Improving our Gospel Communication

Tony Reinke has a great post about how we can improve our gospel message. The following is from his blog


Improving our Gospel Communication

In the last post I wrote: “Showing people sin is the easy part. Showing people the grace of God is not so easy.”

A profound—but plagiarized—thought.

The simple truth is that convincing someone of personal sin is not hard. I remember reading the story of a horror film writer on opening night of his movie sitting in the front row and watching the ghastly evil on the screen and realizing that this entire movie had been born in his heart. It was a sort of Ah-ha moment of his own sin. He was no Christian and I’m not certain he ever became a Christian. Every sinner knows that they are sinful, this is a truth none of us can escape–we can only suppress its reality.

And for those of us who are Christians, who have openly and honestly looked into the eye of that heinous beast of sin residing in all our hearts, a preacher can convict us of sin with little trouble. But if we are more aware of sin than grace the conviction of sin can easily dominate and suffocate a more important truth of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

In the last post, this led Tom post this comment: “As a pastor I desire to present Christ in all His goodness and glory in such a way that He is beautiful desirable, attractive and appealing, and yet I feel I so often fall short. You would think that it would be easy to present Christ in such a way that people would have a natural hunger and yearning for Him, yet I find it to be a great challenge and am frustrated that I fall so short of proclaiming Christ’s glory winsomely, fruitfully and effectively.”

Great thoughts, Tom. Its worth taking a moment to understand how we can better communicate the grace of the gospel.

And I begin by realizing that I will never sufficiently communicate the glorious gospel. We live by faith now, which has its inherent limitations. But one day we will look at Jesus and be overwhelmed with affection like never before. Yet the promise holds true to us that although “you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1 Pet. 1:8).

But how?

Three topics come to mind when I read your comment.

1. Study the Gospel

It may be that the content of messages could be improved. And for this the solution is fairly straight: Read Scripture and read excellent books on the cross. What better way to saturate our words with grace than by filling up our hearts and affections with appreciation for what Christ has accomplished for me on the cross!?

Thankfully there are dozens of excellent books on the gospel. My friend C.J. Mahaney—the author of my personal favorite book on the gospel, Living the Cross-Centered Life—has published a list of recommended books on this topic of supreme importance. Reading these books frequently, and slowly enough to be personally affected by the gospel on a regular basis, will fill your soul with love for the cross and that will be communicated.

But I would caution us from thinking that the key to better communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ is only about speak more frequently, affectionately, clearly, or eloquently about the gospel. I think there are two other critical factors that help determine (promoting or limiting) the effective transmission of the gospel to others.

2. Assault Legalism

We are all prone to think God is pleased with us to the degree we pleased him during the week. If I didn’t do so well, I’m more likely to be shut off from the gospel and words of grace. And if your hearers do not understand the depth and severity of legalism in their hearts they will be gullible to a hardness towards the grace of God (and may not even know it). A while ago I posted an outstanding excerpt from Sinclair Ferguson on the importance of ministers preaching strong indicatives (the gospel) to support the imperatives (commands) of Scripture. I encourage you to read it.

Because the simple truth is that if we think God’s approval of us pivots upon our spiritual performance—and not what Christ accomplished on the cross—our appreciation for the gospel will never seriously affect us.

3. Communicate Christ’s Affections

Paul tells the church in Philippi that he loves them with the affections of Christ Jesus. His exact words: “For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:8). Paul’s affections towards the Philippians is an extension of the affection of Christ to the saints. Which means (if I’m reading this correctly) that ministers have an opportunity to communicate, to some (obviously) imperfect level, the affection of Christ to their people.

A genuine Christian who is unfamiliar with the joy of Christ and the gospel may (notice I said may) have a pastor that does not reflect, model, and communicate a Christ-centered love to them. Those people with loving, caring, humble, sacrificial pastors who tell them how much they love them—and from an unconditional love unhinged from their responsive performance—will more likely be familiar with the unconditional love of Christ displayed in the gospel.

So could it be that a church unfamiliar with the unconditional love of Christ—as displayed in the gospel—have not experienced the affection of Christ through their pastor?

Two great questions to ask yourself are these: (a) Upon what condition does Christ’s love for me depend? (b) Upon what condition does my love for ______ rest upon what he/she does or does not do? And this love is obviously one that has first escaped the entrapment of legalism.

Conclusion

So those are three categories I would raise for your consideration, Tom. Read and study fill your own soul with the gospel, assault legalism in your heart and church, and seek to incarnate the love of Christ in caring for your flock. In all things praying the Holy Spirit would burn hot so your church will gather and sing with tear-filled eyes:

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

LEAD team update

LEAD teams are part of the BGC network for pastor. I post this hear hoping for feedback on the ideas that are shared (BGC or not please comment). What will work in our area? Are there things we need to implement or change to allow it to function in a God honoring way that allows His kingdom to expand?



The LEAD Team Update BGC LEAD Teams Nov 2008

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Greetings!
Thanks for reading this issue of the Update! We're Nat'l Coordinators helping LEAD Teams thrive in our movement. We welcome your input and questions. Click on the unsubscribe button if you wish to be removed. - Dan Maxton/Terry Martell

Deaf Church to Start in Wisconsin

The hearing impaired are a significant unreached group in America today! Henry Blackaby's principle - "Find out where God is at work and then join Him!" - helped some WI leaders trace God's hand in starting a deaf church.

Six years ago, Bethany Baptist (Schoefield, WI) pastor and Head Coach - Kim Swenson - first saw God working when four deaf people walked into the church foyer. A deaf interpreter, Carol Fourman, walked up to them and signed, "I remember when you come to faith in Christ 10 years ago!"

"When God is at work, he usually raises up a leader!" notes Swenson. Maverick Martin and his wife started spending time with the deaf community and suggested, "Why don't we start a church?"

Soon the group connected with a deaf evangelist Don Ketter from Kansas City, MO. Later, he met Executive Minister, Dwight Perry and Church Planting leader, Dan Parmalee to forge a ministry partnership.

Delegates attending a recent Annual Meeting (Oct 23-25) in Ashland, WI called Don Ketter as their first hearing impaired church planter in the Great Lakes Baptist Conference (GLBC).

The Grand Opening for the new church is planned for December 7th. Fifteen deaf adults along with their children will meet for worship at Bethany Baptist. Future midweek bible studies will utilize video relay (Skype-like conferencing) to connect with other deaf communities in Medford, Stevens Point, Marshville, Merrill and Rhinelander.

"It's amazing how God is providing," observed Swenson. "This is one of those ministries that just took off! God really seems to be at work when people, resources and plans just fall into place with minimal initiative on our part."


What are LEAD TEAMS?

LEAD Teams bring together pastors and planters who connect 4-5 times a year to ignite a movement. They discover and send out future pastors and planters to lead transformational churches.

Leaders Learn principles, Encourage growth, Achieve mission and Dream about opportunities. They live out core values and mobilize kingdom resources to reproduce the life of Jesus.

Current National goals:

Initiate regional training events that equip Head Coaches.
Assist district leaders to launch new Lead Teams.
Share regional ideas working in one area with other leaders across the country.


10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known...

Ever wished someone would have shared insights about your job before you started? Church Planter, Gary Lamb blogged some great insights that you can bring up in your LEAD team.

"These aren't the top things I would tell a church planter, just the top 10 things I wished I had known before we launched," explains Lamb.

Be secure in your calling. There are days when nothing will get you through the day but your calling. The one thing that will comfort you (and not much) is the fact that you must KNOW you are called to do this thing.
People who come on time and act like you are the greatest thing in the world, want to sign up for everything after one visit, talk about how they are called to the ministry after one visit, etc. are the ones that won't last long. It happens every time.
You can NEVER cast vision too much. Volunteers do what they do because of the vision, not because they need something else on their schedule.
Small groups are a lot of work and NO ONE is doing them well especially if they are reaching unchurched people. However when they run right, there is nothing greater.
Who you do this thing with is so important. Do it with friends and people you enjoy being around.
Don't be afraid to talk about money. The bible talks a lot about it and it is part of spiritual growth. Big vision takes big money and God uses people to fund the vision.
Be yourself. The world doesn't need another Ed Young, Andy Stanley, Rob Bell, or Erwin McManus. It does however need you to be you and who God created you to be.
Don't be afraid to lose people. I never want to see people go, but there are times when people need to leave and in the early days I was too afraid to lose people that I kept people around that needed to leave.
Take time off!!!! Starting a church is a marathon, not a sprint. You are in this thing for the long haul so take care of your body, your mind, your soul, your marriage, and your family now so you can be doing this thing later.
Enjoy the ride. Quit worrying about the next growth barrier, the other churches in town, the critics, etc. Just enjoy what God is doing. Stop and smell the roses. If you don't do it now, you never will. Keep pushing to reach more people, but enjoy what is happening while it is happening.



Key Vital Signs of LEAD TEAMS

LEAD teams discover financial resources that achieves their vision. Member churches put LEAD Teams in their budgets. Congregations make monthly gifts to multiply churches in their regions.


LEAD Teams mentor and coach potential pastors and planters. They encourage apprentice leaders to attend meetings, network with others and learn new ways to equip churches.


Lead Teams collaborate around mission. They challenge themselves to be teams that fulfills God's vision to reproduce the life of Jesus in people and churches.


LEAD Teams look for future planters from within their church ministries. They avoid relying solely on regional partners (districts) to do the hard work of recruiting. Instead, they discover future planters in their own churches and harvest fields of their communities.



Yours for the Cause,


Dan Maxton/Terry Martell
BGC LEAD Team Coordinators

10 Things I wish I would have known

I copied this from Dan Maxton, who copied it from Gary Lamb. I thought is was worth reading again.

10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known...

Ever wished someone would have shared insights about your job before you started? Church Planter, Gary Lamb blogged some great insights.

"These aren't the top things I would tell a church planter, just the top 10 things I wished I had known before we launched," explains Lamb.

Be secure in your calling. There are days when nothing will get you through the day but your calling. The one thing that will comfort you (and not much) is the fact that you must KNOW you are called to do this thing.
People who come on time and act like you are the greatest thing in the world, want to sign up for everything after one visit, talk about how they are called to the ministry after one visit, etc. are the ones that won't last long. It happens every time.
You can NEVER cast vision too much. Volunteers do what they do because of the vision, not because they need something else on their schedule.
Small groups are a lot of work and NO ONE is doing them well especially if they are reaching unchurched people. However when they run right, there is nothing greater.
Who you do this thing with is so important. Do it with friends and people you enjoy being around.
Don't be afraid to talk about money. The bible talks a lot about it and it is part of spiritual growth. Big vision takes big money and God uses people to fund the vision.
Be yourself. The world doesn't need another Ed Young, Andy Stanley, Rob Bell, or Erwin McManus. It does however need you to be you and who God created you to be.
Don't be afraid to lose people. I never want to see people go, but there are times when people need to leave and in the early days I was too afraid to lose people that I kept people around that needed to leave.
Take time off!!!! Starting a church is a marathon, not a sprint. You are in this thing for the long haul so take care of your body, your mind, your soul, your marriage, and your family now so you can be doing this thing later.
Enjoy the ride. Quit worrying about the next growth barrier, the other churches in town, the critics, etc. Just enjoy what God is doing. Stop and smell the roses. If you don't do it now, you never will. Keep pushing to reach more people, but enjoy what is happening while it is happening.

Church states of reporduction

JD Pearring describes the different stages of church reproduction. I believe God's goal for the local church is to always be reproducing.

Stages of Reproduction
JD Pearring

Part of what we’re about in the GHC Network is helping churches partner with and parent new churches. Some churches are excited about the possibilities and are on board with reproducing. Others seem disinterested in church planting. Still others find themselves in the middle of those options.
In working with churches and pastors over the years I’ve come up with, what I call, the different Stages of Reproduction:

Resisting
Some churches are currently resisting reproduction. Like couples who have decided against having children, these churches do not want to reproduce. Church Planting expert Bob Logan uses the term “hostile” to describe how some pastors and churches respond to the idea of parenting a daughter church. One famous pastor of a mega-church in our country once remarked, “We came dangerously close to planting a daughter church.”

Questioning
Other churches find themselves grappling with the clear Biblical command to “go forth and multiply.” They are starting to wonder why this hasn’t been part of the natural development in their church. They are asking questions, checking studies and beginning to realize that they do not want to be, as multiplication specialist Red Ensley put it, “a dead-end link on the chain of Christianity.”

Not Now
Many, if not most churches find themselves in the “Not Now” stage. They realize that health leads to reproduction. They know that they need to parent someday. But they are caught up with other things right now. These folks typically say things like, “As soon as we get our facility built we’ll consider a plant.” Or, “We’re not large enough yet.” Or, “When we get our staffing, program, or financial issues remedied, we’ll look into it.”

Something
Many churches have moved to the stage where they are actually doing something. They might be financially supporting a church planter or two. They may open their facilities to a church plant in their area or perhaps they’ve given gently used equipment to a new church in the region. They have jumped into the game.

Aunt/Uncle
Other churches have moved to the point of being an Aunt or Uncle church. They might not feel ready to parent, but they are willing to generously support a planter. They’re having planters up front in their services and are growing in support of a church planting movement.

GodParent
Some churches have moved a bit farther along the reproduction journey. They’ve become that special Aunt or Uncle--the GodParent. They are praying and giving and are available for special appeals by church plants for one-time gifts over and above previous commitments; to send people to help out to a preview service; or to have a baby shower to buy items for a church plants nursery. My church in Elk Grove, Discovery Church, has a special relationship with a plant back east. We’ve told them to consider us to be a rich uncle who lives in California.

Parent
Some churches have actually moved to the point of daughtering a church. Like having kids biologically, this might be a deliberate, planned, thought-out strategy. A parent church might have the clear approach that they will give $50,000 to $100,000 and 50-100 people to get a church launched. Or it might be more of “an accident.” They might only be able to give a few bucks and a few people, but they are responding to God’s personal call to them to be parents. They may or may not be joined by another parent church, but they’ve taken responsibility to help a church get going.

Baby Machine
Some churches have had such a good experience in parenting, that they are having plenty of kids. My four sisters have had seven kids, seven kids, six kids and four kids respectively. And I’ve joked that they are baby-machines, constantly pregnant. Some churches are like that--they’ve become multiplication centers.

Mini-Denomination
And some have multiplied so much that they’ve approached becoming a denomination unto themselves. Their kids are having kids. Some are reproducing like wildfire, leaving a lasting legacy.

Churches range throughout these stages, from resistant to rapid reproduction.

The application is clear: let’s identify where we, where our church currently finds itself along the reproductive journey. Is your church resistant? Questioning? Waiting? Involved? Moving toward parenting? Cranking them out?

After identifying where we are, there’s one last application I’d like to challenge you and your church to take: consider making some movement further along the reproductive line. If you’re thinking, “Not now,” I’d encourage you to rethink that and at least do something--support a church planter, give something. If you’re doing something, consider taking the challenge on of being a GodParent. Or perhaps its time to daughter that first church--or that second one. Let’s move along the reproductive journey.

Steve Addison’s blog World Changers

The future of the Australian Baptists
(you can read his blog here)

I’ve just finished an unofficial report on the future of my denomination, the Baptist Union of Australia.

The good news is the BUA has a future. The bad news is if that future is more of the same then the Baptist are headed for long term, gradual decline in relation to the Australian population.

Here’s a summary of the trends

Baptist membership has been falling since 1992.
The gap between membership and population growth has been widening since 1911.
Church attendance has been growing since 2003 but the numbers may not be accurate.
The number of churches is increasing.
The gap between number of churches and population growth has been widening since 1911.
Mainline Protestant churches are in serious decline which outweighs the growth in evangelical churches.
The Australian population is growing at unexpectedly high levels and will continue to do so.
Conclusion: More of the same will result in steady long-term decline in relation to Australian population growth.
So what is to be done? Apart from a new logo I suggested we need to:

Confront the evidence
Keep returning to our evangelical heritage
See our future through Great Commission eyes
Release pioneering leadership
Build a church planting movement
Keep learning
Exercise faith
If we do nothing, we’ll survive. It may take decades for the full impact of our inaction to bear fruit. There will be a long journey of gradual decline in relation to population growth. The denomination will probably still be around in 100 years time—unless Jesus returns.

Life in Christ

I have been impressed with Acts 1:8 recently. While a common verse that I memorized as a kid, the impact of God's power through the Holy Spirit to be a witness is really challenging me. We have the power of the Holy Spirit as believers. In any type of work we always look at past performance to understand what will happen in the future. The power of God in the past blows the mind. He can and will do it in the future. Do I really believe I have His power to share what Jesus Christ did on the cross for the ungodly? Peter, Anannis and Paul are just a few of many examples of the practical working of the power of the Holy Spirit at work to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the unchurched.

Belief brings a change. Do I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to witness? I sure want to say yes, but how how verbal am I? I am so thrilled that God uses "simple", well know verse, to remind us once again of who He is and what He wants in our life. It is not a new idea, it is not an unheard claim, but because God word is living it takes new impact again and again.