Exploring Web Ministry

Yesterday’s Communique contained information about an online learning opportunity thru the United Methodist church that intruqued me. I decided to investigate and am now enrolled in ‘What is Web Ministry.’ This course is one of several on the church’s Moodle site. So far, all I’ve done is to update my profile and participate in a forum by introducing myself and responding to others in the class. Now I’m ready for the next assignment which is to define web ministry.

For me, the hard part of this assignment is describing ministry since that isn’t my vocation while working with the web is .  A simple description might be working to advance the kingdom of Christ. This would involve a variety of tasks including preaching, teaching, prayer, Bible study, sharing, communicating and connecting. Many of these tasks can occur via the web.

However, if one limits their perception of web ministry to a web site and email, then they are not utilizing the full potential of the web. Collaborative sites, blogs, wikis, twitter, podcasts, vodcasts. Moodle, social networks and even sites such as Second Life all have potential uses for ministry.

The challenge comes in matching the web tool to the task and to the capabilities of those involved. For my church, not only is ease of use an issue, but also the amount of time required to utilize the tool. Another challenge in a small church with limited staff is getting the content – the raw material to work with.

I’m looking forward to expanding my knowledge in these areas as I progress thru this class.

Answering the Call

Christ commanded us to love and called us to tell his story. That call is reflected in the purpose of Church of the Resurrection (Leawood, KS).

To build a religious community where non-religious
and nominally religious people
become deeply committed Christians.

The recent success of their current sermon series, “When Christians Get It Wrong,” shows that COR is able to be sensitive to those with little religious background while providing strong Biblically based teaching. Not oly are they reaching those who see things wrong with Christians, they are also challenging people like me to change my behavior and to strengthen my faith.

COR is experiencing success with the Internet broadcasting of their worship services. In about three months, these two services have grown to over 900 ‘computers’ in attendance.

By making these services available on the Internet, there is potential to take a computer and a projector and see thousands brought to Christ. As I see it, the only stumbling block will be whether churches with the capability of projecting the service are willing to try utilizing the evening Internet broadcast to reach people in their communities not being reached by their local services.

Facing the Future

During his Jan. 4, 2009 sermon, Perry Noble spoke about God’s work during the nine year history of NewSpring Church. For me, this inspirational story of NewSpring’s success could be used by any church, large or small, including my small church, to evaluate what God is doing in the church and to see where God could lead us if we would be willing to follow. Below are my notes from this sermon — but I encourage you to watch it for yourself.

• When driving, if I take my eyes off of where I’m supposed to be going, I can cause a lot of damage. — Taking eyes off of Jesus causes serious damage!
• Perry prayed for a church were it is OK to be OK – No Perfect People Allowed
• Want to see crowds of people following Jesus. If I go to a crowded restaurant, I know that the food is good and the service is good. I won’t go to a restaurant with an empty parking lot. Why would I go to a church with one?
• God’s house should be the most crowded place on earth every Sunday.
• If you don’t like a big church, you won’t like Heaven. Heaven will be crowded and it won’t be all white.
• Jesus didn’t call perfect people to follow him. He called imperfect people.
• Disciples are to help people take one more step closer to Jesus.
• When you run from God, your life can get so bad it isn’t even funny.
• God created the church so his people could come together for a time of worship and praise and passion that we can’t experience by ourselves during the week.
• Why start a new church? It’s easier to birth a baby than to resurrect the dead.
• God can use other people to push us into unsafe places (new situations to grow his church).
• What would you be willing to do for God if you know it couldn’t fail? You’re a coward if you don’t do it.
• Denominations are dead. They are too focused on politics and not focused on Jesus. I believe God has removed his hand from them.
• Dream pray and think about what the church could be if focused on Jesus.
• If wondering why people aren’t getting saved in church, it’s because we’ve made the church about everything but Jesus.
• Create a place just about Jesus and the cross.
• What matters to God should matter to us — the church
• Want an environment where people come and know Christ
• Vision is not for sale. As a pastor, I’m answerable to God and not members of the church.
• It’s always about people meeting Jesus. We’re all messed up people. The goal is to get closer to Christ.
• When God has a plan, God will make the way. All you have to do is follow.
• Preaching his word – people get saved, lives are being changed
• Because we have a church about Jesus, God does something amazing.
• Always about people meeting Jesus. If he’s got them, he can keep them.

Changed Traditions

John 1: 43-46

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.

• Nathaniel was caught up in a traditional mind set that almost caused him to miss Jesus.
• Am I caught in this mindset? Is my church?
• So caught up in traditions, they’re completely missing the Son of God for whom the church was created
• Church has never been about knowing the pastor — it’s about knowing Jesus.
• God called US to do it all (not just the pastor) and as we partner together more people are reached, more lives are changed and that’s what the church is supposed to be about.

Changed Lives

John 1: 47-49

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.”

“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

• Nathaniel’s life changed rapidly
• When people get in the presence of Jesus, he changes lives
• Change a community one life at a time

Changed Perspective

John 1:50
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.”

• Jesus said, “Wait to see what I’ve got for you.” Nathaniel’s mind was blown because he got in contact with Jesus. He saw water changed to wine, lepers healed, Jesus walk on water, multitudes fed. Lazurus raised, Jesus crucified, Jesus as the Risen Christ, 3000 saved
• Want a church whose mind is blown because it continually lifts up the name of Jesus

Brian Houston, Pastor of Hillsong United in Sydney, Australia wrote these words about his dream for his church. Perry quoted them as a dream for NewSpring Church.

“The church that I see is a church of influence.  A church so large in size that the city and nation cannot ignore it. A church growing so quickly that buildings struggle to contain the increase.

I see a church whose heartfelt praise and worship touches heaven and changes earth.  Worship which influences the praises of people throughout the earth exalting Christ with powerful songs of faith and hope.

I see a church whose alters are constantly filled with repentant sinners responding to Christ’s call to salvation.

Yes, the church that I see is so dependent on the Holy Spirit that nothing will stop it not stand against it.

A church whose people are unified, praying and full of God’s Spirit.

The church that I see has a message so clear that lives are being changed forever and potential is fulfilled though the power of His Word.  A message beamed to the peoples of the earth through their television screens.

I see a church so compassionate that people are drawn from impossible situations into a loving and friendly circle of hope, where answers are found and acceptance is given.

I see a people so kingdom-minded that they will count whatever the cost and pay whatever the price to see revival sweep this land.

The church that I see is a church committed to raising, training and empowering a leadership generation to reap the end-time harvest that all its ministries are consumed with this goal.

I see a church whose head is Jesus, whose help is the Holy Spirit and whose focus is the Great Commission.

Yes, the church that I see could well be our church.”

Being a Christian

For me, being a Christian means trusting Jesus Christ as my Savior to save me from my sins and to change me through the work of the Holy Spirit. In my walk with Christ, I am trying to use his words – the red letters – and apply them to today’s issues. To live as a red-letter Christian, I must ask myself what Jesus would do. However, I need to go beyond that and ask myself what Jesus would have me do.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

Unless my actions express God’s love, I am not honoring Him. To truly honor God, everything I say and everything I do should be done with love.

Love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Unless I am willing to love others, including my enemies, I am not shining my light in the world.

In everything, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Unless I am willing to ‘walk in another’s shoes’ and ask myself if my actions and words feel OK, then I’m not acting with Christian love.

Lord, help me to live my life as a life of love.

Church = Life

C elebrate in worship

H oliness of God

U nderstanding the Scriptures

R eaching out to others

C onnecting in a small group

H old fast to the commands of Jesus Christ!

Covenant Prayer

John Wesley

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed by thee or laid low for thee,

exalted for the or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, thou art mine and I am thine.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

Spirit of Unity Essential to Worship

(The Worship Answer Book by Rich Muchow)

Patience and encouragement come from God. And I pray that God will help you all agree with each other the way Christ Jesus wants. Then you will all be joined together, and you will give glory to GOd the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:5-6 (NCV)

We are all God’s children and God wants to reconcile us with him. If I’m reconciled with God and you are reconciled with God, then we need to be reconciled with each other – thus in unity. From this unity, God pleasing worship emerges. Thru this unity there is healing and wholeness. God wants unity for us and with us.

Achieving Unity

• Making peace with my brother and sister
• Acting with an  others-oriented love
• Making unity more important than issues or opinions

Where there is unity, there is love.
Where there is love, there is God.
Where there is God, there is the Spirit.

Worship that Pleases God

(The Purpose Driven Life – Chapter 13)

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
Mark 12:30 (NIV)

What type of worship pleases God?

• Accurate – based on truth of Scripture
• Authentic  – Genuine and heartfelt; honest, real love
• Variety – no “one-size-fits-all” approach
• Thoughtful – Engages the mind
• Understandable to unbelievers
• Practical – living for Him
• Costly –costs us our self-centeredness

Am I pleasing God with my worship?

Heart of Worship

(The Purpose Driven Life – Chapter 10)
Give yourselves to God … surrender you whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes. Romans 6:13

3 Barriers to Total Surrender to God

• Fear – fear keeps us from surrendering – but LOVE casts out all fear
• Pride – can’t admit we’re not in charge of everything
• Confusion – misunderstand meaning of surrender

Surrendering

• Obedience – say “Yes, Lord”
• Trust – rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others
• Brings blessings – surrendered people are the ones God uses
• Requires practice – must become a daily habit

Is my heart in worship? If not, what haven’t I surrendered to God?

God Calling Us to End Poverty

Over the past few weeks, there has been an underlying theme in various sermons presented by a variety of pastors. I believe this theme is God’s call to work for the end of poverty

The first was Charlie Robinson of NorthRidge Church speaking on God’s heart and our need to have a heart transformation. By having a heart transformation, we are called to

• Love what God loves
• Hate what God hates
• See the world as he sees it
• See people as he sees them
• Be passionate about his plan
• Do not sell out to anyone, anything or to any other philosophy that weakens ones heart against God’s desire

In discussing the sermon afterwards, I was asked what God hates. My response was that God hates injustice. I stated that the Bible is full of passages calling on God’s people to care for widows, orphans and the poor.

The second message with an underlying theme that God’s church should be working to end poverty was by Perry Noble of NewSpring. While speaking on Exodus 22 and 23 where God calls us to return to him a portion (tithe) of what he has blessed us with, Perry made the following statement:

If every person in America tithed, we could feed and educate every human being on the planet and still have 70 billion to advance his kingdom.

The third and most direct message was presented to Church of the Resurrection by Dr. Jim Wallis where he called for a ‘Justice Revival’ – to love God and end poverty. Stating that God is with us, he quoted Bono who said

The one thing on which we can all agree, all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor.

God is in the slums, in the cardboard box where the poor play house.

God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives.

God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war.

God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them.

Wallis went on to discuss a question he was asked by Gordon Brown,

We have the knowledge, resources, technology and information to end extreme poverty but lack the moral and political will to do it — and that’s your job isn’t it, in the churches?

As Christians, we are called to be a people of hope. Wallis defined hope as believing in spite of evidence and watching the evidence change. Thru our churches, we are being called to put our faith into action and change the course of history in regards to poverty.

Faith — prompts — Hope — creates — Action — makes — Change

Make Poverty History