Adam Hamilton

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Aiming for Revival

Notes from Church of The Resurrection, Sept. 20th sermon: Prophets and Ministers of Hope

The story of the Old Testament repeats over and over the same story:

  • People have been blessed by God and thus do well
  • People become proud and fall away from God
  • God removes his blessing
  • People repent
  • God takes people back
  • Circle starts again

This cycle not only applies to individuals but to marriages and to the church. In the mid 20th century, many churches forgot that people need to be transformed and became too focused on social justice. In becoming centered on social justice, these churches forgot the spiritual needs of individuals. By focusing on the social justice agenda, the greatest asset of the church – its members – began to fall away from God. These churches and their members forgot the instruction from God in Deuteronomy 8:

Be careful you do not forget the Lord, your God.

God has done great things thru His church. But greater things are expected. Our churches are in need of revival. Each one of us needs to personally reflect on our faith and on our church.

  • What more is wanted by God for His church?
  • What can I personally do to help my church be what God has intended?

What can I do to bless, encourage and bring revival in the church?

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UMC and Consolidation

I just read Adam Hamilton’s post on “General Motors and UMC” along with most of the comments. This post along with the tweet, “In the state of Kansas, 47% of UM churches had 0 professions of faith” quoting Bishop Jones from the Kansas West Conference reinforces my feelings that the church needs to prayerfully consider both the issue of discipleship and small churches.

Unlike most of the people who commented on Hamilton’s GM post, I am not a pastor. Nor do I attend a large UM church. I am a member of a small rural church in Kansas that is part of a 4 point charge. Even though we average between 40 and 50 in church each Sunday, we are the largest church in the charge.

Unfortunately, I don’t believe closing the churches will be successful if evaluated on the basis of advancing the kingdom of God. Most of these communities still remember school consolidation and see their church as an essential part of the community. They are linking the loss of the church to the loss of the community. I sincerely doubt that they would drive to my community for worship. Nor, would the members of my church be willing to drive to a neighboring community with a larger church for worship.

Thus, I think the denomination needs to find a compromise. I totally agree with most of the comments about the need for excellence in worship leadership. I also agree with Sam Fisher’s comment about the need for a personal connection with the pastor. With technology, it is possible to deliver the excellent worship experience. Would it be possible to utilize the ‘tent maker’ concept and technology to deliver worship in small settings while having the regional pastor to provide the human link? This would require a willingness of that regional pastor to “give up” some of the preaching in order to become more of a shepherd for the flock.

Perhaps the young clergy movement has the answer – PRAYING for the church!

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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.

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Effective Congregations – Radical Hospitality

Notes from Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations by Robert Schnase and Topeka District Leadership Event: Five Conversations about Fruitful Practices presentation by Adam Hamilton

Effective Congregations

  • Have a practical and personal mission
    • Becomes memorable and achievable
  • Change, improve, learn and adapt to fulfill mission

Fulfilling Great Commission

  • Requires intentional focus on those outside the community of faith
  • Involves seeing ourselves as sent out by Christ
  • Involves going out of our way
  • Changes and expands church ministry as those new to community of faith are received
  • Requires willingness to share faith journey

Reflective Questions for Effective Congregations (from Leading Beyond the Walls by Adam Hamilton)

  • Why do people need Christ?
  • Why do people need the church?
  • Why do people need this congregation?

What is Radical Hospitality?

  • Basing practices of life on Christ
  • Radiating Christ into the lives of others
  • Praying, Planning, Preparing and Working toward purpose of helping others receive Christ
  • Working to anticipate others’ needs
  • Supporting others in their faith journey
  • Striving (without ceasing) to exceed expectations to accommodate and include others
  • Entrusting that the facilities communicate maximum hospitality, an unmistakable sense of welcome and complete accessibility
  • Searching for new ways to make the church look fresh, appealing, inviting, easy to navigate, safe, clean and attractive
  • Communicating strategically, intentionally and frequently to the public
  • Learning from other churches

Becoming an Effective Congregation

  • Do not fear failure
  • Be willing to change attitudes, practices and/or values
  • Be willing to take risk — discernment by nausea — If it doesn’t make you sick thinking about doing it, then it may not be from God

Lord, mold your churches into

effective congregations practicing

radical hospitality that they will be

effective disciples in your name.

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Building God’s Church

Journal notes from various sources (Primarily sermons by Adam Hamilton and Perry Noble)

1 Sam 14: 1-15 — God got involved after Jonathan took a step of faith

  • Don’t be satisfied
  • Get active — take a step of faith
  • Prodigals will come home
  • Christians will come out of hiding
  • God will get the glory for it all

What brings the Holy Spirit?

  • Hunger — for deepening experience of God’s power
  • Thirst — for God and his living water

In order to achieve what God has put in front of us, we must get uncomfortable.

If the church decides to be generous and go all out for God, what will the next generation say about the church?

God has given us a unique opportunity to do something big.

It’s the time and place to step up and watch God do great things.

Six churches per day shutting doors — Need to change focus from us to God, Christ and the Bible.

Reasons we exist as a church

  • Declare praises of Christ
  • To take the light to a dark world

The more alive a church is the more she will cost — a dead church is not expensive.

1 Peter 2:12 — Church should do such great things that people on outside will look in and say, “I don’t know what’s going on at that church, but man, God’s there.”

There’s nothing the church isn’t capable of as long as God is leading it. (Perry Noble)

Do things that are daring in answer to call of Christ.

Live boldly, courageously to spread Gospel.

Presence Based Church

  • People hear God
  • Teach how to do lifestyle worship
  • Build service around worship
  • Ask God to attend worship
  • God is source for everyone and everything
  • Issue is discipleship

If church finds God, people will find church

Not my way, Not your way, but Yahway’s church.

God wants us to take risks.

God does not move in the world in predictable ways.

The kingdom of God upends our world and challenges us to change our minds, our hearts and our lives to do God’s will.

True movement of God

  • Always centered around the Gospel.
  • Cannot get sidetracked by issues
  • Unstoppable
  • Need to stay focused on Gospel — it is our anchor

Movement of God is about transformation.

Holy Spirit is asking

  • Willingness to be inconvenienced
  • Willingness to move for God

Focus on Christ — God is bigger

  • All God working thru people who believe He is as big as the Bible says He is and  that He can do what the Bible says he can do.
  • We have to believe for God to move.

Church doing God’s work

  • Intentional invitation — inviting others to church
  • Connect to community
  • Strategic service — we are too valuable to God to not be involved
  • Generous giving
  • Passionate prayer
    • Bond together thru prayer and ask God to work thru us — we’ll see God do amazing things
    • Pray for pastor
    • Pray when entering service for God to work thru church

Church environment

  • Evangelistic — Reaching out
  • Community builder — Getting to know each other
  • Need to be both