Here’s sound advice from a seasoned pastor in the form of Ten Reminders for Christian Life and Leadership:
No matter what other people tell you…Don’t think that you have all the answers. (That omniscient position has been permanently and effectively filled.)
Don’t think that you should have all the answers. (Just wrestling with the right questions is hard enough.)
Don’t think you know exactly what others should do. (While we can lead in biblical paths, we must leave final footprints to God.)
Don’t think you can resolve every problem. (If you could, Jesus would be unnecessary.)
Don’t ever motivate someone by using guilt. (While it may seem to work in the short-term, it always creates deep wounds and anger.)
Don’t ever absorb someone else’s guilt. (Martyrdom is a call to be accepted, not a long-term profession to be perfected.)
Don’t think that ministry is supposed to be easy. (If you do, you haven’t been reading your Bible enough.)
Don’t allow secrets, but keep confidences. (The difference is that the first is based on maintaining power, while the latter seeks to protect the weak.)
Don’t forget that trust is a powerful but fragile, priceless thing. (Once trust is broken, the glue of repair seems to take forever to dry.)
Don’t think you can change others. (You can teach them, lead them, support them, and love them and model health for them, but you cannot change them. Only the Holy Spirit does long-term persuading.)
In Clean Jokes and Inspirational Stories, Rod Dykstra tells about a successful young executive who was driving through the neighborhood in his new Jaguar. Suddenly a brick smashed into the side of his car. He slammed on his brakes, and jumped out to confront a guilty-looking small boy standing nearby.
“Who are you and what is going on here?” yelled the executive. “This is a new car and what you just did is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw that brick?”
The boy was apologetic and said, “Please mister, I am sorry. I didn’t know what else to do. I threw the brick because no one else would stop. With tears streaming down his face, he pointed to a person lying on the ground by the parked car. “It’s my brother,” he said, “and he rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up. He is hurt and is too heavy for me. Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair?”
Now moved beyond words, the driver lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair. He took out his handkerchief and dabbed gently at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him that everything was going to be okay. He never did get the dent in his car repaired. He left it there to remind himself that he should not journey through life without helping others.
Copyright 1996, Eric Johnson and Christianity Today International/BuildingChurchLeaders.com. Used with permission.
We have just completed the 2012 round of U.S. Regional Conferences. The theme was our participation in mission with Jesus. I was asked a few times, why are we so concerned about mission? If God has already reconciled all people to himself in and through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-19), why are we so concerned with “reaching” them? Though these questions are logical, they imply that the mission of reaching people with the gospel is merely one option on a menu that God has given to the church from which to choose. But mission is not an option for us, and if we think it is, we need to reorient our thinking. In fact, doing so was the over-arching theme of this year’s conferences.
In his conference presentations, Gary Deddo reminded us that we first must ask the question, who is God? The Bible answers that the one God exists as a triune communion of love. In his being (nature) he is love (1 John 4:8), and this explains everything that he does and how he does it. In love, God created the cosmos as a time and place in which to share his triune love and life with his creation. Because his love never ceases or diminishes, he became Redeemer to rescue his creation from its inability to live in communion with him. Before the beginning of time and space, as we experience them, God our Creator and Redeemer has been “on mission.” God the Father sent his Son Jesus to accomplish that mission and Jesus trained others, who in turn trained others. We are part of a long line of those who are called to receive this training.
This, then, is how we should see ourselves. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to call, form and equip the church to share in his ongoing ministry, which is fulfilling the Father’s mission to the world. In other words, the church exists because of, and for, God’s mission. God has not given us a choice of spiritual “busy work” just to keep us occupied. We are called by God to participate as partners and co-workers in his mission. The Christian life is not a spectator sport. We are following Jesus as he continues by the Holy Spirit to seek true worshipers of his Father.
In her conference presentations, Cathy Deddo spoke about understanding our participation in God’s mission. Since the Ascension and Pentecost, what God is doing in the world in and through the church has principally to do with discipleship—becoming followers of Jesus in daily communion with him. This aspect of God’s mission is not so much about “getting people saved,” because God has accomplished that already. Rather, the mission is about illumination, education and application, all of which involve repentance and living trust in our living Lord. Jesus is working in people’s lives in all three of these areas through the Holy Spirit. The church is called to bear witness to Jesus (Acts 1:8) by proclaiming who he is and what he has done for us, sharing as we do in his ongoing acts of healing, mercy and forgiveness. This is why we proclaim the stunning truth of the gospel, and invite others to join us as disciples who are being transformed into his likeness day by day.
In my conference presentation, I illustrated how many of our members around the world are already doing this. Dan Rogers showed how Jesus commissioned people to participate in his ministry in the New Testament church. The other presenters further reinforced how we, as congregations and individuals, can be involved with Jesus in ministering to others.
Do you see the difference between choosing what kinds of things to do as ministry, and actually participating in the already ongoing ministry of Jesus? It does require a shift in our thinking, which in turn leads to reordering our priorities. It is not our job to make something happen that is not happening. Rather, we are called to discern where and how to “get with the program” that Jesus by the Holy Spirit is actively working out and equipping us to share in. We get to go to work with God as he directs and enables us. Cathy pointed out how Jesus’ feeding of the 5000 with the disciples’ few loaves and fish is a great example of how Jesus gets us involved in what he’s doing, using what we have.
Participating in mission with Jesus involves being in the world, even though we are also cautioned to be not of it. We cannot remain aloof from the world’s problems, and we must be responsive even when the world “heaves a brick at us” to gain our attention. As Karl Barth once pointed out, the church cannot say “yes” to the world, if it cannot also say “no.” Jesus was a friend of sinners, yet without sin of his own. Today, Jesus is doing this ministry principally through his human presence in the world, in and through his body, the church. We are called to stand with Jesus in solidarity with the world, sharing its plight, proclaiming and demonstrating to our fellow human beings our one and sure hope.
This, then, is the answer to the question, Why should the church be concerned about mission? The answer is simply this: mission is what we are for. So let us be among our Lord’s devoted disciples—those who not only hear his voice, but actively join with him as he, in the power of the Holy Spirit, helps people live into the reconciliation with God that forever is their’s in and with him.
I am delighted that most of us do not need a brick thrown at us to awaken us to what we can be doing with Jesus. It is with great thanks that I can say, surely the Spirit of the Lord is graciously and vitally at work among us!
This update is from Canadian National Board member Gerry Sinkler concerning his wife Maria. It updates a prayer request in the March 16, 2011 Weekly Update.
It’s been a while since I gave an update on how my wife is doing and I want to request prayer for Maria, for our daughter Brianna and for myself.
In June 2010, Maria was diagnosed with breast cancer. It then spread to her bones and later to her liver. In April of this year, we went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for a review of her case and a second opinion regarding treatment options. Despite more aggressive treaments, Maria’s cancer continued to spread and now she may have only a couple of days left, maybe less. She isn’t in any distress, her face is clear and calm. Her breathing is quite shallow and she sleeps much of the time.
Briana and Maria
A couple of days ago, 21 people came to visit Maria, including 8 people from her office. Despite her condition, she insisted on having pictures taken with all of them. At one point she was sitting in her wheelchair and our daughter Brianna knelt down beside her so we could take their picture. Maria stopped and very slowly lifted her arm to put it around Brianna. It was heartbreaking.
We have done all we can for Maria physically, and before we left the other night, Brianna and I said a short prayer by her bedside leaving her in God’s merciful hands.
Thanks for your prayers.
Cards may be sent to:
Gerry Sinkler 13 Emery Ct St Albert, AB T8N 5T3 CANADA
Steve Sabol, the creative force behind NFL Films, died this week at age 69. Steve was considered by many to be a great cinematic story-teller. He was fond of saying, “Tell me a fact and I’ll learn; tell me the truth and I’ll believe; but tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.” This is an important observation for film-makers, and also for those who seek to participate with Jesus in his ministry of proclaiming the gospel — telling the greatest story of all: The Story of God.
For a video that powerfully presents the gospel in dynamic narrative fashion, watch this:
We are pleased to announce that the “launch service” for Hands for Christ — the newly planted GCI congregation in Staten Island, New York — occurred on September 16. Here is a report from Pastor Mary Bacheller.
What a great day it was! God was surely present. Our Launch Sunday service had 38 people (33 adults and 5 children) in attendance. The average age was about 38.
We opened with prayer and the whole service was conducted in American Sign Language with no voicing. It was truly wonderful! Following the service we met in the fellowship hall downstairs to celebrate the birth of a new church for the deaf: Hands for Christ Community Church!
Pastor Mary preaching in American Sign Language
The birth of this new church has been greatly helped by several people. First I want to mention the capable assistance given to me by Randy Bloom and Becky Deuel from GCI’s Church Multiplication Ministries (CMM). Also I have learned a great deal by attending Exponential conferences. I also want to give thanks for the love, support and prayers from our mother congregation, GCI’s New Life In Christ church in Queens, New York, led by its dedicated pastor, John Newsom and its ever-thoughtful elder, Jonathan Browne. I thank all these people from the bottom of my heart!
Note in the picture below the joy reflected in the smiles of those who attended this first service. Their generous offering reflected that joy and was an awesome tribute and praise to our Living God! I thank God for giving me the opportunity to lead a wonderful team in starting this new GCI church for the deaf in Staten Island.
We are saddened to learn of the recent passing of Dr. David P. Wainwright. He died peacefully in his sleep on September 15. He would have turned 77 later this month and would have celebrated in October the 49th anniversary of his marriage to his wife Sarah. Dr. Wainwright is survived by Sarah and by their two married children, Elizabeth and Matthew. Dr. Wainwright’s funeral is scheduled for October 12 at the Vaca Hills Chapel in Vacaville California.
Dr. Wainwright was hired at the Ambassador College campus in Bricket Wood, England in 1959. He later served on the faculty there and pastored churches in the U.K. After the Bricket Wood campus closed, he transferred to Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas in 1976. When the College there closed in 1977, he transferred to Pasadena, and then, when AC in Pasadena closed in 1990, he transferred back to Big Sandy. He then retired from active employment with Ambassador University in 1996. The Wainwrights have lived the last few years in Vacaville.
Cards may be sent to:
Sarah Wainwright 236 Bartlett Lane Vacaville, CA 95687-3117
This birth announcement comes from GCI pastor Rand Holm and his wife Beth.
We are pleased to announce the birth of our first grandchild, Grace Caroline Huynh. She was born after about 60 hours of labor on August 31 (on a full moon — actually a blue moon!).
Grace is doing well, as are her mother, our daughter, Sharran and her father David. Thanks for the many prayers and well-wishes. It’s wonderful to be a grandparent 🙂
At the recent GCI U.S. regional conference in Aurora, Colorado, Bill Linge who pastors the GCI congregation in Boise, Idaho, received an Advanced Diploma in Christian Ministry from Grace Communion Seminary (GCS).
The diploma was presented to Bill by GCI president Joseph Tkach.
Sunday, September 16 was a day of great celebration as Linda Rex was commissioned as the new senior pastor serving Good News Fellowship, the GCI church in Nashville, Tennessee; and New Hope Fellowship, the GCI church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
District pastor Rick Shallenberger led the commissioning service. First he gave a sermon that included instruction to both Linda and the congregations. Then he, along with the leadership teams from both congregations, laid hands on Linda, commissioning her as the new senior pastor. The service was followed by communion and a meal with a celebration cake as the two congregations welcomed their new pastor Linda and her daughter Eva.
GCI’s Crossing Borders mission program goes into Mexico twice each year: for a week in the summer to be involved in a variety of mission activities and for a weekend in the winter to deliver hundreds of shoebox gifts to needy children. This year’s shoebox trip will occur on December 7-10 and Crossing Borders invites your involvement.
Due to the generosity of several GCI churches, Crossing Borders delivered about 400 shoeboxes of gifts to needy children last year. If you can help this year, see the instructions on the Crossing Borders website at www.cbmission.org (click on the Shoebox Ministry link).
It’s not too early as a church, school club, women’s group, community service club, neighbors, friends and family to start collecting items to pack into the shoeboxes — or to budget to help pay some of the expenses for the delivery trip. This ministry functions mainly by word-of-mouth, so we appreciate your passing news of this opportunity along to others.
Also, the invitation is open for anyone age 15 to 99 to come along on the trip to deliver the shoeboxes to Mexico. This is a great way to get a taste on a short trip of what cross-national mission work is like. It is always a life-transforming experience.
Questions? Contact Crossing Borders’ leaders at info@cbmission.org or at 903-746-4463.
