09/24/08 Best Practices

September 24, 2008

Best Practices Sermon

The Safest Prayer to Pray: on the Lord's Prayer

Chris Oberg, Calimesa (CA) SDA church

To the Point:

You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake.
- Jeannette Rankin

I've been on a diet for two weeks and all I've lost is two weeks.
- Totie Fields

You can't teach an old dogma new tricks.
- Dorothy Parker

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.
- Albert Einstein

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.
- Galileo Galilei

The future ain't what it used to be.
- Yogi Berra
Got a favorite quote? Send it to BestPractices@ameritech.net.

Apologies
by Best Practices Editor, Loren Seibold

Best Practices is a day late, and I'm very sorry. On Tuesday I experienced a torn retina in my left eye. Fortunately, I was able to get it repaired before it became the more serious detached retina. But it did set me back on all my deadlines. And, it leaves me feeling rather old!

I've heard from a number of you about the so-called Ellen White quote from last issue. It turns out that it is well-known as a mistaken attribution - well-known except to me, and John Glass, who shared it with me! John was suitably repentant: "By now you know that quote I sent you was not written by EGW! I'm not sure who wrote those words and I wonder, were they even published in the Review?" Apparently they were, but in 1965, not 1865. John goes on: "Whoever it was, every time I read those words I get all excited about the magnificence and magnitude of a God who can do so much more than we can ever imagine: that's what I was attempting to share." I can say amen to that!

Practical Ministry:
Pastoring a Super District
William Davis, Northeastern Wyoming

Seven congregations spread out across two hundred miles with a combined membership of three hundred: this is the Northeast Wyoming Super District.

People ask me, "How do you pastor that a district like that?" The response is, I don't - if by "pastor" you mean the mid-twentieth century chaplain model of ministry. I minister here as a pastor-equipper: I train Christ-centered, Bible-anchored, visionary, disciple-making leaders of local congregations.

Even though my district is hundreds of miles across, I do spend time with the churches. Every third Sabbath I am in two of the churches for worship, and in the afternoon we hold a training seminar in one of them. Although I have to do a lot more of my work by telephone, I've found that I need to be around each church enough for them to feel I am with them and not just visiting. It is crucial that I'm on hand to sense needs and issues that need to be addressed, and to help the church align itself with God's vision for them.

The heart of my ministry, though, is establishing local leadership. My model consists of encountering, equipping, empowering, and encouraging:

Encountering those who are gifted (and willing to using their gifts) is job one. The Focused Living Retreat is an exceptional tool for this. Personal visits are slower, but effective.
Equipping happens in seminars, small group discussions, and one on one training. I do a training seminar of some kind in one church each Sabbath. For equipping, I recommend a CD training seminar from Chuck Milian's Crossroads Fellowship in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Empowering those equipped for leadership is vital. The church must know who's qualified to lead and that these individuals have the pastor's approval to go about organizing and leading a ministry in the church
I keep my leaders encouraged with personal coaching calls.

The super district does not require a super pastor. It does require quite a different kind of pastoral practice: I had to learn to lead by building up lay leaders to do what God is calling them to. To see the leadership develop from within the congregation brings joy to me, and a deeper sense of mission within the congregation.

Contact Bill at pastornewyo@yahoo.com

Events:
Innovative Impact Conference
Nashville, TN November 11-12

Seldom if ever have I gotten as pumped about Adventist ministry as I have at the Innovative Impact Conference. The preaching was so good at the last pastor's leadership conference that at one point hundreds of us stood up and cheered the preacher on. I particularly resonated with the testimonies of my colleagues who shared how they conquered enormous challenges with creativity and prayer.

After a year's hiatus Innovative Impact is back better than ever with pastors who are making a difference such as Marcellus Robinsonn, Eric Brown, Carlton Byrd. I'm also looking forward to getting inspired by leaders such as Fredrick Russell, William Brody, Roger Hernandez and Jesse Wilson. This year's conference will be held in Nashville November 11-12. I found the online registration quite painless and because I registered before October 19 I was able to get in on the early bird rate of $125.

If we haven't met before, introduce yourself to me and your lay leaders at Innovative Impact. See ya there.

- Review by Dave Gemmell

Responses to Learning from the Gentiles
Thanks to all of you who took the time to respond. I appreciate your sharing the conversation! LGS

I liked the reminder that we don't have all the answers and maybe not even the right questions at times. I can remember as a young man talking to a pastor about reading another denomination's magazine. He replied, "Why would you want to suck the breast of a foreign mother?" Pride and prejudice at its worst.
- Jim Lindsey

Let me weigh in as a conference president. If we would admit that we are all disciples, and learn to listen to each other, there is a great deal we can learn. As a grace-based Adventist, I disagree just as strongly with some of my right wing brothers within the tribe as I do with some members of other tribes. However the scary part is sometimes I agree with other tribes more as we celebrate God's grace, goodness and worship who He is, than with the narrow minded judgmentalism of a tribe convinced they are God's only special children. Yet neither do I want to condemn anyone, but simply practice grace, especially for those with whom I disagree most. Seems like someone said it would be by our love that others would be able to tell we were following the master.
- Jim Brauer

When you asked if we knew all we needed to know and if we could learn nothing from Christians of other stripes - the answer to those questions is "no" and "of course." But have we thrown our buckets deep into the well of truth that sets our church apart from the others to drink fully from its water there? It seems to me that much, if not most of the truths (what we would call "early rain" truths) that this church has been blessed with are being abandoned as pass�, out of date. This at a time when we should be digging into them as hid treasure and making them relevant for our people today. ...When you speak of the conference president who said scoffingly, "Why should we go to the gentiles to learn anything?" And when you quote Paul's words concerning our liberty and speak of those who are "themselves spiritually insecure... frightened of freedom... Except the freedom to criticize." aren't you taking on in part the very tone and posture that you have accused the liberty killers of doing?
- Dave Moench

Bravo on pointing out the very dangerous trap of our "voluntary segregation". The idea that we know it all and can't listen, look, or read about anything not specifically printed for and by the church is, as you pointed out, rooted in fear (that our spiritual footing will be destabilized). Our people have become too defensive about the truths we hold. We need to put these truths on the offensive, and let others react, reason, and search for reasons to disregard them. Instead we stand back and react, reason and search for why their beliefs are wrong. Again, I truly thank you for pointing out that fear of others thoughts and ideas, is actually a lack of faith and understanding on our part. In today's political climate of fear and hostility, I appreciate that so much.
- Kasey McFarland

September's editorial brought some good points up about our willingness and ability to hear "the other side." After all, it's hard to reach people where they are if you don't know where that is. However, the article also seemed to marginalize anyone who happened to feel that some caution was healthy in regard to the things we permit to enter the "avenues of the soul." You say, "There are those, often themselves spiritually insecure, who don't trust your judgment. They're frightened of freedom - yours, and their own." The implication is that anyone who exercises caution in regard to "gentile" teaching must necessarily be insecure. This would give the reader the impression that to focus on Christian, or even - dare I say it - Adventist, writings must be an exhibition of "spiritual insecurity" and "freedom phobia." Based on this kind of reasoning, I suppose one could conclude that the Lord Jesus Himself was a bit on the spiritually insecure side when He warned "If they say to you, 'Behold, He is in the wilderness,' do not go out." Is a minister "insecure" because He believes in certain boundaries?
- Mark Howard

You mentioned a conference president saying "Why should we go to the gentiles to learn anything?" I've been an Adventist for 8 years and the last time I looked in the mirror a gentile was looking back at me!
- Gary McHone

I couldn't agree with you more. Where I live I found a small Adventist church right away. But I also wanted to be in a choir. So I visited the Big [Sunday] Church of this small town, liked what I heard, and asked if I could be in the choir even if I weren't a member. They were delighted. They have quite a few beliefs I don't subscribe to. On the other hand, their mission is to "work with those who work with Christ, respecting each one's conscience and endeavoring to maintain the unity of love in the bond of peace." There's only one problem: it's the other church whose service I wouldn't miss, because it's relevant and really asks me to grow into my best self, instead of just complacently congratulating myself that I Have The Truth, and feeling sorry for Those People, who don't. I continue to attend my Adventist church because I do love the people, because I feel it's my duty (grim reason indeed), because I am Adventist to my core and last but not least, because this Adventist congregation has become a mission field to me.
- Debbonnaire Kovacs

Far too many Adventists are afraid that any exposure to "outsiders" will somehow contaminate their faith. What a shameful attitude to have toward others. We not only can learn from others but should learn from others with whom we do not see eye to eye. I interviewed a Muslim once and asked him what his faith meant to him. His answer: "Islam is my life." I learned that for a Muslim, their faith isn't just a list of theologically "correct" doctrines that they hold to. Islam affects every aspect of their lives, including their relationships with everyone around them. It made me question, "Does my faith in Christ affect every aspect of my life? Do I have and exemplify the same dedication and commitment to my faith on every level of life? I do not believe in Islamic theology, but I learned something very valuable from my Muslim friend that day, and I believe it has made me a better Christian.
- Michael Sims

Resources, Ideas and Events
by Best Practices Editor, Loren Seibold

From Monte Sahlin: "A major movie release from a Christian producer is coming the weekend of Sept. 26-28. It is called Fireproof and it is a story about a couple who drift apart and then find renewed commitment in their marriage. The fact that he is a fireman adds action and excitement. This will get wide attention among people in your community and provides you with an opportunity to address a real need.

For more information about the movie go to www.fireproofthemovie.com.
The Outreach Marketing Company has put together a resource kit with clips from the movie that you can use as sermon illustrations, PowerPoint files for your sermon, small group materials, a planning guide and advertising materials. For more information go to www.outreach.com.
The Christian Communication Network is planning a satellite-linked marriage seminar on Nov. 1 featuring Dr. Gary Smalley (the well-known Christian psychologist) and others. For more information on using your satellite dish for this event, go to www.ccn.tv/fireproof/.
At the very least, urge the couples in your congregation to invite an unchurched couple to double-date with them to this movie. This is one of those friendship evangelism opportunities!"

Guide magazine is launching a new montly outreach magazine. It will contain true stories, puzzles, fun facts, and other content from the pages of Guide, selected to meet the needs of secular kids. Church members of all ages can sponsor subscriptions of the magazine to young people they know. "The magazine needs a new name to distinguish it from the regular weekly Guide," says editor Randy Fishell. "And that's where the contest comes in. We want the whole church to be involved in launching this exciting new child evangelism project." Suggested names for the outreach magazine can be submitted at the Guide Web site, www.guidemagazine.org/friend, or mailed to Guide, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740. The deadline for contest entries is December 31, 2008. The winning entrants will be recognized on the Guide Web site. "We're also inviting people to send us names and addresses of young people who need to receive this magazine," says Fishell. "Guide is currently raising funds to launch the magazine and send subscriptions to as many unchurched young people as possible." Names can be submitted online or by mail, using the addresses above.

Insight magazine's G5 (Galatians 5:22) video contest. Prizes range from an iPod touch to cash money. For rules and more information please visit us online.

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