Happy New Year

Happy New Year! That's the greeting going around this weekend. It is a good time to examine who we are in Christ and what He would have us to do with out lives! It has been a LONG time since my last post (on any blog), so my first New Year's Resolution as it relates to "social media" is to post more often on the blogs and sites I maintain.

Not just posts, but posts "with purpose." Some of you understand that term. It is not my desire to fill up my time with useless info. Rather, I want my posts to have some value to the reader. So, whether it be an actual blog, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or TRBA's website, it is my prayer you will find information useful that I post in 2012.

As I have thought of what to post in 2012, I have prayed and then examined what I am "hearing" from various sources in denominational life. To that end, I have determined to focus on the purpose of the association, as well as issues related to overall church health. I will be looking a LOT to Transformational Church and Transitional Pastor as I am working with both LifeWay and the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina in those areas. Truthfully, I think there are things we can glean to strengthen the church and impact lostness (our purpose as an association of churches).

In a conversation with a Sunday School director today we began to discuss some information we had obtained during a Josh Hunt conference several years back. In fact, I bought a book by Hunt today that reiterated the idea of "how to double your Sunday School in two years or less."

The gist of the conversation centered on the fact that the classes seemed content with where they were and had not grown in several years. Basically, we talked about the lack of evidence in many area churches (from conversations the two of us have had with other church leaders in neighboring churches from three associations) that churches want to grow.

I think that is perhaps the first thing we need to honestly look at as we begin the new year. Do we have a genuine desire to grow closer to Christ personally and to grow both spiritually and numerically in our churches. Or are we content with where we are. I would invite you to pray and search with me this simple fact over the next couple of days. After the first of the year I will examine the idea of doubling Sunday School attendance in less than two years. I am pretty confident I will address it from the standpoint of IF we REALLY want to see growth.

I have become convinced that we have all the tools we need to advance the kingdom. We have attended conference after conference. In the YEARS we have attended, there has been little kingdom advance and virtually no SUSTAINED evidence of growth in many of our churches. Yet - we have the tools sitting idly beside us as we moan about our lack of advance.

What do we have:

1. The authority of Christ who commanded that we make disciples.
2. His Word.
3. His presence to instruct, lead, guide, empower.
4. Prayer.
5. His promise to hear, answer, empower as we walk in obedience to Him.

Then we have other tools to assist. Among the ones I have emphasized in TRBA are Link2Lead, The Mapping Center, continued training of church leadership, Transformational Church, Transitional Pastor, etc. etc. etc. Over the next few weeks, expect much info to be shared. As it is shared, pray about your participation individually and as a church.

Do you want to see kingdom advance in 2012? If you do, please join me and the other TRBA staff members as we answer the call to prayer by our denominational leaders. Pray with us daily for kingdom advance. Join us on Monday, January 23rd at 7 PM for a corporate time of prayer.

Again, I wish you the best for 2012. I look forward to walking alongside you as we set out together to strengthen His church and impact the lostness of THIS generation!

Missing Church

Today is an unusual day for me. I have been sick for the past several days and am not able to attend church. The Ephesus people will think that I am attending one of the TRBA churches. The other churches will not know the difference - except for the one that I am to attend this afternoon. Nonetheless, I am missing corporate worship and Bible study and it feels pretty strange.

I do not know how people who claim to know the Lord can willfully and habitually choose not to attend church. It feels so strange to be absent from the body. Sure, I have and can do my Bible study apart from my Sunday School class, but I miss the discussion, insights, and input of others in the class. And yes--I can and have watched some TV preachers, but again it is simply not the same.

Many of you have heard me say that the worst part of my job is not being able to attend a "home church" on a regular basis. It is great to visit from church to church and worship with brothers and sisters of the faith in our many churches, but there is something to be said about being an active part of a body of believers in the church you belong to. I can not describe it fully--it is just great!

Let me simply encourage you to be actively engaged in the life and work of your home church. Your spiritual health and vitality is linked to your involvement with the local church.

When I Was A Child

The Bible teaches that we can expect children to act and think like children. However, as we grow up in Christ, we are to behave as more mature believers; follow Christ more each day; and, stop yielding to the wind that blows one direction today and another tomorrow. Let me ask you a question, if Paul were to write you (or your church) a letter today would he say that "when you ought to be eating meat, you still have need of milk?" In other words, are we growing in our relationship with the Lord?

If you look at statistics, it appears that we are - at best - stagnate in our growth. We are not reaching the lost - not even our own children and grandchildren. When we do win someone to the Lord, we fail to walk alongside them in their spiritual growth (discipleship) and many "drop out/" Even in churches that are leading in baptisms, the back door is appear to be open as there appears to be no increase in the life and work of the church.

I could go on and on, but I think you get my point. We - as a church - seem to have little (if any) impact on the world around us. And - we seem to be OK with it because reaching the lost and discipling the saved appears to be low priority for most churches. Certainly, it is low priority for individual believers.

Now--I know at first read those could be "fighting words." But honestly answer these questions:

1. At your church's last business meeting, was outreach to your community discussed?
2. Does your church have an active and accountable outreach ministry to the community?
3. What was the last discipleship class that you personally took? What did you do personally as a result of that class?
4. When was the last time there was a baptism in your church of an adult?
5. When was the last time you shared the Gospel with a lost person?
6. Are you more likely to be at a revival service or a civic meeting if they are on the same night?
7. If your church has cottage prayer meetings in preparation for revival, do you attend?
8. When was the last time you went to the altar and prayed for the life and work of your church?

Pray with me about the church of North America---the church of North Carolina -- the church of Tar River. There is a field that is "white unto harvest." but most assuredly, "the laborers are few." If we are going to reach our communities for Christ, then you and I MUST change our priorities and place God and His caqll upon our lives first and foremost!

Project Father's Day

As I read through my mail this morning I noticed a brochure. Normally, I would have just trashed the advertisement. It was a brochure promoting "PROJECT FATHER'S DAY". If you have never seen one, your pastor gets such cards regularly promoting some emphasis for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Race Relations Sunday, etc. There is no way we can keep up with all the promo materials we receive.

You will note that I said, "I NOTICED a brochure...." The "headlines" for the promotion were compelling. Sure - it is advertising a Father's Day promotion in the local church (you can go to www.maninthemirror.org and get the details). And yes - I am facilitating a men's group at my church right now with one of the books they are highlighting. And truly it is a way to "Reach every husband, father, and son in your church this Father's Day for about $1 each," BUT the words leaped from the page to my heart strings and I felt compelled to both pray over these facts in our member churches and to write this blog asking you to pray with me. If the men of our churches experienced the transforming power accessible to them through the Holy Spirit as a result of our fervent prayer, there would be "revival in our land."

What was the compelling information that was shared in this brochure? Please read it with an awareness in our churches and throughout our communties:

For EVERY 10 MEN in YOUR church.......

10 are STRUGGLING to balance work and family,
9 WILL HAVE children who leave the church,
5 will have a SERIOUS problem with pornography,
4 WILL GET divorced, and
ONLY 1 has a biblical worldview.

These facts are alarming!!!! With Christ as Savior and Lord - our lives are empowered through the Holy Spirit to be "more than conquerors." Yet - only 1 of 10 in our churches would even think in that frame. Serious problems exist within our curched families (hear me -- CHURCHED families) that are tearing families apart and lending itself toward an ever increasing divorce rate. 50% of our men have a SERIOUS problem with pornography (and this includes laity and clergy) that both reflects dissatisfaction and problems in their life and contributes to an abundance of other problems that exist within our homes and churches (and society as a whole). Our daily struggles to balance the demands of life rip into our marriage relationships; our relationships with our children; affect morale and productivity in the work place; other interpersonal relationships, etc. etc.

I am not writing this to encourage you to participate in
"PROJECT FATHER'S DAY. However, I am writing you to encourage you to join me in praying for this situation. I am also asking that you commit with me to be men and women of faith; striving to live in accordance with a Biblical worldview; and striving to balance our lives by seeking FIRST and FOREMOST -- above EVERYTHING else - His righteousness.

Personally devote MORE TIME to "being still" and LISTENING to God in the midst of your day. Corporately - lead your church to face the realities before them and sure them up to be beacons of hope in the midst of chaos, turmoil, and despair. Pray WITHOUT CEASING -- but understand the prayers of a "righteous man" (or woman) "availeth much." So -- we begin with OURSELVES and not the church in total. Just some thoughts to consider as you prepare for a season where many churches emphasize the family - that time between Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day.

A New Appreciation

These past few weeks have been a real learning experience for me. I have never been sick, so emergency surgery with the various restrictions and limitations has been helpful. I better understand some people and am more appreciative of their efforts to be involved with church and ministry. Ongoing health issues are, in fact, limiting to both the individual and family members (caregivers). Those of us in ministry should be more sensitive to that fact.

I have never bought into the statement that "people always do exactly what they want to do." This recovery time has reaffirmed that fact. My life has been limited. In no way are many of the things that I have had to do things I would ever want to do.

This morning I looked up at the clock, it was time to be in Sunday School and we are not yet ready to walk out the door. Did we sleep late? No, I had my prayer time and Bible study around 7 AM. Breakfast was like normal. We appeared to be getting ready on schedule. My body would not cooperate. A few extra steps had to be taken to ready ourselves physically to go to church. That slows down our getting ready to go to church. The church is having a world hunger emphasis today, and though we have the food collection ready, we have to get it to the car.

NOW - we are ready. Everything is in the car---Bibles are in hand---all meds have been taken---all medical apparatuses have been adjusted--and it is 10:15 AM. Our good intentions to go to Sunday School are out the door. Therefore, we ready ourselves to be at church in time for worship. IF all stays well, then we will be able to do just that. If any little thing goes a little wrong, it will impact that as well. Praise the Lord, all stayed OK and we were able to get to the worship service and ENJOY the worship experience with our church family.

For me, surgery this week should reverse what I have been going through these past few weeks. Hopefully I have learned enough to be more sensitive to those with various afflictions that strive to be faithful to the life and work of the church.

Thank you God for your hand being in all that has transpired.

May He Who Gives Us Life, Sustain Us As We Minister In His Name,
Dougald