“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”
                                                                                                        Margaret Thatcher

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The Barmen Declaration

1. "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
"Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved." John 10:1,9
Jesus Christ, as he is attested to us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God whom we have to hear, and whom we have to trust and obey in life and in death.
We reject the false doctrine that the Church could and should recognize as a source of its proclamation, beyond and besides this one Word of God, yet other events, powers, historic figures and truths as God's revelation.
2. "Jesus Christ has been made wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption for us by God." 1 Cor. 1:30
As Jesus Christ is God's comforting pronouncement of the forgiveness of all our sins, so, with equal seriousness, he is also God's vigorous announcement of his claim upon our whole life. Through him there comes to us joyful liberation from the godless ties of this world for free, grateful service to his creatures.
We reject the false doctrine that there could be areas of our life in which we would not belong to Jesus Christ but to other lords, areas in which we would not need justification and sanctification through him.
3. "Let us, however, speak the truth in love, and in every respect grow into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body is joined together." Eph. 4:15-16
The Christian Church is the community of brethren in which, in Word and sacrament, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ acts in the present as Lord. With both its faith and its obedience, with both its message and its order, it has to testify in the midst of the sinful world, as the Church of pardoned sinners, that it belongs to him alone and lives and may live by his comfort and under his direction alone, in expectation of his appearing.
We reject the false doctrine that the Church could have permission to hand over the form of its message and of its order to whatever it itself might wish or to the vicissitudes of the prevailing ideological and political convictions of the day.
4. "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to have authority over you must be your servant." Matt. 20:25-26
The various offices in the Church do not provide a basis for some to exercise authority over others but for the ministry [lit., "service"] with which the whole community has been entrusted and charged to be carried out.
We reject the false doctrine that, apart from this ministry, the Church could, and could have permission to, give itself or allow itself to be given special leaders [Führer] vested with ruling authority.
5. "Fear God. Honor the Emperor." 1 Pet. 2:17
Scripture tells us that by divine appointment the State, in this still unredeemed world in which also the Church is situated, has the task of maintaining justice and peace, so far as human discernment and human ability make this possible, by means of the threat and use of force. The Church acknowledges with gratitude and reverence toward God the benefit of this, his appointment. It draws attention to God's Dominion [Reich], God's commandment and justice, and with these the responsibility of those who rule and those who are ruled. It trusts and obeys the power of the Word, by which God upholds all things.
We reject the false doctrine that beyond its special commission the State should and could become the sole and total order of human life and so fulfil the vocation of the Church as well.
We reject the false doctrine that beyond its special commission the Church should and could take on the nature, tasks and dignity which belong to the State and thus become itself an organ of the State.
6. "See, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matt. 28:20 "God's Word is not fettered." 2 Tim. 2:9
The Church's commission, which is the foundation of its freedom, consists in this: in Christ's stead, and so in the service of his own Word and work, to deliver all people, through preaching and sacrament, the message of the free grace of God.
We reject the false doctrine that with human vainglory the Church could place the Word and work of the Lord in the service of self- chosen desires, purposes and plans.

Let My People Go

At the end of the century will America still have a strong Christian influence or will we be totally secular, Muslim, or just filled with vague ideas of spiritualism that are common in paganism? I am so concerned that most church structures are far too closed to do what one of my pastor friends said,  “release our members for ministry,” and to do so with passion.

Desire

Every Christian can pursue their calling; the emphasis is on developing our personal lives in order to become ministry-oriented people, using God's Word and examples of others who have answered His call. There is a group of easy to read missionary biographies’ that are simple and worth the read. Written by Janet and Geoff Benge.

My hope is that each of us will become more ministry-minded.  And you will be encouraged to pursue your ministry potential within the context of your local church.

I believe we have made a grave mistake in abandoning the local church as we attempt to work out our ministry calling.

Unfortunately, sometimes, we have had no other choice.  In essence, we have been forced to look outside the local church to unleash our God-given potential for ministry.

If you feel called to teach Sunday School, usher or work in the youth ministry, you will find plenty of opportunity within your own church.  Others are forced into a spectator role, having to be satisfied with the challenge to have good Christian testimonies. But the entire Christian community, local churches, and parachurch organizations as well, will be better off when churches are designed where everyone can minister.

Before anyone can become an effective and consistent minister of the gospel, he or she must have a deep desire to do so.  As most people think about what it takes for the average person to become an effective minister the first thing that normally comes to mind is training.  That thinking is a big mistake.  The first thing needed is desire or what I refer to as passion.

From experience I have learned that if people do not have the passion to get involved in ministry, it doesn't matter how well trained or gifted they are.  But where does that passion come from?

The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi: "For it is God who is at work within you, giving you the will and power to achieve his purpose" (Phil. 2:13, Phillips).

So, the desire for ministry comes from God.  Churches can do a great deal to cultivate and encourage that desire, but not create it.  That's why the promise of Philippians 2:13 is so encouraging.  It assures us that God is working in us giving us the passion He wants us to have.  He is not only giving us passion in harmony with His purpose, He has also given us spiritual gifts and the power to achieve those passions.

I know we are entering an age of unprecedented impact by laity. Join that with the scriptural promises we have just read and I believe the time has come to challenge the fortress mentality that has dominated our churches for so long, we can pursue unleashing our God given dreams and passions with optimism and confidence.

Fortress Mentality

When Frank Tillapaugh my friend and co-author of our book “Calling” wrote his first book “Unleashing the Church,” he established a phrase that I think describes one of the greatest problems facing each of us. He called the problem the “Fortress Mentality.”  As I've traveled these past few years, it has become clear nearly everyone in the Christian community agrees the "fortress mentality" dominates the vast majority of our Christian environments.

The domination of fortress thinking has produced an enormous amount of frustration. The good news is, all that is needed is desire.

The average Christian must stop thinking about a special group of people as "the ministers" and start thinking about their own ability to minister to another's needs.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul is talking to the entire Church when he says: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (2:10).

What is one “good work,” you can do this week?

Yesterday I had to put down my daughters horse. I loved that horse a lot, and my neighbor simple reach out with I am sorry for your loss and an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner for my family…it speaks volumes of his faith. Simple “good works.” You and I were created for that; it is like gas in your tank.  

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM

Since the publication of my book “Giving The Ministry Away,” I have gotten to address groups about unleashing people for ministry; my constant theme has been lay ministry. How to unleash people for ministry. How to create environments that encourage people to find their dream. I have told the story over and over about a talented pastor named Mike and a talented layperson named Sarah. So let me share it with you.

Michael, a single’s pastor invited me to lunch. He was concerned because he had two groups of single adults at his church. He called the singles in their early 20’s, Singles One, and the singles in their late 40’s, Singles Two. But the church had a lot of singles in an age bracket between these two groups. Mike referred to them as the “Singles 1.5er’s”. He had been trying for months to get Sarah and her friends to start a class for their age group. But they wouldn’t do it, and he was frustrated. So, my job at lunch was to convince her it was a good idea to start a class for the 1.5er’s at their church. Hey, he was buying lunch so I figured I should at least try. Right?

Over lunch I asked Sarah, “Sarah, I understand you are one of the Singles 1.5er’s at your church?” She laughed and said, “Yeah, that is what Mike calls us!” I said, “Well, Mike tells me there are a good number of you at the church, is that true?” She said, “Yes, there are.” I said, “Well, why don’t you all start a class for singles that age?” She said, “We don’t want to.” I could tell she was not at all happy about my questions so I dropped the subject. I had tried, now on to the free meal.

A few minutes later I said, “Sarah, if you could do anything for God in your church or community, what would you do?” She replied, “What are you talking about?” I said, “You know if you could get involved in some ministry what would it be?” She responded, “Really?” I said, “Yeah, anything!” She said, “Well, some of my friends and I have been talking about getting involved in a literacy program, just down the street from our church.” I continued, “You said, you and some of your friends, what friends?” She said, “You know the 1.5er’s.” I blurted out, “Oh that’s great! Listen on Monday Mike will call them and set up an appointment for you all to go there and discuss getting involved.” She said, “Really!” I replied, “Yeah!” She was delighted. However, Mike looked a little confused.

A few minutes later, I asked Sarah, “If you could do anything for God in the whole world, what would you do?” What would you do if money, education or time was not an issue? What is your dream?” She began to talk about the desire she and some of her friends had to go on a short term mission trip to Romania to work with babies who have aids. I was excited for her. I said, “Sarah, what I want you to do is get your friends together for a meeting to begin to plan going on that trip.” She laughed and said, “Now I like this kind of ministry.” I looked at Mike and said, “Well, I guess you have your Singles 1.5er’s ministry.” He said, “Not quite what I had in mind.” We all laughed.

Mike and Sarah took our meeting seriously, and within the next year over 20 singles got involved in a literacy ministry plus they went on their mission trip. Mike wanted a class, because he thought that is what “real ministry” is, that is the way people think in a Closed System. Sarah didn’t feel called to start a class, she was, however, primed to live out her dream for God. We just needed to ask the right question and create the right environment. Oh, by the way, I saw Mike and Sarah a year later and she said, “Rich, you will never believe this but we just recently decided we wanted a class for single 1.5er’s and we started last week.” She and I both laughed!

Ask someone this question, “If they could do anything for God this next year what would they do?” Remember money and time is not an issue. Anything!

Unleashing Your Calling

I am going to take a break from talking about the Church. I want to talk about each persons personal calling. Dreams are the windows of the future and change must begin with the individual, who must be able to envision his or her potential for ministry.

America is Up for Grabs

This quote haunts me. "The Christian church in the U.S. is still strong numerically, but it has lost its decisive influence both in American public life and in American culture as a whole, especially in the major elite institutions of society." Os Guinness. I remember a talk Os gave in Oregon 30 years ago and later turned it into a book, "The American Hour." He said, The clock is ticking on America."  At the end of the 21^st century will America still have a strong Christian influence or will we be totally secular, Muslim, or just filled with vague ideas of spiritualism that are common in paganism? We believe that the answer to that depends on how our generation responds to “release our members for ministry,” and to do so with passion. The ancient words, "Let My People Go." 

Still The Heart

Church Leaders tell us that they plead with people to give their hearts fully to God. But it’s the way that they go for people’s hearts that is the problem. People are more likely to invest their hearts when they are pursuing their own ministry passion. “Individuals tend to hold reserves of energy in check until they see how to use it to their own highest interest. The challenge is to release more of that energy.” (Somebodies and Nobodies, pg 114).

The number one need that most church leaders feel they have is, “to get our people involved in meaningful ministry.” On the other hand most Parachurch leaders feel that their greatest need is for more “Christian servants” to help the organization capitalize on it enormous ministries opportunities. There are more International Students who want American friends than there are American friends to respond.  There are more kids who need mentors than there are mentors available, and so it is with hundreds of needy people groups in our country. So what is the answer?

Always Go For The Heart

Yesterday I was in DC at a ministry called DayBreak. I was there with several others visiting. I observed those of us who where there looking and others there working. It is easy to go look, but very different to be there working. The difference is heart.

My friend and co-author Frank Tillapaugh and I have served over 50 years on church staffs. And the most important lesson we have learned is: ALWAYS GO FOR THE HEART. If someone invests their heart, they will give everything they have. When we talk with pastors about their church’s people getting involved in community ministries, they often tell us, “I know our people and they don’t have time to get involved.”  Our response is “If God touches their hearts they will find the time to get involved.” We have seen it hundreds of times, when someone invests their heart, they not only find the time; they will move out of their comfort zones, and on occasion they will even risk their life if necessary.

But, unfortunately passion for ministry is rare among the rank and file in most churches. The reason that there is so little ministry passion among lay people is that church leaders tend to aim for their heads, attendance, pocketbooks, consumer satisfaction, felt needs, involvement in the church programs, comforts and above all to inspire people. And in the process they seldom touch the heart.

Why is passion so important?

I watched a DVD by Bill Hybels yesterday. I cried…way to go Bill. If was from his lecture from The Summit this year titled, “The Courage Leadership Requires.” He reminded me of his definition of vision, “Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion.” page 33 from his book, “Courageous Leadership.” 

People, especially those who do not get paid for doing ministries, do them ultimately because they want to.  I have met many lay people who are passionately involved in various ministries both inside and outside of their church. Some know their spiritual gift, but most don’t.  Many of them have never studied their Strengths, DISC or personality profile.  Some are involved in ministries that don’t make a lot of sense in light of their life experience, occupation, or natural abilities, while others have their ministry calling in the same area as their profession. In fact they only seem to have one thing in common; they are all motivated by passion. 

It is that place you experience your created greatness. What is your passion?

Better Roads...jump on!

The other day I flew into Dallas and needed to get on the 121 freeway, I could see it, but for the life of me I could not figure out how to get on it. I could see it, but all I did was circle around it wondering how to get on it. Have you ever had that happen? Many leaders in the church have had to deal with a person coming with a great idea for a ministry, only to realize they have no idea or knowledge of how to do it. Just buy a book it will tell you how to do small groups, evangelism, discipleship, etc.right? No!

If those same leaders ignore the pressure for success for a moment; and look outside the walls of their churches, they will see a huge number of organizations already in place.  You name the target group and there are Christian organizations positioned to minister to them, prisoners, addicts, mothers of preschoolers, motorcycle riders, athletes, internationals and the list just goes on and on.

The Freeways are in place, we just have to know what roads connect with them.  And unlike the freeways in most American cities these ministry freeways are not crowded at all.  They have far more capacity to engage lay ministers with their target group than they are now using. The biggest mission challenge of the 21^st century church is to connect with the current ministry freeways. The freeways are the fast track to unleashing the ministry passions of millions of church members.

It doesn't make sense!

I have been sad to travel around and see churches starting programs based on ideas they did not think of. Jim Collins calls them silver bullets. Hoping it will be the answer, the answer is what does God want you to do? It won't make sense....really. 

 

One of the disconcerting things about ministry passion is that it often doesn’t make sense. For example, it didn’t make sense that the former presidential cabinet member, Chuck Colson, start a new Prison Ministry.  Sure he spent a short time in prison for his part in the Watergate scandal, but with his credentials it made much more sense for him to start a ministry for “up & outers” rather than “down & outers.”

In his book Born Again, he says that many of his friends tried to talk him out of investing his life in a ministry to prisoners.  But Colson’s passion was inexplicably stirred by those who are in prison. God’s call to ministry does not have to make sense, (and often it doesn’t); it just has to stir our passions.

Ask yourself this, does it stir your passion...your passion. I have a passion to mentor young leaders...I can do it in the church, in the street or in a business, nothing sacred about doing it a church, in fact Jesus would tell you to be in the world...

No More Classes... move to the street!

More churches have began to put more emphasis on ministry beyond their walls. Many pastors have found that getting a church to be more focused on “ministry for others than ministry for us,” is difficult.  Why is it so difficult? One reason is that ministry to people groups in the community is awkward for most churches because they have little experience with most of the people groups in the community.

At the same time it has been encouraging to see more and more churches begin equipping classes. 

There are reasons that churches struggle to run effective equipping classes:

(1)  Churches tend to equip lay people the same way that the clergy were equipped, by putting them into class rooms.

(2)  They focus student’s attention inward. People are more likely to find their ministry passion by looking outward at a people group than they are inward at their spiritual gift or personality profile.

(3)  Once the class is finished most people are still not aware of their ministry passion.

(4)  When people do not have a ministry passion of their own churches tend to provide a list of existing ministries for them to choose from. When that happens people tend to respond as volunteers, (willing), more than they do servants, (compelled).

(5)  With an inward focus there can be too much emphasis put on discovering one’s spiritual gift. That is a problem because:

A.   There is no consistent list of spiritual gifts being taught. The number of gifts being taught in different classes ranges from seven to thirty seven or more.

B.  Once someone has identified their spiritual gift they often need help translating the gift into practical ministry.

C.    The difference between gifts and talents is often blurred and confusing.

D.    Spiritual gifts, like other difficult and unclear subjects in scripture, can degenerate into turf for “Witch Doctors and Medicine Men.”

Whatever a particular church’s position on the gifts is, when someone leaves that church and goes to another they are likely to find that the gifts are treated differently. Passion, on the other hand does not have the same problems. One does not need to go to a class to discover their passion. God has programmed all of us to be passionate about one or many issues or types of people. To discover that passion we need to be encouraged to look outside of ourselves. The cool thing is that when we pursue our passion we will exercise our gift or gifts. Gifts do not need to be understood or analyzed, they need to exercised.

21st Century America Is Poised for a Church/Parachurch Partnership

Churches who are unwilling to work with other ministries are doomed. In the past, one of the reasons that churches and Parachurch organizations have had a hard time working together was the issue of

Right & Wrong

Vs

Life & Death

In a very real way the Community and Seeker Church mentalities have paved the way for a strong Church/Parachurch partnership. There are powerful influences in the church today that are saying that Life & Death are more important than Right & Wrong. They are not prepared to throw out their theological convictions; but they are not likely to see the timing of the Rapture as a make or break issue. We have far more important issues to be concerned about then the timing of the Rapture, we have a Post-Christian culture to be concerned about. Anyone who is familiar with American and European history has to be concerned that the U.S. is on the fast track to becoming as secular as Europe.   

Historically, American churches, operating in a Christian culture, have felt that they had the luxury to stake out their theological turf based on their many “distinctives.” They could afford to fight about questions like the timing of the Rapture. But today churches no longer have the luxury to have a long list of distinctives. The list is still there but for most groups the distinctives, that they are willing to die for, comprises a very short list. There are just too many pressing social issues in a culture that is rapidly being paganized. Even the government is pleading with faith-based organizations to get involved with social action ministries.

One Advantage of the Para church Approach is: There Is No Address

The church was the most effective during its first 300 year, before it had an address. One great advantage the Para ministries have in the area of mission is that they rarely depend on their addresses or facilities. The ministry impact of most Churches, on the other hand, tends to be defined by their addresses and facilitie

Para organizations have a history of strategizing to reach various people groups on the fly. They are not slowed down by buildings, they are passion-based, not location/facility based. Para organizations do not need to provide collective worship and edification to be authentic. Therefore they can travel like Wesley did, “lean and mean.”

Our experience on church staffs has taught us that it takes a huge investment for churches to accommodate their ministries, especially their children’s ministries. And the children’s ministries may be the most important ministry that a church has, so it is a good investment. While churches have seen the value of well-developed children’s ministries, they seldom see the value of well developed ministries to the hundred plus people groups in the U.S. But the good news is that churches do not have to start from scratch to reach the people groups, there are already good organizations in place, and we just need to travel with them.   

A great history lesson

The biggest difference between 18^th century Wesleyans and 20^th century American Protestants is that the Wesleyans made a priority commitment to holy living, (worship and edification), and to the poor (mission). Most of the Wesleyans remained Anglican and attended Anglican churches. However, they participated in Wesleyan societies, or small groups. For example Robert Raikes, who hired the first teachers to go into the streets on Sundays and teach street kids, (i.e. the father of the Sunday School Movement) was a Anglican who had been influenced by Wesley.

The early Wesleyan Societies provided a “ministry passion outlet” for lay people similar to the “ministry passion outlet” that America Parachurch organizations have provided  since World War II. The body of Christ, i.e. the church, is organic and if the organizational structures do not provide an outlet for “ministry passion” the larger body will create one.

We lost the culture...Why?

Several years ago my friend Frank took a walking tour in London that ended up at Wesley’s chapel. As the tour group approached the chapel the guide said, “The 18^th century in Britain was Wesley’s century.  He influenced how we thought and how we acted, he influenced the entire culture.” That is an incredible statement: one man, or more accurately a particular group of people, was a major influence in the most powerful country on earth. Wow!

He said, "I don’t know what the others on the tour expected Wesley’s chapel to look like. But I remember the first time that I saw it, I was shocked." It is very modest to say the least, in fact it is both small and stark! The Wesley’s chapel is the total opposite from both the magnificent European Cathedrals and the kind of facilities that church growth experts in the 21^st century America would recommend. (Wesley had two chapels, one in London and one in Bristol, both are small and modest).

Wesley’s chapels may have been simple; but they were epicenters for a massive penetration of British culture by the Christian faith. The Wesleyans of 18^th century had few resources in terms of facilities, schools or wealthy members, and yet they deeply penetrated their culture.  The Protestants of 21^th century America, on the other hand, lost their culture despite having enormous resources. Why? Later this week I will give you at least two reason.

The Quest

A few years ago my friend Ken Baugh and I wrote a book called, The Quest for Christ. We thought it would be a defining moment in the landscape of discipleship. But in the unfriendly landscape of consumer Christianity it was a flop. Why?

 There is a statement in Matthew 10:37-39 that is shocking!

“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” We may do much Christian service as volunteers but at some point we have to “lose our lives.” and become servants.

One comes away from that passage understanding why Paul told the Philippians to “work out your salvation in fear and trembling.” Jesus and Paul are talking about every Christian’s calling, both their General Calling to live a Christian life and their Special  Calling to discover and pursue the good work or works that God prepared in advance for them to do.

The most challenging and disturbing word in Matthew 10:33-39 in our opinion is the repeated word anyone. In a sacerdotal system only the priests have to worry about their Calling. But, in Protestantism, thanks to the Priesthood of the Believers, no one gets off the hook.

All any Christian needs to be able to discover their calling is a personal relationship with God. But, it can be very helpful if they are part of a supportive Church.

Every church that wants to see everyone in their church have the opportunity to find and follow God’s ministry assignment for their lives faces four “Passion Challenges.”

1. Create a Passionate Friendly Environment
2. Create a Passionate Friendly Infrastructure
3. Create Passionate Friendly Places to Stand
4. Personalize Passion

20/80 Dilemma

When 20% of the people do 80% of the work in a church, the church leaders usually think that they have an 80% problem. But, in reality they have a 20% problem. Obviously the 20% who are the power brokers have designed the ministry of the church in such a way that the 80% are not interested in participating. The 80% are not interested because churches are designed so that only the 20% can be a Somebody. The secret is to encourage the 80% to pursue their calling to ministry and design an infrastructure that is capable of recognizing their calling as the work of the church. Not very many churches have the nerve for this.