Being Outwardly Focused

I read a blog from a leader, Rick Rusow, that mentioned three characteristics of an "Externally Focused" Church. Great thoughts - I thought I would share them below..

"First, externally focused churches are convinced that good deeds and good news cannot and should not be separated. Just as it takes two wings to lift an airplane off the ground, so externally focused churches couple good news with good deeds to make an impact on their communities. The good deeds, expressed in service and ministry to others, validate the good news. The good news explains the purpose of the good deeds.

Good news and good deeds are, after all, the summation of Jesus’ ministry. In Acts 10:36-38, God proclaimed the “good news…through Jesus Christ…and…he went around doing good…because God was with him” (emphasis added). In Luke 9, when the crowds were following Jesus, he “welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God (good news), and healed those who needed healing (good deeds).” And when Jesus sent the twelve disciples out, “he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God (good news) and to heal the sick (good deeds).”

Engaging the community with good news and good deeds is not just a tactic or even a foundational strategy of externally focused churches. It is at their very core; it is who they are. These churches have concluded that it’s really not “church” if it’s not engaged in the life of the community through ministry and service to others. Ministry and service are not programs reserved for a few extraordinarily dedicated individuals; they are woven into every aspect of church life. This is certainly not the only thing these churches do, but to stop serving in and ministering to the community would end their very existence. An external focus is embedded into their DNA.


Second, they see themselves as vital to the health and well-being of their communities. They believe that their communities, with all of their aspirations and challenges, cannot be truly healthy without the church’s involvement. They no longer think about the church’s health apart from the community; they now consider what the community would be like apart from the church. They recognize that God has placed them in their communities (whether they feel wanted or not) to be salt, light, and leaven. They are not social workers but Kingdom builders!

Why have so many churches emotionally or physically withdrawn from their communities? Sometimes churches feel unwanted. The church may once have been the center of the community, but their community has since changed its focus and left the church behind.

Maybe this separation has something to do with the New Testament word for church. It is the word ecclesia, meaning “the called out ones.” Many have mistaken this to mean a physical separation from the world. True, the church is called to be separate in lifestyle, but never isolated from the people it seeks to influence. Salt, light, and leaven don’t work very well from a distance.

It is only when the church is mixed into the very life and conversation of the city that it can be an effective force for change. In approximately A.D. 150, a Christian writer summed up the lifestyle of second-century Christians: “As the soul is to the body, so Christians (are) to the world.” Christians are nothing less than the very soul of the community. What happens when the soul is removed from the body? Nothing remains but a corpse or a shell. Externally focused churches recognize that the gospel is most powerful when Christians are living out face-to-face relationships with those in their communities.

In joining in the life and rhythm of the city, externally focused churches seek to serve and bless the city, not to control it. Salt, light, and leaven are agents of influence, not of control. Thus these churches build bridges instead of walls. They bless their cities and pray for them. They are one of the defined assets of their communities, not one of the liabilities.

Third, externally focused churches believe that ministering and serving are the normal expressions of Christian living. Even more, they believe that Christians grow best when they are serving and giving themselves away to others. Because service and ministry are part of their growth model for the church and the spiritual formation of its people, it is not unusual for huge percentages of their congregations to serve and minister outside the walls of the church. Wanting to be like Jesus, Who came not to be served but to serve and to give (Mark 10:45), externally focused churches serve and give themselves to others. They are convinced that Christians can learn through good instruction, but they really cannot grow if they remain uninvolved in ministry and service."

Good Stuff from Rick Rusow

Families....grab a bite!

We’ve heard it over and over---the family that prays together, stays together. Let’s add one more message---the family that feeds together, succeeds together.

But are families feeding together? Yes! 61% of people surveyed in a Parade Magazine poll said eating together with the family is a regular habit at home.

Sunday is the biggest day for family food time according to 76% of respondents. It’s no surprise that 56% complained Friday night is the hardest time to gather the troops.

Despite the obstacles to family mealtime---both parents working longer hours and the kids off in a zillion directions--- there are 3 major benefits for the family that feeds together:

Family meals promote conversation.

Here’s a surprise: 69% of people surveyed said they look forward to family dinners. That includes the kids.

When your teen complains he’d rather not be with you, ignore her. Why? A Columbia University study shows that 84% of teens would rather eat with their parents than be alone. Don’t be taken aback . . . they do enjoy your company.

What do your children want to talk about at dinner? According to Parade Magazine 81% want to tell you about their day; 43% will discuss favorite movies; 21% talk about religious or spiritual issues. Those dinnertime conversations may be more nutritious than the steamed broccoli.

Family meals are for sharing ideas

I learned from the experts at Emory University that pre-teens whose parents share family stories around the dinner table have a greater sense of self-esteem.

Your kids need to hear the family jokes that are passed down from generation to generation. Adolescents especially need to feel they belong to your family more than they belong to a culture that is often indifferent to the family.

In addition, the dinner table provides opportunity for the kids to observe Mom and Dad calmly discuss family problems and how to solve them.

Family dinners create family unity

Sadly, there are households who allow the family dinner to imitate a fast food restaurant.

The children are treated like customers who need to be pleased. Everyone eats what they want; the older children grab their plate and run off to their bedroom to watch TV.

Any sense of family routine is missing.

Making everyone stick to the same menu is the best thing you could do for your kids.

Sitting down at the family table includes learning to eat what Mom puts before you. Avoid discussion about the fact your son doesn’t like mashed potatoes. Either eat it or don’t eat.

A great idea is to get the kids involved in cooking the meal. If they help mash the potatoes, they’ll eat them. Robin Fox, an anthropologist at Rutgers University said in Time Magazine, “A meal is about civilizing children.”

Grab a bite of food and enjoy your family!

Learn to Say "no"

In medical research, a leading cause of stress, and eventual heart problems - is never saying no.
When you consistently agree to do things you don’t want to do, you raise your levels of stress hormones. This not only exhausts your body, but can also cause you to gain weight by raising your cortisol levels. Only say yes if the activity “feels” right. And don’t ever let your friends or associates guilt you into agreeing to a bunch of stuff that leaves you no time for yourself. How hard is it to say no? Type in “How to Say No” into Amazon.com and see how many books have been written on the topic. We are a guilt-ridden society, and we are killing ourselves by saying yes way too often.

Saying "no" leaves room for the things you should say "yes" too!

Wasn't yesterday a blast?

Who would have thought you could have gut-busting laughter and thoughtful reflection all in the same morning? Yesterday we began our "Life's Toughest Questions" series with the 1st one "Why does bad things happen to good people?". The creative team did a great job with the "Bad Luck Chuck" sketch (you'll see more of Bad Luck Chuck throughout the series!). There's also a website we've designed for you - www.badluckchuck.tv

You can download a "GOING DEEPER" study guide and watch future Webisodes throughout the series.

This coming Sunday we'll explore "IS WAR OK WITH GOD?". I just had a breakfast with a former Army Special forces officer to get more insight from those on the front lines of war. Wow, it was eye opening.

Free Gift saves a marriage

Today we celebrate 'Good Friday', the day Christ freely gave his life. I read this great story about how a kidney donation saved a marriage, and it reminded me of the Easter story.

"After ten years of marriage, Cindy and Chip Altemos were in the long process of getting a divorce. The proverbial baggage they brought from previous marriages seemed too great to overcome, so they separated and even agreed to date other people.

Five years into the painful separation, Chip was in the hospital with kidney failure. With his health deteriorating rapidly, his soon-to-be ex-wife came to his aid—in spite of Chip's being in another relationship at the time. "He was still my husband. There was no way I could walk around with two kidneys, and he had none," Cindy told the press. "It was the right thing to do." She agreed to donate a kidney, telling Chip there were no strings attached—no written agreement concerning a better share in divorce court.

The transplant took place on February 21, 2007, and a funny thing happened as they both recovered in the hospital: they fell back in love. Chip thought to himself, Why would I want to date someone else, when I have a woman who would give part of herself so I can keep living? He put an end to his other relationship and asked Cindy to come back home with him. The two will be married 17 years in October."

Isn't that awesome!!

This Sunday, we'll gather on Easter for our series 'Life's Toughest Questions.' Should be interesting and fun. Hope to see you there!

Conversations with a Lt. Colonal

Yesterday marked the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion. I had coffee last night with a soldier who was on the front line then, and heard first hand what those moments were like.
One of the duties he performed was taking a helicopter to the front line and carrying the injured back for treatment. He said "we brought back both injured American soldiers and injured Iraqi Soldiers. They would be shooting at us one minute, and we would be helping them the next. Many Iraqi soldiers were threatened by their own commanders at gun point to fight - even though they didn't want to."

Regardless of your political views, you have to be proud of the fact our soldiers went out of their way to help the Iraqi wounded and suffering. I could see the images floating behind the eyes of the soldier I was talking too. Those will be days he'll never forget.

Christian vs. Christ-follower

You've seen the Mac vs. PC commercials. Here's a different take on it...

Standing in the right line

Yesterday afternoon, we took Collin and Christian to the Children's Museum. Like usual, I took one boy and Angela took the other (because they have various agendas when we get there!)

I was with Christian, and he played on the Indy race car (on level 3)for at least 40 minutes. Even though he had to wait in line, he would wait, get in the race car for a few moments, then walked to the back of the line to wait all over again. I thought "surely, Christian is going to get tired of waiting" (because Daddy was!) But he would get back in line again and again.

It just shows that when we do something we love, we can endure the down times to live for the things we love. All of us suffer seasons of set backs or even boredom - but when we discover something that makes us "come alive", we'll stand in line and wait out those moments of frustration and discouragement.

Does what you are standing in line for make you 'come alive'? If not, keep searching for the right line.....

The power of one sentence

The power of one sentence is amazing. Brilliance contained in the nuance of a single sentence is rare...and precious. I've heard a few such sentences. You have too.

"Do the next right thing."

"The most dangerous thing in the whole world is thinking
your world is the world."

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

"I have provision you know not of,
more than you can ask or imagine."

One sentence triggering your imagination can transform your opinions, engage your heart and focus your vision. So when I hear a sentence like that I try to capture it; I write it, type it, record it and relish it. I heard a sentence like that today, only it was submitted in the form of a question.

Apparently John Ortberg first turned this phrase. It certainly sounds like something Ortberg would ask.

"Are you living the life you are inviting others to live?"

I hope that question messes with you the way it is messing with me. Good luck trying to get to sleep tonight...

Fun for the guys - Cletus Take the Reel

If you've heard of 'Jesus Take the Wheel', enjoy a laugh and check this out:

Out West......

Today I am out visiting with Mark Krenz who is the lead pastor at One Community Church in Phoenix (www.discoverone.net) Mark and his wife started ONE about the same time as Journey, and is reaching his community in a great way.

I am also visiting another church Sunday morning, Community of Hope in Maricopa, where Rusty Akers is the founding pastor. His church has been around for 4 years and shares a similar vision to Journey. I consider myself a learner - and am here to connect with these guys to gather ideas and observations from two outreach-oriented churches.

I'll be back in the snow belt on Monday!

Impact through serving

Steve Sjogren (pronounced Show-gren)is a pastor in Tampa, who frequently writes on the topic of servant evangelism. The following is from his recent article on servantevangelism.com

"I often teach by asking questions. Will you ponder some simple questions with me?

1. Are you able to 'notice' your way into people's lives?
In other words, my guess is that as you show them kindness, the ball drops right there. People you show kindness to are surprised, maybe even flabbergasted. Most of the time they are not extroverted enough to engage you. My guess is you are not yet able to connect with them easily by catching on to the initial act of noticing your way forward.

2. Are you clearly describing to people you engage what is going on?
These are not stand alone projects. People need a bit of an explanation. "I pay for people's coffees - to show them the kindness of God..."

There are dozens of ways to explain the kindness / generosity thing. I recommend you relax. Flow. Say what comes to mind at the moment. Be succinct. Most of all smile - and don't try to be one bit clever. Trying to be too clever is the greatest impediment to God's presence touching others.

3. Are you then verbally engaging people in a memorable way?
I do all you have described and after practicing at this have had discovered it is fairly doable to connect with most people. Here's what I do:
Keep is safe / positive...
Keep it focused upon them...
Keep it away from closed ended matters... I rarely ask what they do for a living. It is fine to ask what they are studying though.

"Memorable" is simply what comes natural to you in your context. For me or anyone else to tell you exactly what to say, word for word is a bit odd. You do need a jumpstart, but from there you can remove your training wheels lest your bicycling is impeded.

Here are some starting points to ponder.

With a big smile (yes, practice your smile - non-smilers look like they are up to something - if it is not natural that's okay - you can get over that...I should know - I did! Ask my mom! I spent my first 18 years being pretty darn serious... ) ask them their name.

EVERYONE loves to hear their name! They can't hear their name often enough. Once you've spoken it, repeat it. Upon leaving, use their name again, and say, "See you again before long (their name here)."

On the topic of their name, comment on the meaning of their name if you are familiar with that. Or how your favorite aunt has the same name - that reminds you of her gentleness... I do this very often. People love to hear this.

Ask where they got their tattoos. A fairly large percentage of people under age 35 have visible tatts now. By engaging with people about them, the meaning of them, you are showing them personal attention. This is good!

Comment on their great haircut - then ask where they get their hair cut - that you have been looking for a great place / your child / spouse has been looking for a place to get a great cut.

Lastly, sometimes we cannot see in ourselves how we come across to others well. I am a pretty tall guy. Some think I look smart (ask the Mrs. to get the real story on that!) I can intimidate people apparently though I wasn't aware of that for years. For each of us we need friends who love us enough they will tell us the true truth about us - how others see us - that we can walk free from the things that ensnare us and keep us stuck."

The wonder of light

It was the first item on God's agenda for Day One: "Make Light". In fact, of everything on His "to-do list" during those first six days, manufacturing light was possibly the most supernatural. Whatever it was, it was different from the light of the sun, moon and stars which came several days later. But, because "God is light," nothing He does with light should surprise us. Amaze us, yes. Surprise us, no.

That's because light has always been His calling card. Of all created things light is the one item that's most compatible with God, and will forever be His moniker. Even as time ends and eternity begins, it will be showcased by light-the extinguishing of the former and the introduction of the eternal.

Throughout time, light has served as His favorite tool when interacting with His people.

*He used light as a nighttime signpost as His wandering people made their 40 year journey through an unmarked desert.

* While warring against the Amorites, Joshua asked for and received more daylight to finish the job. The creator simply had the sun stand still, and the moon to stop.

*God used light from a special star to lure kings to come and worship the Christ child.

*In a glorious display of His true identity, Jesus was transfigured by light.

* The Apostle Paul met the Savior through a burst of light on the road to Damascus.

Light has always been His specialty.

That's why we shouldn't be surprised by NASA's latest discovery-the brightest light in the universe. But, I digress. Let me go back to set the stage.

In the 1960's, during the Cold War stand-off between the U.S. and the Soviets, both super powers routinely monitored suspicious activities of the other. And, on one frightful day, our leaders gulped in fear because American satellites detected intense bursts of gamma radiation. The scientific community was convinced the Soviets were testing a super nuclear bomb that far exceeded anything in our nation?s arsenal.

But, something didn't compute-the bursts weren't coming from the Soviet Union, or any other nation. Ultimately it was discovered that these explosions, known as gamma-rays, were coming from space, well beyond our solar system, even outside the Milky Way. They were lights from staggeringly distant galaxies.

These remote celestial lights proved to be brighter than any light known to man. In fact, gamma-ray photons have energies greater than 10 giga-electron-volts, or in plain English, billions of times that of ordinary light.

It's just another sample of God's handiwork.

But, more than that, it's a reminder that God's light is important.

In a relatively quiet portion of Exodus, God gave certain instructions for His beleaguered nation in their long journey to the Promised Land. He commanded that each night a lamp was to burn just outside the Tabernacle veil. It was to serve as a symbol of God?s presence, and His promise that His light will forever guide His people to His promises.

But, there was one caveat. The light had to keep burning-every night, all night.

So, from the Israeli camp, certain men were chosen to provide clear oil from crushed unripened olives which would give almost a smoke-free light. Night after night, year after year, faithful servants of God kept the supply of oil coming. And as a result, the light continued to burn and God continued to lead the way.

Today, you and I have been called to provide the clear, smoke-free oil of God's love to His people so they can see and follow His light. And, as we're faithful to keep the oil flowing, God's light will never go out.

Rudeness

When was the last time someone was rude to you? A few weeks ago I got off the phone with someone, and I thought "if they could feel what I'm feeling, they would understand how they rub people the wrong way." I don't understand why people have to be insensitive. Some personality types are such that there isn't immediate thought given to how someone might take "tone" or even a topic of conversation. If I'm tired, I'll just avoid rude people all together. Since the previously mentioned incident, I've vowed not to be the type of person that would tick off my own self!

Here's a cute story:

A lady was walking through the mall when she saw a parrot on a perch in front of a pet store. The parrot said to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly."

Well, as you can imagine, the lady was furious! She stormed past the store to her work. On the way out she saw the same parrot and it said to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly."

She was incredibly ticked now.

The next day the same parrot again said to her, "WOW lady, you are still really ugly."

The lady was so ticked that she went into the store and said that she would sue the store and kill the bird if the manager didn't take care of this problem.

The store manager apologized profusely and promised he would make sure the parrot didn't say it again. When the lady walked past the store that day after work, the parrot called to her,

"Hey lady." She paused and said, "Yes?"
The bird said, "You know."

What's your hidden potential?? (You HAVE TO SEE THIS!!)

An unknown cell phone salesman in England competes on England's version of American Idol. Potts turned up on ITV's "Britain's Got Talent" last year, a show which allowed people to basically perform whatever talent act they'd like and be judged 'Idol' style by three panelists including American Idol's Simon Cowell.

After a series of uninteresting acts that irked the judges and audience, the average looking, down on his luck guy turned up and revealed he planned to sing opera - specifically Nessun Dorma from Turandot which has been made famous by the late Luciano Pavarotti's renditions of it over the years.

The performance and reactions can be viewed below and were nothing short of extraordinary: Watch below



Potts went on to quickly record a debut album, "One Chance," which sold 3 million copies. He's also headlining 65 concert dates in 13 countries.

Now, Relevant Entertainment acquired life rights from Potts and began planning a "Billy Elliot" style uplifting comedy. Paramount execs needed to only watch YouTube clips of Potts' performances to hop onboard the project.

Very inspiring....

It finally caught up with me....

After taking care of two sick boys and a wife (who was both ill and helping with the boys) - the cold/flu/gross stuff did catch up to me. Although VERY mild compared to the rest of the family, I've been working at my computer mostly in bed or in a comfy chair.

We are into Shaklee Vitamins, and I've been downing some Vita-C and other vitamins to keep the immune system healthy. I'm pretty regular at it, so I think that is what has helped me stay healthy this year (compared to our staff - who seem to be ill every three weeks or so!)

Aaron is camping in Hawaii - lucky dude. I am really glad for him, he loves the outdoors.

With the icy rain, we canceled our Connect Group tonight as well.

Stay warm and healthy!

Generosity and Forgiveness

Being a generous person and extending forgiveness comes from the same place inside of you.

I become a selfish person when I harbor unforgiveness. It totally guts the generosity that God wants me to have. Whenever you hurt me and I forgive you, I’m giving you a gift. I’m being generous to you. If I hurt you, and come to you and say not just Sorry, but, Will you forgive me? I’m giving you something.

When we forgive, we’re being generous. And usually the person who benefits the most from forgiveness is you. Isn’t that something? It’s supernatural. You show me someone who is selfish, and I’ll show you someone who’s never experienced the forgiveness of God. Yeah, they might have intellectually received it, but they’ve not experienced it. And because they’ve not experienced it, they can’t really share it with others.

Connection with God

As we wrap up our series this Sunday, It's so obvious with people that unforgiveness is unforgiving. It’s tough. It’ll mess you up. When I harbor a hurt, when I’m into resentment or anger or unforgiveness, do you know what I’m doing? I’m giving the leash in my life to people who’ve hurt me. I’m saying, You control my life. You control me. You run the show. You control me.

What happens when I allow that? Well, the Bible talks about it. The Bible says when I don’t forgive people, I totally blow my connection, my fellowship with God. In Matthew 6:15 Jesus said, But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

In other words, if I’m not right horizontally with the people in my life, with the human beings in my life, why should God forgive me? Why should God do the vertical forgiveness if I’m not doing the horizontal forgiveness? After all, as a believer I’ve been greatly forgiven. I’m a sinner. I’m a moral foul up and so are you. And our gracious God has done the work of forgiveness, and because of that, I’ve got to forgive others. So I need to defer to God, to give him my life. Because if I don’t—if I don’t live this forgiveness thing out, whether I’ve hurt the person or they’ve hurt me—then I’m going to break my fellowship, my connection with God.