EAGLES NEST MINISTRIES: Oktober 2013

Rabu, 30 Oktober 2013

How to Use Social Media In a New Church Plant

by Brandon Cox
in Church Planting · Communication
— 29 Oct, 2013

There is a formula for launching a church in America. Collect lots of money. Spend lots of money getting the word out. Turn the big crowd of strangers into a church. It’s easy… if you have lots of money. But c’mon, church planters are hackers by nature right? It’s possible to get the word out in a better way, especially today.
When we began planting Grace Hills, we didn’t want to drop a ton of money on massive but impersonal means of announcing our arrival – and we didn’t have a ton of money anyway. So we used Facebook. We’re still using Facebook. And it’s working.

We started with two couples (including the Cox’s). We spent $0 on traditional advertising but had 35 at our first gathering in July of 2011.
We grew to approximately 80 within six months by word-of-mouth and while spending $0 on traditional advertising.
We launched with 176 on our first Sunday, mostly gathered through Facebook, word-of-mouth, and search engines.
Today, we’re the most “liked” church in northwest Arkansas and an estimated 75-80% of our first time guests found us on the web.

Why Social Media Works

I’ve never liked the term social media even though it’s fairly standard now. It’s tough to talk about it without calling it something, so social media it is. The reason I don’t care for it is that it implies that social media is something new. In reality, it’s something very, very old, which is the reason why I believe it works so well.
Media (information) has been around since God began to reveal Himself to Adam and Eve. And social (relating to one another) has also been around since Eden, though it was broken by Adam and Eve’s sin and has yet to be fully repaired.
Even in our broken condition, we are social creatures desperately in need of meaningful relationships.

How to Use Social Media In a Church Plant

Before jumping in, understand the different meanings and uses of different platforms.

Facebook is IT for the local church. Other tools help, but Facebook’s user base is, for the moment, unbeatable.
Instagram is a close second in terms of “average” (non-marketing and non-social-media pros) people hanging out there.
Tumblr is one of the fastest growing tools among millennials.
Twitter is awesome for leaders relating to other leaders, but not as great for local church connectivity.
Youtube and Vimeo have their own unique advantages for video.

And with that basic understanding in mind, get started. Here are some somewhat random tips for using social media to plant a new church.

Start With a Website

When we think about social media, we think of the social networks mentioned above, but I’m convinced that you need to see your church’s website as a social network in and of itself. It’s a content hub, of sorts. Sometimes your goal is to move people from social platforms to your site. Sometimes it’s the opposite. And sometimes they simply co-exist for different purposes, but having a hub on the web is essential. And if you’re going to have a website:

Design it with the end user in mind, which means caring less about aesthetics than about usability.
Make certain pieces of information obvious on every page, such as gathering times, places, and directions.
Tell the story of who your church is with more than just bland, impersonal statements and data. Use pictures, testimonies, and video.
Make it findable via Google. Otherwise, it doesn’t exist. I can’t cover SEO at length here, but Google it.

Use Facebook Pages Well

We launched our church website and our main Facebook page before we relocated to start planting so as to get a jump on connecting with people. We started hearing from people wanting more information long before our first vision meeting. And it grew quickly. And if you’re going to use Facebook, use it well. For example…

Understand the difference between a profile (which is for people) and a page (which is for brands, organizations, celebrities, etc.).
Use your personal Facebook profile to connect with new people in your community, people who get in touch about your plant, etc.
Maximize your church Facebook page’s features such as the cover image, avatar, events, and “about” section, which should include a url to your website so no one has to dig for it.
Build one single page. When it reaches critical mass, then start “sub-”pages such as pages for your kids ministry or small groups.
Assign as few “admins” as possible. It’s better to have people interacting with your page than as your page.
Use events, but don’t be obnoxious. Create the event and post links to it. It’s sharable by nature. Don’t blast invitations to all of your friends randomly.
Be sure to use a verifiable address so that your page is also a place. If people “check in” and there is a separate “page” that exists for your location, you can and should merge them together.
Write often. At least daily. We shoot for three times per day but rarely do quite that much.
Link out to other websites only when absolutely necessary. Facebook wants to keep people inside of Facebook, so your post won’t go nearly as far if you add a link to it.
Converse. Answer messages, reply to comments, and be helpful to those with questions.

Use Other Tools Appropriately

I like Twitter more than Facebook, personally, but I see Facebook as the more important tool in church planting. That doesn’t mean, however, that other tools aren’t helpful. They just have more specific uses.

Use Instagram to capture moments and experiences – pictures and videos of kids having fun, volunteers serving, etc.
Use Tumblr to curate everything in one spot as a mobile bulletin.
Use Twitter to connect with community leaders, leaders in the press, etc.
Use LinkedIn for learning and connecting with peers and colleagues.
Use Youtube to offer snippets from message videos.

Provide Easily Sharable Content

You are a content-producing master! Every sermon involves hours of preparation and when the service is over, often so is the sermon. We take our messages and break them into bite-sized pieces and share them as a daily devotional on both our website and our Facebook page. Video testimonies are powerful as well. All of the content a church produces can be distributed to the volunteer army of people in the pews to equip them to share their faith, their church, and their story.

Managing Volunteers with Facebook Groups

I’m a Facebook group nut! I probably start way too many of them. We use closed groups for our volunteer teams – media, first impressions, worship, staff, etc. We like that when someone posts, it shows up in the news feeds and notifications of group members but gives them control over these features. It involves people in Facebook who might otherwise not log on much.

Take It Offline

I’m a big believer that you can initiate relationships online. I also think it’s important to find ways to go offline, to meet face-to-face, to serve others in a hands-on way. Social media might just be the introduction to relationships that extend much further. I can’t tell you how many mentors, friends, and future church members I’ve met over Facebook and Twitter. But you can only go so deep in a public status or reply.
So what have I missed? What’s working for you?

Senin, 28 Oktober 2013

Sharing the good news in Ayacucho

Sharing the good news in Ayacucho

Living at an altitude of almost 14,000 feet in the Peruvian Andes, the Quechua Indians know the meaning of hardship. The sun´s intensity leaves the ground parched and almost devoid of vegetation. Root vegetables like potatoes and oca are the only crops that grow here. At night, temperatures can plummet below zero. Villagers wrap themselves in blankets and llama skins to keep from freezing in their unheated stone houses. An indigenous ministry called Churches of Ayacucho oversees the work of 50 missionaries who preach the gospel to the impoverished Quechua. The missionaries often spend weeks at a time ministering in remote villages. Their efforts have produced much fruit as many churches have been planted over the years, and now over 50 percent of the population in some areas follows Christ.

Minggu, 27 Oktober 2013

4 Practical Suggestions for Being the Church

By Jeremy Myers 7 Comments

If you are looking for ways to be the church in your community and love others like Jesus, here are some practical suggestions of things you can do. This post is by Sam Riviera who lives out these suggestions in his day-to-day life.

Be the Church by Picking Up Trash

Twice a month our group picks up trash on the streets and in the parks of an inner city neighborhood. We also try to smile and greet everyone who passes. Over the past few years this has resulted in some amazing conversations with people who hate churches and would never dream of attending one.
You’ve already guessed that picking up trash in an inner city neighborhood is not all sweetness and roses. Some of what we pick up is really disgusting. Several mornings I have stood on what appeared to be not quite dry blood, only to read in the afternoon paper that someone had been murdered on that very spot the previous night. On the other hand, there is no place where I feel the presence of Jesus more keenly than out in the street picking up trash.

Be the Church by Cleaning up the Alley

Twice last summer our group cleaned one block sections of alleys. The first one was the dirtiest and most overgrown alley in that inner city neighborhood, and took us several mornings to complete. At the end of the final morning, we shared lunch together and invited the neighbors whose houses backed up to the alley. A few joined us, and a long term relationship was formed with one family.
After the second alley, we decided to return to picking up trash, which is an activity in which more people are able to participate. Trash pickup also tends to engage more of the people who live on the street in conversations. An unintended and unexpected consequence of cleaning alleys was that some of the people who lived along the alleys seemed embarrassed that someone else was cleaning their dirty alley. They closed their blinds and didn’t emerge until we were leaving. Once again, however, we felt the presence of Jesus out there in those dirty alleys.

Be the Church by Painting Over Graffiti

Graffiti is a significant problem in most inner city neighborhoods. After checking with the city, we found that many areas have a group that volunteers to paint over graffiti. However, most groups have very few volunteers and are always on the lookout for people who will help. The job requires old clothes and an hour or two of time. This is also an opportunity to engage people in the neighborhood in conversation as they walk by or when they come out of their homes to say thank you.

Be the Church by Volunteering at the Recreation Department

Our group has helped the recreation department with neighborhood Halloween and Easter parties. Several of the members of our group have served on the department board. Again, these have been excellent opportunities to get to know the people who live in the neighborhood.
We have also cleaned up after street and music festivals, participated in the community dinner, helped the fire station acquire needed equipment, and thanked the center city police department with a visit, thank you cards, and cookies.
Have you tried some of the suggestions above or discovered other ways to be the church in your community? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Be the Church in Your Community

Want to be the church in your community but don't know? Here are some posts which not only explain what it means to be the church in your community, but also gives concrete, practical examples of what it looks like and how to be the church whatever you do and wherever you go. Remember, you ARE the church, and wherever you go, Jesus goes with you!

Rabu, 23 Oktober 2013

Help Cyclone Victims in India

Help Cyclone Victims in India

Christian Aid Mission is working with Indian ministries in the Odisha region to bring emergency relief to coastal areas hit hard by the weekend’s massive cyclone.

Cyclone Phailin made landfall Saturday as a Category 4 storm, with sustained winds exceeding 130 miles per hour. Although loss of life was minimal due to large-scale evacuations, flooding has inundated homes and destroyed 1.2 million acres of crops.

A ministry based in Balasore sent two work teams out to several locations Monday, seeking to assess the extent of the damage within the district. The local government has set up rescue and relief operations on the campus of the ministry’s Bible training facility.

“There is no electricity and no internet connection in the city. The damage is so huge that perhaps it will take more than two weeks to restore power,” said Pastor Hrudaya, the leader of the ministry.

He reported that the national highway was still covered by three feet of water, and some areas in the city were experiencing water levels above five feet.

On Tuesday the ministry plans to send three teams out for preliminary survey work in the districts of Remuna, Bhadrak, Nayagarh, and Ganjam.

“We will keep you informed of day-to-day operations. As of today people need food, water, and medicine,” Hrudaya said.

At least 873,000 people in the eastern state of Odisha and 100,000 in neighboring Andhra Pradesh sought safety in evacuation centers, some of which were built after a 1999 storm killed over 9,000 people in the area. Most residents heeded the warnings to leave coastal areas. As of Tuesday, there are only 21 confirmed deaths.

Evacuated families will be returning to their communities as soon as floodwaters recede. They will likely find little to salvage, particularly in poor farming villages along the coast where the storm wreaked the most havoc.

“The government will do what it can, but it doesn’t have all the systems in place to offer much help. They don’t have a FEMA. The communities will have to pull together,” said Sarla Mahara, the South Asia director for Christian Aid.

“The need is great, and Christian Aid can help meet those needs quickly because we work directly with the ministries rather than having to go through the government,” she said. “There’s no red tape, and no need for us to send someone from our staff. The ministry workers are right there to respond immediately.”

The first objective is to provide food packages ($50) to displaced families. Funds for tarps to build temporary shelters for displaced families and assistance with rehabilitating damaged churches will also be needed.

Learn how you can help here

The Strategies of the Evil One

Dear T.O.M friends and AssociatesWe send you greetings in the name of
Jesus our beloved Saviour and our coming Bridegroom King. I was blessed
this week to be sent a video clip on Youtube which was produced way back in
the 1960's.In it Pastor Paul Harvey from the United States of America warns
the Church of his day in his nation about the dark times that were coming
upon the world as we head up towards the return of Jesus. Through this
message he accurately describes some of the strategies and schemes that Satan
would use in deceiving his own nation of America and that of the world in
general. His message has turned out to be a prophetic word and serves to warn
us of the times and seasons we are in today over 50 years later and of the
fast approaching return of Jesus our Lord. Be encouraged not fearful for
He is our Father and promises to be us always even in the midst of
darkness.....for He is the Father of lights and Jesus is the light of rthe
world.Be blessed and resolved to....... "Stand firm therefore and having done
all....to stand" Eph 6 v 13

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=W7Y6G7NX [1]

God bless you all richly

Howard Barnes

Co-director T.O.M Intn'l (UK)

PERAN WANITA DALAM PELAYANAN

TELAGA: PERAN WANITA DALAM PELAYANAN

Semua murid Tuhan Yesus adalah pria, tetapi sebenarnya, banyak pelayanan yang Ia lakukan bersama murid-murid-Nya ditopang oleh pelayanan para wanita.

Mari kita lihat secara spesifik beberapa tokoh Alkitab berikut ini.

a. Miriam, kakak perempuan Musa.

Miriam memainkan peranan yang sangat penting, kesuksesan Musa karena andil Miriam yang sangat besar. Seandainya kita tidak menghitung kuasa Tuhan, barangkali kalau tidak ada Miriam, Musa sudah hanyut di sungai. Namun, karena ada Miriam, Musa terhanyut masuk ke dalam istana Firaun.

b. Debora, barisan hakim-hakim.

Melalui tokoh ini, sangat kelihatan bahwa Tuhan tidak melihat jenis kelamin untuk mencari seorang pemimpin. Padahal, budaya pada waktu itu mengutamakan pria untuk memegang peranan, tetapi Tuhan memakai Debora untuk menjadi seorang hakim dan nabiah.

c. Ester, seorang ratu.

Dia bisa menjadi alat atau saluran untuk bisa menghubungi suaminya, sang raja, kemudian bisa mengubah berbagai peristiwa yang tadinya direncanakan dengan jahat oleh Haman. Akhirnya, karena keberanian Ester, ditambah dengan dukungan dari rakyatnya, dia bisa melakukan hal tersebut. Peranan Ester sangat penting sehingga satu bangsa terselamatkan. Kalau Ester tidak bertindak, kemungkinan besar keadaan bangsa Israel pada saat itu sangat-sangat terancam, bahkan bisa punah.

d. Yang lainnya lagi adalah peranan wanita-wanita seperti Maria Magdalena, Susana, dan Yohana dalam pelayanan Tuhan Yesus.

Bagi saya, yang menarik adalah mereka begitu setia melayani Tuhan Yesus, memberikan dukungan keuangan, dan sebagainya. Bahkan, Alkitab mencatat bahwa saat Tuhan Yesus berada di kayu salib, yang bersama dengan-Nya adalah para wanita tersebut. Merekalah yang pertama menjenguk kubur Tuhan Yesus dan yang pertama melihat Tuhan Yesus bangkit. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa Tuhan begitu spesial memperhatikan wanita yang dianggap lemah, yang dianggap tidak ada apa-apanya, khususnya pada zaman itu. Mereka diangkat ke posisi yang begitu tinggi, dihargai, dan dikenang oleh Tuhan sendiri. Itu adalah anugerah semata.

Sebagai kaum wanita yang memang terdesak dan dibatasi (meskipun seharusnya tidak seperti itu), yang perlu dilakukan untuk menghadapi hal ini adalah:

- Pakailah kesempatan yang sudah ada semaksimal mungkin.
- Jangan pasif, tetapi lebih aktif menciptakan kesempatan dan memakai kesempatan.
- Jangan mengada-ada, tetapi tunjukkanlah bahwa apa yang Tuhan berikan dan apa yang Tuhan bebankan dalam hati para wanita direalisasikan menurut kehendak-Nya.
- Bersandarlah pada kekuatan dari Tuhan dan tunjukkan kesetiaan kita di dalam pelayanan sehingga orang dapat melihat bahwa wanita dapat melayani dengan bagus dan konsisten.

Dalam Filipi 3:17, Rasul Paulus berkata, "Saudara-saudara ikutilah teladanku dan perhatikanlah mereka yang hidup sama seperti kami yang menjadi teladanmu." Sebagai wanita, kita perlu memberikan teladan yang indah sehingga orang di luar akan melihat kesaksian hidup kita, kesetiaan kita, dan kesanggupan kita. Akhirnya, mereka mau tidak mau harus mengakui sumbangsih yang telah diberikan oleh para wanita dalam pelayanan.

Diambil dan disunting seperlunya dari:
Nama situs: TELAGA
Alamat URL: http://www.telaga.org/audio/peran_wanita_dalam_pelayanan
Judul transkrip: Peran Wanita dalam Pelayanan (T069B)
Penulis: Esther Tjahja, S.Psi. & Pdt. Dr. Netty Lintang
Tanggal akses: 25 September 2013

MELAYANI TUHAN DI SAMPING SUAMI ANDA

CAKRAWALA: MELAYANI TUHAN DI SAMPING SUAMI ANDA

Entah membagikan buletin gereja setiap hari Minggu atau bergabung dalam pelayanan internasional yang sangat besar, semua orang Kristen memang dipanggil untuk melayani Allah dan gereja-Nya sesuai dengan kapasitas masing-masing. Akan tetapi, kehidupan pernikahan memunculkan pertimbangan dan kesulitan lebih banyak ketika harus membedakan bagaimana dan di mana kita melayani. Dalam sebuah kutipan dari bukunya, "A Wife After God's Own Heart", Elizabeth George memberikan nasihat kepada para istri untuk melayani Allah bersama pasangan.

Bagaimana seorang istri menolong suaminya dalam melayani Tuhan? Bagaimana seorang istri melayani Tuhan jika suaminya tertinggal di belakang? Dan, bagaimana seorang wanita melayani Tuhan jika suaminya bukan orang Kristen?

1. Mulailah melayani orang-orang yang ada di rumah terlebih dahulu.

Selama bertahun-tahun, saya memiliki moto pribadi yang saya pegang setiap kali saya mendapat kesempatan untuk melayani orang lain dan gereja saya. Moto tersebut berbunyi, "Jangan berikan sesuatu kepada orang lain sebelum Anda memberikannya terlebih dahulu kepada orang-orang di rumah Anda." Ungkapan ini mengingatkan saya pada prioritas yang diberikan Allah setiap hari. Saya harus melayani suami dan anak-anak saya, yaitu memberikan kasih sayang saya kepada mereka yang ada di rumah terlebih dahulu. Setelah itu, baru membagikannya kepada orang lain -- bukan sebaliknya. Saya tahu, mudah sekali membalikkan urutannya. Demikian juga dengan wanita-wanita lain seperti Anda dan saya. Sebagai contoh, akhir-akhir ini, saya berbicara dengan seorang wanita yang telah mengundurkan diri dari posisi ketua komisi kaum wanita di gerejanya. Mengapa? Dia mengatakan bahwa dia mengundurkan diri dari posisinya karena prioritasnya tidak jelas. Dia memberi tahu saya bahwa baginya lebih mudah dan lebih berguna melayani wanita-wanita di gereja daripada memenuhi semua kebutuhan kedua anaknya yang sudah masuk pendidikan prasekolah dan suaminya yang ada di rumah.

Wanita lain yang melayani sebagai pemimpin musik dan pujian, serta penyanyi solo di salah satu persekutuan saya, meninggalkan persekutuan karena ia merasa bersalah akibat prioritasnya yang salah (bahkan, dia sudah berjalan ke telepon umum untuk menelepon suaminya dan meminta maaf kepadanya!). Lalu, ia memberi tahu saya bahwa tadi pagi, ketika dia berpamitan kepada suaminya sebelum meninggalkan rumah untuk menghadiri seminar "A Woman After God's Own Heart", dia benar-benar ingin mengucapkan kata "berpisah". Dia memberi tahu suaminya bahwa dia tidak akan kembali, selamanya. Syukurlah, dia pulang ke rumah sepulang dari seminar "A Woman After God's Own Heart"!

Dalam kedua kasus tersebut, wanita-wanita di atas memberikan apa yang jelas-jelas tidak mereka berikan kepada keluarganya kepada orang lain. Namun, saya menyebut dua orang ini, "luar biasa!" karena mereka menyadari prioritas mereka yang salah. "Puji Tuhan!" mereka mau melakukan hal yang benar. Sebagai istri, Anda harus melayani suami Anda lebih dahulu sebelum melayani orang lain. Hal yang penting di sini bukan apa yang dipikirkan jemaat tentang Anda, tetapi apa yang dipikirkan keluarga Anda tentang Anda. Bukan apa yang dibutuhkan orang-orang di gereja, tetapi apa yang diperlukan keluarga Anda di rumah. Itulah tugas, prioritas, dan hak istimewa istri!

Istri-istri yang terkasih, ketika orang-orang dan segala hal yang ada di rumah dirawat, dikasihi, dilayani, dan diurus baik-baik, hal itu juga akan terbawa ketika kita melayani di gereja, serta merawat dan memedulikan orang lain. Itulah yang dimaksud dengan istri yang berkenan di hati Allah.

2. Melayanilah dengan restu dan dukungan suami Anda.

Jika dan ketika Anda benar-benar ingin mendaftarkan diri dalam sebuah pelayanan atau menjadi sukarelawan untuk menolong beberapa urusan di gereja, tolong -- saya tekankan lagi, tolonglah -- mintalah izin kepada suami Anda terlebih dahulu. Hubungan Anda dengan suami Anda, kepatuhan Anda pada keinginannya dalam pernikahan Anda dan dalam kepemimpinannya atas Anda berdua sebagai pasangan, serta pelayanan Anda kepadanya harus "seperti kepada Tuhan" (Efesus 5:22) dan harus dilakukan "dengan segenap hatimu seperti untuk Tuhan dan bukan untuk manusia" (Kolose 3:23).

Saya secara pribadi membuat kebijakan untuk tidak pernah melakukan apa pun atau mengambil proyek apa pun tanpa meminta masukan, pendapat, ide, dan persetujuan suami saya, Jim. Ini bukan karena saya takut kepada Jim atau memandangnya seperti figur orang tua. Bukan. Saya melakukannya karena saya lebih menghargai hubungan dan persahabatan yang kami miliki sebagai pasangan daripada keinginan saya untuk melakukan apa yang saya inginkan. Jadi, jika waktu saya digunakan untuk pelayanan, demikian juga waktu Jim. Jika uang saya digunakan untuk pelayanan, demikian juga uang Jim. Jika stres saya memengaruhi (seperti stres yang saya alami ketika pertama kali mendaftarkan diri untuk mengajar di kelas Alkitab bagi kaum wanita), stres tersebut tertular terhadap hidup Jim juga.

Anugerah Allah mengalir seiring ketaatan saya terhadap standar Allah bagi saya sebagai seorang istri, yaitu untuk menghormati suami saya dengan menghormatinya terlebih dahulu (Roma 12:10), menganggapnya lebih utama daripada diri saya sendiri (Filipi 2:3), dan sedapat mungkin hidup dengan damai bersama suami saya (Roma 12:18). Oleh karena itu, saya meminta pendapat dan persetujuan Jim untuk segala sesuatu, termasuk kesempatan-kesempatan dalam pelayanan. Saya tidak pernah menginginkan diri saya berada pada posisi penting dalam pelayanan (dalam segala hal) tanpa dukungan suami saya. Maka dari itu, saya hanya melayani dengan restu dan dukungan suami saya. Dengan begitu, saya dapat melayani dengan hati yang lega. Mengapa? Karena saya tahu Jim memimpin, dan berdoa untuk saya. Kami bersama-sama menyediakan dan menetapkan sebagian waktu dan energi kami yang berharga untuk pelayanan, yang artinya ini merupakan pelayanan bersama. Tentu saja, setelah itu kami mengevaluasinya. Namun, saya lebih sering membuat komitmen pelayanan hanya jika di dalam hati saya tahu bahwa saya mendapatkan dukungan suami.

Apa yang harus dilakukan istri jika suaminya mengatakan tidak (percayalah kepada saya, Jim pun sering kali berkata tidak)? Jika Anda menjadi istri dari suami yang seperti itu, saya katakan Anda harus bersyukur kepada Allah. Suami Anda adalah kunci yang membantu Anda untuk tetap memegang prioritas karena masukannya dapat menjadi alarm ketika ada hal-hal yang tidak seimbang. Arahannya adalah cara Allah menuntun Anda. Jadi, ketika Jim mengatakan tidak, saya pribadi bersyukur kepada Allah untuk suami yang mau memimpin dan memberi tanggapan. Setelah itu, saya menolak kesempatan pelayanan tanpa sakit hati. Mengikuti kehendak Allah dengan mengikuti kepemimpinan suami membuat saya, dan pelayanan saya, tetap berada di tengah kehendak Allah. Pernyataan "tidak" dan "ya" dalam area pelayanan sama-sama merupakan kehendak dan arahan Allah.

3. Melayanilah sebisa Anda.

Ketika Jim dan saya mulai ke gereja sebagai pasangan Kristen, kami tidak tahu apa pun tentang bagaimana kami melayani Tuhan, tentang Alkitab, atau tentang karunia rohani. Namun, dengan hati yang bersyukur kepada Juru Selamat, kami tahu kami ingin melakukan sesuatu. Jadi, kami melakukan segala sesuatu yang dapat kami lakukan! Kami mencuci piring setelah beramah-tamah dengan orang banyak. Kami menata kursi, melipat kursi, menumpuk kursi, dan memindahkan kursi ke tempat ibadah. Kami meletakkan lagu-lagu himne di bangku gereja dan membersihkan debu di ruang ibadah. Kami mencuci cerek dan panci saat pertemuan berlangsung. Kami menyapa orang yang datang untuk beribadah, memimpin kelompok Pemahaman Alkitab di rumah kami, mengantar jemaat-jemaat yang sudah lanjut usia ke gereja, membangun stan-stan yang longgar untuk pekan raya anak-anak, mengecat dan membersihkan taman, dan membantu memasang langit-langit kantor ketika ada penataan ulang di gereja kami. Satu per satu, daftar pelayanan berbagai bidang terus ditambahkan. Kami tidak perlu memiliki keahlian khusus untuk mengerjakan pelayanan-pelayanan yang luar biasa ini. Kami hanya perlu melakukannya dengan hati yang melayani.

Berikutnya, setelah kami bertumbuh dalam pengetahuan akan firman Allah, pelayanan kami pun ikut berkembang. Kami mengikuti kursus pelatihan untuk menjadi konselor dan mulai melayani di ruang doa setelah ibadah. Kami mengikuti kelas penjangkauan penginjilan dan bergabung dengan pelayanan perkunjungan. Kami mengikuti kursus pelatihan untuk guru sekolah minggu dan mulai membantu melayani anak-anak di kelas-kelas. Kami mengikuti kelas pelatihan pemuridan dan mulai melayani orang lain satu per satu. Kami mengikuti beberapa kursus pemahaman Alkitab dan mulai membagikannya di kelompok-kelompok kecil. Dan, selama mengikuti semua pelayanan dan kelas-kelas serta mengalami pertumbuhan rohani, kami menggunakan rumah kami. Setiap orang, siapa pun mereka, akan disambut di rumah kami, baik orang-orang yang berasal dari tempat-tempat di sekitar kami atau dari daerah lain di seluruh dunia!

Akan tetapi, bagaimana jika suami Anda tidak menginginkan Anda untuk melayani dengan cara-cara seperti ini? Pertimbangkanlah apa yang dapat Anda lakukan dalam situasi Anda. Saya tidak dapat menyebutkan bagi Anda, berapa banyak wanita yang saya kenal, yang membuat kue untuk pelayanan ... dari rumah. Wanita-wanita yang menyiapkan makanan untuk orang lain ... dari rumah, yang menelepon untuk mengatur beberapa pelayanan atau mengecek orang-orang yang bertugas ... dari rumah, yang menulis surat-surat dan catatan-catatan yang menguatkan ... dari rumah, yang mengetik daftar informasi gereja ... dari rumah, dan tentunya yang berdoa untuk orang lain di gereja dan orang-orang di seluruh dunia ... dari rumah. Cara-cara untuk menolong dan melayani dari rumah benar-benar tidak terbatas -- apabila Anda memiliki hati untuk melayani Tuhan!

Akhir kata, melayanilah sebisa Anda! (t/S. Setyawati)

Diterjemahkan dan disunting dari:
Nama situs: Crosswalk
Alamat URL: http://www.crosswalk.com/family/marriage/serving-the-lord-next-to-your-husband-1329676.html
Judul asli artikel: Serving the Lord Next to Your Husband
Penulis: Elizabeth George
Tanggal akses: 18 September 2013

The Fellowship of His Body

October 20, 2013

Hello Dave!

A new blog post has just been added to the site...

The Fellowship of His Body

by Chip Brogden

Christ calls us as individual disciples and the Holy Spirit then works with each of us personally. Now we see how the individual disciples are brought together to form His Body. Each retains their uniqueness, yet there is something among each of them that is common to all. There are different members in different places with different purposes: each distinctive but each working together, united beneath the same great Purpose and Intention of God, working under the direction of the Head like a great spiritual symphony.

“God set the members every one of them in the Body, as it has pleased Him” (1 Cor. 12:18). This results in a spiritual oneness and unity (for better or worse) so that “if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Cor. 12:18)...

Read the rest of this article:
http://theschoolofchrist.org/blog/the-fellowship-of-his-body.html

The Passion of Jesus Heart

Jesus cried out the Father in prayer

"Father....... I pray..... that they may be one, even as We are one. I in
You and You in Me and We in them.............that the world might believe" Jn
17 v 21 and 23

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb7JR6D4aOc&feature=youtu.be#! [1]

God bless you all this week as you serve Him and await His appearing.

Howard Barnes

Co director of T.O.M Intn'l (UK)

Being the Church is Loving the Person in Front of You

By Jeremy Myers 6 Comments

In this post, Sam Riviera continues his series of posts on how to be the church in your community. He asks what it looks like to proclaim the Gospel to your neighbors.

Many talk about being the church, but few know how. We understand church as those who follow Jesus, not just in “doctrine” or “belief” but out into the streets, among the people, mingling with them and loving them where they are. Being the church is as simple as loving the person in front of you right now.
Here are some examples of how this looks in our own life as we “preach sermons of love” where we live.

The Cheeseburger Lady

Yesterday I needed to pick up a couple of things at Costco. Since I had a little extra time, I visited all of the free food sample tables. I even tried a few of the samples, but mostly I talked to the people working the sample tables.
My first stop was the cheeseburger lady. Ravenous people who obviously hadn’t eaten in weeks grabbed wedges of cheeseburgers midair before the cheeeburger lady could even set the tray on the table. The tray was empty by the time she sat it down. Other people loudly complained to the cheeseburger lady that they didn’t get any. As she cut up more cheeseburgers behind a Plexiglas shield, one man reached his hand behind the shield, grabbing a chunk of cheeseburger, even when the cheeseburger lady asked him to please not do that.
The rude, unappreciative mob departed when the cheeseburgers ran out. The cheeseburger lady looked frazzled. I figured we had two or three minutes to talk while the next batch of cheeseburgers was warming in her little oven. I asked if she was having a bad day, and told her I understand because I used to be a caterer and experienced similar things – rude people grabbing food. She said it is true, that people are not nice to her, and that no one ever says thank you.
As the cheeseburgers finished cooking, we laughed together like old friends. Before the next mob arrived, she told me I could have as many samples as I liked. I took one, and made a special point of thanking her and telling her how much I appreciate her being there. The entire scenario probably took less time than it took you to read about it. I made a dear friend in less than three minutes. She was laughing and smiling and waved goodbye as I left.
I visited four more sample people. All were smiling or laughing when we parted. They made my day. I hope I helped brighten theirs. No Bible tracts, no Bible verses, no invitations to a “church service”. Just noticing and loving people. Maybe Jesus doesn’t visit Costco. If Jesus did, He’d probably stop by and chat with the cheeseburger lady (before going to the park).

Jesus Came to the Dance

After Costco I went home and my wife and I got ready to go to our weekly dance in Balboa Park, the largest park in San Diego. The building where we dance is often frequented by homeless people. After the dance had begun, a filthy homeless man walked into the room where we were dancing.

Standing near the door where he entered, I greeted him. He said “God bless you.” Homeless people frequently tell me that, so I didn’t think much about it. I headed to the kitchen where I was preparing ice cream for the break, and the homeless man appeared to be heading for the door.
However, after I left the room, he mingled with the dancers and told them he is Jesus. My wife recognized that he is probably suffering from mental illness. She asked him if he would like to step out on the patio with her and tell her about himself. They went out on the patio. The man told my wife about his doctor and treatments and then walked toward the zoo.
Was he a filthy mentally ill homeless person who thought he was Jesus, or was he in some sense Jesus? We may never know, but I know the church was there to treat him honorably and kindly and to listen to his story.
As we continue this series, we will continue to look for the church in the streets of San Diego “preaching sermons of love.” Have you seen the church in your community? Have you been the church in your community? Have you seen Jesus in your community? Please feel free to share your stories below.

Be the Church in Your Community

If you have questions about how to be the church in your community, please let us know in the comment sections below, and we will try to write a post which answers your question.

Syria: The New Road to Damascus

From Infidels to Bible People The war in Syria is one of the greatest crises seen in the Middle East in the last 20 years. It has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people, both Muslim and Christian. More than 2 million Syrians have fled to neighboring countries. In the midst of this crisis, our persecuted family is boldly reaching out. And the reactions of Muslims have been astonishing. “When you hear about one Muslim coming to Christ, it’s a great thing, and everybody rejoices,” said a VOM Syrian contact. “Today in Syria I’m not talking about one person. We’re talking about hundreds and even thousands of Muslims coming to know Christ.” Teams of believers are working in the refugee camps, providing Christ’s love while sharing material aid, such as medical supplies and Bibles, as well as spiritual aid. Christians, widely considered “infidels” in Syria, are now often and affectionately referred to as “the Bible People.” “This war is like a knife in the heart of the church. No human can stand that suffering. But there is God’s presence. I can see Christ in the midst of darkness.” — VOM National Contact
Please pray for Christians who face not only the horrific effects of war but also continued persecution. Please also pray for those who are bravely using this opportunity to advance the kingdom. “God is doing miracles inside the country,” a Christian worker told VOM. “But even if he allows us to die, it will be an honor for us to die for his name, to glorify his name.” The opportunities for ministry in Syria today exceed what we thought possible. Working with the Syrian church and local workers, VOM continues to distribute material aid, Bibles and Christian literature, and support for pastors and the evangelistic teams. VOM will continually seek ways to increase our efforts. During this time of crisis and opportunity, VOM invites you to make a special contribution to support this ministry in Syria.
Make a contribution for Syria today. If you are not currently receiving The Voice of the Martyrs’ monthly newsletter, please also request your copy of our November 2013 newsletter highlighting Syria. Please forward this e-mail to Christian friends who may also want to pray for and support this outreach to the Syrian people.

How to Be the Church In Your Community

By Jeremy Myers 8 Comments

It is popular today for people to say, “Don’t go to church; BE the church.” Everybody nods their heads at this, but few actually know what it means or how to truly “be the church.” With this post, Sam Riviera is starting a series of posts on how to be the church in your community. If you have ever wondered how to be the church in your community, you don’t want to miss a post. I will try to put one up each Monday for the next several weeks.

When most people in our culture think of church, what comes to mind?
Most people think of church as a location with buildings and property, or as an organization. When asked about our relationship with “church”, people usually ask us “Where do you go to church?”, “What church do you belong to?” or “Where is your church”?
While that understanding of church is common, my wife and I think of church as “those people who follow Jesus.” For some, that may include properties, buildings, programs, staff, and all the other accouterments that go with the organizational, institutional understanding of church. For some of us, it does not.
While we find it important to gather with other believers to share the common hope we have in Jesus, we do not limit that to the organizational, institutional scenario. We try to “be the church” in the community – every single day.

What Does It Look Like To “Be The Church In The Community”?

As we proceed through this series, I will give various examples of what this looks like for us and encourage you to share examples of what this looks like for you in your community. None of these examples are intended to be a model for you to follow. Instead, they are only instances that will not only help us to dream of what it looks like to be the church in our communities, but also help us to live out our calling to follow Jesus in our communities.

A Day in the Life of Being the Church

What does a typical day of “being the church in the community” look like for us? I doubt that there is such a thing for us as a typical day, but I will describe what it looked like for us today.
After spending the morning on jury duty, I came home and changed to go running. First, however, I watered plants and pulled weeds for a neighbor who is out of town. Then I talked with another neighbor whose wife recently left him. I invited him to our upcoming block party.
After running, I talked to another neighbor about some details for the upcoming block party that she is helping us organize, then greeted another neighbor, a widow who told me her phones had not worked for two days and she could not call anyone because she had also lost her cell phone. A couple of hours later, we had determined that there was a problem with her phone system, and had found her cell phone so she could report the problem with her landline to her landline provider.
After my wife came home from work we walked through our neighborhood before leaving for our evening class. We greeted several neighbors, then drove to class. After class, we discovered a backpack in the parking lot next to our car. We opened it (No, it didn’t explode) and found a driver’s license, credit card and other personal items for a person vacationing from out of the area. With the help of a friend who has a smart phone app that found a phone number for the address on the driver’s license, we reached the owner of the backpack and arranged for her to pick up her backpack.

It Takes Nothing Big to Be the Church.

As you can see, nothing about our day would be material for a book or a mini series. It would never be the sermon illustration for a mega-church sermon. Yet we see days like this as a somewhat typical day of being the church in the community.
To be the church, all we do is keep our eyes and ears open to the people around us, and try to show them love in whatever way we can.

To be the church, all we do is keep our eyes and ears open to the people around us, and try to show them love in whatever way we can.



In future posts we will look at various other ways we have sought to be the church in the community, will give examples of other people we know who are being the church in their communities, and will encourage you to give examples from your experience.

Be the Church in Your Community

If you have questions about how to be the church in your community, please let us know in the comment sections below, and we will try to write a post which answers your question.

Minggu, 06 Oktober 2013

Reaching Syrian Refugees with the Gospel and Practical Help

From Our President

Reaching Syrian Refugees with the Gospel and Practical Help

October 2013

Dear Missionary Partners,
With your help we continue to make a difference every day here at Christian Aid by sending needed support to brothers and sisters on the front lines of missionary work all over the world.
We’re especially grateful for your response to our letter mailed with the June Prayerline asking for help for our administrative needs. Your contributions are making it possible for us to continue serving the brethren overseas.
Because of the immense human tragedy and unprecedented openness to the gospel among the refugees, Syria has become a significant focus for us, as I’m sure it has to many of you. As a mission, we can’t change the conflicts that have led to one of the bloodiest civil wars in decades, but we can help the victims. Since the spring of 2011, more than two million Syrians have left their country, escaping the cruel fate of so many of their friends and family members: rape, kidnapping, torture, or murder at the hands of rebel terrorist groups or regime soldiers. Rather than remaining in the crossfire at home, they fled by the hundreds of thousands, only to find themselves in unimaginable squalor, crammed in refugee settlements or in make-shift tents. In addition, there are four million internally displaced Muslims within Syria who are becoming increasingly more desperate. These Syrian citizens have lost everything.
Christian Aid has close contact with ministries whose resources are stretched thin trying to meet huge needs. Our Christian brothers and sisters in Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Turkey are working night and day to meet the incredible spiritual and physical needs of the refugees. Because of the sheer numbers of those who are physically and psychologically broken by the horror they’ve experienced during this war, Christian workers have taken the approach of one life at a time. They sit with the refugees, listening to their tragic stories and praying for them. Muslim families are grateful and blessed to hear of a loving God Who saves and provides in the midst of pain and chaos. These families are sharing their new hope in Christ with other suffering Muslims.
Native missionaries who are reaching out to the refugees need our prayers and support.
During a phone conversation with one Lebanese ministry leader, we learned of his deep heartache in not being able to provide food for the many hungry refugee families he daily encounters. He told us how, in front of a group of scared, destitute Syrians, he quoted the Apostle Peter in the Book of Acts, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you”—his voice cracked as he tried to compose himself. Though he couldn’t fill their empty stomachs, he shared Christ with them . . . and the response was miraculous. In a single day, 200 Muslims gave their lives to Christ.
Please pray for the multitude of Syrians who feel they are without hope. Offerings are needed to sustain this outreach—one life at a time.
Until He comes,

Cynthia Finley
President

Reaching the Final Frontiers in Africa

October 3, 2013

Christian Aid assists the work of missionaries and church planters in 40 African nations. An estimated 800 people groups have not been reached with the good news of Jesus Christ.

Can we reach all of Africa’s unreached peoples with the gospel in our generation?
That was one of the questions posed at the 2013 Global Missions Consultation held Sept. 25-28 in Kasoa, Ghana. Encouraged by the opportunity to listen and learn from one another, the event brought together over 400 indigenous missions leaders from 40 countries in Africa, as well as international missions representatives from Asia, Europe, and the United States.
This year’s theme was “Discipling the Nations,” with a special emphasis on the context of missions in Africa. Topics included “Reaching Africa’s Unengaged People Groups,” “Discipling Great Commission Christians,” and “The Challenge of Islam in Africa.”
Building on the excitement sparked by the 2010 Global Missions Consultation held in Tokyo, Japan, African missionary leaders were eager to bring a follow-up conference infused with the same energy and vision to their continent.
Gabriel Barau, a key ministry partner of Christian Aid Mission for nearly three decades, presided over the conference. Barau serves as chairman of the Nigeria Evangelical Missions Association and is the founder and director of one of the largest mission agencies in Nigeria.
Also in attendance were representatives from the Africa Missions Association, Third World Missions Association, the Global Network of Mission Structures, MissioNexus, the Asia Missions Association, the U.S. Center for World Mission, and Christian Aid Mission.

In rural villages, Bible studies and evangelistic meetings are often held outdoors.

Delegates developed strategic plans for evangelism and discipleship throughout every region of Africa. A top priority is the goal to establish a witness for Christ among the continent’s 800 unreached people groups.
During a time of prayer, several African ministry leaders broke down in tears, deeply burdened that they had not done enough to reach the unreached in their own nations.
“They made the commitment to reach and engage the remaining people groups using all the tools and methods available,” said Raul Hernandez, the director of Development and Church Relations for Christian Aid Mission and one of the speakers at the conference. “Each missions group from the 40 African countries represented at the consultation also pledged to mobilize the church in a more in-depth discipleship movement.”

A New Emphasis on Native Missions

The 2010 Global Missions Consultation in Tokyo proved groundbreaking in that the conference was primarily organized, funded, and led by indigenous missions agencies.
That’s a significant shift in thinking from a century ago, when the international missions community gathered for its first consultation in Edinburgh, Scotland. At the 1910 conference only foreign missionary groups were present.
When the next global consultation was held 70 years later in Edinburgh, there was a noticeable change. Some 30 percent of the delegates were indigenous missionary leaders. That figure more than doubled at Tokyo 2010, as over 65 percent of the delegates represented non-Western missions organizations.

Gabriel Barau demonstrates the latest technology for communicating the gospel—an "audio Bible."

At last week’s Ghana Consultation, more than 90 percent of the attendees were ministry leaders and missionaries from missions agencies in Africa. The majority of the speakers and workshop facilitators were also indigenous missionary leaders.
Hernandez was especially encouraged to hear leaders of both foreign and indigenous missions organizations agree that native missionaries are the most efficient and effective army to reach the unreached with the gospel.
As “neighbors” to these unreached peoples, native gospel workers already know the language and culture. They can also access areas where foreign missionaries would not be welcomed.
According to one estimate, approximately 95 percent of the work done among unreached people groups today is carried out by indigenous missionaries.

The Next Step

Barau presented attendees with a final statement of challenge as they seek to fulfill the Great Commission and disciple all nations in Africa and beyond.
Each delegate was encouraged to find two other accountability partners who would commit to correspond with them and in one year’s time see how they followed through on their response to the challenge.
Major objectives/challenges of the consultation included:

A greater awareness of what is involved in discipleship and discipling nations
A greater awareness of Great Commission priorities, with a focus on the remaining 800 unengaged, unreached people groups in Africa
The formation of national discipleship research councils, which will carry on the work of the consultation beyond Ghana 2013
The facilitation of new partnerships and initiatives in seeing transformation come to the major spheres of society in every nation
A commitment to discipling a new generation of leaders
A commitment to seeing discipleship-making movements among all the remaining unreached peoples of Africa and beyond
A united challenge from the Consultation to the global church to prioritize disciple-making at every level and to raise up every believer to full participation in the Great Commission

“Overall, by the number of indigenous leaders who participated, by their engagement and excitement in continuing to do what God has called them to do, by their organization as a team of more than 400 indigenous missionary organizations, and by the partnerships we are starting to develop, Ghana 2013 was a success and will bring glory to the Lord,” said Hernandez.
The next Global Consultation will take place in Lima, Peru, in October 2014, with the theme “Responding to the Challenge of Islam.” More than 1,000 international missions leaders are expected to attend the event.
Prayer Requests:

For new doors of ministry to open among previously unreached or unengaged people groups in Africa
That those who attended the conference will be encouraged and further equipped to fulfill the Great Commission
For persecuted believers in Nigeria, Mali, Sudan, and other countries in Africa

Use the form below to contribute online to assist indigenous missionaries working in Africa. Or call 434-977-5650 to contribute by phone. If you prefer to mail your gift, please mail to Christian Aid, P.O. Box 9037, Charlottesville, VA 22906. Please use Gift Code: 500IMA. Thank you!

Pastor Chuck Smith, 86, home with Jesus

Pastor Chuck Smith, 86, home with Jesus
He had been battling lung cancer

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

COSTA MESA, CA (ANS) -- Pastor Chuck Smith, 86, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, California, died early today (Thursday, October 3, 2013), after a courageous battle with lung cancer.

He passed away in Southern California where he had lived with his wife, Kay, for most of his life.

Smith was an extraordinary man, who despite his terrible pain and breathing problems, preached three times last Sunday morning at his huge church.

“Papa Chuck”, as many called him, became well-known in the late 60’s and early '70s when hippies started flocking to his church and a tent was erected nearby which was packed with hippies.

The resulting “Jesus People Revival” transformed worship music and birthed the rise of the Calvary Chapel movement with churches all over the world.

Many of those early hippie converts went on to pastor some of America’s largest churches, including Greg Laurie and Mike MacIntosh.

His verse-by-verse Bible teaching was a hallmark of preaching and he would take the congregation through the entire Bible and that teaching was carried on his "Word for Today" radio program . He appeared almost to the end, on "Pastor's Perspective" on the KWVE Radio Network, which was linked with his church and was carried across America, on "World News Briefing" on His Channel (www.hischannel.com).

It was on Sunday (January 1, 2012), when many in the congregation at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, were shocked and surprised when Chuck Smith announced during the morning services that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Yet Smith said that he had never smoked in his life.

During an interview shortly after he first announced he had lung cancer, I was able to interview him and I asked him at the time how people could pray for him.

“Well, just pray that the Lord’s will be done because whatever it is, I’m open to Him,” he said.

Now, the Lord’s will has been done and Chuck Smith has finished well and is now receiving his reward.

More to follow...

See all ASSIST News articles at www.assistnews.net

Dan Wooding, 72, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 50 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and he hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on the KWVE Radio Network in Southern California and which is also carried throughout the United States and around the world. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 192 countries. Dan recently received two top media awards -- the “Passion for the Persecuted” award from Open Doors US, and as one of the top “Newsmakers of 2011” from Plain Truth magazine. He is the author of some 45 books, the latest of which is a novel about the life of Jesus through the eyes of his mother called “Mary: My Story from Bethlehem to Calvary.” To order a copy, go to:

Kamis, 03 Oktober 2013

New Word: Evange-cipleship

by Greg Stier
in Discipleship · Missions · Youth Ministry
— 30 Sep, 2013

Evangelism + Discipleship = Evange-cipleship
Okay, the word is kind of corny but it communicates my point. And what is that exactly? Simply this: When teenagers are equipped and unleashed to share their faith it is the ultimate discipleship accelerator.
It’s exactly what Jesus did with his disciples in Matthew 10 immediately after he appointed them as apostles. He chose them as leaders and immediately deployed them as evangelists. What they learned on the road sharing the gospel was infinitely more than any rabbi could ever teach them sitting in a synagogue.
But Jesus did more than deploy them, he trained them along the way.
He taught them to trust him (John 14:1.)
He showed them how to deal with persecution (Matthew 5:11,12.)
He trained them not to be impressed with the “sizzle” of miracles but to be more in awe of the “steak” of salvation (Luke 17:10-20.)
He gave them a crash course in systematic theology as they launched on a 3 year long evangelistic campaign together. He fed them doctrinal meat in bite-sized pieces. It was just the right amount of spiritual protein to fuel their evangelistic efforts and transform them personally at the same time.
What worked for Jesus and his disciples can work for you and your teenagers too. But you have to be willing to risk and get your teens to risk as well. Because without risk there is no real discipleship, there’s simply an information download.
I love what Tim Keller tweeted a few weeks ago about discipling teens. It went something like, “Teenagers have a lot of information about God, but little experience of him. Teens need to be put in positions where they are forced to rely on God.”
Amen!
What puts teens in these kinds of positions? I submit that nothing puts teens in a position where they are forced to rely on God like relational evangelism among their peers. Yes, even more than mission trips! If you give the typical Christian teenager the choice between going to the Amazon and building mud huts for the poor while fighting off pythons and jaguars or going to their school cafeteria and dropping the “J bomb” on a group of friends, most teens would choose the pythons.
Most would rather risk getting choked out by a giant snake than getting choked out of their social circle. But it’s that very risk that makes evange-cipleship so effective. It forces them to rely on God and use all of the information you’ve downloaded into their minds to reach their friends for Jesus.
If you’re serious about discipleship then you need to get serious about evangelism. Because discipleship without evangelism is like a transmission without an engine. By the way, if you’re a youth leader and want to learn how to “drop the engine” of evangelism into your youth ministry chassis then come to “Maximum Velocity” a free youth leader training I’m doing in 16 cities across the nation this Fall. If you can’t make it there then pick up my book Outbreak to help get you wrestle through this concept and start to put it into practice in your youth ministry context.
It’s time to erase the lines that blur evangelism and discipleship. It’s time for evange-cipleship.
And, yes, that word’s still corny. But the concept is transformational.
Just ask the disciples.

How to Open Your Church to Your Community and Vice Versa

by Charles Arn
in Books & Media · Missions
— 30 Sep, 2013

Anyone who has written a book knows the feeling of satisfaction when you finally see your long, hard hours of work make it to the printed page. (It usually takes about a year even after the completed manuscript is turned over to the publisher before the book finally arrives!)
So, I am particularly excited about a book I have been working on for nearly ten years which Wesley Publishing House will soon be releasing—Side Door. It’s my effort to share with church leaders a powerful missional process that has a proven track record in almost every larger growing church today. But the strategy of building church side doors is definitely not limited to larger churches. In fact, it has tremendous potential for medium and smaller sized churches that want to “break the mold” of traditional (and often ineffective) outreach methods, and begin a strategic new missional ministry in their community.
I have reproduced a conversation that recently appeared in the Wesley Publishing House blog about the idea of side doors. I hope you find it instructive in learning more about the principles behind the book, and that you will be encouraged to consider how a side door building strategy could be a breakthrough for new ministry and outreach in your church…
Wesley Publishing House: Thanks for joining us, Dr. Arn! Your book is called Side Door. What is that all about?
Charles Arn: Every church has a metaphorical “front door”— referring to the people who visit on Sunday, some of whom like the church and stay. Then, of course, every church has a “back door”— those people who leave through transfer, inactivity, or death. “Side doors” add a positive new aspect to the “people flow” equation of a local church, and provide a tremendous opportunity to increase the number who become part of their faith community.
WPH: So, what exactly is a “side door”?
Arn: A side door is a church-sponsored program, group, or activity in which non-members can become comfortably involved on a regular basis. Such gatherings provide an opportunity for non-members to develop meaningful and valued relationships with people in the church. The goal of an effective side door is to provide a place where participants (both Christians and non-Christians) can develop friendships around something important that they share in common.
WPH: Why are side doors so important?
Arn: A big problem most plateaued and declining churches have is that their major source of prospective members comes from their church visitors. This passive approach is becoming less and less effective as fewer and fewer people take the initiative to visit church. In contrast, side doors are a “proactive” way to increase the number of connections the church has with unchurched people, and then nurture those connections into genuine and meaningful relationships with members.
WPH: What are some examples of church side doors?
Arn: Most successful side doors are started by lay people, and are based around special interests, needs, concerns, or passions. A side door can grow out of a recreational interest or a significant life experience. It can focus on a specific age, or span generations. It can be based on a challenging circumstance or a favorite past time. Todd Pridemore, an associate pastor in Missouri and practiced facilitator of side doors in his church, says: “There is almost no activity that is so secular that it cannot be used to create a side door into your congregation.” What makes side doors work is that they bring together people who have something in common.
For example, I have seen successful side door groups in churches for people who: ride motorcycles…have children in the military…own RVs…are recent widowers…are newlyweds…enjoy reading books…are unemployed…suffer from chronic pain…have husbands in jail…enjoy radio controlled airplanes…are nominal Jews…have spouses who are not believers…are fishermen… are single moms…want to get in better physical condition…wish to help homeless families…play softball…are interested in end-times…have a bed-ridden parent…are raising grandchildren. When I think of the hundreds of possibilities for creative side doors, I can’t help but be reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (I Cor. 9:22).

WPH: So, the key to a successful side door group is that it’s based on people’s interests?
Arn: Exactly. Pastors have told us that one of their greatest challenges is motivating people to be involved in the ministry and work of the church. As a result, in most churches, 10% of the members end up doing 90% of the work. But the idea of starting new ministries around topics that people are already interested in means that pastors don’t need to try and change people’s interests, they simply need to channel them! That is, churches with a good side door strategy allow people to do what they already like to do…but now it’s with a great commission purpose.
WPH: Most larger churches have a variety of these creative side door groups and activities. But what about smaller churches?
Arn: While side doors are an important part of the growth mix in many larger congregations, it is a strategy that is also very well suited for churches under 200. The personal relationships that develop among people in these side door groups provide the best way for smaller churches to connect with people in their community, particularly since they can’t compete with the facilities or programming of larger churches. The key to effective community outreach is: meaningful relationships with unchurched people. Any size church can—and should—be doing that. Building side doors is simply an easy, yet effective way to do so.
WPH: Why did you write this book?
Arn: In my 30+ years of church consulting, I’ve become convinced that side doors work. The examples are all over. I wrote this book because I have found that many pastors and lay church leaders are not aware of:
1. what side doors are, or how missionally effective they can be
2. how to go about building them in their church
So, my goal in this book is to introduce this important idea to readers, and then provide a hands-on guide for how to apply it.
Speaking of applying the idea of side doors, I am also very excited about a free resource that Wesley Publishing House is providing to readers. It is an 80-page downloadable workbook called the “Side Door Planning Guide.” This is a practical guide, especially for laypersons who have an interest in starting a new ministry around their passion. For example, suppose you are a pastor and you approach several young motorcycle enthusiasts in your church with the idea of starting a motorcycle ministry. Their first question will likely be: “How would we do that?” This 80-page guide is the answer to that question. It’s a workbook that provides a step-by-step process for starting a successful new ministry. The book (Side Door), together with the guidebook (“Side Door Planning Guide”) are a powerful combination of tools to help any church apply this idea in their context.
WPH: What one message do you hope readers will take away from the book?
Arn: It is that fewer and fewer people are visiting churches today. If your church is primarily dependent on visitors as your source of new members, the handwriting is on the wall. Your church will die. You need a new approach to connect with the people in your community and see them become part of the Christian family. I can guarantee that—when done right—side doors will help you do that.
Pre-order your copy of Side Door from WPH at 800-493-7539.
“Charles Arn’s Side Door is a much-needed resource for the church…” Jim Dunn (Executive Director, Church Multiplication and Discipleship, The Wesleyan Church)
“Side doors are a very useful approach that can help churches become more missional. This is a well-articulated book…” Alan Hirsch (author, missional spokesperson)
“Side Door is a must-read for missional practitioners looking to connect incarnationally with their communities…” Mike Slaughter (pastor, Tipp City, OH)