Discipleship DNA

When it comes to developing leaders and trying to get past the 10-20% do the work? You need some Discipleship DNA.. Checkout this article..

http://www.exponential.org/2012/07/5-questions-with-3dm-leader-mike-breen/

The Missional Church Failing?

This is an awesome read friends, hit this link..

http://www.vergenetwork.org/2011/09/14/mike-breen-why-the-missional-movement-will-fail/

The Language of Football in the Bible

I recently read 1 Peter Chapter one when several words in verse 9 jumped off the page at me.  Here is the verse: "for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." OK, so here is what struck me..

The words that jumped off the page (in this case the screen) at me were: goal, faith and salvation!

Peter uses these simple words that just a few days ago led to clarity in thinking about this season in my life.  It brought to mind the picture of football for me; I have a goal in this life, the goal is what God has purposed for this life he gave me.  My goal is to pursue my faith from which that purpose will be born!  When I am pursuing my faith I am growing, I am becoming more like Christ..  Why does faith lead me closer to Christ?  Try this phrase on for size: "Weak Faith, Strong Christ!"

On my best days I can be living in a weak faith, because I am flesh and blood and not always disciplined about seeking after Jesus like I really should be each day.

In his book, The Christian Life, Sinclair Ferguson had a wonderful quote:

True faith takes it character and quality from its object and not from itself. Faith gets a man out of himself and into Christ. Its strength therefore depends on the character of Christ. Even those of us who have weak faith have the same strong Christ as others!

One thing I have learned along the way about being a disciple is that I cannot do it alone; I must be in fellowship with other disciples (Jesus grouped 12 men together). That way when I alone am weak I can be helped and supported by those around me who are in a season of strength in Christ.  

To rephrase it once again: Now the end result of all this is the pursuit of God’s goal for my life, which leads to faith in Christ as savior and His goodness, which then leads to salvation.  “Touchdown!”

There is much more to this, but then this is a blog not a book....  Pursue your faith in Christ today and let it take you out of yourself and into the flow of God’s plan for you. I think you will be happy you made the effort.

Peter is a pastor and church planter who lives with his wife and children in Ohio. He is a graduate of Liberty University in Religious studies and is currently working on his Master's in Church growth and evangelism.

SO, YOU WANT TO PLANT A CHURCH?

I have been reading to my daughters from the book of Acts recently, and of course we started at the beginning. As I read to them and then stopped to explain what we just heard, I had one of those moments.. you know, a moment where you feel as if all the money you have spent in student loans for your education were for nothing. It was a moment like you have none of Einstein's brain, but you have the crazy hair. That kinda moment.

When I, we planted a church I knew this and yet didn't seem to remember it; Jesus models (as he does everything) the path to establishing the church. When I read the opening sections of Acts I find the timeline and process for birthing the church. Allow me to break it down.

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3 NIV)

Jesus originally choose 12 men that he began to pour into day after day. In Acts 1:3 we are reminded that when Jesus rose from the grave that he again revealed himself to that core group of 12 men. He has been with them now over a three year period, and is ready to establish his church.

1. Select and Invite those whom you will make the journey with.

Jesus invites, teaches and challenges those he has invited to be his core circle of disciples. He will model living out the Gospel message and teach them about who they are in Him. He instructs, he then goes out and models and he challenges them to do the same. Mind you this is a group of 12!

This is no small investment; he walks with, eats with and camps out with these men. Some of which you would never have put in the same room. They do not all dress alike, or have the look. They come from different walks of life; educated, laborer and activist. He spends the precious time and energy poring it into them. By the time he has completed what the father sent him to do, we see that in the upper room after his ascension, we are told 120 have gathered. Here we have the number cited for us right before the birth of the church when the Holy Spirit comes as promised.

In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) (Acts 1:15 NIV)

What if you spent the first 90 days in prayer and at times fasting asking to be led to those you would invite to be the core team of this new church plant? Then spent the remainder of that year gathering daily, weekly over the next year. Slowly inviting others to come and be part of the learning and the fellowship. What would happen if you find that you are at 120 and your core 12 know exactly what their focus will be? Then you launched the new church?

2. Grow, learn and continue to invite and Challenge.

It is Jesus who decides to birth the church at the estimated 120 believing people in that upper room. Many had witnessed his modeling, and heard his words and his teaching; now they continued in faith. Perhaps we really should take this lesson seriously! Churches should open their doors to new groups, to church planters that need a place to gather and pour into a new ministry. We as leaders need to consider slowing down and get over the sticker shock of what it takes to help plant a successful new church. There is lots of micro activity that I am not writing about right now, and is of course important, but I want us to get the point of what was modeled. The church launched at 120. Jesus, was not worried about "ooh, look at me" and aren't we awesome. Which sets up the next point.

3. Faithfulness and Patience on the front end is Blessed by God.

The church is birthed with 120, Peter gives that first sermon ever (powered by the Holly Spirit) and then we are told how God then blesses this new launch.

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:40, 41 NIV)

God added to that 120 in great numbers by using 120 fueled by the Holy Spirit in a way that you know it was all God.. So, here is a model for us, and I think it is my experience that we should heed it and study it deeply; beginning from the start of Jesus' ministry to his resurrection and the day of Pentecost.

(See Book of Acts & Creating a Disciplship Culture by Mike Breen)

 Peter is a pastor and church planter who lives with his wife and children in Ohio. He is a graduate of Liberty University in Religious studies and is currently working on his Master's in Church growth and evangelism.

Spiritual Formation – What is it Really, and is it Happening?

            One area of church life that is of importance to staff and volunteers in the church is spiritual formation; aka.. how to grow to be more like Christ. Yet, this is not always at the top of the list for most churchgoers.  The demands of modern life, whether real or fabricated leave little time beyond the normal Sunday morning time allotted for the worship of God, or the gathering of the networked.

            The development of a deep and relevant spiritual inner life is of great importance, and we have not really done a great job in helping to develop this spiritual inner side of the human being.   Dallas Willard writes;  “The reason for the recent abrupt emergence of the terminology into religious life is, I believe, a growing suspicion or realization that we have not done well with the reality and the need. We have counted on preaching, teaching, and knowledge or information to form faith in the hearer, and have counted on faith to form the inner life and outward behavior of the Christian.” [1]

            Have we just counted on the preaching and Sunday school model to get the job done like Willard says? Rick Warren would seem to agree: “ The biggest mistake that churches make is we think that sermons will produce spiritual maturity. If people don’t take notes, they forget 95% of what they hear within 72 hours. That is not going to produce spiritual maturity.” [2]

We live in a time when community is shallow in all areas of life.  We are part of a church community until something is said that offends, or another church has a larger and seemingly a better children’s program, or the church down the street is the happening high profile church.  This is a reality that we in ministry face each day.  In this climate of programming and resource shopping, how do make disciples that are rich in spirit and fruitful, disciples that look like Christ?

Andy Stanley offers this perspective:

A spiritually mature person is one who lives as if God is who He says He is and will do all He has promised to do.
A. A spiritually mature person is one who has big faith. Matt 8/Mark 7/Luke 6
B. Spiritual development is faith development.
Question: What fuels the development of faith? What are the ingredients that when stirred together, result in greater confidence in the person and promises of God? [3]

Practical Teaching
Providential Relationships
Private Disciplines
Personal Ministry
Pivotal Circumstances

In the next installment, we will tackle Stanley’s 5 points one or two at a time.  For now take a look at your ministry and see if you are counting on preaching to make disciples..  Take a real gut check to see if you are spending any time sowing into the lives of others, and if someone is sowing into your life.

Peter Mueller is a pastor and church planter currently resides in the Cincinnati Ohio area with his wife Linda and children, he is a graduate of Liberty University and has studied at Wilmington College and Valparaiso University

 [1] Spiritual Formation in Christ: A Perspective on What it is and How it Might be Done; Published in the Great Omission, San Francisco: Harper Collins, 2006

[2] Rick Warren on Effective Discipleship; http://churchrelevance.com/rick-warren-on-effective-discipleship/

[3] Andy Stanley presentation; Drive-In Conference Session 4

Electric Guitars in Worship- Turn them up already..

I have had the opportunity over the last few months to visit churches as well as in the past, and I feel the need to write regarding the use of electric guitars and the volume positioning given to these instruments in many a church settings.  Only one church that I visited had what I would call proper volume and positioning of the electric guitar / guitars in the mix.  

Modern praise music is very electric guitar driven.. so, why does it seem that church ministries seem to be afraid of them? Now, you may be reading this and thinking not us.. I get it really; but just step back and reflect on it for a moment.

Professionals use real amplifiers and acoustic drums, versus Pods and electric drums.  There is a reason, they produce the wanted and pleasing sounds that modern folk have become accustom to hearing.  Using amplifiers in a church as well as acoustic drums is very manageable and possible with some fore thought and technical savvy.

Capturing and isolating speaker cabinets is a new art, enclosing and placing mics around a drum set is not new either. That being said, if a praise song is electric guitar driven and the electric is held back sonically, sounding more like a transistor radio sound; it takes away from the power of the song to open hearts. A bad mix is a bad mix! Hillsong does this well; many of their songs are electric guitar driven and have pronounceable rhythm hooks that ID the song.  When you see them live, the acoustic guitars seem to disappear, and when the song goes soft they are right there carrying the song. 

I also know that some of you are saying, well it’s not a concert! Sure it is, it is a concert of praise for the Lord; the voices should loud and lifted toward heaven as well as we should be playing with skill and the power of the Holy Spirit. I am not saying it is to be crazy like a secular concert, but powerful like a spiritual concert. Do you think that music in and of heaven is going to be subdued? Read again..

Stop trying to go halfway with the modern worship team, let your worship time be produced well, allowing for Spirit inspired music to be inspiring.

Peter Mueller is a graduate of Liberty University, a pastor and church planter residing in Cincinnati Ohio with his wife Linda and their children.