MIM Ezine, April 20, 2009

-- In the Huddle: Discipleship Through Intentional CommunityStanding Apart by Standing Together, by Tim Burns

-- BOOK REVIEW: God and the New Atheism: A Critical Response to Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens, by John F. Haught.

Looking for something, but not sure where to find it? DreamBuilders Ministry in Motion has produced a 50-page Resource Guide that just might have what you need. And it's FREE! You need adobe acrobat reader (also free) to read the document. Check it out at: http://www.ministryinmotion.net/christian_ministry_resource_guid.html

This is not uncommon, especially among smaller churches that have a close knit leadership structure. These churches are common in rural and small town areas. They often exhibit an internal system that reflects an extended family more than an organization. In some cases it is an extended family with a few adopted members.

Research shows that churches that do not offer people an opportunity to make a commitment in their giving have already decided to limit the ministry God can do in and through them. Usually, it grows out of some fears and anxieties from the past; some of them groundless and some well-deserved.

I was talking with one of my family members about her church. She was complaining that the pastor had put some inexperienced and ill-prepared people in positions of leadership. When I made a comment about the pastor knowing what people give, she retorted that the bylaws of the church prohibited the pastor from having access to that information. So, how is a new pastor to know who is committed to the ministry of the church, if they are kept in the dark about one of the key indicators?

As I reflect on the ebbs and flows of that church over the decades, the effective pastors figured it out over time. The ineffective pastors would not have known what to do with that information if they had it. In my mind the prohibition was a reflection of the church leadership’s fear of giving too much influence to the pastor. Sadly, that church is dying in the midst of population growth because it cannot risk change and it cannot afford not to change.

Some churches resist pledge campaigns for fear it gives personal and private information to leaders they do not trust. Some church leaders resist pledge campaigns for fear others will discover they are not nearly as committed as they want others to believe. I believe in the confidentiality of people’s giving. It should not be public knowledge. But it is generally not the group of generous givers who drag their heels on making financial pledges.

Some church leaders oppose pledge campaigns for fear that if the church were to give more generously, it would change the nature and character of their church. They fear the infusion of new people they do not know or trust.

There are a number of issues and causes that are worth fighting for in the life of ministry. This could well be one of them, but not for the new pastor. These kinds of fears are deeply entrenched and a pastor needs to develop strong levels of trust to offer alternatives. A new pastor can ask questions and listen to the stories. What are the reasons this generation of leaders fears the stewardship campaign? Are there some bad experiences in the past? Are there unfounded fears?

After a few years of building trust, there are ways to conduct a pledge campaign without arousing most leaders’ fears about their personal giving. One method is to invite people to write their pledge on a prepared card that they seal in an envelope addressed to themselves. After the change of the year, the church puts a stamp on the envelope and mails it to the pledgers to remind them of their commitment.

Why bother? The benefits of a pledge campaign are inherent in the setting of a goal and the practice of offering that commitment to God. If members of the congregation physically present that sealed envelope to the altar as an act of devotion and sacrifice, and if the pastor prays a prayer of dedication over that commitment; it opens the door for a new level of discipleship that the church may have been missing.

If commitments are broadened beyond merely financial giving to include prayer, worship attendance, Bible study, witness, service, etc.; then the church is helping individuals to grow and mature in the faith. This is a good thing!

Most large churches do not depend upon the pledge campaign alone to prepare a budget for the coming year. Most churches have multiple streams of income, several of which come through channels outside of pledging. For example, the local civic group might use the church for an annual banquet and gives the church a donation. A couple of Alcoholic Anonymous groups may meet in the building and donate whatever the members throw on the table during the meeting. A couple of out of town weddings and that donation from the neighborhood auctioneer for the ladies who made lunch at one of his auctions all adds up to some additional funds. If the church hosts a day care program or a square dancing club, there are more income streams.

Most churches do a better job estimating their income based on the previous 3-5 years of experience. The pledge campaign can provide a window of insight into whether those projections are in the neighborhood or not. The exception to this might be the special capital funds campaign. To qualify for a building loan, many financial institutions would require written reports on the number and total of a pledge campaign.

1. To use the opportunity to lead individuals into a deeper level of commitment in their journey with Jesus Christ.

2. To help the church to maximize its ministry by providing adequate financial support. If the church does not ask for it, someone else will.

If your church refuses to participate in a pledge campaign of some sort, you may want to start some conversations about the spiritual benefits of making commitments. Don’t expect to change deeply rooted patterns quickly, but take the time to help people process what it could mean for them as individual disciples as well as for the ministries of the church.

Tom Hanover is Advertising and Promo Director of MIM ezine. He has served in a variety of pastoral leadership roles for more than 30 years, including seven as a District Superintendent supervising the ministries of more than 100 pastors and churches in southern Ohio. He is currently Senior Pastor of Sulphur Grove UMC, a multisite ministry in Dayton. He has a BA (cum laude) from Taylor University, and the MDIV and DMIN degrees from United Theological Seminary in Dayton. You can contact Tom at hanover@dbmim.net.

When I look at old ideas from new angles, I gain new understanding. I grew up in church. I’ve been a part of many denominations over the years. While truth doesn’t change, how I apply God’s truth to my life creates the difference between a transformed, empowered Christian life and a lukewarm struggle that never rises above the world’s influence, or out of its shadow.

This month I’m writing a bible study on the book of Daniel for my home church. Through the familiar story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the Holy Spirit taught me another aspect of the importance of community.

The story recounts how three Hebrew men, who served in the Babylonian kingdom for two decades, refused to bow to a golden statue constructed by the king. At the risk of their lives, they chose to honor the Living God by refusing to bow to a manufactured one. The whole story is contained in Daniel 3. I want to look at one aspect – the Hebrew’s courage.

Taking a stand against the tide of modern culture is difficult, and was as difficult for these three men as it is for you and me today. They were governors over Babylon’s home province. They undoubtedly enjoyed close ties with the king as they were some of his most trusted advisors. At the same time, the men chose to remain faithful to Hebrew law while in exile. Together, the relocated Hebrews kept their focus on their God.

Under the Old Covenant, the Hebrew people developed a strong individual identity. They had moved into Canaan as outsiders, and while it would have been easy to get along with the Canaanites, Hittites, Amalekites Philistines, and the rest, they built their identity on God’s commands, which were summarized in Leviticus 19 with these worlds. “Be holy, for I am Holy” (Lev. 19.1-2)

The Hebrew word translated ‘holiness’ carries with it these implications: to be set apart, distinct, prepared for use for a particular purpose, undefiled, and without blemish. While it means separate, the separateness was for the whole community to be separate from those around them. It did not mean to be separate from each other. As a community, they were to create their own identity rather than be conformed to the image, or be affected by the practices of those they had displaced.

1. God’s people, in ancient times and today, are called to be separate, set apart, and distinct.

2. We’re created to be in relationships. We find purpose and experience the fulfilling depth of human life when we take the risk of intimate, accountable and transparent relationships.

As Christ followers, we focus too often on one part of a message, and leave the balancing principle out of focus. How often have you heard or watched Christians separate themselves, to be ‘holy and undefiled’ only to alienate themselves from the rest of the world. At the same time, the world is full of Christ followers who work so hard at maintaining good relationships that they are unwilling to stand for truth when they risk offending someone.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego demonstrate the balance. They stood together in the Babylonian kingdom, unwilling to give up their personal accountability to God and each other as they served the Babylonian king. They also stood apart from the world around them as everyone else worshipped the god of the moment. At the cost of their lives, they stood prepared for God’s purposes, distinct, undefiled.

They were able to stand apart, holy for their God because they stood together in accountable community. In a world hostile to their faith, they found strength set apart because they were not alone. They stood apart because they stood together.

Our American culture honors individuality and self-reliance. Too often, this spirit invades our Christian culture. The Hebrews, God’s chosen people, modeled community. These three Hebrew children, strangers in a strange land, modeled community. Jesus and his disciples, and then the early church modeled . . . well . . . you can see where this is going.

We stand, and make an impact on the world when we stand apart, and together. First, we are transformed through intentional community relationships. Then we can demonstrate to the world that following Christ is different than the world has experienced. Following Christ is how we become fully human.

Timothy Burns lives in West Michigan, and has written professionally for six years. Timothy’s writing reflects a deep connection to cultural influences, Christ centered living, and how often unwritten patterns can influence our behaviors and beliefs, because while people differ by continent and decade, human nature does not. The ability to identify the human element or organizational culture sets Timothy’s work apart from what can be otherwise commonplace copy. His writing spans topics of Christian living, apologetics, and the hidden benefits that often surface through personal trials.

God and the New Atheism: A Critical Response to Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens

This book is a scholarly yet readable rebuttal to several recently-published mainstream books by prominent Darwinian scholars, and is written to the intelligent layperson. Dr. Haught is a Senior Fellow in Science and Religion at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, and was Chair and Professor in the Department of Theology at Georgetown from 1970 to 2005. He is an international lecturer and has authored many books, particularly on topics evaluating Science, Evolution, and Religion. The books that Haught addresses: The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins; The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris; and God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens; are relatively recent popular books chosen as a representative description of the “new” atheism, that is, atheism as described for this generation.

Haught describes the parameters of Scientism, namely that only Nature exists, it is self-originating, and it can be understood only through rational inquiry. Furthermore, the “new” atheism also states that belief in God leads to many profound evils in the world, and therefore should be rejected on moral grounds. In his classroom Haught has assigned to his students many rationalist and atheist authors, including Nietzsche, Camus, Sartre, Marx, and others. Interestingly, he finds the current crop of atheists to be not as rigorous and compelling as previous proponents.

*New Scientism must take nothing on faith, yet its precepts require faith. In other words, to state that only rational, objective, extrinsic evidence is valid is in itself a statement of faith. Can you PROVE that these criteria are the only valid ones?

*New Scientism describes only the worst and most superficial aspects of religion. The current authors do not seem to have a good grasp of the subtleties of thought and evidence that theologians present in their own expositions.

*New Scientism doesn’t allow for any ambiguity or layered religious interpretation. Religious texts such as the Bible are understood in only the most literal, one-dimensional sense..

*No good evolutionary explanation of the existence of morality or the penetration of religious belief across cultures is given; instead the arguments are circular and incomplete.

*Interestingly, the new atheists made quite vehement statements against the “evilness” of religion, an inclusion of an emotional component that weakened their arguments.

As I thought through the arguments in Haught’s book, I was struck by the idea that the authors of the critiqued books wanted “God” to behave in a particular manner, and to be able to be proven scientifically. Because God (in their view) doesn’t seem to follow their narrow prescriptions, the new atheists want to jettison the idea. If you can’t read and don’t want to believe me, I can’t “prove” to you that ink blotches on paper carry information; you don’t believe me, but that doesn’t make what I say untrue.

Overall, I found this a challenging book and an interesting and cogent counterargument to widespread ideas of atheism in this culture.

Site Build It -- There are many different hosting plans for those wanting Christian websites but few work with you to drive traffic to your site. SBI differs from these because it is an all-in-one do-it-yourself website program that doesn’t require html knowledge. Includes domain registration, hosting, keyword research tools, search engine optimization, ezine mailing, and non-interactive blog option. The system guarantees success in getting good ranking with search engines thereby assuring you of more traffic. This website system is used by DreamBuilders Ministry in Motion. Site Build It Quick Tour

Be sure to visit Ministry in Motion's Bookshop. Every resource is developed from hands-on church experience. Help members discover their spiritual gifts, how to connect them in ministry and more. Visit MIM's Bookshop.

Just $10 per classified listing. For more information on advertising visit our advertising page.

Ministry in Motion is looking for columnists & writers in the following areas: women's ministry, men's ministry, single's ministry, youth ministry, worship ministry, small group/bible study ministry, and general ministry. We are also open to general church ministry related freelance articles. If you have an idea for a column or would like to share ministry insight or even short ministry tips, we'd love to hear from you. Present payment is promotion only -- no pay but great exposure for you, your ministry, book, or website. Please read our writer's guidelines here.

One of the needs we have perceived at Ministry in Motion is a service to help connect qualified ministers and church workers to ministry related and church staff positions. If you are presently in job search mode, or if you have a ministry position you are looking to fill, be sure to check out this site by clicking here.

DBMIM April 20, 2009