Changing our worldview

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Recently, in an interview given a few days before he died, the former archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martin, said the Catholic Church is “200 years out of date.” The 85-year-old cardinal, who was once considered a possible successor to Pope John Paul II, accused his church of being pompous, bureaucratic and failing to move with the times. “Our culture has aged, our churches are big and empty… our rituals and our cassocks are pompous,” Martini said, adding, “The Church must admit its mistakes and begin a radical change, starting from the pope and the bishops.”

As you can imagine, this made headlines in the Catholic world. Some cheered while others were horrified. Thankfully, it is not for me to judge the issues, or even express an opinion. But it does highlight a problem that all of us who are interested in the Christian message must face.

Martin Luther once observed that if you are not preaching the gospel in the context of your times, you are not really preaching the gospel. However, it is hard for us to change what has been called our worldview —the most fundamental assumptions we live by to make sense of our lives. Our worldview shapes the way we view all things, including theology. When others view a biblical passage from a perspective different than our own, it is easy for us to become judgmental. If we’re not careful, our worldview can prevent us from seeing things from the other person’s perspective, and even from God’s.

I am reminded of a brilliant little book by C.S. Lewis titled The Great Divorce. The book is an allegory, not a doctrinal exposition (in that way it is like The Shack by William P. Young). Lewis imaginatively describes a day-long bus trip that people in hell are given to heaven as an opportunity to change their perspective. The narrator, who is on the bus, meets a number of individuals along the way. He observes several conversations and discovers that some people are so sure that they know what God’s love looks like that their deeply held worldview prevents them from recognizing the reality of heaven. It is as if they are attached to a ball and chain that holds them back from embracing the reality that stands right in front of them and is being offered to them.

balls-and-chains — © David Hayward www.nakedpastor.com. Used with permission.

Those opposing change in the church often use tradition as their reason, citing as authority the writings of the early church fathers. Though we should respect such tradition, we need to understand the worldview that shaped it. Consider Augustine of Hippo, one of the most influential church fathers. In 354, he was born into a world quite different than the one encountered by the first Christians. As a theologian and philosopher, he engaged Judeo-Christian religious and scriptural traditions together with a dominant worldview in his day–the Greek philosophical tradition. His thinking is set forth in his widely read autobiographical book Confessions–one of the most celebrated conversion accounts in all of Christian literature.

Several years ago, I decided to read Confessions. It is not easy reading, and frankly, I don’t remember much of it. But what did lodge in my memory is how Augustine used his life to illustrate how a person can be saved from a mistaken worldview. He came out of a cult–the Manicheans–and rejoiced in his change of perspective. I really identify with that, and I think many of you are with me in this. While Augustine may not have gotten everything right when he left the cult and became a Christian, I celebrate that he was on a journey similar to our own.

Augustine was not a “flaming liberal,” bent on undermining the truth. He had a deep respect for tradition, but he also realized that the church must adapt to changing times. In his day, the Roman Empire was beginning to fall apart, a fact that would have a major impact on the church. Like Paul, three centuries before, Augustine was able to look at the situation from more than one perspective. The challenge then–as now–was to move with the times so that the church did not stagnate or disintegrate. But this must be done carefully, so that the integrity of the gospel message is not compromised.

The church in every age and in every “branch” is presented with the same challenge: to discern the social-cultural-intellectual soup we swim in and see if our faith and life as the church has been compromised by our surrounding worldview. Then we need to figure out how to get free of our captivity, leaving it behind, while holding onto what was good and faithful in the past even while making changes to move forward in even deeper faithfulness. This will mean that the church will always need to be ready to repent as well as to grow in faith and hope and love for God in Christ.

In the midst of our repenting and being renewed in faith, differences, even among Christians, will arise. Some will be minor, while others may be major. Some will, unfortunately even result in division within the Christian church. While we cannot give up on the need to be discerning about what to let go of and what to cling to, we need not be self-righteous about our own convictions. We can offer them trusting that others will one day see what we see, or that we’ll come to a better understanding ourselves. We can be patient and kind, recognizing that these conflicts and differences are relatively minor when compared to the majesty of the glorious message of hope that is the gospel and the reality of the grace of God in Jesus Christ continually offered to all–not to just a select few.

And we can count on Jesus’ promise that God will not leave us on our own to figure it out by ourselves. At the Last Supper, he told his first disciples, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:12-13).

God has led us on a wonderful journey, out of the maze of legalism and even self-righteousness, into a clearer understanding of what the Christian life is all about. I pray that all of us in Grace Communion International will continue to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit as he continues to guide us into all the truth. But let’s also remember that does not make us superior, or in any way better than others.

With love, in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

P.S. We have just commemorated the 11th anniversary of 9/11–the terrorist attacks on the U.S. that occurred on September 11, 2001. We were reminded that the events of that day rocked the entire world, shaping the worldview of generations born in the U.S. and abroad, both before and after that tragic day. As we know, many families continue to suffer the consequences of 9/11 and its aftermath (which includes two wars). Our prayers are with them as they grieve loss and recover from injury and illness.

Thomas Friedrich

Thom Friedrich is the pastor of Sonlight Christian Fellowship, GCI’s congregation in Loudon, New Hampshire. Thom and his wife Marlene have been married for 29 years. They have two adult children, Ian and Emily. “We do look forward to having grandchildren someday, but there are none yet, which is just as well since neither of our children is married!”

Thom grew up on a 65-acre homestead in Candia, New Hampshire where his parents still live. Thom says he had a fairly typical upbringing, but as the youngest of five children, “I was able to learn from the mistakes of my older siblings (well, mostly).”

Thom said he initially didn’t have much interest in school and was held back in fourth grade. This proved to be a blessing. “I ended up with a teacher named Mrs. Heart who, in keeping with her name, taught me to have a love for learning.” That love led Thom to focus on theatrical arts in high school, which might seem an unusual path to prepare for where he is today, but Thom said it helped form him. “In high school, I involved myself in Chorus and Drama, excelling in both. I totally enjoyed performing in front of an audience! Perhaps that is why I took to preaching so well.”

Thom joined the Coast Guard where he spent four years. It’s also where he met Marlene. Following his military service, Thom tried a couple different vocations, the second of which led him to his knees in frustration as he sought God’s help. Soon after this prayer, Thom said, “I was hired by a small manufacturing firm where I learned drafting and design, which is still the vocation I enjoy to this day.”

It was around this time that Thom and Marlene were seeking answers about God. “Marlene far more earnestly than myself,” Thom points out. “So when I saw a pile of Plain Truth magazines at a local pizza shop, I grabbed up a copy, knowing that Marlene would be interested.” That was the beginning for Marlene. She started sending for literature and reading everything she received. “I was a bit less zealous,” Thom said, “but I could not help but be influenced by her zeal. Then one day as I was trying to read and understand a piece of literature from WCG, I prayed that God would help me make sense of it. I was blown away by his immediate answer to that prayer. The rest, as they say, is history.”

Thom and Marlene joined GCI in the spring of 1987 and Thom joined Spokesman’s Club soon afterwards. This training also proved helpful. “As soon as I graduated from club, I was asked to provide sermons about once every other month.” The frequency in sermons increased as the changes took place within the denomination. “Our local congregation began making greater use of those who had reasonably good speaking ability.”

Thom had already been serving as the worship coordinator for the congregation for about five years when he was commissioned as the congregation’s Assistant Pastor on October 5, 2002. “The following spring, our Senior Pastor Ron Stoddart transferred to Utah, leaving me in charge. Although I cannot say I have ever felt called to this position, I certainly recognize that I have been gifted for the task.”

Thom enjoys pastoring and said, “The greatest part of being a pastor is the opportunity to clearly convey the gospel to those who desire better understanding.” And Thom, like most good teachers, enjoys learning as well. His most memorable moment as a pastor was “when I came to understand the great love of God and the power of Trinitarian theology in reaching the lost.”

Understanding and sharing our teachings on Trinitarian theology is what Thom enjoys most about being part of GCI. He feels our understanding is on the cutting edge of a spiritual and teaching revival. “The insights currently being shared have invigorated my desire to learn and grow as a child of the Father.”

Thom has never given up his love of the arts. “I love to write poetry when I have opportunity, not the award-winning type, but the kind that makes people smile. I recently had the great privilege of writing a poem for my parent’s 60th wedding anniversary.” He is also passionate about music. “I have a love for music that fills me to bursting. If it were possible, I could spend every waking hour singing, whistling, humming. Unfortunately, jobs that allow this are few and far between.

This love of music ties in with Thom’s relationship with God. When asked when he feels closest to his Papa/Father, Thom said, “When I am singing his praises. Many times I have found myself bursting into worship as I look up at a star-filled sky. To think that the God who created all that still has time for me–awesome!”

India mission trip

This August, a team of seven Americans (pictured at right), including two high school students, two college students and three adults, went on a two-week mission trip to India to partner with the GCI church in the city of Hyderabad. The trip was sponsored by Great Commission Trips–a mission event ministry of GCI Generations Ministries.

The trip included several mission-focused activities including visits to three Christian orphanages where they gave the children donated clothes; presented programs with drama and singing; and helped the children make bracelets and animal balloons. Each of these activities incorporated the gospel message.

The mission team also spent five days at a local school, working with all of the classes from preschool through high school. Some team members led group games, while others taught a Values class that addressed such issues as standing up for what is right and acceptance of others. Others led a Cultural Exchange class that taught about both the U.S. and India. By the last day, the team had served all 750 students in the school, getting to know many of them personally.

The team also coordinated a Vacation Bible School for 50 children from the GCI church as well as the local village. The theme was “Shining God’s Light,” so all the messages, crafts, games and songs focused on that gospel message. In the photo below, children are being taught a worship dance. Throughout the two weeks, many adults in the community were served through a seminar for teachers, as well as a seminar on Trinitarian theology, both led by members of the mission team.

L.A. church plant

This update is from district pastor Heber Ticas who is the senior pastor of Comunion De Gracia, the GCI Spanish-speaking congregation in Sun Valley, California. Heber has taken the lead role in planting a new congregation in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Our Lincoln Heights church plant continues to flourish as we approach our first-year anniversary in October. The Lord continues to amaze us as he opens channels for ministry. Attendance has settled at about 70 attendees. We are getting first- and second-time visitors almost every Sunday. I am encouraged that we have been able to retain and nurture a good number of these visitors. It has been a humbling and learning experience, and I thank the Lord for the awesome team that he has provided for us. Had they not obeyed the Lord’s calling, this would not have been possible.

We continue to do ministry through big-day events as we reach out to the surrounding community. We also focus on small-group ministries. Recently I redirected our evangelistic cell groups into missional small groups. The existing groups were gatherings where neighbors were invited to a Bible study. That approach served its purpose, which was to help gather folks leading up to launching the new church. But now our need is for small groups that more actively reach out to serve and thus connect with the community. And so we are currently piloting two missional small groups with a total attendance of 22 adults, many of whom are capable of leading a missional group of their own.

These missional small groups meet at a home once a month to nurture one another and then they reach out beyond the group: to the church, to the neighborhood and to the city. So far, this approach has worked well, with group members visiting area hospitals to pray for the sick and visiting people just starting to attend church. The groups are now planning projects to serve the city. Early next year we hope to multiply these two missional small groups into five.

So far this year we’ve had two baptism services (see the pictures below–click on them to enlarge). One service occurred at a nearby river where we baptized nine converts: six from our Sun Valley church and three from our new Lincoln Heights church plant.

The second baptism service occurred during a worship service at Lincoln Heights where five converts were baptized: three from Lincoln Heights and two from Sun Valley. Overall, we have baptized 14 new members this year. Lord willing, we will have more baptisms in early December.

Fostering an evangelistic culture

Pastors and ministry leaders have many important responsibilities. One is to help shape within their congregation or ministry a culture (or “environment”) that is expressive of the love and life of Jesus Christ. A critical aspect of such a culture is having an evangelistic orientation–a passion for sharing actively in what Jesus is doing to reach out in love to share the gospel with non-Christians.

But how do leaders do that? Though there is no one-size-fits-all formula, there are helpful practices. Here are four, offered by LifeWay president Thom Rainer in a recent blog post:

Model passion for evangelism. As a leader in your church be active in sharing the gospel with non-believers. Then share your experiences with your church family. Doing so is much more impactful than a dozen sermons or Bible studies about evangelism. Passion for evangelism is more caught than taught.
Ask one of your small groups or classes to become an evangelistic group for one year. This fosters accountability on a small scale as that group understands that it has been selected to be an example for the whole church. Watch how the group becomes more intentionally evangelistic–more prayerfully creative and excited to reach people with the gospel. Then share their stories with the whole church.
Begin a small-scale evangelistic mentoring program. Doing so is another way to foster accountability. The mentor should teach their protégés how to begin a conversation about Jesus with a non-believer and how to include in that conversation a clear presentation of the gospel.
Regularly pray in church services for the lost. Most members are not hesitant to pray for the physical needs of people. But it is rare for churches to pray together for the conversion of non-Christian family, friends and neighbors. As a church begins to pray consistently this way, God often begins to demonstrate clear answers to those prayers. As that happens, you will see your church becoming more evangelistic in its culture.

-Ted Johnston, CAD ministry developer

Brynn and Sasha Armstrong

Aaron Armstrong, co-pastor of GCI’s Ground Zero Church in Englewood, Colorado tells us that he and his wife Sasha gave birth on September 6 to their first child, Brynn Helen Armstrong. She is a beautiful girl, weighing 7 lbs. and 20 inches long. However, amidst this joy there are some challenges. Sasha will be having surgery this week due to complications from the birth. Brynn has jaundice, and though she seems to be improving, test results are pending.

Please pray for Brynn, Sasha and Aaron.

Cards may be sent to:

Aaron & Sasha Armstrong

6750 S Riviera Ct, Suite 1028

Aurora, CO 80016-6062

Surgay Kalamaha

Here is an update on the previous prayer request.

Surgay is now in a rehabilitation hospital in Mandan, North Dakota. Though he sleeps a lot, he is able to talk some. Although he is able to drink some water, he is still being nourished intravenously. They have not yet begun his physical rehabilitation, so he is still bedridden. He may have to learn to walk all over again. They are working to determine the source of his internal bleeding. The blood loss was so significant that he was given a unit or two of blood to bring his hemoglobin count back up.

Thanks to the help of Farm Rescue and generous neighbors, Surgay’s farm work is caught up–nearly all of his wheat and flax have been harvested.

Surgay is not out of the woods, so please continue prayer on his behalf.

Small group curriculum

GCI Church Administration and Development has recently published The Walk, a small group curriculum for discipling new believers. You can download it for free by clicking here.

For other small group resources, go to GCI’s FaithTalk equipper website.

Deborah Paz receives 25-year honors

Deborah Paz 25 — Left to right: Don Paz, Deb Paz, Joseph Tkach

At a recent employee meeting, GCI president Joseph Tkach presented a service plaque and watch to Deborah Nickel-Paz to mark her 25 years of full-time employment with GCI.

Deb was first hired part time starting in 1984. While attending Ambassador College, she worked in several departments: Telephone Response, Ambassador Auditorium, Publishing and as a camp counselor at Orr, Minnesota.

After graduation in 1987, Deborah went to work full time in GCI’s Publishing Department. In 1988 she was hired by Joseph Tkach (GCI’s current president) to work as his secretary in Church Administration. As she progressed within that department, she demonstrated a capacity for executive-level support.

In 1995, Dr. Tkach asked Deb to serve as his executive assistant in the President’s Office, where she continues to serve. In addition to assisting the president, Deb fulfills several roles related to GCI media. She believes that there are many great bosses out there, and for the last 24 years she has been blessed to work for one of the best: Joseph Tkach!

In 2005, Deborah married Don Paz, a man she had known since childhood in New York. Through this special union, she inherited two adult children, Jessica, a sound engineer on Broadway, and Daniel, a Special Ops vet who is back in civilian life and going to college.

Deb and Don and their little dog Sophie live in Altadena, California, nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains where they love to go hiking.

Congratulations Deb!