21st Century Wineskins Seminar is Ready to Launch!

3 12 2010

For the last few months I’ve been preparing a seminar based on  the ideas I’ve shared on this blog. I believe God has called me to help others learn to share their faith in Jesus in a way that is natural, relational, and founded in Authentic Christian Community. Here’s a synopsis of what the seminar is about.

New Times Require New Methods

Much of what the church teaches about the “how-to” of sharing our faith focuses on presenting a certain set of propositions (e.g. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life), trying to convince someone to believe those propositions and say a prayer of assent when you get to the end of the booklet. Those tools have their place, and had a degree of success in helping people share their faith. However, the world has changed in the 40+ years since the creation of the most commonly used gospel presentations. Basic assumptions of the nature of truth are different, people are not merely looking for a spiritual belief system to ascribe to, and Christianity is not the default choice for the spiritually curious anymore.

The 21st Century Wineskins Seminar addresses how the church can more effectively communicate the gospel to a skeptical and increasingly post Christian culture.

Module 1: Perception is Reality

Examines the findings of the book UnChristian about how those outside the church perceive us and my own research regarding Christians’ perceptions of non-believers. We take a look at the perceptions, examine how they create obstacles to both receiving and sharing the gospel, and look at ways we have contributed to the problem and how to change for the better.

Module 2: Creating Authentic Christian Community

Looks at some of the characteristics of the early church such as the “Four Devotions” (Apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer) and the things these devotions produce (togetherness, generosity, praise, witness, and fruit). This module also suggests ways to help create that type of Authentic Christian Community and shows how it is the context within which effective outreach takes place and is the element that will keep people committed to Christ for the long haul.

Module 3: Building Bridges Strong Enough to Bear the Weight of Truth

Most Christians want to share the gospel, but never feel quite up to the task. This workshop focuses on how to build relational bridges to those with whom you want to share the gospel. Using the metaphor of building a bridge we look at Laying the Foundation (Prayer), Building the Superstructure (Four Key Elements – Observation, Time, Attitudes, & Communication), and Completing the Connection (Establishing Trust & Speaking God’s Truth).

Module 4: Re-Thinking Evangelism

What is the first thing that pops into your head when you think of evangelism? That’s scary? I’m gonna be rejected? Not my spiritual gift? This seminar looks at how most Christians think of evangelism, gives an explanation of Relational Evangelism, and challenges you to rethink how evangelism could be done and will help you begin to share your faith in new and natural ways.

These are some of the things you will learn in this seminar

  • Building strong relational bridges based on trust and mutual respect will allow you to lovingly speak God’s truth into a person’s life without damaging the friendship.
  • Relational evangelism begins by seeing people as Jesus does, spending time with them, having Christ-like attitudes, and learning to communicate so people understand.
  • In the context of Authentic Christian Community everyday Christians experience the power of God and bear fruit for the kingdom.

For more information about how Relational Life Ministries
can help equip you or your church for effective outreach contact:
Chris Hardy
phone: 734-646-3227
email: rlm@provide.net


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Brotherly Love, Fellowship, Friendship, Great Commission, Imitating Christ, Jesus' Model of Outreach, Marks of a True Church, Neighborhood Churches, Outreach, Perception of Christians, Prayer, Relational Bridges, Rethinking Church, Sharing your Faith, Spirituality

Thought Provoking Articles

27 09 2010

Here are two articles I read today that I thought would interest you as well.

The Retail Church by Chris Thron looks at some of the unintended consequences of not having neighborhood churches.

The Psychology of Worship and Church Growth by David Virtue examines some of the key elements that make a church a vibrant faith community, and what happens when they are absent.

I hope you enjoy these articles as much as I did. A special thanks to my father-in-law for sending me the link to David Virtue’s commentary.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , ,
Categories : Brotherly Love, Church Attendance, Fellowship, Marks of a True Church, Neighborhood Churches, Spirituality

The Year of Living Without Church

7 09 2010

About a year-and-a half ago our family stopped going to church. We have attended sporadically during that time, but have not been part of congregation since April 2009. I’d like to share my Top Ten Insights from The Year Without Church.

10. I was able to step back from the busyness of being an elder, a member of the pastoral search committee, occasional preaching, and trying to start a small group for men, among other things. Becoming an outsider gave me something I lacked while we were regular churchgoers – time. I now had time to think. Why was I doing all these things? Is this really what God wants me to do? Were my motives for service always godly?

9. A lot of church activities and programs I was involved in were busy work. For example, I spent way too much time in elder meetings and not nearly enough time doing the job of caring for the congregation.

8. Much of what I did in the name of fellowship (at least on Sunday morning) was simply small talk over coffee and high carb snacks. Rarely did I ask people what God was teaching them or if they had any burdens I could help them carry. I mostly talked about work, kids, weather, sports, and other “safe” topics. I didn’t share a common life with my brothers and sisters centered on our relationship to Christ, and even more rarely did I work together with them for a common goal which brought glory to God.

7. When I first quit going to church I thought I had all the answers to the church’s problems, now I know I don’t. I believe the Lord has given me good insights into ways the church could make positive changes to more effectively reach a skeptical culture, but He has also shown me He’s the church’s savior and I’m not.

6. There are a lot of people who have been hurt in some way by the church. They do not want to be churchless Christians, but have found being part of a church makes it harder for them to follow Christ rather than easier.

5. I visited several churches during The Year Without Church and found most of them sorely lacking in friendliness to new people. At many of the churches I visited not one person spoke to me either before or after the service, even if I visited more than once. It is all too common to be ignored when you are a new visitor.

4. When I attended church regularly I was so busy maintaining church programs or was sufficiently satisfied with the status quo to realize there might be different and better ways to do things.

3. I deeply miss being with other Christians and sharing Authentic Christian Community, but I do not miss attending church services. When did church become a spectator sport?

2. The Church, when operating in the power of the Holy Spirit and according to scriptural guidelines, has the potential to be the most powerful force for God the world has ever seen. When it does not operate this way, the Church is merely a semi-sacred country club designed to benefit its members.

1. Just like it was not good for Adam to be alone in the Garden, it is not good for me to be alone in my Christian journey. I desperately need to be a part of a vital faith community that is devoted to Jesus and to each other; a group of people who are committed to bear each other’s burdens, love each other, forgive and put up with one another, encourage, not judge each other, work together to more fully reflect the love of Christ both within the church and to a world in need of God’s mercy and grace.

Is there a church like that? If so, please pray we will find it, and soon.


Comments : 9 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Brotherly Love, Church Attendance, Churchless Christians, Fellowship, Generation Gone, Rethinking Church, Uncategorized

Carols, Cards, and Caring: Authentic Christian Community in Action

12 08 2010

Last December some friends of ours gathered at our house to enjoy the Christmas season together. The adults sat upstairs talking about grown-up stuff while the kids watched Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you know the one with Burl Ives as the Snowman/Narrator. Believe it or not some of the teens had never seen it! There was the typical party fare – sloppy joes, chips and dip, fruit and veggie trays, and, of course, Christmas cookies. One particular treat was having Julia squirt whipped cream directly from the can into the mouths of some of the little kids. Everyone was enjoying themselves and the festive atmosphere of the party.

Someone suggested we sing Christmas carols. We gathered in the living room where the fire was crackling and got out the hymn books so we could sing more than the one verse of the carols. One of the girls asked if she could play the piano for the first carol. She sat down and played part of the carol and then stopped.

“That’s all I know. I played this as a duet in my recital and I only learned my part,” she said with a sheepish grin.

Without missing a beat, well not too many beats anyway, another pianist slid in and continued the song so we could keep singing. As we sang those familiar carols, the wonder of God’s love in sending Jesus to be our savior fell on us all and we felt His presence in the room. It was a joyous, worshipful time complete with a four-year old expressing her love for Jesus by gracing us all with a dance that warmed our hearts and brought smiles to our faces.

When the singing ended, the kids went back downstairs for more teenage fun and the adults moved into the dining room to play cards. We were about three hands into “Up and Down the River” when someone brought up a concern that was troubling them. As we continued to play cards, we talked about the issue. Advice was offered, encouragement was given. Open ears allowed the person to be heard even though it was not an easy topic to discuss. Around the table, as cards were being shuffled and hands played, burdens were shared and carried by the group.

As our friends were leaving I had a very satisfied feeling in my heart. We had not gone to church, we had done something even better. We had been the church – worshiping, caring, loving, and helping each other live in a world full of concerns and burdens.

That’s what I mean when I talk about Authentic Christian Community. This story doesn’t cover all aspects of ACC, but it paints a picture of what is possible when people meet together and share a common life centered around their relationship with Jesus and each other. It is this type of corporate caring that is going to renew churches and inspire outreach. It is this type of relationship that Generation Gone is looking for. It is this type of community which will bring the healing touch of Jesus to a battered and hurting world.

Father in heaven, renew your people to love each other and to unreservedly show that love to those who need it most. Amen.


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Fellowship, Generation Gone, Relational Bridges, Rethinking Church, Spirituality, Uncategorized

Authentic Christian Community

5 08 2010

Last week my daughter Beth wrote about Generation Gone. It is the most read post on the blog. Thanks Beth, and great job.

One of the things that would help churches keep members in the 20-40 year old demographic would be an emphasis on developing Authentic Christian Community (ACC). A brief description of ACC is found in the opening chapters of the book of Acts. If we take a look at the snapshot of the early church given there we can discover the source and impact of ACC in the early church.

Authentic Christian Community Is Produced by
▸ a group of Christ followers being filled with and empowered by the power of the Holy Spirit to put into practice the teachings and example of Jesus in everyday life (Acts 1:4-5, 8; 2:4, 38-39)

Authentic Christian Community Produces
▸ devotion to the life-giving essentials of a vibrant congregation (Acts 2:42)
▸ togetherness of the members of a church so they can “do” life with each other (Acts 2:42, 46)
▸ generosity & praise so that people’s needs are met by the community and God is praised for His goodness and provision (Acts 2:44-45, 47)
▸ sharing of the gospel message and spiritual fruit in the lives of those both inside and outside the church (Acts 2:43, 47)

If churches in the United States would devote themselves to developing Authentic Christian Community, they wouldn’t have room enough to hold all the young people (and older ones, too) that would desire to be a part of it.

If you or your church wants to develop this type of Authentic Christian Community then you can reserve a date to host or attend the 21st Century Wineskins Seminar that Relational Life Ministries(1) is presenting this fall. The seminar, consisting of four modules, is designed to equip churches, small groups, and individuals to share the story of their faith in Jesus in a relational way in the context of Authentic Christian Community. Module Two is dedicated to helping you and your church develop a deeper expression of Authentic Christian Community.

(1) Relational Life Ministries exists to equip churches, small groups, and individuals create authentic Christian community, where people experience God’s mercy and grace, and grow to be more like Jesus.


Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Church and Money, Church Attendance, Fellowship, Generation Gone, Outreach, Prayer, Relational Bridges, Rethinking Church, Sharing your Faith, Spirituality

Out of the Church Building and Into the World

26 06 2010

I have just finished reading Matthew 10 & 11 where Jesus sends the twelve apostles out to continue His ministry of proclaiming the arrival of God’s kingdom. The emphasis of Jesus’ commission was for the apostles to take the message to the people. Here are a few examples –

“go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ (Mat 10:6-7)

“And whatever town or village you enter“(Mat 10:11)

“Behold, I am sending you out . . .” (Mat 10:16)

When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Mat 10:23)

Jesus modeled this type of outreach to His disciples. He went to the people who needed Him. He did not expect people to come to Him in order to hear the good news and He taught His followers to take the initiative in bringing the gospel message to those who needed to hear it.

One of the reasons for the lack of growth in today’s Church is that we have neglected this principle of taking the message to the world and have spent our capital (both human and financial) on programs at church with the expectation that those outside our doors will walk in simply because we have a beautiful building, a plethora of programs, and an abundance of activities. We are often so busy maintaining the programs of the church (even outreach programs) that we don’t have time and energy to build relationships with those around us.

It has been my experience that, while those outside the Church are not eager to attend a typical church service, they are interested in spirituality and, to a large extent, are willing to discuss Christianity. David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Research Group, puts it this way in reference to the Baby Buster generation (27-45 year olds): “It is important for churches to understand the natural skepticism of Busters as well as their desire for spiritual and conversational depth,” he continued. “Young adults do not want to hear on-the-stage monologues about moral regulations. To earn access to their hearts and minds, you have to understand each person’s unique background, identity, and doubts, and must tangibly model a biblical lifestyle for them beyond the walls of the church.” 1 (Italics mine)

What Kinnaman says about 27-45 year olds could be applied to other age groups as well. Most people who no longer are affiliated with a church have been part of one at some point in their life, but have become disillusioned for one reason or another. They aren’t interested in what we have to offer on a typical Sunday morning, but that doesn’t mean they have no interested in talking about Jesus and the impact He could have in their life. Those outside the four walls of our churches do not want slicker programs or cooler music. They want to know if we care enough to take time to get to know them on their turf, to be friends with no strings attached, and to see if we really put into practice what we believe.

If we want to communicate the life changing message of Jesus to those who don’t attend our churches we need to heed the commission of Jesus. Let’s quit expecting the world to come to us (and complaining when they don’t) and start going to them so we can “model a biblical lifestyle beyond the walls of the church.”

1 http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/13-culture/144-a-new-generation-of-adults-bends-moral-and-sexual-rules-to-their-liking


Comments : 11 Comments »
Tags: , , , ,
Categories : Great Commission, Jesus' Model of Outreach, Outreach, Sharing your Faith

Where Your Treasure Is . . .

24 05 2010

There Your Heart Will Be Also.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus told His audience they could not serve both God and money. Inevitably, one will be more important than the other. What we value most will command our greatest affection. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21, 24).

What does this have to do with how the church reaches out to those in our culture today? Just this: our treasure is often in the wrong place, and therefore so is our heart. The “wineskin” (i.e. – the predominant expression of our faith in God) of the modern church is centered around two things – the church staff and the church building. Most churches in the U.S. spend a majority of their budget on these two things. According to Leadership Journal (1) the average church in America spends 43% of it’s budget on staff compensation, and another 20% on it’s building. I checked this out online and discovered it’s true. I found a church in Virginia that dedicates 65 cents of every dollar of its $3.2 million budget to compensate its staff and support its building. Another church I found has a budget where nearly 90% of its income goes to support the staff and building while only 4% is set aside for ministry within the church and the local community – and of that amount over half is spent on refreshments.

Here is a quote from the website of the church in Virginia. “Someone once said the budget is the most basic theological document of the church. Not only is it a financial roadmap for our congregation. It reflects our values and priorities. If you want to answer the question, “How are we putting God’s love into action?” – one of the places you look is the church budget.” If this is true, what do the budget figures of the previous paragraph tell us of the values and priorities of the American church? It seems to indicate that our first priority is us. We treasure ourselves by putting our money where our heart is. We want to be fed, so we hire a pastor to preach to us. We want to be comfortable, so we buy padded pews and sit in a million dollar, climate controlled building. We want stirring worship so we pay a worship leader to plan the services each week to bring us into the presence of God. And we must have our snacks, so we put coffee bars in the building and take our cappuccino and biscotti into the sanctuary with us. Eight pennies of every dime goes to pay for these things, while we set aside one or two cents to fund what we call the Great Commission.

If the commission (job) of the Church is to reach our generation, and our generation does not particularly want to come to our buildings nor listen to our pastors, then should we spend so much money on those two line items in our church budgets? If we are going to fulfill Jesus’ command to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18) we need ask the Lord to change our heart so we value what He values. We must develop new ways of doing church – “new wineskins” – that will require us to spend less money (our treasure) on professional ministers and expensive buildings, and invest more time (our heart) outside the church building proclaiming the coming of God’s kingdom and His life changing power to those in our spheres of influence.

Let me know what you think.

(1) www.christianitytoday.com/yc/2000/janfeb/10.70.html


Comments : 6 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : Church and Money, Great Commission, Rethinking Church, Sharing your Faith

Why 21st Century Wineskins?

19 04 2010

Welcome to the first post of 21st Century Wineskins.

If the author of Ecclesiastes were writing today he would probably say something like, “Of the posting of blogs there is no end . . .” Well, like the author of Ecclesiastes, I feel the Lord has given me a message to share. I want to help those who desire to share the story of Jesus’ impact on their lives with others, but are not sure how to do it, or who have been trying without much fruit, or who are looking for something more than the latest canned presentation in a long line of evangelistic tools.

Much of what the church teaches about the “how-to” of sharing our faith focuses on presenting a certain set of propositions (e.g. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life), trying to convince your audience to believe those propositions and say a prayer of assent when you get to the end of the booklet. Those tools have their place, and had a degree of success in helping people share their faith. However, the world has changed in the 40+ years since the creation of the most commonly used gospel presentations. Basic assumptions of the nature of truth are different, people are not merely looking for a spiritual belief system to ascribe to, and Christianity is not the default choice for the spiritually curious anymore.

One definition of insanity is to keep doing something the same way, while expecting different results. If those we desire to share the story of Jesus with no longer respond to the methods we’ve always used, doesn’t it seem a little crazy for us to keep using those methods believing they will still bear fruit? When Jesus came to teach us how we could have a right relationship with God, his methods were a break from those of the religious leaders of the day. Yes, he taught propositions (e.g. – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16), but he also hung out with sinners, the kind of people that were not welcome in the polite circles of the religious elite. He spoke truth, but did so with love and kindness – without forcing himself on people. He was patient with people, listening to and answering their questions. He connected relationally with those he ministered to, they were people to him, not projects.

When questioned about his counter-intuitive ministry methods Jesus replied in Luke 5:37, “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.” The way Jesus interacted with people in order to share his message was so new and active that it could not be contained in an inflexible, this-is-the-way-we’ve-always-done-it container. Theologian Walter Liefeld in his commentary on Luke’s gospel says, “Jesus’ teaching is like fermenting wine that seems to almost have an inherent vigor and cannot be contained within an old rigid system.”

21st Century Wineskins is a place where we can examine the sometimes stiff wineskin of the modern, institutional church and the methods of outreach we use, and to explore different ways to more effectively communicate the good news of Christ’s love.


Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : Sharing your Faith


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.