The particular church I serve could be categorized by some as desiring to “franchise” their brand of church around the world. That statement would be inaccurate and can only be made by someone who is not familiar with our church and the leadership. Has the church I serve made mistakes in making disciples, training, contextualizing and planting? It would be naive to think we hadn’t. Will we make more mistakes along the way? Yes, if I am one of the leaders? I am not perfect, nor am I the smartest guy to be doing what I am doing. But, we will try strategies, techniques and options to accomplish what we believe God has called us toward. Without risks and failures there will not be successes. The kingdom of God is worth the risk (humanly speaking) and the trying of many strategies.

As one who now lives in a post-Christian and post-modern context I have become very aware that there are differences between people who live in the US and people in my new culture. Their are language differences, living differences, thought process are different. The values I was taught directly and indirectly are different in some ways. Out political systems differ from one another. Our currency is different and our ideologies diverge in major points (though the US maybe getting closer to where I live).

But, there are many similarities that exist today in this new context with the people I ministered to in the US. People are relationally deficit. People have deep hurts. People long for community, but do not know how to express it. People grasp at the big questions of life but ask in different ways. People love their kids, have struggles in marriages, have financial problems, long for more free time, desire a better life and another one hundred similarities exist between those I used to minister to and those I seek to walk with today.

Now, I will get to the point….to lead change one must present a compelling vision of what can be with words, pictures, models and practitioners.

People are not motivated for long periods of time by need. Need will alert people to a problem, but only consistent visionary communication (with all means available) will effect long-term change.

I need to lose weight, so I begin working out. Need alone though is not enough to keep me working out. I must have a consistent picture of people who have made it (weight loss) to sustain the needed life change.

Sounding the need to change will only go so far…there must be practitioners pointed to as successfully modeling the preferred vision.

I believe (maybe naively) many in the US and other parts of the world realize many things need to change with churches in the US. But, there are churches that are knocking the ball out of the park when it comes to reaching a lost, post-christian, post-modern and urban society. Someone please point to them or go plant and model what others need to be doing.

We need to have real pictures that can be seen for people to understand what types of changes can to take place. Let’s show some positive examples that US pastors/leaders can gravitate toward, learn from and model after. I am talking about people who are practicing and modeling this type of ministry presently.

People and churches need good models and visionary leaders who are practitioners. That’s why books are written and conferences sell out. Leading thinkers are needed to sound an alarm, but it is always those who are practicing that lead change. If no one is implementing what the thinkers are espousing then nothing is going to happen. The church is looking for and needs practitioners they can see and learn from today. I believe they are out there…who are they?

Whether it is liked or appreciated,  I believe that’s why pastors like Warren, Stanley, Young, Surratt, and many others are leading change in the US church. Their books are best-sellers, their conferences are overflowing and change is happening. Whether it is a change you like or appreciate is not the issue. They are practitioners who have presented a vision of what it could be like for the future. Many can and will argue whether their vision is a good one or the right one. But, that is for another day all-together.

I want to posit the way to lead change is to have church-based practitioners pointed toward as examples for others to model after in leading change. Pictures must be presented for others to follow. Consistently pointing out short comings will not further the cause for very long. People will only grow cynical to the voices and turn away.

So I ask…Who are the practitioners (churches) that are modeling what ministry in a post-Christian, post-modern and urban context can look like?

In this new (old) model or paradigm called Sending Church it is easy for people and churches to fall into the faulty thinking of “going alone”. Just as Paul traveled with Barnabas, Luke, Silas and others on his journeys, the church and the one(s) being sent do not go alone.  Some people and some churches could look and think, “They (church x) have enough money to send people on their own.”  Others might say, “If our church was that big….”, still others might say, “They are so brave to leave all they have.”

When in reality there isn’t a church with enough money to accomplish the task.  There isn’t a church big enough to go alone and bravery will get you into trouble if that is all you are depending on to send or be sent. The Sending Church must have partners that work in concert with each other to accomplish the task given to them by God. The ones being sent must work together with others who are already sent to the same area to accomplish the task of seeing God’s glory made known to people who are far from Him. Organizations must share information, knowledge, wisdom and resources if the goal is to be reached.

In working with others we should hold true to the differences between our tribes (denoms), mobilizing organizations and fellow sent ones. But, we should also raise high the areas where we share commonality for the sake of the Gospel. We maximize our shared beliefs so the community will know we have a shared goal of seeing the gospel spread through a country.

I can not do it alone. I must partner with others.

Our church can not do it alone. We must partner with others.

I am so thankful for all the partners (US and International) that He has brought together to see His purposes accomplished.

I have trouble speaking English correctly. Sure, I can speak and get my point across in English but there are times it is less than pleasing to the ears of grammarians.

I started French classes this week and I am way over my head humanly speaking. As someone who has trouble speaking in their “native tongue” and now trying to learn a “foreign tongue” seems a little odd I’m sure. But, it is very important for me to be able to communicate on a basic level with the people I am trying to live among. After all, shouldn’t we learn the language of the culture we live in so we can effectively communicate who we are and what we are about in life. Even in the United States where I could speak the same “heart language” there were different dialects, slang and cultural cues I needed to learn to effectively communicate myself to others.

Please remember our family as we learn new sounds, words and phrases that will surely help us communicate more effectively what we are about and who we are.

Au revoir! (That’s good-bye in French for all my southern friends)

Wow! I got on a plane in the United States and a few hours later I stepped into a whole new world.

We arrived in Western Europe exhausted after missing several flights and our luggage was somewhere we knew not of. We left with 20 something bags and arrived with 5. Thank God our luggage arrived yesterday and everything was intact. Our family is learning a new culture and a new way of accomplishing daily tasks. What seemed easy in the US is now more challenging due to language obstacles, no vehicles, little sleep and very cold weather.

But, God is incredible to bring us to a place we have prayed for and about for several years. He called us to follow Him and we have. He is the destination, not the country in which we now reside. This new country is just the avenue He is using to conform us into His image. He will use a new language, new customs, new people and cold weather as some of the things to teach us what it means to die to ourselves  daily.

In the process He will draw new people to Himself, build for Himself a people who will love Him deeply and reach others for His glory.

Right now though, it is cold, gray outside, I am walking way more than I thought I could and I am asking God for the gift of tongues interpretation.

What is the activity of God in the world today?

What are some of the evidences of God’s activity in the world today?

Cheryl is a cousin to my wife Amy. Cheryl and her husband, Chris, live in Northeast Texas and have four (4) sons. Her family is an excellent example of a family who are living on mission for Jesus right in the middle of suburban U.S.A. . They are not a perfect family and she will probably kill me for posting this, but they are an ordinary family that is seeking to live out the call of Christ in their community.

It all began with a trip to Ghana several years ago. Cheryl was following what she knew was obedience to a command to go. Upon returning from Ghana she started returning yearly with people and supplies that would not only help people physically but also spiritually. She has since helped begin an organization that is active working in Ghana. If I remember correctly she has been active in Ghana for over seven years.

Cheryl also is active in a refugee ministry in the inner city of Dallas. I am so challenged in my walk by her family. The Read’s have not made being on mission a segment of their life that is lived out each summer in another country.  They are active in their Jerusalem each week.

I encourage you to go and check Cheryl’s blog and follow along with her as see seeks to be salt and light in the world she has been placed to lived and the world she chooses to go to.

The main focus of the meeting centered around how the local church can lead out in being the mission sending organization and the IMB return to being a facilitating organization for the  local church. Because of the local church’s abdication of it’s responsibility the IMB has had to pick up the task of being the sending organization. God has ordained the local church not para-church organizations. Somewhere along the time line of history the local church got involved in looking inward for too long of a period of time and the mission stopped being the “main thing”.  Let me be clear, we do not want to stop being cooperative with others or change any offerings. The local church must get back to sending, strategizing, and caring for the missionaries that come from their church. It will take all of us to accomplish the task, but we must take responsibility for those we send and how they are sent.

Sometime in the next month each of the churches that were represented will have their Mission pastor travel to Richmond to hammer out more specific details of what the partnership could look like for churches that are ready to take the task of sending missionaries from the local church. Please pray for the leadership of the IMB as they seek to help the church mobilize it’s members to spread the fame of God around the world to each nation and people group. Pray also for the local leadership of the church to be bold and responsible for the sending of the church into the world to Spread His Fame among the Nations.

I was extremely moved, quite literally to tears. I will let her words explain…

Definitely going on the blogroll.

You could really help FBCSmyrna’s Helping Hands food closet. We are in need of non-perishable food items that we can pack into our food boxes that are distributed daily to people who are in need. Each box has a set list of items that are packed for each family. If you can help please bring the items to the church office. FBCSmyrna distributes 15-20 food boxes a week and we are not into the holiday period yet. This would make a great project for your small group or Bible study class.

Items that are needed:

• Peanut Butter
• Jelly
• Canister of  Oatmeal
• Box of Stuffing
• 1 lb. box of Spaghetti
• Can or Jar of Spaghetti Sauce
• 2 cans of soup
• 2 cans of vegetables
• box of Jello
• Can of fruit
• 2 boxes of Mac & Cheese
• Box of Pop-Tarts
• 2 cans of Tuna
• 1 lb. bag of dry beans
• 1 lb. bag of Rice

We are unable to receive perishable products or meats.
Thank you Derlin for leading our food ministry for Helping Hands.