On May 19 I wrote an article on my blog about a painful workout machine at my gym called the lat pull. In that article I described the pain that I went through while using it. I also discussed how the only reason I continued using it was in hope of someday becoming stronger. I since learned that the correct name for this torture device was a chest press. But that didn't change the fact that it put me through lots of pain.
One of the worst parts about using the chest press is that I go through four sets of fifteen reps. From a seated position I have to push out a bar that has a certain amount of weight (in my case 50 pounds) attached to it. A few weeks after joining the gym the first two sets weren't really that hard to accomplish, but as I began my third set it would get a lot harder. Repetitions eleven through fifteen in the third set would take almost all of the energy out of me. So the fourth set is almost impossible to finish without stopping to rest. For a long time I couldn't get past the tenth repetition of that set without stopping.
Every time I worked out on the chest press I dreamed of the day that I could finish all four sets without taking a break to rest in the middle of one. I knew that stopping in the middle of an exercise made the workout a lot less effective. But at the same time my body could not physically finish the sets on it's own. So I decided to initiate a growth plan that my body could accomplish. Every time I worked out on the chest press my goal was to do one more repetition than last time.
I had a clear set goal of finishing all four sets on the chest press without stopping. But that goal was too large, so I was forced to set up the small goal of doing one better than last time. I wasn't always able to accomplish that goal. But after a few weeks the chest press started becoming easier to handle. I still wasn't able to finish the last set without a break to rest. But I began by being able to finish the second set without stopping. A few weeks later the third set started to seem easier and soon I was able to fight through it without quitting.
I can remember the day that I actually got up to the eleventh rep in my fourth set very clearly. Every time before that I had always quit after number ten. Then last week I actually got up to number thirteen! The goal of finishing strong was closer than ever before. I tried to finish the last set Monday but was unable to. I took some extra time walking over to the chest press for the fourth set this afternoon. I settled in and waited a few seconds thinking about what I wanted to do and took a deep breath before beginning. I got to thirteen and felt like there was no strength left, but somehow I finished the last two reps. It wasn't pretty but I had accomplished my goal!
I wasn't able to finish the second set without stopping when I started working out. There were times when I would quit at ten and not even try to do fifteen reps. Those days it seemed impossible that I would ever finish the first ten reps in my last set, much less finish it without resting. Since that goal was overwhelming to me I set a smaller goal that was achievable. And slowly I made that goal harder and harder to achieve. Finishing the second set without resting turned into finishing the third. And finishing the third became getting past the tenth rep in the fourth set, which became getting to thirteen, and then I achieved the impossible goal.
It is easy to become overwhelmed when we face challenges. It is important when facing them to break them into smaller things which we can accomplish. The majority of growth is done slowly one step at a time. So setting lots of small goals instead of one massive one would be the best way to accomplish our dreams. Of course once you meet those goals you have to set other small ones in order to continue growth. That's why in a few weeks I will change the weight from 50 to 60 pounds and begin doing battle with the dreaded chest press once again.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Five Important Minutes
The month of June has been a missions emphasis at the church I attend in Australia. As part of this focus one Sunday was devoted to the church becoming a home base for missions. This included things such as discpling Believers, training leaders, and sending out missionaries. The Friday before my pastor called and explained that he wanted to have illustrations of how the local church can train leaders. He asked if I could give a brief five or six minute overview of how the Bible College trains individuals through it's distance education program.
My pastor was very apologetic about only giving me five minutes and promised to let me come do a full ministry presentation soon. But the fact that it was only five minutes didn't really bother me. I was excited about having this opportunity to talk about the passion that God placed upon my heart. I did pray though that God would use the words that I said in those five minutes to make people think about taking classes.
I was nervous during the morning service sharing with others the CTT (Church Based Theological Training) ministry. Having only a few minutes made me think a lot about what I was going to say, and how I could say it in the best way possible. The day before I had remembered my favourite professor in College. What made him so influential in my life was his passionate teaching style in class. But he was also a mentor who was constantly giving advice to me along with other students. And not only that but he was a friend as well. This professor is one of the few I know of who would actually sit and eat with the students.
That Sunday morning I talked about that college professor who made an impact upon my life. And how that was what I desired for the CTT ministry to become. I ended by saying that I would love to become a teacher, mentor, and friend to any of them who desired training. It felt good to share with the church the passion of my heart. But I didn't feel as if a five minute story would spark any real interest. After the service a man from the church began asking questions about the classes that I would be teaching. He also asked for more information about the classes and showed interest in doing on in the future. This was exciting because up until that time nobody had expressed much interest in the classes.
That afternoon while eating lunch at the pastors house I had the chance to have a good ten minute conversation about the classes that I would be teaching. Another gentleman there began asking questions about what was taught and allowed me to describe my vision for the classes in more detail. While he did not express interest in taking a class he did ask a lot of questions about them. I could see him taking a class in the future if he has the time.
That Friday night I went to a Bible study that was held at a church members house. After the devotional and prayer time was finished the husband asked me in front of six other people if I would begin discipling him once a week! This would not be done using Bible College material but is still a wonderful teaching opportunity.
In less than a week two individuals showed interest in taking one of my classes at the Bible College, and another asked me to disciple him. I can't help but think that happened as a result of my five minute testimony about having a passion for discipleship. My prayer now is that God's Will would be done in this situation. It would be a great encouragement if one of the men who expressed interest would start taking a class from the college. But even if that does not happen I am still amazed with what God could do with five short minutes.
My pastor was very apologetic about only giving me five minutes and promised to let me come do a full ministry presentation soon. But the fact that it was only five minutes didn't really bother me. I was excited about having this opportunity to talk about the passion that God placed upon my heart. I did pray though that God would use the words that I said in those five minutes to make people think about taking classes.
I was nervous during the morning service sharing with others the CTT (Church Based Theological Training) ministry. Having only a few minutes made me think a lot about what I was going to say, and how I could say it in the best way possible. The day before I had remembered my favourite professor in College. What made him so influential in my life was his passionate teaching style in class. But he was also a mentor who was constantly giving advice to me along with other students. And not only that but he was a friend as well. This professor is one of the few I know of who would actually sit and eat with the students.
That Sunday morning I talked about that college professor who made an impact upon my life. And how that was what I desired for the CTT ministry to become. I ended by saying that I would love to become a teacher, mentor, and friend to any of them who desired training. It felt good to share with the church the passion of my heart. But I didn't feel as if a five minute story would spark any real interest. After the service a man from the church began asking questions about the classes that I would be teaching. He also asked for more information about the classes and showed interest in doing on in the future. This was exciting because up until that time nobody had expressed much interest in the classes.
That afternoon while eating lunch at the pastors house I had the chance to have a good ten minute conversation about the classes that I would be teaching. Another gentleman there began asking questions about what was taught and allowed me to describe my vision for the classes in more detail. While he did not express interest in taking a class he did ask a lot of questions about them. I could see him taking a class in the future if he has the time.
That Friday night I went to a Bible study that was held at a church members house. After the devotional and prayer time was finished the husband asked me in front of six other people if I would begin discipling him once a week! This would not be done using Bible College material but is still a wonderful teaching opportunity.
In less than a week two individuals showed interest in taking one of my classes at the Bible College, and another asked me to disciple him. I can't help but think that happened as a result of my five minute testimony about having a passion for discipleship. My prayer now is that God's Will would be done in this situation. It would be a great encouragement if one of the men who expressed interest would start taking a class from the college. But even if that does not happen I am still amazed with what God could do with five short minutes.
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Sin of Embarrassment
This morning I read something that made me think about failure. While that is not a very positive subject that people enjoy thinking about I am glad that I did. Because it made me realise how many of us turn mistakes or failure into something much more serious than it really is. The statement that made me start viewing embarrassing mistakes differently was, “at the end of our lives, we'll regret opportunities missed a lot more than mistakes made.”1
The article continues to show proof from two sociologists. They did a study on regret and how it changes over time. According to the study over short term we tend to regret our actions. These are things such as mistakes, failures, or anything else that will embarrass us. But years later we regret inaction. This would be avoiding a hard or scary situation because we were afraid of failure. These statements are backed up by the results of their study. Over the course of an average week regrets for actions outnumber regrets for inaction 53 percent to 47 percent. But when people look at their life as a whole, inaction regrets outnumber action regrets 84 percent to 16 percent!2
Nobody enjoys failing or making themselves look foolish. But it seems as if making a mistake has sort of become an unpardonable sin that must be avoided at all costs. Maybe we fear failure a little too much. Because the regret of failure, though painful at the time, will only last for a little while. This doesn't mean we should go around doing things with little or no preparation. It does mean we should be willing to fail.
Why do we fear failure or making a mistake so much? It is probably because of the embarrassment that comes when we do those things. Last Sunday I was running the power point for a church that was having it's organisational service. People from Churches all around came for this special occasion. About ten minutes before the service the pastor began working with the laptop and I jumped up to help him. About that time I tripped on a chair and came very close to doing a face plant on the floor! The noise from the people let me know that everyone had seen my lack of coordination. So I did what just about every man does in the situation and acted like nothing happened!
After the service was over I moved very slowly past the chairs and looked where I was stepping to keep from tripping again. It is funny how small embarrassing experiences have such an impact on us. But those same experiences can be used to help us learn important lessons. They can make us strong, wise, mature Believers. Yes the lessons can sometimes be painful to learn. But in the long run they help us immensely.
Interestingly I read from another book this morning an anonymous poem that goes perfectly with the article. “There was a very cautious man, who never laughed or cried. He never risked, he never lost, he never won or tried. And when he one day passed away, his insurance was denied, for since he never really lived, the claimed he never died.3” Failure is something painful. But the pain of a foolish mistake will be nothing compared to the regret of a life spent avoiding risks.
1Catalyst, Courageous in Calling, pg. 25, “Chase the Lion” par.1
2Catalyst, Courageous in Calling, pg. 25, “Chase the Lion” par.2
3Peter Irvine, Win In Business, pg.107, par.3,ln.3
The article continues to show proof from two sociologists. They did a study on regret and how it changes over time. According to the study over short term we tend to regret our actions. These are things such as mistakes, failures, or anything else that will embarrass us. But years later we regret inaction. This would be avoiding a hard or scary situation because we were afraid of failure. These statements are backed up by the results of their study. Over the course of an average week regrets for actions outnumber regrets for inaction 53 percent to 47 percent. But when people look at their life as a whole, inaction regrets outnumber action regrets 84 percent to 16 percent!2
Nobody enjoys failing or making themselves look foolish. But it seems as if making a mistake has sort of become an unpardonable sin that must be avoided at all costs. Maybe we fear failure a little too much. Because the regret of failure, though painful at the time, will only last for a little while. This doesn't mean we should go around doing things with little or no preparation. It does mean we should be willing to fail.
Why do we fear failure or making a mistake so much? It is probably because of the embarrassment that comes when we do those things. Last Sunday I was running the power point for a church that was having it's organisational service. People from Churches all around came for this special occasion. About ten minutes before the service the pastor began working with the laptop and I jumped up to help him. About that time I tripped on a chair and came very close to doing a face plant on the floor! The noise from the people let me know that everyone had seen my lack of coordination. So I did what just about every man does in the situation and acted like nothing happened!
After the service was over I moved very slowly past the chairs and looked where I was stepping to keep from tripping again. It is funny how small embarrassing experiences have such an impact on us. But those same experiences can be used to help us learn important lessons. They can make us strong, wise, mature Believers. Yes the lessons can sometimes be painful to learn. But in the long run they help us immensely.
Interestingly I read from another book this morning an anonymous poem that goes perfectly with the article. “There was a very cautious man, who never laughed or cried. He never risked, he never lost, he never won or tried. And when he one day passed away, his insurance was denied, for since he never really lived, the claimed he never died.3” Failure is something painful. But the pain of a foolish mistake will be nothing compared to the regret of a life spent avoiding risks.
1Catalyst, Courageous in Calling, pg. 25, “Chase the Lion” par.1
2Catalyst, Courageous in Calling, pg. 25, “Chase the Lion” par.2
3Peter Irvine, Win In Business, pg.107, par.3,ln.3
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Free Discipleship
God has given me the wonderful opportunity to serve him at a bible college in Melbourne, Australia. I really enjoy teaching classes on campus, but my passion is in the classes that are taught at local Baptist Churches. The college has a distance education program where an individual (usually me) meets with small groups of Believers in churches once a week. The students will be discipled using college level material that can later be used for class credit if they are interested in pursuing further studies.
The material itself is good. But it is the small group type setting that I think really makes these classes great. It gives people the opportunity to be taught truth, but also discuss what is taught, apply it to their lives, ask hard questions about it, and get clarification. These small groups also minister to the emotional needs of students for acceptance, encouragement, and comfort. The relationships developed in these situations are great sources of help for both the teacher and students as well.
In January I taught a young man named Tim using the colleges discipleship program for a few weeks. His pastor had begun teaching the class but was too busy to continue. Since the lesson was pretty basic I decided to spend some time learning more about Tim the first time we met. Within about five minutes he started talking to me about a serious struggle he was going through. Tim had become married while unsaved and although he accepted Christ as his Savior, his wife had not. A month before that class she left him. What made things so hard for Tim was that he still loved her and wanted to reconcile their problems. But she was not interested in being married to him any more. The fact that they had a little girl didn't make things any easier.
In my classes with Tim we spent time covering the lesson. But we also spent a lot of time talking about what God wanted him to do. And about the love he still had for his wife. I realised that Tim simply needed someone who he could talk to about the struggles he was experiencing. And that class gave him the opportunity to do that. There was one other student in the class but he was well aware of the situation, and helped me encourage Tim.
At the end of four weeks the class was finished. I honestly wanted to continue teaching Tim because the truth of Scripture would be a great source of strength to him. But I knew that having a place to talk about his emotions was helpful as well. Inwardly I prayed that he would take another class so that we could continue meeting together.
In May my prayers were answered when Tim's pastor said he was making plans for the next class. I talked to the pastor about the situation and learned that Tim needed good christian friends more than ever before. There was a great desire in my heart to start the next class that very week! But sadly the class still has not begun.
Tim has an outstanding bill from the previous class that he took at the Bible College. And of course he will not be allowed to take another class until he has paid the balance of his first one. This does not upset me because it is a wise move on the part of the Bible College. If payment for classes was not demanded, then students could take classes without paying at all! And the college deserves payment for the good quality education that are received by the students.
What bothers me is the fact that Tim may not be able to pay his bill. Currently the Australian economy is lower than it has been in some time. And many people in Melbourne are having a hard time paying for groceries or petrol (gasoline). In a hard financial time it is very probable that Tim won't have the money necessary to continue taking classes. Maybe he would have enough to pay his outstanding bill, but not enough for the next class.
I feel with all of my heart that Tim needs to continue taking bible college classes. They would minister to his spiritual needs by pointing him to Christ as the one true source of hope. And they would also give him the encouragement and strength he needs at this time. But I will not go against the colleges rules about students paying their bills. So by God's grace I will do the next best thing. In a few weeks I will begin meeting with Tim again and discipling him using my own books and Bible studies. These meetings will be totally separate from my Bible college responsibilities, and will in now way use the colleges material. This probably will put a lot more work on me, but I feel that those in need should be ministered with the Word of God, even if you have to do it for free.
The material itself is good. But it is the small group type setting that I think really makes these classes great. It gives people the opportunity to be taught truth, but also discuss what is taught, apply it to their lives, ask hard questions about it, and get clarification. These small groups also minister to the emotional needs of students for acceptance, encouragement, and comfort. The relationships developed in these situations are great sources of help for both the teacher and students as well.
In January I taught a young man named Tim using the colleges discipleship program for a few weeks. His pastor had begun teaching the class but was too busy to continue. Since the lesson was pretty basic I decided to spend some time learning more about Tim the first time we met. Within about five minutes he started talking to me about a serious struggle he was going through. Tim had become married while unsaved and although he accepted Christ as his Savior, his wife had not. A month before that class she left him. What made things so hard for Tim was that he still loved her and wanted to reconcile their problems. But she was not interested in being married to him any more. The fact that they had a little girl didn't make things any easier.
In my classes with Tim we spent time covering the lesson. But we also spent a lot of time talking about what God wanted him to do. And about the love he still had for his wife. I realised that Tim simply needed someone who he could talk to about the struggles he was experiencing. And that class gave him the opportunity to do that. There was one other student in the class but he was well aware of the situation, and helped me encourage Tim.
At the end of four weeks the class was finished. I honestly wanted to continue teaching Tim because the truth of Scripture would be a great source of strength to him. But I knew that having a place to talk about his emotions was helpful as well. Inwardly I prayed that he would take another class so that we could continue meeting together.
In May my prayers were answered when Tim's pastor said he was making plans for the next class. I talked to the pastor about the situation and learned that Tim needed good christian friends more than ever before. There was a great desire in my heart to start the next class that very week! But sadly the class still has not begun.
Tim has an outstanding bill from the previous class that he took at the Bible College. And of course he will not be allowed to take another class until he has paid the balance of his first one. This does not upset me because it is a wise move on the part of the Bible College. If payment for classes was not demanded, then students could take classes without paying at all! And the college deserves payment for the good quality education that are received by the students.
What bothers me is the fact that Tim may not be able to pay his bill. Currently the Australian economy is lower than it has been in some time. And many people in Melbourne are having a hard time paying for groceries or petrol (gasoline). In a hard financial time it is very probable that Tim won't have the money necessary to continue taking classes. Maybe he would have enough to pay his outstanding bill, but not enough for the next class.
I feel with all of my heart that Tim needs to continue taking bible college classes. They would minister to his spiritual needs by pointing him to Christ as the one true source of hope. And they would also give him the encouragement and strength he needs at this time. But I will not go against the colleges rules about students paying their bills. So by God's grace I will do the next best thing. In a few weeks I will begin meeting with Tim again and discipling him using my own books and Bible studies. These meetings will be totally separate from my Bible college responsibilities, and will in now way use the colleges material. This probably will put a lot more work on me, but I feel that those in need should be ministered with the Word of God, even if you have to do it for free.
Monday, June 16, 2008
A Wooden Stage and a Door
This month is a missions emphasis at Grace Baptist, the church I attend in Australia. The special events include a fellowship dinner after church where people bring kinds of food that can be found in foreign countries. I was going to bring biscuits and sausage gravy as an American dish but thought better of it. My pastor brought up the possibility of having some teenagers and young adults perform a short drama or skit during the dinner. Because he knew I was interested in that kind of thing he asked me to do it.
Immediately I began thinking about a large wooden stage that is found in the chapel of Piedmont Baptist College. I graduated from Piedmont with a bachelor of arts degree in 1999 and a Masters in 2003. I have some wonderful memories from my time there. But the best ones involved that wooden stage. Because for almost five years that was my stage.
I started doing short skit announcements on that stage in my Sophomore year of College. Those simple skit announcements turned into elaborate performances. I quoted The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe from that stage, as well as the Road Less Travelled by Robert Frost. I performed fake wrestling manuevers from that stage. I recited a love poem that I had personally written from that stage! But beyond a doubt my greatest memory was being part of a dinner theatre production there.
Every year the Junior class of my college has a dinner theatre that includes a nice meal. It is followed by an hour and a half to two hour play (almost always a comedy). More than anything I wanted to be part of the dinner theatre but only students were allowed to be actors. Since I had already graduated and was on staff it was not possible to act in the drama. But during my last year working at the college the director gave me a part.
I will never forget the feeling that I had backstage that night. It was a strange mixture of fear, adrenaline, excitement, worry, and frustration all at once. I can still remember standing behind the door that I would walk through when entering the stage. As the lights went down for actors to go off stage I closed my eyes and savoured the moment. The lights came on and for a brief second I stood there at the door trying to calm my nerves and pounding heart. I held my breath, reminded myself for the thousandth time to say my lines slowly, and turned the knob. The night was a huge success! That was the last time I did anything on the stage but I couldn't think of a better way to go out.
Now after all of this rambling you are probably wondering if I have a point. What I have just written clearly shows that I am passionate about acting. I can't guarantee that I was the best actor at that dinner theatre, but I can guarantee that I enjoyed it more than anyone else. Yet I have not become involved in much acting since that that night in 2003. I still do tell jokes and stories to entertain people. And I would take part in a Christmas or Easter play if asked. But acting wasn't something that I was actively involved in.
Why is it that I don't do something that my heart is so passionate about? To put it simply my love of acting was drowned out by needs and crisis situations of every day life. There are more important things to spend my time on than directing a skit or taking part in a play. So I put it off until later. Oh I still remembered the wooden stage and the dinner theatre. But I sort of “buried” my passion to act and direct so that I could focus on more pressing matters.
We are all passionate about something. And most of us bury it in the sand because we don't have the time or energy to pursue it. But taking the time to dig that thing up and do it can help us greatly. Being asked to put together a skit for the missions banquet reminded me how much I love acting. And it filled me with that same adrenaline, fear, anxiety feeling I had backstage in 2003. I sure did miss that feeling.
Immediately I began thinking about a large wooden stage that is found in the chapel of Piedmont Baptist College. I graduated from Piedmont with a bachelor of arts degree in 1999 and a Masters in 2003. I have some wonderful memories from my time there. But the best ones involved that wooden stage. Because for almost five years that was my stage.
I started doing short skit announcements on that stage in my Sophomore year of College. Those simple skit announcements turned into elaborate performances. I quoted The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe from that stage, as well as the Road Less Travelled by Robert Frost. I performed fake wrestling manuevers from that stage. I recited a love poem that I had personally written from that stage! But beyond a doubt my greatest memory was being part of a dinner theatre production there.
Every year the Junior class of my college has a dinner theatre that includes a nice meal. It is followed by an hour and a half to two hour play (almost always a comedy). More than anything I wanted to be part of the dinner theatre but only students were allowed to be actors. Since I had already graduated and was on staff it was not possible to act in the drama. But during my last year working at the college the director gave me a part.
I will never forget the feeling that I had backstage that night. It was a strange mixture of fear, adrenaline, excitement, worry, and frustration all at once. I can still remember standing behind the door that I would walk through when entering the stage. As the lights went down for actors to go off stage I closed my eyes and savoured the moment. The lights came on and for a brief second I stood there at the door trying to calm my nerves and pounding heart. I held my breath, reminded myself for the thousandth time to say my lines slowly, and turned the knob. The night was a huge success! That was the last time I did anything on the stage but I couldn't think of a better way to go out.
Now after all of this rambling you are probably wondering if I have a point. What I have just written clearly shows that I am passionate about acting. I can't guarantee that I was the best actor at that dinner theatre, but I can guarantee that I enjoyed it more than anyone else. Yet I have not become involved in much acting since that that night in 2003. I still do tell jokes and stories to entertain people. And I would take part in a Christmas or Easter play if asked. But acting wasn't something that I was actively involved in.
Why is it that I don't do something that my heart is so passionate about? To put it simply my love of acting was drowned out by needs and crisis situations of every day life. There are more important things to spend my time on than directing a skit or taking part in a play. So I put it off until later. Oh I still remembered the wooden stage and the dinner theatre. But I sort of “buried” my passion to act and direct so that I could focus on more pressing matters.
We are all passionate about something. And most of us bury it in the sand because we don't have the time or energy to pursue it. But taking the time to dig that thing up and do it can help us greatly. Being asked to put together a skit for the missions banquet reminded me how much I love acting. And it filled me with that same adrenaline, fear, anxiety feeling I had backstage in 2003. I sure did miss that feeling.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
A Long Wait for Coffee
I had to wait longer than usual for my coffee this morning. Actually my whole routine of getting a coffee at a local Gloria Jeans, and drinking it there while studying at one of their tables was thrown off. I noticed something strange when a large crowd of people had gathered around outside. Inside it was absolutely packed so I decided to come back later after doing some shopping. About an hour later I returned to find people lined out the door. On a normal Friday I can almost immediately walk up and place my order. This morning there were six people in front of me! What usually took about three to five minutes instead took fifteen.
What could possibly make such a dramatic change in the amount of people visiting this coffee shop? They were giving out free samples of coffee at a table outside. Also in honor of it being Friday the 13th they decorated the shop with cobwebs and halloween decorations. While the servers were all dressed in halloween costumes.
As I stood waiting for my coffee I began to think about what brought all of those people there. For most of them the answer would be a small sample of coffee that was given to them outside. But small cups of coffee alone should not bring in that many people, so it wasn't just about the coffee. The large crowds came because they were being given something that they wanted.
What I witnessed this morning illustrates an important truth. Offer people what they want, and they will come to you. Applied this truth challenges companies to find out what their consumers want, and then give it to them. In this case of course the people who were shopping this morning wanted to actually sample the coffee that was prepared inside for free. I imagine many people after drinking that free sample went inside and paid more than $3.00 for a coffee.
Companies all around the world apply this simple truth. That is why suggestion boxes can be found in many restaurants or coffee shops. To find out what the customers want from the business. And if those suggestions aren't too hard to implement many times they lead to changes being made. As I stood waiting for my coffee this morning another thought crossed my mind. What would happen if churches actually offered to individuals what they wanted?
Now allow me to explain what I am saying. It is not my belief that churches should give unsaved people a questionnaire about how the church should change, or ask them what they want church to be. Neither should the church ask their members what they want to have. Both of these actions will lead to a consumer religion where people will attend the church as long as it gives them what they want. This also leans towards a management type approach to church ministry.
Each of us has certain desires in our hearts. A desire to be loved, a desire to feel safe, a desire to be satisfied. Each of these desires will find their ultimate fulfilment only in Jesus Christ. But we can be used as vessels to meet those desires in an incomplete way. What would it be like if we offered to the unsaved a place where they would feel loved and accepted? What would be the result if they were connected with loving Believers who helped them in times of need? How would the react if we treated them with respect and dignity?
Sometimes we get the idea that an outreach ministry has to be elaborate with flashy lights and video presentations. While the large scale outreaches do succeed things don't have to be that complicated. All it took to bring customers to Gloria Jeans was a table with coffee, coffee plunger, milk, and a lady who served it. It was incredibly simple yet lots of people came. As I walked away with a well earned cup of coffee this morning (I never got my table) I began to think about how this principle of management could be applied to a discipleship ministry. There has to be a balance between becoming a spiritual McDonald's and ignoring the needs of others.
What could possibly make such a dramatic change in the amount of people visiting this coffee shop? They were giving out free samples of coffee at a table outside. Also in honor of it being Friday the 13th they decorated the shop with cobwebs and halloween decorations. While the servers were all dressed in halloween costumes.
As I stood waiting for my coffee I began to think about what brought all of those people there. For most of them the answer would be a small sample of coffee that was given to them outside. But small cups of coffee alone should not bring in that many people, so it wasn't just about the coffee. The large crowds came because they were being given something that they wanted.
What I witnessed this morning illustrates an important truth. Offer people what they want, and they will come to you. Applied this truth challenges companies to find out what their consumers want, and then give it to them. In this case of course the people who were shopping this morning wanted to actually sample the coffee that was prepared inside for free. I imagine many people after drinking that free sample went inside and paid more than $3.00 for a coffee.
Companies all around the world apply this simple truth. That is why suggestion boxes can be found in many restaurants or coffee shops. To find out what the customers want from the business. And if those suggestions aren't too hard to implement many times they lead to changes being made. As I stood waiting for my coffee this morning another thought crossed my mind. What would happen if churches actually offered to individuals what they wanted?
Now allow me to explain what I am saying. It is not my belief that churches should give unsaved people a questionnaire about how the church should change, or ask them what they want church to be. Neither should the church ask their members what they want to have. Both of these actions will lead to a consumer religion where people will attend the church as long as it gives them what they want. This also leans towards a management type approach to church ministry.
Each of us has certain desires in our hearts. A desire to be loved, a desire to feel safe, a desire to be satisfied. Each of these desires will find their ultimate fulfilment only in Jesus Christ. But we can be used as vessels to meet those desires in an incomplete way. What would it be like if we offered to the unsaved a place where they would feel loved and accepted? What would be the result if they were connected with loving Believers who helped them in times of need? How would the react if we treated them with respect and dignity?
Sometimes we get the idea that an outreach ministry has to be elaborate with flashy lights and video presentations. While the large scale outreaches do succeed things don't have to be that complicated. All it took to bring customers to Gloria Jeans was a table with coffee, coffee plunger, milk, and a lady who served it. It was incredibly simple yet lots of people came. As I walked away with a well earned cup of coffee this morning (I never got my table) I began to think about how this principle of management could be applied to a discipleship ministry. There has to be a balance between becoming a spiritual McDonald's and ignoring the needs of others.
Relational Teaching
Those of you who receive my prayer letters know that I have a passion for teaching. This passion comes from a burden that God has placed upon my heart for discipleship. Since mid March I have had the wonderful blessing of teaching a student at the Bible College where I minister two days a week. That opportunity was a great encouragement to me because it showed that passion truly did come from God. It was also encouraging to know that God was giving me an opportunity to live out that passion.
In the view of most people teaching just means the transfer of information. But I feel that teaching should be more of a mentorship type of ministry. This includes developing a relationship with the student, applying the truth that is taught to the students life, getting the student to interact in the learning process, and helping the student in times of need among other things. This kind of teaching style is not carried out much because it is almost impossible to implement in large groups. But having only one student made the mentorship philosophy easy to attempt.
My student is a young man named Jonathan Wolfe. He is only eighteen but shows more maturity than most adults I know. On Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings I will pick him up from a local train station at 8:39. Then after classes have ended I drop him off at another train station around 2:00 in the afternoon. While I greatly enjoy my time teaching Jonathan, I feel those rides to the college and train station have made a greater impact.
During those rides we have discussed the doctrine of election, foreknowledge, and atonement. We talked about the difference between a Calvinist and a hyper Calvinist. But it wasn't all theological discussion. We talked a lot about cars and the stunts that he attempts with a friend on their bikes. We discussed the great sports of Aussie rules football, and rugby. We shared stories of good times with friends, and laughed at some jokes.
During those trips and over lunch at the college we have talked about more serious issues. Such as American and Australian politics (he is extremely conservative), the prices of oil and gasoline, the differences in our two cultures, and historical events. This week in class we discussed in detail the subject of confronting other Believers in Christ. Among other things we asked when should confrontation take place?, how does God want it to take place?, what are the different views of confrontation?, and is confrontation Biblical since God is the only true judge? (that was just Wednesday!).
All of this connection and discussion have developed the beginnings of a close friendship between us. In May I attended a youth rally where teens from churches in the area gathered for a day of fun and teaching. When I got there a basketball game had already started with what appeared to be about twenty to twenty-five teenagers. I had barely stepped onto the court before Jonathan walked over and shook my hand. Then three times he said loud enough for all of his friends to hear, “this is my teacher”.
My time with Jonathan has reminded me that teaching involves more than just giving information. It involves becoming a part of the persons life and ministering to their needs. I am pretty sure that he would not have been so excited to see me if I had just taught the facts. I thank God for allowing me to become part of Jonathan's life. And pray that he will allow me to do the same for many others.
In the view of most people teaching just means the transfer of information. But I feel that teaching should be more of a mentorship type of ministry. This includes developing a relationship with the student, applying the truth that is taught to the students life, getting the student to interact in the learning process, and helping the student in times of need among other things. This kind of teaching style is not carried out much because it is almost impossible to implement in large groups. But having only one student made the mentorship philosophy easy to attempt.
My student is a young man named Jonathan Wolfe. He is only eighteen but shows more maturity than most adults I know. On Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings I will pick him up from a local train station at 8:39. Then after classes have ended I drop him off at another train station around 2:00 in the afternoon. While I greatly enjoy my time teaching Jonathan, I feel those rides to the college and train station have made a greater impact.
During those rides we have discussed the doctrine of election, foreknowledge, and atonement. We talked about the difference between a Calvinist and a hyper Calvinist. But it wasn't all theological discussion. We talked a lot about cars and the stunts that he attempts with a friend on their bikes. We discussed the great sports of Aussie rules football, and rugby. We shared stories of good times with friends, and laughed at some jokes.
During those trips and over lunch at the college we have talked about more serious issues. Such as American and Australian politics (he is extremely conservative), the prices of oil and gasoline, the differences in our two cultures, and historical events. This week in class we discussed in detail the subject of confronting other Believers in Christ. Among other things we asked when should confrontation take place?, how does God want it to take place?, what are the different views of confrontation?, and is confrontation Biblical since God is the only true judge? (that was just Wednesday!).
All of this connection and discussion have developed the beginnings of a close friendship between us. In May I attended a youth rally where teens from churches in the area gathered for a day of fun and teaching. When I got there a basketball game had already started with what appeared to be about twenty to twenty-five teenagers. I had barely stepped onto the court before Jonathan walked over and shook my hand. Then three times he said loud enough for all of his friends to hear, “this is my teacher”.
My time with Jonathan has reminded me that teaching involves more than just giving information. It involves becoming a part of the persons life and ministering to their needs. I am pretty sure that he would not have been so excited to see me if I had just taught the facts. I thank God for allowing me to become part of Jonathan's life. And pray that he will allow me to do the same for many others.
Worth the Wait
When I came to Australia in 2007 I was worried about many things. Fortunately my finances was not one of them. The American dollar has always been more powerful than the Australian dollar. In 2004 the exchange rate was around 55 cents so that you would receive almost two Aussie dollars for every one from the US. By the time I arrived it had risen to 77 cents, but it still helped to gain extra money on the funds I transferred from America.
Today the exchange rate has risen to 96 cents and it is almost guaranteed that the dollars will be even by the end of the year. There is even talk of the American dollar becoming weaker than the Australian. This is a hard time financially for missionaries here who receive funds from the states. Especially those who are paying mortgages on houses. But in the midst of the financial turmoil I am incredibly blessed by God, and have no problems with money.
I have a business account here that pays the expenses that relate to my ministry (and are therefore non taxable). Upon arrival in Australia I made plans to transfer money from my Baptist Mid Missions account in Cleveland Ohio to the business account. The funds would be used to purchase items I needed to have such as a car, computer, and furnishings for my house. This is usually a fairly large amount of money and is referred to as outfit and passage.
Outfit and passage is crucial for a new missionary. So it is very important to make sure that you raise enough money to pay for necessities. Horror stories are told of missionaries who raise too little and have a very hard time surviving on the field. Because of this I contacted the Australian Missionaries in early 2007 and asked if I had raised enough money to get started. Their answer made me very nervous. The estimate that I had been given was $4,000.00 to $5,000.00 to little! I was encouraged to use the entire amount of the estimate on a car alone!
I can still remember the sinking feeling of depression I had while reading that e-mail. It had taken a very long time to raise the amount of funds that where in my account already. To raise another $5,000.00 seemed impossible! But I knew that God would be faithful to provide the finances that I needed. And though it took longer for me to leave for Australia, plenty of money was raised in my account.
In February 2007 I was faced with the decision of how much money to transfer from my account in the US. I was tempted to request the smallest amount possible because the funds themselves would be taxable income. But after wrestling with it mentally I decided to bring in more money than I would actually need for Outfit and Passage. The extra money would be used in emergencies.
Today that extra money is still in my business account, and I thank God for it. I can now clearly see that he was preparing me for this time in Australian history before I left the United States. He led me to contact the missionaries to see if I had raised enough money. He provided the extra finances for my outfit and passage so I could live comfortably in Australia. He laid it upon my heart to transfer more than enough money.
Each one of those instances, finding out I need to raise a lot more money, having to delay my departure, and bringing over a large amount of taxable income were discouraging situations for me. And in each of those situations I was not terribly excited about doing God's Will. But today I can look back at those situations and thank God for them. For it is because of those experiences that I can have peace in my heart even though the American dollar is weaker than it has been in the last eighteen years.
Today the exchange rate has risen to 96 cents and it is almost guaranteed that the dollars will be even by the end of the year. There is even talk of the American dollar becoming weaker than the Australian. This is a hard time financially for missionaries here who receive funds from the states. Especially those who are paying mortgages on houses. But in the midst of the financial turmoil I am incredibly blessed by God, and have no problems with money.
I have a business account here that pays the expenses that relate to my ministry (and are therefore non taxable). Upon arrival in Australia I made plans to transfer money from my Baptist Mid Missions account in Cleveland Ohio to the business account. The funds would be used to purchase items I needed to have such as a car, computer, and furnishings for my house. This is usually a fairly large amount of money and is referred to as outfit and passage.
Outfit and passage is crucial for a new missionary. So it is very important to make sure that you raise enough money to pay for necessities. Horror stories are told of missionaries who raise too little and have a very hard time surviving on the field. Because of this I contacted the Australian Missionaries in early 2007 and asked if I had raised enough money to get started. Their answer made me very nervous. The estimate that I had been given was $4,000.00 to $5,000.00 to little! I was encouraged to use the entire amount of the estimate on a car alone!
I can still remember the sinking feeling of depression I had while reading that e-mail. It had taken a very long time to raise the amount of funds that where in my account already. To raise another $5,000.00 seemed impossible! But I knew that God would be faithful to provide the finances that I needed. And though it took longer for me to leave for Australia, plenty of money was raised in my account.
In February 2007 I was faced with the decision of how much money to transfer from my account in the US. I was tempted to request the smallest amount possible because the funds themselves would be taxable income. But after wrestling with it mentally I decided to bring in more money than I would actually need for Outfit and Passage. The extra money would be used in emergencies.
Today that extra money is still in my business account, and I thank God for it. I can now clearly see that he was preparing me for this time in Australian history before I left the United States. He led me to contact the missionaries to see if I had raised enough money. He provided the extra finances for my outfit and passage so I could live comfortably in Australia. He laid it upon my heart to transfer more than enough money.
Each one of those instances, finding out I need to raise a lot more money, having to delay my departure, and bringing over a large amount of taxable income were discouraging situations for me. And in each of those situations I was not terribly excited about doing God's Will. But today I can look back at those situations and thank God for them. For it is because of those experiences that I can have peace in my heart even though the American dollar is weaker than it has been in the last eighteen years.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
