Because I said so

Social media and the church

2009-12-07T08:29:00.001-06:00

From Ministry Best Practices:

Based on the most recent Pew Internet report, the median ages of some of the most popular social networks are:

Twitter — 31 years
Facebook — 33 years
MySpace — 26 years
LinkedIn — 39 years

Social networks are not for just for kids.

Given that fact, how is your church using social media for ministry throughout the church (kids and adults alike)?

_______________________________________

First Congregational Church of Waseca, MN (my church) has a pair of Facebook pages - both a Group Page and a Fan Page that are regularly used to share information and to connect people. I as their pastor regularly use Twitter (@mrclm) and tweet things related to church and my ministry in my personal account. We do not maintain a second account. I am also on LinkedIn, but rarely use it. LinkedIn has been primarily so I can connect anyone who might be searching for a job within my congregation. And honestly, MySpace is such a huge sucktastic mess that I won't use it. I set up a personal account years ago, but the interface is so poor, and the signal to noise ratio is so high. I refuse to waste any more of my time on MySpace.

Christmas crack - an amazing snack/dessert

2009-12-06T21:18:00.001-06:00

A family in my church made this stuff for me tonight - it is simple, but AMAZING! I dub it Christmas crack!

Ingredients:
1 Bag of Old Dutch Puffcorn
1 Cup of Butter (Not Margarine)
1 1/4 Cups of Brown Sugar
2/3 Cup of Light Corn Syrup
1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

Preparation: Preheat oven to 250°F. Combine butter, brown sugar, and light corn syrup in a 2 quart sauce pan. Cook on medium heat until mixture has melted. Once mixture has melted add the baking soda. (Note: This will cause the mixture to foam) In a large roaster pan pour Old Dutch Puffcorn and pour caramel mixture over the Old Dutch Puffcorn and stir until mixed. Place in oven for 45 minutes, stirring at least every 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven, pour on wax paper and break apart. Let cool and ENJOY!

Marrying couples who live together

2009-12-06T15:13:00.002-06:00

I've been asked why it is I marry couples who live together. Below is a very well explained and reasoned response to that question given by Don Carson. Dr. Carson is far smarter and articulate than I am, and probably will ever be, so I recommend you give it a read.

Counsel to a Young Church Planter on Marriage

D.A. Carson

The following post was first an email to a young church planter seeking counsel. He is planting a church in a rough area. Not a few of those who are getting converted have been living together, sometimes with children, sometimes for years, without getting married. His question, then, is what should be said to these couples where one of the pair gets converted, and the other, so far, does not. Should the advice be to get married? Or is that encouraging people to be unequally yoked?

***

The question you’re facing is really about what marriage is, according to the Bible. At various times, I’ve faced the same questions you are now facing. The following are some guidelines. Some of these depend directly on what the Bible says, and some belong in the domain of prudential wisdom that is itself shaped by the Bible.

(1) In the Bible, marriage is more than sexual union between a man and a woman, but it is not less. It also includes public commitment to each other in some public, legal, and culturally acknowledged way that sets this pair apart as husband and wife. In the nomadic culture of Abraham’s day, a part of the ceremony was for the groom to take his bride “into his mother’s tent” (so Isaac) — that was the equivalent of the wedding night. Under the law of Moses, if A and B sleep together, and if it is clearly not rape, the law does not say, “Oh, well, I guess that makes them married.” No, the dowry must still be paid (that was part of the public declaration of marriage under that culture), the two families are involved, etc. So today, if A & B have been living together in sexual intimacy for some time, but without benefit of public attestation (whether in a church or before, say, a justice of the peace), they are not really “married” in the full sense of that term (the sexual union is there, but not the public mutual commitment according to the laws of our day); but equally, if A & B take vows of marriage and then don’t sleep together, this is not fully “marriage” either.

(2) The right thing to do, in both cases, is usually (I can think of one or two difficult exceptions!) to finalize the other part. It is not to try to undo what has already been done! One cannot “undo” this sustained sexual, common-law, union. Thus to demand that a couple tear themselves apart after they’ve been living together for, say, five years, with perhaps a child or two, simply won’t do. What needs to be urged upon them is that they get “married” legally — i.e., publicly, according to the cultural standards of the state.

(3) But, someone asks, suppose that B has become a Christian, and A is still an unbeliever: isn’t going ahead with (the legal part of) marriage in danger of making them unequally yoked together? In response: (a) If A and B were fully married (i.e., legally, and in sexual consummation) when they were both unbelievers, and then one of them became a Christian, we would not say that this means they should break up. In fact, in 1 Cor. 7 Paul explicitly tells the Christian partner in such cases not to leave. Indeed, the Christian spouse is to be exemplary in conduct and grace, in the hope of winning over his or her family. The prohibition of being unequally yoked together, when applied to marriage, envisages two people who are not married in any sense. But if one person in a marriage of two pagans becomes a Christian, Paul never applies the “don’t be unequally yoked” command to break up a marriage that is already in place. In fact, as we see in 1 Cor. 7, quite the reverse. (b) So what’s the difference if A & B are simply living together, but not legally married? The difference, of course, is that they are not fully married as the Bible sees marriage; but they have well and truly started the process! They cannot undo what has been done. To pretend otherwise is foolish. The way ahead is to encourage the completion of the process, not the undoing of what cannot be undone.

(4) In most cases, the unbelieving partner will go along with this plan, if the matter is approached graciously, wisely, humbly. If not, then a new set of questions arises that is not addressed in your email.

(5) You may remember that in my first point, above, I included the options “whether in a church or before, say, a justice of the peace.” When A and B are both Christians, it is normal, in this country, for them to get married in a church, and then we speak of a Christian wedding. But it is important to see that, strictly speaking, marriage (despite the Roman Catholic Church), is not a sacrament to be reserved for Christians. It is a creation ordinance — that is, it is part of the plan of creation itself, something that God has ordained for man/woman pairs everywhere, not something that flows out of the life of the church and that belongs only to Christians.

In France, for example, all marriages must be performed before a civil authority. I see no objection to that; in fact, I think it is a good thing (even if it arose in France for bad reasons), for it clarifies issues. In France, where A and B are Christians, they will get married before the local civil authority, and then have a separate ceremony within the congregation — a ceremony that has no culturally-defined legal standing, but becomes an opportunity to remember how the gift of God that we call marriage is elevated and transformed when put within the framework of the gospel. We learn, for instance, of its typological connection with Christ and the church; we learn that apostasy and adultery have similar roots and condemnations; we learn that God himself dares to speak of the marriage supper of the Lamb; we are reminded of God’s wise provision of marriage, of the place and importance of children reared in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and so on.

In America (and most Anglo-Saxon countries), when a marriage takes place within a congregation (and usually in a church building), the minister officiating is acting partly as a minister of the gospel and partly as a licensed official of the state. That is why it is not legal for anyone who chooses to do so to officiate: there must be some sort of legal standing. Fair enough; I can live with that. But my point in the case you are talking about must not be hung up on whether the legal marriage ceremony takes place in a church building under the jurisdiction of a minister, or under the jurisdiction of a justice of the peace. It will be clear by now that I do not think the minister is sinning if he legally joins A and B together, where they have been living together for some time and where one of the two has now become a Christian. But equally, if the unbeliever in this case is willing to get married, but not within the context of the church, fine — encourage them to get married, and be sure you attend the ceremony and applaud them. There does not have to be a minister in order to be “done” properly. We have no interest in preserving the vestiges of medieval Catholic theology of marriage.

(6) Earlier I mentioned a couple of exceptions. Let me take up only one. Suppose A and B are 19 and 18 years of age respectively. Suppose they have both been sleeping around for some time. Suppose B now becomes a Christian. Is she (or he) now morally obligated to marry the last person she (or he) has been with? I doubt it. What is required is the kind of deep repentance that turns from such sin and pledges celibate living until genuine marriage. Obviously you could then conjure up hard cases where you are uncertain if what you are facing is one of these exceptions or not. If the principles are clear, a great deal of prudential wisdom may nevertheless be required in the application of the principles.

I hope these reflections help. If you need to follow up with me, please do not hesitate to do so.

Warmly,
Don

D. A. Carson is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois and a Council member with The Gospel Coalition.

How to prepare a sermon - Darrin Patrick

2009-12-05T01:03:00.002-06:00

If you are writing sermons, Darrin Patrick has some great help that can be found on the Acts29 Blog:

In 2007, Darrin Patrick (Lead Pastor - The Journey) spoke at the Seattle Boot Camp on "Preaching the Mission." Here is an excerpt from his talk where he explains the steps of sermon preparation that are to follow meditation - exegesis and application.

Questions preachers should ask themselves during these stages of sermon preparation are:

Exegesis – Discerning the meaning of the text

What does the text say?

How did the original audience here this text?

What does this mean for me?

What does this mean for the church?

Application – Bringing the text to real life

What connection is there between original audience and my audience?

What sin keeps us from doing the text?

What principles can I extract from the text that will speak to my audience?

How is Jesus the hero?

You can hear the full version of Darrin Patrick's Preaching the Misson here.

New York Lawmakers Reject Same-Sex Marriage

2009-12-04T08:02:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday, New York lawmakers rejected a bill — the Marriage Equality Act — that would have made it the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage. The New York measure needed 32 votes to pass and failed by a wider-than-expected margin, falling eight votes short in a 38-24 decision by the state Senate. Sen. Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn) challenged lawmakers to set aside their religious beliefs and vote for the bill. He asked them to remember that once even slavery was legal. "When I walk through these doors, my Bible stays out," Adams said.

"That's the wrong statement," said Sen. Ruben Diaz, a conservative minister from the Bronx, who led the mostly Republican opposition. "You should carry your Bible all the time." [The Associated Press]

The Twelve Rules of Christmas

2009-12-03T18:00:00.000-06:00

Last week, the Rutherford Institute^® issued legal guidelines for celebrating Christmas in public, at school or at work. The "Twelve Rules of Christmas" were made available on their Web site in an attempt to deal with the annual onslaught of calls they receive regarding the censorship of Christmas celebrations. "Political correctness should never trump the First Amendment," said John W. Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute in a press release.

For example, the "rules" remind school administrators, employers and city officials that:

Public school students' written or spoken personal expressions concerning the religious significance of Christmas (e.g., T-shirts with the slogan, "Jesus Is the Reason for the Season") may not be censored by school officials.
Neither public nor private employers may prevent employees from decorating their offices for Christmas, playing Christmas music, or wearing clothing related to Christmas merely because of their religious content, so long as these activities are not used to harass or intimidate others.
Government entities may erect and maintain celebrations of the Christmas holiday, such as Christmas trees and Christmas light displays, and may include crèches in their displays as long as the purpose for including the crèche is not to promote its religious content and it is placed in context with other symbols of the holiday season as part of an effort to celebrate the public Christmas holiday through its traditional symbols.

Click here for the complete list of rules. The Rutherford Institute is a civil liberties organization that provides free legal services to people whose constitutional and human rights have been threatened or violated.

(from FotF's Pastor's Weekly Briefing)

Tim Keller shares wisdom for young pastors

2009-12-02T07:50:00.000-06:00

Pastor Tim Keller shares some wisdom for young pastors and seminary students on the Redeemer Blog:

Young pastors or seminarians often ask me for advice on what kind of early ministry experience to seek in order to best grow in skill and wisdom as a pastor. They often are surprised when I tell them to consider being a 'country parson' -- namely, the solo pastor of a small church, many or most of which are in non-urban settings. Let me quickly emphasize the word 'consider.' I would never insist that everyone must follow this path. Nevertheless, it is worth thinking about. It was great for me.

Many young leaders perceive that the ideal first ministry position would be a position on the staff of a large church with an older, mature pastor to mentor them. The limits of this model are several. You can't teach a younger pastor much about things they aren't actually doing. And in a large church they aren't a) bearing the burden of being the main leader, b) leading a board of elders, c) fund-raising and bearing the final responsibility of having enough money to do ministry, d) and doing the gamut of counseling, shepherding, teaching, preaching. In a smaller church as a solo pastor you and only you visit the elderly, do all the weddings and funerals, sit by the bedside of every dying parishioner, do all the marriage counseling, suspend and excommunicate, work with musicians, craft and lead worship, speak at every men's retreat, women's retreat, and youth retreat, write all the Bible studies and often Sunday School curriculum, train all the small group leaders, speak at the nursing home, work with your diaconate as they try to help families out of poverty, evangelize and welcome new visitors to the church, train volunteers to do some (but not all) of all of the above tasks, and deal with the once-a-month relational or financial crisis in the church. No amount of mentoring can teach you what you learn from doing all those things.

Some will be surprised to hear me say this, since they know my emphasis on ministry in the city. Yes, I believe firmly that the evangelical church has neglected the city. It still is difficult to get Christians and Christian leaders to make the sacrifices necessary to live their lives out in cities. However, the disdain many people have for urban areas is no worse than the condescending attitudes many have toward small towns and small churches.

Young pastors should not turn up their noses at such places, where they may learn the full spectrum of ministry tasks and skills as they will not in a large church. Nor should they go to small communities looking at them merely as stepping stones in a career. Why not? Your early ministry experience will only prepare you for 'bigger things,' if you don't aspire for anything bigger than investment in the lives of the people around you. Wherever you serve, put your roots down, become a member of the community and do your ministry with all your heart and might. If God opens the door to go somewhere else, fine and good. But don't go to such places looking at them only as training grounds for 'real ministry.'

My own pathway of personal development began with nine years of being the pastor of a small church in a small town. This equipped me well for church planting in New York City, because, when you start a church, you must be a generalist, not the specialist that large churches create. I repeat -- I am not proposing that everyone follow the same course. Being a 'country parson' is not the right move for everyone. But for some it is.

Excellent Biblical Parenting Resources from Mars Hill Church

2009-12-01T14:36:00.002-06:00

Mars Hill - Biblical Parenting Resources:

In October 2008, Mars Hill Church hosted a Biblical Parenting Conference with Dr. Tedd Tripp, who presented biblical teaching on topics from formative instruction to corrective discipline. Listen to streaming audio or watch video by clicking on the links below.

Session 1: Helping Kids Understand Authority – Tedd Tripp

Session 2: Helping Kids Understand the Heart – Tedd Tripp

Session 3: Overview of Corrective Discipline – Tedd Tripp

Session 4: Giving Kids a Vision for God’s Glory – Tedd Tripp

Session 5: The Call to Formative Instruction – Tedd Tripp

For more on parenting, check out these resources:

Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Tedd Tripp
Instructing a Child’s Heart, Tedd Tripp
Pastor Dad, free e-book by Mark Driscoll

(HT: Brenton Balvin)

Maine Churches Being Threatened

2009-11-29T07:39:00.000-06:00

Gay activists in Maine are urging people to report churches that supported Question 1 — the initiative that restored the definition of marriage to one man and one woman — to the IRS. According to the activists, these churches should be investigated with the possibility of losing their tax-exempt status. The Alliance Defense Fund has offered free legal assistance to churches being singled out. [CitizenLink.com]

The Significance of Spiritual Activity as a Child

2009-11-28T09:35:00.000-06:00

With all of the time, money and effort that parents and churches invest in the spiritual growth of children, we find ourselves often wondering if there is really any statistical connection between childhood faith and adult religious commitment. A recent study by the Barna Group provides new insights into the age-old question.

The survey asked adults to think back on their upbringing and to describe the frequency of their involvement in Sunday school or religious training. The researchers then compared these responses to the current level of faith activity of these adults.

More than 80 percent of adults remembered consistently attending Sunday school or some other religious training before the age of 12. Seven out of 10 adults (69%) said they attended such programs weekly.

About 70 percent also recalled going to Sunday school or other religious programs for teens at least once a month. Half (50%) indicated they had gone to such teen programs at least once a week when growing up.

In connecting childhood and teen engagement with adult spirituality, the Barna team used four elements of adult religious commitment: attending church, having an active faith (defined as reading the Bible, praying and attending church in the last week), being unchurched, and switching from childhood faith.

"Those who attended Sunday school or other religious programs as children and teens were much more likely than those without such experiences to attend church and to have an active faith as adults," concluded the report. Fifty percent of those who attended such programs as a child said they have attended a worship service in the last week, which is slightly higher than the national average and much higher than those who did not attend such programs as children. Among those who frequently attended religious programs as teens, 58 percent said they had attended a worship service in the last week.

Being unchurched or changing from one's childhood faith were also correlated to early-life spiritual experiences. The study asked if people had the same faith perspectives today as when the were children or whether they had ever significantly changed their views. Twenty-two percent of those who recalled frequent religious attendance as children had changed their faith views from those held as a child. Among those who attended religious programs as teens, 21 percent had changed their core faith views.

David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group, noted, "It is important to clarify what this research does and does not indicate. First, correlation does not imply causation. This means that the research does not prove that spiritual activity as a young person causes spiritual engagement as an adult. In fact, the research confirms the pattern that many students who are active in early life disengage from their faith as they get older. And people's recollections of childhood activities are only one limited way of understanding faith durability. ... [However,] it provides clarity that the odds of one sticking with faith over a lifetime are enhanced in a positive direction by spiritual activity under the age of 18."

(from FotF's Pastor's Weekly Briefing)

Worst and Best States for Unemployment

2009-11-27T09:31:00.000-06:00

Thirteen states and Washington, D.C., now have unemployment rates higher than the national rate of 10.2 percent. The 10 states with the highest unemployment rates, by percentage, are: Michigan (15.1), Nevada (13.0), Rhode Island (12.9), California (12.5), South Carolina (12.1), Oregon (11.3), Florida (11.2), Illinois (11.0) and North Carolina (11.0). The 10 states with the lowest unemployment rate, by percentage, are: North Dakota (4.2), Nebraska (4.9), South Dakota (5.0), Montana (6.4), Vermont (6.5), Utah (6.5), Virginia (6.6), Iowa (6.7), New Hampshire (6.8) and Kansas (6.8). [ABCNews.go.com]

Our son's dedication at First Congregational Church of Waseca, MN

2009-11-26T16:34:00.002-06:00

We dedicated our son, Justice, last Sunday at First Congregational Church of Waseca, MN. Both sets of grandparents were there for this which was really nice. Special thanks to Mr. Al Judd for helping with the ceremony and issuing the charges!

Recession Affecting Food Banks

2009-11-26T09:25:00.000-06:00

Hunger relief advocates came to Congress last week and painted a bleak picture of a country struggling to meet an increased need for food assistance at a time of high unemployment. Soup kitchen workers are seeing new faces in line and charities are taking more calls for help.

"In our 42-year history, we have never witnessed a demand for our services like we are seeing now," said Josh Fogt, public policy manager for Northwest Harvest in Seattle — Washington state's largest food bank. The organization receives more than 2,500 visitors on busy days, up from a peak of 1,800 early last year, Fogt told members of the House Ways and Means Committee. "Hunger relief is truly a growth industry and we are increasingly being asked to do more with less."

Charities and nonprofit groups called on lawmakers to give people tax incentives to donate to charities, expand federal nutrition programs and spend more on programs to help people prepare for work. The congressional hearing on food banks followed an Agriculture Department report that more than one in seven households struggled to put enough food on the table in 2008 — the highest rate since the agency began tracking food security in 1995. That's about 49 million people, or 14.6 percent of U.S. households, counted as lacking the food for an active, healthy life. The 17 million households represented by these figures is up from 13 million the year before.

In October, the Catholic Charities of Central Texas' food pantry fed 2,637 people — its largest monthly number, the agency reported. Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada saw its number of food bank clients double from July to September, compared with the same period last year.

Candy Hill of Catholic Charities USA said local agencies are getting more requests from first-time clients. The Catholic Charities office in Youngstown, Ohio, is getting 70 calls a day for help with food and utilities — up from 100 a month last year, Hill said. "It will not only take government being our partner, but it will also take all of us — corporations, philanthropy and individual donors — to solve the extreme problem of hunger in our country today." [The Associated Press]

The Manhattan Declaration

2009-11-24T22:44:00.003-06:00

Intro to the The Manhattan Declaration:

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

the sanctity of human life
the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Preamble

Christians are heirs of a 2,000year tradition of proclaiming God’s word, seeking justice in our societies, resisting tyranny, and reaching out with compassion to the poor, oppressed and suffering.

While fully acknowledging the imperfections and shortcomings of Christian institutions and communities in all ages, we claim the heritage of those Christians who defended innocent life by rescuing discarded babies from trash heaps in Roman cities and publicly denouncing the Empire’s sanctioning of infanticide. We remember with reverence those believers who sacrificed their lives by remaining in Roman cities to tend the sick and dying during the plagues, and who died bravely in the coliseums rather than deny their Lord.

After the barbarian tribes overran Europe, Christian monasteries preserved not only the Bible but also the literature and art of Western culture. It was Christians who combated the evil of slavery: Papal edicts in the 16 th and 17 th centuries decried the practice of slavery and first excommunicated anyone involved in the slave trade; evangelical Christians in England, led by John Wesley and William Wilberforce, put an end to the slave trade in that country. Christians under Wilberforce’s leadership also formed hundreds of societies for helping the poor, the imprisoned, and child laborers chained to machines.

In Europe, Christians challenged the divine claims of kings and successfully fought to establish the rule of law and balance of governmental powers, which made modern democracy possible. And in America, Christian women stood at the vanguard of the suffrage movement. The great civil rights crusades of the 1950s and 60s were led by Christians claiming the Scriptures and asserting the glory of the image of God in every human being regardless of race, religion, age or class.

This same devotion to human dignity has led Christians in the last decade to work to end the dehumanizing scourge of human trafficking and sexual slavery, bring compassionate care to AIDS sufferers in Africa, and assist in a myriad of other human rights causes – from providing clean water in developing nations to providing homes for tens of thousands of children orphaned by war, disease and gender discrimination.

Like those who have gone before us in the faith, Christians today are called to proclaim the Gospel of costly grace, to protect the intrinsic dignity of the human person and to stand for the common good. In being true to its own calling, the call to discipleship, the church through service to others can make a profound contribution to the public good.

You can find the whole document HERE.

I signed it, and would invite you to consider doing so as well.

Eagle Brook Church looking to add more campuses

2009-11-22T23:12:00.003-06:00

My friends at Eagle Brook Church (the largest church in Minnesota!) continue to do great things for the Lord! I wanted to share a note that was emailed out by Pastor Bob Merritt to the church recently about some expansion they are looking to start - a couple of new Eagle Brook Campuses in Blaine, MN and Woodbury, MN!! If you are looking for a great church to be part of, Eagle Brook Church is an outstanding option. As is the church of Bob's friend Phil Print - Crossroads Church. These are the last two churches my wife and I attended before I took my first call as a Senior Pastor in Waseca, MN. And in the spirit of openness it should be noted that I was teaching assistant to both Bob Merritt and Phil Print while I was at Bethel Seminary. I can vouch that both men are the real deal, and quite honestly even if I didn't know these guys I would still love their church and their ministries!

Dear Friends,

It’s late fall and I have yet to pull a trigger or release an arrow; I’ve had to live vicariously through the emails and photos of friends who keep me posted of all their hunting exploits. What’s kept me out of sloughs and tree stands is Not Without You, and normally I’d have an itchy trigger finger, but I’ve gotten so pumped up last week’s View From Here events with individuals who want to make an advance commitment that I when I hit the pillow at night I can’t sleep. I don’t know if we’ll meet our goal of $33 million, but the momentum and excitement that’s building is like caffeine in my veins and I can’t shut it off. God has a hold of my heart in a way that’s never happened before in a campaign.

We have a campus in Blaine in our sights by fall 2010. But some people have asked me “Why Woodbury?” Woodbury opens up a whole new demographic to us. We have 453 families who travel from Woodbury, and dozens of others from Hudson, Stillwater, Afton and Cottage Grove. The problem is they can’t invite their neighbors and friends to church because it’s tough to invite someone to a church that’s 30 miles away. Last year my friend Phil Print opened a new church, Crossroads, in Cottage Grove, just on the southern border of Woodbury. And he’s begging us to come to help reach that side of the Twin Cities. Even if all the churches in Woodbury would be filled every weekend, they would be reaching only one tenth of the population. Woodbury is dying for a church like Eagle Brook to reach the thousands of families, single adults and professionals who don’t go to church anywhere. I’m really excited about bringing that hope to the east metro within the next couple of years.

And I’m so proud of how our church has been able to bring clean water, medicine and leadership training to an entire region in Mozambique, Africa. The level of support our church offers to World Vision in Mozambique is the second largest in the United States. We want to be able to continue to assist the poor through Not Without You. And we’re still bringing leadership to hundreds of pastors in Norway where only 2% of the population goes to church. But we’re starting to see that turn. In a very real way, Eagle Brook is a lifeline to the spiritual future of Norway.

We have two weekends left in the Not Without You campaign, and November 21/22 is Commitment Weekend. Laurie and I are going to make the largest financial commitment we’ve ever made to anything in our entire life because we believe so firmly that God is in this and we don’t want to miss it. So get ready for a great celebration; prayerfully decide how you will respond, and I urge you to make it sacrificial – a sacrifice is a level of giving that will affect your living. Do it for God, do it for your family and friends; most of all do it for those who will be reached when we can open our doors in Blaine and Woodbury.

Keep sending your photos of dead stuff,

Bob

PS: If you want to help lead the way and make an early commitment, you can do that online today. Plus, it’s great to hear what’s happening in our kids and student ministries. They’re getting involved too! Be sure to talk with your kids about Not Without You, and how they can be a part of this great thing that God is doing—and reach their friends.

Teaching children to be grateful and generous

2009-11-20T12:21:00.000-06:00

Gimme, Gimme!

by Dr. Bill Maier

On Christmas morning, after devouring Mom's legendary homemade sticky buns, the Stevens family gathers around the Christmas tree. The three kids — Danny, 10, Molly, 8 and Christopher, 6 — excitedly begin opening their presents.

Their parents' joy soon turns to dismay as they observe the children's behavior. Like hungry sharks in a feeding frenzy, Danny, Molly and Christopher greedily rip open each gift only to toss it aside, searching for another package bearing their names.

Particularly troubling to Sharon and Rick Stevens is that none of the kids acknowledges the relatives who sent the gifts in the first place. They show zero interest in opening the cards attached to the gifts. After each child opens the final gift, all three continue to search for still more presents, making comments such as "Is that all I get?" or "How come Molly got more presents than I did?"

Greedy

Unfortunately, the Stevens' experience is common. In a materialistic, consumer oriented culture, we face a real challenge in teaching thankfulness and contentment to children. They are conditioned to believe they are entitled to everything they want — now! Kids have also come to believe they should always get the biggest and best.

The Center for a New American Dream reports another disturbing trend known as the nag factor. Its recent surveys found that nearly 60 percent of kids nag their parents for a toy or a privilege even after being given a no. In fact, 10 percent of all 12- and 13-year-olds admit they will beg their parents more than 50 times for products they've seen on TV.

Grateful

Christian parents are called to cultivate character traits such as thankfulness, generosity and self-sacrifice. The Bible commands us, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Jesus warns us, "Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15). And Paul describes greedy people as idolaters who will not inherit the kingdom of God (Ephesians 5:5).

One of the most effective ways to combat the cultural mind-set is by modeling a grateful attitude. Verbally thank God on a regular basis, even for simple things like a roof over your head and food.

Also, do your best to model gratitude in your other relationships: friends, relatives and co-workers — and not only when they do something special for you. Let others know how much you appreciate them simply for who they are. Express that kind of unconditional gratitude to your spouse and children as well.

Generous

You can help your kids learn to be generous by serving others who are less fortunate. Christmastime is ideal for service projects. Your family might volunteer to serve Christmas dinner at a local rescue mission or visit residents at a nursing home, singing carols and delivering Christmas cookies.

The majority of children receive a boatload of new toys each year. They soon lose interest in most of these toys, which wind up collecting dust in a closet, basement or storage bin. One family I know has instituted a Christmas tradition in which each of their kids chooses several of his or her old toys to donate to a homeless shelter or a local charity. They deliver the toys as a family the week before Christmas, so their children can see where their toys are being donated and experience the joy of giving away their possessions.

Christmas also provides an excellent opportunity to start sponsoring a poor child in a developing country through an organization such as World Vision or Compassion International. Our family sponsors a little girl in Indonesia. When our children are old enough, we plan to take a short-term missions trip to Java to meet her.

Finally, while your kids are still on vacation, set aside an afternoon for them to write handmade thank-you notes to the friends and relatives who gave them gifts. Even young children can participate by decorating simple cards with crayons, stickers and rubber stamps. Make this a family project, as you help your children learn to develop the "language of gratitude" through words and pictures.

Read and Share Bible - The Story of Christmas

2009-11-14T17:24:00.003-06:00

I received a copy of Read and Share: The Story of Christmas from Thomas Nelson Publishing free for review the other day.

Overall, I felt the book did a respectable job telling the Christmas story at a level that children could understand it. I have minor quibbles with what was omitted to make the story fit their needs, but nothing of theological significance. The wording is such that preschool age children could easily follow along if you read it to them.

The authors stick to the Biblical story line of the birth of Christ, starting in Luke 1:5 with the birth of John the Baptizer and finishing with Matthew 2:23 where Joseph, Mary and Jesus return from their exile in Egypt. The artwork is very simple, but in a warm and friendly way that most children would enjoy. The authors presented a clear message and I would recommend this book. I liked the story presentation well enough that I am even planning on using it during worship services at my church this coming Christmas!

With the book comes a bonus DVD is the best part of the book. The DVD is the videos of six stories from the life of Jesus. These come from the larger series of the Read and Share DVD Bible - Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, and Volume 4. I watched the segments, and quite frankly was sucked right in. Even as an adult. Even as a pastor. The book is a condensed version of the story told in the videos, but the video tells the story much better. While I recommend the book, I really recommend the videos. If you have young children you are trying to share the Bible with, this is a great set of tools to aid you in that process.

Hosanna Lutheran in Lakeville speeding up their exit from the ELCA

2009-11-11T23:39:00.002-06:00

I'm afraid this is just the tip of the iceberg. It will be interesting to see if any whole synods choose to move - conservative places like South Dakota for instance. I know I have family members who are very conflicted over the direction the ELCA is going (a large portion of my family is ELCA, I spent my first 19 years in an ELCA church for the record).

From the Star Tribune today:

Lakeville church speeds exit from ELCA

The second-largest Lutheran congregation in Minnesota has decided that it is not going to wait any longer to withdraw from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) over the denomination's August vote to permit gay preachers.

The second-largest Lutheran congregation in Minnesota has decided that it is not going to wait any longer to withdraw from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) over the denomination's August vote to permit gay preachers.

In his November newsletter to the members of Hosanna Lutheran Church in Lakeville, the Rev. Bill Bohline said that the church is going to scrap its original plan to wait six to eight months before taking action. Hosanna was one of the first Twin Cities churches to speak out against the August vote.

"What has become clear to me is that we have been preparing to leave the ELCA for some time," Bohline wrote. The church board will meet next week to map out its exit strategy, with the goal of severing its ties to the ELCA on or before Dec. 15, he added.

With an average Sunday attendance of about 4,500, Hosanna is second in size among ELCA churches only to Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.

Legislation Protects Women and Girls From Sex Traffickers

2009-11-10T17:00:00.000-06:00

Gov. Don Carcieri (R.I.) signed legislation closing a loophole that made indoor prostitution legal in the state — essentially a "welcome mat" for sex traffickers. The three bills included in the legislation end Rhode Island's status as the only state that allowed indoor prostitution (brothels) statewide. It is legal in some counties in Nevada. The legislation also extends rights to women and girls who are victims, giving the police the tools to intercede and interview victims and to be able to put them in touch with social services. Victims are often arrested, imprisoned and then coerced back into the sex trade. A provision was added that says no victim of trafficking can be convicted of a prostitution offense. The legislation also prohibits minors from working in strip clubs. [CitizenLink.com, WBZ.com]

More on the Planned Parenthood director turned pro-life

2009-11-09T22:04:00.001-06:00

Planned Parenthood Director Quits

2009-11-09T12:57:00.000-06:00

A Planned Parenthood^® director has resigned from a Bryan, Texas, clinic after witnessing an ultrasound-guided abortion. Abby Johnson, 29, said she had a "change of heart" and knew it was time to leave after she watched a fetus "crumple" as it was vacuumed out of a patient's uterus in September. "When I was working at Planned Parenthood, I was extremely pro-choice," said Johnson. But, after seeing the internal working of the procedure for the first time on an ultrasound monitor, "I would say there was a definite conversion in my heart ... a spiritual conversion."

Speaking of her bosses, Johnson said, "Every meeting that we had, [it] was, 'We don't have enough money, we don't have enough money — we've got to keep these abortions coming.' It's a very lucrative business and that's why they want to increase numbers." She also noted that her bosses told her to change her "priorities" and focus on abortions, which made money for the office at a time when the recession left them hurting.

Planned Parenthood petitioned the district court to issue a temporary restraining order against Johnson and against the Coalition for Life, a pro-life group with which Johnson is now affiliated. "We regret being forced to turn to the courts to protect the safety and confidentiality of our clients and staff. However, in this instance, it is absolutely necessary," said Rochelle Tafolla, a PP spokeswoman. Johnson said she had no intention of releasing any sensitive information about her former patients at the clinic.

Without a doctor in residence, Johnson's clinic offered abortions only two days a month, but the doctor could perform 30 to 40 procedures on each day he was there. An estimated $350 for each abortion could net the branch up to more than $10,000 a month. Johnson said, "Ideally, my goal as the facility's director is that your abortion numbers don't increase because you're providing so much family planning and so much education that there is not a demand for abortion services. But that was not their goal."

A hearing is set for Nov. 10 to determine whether a judge will order an injunction against Johnson and the Coalition for Life. [FoxNews.com]

Things you will NOT see in my church...

2009-11-07T12:05:00.001-06:00

Gimmick Brings in Church Attendees

The Lighthouse Church of All Nations in Alsip, Illinois, has raffled a combined $1,000 to attendees in their three Sunday services over the last month. Not surprising, the attendance has dramatically increased from 1,800 to 2,000.

"I make no bones about that [i.e., being gimmicky]," says Rev. Dan Willis. "But, if I could get someone who would not normally come to church, why not?" For Willis, reports the Southtown Star, the cash is a mere carrot to get you through the doors. By sowing the seeds of responsible personal finance, he hopes to create a few converts.

To pique interest, several weeks ago, Willis hung a silver lockbox from the ceiling above the pulpit. "What's in the box?" was written on a nearby sign. When the first service of the series rolled around, Willis opened the box and $100 bills spilled out. He explained his plan: One lucky person would win $250 at each of the two Sunday services. If a special theme played during the service, the prize would double to $500.

He speaks from the perspective of someone who's been there. While trying to build the church from a tiny storefront 32 years ago, he maxed out 23 credit cards. "Here I was trying to do God's work and I had all these lines of credit open. God gave me a plan and I became completely debt free, other than my home mortgage." To help his members resist the temptation of easy credit, Willis placed two shredders at the front of the church and more than 500 credit cards were fed through the machines in a three-week period.

The raffle has been a small part of the sermons. The topics that Willis addressed during this series included avoiding debt; the budgeting process and the wisdom of living on a spending plan; tackling debt by paying down the credit cards with the highest interest first; and the value of savings.

Rev. Willis is pleased to say that he's had positive feedback from his congregation and the income of the church has increased. But, he's convinced that, if he had taught this message eights years ago it wouldn't have worked. "We were too prosperous. It was a different time." Now, he says, rarely a day goes by without someone looking for help from their numerous benevolent ministries.

A proud day in a father's life

2009-11-06T22:27:00.001-06:00

I taught our son Justice something new today - the fake fart noise. I can't wait until we can unleash the armpits!

Maine Rejects Same-Sex "Marriage"

2009-11-06T16:52:00.000-06:00

By a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent, the voters of Maine on Tuesday repealed a state law that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed. Maine becomes the first state in which residents reversed the state government's decision to allow same-sex "marriage." In every single state — 31 in all, including Maine — where the idea of same-sex "marriage" has been put to a popular vote, it has been defeated.

Five states have legalized same-sex "marriage" — starting with Massachusetts in 2004, followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Iowa — but all did so through legislation or court rulings, not by popular vote. In contrast, constitutional amendments banning same-sex "marriage" have been approved in all 30 states where they have been on the ballot.

Maine's legislature voted in May of this year to allow same-sex "marriage," but an opposition petition campaign put the legislation on hold pending Tuesday's vote. [OneNewsNow.com, FoxNews.com]

Andy Stanley - The Principle of the Path

2009-11-05T16:22:00.002-06:00

I received a copy of Andy Stanley's newish book "The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be" a while back to review. Thomas Nelson Publishing gave me this copy (free!) to review. It has taken me a while to read through this, not because of the book but because of my busy schedule and some other reading I needed/wanted to do.

I have read and listened to most of what Andy Stanley has put out in the last 10 years, so I went into this book with some preconceptions. This book was NOT what I expected, but it was good in a very different way.

Andy Stanley has put together what I would call a great framework for life in this book. It is written in his easy to follow and understand style. Essentially, this is Andy's self-help guide for how to live life. How to have success and peace of mind at the same time, which is important because one often costs the other.

I think the great thing Andy Stanley always bring to the table is clarity, and in this book that is still the case. He basically tells you much of what you already know, but he clarifies it, and somewhat systematizes it so that you can move forward in your life. His point is we have the ability to control and change the path we are taking in life. We don't accidentally arrive at our destination. But we do have to be active in shaping that path, in spite of temporary obstacles in our lives. Our choices shape our path.

I would recommend this book to anyone needing some clarity in life. I see it as especially useful to someone in a transition point in life, or someone looking for motivation. A recent college grad, an person unexpectedly unemployed in today's economy, someone thinking of getting married - they all could benefit from the the clarity that Andy Stanley provides.