Influential Church Leadership

This is the 2nd of 5 posts on Influential Leadership from a class I was teaching at Trinity Baptist Church.
I have posted other Influential Leadership posts.

In Ephesians 5:22-30, Paul compares that the marriage relationship is a reflection of the relationship between Jesus (husband) and the church (wife).  The church is the bride of Jesus Christ. 
Yet many people talk and act as if the church is not important.  Statements like "I love Jesus but I hate the church" are not merely spoken but also lived out.  The church has adopted phrases like "inactive church member," which reflects the idea of an uncommitted, unloving, cold wife. 

During the two weeks of Leadership as Influence in the Church, we looked at how followers of Jesus pray and practically seek to glorify God and encourage other believers to do the same in their churches.

The Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent refers to the blessing of the Inheritance of the Saints.  "The more I comprehend the full scope of the Gospel, the more I value the role that I value the church, for which Christ died (Ephesians. 5:25).  the more I value the role that I play in the lives of my fellow-Christians, and the more I appreciate the role that they must be allowed to play in mine."  A big part of this role of fellow-Christians is praying for one another.

Ephesians 4 shows us how we can pray for the church.  Our prayers for the church should demonstrate dependence upon God, a supernatural unity, thankfulness for God-given leaders, and ongoing Gospel growth.  It is my prayer that God would grow in each of us a desire to pray for our church family and the pastors, elders, and other leaders.  

During week 1, "Influential Prayer in the Church," we watched part of College Park Church's event "Dare to Hope" - https://cpcresources.net/dare-to-hope-video/.  In this video, members of College Park Church came together to learn about prayers of lament through songs, Bible teaching, and testimonies.

Some other helpful prayer resources are 
an article entitled "5 Ways to Pray for Your Pastor's Wellness,"
an article entitled "The Ministry of the Pew" (the idea of "pew" prayer is especially challenging),
a bookmark entitled "How to Love Your Church on Sunday,"
the book How to Walk into Church.

During week 2, "Influential Productivity in the Church," we looked at the why and how of being a productive member of a local.  This lesson was the week of Trinity's building dedication service.  To begin the class,  I made the statement the church is a building.  We read 1 Peter 2:2 - 12  which says those who come to Jesus are like living stones being built up as a, not a physical building, but rather a  spiritual house.

With this passage in mind, I shared the following explanation of the church.  
The church consists of people who are made in the image of God, saved by the finished work of Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The following video from David Platt - Church Membership - helps us the see the importance of committing to a local church body.  I shared with the class that my reason for showing this video was not only to remind us of the importance of active church membership, but many of them are also active church members.  It also helps share with others, Biblical reasons for church membership.  Here are two principles from the video:

Membership is not explicitly commanded but it is Biblically implied by church gatherings, church discipline, church leadership, church accountability. 

"What body, what gathering of believers are you committed to being with, spurring on, holding fast to the hope with (Hebrews 10)?  Who are the leaders that your life is in submission to, leaders who are accountable for your spiritual growth?  And if you can't answer those questions the reality is you are living contrary to the pattern of the New Testament."

While there are so many different ways to be productive church members, here are three resources specifically related to the idea of being an active sermon listener: Listen Up by Christopher Ash - One of three books on sermon listening at www.challies.com/resources/becoming-a-better-listener/
Sermon Notebook by Matthias Media - Reviewed at www.kevinhalloran.net/the-sermon-notebook/
8 Tips for Taking Good Sermon Notes by Crossway - www.crossway.org/blog/2017/01/8-tips-for-taking-good-sermon-notes/

Leadership is about so much more than a position.  It is also about influence.  
Hebrews 10:19 - 25 is a call to the church to encourage one another, spur one another on, as we remember the confidence and the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Here are some specific prayers I shared with the class.

Lord God,

We pray for the members of Trinity Baptist Church, every single member.

As we join together as a local body of believers, we pray for the leadership of TBC.  Thank you for giving them to us.  Help them grow as disciples and equip others to grow as disciples.

Help us continue to build relationships with various missionaries and ministries of TBC in the Grand Rapids area and around the world.  We desire to support them with our prayers, finances, and whenever possible with our presence. 

God, we do not want the ministry programs of TBC to become the end goal.  Allow each of these to provide opportunities to build God-glorifying relationships with others in the church and in the community.

As we live in the communities around the meeting place of TBC, help us see the opportunities you give us to share the hope we have in Christ, his life, death and resurrection.

We pray all of this in the precious name of Jesus Christ, who gave himself us for his bride, the church.

Amen. 

One major part of the pastor's role is the teaching and preaching of God's Word.  With this in mind, here are two sets of prayers for the sermon from Praying for Sunday by Mike Fabarez. 

Pray for Sermon Preparation.

1. Pray that the message your pastor is preparing to preach would be an evident part of his own life.
2. Pray for the protection of your pastor’s sermon preparation time.
3. Pray that your pastor will be given grace and illumination to rightly divide God’s word.
4. Pray that the words your pastor chooses to frame the outline would be effective and powerful tools for the Holy Spirit to employ. 
5. Pray that your pastor would have insight into the needs of the congregation as he prepares.

Pray for the Response to the Sermon

1. Pray that all, including yourself, will put the sermon into practice.
2. Pray that the sermon will not be compartmentalized.
3. Pray that the application of the sermon would be contagious.
4. Pray that the sermon itself will be repeatedly delivered.

Shelter-In-Place Notes:
A post like this written during a time of quarantine and shelter-in-place order might seem pointless.  We don't have a ministry in the pew while sitting at home.
We don't have a face-to-face ministry with others in the church building.
Here are a couple of suggestions on how to be an active church member.

• Learn with your church.  If your church is streaming the service or sharing Bible teaching with you in a different way, actively learn and grow using these recommended resources.  Learn with a pen and paper in hand, or at least nearby, so you can write down things that you need to flesh out in your life and share with others.
• Share with your church.  Find ways to share with others in your church things that you are learning.  This could be through social media, email, video chats, or a pen and paper letter.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Actually, write and mail a note or card to someone in your church.  These "things" could be deep Biblical truths or nitty-gritty details about how to do during a shelter-in-place order.  
• Read your second most important book.  Don't forget the second most important book for every Christian -  their church directory.  This book contains email addresses, physical addresses, and phone numbers.  
• Pray for church leaders.  Pray for your pastor as he and other church leaders lead the church - a body of believers living in relationship with one another - through phone conversations, zoom meetings, emails, and other "impersonal" means.  I shared the following article with the pastors at Trinity Baptist Church and some other pastor friends -  Pastor, You Were Made for This. 
• An additional thought related to praying for your pastor.  Instead of sharing the latest post or seminar or article, you read about how to "do church online," write a note or send an email thanking him for what he is doing and letting him know you are praying for him.
• Help members.  Think about creative ways you can help members of your church.  Think about how you can help the elderly.  Think about how you can help the family with several children.  Think about how you can help the family with one child.  Think about how you can help those who are single.  Think about how you can help and encourage one another. 
• Continue to give financially.  Find out if your church provides a way to give online or remember to send a check to your church.  There are a lot of financial concerns and challenges during times like this.  Your local church still has expenses during this time.  I am sure the leadership is also looking for ways to help and encourage church members who have financial needs.

If you have other resources, additional comments or questions, please leave them in the comment section.

Thankful for Trinity's Sunday Morning Bulletin

I wrote the following in my journal before this morning's service at Trinty.  I would love to say I do this before every service.  I don't but I do think it is very important for not only the pastor but also the entire congregation to prepare for Sunday morning.

I am very thankful Trinity Baptist Church sends out the bulletin on Friday before the Sunday morning service.
It helps me in at least two different ways.

First, this morning before the service I was able to listen to one of the songs we are going to sing together.  A little private worship listening/singing prepares my heart for corporate worship.

Second, I read and thought about the passage Pastor Brett is going to preach this morning.  This was especially helpful today because

• I know pedology, part of the sermon title, is not a misspelling.  It is an actual word - soil science.  
• I can focus on God and His Word as I go into the church building for the church meeting with my church family.  The passage this morning is a very familiar one, Luke 8:4 - 15, the Parable of the Soils.  While reading through the passage I realized I have read and heard this passage preached many times. While it is very familiar, I don't want to go into the church meeting time focused on the fact that I know this passage.   I want to think about the following questions based on the study of Luke 8:4 - 15.
• What do I, my family, and my church family need to be reminded of?  
• about God
• about God's Word
• about mankind
• about me, my family, and my church
• What do I, my family, and my church family need to love or hate more?
• What do I, my family, and my church family need to do as a result of studying this passage/hearing this sermon?

So, I write all of this to say I am thankful for my church bulletin because it reminds me that church is not about me. 

Before or during Sunday morning service, my mind should not go to "I know that passage and don't need to hear another sermon on it" or "I like/don't like that song."  

I should want to be with my church family to glorify God, grow in sanctification, and encourage others to glorify God and grow in sanctification.

I wrote this part shortly after the sermon.  

Pastor Brett said, "If you want the Word of God to change you, prepare your heart."
A practical way you can prepare for Sunday morning service is to study the passage the pastor will be preaching that morning and maybe even listen to and think through the words of one or more of the songs you will be singing with your church family.  

I have written about how to walk into church in several other posts.  HERE is the first one with several different links to different resources.

Church Membership @ Trinity Baptist Church

This past Sunday, we became members of Trinity Baptist Church (tbcgr.org/).  I have written this blog with the hope of helping others think through church membership and how to find a church home.

I pray this post will be more than just an update on our family.

First of all, church membership is biblical.
  
Here is a resource from David Platt and Radical that helps explain why this is the case - Is Church Membership Biblical?

Second, here is the process we went through in finding a church home.

In September, we visited a couple of churches that were ministry possibilities.

After deciding we would not pursue a church ministry position at that time, our church search shifted from finding a church that had full-time ministry openings to a church where we could grow and serve in the community we are living in.

About a year ago, I read the following statement that has influenced our church search.

Instead of driving 20 miles away to attend a church that "fits my needs."  What if we committed to the nearest non-heretical, Bible-believing church where we could grow and serve - [A church] where Jesus is the hero - however uncomfortable it may be.

We attended churches walking far from our houses during our times in Toledo and Scranton.  

We found two great Bible-preaching churches under 10 miles from our apartment in our search for a new church in Grand Rapids.  After prayerful consideration and attending both churches a couple of times, we chose the church 1.5 miles from our house, which teaches Biblical sermons and focuses on making disciples.  Both churches were friendly and doctrinally solid.
HERE is a podcast from 9Marks on Living Close to Your Church

Here are a couple of reasons why we have decided to make Trinity Baptist Church our church home.

• The pastor preaches God's Word, and the church has a solid Biblical theology.
• This sermon, The Most Difficult Mission, exemplifies the passionate, challenging Bible preaching.
• The church is about a 12-minute WALK from our house.  This is important as we thought about inviting people we meet in our community to church.  
• God blessed me with the opportunity to connect with Jason, one of the associate pastors, over this past year.  He is passionate about Biblical counseling and disciple-making.

We are still determining how long we will be here. Still, my family and I must be committed to a local Biblical church - submitted to that church's leaders, using our gifts to help others grow and learn alongside other believers.  However, as long we are here, we want to be here - growing and sharing with other believers.  We are very thankful for the people at Trinity Baptist Church and for the leadership of the pastors and elders.

Misused Verses - Misplaced Hope

Over the last couple of week's the Genesis class has been looking at 

The Most Misused Bible Verses.

We looked at three different verses. 

With today being my last day of teaching I wanted to close out the series 

and

help the class consider their involvement in the upcoming 

Biblical Counseling/Discipleship Training Conference

Over the three week's we referred to various Bible study ideas to help 

with looking not only at these misused verses but 

also any verses or passages.

The first week's help was "have a plan."

The specific plan I mentioned was COMA

Context, Observation, Meaning, and Application

from One to One Bible Reading

The second week's help from Ben Lawrence was

"Look for the author's original intent in writing the book/passage/verse"

The third week's help was "ask questions."

Some questions include 

"Who is the promise directed to?"

"Are there any words that need to be defined or clarified?"

This final week's help is "remember the focus of the Bible."

The Bible is not about you.

It is about God.

Most of the misused verses in the book are misapplied because

the reader puts his hope in the wrong place -

pleasant circumstances, more money, well-behaved children

instead of in Jesus Christ. 

We have the scriptures written to teach and encourage us

by giving us hope.

HERE is the link to the Sunday night session on "Why host a Biblical Counseling conference?"  

Biblical counseling in a local church setting provides the opportunity for the church to offer real hope to church members, regular attendees, and the surrounding community.

BIBLICAL DOCTRINE/ATMOSPHERE OF GRACE

Why preach and teach Biblical doctrine?

• In 2 Timothy 2:2. Paul tells Timothy to share what he has learned with faithful men who will share it with others.  This verse along with the rest of the Pastoral Epistles are encouragements to preach, teach and lead well.    

What does it look like?

• EVERYONE is preparing for the sermon
• The preaching and teaching prepares a congregation of “mini-preachers” to proclaim the Gospel to their families, neighborhoods, and workplaces.
• The ministry of the church on Sunday is so much more than just the pulpit ministry.  It is also a “pew” ministry
• It’s not just about teaching.  It’s about equipping
• The church family learns how to talk about “sanctification” and “growing and changing.”  They share Biblical answers for life.

CULTURE OF DISCIPLESHIP/SOUL CARE

Why develop a culture of discipleship/Soul Care?

• All the “one anothers” in the New Testament
• Some examples:  John 13:14, 34, 35; 15:12, 17;  Romans 12:10; 15:14; 16:16; Galatians 5:13; Ephesians 5:21; Hebrews 3:13

What does a culture of discipleship/Soul Care look like?

• Living out the one another’s in Biblical, gospel-centered community
• Spirit-led, relationship-driven not program-directed

DIRECTIVE COUNSEL

Why do directive counsel?

• Share the hope that is in you – 1 Peter 3:13–16
• Share the hope with others – Hebrews 10:23-25

What does directive counsel look like?

• A synonym for counsel is discipleship
• It is focused on God-glorifying life-change,
• Deeper relationships that begin through friendships and small groups
• Goal = encouragement and obedience by speaking the truth in love

CORRECTIVE COUNSEL

Why do corrective counsel?

• 1 Thessalonians 5:14
• 2 Timothy 3:16, 17

What does corrective counsel look like?

• More targeted towards a specific problem
• More intentional relationship between counselor/counselee
• More formal situation and more equipped counselee

INTENSIVE COUNSEL

Why do intensive counsel?

• 1 Thessalonians 5:14
• 2 Timothy 3:16, 17

What does intensive counsel look like?

• Focused on life-dominating or tragic issues
• Requires more focused time
• Requires a counselor with more training.
• “Not intended to be a substitute for the ongoing, long-term discipleship that we all ought to experience in the body of Christ.”  Scott Mehl

Spirit Empowered Sundays

This Sunday at West Cannon Baptist Church is unique.

This is the first Sunday with new screens, projectors, and cameras for streaming the service.

While this is unique, it is not what will make the service powerful!

This Sunday at West Cannon Baptist Church is special.

This is Mother's Day and Parents/Child Dedication Sunday.  
While this is a special day, it is not what will make the service powerful!

The command to the church in Ephesians 5:17-21 serves as a reminder of what will make the service powerful!

17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

God, the Holy Spirit, working in and through the church, God's people, as we sing songs of praise, give thanks to God the Father, and submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

That is a church gathering where God, in His Trinitarian glory, is glorified.

Now I know what some people might be thinking.  By good people I mean those who read that explanation above and thought "But where is the Bible in that church gathering?  You didn't say anything about the Bible."

In working through the material for West Cannon Baptist Church's unified study, I have been challenged how little some churches think about, talk about and study the Holy Spirit.  This is sometimes because of concern over doctrinal error in churches that overemphasize the Holy Spirit.  
It can also be a result of churches elevating the Bible to the third part of the Trinity.  

Whatever the reason, it is wrong.
As I write the last post I want to share a couple of thoughts about the Theology Matters unified study.
First of all, I want to thank Zach Horn for all of his hard work in developing the lesson resources for the teachers.  These notes are available at www.drodgersjr.com/p/unified-study.html.  I am also thankful for the teachers.

Second, I know this was a lot of material to cover in four weeks but here is what I pray the study did.

1. Helped you see that the Bible is from God, without error and our ultimate authority - Week 1.
2. Helped you understand the God is knowable and unknowable.  There are things about God that we can truly know because He has made them known in His Word.  There are also things we will not fully know and understand about God because He is infinite - Week 2, 3, and 4.

Bottomline, it is my prayer this study grew in you and our church, our love for God and our desire to know Him more.

There are resources to help you and others know Him more at www.drodgersjr.com/p/theology-matters-resources.html

10 Commandments for Guest Friendly Church Members

For more about these Ten Commandements for Guest Friendly Church Members click HERE

1.   Thou shalt pray for people in the services whom you don’t recognize.

2.   Thou shalt smile.

3.   Thou shalt not sit on the ends of the rows.

4.   Thou shalt not fill up the back rows first.

5.   Thou shalt have ushers to help seat the guests.

6.   Thou shalt offer assistance to guests.

7.   Thou shalt not gather too long in your holy huddles.

8.   Thou shalt offer your seats to guests.

9.   Thou shalt not save seats.

10.  Thou shalt greet someone you don’t know. 

An Unplanned Multi-generational Night of Ministry

It was a great night at West Cannon Baptist Church!
It will take a little bit to explain how God used the evening to really bless and encourage me.

Earlier this afternoon, I sent the following message out to the Genesis class which I am teaching.

Hello everyone, 

I forgot to do this on Sunday, so here it is a little later than I would like.  I want to invite you to the wrap session of the Wednesday night study “Your Walk with God Is a Community Project.” 

Now you might be wondering, why would I come to the last night of a Wednesday night study?   

Tonight we will look at ways that we can become better disciple-makers.  Tomorrow, I am going to email an electronic copy of the document I am using in the class.  It is my prayer that each and every one of us, not just the Genesis class but also our whole church, would grow as disciple-makers.  

If you are able to come I would encourage you to come out tonight from 7:00 to 8:05 in the choir room.

When I arrived at the church building, Jordan (from my class) found me and asked if the 9th and 10th-grade small group he and Brian led could join us because their topic for the night was The Great Commission.

Now if you know me at all, the opportunity to share a disciple-making challenge with a multi-generational group of Christians is amazing!

Here are a couple of other things that were really encouraging Wednesday night:

1. Jordan and Brian thought of bringing their small group to the class.
2. The class was open to having the teens in the class discussion time.
3. We had some time as two groups to debrief and talk about some of the things that were discussed.
4. Some members of the class shared ways the ten-session study has been an encouragement to them.

While there have been many difficulties in moving, at least one of the many blessings has been some of the ways God has been showing me connections between the way West Cannon Baptist Church does ministry and my philosophy of ministry.

I am very excited to see how this study will be used in the lives of our church family and those they may impact.  
I also know these written words don't come close to capturing my excitement about seeing God work across the generations.

Here are some of the resources I shared with the group:

Highlights of the 9Marks Journal on Discipleship in the Church

Entire 9Marks Journal on Discipleship in the Church

Quotes from Your Walk with God is a Community Project

How to Love Your Church on Sunday

I have been leading the "Your Walk with God is a Community Project" study 

on Wednesday nights and

have recently been visiting each of the Sunday School classes 

at West Cannon Baptist Church

in the effort to help our church become more welcoming 

and disciple-making focused.

I would love to see each of our church members love our church even more.

Loving your church is not just about liking or enjoying your church

but loving the people of your church and

looking for opportunities to build them up. 

Here is the bookmark resource that is being shared in the Sunday School classes.

library.thevineproject.com/#/resources/pray-think-speak-a-postcard-for-church-members

Corporate Worship is an Identity Reminder!

Tomorrow's (October 21) New Morning Mercies Devotional is straight from the Your Walk With God Is A Community Project study I am leading on Wednesday nights.  Over the last two weeks we have been talking about how to walk into church.  I posted about this last week "How are you planning to walk into church."

Below is the full devotional for October 21

Corporate worship is designed to remind you of your identity in Christ 

so that you won’t waste your time looking for identity elsewhere. 

It’s so easy to be an identity amnesiac. It’s so easy to forget who you are in Christ and what you have been given as his child. It’s so easy to shop horizontally for what you have already been given vertically. It’s so easy to give in to fear, to give way to shame, or to allow yourself to be weakened by guilt because you forget the present benefits of Jesus’s finished work. It’s so easy, in the hardships of life, to forget that nothing is powerful enough to separate you from God’s love. When you are struggling, it’s so easy to forget that if God gave you his Son, he will also give you everything else you need. It’s so easy to fail to live in light of the fact that Jesus didn’t die just for your past forgiveness (praise God that he did) or your future resurrection (what hope!), but also for everything you are facing in the here and now.

It’s so easy to forget that every trial sent your way is sent by a Savior of grace as a tool of grace to advance the work of grace in your heart and life. It’s so easy to forget that because your life has been invaded by the grace of the One who is the “I Am,” it is impossible for you to ever be in any situation, relationship, or location by yourself. It’s so easy to forget that God really does live inside you in the powerful convicting, protecting, and enabling presence of the Holy Spirit. It’s so easy to forget that God loves and accepts you no less on your worst day than he does on your best day. It’s so easy to fail to remember that because of the grace of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, you are never left to the limited resources of your own wisdom, righteousness, and strength. It’s so easy to fall into fearing what grace has already defeated on your behalf.

It’s so easy to feel weak in the face of temptation and give way to what grace has given you the power to resist. It’s so easy to wonder if God is near and if he hears. It’s so easy to question the goodness of God in times of trouble. It’s so easy to ask yourself if God has forgotten you when you compare the trouble of your life to the seeming ease in the life of the person next to you. It’s so easy to think that life can be found somewhere outside of the Messiah. When life seems out of control, it’s so easy to forget that Jesus Christ rules over all things for his glory and for your good. It’s so easy to forget who you are and look for identity elsewhere,

So God has ordained that we should gather again and again to remember again and again who we are and what we have been given. His church is a tool of grace, a vehicle for remembering, so that we may celebrate and grow.

Tripp, Paul David. New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional (p. 295). Crossway.

How are you planning to walk into church this Sunday morning?

HERE are the posts on this blog about walking into church.  

Some of you may be thinking that is a dumb question.
You are planning to walk into church the same way you do all the time.
Before you stop reading, read this explanation of why that is such a deep, heart-revealing question.

We need to walk prayerfully into church.
One prayer is where you will sit this Sunday.

• This doesn't mean pray that no one will be sitting in your favorite regular seat on Sunday morning
• This does mean pray that you will find a seat with ministering to people around you in mind.
• This does mean pray that you will realize God has you in the seat you are sitting in for a specific purpose.

Pray about how you can serve God and others.

• Don't come Sunday morning as a selfish consumer.  Sunday morning is not about you.
• Come Sunday morning as a God-glorifying participant.  Sunday morning is about God.

Here are a couple of resources to help each of us think about this question.

bookmark entitled "How to Love Your Church on Sunday"
article entitled "The Ministry of the Pew"
article entitled "Ten Commandments for Guest-Friendly Church Members"

video summary of the book How to Walk into Church.

HERE are the posts on this blog about walking into church.  
I am planning to post more about this topic.