Certified Men's Ministry Specialist Update

We've just been informed that I'll be going to Nashville, Tenn. on March 7, 2009, to be recognized and commissioned for service as a Men's Ministry Specialist at the annual meeting of the National Association of United Methodist Men Conference Presidents. I am one of only 6 men nationwide to have completed the requirements for this first class of MMS's. May all honor and glory be to God.

A New Website

We now have a website for the Marion District United Methodist Men at http://marionumm.synthasite.com/. On it is a listing of the executive committee, 2009 calendar, 2009 goals and objectives, and an incentive plan.

The Ten Contentments

Words of wisdom from my friend Alice Houser:

A Meditation on the Ten Commandments as the Ten Contentments
By Alice Houser

1. Exodus 20:2-3 "I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me."
Be content with Me. I have freed you. Nothing is more important in your life. Don't let anything come between us.

2. Exodus 20:4-6 "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."
Be content with the priorities that I have for you. Don't make anything more important than Me and our relationship. Don't get all worked up over something that I don't even consider that important. The depth of sin is exhibited in sins repeating themselves generation after generation. The breadth of My love for individuals is expressed: I don't love you because of who your parents are.

3. Exodus 20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain."
Be content with the importance of language, one of the unique aspects of humans. Names are important. Learn my names, reflect on them, cherish them.

4. Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy."
Be content with the sabbath. You need it. Be content with six days of labor. It's plenty. Don't even delegate work on the sabbath. Be an example to others in the way you keep the sabbath.

5. Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you."
Be content with your parents. I gave them to you. Family is important.

6. Exodus 20:13 "You shall not murder."
Be content with all life. Life is sacred....My creation.

7. Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery."
Be content with your spouse, the one I picked for you.

8. Exodus 20:15 "You shall not steal."
Be content with what I have provided for you so far. Ownership is important. Accept gifts gratefully.

9. Exodus 20:16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
Be content with the truth. Be content with your position and status. Be open. Be vulnerable.

10. Exodus 20:17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Be content, even in your heart and mind. I am giving you what is best for you. I care about every aspect of your life. Be happy for your neighbors who have been blessed.

Mistaken for Jesus

An excerpt from a sermon I preached recently entitled “Mistaken for Jesus”:

“We’ve all done it, that is, we’ve been in a shopping mall or a crowded public venue, we spot someone across the way who looks hauntingly familiar. We say to ourselves, ‘I know this person’. As we make our way toward this familiar looking face, the resemblance grows even stronger. We finally get face to face with them, we call them by the name of the person whom we think it is only to discover that they are not who we thought they were. A simple case of mistaken identity.
As Christians we are implored to model ourselves after Jesus. As our King of Kings and Lord of Lords, he could have ordered for himself a luxurious palace, worn fine raiment, and had legions of servants waiting hand and foot. Instead he chose a humble lifestyle, a man without a home or personal possessions. He depended instead on the kindness and hospitality of friends and strangers alike. He hung out not with the high priests, nor the leaders of the chamber of commerce or with the elected politicians but rather with the likes of harlots, tax collectors and thieves. It wasn’t that he had much in common with them but rather they needed what he had to offer- love, compassion, understanding and forgiveness. His life was one of humility but full of unbridled grace and a remarkable sense of hope.
So I ask you, ‘Have you been mistaken lately for Jesus?’ ”

Another good resource

The Center for Church Based Training, www.ccbt.org, 1-888-422-2896. They offer books, seminars, and consulting to church leaders.
They assist local church leaders in providing spiritual training of every person entrusted to their care, as well as to provide opportunities to develop those who desire to serve in ministry leadership roles.
They publish the book "The Leadership Baton".

Men's Ministry Resources

http://www.gcumm.org/ – General Commission on United Methodist Men website; 1-866/297-4312; books, cd’s, dvd’s, UMM store, training, UMM ministries to children and youth.

http://www.promisekeepers.org/ – Promise Keepers website; 1-866/776-6473; books, cd’s, training, stadium events

http://www.ncmm.org/ – National Coalition of Men’s Ministries; a network of parachurch ministries and denominational ministries representing over half of the churches in America. Email updates, workshops.

http://www.disciplemen.org/ – Disciplemen website; gathering the world’s best men’s discipleship resources and leaders in a single location. Online courses, best practices and resources.

http://www.maninthemirror.org/ – Man in the Mirror website; offers books, courses, DVD’s, training and an e-newsletter, a partner with GCUMM. 1-800/929-2536

www.graceproductscorp.com/lettersfromdad - Letters from Dad, a partner with GCUMM. 1-972/437-6575; leaving a legacy of faith, hope and love; books, videos, training.

http://www.buildingbrothers.org/ – The Building Brothers Ministry website, helping men become free to passionately pursue God, a partner with GCUMM, offers training, books, videos, an e-newsletter.

http://www.buildingchurchleaders.com/ - Ministry to men; helping men become better fathers, husbands, sons, and followers of Jesus Christ. Books, courses, training, e-newsletter. 1-877/247-4787.

Other Resources

http://www.wnccumc.org/ - The Western N.C. Conference website; churches, pastors, districts, missions, ministries, calendar, an e-newsletter. 1-800/562-2260

http://www.umc.org/ – The national UMC website

http://www.barna.org/ -The Barna Organization that conducts surveys and gathers statistics about churches, the faith community, and religious issues. Offers an e-newsletter. 1-805/639-0000

http://www.sejumc.org/ -The Southeast Jurisdiction of the UMC, covers the SE US.

http://www.upperroom.org -The Upper Room website; national toll-free prayer line, Walk to Emmaus, devotional guides, books, training. Has email devotionals. 1-615/340-7200

http://www.umcor.org/ - The United Methodist Committee on Relief; our disaster agency, also fights global AIDS, world hunger, 3rd world missions. Has an e-newsletter. 1-800/554-8583

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ - Christianity Today magazine, offers a free daily email update. Books, music, training materials. 1-630/260-6200

http://www.faithintheworkplace.com/ - Faith in the Workplace magazine, free email updates. 1-630/260-6200

http://www.thehighercalling.org/ - Glorifying God in everyday life and work. News magazine, blogs, e-newsletter.

The Compelling Case for a New Model of Men's Ministry

In his book “Spiritual Fathers”, author Dan Schaffer writes, ‘In the last decades of the twentieth century the church was inundated with church growth strategies. However, during that same time the church’s collective impact on its people and on the culture shrank continuously.

In his book, The Bridger Generation, Thom S. Rainer takes a look back over the past 50 years in the Christian community. He found that 65% of “Builders” (born between 1910 and 1946), 35% of “Boomers” (born between 1947 and 1964), and 15% of “Busters” (born between 1965 and 1976) made professions of faith. Only 4% of “Bridgers” (born between 1977 and 1994) are projected to make professions of faith.

Following the Builders, or World War II generation, each generation has produces significantly less disciples than the preceding generation. What has happened? How did we go from a church that was impacting nearly two-thirds of the people in the culture to a church that now, after only 4 generations, is impacting only about 4% of the culture? It is clear that the current strategies for church growth are not resulting in churches that are fulfilling the call and mission of the church.’

If we fail to act now, in 50 years the Christian church in America as we now know it will be nearly extinct. America will resemble present-day England and Europe where abandoned churches are being converted to dance halls, pubs, and community centers.

Patrick Morley in his book, “No Man Left Behind”, writes, ‘Many leaders we talk to have expressed astonishment over the statistic from Barna Research that only 4% of Americans and 9% of born-again Christians hold a biblical worldview.

Given that the vast amount of money spent by the church each year- approximately $31 billion in 2001 (churches representing 49.4 million members)- one is tempted to ask, “What has the church been making, because it sure doesn’t seem like it has been making disciples?”

The consequences are staggering. A whopping 40% of the baby buster generation was raised by divorced or separated parents. Now the sins of the fathers are being visited on the next generation. Tonight, 33% of America’s 72 million children will go to bed in a home without a biological father. And 66% of them are not expected to live with both biological parents through age 18. We are now bearing the full brunt of our failure to disciple men.’

David Kinnaman of Barna Research in his paper, “The Secular Uprising”, states, ‘Christian leaders have always decried secularism and atheism. …this “no-faith” group … is now about 1 out of 10 adults, or roughly 20 million adults. …many atheists and agnostics maintain significant negative opinions about Christianity. Most believe that “radical Christianity” is as dangerous as radical Islam. Setting aside the accuracy of their perceptions for the moment, their mistrust of Christians makes it increasingly difficult to convey the message of Jesus.

A second reason it’s important to pay attention to atheists and agnostics is that they’re playing an even greater role among emerging generations. Among those in their 40’s or older, just 8% are self-identified atheists or agnostics. Among those in their 20’s and 30’s, twice as many admit to embracing a secular mindset (14%). Among those 18 to 22, one out of every five (19%) is an atheist or agnostic. This still may represent a minority of individuals, but the growing popularity of this perspective makes it a more prominent feature of the ministry landscape.’

Finally, Willow Creek Community Church, the mega-church in South Barrington, Illinois, founded and pastored by Bill Hybels, has been conducting congregational surveys since the early 1990’s.

Their research findings, known as Reveal, has surveyed over 157,000 congregants in more than 500 churches. The research classifies church attenders level of church activity/spiritual behaviors (tithing, evangelism, serving, etc.) as “low”, “medium”, or “high”. It measures spiritual growth as either “low”, “medium”, or “high”.

The correlation between the “level of church activity/spiritual behaviors” and “spiritual growth” was expected to be a direct linear one. Based on research results, however, the connection between church activity and spiritual growth appears to be limited. The research showed some increase in spiritual behaviors as participation in church activities increases, but very little correlation between low-medium-high levels of participation and increasing “love for God, love for people”. Those who were most active in the church did not necessarily report higher levels of spiritual attitudes than those less active.

The study puts all congregants in one of four segments of a Spiritual Continuum: “Exploring Christianity”, “Growing in Christ”, “Close to Christ”, and “Christ-centered”. In addition to the four Spiritual Continuum segments, a large group of people in the two upper segments (“Close to Christ” and “Christ-centered”) were “stalled or dissatisfied” in their spiritual growth. These two “stalled or dissatisfied” groups make up 26% of the total sample. Their comments were similar to “I believe in Christ, but I haven’t grown much lately” or “My faith is central to my life and I’m trying to grow, but my church is letting me down”. Even more alarming, a quarter of the “stalled” segment and 63% of the “dissatisfied” segment contemplated leaving the church.

There are other alarming statistics:
In America there are 113 million men age 15 or older (est. 2003). Of those, 69 million do not know Christ; 44 million do. Of the 44 million, only 6 million are being discipled, 38 million are not.

So then, what happens when the church does not make disciples? There are 72 million children under the age of 18 in America. Tonight, 33% of them will go to bed in a home without a biological father. 40% of first marriages end in divorce affecting one million children each year. 33% of all children are born out of wedlock.

Let’s look at men who are in the church. For every 10 men in the church:
9 will have children who leave the church.
8 will not find their jobs satisfying.
6 will pay the monthly minimum on their credit cards.
5 will have a major problem with pornography.
4 will get divorced, affecting one million children each year.
1 will have a biblical worldview.
All 10 will struggle to balance work and family.

It’s time to get busy and make disciples for Jesus Christ.