How's Your Focus? - Vision, Part 4

Remember your last vision exam? "Cover your right eye and read the lowest line you can on the chart ... now your left ... good!" If you are like me, a time came in your life when your vision began to need some correction to see clearly. The focus was not what it once was. (We won't mention anything about that being a sign of aging). Whatever the cause, the remedy is proper focus and the doctor has a prescription for helping us focus properly based on his or her expertise and training in the science of sight. So, can the vision of our churches get out of focus? Absolutely! How does it happen? My own personal bias is that it happens when a church gets too focused on ... are you ready for this ... the church! That's right, focusing on the church gets the church out of focus. What are WE going to do? Who are WE trying to reach? What is OUR ministry plan? What are OUR resources? Congregational vision statement number four on the mission wall at the HBA Mission Center says that we have a vision of ...

Kingdom focused congregations that recognize that the kingdom agenda of God extends beyond personal, congregational, associational, or denominational agendas.

Now that doesn't mean that what God is doing in one's personal life is not important. Nor does it mean that congregational, associational, and denominational visions and missions are passe. (I certainly don't want anyone to think that I am ready to bail on associational or denominational ministry--especially since God placed me here in HBA for this season of my ministry). What I mean is that we need eyes to see where God is at work in the world and where He might be inviting us to join Him ... are you ready for this ... even if it didn't originate in our yard. Jesus said it this way, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33, NASB). During the 20 years I served as a pastor, I developed a simple philosophy ... if I would focus on the kingdom and keep a kingdom vision always before the church, the Lord Jesus Christ would take care of needs of this congregation. I am convinced that He did and I am convinced that He does. So, how's your focus?

Competitive or Complementary - Vision, Part 3

How much do you resemble your parents? Do you have your mom's nose? Your dad's chin? How about bone structure? Or personality and temperament? Do you demonstrate their values and character qualities? When people look at you, do they observe anything about your heritage? How can people see what God is like? Certainly, they look to the Scriptures and to the person of Christ. But what is the first thing they see? They see the visible representation of Christ in the world - the Body of Christ. They see the Church. And sometimes we bear little resemblance to our Father! We may give a distorted view in many ways, but one of the most common (in my opinion) is in operating in isolated independence. In one of my previous blogs in highlighting the vision statements on the mission wall of the HBA Mission Center, I talked about our vision of autonomous congregations. A common misperception is that autonomous = independent. I don't believe an "independent" congregation is a New Testament congregation. A simple reading of the book of Acts and the letters of Paul should quickly dispel that myth. A congregation my be self-determining of its course under the direction of the Holy Spirit, but no congregation is self-sufficient. Even if a congregation has the resources to function without the assistance of other congregations, there is one thing an individual congregation cannot do ... BE the Body of Christ. Hence, our third congregational vision statement:

Interdependent congregations that are committed to voluntarily and cooperatively doing life and ministry together.

How does your congregation view other congregations? Are you suspicious of their methods and motives? Do you secretly envy their successes? Are you unconcerned toward their struggles? How much time does your congregation spend praying for other congregations who are co-laborers for the sake of the gospel in our communities? How are you joining with other congregations to present the reality of Christ and to be His hands and feet to lost people ... hurting people ... broken people ... ignorant people ... even rebellious people? You see, there are not multiple Bodies of Christ. There is one. And we present a fractured witness when we operate in a competitive way rather than a complementary way. The difference? Competitive is focusing attention on our methods as the right way. Complementary is focusing attention on the sovereign work of God in the world and using our methods and unique gift mix to cooperate in that work. Don't misunderstand me, I am talking about the ministry methods and unique gift mix of each local congregation as being complementary. I am not talking about a wide and unclear theology that distorts the clear message of the gospel. We just need to be sure that our "theological" issues really are based in absolute truth rather than in preferred terminology. The reality is that we need each other. Not because we cannot function separately, but because we should not function separately and present a divided Christ to the world. It seems to me that the association is uniquely poised to assist congregations in operating interdependently by focusing attention on how we can unite our hearts and hands to impact our communities with the reality of Christ. How can we assist you in being an effective member of the Body?

Fad or Foundation? - Vision, Part 2

I can't remember when I first heard the word. I know it has been within the last 3-4 years. I also don't know for sure who said it first. What I do know is that I am hearing it a lot now, with both positive and negative reactions. The word? Missional. I know it probably has an "official" meaning. I also know that people respond to it based on their understanding of that "official" definition. I also know that it has become a label for a certain kind of congregation and I REALLY DON'T LIKE LABELS (missional, attractional, contemporary, traditional, blended, ...). However, I REALLY DO LIKE the word missional. Or I should say I like it the way I define it. My definition is expressed in the second congregational vision statement on the Mission Wall at the HBA Mission Center.

Missional congregations that are on mission to make Christ known in their communities and beyond.

I have been a part of congregations that described themselves as mission-minded (and that is a good thing, by the way). What that means sometimes is that they are committed to giving great prayer and financial support to our "missionaries". One of the hallmarks of Southern Baptist history and practice is our cooperative mission work. We have been the greatest missionary sending entity in the history of Christianity. However, Jesus didn't simply call us to pray and write checks. He called us to pray, to give, and to go. Sometimes that means to go to the other side of the world. Sometimes it means to go to the other side of town. Sometimes it means to go to the other side of the room. Always it means to move from being mission-minded to being on-mission. That is why the role of the association is not to "promote missions" among our congregations, but to assist churches in fulfilling the mission to which they have been called. That means that any congregation--regardless of their worship style ... or organizational structure ... or history ... or ministry plan--can be a missional congregation. If the "official" definition drives you, it might be fad. If you are mission-driven, it is foundation.

Two Down, ?? to Go!

I should have blogged this yesterday, but my plate was too full to add one other task. (By the way, who would have thought just 3 or 4 years ago that there would be such a verb as "blogged"? It actually sounds a little messy). Anyway ... Two years ago yesterday, I began my ministry as Director of Missions of Harvest Baptist Association. My first day on the job was a Sunday and I began by visiting the First Baptist Church in Boyd for the (very spiritual) reason that it was close to my home and I knew where it was. Two years and 47,000 miles later (yes, that is how many miles I have put on my Kia in the past two years) I have finally been to all 62 HBA churches. There are still a couple that I haven't been there for Sunday morning worship, but I have been to all of them for something. Some I have been to on several occasions. In many of them, I have had the privilege of preaching, leading in worship, or singing special (hopefully) music. A few months ago, I sang at the funeral of the mother of one of my close friends. When her pastor read her obituary, he mentioned that she grew up in Montague, went to school in Saint Jo, and graduated from High School in Nocona. As I listened, it amused me that I didn't even know where those places were two years ago. Now, they are a part of my life. Two years ago, I left a pastorate that I loved and only left because God made it abundantly clear that it was His will. Two years later, I stand amazed at the grace He has shown in allowing me to be part of what He is doing in HBA. Two years ago, I worked IN a system. I led (and sometimes pushed) ministries based on the vision and passion God had given me. Now I work ON a system, channeling my passion into assisting congregations with the agenda God has given them and seeking to foster a cooperative and interdependent ministry focus among those congregations. I don't measure success by what someone sees God doing in my visible ministries, but by what someone sees God doing through the ministries of our churches. Today, I heard that a crew from FBC Chico was at work building a ramp for a person in need. I found out about the need last week and sent out an email asking for someone to respond. I didn't know that anyone had taken on that project until it was already in process. Today, God is getting the glory. That may be one of my favorite parts of this ministry ... sharing a need and watching God move. I just want to say thanks to God and to each person who is a part of HBA for allowing me to be your partner in ministry and mission. We've got two years behind us and I am planning and praying for a whole lot more ahead.