Growth Groups

Some time ago, I published a post called Sunday School: The Original Small Group Experience. In that post, I stated that "Small Groups fail to promote genuine fellowship and spiritual growth". I've been in several small group settings in which the fellowship was forced, the leadership was inadequate, and the content was shallow. Therefore, my view of small groups is very tainted.

I recently finished How to Break Growth Barriers, and it challenged my experience and my assumptions about small groups. In that book, the authors (Carl George and Warren Bird) advocate the use of small groups as an essential system for a church so that it can scale its operation to any size.

My perspective on small groups expanded as they included Sunday School in their definition of small groups. 

In Southern Baptist circles, with the encouragement of Lifeway Resources, churches have renamed many of their Sunday school classes as on-campus Sunday morning small groups, and with weekly circles and "cottage prayer meetings renamed as home-based small groups. The shift from instructional formatted meetings toward more relational settings quieted the contention between Sunday school and small group advocates with widespread benefits. In such settings, believers are directed to participate in weekly "big church" worship, intimate small-groups, and a third point of participation in some serving role.

At Hunter Road Bible Church, the church where I serve as Pastor, this 3-pronged approach is where we are headed. Our mission is "to make disciples who worship God, grow in their faith, and serve others". The church's leadership feels compelled to provide avenues for each of these elements. In the area of worship, our members can participate in worship through attending our weekly Worship Gathering. We have opportunities to serve in the church and in the community, including Wheeler Mission and Lowell Elementary School.

When it comes to helping our people grow in the faith, we've considered many options. (And there are innumerable options for curriculums out there!) We've chosen to keep it simple and encourage our members to can grow in their faith by engaging in Growth Groups. This includes meeting one-one-one with another believer for the purpose of growing. It includes "Sunday School", and roughly half of those who attend the weekly Worship Gathering attend Sunday School.

In August, we will offer a new avenue for growth. "Foundations" will meet for 12 weeks in the Fall and 12 weeks in the Spring for 2 years. The material covers spiritual disciplines, hermeneutics, Bible survey, and basic Christian theology. At the end of the 2 years, each member will be asked to start or join another Growth Group.

Despite my previous insistence that small groups are ineffective, I now view small groups as a legitimate avenue for growth. I no longer need to pit small group vs. Sunday School. I need only to ensure that qualified leaders are equipped to lead these groups. According to Ephesians 4:12, that is my job after all: "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ". I believe that my recent change in perspective will allow me to equip the saints better for the work ministry. For that, I am grateful to authors like George, Bird, Geiger, and others.

Beware of The Shack

I have not read The Shack. I have not seen the movie The Shack. Since the book's release in 2008, I heard from too many other brothers and sisters in Christ that it promoted a view of God that was unhealthy at best and heretical at worst. Personally, I just didn't think I could stomach reading it. And I definitely couldn't stomach watching it.

This is not, then, a book review or a movie review on The Shack. From what I understand, it's a great story of forgiveness. It is helpful to hear about forgiveness, and it may be edifying to see forgiveness in action.

Forgiveness, though, only comes through the blood that Jesus shed on the Cross. According to Hebrews 9:22, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." True forgiveness is not possible without the intentional work of God the Father sending His Son to die for us. What is deeply troubling to me about The Shack is the words of its author William Paul Young in his book Lies We Believe About God:

Who originated the Cross? . . . If God did, then we worship a cosmic abuser, who in Divine Wisdom created a means to torture human beings in the most painful and abhorrent manner. Frankly, it is often this very cruel and monstrous god that the atheist refuses to acknowledge or grant credibility in any sense. And rightly so. Better no god at all, than this one.

I'm not sure how to square his claim that God the Father did NOT send Jesus to die for us. As generous as I'd like to be, I can't do anything with his teaching except to say that it is a false Gospel that he promotes. In fact, it is anti-Gospel. As you watch The Shack, as with all movies (even so-called "Christian" or "inspirational" movies), please use discernment. As Charles Spurgeon wisely said, "Discernment is not knowing knowing right from wrong. It is knowing right from almost right." 

Don't let the ("almost right") forgiveness offered in The Shack keep you from seeing the ("the right") beautiful, costly forgiveness that God the Father offers through the violent, bloody Cross of His Son Jesus Christ.

Too Much Bible Study?

I believe there is such a thing as too much Bible study. There--I said it, but before you question my commitment to God's Word, please hear me out.

I've spent 8 out of the last 17 years in a "Bible Church". Just like the name indicates, Bible Churches focus on... um... well, the Bible. (There are some Bible Churches here in Indianapolis that don't exactly fit the mold, but that's another post.) It's common to find sermons, Sunday School classes, Sunday evening services, Wednesday evening services, Bible quizzing, and men's and women's Bible studies that are focused on going through a book of the Bible. Add your personal Bible reading and you're inundated with Scripture. That's a good thing, right?

Well, it can be a bad thing. James writes that we are to "be doers of the Word and not just hearers only" (James 1:22). We are to be sponges of the Word. But think about a sponge. It soaks up water, but then you use it to clean surfaces. The sponge fulfills its design only when the water comes out.

That's a good picture of the function of the Bible. Yes, we are to soak it in. But I feel we are in danger if we do not let it out into our lives and the lives of others. I'm not necessarily arguing for less time in God's Word (though the elimination of programs and ministries can be healthy for a church). What I am fighting for is 3 simple words that are often neglected. Jesus taught:

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Matthew 7:24). 

It is not just hearing God's Word that matters. That is only the first step towards the life that God desires for us. We must obey everything that Christ taught (Matthew 28:20). The only healthy Bible intake is the reading or study that leads to obedience. Anything less is building our house on the sand. 

They Will Know We Are Christians... By Who We Vote For?

Christians should be known by our unity. We stand on the truth that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. We believe that God has revealed Himself in Creation and through His Word, the Bible. We believe in the miracle of the Virgin Birth, the sinless life of Jesus, and the deep, mysterious truth of the Trinity.

This Election season, though, I have seen Christians shame one another on their choice for Presidential candidate. One side says that if you're a Christian, you MUST vote for Trump. The other side claims that if you're a Christian, you MUST NOT vote for Trump.

I see that our choice here is not that different than the situation Christians faced in Romans 14. Some Christians thought it was OK to eat food sacrificed to idols, whereas other Christians thought it was sinful to eat those same foods. As Paul tells us, it is a gray area... a matter of conscience.

Your choice in this Election is a gray area. Scripture does not give you a clear command on who to vote for. In fact, such a thing as a "popular vote" didn't even exist in the Roman Empire.

Romans 14:23 lays down the principle that you should follow: "For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." In areas where the Bible doesn't clearly say you should or shouldn't do something, you must be convinced that an activity is OK for you in order to do it innocently. If you are not convinced that the matter is OK and you do it, it is sin.

How does this apply to the Election? If you believe you can vote for Trump (in good conscience), do it. If you do not believe your can vote for Trump (in good conscience), don't do it. While Christians may discuss the candidates and persuade one another (gently and in love), we should never shame each other for our choice. They will know we are Christians by our love for one another, not by who we vote for.

Growth Isn't Just About the Numbers

Two weeks ago, we introduced the concept of the Trellis and the Vine at Hunter Road Bible Church. We’ve been asking ourselves…

“What’s the state of the trellis and the vine at our church?” 

To give a quick refresher on what we mean, it’s this:

You’ve got a trellis and a vine. The trellis is designed to support the vine. The vine is supposed to get the most attention and care. In fact, without the vine, the trellis would have no reason to exist. Colin Marshall and Tony Payne write this about the trellis and the vine:

“Most churches are a mixture of trellis and vine. The basic work of any Christian ministry is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of God’s Spirit, and to see people converted, changed, and grow to maturity in that gospel. That’s the work of planting, watering, fertilizing, and tending the vine…."

On the other hand, “All Christian churches, fellowships, or ministries have some kind of trellis that gives shape and support to the work [of the vine]. As the ministry grows, the trellis needs attention. Management, finances, infrastructure, organization, governance, [programs, services, and classes]—these all become more important and more complex as the vine grows” (The Trellis and the Vine, Marshall and Payne).

Are we giving our attention to ministry in our church… to Gospel growth? Or to programs and services that support ministry? There are a lot of things that we could be giving our attention to, but what in the world should the church be doing?

To answer that, we first asked the question, "What in the world is God doing?"

The answer: He is growing disciple-making disciples through us. He’s got this grand plan that started before He ever created the world of growing His kingdom. God is growing His kingdom. We should join with His work of Gospel growth.

WE should be growing. And I’m not talking about numbers. About attendance and finances. 

But let me address those numbers quickly as it seems like an appropriate time to do so. As far as attendance goes, we have about 60 people in attendance each Sunday, and that’s where we’ve hovered around since last October. And I know a lot of our people are saying and have said to me, “It would be great if we could fill this place!” The blueprints say we can hold 215 people… in reality, it holds about 200 if it was absolutely full with no daylight in between us. They say a church is full which it reaches 80% of its seating capacity. So we would be considered full at 160 people.

Financially, we are doing pretty well. We currently have around $94,000 in the General Fund. And we’ve been right around that level for most of the last 16 months. Our budget levels are great because God’s people here have been so generous. It’s also due to the great wisdom and leadership from our elders and from our treasurer.

For example, in May 2015, our total expenses were $7,839.00. Our total expenses for July of this year was $8,188.00, a difference of only $349.00. We’ve really tried to keep expenses down so that we can use our funds for what really matters.

It’s easy to think about numbers and trying to figure out how to get more people and more giving. But we can’t get bogged down counting noses and numbers. Those are real trellis issues that we must tackle with great honesty and wisdom. We cannot neglect these realities.

But more important than the seats we fill is the number of hearts here that are filled with God’s Word and His Spirit. More important than the size of our congregation is the size of our footprint in the community and the impact we have in the world.

So when I talk about growth, it’s not numbers. I’m talking about our health as a church. Are we growing spiritually?

• Are we disciples who are growing?
• Are we making disciples who are growing?

The point of the message this Sunday is simple: We must be and make disciples who grow.

Remarks on Recent Tragedies

* These remarks were given at Hunter Road Bible Church on Sunday, July 10, 2016,

Our entire country has been saddened, angered, and filled with grief this past week because of the recent shootings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Falcon Heights, Minnesota, and Dallas, Texas. During the past week, I have read probably thousands of Facebook comments, Tweets, and online articles about the shootings. I spent two hours sitting and listening to fellow pastors talk about the issue and what our response as ministers should be. I have stayed up nights praying for the safety of my brother, a police officer in Missouri.

I have refrained from commenting on the violence until now. There are 3 statements that need to be made:

ALL LIVES MATTER

All lives matter. I have avoided posting this online because many will take that statement to mean that I disregard racism and systemic injustices that are realities within our nation. When I say All Lives Matter, I mean nothing other than this: Black Lives Matter. Blue Lives Matter. White Lives Matter. Asian Lives Matter. Hispanic Lives Matter. Native American Lives Matter. Unborn Lives Matter. Every human life matters because we are all made in the image of God. We all have worth and dignity because God made us. 

MOURN THE LOSS OF LIFE

We live in a culture of death. One author very astutely writes,“Our culture not only permits, but promotes abortion, euthanasia, murder, revenge, suicide (assisted or otherwise), war…, contraception, human cloning, human sterilization, embryonic stem cell and fetal research…, homosexuality, promiscuity, infidelity, and divorce. These proclivities lead to the destruction of life and its natural origins".

Here is the irony: though we live in a culture of death, we do not know how to handle death or properly mourn the loss of another human life. Whenever someone dies, we try to soften the blow. We use the terms "passed away" or "kicked the bucket”. We may look for someone to blame. We get angry. We lash out. In the case of the recent shootings, we took to Facebook and Twitter and instantly lashed out at all who looked at our wall or our account.

Instead of lashing out in anger, we need to brutally face the fact that human lives have been ended. Mourn the loss of life. Today, we mourn the deaths of the following individuals: Philander Castile, Alton Sterling, Micah Xavier Johnson, Lorne Ahrens, Michael Smith, Michael Krol, Patrick Zamarripa, and Brent Thompson.

DO NOT BELIEVE OR PROMOTE SIMPLISTIC SOLUTIONS

The issues concerning race and police violence are complex and involve problems in the areas of family, the media, economics, education, politics, and criminology. Any proposed solution that ignores any of these areas is inadequate. 

Ultimately, though, Jesus is the only real solution. Warren Wiersbe, in his commentary on the book of Jeremiah writes, “The nation that doesn’t deal with sin is wasting time and resources trying to solve national problems, which are only symptoms of the deeper problem, which is sin” (Be Decisive, 184). True reconciliation and peace are found only in the body of Christ. We must work to share the message of what Christ has done by dying for our sins and rising from the dead. Only then will hearts be changed. And when hearts are changed, entire communities—even the entire nation—will be impacted. We must pray for this, and we must work for this.

PRAYER FOR OUR NATION

God, all lives matter to you. You grieve whenever human life is taken. So we mourn the loss of the individuals involved in the shootings in Louisiana, Minnesota, and Texas. We know that Jesus is the only solution for our problems as a nation. We pray for the souls of all Americans, that you would convict them of sin, righteousness, and judgment. May they see their sin and their need of a Savior. Give us strength to be ministers of reconciliation as you called us to be in 2 Corinthians 5. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Doxology

"To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (1 Tim 1:17, ESV). That's all I got. Praise to God for everything that He has done, is doing, and will do.