Sunday notices letter

Dear Friends,

In all of this discussion, debate, preaching and reflecting on the life of the church and what it means to be the church I have found my own understanding hugely challenged by things I have read and other things people have shared. In a moment when was feeling concerned about some of this debate, one of the older and wiser members said this to me “Don’t you think that a whole church discussing, talking, arguing about “love” is great? I may be naïve but I think that it only be beneficial.” And I think he is right.

Sometimes we need to go back, rework, discuss, debate and even disagree on things. It’s when we become complacent that we miss the work God is doing. So it has been really good to talk through these things. Our love for God and for each other are of primary importance to us being the church.

This week I have seen the church exhibit love in the following ways: Two people reconciled a difficulty in their friendship. Council and prayer given to a family in a tough place. A member offered a job prospect to another who needs additional work. Brothers and sisters met over a dinner that included some who are not part of Jesus church so as to plug them into Jesus. Some men shared together their deep joys and confusing difficulties and what they are learning from God through these times. People brought food to help those in our midst who are hungry. A father who has experienced deep pain gave a gift to encourage someone who is now facing what he has already gone through. Others have given of time money and resources to bless people whom they have never met outside the life of our congregation.

The church is built on our care and compassion for each other in the power of God’s spirit. I have been moved by what I have seen. Let’s continue from strength to strength making every effort to BE Jesus church in every way!

Blessings,

Brent

Missional church?

There is a lot of talk in various parts of the world about being missional. Every person has their own interpretation of this, like the other much bandied about word: emerging. But it does reflect a new way that people are looking at how churches focus themselves. Stetzer and Putmun in “Breaking the missional code” reflect this shift in thinking in this way:

• From programs to processes
• From demographics to discernment
• From models to missions
• From attractional to incarnational
• From uniformity to diversity
• From professional to passionate
• From seating to sending
• From decisions to disciples
• From additional to exponential
• From monuments to movements

This resonates hugely with me as many of these are things our church has been beginning to grapple with. When I started at Protea Valley we where a small church and we have more than doubled in size. But as we have, we’ve had to be more deliberate in the way that we do things. We’ve intentionally not committed to programs but rather are investing into groups where real life change happens. We are beginning to grapple with many of the above mentioned shifts.

Like all things these are journeys and we’re just starting this one.

New Members Course

Our church had its new members orientation week 1 session last night with 20 people in attendance and another 4 awol. Great to see so many new faces in the system. Our new program is much more comprehensive than before and it will be interesting to see how people respond to the progress.

We’re trying to work pragmatically with different people following different ‘streams’ dependant on their background and maturity of the faith. This is still a work in progress but at the moment it looks something like this image:

It means that we will have everyone go through orientation – 2 weeks to outline who we are, what we believe and what membership entails. Then they will all be interviewed. Those who are devoted followers of Jesus (perhaps transferring from another congregation) would come easily and quickly into membership. Those who are new to the faith would go through some doctrine course to outline the important essence of the Christian faith to ensure they know what they believe and that they have in fact been born again. They would also complete a spiritual gifts course to ensure they knew how they are gifted. Service is not optional but part of being the body.

We may at some point change this, like I mentioned it is a work in progress, but we believe that we are on the right track...It also means that people who do not get through the system for any reason will go into pastoral counseling so that they can be pastored into the system rather than lost as in the previous way of doing things.

What do you think?

Community and faith

In an article on churches and reaching the iGen , the 20 somethings, John Peacock who ministers at Willowcreek said this:

 

“People belong before they believe or behave”

 

Very powerful and this is where old school membership gets the horse before the cart, because belong never features at all. Homegroups are key tools in instilling belief and behaviour in people. The old model of Sunday worship is the church is only effective to a point. Makes for some really interesting reflection...

Drama, video and preaching

Well respected preacher John Piper makes some really interesting comments about the use of video and drama to suppliment preaching. I have from time to time used music and video to very good effect in assisting my preaching. But he raises a very serious question about our belief in the power of preaching.

check him out on youtube

Pipers comments get me thinking on another tack. The deeper question in my mind is what about the 'form' of preaching.

Let's say that preachers A and B both preach the exact same sermon to their respective congregations who are for all intents and purpsoes identical. But preacher A is not very engaging whilst preacher B is very dynamic. Which preacher is more powerful in being used by God to change lives?

I'd love to say that it is the content and not the form that is important, but more and more I am not enitrely conviced...

Membership part II

OK so we're conisitently revisiting this membership thing and we've had some comments and some good suggestiosn made. On of the key issues is what does a follower of Jesus look like. If we know what a folower of Jeuss looks like then we can make teh entrance requirement the desire to strive towrds being that kind of person.

A follower of Jesus is NOT just someone who can say Jesus is Lord. Our churches worldwide membership lists are full of people who confess that truth but whos lives show no regeneration at all. They don;t fellowship, regulalry attend worship or live lives that seem to be changed by Jesus.

What do you think of what I believe that a fully devoted follower of Jesus would look like?

1. Repent of their sin and make public confession of a Trinitarian belief and be baptized

2. Regularly worship Jesus privately and publically

3. Live a holy and moral life

4. Study the Scriptures both Old and New testaments

5. Be diligent in prayer

6. Love the church through fellowship and community

7. Serve in ministry according to their gifts

8. Commit to witness to the lost

9. Would give financially to God’s work in this church and elsewhere

Church membership

We recently decided to tie together church membership with home group attendance. We are trying really hard not to create hoops for people to jump through. But what we do understand is that home groups are the key places where we live authentic Chrisitan fellowship and where we can serve those who are our brothers and sisters.

Of course this has not met with everyones approval - but we were prepared for that and we will continue to move forward with this becuase we think it is the most effective way to produce devoted followers of Jesus. As leaders that is our aim - names on a database is pretty meaningless.

What do you think?