Prepare For Attack

It is very possible that churches, ministries, and Christians should get used to security issues and legal harassment such as the lawsuit a homosexual activist recently filed against two Bible publishers.

Bradley LaShawn Fowler of Canton, Michigan, does not like the fact that the Bibles produced by Zondervan and Thomas Nelson Publishers both accurately convey God's prohibition against homosexual behavior. So he is suing in federal court, seeking $10 million from Thomas Nelson and $60 million from Zondervan.

Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, says Bible-believing Christians had better get ready for more of this type of sniping. "Obviously, this is a frivolous publicity stunt, but this is a portent of things to come," he warns.

"We know that the homosexual activists are now targeting, essentially, born-again Christians and committed Catholics and Mormons who oppose their agenda. They're out to re-write the Bible, to say that the Bible really does not condemn homosexual practice, which it obviously does," says LaBarbera. "Ultimately, we believe they'll be doing more and more of these lawsuits against Christians and Christian companies."

LaBarbera says the suit reminds him of British actor and homosexual activist Sir Ian McKellen, who has admitted to ripping pages that contain scriptures condemning homosexuality out of Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms. "The fact is whether you rip the pages out or not, or whether you sue, or whether you pass a law against it, the Word of God still stands," he emphasizes. "And God's authority on that issue still stands, no matter what man does." The judge in the case has denied Fowler's request for a court-appointed attorney, saying the court had "very genuine concerns" about the legitimacy of the claims in the lawsuit.

[Source: OneNewsNow.com]

Pastor Jerry Sutton Announces His Retirement

Embattled in a bitter 14-month dispute, congregants at Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn., approved a $314,000 retirement package for pastor Jerry Sutton, who will preach his last sermon this Sunday after leading the church for more than 22 years.

Last summer a group of dissident church members sued Sutton and tried to obtain church financial records, while also asking for his resignation. A local judge ruled that the court had no right to intervene in the church’s affairs, although it did allow the now-ousted plaintiffs access to the records.

Although Two Rivers members responded with overwhelming support for Sutton, he believes it’s best for the church if he leaves. “Our people are weary, leaders are tired, and those who love Two Rivers honestly want it to end,” he said. “I do not believe that will happen as long as I am pastor at Two Rivers.”

We understand and wish him well.

A Tribute to the Pastor's Wife

The life of a pastor's wife is at the same time beautiful, blessed, complicated and confusing. Yet, it is one of the most important and vital positions in the body of Christ.

In so many ways, a clergy wife sets the emotional and spiritual tone for the household, and becomes both the enabler and the encourager for every member of the family. She is a critic at the right time when correction is needed, but she is a listener and an affirmer when her husband and children just want to talk.

She feels lonely at times, and overwhelmed with parishioners at other times. She wishes the congregation understood the nature of her husband's call, but sometimes wonders what it all means herself.

She is a wife and mother first. She desperately desires more time with the family unit, but understands "balance" is a luxury and management is a must.

For most clergy wives, work outside the home is not an option. It is a necessity just to make ends meet. For others, it is a means of escape from the telephone and the "joy-suckers". Some feel called to their lot in life, while others all of a sudden just became a pastor's wife. For some, it is unbridled joy; but for others, they wonder how long they can hang on.

Yet, they are God's gift to His church and to those who lead her. They do not get enough credit, attention or reward. If anyone in the church needs to be prayed for, it is the pastor's wife. They need space. They need consideration. They need understanding. They need lots of love.

Rooms Available for COGOP Assembly Deligates

There are now a number of rooms available for delegates at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville for the 95th International Assembly.

The Renaissance is the host hotel for the Assembly. You may go direct from the Renaissance through a covered passageway (without going on the street) to the Nashville Convention Center and on to the Sommet Center where the general sessions will be convened.

That rate at the Renaissance is $124.00 per night. Please call 615-255-8400 to make a reservation.

The Renaissance is located at 611 Commerce Street in Nashville, TN 37203.

Rick Warren Invites Obama and McCain to Saddleback Church

What do you think?

Click "comments" below.

Church Security

A city official said that a second victim has died following a shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church Sunday in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The dead have been identified as 61-year-old Linda Kraeger and 60-year-old Greg McKendry.

Witnesses credit McKendry, a church usher, with shielding others during the attack which occurred as kids were performing a play.

Church member Barbara Kemper told The Associated Press that McKendry "stood in the front of the gunman and took the blast to protect the rest of us."

No children were hurt, but seven other people were injured. Five remain hospitalized, all in critical or serious condition.

Police said that the FBI is assisting in the investigation in case it was a hate crime.

One church member said that the gunman was shouting "hateful" words. Police have been collecting video cameras from church members.

The suspect, 58-year-old Jim Adkisson, is charged with first-degree murder.

The alleged gunman's motive is not yet known.

The church is known for promoting progressive social work, such as desegregation and fighting for the rights of women, gays and the homeless.

A church member told the media that the suspect was not connected to the church. He also said that the shooting happened as children were performing parts of the musical "Annie" during a regular service.

None of the children were believed to have been injured.

What does your church do to protect the pastor and congregants? Click "comments" below.

[Check out "Download Documents" in the right column of this Blog. One document is for security training for Ushers and Greeters.]

You are the Shepherd?

The idea of moving from ministry doer to minister equipper, requires a paradigm shift for most of us. Ephesians 4:10-12 describes the role of pastor as that of a teacher. It further defines the pastor's role as the one who equips the saints to do the work of ministry. If the pastor is the only one doing ministry in a local church, the congregation will rarely grow beyond 200, if that.

One of the biggest shifts involves a very popular metaphor that's used in the Bible, a "shepherd." Is the pastor really to be the shepherd of the flock?

While there are certainly leadership and caretaking behaviors in ministry similar to shepherding, we're far more like sheep than we are like shepherds. Our job is not to be the smart human who shepherds the stupid sheep. That attitude can often be heard at church conferences when a non-ordained attendee says, "I'm just a layperson." This sort of class distinction is destructive to team building.

John 10:16 reminds us that there is but one Shepherd. David said, "the Lord is my Shepherd." It is not the pastor or ministry leader. We are, when we're at our best, lead sheep -- just ordinary people who have a sense that God has called us to help lead our peers and equip them for roles of ministry/serving, based around the passions and gifts that the Shepherd has given them. I often say, "I'm just a sheep trying to help other sheep find their way home." We are all human. The pastor does not Call nor Gift others. The pastor simply helps people discover their gifts and callings - to fulfill their passion or divine purpose in life.

Have you ever heard the complaint, "I'm not being fed"? Somehow when I hear that, and after working for years in trans-local ministry I have heard it plenty, I picture a shepherd with a sheep in a headlock forcing grass down their throat. Or, I picture my six-month-old grandchild being spoon fed by his mother. Jesus did say to Peter, "Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17). But, in Biblical times, the shepherd led the sheep to greener pastures, where the sheep ate for themselves. The way they were "fed" was by leading them to lush pastures so that they could avail themselves of the nourishment they needed. Healthy guidance was provided.

It may be more a case of instructing the sheep what not to eat. When assailed by the wolf of heresy, by the hostile marauder, by new conditions of any kind, by special danger, we caution the sheep. This passage is more about love than about force-feeding the sheep.

The writer of Hebrews (5:11-13) said, "I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong." Some people just don't eat, even when the table is spread before them.

This is a difficult concept for many of us in ministry to embrace because it feels like we're stepping down, losing our position and authority, and diminishing our sense of calling. However, when we surrender our rights to act like the Shepherd (which is old school), we begin to foster more of a "We" mind-set and less of the us-them attitude that works against effective team unity and synergy. The old school of driving the sheep will not work in the 21st century.

Do you remember the story of the drunk dragging a 20 foot logging chain up the sidewalk upsetting the pedestrians? A police officer stopped him and asked, "What are you doing dragging that 20 foot chain up the sidewalk?" To which he replied, "Did you ever try to push one?" We lead not push. Leaders serve, they do not drive people. If driving is attempted., it usually drives people away.

What can you do to foster the sheep-like qualities you have and let the other sheep know that you're not the Shepherd, that you're just trying your best to serve the Shepherd? It may be saying as much in a sermon, or Sunday school lesson, or even a board or staff meeting. Being aware of the shepherd-thinking that sneaks into your conversations and preaching is a step in the right direction. How you talk about others with other pastors and staff members is another idea. Subtly, you'll begin to build a flock of sheep that's truly amazing.

What do you think? Click "comments" below.

[Based on an article by Alan Nelson]

Today's Prayer

For every problem, every anxiety, every problem, every attack, in my life, there is a deliverer -- Jesus Christ!

Thank you, God, for Your sacrifice, Your love, Your way to reach down and pull me up. Please help me to stand sure-footed and steady on the Rock of my salvation and not to slip and fall into the mire of the world.

Please, be in control of my life ... and I know everything will be all right.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Lee University Announces Major Building Project

Lee University has announced the details of its newest construction project, a laboratory and classroom building for science and math. The building site at the corner of Billy Graham Avenue and Ocoee Street has been undergoing foundation work since earlier this month.

Lee president Dr. Paul Conn said the new facility will provide 73,000 square feet of space for academic programs, with a total project cost of $14 million. The building will include two wings with a central "commons" space connecting the two. The larger of the two wings, which will include all science labs for the university, is being built first. After its completion, the current Beach Building, which now houses Lee's Department of Natural Sciences, will be razed to make room for the second wing of new construction. The Beach Building is a 22,000 sq ft structure built in 1966.

The preliminary schedule calls for the first wing to be occupied in time for the fall 2009 semester. "We are thrilled to be finally beginning this wonderful project," Conn said. "It will triple our academic space for science and math, and give us all-new facilities for this important academic area. It will also provide a beautiful new structure on the northwest boundary of our campus, and I believe our neighbors in the downtown community are going to be thrilled with the way the project upgrades and beautifies our Ocoee Street frontage. "

The general contractor for the project is Tri-Con, Inc., with Cope and Associates, a Knoxville-based design firm, serving as architects. The building was designed in consultation with a faculty committee chaired by Dr. Matthew Melton, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Cole Strong of the university staff is general liaison to the project.

Thirteen classrooms of various sizes, ten laboratories, and two computer labs will create total "seat-space" for 640 students, plus a 150-seat lecture hall. The central "commons" area will feature a massive student lounge of five thousand square feet, plus reading rooms. The building will provide thirty faculty offices. The labs will serve 200 students in chemistry, organic chemistry, molecular cell biology, microbiology, dissection, general biology, and physical science.

The new science/math building is the "capstone project" of the university's "Press Toward the Mark" capital funds campaign, Conn said. The campaign began in 2005 with a goal of raising $25 million for various campus needs. Conn said the fund-raising for the science building itself was launched in late 2006 at the university's "Celebration 2006" festivities. "We are having a wonderful response to this effort to upgrade our science and math programs," Conn said. "Cleveland and Bradley County leaders in business and industry are supporting it very generously, as well as many out-of-town donors."

As construction begins on the science building, a different major "Press Toward the Mark" project is nearing completion on the other end of campus. A $5 million-dollar classroom-and-office building for the Lee University School of Religion is under construction at the corner of Parker and 8th Streets, and is scheduled for occupancy in the fall semester.

Shortage of Young Ministers

The Fund for Theological Education recently announced that it will be giving away grants to local churches that motivate young Christians to enter into ordained ministry.

This was motivated by a shortage of new ministers to take the places of an aging ministry force.

All denominations and ministries are acknowledging this shortfall. There are fewer seminary students seeking a career as senior or associate pastor. Many of those who graduate with advanced degrees do not plan to work in the local church.

Why this shortage? Has God stopped calling? Is God not aware of the need? How many young ministers have you seen leave the church in recent years? Pastor, how many young ministers are following in your footsteps?

Could it be that there is too much negativity around pastoring today? Has there been a loss of respect for clergy? That has changed considerably over the last 40 years. Parishioners pick on pastors, denominational leadership drives pastors, the media crucifies pastors, and the public has a distrust for pastors. In short, it is open season on pastors.

Could it be that few pastors and churches are emphasizing the Call? When was the last time you heard a plea for young people to be sensitive to the Call of God to full-time ministry?

Could it be that the church does not meet the needs of pastors? How many pastor's children turn bitter against the church due to the way their parents were treated? Pastors give and give until they are empty? Who pours into them?

May God help us to regain a respect for ministry, and treat pastors with love and respect. When the next generation sees this turnaround, maybe they will be more sensitive to God's Call and more willing to answer.

Can you think of more reasons for this shortage? Click "comments" below.

Without A Vision ...

[by Bill Reichart]

Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint (Proverbs 29:18).

Without vision: family members eat separately in their own rooms; churches argue; companies only have employees.

"Without vision, people will define their own vision and the loudest voice will prevail."

Vision unifies us around a preferred future; a future that can’t be accomplished by yourself.

Great leaders cast a clear, concise and compelling vision.

"If your vision doesn't scare you, then both your vision and your God are too small."

For vision to to motivate it must connect on 3 levels:

1) Mind-to-Mind – Vision is strategic. While your vision may be, as Jim Collins says, "big, hairy and audacious," people have to believe that it is attainable. When you connect, it becomes “OUR PLAN” and people give their resources.

2) Heart to Heart – Vision is passionate. When people see you, they see, feel and taste the vision. It becomes something you were created for and are willing to die for. When youconnect, it becomes “OUR DESIRE” and people give their life.

3) Soul-to-Soul – Vision is personal. It comes from God but it permeates your life. A calling. A confidence that IT will be accomplished. When you connect, it becomes “OUR CALLING” and people take responsibility.

Winston Churchill believed that leadership's foundation was vision. He had five tools he used when he got ready to communicate vision. Here they are:

TOOL ONE: STRONG BEGINNING (CAPTURE THEIR ATTENTION)

TOOL TWO: ONE THEME (STAY FOCUSED)

TOOL THREE: SIMPLE LANGUAGE (EASY TO UNDERSTAND)TOOL

FOUR: WORD PICTURES: (STORIES AND ILLUSTRATIONS)

TOOL FIVE: EMOTIONAL ENDING (A COMPELLING CONCLUSION)

And take this poem by Sir Francis Drake to heart:

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

10 Ways To Draw Me To Your Church

You want me to come and stay at your church? Then ...

10. Show me Jesus
9. Smile
8. Serve me
7. Help me to get involved and connected
6. Look me in the eye
5. Ask my opinion
4. Be clear and anticipate my questions
3. Remember my name
2. Call me (without asking me for something)
1. Be yourself

All of these together boil down to one simple message: Show That You Care.

[from Ministry Best Practices by Bill Reichart]

Today's Prayer

God, You are so good. Your plans are bigger than I could ever imagine. You always honor Your promises. Your love knows no bounds, and You always look at my heart, not necessarily my appearance (although I know I must abstain from "the appearance of evil"). Because You love me, You will discipline me and Your Holy Spirit will convict my heart and speak to my mind to keep me in line. That's how I know I'm Your child. I know that You can change me and make me more like Jesus, if I will agree and not fight against Your will. I am willing Lord. Mold me and make me into that precious child and Christian light that You would have me be. In Jesus' name, amen.

Overcome Your Weaknesses

Every human being has one or more weaknesses. The idea that ministers are perfect, divine, and without weakness is absurd.

Knowing that, it is essential to protect yourself. Don't open the door for the enemy. Guard yourself against the tricks of the devil, and those who are used by him.

Here are some suggestions to consider:

- No minister of the Gospel should be alone with a female that is not his wife. I’m not sure any Christian man should, really. Sexual temptation is a primary weakness for men. So make provision for it. Hide yourself in the cleft of the rock. Accountability software for internet use-like Covenant Eyes -is another excellent example of the provision principle in action.

- Weekends are high stress for most clergy families. Make provision for this. Don’t make difficult decisions or engage in discussions that invite conflict between Saturday and Monday afternoon. It’s a weak spot, so minimize the liability, spare yourself needless collateral damage to your marriage.

- Teach your staff about how to pass on different types of information, and they can communicating within these parameters. Certain modes of interaction trigger wrong responses, leading to bad decisions. Make provision for this weakness by getting info you need at the right time, in the right format.

- Take some time this week to identify some weak places in your life. Then get together with the people you call partners, and make provision.Hide yourself in the rock.

Today's Quote

"Ministry requires scholastic achievement and professional competence as well as a consecrated, Christian life."