March 12, 2008
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To the Point:
To preach, to shew the extent of our reading, or the subtleties of our
wit--to parade in the eyes of the vulgar with the beggarly accounts of
a little learning, tinsel'd over with a few words which glitter, but
convey little light and less warmth--is a dishonest use of the poor single half hour in a week which is put into our hands. 'Tis not preaching the gospel, but ourselves. - Laurence SterneWhatever you may be sure of, be sure of this, that you are dreadfully like other people. - James Russell Lowell
Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, "Where have I gone wrong?" Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night." - Charles M. Schulz
When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion.
- Abraham Lincoln
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.
- GK Chesterton
Got a favorite quote? Send it to BestPractices@ameritech.net. |
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 Creative Ministry:
Michelle Riley Jones
A few issues back I mentioned in passing the Ash Wednesday service. I was intrigued when Michelle Riley Jones, Minister
of
Music
and
Worship
Arts at
Capitol
Hill
SDA in Washington, DC, told me about her creative adaptation of that service. LGS
As a leader of worship, my pastors and I have come to believe that more visual and tactile experiences have a way of making the Word clearer, and fostering a deeper and more intentional commitment to Christ. It is in that context that my church has explored creative approaches to worship.
Take for example a service modeled on the Ash Wednesday service that I developed with another worship leader. Our denomination normally doesn't celebrate these liturgical year events; but when I studied Ash Wednesday, it seemed to me that it is rich in meaning. Texts like Matthew 11:21 and Jeremiah 6:26 show ashes are a biblical symbol of sorrow for sin and repentance.
As I helped create this service, God inspired me that the Ash Wednesday service should mark a deep, personal repentance. In liturgical churches, pastors use the ashes of the palms from the previous Palm Sunday. But in our service, members write down on slips of paper the areas in their lives in which they seek God's deliverance. The slips are collected (perhaps during the invitation to prayer period). Before the next service, the slips are burned. As parishioners kneel in prayer during the invitation, ashes (mixed with olive oil) may be placed on their foreheads in the shape of the cross signifying redemption from those things we had previously held on to, and our new life in Christ whose work on the cross has conquered death and sin. In a variation on this theme, the ashes from the slips can be glued on a board in the shape of a cross (using clear glue) and the board then put on an easel at the front of the church, again to be a visual witness to Christ's death and our redemption from those things we have committed to Him.
I know this isn't a typical kind of service for Seventh-day Adventists. Clearly, we don't want to do rituals for their own sake. Nor would we have services like this every week. Most churches, regardless of denomination, don't. But we needn't throw out the baby with the bath water. We can remain open to creative ways to convey the meanings of our faith.
You can correspond with Michelle at mrileyjones@comcast.net. |
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Cutting Edge Book
After the Baby Boomers
by Robert Wuthnow
Point: To gain a better understanding of the twenty- and thirty-
somethings of today, and how they are shaping the future of the church.
Key Concept: "Understanding"
- We must know who they are and understand their needs to
reconnect with this generation.
Pros: Wuthnow gives a clear picture of how today's generation are like the boomers,
and their distinctive differences. He defines the
challenges we are faced with in trying to reach this generation. Churches
could be touching this generation
today in a profound way, but we have not stepped up to the challenge like we
need to.
Cons: You will find no prescription or program in this book to help you
implement the changes needed.
Why you should read it: If you want to gain a better understanding of the young adults of
today this is a must read. Wuthnow has done a great job of showing us who
this generation is and how they are shaping religion.
-Review
by Pastor Lori Whitted |
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Resources, Reflections, Links and Ideas
by Best Practices Editor, Loren Seibold
- Reading for pastors
- Sermon of the Week: In this sermon called "The Beauty of Nothing," the late Richard Wurmbrand tells about his imprisonment during the Communist era. The political situation he describes has changed, but the message is still powerful. (You can't help but draw contrasts to the findings of the Pew Forum survey about American religion, linked above.)
- Years ago one of my professors introduced me to Abraham Joshua Heschel's meaningful essay on the Sabbath. If you've not read it, you should. (Here's a short excerpt). I had no idea, though, of his work for justice, as documented in this week's video, above.
- Sunday Law alert: I've heard this, and and you may have, too. Here's a response from the religious liberty department, after a thorough investigation. I wonder: what does our willingness to believe and pass on these rumors without solid evidence say about us? Any thoughts?
- Just for fun: The Abston Church of Christ
- Events:
- Continuing education opportunities:
- From Jane Thayer at AU-SDATS: "The the Religious Education
Program in the SDA Theological Seminary has just started offering a new
concentration in our Ph.D. program in Christian Formation and Discipling. Graduates from
this program will provide the academic and research components to the
church's strategy for engaging all local churches in discipling." Not on the website yet, but e-mail Dr. Thayer for more information.
- For those hoping to complete an M.Div. or M.A., the next InMinistry Center classes are April 13-24.
- Reminder: the Vervent-sponsored Music and Worship Conference at Andrews University is coming up, March 27-29.
Got a tool, resource, site, article, idea or seminar that you like a lot? Share it with us at BestPractices@ameritech.net.
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Comments on "Measuring Success"
The problem of healthy churches is that we Adventists do not value discipling. We
tend to define discipling in one of two ways: 1. It is another name for
a good devotional life; 2. It is another name for training people to do
evangelism. Neither definition is complete. So we have churches full of
members who are not themselves growing as disciples. The church is
specifically called to "make disciples." It
is not called to do evangelism; evangelism is only one tool of
discipling. Jane Thayer
Moving the church from merely asking "How many?"
and "How much?" as measures of success to other qualitative and
quantitative measures is definitely a worthwhile (and hazardous) task. Our attempts to explore this have led us
to develop a couple of scorecards - one for the Conference and the other for a local church. We have also attempted to create a more organic approach to the evangelistic mission of the church. None of these are finished products. They are invitations to conversations
and exploration.Raj Attiken
The way much measuring success in ministry is
done quite often misses the point! Counting people, tracts, hours, money ("the
measurables") is easy. If the numbers are high, then we are successful. If the
numbers are low, then we aren't. But this doesn't seem to be the way God
measures success. And having high numbers doesn't necessarily mean success. Jesus was successful, but His numbers (disciples,
money, etc.) were low. Could it be that our definition of success must be
re-defined? Could true success be about consistently doing whatever the Father
tells us to do? Philip Williams
I
have really appreciated the thoughtful dialogue you presented on
evangelism. I found it stimulating, without being condemning. Joey Pollom
You are writing from only an
Anglo perspective, as though no one else exists in this church. Wake up,
Loren; the church in the NAD is no longer defined based only on one
perspective. Frederick Russell
Yes, South Topeka Adventist Fellowship has had great growth, but don't forget The Adventure and Common Ground - both with
over 50% non-SDA evangelistic growth and greater attendance than
membership. The Adventure holds 3-4 meetings a year and is now
averaging attendance of 250-300 at two campus sites. Common Ground
held one a year, but relied more on the cell group/relational model. Gary Walter
Right
now
I
am
in
the
last
two
weeks
of
a
$38,949.73
evangelistic
meeting
with
one
of
the
Amazing
Facts evangelists.
Some
of
the
main
interests
are
those
who
were
already
attending,
but
we
still
continue
to
rejoice
over
those
few
who
do
stay. Reggie Phillips
I am in the process of conducting my very first series as an evangelist, beginning March 21st. In studying those who have come before me i noticed that prework and followup have been scarce. My
question: what are some things I can do, before, during, and after
these meetings to increase the possibility of true success in the
evangelism cycle? I don't want to simply do a set of meetings, then
pack up my equipment and take off. Mwale |
NAD Events of Interest to Pastors
- Andrews University Music and Worship Conference, March 27-29, 2008
- K.I.D. University (Kids in Discipleship Ministry training):
- March 16-19, Collegedale, TN
- April 17-20, National City, CA
- April 20-23, Collegedale, TN
- May 15-18, Portland , OR
- July 20-23, Collegedale, TN
- Sept. 7-10, Collegedale, TN
- Atlantic Union Festival of the Laity and Seeds Conference, March 28-30, 2008
- SONscreen Film Festival, April 10-12
- Seminary InMinistry Intensive classes (multiple sites in NAD), April 13-24
- Church Planter's Xchange, April 30-May 3, Greely, CO.
- Great Controversy 150th Anniversary, Kettering, OH, May 10, 2008
- SEEDS 2008 Church Planting Conference,June 11-14, 2008
- ACS Collaboration for Compassion Convention - June 29 - July 5, 2008
- Nonprofit Leadership Certification Program - Level I - May 4-9, 2008
- National Conference on Innovation,October 5-7, 2008
- Nonprofit Leadership Certification Program - Level II - October 12-17, 2008
- NET 2008 Discoveries Series - October 24-November 29, 2008. E-mail for more information.
- Adventist Ministries Convention 2009 - January 18-21, 2009
Do you have an SDA-sponsored event that you'd like to invite NAD pastors to? Tell us about it at BestPractices@ameritech.net.
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Best Practices is an e-publication of Vervent
NAD CHURCH RESOURCE CENTER
Editor: Loren Seibold
Senior Pastor, Worthington Ohio Seventh-day Adventist Church
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