1. Mutuality—The future of missions will be shaped by mutuality between East and West, North and South, sending and receiving nations. Churches worldwide are learning to come together.

2. Partnering—Different than mutuality, partnering pertains to projects that require the assistance of skilled co-laborers driven by what indigenous leaders in the country are trying to accomplish.

3. Investing in leaders—Leadership is everything. Wherever good things are happening, a capable and passionate man or woman will be leading the way.

4. Combining good deeds and good news—The level of problem-solving in which externally focused, missional churches are engaged is significantly higher.

5. Greater financial accountability—With all the needs and opportunities in the world, global missions leaders of the future are working to maximize every dollar expended on global outreach.

6. Business as mission—An emerging funding model ties business and mission together. Missional entrepreneurs who are starting businesses and creating jobs in the countries in which they serve.

7. Focus—Churches today are learning to do better by focusing on fewer places of engagement.

8. Technology—With every breakthrough in communication technology, there have been innovators who have exploited that technology to advance the gospel.

(Leadership Network Advance 2/23/10)

As I continued to move through my early adult life, I knew that something was missing as I would crash into Easter each year, but I didn’t know what it was.  The annual “Good Friday” service was always meaningful, but I just never seemed very prepared to grasp, observe and feel the depth and meaning of the Easter season.

Then, last year, I discovered that several of my parishioners had gone to other churches to observe Ash Wednesday (of which I knew very little about), so I decided to do some research.  I was still under the impression that Lent was something only Catholics – and other closely related denominations – observed.  But when I learned that several of my “baptist” congregants were taking part in the observation, my interest was peaked.

My research led me to discover the “something” that I had been missing all of these years related to Easter.  Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter marked by repentance and more deliberate fasting, prayer, and acts of service was the piece I was the missing in my yearly Easter observance.  And this year, I have jumped in with both feet!

On Ash Wednesday, I – along with my staff – led what turned out to be one of the most meaningful services we’ve experienced at our church in a long time.  To stand up front and administer the ashes to my congregants was incredibly humbling and meaningful.  Many who received the ashes said the same.  That service began the 40 days of Lent, and many in my congregation are participating by fasting, praying, serving, and celebrating (Sundays during Lent are to be days of celebration and the fast can be broken on those days).  A baptist church observing Lent…it’s crazy, I know!

Now – more than ever before – I’m waiting anxiously for Resurrection Sunday to come.  Lent is providing for me 40 days of build-up and anticipation, and I can’t wait to experience the celebration of Easter.  I know…it’s only my rookie year, and I’ve got a lot to learn about this, but I’m enjoying the process.

What about you?  There are still 25 days until Easter, so it’s not too late to prepare yourself for it.  If you’ve missed the first few weeks of Lent, why not jump in today?  If you need more information about Lent, click the link below.  And then join me – a fellow rookie – in preparing for Easter in a whole new way.

My Thoughts on Ash Wednesday and Lent

Albuquerque is tied with Toledo, Ohio as the fourth least generous city in America.  The extensive 60-city study was done by the Albuquerque-based Tijeras Foundation in 2008.  Through their research, they were able to discover the average percentage of household income given to charity by people in these cities.

The most generous city in America?  Birmingham, Alabama.  The least generous city?  San Antonio, Texas.  The Tijeras Foundation commented that even Birmingham and other top cities have a long way to go, noting that few Americans (evangelical Christians included) approach the biblical tithe of ten percent.

Here’s the top 10 and bottom 10 lists with the percentage of household income given to charity in each city:

TOP 10 MOST GENEROUS CITIES IN THE US

1. Birmingham 3.6%
2. Memphis 3.4%
3. Columbia, SC 3.2%
4. Greenville, SC 3.1%
5. Atlanta 3.1%
6. Grand Rapids 3.1%
7. New York 3.1%
8. Naples 3.1%
9. Charlotte 3.1%
10. Tulsa 3.1%

TOP 10 LEAST GENEROUS CITIES IN THE US

1. San Antonio 1.7%
2. Pittsburgh 1.8%
3. Tampa 1.8%
4. Albuquerque 1.9%
5. Toledo 1.9%
6. Austin 2.0%
7. Boston 2.0%
8. Honolulu 2.0%
9. Ft. Lauderdale 2.0%
10. Orlando 2.0%

I was working out yesterday, and a rather profound song came up on my iPod.  It’s a song by the now-defunct British band,The World Wide Message Tribe, from the mid 90’s. In light of all the death and destruction in the news recently, it kind of struck a cord with me.

I’m not sure what my response should be to the hurting people in Haiti, Chile, and other war-torn, weather-beaten areas of the world.  I just know that we here in America have been blessed by God in order to be a blessing to others.  To be quiet and do nothing while so many in the world suffer just seems wrong to me.

HYPOCRITE

Taking liberties
I see people dying all around me
Full of pride and evil greed
I keep quiet in a world of need
Casting darkness on the earth
Sin deceives me like a curse
The world is covered in disease
I sit back at ease

What a hypocrite I am

I’m sold as a slave to sin
What a hideous state, I keep giving in
I do not understand what I do
For what I hate to do I do
The evil deep inside of me
Has seized its opportunity
I can’t do right for doing wrong
My time will soon be gone

What a hypocrite I am

At last count there were 9,943 faith-based organizations with ministries in Haiti. For years, with good intentions and with great dedication, they have tried to give economic assistance and spiritual help to the Haitian people. This does not take into account the thousands of church groups that have taken “mission teams” to Haiti to build schools and churches in Haitian villages across that little country. Yet Haiti has continued in a downward spiral into greater and greater poverty and social disorganization, not in spite of all these “good works,” but in great part because of them. So much of what has been done in Haiti has disempowered Haitians and diminished their dignity by doing for them what they could have done for themselves.

Does it ever occur to those leaders who take bright, enthusiastic American young people to Haiti to build hundreds and hundreds of church buildings and schools that Haitians are capable of building them? Do they even consider how many jobs they take away from Haitians because of their well-intentioned construction enterprises? Does it occur to them that when Haitians see an American youth group put up a cinder block school building in just ten days that this could contribute to a sense of inferiority as these Americans do in ten days what seems to Haitians like a miracle?

Altruistic Americans have done to the Haitians what an out-of-control welfare system has done to so many poor people here in the United States. It has made them into people who are socially and psychologically dependent on others to solve their problems and who have lost confidence in their own capabilities.

Out of the necessities created by the recent earthquake, we Americans have no choice but to respond with a gigantic handout. Children are starving. Medical care is desperately needed and new housing must be constructed. In the short run, we Americans must respond to meet these needs. We have to fear, however, that when the dust from the earthquake clears the Haitians will have fallen into a deeper condition of dependency and will be even less inclined to see themselves as the best hope for their future.

I am not suggesting that all those missionary organizations working in Haiti should pack up and go home, but I am urging them to understand that Haiti does not need clever Americans with newly contrived schemes for saving their country. Haitians do not need development programs imposed on them by expatriates. Instead, they need help in developing as self-assured persons.

May we heed these words, and may we equip and empower the Haitian people to rebuild their country, giving them the confidence that they can do it.  May we assist them and help them in Jesus’ name, but may we allow them to do it.

God has called me to pastor the church I love.  One of our precious members suffered a stroke a couple days ago, and Michelle and I were called to the hospital.  We arrived at the busiest ER in the city around 8PM only to be overwhelmed by the mass of people waiting to be seen.  Sick and injured people were sprawled out from one end of the large waiting room to the other.  The medical staff seemed to be overwhelmed with the amount of people who needed their attention.  Getting someone’s attention so that Michelle and I could go into the ER was not an easy task.  We waited quite a while.

While we were waiting, we saw someone we knew – someone we hadn’t seen in years.  He and his brother were escorted quickly back into the ER, and we heard him mention that his father, Ted, was back there.  Ted used to be our neighbor, and we had interacted with him a lot over the five years we lived across the street from him.  He is an older, single man who has struggled with his health for some time.  We used to take him meals, help him with his yard work, and help tutor his son in math – all in the attempt to be good neighbors and to share the love of Christ with him.  After moving away and then returning nearly three years later to another neighborhood, we lost contact with Ted.  But as the Lord would have it, the night we were at the overcrowded ER to visit one person, it just so happens that Ted was there too.  Coincidence or sovereignty?

I ended up spending some precious time with the woman I had come to see that night, but Michelle and I were also able to reconnect with an old neighbor and his sons – all of whom are in need of the saving grace of Jesus.

I think I’ll keep my day job!

Have you heard about the Whitetail Chapel in Ivor, Virginia?  Maybe I should ask this a different way.  Have you SEEN the story about Whitetail Chapel in Ivor, Virginia?  A recent news story featuring the church revealed that clothing is optional when you attend.  Pastor Allen Parker, a middle-age man with quite a big gut stands in front of the congregation butt-naked and preaches the word in his birthday suit every Sunday morning.

Pastor Allen defends his naked preaching style this way: “Some of the biggest moments in Jesus’ life he was naked.  When he was born he was naked, when he was crucified he was naked and when he arose he left his clothes in the tomb and he was naked. If God made us that way, how can that be wrong?”

The church is part of the Whitetail Nudist Resort, the only year-round nudist resort in Virginia.  Pastor Allen says that his congregation is a family-oriented one and is very involved in helping others.  He says that he’d gladly put his church up against other churches.

Well, they may be caring, but I’m really not interested in having any of his naked parishioners put up against me.  Click here to read and see the full story. If you decide to watch the video, you may want to wait until after you’ve eaten!

Needless to say, this is a busy time in the life of my family, and this week promises to be busier and even more stressful!  If you think about it, please pray for us this week.

And, when things calm down a bit, I will re-enter the blogosphere.  Lots to blog about, but no time to do so.  Gotta go meet with Franck.  Talk to you soon!

As base a thing as money often is, it yet can be transmuted into everlasting treasure.  It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor; it can keep a missionary actively winning lost men to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values.  Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth.  Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality. - A.W. Tozer

“Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth.”  I love that line!  May God prompt all of us to hold a little more loosely onto our temporal possessions, and may we be willing to turn them into everlasting wealth when He calls on us to do so.

In the book, Gayle reveals that almost from the day she learned of Ted’s indiscretions, she knew she would try to forgive him.  She says she wrestled with the question: “Will I be the woman who washes her hands of the situation and walks away from Ted, or will I be the woman who loves him and shows forgiveness?” She knew the choice was hers.

As a matter of fact, in the days after everything came out in the open, Ted actually encouraged her to leave him, claiming that he was so toxic that he would ruin her.  But ultimately, she chose to stay because she says that she knew that Christians are called by God to forgive, and she says that she wanted to be the person who remained faithful to her Lord, husband, family and church.

I’m pretty sure that what Gayle Haggard has chosen to do is something that not many Christians would choose to do themselves.  I often overhear married Christians proclaim that if they ever caught their spouse cheating on them that they would leave – which always makes me feel very troubled.  I’m sure glad the Lord doesn’t leave me when I “cheat” on Him.  On the contrary, He proclaims that He will never leave me regardless of what I do, and He willingly offers me forgiveness when I betray Him.

I have great respect for Gayle Haggard, and I find her forgiveness of her husband incredibly inspiring and Christ-like.  May the Lord help all of us to extend grace and forgiveness to those who hurt us just like Gayle has.  Just like He did.