I grew up in a small church. The first church that I went to averaged maybe 40-45 people. I still have memories of my dad challenging the congregation to get 100 people there on Easter and if they did, he was going to preach from the roof! Thinking back now, the challenge probably shouldn’t have been to PREACH more J. It should have been like a pie in the face or something that people WANT to have happen! Us Jellison’s are known for being long winded preachers. So we were a small, inward focused church as are many small churches. By being in such a small church something interested happened in my mind. No one said it (that I can remember) but I sure felt it. I felt it even though we would sing songs like “I don’t care what church you belong to”. I always had an “It’s us against the world” attitude and this INCLUDED other churches!
Now, being a pastor, I have come to the conclusion that this is simply not the case. There is only one enemy and that is the one who is free to roam earth tempting others to follow him: Richard Simmons! No really, the only enemy is Satan. I have come the realization that not everyone will get their needs met at my church and if they don’t get them met here, by all means get them met somewhere! I realize my generation has bought into the consumer Christian mindset as they are always thinking that they need options and choices and are looking for what best suits them as opposed to what best suits God’s plan. So this means that churches need not feel the same way that I felt as a child. If someone is getting help at your church and they are growing and are in a relationship with God, then be satisfied with that. We often get what Coach Drury said was the “Missing Duck” syndrome. We (pastors) often tend to look at those who weren’t here as opposed to was here. The illustration says that “you don’t have to get all of the ducks to have a good duck hunt!” This is plastered on my wall and is daily becoming plastered on my heart. Other churches aren’t the enemy…it is Satan and him only!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Capturing me again...
How often do we let something catch our hearts? I don’t mean catch our attention. Our attention spans are growing shorter and shorter. I mean, every time I walk past a package of Oreo’s my attention is captivated! I dream of dipping those yummy morsels of tastiness into a mug of cold milk and…you get the vision. Our attention is caught by many different things each day. Things happen like the car that slams on its brakes and doesn’t turn its turn signal on or the wife that has a huge heart and sees a dog roaming the snow covered streets with chunks of ice matted to its fur and wants you to stop so you do. Then, following her big heart, PICKS the stranger of a dog up and puts him in the truck and then the attention shifts to trying to get the now RABID, SNARLING, HALF FROZEN ANIMAL (it no longer was a dog at this point) out of the truck without getting bit and paying for a trip to the hospital for a rabies shot (TRUE STORY)! Things like that always get our attention. However, how many times do we let our hearts get caught up?
I think that God wants to do this more than we think. Growing up, adults seem to lose the wonder of it all. You have responsibilities and bills and kids and a job and insurance and on and on and you can’t AFFORD to get caught up and lose precious time. This is one of the major issues that a church has. The members are so concerned with the other things in life that on Sunday mornings they come in, sit down, expect the norm and leave. When we watch our favorite show or a game are we expecting the norm? Are we expecting the same things to happen week in and week out? Of course not! We wouldn’t watch it if it did that, we call those re-runs. So here’s my question: is God still watching our church services? Have we lost the true meaning of meeting together? Isn’t the whole meaning of coming to church to be in the presence of God? Isn’t the whole meaning to have an encounter with our creator, the one who made us and formed us before we even were out of the womb? Why is it that we close out this meeting with the hustle and bustle of life? We have chosen the wrong path and have been traveling down it for far too long. Still, because God loves us so much, he isn’t requiring us to go all the way back and start from the beginning. He just asks us to start today and every day by letting him catch our hearts and fill our lives and souls with his spirit. That is why we are to become “new creations” the old is gone, the new is here. It doesn’t say that we have become altered or renovated creatures. We are to become NEW. We get to start fresh and free from “the sin that so easily entangled us”. When was the last time you let your heart be captivated by God? The last time where you just had to stop and be in his presence? The last time you prayed and were changed, not by saying a million things or even one right thing, but by being in his presence? Start down a new road today. Let God capture your heart again!
I think that God wants to do this more than we think. Growing up, adults seem to lose the wonder of it all. You have responsibilities and bills and kids and a job and insurance and on and on and you can’t AFFORD to get caught up and lose precious time. This is one of the major issues that a church has. The members are so concerned with the other things in life that on Sunday mornings they come in, sit down, expect the norm and leave. When we watch our favorite show or a game are we expecting the norm? Are we expecting the same things to happen week in and week out? Of course not! We wouldn’t watch it if it did that, we call those re-runs. So here’s my question: is God still watching our church services? Have we lost the true meaning of meeting together? Isn’t the whole meaning of coming to church to be in the presence of God? Isn’t the whole meaning to have an encounter with our creator, the one who made us and formed us before we even were out of the womb? Why is it that we close out this meeting with the hustle and bustle of life? We have chosen the wrong path and have been traveling down it for far too long. Still, because God loves us so much, he isn’t requiring us to go all the way back and start from the beginning. He just asks us to start today and every day by letting him catch our hearts and fill our lives and souls with his spirit. That is why we are to become “new creations” the old is gone, the new is here. It doesn’t say that we have become altered or renovated creatures. We are to become NEW. We get to start fresh and free from “the sin that so easily entangled us”. When was the last time you let your heart be captivated by God? The last time where you just had to stop and be in his presence? The last time you prayed and were changed, not by saying a million things or even one right thing, but by being in his presence? Start down a new road today. Let God capture your heart again!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Change change change
What I am wondering this week is:
Why is change so hard for most people? We all know that change is always happening...the seasons change, our bodies change, hair comes, weigh comes and goes, change is life. I guess how well you deal with change affects most of your life. I mean, during your pre-teen years, your body is changing and you have to deal with that. When you get into high school, your social life changes. When you get a job the level of responsibility changes. When you graduate, society expects you to change where you live, what you do with your time, etc. At college, you are expected to change a lot of things (i.e. living with someone you don't know, no one making you do anything). If you don't go to college, there is a whole other set of changes like getting a full time job and paying bills and buying your own food for instance. Then, if you get married, you DO change. The way you talk, think, act, smell :)...etc all usually change. You get married and people's expectations of you change...you start getting asked, "when are you having kids". Then you have kids and you get the point...this goes on and on until you take your last breathe. Change is a part of life. We all change everyday. So why is it so hard to change some things in churches across the nation? The only thing you get from me is a big question mark. Is it because there is change in every other part of our lives and we like "doing" church the way we have done it? Or is it because change is full of uncertainty and growing pains. Change causes us to ask many questions. Questions like, why do we need to change something if it is working? Well, you have to step back and see if it is truly working. Is Shiloh reaching out and bringing in the unchurched, the dechurched and the disenfranchized? If not, they is it (church the way we do it) really working or is it what God intended His church to be? If not, then it is time for change. Another question that comes up is, "How do you continue to minister to people who get ministered to in the way we are doing it"? The answer: You do whatever it takes to minister to as many as possible. Paul said that he became all things to all people so he could reach them for Christ! Why is it then that we stop progress and change because of the fear of hurting someones feelings or making them upset? I am not saying to ramrod and push change down people's throats. However, I am saying that if change is needed and there is a glaring need that isn't getting met and we fail to at least try and meet it, we fail to be what Jesus intended for his church and his people. Change for change sake is from man, every time. Change for reaching the lost, now that is what Jesus called us all to do!
Why is change so hard for most people? We all know that change is always happening...the seasons change, our bodies change, hair comes, weigh comes and goes, change is life. I guess how well you deal with change affects most of your life. I mean, during your pre-teen years, your body is changing and you have to deal with that. When you get into high school, your social life changes. When you get a job the level of responsibility changes. When you graduate, society expects you to change where you live, what you do with your time, etc. At college, you are expected to change a lot of things (i.e. living with someone you don't know, no one making you do anything). If you don't go to college, there is a whole other set of changes like getting a full time job and paying bills and buying your own food for instance. Then, if you get married, you DO change. The way you talk, think, act, smell :)...etc all usually change. You get married and people's expectations of you change...you start getting asked, "when are you having kids". Then you have kids and you get the point...this goes on and on until you take your last breathe. Change is a part of life. We all change everyday. So why is it so hard to change some things in churches across the nation? The only thing you get from me is a big question mark. Is it because there is change in every other part of our lives and we like "doing" church the way we have done it? Or is it because change is full of uncertainty and growing pains. Change causes us to ask many questions. Questions like, why do we need to change something if it is working? Well, you have to step back and see if it is truly working. Is Shiloh reaching out and bringing in the unchurched, the dechurched and the disenfranchized? If not, they is it (church the way we do it) really working or is it what God intended His church to be? If not, then it is time for change. Another question that comes up is, "How do you continue to minister to people who get ministered to in the way we are doing it"? The answer: You do whatever it takes to minister to as many as possible. Paul said that he became all things to all people so he could reach them for Christ! Why is it then that we stop progress and change because of the fear of hurting someones feelings or making them upset? I am not saying to ramrod and push change down people's throats. However, I am saying that if change is needed and there is a glaring need that isn't getting met and we fail to at least try and meet it, we fail to be what Jesus intended for his church and his people. Change for change sake is from man, every time. Change for reaching the lost, now that is what Jesus called us all to do!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Things that are on my heart...
Hello...last week was amazing and wonderful to get away and to be really challenged in my walk with Christ and as a pastor. I am in the bullet mood lately so I think I will stick with it:
1. Coming away from that conference, I have a sense of urgency that the church needs to change or else. Looking at all the numbers and polls et al, church in the small towns or even in the large towns that are "old fashioned" are not reaching out to the unchurched or previously churched to bring them in. They think that since that is the way that it (church) has always been done, that's how they got saved that it should be good enough for this generation. Well, it's not. Numbers don't lie. Numbers aren't everything but I think too often that the smaller churches use the mantra that it is not the numbers that matter in growth, it is spiritual growth too often. However, while the bible does talk about spiritual maturation, it also talks about growing in numbers too! We must be reaching out and bringing in the people that we are missing and walking by each and every day. It is my heart to do this however and whatever it takes to bring this to fruition at Shiloh!
2. The church is changing big time and I am not sure how many people know it! Or should I say the unchurched are changing and no one in the church knows it!
3. Can a staff pastor get a vision for a church or does it have to come from the Senior pastor?
4. I am wondering, if a pastor doesn't have a vision, how much can a church grow? How does a church grow and get behind a vision if there is no vision?
5. Why are we (Christians/pastors) so worried about feelings and hurting them? I am fed up with the direction that I have had to go because there were people who MIGHT get their feelings hurt! Is it worth it to NOT follow what God has placed on your heart just so that a few won't get their feelings hurt?
6. The church is not called to maintain...it is not called to be a country club where we (pastors) are having activities and "entertainment" for the guests! We (the church) are one body, including myself...we are one body...one spirit...one purpose...or we are supposed to be. God has called us to reach out and make contact with those who are disillusioned with life and the church, those who are hurting and aren't getting their needs met somewhere else! Christ said go and make disciples not go and get some people who are like you, start a church, build all these traditions and waver not! However, many Christians have changed the great commission to this.
7. Music is BIG for reaching my generation and the generations to come. You don't need a slick service, you need some songs that touch their hearts and mean something to them in a genre of music that they actually would listen to outside of the church. At least this is my opinion.
8. I need to pray more. Not the "on-the-go" prayer but rather the get away and do nothing but seek God's face kind of prayer.
9. I need to reach out more to the fringe kids we have. Go to them and befriend them and make them feel a part of our ministry.
10. Finally, I plan on writing a blog every thursday. Other blogs will be extra but I want to try and write something...every thursday...
God, challenge me, change me, move me...just don't let me leave the same!
1. Coming away from that conference, I have a sense of urgency that the church needs to change or else. Looking at all the numbers and polls et al, church in the small towns or even in the large towns that are "old fashioned" are not reaching out to the unchurched or previously churched to bring them in. They think that since that is the way that it (church) has always been done, that's how they got saved that it should be good enough for this generation. Well, it's not. Numbers don't lie. Numbers aren't everything but I think too often that the smaller churches use the mantra that it is not the numbers that matter in growth, it is spiritual growth too often. However, while the bible does talk about spiritual maturation, it also talks about growing in numbers too! We must be reaching out and bringing in the people that we are missing and walking by each and every day. It is my heart to do this however and whatever it takes to bring this to fruition at Shiloh!
2. The church is changing big time and I am not sure how many people know it! Or should I say the unchurched are changing and no one in the church knows it!
3. Can a staff pastor get a vision for a church or does it have to come from the Senior pastor?
4. I am wondering, if a pastor doesn't have a vision, how much can a church grow? How does a church grow and get behind a vision if there is no vision?
5. Why are we (Christians/pastors) so worried about feelings and hurting them? I am fed up with the direction that I have had to go because there were people who MIGHT get their feelings hurt! Is it worth it to NOT follow what God has placed on your heart just so that a few won't get their feelings hurt?
6. The church is not called to maintain...it is not called to be a country club where we (pastors) are having activities and "entertainment" for the guests! We (the church) are one body, including myself...we are one body...one spirit...one purpose...or we are supposed to be. God has called us to reach out and make contact with those who are disillusioned with life and the church, those who are hurting and aren't getting their needs met somewhere else! Christ said go and make disciples not go and get some people who are like you, start a church, build all these traditions and waver not! However, many Christians have changed the great commission to this.
7. Music is BIG for reaching my generation and the generations to come. You don't need a slick service, you need some songs that touch their hearts and mean something to them in a genre of music that they actually would listen to outside of the church. At least this is my opinion.
8. I need to pray more. Not the "on-the-go" prayer but rather the get away and do nothing but seek God's face kind of prayer.
9. I need to reach out more to the fringe kids we have. Go to them and befriend them and make them feel a part of our ministry.
10. Finally, I plan on writing a blog every thursday. Other blogs will be extra but I want to try and write something...every thursday...
God, challenge me, change me, move me...just don't let me leave the same!
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