ministry

What Were They Thinking?

Frank

Surely by now you’ve heard of the 10 American Christians who were arrested in Haiti for child trafficking. The story goes that the children’s parents gave the children up in hopes of a better life. These “missionaries” acted in good faith, believing they were doing the right thing. In fact, this same sympathy drives the popularity of foreign adoptions by American Christians- the idea that adopting a child out of a “godless” country to raise him or her in a Christian home is an effective form of evangelism. When the earthquake hit Haiti, it was not surprising that one of the first concerns was of the orphans left behind, just as it was for the Indonesian tsunami.

But there is a right way and a wrong way of “saving” these children. I just watched an interview with a woman from a local adoption agency that was in the process of arranging for the adoption of Haitian children before the earthquake. When that news broke, this woman took the first flight she could to Haiti to ensure the safety of these children. The group that went to Haiti from Lifechurch in Pennsylvania, went because of the orphanage they supported there. The group from Idaho however, had no prior experience, no existing relationships, and no required paperwork. Like I said, they went in good faith, but ill prepared.

In classic evangelical terms, what would Jesus do? I think of Matthew 9, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Mt 9:35-36) Here, Jesus went to where the needs were. He did not remove people from their needs, but he stopped there to meet their needs.

This is a tragedy, no doubt, and it is encouraging to see the millions of dollars raised for relief. But once the Red Cross leaves, once the US military leaves, once the donations stop coming, there will still be a need. If you are so concerned about the welfare of the children in Haiti that you would spend your life savings to get there to save a few, then you should stay there. Save them by rebuilding homes and schools. Stay there to feed them. Stay there to care for them. Because stripping children away from their parents is not saving them. My first link above had some statistics that are telling that the updated article doesn’t- nearly two thirds of Haitian children attend schools operated by Christian organizations and a majority of hospitals are Christian-run. That is meeting the need. Jesus “went” to meet the need. We should be so bold as to do the same. If hopping a flight to Haiti is out of the realm of possibility for you, look around your own city, your neighborhood, your schools. Find a need and go and meet it.

What Were They Thinking?

Frank

Surely by now you’ve heard of the 10 American Christians who were arrested in Haiti for child trafficking. The story goes that the children’s parents gave the children up in hopes of a better life. These “missionaries” acted in good faith, believing they were doing the right thing. In fact, this same sympathy drives the popularity of foreign adoptions by American Christians- the idea that adopting a child out of a “godless” country to raise him or her in a Christian home is an effective form of evangelism. When the earthquake hit Haiti, it was not surprising that one of the first concerns was of the orphans left behind, just as it was for the Indonesian tsunami.

But there is a right way and a wrong way of “saving” these children. I just watched an interview with a woman from a local adoption agency that was in the process of arranging for the adoption of Haitian children before the earthquake. When that news broke, this woman took the first flight she could to Haiti to ensure the safety of these children. The group that went to Haiti from Lifechurch in Pennsylvania, went because of the orphanage they supported there. The group from Idaho however, had no prior experience, no existing relationships, and no required paperwork. Like I said, they went in good faith, but ill prepared.

In classic evangelical terms, what would Jesus do? I think of Matthew 9, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Mt 9:35-36) Here, Jesus went to where the needs were. He did not remove people from their needs, but he stopped there to meet their needs.

This is a tragedy, no doubt, and it is encouraging to see the millions of dollars raised for relief. But once the Red Cross leaves, once the US military leaves, once the donations stop coming, there will still be a need. If you are so concerned about the welfare of the children in Haiti that you would spend your life savings to get there to save a few, then you should stay there. Save them by rebuilding homes and schools. Stay there to feed them. Stay there to care for them. Because stripping children away from their parents is not saving them. My first link above had some statistics that are telling that the updated article doesn’t- nearly two thirds of Haitian children attend schools operated by Christian organizations and a majority of hospitals are Christian-run. That is meeting the need. Jesus “went” to meet the need. We should be so bold as to do the same. If hopping a flight to Haiti is out of the realm of possibility for you, look around your own city, your neighborhood, your schools. Find a need and go and meet it.

What Do You Take For Granted?

Frank

I’ve been home sick for the past couple of days with a stomach bug. As I was lying in bed in agony yesterday I was thinking of those in Haiti who are suffering much worse. Yesterday I had a half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a banana. I didn’t even go a full 24 hours without something to eat, yet I was miserable. I imagined being in someplace like Haiti after a natural disaster, or even anywhere in the Third World where I would be grateful for a half a sandwich a day. When I went to bed last night, my head was pounding and my muscles and joints were aching- symptoms of dehydration. Yet I drank about a liter of water. Again, how many in Haiti right now would do anything for a liter of clean, bottled water?

I was miserable. But I am lucky.

The news continues to pour in, and it’s not pretty. My heart continues to hurt for the hundreds of thousands who are suffering right now. You can catch some of the updates here.

Even though the setting is different in this video, the need is the same. Can we honestly say, “I’ll follow you” anywhere when we have so much?

What Do You Take For Granted?

Frank

I’ve been home sick for the past couple of days with a stomach bug. As I was lying in bed in agony yesterday I was thinking of those in Haiti who are suffering much worse. Yesterday I had a half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a banana. I didn’t even go a full 24 hours without something to eat, yet I was miserable. I imagined being in someplace like Haiti after a natural disaster, or even anywhere in the Third World where I would be grateful for a half a sandwich a day. When I went to bed last night, my head was pounding and my muscles and joints were aching- symptoms of dehydration. Yet I drank about a liter of water. Again, how many in Haiti right now would do anything for a liter of clean, bottled water?

I was miserable. But I am lucky.

The news continues to pour in, and it’s not pretty. My heart continues to hurt for the hundreds of thousands who are suffering right now. You can catch some of the updates here.

Even though the setting is different in this video, the need is the same. Can we honestly say, “I’ll follow you” anywhere when we have so much?

Help for Haiti

Frank

Despite what Pat Robertson thinks, we shouldn’t see this tragedy as he did Katrina or the Indonesian tsunami as the objects of God’s wrath, but instead as opportunities to serve. There were already several ministries serving in Haiti when this hit and there are many more standing up to help in the recover from this tragedy. The first to come to mind is Audio Adrenaline’s Hands and Feet Project and my own church’s benevolence arm, HOPEworldwide. Please give. Please pray.

For other charities, click here.

***UPDATE: The American Red Cross’ text 90999, which automatically adds $10 to your cell phone bill has rasied over $8 Million (that’s a lot of Hamiltons!). Also, you can follow the progress of a group of missionaries from Lifechurch in Pennsylvania as they try to get into Haiti here.***

Help for Haiti

Frank

Despite what Pat Robertson thinks, we shouldn’t see this tragedy as he did Katrina or the Indonesian tsunami as the objects of God’s wrath, but instead as opportunities to serve. There were already several ministries serving in Haiti when this hit and there are many more standing up to help in the recover from this tragedy. The first to come to mind is Audio Adrenaline’s Hands and Feet Project and my own church’s benevolence arm, HOPEworldwide. Please give. Please pray.

For other charities, click here.

***UPDATE: The American Red Cross’ text 90999, which automatically adds $10 to your cell phone bill has rasied over $8 Million (that’s a lot of Hamiltons!). Also, you can follow the progress of a group of missionaries from Lifechurch in Pennsylvania as they try to get into Haiti here.***

R12

Frank

Today kicks off Living on the Edge’s R12-True Spirituality campaign. Maybe campaign is not the right word- they’re not asking for money, not pontificating any grand goals- they are only asking for churches and/or small groups to pick up their free curriculum based on Romans 12 and lead Christians into becoming disciples of Christ.

Personally, there are a few hills that I would die on with regards to my personal theology and doctrine. One, is that everyone is called to participate in the spiritual growth of the church by applying their unique spiritual gifts, not just leaders/pastors (Eph 4). Two, the ‘ones’ of Ephesians 4 are non-negotiable with respect to Church doctrine. Three, the Church Universal as known only by God, is called to be united and Jesus himself prayed for unity in the church (John 17). This unity cannot happen without numbers one and two above. And finally four, this unity is demonstrated by Christians living out their faith as disciples of Jesus Christ as defined by Romans 12.

I credit Romans 12 as the starting point of my conversion. I grew up religious. I was active in my church. My “spiritual resume” resembles Paul’s of Philippians 3. But I could not call myself a disciple of Jesus. It was one Sunday and I was sitting in Mass and the sermon was based on Romans 12. I had a Bible and I read it. I knew the popular stories and read the Gospels, Psalms, and Proverbs regularly. But I never dug into Romans; it was a hard read and the theology is hard to follow. So this was the first time I remember hearing these verses and my heart broke. This did not describe me. This did not describe my friends. This did not describe my church. And from there, I began a search for true discipleship of Jesus that culminated two years later as I was baptized into Christ in front of a new body of believers.

Since, I have used Romans 12 as the starting point of every Bible study with a non-believer or casual church-goer. And I had the pleasure of reading this passage to my congregation as the teen I mentor was baptized into Christ a month ago.

I was turned on to Living on the Edge a couple of years ago, catching a lesson on my commute to work. It was serendipitous timing- I was running late that day so heard a different program than I usually listened to. I was immediately turned on. I liked the preaching, I liked how sin was called out as sin and not excused, and I liked how the preaching was geared towards the expectation of Christians living Christ-like lives. I now turn to these lessons for most of my small group material. I read the books and apply what I learn. And when they first released this curriculum a year ago, I fervently prayed for this message to reach the ears and hearts of every believer.

I’m not one to regularly sing praises or endorse things so highly, but this is something I believe strongly in and I hope and pray it is something that can be of benefit to you. Ultimately, to God be the glory.

R12

Frank

Today kicks off Living on the Edge’s R12-True Spirituality campaign. Maybe campaign is not the right word- they’re not asking for money, not pontificating any grand goals- they are only asking for churches and/or small groups to pick up their free curriculum based on Romans 12 and lead Christians into becoming disciples of Christ.

Personally, there are a few hills that I would die on with regards to my personal theology and doctrine. One, is that everyone is called to participate in the spiritual growth of the church by applying their unique spiritual gifts, not just leaders/pastors (Eph 4). Two, the ‘ones’ of Ephesians 4 are non-negotiable with respect to Church doctrine. Three, the Church Universal as known only by God, is called to be united and Jesus himself prayed for unity in the church (John 17). This unity cannot happen without numbers one and two above. And finally four, this unity is demonstrated by Christians living out their faith as disciples of Jesus Christ as defined by Romans 12.

I credit Romans 12 as the starting point of my conversion. I grew up religious. I was active in my church. My “spiritual resume” resembles Paul’s of Philippians 3. But I could not call myself a disciple of Jesus. It was one Sunday and I was sitting in Mass and the sermon was based on Romans 12. I had a Bible and I read it. I knew the popular stories and read the Gospels, Psalms, and Proverbs regularly. But I never dug into Romans; it was a hard read and the theology is hard to follow. So this was the first time I remember hearing these verses and my heart broke. This did not describe me. This did not describe my friends. This did not describe my church. And from there, I began a search for true discipleship of Jesus that culminated two years later as I was baptized into Christ in front of a new body of believers.

Since, I have used Romans 12 as the starting point of every Bible study with a non-believer or casual church-goer. And I had the pleasure of reading this passage to my congregation as the teen I mentor was baptized into Christ a month ago.

I was turned on to Living on the Edge a couple of years ago, catching a lesson on my commute to work. It was serendipitous timing- I was running late that day so heard a different program than I usually listened to. I was immediately turned on. I liked the preaching, I liked how sin was called out as sin and not excused, and I liked how the preaching was geared towards the expectation of Christians living Christ-like lives. I now turn to these lessons for most of my small group material. I read the books and apply what I learn. And when they first released this curriculum a year ago, I fervently prayed for this message to reach the ears and hearts of every believer.

I’m not one to regularly sing praises or endorse things so highly, but this is something I believe strongly in and I hope and pray it is something that can be of benefit to you. Ultimately, to God be the glory.

Tool Shed

Frank
It is that time of year to dust off your Sunday best, wake up a little earlier, and go to church for maybe the second time of the year (the first being Easter). You go to hear Christmas carols, watch a performance, or to satisfy your parents that you’re home visiting. You wish people Marry Christmas and probably have your house decorated with a tree up. You may even be done shopping using the guise of Santa. Why do you go? What do you hope to get from it?

That may sound cynical, but in a country where roughly 80% of Americans call themselves Christians “only 3 out of 10 twentysomethings (31%) attend church in a typical week, compared to 4 out of 10 of those in their 30s (42%) and nearly half of all adults age 40 and older (49%).” (from a 2003 Barna survey) A more frightening way of looking at it is that Barna considers those who only attend church at “Christmas or Easter, or for special events such as a wedding or a funeral” unchurched. This number of adults is a striking 34%. (from a 2004 survey)

So I don’t buy the label “Christian”. Which makes it hard to define “church” in a traditional way. We often define our religion based on how we were raised, and not necessarily our personal doctrine. In fact, doctrine is often secondary as we become a culture where “church shopping” is becoming more and more prevalent. So what is your church and why there? Is it the people you meet (look at how homogeneous your congregation likely is- income level, race, age)? Is it the worship (how relevant are you)? Is it the dynamic preaching (aren’t Jesus’ words the “same yesterday and today and tomorrow“)? Is it the parachurch ministries/activities (are you salt and light)?

But it is usually one of the above that motivates us to attend the church that we do. It should be all the above. But we need to check our expectations at the door. Perhaps you’ve heard the cliche “church isn’t about what you get out of it but what you give to it.” Instead of doctrine, theology, or polity; worship, relevance, or relatability; church is not what it looks like or what it does, but what we do as Christians in its name. For me, church is not a place of worship, it is a tool shed. Full of different tools to suit our different talents for us to use to the glory of God.

It’s too easy to rely on church leaders and think only of what we get out of church. But the Bible does not call us to just show up every weekend (or when it’s convenient). Instead we are called to use the talents we’ve been given to grow Christ’s Church. “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his[b]faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:4-8) and “It was [Jesus] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Note the ends and the means. God gives us talents and Christ appoints us to roles so that the Church may be united and mature. The goal is not church attendance, spirit-filled worship, or dynamic leadership. It is attaining the fullness of Christ.

You can read a diversity of definitions of church through this week’s blog carnival. To each who post, they are using the tools they get through their church to use the internet to bring unity to the Church. Let this motivate you to rummage through the shed and find the tool that fits you.

Tool Shed

Frank
It is that time of year to dust off your Sunday best, wake up a little earlier, and go to church for maybe the second time of the year (the first being Easter). You go to hear Christmas carols, watch a performance, or to satisfy your parents that you’re home visiting. You wish people Marry Christmas and probably have your house decorated with a tree up. You may even be done shopping using the guise of Santa. Why do you go? What do you hope to get from it?

That may sound cynical, but in a country where roughly 80% of Americans call themselves Christians “only 3 out of 10 twentysomethings (31%) attend church in a typical week, compared to 4 out of 10 of those in their 30s (42%) and nearly half of all adults age 40 and older (49%).” (from a 2003 Barna survey) A more frightening way of looking at it is that Barna considers those who only attend church at “Christmas or Easter, or for special events such as a wedding or a funeral” unchurched. This number of adults is a striking 34%. (from a 2004 survey)

So I don’t buy the label “Christian”. Which makes it hard to define “church” in a traditional way. We often define our religion based on how we were raised, and not necessarily our personal doctrine. In fact, doctrine is often secondary as we become a culture where “church shopping” is becoming more and more prevalent. So what is your church and why there? Is it the people you meet (look at how homogeneous your congregation likely is- income level, race, age)? Is it the worship (how relevant are you)? Is it the dynamic preaching (aren’t Jesus’ words the “same yesterday and today and tomorrow“)? Is it the parachurch ministries/activities (are you salt and light)?

But it is usually one of the above that motivates us to attend the church that we do. It should be all the above. But we need to check our expectations at the door. Perhaps you’ve heard the cliche “church isn’t about what you get out of it but what you give to it.” Instead of doctrine, theology, or polity; worship, relevance, or relatability; church is not what it looks like or what it does, but what we do as Christians in its name. For me, church is not a place of worship, it is a tool shed. Full of different tools to suit our different talents for us to use to the glory of God.

It’s too easy to rely on church leaders and think only of what we get out of church. But the Bible does not call us to just show up every weekend (or when it’s convenient). Instead we are called to use the talents we’ve been given to grow Christ’s Church. “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his[b]faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:4-8) and “It was [Jesus] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)

Note the ends and the means. God gives us talents and Christ appoints us to roles so that the Church may be united and mature. The goal is not church attendance, spirit-filled worship, or dynamic leadership. It is attaining the fullness of Christ.

You can read a diversity of definitions of church through this week’s blog carnival. To each who post, they are using the tools they get through their church to use the internet to bring unity to the Church. Let this motivate you to rummage through the shed and find the tool that fits you.