The Only Constant Seems to Be Change!

In a few days our church will begin the process of making changes to our existing service times. As I have been working to make the transition as smooth as possible I have had the privilege to speak with several people (both in our church and churches around the country) about church changes in general. As these conversations progressed I noticed some things that were an encouragement to me.

Anytime an organization makes changes, there are going to be several expected (and valid) responses. From the disdain to the overboard excited, these responses demonstrate that the organization is made up people who have a love for it and want it to succeed. We also realize that no matter how small the changes are, they directly impact someone. If changes are to succeed and become the new normal, we must keep them in proper perspective.  With that in mind I have written down some of the statements that have been key to me over the past few months.

5 things to remember when your church makes changes:

1. God didn't bless your church in the past because of its schedule and he won't bless it in the future because of your schedule either.
1. God blesses us based on His good will and love for us, not based on our worthiness. He also doesn't bless our churches because of our service times. Service times are a practical function of your community. What you do during that service is what makes that time significant.
2. The purpose of your churches ministry is to help people learn about God. Sometimes that goal is better accomplished through changes, sometimes those changes are small, and sometimes they need to be dramatic.
1. Over the lifespan of any organization the community around it will change. A successful organization will be adept at making its ministry fit the needs of its present community. This is often done through small changes here and there, but sometimes it needs a dramatic overhaul to get realigned. The fear shouldn't be the changes, the fear should be an organization that doesn't impact and interact with its community. 
3. The goal of the church isn't to be relevant. The Gospel is already relevant and always will be. The goal of the church is to glorify God by getting the Gospel to the world, and prepare its people to be better messengers (in both word and actions).
1. The church structure sometimes gets way too much credit and blame. If we have a Gospel that is sufficient for all needs of faith and practice, then the goal of the church is to make us better handlers of it.
4. The process of change is as important as the change itself. The process reveals flaws and defects which should be corrected. If we skip the process we are only making the change less effective.
1. The process of looking hard at what we do, why we do it, and how we can make it better is beneficial to the overall health of an organization. It is the road map that lays out the destination in clear terms and guides to getting there effectively. Skipping steps in the process often means that the process will have to be repeated earlier and more often than necessary. 
5. The best thing a church can do is to structure itself in a way that people see less of the church and more of Christ.
1. Ironically, we often want the world to notice our churches, our buildings, our programs. If all they see is us and they don't see Christ, we are giving them a lousy photograph. We are to be a reflection of Christ, we want our ministries to be organized in such a way that we don't distract from the message of Christ. 

Seasons of change can bring great blessing if we approach them with the proper perspective!

Community= Church or at least it should!

Community- def.- Similarity or identity. Sharing, participation and fellowship.

Community ... it can be hard to define. Community is a popular concept in our culture right now. But what does community mean?

Everyone has the desire to belong, to be a part of something. People need a place where they are able to grow, learn, make mistakes, minister, encourage others and find support. The question then is where is there a place like that?

Honestly, far too often, that isn’t a description of the church, but it should be. A healthy church is one that establishes a safe and loving community. It is a place where sinners find help, not condescension, and where people hold people accountable, not from some lofty perch above, but from right beside them.

A buzz word in the church today is authenticity. If we wish to have authentic ministry, we have to be willing to deal with the tough issues. Not the issues out somewhere in the world, the issues right here in our churches, right here in our own lives. We are all struggling sinners in need of a community of Christians who are devoted to helping each other become more and more like Christ.

This is why church isn’t just a service. It is a family. So when you wake up this Sunday and get ready for church, begin praying for your community of believers. Pray that Word of God would be more than preached, pray that it would be practiced. Pray that needs would be met and then go and meet some needs. This Sunday be more than a spectator, be a part of the community of believers.

What Northland Means to Me

It is hard to quantify how much of an impact Northland has had on my life, but this is my attempt at it.

I was first introduced to Northland through the camp ministry. I attended summer camp there for most of my teen years. I was saved at basketball camp when I was 14 years old. The youth pastor who had the biggest impact on me was a Northland grad (Chris Juvinall) and my Associate Pastor (Jerry Hairgrove) moved to staff on Northland while I was in High school.

I have 2 degrees from Northland, served on camp staff both as a counselor and program staff. I met my wife there, attended a local church there for 5 years. But when I think of the impact that Northland had on me, I tend to focus on the people there.

Watching people love their jobs, love people, love the Lord and enjoy life.

From Doug and Jan Bennett who took me into their campus family (no relation but since we had the same last name they thought it would be a good fit), and were a constant encouragement to me.

To Jim Bennett, who was always the smartest person in the room, but never acted like it.

To the Kimbrough’s, I can’t express how much I learned from them. He was my pastor, teacher, example, but often he was simply an encouraging friend. If you attended Northland but never got to pray with him, you missed out. Mrs. Kimbrough was a gracious, loving encourager. One of the things I miss about going to Grace is hearing her sing.

To the Janke’s. What an impact they have had on my ministry. From having him for Apologetics (and a ton of other classes, but this was my all-time favorite class), to being my Pastor, to small group study in their home, they opened their lives to my family and my ministry is vastly better for it. Praying with them, learning from them and with them. The way he valued his family set an awesome example for my marriage.

To the Hairgrove’s, these people love serving. I was shown an example of people who graciously loved people, worked hard and laughed a lot. The joy they had still impresses me and encourages me.

To the coaches, Coach Scott for taking time to invest in someone who didn’t play basketball at college. The Herron’s, learning competitiveness in the proper context, for valuing hard work, and team work. For teaching me to understand a game I love and giving me the tools to teach others to love it as well. For pointing us to Christ and encouraging us to share the Gospel with our opponents.

Northland taught me the value of discipleship. My life was touched by the lives of many of the staff and faculty. From sitting in the sauna with Doc O, breakfast with the Kimbrough family, late night practices, the logistics of Springfest, camp, lunch bunch with the staff and classes, I was impacted to make more of Christ in my life. The list of ways Northland impacted me could go on and on, but let me conclude by saying that God used an out of the way place, started by a humble man of God, to do a massive work in my life. Words can’t express how thankful I am for Northland.