Going "all-in"

Getting people mobilized in the church can be tricky. Obviously God never intended for the church to be a place where one guy gets up on stage and entertains the audience then sends the listeners home until next weeks "show"

So how do we get people out of the seat and mobilized?

It starts by creating an environment where people feel empowered and enabled to do ministry. Leaders need to communicate to the people that showing up and sitting down is not the biblical model of church.

Sure... preaching is a great way of presenting truth and challenging the people, but if a persons church experience stops there... well then their spiritual maturity is going to be lacking and the church is going to be incomplete.

And we as leaders can't expect people to just "get it." We must teach, train and encourage people to be more than just church attenders. We have to show people the value and importance of being ministers.

So how do we accomplish this? Here are a few suggestions...

#1 Change the mindset of who should do ministry
- This should be done through constant teaching and educating.
- People need to know that the work of ministry is to be done from the pew, not the pulpit... in other words, everyone should be involved.
- Leaders must cast vision of how people can get involved

#2 Only place people in area of giftedness.
- God has given us just who we need to accomplish what we need to accomplish as His local church. The problem is we have the few doing all the work and the most doing nothing at all in most churches.
- One of my favorite quotes says "nobody should have two jobs in the church until everybody has one" The only way we can accomplish this is for everyone to know their gifts and use them to serve.
- We must start a discovery process on how our people can learn their gifts and use them
for the Lord.

#3 Emphasize high commitment.
- Too many times we under-emphasize commitment and let our people off the hook. God expects much of us, and we as leaders shouldn't expect any less of our people.
- Would you rather lead a Church of hundreds of people with 25 workers or a church of hundreds of people with hundreds of workers? Easy answer huh? Well if we are going to accomplish that, then we must raise expectations.

People want to be a part of something they know matters...

Nathan

Regnat Populus

So a district court judge in California decided to overturn California Proposition 8. As many of you know this is the prop that banned gay marriage in Cali. It was a monumental decision by the people of California, and an even more monumental decision by Judge Vaughn Walker to overturn it.

I have many major issues with this decision. One of the biggest being that I am an unabashed anti-gay marriage guy. But there is a much bigger issue going down here...


Above I have posted a pic of the Declaration of independence. In this document our founding fathers stated "That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,"


We also know Ole' honest Abe's famous words from the Gettysburg address "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

I am afraid President Lincoln might roll over in his tomb if he knew that his beloved government of the people, by the people, for the people is slowly perishing from our land. Is our government really still deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed?

What has happened this week in California is a sad truth about what is happening to the American democracy. The masses of California spoke and voted this Proposition into law just to have one left-leaning tyrant of a judge overturn the peoples decision.

You may say "come-on Nate, you wouldn't be so fired up if this wasn't about gay marriage" Maybe so but...

What if my state... Texas :)... passed a law that it is unlawful to eat ice-cream during daylight hours. sure many may think this is ridiculous and unfair. That this law infringes on our rights as human beings. I sure wouldn't like a law like that!

But if this new law was voted in by the people, well that is beauty of democracy. One single judges opinion shouldn't carry the power to turn the peoples wishes. If I didn't like this ice-cream law... well I could just move somewhere that is more ice-cream lover friendly.

What happened this week in California is a sad example of the downfall of our country and its values. This is still a nation of people with strong conservative values... at least the people of California showed they are at the polls.... Too bad "Regnat Populus" is all but history...

Nate

To build or rebuild?

What is the difference between the two houses pictured above? Beyond the obvious (different color, different location etc...) Can you see it?

They are both Victorian style homes.

They are both incredibly ornate and colorful.

They are both large and beautiful... the difference?

The one on the top is over 100 years old while the bottom one is brand new.

I know I wouldn't have any problem living in either one, they both look like they were built (and rebuilt) well and their architecture is stunning!

So my question is this... Which one is better?

I know it took a lot of work on both homes to get them in the condition they are in today.

On the bottom one a team of designers, builders, carpenters,etc... worked hard to erect this stunning home from the ground up. I know it was no easy task, but the finished product is amazing.

On the other hand the top home probably took an equal amount of time, effort and money (if not more) to be restored. Where the new home was raised by top-notch builders, the older home needed restoration experts.

Two different homes, two different jobs, two different types of laborers... equally stunning results!

I have many young pastor friends who are doing great jobs planting Churches all over the world. I am so thankful they answered the call of God to go and be builders... much like the new home they are building from the ground up. This is no easy task and I am grateful for their sacrifice...

but...

What about the restorers? As our younger pastors are following God's call to plant and build churches, where are the men to come in to existing churches and lead out in revitalizing those congregations?

When I look at the two houses above I see one thing for sure... they are both amazingly beautiful homes!

Building or restoring... either one... the goal is a beautiful Church that is rooted in the foundational principles of Jesus Christ.

Thank you God for calling me to the work of restoration. Please call more men to step into the existing pulpits and challenge churches to rise-up and display Your glory! May we pastors always be leading out in the work of building/restoring your churches.

Amen!