation of the imprisoned, a redemption intended for all, yet requiring faith for its reception”. Meaning atonement is given to all who are willing to have faith in Jesus Christ. Atonement is not earned, or cheap, it was bought at the highest price, and offered only for faith. (Oden T. p.354)
Atonement can also be viewed through the lenses of four spheres from which metaphors for understanding salvation were largely taken. Oden lists these as, “the diplomatic metaphor speaks of ransom being paid, the price exchange made for those imprisoned and completely unable to help themselves. The legal metaphor speaks of a court of law that has imposed a penalty due to disobedience of law, yet a substitute penalty was been offered by a friend of the court. The family metaphor speaks of a generous father who is wiling to give his only son for the deliverance of many….Temple sacrifice, referring to a priestly meditation through which God and humanity are reconciled through a sin offering for transgressors as a propitiation of violated divine holiness”. Out of these four spheres of metaphors we are able to shape the divine movement of Jesus Christ in our lives called, atonement. (Oden T. p. 357)

Hebrews 8:12 - For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

The Great Actions : Conversion
Converting from an old way of life built in death to a new way of living which atonement has allowed for new breath to be breathed occurs in two spontaneous actions, one being negative and one being positive. Meaning conversion is moving your life from negative living to one of positive living. These two actions are repentance and faith. They both must occur for conversion to take place in a sinner’s life. Both of these actions are impossible with out the power given to use through the grace of God. God gives us the power to make this move, he motivates through conviction, enables healing through the Holy Spirit’s work in a person’s life. Conversion is unpacked in the following scriptures, (Erickson p.307; Oden p.101-103)
Ephesians 5:14
…for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:   "Wake up, O sleeper,   rise from the dead,   and Christ will shine on you."
Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

More then I’m Sorry : Repentance:
Repentance is our first step in the process of sanctification. In other words, our response to Christ’s atonement of our sins is our repentance. This act of repentance allows us to accept this atonement in our lives and place our faith in Jesus Christ. Steve DeNeff describes repentance as, “repentance is more than an admission of guilt. It is a well-aimed missile into the heart of our sinful nature…it (repentance) is neither sorrow without change, nor change without sorrow. It is sorrow with intent to change…it (repentance) is unconditional surrender” (DeNeff p.44). Repentance is more then “I’m sorry”, repentance is a pouring out of the old self, and an inward change in the direction of life focus. DeNeff later in his discussion of conversion makes the claim that in true repentance the seeker changes his mind about himself and his sin. This responses a turning, away from sin and turning toward God. Making the idea of repentance in conversion very simple as stated in Mark 1:15, “…repent and believe the good news”(DeNeff p.45).

Made New and Made Right : Regeneration and Justification
"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. - Romans 4:7
There is two problems that still remain in the heart of a new believer. One is the still reigning desire of the sin nature. The sin nature is our own natural bent toward sin, it is in our nature to lie, steal, cheat, and serve ourselves. No one ever has to teach a child to disobey, it is something that is not learned, it’s natural. The second problem is that we are spiritually dead, we are life less in our own current state, and this disease of sin has all but physically destroyed us. Thus the regeneration work of God in a new believers life is imperative and is the only way to find justification. (Erickson p. 310)
“Regeneration is the salvation of the reigning sin in our lives” (Byrum p.454). To be alive we must be given life. This is the powerful work of grace in the repentant heart. As we are regenerated with new life we are also made right of our old life. The atonement on the cross has been made and our lives have been justified through the saving work of grace in our life. Only through the blood of Jesus Christ are made new (regeneration) and our sins forgiven (justified). The cross is important because if heals the sin of the past and present. Sin as we will late find in the final justification is not a just specific event, thought or deed happening and keeping with in a specific time and setting. No! Sin is an oozing mess that has seeped into the pours, cracks and crevasses of every part of our existence. It infiltrates new relationships while destroying old. Sin invades our future from out of our past. We cannot run away from sin, it has a way of sticking to everything. To be made new, to be cleansed, to be set free from the debt of this sin, is incredible. Most people today, have no idea of the magnitude in which there sin exists. This maybe why the idea of regeneration and justification no longer exists much in teaching from the pulpit. (Harper pg.453; Erickson pg.318)
9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
– 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

To this point we have observed how a sinner, lost and destined for death both spiritually and physically now turns from self reliance to reliance on the saving work of God. Through His Son Jesus Christ we are atoned for, regenerated and justified. We have turned from our wicked ways, to a holy way, the perfect way. Each step and move of turning is done through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life. This grace is not earned, purchased or able to be bargained for, it is a free gift that God has given to all who repent and believe. The loving arm of God has been extended to the sinful man. In our next section we will encounter and explore what exactly we now face ahead of in our lives. Is the game plan the same as usual? Will out daily lives change any now that our inner lives have been redefined? Will our desires change? Will life be the same. The answer to all of these questions lie ahead in our discussion of Sanctification.

Poured In : Sanctification
Sanctification is the process in which we turn from our wicked ways to the Holiness God desires for each of our lives. the sin that defines and defiles us requires God to swap into our lives Christlikeness. This divine swap is the desire God has for all man and is called, sanctification. This swap is motivated by God’s desire is to see all men and women love Him with all their heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love others as they do themselves. This final place of perfect love and Christlikness is called, “Holiness” and is the central desire of all believers. (Drury pg.13)
Sanctification begins at the moment of conversion. Keith Drury, in his masterful book, “Holiness for Ordinary People”, writes, “Sanctification is God’s Spirit at work in our mind, soul, spirit, body-our entire life- changing and renewing our desires, thoughts, interests, attitudes, and behavior’s. Sanctification is how God transforms us into His Son’s likeness. It is God’s grace – His action – in us that makes us more.”(Drury pg.15) This idea of sanctification can be split into two actions, initial sanctification and entire sanctification. (Drury pg.15)

Initial sanctification
In his book, “We hold there Truths”, Earl Wilson points out that in particular to sanctification a Wesleyan believes there are two types of sin. Having the belief that sin is twofold, explains the context of which an initial work of sanctification in a person’s life must occur. Believing that every person is haunted with a sin nature, and their own sinful actions. In the initial work of sanctification it is the sinful actions that erode our life that God forgives, and removes from our life. In the scriptures (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) we note that a sinner who repents of his or her sins and believes in Jesus Christ is washed (Atoned for), justified in the name of Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Spirit. In this initial sanctification that occurs at conversion, the sinful actions of an individual are forgiven. A new desire to be like Christ steadily draws the new believer toward right thought, attitudes, values, associations, and activities (Drury pg.15). This new desire is empowered by the Holy Spirit and a new believer increasingly chooses with his or her new nature (the old sinful nature is dead) in Christ and die to the deed of the old life (Drury pg.16). The debt is paid and the sin is forgotten. This action that the Spirit makes in our life is a promise (Wilson p75-79)!
Acts 26:18
- to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.
1John 1:9
- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness
James 5:15
- And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.

This work of grace in our life that has been theologically called, Initial sanctification should not be passed over quickly, or lightly. Wesley believed that it was in this initial work of sanctification that the Spirit makes in a person’s life also empowers a person to live above sin. These ideas that a Christian lives above sin and above the hold of sin is what set’s Wesley’s theology apart from many others. This initial act of sanctification sets a believer on a journey that will enable a Christian to overcome sin (Harper p.57). This journey is one that includes initial sanctification of our actions but also a further work of grace called, entire sanctification. Where a believer’s bent toward sin is removed, this is called “Christian Perfection.” While this Christian perfection is not the end result of a life with Christ but a milestone in the continuing work of grace for eternity. (Alexander pg.96-102)
Restoration has been made in a person’s life at conversion. They are a new creation in Christ. Christ also dwells in them restoring the person to a position of favor with God. This grand repositioning should bring a deep sense of assurance for a new believer. In fact, finding our identity in Christ and understanding the inner work the Holy Spirit play in our lives is crucial in further leadership development and spiritual growth. “This transfer from a status of alienation and hostility to one of acceptance and favor is termed adoption (Erickson pg.321). This new adoption is referred to in many of the New Testament scriptures, such as these (Erickson pg.321-322):
John 1:12-13
- Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
Ephesians 1:5
– he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will
Galatians 4:4-5
- But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
John 15: 14-15
- You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

Being adopted into the Family of God as a son or daughter means there are certain benefits that a believer receives. The benefit of forgiveness is the initial benefit of our adoption. Adopted means we are forgiven by a heavenly Father who is merciful, tenderhearted and kind (Deut. 5:10; Psalm 103:8-14). An adoption carries the benefit of being restored or reconciled into a relationship with our Father. No longer are we held at arms length because of our sin and disdain for God. We are reconciled into a loving relationship. This relationship is also one that has been pulled out of bondage and slavery and placed into a freedom as children of God. Hear the comfort in Romans 8:14-16, “because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.” Adoption as children of God means that Christians are the recipients of God’s fatherly care. When we are hurting, in need, He is always there! This adoption is significant as we continue this side of eternity. Finally, adoption also has the benefit of discipline, which will help bring us to holiness. While discipline may be uncomfortable in the temporary, the result is beneficial in the long term. Discipline from a loving Father should not be seen as a negative, but that of love (Erickson pg. 322-323).
Proverbs 3:11-12
- My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke,
because the LORD disciplines those he loves,   as a father the son he delights in.
Hebrews 12:7
- Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

One Desire : Entire sanctification
Entire sanctification is the point in this journey when a person’s desire and will is completely poured out and emptied. It’s what John the Baptist describes as “one becoming less, so that He can be become greater.” The desires of the believer is no longer for self-preservation or self-enhancement but for God to have complete control with power and purity in everything!
Two changes occur in the life of a believer at this point of the journey. The Holy Spirit enables first new power over sin. The inward inclination or draw to disobey God is removed and replaced with a powerful hunger to know, experience, and live a righteous life. Second, the Holy Spirit brings a power for service. The believer has a renewed energy for serving God and others. “Power over sin deals with our desire to disobey God. Power for service deals with our desire and energy to do God’s work in the world and church” (Drury pg.92).
One will know when he or she is entirely sanctified when there is a deeper desire for commitment. This single desire to be Christlike dominates his or her life. No longer are is the believer drawn to fulfill the desires of their own heart, but possess the deep desire to fulfill God’s will. Paul’s words in Romans 12: 1-2 express this desire, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” As you can see entire sanctification is a growth milestone. This milestone should be the desire and goal of all Christ followers. (Wilson 78-80; Drury p.29)

Filled Up : Growth in grace : Progressive Sanctification
When a believer reaches entire sanctification he or she does not rest there until death. God’s will is that we continue to progress in grace. Grace is the power, which enables us to grow in love with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and to love others as we do ourselves. Growth after entire sanctification occurs in three areas, growth in faith, growth in consecration and finally growth in cleansing.
Growth in faith simply means that our faith is constantly expanding and growing as our life experiences and responsibility expand. As God uses us in different areas a new requirement for deeper faith will emerge. Growing in our faith will entitle us to see God in new ways, and know Him more.
Growth in consecration is much like the original consecrated heart at conversion. As we grow to be more like Jesus are faith is stretched in new ways. Daily declaring God has Lord over one’s life will enable growth in consecration.
Finally growth in cleansing is a dependence on God to forgive us of sin we do not know we commit. Sins of ignorance happen to Christians everyday. Depending on the blood of Christ to forgive us of all impurity is a growing progression. (Drury pg.157-159)
Growth in these three area occur through a series of “means of Grace”, or avenues in which God has shown to move and empower. John Wesley labeled certain actions as means of grace, meaning they were normal ways in which the Holy Spirit enabled the believer to grow in grace (Harper). Wesley divided these means of Grace into two categories, those ordained by Christ called “instituted means” and those ordained by the church called “prudential means”. The instituted means were prayer, Word, communion, fasting, fellowship with other believers. Prudential means of grace are doing no harm, doing all the good you can, and attending the private and public worship of God. These means of grace empower a believer to grow in grace. Steve Harper in his book, “The Way to Heaven” reminds the reader, “The key to Christian growth is not feeling but faithfulness, God has expressed his faithfulness by providing means of grace. We express our faithfulness by taking advantage of them. And in that divine/human encounter, the connection is made, grace flows into our lives, and we are led to greater conformity to the image of Christ” (Harper pg.76). Means of grace enable the believer to grow in power and purity.

Krisis : Final Justification

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.” – Matthew 25:31-32
The final judgment is the, “judicial act by which on the last day, immediately upon the resurrection of the dead, Christ in great majesty and glory will pronounce sentence on all men, will separate the elect from the reprobate, and adjudge the former to life eternal, the latter to unquenchable fire” (Oden pg. 430). Meaning the actions of our life are still playing out long after we die. Like a stone thrown into a calm lake, the ripples go out from the center, and effect the shore like yards away. In the same way our sin actions send ripples through time and in the end, we will be judged on these actions. (Oden pg.431-433)
As the scripture above notes four active verbs characterize the judging work of the Son. The Son will come, He will sit and judge, He will gather all humanity to Himself, and finally separate the people one from another. This final act of judgment is a “discriminating separation” of those who are to be with God eternally from those who are to be sent away from God’s presence. (Oden pg.431)

Glorification : Final Sanctification
A day will come, as mentioned about when the Son of Man will return and judge the quick and the dead. He then will take each believer to the place he has prepared in our honor. There will be no temptation, no obstacles in our relationship with God. Some believe, maybe even Wesley that we would continue to grow in grace even into eternity. In this heave upward there will be a rest from struggle. No more pain, no more sickness, both spiritually and physically. We will be in glory. (Oden pg.464)

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; - 1Corinthians 15:42

In our study of Soteriology the process can seem very scientific. As if it were built in a lab in a far away place. But in reality the process of Salvation is built out of holiness, and love. Out of nothing the world was created, into dust God breathed life. The creative work was not finished in seven days. Today, God is still breathing life into dry bones and broken hearts. He is calling each person to repentance, not out guilt, but conviction. When we catch a glimpse of this holiness and love, we are humbled, and hunger for more! The Bible gives us a promise that every believer should hold tightly too. Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” At the heart of this message is the Truth that a God can fill us, can make us into a Holy people, can purge us of our sin, and can draw us to Christlikeness. Jesus is still raising the dead.

Citation:

Oden, Thomas C. (Oden, T) “The Word Of Life” Systematic Theology Vol. 2
1992 . Harper Collins. San Francisco, California

Oden, Thomas C. (Oden) “Life in the Spirit” Systematic Theology Vol. 3
1994. Harper Collins. New York, New York

DeNeff, Steve (DeNeff) “Whatever Became of Holiness?”
2004. Wesleyan Publishing House. Indianapolis, Indiana

Byrum, Russell R. (Byrum) “Christian Theology” A Systematic Statement of
Christian Doctrine. 1925. Gospel Trumpet Company. Warner Press Inc. Anderson, Indiana

Erickson, Millard L. (Erickson) “Introducing Christian Doctrine”
2001. Baker Academic. Grand Rapids, Michigan

Drury, Keith (Drury) “Holiness for Ordinary People”
2004. Wesleyan Publishing House. Indianapolis, Indiana

Wilson, Earl L. (Wilson) “We Hold These Truths” A guide to Wesleyan Beliefs for the 21st
Century. 2000. Wesleyan Publishing House. Indianapolis, Indiana

Harper, Steve (Harper) “The Way To Heaven” The Gospel According to John Wesley
2003. Zondervan. Grand Rapids, Michigan

Alexander, Donald L. (Alexander) “Christian Spirituality” 5 Views of Sanctification
1988. InterVarsity Press. Downers Grove, Illinois

Schenck, Ken (Schenck) Article: “New Testament Thoughts on Sin and Believers”
Received in course: Theology of Holiness. March 22, 2007. Indiana
Wesleyan University

All scripture used in this essay were taken from the New International Version of the Bible:

New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

SO Glad!

2007-04-11T10:23:00.000-05:00

Danielle and I are so glad Dr. Lo is back at IWU!! We were very sad to hear a few years back that our hero was moving to Bethel. But we are very excited to have him back:

Dr. Lo,
Thank you so much for the impact and encouragement you have given to Danielle and I over the past 8 years. At least once a week we are reminded of some tid-bit of advice you gave us personally, or to a whole class. We are stronger Christians because of your imprint in our lives. We know this is because of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so we praise HIM, for you!!!

Welcome back!!
John and Danielle

PDF files now available

2007-04-11T10:14:00.000-05:00

Ok, I figured out how to do this. If you go to FUSIONstudents.com our ministry site you will be able to download all of my large PDF files for use in your own ministry. I don't know if they will work for you, because ministry is very much dependent on culture, students, and leadership, but use what you can!! Most everything you will see may look familiar, i have borrowed from many many sources. If you have any questions about anything feel free to ask:::::

Directions in Finding PDF files:
1. Go to FUSIONstudents.com
2. Click on "PAPER WORK"
3. Scroll down to ADULT LEAD TEAM and click on the pictures of the PDF file.
4. Wait....and poof...there is should be.
5. enjoy

trying to post a PDF file

2007-04-10T20:01:00.002-05:00

well, i really can't figure out how to post a PDF file, If you know how to post a PDF file...email me and let me know. And remember. I am using a MAC book Pro...does that make a difference?

still here...but pondering

2007-04-10T20:01:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone... I am still here, but unable to post my thoughts or papers. I am taking a class with one of the best minds in New Testament Biblical understanding of the Theology of Holiness. However, because Dr. Schenck does is a great mind, he wants us to have great minds. So most of the class is discussion and quizzes. NO papers except for the very end, which i will share with you. Also, I am taking another class with Robert Whitesel on building a Multi-Generational church. So most of the thoughts and papers i am writing each week is for FCWC, and not yet ready to be made public for the general public. Some times we talk about the current situation of the church, and those types of thing are meant for my mind and not yours.

Finally I will be posting some large PDF documents that i have written for Basic Christianity and others for Youth Ministry development...but i don't know how to do that. Do you know how to post large PDF files on blogger for download??

Well anyway i am sitting in class now, so i better go. Dr. Whitesel is hitting on the trickle down effect of vision casting. good stuff.

Dirty

2007-02-19T12:18:00.000-05:00

Recently I read a little snip-it from Purity and Danger [a analysis of the concepts of pollution and taboo] by Mary Douglas: In it she does an awesome job at defining what DIRTY is...what makes something dirty? Here is how i believe she would define dirty.

"Dirt is a defilement or perversion of a systematic ordering of our lives. Dirt is never an isolated event, and if not properly categorized can attack the boundaries between classifications of clean and unclean."

Next Up

2007-02-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

As i look to the future I am looking ahead to a Theology of Holiness class. So we watching for posts on this topic. Here is a little picture i like to call: THE WORST JOB...sometimes i feel like this when it comes to life. But God is good and has made the journey do able. Not easy! I am really sick of school...but do able. Thanks Lord!

just for fun!

2007-01-25T14:36:00.000-05:00

Just for fun, and interests as the elections and politics start building up i find myself listening to this guy. Don't always agree, but always good for a laugh, good questions, interesting thoughts, and a sneak peak into pop culture in politics.

Relevance of Religious Diversity

2007-01-23T11:05:00.000-05:00

Relevance of Religious Diversity:
Asking a question, with out having an answer preconceived in your mind, is excellent. However, asking a question while still holding to a preconceived answer are the actions of a person with a closed mind. Have you ever witnessed the worship of a group of people, that was different then your own? Today in the United States it is estimated that 1.3 Hindus now call this home. Two million Muslims who call the US home, pray here as well, and finally, 2.5 million Buddhists worship in cities and villages all over the fifty states. (Wuthnow) Understanding these religions and their practices are what scholars are now calling, “religious diversity”. (Coleman)
Many people are ignorant about the teachings, practices, and ideas behind many religions practiced in this so-called, “Christian” nation. While the constitution does not directly outline a nation built on Christian doctrine, it is a nation built on “Christian” ideas. Many non-religious Americans would label the nation “Christian” with out ever knowing what “Christian” really means. However, because the largest religious population by far are Christian American’s people label the west and our ideas, philosophies and practices as all Christian. This has been both a blessing a wound for many truly Christian people in the United States. (Wuthnow)
Religious Divers people are defined by Robert McKim as, “wise people who think carefully and judiciously, who are intelligent, clever, honest, reflective, and serious, who avoid distortion, exaggeration, and confabulation, who admit ignorance when appropriate, and who have relied on what has seemed to them to be the relevant considerations in the course of acquiring their beliefs, hold these diverse beliefs”(Schukbrack). While religious diversity is a new term, this term does not mean, religious exclusiveness, or religious tolerance. Being a religiously diverse person means you are, “open to all and inviting to all” in discussion and understanding (Library), not acceptance and practice.

Review of Religious Diversity:
Since 9/11 people have been on high alert in perception and awareness of other religions, especially those of Middle Eastern origins. Many watch the religiously saturated media that describes the actions of extremist Muslim groups, and have a huge fear of the religious teaching of a certain group of people. Thus these fears are embedded deep inside of American’s and how they operate or accept other people emerges out of these fears.
An element that bread fear in the hearts of people in the United States against other religious is the threat they believe it could have on democracy. Many of these religions are practiced and developed out of countries that are not democratic in philosophy, and the religion does not demonstrate the same values and priorities as the western democratic philosophy of government. Is this fear legitimate? Absolutely not, many religions are a personal understanding and practice and depend very little on politics and governmental philosophies.
Many natural born citizens of the United States have lofty dreams that can be defined as the “American Dream”. Owning a white picket fence, successful jobs, little debt, and perfect children, all living in a perfect neighborhood, is not a reality, but a vision of success to most western Americans. However, reality paints a picture that is very colorful and diverse. School promote tolerance and acceptance of people of different races, religions, and sexual preferences. Television promotes alternative lifestyles, and parades religious exploration by the famous and wealthy. Our society is hungry for religious diversity, much more then in decades past.
Marriage is a very religious custom held in almost all religious backgrounds. Many people practice the custom of marriage in many different ways, and in different religious formats. However, in the US many people now marry outside of their born religion and ethnic background. Creating a very diverse and colorful society that is open to new ideas, practices, and philosophies. Many marriages have people of different religions practicing religious beliefs under the same roof.
Diversity in priorities is also an element of a new diverse reality the world not exists in. Because travel has become so affordable and inexpensive, many people take vacations to different countries unlike previous generations where most traveled within the 50 states. Priorities and motivating factors for societies and cultures around the world can be much different then those found in the continental United States of America, thus creating a diverse society of religious priorities as well.
Relevance of Religious Diversity in the Christian Church:
As Pastors and Theologians in the Christian faith there are many ways we can respond to this fluid like culture of religious diversity. Many Pastors may want to ignore the issues and fluid like state of our current culture. Offering strong stances against different teachings, and ignoring the fact that the environment around their local church is changing and adjusting will only mute their message of hope, salvation and redemption. Being a relevant religiously diverse Pastor does not mean you accept or live in tolerance with other religions, it is the idea of understanding and be actively aware of what others believe. Religious diversity can be made relevant through teaching, preaching and evangelism methodology.
Diversity in Teaching: Being in the role of Pastor of a local church, also puts you in a role as a religious leader in that local community and religious teacher to those under your leadership. Being aware, and having a desire to understand other religions allows you to be religiously diverse. Also, taking the action to ask questions of other religions in hopes of gaining more understanding of the methods and practices of their worship will help you define your own.
In his article, “Religious Diversity and the Closed Mind,” Kevin Schilbrack, writes that true religious diversity is having the confidence in your own beliefs, and an understanding of where the disagreement lies in another persons beliefs, and then having the ability to see and respect the similarities. Being able to incorporate these into your teaching as a Pastor will help open the door of religious discussion to take place with in your local church. As religious discussion and religious diversity is apparent in your teaching, lost people of different religions will feel comfortable questioning and wanting to gain understanding of the Christian faith. Allowing a person to take in what other’s believe compared and understood from a Christian perspective can help to strengthen the beliefs of the members of your congregation.
Diversity in Preaching: We have defined religious diversity as having the ability to know exactly what you believe, and having the respect and understanding of other religions in your community. Now, we must define how to create an environment where religious diversity is apparent in preaching. Paul gives a clear example of religious diversity in Athens, in observance and understanding of all the god’s and statues that lined the city. While he did not worship these god’s he did have respect and clearly sought understanding of the people who did associate themselves with this worship. Being a Pastor who preaches with religious diversity is a preacher who is able to show the lacking of other religions and bring people to the message of Jesus Christ. (Bernardo)
Diversity in Evangelism: Reaching out to the lost is the main role of the local church and local pastor. However, if we are unable to reach out to all people, then we have missed the fullness and beauty of the full gospel of Jesus Christ. The message of Jesus Christ is able to step over religious beliefs, but is empowered through religious diversity in teaching and preaching. The message of Jesus Christ was brought fourth because a group of Jewish people were willing to question and strengthen their beliefs, and respected others beliefs. (March)
Relevance of Religious Diversity in My own Life:
As I read through the cited material, I was conflicted in my heart about the true meaning of religious diversity. Many see religious diversity as religious tolerance, and that simply is not the case. Religious diversity is a pursuit I have been adopting for the past two years of my ministry in the local church. While early in my life, I was exposed to ethnic diversity, and embraced it eagerly, I am not eager to embrace religious diversity as well.
Through studying local practices of religions, purchase books written by authors of different religions and attending worship services of different religions I hope to understand, and respect other religions as well as question my own beliefs as I seek to make my Christian walk stronger in Jesus Christ. As I seek these other religions out, I believe that the Holy Spirit will open my heart to the depth and purity of my own relationship with Jesus Christ.
As my understanding and perception of different religions emerge, I realize that I will need to be more patient with other religions to be more diverse and accepting of the Christian faith. Understanding that most people are born into their religions I can not accept them to quickly convert to the Christian life. I must be prepared with questions, answers, and patience as they “spiritually shop” (Wuthnow).

Citation:

Reflective Pluralism. Coleman, John A. (Coleman)(Library) “America” 10/10/2005 Vol.193, Issue 10

Religious Diversity and the Closed Mind. Schilbrack, Kevin . (Schilbrack) “Journal of Religion” 1/2003, Vol.83 Issue 1

The Wide, Wide Circle of Divine Love: A Biblical Case for Religious Diversity . March, Eugene. (March) Westminster/ John Knox. January 2005 c. 152p.

Problems of Religious Diversity. Cantens, Bernardo J. (Bernardo) “Theological Studies”, June 2002 Vol.63 Issue 2

America and the Challenge of Religious Diversity. (Wuthnow) by Robert Wuthnow. Prinston University Press, 2005

Article Critique: Trying to Understand Osama bin Laden

2007-01-13T14:22:00.000-05:00

Article Summary:
Since September 11, 2001 one name has consistently made it to the headlines in the news paper and the six o’clock reports every night, Osama bin Ladan. Even small Children, who are unable to tell you who Abraham Lincoln is, can identify who Osama bin Laden is. His remarks, early interviews and actions are all caught on radio, television and now the Internet. Millions of people tune in to hear what this Islamic terrorist is saying. Even in academic circles as this article reveals.
Amy Green writes a small article on how the subject of Osama bin Laden has made it’s way into the academic world of higher education. Many Professors and students are discussing the remarks and philosophies of Osama bin Ladan, hoping to gain an understanding of this mystery man, everyone knows.
In her article Green is quick to point out that none of the people she interviewed sympathizes with Osama bin Ladan, but all hope to understand his hate, and philosophy as to understand his influence on others. Many are reading the book, “Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden”, edited by Bruce Lawrence, a Duke University religion professor to better understand this world leader.

Article Critique:
While I enjoyed this article by Green, she left more mystery of Osoma bin Ladan then before I picked up her article. In this article she merely informed me of how higher education leaders were studying the thoughts, comments and philosophy of one of the most feared men in the world. She does not come to a conclusion or even attempts to give the reader some background on the content of the discussions, she only gives the reasons for why these leaders are meeting and discussing such a person as Osama bin Ladan.

Link to Course Text:
In his book, “Intentional Diversity” author and professor Jim Lo gives the reader 6 basic concepts to follow when working to understand a new culture. As one would sit to understand the culture of Osama bin Ladan and the culture he is working to create we must run his comments and remark through the filter of these 6 basic concepts to understanding the culture.
As I read through this article, and through the Lo text, a few questions about culture emerge as it pertains to Osama bin Laden. If I were to seek out understanding of this man I would walk through these questions:
1. Concept 1: Culture Is Shared: this concept is wrapped around the idea that culture is a set of values, ideals and standard behavior a certain culture holds. Some question that I would ask would be:
 What are basic social values that most Islamic nations hold? How does Osama bin Laden fit into these values?
 What ideals does Islamic nations hold to? What are their goals for happiness? What do they see as inspiring?
 What are certain behaviors that Osama bin Ladan demonstrate that may be foreign to Western culture but would bring understanding of his?
2. Concept 2: Culture is Made up of Norms: this concept is built on the idea that each culture has a set of norms in which everyone follows. An example of a Western norm is answering the telephone with “hello”. Questions I would raise in the discussion of Osama bin Ladan would be:
 What are common likes and dislikes held by people in Islamic nations?
 What are common normality’s held by people of the Islamic nations that differ from those in Western nations?
3. Concept 3: Culture is Learned: This concept is based on the idea that culture is passed and learned from one generation to the next. We can see this by different culture found here in the states. People from the South tend to have a different perception of hospitality then those in the northern states. Questions that I would raise would be:
 What type of culture was Osama bin Laden raised in?
 Who was his father? What did he believe?
 What social classification did Osama bin Laden hold at a younger age?
 What type of family structure was Osama bin Laden raised in?
4. Concept 4: Culture is Integrated: This concept is based on the idea that different aspects culture come together and work in a blended whole. The book gives the example of how Asian cultures do not view the floor in a home as dirty, often times eating while sitting on the floor. While in many Western cultures people eat from a table, and stand, never sitting on the floor. Some questions I would raise concerning Osama bin Ladan would be:
 What are some integrated culture background issues that are different in Middle Eastern Islamic culture that would be different from Western culture?
 Our some of our fears in the west, caused from misunderstanding culture differences in the East?
5. Concept 5: Culture is Static: This concept is based on the idea that all cultures are evolving. With this in mind, some questions that I would raise are:
 How is Middle Easter Islamic culture changing?
 Is Osama bin Ladan the voice from the future of Middle Easter Islamic culture or a voice from the fading past?
 What culture changes is Osama bin Ladan having on the Middle Eastern culture?
6. Concept 6: Ideal Culture and Real Culture Are Not the Same: The idea behind this concept is very important to the study of Osama bin Ladan. This concept states, “Ideal culture is how people of a certain group perceive themselves or how they describe their way of life to others. Real Culture is how that group actually operates – how it translates its beliefs and feelings into day-to-day living.” As I look over this very important concept, a few questions can be raised concerning the remarks of Osama bin Ladan:
 Have we seen this philosophy that is spoken of Osama bin Laden played out?
 What other figure in history holds to the same philosophy of Osama bin Ladan? How has their life effected culture and real culture?
 How are the remark and actions of Osama bin Ladan effecting REAL culture in the Middle East?
 What is the difference of real culture and ideal culture in the life of Osama bin Ladan?
After working through these sets of questions I believe our idea and concept of Osama bin Ladan would have enough ground work to begin deciding what kind of man this truly is. Can we say he is heartless and a brutal killer? Or are we perceiving our concept of culture from our Western perception?

Personal Reflection:
The character of Osama bin Ladan is fascinating to me. Not because I agree with his intentions or philosophy of life, but interesting because of the stark differences between the culture he dreams of creating, and the threat it has on my own culture. As I seek to understand his culture, it is obvious he seeks to destroy mine. I believe that as a Christian, and as a Pastor in the Western world, it is my responsibility to seek out understanding of the cultures that surround me. As I gain knowledge and the Holy Spirit imparts wisdom I will be able to express the gospel across culture boundaries. While I may never come in contact with the man Osama bin Ladan I believe in the next few years, I will come in close contact with the culture he lives to create.
Asking questions that are born out of the six concepts outlines by Jim Lo will allow me to come to place of understanding. It will allow me to feel comfortable approaching and discussing cultures not of my own.

Just a thought: 24 Starts Tomorrow!!!!!!! Let the day begin!!!!

Citation:
“Trying to understand Osama bin Laden” By: Amy Green, Christian Century, 0009-5281, Vol. 123, Issue 14

“Intentional Diversity” (2002) By: Jim Lo. Wesleyan Publishing House. Indianapolis, Indiana.

John meets John

2007-01-13T14:10:00.000-05:00

Well, since i was 12 i have been borrowing those "Enjoy" tapes and listening to them from Dad, and now i got to meet the man up close and personal. Recently at THE GATHERING in Florida John Maxwell was presented with an award from The Wesleyan Church, which i am proud to call my home denomination. While at a reception, I asked if I could have a picture with him.

Before college i thought John Maxwell was the man in leadership. But the interesting thing was, when i got to college, all these college kids, who had never really done anything in leadership started knocking him. To make friends and influence people I never mentioned that I liked Maxwell stuff, and quietly in my room, would read his books and practice his ideas. Then when I got out of college and into the REAL WORLD of leadership...Maxwell was a renowned name! business men, Christian leaders and Pastors all knew of him, and had read his stuff. Sure none of his writings are mind bending, or world rocking. But they gave way for inspiration in the leadership world.

Today, I am still a big fan of Maxwell, not because he is the new Bass on Leadership...but because he inspires the best in people. And for me, he inspired the best in my denomination in the late 80's. When my father who is a very good leader felt discouraged or doubted his own leadership abilities, John Maxwell inspired him, made it look easy, and gave him tools to lead on!

Thanks John Maxwell...I like you!!

Christ-Based Leadership Book Review

2007-01-12T15:49:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends, I have been on vacation for the past two weeks in Florida!! It was awesome and I am so thankful for the encouragement the Wesleyan Church gave it's Pastor's at THE GATHERING. What a renewing time it was!!

In this post is a book review done by my good friend Dave. One of the best lay leaders I have ever had the pleasure of working along side. It is rare when you meet a lay leader who knows just as much if not more about church leadership them most Pastor's. He is a true blessing to our local church!! and our church staff. He sent this to me in an email yesterday, and it was so good i wanted to pass it on to you. Enjoy!!!

Also, please pray for a young man (17) in my church. Last night he had a brain aneurism and is currently in a comma. His family now waits to hear the results, please keep them in your prayers!

Oftentimes people say: “What can the business world learn from the Church” or “what can the Church learn from the business world?” The book Christ-Based Leadership, written by David Stark, developed out of his desire to learn the essence of good leadership while maintaining a thoroughly biblical philosophy of ministry for improving local church leadership. He uses a mixture of writings from business leaders and scripture to build a model on leadership that is Christ based.

Stark begins with asking the question: “What is the truth of your ambition?” This question is what separates a level 4 leader from a level 5 leader according to Jim Collins’ book, Good to Great. Level 5 leaders maintain a healthy balance between personal humility and professional will. The focus shifts from “me” to “the team”, which brings up the next question of “Who is the lord of your leadership?”

Jesus demonstrates that God is lord of His leadership in the story of Lazarus dying and being raised from the dead. Scripture tells of Jesus waiting on guidance and direction from the Holy Spirit as to when to go to Lazarus, his dying friend. The indwelling Holy Spirit calls to the heart of every Christian leader: “Respond, moment by moment, to My leading.” Stark goes on to explains how to put this principle to work. Good leaders will let God be the Lord of their leadership. It requires interacting with God in all circumstances, seeing Him at work in every event, meeting Him within every moment, learning to live in God’s presence. Begin by praying through appointments of the day, asking for His input and guidance, letting God set the agenda.

Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builder’s labor in vain.”

Christ-Based Leadership points out that only 12 percent of people who have identified their gifts and talents will actually engage in church life unless they have some type of mentoring. It is the role of church leaders to successfully prepare God’s people to live out Ephesians 4:11-16.

Stark defines success as the number of people that have been thoroughly prepared for their ministries so they can serve the body of Christ. He goes on to say, “Laypeople need preparation in order to be fully released into the ministries they are called to do. To spread the ministry work, leaders must create systems where people with certain gifts and talents can be equipped to carry out their calling.”

The focus of the book shifts to building successful teams for caring out the various ministries of the local church. Successful teams will apply the Hedgehog Concept from the book Good to Great which is to take what you are passionate about, combine it with your talents, and what you can effectively deliver to find the one main thing, and then go out and do it well. It is important to have the right people on the bus and in the right seat, maximizing their strengths and managing their weaknesses.

There are five levels that teams need to overcome if they are to become successful, starting with truth and capping off with monitoring results. This material comes from Patrick Lencioni’s book Five Dysfunctions of a Team.
The remaining chapters are built on a model of how to expand the ministries within the local church using solid leadership principles and clearly defined vision. The first step is to gather feedback on what current ministries are doing and identify an area for growth that is centered on one of the churches core competencies. As this area grows, it will need to be interdependent, building on cooperation from other areas until it emerges into a permanent place creating synergy. When the shift is complete, the new ministry will be thriving, then entropy sets in which starts the process over, with the need to gather feedback for a new niche or audience.

For all this to work, leadership has to deal with change. The task is connecting the old ways to the new expanded ways of growing ministries within the local church. Good leaders will develop new directions for the congregation so it can effectively respond to the changing cultural environment. In order for this to happen, the congregation must constantly be experimenting in ministries, analyzing feedback so they can adapt and thrive, and creating a culture that celebrates the old and welcomes the new.

Article to pass on...i like this a lot!!!

2006-12-14T16:46:00.000-05:00

Students and friends,
Often in our classrooms we recommend book-lists which will enable you to grow on your own, apart from us as professors. This time we would like to take a moment and recommend a “NOT-list.” The first book we will bring to you is the newly released, Revolution, by the skilled-pollster (and amateur theologian) George Barna. Overall, this book is a critique (make that a full-body slam) of the church’s inability to impact the American culture in a positive (i.e., redemptive) manner. Thus, in this book he notes that due to the church’s lack of being an impact player, God must be calling His people outside of the church to utilize their gifts and serve the Lord. Barna now calls these Christians who no longer center their lives around Church “Revolutionaries” and believes they (his count of 20 million of them and growing) are the real future of the manifested body of Christ on earth. Barna also joyously admits that he is now one of them as well.

First, from a biblical standpoint, this text would fail any and all of our exegesis classes. He claims to have studied the scriptures on the subject but there is a glaring lack of any serious reference to what the biblical pattern for the church really involves. It is a wholly invalid process to critique what the church is NOT until he establishes a biblical baseline for what the church IS! This effort, to be of value, must begin with a clear and precise ecclesiology; stating what the Church is, not what Mr. Barna wants it to accomplish.

His practice is to silence the opinions of others with out-of-context proof-texts. Barna (mis)uses God’s Words to Peter, “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” This reference specifically calls Peter to welcome Gentiles into the Church. In no way does it justify one to jettison the church in a wholesale manner or even to re-invent “Church” according to a new paradigm. Moreover, Barna simplifies (trivializes?) the church to be a series of quotes from the Book of Acts. Interestingly, Barna describes his understanding of the church from passages in Acts 2, 4, and 5. But it is worth noting that at that point the Gospel has not even been proclaimed to the Samaritans, God-fearers, or the gentiles. The true nature of servant-hood, forgiveness, and grace has yet to be encountered. Finally, loosely based upon these scriptures, Barna describes the attributes he finds in the early church (what he calls “seven core passions”, pp. 22-25). These are so resoundingly modern in their orientation that they would be unrecognizable to the apostles. Further, Barna writes, “This mission demands single-minded commitment and a disregard for the criticisms of those who lack the same dedication to the cause of Christ. [Can you hear the spiritual arrogance?] You answer to only one Commander-in-Chief, and only you will give an explanation for your choices.” (p. 27). Friends, there is no place in scripture which permits a Christian to function as a lone-ranger apart from the Body. We are called into fellowship not out of it. As I see it, Revolution is essentially autobiographical, not biblical. Barna’s approach is purely phenomenological; the fact that something is happening becomes its own validation. My suggestion to Mr. Barna; this book should have been co-written with a team of scholars who would join together with to utilize Barna’s sociological strength of reporting trends of culture and opinions of society; not interpreting scriptures and evaluating the church’s ability to meet his self-selected criterion for success. But that is the nature of what Barna is calling the future church to look like, not a unified Body but individuals working disconnected from one another and from the “head.”

Second, from a theological perspective, the ecclesiology espoused by Barna is plagued with problems. While Barna declares himself a “revolutionary,” espousing an innovative way of discipleship beyond the local church, he deludes himself. His ecclesiology, with a myopic preoccupation upon individual discipleship and a personal relationship with Christ, simply follows to its logical conclusion a shallow Americanized model of the Church, dominant in contemporary evangelicalism. Ironically, Barna’s stated doctrine of the Church is a product of the evangelical churches he critiques, both of which misunderstand the fundamental nature of the Church, distort the doctrine of grace and the means of grace, and ultimately succumb to Pelegian pragmaticism. As such, his book not only exposes his own inadequate ecclesiology, but highlights the deficiencies of many contemporary evangelical models of the Church.

Fundamentally, Barna sees the Church, the Body of Christ, exclusively as a mystical, spiritual community of “revolutionaries” without any direct relationship to the local church. The Church is a community that Christians spiritually join when they decide to follow Jesus, rather than one into which they are incorporated concretely through baptism and local church discipline. However, membership in the Church, the Body of Christ, is problematic without relationship to the local church. Why? Because as the Reformed, Lutheran, and Wesleyan forms of Protestantism have consistently recognized, along with the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, the Church is the primary means of God’s saving grace and the Church is expressed concretely in local churches. Local churches are the means by which God’s saving grace in Christ Jesus given to the Church is made available to humanity. Through the preaching of the Word, the due administration of the sacraments, and the community rightly ordered (the marks of the Church), saving, confirming and sanctifying grace is communicated to people. For people to isolate themselves from hearing the scriptures read and the Word of God proclaimed in community, from participation in the sacraments of the Church, and from submitting themselves to the discipline, order and life of the local church is to cut themselves off from the primary means of God’s grace. As such, while a generation of “revolutionaries” may be able to sustain themselves for a period of time, grace capable of sustaining and nourishing Barna’s “revolutionaries” for the long haul, much less succeeding generations, will prove difficult, if not impossible.

In the end, Barna surrenders the biblically and theologically prudent understanding of the Church for an expedient model that ultimately cannot birth, nourish and sustain believers. Dangerously, Barna’s ecclesiology has more in common with the Donatist movement in the third century and Pelegianism in the fifth century than it does in orthodox Christian theology. While these movements flourished in the moment, having great spiritual zeal and fervor, they could not be sustained, and their followers in subsequent generations were left without access to the means of God’s saving and sustaining grace found in the Church.

Finally, from a practical effect (especially among younger people) is to encourage them to drop out of church attendance and practice a do-it-yourself religion. Among ministerial students it encourages them to seek other more exciting venues for their ministry instead of the old fashioned local church. To the laity it legitimizes dropping out of church and going golfing—just so long as they go on a mission’s trip with a Para church organization occasionally and have a neighbor Bible study with a few friends on Tuesday evenings so they can skip church and go golfing on Sunday mornings. The practical effect of the book is to elevate lone ranger religion to which the local church (and obviously districts and denominations) are totally irrelevant.
In pondering this book, it seems to only have come from the pen (laptop?) of a frustrated “boomer.” Moreover, his focus is so modern, western, and individualistic in orientation that it has lost all connections with the biblical times or text. Moreover, it s not global in focus, making it an American Christianity issue, not Kingdom. This is a call to selfish, self-centered Christians who want what they want, want it now, and are not willing to submit to one another. It’s a call to men (predominantly, Eldredge “Wild at Heart” types) who need adventure and an instant-spiritual-gratification spirituality. Faith, forgiveness, perseverance, and body-submission are no where to be seen. Life is measured by pure performance rather than biblical faithfulness.
This is a dangerous book scripturally, theologically and practically—which is why it may be a popular book. Encouraging our people to buy it would be like promoting a book that celebrated pre-marital sex and extra-marital affairs as the wave of the future. People do not need encouragement toward such behaviors. What this book promotes if far more serious than pre-marital or extra-marital sex: it is a dangerous book.

Jointly composed and sincerely Church-men,
Chris Bounds
Keith Drury
David Smith

Indiana Wesleyan University

Theology 1

2006-12-13T14:46:00.000-05:00

This week I am in an intensive class of Theology with a great mind, Chris Bounds. Loving the class, but it is a lot to take in. I will be posting very soon, after a long weekend of rest and worship, my papers and thoughts on the three volumes of Thomas Oden's Systematic theology. These were great works and great sources of inspiration. Really ramped up my thoughts for the Christmas season.

Finally here is a little link Chris passed onto us, and as always I pass onto you!

http://www.ccel.org/

Huge resource for teaching and preaching True Doctrine:

with out good Doctrine you can never have Spiritual healing!!

Theopedia

2006-12-03T16:52:00.000-05:00

Thought you would like this link. Found this fun to browse and read. But...and a bit boring in that way.

http://www.theopedia.com/Main_Page

Take the High Road

2006-11-27T20:35:00.000-05:00

Early in the twentieth century, poet Robert Frost penned these classic words about two contrasting roads.

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept that first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

James 4:1-10 : Our Two Roads

2006-11-27T20:22:00.000-05:00

The Survey:
The book of James, written by Jesus’ brother James in 49AD, is directed for all Christians, but with a target of the scattered Jewish Christians who had been dispersed across the Mediterranean world because of persecution. This letter, according to the Life Application Study Bible (NASB), is written with three distinct purposes: (1.) give clear direction on genuine religion [1:1-27]; (2.) give clear direction on genuine faith [2:1-3:12]; and finally, (3.) to give clear direction on genuine wisdom [3:13-5:20]. The text we will be looking at in James 4:1-10 is found just after James’ discourse over the power of the tongue and the source of wisdom is only through God’s Spirit.
In the beginning of chapter 4, James holds nothing back and calls the Jewish believers on the carpet for not living out the work the Holy Spirit has performed in their lives. One observation I can make from this text is that there is a possibility that as the Jewish Christians were scattered out of Jerusalem and through out the Roman Empire, they may have picked up some of the bad habits found in the new secular world. I believe some of the philosophies and practices of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were diluted or even lost in the dispersion.
In a first survey of the scripture many key words and themes pop out, for example the theme of an “inner battle” in the hearts of Christians, between the desires and passions of this world and the desires and passions of a Christ follower. Also there is a theme of “life” and “eternal life” perspective. Twice in these ten verses James quotes the scriptures. As to which scriptures I am yet unsure, but will explore later in this paper.

Historical Text:
The book of James is a letter distributed to all the dispersed Christian-Jews from Jerusalem, dispersed by persecution and torture. While scholars question the authorship of James, most believe that the letter was probably a sermon given by the Apostle James, Jesus’ brother, and was copied down by a disciple and then distributed to the dispersed church around the Mediterranean world. While the letter of James is given from the standpoint of a knowledgeable Jew, it is written in perfect Greek, which denotes the possibility of another author. Written in the later part of the first century, the book of James makes little reference to Jesus and the Resurrection and does make note of “rich” Christians, which would have been rare in the early parts of the church.(Barclay)
James was the leader and head of the Jerusalem Church. He is found in many parts of Acts (12:17; 15; 21:18-25; and Galatians 1:19; 2:9) displaying leadership over the church in Jerusalem, up until the time of Nero (Barclay). However, when the dispersion takes place and Jewish-Christian are scattered through out the Mediterranean, this letter follows them, with encouragement, and direction (NASB).
Every great story has the basic elements, such as a setting, plot, and characters; and the book of James is no different. It is not a fictitious story, but the true-life story behind the text is important to understand. I have broken the historical context of James chapter 4 into three areas, The people, the place and the problem that prompts James to write his letter.
The People:
Jewish Christians were being dispersed through out the Mediterranean world and with that dispersion comes new philosophies and desires of the early Christians. Many of these new desires and church actions are contradictory to Scripture and the message of Jesus Christ. James, the former leader of the Jerusalem Church, sends out this letter to give genuine advice and direction (Nystrom). The fact that certain economic classes are mentioned in the book of James gives the letter a dating sense of an older age, because the early church had very few rich people yet associated with the Christian movement.
The Place:
The letter is believed to have first been a sermon given by James, the brother of Jesus, and later written down as a letter by a fellow follower of Jesus Christ. The letter is then sent all over the Mediterranean and into the churches of many dispersed Jewish-Christians from Jerusalem. Because the letter was not sent to one specific place the many listeners are all coming to the text from a Jewish-Christian perspective that are now dispersed all over the known world.
The Problem:
As the dispersion took place, due to persecution, many of the Jewish-Christians began to adopt philosophies and practices that were not beneficial to the body of Christ. James responds to these actions with this sermon or letter. The people listening to the letter being read to them by the lead pastor or bishop would have heard the text from the authority of their former leader and the Brother of Jesus.

Literary Context:
The book of James is packed with the idea that the world has two roads to travel. Here in this chapter we find it again. Through out his book, James is constantly pointing to two ways of life, describing, “the ways of earth to the ways of heaven…earthly wisdom or heavenly wisdom, self interest or the law of love, self exaltation or exaltation at the hand of God; wash your hands/ purify your heart; grieve mourn/turn joy to gloom; humble yourselves/God will lift you up”(pg.222. D. Nystrom)
David Nystrom points out in his commentary of James that the author sums up chapter three with an “agricultural image” of a promised harvest of “righteousness for those who are peacemakers”. Now in the beginning of Chapter 4 James enters into a discourse of the heavenly wisdom needed in the church. (D. Nystrom pg. 222)

Formal Analysis:
The literary form of the book of James is found in the form of an Epistle, a letter written to the early church that once resided in Jerusalem, but now find themselves scattered all around the Mediterranean world. In many different literary images , this short letter from James compares and contrasts between this life in the world and the righteous life. Leaning heavily on his Jewish roots, James challenges, reprimands, and gives a solution to the early church. Here in chapter 4 we again find James summing up his previous points in now a more personal and more tangible comparison. Many of the readers I would believe found themselves here in the letter, more so than anywhere else in the epistle. This chapter in James is pivotal because it gives a clear solution to the conflict that each member of the body of Christ is dealing with.

Detailed Analysis:
Peter David, in his detailed commentary of the book of James, makes the observation that James is addressing a practical situation in chapter four unlike the previous three chapters. “Making an abrupt switch from peacemakers, the wise leaders of the community, to the actual situation of interchurch conflict” (David pg.98). Chapter four is a response also to the references to jealousy, selfish ambition, disorder, and vile practices as mentioned in chapter three (Motyer). James is now making the problem personal, bringing it closer to home, and closer to a solution of Godly wisdom for the Jewish-Christians scattered through out the Mediterranean. James’ main goal for this chapter is to bring light to the conflict, which David Nystrom splits into two sections, church conflict and spiritual conflict (Nystrom). David Nystrom later goes on to give chapter three a third section, a section given to the purpose of a clear solution to the spiritual conflict that is apparent in the early church (Nystrom).

Diagnosis of Church Conflict: (1-3)
James is writing to a people, a group, and/or a family that he is comfortable with. Scholars have pointed the book of James to the brother of Jesus, also the Apostle who was head over the early church roots in Jerusalem. As those roots were ripped up and scattered through out the empire, James pens out a letter to his former congregation. This chapter in James is obviously to Jewish-Christians, as the rest of the book is as well. It would be uncommon and out of sync with the rest of the letter for James to be appealing to another unbelieving crowd.
Continuing off his thoughts in chapter three, James again confronts the conflict that exists between the members of the body of Christ. However, because James does not pin point a specific issue or range of conflict, it gives the idea that the early church was at a standstill in effectiveness no longer making disciples or evangelizing the lost (David Nystrom. pg. 222). Their own inner conflict has turned their hearts away from their love of Christ and awaiting their Groom, but to themselves and their own self-ambitions.
David Nystrom in his commentary on James believes that the conflict that James is speaking of here is related to the false teachers that had penetrated the early Jewish-Christian church and was building a strong following. Their teachings offered a “philosophy that encouraged the pursuit of status as taught by society and unbridled by any authentic Christian witness” (Nystrom pg223). Soon the early church was allowing a false belief to “germinate and flourish that all of one’s old prejudices could exist and thrive within the church. For this reason some were showing favoritism, while others were exploiting the poor” (Nystrom pg.223).
In the second part of verse one James talks about a battle that rages within a person, a common teaching among Jewish Rabbis that the “impulses, the “yesarim”, had their seats in various organs or “members” of the body” (Nystrom pg. 223). Therefore the members of the heavenly body were at war with each other because of these impulses or desires. These desires were more than just individual sin, it was sin committed by the entire body of Christ. This type of imagery is not uncommon to James, we find this type of image in many sections of the New Testament, including; 1Peter 2:11, Romans 7:22-23, Galatians 5:17. It also would be a phrase the listener would have first recognized as a negative term. Unlike early in James 1:14-15, where James makes a reference to these “desires” he does not use “hedone” which is a neutral term, he uses the negative term, which can be associated with “sinful passion”(Nystrom pg. 224).
In verse three of chapter four, James points out that their conflict in the body of Christ was effecting their communication and prayers to God. A symptom of their conflict is a severed line of communication and worship with the Living God. James speaks of prayer in the first paragraphs of his letter and is again bringing up the point of a pure heart connecting to a Holy God (Motyer). J.A. Motyer in his commentary of this text, points out that, “James does not say that God does not hear, but that we do not receive” (Motyer pg. 144). It is obvious to those first listeners of this letter from James that their lack of grace and guidance from God is because their passions and desires are not directed to the will of God.

Diagnosis of Spiritual Conflict:(4-6)
Resting in the idea that this chapter is meant for believers, the conflict in which James confronts in verses 1-3 are conflicts within the “members” of the church body. In the early church, the idea that God is the groom and his church the bride was spoken of often (2Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22-24; Revelations 19,20). The idea that the groom was coming back for His bride was a theme and image that gave strength and encouragement to the early church. James, however, uses this image to reflect back to his Jewish heritage and compare the early church to the stiff-necked nation of Israel. Peter David in his commentary of James writes about the early church, “Thus it is repeatedly compared to an adulterous wife, who wants to keep the security and respectability of her home and husband but also want to enjoy her lover (Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 3; Hosea 1-3). James, in applying this image to the church, accuses it of serving some “idol” as well as the Lord” (Davids pg.100).
In verse 5, James reaches back into his Jewish roots again and pulls out a scripture that is not easily recognized or found in the exact wording in the ancient text. Most scholars have concluded that James is drawing from many different sources and painting a picture that represents the many different images of God’s image of “jealousy” for His people (Exodus 20:5; 34:14; Deuteronomy 4:24; Genesis 6:17; 7:15; Psalms 104:29-30; Ezekiel 37) (Davids pg.101).
Finally, in verse 6, James turns his pointing finger heaven word and reminds the reader of Proverbs 3:34, a common anthem of the early church found also in 1Peter 5:5. R. Tasker, describes pride as “those whose hearts are turned away from their Creator and who set themselves up against all that is holy or called God”(Tasker pg. 91). While this early church was backsliding into their own selfish desires, James reminds us of the power of grace. God gives grace freely to those who have humble hearts. James here is calling the reader back to examine his or her hearts and then to seek humility before the Lord (Davids).
Solution to Conflict:(7-10)
The first six verses of the selected text point out the double-layered conflict that is emerging in the early church, and in these last four verses, James outlines a clear and concise solution. Like a surgeon, James begins to carefully unpack the steps of a heart change that will both honor God, and allow the sinner to be “lifted up”.
As quickly as the diagnosis of conflict was made in verse one, verse 7 gives the solution. Humility is the source of wisdom according to James. It is not until the members of the body of Christ humble themselves will they be able to see their folly and repent. R. Tasker writes, “We can obey others without any humility, acting either under compulsion or from motives of expediency; but we can only submit ourselves to others when we recognize that they are greater, better, or more worthy of honor than ourselves” (Tasker pg. 92).
James gives the recipe for submission in his plea for believers to, “resist the Devil and he will flee”. The word “resist” here is the same one used by the LXX in Proverbs 3:34 (Nystrom pg. 228). Pointing the finger at the devil as the source of the conflict between the community of believers and the believers to God. James follows up this explanation with a plea for the body of Christ to “come near to God, and He will come near to you”. (Nystrom pg. 229)
In verse eight, James calls the believer to purification. Washing hands can have a double meaning, J. Motyer points out in his commentary of this text, that the purification of the hands is not only an outer cleansing but also represents an inner cleansing (Motyer). This is pointing the reader to the idea that purification or repentance of the hearts effects the believers role and presence in the body of Christ, but also the presence and role that the Holy Spirit is able to play in the believers life. Repentance is our personal action that invites God to take His action. J. Motyer goes on to write, “this is not the work of the Holy Spirit; it is the work of the energized believer” (Motyer pg. 152).
Finally, verses nine and ten summarize the heartfelt feelings of the believer, and again summarize the last eight verses. Verse nine gives the believer clear instruction to lament and change their laughter in their present situation to mourning, their joy into gloom. This type of reaction would be necessary with a heart of repentance in the presence of God. Verse ten summarizes again the goal and main point James is making in this text.
Word Studies:
In the text James 4:1-10 we find many different key words that help paint the picture of the heart and reaction of the author. In this section I hope to unpack these key words by exploring their own personal historical roots and placement in the text. By understanding these key phrases, the interpretation of the text can be more clearly accomplished by the twenty-first century reader.
Members: James is using the term “members” here as he did in the previous chapter, signifying that each one of us is a part of a larger body, and we each play a specific role and function together as a whole. Also in these texts, the “members” is where the desire and conflict emerges. J. Motyer points out in his commentary that it is out of the inner “members” of each person that the desires and passions emerge and are sinful in the community and larger body of Christ. (Motyer)
World: Zane Hodges, in his study of the word “world” throughout the New Testament, finds that is brings with it a negative connotation. Using the Greek word, “kosmos” the use of the word is “used of a system or entity that is hostile to God and is manipulated by Satan” (Hodges pg. 93). We find reference to this use in 1 Corinthians 1:20-21; 2:12; Galatians 6:14; 2Peter 1:4; and 1John 2:15-17; 3:1; 5:19. James follows suit in this text as he uses the word, “world” to describe the direction the passions of the early church is dedicated to. (Hodges)

Synthesis:
James writes his book to his brothers and sisters in Christ scattered through out a new world, a world of new philosophies, beliefs, traditions, and historical references. The lenses in which the early church views the world through has become scuffed, fogged, and blurred. James in this chapter writes to open their eyes to the conflict between themselves and other believers, as well as the conflict that dwells in their hearts with God. Using scripture as his soapbox, James reprimands the scattered believers and calls them to repentance. The text gives a clear path for humility and repentance for the early church believer to follow.

Reflection:
At first glance the fourth chapter of James looks like it could stand-alone from the rest of the book, but as I began to study and seek out the wisdom and hidden Truth that dwelt in this chapter, I see that this text of Chapter 4 verses 1-10 is deeply intertwined in the entire epistle of James. The thoughts, emotions and purpose of these words are not a stand-alone text, but a text that is built off of the previous three chapters, and a sending off to chapter 5. James is concerned about the early church and his concerns are still relevant today. I live and minister in the seventh wealthiest county in the United States and I am amongst people who find joy and pleasure in the things of this world. For most, very little time today is spent in humility or drawing near to God, however, the message of James is prudent in today’s world. The local church of the United States is waist deep in the struggles and prideful behavior as found in the early church. In every church in America you will find fighting and quarrels. We make excuses for each other by claiming that the church is for imperfect people. However, we should not make excuses for people who are not humble before each other and God. Humility should be the hallmark of the church.
As I begin my ministry as a Pastor, I will constantly be seeking out ways of drawing close to God, resisting the devil, and living a humble life in the community of believers. Not because I want to be perfect or because I need some kind of recognition or even want people to like me, but because of James’ promise. A promise that says, if we live in humility we will be “lifted up” or as one translation described it, “exalted”. This is the action God takes in our lives when we are humble and it is the action I need and want to experience in my own life and ministry.

Citation:

New American Standard Bible Life Application Study Bible. (NASB). 2000. The Zondervan Corp. Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The NIV Application Commentary . (D. Nystrom). 1997. David Nystrom. The Zondervan Corp. Grand Rapids, Michigan

The New International Biblical Commentary James. (Davids). 1989. Peter H. David. Hendrickson Publishing, Inc. Peabody, Massachusetts

The Message of James. (Motyer). 1985. J.A. Motyer. The Bible Speaks Today Series. InterVarsity Press. Leicester, England

The Letters of James and Peter. (Barclay). 1976. William Barclay. The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tyndale New Testament Commentaries James. (Tasker). 1983. R.V.G. Tasker. InterVarsity Press. Leicester, England

The Epistle of James. (Hodges).1994. Zane C. Hodges . Grace Evangelical Society . Irving, Texas

An in depth look @ Psalm 133

2006-11-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

Survey
Psalm 133 is found in the last chapters of the collection of Hebrew songs known as Psalms. The initial observations of this text reveal that it is probably written by King David and could be a personal reflection of his own anointing recorded in 2 Samuel 2:4. The Psalmist uses many sensory elements to explain the ceremony of an oil anointing and may be a reflection of the powerful moment that was in King David’s own life. As one first approaches this text, the first verse to me has the tone of a proverb, but unlike the book of Proverbs it is followed by much greater poetic imagery. The following verse then repeats itself in a parallel form using the phrase, “running down” and “falling” to illustrate a great meaning or a type of action by God.
Not yet sure of the location of Hebron to Mount Zion, other translations make it sound as if Mount Zion is located in a mountainous range referred to here as Hebron, so maybe as Aaron was singled out to be anointed by God, also Mt. Zion is singled out to be anointed with dew by God. This will be a path later explored.
Looking at the text from both the New International Version (NIV) and the New Living Translation (NLT) the reader can hear and understand better from the NLT version of the text. For example on my first approach to the selected scripture I began my reading in the NIV but saw very little connection between verse one and verses two and three. While the word “unity” is mentioned in the first verse, it is not made clear in the following verses. However, when approaching the scripture with the NLT version one can see the connection of harmony with brothers, compared to the blessing and pleasing feelings one would enjoy in the reflection of the anointing of Aaron and the falling dew of Mt. Zion. Reading the NLT gave my reading better perspective and helped me see the larger parallel connections of the text.

The Historical Text:
Matthew Henry [Henry] in his commentary believes that this Psalm may have been a song written by David for his own children. Seeing there disunity and the drama that surrounded his own family life, Matthew Henry believes David was writing this for them, to help them see the power and pleasant aroma of unity and harmony.
The heading given by the New Living Bible Translators label this a Psalm of Ascent of Jerusalem while other translations prefer to label this Psalm a Song of Ascent, not including the reference to Jerusalem. Alfred Nevin [Nevin] in a chart that outlines the placement of the Psalms in the historical Jewish scriptures places this text in the midst of King David handing over his kingdom to his son Solomon [2 Chronicles 28]. With this in mind, it is interesting then to see the parallelism between the importance of unity and harmony in the Kingdom of David’s but also in the House of David. Other Scholars believe this isolated meditation was ascribed to David, maybe to mark or commemorate the last time in which Israel rallied around him as leader or that God had given him Jerusalem. [Kidner]

Literary Context:
Psalms 133 falls second to the end of a series of wisdom psalms that are referred to as “Ascending Psalms”. While the structure is similar to the other wisdom songs, 133 is very unique in its imagery of Aaron and the calling for unity. [Allen]
This particular Psalm falls between Psalm 132 and 134, which are both heavily focused on Mount Zion. Many critiques believe that the inclusion of “Zion” in verse two is a later re-interpretation of the original Psalm, however this argument is weak and widely disregarded.[Allen]

Formal Analysis:
This very short Psalm written by David [Wisemen] repeats the phrase, “descending”, as it speaks of the descending oil on Aaron’s head and beard and also the dew that descends on to Mt. Zion from the Mount of Hebron. As mentioned earlier, Psalm 133 is categorized into the wisdom psalms. A wisdom psalm is characterized by an illustrative comparison, which this text obviously does.

Detailed Analysis:
v. 1 Crowds in Jerusalem:
This psalm of wisdom begins with an “attention-getting and demonstrative phrase that is characteristic of many wisdom psalms” according to Hans-Joachim Kraus [Kraus]. This observation points to the phrase “How good and pleasant it is.” Unsure of who this phrase is directed to leaves room for scholars to interpret who this Psalm is directed to. Many believe it is directed to three major groups, 1. David’s Family [Henry] 2. Fellow Citizens of Jerusalem [Kraus] or the entire Nation of Israel gathered for Celebration and feasts in Jerusalem [Scroggie]. While many scholars believe there may be three different points of focus, most scholars believe it is directed to the nation of Israel gathered in Jerusalem for celebrations and feasts after the long tension between Saul and David. They believe this Psalm was given as David is approaching Jerusalem. Also, some believe this Psalm could have been given again after the death of Absalom, which again would have been a same type of feeling as David approaches Jerusalem. [Allen]

v.2Aaron’s Anointing:
The repetitive phrase “flowing down” occurs three times and is translated in many different ways, such as “ran down” “went down” and “descend” [Scroggie] but all give reference to the oil that flows down Aaron’s head, into his beard and down around the collar of his robe. The Jewish reader here would have understood and reflected back to Exodus 29:21 where reference is made to Aaron’s decedents and the garments that they would be anointed and ordained in. This would have evoked an understanding and excitement of God’s sanctifying work through Aaron’s role in worship and the power and purity this sanctification would have on the community of Israel. Without this fragrant anointing, the nation of Israel would not have the priestly head of Aaron for God to pour down His purity and forgiveness. [Lennox]
Leslie Allen in her commentary on this Psalm believes that the Psalmist was not referring to the anointing of Aaron in Exodus 29:21, but in the refreshing cosmetic ointment use of oil in the ancient Middle Eastern context, referring to the fragrant herbs that are added to the oil ointment to give a deodorized type of effect when pouring oil on dry parched skin, as many of the people who heard this Psalm would have understand. Also in the following verse when giving reference to the refreshing dew that fell from Herman onto the dry Mt. Zion, Allen believes that this text is referring more to a refreshing and rejuvenation of the worship of Israel. [Allen]

v.3 Hermon and Mount Zion:
The Psalm parallels verses two and three by giving two illustrations of verse one. The first illustration being that of the already mentioned anointing or refreshing of Aaron with oil and now illustrated by the visual picture of the large Mount Herman’s dew falling onto the smallest Mount Zion. Stephen Lennox points out in his commentary that Mt. Herman is the tallest and largest of mountains in this range. Many surrounding gentile countries view this mountain as the seat of their own gods. The use or this image of “dew” falling or “descending” from Mt. Herman onto Mt. Zion would denote a submission or bowing down of other gods, to the one true God, Yahweh. [Lennox]
Lennox also points out that the dew from Hermon also denotes an image of growth. Based on the idea that Mt. Zion is a very dry place and depends greatly on the water from the dew descending from Mt. Hermon. Much of the plant life depends on this growth element, which would explain the idea that life is given through the dew from Mt. Hermon, much like growth for plants depends on the dew, so too the worship of Israel depends on the descending of God’s Spirit in the blessing of power. Lennox]
Allen points out that this amplification of “Zion” in this text helps point that Yahweh is descending on the celebration and refreshing of Jerusalem, making Jerusalem the final destination of God’s pouring of blessing, which would also be found in Lennox’s interpretation that God’s sanctification and blessing of power was being poured out onto Jerusalem.

Word Studies:
“Unity”(Strong’s 03162) is used for the idea of fellowship, as seen in Amos 3:3. This type of fellowship is experienced and desired between two people in the Israel community. [Blueletterbible.com]
“Pleasant”(Strong’s 02896) defined as “good”, “pleasant” or “agreeable”. The idea of pleasant in this Psalm could be used in any of these three tenses. Understanding the “pleasant” term can be associated with “agreeable” helps in the overall understanding of the text and it’s parallel illustration of verse one. [BlueLetterbible.com]

Synthesis:
The main point of this Psalm can be summed up in a few different images. One being that of harmony between brothers is as beautiful and powerful as the anointing and sanctification that occurred in the anointing of Aaron, and find life forever, in the blessing of power that flows down from God.
The second interpretation or synthesis of this text would be that unity and harmony between brothers is refreshing as cosmetic oil being applied to Aaron, and fresh dew from the Mount of Hermon on to the mighty Mt. Zion.
The author of this text may have desired for the reader or those that heard the song to rejoice and find confidence in the pouring of God’s blessing found in harmony with our brothers. This type of attitude and reflection would have sparked the appropriate celebration found in Jerusalem at different periods of Israel’s history. [Lennox][Allen]

Reflection:
As I read through this Psalm and mull it over in my mind, I am constantly being brought back to the idea of David’s family and the House of Israel. The harmony between brothers is powerful and the image of sanctification found in the anointing of Aaron is refreshing and strong to the individual house of David, but also to the nation of Israel. Singing this song together as a community would bring an awareness that the same sanctification found in the anointing of Aaron is only accomplishable if brothers are in harmony.
Also, as Lennox pointed out in his commentary that life is found in the dew of Hermon for Zion. Many commentaries emphasized the idea that “Zion” is used in this text as the centerpiece of the authors focus, but I believe that the author of this Psalm was focused on God’s pouring out of power and life onto the harmonious city of Jerusalem. David loved the city of Jerusalem but also understood that when harmony is not found there, then it has no power and is weak to its enemies. The same is true in our own spiritual lives. When our own lives are not in harmony with other brothers and sisters in Christ, then we are at our weakest point spiritually. [Lennox]

Citation:

Lennox, Stephen. [Lennox] . (1999) Psalms . Indianapolis, Indiana : Wesleyan Publishing House

Allen, Leslie C. [Allen]. (1983) Word Biblical Commentary Psalms 101-150. Waco, Texas.
Word Books Publisher

Kraus, Hans-Joachim. [Kraus]. (1993) Psalms 60-150. Minneapolis, Minnesota . Fortress Press

Kidner. Derek. [Kidner]. (1975) Psalms 73-150. London, England . Inter-Varsity Press

Scroggie. W. Graham. [Scroggie]. (1950) The Psalms Vol.3.
London, England. Pickering & Inglis Ltd.

Blue Letter Bible. [BlueLetterbible.com]."Dictionary and Word Search for 'towb
(Strong's02896)' " .Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2002. 13 Nov 2006.

Blue Letter Bible. [Blueletterbible.com]. "Dictionary and Word Search for 'yachad
(Strong's 03162)' ".Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2002. 13 Nov 2006.

Henry, Matthew. [Henry]. "Introduction to Psalms." Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole
Bible.Blue Letter Bible. 01 Mar 1996. 13 Nov
2006. .

Henry, Matthew. [Henry] "Commentary on Psalms 133." Matthew Henry Commentary on the
Whole Bible. Blue Letter Bible. 01 Mar 1996. 13 Nov.
2006. 

great link

2006-11-12T20:12:00.000-05:00

I came across this link in my studies tonight, and thought you might find it helpful. In my ministry i currently have exchange students from 3 different countries represented in our worship gatherings. Having the scriptures available in their tongues allows them to read what I read...in their own language. This is real easy to do...i just cut and paste their scriptures onto one big page and have it available to them each gathering.

BibleKeeper.com

The Address we need to hear today!

2006-11-02T15:39:00.000-05:00

Love this address, and feel we need to hear it again....and again....and again!

Thanks Abe!

Survey:
President Abraham Lincoln of the United States of America gave the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. Following the three day long battle of Gettysburg in early July the battle ground was going to be dedicated as a large cemetery to honor the 40,000 men who had fallen there. Following the two-hour speech of dedication by Edward Everette one of the best-known speakers in America at that time, President Lincoln was only asked to give the concluding remarks in the ceremony. Lasting a little more than 2 minutes, Abraham Lincoln gave one of the most quoted speeches in history.

Historical Context
The Gettysburg Address was delivered after a long two-hour speech and ceremony given on the grounds on the Battle of Gettysburg. The United States was coming to the close of a long three-year civil war. Much of the nation was torn apart, and many families who had migrated north were now in battle with family in the south. The nation was close to crumbling. Two areas that shed light on the address given by President Lincoln include political and institutional.

Political:
The United States of America is a political entity that operates by the freedom of election of its representatives by the people and for the people. The South was made up of states that wanted to keep blacks as slaves. Not wanting to give up their freedom of holding slaves, they choose to form a republic all of their own and sought to break away from the United States of America, thus causing a rift and political civil war.

Institutional:
The United States of America was formed on the idea that all men are created equal. As slavery developed in the United States that institutional core value was brought into question. As an institution forms and grows the importance of it’s core values, it institutional values become more important and more defined. The United States of America was involved in a political civil war because the core institutional values were being disregarded by the Southern States. (HIST)

Literary Context
Understanding that the Gettysburg Address is the conclusion of an entire morning’s ceremony is essential in understanding why the speech is so short. Lincoln was asked to give a brief conclusion to the morning’s activities. Abraham Lincoln is summing up, giving a brief concise overview of the thoughts, ideas, and feelings felt that morning and across the nation. This conclusion or summary of the day’s events in brief statements allowed Lincoln to choose his words with wisdom and perfectly form each phrase to speak volumes more. Thus it is imperative to approach this text by reading it out-loud multiple times.

Formal Analysis:
The structure of the Gettysburg Address follows an outline structured with an introduction, basic description of the purpose of the event, and a brief vision for the future. This basic structure gives the listener an easy to follow mental path to understand, picture, and practice the ideas presented in this speech. If the speech was given with hallow words and catchy phrases, the listener would be unable to mentally form an idea from the speech. However, in brilliance, President Lincoln provides an easy to understand and powerful statement.

Detailed Analysis:
In his introduction, Abraham Lincoln quotes the Deceleration of Independence. This is fitting because the Declaration of Independence outlines the core institutional values this county is built on. That “all men are created equal,” which was a battle cry for not only Southern Slaves but freed Blacks in the North as well. Using this statement is key in the stability of the Constitutional Republic of the United States of America.
Another area where the President addresses the core institutional values of the United States is found in his conclusion where he states: “To that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion”. This is another reflection on the Constitution of Independence where every free person has the God given right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (HIST)

Synthesis
Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States of America, was a man who had been through three years of hard battles, hundreds of thousands of deaths, and a man who was tired. As the President was tired, so too was the nation. Many lives and brave young men were lost for the cost of freedom. In a brief two minutes the President summed up three years of hard battles, and core institutional values. The nation needed to hear these words. (LORE)

Reflection:
As I read through the speech, both out-loud and quietly to myself, I reflected on the nation, and it’s long three-year journey. Also, I tried to put myself into the mind of the President, what feelings would he be feeling at this time. These are all questions that I hoped to be answered in this research. In every nations journey, certain events define or destroy the institutional core values. Our nation was faced in a great civil war, which was not over land, but over core institutional values, and whether a nation could actually exist with these ideas. Approaching this speech again with this knowledge gives greater meaning and depth to the nation I now call home.

Citation:
Historical Context. 2006. (HIST) . George Masson University’s Center for Historical News and
Media. Retrieved 2 November 2006 from:
http://chnm.gmu.edu/acpstah/unitdocs/unit1/lesson1/gettysburgorigins.pdf
Lincoln Lore. 2005. (LORE) The Lincoln Museum Retrieved 2 November 2006 from:
http://www.thelincolnmuseum.org/new/publications/1835.html

Hamlet...it's ok

2006-11-02T15:34:00.000-05:00

A Brief Look at William Shakespeare's "Hamlet"

Context:
Hamlet was written in the early years of the 1600-1605, and is considered by many to be a classic of today’s literary library. Hamlet was written at a time period where the prime form of entertainment was open air plays at the center stage found in many towns dotting the English country side. These plays helped shape a society and were shaped by the settings of the society in which they were written. These plays, such as Hamlet, began to take on a life of their own as people related to this play because it was a drama that could be reflected and visualized in their own daily lives.
Hamlet may have not been a stand-alone work. Other plays with similar themes and flow followed before. Some scholars believe that other literary works written around the same time period probably inspired William Shakespeare to write “Hamlet”. Most, scholars view Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and the certain themes and conclusions that the play comes to as a masterpiece above the others.
Today, you can even travel through Denmark finding fictitious graves for the fictitious characters found in the play. People who love literature have a great passion for Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. Hamlet can be read but was written to be performed. Many emotional, mysterious, and suspenseful sequences can only be seen(Oracle).

Understanding of the context of this specific section of “Hamlet” will help understand the full importance of the placement of the selected text. Many scholars of “Hamlet” point to three main themes that emerge through out the entire “Hamlet” piece(Renascence).

Poison/Death:
Many main characters in the Hamlet story die from poison, including Hamlet himself. Expecting this puts the reader or viewer on edge. Poison could show up anywhere and adds to the mystery.

Planning v. Acting:
Throughout the Hamlet story there are opportunities for Hamlet to kill his uncle. Hamlet had prepared and was ready for this task. However, he waited, and consequence followed his waiting. This waiting adds to the suspense for the viewer and reader.

Women:
Women play a large role in this play. However there was always an all male cast, who would have been dressed as women, and performed in Hamlet. Only men at this time were allowed to have been actors, but the need for women in the play helps Shakespeare create a climate of conflict. Much of the conflict in the story of Hamlet is drawn out of the complex relationships developed between the men and women, much like today’s soap operas(Renascence).

Analysis of Text:
Probably the most famous speech and scene in all of English literature, the speech found in the third act of the Hamlet play, given by Hamlet, captures all three themes that float through out the entire play and shows the inner turmoil Hamlet is having with all of them. As we explore the text we will discover that Hamlet wrestles with themes and ideas which Shakespeare believes the audience is dealing with in their inner souls.

Suicide/Death:
This entire speech is a inner debate Hamlet is having with himself about suicide and whether he should kill himself or not kill himself (to be or not to be that is the question), believed to be a section included from an earlier version of the Hamlet play, but kept in the current pieces.
The character Hamlet wrestles with thoughts of suicide, the consequences of death in this form, and how that would feel and effect his eternity. Relating it first to sleep, but then to dreams (to die; to sleep; no more; and by sleep to say we end).

Planning vs. Acting:
As mentioned earlier a reoccurring theme is that of planning for something, but yet never really taking action until the last moment. Here Hamlet is planning to take his own life with suicide, but then not really acting on it. The viewer was probably relieved that he did not act, because of the drama that would unfold and the conclusion to live that Hamlet comes to (and lose the name of action(Oracle)).

Women:
The entire speech is developed out of the drama and tension of love for a women, that is unable to be had. The idea of not being able to have the love of his life, Hamlet goes into thoughts of suicide. Understanding the source of the conflict, can give the viewer or reader a better understanding of why the actions did not follow the plans(Renascence).

Certain words bring to light meaning that unless understood from the context of the original viewer may be misunderstood or the beauty of the writing missed. Here are a couple of key words and explanation of meaning:
Contumely: insulting display of contempt in words or actions; contemptuous or humiliating treatment
Spurns: To reject disdainfully or contemptuously; scorn.
Quietus: a finishing stroke; anything that effectually ends or settles:
Bodkin: a small, pointed instrument for making holes in cloth, leather, etc.
Fardels: A burden.
Awry: away from the expected or proper direction; amiss; wrong
(Dict.)

Synthesis:
The speech given by Hamlet in act three of Hamlet gives the viewer a chance to see inside the mind of the character. It is a timely piece in that Hamlet comes to conclusions that result in the climax of the play. Wanting to kill the King, but waiting, gives a clear inner look at the character and the inner turmoil he feels and we the viewer or reader feels. Often times the viewer is brought in to the depth of the character by small speeches such as this one, that allows the viewer to relate to the character at a deeper level(Oracle).

Reflection:
Reading through the entire play and coming up to this point in the play was exciting for me. To read the inner thought of Hamlet and knowing his inner turmoil and feelings, I couldn’t help but reflect on how I feel about the world, it’s workings and the way it operates. What if everyone just killed themselves because life was too hard? What would that mean? What would happen to those souls? These are all questions unraveled in the lines of this speech. However, while these topics of death and eternity arise in this speech they are not concluded. They allow the viewer to take a stance and confirm in their own lives why they continue on in this painful world.

Citation:

(Dict.) Dicitonary.com . Lexico Publishing Group .2006 Retrieved 2 Nov. 2006

(Renascence) Editions. University of Oregon 1999. Retrieved 2 Nov. 2006:
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~rbear/shake/hamlet.html

(Oracle) .Think Quest Educational Foudation Retrieved 2 Nov. 2006: http://library.thinkquest.org/19539/hamlet.htm#top

(Spark). Phillips, Brian. SparkNote on Hamlet. 2 Nov. 2006
.

The Tipping Point

2006-10-24T21:20:00.000-05:00

Hello friends, this is a book you must read! The Tipping point is a great read, and really has helped me in my leadership effectiveness. IN fact, i would claim this as one of the best books i have read to date in my ministry. If you get a chance, buy it...it is worth the couple bucks, and will change the way you lead!

also, i have 103 links on Spiritual Formation, Small Groups, and Student ministries. If this is something you would like the have, feel free to drop me a comment with an email. Or give me a call on my cell.
In the next couple weeks i will be posting another paper. Keep watching. I am finding this "inClass" work is much more spread out then the online courses. However, i will still post good books, good findings, and research on here. Keep watching!

Historical Shabbat

2006-10-19T18:24:00.000-05:00

Jewish Sabbath:
The Jewish Sabbath come from the Hebrew word “Shabbat” (sha-BAHT) meaning “rest”. Sabbath is the one day Jews can relax, be with family, study, and reflect (relfacts). In the Talmud, the Shabbat is personified as a beautiful bride that is greeted with joy. Also, in the Jewish religion the Shabbat is associated with the “Shekhinah”,the feminine “Divine Presence”. Jewish families will often refer to the Shabbat as “her” not an it. This is a powerful time in the life of a Jewish family, and individual. However, while the Sabbath is still practiced today, outside of the Jewish community the Sabbath celebration is widely misunderstood.

To begin many misconceptions are focused around on the prohibitions of the ceremonial Sabbath. Found in the oral interpretations of the Torah know as the Talmud, 39 categories of “work” are found in the text concerning the Sabbath. Some of the prohibitions listed include, cooking, washing clothes, constructing, repairs, writing, making a fire. Over time they began adding several other activates because of their potential to lead to violation of the Sabbath. One example that was given was that of climbing a tree, because of the possibility of a branch being broke would be considered violation of the rule of not cutting anything on the Sabbath.
One misconception many make of the Sabbath celebration is that the Jews do not do anything that may take effort (jewfaq). On the contrary Jews are encouraged to play games, take walks, study the Torah, sing, attend lectures, and even have sex with their spouse. Work is forbidden on the Jewish Sabbath but not play.

Sabbath Observances

Observing the Sabbath is very simple in it’s schedule but full of beautiful content and practices. The Sabbath observance begins no later then 18 minutes before sun set with the Welcoming of the Shabbat (relfacts). The whole family looks forward to this time, and often dress in fancy clothes and has a large family dinner. Two candles are lit to signify the start of the Sabbath observance and a prayer of blessing is prayed: (jewfaq)
“Blessed are You, Eternal One our god, Ruling Presence of the Universe, Who makes us holy with mitzvot and gives us this mitzvah of kindling the Sabbath lights.” (Virtual)

After the Welcome of the Shabbat, The Four Blessings (relfacts) are given. The Four Blessings are normally given at the Friday night family meal, and can extend into Saturday. The Four Blessing starts with the Father giving blessings to his children. There at the dinner table on Friday evening, the father will embrace or lay hands on his children and bless them by reciting to them,

[For a son:] May God make you as Ephraim and Menasheh [the two sons of Joseph].  
[For a daughter:] May God make you as Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah [the four matriarchs of the Bible].  The Eternal One blesses you and protects you. The Eternal One shines God's Presence upon you and is gracious to you. The Eternal One lifts up God's Presence to you and grants you Peace. The Father then embraces of lays hands on his wife and blesses her by reciting from Proverbs 31:10-31, which begins "What a rare find is a capable wife!".
Following these two beautiful blessings the Father gives to his family; he then turns his attention to the elements of the Shabbat, the wine and the bread. At this stage the father will pick up the glass of wine or the “Shabbat Kiddush” and recite the blessing,

“It was evening and it was morning. On the sixth day the heavens and the earth and all their hosts were completed. For by the seventh day God had completed the work which he had made, and God rested on the seventh day from all the work which he had made. Then God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from the work which he had created to make.

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Ruling Presence of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Ruling Presence of the Universe, who has sanctified us with commandments and finds favor in us; giving us the holy Sabbath as a heritage in love and favor, a remembrance of the creation, that day being also the first among all the holy occasions, a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt. For You have chosen us and hallowed us above all nations [some omit this last part], giving us Your holy Sabbath as a heritage in love and favor. Blessed are You, Eternal One, who sanctifies the Sabbath.” (Virtual)

This blessing is not just to sanctify the wine, but a blessing that sanctifies the entire Shabbat ceremony. An “AMEN” follows this blessing from the community gathered.
Following the blessing of the wine, traditional Jewish sects will have a washing of the hands, washing the right hand and then the left hand. There is no speaking during this time and while doing this element of the ceremony they would recite,
“Blessed are You, Eternal One Our God, Ruling Presence of the Universe, Who sanctifies us with mitzvot and gives us this mitzvah of washing the hands.” (Virtual)

Following the blessing of the wine, comes the blessing of the bread called, “Motzi”. Two loaves of braided egg bread called “Challah” are made. The bread represents the two portions of manna provided by God in the wilderness, and also the two tablets of the Ten Commandments. Each person at the dinner breaks off a piece of bread, normally the size of one or two bites, salting it, as in the ancient sacrifices, and then reciting a blessing,
“Blessed are You, Eternal One our God, Ruling Presence of the Universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.” (Virtual)
Next an “Amen” from the gathering is given, and the bread is eaten. After the consumption of the bread the entire family shouts, “SHABBAT SHALOM!” as loud as they can. This is heard through out the Sabbath time.

Following the Four Blessings the family then enjoys the Sabbath Meal (relfacts). There are no specifications for this meal, but is normally followed by songs, and family games. This meal is very much centered on the family, and enjoying one another.
After the Sabbath Meal, the family will join the rest of the Jewish community at the Synagogue for the Sabbath Prayer Service (relfacts). This is only done by walking, and is why many Jewish communities live so close together. At the Synagogue prayers are recited, and the service is much like any other service excepts a few more prayers are recited and there is a community blessing, and reading from the Torah.
The Jewish Sabbath is over at Sun Set on Saturday evening. Having the “Havdalah Ceremony” says, Goodbye to the Shabbat (relfacts). The family or community gather together either at home or in the Synagogue and have blessing over the wine, smelling fragrant spices, lighting the Havdalah Candle, and blessing the havdalah.
When the Sabbath is officially over which is normally 45 minutes after sun set, the entire community or family greet one another with “Shavauh Tov!” meaning, “a good week”. (jewfaq)

Section Citation:

Religion Facts.(relfacts) Retrieved October 18, 2006 from http://www.religionfacts.com
Judaism 101. (jewfaq) Retreived October 18, 2006 from http://www.jewfaq.org
Jewish Virtually Library. (Virtual) Retrieved October 18, 2006 from
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org

Books! I love books!!!

2006-10-08T22:03:00.000-05:00

The best part of being knee deep in grad work is the reading. While most people probably fear the reading, or hate it. I absolutely love it!! IWU does this thing, where every 6 weeks they send you a new book or books depending on what the class requires! This is great for me, because the day I get my books I start reading them. I can't wait to dive into the content they hold. Some of these books are great, like "Ministry Momentum", and this new one "Biblical Interpretation". But some are dry, like Organization Change, an MBA text that is very dry and full of boring illustrations. BUT the last chapter was great and reviewed a book called, "THE TIPPING POINT" which i ordered today before church. These books, are just a few of the many i will tackle while taking this courses, and while I love to read, the best is when I read something I can apply that day to my life or ministry.

If you have a book I MUST read, please pass the title and why onto me. I am always looking for good books! In fact, If i meet someone smarter then me...which is just about everyday! I always ask them what book I should be reading next, and they always have a good title.

EXCEPT for one man, there is one person I can't ask that too. Because I know if I start reading the same stuff he is reading I will be stirred in my soul. You see, for a long time I have had a passion for church planting and models of church planting. A month ago my mentor and good friend Chris C. handed me a book on church planting. I read the first three chapter and had to put it a way...it was on a subject that was too close to my core...too close to where I know God is calling me. Now is not the time...i know Danielle and I are in a period of waiting. While I have a passion to plant, a plan to plant and a dream for what kind of plant, I have not been given the go ahead for GOd. How do i know I don't have the go ahead? Well, that is hard to answer, i just know that in my life, in my ministry, when God has wanted me to make a move, He has made it clear in a person, place, or experience. That still has not been the case for planting. I know FCWC is where God has placed us to learn, grow spiritually, grow in faith, and grow in ministry maturity. As you know Leaving Mukwonago, was extremely difficult. IN fact, tonight Danielle was looking at picture on the CRM web site, and I just could not look. It hurt to bad!! And even now as I only reflect on my brothers and sisters in Christ there, I am moved to tears. God is so good, but ministry can be painful!

I write all that to say thank you for all the prayers and encouragement I have received from all of you. I post my thoughts on this site for a couple different reasons. One, so you can learn too, over my shoulder. Two, because sometimes I need extra motivation to write a paper well, and if i know you are going to be reading and using it, I write it for you and your ministry is on my mind. Finally I write on this blog because it is a good place to save my hard work. If you build a house and no one enjoys it with you, is it worth the build?

Well it is late, and I need to turn in. Check these books out, read them, learn them, and enjoy them! Good night! Tomorrow I have breakfast with Gary from my Online class and off to get some 30 hammocks for my friends. [you will have to read about the hammocks on the Freed House blog]

until then,
jf

GO TEAM!

2006-10-03T22:19:00.000-05:00

Here is a great picture of some of the best, volunteers I have ever had the honor to work with. They never once received a pay check, but they still gave 110% of their love, energy, and time to students. WHY? I answer this later in this post.

Well, honestly, this class has been a lot of reflection on my own personal ministry and personal leadership abilities and has left little for others to read. While I am sure you want to read all about me, [ha ha] I am writing a paper right now on a theoretical model of change and change management for a Spiritual Formation Process of ministry i am developing and implementing at FCWC.

Well, many of you already know, but at the end of this class, I will switch my grad work to, IN THE CLASSROOM, a more traditional style of learning. While this decision was made not on academic preferences, but on financial needs. I don't feel comfortable talking about this situation on this public forum, but give me a call, and I will tell you how I really feel about it.

Finally, I am hoping to be adding to this site again in my next class. In this setting I will have more time to post thoughts and comments about the upcoming subject. These classes will still be 8 weeks long and be hitting on all kinds of leadership and ministry topics.

Finally, to leave you with a small tool, here is a couple thoughts I put together concerning volunteers in church leadership. Growing up in the church, I found that many people volunteer and give 110% to ministry with never ever receiving a pay check. In reflection of these men and women I wrote this.

When there is no paycheck what is the reward for volunteering in FUSION?

Self Realization: Being involved in Student Ministries places your life in an incubator for personal growth. Through different developmental tools such as Saddleback’s S.H.A.P.E. a person will be able to discover their own Spiritual Gifts, develop and discover their hearts desires and personal dreams, build on the strengths of their own natural talents and abilities, while at the same time capturing the essence of their personality that people are attracted to. Finally, through a look back on past experiences a leader will realize where God wants to take them in their personal purpose for life.

Reach Personal Potential: Each Christian believer has the potential to become a vibrant servant leader in the world in which they live. Through understanding how God funnels His grace to a leaders life through a disciplined spiritual life, your personal mission and purpose is defined and fulfilled. Your personal potential is available through the inner work of the Holy Spirit moving in you and through you as you develop the people around you.

A Legacy: Everyone is living for something, whether that is a career, family, material things, or even to be loved. However, finding people who are willing to die for a cause that will out last them is rare, but that is exactly what Christ calls all of His disciples to. We must live for the lasting Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your life is a testimony of the saving work that Christ has in a person’s life and when your life is completely surrendered and built on a relationship with Jesus Christ, it sends out a legacy of love, faith, hope, and life for generations to come.

Seeds For An Orchard: The Holy Spirit’s work in your life is one that allows you to live a successful life here and in eternity. The Holy Spirit’s work in a person’s life is in the planting of an orchard of Fruits of The Spirit that affect every area of your life. The book of Galatians chapter five outlines the Fruit of the Spirit as this…
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (NIV, Italics added)
Through a leadership role in the Student Ministries a leader will experience these fruits being planted and developed in their life as they lead others to growth and success in Jesus Christ. All of the Fruits of the Spirit are given so that people can live in community and be an affective representative of Christ in the lives of others.

A Life that brings Glory to God: Every life has a song that is heard by everyone who comes in contact with that life. Some life songs are that of hate, distrust or anger. In a student’s life they hear and see many life songs that are singing the tunes of favoritism, popularity, materialism, and loneliness. The Holy Spirit’s work in the life of a leader is to develop that life song to be a song of love, hope, peace, and pure joy, thus creating a heart within a leader that sings through energy, time, love, and self-sacrifice to give glory and worship to the Lord, who has given energy, time, love and self-sacrifice; so that the leader could have life and have it eternally. When students see a leader’s passion for glorifying God, they too begin to open their lives to the inner work of the Holy Spirit, and in turn this brings about a great choir of lives glorifying God.

Special thanks to all the Adult Leadership Team here at FUSIOn, we are so dependent on you, and praise the Lord for your dedication to these students.

To our former Life Coaches, Adult Volunteers at CrossRoad Ministries, we miss you, love you, and think about you daily! Thank you for teaching us what ministry really is!!!!

Brain Food

2006-09-04T14:02:00.001-05:00

Hey friends, this week I am starting my second week of my class on Power, Change and Conflict Management. I have nothing to write yet on this topic, but hope you still find some brain food here. So I have added this link. This is a site I visit often, well often enough to know I really like it. Many things on this site make me think and stretch my mind. Enjoy!!

http://www.changingminds.org/

Keep checking in, I am due to write a paper sooner or later.

WORSHIP CLASS Over...now we sleep

2006-08-20T17:07:00.000-05:00

Well, 3 classes down 10 to go!! i am pumped about not having school next week!!! I turned in my final paper on Emerging Worship in the Youth Culture...if you want a copy let me know, and I turned in my final book review. Ready for a good week off of school!!!! Dr. Guy was a great Prof. and did a great job facilitating the class. Check in later for details on the next class: "Power Change and Conflict Management".
I will be studying this according to the course overview: This course examines several theories of the nature of change and change management as they interface with church management and administration. The course particularly examines the nature of power structures within the congregation and how to facilitate constructive change while maintaining fidelity to the mission of the group. (Practical)

Looking forward to this class with D. Drury.

Intresting Article

2006-08-20T16:29:00.000-05:00

Worship Music Trends
Current research data on churches
By John C. LaRue, Jr.
Illustrations by Rose Zgodzinski

Since 1993, Your Church has surveyed churches every three years on the style of music used in worship. In 1993, nearly half (49 percent) of churches chose a traditional style and only 13 percent used a contemporary style; the rest used a blended style (see Graphic 1). The latest study shows a surge in the use of contemporary music with a corresponding drop in traditional. Today, churches are evenly grouped in each category: 37 percent blended, 32 percent contemporary, and 31 percent traditional.

Growth Factors
Churches that perform contemporary music in worship report more attendance growth in the past five years than those using the other styles. Nearly six in ten (57 percent) contemporary churches have grown in the last five years compared to 45 percent of blended and just 26 percent of traditional churches. The median Sunday morning worship attendance at contemporary churches is 187, which is slightly ahead of blended churches (177) and more than fifty percent ahead of traditional churches (121).

The attendance growth within contemporary churches has meant the need for expanded facilities resulting in a greater need to borrow money. Two-thirds of contemporary churches have loans compared to half of blended churches and a third of traditional ones. Contemporary churches are also more likely to have a mortgage (48 percent) than blended (29 percent) or traditional (18 percent) churches.

Giving per attendee at contemporary worship churches ($1,684) is virtually the same as blended churches ($1,612) and traditional churches ($1,788). This is somewhat surprising considering the typical "seeker" orientation of contemporary churches. Annual giving per member is significantly higher at contemporary churches ($1,689) than both blended ($907) and traditional ($689) churches.

Words and Instruments
Nine out of ten contemporary worship churches use video projectors each week to display words to worship songs, in contrast to only two-thirds of blended and one-fifth of traditional worship churches. Only 21 percent of contemporary churches use hymnals each week, compared to nine out of ten traditional and blended worship churches. Chorus books are used by only four out of ten traditional and blended worship churches and one out of ten contemporary churches.

Not surprisingly, contemporary worship employs a greater variety of musical instruments than traditional or blended worship music (see Graphic 2). As expected, contemporary worship relies more on guitars, drums, and digital keyboards, but it is also more likely to use brass and wind instruments. An organ is the only instrument that is played more frequently in traditional and blended worship services than in contemporary churches.

The Studies
In each of the studies (1993, 1996, 1999, 2001, and 2004), Your Church mailed approximately 1,000 surveys to a random selection of U.S. churches. Previous studies had an average response rate of 38 percent. The current study had a response rate of 16 percent yielding a margin of error of 8 percentage points.

John C. LaRue, Jr. is vice president of Internet research and development at Christianity Today International. Previous Special Reports can be found at www.yourchurch.net. Send questions to yceditor@yourchurch.net.

Copyright © 2004 by the author or Christianity Today, Inc./Your Church magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Your Church.
July/August 2004, Vol. 50, No. 4, Page 64

Paper in the works

2006-08-15T15:55:00.000-05:00

Will not post next week, i am writting my final paper on "WORSHIP IN THE YOUTH CULTURE" or somethig like that. It is a long one, and probably will not be posted here. If you would like to view it for refrence, or you have no life and have nothing else to do...let me know, and i will get you a copy. Thanks to all of you who read this blog and keep up with my school. I do appreciate your thoughts. Sometimes, i write a paper with you all in mind, and this helps me write better and more productive. Thanks for giving a little bit to me.

jf

A MATTER OF TIME: Worship in a Stopwatch World

2006-08-15T15:16:00.000-05:00

In my recent class on Worship, it has been sparking a lot of thoughts in me on how I personally view worship. Is it all songs? Actions? Serving? Raisging hands? How can I tell if someone else is really truly worshipping? Is it how they sing? act? serve? What is worship, are we worshipping on Sunday morning like we say we are...or is it all a show? or Actions? or truly deep down worship? Where am I in the worship spectrum?

I don't have answers to these questions, or even can start to come up with solutions. but I read a recent article, which i have included in a previous post on this blog, and it got me thinking. Here are a little of my thoughts. As a Pastor I fear posting this, because I truly don't want to offend, or discourage. But they are my thoughts, and I guess I would not mind if you looked over my shoulder as I process them. Please do not feel I have come to a conclusion on the idea of blended worship or worship at all...I will probably die thinking through this subject, and then one day, be in paradise, where all the answers wait for us.

Praise the Lord...any way you can!

The History of Time:
You can’t buy it, can’t spend it, and can’t keep it for long and each of us only have a small amount to use, and unfortunately, we can’t get anymore! Some people suffer guilt because of the way they have spent their time. Others, like my grandparents, were married for over fifty years and they truly and deeply enjoyed their time together, and in the end, they would have given anything for more time with their spouse. Time is a product of a fallen world, so our worship is determined and sometimes held captive by time.

Worship Outside of Time is Our Destination:
In the Garden of Eden time existed, we know this because of the calculations of days and periods of the day, however, the days were a part of the life process, not life cycle. Adam and Eve may not have thought about time, if anything, it was a byproduct rather than a commodity of this beautiful garden. Today, time is priceless, wasted and constantly counted. Workers clock in and out and are paid not by what they do, but by their time. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our past sins so that we could have a future in timeless worship. Heaven is a place where there is no time. I don’t think we can imagine what this would be like because time is what is changing and making us; however, when we think of heaven, we naturally think of a place without time. We imagine a place that is not defined by change, but a truly consistent, unchanging, unfailing place.

Time is Ticking Away:
Time is ticking away for our current world, yet we try to hold onto the past. Man has been trying to capture time by building museums, and using video cameras and pictures; we even have the History channel re-showing us our time spent. Somewhere deep inside of us is a longing for a place that is not defined by time. Time always equals change; you cannot have time with out change nor change with out time. I believe this is why change in worship is so difficult for many Christians today.
Our history in worship is hard to give away because it holds memories of God’s inner work and change in people’s lives. We love to relive and re-experience those moments in time where God met with us in a fresh and new way. In my own life, if I hear a certain hymn or walk into an old church I can still feel those moments as a boy growing up in a happy church family. Those memories are beautiful, and I love to re-imagine them, but I ca not stay there in the past, time is moving on.
Blended worship is a style of worship that blends old traditional style of liturgical worship with more contemporary music styles and emerging traditions. I feel that this style of worship is crippling to the North American Church because it sits and spins its wheels of change and growth. Time is ticking away, and the church cannot hold onto the past while striving for the future.

By Holding Onto the Past, We Let Go of the Future:
I am not a big fan of the new emerging style of music forming in our culture. However, I do not believe that the church should wade in the shallows of the past. Striving to be creative and expressive in worship is the key for a revival in today’s church. Holding on to the past styles and culture of worship music will only appease a generation rather than release a generation to grow. The longer the North American church struggles in this thick-in-pride worship conflict the more lives will be turned away from the gospel.

By Holding onto the Future, We Lose Out on the Glorious Past:
However, striving completely toward the future and giving no regard to our churches history will be detrimental to the health of our local churches. Creativity is built out of perception, and perception is developed through time and our story. History is the story of the churches conception and birth, why we do the things we do, and not do. For our emerging generation to expand and grow, they must have a deep appreciation and understanding of our worship past. The church today needs to revisit the practices of our worship in generations past, find the golden relics of corporate worship and apply them today in an emerging worship spectrum. Our reach into the past will determine our depth in worship.

Time Causes People to Change:
Worship is a subject we must conquer now because the emerging generation that is here today will be gone tomorrow. We must consistently and constantly be striving to be creative, corporate and confident in our striving for development in worship practices of the local church. Today, worship is primarily seen as a musical task, but in times past worship was primarily seen as a path of creeds and corporate recitals. What will worship be in the future? Where will the horizon of worship practices lead? If we emerge ourselves in the idea of a blended practice we will do nothing more than melt in the present.

Blended Worship Can’t Work Globally:
Blended worship is like trying to put old wine into new wine skins. Time has come and gone, and it is time that is carrying us into a new horizon of worship. Worship that blends different time frames and styles of worship will wilt in global perspective. I cannot expect my brothers and sisters in West Africa to worship like me in central Indiana. Our lives and time is spent in completely different worlds. As God dwells among us and moves through His people, our sense of worship is expanded. A true sense of blended worship is where I as a brother in Christ serve my brother in Christ in West Africa as Christ commands; this is a blending of my life with his. As we look at worship through out time, we can see the church growing rapidly through worship that is played out in acts of service. Worship began by the apostles waiting tables for widows.

Lifestyle Worship is an Emerging Style of Worship:
Lifestyle worship has grown out of everyday living. Our time being spent at our jobs, schools, homes, backyards, driveways, and hobbies are the true stage for our worship. The Holy Spirit fills and spills over into our time through the “Fruits of the Spirit.” Outlined in Galatians 5 we can see a formation process of creative lifestyle worship. While worship is a product of the Holy Spirit’s work in us, it is displayed through the corporate manifestation of servant hood. This type of lifestyle is evangelistic natural and pure in motivation. As I look across an emerging generation of leaders in the youth movements found in the local North American church, I see more and more lifestyle worship than blended styles of worship.

Great Article...long but worth the time

2006-08-08T21:59:00.000-05:00

Dennis Kiszonas started Grace For Today in 1986 and has served as its president and the host of the radio broadcast since then. He is a native of Chicago, raised as a Roman Catholic, went to 12 years of Catholic school and was later saved as a student in college. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois and pastored churches in Chicago and New Jersey for over 25 years. In the summer of 2002 he entered into a full-time ministry of church planting in New York City and is currently serving as the pastor of the new church started in Brooklyn. Dennis and his wife, Barbara, have two daughters.

Dennis wrote this article called: ,,Your Reasonalbe Service: How to Worship God in the Dispensation of Grace,,
Check it out here: http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/articles/1075918231.html

Intrumental and Presentational Styles of Worship

2006-08-08T20:53:00.000-05:00

Instrumental and Presentational Worship:

Robert Webber in his chapter “Blended Worship” in the book, “Exploring the Worship Spectrum”, Webber explores the pros and cons of a blended style of worship. However, I think he, like many of the writers of this book miss the forest for the trees. So often times in our current church culture we wrap worship around a music style, rather then a style of music into worship. While I feel Webber has maybe missed the point of a true blended worship in this text, I do believe he does the best job of focusing worship off of music and onto other elements of worship.
Worship is much more grand then a style of music. Styles of music are like clothing styles, they are constantly changing, and constantly coming back. What is out of style today, will be retro tomorrow and back in the next generation around. I never thought the 80’s would have a come back, but in Junior High schools across the nation, the style of dress and music is back…and growing stronger. It is kind of scary for me.

As Christians, our largest mistake is concentrating on worship in Music when we should be concentrated on worship as a lifestyle. It is hard to find a book that describes worship as a lifestyle. Yet look at any great Christian leader in the past 2000 years, and you will find men and women who lived out a message, not sang in out.

QUESTION: Have I seen Traditional models of worship in song incurring the problems of being presentational driven?
Yes, growing up in a camp meeting style of worship, much of my worship was based in song, and that of the old time hymns. To this day, I still love the hymn style of worship, but have seen it turn more presentational, then spirit led. Taking on the attitude, “If you build it, they will come.” Meaning, if you present a worshipful style of singing, then the Holy Spirit will come. This inauthentic act of singing songs leads only to an empty faith, and a worship that is based on feeling, and outward performance.
In a youth ministry I was previously involved with we have a worship band, and a long list of singers ready to sing with the band. However, some often were driven primarily by the spotlight and limelight. It was very hard to find young students who grasp the understanding of corporate worship and the role people on stage play.

Question: Has contemporary models of worshipping in song incurred a problem of becoming instrumental worship?
Contemporary is such a loaded, weighted term that denotes a certain style. However, in current worship found in local churches who are striving for something other then Hymn worship I have seen a drift to instrumental worship, but not the extent that the text speaks against. For decades bands have been playing music from stages, and instrumentation has been the tool that draws people to these concert venues. This has blead into the pulpits of our churches, and has caused a new style of worship music that is edgier and more current to a culture outside of the church walls. I personally see this style and fear of music drifting quickly into the past, however, if not dealt with, the past always comes back. Much like that 80’s style of dress mentioned earlier.

Both presentational and instrumentation styles of worship are fading from growing, changing churches. Recently Willow Creek discontinued it’s AXIS Ministry to young adults. I believe this was because of the focus on style, and not scripture. People long for the life changing effects of God’s inner work, not the temporary changing power of style based worship.

Technology is Killing my Worship

2006-08-02T10:37:00.000-05:00

I recently upgraded my cell phone to the new Verizon Razor Phone. I also went ahead and picked up the bluetooth ear piece and now I am growing to hate it! Which braught about this answer...

Trinitarian Theology and Charismatic Worship

Question Posed:
Have the effects of scientific technological advancements in any way hindered our willingness to pursue and/or depend upon supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit? In which ways does our contemporary society prevent or limit your willingness to expect a metaphysical intervention over matters in our life?

Yes! I believe that technology has hindered our focus as a society to be more on the works of man, and less dependent on the works of God. When a person in my family gets sick, and is needing to be hospitalized, I have more faith in the doctors tools, then I do in the healing work of the Holy Spirit. It is almost, as if I count on the tools of technology, and rest in the fact that God’s “got my back”. In reality, God’s heart longs for me to depend wholly and completely on Him. Even though God has given man the ability to invent and create tools to fix, only He can truly heal.
In my own private worship, technology has opened the door for me to become greater and for God to become less. For example in the area of my time, I am constantly trying to get the most done in the less amount of time, so that I can get more done. I use computers to get more work done faster, when in reality my time is then consumed by other trivial technological motivated endeavors. Time is no longer moved through or spent, but sucked up and recycled. The use of technology has placed my use of time in a place of hurried, anxiety, and response driven mentality that can cause distress to my spiritual development.
Because of this misuse of time, I have found that my time spent in solitude is diminished. What used to be a quiet trip across town can turn into a conference call, or random assortments of radio stations, and chaotic noise. This lack of silence has led to a lack of solitude. Which I believe is an inner cancer to our society as a whole. Long walk or long drives where often simple ways for people to have a moment of solitude. Today, we have access to cell phones, and satellite radio. Where has the quiet gone?
This overflow of constant sensory overflow due to technology has fueled in my own spiritual formation a loss of patience. I exist and operate in a fast food, fast internet, fast life world, and my spiritual life operates in that world. This has caused me to reflect, and pray for patience on a multitude of levels. From the time I spend with my family, and the amount of time I give projects and ministry plans to pan out. All these things are effected by technology and the inner work and room the Holy Spirit is allowed to move within.
Here are three ways I have battled against the smothering power of Technology in my Spiritual Formation:

1. GIVE TIME AWAY! Realize, your time is given to you by almighty God, because if I truly believe that my days are numbered, and my life belongs to him, giving time away should be easy. As I give time away to my TOP PRIORITIES first, then the secondary, and third tier priorities will fall into place. Technology leads us to believe we can accomplish everything right now. When the truth is, I have my whole life to live.

2. GIVE THE NOISE AWAY! Being alone, and silent is not bad. In our society the idea of being alone is feared, because it could lead to loneliness, and loneliness is a plague killing our suburban societies. However, silence will never lead to loneliness, it only leads to better depth perception of life. Allowing God to have your drive to work, or your walk to the mailbox. Leaving the iPod at home for your work out, or giving your TV a rest for an evening. These are all ways you can give the noise away. Give the noise away, and you just my finally hear something worth listening to.

3. TAKE ON MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR JESUS and LESS FOR YOU! Often time we are impatient because we want to move on to the next event or project, and the current situation is taking too long. If this is the case, then priorities are out of alignment and need to be moved back into proper placement. I recently threw out my back and was suffering from a bulging disc. The chiropractor explained to me that the main problem was my disc was out of place, and the area around the disc was causing pain and swelling. The same is true for our schedules, when our main priorities of serving the Lord and our families is our of alignment, then the area of less importance will cause of pain. Often times accepting more responsibility for Jesus, like spending more time on your family life, and church life and giving less time to career advancement can bring your life back into alignment. The reason this works, is because you are forced to give up the small less significant things, to accomplish the more significant areas of your life.

Traditional Hymnody: Is Hymn Worship Still Relevant?

2006-07-27T13:51:00.000-05:00

border="0" alt="" />

Traditional Hymnody

Growing up in a small rural church, the hymnbook was our guide to worship. The worship leader would stand at the large podium in the front of the church and shout out a number, then the congregation would take a quick moment and turn quickly to the page. When the leader saw most of the people finding the page, he would give a nod to the organist and/or pianist and they would begin to sing. Sometimes we would sing all 4 or 5 verses of a song, each time returning to the chorus, or occasionally the 1, 3, and last verse, depending on the mood of the leader and how much time would be left for the Pastor to preach. For me, this was how every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday evening went. Today, these songs are rich and bring back great memories of church as a young boy. Even now, I can still hear the sound of hymnbooks being pulled from the backs of wooden pews, or easily reminisce the smell of an old hymnbook. On the shelf behind me sits three copies of hymnbooks I often read for devotions or inspiration in my sermons. In my heart, hymnbooks hold a special place.
However, in my ministry, hymnbooks have been replaced with slide shows and scrolling video’s. We have replaced the piano and organ with a live band, and more than one leader. I have enjoyed this change and look forward to what the future brings, but deep down inside, I still love the past. Recently I even bought a CD featuring old hymns sung by Alan Jackson, which is playing now as I write this article.
In the book, “Exploring the Worship Spectrum” Harold M. Best gives an excellent explanation and need for Traditional Hymn worship in churches. He defines worship by writing:

“We were not created to worship – this suggests that God is a being who needs that kind of attention. Rather, we were created worshiping – already at worship…Hence the conviction that al of our redeemed living is unceasing worship, continuous outpouring. Hence the assurance and the challenge that we do not as much go to church to worship as journey there to continue our worship in company with brothers and sister as a local manifestation of the gathered body of Christ himself – his bride, washed and newly virgin, for the marriage supper of which he is the one and only Holy Groom.”

p.62 of “Exploring the Worship Spectrum” chapter by Harold M. Best

With this theology of worship in mind Best goes on to define Traditional Hymnody as worship based in structure much like this:
• Sung text and instrumented music
• Instructional or responsorial sentences, said or sung
• Selected scriptures
• Prayer of three general kinds
o Brief invocations / petitions / benedictions
o Congregational prayers of confession, praise and intercession
o Pastoral prayer, offered on behalf of the congregation
• Sermon or brief interconnected homilies
• Offerings of temporal goods in spiritual manner
• Periodic celebrations of the Lord’s Supper, with its own self-contained musical, textual, instructional, and devotional actions

Finally at the end of his chapter Harold Best challenges the reader in a “prayer for the church” in which we are encouraged – among other things – to “…raise a song as new as God’s eternal now transcending time and sense.”
As I read through Best’s chapter, I am quickly reminded of the gold ol’ days in the small rural church worship through a style and theology much like Best presents. I am reminded how these songs and this structure brought comfort and stability to many people’s lives. However, no style or structure can hold propriety in a person’s spiritual formation. The feelings I receive when reminiscing about this old style of worship are the same when I think about Christmas at home. The tradition of Hymnody provides good memories and past events that have brought us to a present emerging time. As time continues I hope to grasp and harness the great aspects of this area and refresh them in a new emerging worship style and structure.
Many churches have offered separate services to accommodate the styles and preferences of budding generations and emergent leaders, but I wonder if there is a middle ground. A place where the style and structure is free to change the theology that brings the Hymns to life can remain the same. I am not sure. According to Best’s chapter, there is only one way of accomplishing this timeless flavor of worship, which is through the hymnbooks. I believe there is a place for timeless truths held in the measures of traditional hymn worship, but to hold a generation captive to a structure is not Biblical or healthy for the Bride.
I appreciate Herald Best’s chapter on Traditional Hymn worship, and find myself longing for those early days again, but the church has grown in age, and with new time, comes new structures of worship. While many of the strong motivations still anchor us to the past, it is a heart for a fresh work and new Spirit to fill our lungs and be exhaled in song. As Best so perfectly stated in his final prayer, it is time for the church to “sing a song as new as God’s eternal and now transcending time and sense.” While the past has been so good, God is still moving, still giving revelations, still writing music, and still changing people.

Citation:
Engle, Paul. E. and Basden, Paul. A. (2004) . Exploring the Worship Spectrum
Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan Publishing

Litergical Worship: Assets and LIabilities of the Formal Models

2006-07-25T11:49:00.000-05:00

Liturgical worship is something that I do not have a lot of experience with. Not because I have not had the opportunity, but because I have not felt it was something worth making time for, until I read this chapter in “Exploring the Worship Spectrum” by Paul Zahl. In it he addresses three reasons why people do not like the Liturgical style of worship and his response to them. Those being:

1. the question of the involvement of the Holy Spirit, or the ability for the Holy Spirit to move in such a rigid scheduled service.

2. The performance quality of the service and the feeling of being cold and dead

3. Its inherent unfriendliness, which may hinder evangelism.

He also gives a good definition of formal worship by saying:

“Formal worship means dignified service that is not governed by the spontaneity of the moment or the spontaneity of the officiant. It means service in a form, within a mold. It is not off the cuff or as mood would govern. Rather, it accepts the constraint of a consistent and predictable pattern….Liturgical worship means prescribed worship, service that is required for a given occasion.”

pg. 23 “Exploring the Worship Spectrum” Chapter 1: Formal –Litergical Worship article by Paul F.M. Zahl

Using Paul’s own definition of liturgical formal worship, I want to address how I feel about the three reasons people do not normally like Liturgical style. I first must say that I come from a charismatic, holiness camp meeting style of worship, this is what I prefer and perform in my own ministry. I feel this is also the future of worship in this emergent generation.

1.The question of the involvement of the Holy Spirit, or the ability for the Holy Spirit to move in such a rigid scheduled service:

I can see how people feel this way. As I read scripture, I am unaware in the New Testament of a moment where the Holy Spirit revealed Himself through gifts, or healing in a scheduled planned manner. I find scripture pointing to a wild spontaneous God, and I believe our worship should reflect that. Spontaneity is also a key ingredient in growing community within a congregation. I am not wanting to make the claim that the Holy Spirit can’t show up, or be scheduled, God is much larger then any form or style imparted by sinful man. However, I will say, that in my own experience God shows up spontaneously in my life.

2. the performance quality of the service and the feeling of being cold and dead:

I have felt this way in a liturgical service, but that was not the fault of the theology or the style of worship. Because of my background and perception of how I enter a worship service, I felt disconnected and unaware of the process of worship going on around me. However, I do not believe any room or environment can hinder the quality or performance of worship. If Paul in the Bible can worship in a jail cell, in chains, I can worship at my local Lutheran church.

3.unfriendliness that will hinder evangelism:

Evangelism should is a lifestyle of each member of the congregation, not the style of worship. When the New Testament church began, it was counter cultural to the folks around them. People even assumed they were drunk. Evangelism happens outside the walls of the church, discipleship happens inside the walls. I do not agree with this statement, because while I feel that liturgical style may be a hindrance to people’s likes and dislikes in worship, it is not a hindrance. Just like Hip Hop music does not ruin my grandfathers love for music. He will love music, just not hip-hop. If all my grandfather saw of music was Hip-Hop…then sharing the greatness of music with Him was not done properly, and can not be blamed on Hip-hop. Same is true with Evangelism, if evangelism is a style, then the Gospel of Jesus Christ must be weak, and unable to stand on it’s own two feet. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is beyond style and comfort. The Gospel of Jesus Christ should be played out in church, in a style you are comfortable with. I am a Christian, not because of the style of worship at my church.

but what do you think???

Four OT Streams of Worship @ Fall Creek Wesleyan Church

2006-07-20T22:13:00.000-05:00

The first five books of the Old Testament, the Torah, is a blueprint for worship intended for God’s chosen people. In it, four distinct streams of worship are formed and developed in the hearts of the nation of Israel. These four worship streams are clearly outlined in the contemporary book, “The Wonder of Worship” by Keith Drury, which is one of the best books I have read outlining worship through the ages in practical, easy to understand language. Using these four streams of worship, we will compare and contrast them with current worship at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church.
In his book, Keith Drury outlines Four Streams of Worship in the Old Testament and the focus of and later appearance of those streams in the current church. I have defined this appearance a little more to focus in on an average size church in central Indiana, called Fall Creek Wesleyan Church. Born out of a camp meeting Methodist movement, this church still holds many of the same focuses found in these four streams.

1. Private or Family Worship:
“In fact, for more than two thousand years – more than half of the Old Testament – there were no temples or synagogues, and the worship was more like “personal devotions” or “family worship.” The patriarchs’ worship included sacrifice and prayers, hearing God speak, and living in obedience to His words.”
-pg. 211 of “The Wonder of Worship” by Keith Drury

At Fall Creek Wesleyan Church, because we come out of camp meeting and Methodist roots, we often time assume most parishioners are practicing some sort of personal devotions or personal prayer; however, to encourage this practice the church has embarked on a journey of personally reading the entire Bible throughout this year. While this is a programmatic way of encouraging the reading of God’s Word for personal devotions, it is very much a personal endeavor, and thus is a link back to the patriarchs of this stream of worship.

2. Temple Worship:
“Tabernacle and Temple worship was impressive, exciting, and moving. The worshiper would experience all kinds of astonishing sights, sounds, and smells. Instead of talking with God alone on a mountain, hundreds and even thousands of people jammed into the courts….Temple worship (and it’s foreshadowing Tabernacle worship) was rich with symbolism and sacred objects: the alter of burnt offerings, table of showbread, lights, altar of incense, lavar, etc. It was full of pageantry of sacred actions.”
- Pg. 212 of “The Wonder of Worship” by Keith Drury

On any given Sunday at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church you can expect to find a worship service that resembles that of any Protestant evangelical congregation. Though this Temple worship stream is a similar paradigm of sensory stimulation, I believe Fall Creek Wesleyan Church is much more personal and more intentional about addressing the needs of each member of the congregation. While temple worship may resemble a “concert” in some aspects, Fall Creek Wesleyan Church worship feels more like a family reunion, where each person participates along side one another in fellowship, songs, scripture reading, and responding to the sermon. Also deep commitments are commonly made in a service at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church, something that may not have been an aspect of worship in the early Temple Worship scene.
Corporate worship today is unique in that it is meant to inspire, challenge, and encourage the believer; however, the participants in Temple Worship saw their role in a much different light. Temple worship was enacted to define a group of people by their actions, their actions led up to worship, contrary to today’s worship that leads into action.

3. Feast and Holy Days
“Old Testament worship was not just about sacrificing animals for the sin of the people. It was also about remembering God’s mighty acts. Indeed, one might argue that Old Testament worship was primarily about recalling God’s past faithfulness. The most common way we humans tend to remember the past is through anniversary memorial celebrations. That, celebrating each year at the same time what God did in the past at that time. Holy days are a means of remembering and memorializing what God has done in the past. Besides these feast days, the Jews observed a Sabbath every week. Thus, both their annual calendar and the weekly calendar provided a means of worship.”
- Pg. 213 of “The Wonder of Worship” by Keith Drury

Fall Creek Wesleyan Church celebrates the predicated events in the modern Church calendar being Easter, Christmas and Advent. A mention may be made to Lent or other Christian dates, but a deep emphasis is rarely made. However, Fall Creek does celebrate more modern contemporary versions of a church calendar. Each year this local congregation hosts a Missions Conference where many people celebrate the mighty work God is doing all over the world. This is a way of celebration for what God has done over the past year and anticipating what is to come. Events like this are similar to the intentions of those early feasts and Holy days.
Looking over the entire North American church I see a great lack in abiding to the Christian calendar. I believe that a healthy church looks for ways to incorporate the Christian calendar into their spiritual formation process, just as early worship defined a group of people, a congregations deliberate actions to follow the Christian calendar allows for Christians to define themselves through the historical actions of God. Joining in the Christian calendar is joining in a choir of worship that transcends time. I would like to see local congregations become more deliberate in following the Christian calendar in their programming and process of spiritual formation.

4. Synagogue Worship
“A synagogue service in the time of Jesus began with a quotation from Deuteronomy, then include ‘tefilah’, a series of prayers of praise, petition, and thanksgiving. The rest of the synagogue service focused on the word of God – the Torah. The Torah was read in reverence and then explained, the ancient equivalent of an expositional sermon.”
- pg. 214 of “The Wonder of Worship” by Keith Drury

Scripture is the centerpiece of the Synagogue worship. The same is true at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church if you stay for Sunday School on Sunday morning. In fact, most events during the week, such as home Bible Studies would follow much of the same pattern of the Synagogue service. While most churches are falling away from the Church calendar I do believe there is a new vibrancy to place Scripture as the centerpiece of the Sunday morning worship. The focus of most Sunday morning worship in Churches across the United States would be the sermon, however, in more emerging congregations, Scripture has moved to a more prominent place in the service, which I believe is encouraging and exciting.
Much of our own style of worship has emerged out of these four streams of worship defined in scripture and outlined in “The Wonder of Worship” by Keith Drury. Included here is a chart that originated on pg. 215 in “The Wonder Of Worship” by Keith Drury that I adapted to show the relevance to Fall Creek Wesleyan Church. While most churches look to current culture for inspiration in worship format, Fall Creek Wesleyan Church strives to be Biblically based. After reading through this chapter, we were encouraged that what we were doing, was God honoring, and provided a historical holistic view of worship. While many areas can be improved and built on, we can see that our practices are rooted in a historically confident and Biblically sound style of worship. May our voices at Fall Creek Wesleyan Church join with the generations past as we worship a living and moving God into the future.

Drury, Keith. (2002) . The Wonder of Worship. Why We Worship the Way We Do
Indianapolis Indiana: Wesleyan Publishing House
Marion Indiana: Triangle Publishing

Should a Funeral Service be Worship?

2006-07-20T15:03:00.000-05:00

Each week I have to respond to a question on an online discussion page grammer and spelling is not an issue, so I normally post quickly and respond quickly,: Here is the question and my response. Leave a comment with what you think::::

Should funeral’s be worship?

Today’s culture does not cater to allowing funerals to be worship. I remember about six months ago saying good bye to a young lady in her early thirty’s who passed away from cancer. Her two little girls and husband of only seven years survived her. It was heart wrenching to sit in that funeral service. The only glimmer of hope and joy that existed, was the fact that we all could rest in the fact she held a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and we were able to see her again someday.
Today church, does not see death like that early church. Our perception of eternity and rewards of a life surrendered to Christ is a far way off. Maybe, we have not given enough time in our preaching to heaven and hell, and have made more of our preaching about making heaven here on earth. Personally, this chapter has really challenge me to stretch my understanding of heaven and hell. It has been a great reminder to me that death is not the last card played, but merely the beginning of why I was created.

As a pastor, if I die young, I want my funeral to be a worship service, where the gospel is shared, and the blessings of eternity are shown. About three years ago I went to a funeral of a man who was a deacon in the church. The ceremony was filled with joy because the man lived a life that was surrendered to Christ. He also served his community through the church and many came to know Christ because of his efforts. The Pastor presiding of the funeral did an awesome job pointing not to the elderly gentlemen who laid dead before us, but the living God that gives us eternity out of love.

Great chapter really challenged my thinking when it comes to funerals.

Currently reading: Keith Drury's book "The Wonder of Worship"

Essentials of CRM

2006-07-17T00:43:00.000-05:00

The Student Ministry as a Two-Fold Organization:
Our Savior’s Wesleyan Church [OSWC] was started 25 years ago by a group of people from Milwaukee who wanted to start a Community Church in this suburban town. After years of growth and community outreach, OSWC began to evolve and became more established in the community. In 1996, OSWC made a big step of growth and hired their first full time Youth Minister. Years of great growth would follow reaching numbers of 45-50 in attendance. However, in 2001, that youth pastor stepped down from his position to become a teacher and concentrate on his marriage. Then, in 2003 OSWC hired John and Danielle Freed, and in the past three years the youth ministry, now called CrossRoad Ministries, has doubled in size, every year. The ministry of CrossRoad Ministries has many different facets to minister to the number of students that attend. These programs include:
→ “Sunday Night LIVE!” [grades 9-12] and “LIVEWIRE” [grades 6-8] Today, 70-80 students participate in a weekly worship gathering designed for their age group and interests.
→ During the week, CrossRoad Ministries offers small care group opportunities titled, “LIFE Groups” which are led by 6 trained “Life Coaches”. The attendances for these groups are from 60-65 students meeting weekly in homes around the area.
→ Discipleship occurs in a program titled, “Breakfast Club”, with an attendance of 30-40 students. Students are split into smaller classes that study specific books of the Bible. Also, during this class time students have the opportunity to take a specific class called “FOUNDATIONS” which allows students to learn the basics of Christianity and what this “Christian” life is all about.
→ Finally, “CROSSWALK” is a monthly program where students can choose to participate in an outreach event, such as a mission trip, service project in the community, or volunteering to help a member of the local congregation.

Strategic Management in CrossRoad Ministries

Why is Strategic Planning/Management Needed Now:
Because CrossRoad Ministries is Ready for Direction: The last two years have felt as if the youth ministry has been playing “catch up”. We have had rapid growth in student attendance and slow growth in leadership commitment. Recruiting has been difficult, because a clear strategic plan of ministry has not been in place. We have been working on a reaction ministry mindset, rather than a deliberate ministry mode.
Because Our Stakeholders [Parents] See the Possible Benefits: For years parents have been involved in the ministry along side their students. Most of our LIFE Coaches are currently parents. They will be the first to reap the benefit of a deliberate strategic ministry that ministers directly to their son and daughter.

CrossRoad Ministries is a FIRST MOVER:
Churches in Mukwonago: Because of the rich German and Northern European culture in Wisconsin, there is a heavy influence of Catholic and Lutheran Churches. Since those churches do not offer a relevant program for the youth and families in their congregation, many students stretch outside of their denominational affiliation to CrossRoad Ministries. We have found most students care nothing for their parent’s church, and do not dwell on denominational lines. Traditionally, Our Savior's Wesleyan Church has always had a strong growing youth ministry, because the other churches in our area see no urgency in reaching out and ministering to the youth. This has caused a wide spread problem with innovation in the local church ministry. Being a leader in innovative youth ministry has aided in the numerical growth of our ministry.

Vision: What does the heart say? vs. What do the facts say?
VISION grows out of Core Competences and a S.W.O.T., not out of heart convictions or acronyms. God’s work in the youth ministry can be done with precision, not with a gamble, let me explain:
Precision: Having a clear understanding of the ministry environment God has given a leader and an understanding of what it should look like in the future will allow that leader to be precise in the decisions needing to be made.
Gamble: Many youth ministries operate and motivate under the idea that large events, entertaining productions, and fast paced programs will bring about the direction a ministry should go, and they only respond to the growth that these tactics bring. I truly believe that a good steward is one who thinks through their next steps and does everything they can to predetermine the outcome of those decisions.
The Healthy Middle Ground: Vissioneering, a word used as the title for Andy Stanley’s book(1999) about vision casting and formation, is a great word that describes the idea that VISION is formed out of the analyzing of fact and Core Competencies to see where God has blessed in the past and to determine where God may be leading in the near future.

Directional Thrust Statements:
Personality Statement:
When a youth ministry defines it’s personality statement, two things begin to happen in the culture of that ministry:
1. Spice is Added: Every youth ministry has a flavor. The flavor is the initial impression and the lasting impression that the ministry leaves on the life of the leadership, students, parents and guests. When a personality statement is formed and that personality is allowed to shine through, a new aroma and deep brilliance is added to the ministry culture. People are able to digest the vision and mission of the youth ministry by way of accepting the personality of that youth ministry.
2. Identity is formed within the lives of the people who attend. People begin to identify themselves with the youth ministry. The ministry then becomes a part of their life, and the vision and mission of the church is adopted into the individual lives of the students, parents, leadership and guests.

Vision Statement:
By toning our vision and making a clear vision statement I am hopeful that two things will occur:
1. Unity: Common vision creates a common focus for the leadership team. Many times, leaders, and LIFE Coaches feel disconnected in the process of discipleship, as if they were a lone ship in a vast ocean of ministry. Bringing in a clear vision will build a unity of purpose and expectations among the leadership and LIFE Coaches.
2. Momentum: Something we have not lacked in the past two years, I currently feel is beginning to fade, because of adult volunteers, leadership, and LIFE Coaches being stretched in many different directions. Having a clear vision gives an organization a unmistakable understanding of what they are doing. When a ministry knows where and what it is about, it creates a momentum that fuels the leadership to press on.

Mission Statement: The forming of a mission statement is the hardest part of the strategic planning process. Forming a Mission Statement is the outcome of the Vision Statement becoming tangible enough to fit into the every day lives of those who accept it.

Organizational Behavior of CrossRoad Ministries

CrossRoad Ministries has only existed for a short two and a half years. However, in that time, many leaders have invested into the program. While the program has seen much numeric growth, leadership has not grown. While volunteers have joined the tasks of the program, very few develop into true leaders of the program. Stepping back and analyzing where our leadership is currently focused, and seeing the strategic steps that need to take place, we look confidently for real leadership growth. Through this process CrossRoad Ministries (CRM) will be able to better plan the organizations behavioral development for the coming year.
Leaders are asked to commit for two semesters to growing in leadership and serving the Lord in youth ministry. These expectations include: time, energy, and empathy.
TIME: Time is crucial in youth ministry, because we are only given a very short amount. Students today are so busy with sports, school, work, community organizations, and other extra curricular activities. Many schools even require a certain amount of community service to be accomplished by graduation on top of all of this.
Expecting our adults to give their time is imperative. Because time is worth so much in our society, we need to expect leaders to invest that time into students. By investing their time into events, programs, and small groups we know what they invest will bring about growth for the student and the leader.
ENERGY: With every second of time, comes the need for more energy. Students have a lot of energy, but most times that power is not focused or harnessed. Adult leadership is key in focusing that energy on key areas that will produce growth in the student’s life. Putting energy into impacting student’s lives will produce more focus and productivity.
EMPATHY: The largest need for students in our context is the need for adults to understand, to really be sympathetic and truly understanding to the needs that all students have. We expect all of our leadership to be willing to reach out in understanding and compassion to students. Giving the students an open listening ear and tools for life growth.
Three ways that a leader is expected to express empathy in their ministry includes encouraging, empowering and investing.
Encourage: Each student must feel noticed, understood, and challenged; giving them clear direction in the next step he or she needs to take in their spiritual journey.
Empower: Giving students the proper tools to accomplish their goals and meet their full potential, encouraging them and believing in them along the way.
Invest: As mentioned before, students need a great deal of time and energy invested into their lives to see a good return for their labor.
CrossRoad Ministry works to be a Developer of Leaders:
The developer works from a different angle in organizational behavior. A developer is a leader who molds or transforms a person into the leader they were created to be. Each individual has unique leadership ability that is formed by many different factors. The developer adopts an individual into their life to build up in them the Core Competences that exist in all leaders. These Core Competences include, but not limited to: critical thinking skills, empathy for community needs, basics in how to lead a team, and overview of developing others as leaders and understanding the need for personal spiritual growth. Finally, as that person develops into a leader, they then are released to lead in a capacity that is designed and birthed out of their Spiritual gifts, heart’s desire, abilities, personality, and past experiences. These leaders tend to last longer in leadership roles and learn to reproduce other leaders through a process defined as Transformational Leadership (Bass 1987).
Another aspect of the Developer is developing individuals that see their lives are being invested into. They feel a need being fulfilled in their own growth process. They are not just a person satisfying a need, but a person whose need for development is being filled. Through development of leaders rather than recruiting leaders, the organizational behavior of our ministry has matured in many different directions. Some ways include a deep sense of community and effective problem solving. Leaders in the ministry are willing to grow and be challenged by one another.
Transformational Leadership Theory (Bass 1987):
A key factor of the organizational behavior is Transformational Behavior Theory, defined by Bernard M. Bass. Bass states “a leader affects followers, who are intended to trust, admire, and respect the transformational leader.” He identifies three ways in which leaders transform followers:
1. Increasing their awareness of task importance and value
2. Getting them to focus first on team or organizational goals, rather than their own interests
3. Activating their higher order of needs
(ChangingMinds.org)

Discover Leader’s Core Competencies:
A key element in developing leaders is determining the Core Competences of a leader in the ministry context. Answering the question, “What does a leader in this ministry look like?” When this question is answered then the Youth Pastor or other leaders can begin to develop the individuals around them, giving them the tools they need to be the leader God has ordained them to be. One quote from the book “Church Leader’s MBA”(2004) by Robert Whitesel, that really affected me was by Ralph Stayer, CEO of Johnsonville Sausage when he said, “The skills learned to be a good supervisor will not help anyone be a good president. Continued learning is crucial to continued success.” (Whitesel 2004)
Some tools that have helped us determine our Leadership Core Competences, is by accomplishing a S.W.O.T. of our current leadership team. Discovering what the S.W.O.T. revealed has opened our eyes to many different facets of interpersonal leadership that is crucial in youth ministry.

Youth Ministry Leadership Must be Given Freedom:
Freedom to Create:
Creativity comes out of consistent change, without change, creativity dries up. Being a ministry that is constantly trying new ideas and building out of our culture we begin to find creative solutions to spreading the Great News of Jesus Christ.
Freedom to Fail:
Learning to fail and learning from our failures is all a part of the develop-mental mindset. When we develop-mental strategies to learn from our surroundings and ourselves we quickly become more influential than we previously were.
Freedom to Own the Victory:
Victory that is shared creates momentum that builds up the Kingdom of God. When CrossRoad Ministries pauses to give God the Glory and focuses on the way in which God blessed their efforts, their reward is a deeper understanding and a constant return to those core competences that each leader has adopted. Victories in ministry are any influence made on a core competence, which has brought momentum to the mission of accomplishing the vision of the organization.

Youth Ministry Must have Leaders who are CREATIVE:
The best way to be creative is through Team Work. Being creative in a worship setting, such as a youth targeted worship service must be planned and executed in a team fashion. In the early parts of my ministry, I worked hard to accomplish all the tasks needing to be completed on my own with out a team. Quickly, my creativity burned out, followed then by my own ambition.
Gathering a team of leaders together to accomplish a vision brings creativity to the table. In “A House Divided,” by Dr. Bob Whitesel, he outlines a practical strategy for indigenous worship expressions; in this strategy he quickly gives direction for setting up a team to lead the new styles of worship. (Whitesel-165)
Team Effort Heightens Creativity
Within a team effort, tasks are spread out, giving the ability for creativity to flourish. Cramped time schedules and high expectations on one person compress their creativity. Some of the benefits we have gained from a team approach to programming and strategy includes ownership being shared and community being formed.
Ownership is shared, creating a team like atmosphere. When ownership is shared then vision is spread out and accomplished in a strategic method. When process is formed with a team, then creativity within that process can be used.
Community is formed through one focus. With one heart and one mind, the early church developed the new believers in the early church. Having a one vision in mind, creates a movement among the leaders, that results in more individuals from the congregation stepping up to the mantel of leadership in the youth ministry.

Marketing and Outreach of CrossRoad Ministries

Marketing to the youth culture in Mukwonago, Wisconsin can happen in strategically and deliberately in four stages.
STAGE #1: IDENTIFY THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS
To identify needs of the students in our current area, CrossRoad Ministries will work with a team and research different avenues of student life. Some of these areas may include…
Avenues of Research:
Some areas where CrossRoad Ministries will learn and understand the local student culture is in the following areas:
1. MySpace.com: An online journal where students are able to speak freely about their life. Looking up students in a specific region will give a good idea of what students are listening too, how they interact, and what is important to them. http://www.myspace.com
2. School Lunches: Visiting a school lunch is often welcomed by school administrators who find it difficult to recruit teachers to monitor school lunch period.
3. Local Hang outs: Every Friday night, in most regions, there is a place where students enjoy hanging out. By being available in these areas, it will give a student ministries pastor a good view of “relaxed student culture.”
4. School Functions: Many schools have proms, homecoming, and other dances. By building a relationship with the local school, you may have the opportunity to volunteer as a adult chaperone. Sports activities and music program events are often open to the community, and often coaches and band directors use adult volunteers to help with team activities and practices.

Formulate a Hypothesis:
Forming a hypothesis does not mean a person should come to a conclusion about a particular topic. By a quick overview of what has been seen, you form an assumption concerning the students in your region.
Collect Data:
Through the research and assumptions you’ve gathered, you will now begin to form conclusions about the students in your area. You should begin listing the facts that have been discovered.
Identify Needs:
Out of the data collected, pull out key themes that students in your region are facing. Make a clear list of needs that your student community is dealing with.

STAGE #2: DESIGN A PROGRAM TO MEET NEEDS OF STUDENTS:
Strategic Planning:
Begin to formulate a plan of action to offer tools to face the needs students are facing. Begin to develop adult leaders and student leaders to address these particular areas of need.
Form Your Message Around a Culture:
Be careful when dealing with students to not expect them to grasp hold of doctrine or theology too quickly. Students first must buy into the leadership and mission of the ministry before they’ll accept the programs offered. Meet the students where they are with a program that will draw them into a deeper connection with the ministry.

STAGE #3: BULLHORN: COMMUNICATION STUDENTS HEAR + LISTEN TO:
A Message to be Heard-Informative:
When passing information on to students, be clear, simple and direct. Leave no room for questions. If, however, they do have question, always give an easy way of accessing that information, such as the internet or responsive emails. In my experience, it is very rare that a student will respond to basic information that most student ministries provide.
A Message to Listen to-Persuasive Response:
For a message to be persuasive it must demand a response. In student ministries a response can come in many different forms. It could be showing up to a gathering, logging in to a web based community, or sending an email. Asking for a response will show that students are listening to your message. When a student has truly listened to a message they have adopted the idea in some way.
Another aspect of persuasive communication is that the elements of persuasion must be evident in marketing. Here is a brief list of ways to be persuasive in marketing…
Rational Need: Allowing the student to rationalize the need for the program in their life is key. Allow the student to discover his or her own need in the program or activity through direct personal questions. Bring the message home in a rational method of response. For example, when advertising a 5th Quarter Party, the question was used in big bold letters, “Do you really want to go home after this?”. The obvious answer for the student was “NO!”. Home for the student may mean homework responsibility or family problems, plus, going home means stepping out of the social realm which students crave. The ad quickly answered the rational question with the answer of, the event.
Emotional Need: Speaking to the emotions of a student is speaking directly to the deep needs of the student, connecting in a deeper realm that demands an emotional response. For example when advertising a missions opportunity to south Chicago, the small ad read, “What will it take for you to care?” and strategically placed in the foreground of the bold statement is a picture of a young child in the projects. These types of advertisements can be mistakenly taken as manipulative, but the truth is, they speak to the person who is listening. If a person is listening with their heart, we want to speak to their heart.
What has worked in the past in Student Ministries:
In our current student ministries we have tried many creative ways to advertise our programs and events. Here is a brief list of ideas that have worked for us in the past…
1. Student passing out small business card ads to student fans at a High School football games. The small slip of paper is easily tucked into a pocket or passed to a friend, leaving room for curiosity and discovery.
2. Advertising a prize for a student to win if they respond to the advertisement. For example, for a big outreach event, we gave away a free t-shirt to the first 70 people who walked through the doors. The only way to win the prize was to respond to the ad.
3. Web Page Pictures: The largest source of advertisement we have in our ministry is our current web site. We use pictures, discussion forum, and an available calendar to keep students informed and persuaded to attend the next big event. Keeping this page updated weekly is key as the students begin to make a habit of checking in with the site to see what’s new.

STAGE #4: ASSESSMENT: DO THEY REPEAT THE MESSAGE:
The key element in determining whether an advertisement worked or not, is in seeing if the students grasp the ideas behind the advertisement. If the message was one of persuasion, you must ask the question, did they respond. If the advertisement was informative, then the question must be asked, did they apply the information to their lives.
Learning Student Ministries vs. Teaching Student Ministries
The chart below is an adaptation for student ministries of a chart available in the book “The Church Leaders’ MBA” by Robert Whitesel.
The Learning Student Ministry The Teaching Student Ministry
does all the things a learning student ministry does. But, adds to the “Learning Student Ministry” characteristics, the following:
1. Students have a desire to learn. 9. Students are encouraged to teach and share testimony.
2. Studies youth culture. 10. Student ministries has a strategy to develop students as leaders.
3. Quickly adds programs to adjust or respond. 11. Creative ideas are applied to reach a creative culture.
4. Encourage students to learn theology and Biblical doctrine. 12. Students pass Biblical knowledge along to other students. They lead such activities as a Bible Study.
5. Encourage students to understand and apply virtues to their own life. 13. Students hold each other accountable.
6. Leaders understand mission of the student ministries. 14. Students grasp the mission of the student ministries.
7. Leaders are encouraged to grow spiritually as they lead students. 15. Students become teachers.
8. Focus is on developing strategies to meet the needs of students. 16. Focus of the student ministries is on developing students and adult leaders to reach students.

Ethics in Student Ministries:
Defining ethics in student ministries can be difficult, because not much has yet been published on the subject of ethics in student ministry; however, there are a few basic ethical elements of management I have discovered in my ministry.
Ethics in Basic Pastoral Behavior with Students:
Here is a small list of a few basic ethical mistakes some youth pastors can easily make.
Being alone with students:
It is never appropriate for a male or female Youth Pastor to be alone with someone of the opposite gender. Many times we feel we can have a quick conversation with a student of the opposite gender in a side classroom or an office alone, when in fact making decisions like this can open a door of accusation and distrust. Many times if something needs to be said, a witness or an accountable person of the same gender as the student is appropriate in maintaining accountability and boundaries in a counseling or life-coaching situation.
Crude Humor:
Many youth pastors are young, and lose site of their professional position in the lives of the student. When a Youth Pastor uses crude humor or “locker room” style joking, he sets himself up for failure. Crude Humor is vulgar and distasteful to parents and other mature adults. Many Youth Pastors will use crude humor to bond with their male students; however, Youth Pastors should always maintain a mature position in the student’s lives. When crude humor is used, it shows students a bad example of proper use of humor and communication and honestly, using crude humor is simply immature.
Keeping Confidentiality:
Much of the role of a youth pastor is to provide clear counsel and life coaching to students and parents. A great deal of trust between parties is needed in proper counseling and life coaching situations. When these foundations of trust are broken by sharing information with a third party, the counseling and coaching relationship is shattered. Also, any possible future counseling or coaching relationships for both parties is damaged.
Confidentiality is some times very difficult to keep. In our student ministries, we have a standing position all LIFE Coaches maintain. Students understand that any information shared with a LIFE Coach in a counseling or coaching situation in CrossRoad Ministries may be information shared with the Youth Pastors. All of our students are comfortable with this policy and have had no problem sharing deep issues with our trained LIFE Coaches, even knowing they may confidentially share the information with the youth pastors.
Another area where confidentiality must be maintained is when abuse is taking place in the student’s lives. Before any student is given counsel or coaching, they are reminded that any information they share that is harmful to others or harmful to the themselves will be shared with people who can help. For example, in the past three years, we have had six girls come forward and share their battle with “cutting”, a type of coping mechanism where a student will literally cut their skin on their body when in stressful situations, because they have no other way of feeling, or expressing stress, pain or sorrow.
In order to help these young ladies move into a healthy mode of coping, we have had to share confidential information with parents and professional counselors. While these are breaks in confidentiality between student and counselor, we have concluded that confidentiality between a student and helping environment must be maintained when possible.
Manipulation in Teaching:
This type of ethical failure can happen in many areas where a soap box, platform, or microphone is given to someone who is passionate about their message and cause. However, in student ministries, manipulation can occur in a teaching setting. For example, many Youth Pastors offer a time of response at the end of a sermon, or discussion. To build up their own ego’s they may manipulate the crowd with a story that plucks at the emotional needs of students, and disregard the rational needs a student must have to make a balanced decision. While it is wonderful to see students making commitments to Christ, it must be done in an environment for a student to make an emotional and rational decision. Offering anything less than this would be unethical.
Correction of Others in Public:
Unfortunately, I have seen many Youth Pastors make this mistake, and while some may consider this a leadership fault rather than an ethical breakdown, I would consider this a break in trust. This is hard because trust is one of the main products student ministries offer student and parents. When trust is broken or jeopardized in anyway, the youth pastor has crossed over to an unjust and wrong standing in the lives of the students and parents.
When a student is corrected in public, the student may feel humiliated, and publicly disgraced. As a youth pastor we are given many freedoms, and much responsibility to maintain, manage and build up the lives of the student and families in our care. When a student needs correction, that correction should come in private, wrapped in gentleness and kindness. Any other response, such as publicly calling out, or publicly correcting a student is a power play by the youth pastor.
Some situations may call for specific students to be given direction and guidance in behavior, but, publicly pointing out weaknesses or flaws in a student’s behavior or personality is using the leadership position to leverage change publicly in a student’s life. Using your leadership position to leverage change publicly is using your position in an unjust and unethical fashion.

Favoritism:
The book of James in the New Testament is clear about the role of favoritism in the lives of Christians. James calls the actions and attitude of favoritism wrong and points out that the heart of favoritism is not Christ-like. Unfortunately, in Youth Ministry, favoritism has a way of rearing it’s ugly head in the heart of the Youth Pastor, so, is favoritism an ethical dilemma?
According to Ronald Sims in his article titled, “The Challenge of Ethical Behavior in Organizations”, published in the Journal of Business Ethics,(1992 v.2 Is.7) he concludes that the word, “ethics”, comes from the Greek word “Ethos”, meaning “character or custom”. Simms later goes on to explain in the article that a company will often develop a code of Ethics in which to operate by. A custom in their decision-making or character traits for their business practices to live up to. I personally agree with Simms and find that in the Youth Ministry setting, the Word of God is the standard, or character code of conduct for a church to gage is decisions by. By participating in favoritism, you move away from the standard in which you have promised to live by, creating an ethical dilemma in the operations and functionality of the Student Ministries.
What does Favoritism cause?
Favoritism is a cancer that will eat away at the fibers of the Student Ministries. In an article titled, “Favoritism”(2003), by The Business Research Lab, a research and survey group, they discovered and point out that employees that feel favoritism in their work place have a sense that, “no matter how a person performs on the job, it is who you know, rather then what you do, that determines who receives perks and promotions. The end result is decreased morale which can result in reduced productivity.”
The same principals apply to Student Ministries as well. A student who feels that he or she is out of the loop of favoritism in a Student Ministry feels a break in a three step process starting unity, leading to vision and ending in trust.
Step #1 Break in Unity:
Students who sense favoritism in a Student Ministry will often times feel a shattering of unity of the group. Their place in the body of Christ will be seen as less needed or lacking in ability compared to certain types of people. This break in unity will spread quickly throughout the group, as the problem of favoritism is still present and growing.
One way to combat the break in unity is by offering students the ability to share gifts and abilities in many different opportunities. Not giving too much attention to one student or the abilities of a group of students will stop the feelings of favoritism in the student ministries.

Step #2 Break in Vision:
A student feeling favoritism in a group will quickly lose the vision and mission of the group, and lose out on seeing how that vision and mission applies to his or her own life. Because favoritism is a very subtle and corrosive attitude in a group, the ability to distinguish favoritism from lack of commitment maybe be difficult. A youth pastor may feel a student is uncommitted or does not care, when in fact the student is feeling of the loop of favoritism the Youth Pastor or leader is showing.
One way to combat this break in vision is by taking surveys throughout the semester to see if students still grasp what the mission of the group is all about. If there is a sense of loss of vision and mission within the group, the Youth Pastor or leader may need to step back and examine where the attention is being focused if it is not on the vision or mission.
Step #3 Break in Trust:
When a student feels the sting of favoritism in a group, the student will begin to build walls of doubt and true discontent with the group. This lack of trust will then bleed over into his or her own personal faith, causing contamination in his or her walk with Christ.
If a student does not feel in the loop of favoritism they will quickly disconnect from the larger group, and begin to build walls of distrust. The Youth Pastor at this point has a long road to trudge with the student to bring them back to a relationship in the group that is healthy and growing.
One way to combat this break in trust, is by having small events where specific types of students are targeted. For example, offering an evening of video games and pizza for students in the 7th grade. This helps them feel special, and gives them a special bond with the Youth Pastor that does not have to be shared with the “other” group.
The Value of Ethical Behavior in Student Ministries:
Outlined in the prescribed reading from The Church Leader’s MBA(2004) by Robert Whitesel is a list of benefits of ethical behavior and business success, correlated by Norman Bowie, the William L. Anderson Chair of Corporate Responsibility at the University of Minnesota. This is an adaptation from that work to suit student ministries.
1. Ethical Behavior Builds Attendance in Student Ministries:
Marketing plays a large role in successful Student Ministries, and when a Student Ministry is operating in an ethical fashion, parents and students trust it. If the marketing of a particular event promises a certain outcome, people will trust the ministry to deliver what they promise and this is what brings about sparking growth in attendance.
A crucial need held by all people is the need to trust and feel accepted. When a Student Ministries operates in an ethical fashion, they operate in a way that addresses those critical needs of people.
2. Ethical Behavior Builds Trust Among Parents and Students:
→Parents – Dropping a student off at a church is not easy for a parent who does not attend that particular church. When they know they can trust the organization and the promises that organization has made, they will more likely be inclined to allow their student to participate in more events. Having an ethical relationship with parents is key to the success of the entire church.
→Students – Walking into a church for the first time as a student is not easy. Having a reputation in the community as a place that can be trusted and deliver on promises made in marketing methods will impact these first-time students.
3. Ethical Behavior avoids the free-riding problem:
Students show up to Student Ministries all across this country for thousands of different reasons. Discovering the core reasons you want students to show up at your Student Ministries, then making those expectations clear will help avoid students showing up for the wrong reasons.
When a student shows up for the wrong reasons, his or her expectations of the programs core behavioral traits will be misinterpreted and then ethical behavior or the program or ministry is then questioned in the students mind. This will cause a feeling of favoritism in the heart of the student and will lead to the student dropping out of the ministry.
4. Ethical Behavior Builds Community:
By maintaining a code of conduct that is in alignment with God’s Word, a Student Ministries can use ethical behavior to build a community of believers around three elements found in trust.
Honesty: The key element in developing students is honesty. If Student Ministry can not be honest about the issues a student is facing, then developing through those issues will never happen. Having an element of honesty within a community of believers is powerful and helps maintain a level of proper ethical decision-making.
Comfort: The deciding factor on whether a student will stay committed to a Student Ministry and their mission and vision is if the student feels comfortable to grow. If a student can trust the decisions and character of a ministry, he or she is more likely to be developed by that ministry.
Accountability: The change element in every developing relationship is accountability to the character, virtues, and code of conduct outlined in the Bible. Having this as the standard for ministry decisions will produce an attitude of accountability in the body of Christ. This attitude will always result in changed and transformed lives.
An Ethical Code developed for CrossRoad Ministries:
1. God’s Word is the standard in which all life decisions are made.
2. Our mouths are instruments of praise.
3. All we do must bring Glory to God.
4. Jesus Christ is the example we look to in how to live life here on earth.
5. Favoritism is a sin.
6. Leaders participate in the changing work of the Holy Spirit.
7. Leaders are held to a high standard.
8. Life is to be lived as worship.
9. Servanthood is the goal of all Christian leaders.
10. The greatest attitude is Love.
Keeping a standard of ethical behavior posted on the wall for all to see will hold the ministry and the Youth Pastor accountable to the code of ethical behavior.

Defining the next steps in management of a Student Ministries must be flexible. Like a captain working to maneuver a large ship through an iceberg littered arctic sea, the captain must think below the surface of what is visible. At any point in the journey the wrong decision could destroy the mission. Having a clean heart and steady hands, the captain can navigate through the mind field of the unseen. Student Ministry Management operates much the same way. With a steady hand and a clean heart, the Holy Spirit can move through the leadership of a Student Ministry as they make the efforts mentioned in this article to grow.
CrossRoad Ministries is a Student Ministries that is built on the idea that change is predestined. Making the proper management changes will take time, but will come with very little resistance or conflict. However during that time the leadership must not loose sight of the mission nor the Great Commission. Through these efforts outlined in this article, healthy growth in the near future is a great possibility.
Citation:

Whitesel, Robert & Hunter, Kent.(2000). A House Divided., Nashville: Abingdon Press

Whitesel, Robert.(2004). Growth By Accident Death by Planning.
Nashville: Abingdon Press

Whitesel, Robert. (2004). The Church Leaders MBA: Organizational Behavior

Bass, B.M.(1985) Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectation
New York: Free Press

Transformational Leadership. (2006) Home page Retrieved March 3, 2006 from ChangingMinds.org http://www.changingminds.org

Whitesel, Robert. (2004). The Church Leaders MBA: Strategic Management

Whitesel, Robert. (2004). The Church Leaders MBA: Marketing

Whitesel, Robert. (2004). The Church Leaders MBA: Ethical Behavior

Favortism. (2003). The Business Research Lab. Retrieved March 25, 2006 from http://construct.haifa.ac.il/~danielp/sims.htm

Sims, Ronald R. (1992. July) Journal of Business Ethics. “The Challenge of Ethical Behavior in Organization” Volume 2 Issue 7. Retrieved on March 25, 2006. http://www.employeesurveys.com/policies/badpool4.htm

Stanley, Andy (1999). Visioneering, Multnomah Publishers, Inc. Sisters, Oregon