Nov
10

Christmas wish list? Doug Baker Recommends:

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Last night the Oklahoma Baptist Ministers of Education Association met for our annual banquet in conjunction with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Our special guest speaker at this dinner was the new editor of Oklahoma’s third largest publication, The Baptist Messenger, Doug Baker.

In his stirring and impassioned address, Doug encouraged us as Christian educators to a renewal, a revival of our purpose in Christian education to make disciples by confronting people with the Truth of the Bible, Its Doctrine, the Gospel. The Gospel that is real news, the facts of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. No real gloss or fluff, but life changing knowledge based on the facts.

As he challenged us, he mentioned a number of must reads/authors:

Anything Tim Keller

The Mission of God by Christopher Wright

Anything C.S. Lewis

How to Read a Book

The Gospel Driven Life

The Heidelberg Catechism

Thanks Doug for the help with my wish list for this year!  Lord, help us clearly teach the Truth.

Categories : Discipleship, Evangelism, Help for the New Minister, Leadership, Personal Growth and Development
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Jan
15

God’s call on your life.

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A while back I wrote the following, but I would add to this one of the most powerful passages that stand out to me in my own call experience and that is Psalm 37:4-5.  I would also add the following links to books that could be useful in this journey, Answering the Call, and Called to be God’s Leader.

My prayer is that you experience the Lord’s direction very clearly in your life!

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I recently had the opportunity to speak to a group of Sunday School leaders about one of the most powerful elements of who they are as leaders in the church…their call to service.  For us as church leaders, the most critical marker for my service and ministry is my call.  The Bible shows us God’s direction in peoples’ lives from Abraham, to Moses, the ups and downs of Saul, David, and the great call of Paul.  Why is the call so critical?

1.  It is why we do what we do.  Really, what is it though?  I have experienced two levels of call:

One, General Call, which is static, meaning that time in my life during the summer of 1990 when I clearly understood the Lord wanted my life for His use, whenever, wherever.  I surrendered to Him.  This call is the touch-stone where I go back to in my mind, kind of marking time and my life to this significant event.  He continues to affirm this call on my life.

I have also experienced Specific Call, which has been wildly dynamic, and has offered opportunities for me to listen to Him and His direction in my life to serve in counseling, family work, singles, youth, and education.  The most exciting part of this specific call is that He may keep me with my current orders, and then in a heartbeat, He could call to something completely different.  I am content either way.

2.  It gives direction and purpose to anyone, regardless of where their ministry is.  If God calls someone to be a mechanic, or pilot, go, do it.  Listen to Him.

3.  It gives the ability to weather storms.  If I know I am called to a place to serve that is hurting or struggling, or if I find myself in a low spot feeling like I am being pulled in a million different ways and I am ready to pull the parachute and walk away, I lean on the call.

What has He called you to do?

Categories : Creative Communication, Discipleship, Help for the New Minister, Leadership, Marriage and Family, Personal Growth and Development
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Jan
05

Small group meetings…online

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A friend in ministry targeting missional work showed me a great website recently that allows for a number of different uses, with one intriguing one being a small group setting.

This got me to thinking, let’s take a men’s discipleship group.  Calendars can be difficult, the meeting places not always convenitent, but check this out, we could set a time like 6 am Tuesdays, log on to our meeting room and settle in for an hour of study.  But what really made me think is, what if there is a fella that is hours away that needs connecting, or better yet, a mentor in my life who is states away that could facilitate our group.  Wow!

Check it out:  webChurch Media

Have you come accross other resources like this that could be of use?

Categories : Creative Communication, Discipleship, Small Groups/Sunday School
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May
06

Adult Discipleship Class Idea-Coffee Talk

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Perhaps you have a discipleship hour for adults that coincides with a children’s program.  If so, you know the juggle of the kids programming moving on through the end of a semester, but adult classes ending at 4, 6, 8+ week lengths. 

Recently, I tagged on the end of the semester a coffee talk forum for adults with one week discussion topics led by experts in their fields.  One was on the post-modern culture, and another was a discussion about another world religion.  Both of these stand alone classes were very well received, as was the coffee, tea, and snacks!

Now that I have primed the pumped on this style of class, I am looking forward to an expanded version in the upcoming semester with possible one week topics of:

End-time prophecy

The Temple/Tabernacle

Feasts of the Old Testament

Debunking ancient “finds”

World Religions

Take time to poll the church and find issues that are pressing or of interest.  Also, use your pool of church leaders/experts where you are to discuss the topics that would be a blessing for many. 

Let me know anything like this you may have tried, and as always, have fun!

Categories : Discipleship
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Dec
23

Quick Tips for Promoting Adult Discipleship

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If your church is like ours, your small groups/Sunday School classes kind of motor right along with few breaks if any, and seldom any significant shifts.  However, our adult Discipleship classes, called Equip University, have definite stopping and starting points.  You know the ones…these are the classes like:

Financial Peace University, Beth Moore, Men’s Fraternity/Navigators, One on One with God, DivorceCare, Moody Bible Memory, and One Verse Evangelism to name a few.

So how do I capture the momentum of promotion and registration:

1.  We promote the classes online and in all our print.

2.  We have online registration and registration through the offices.

3.  We have a preview night in Worship to allow full church exposure to the new classes offered, and follow this with an opportunity to sign up at the end of the service.

4.  There is a two week break between the preview night and class starts to allow time for the order and arrival of literature and leader kits.

Most of all, get excited.  If you act like this learning growing opportunity is boring and out of touch, well, your experience probably will be.

Categories : Creative Communication, Discipleship
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