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Church Leadership Journal

Reflections on a Very Significant Change in My Job over 30 Years.

I have been reflecting recently about how some key changes in our culture have affected pastoral work over the 30 years.  Particularly, I have been documenting lately the decreasing number of natural connection points for a pastor with the families in the community surrounding the church.     Many different cultural trends have joined together to have one giant cumulative effect.

When I first started as a parish minister, there were three sources of contact with folks living around the church that were very reliable, that is these dynamics consistently connected me as a the pastor with people I would otherwise not have had communication with.    

1.  The most frequent dynamic was hospital visitation.  Whenever a friend or neighbor was in the hospital, someone in the extended family would usually request that the pastor visit the sick one.   Since hospital stays were then several days long, often this grew into several contacts with the family of the sick person as well, since I would meet them at the bedside in the hospital.    Now hospital stays are comparatively rare as even major surgeries are performed as day surgeries at in/out facilities away from the central hospital.    If the person is from our church and I find out ahead, I frequently pray with them on the phone ahead.

2.  Secondly, there were many weddings that I performed for people in the community.   Between required pre-marital discussions, rehearsals, and conversations at the reception, I would meet many people in the community.    Now, many fewer people get married, opting to live together instead.   Of those, that do marry, some use destination weddings which are often performed by a cooperating minister there.  Also, it is more popular to ask family members to perform the ceremony.  The overall result is that the local pastor meets many fewer people through wedding ministry than before.

3.  The third avenue for connecting with the community was by officiating at funerals.   When I first became a pastor, I performed many funerals for people I did not know and for whom I did not even know someone in the family.   Then I was new in the community and if the family had never attended the church, often their request to the funeral director would be the only inkling I would have that they felt any connection to our church.   In those days, also, nearly everyone had a minister of some kind officiate at their burial.   Now many are buried without services, a trend that I find very unhealthy for the grieving process.   Because of cremations, there are fewer burials too.  Again, the by-product is less contact with the community for the pastor.   

It is no wonder that many pastors and parishes are feeling more isolated and insulated from their communities.   The conclusion is that I as pastor and we as churches have to be very intentional about replacing these contacts with new avenues of connection.   What are they?  How effective are they?  Who do they reach?

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Americana Journal Joy Notes

More Thanksgiving Ideas

Thanksgiving Blessings

At our extended family Thanksgiving dinner for the Jones clan yesterday, I received a couple really neat ideas for young families.

1. My niece, Pat, and her family who hosted this year and did a great job, have a tradition called the Thanksgiving box. Each year, each member of the family writes down the thing or things they are most thankful for on a piece of paper with their name and the year. Then they put it in a special box labeled “The Thanksgiving Box” and save it. Then in following years, if the family wishes, they can look at what each person gave thanks for.   It provides a kind of family history of Thanksgiving.

2. My nephew, Doug, and his family have a different variation on the same idea. They have a designated Thanksgiving tablecloth that is only used on Thanksgiving. Each year they get out markers and each family member writes on the tablecloth what they are thankful for.   Then they have Thanksgiving dinner using that tablecloth.   This idea sounds like a real children’s delight to me.  

I thought these were wonderful ideas to help children participate in the true meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday and build family togetherness at the same time. .

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Americana Journal Joy Notes

Making Thanksgiving Real

Thanksgiving is one of the great holidays of the year.    These days when so much is determined by commercial value, it is being swallowed up between Halloween and Christmas.  I will do my best to see that never happens because Thanksgiving has so much to contribute to our lives.   

So the question is how do we keep Thanksgiving real and prevent it from going by in a blur between November busyness and Black Friday shopping sprees.    Here are my suggestions.

  1.  Know and teach the history of our Thanksgiving Holiday.   Right now you can download a short summary from http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=118.   A longer and much more informative version is at  http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=17984.
  2.  Don’t let the busyness of the season crowd out the family dimension.   Thanksgiving is still one of the holidays of the year most associated with family togetherness.  Let’s take advantage of that by sharing activities together in addition to the meal.
  3. Decorate for Thanksgiving, not just for fall or Christmas.  Even if you are starting to put Christmas things up afterwards, let the Thanksgiving table decoration remain for a few days to remind everyone.    

We also must remember the sacred dimension of the season.  Thanksgiving requires that we humble ourselves before God and honor the bounty of his hand, both spiritual and physical.    Thanksgiving is an attitude commanded for all seasons anyway so in this season we remind ourselves of those commands and we take special care to practice them.  “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Ps. 107:1 NIV).   “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.  Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts” (Ps 105:1-2 NIV).  This leads to two more suggestions.

  1.  Attend a service at your church that is especially set aside to celebrate Thanksgiving.   Our service is tonight at 7 pm.
  2. At your Thanksgiving Table, take time to give thanks to God by sharing things you are thankful for and then having a prayer of thanksgiving.   Many families go around the table quickly before the table grace and have each one share one thing they are thankful for.

Another dimension of true thanksgiving is generosity.  If we are truly thankful to God for all that we have, we will want to share with others.  So another great part of every Thanksgiving is giving.  I wonder if Christmas would be as powerful in giving if it were not preceded by Thanksgiving.    So more suggestions come to mind.

  1. At Thanksgiving, share with someone locally who is in need.  Many local churches give baskets to those in need.  I also highly recommend the Syracuse Rescue Mission at  http://www.rmsyr.org/Home/Main_Page.htm. 
  2. Help someone in the third world.  We in the United States have so much that our Thanksgiving should overflow to help others in our big world who suffer.  I recommend World Hope at  https://www.worldhope.org/.
Categories
Americana Journal

Tribute to a Fallen Soldier

2 flags were folded for Ed Bolen

I went to the funeral service for Sergeant Ed Bolen of Chittenango today.  As I was leaving the cemetery, I saw a reporter interviewing a young man, asking his thoughts.  It started me thinking. What would I have said if it had been me being interviewed?  Why was I there at that graveside?

Well, I was there to be a support to some of Sergeant Bolen’s extended family members who attend our church and whom I know very well.   But as I reflected, deep inside, there was clearly even more to it than that.  Even without that connection, I think I would have wanted to be there.  For I felt somehow compelled to express something else to this young widow and her family.   I, along with many others who came, sensed it was our chance to express to all the families of the Sergeant Bolen’s of our country how we feel.

First of all, the words seem so inadequate, but, “THANK YOU!”

We are grateful for all the sacrifices that military persons and their families make to serve our country.  But this sacrifice that we commemorated today is the ultimate patriotic gift, laying down one’s very life to defend the way of life and the freedoms that have been handed down to us from our forefathers—freedom of worship, freedom of the press, freedom to assemble, freedom to travel, representative government, a viable court system, and so much more.  As much as it is difficult for us to accept, our country has enemies who hate us, who seek to destroy us and other innocent lives with us.  Since this is so, we desperately need those brave men and women like Sergeant Ed Bolen who will stand up with courage and confront the enemy for us.   I was there to say from all of us – one more time, Thank you!

I was also there to say, “I will pray for you!”  

As my wife and I went through the line speaking with family members we knew and those we did not know last evening, this was our encouragement, “You are in our prayers,” or, “Our church has been praying for you.”   Our church maintains a large lighted picture frame at the back with pictures in it of those related to attendees who are serving in the military.  We have them there to remind us to pray for them.  Often in Sunday services we and many other churches pray especially for those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.  We had been praying for Ed Bolen too.  I was there at his services to say that we will continue to intercede for his wife, Andrea, and his Mom, Janine, and their extended family.    

Finally, I wanted to help say, “We will be there for you.” 

In their hour of grief, in their time of trial, this family needed to know we stood with them.   I noticed with joy, for example those who stood by doorways, in halls, and by the graveside with large flags–  bikers, young moms, veterans, just people like you and I who wanted to be there with this family and support them.  Community support was obvious; even the school had closed for one day; every person there added their voice.  All kinds of volunteers and civil servants had gathered to sing from our hearts without words as one big choir expressing in unison.  “We want to be here for you in any way we can.  When you need a friend, you are not alone, we will be there!”

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Journal

Audio Bible Link Added

I just discovered a great link for those who like audio Bibles.  Thanks to sponsorship by Christian Post, you can now listen to the Bible in NKJV professionally read and actually performed by high-level actors with a great sound background for free. Check out “The Word of Promise Audio Bible” link.

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Church Leadership Journal

New Page Series Created called Visuals

I continue to be challenged by the way our society has become so visually oriented.   The new page series – Visuals – is meant to respond to this need by presenting visual sketches of messages in a readily accessible spot.  

The story behind this decision is this.  November 7, I preached a message called “Walk Humbly with Your God.”  To be homiletically sound, it had way too many sub-points – five!   But I was inspired to illustrate it visually by having six people (one point required two people) come up to the platform and mime the point.   I had all the five points mimed at the beginning.  Then I reviewed them and had the congregation repeat them while looking at the mimes.   The surprising result was that I had people telling me that they were repeating all five points to people at work that week.   Research says that usually most people can’t tell us much about the sermon by the time they get to the parking lot.   What a difference.

At the beginning of the work week, unknown to me, my administrative assistant was inspired to download silhouettes similar to the mimed figures and make a bulletin board of the five points.   So the visual impact was increased.

As I discussed that result, I decided to try something new.  Each week I will make a visual summary of the message for my blog.   Sometimes some of it will be used in the Sunday message time and sometimes not.  

This is a work in progress.  On this first one, the second and third files are auxiliary files.   For all the files,  I have some technical work to do.  The plug-in loads them fine but when you try to view them, the computer wants to open them with Internet Explorer rather than Powerpoint.   I worked around it by saving them and then using “open with” to force the computer to use the right program.   I’ll work on this.

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Church Leadership Forward Look

Plans continue for Community Wesleyan Extreme Makeover 50th Anniversary projects

Tonight the Local Board of Administration (LBA) at its regular monthly meeting voted unanimously to recommend to the upcoming semiannual church conference that our church undertake an Extreme Makeover project as a part of our 50th anniversary celebration.  Such unanimity on such an important item is a sign of blessing.  We are already well on our way toward our first 50th anniversary goal of 50 4 50—that is 50 outreach and service ministries accomplished in the 30 months prior to our 50th anniversary at Easter 2012.   Now we would like to add to that a goal of updating our facilities in crucial ways to be ready for the next decades of the new millennium.  The four sub-projects chosen by the board to be recommended to be included in the overall Extreme Makeover project are as follows:

  1. Finish the kitchen makeover project
  2. New carpet for the sanctuary & adjacent rooms (possibly including some small alterations to the vestibule and platform)
  3. Improvements to sanctuary lighting
  4. Repaving the entrance driveway and paving the unpaved section of the parking lot including a new area in the back extending behind the pole to give added space.

The recommended idea is that these projects would be completed in this order as the money is raised.  While the last one might not be finished before the anniversary, the idea is that it will be made possible by this Extreme Makeover project.   The board has had sub-committees working on each project for some months.

I am personally very excited about this Extreme Makeover combined project.  We will be discussing it at our semi-annual meeting but do not plan to make final decisions then, but rather at a later special conference.   I believe that just as we are already seeing with the kitchen makeover, the other projects also will enable ministry excellence for years to come.

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News Commentary

Election 2010 Reactions

The Capitol

Many Christians, including myself, have been praying specifically for these elections.  We have been concerned with the moral and spiritual direction of our country as well as the economic one.   Today I am praising God for the election of many more conservative candidates because the causes of sanctity of life, sanctity of marriage and religious freedom will be strengthened.   Here are some further election observations.

  1.  Moral values are still very important to our electorate.  One commentator said that in California, Whitman’s dealings with her domestic worker probably cost her many votes.   While early reports indicate that economics were the main driver at the polls this time, there is no doubt in my mind that efforts of Pelosi and crew to dismantle Don’t Ask Don’t Tell over military leaders’ objections created more problems for her and her party.   Influential teachers like Jim Garlow make clear that moral and economic issues are tied inextricably together.    I also teach that abortion is an economic as well as a moral issue.
  2. The Tea Party was far more effective as a movement than it would have been as a third party.  That stance allowed it to stay on message as opposed to big government yet enfold some diversity in its ranks.  It definitely influenced this election and will be a force to be reckoned with in 2012.
  3. I believe that the Supreme Court is on the right track in saying that entities should not be cut off from influencing elections simply because they are corporations or PACs or unions and I would include churches in that.   However, I and many Americans were very uncomfortable at how much money was spent on this election; on how much money came from outside the districts involved; and about how many times the sources of the money were completely hidden.   The flow of money must be public and amounts from outside election districts restricted by law, all without disenfranchising groups who have a legitimate right to influence an election.
  4. As we become more and more a media society we must find ways to use the media to educate about real qualifications.    We are more and more getting candidates who are a media byte but do not have what it takes.    We are also influenced by negative campaigning that in some cases is plain slander.   I found myself during this campaign hungry for real news about issues.  One could hardly find the candidates talking about real issues.  They are taught to stay on their political sound bite, stay away from controversial things, and above all look good on camera.  What do those three things have to do with governing?
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Church Leadership Journal Joy Notes

My Results of Fasting and Prayer through Pray & Act

I have been participating in the national Pray & Act emphasis led by Jim Garlow and Chuck Colson.  October 30 marked the formal end of this forty-day fasting and prayer effort on behalf of sanctity of life, sanctity of marriage and religious liberty.   While some key leaders such as Jim Garlow were on a liquids-only fast for the entire 40 days, everyone was asked to fast in some way as health requirements and God’s leading dictated.   Daily emails and attached video clips have edified and inspired participation.

Prayer & Action

My fasting commitment was one 32-36 hr fast (water/apple juice/tea only) per week.    I have completed that and have decided to continue it until the week before Thanksgiving.  I have not talked about my fasting, but have decided I needed to write about it for an example. Other actions included signing the Manhattan Declaration, praying much in public and private about marriages and our country, becoming more knowledgeable on political candidates, blogging about issues such as sanctity of life and sanctity of marriage, standing up in the annual Life Chain demonstration, speaking for the causes in public messages and prayers, and voting with them in mind tomorrow, God willing.  

Deeper Renewal

I have found some things happening that I did not expect from my prayer and fasting commitment.   First, I have felt a greater closeness to God in prayer and a stronger identity with his cause in the world.  At the same time, I am hungry for more of Him.  Second, I have found myself praying more at times that were not particularly scheduled times of prayer – just talking to God about the issues on my heart – crying out to him for needs that came to my attention or that were impressed upon me to pray for.   Third, I noticed as I and we as a congregation and people across the nation prayed for God to uphold the sanctity of marriage in our nation, God moved mightily during these forty days to expose deep needs in marriages in our own church.  We felt the fruit of this overall effort.  I have had multiple opportunities for counsel and correction.  These are opportunities for me but especially for the couples involved.  That is one reason I am continuing the fast.  I see the need for much more healing of relationships by God’s power.  I believe this period of prayer and fasting was a big part of why these breakthroughs are happening.   God is answering prayer for the sanctity of marriage.

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Americana Church Leadership

Celebrating the week Francis Asbury arrived in America

I found a great video clip that tells the story of Francis Asbury.   Asbury was an early Methodist leader in the colonies, sent by Wesley himself, and ultimately responsible for the explosive growth of early Methodism.  His sacrifice and zeal for reaching people with the good news of Jesus serves as an example for all of us still.   Whenever I am reminded of his story as this video does, I am inspired to “never be lacking in zeal (Ro. 12:11)”  but always have a vision for what God wants to do in this world.   It is no wonder that so many things in our country have his name.  I only pray that we would first and foremost revere his God.

  http://www.afa.net/Radio/show.aspx?id=2147491277&tab=video&video=2147499797