A Great Investment

A long time ago I made a deal with my kids. This deal has cost me a lot of money. I told them that I would buy them any Christian CD they wanted. Actually, I look at it as an investment not an expense.

I found out along the way that I liked a lot of the same music they do - so it gives us a good way to grow together.

We also spend a lot of money on Christian fiction. My children have inherited a love for reading. Again - we see it as an investment and not an expense. There is a lot of good Christian fiction for all ages!

Now, any "secular" music and books - well, they are on their own! There is some good "secular" stuff out there too! I've been known to crank some tunes (everything from CCR, Guess Who, to Alison Kruass and Ricky Skaggs). - in my day. If the truth be known, in our car its the kids who tell me to turn it down!

And yes, we listen to Acappella, Zoe and all that stuff as well.

What kind of investments are you making in your kids?

Accountability; necessary or optional?

Here's a question: is being accountable to others optional for the believer? Is it only for those who are weak? Is it only for new Christians?

For me, being accountable was always optional. Until a few years ago. I've been in a pastor's accountability group for a about 3 years now. I can tell you - it's been one of the best things I have ever done! I don't know how I got by without it.

Here are the list of things that we have agreed to be accountable to each other for: pray for one hour a day; half hour of devo reading in the Bible every day; pray with our wives three times a week; read 20 pages of a Christian book, excercise three times a week for thirty minutes, review our personal and ministry goals twice a week; pray for our congregations by name every week; send in a report every Monday morning on how I did on the covenant the week before!

There are over 100 "one another" verses in the NT alone. Much of them have been ignored. Especially the ones like "confess your sins one to another".

I hope that you are accountable to someone who know and trust. It will make a huge difference in your walk with Christ. We have shyed away from accountability in the churches of Christ, partly because of the abuses that we saw in the Boston movement. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't be accountable! It is a Biblical idea.

We all need accountability. I know I do. Are you accountable to anyone?

Trying to work the angles of ministry

Gotta tell you a quick story. We usually have several first time guest every Sunday. Yesterday was no exception. One of our guests was asking one of our members who could take communion because she had noticed the communion trays on the table. My daughter, who is only seven, overhead the question and decided that, as the minister's daughter, she needed to answer it. She piped up, "Oh, that's only for the Batpists!" (She meant for only those that are baptized!). Out of the mouths of babes.

Recently I was asking a fellow "pastor" in town about his schedule. He said that he takes at least a half a day to just be with the Lord. A time of prayer; a time of quiet time with the Lord. I'm now trying to take that to heart. It's funny; as full-time ministers you would think that would be an easy thing to do. It's not.

Haven't we lost our way when the minister is too "busy" - saddled with "running" the church, to take a half a day a week just to be with the Lord? Too many appointments; too many activities; too much "stuff". We've become more like CEO's than spiritual directors (or spiritual reflectors).

Eugene Peterson really helped me to see what the pastor's work is in his book "Working the Angle's". He says that ministry has three "angles": Prayer, Scripture, Spiritual Direction. Great book if you haven't read it. I have re-taken his words as things I need to practice!

What I've done lately is just to say "that time is blocked off" - or "I have a standing appointment". I'm learning to protect my time to be with the Lord. Some weeks it still doesn't work out. Now, I really miss it when I don't get it!

I'm just a minister who is struggling to spend less time in the "office" and more time on the "mountian". Can you relate?

Amazing Grace - the movie

Wow! The list of movies that entertain and elighten you are rare. Amazing Grace is such a movie. If it is still playing in your area, make this a must see movie. It's been a long time since I heard an audience applaud a movie. I wasn't aware of the story of Willaim Wilbaforce (might not be spelling that right) and his fight to end the slave trade in Great Britan.

I've been praying for God to open doors for me to be more active in the community. Today I dedicated the Healing Field in West Jordan. It is dedicated to the memory of abused children. BACCA (Bikers Against Child Abuse) was there all decked out in the black leather. I had a chance to talk with the national director of BACCA. I don't think you won't to mess what that dude. In May I've been asked to be on the program for the National Day of Prayer. The West Jordan Chamber of Commerce (of which our church is a member) has asked me to create a team of churches to do a community service project for the city. Be careful of what you prayer for, God just might answer your prayer!

TGIF

TGIF!

I'm hoping to finally see "Amazing Grace" tonight! Another movie with a Christian theme is "The Ultimate Gift". Several people I know saw and told me that it was very powerful movie. "The Last Sin Eater" comes out on DVD May 15th. Looking forward to that.

I wish all the best to Mitch Mustain, the most higly recurited quarterback in Arkansas history, who just announced that he will transfer to USC. Wished it would have worked out with the Hogs, but it was not meant to be I guess.

Its time to watch the NBA again. Don't watch much in the regular season but I do start watching in the playoffs. For the first time in three years the Utah Jazz are back in the post season! I think they'lll beat Houston in six. Dallas and Phoenix look awfully tough.

For the first time, Willow Creek will beam its Leadership Summit to a church here in Salt Lake City. I've watched it on DVD many times. Really looking forward to watching it live. Great stuff. Love to hear Bill Hybels speak on leadership. He always has a great line up of speakers.

Have a great weekend. May your tribe have a good day on Sunday.

Ricky Skaggs comin' to Salt Lake!

Our hearts go out to the community of Virgina Tech. Senseless. Absolutely senseless. We do live in a fallen world.

Got my tickets today for the Ricky Skagss and Kentucky Thunder concert here in Salt Lake on July 8. Well, a Red Butte member told me today that he would get me a ticket since he can buy them early. Really looking forward to that! I've never seen him in concert. Other artists I would love to see in concert but haven't: Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, Blue Highway, Chris Tomlin, to name a few. How 'bout you?

My daughter will be home from Oklahoma Christian in just a few weeks. Looking forward to having her home for the summer. This may be her last time to be home for the summer. She wants to intern for a church next summer. Not many churches in Utah that hire summer interns! We will cherish the time this summer.

It is snowing as I write this. Love a good spring snow storm. Two years ago it snowed in June! That was wild.

A Preacher's Addiction

I felt a little pain of guilt when I encouraged you to go and buy the book "Simple Church". Although it I throughly enjoyed the read, I may have played the role of "pusher". You see, I feel that I have an addiction - not to any drug - but to books. To be more specific, I have an addiction of buying books.

I don't read all the books I buy. I think I will at the time of purchase. The truth is many books sit on my shelf unread. But - I keep buying new ones. Maybe by encouraging you to buy "Simple Church" that perhaps I was encouraging you do join me in my addictive behavior.

One of my goals this year is to quit buying new books until I have my "to read" pile finished. As soon as I say that, I'll do that after I buy this one book! That is the cycle of addictive behavior.
You know you want to quit the behavior, you just can't.

I think preachers have lots of such addictions that we need to clear ourselves of. What's your addiction?

That reminds me . . . bought a new book this morning on leadership. No, I really did! It was with a gift card. Does it count?

Simple Church, part 2

More on the simple church . . .

A simlple church is different from a complext church in four areas: clairty, movement, alignment, focus.

Clarity is the ability of the process to be communicated and understood by the people. Before the process can be clear to the church, it must first clear to the leaders. Is your process clear? (Do you have a process or does it "just happen"?)

Movement is defined by Rainer as "sequential steps in the process that cause people to move to greater areas of commitment. " Simple church leaders design a ministry process where the programs are placed as tools along the process. Does your church have a ministry process???

Alignment is the arrangement of all ministries and staff around the same simple process.

Focus is the commitment to abandon everything that falls outside of the simple ministry process. Simple churches abandon all that is outside of the simple process because it threatens to steal attention and energy from what has been determined as necessary.

One of the points the writers make that struck a cord with me is how a church counts success. Most of us count things "vertical". In other words, we just cound the attendance of that activity and decide whether is was a "success" or not. Simple churches, who have a clear process of making disciples, count "horizontal". How do your count "horizontal"? You count those in assembly, those in small groups, and those who are active in ministry. If they have huge numbers in the assembly, but very few in small groups, then they are not being successful! If they grow in one area but not in another - they take a hard look at the process and figure out what is not working. I love that!

You know a good book by the amount you are highlighting. I know that I'm not doing this book justice, but I hope that I've wet your appetite enough to get a copy of this book and read it for yourself.

Construction Pictures

You can see pictures of the construction of our new building on Southside's website at www.southsidechurchutah.org It will be a 30,000 square foot building complete with a family life center and six acres to grow on! This week will be the rough plumbing.

Just started a series of sermons on Malachi. Everyone (including me) was fasinated by a teaching from this little read book. I was inspired by a series preached by Bill Hybels. Hopefully, we have figured out how to link our sermons on our website in a day or two. I'll let you know.

Tomorrow we will continue our discussion of the simple church.

Simple Church

I have really been enjoying reading "Simple Church" by Tom Ranier and Eric Geiger. They have this quote on the inside cover , "Relax. This book is not about another church model."

The writers make a distinction between a complex church and a simple church. In a simple church, everything fits together to produce life change. In other words, a simple church is all about PROCESS. In a complex church, nothing fits together - but they are busy! It's all about the PROGRAMS. Leaders compete for volunteers, budget money and time.

In a complex church, promotion of events occupies a lot of time. Ministers spend a lot of time organizing events and begging people to come. The effectiveness of the church is judged based on how events are attended! (Ouch, that hurt!) Registration is low; frustration is very high.

In a simple church, processing people as disciples occupies the time. The staff uses their time to organize and promote activities that are within the process. People are not bombarded with too many options on programming. Registration is high; frustrations are low.

The writers note that their research shows that almost every church that is growing is a simple church. Virtally no complex churches are growing!

Is your church simple or complex?

We will continue this discussion . . . .

Who Feeds You?

Who feeds you spiritually? This question is primarily aimed at preachers, I guess. I know that we feed the flock in sermons, classes and one on one studies - but who feeds you God's Word? Where do you go to get your nurishment?

I'm taking for granted that you spend time in the word outside of your study time for sermons and classes. Or, I hope you are! We cannot just study the Bible for "lessons". We, too, need time to read it devotionally. Just for our souls. Do you do that? Honestly?

So, it taking that for "granted" - who feeds you? Let me share a few who regulary feed me. Here, I'm thinking more of preaching than I am reading books. Who are the preachers that feed you - the preacher?

I love to hear Bill Hybels preach! The man reaches down to my soul and fills my tank. Andy Stanley always inspires me. His passion for communicating the Bible to seekers is amazing. Rick Atchley always teaches me something and challenges me at the same time. Randy Harris always has a new spin on an old topic - and he makes it new! A true gift. Love to hear him on the area of spiritual disciplines. Mainly because I know he lives them out. I love to hear Chuck Swindoll - you always get a great story! I love his conversational style.

I love podcasting on iTunes because you can now download for free literally thousands of great sermons! Download them on your PC. Put them on your iPod and take a walk with a great sermon in your ears! (It's a great work out for your body and your soul!)

Who feeds you?

Core Values

Last Saturday at our leadershership retreat we renewed our core values for Southside. Here's what we came up with:

To be a Christ centered fellowship. We want to take the example of Jesus seriously. Not as easy as it sounds. Jesus said and did a lot of things that make us uncomfortable.

We want to be a Bible centered fellowship. We want our preaching and teaching to come from God's Word. We want to be anchored in the Word, not in tradition. Again, not as easy as it sounds - but that is what we desire to do!

A House of Prayer. We want our church life to reflect the value that prayer is paramount in both our individual and cooporate lives.

We love children. Jesus loved children, and so do we! Children are not the church of tomorrow; they are the church of today!

To be a family. We want people to be drawn to Christ because of our love for each other.


I know that those core values aren't very original but I do believe they are life changing. What are the core values of your fellowship?

Reaching a goal!

Good-bye Dana! Dana Altman decided to go back to Creighton after being the Razorback coach for 24 hours. Wow! Back to the drawing board for the 'Backs. Who now?

The new CD by Alison Krauss: Five Star! This new "collection" are songs that have never appeared on a "Alison Krauss" CD before - but have been on soundtracks and other artists CD's. If you are a fan of Krauss (and who's not?), you must add this to your collection.

Reading "Simple Church" by Tom Rainer. Goes along very well with Andy Stanley's "7 Practices of Effective Ministry". I would highly recommend both reads.

I've reached one of my goals! On January 2nd I weighed 180. When I weighed this morning, the scale said 159! I think its a sad when you see a bunch of preachers who are fat and out of shape. What kind of example is that? The words discipline and disciple are almost the same word. How can we preach the need for discipline when we ourselves are not?

Our next "Kings Reader's Book Club" selection is the old classic, 'This Present Darkness" by Frank Peretti. It's the book that really got Christian fiction off the ground. Can't wait to read it again.

A few ramblings

Well, not to brag, but I had Florida winning the National Championship. Another SEC team takes it all!

Arkansas hired a new head basketball coach today - Dana Altman from Creighton. Altman was 2-7 in the NCAA tournament. Didn't Arkansas fire Stan Heath because he was unsuccessful in the NCAA tourney? In his press conference, Altman said that he loves to press the whole game! Now, I like the sound of that. Was curious to learn that Creighton was 11th in the country in attendance average! That's good. We'll have to wait and see how this works out.

Alison Krauss' new CD comes out today. This will be her second "collection". A new Krauss CD is always cause for celebration. I'll download it from iTunes and let you know how great it is.

Kevin Hooper has accepted our invitation to come and partner with us in ministry here at the Southside Church in the area of Associate Ministry. I'm really excited to have Kevin and his wonderful family to come an join us. He will begin here on Sept.1st.