“Your Sunday service is the most important hour of the week. More visitors and members are present, and the tone of the entire ministry of the church is usually set in that hour…When that one hour is done with excellence every week, there is a trickle-down effect. Members begin to come more regularly because they don’t want to miss. They begin to feel more confident about bringing visitors with them. New people like what they see and want to come back…” (280-281, emphasis mine).

“Small churches often talk about hiring a youth minister as soon as they can afford one. In some cases that might be the right decision, but I’m convinced that most churches will get healthy faster if they focus first on choosing a good worship leader. Don’t go out and hire a ‘music minister’ who can lead choirs and sing solos. Find a worship leader.” (281-282, emphasis mine).

It makes sense to me! What do you think?

One of my favorite chapters in the book is chapter 4. It’s entitled “EXCELLENCE: Do Your Best in Every Area of Service.” Bob Russell (see picture above) shares that in a recent survey 90% of Southeast members (that’s 90% of 14,000 people) said they had invited someone to come to church with them in the last year. That’s an incredible number! But why? Here’s the reason according to Russell: “Because they are excited about what they’ve experienced and are confident that every week the grounds, the nursery, the greeting, the singing, and the preaching will be done with excellence.” (p. 113)

There are many reasons we could list as to why people do not invite someone to church, e.g. fear, don’t know any non-believers, apathy, etc. But is a lack of excellence the primary one? What do you think? What do we need to do better at OCC so people will feel more confident inviting their friends and family?

This is HUGE! Please take a minute and shoot me your comments.

The hymns are familiar to many of our guests. Many church leaders are so wrapped up in reaching the culture with modern music that they never stop to think about what might be familiar to a visitor. A first-time visitor in our church has most likely never heard any of the choruses we sing. But chances are good that he has heard one or two of the hymns we will sing. (p. 68)

Is that true in your church? How many hymns does your church sing each Sunday? Why don’t newer churches sing hymns (or rarely sing them)? Is it really a big deal?

“A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he amid the flood, of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.” - Martin Luther

Once an arrogant young preacher delivered a sermon in our church that contained almost no Scripture. My mother, who rarely spoke a negative word to anyone, said to him afterward, “I remember what D.P. Shaffer used to say about preaching: ‘Whenever you preach, always use a lot of Scripture, because that’s one thing you know is true.’” (p. 25)

Fellow preachers, how much Scripture are we using in our sermons?

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2

I’ve been rereading When God Builds a Church by Bob Russell the last few weeks. It’s filled with great stuff that’s applicable for any church or church leader. Over the next week I’m going to post some of my favorite quotes and/or concepts. If you haven’t read the book, you can get it at the OCC library or click here to purchase.

The subtitle of the book is “10 Principles for Growing a Dynamic Church.” Here are the principles:

1. Truth: Proclaim God’s Word as Truth and Apply It to People’s Lives

2. Worship: Worship God Every Week in Spirit and Truth

3. Leadership: Develop Christ-Centered Leaders Who Lead by Example

4. Excellence: Do Your Best in Every Area of Service

5. Faith: Be Willing to Step Out with a Bold Faith and Take Risks

6. Harmony: Maintain a Spirit of Harmony

7. Participation: Expect the Congregation to Participate in Every Ministry

8. Fellowship: Continually Practice Agape Love for One Another

9. Stewardship: Give Generously of God’s Resources as a Church and as Individuals

10. Evangelism: Commit Enthusiastically to Evangelism as Your Primary Mission

Russell writes, “I challenge you to find one church characterized by these ten principles that isn’t a healthy, God-honoring, growing congregation.” (p. 7)

What do you think? Is Russell right? Would you add any principles to his list? Would you take away any? How is your church practicing these principles?

More later.

Below are more quotes from Mark Moore’s book Seeing God in HD. This book is a must read for the serious Bible student. Click here to purchase. There’s also a copy available in the OCC library. Check it out – in more ways than one!

“It does not matter what the text means to you; what matters is what the author was trying to say. Your personal interpretation, opinion, or hypothesis is almost completely irrelevant.” p. 26

“When we are talking about the meaning of a passage…the author really does have one thing in mind.” p. 28

“Some people don’t understand the Bible because they are not willing to put into practice the little they do understand.” p. 35

“In terms of biblical interpretation there is nothing more important for understanding the Scriptures than context.” p. 43

“We must learn how to bring the ancient text into the modern world with respect and integrity for both.” p. 44

“We must know what the Bible meant to the people of its own day before we can appropriately apply it to the people of our day.” p. 45

“In order to do proper Bible study you must stop thinking verses and start thinking paragraphs.” p. 49

“If you can grab these three things – context, structure, and purpose – you will be well on your way to a thorough understanding of the author’s intended meaning.” p. 59

More of Moore later.

I’m currently reading Seeing God in HD by Mark Moore. It is a book on how to interpret the Bible. So far, so good. Below are some great quotes from chapter one. Stay tuned for more.

“…if you don’t obey the words of Scripture, you have no right to claim that you understand them.” p. 19

“The most powerful way of transforming someone’s belief system is to have them teach what they have learned.” p. 20

“…study of the Bible is the highest form of worship…worship, in its essence, is understanding who God is and who we are in his presence. The Bible, more than the hymnal or chorus chart, is a clear guide to the character of God and the claim he makes over our lives. It is through the Scriptures, more than anything else, that the community of God’s people come to understand the revelation of who God is.” p. 23

I’m looking forward to chapter two.

I just started a new book yesterday. It’s called Building Faith at Home. The first chapter has a quote by Peter Benson. I have no idea who he is, but here’s the quote: “Religious life in the home is more influential than the church.”

What do you think?

I finished reading Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster last week for a seminary class I’m taking. Christianity Today proclaimed this book as one of the top ten Christian books in the 20th century. It is definitely a classic. Below are some things I underlined as I read it. You can also read my book review. Just click on title below.

Foster Book Review

“…the Disciplines are best exercised in the midst of our normal daily activities.” (1)

“Willpower will never succeed in dealing with the deeply ingrained habits of sin.” (4)

“God has given us the Disciplines of the spiritual life as a means of receiving His grace. The Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so that He can transform us…By themselves the Spiritual Disciplines can do nothing; they can only get us to the place where something can be done.” (6)

“Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.” Leo Tolstoy (9)

“The purpose of the Spiritual Disciplines is the total transformation of the person.” (54)

“We must understand…that a vast difference exists between the study of Scripture and the devotional reading of Scripture. In the study of Scripture a high priority is placed upon interpretation: what it means. In the devotional reading of Scripture a high priority is placed upon application: what it means for me.” (60)

“Jesus spoke to the question of economics more than any other single social issue. If in a comparatively simple society our Lord would lay such strong emphasis upon the spiritual dangers of wealth, how much more should we who live in a highly affluent culture take seriously the economic question.” (73)

“If what we have we receive as a gift, and if what we have is to be cared for by God, and if what we have is available to others, then we will possess freedom from anxiety. This is the inward reality of simplicity.” (77)

“Like Jesus we must go away from people so that we can be truly present when we are with people.” (95)

“Self-denial is simply a way of coming to understand that we do not have to have our own way. Our happiness is not dependent upon getting what we want.” (99)

“True service comes from a relationship with the divine Other deep inside…True service finds it almost impossible to distinguish the small from the large service…True service rests contented in hiddenness…True service is free of the need to calculate results…True service is indisciminate in its ministry…True service ministers simply and faithfully because there is a need…True service is a life-style…True service can withhold the service as freely as perform it…True service…builds community.” (112, 113)

“…when we choose to be a servant we give up the right to be in charge.” (115)

“It is through the voice of our brothers and sisters that the word of forgiveness is heard and takes root in our lives.” (129)

“We must desire to be conquered and ruled by God, or if we do not desire it, to desire to desire it.” (133)

“Service flows out of worship.” (140)

“What we must see is that the real question in worship is not ‘what will meet my need?’ The real question is ‘what kind of worship does God call for?’” (147)

“Joy comes through obedience to Christ and joy results from obedience to Christ. Without obedience joy is hollow and artificial.” (165)

“Joy is the end result of the Spiritual Disciplines’ having functioned in our lives. God brings about the transformation of our lives through the Disciplines, and not until there is a transforming work within us do we know genuine joy.” (166)

I finished The Barbarian Way last night. This morning I’ve started another book titled Don’t Waste Your Life. It’s by John Piper. He is the pastor of preaching and vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I just watched a DVD message by Piper that came with the book. It’s powerful. The text Piper used was Philippians 1:20, 21. Paul, the apostle, treasured Christ above all things. He made choices that showed the world that Christ was more valuable than family, friends, possessions, everything!

Do people look at our lives and see Christ as the supreme delight and joy? When was the last time someone asked you to give the reason for the hope that you have (see 1 Peter 3:15)? I can’t remember the last time. I can’t remember any time. Piper would suggest it’s because we look like the world. There’s no difference. We treasure the same things everyone else does. We hope in the same things.

How are we showing the world that Christ is our greatest treasure and hope?

It’s not money. It’s not cars. It’s not houses. It’s not computers. It’s not anything else but Jesus. If Christ is not our greatest treasure, in life and death, Piper would say we’re wasting our lives.

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Philippians 3:7, 8

Think on these things.

WARNING: Just because I’m reading something doesn’t mean I endorse it. The only book I can wholeheartedly endorse is the Bible. Everything else is open for discussion. If you’ve read any of the books I’ve listed, I’d love to hear your comments. Once I complete a book I plan to post comments about it. Happy reading everyone!