Something's Gotta Give

As I stand before the congregation leading Grace Pointe through the final verse of Bringing in the Sheaves, I can't help but feel conflicted, and see the conflicted nature of pastoral ministry, church ministry and church planting today. The conflicted nature doesn't have so much to do with the members' personalities (Grace Pointe enjoys a very close unity among its members), as much as the conflicted nature has to do with who the church is, and whom the church has been called to reach.

There are two groups that make up the congregation at Grace Pointe. There are the very young, and the seniors. As for reaching the 20-somethings to 40-somethings, we have not been very successful. Let me clarify. We have seen some 20-40 year olds saved, and some baptized, but few continue to be involved in the church. This happens for a number of reasons, including hectic work/family schedules, and the desire for downtime. However, those factors can be overcome to get young families into church.

As I look across the religious landscape in Brownwood, I see three churches that are excelling in bringing in young families and getting them involved. These churches have three common-denominators. (1) They are built on relationships. The young families who go there have friends there, and they feel at home in those churches. (2) These churches are not known for being dogmatic on doctrine. They tend to focus their teaching on the basic doctrines of Christ (repentance, faith, salvation, and trusting God through the storms of life). And (3) Like it or not, they have contemporary worship services.

The building of relationships takes time, and the relationship must be built out of a genuine love and concern for the other party, otherwise it is little more than a manipulative situation. We can not go building relationships for the sole purpose of building a church. If we do that, we will become guilty of using people and abusing them the same way other religious organizations have done for years. No, we must love people and be there for them, even if they feel at home at the church across the street.

As for the doctrine issue, I have found that those in the 20-40 age range have an appetite for doctrine, but don't necessarily accept or internalize it just because the preacher says so. If a doctrine is presented they disagree with, they typically will try to brush it aside in an effort to get along. If the preacher insists they accept it, they will probably be gone. The way I handle doctrinal issues is that I present them as they come up in the scriptures. I preach through books of the Bible, and when we reach passages of doctrine, I present it. The interesting thing about this approach is that you get a feel for which doctrines are God's priority, as those doctrines are presented most often in the scriptures. Do you have any idea which doctrine is presented the most in the scriptures (and by extension, is the most important to God?) Hint: It's not the Bride. When differences of belief on certain doctrines arise, if you can get back to the fundamentals of the faith and agree there, then you still have fellowship and no one gets their feelings hurt.

Then comes the contemporary worship issue. I have publicly opposed contemporary worship, not because of what it is, but rather the attitudes some people who have propagated it. Their attitudes of contempt toward the senior members of the church, and their proclamations that they couldn't worship in a traditional style were major turn-offs for me.

When I look out among the congregation of grey hair, and in some cases, no hair, I see a generation of people who not only contributed much of their lives and personal resources so that I could stand in a pulpit and preach, but I see a generation of people who built the country into what we know today. I also see a generation of people who have been left behind by our modern, technology driven, frenzied paced lifestyles.

But yet, they stay active in life, and in church. In some cases, church is the only thing that still seems normal, that still makes sense. Then comes the young, on-fire preacher who is going to totally turn the world upside down, and he tells them to sell the piano, get rid of the organ, burn the hymnals, and sing staring at a projection screen to the accompaniment of a praise band. It totally freaks them out, and with good reason.

Contemporary music makes sense to my generation, because it is what we've grown up with. When you grew up listening to Def Leppard, Belinda Carslile, or Third Eye Blind and Green Day, the praise band seems like rather tame, worshipful music. However, if you grew up to Bob Wills, Jimmie Davis, Johnny Cash, and even Buddy Holly and the Beatles, it can be downright disturbing.

To put it another way, what if your worship leader looked like Kesha or Lady Gaga? It'd freak you out. That's what contemporary worship looks like to these seniors. So, they oppose it. However, their opposition only fuels the fire of the proponents of contemporary worship, leading to a split in the church. Sometimes, the result of this split is two different churches. Other times, churches choose to have two, or three, separate worship services. In those scenarios, you have a segmented church membership that is not necessarily working as a body.

I love our seniors at Grace Pointe, and I look up to them. I definitely don't want to leave them in the dust of progress. At the same time, I realize that if we are to see younger families join and become active in our congregation, there are some methods that are going to have to change.

The question is, how do we adjust our methods for reaching people, and bring our established members along through the changes? How do we get them on board? How do we make them feel at home through the changes? If I can find the answer to those questions, then I'll be able to invite you to the dedication of our new state of the art worship facility. Until then, we meet at 1045 West Commerce in Brownwood, Texas, at 11 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

Monday Mission Fields - Fredericksburg, TX

Fredericksburg is the stereotypical Texas Hill Country town. It's downtown buildings are historic, it boasts a culture that is heavily influenced by it's German residents, is full of antique stores and unique gift shops, and makes for a good weekend getaway. In fact, when West-Central Texas towns try to build up their downtown districts (as Coleman and Brownwood are doing now), Fredericksburg is the example they go by.

Don't let the population figure of 10,000 fool you. Fredericksburg fills up every weekend with shoppers, hunters, tourists and travelers. It is a major cultural center in the Texas Hill Country. As influencial as the city of Fredericksburg is, it is without the influence of a doctrinally sound ABA church.

A mission work in Fredericksburg would have some advantages. Close proximity (by West Texas standards) to sister churches in San Antonio, Round Rock, Kerrville and even Brownwood lends the prospect of financial and prayer support, as well as friendships. A work in Fredericksburg would also qualify for state missions support.

Please pray for a missionary to answer the call and go to Fredericksburg today. The Texas Hill Country is one of the most vital mission fields in the state of Texas.

Monday Mission Fields: Granbury, Texas

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is still growing rapidly, despite the current economic climate. Though some business are shutting down and loft/office space is becoming available in the downtown areas, Dallas and Fort Worth are still attracting more residents and companies to town. As a result, the suburban areas are sprouting up.

Granbury is one of those areas. Though the town itself only has 5,700 residents, Hood County is home to more than 41,000. If you are a history buff, you'll love Granbury because it was the home of Davy Crockett's wife, Elizabeth. Other local legends include that John Wilkes-Booth and Jesse James didn't really die as according to mainstream history, but instead settled in Granbury.

The addition of Lake Granbury has also fueled economic growth. So, you have the best of both worlds. History and culture, but progress and growth. Granbury is an excellent opportunity for a church planter. All we need is someone to answer the call and go to the field. Is God calling you to Granbury? If so, answer!

It's a Church!

While I am doing my morning show on KSTA, I do a lot of reading, stay logged into facebook, keep an eye on the news and read the latest trends in Christianity on various blogs and Web sites.

One trend that is emerging, not so much in the ABA, but in Christianity in general, is the inception of the third-location church. Now, for those who are not familiar with this concept, here's how it works. A church planter or group of Christians move to town, and open up a business establishment (usually a coffee shop or restaurant), and operate that venture as a business. That church planter/team then holds informal services at that location at a certain time... many times under a different name. (For example, the coffee shop name might be Jacked Up Java, but the group that holds services there might be named, "The Upper Room." Get the picture?)

The result is not so much a church that opens a coffee shop, but a coffee shop that is owned and operated by a church. Plus, the church meets in the coffee shop. One added benefit is that many of these third-location churches hang posters and decor that promote the message of the Gospel, plus keep Christian literature on the tables for the customers to read while they wait on their order. At closing time, there is church service.

I'm not so much spooked by the methodology of this, though, I do wonder how much of this will actually bear fruit. My main concern is that this appears to me to be another step in the trend to de-emphasize the church as part of the Christian life.

In efforts to reach the post-modern culture, many are deformalizing the church body. Membership rolls are no longer being kept in some instances. New members are not required to covenant with the church, and many times are not asked to make any real committment to the church.

We don't want to run them off, and we don't think they'll come to church, so we decide to just not call our organization a church. We'll just give it a name.

There's research data that shows that the post-modern generation doesn't trust organized religion, so the trend is to stay as far away from the organized religion image as possible, even if it means removing the formal church structure and attempting discipleship based on a loose-nit network of relationships and call that a church... only don't put church in the name. I could go on.

All this is done under the banner of contextualization (which can be a good thing so long as it is done in accordance with scripture). However, the de-emphasis of the church is not a Biblical way to make disciples.

The church, as depicted in scripture, is a local visible body of scripturally baptized believers who have coventanted together (that means they have a formal agreement) to make disciples, baptize them, and teach the disciples. The church is the primary vehicle for the carrying out of the Great Commission and the education of God's people. In Ephesians 4, Paul named leaders in the churches who were there for the perfecting of the saints for the ministry of the Gospel. That means the church leadership existed to prepare the church members to spread the Gospel. It was, and should still be, a team effort.

The church, in its scriptural form, does to new converts what the Southlake Carroll football program does to junior high boys, turns them into superstars. Just as Southlake Carrol High School cranks out Division I Football Talent every year, so should churches be turning out Division I caliber evangelists every year.

Not only is the church the primary vehicle for discipleship and Great Commission work, it is also the primary vehicle for worshipping God. Is there a verse that says, "Thou shalt worship God at church?" No. Is the book of Acts full of examples of Christians gathering at church to worship God? Yes. Does the Bible teach AGAINST forsaking the assembling of ourselves together? Yes.

The church is also the primary vehicle for ministry. When a person comes forward with a need, many times it is the church that responds by meeting the need. It was churches that responded quickly to Hurricane Katrina, Rita and Ike. Churches all over the U.S. have disaster response ministries.

God's will is for people to be saved, baptized, then perfected in a local church. His desire is for churches to teach their members how to evangelize, how to disciple, and how to minister. The church is a vital part of God's Kingdom.

Yet, many want to de-emphasize this sacred institution because "the post-modern generation does not believe in organized religion." I'm sure glad the churches back in the book of Acts didn't feel that way.

You see, in America, the worst we have to fear is rejection... maybe someone will spit in our face, on a bad day we might even get punched. On extremely rare occasions, maybe shot. But mostly, we just fear rejection. So, we'll just de-emphasize church and invite folks to a "get-together."

The churches of the book of Acts faced imprisonment, discrimination, death, beatings, stonings, mob violence, and in later years, torture, humiliation and death. They didn't de-emphasize the institution of the church, and I'm glad they didn't. Chances are, had those churches tried to contextualize themselves with their Roman oppressors, we might not have the Gospel in America today, and I'd be some heathen doing God only knows what.

Scripture teaches the church is important. It spreads the Gospel, it perfects and edifies its members, and it is through those gathering that we gain encouragement from each other. Being a part of the church is a special part of the Christian walk. Don't let some liberal hack in an ivy-walled post-secondary institution, an over-zealous evangelism expert, or a defiant culture take that away from you.

Let's get back to the basics. Evangelism, discipleship, baptism, church membership, teaching and learning, and sending out. The Great Commission is simple. The Gospel is simple. Let's keep it that way.

The Biggest Problem We Face Today

What is the biggest problem that we face as Missionary Baptists and Evangelical Christians? Is it false doctrine? An ever-increasingly sinful world? The political climate? The past mistakes and misdeeds of high-profile Christian personalities?

While all of these are major factors we deal with daily, all pale in comparison to the lack of workers for the harvest. The Bible records how Jesus looked out upon the multitudes, and saw them as sheep with no shepherd, and His heart was moved with compassion. At this sight, He told the disciples that the fields are white unto harvest, and to pray for God to send more workers for the harvest.

Currently, our society is scattered as sheep with no shepherd. People are living life at a frenzied pace, but they don't know what they are living for, why they are here, or where they are going. To borrow a phrase, "We don't know where we are going, but we are getting there fast."

This tragedy is worsened when you look at the numbers of students who are enrolling in ministerial training programs to be equipped for full-time ministry. Few are surrendering to the pastoral ministry, few are surrendering to go to the mission fields, both foreign and domestic, and even fewer are willing to undertake personal evangelism.

Currently, our plans for West Central Texas are to evangelize and plant new churches in Brownwood and the surrounding areas. Provided that we are successful in that mission, who will be there to help us plant and pastor these churches? I have a hard enough time finding qualified preachers who will even fill in for one Sunday, even with room, board and honorariums factored in. (Thank God for Jim Slocumb, he really helped us out this summer).

No one wants to answer the call. I suspect part of the reason might be finances. As the churches decline in attendance and finances, it is harder to be able to pay a full-time salary to a pastor today. Add to this trend the factor that many pastors are developing more sophisticated tastes, and it becomes even harder for churches to finance a man's ministry. So, ministers opt for secular employment that affords them more comfortable lifestyles, all the while God's work goes undone. I believe this is one of the many things Christ addressed when He said, "When the Son of man returns, shall he find any faithful?"

It gets worse. Some pastors are leaving the responsibilities of the pulpits so that they can be "pastors of the pastors." We don't need pastors for pastors, we need pastors for churches. We don't need a shepherd to shepherd the shepherds (we already have One). We need shepherds for the sheep.

Meanwhile, the churches and the lost people alike wander about with no solid spiritual leadership. How do we remedy this situation?

One solution was offered a few years ago. A new ministry was launched that would set up a network of church-planting coaches that would coach missionaries to reach people on stateside mission fields. While this effort may have been pure in its intent, it didn't address the fundamental problem, need and challenge- the availability of obedient God-called men to go to the fields to work the harvest.

So, how do we remedy the situation? I'm glad you asked. I'm launching a new ministry... ah nevermind. Here's what we should do.

(1) Follow Jesus' instructions to pray for laborers for the harvest.

(2) Quit treating the call to the ministry like a one-in-a-million call. I believe God calls way more men to the ministry than we think. Instead of hoping that God might one day call a man from our church to the ministry, how about we assume that He is calling the men of our church to the ministry, and design our Christian education ministries to equip the members of the church for ministry. It's scriptural. Read Ephesians 4.

(3) Streamline the ministerial education process in order to get men to the fields as soon as possible. It amazes me that it takes less than a year to train and equip a Marine for combat, but it takes five years to teach a God-called preacher to study God's word and be able to share it with others.

(4) Constantly be looking for new mission fields and evangelistic opportunities. We need to be in expansion mode, not maintenance, nor decline.

(5) Get the right priorities in order. Preachers, God didn't call us to manage our 401k's, investment accounts, have top of the line insurance plans, nice homes, big cars or even build radio careers. He called us to proclaim the Gospel. Everything He blesses us with needs to be put toward that goal. God blesses you financially? Good. Use it to spread the Gospel. God blesses your investment portfolio? Praise Him that one day you won't have to worry about maintaining employment while you minister.

We need to quit seeing God's call to ministry as a freak of nature and begin seeing it for what it is- standard operating procedure for God. We need to get back to assuming that God is calling men to the ministry, pray for Him to call more men, and prepare our church members for that call through our teaching/preaching ministries. Also, we need to prepare our churches to send out missionaries.

When it comes time for Grace Pointe to send out missionaries, we may not be able to get anyone from East Texas, Arkansas or Louisiana to come to West Texas. Our missionaries may have to be homegrown. That's okay. We'll prepare accordingly.

My advice is for you to do likewise.

If you are one whom God is calling into the ministry, and you are resisting God's call, you need to relent and surrender to that call. God rewards nothing that is done in disobedience. If you are resisting God's call to ministry, then you are being disobedient no matter how many good works you are doing. Answer God's call.

Let's man-up and honor our responsibilities, and to quote a famous philosopher, "get 'er done!"

Monday Mission Fields - West Central Texas

As Grace Pointe MBC works toward organization, I would like to share my burden with you. My goal for Grace Pointe, even before we arrived in Brownwood, was to see a church established that in turn, planted other churches by sending out missionaries. West Central Texas, also referred to as The Big Country and The Heartland, is home to thousands of people, many sizeable towns, all located hours away from the nearest Missionary Baptist Church. If you don't think it matters, think again. I have met many who hope for and pray for Missionary Baptists or like-minded Baptists to come to their towns.

That being said, let's look at some of these towns, located near Brownwood, which are towns that I'd like to see missionaries go to. My plan is for Grace Pointe to send men to these towns as missionaries, but if some other ABA church beats us to the punch... PRAISE THE LORD!

Coleman, Texas

Coleman is a town of 5,000 people, with 10,000 residing in Coleman County. (In West Texas, county names make sense. Coleman is in Coleman County, Comanche in Comanche County, and Brownwood in Brown County, contrast that to Athens being in Henderson County, Henderson being in Rusk County, and Rusk being in Cherokee County.)

The population of Coleman County peaked at 30,000 back during the Great Depression, and has slowly declined ever since.

Coleman is home to five independent Baptist churches, three of which I would consider viable. Aside from that, Coleman lives on poverty. The city has several public housing projects and millions are paid to Coleman County every year through federal programs. Drug use is rampant, as is alcoholism, and the county jail only holds 9 inmates, all of which must be adult men.

Hopelessness also reigns in Coleman. The Texas Historic Commission recently offered to restore the county courthouse, offering to pay 80%, but as of yet, the commissioner's court hasn't accepted the offer. Two main points of contention are, (1) Coleman County will still have to pay 20% and (2) What's the point?

Coleman is a tough place to live, work, sell advertising, and maintain hope. Still, they need a good, doctrinally sound church to spread the Hope of Christ throughout the city. Coleman is 35 miles west of Brownwood.

Brady, Texas

Boasting a population of 5,500, Brady is already home to two Missionary Baptists. Not Missionary Baptist Churches, no, Missionary Baptists. These two individuals are core members of Grace Pointe, but I would like to see them be able to take part in a new mission work in Brady in the next few years.

In so far as socio-economics, Brady fares better than Coleman by way of chain retailers, restaurants, hotels and FM radio, as well as a Country Music Hall of Fame type museum. Still the problems that plague Brownwood and Coleman are also persistent in Brady.

Abilene, Texas

Yes, there is economic growth in West Texas, and Abilene is getting the lions share. There are also two ABA churches in Abilene, both located on the southside. Both of these churches, Wyndrock MBC and Texas Ave. MBC, are great churches with great men pastoring them. However, with a population of 158,000, more evangelical, dare I say missional, effort needs to be spent on Abilene than these two churches can do alone. Again, it's not that these churches aren't good, evangelical and missional churches (they are), it's just that there is so much population that a third, possibly fourth ABA church is warranted, in my opinion. (I also think Brownwood needs a second church, plus one in Early).

Abilene is home to three universities, McMurray, Hardin-Simmons, and Abilene Christian University, plus has a campus of Cisco College. The universities are Division II and Division III schools, but rank on the larger end of those divisions. All three are religiously affiliated. Hardin Simmons is Southern Baptist, Abilene Christian is Church of Christ, and I think McMurray is Methodist. Education ranks supreme in Abilene, as the city ranks 17th in the nation for public education.

Abilene is also the birthplace of Jessica Simpson... we'll forgive her for Tony Romo's bad football play. hehe.

Anyway, a large, growing population, combined with an active and mobile student population and a favorable economic atmosphere make Abilene a promising mission field.

Early, Texas

It's hard to say whether Early is Brownwood's suburb, or if Brownwood is Early's suburb. Sure, Brownwood has the population (20,000 vs. 4,000), but Early has the commerce (Heartland Mall, Humphrey Petes, Scott's Western Wear, Brownwood Muffler and Mi Familia Restaurant, among others.)

The Early Longhorns are also one of the most perennially feared 2A football teams in the state as well as softball. Last year, both made the state semifinals, if my memory is correct.

A good strong church in Early could evangelize that growing community, help Grace Pointe reach Brownwood, and be the spring board to Comanche, Texas.

Comanche, Texas

Comanche, Texas is home to 4,400 people, with 14,000 in the county. The nearest ABA church, other than Brownwood, is in the Fort Worth area.

Comanche is a typical small West Texas town, with signs celebrating the girls' basketball teams' state championships in the 1950s still hung on the courthouse square. Unlike Coleman, there are no independent or Missionary Baptists churches in Comanche.

Comanche is a good mission field to evangelize as we begin to work not only outward in West Texas, but also back toward Forth Worth.

Other local fields

Lake Brownwood
Stephenville
Cisco
Rising Star
Cross Plains
Baird
Goldthwaite

What to do about what to do

If you feel drawn to any of these fields, call me at (325) 200-8531 or email gracepointembc@aol.com. I'd like to discuss your burden, my burden, and how we can possibly reach these fields together.

Monday Mission Fields on Friday (yeah, how's that for punctuality) - San Marcos, Texas

The Missionary Baptist Association of Texas is missing the state missions boat. The Texas Hill Country, along with all of the areas between the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Waco, are among the fastest growing places in America... even in the midst of this recession/depression that we are in.

My first experience with San Marcos came in the summer of 1994, when my high school debate coach sent me to a two-week debate camp at Texas State University (then called Southwest Texas State). Evidently, my 3-14 record as a sophomore didn't impress her. At that time, San Marcos boasted a population of 28,000, with the university boasting an enrollment of 20,000. Today, San Marcos has a population that exceeds 50,000, with the university having almost 30,000 students enrolled, for a total of 80,000 souls that can be reached for Christ (plus or minus, these are estimates).

The rapid growth of San Marcos is typical of Hill Country/Southwest Texas cities. Check out New Braunfels, Marble Falls, Round Rock, and of course, Austin and San Antonio. In fact, it is getting to where you can drive I-35 from Austin to San Antonio without leaving "the city."

San Marcos, like other Hill Country cities, is a tourist stop. Visitors can rent inner tubes and float the San Marcos river for just a few dollars. (Access to the river is free, the tube rental is what cost money.) San Marcos is also a destination for those taking jobs at Apple Computer in Austin, Toyota in San Antonio (who is opening a new plant there), or one of the many local school districts who can not afford Austin or San Antonio housing.

So, why is the San Marcos population and economy growing exponentially without the presence of a Gospel preaching ABA church? It's not the money. The Missionary Baptist Association of Texas already has the fund balance to finance a missionary's endeavor there. Is it the lack of sponsoring churches? Probably not. I know of one church that is getting serious about Hill Country Missions, while another is looking to plant sister churches in the same area. No, the lack of an associated work in San Marcos is due to one reason, and one reason only. Few men are answering the call to go to the state mission fields.

So, I'm going to pray for God to call men to these fields, and that these men will man-up and go whole heartedly.

Missions and Technology

When I look at how computers, the internet and emerging technology have revolutionized American life, I can't help but wonder if we could use technology to increase our efficiency at mission work.

Between new (and free) services such as YouTube, Facebook, Blogger, along with video chat services and some pay video conference softwares, I have been wondering how to best utilize these resources for the spread of the Gospel.

Some have already begun posting sermon videos on YouTube as well as their church web sites. Others have begin broadcasting their services live online, while others network using Facebook, and post God's truth using Blogger or Wordpress. I applaud the efforts and advancements being made here, but I wonder if we could use these resources to plant churches and win more souls.

Here's a scenario. Church A in MidSizeVille, Texas, has a burden for the folks of Metropolis, Texas. Church A prays for a missionary, but no missionaries answer the call. The church sends letters to all the associational churches inviting prospective missionaries and preachers to step forward for this church planting mission, but none do. Church A even promises to recommend full salary support and pay for housing. Still, no response. (This happens more than you know.)

Feeling the burden more than ever, Church A then strikes out on its own, and sends a group from the church on a "mission trip" to Metropolis. They canvass neighborhoods, shopping centers and parks, and win a few souls to the Lord. Over the course of a week, a few souls are saved, then baptized, and one of the new converts offers to host Bible studies, but is reluctant to teach.

A member from Church A then agrees to travel back and forth once a week from MidSizeVille to Metropolis to lead this Bible study, but all know that this is unsustainable. So, the newly formed Bible study group and the members of Church A come up with a solution. The member of Church A, as well as the pastor, can both lead the Bible studies via an online video conferencing software. Utilizing two lap-top computers, DSL or another high-speed internet connection, and two video cameras with mics and a video projector, the church member, pastor, or other church leader can actually present a lesson, interact, answer questions and disciple the Bible study members via video conferencing. It's a two-way communication.

At the same time, the Bible study host is trained to take on more of a leadership role. Over time, the Bible study group comes together, having been scripturally saved and baptized, and forms a local new testament church, receiving some of its teaching from the Bible study host, and some from the online video conferencing with the sponsoring church. In fact, the two bodies may actually hold "joint services" on Sunday mornings via video.

Over time, with the discipleship of the emerging leaders, routine visits from the sponsoring church, and the hand-up the new body receives from the sponsoring church, the new church eventually finds meeting facilities and calls a pastor. It then becomes self-sustaining without the need of the sponsor's support, and the sponsoring church moves on to the next project.

Granted, this is a fantasy arrangement of things and I have not taken various mission-work challenges into consideration, but I wonder if we could begin using technology to its fullest capabilities. What do you think about using new technologies to spread the Gospel more rapidly?

Monday Mission Fields: Austin, Texas

One or two trips down to the Texas Hill Country will convince anyone that the Austin area is one of the most rapidly growing metro areas in America. This premonition is backed up by U.S. Census data that shows that Austin is the third fastest growing city in the U.S. This, along with an absence of ABA-associated Missionary Baptist Churches should motivate any prospective church planter to at least consider Austin as a field.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Austin's population at 757,000 people. It serves as the state capital of Texas, is home to the University of Texas (T-u for my Aggie friends), is the second most influencial city in Country Music (second only to Nashville) and a major influence on music and pop-culture nationwide. Austin is known as the live-music capital of the world, which gives rise to night clubs, drinking and drug problems. Crime is increasingly becoming a problem in Austin.

Austin is home to politicians, musicians, actors, state employees and high-tech employees. In fact, it is even home to Apple computer. Many high-tech firms migrated from Silicone Valley, Calif., to Austin during the brown-outs of 2001, seeking more stable power supplies and better economic climates than California.

People from all walks of life, and I do mean all walks of life are flocking to Austin for education (UT has an enrollment of more than 150,000 undergrads), job opportunities, and new leases on life. They bring with them just about any type of philosophy and world view imaginable. Evangelism in this area should be interesting to say the least.

Acquiring property and building facilities will be difficult. Austin is very big on environmental protection, so expect there to be numerous environmental impact studies, and expect to have to include "green" features on any facility you plan to build. This may actually be cost-prohibitive, but who knows what God will provide for you.

Renting space will also be costly, but may prove to be a viable option for meeting space. There are also schools, conference centers, convention halls, and so on... but expect some resistance when you disclose that you are renting for church meetings.

Apartment ministries may be the most cost-effective, highest evangelical return rate method to use here, but I have not thoroughly researched this.

The bad news is that Austin is a difficult field. ABA mission works and church plants have failed here before.

The good news is that mission work can be successful in Austin. One church organized a few years ago in Round Rock, a northern sub-urb of Austin. The Missionary Baptist Association of Texas (the Texas state association) provides a generous salary structure, provided that you are sent out by a member church. Texas Mission Development is unrivaled in its ability to raise funds for buildings and land. SO, you do have resources to work with. Plus, you have sister churches to fellowship with in nearby Rockdale, Round Rock, and even as far as San Antonio.

Still interested and want to learn more, click here.

How-To Thursday: Keeping it Real

As a radio ad executive, I have to be completely sold on the value of my station if I'm going to be effective at selling radio campaigns. I also have to be creative... but I definitely have to be sold on my station's value.

In the same way, if I am going to be a successful evangelist, I must be completely sold out for the Gospel. I have to be totally convinced that it is true, that Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures. If the Gospel is not real to me, or if I fail to see how it has totally changed and revolutionized my life, I'll be unable to present it with any passion and will have a hard time convincing people to believe it.

The problem that the unchurched have with church is not the hymns, the preaching, the "early" Sunday morning service at 11 a.m., the clothing, the "Baptist" on the sign, or even the moral lifestyle. The problem the unchurched have with church is that they perceive it is full of fake people, and the programs, presentation and dynamic services merely mask the fact that they are "experiencing" a fake celebration. They perceive church as fake.

To a degree, this can't be controlled. Church members will fall, people will sin publicly, others will intentionally inflict harm on others' feelings and people will get turned off. However, as a church planter or missionary, you can control whether you are fake, or whether you are real.

What's your motivation for being on the field. Are you there to build a big, strong vibrant church with awesome praise and worship services with a dynamic youth program? Do you dream of a tech-savvy church that utilizes all the latest trends in evangelism and church planting? Do you want to be on the cutting edge of societal evolution? Do you want to show the rest of the association how it's done?

If so, you are in danger of being fake. I have never seen a praise chorus, powerpoint screen, or wind ensemble lead a single soul to Christ. (Conversely, I've never seen a Heavenly Highway Hymnal lead anyone to Christ either.) If you have gone to the field to start another "next biggest thing" organization (commonly referred to as a church), then you are just adding another problem to a field that is likely already littered with "church-growth-driven" casualties.

People need what's real, and what's real is the Gospel. If the fact that Christ paid for your sins on the cross has really changed your life, if you were truly transformed by your salvation experience, then let that be what drives you. Use your passion for Christ to do evangelism. The church that grows out of that will be the church that your mission field needed most.

Don't be program-driven. Be Gospel-driven. Be real, then keep it real. Peace out!

Hebrews 10:23 - Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

How-To Thursday: Arriving at the Field, or Getting Started

Bear in mind that my frame of reference is in state/interstate missions... so the following will not likely apply to a foreign mission field, with the possible exceptions of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and California.

The fanfare of deputation and associational meetings does not last forever. Those who loved you and supported you along the way will eventually help you unload the U-Haul... but then the U-Haul drives away, leaving your entire life in boxes in a house that looked much larger empty. You're there alone (or with your family, if you are married).

Events affect people differently. For me, this time was marked by fear. The moment we were settled into the house, the supporters had returned to East Texas, and there were no more deputation visits-only the work ahead of us, nervousness engulfed my soul. Here, I had spent seven months sharing my call to Brownwood and presenting my plan of action, and now, I had to put action behind those words. The one question that echoed so loudly in my mind that I could hear little else was, "Where do I start?"

"I'll invite people to church." (I have no church).
"I'll talk to my friends." (I don't know anyone here).
"I'll rent a building and hold services." (I have no congregation).

Then, this exchange happens...

(phone rings)
"Hey brother, how many did you have your first Sunday in Brownwood?"
"Five."
"Just your family, huh?"
"Yep."
"Well, don't worry, mission work takes time."

When you arrive at your mission field, you will feel a mixture of emotions. I can't tell you what those emotions will be because all people are different. I will tell you this. Don't fear failure in the first month. Don't be overwhelmed by the enormity of the task at hand. Don't be afraid to start, but don't feel pressured to start the second the U-Haul drives away either.

Feel free to go on to bed and get a good night's sleep that first night. In the morning, if you don't already have to report to a job, feel free to just go into town and take it in. Go to Walmart. Go to the mall. Eat out a couple of meals. Maybe even go to the movies. Put yourself in as many public places as possible over the first few days. This accomplishes a few things.

First, you will begin to get a better feel for the culture of the town. That mall might have seemed like an economic hub during your survey trips, but having spent some time there now, you might notice that it is more of a teen hangout, or a tourist destination than a fishing hole to reach the people of the town. You will find out which establishments the townspeople are passionate about. You will also get a better idea of how they think. And don't think just because you are doing mission work in your home state, or even your home area that you know the culture. You don't. Brownwood and Coleman are only 35 miles apart (spitting distance by West Texas standards), and they are as different as night and day.

The second thing this accomplishes is it breaks the ice for you. You get to relax and enjoy your new life in this new town for a little while. It's okay to do so. You have about three to fifteen years of hard labor ahead of you. Take time and smell the roses.

My approach to this is not unique. In his book, "Gleanings from the Field, or Things I Learned as a First Time Missionary," Jack Spencer, current ABA missionary to Clovis, New Mexico, also advised taking time to acclamate yourself to your new field, and to rest up. I highly recommend "Gleanings" to any prospective missionary. Bro. Spencer shares his experiences in mission work in Maryland, and gives straight forward advice on all the things the new church planting books are too cool to address.

Anyway, back on topic. After a reasonable time of acclamation, get started. I recommend starting by meeting your neighbors and befriending them. (Which is why I also recommend living in town, in a neighborhood or apartment community as opposed to buying a 365 acre ranch). Be open and honest about who you are, and what you are doing, but let it come up naturally. Be a friend. Who knows, you might be meeting your first congregants. From there, continue to make friends and connections, and combine your evangelism approach. This is where having a job comes in handy, but is not a necessity.

There is much debate about street evangelism vs. relationship evangelism vs. servant evangelism. All three have their advantages and disadvantages. Use a comprehensive approach to your field which incorporates all three. Make friends and do relationship evangelism. Go door-to-door and use street evangelism, and if someone needs help, then servant evangelism becomes profitable. And host Bible studies. You need a way to disciple those you evangelize.

If this comes together for you the way it did for me, you'll see a core group emerge in a matter of months, not years. You'll see people being drawn together by the Lord, their common experiences and their friendships. It's a beautiful thing.

Whatever you do on the field, do things the way God leads you to. The conditions on the field and his direction might very well open the door for you to use a completely different approach than I did. However, if you find yourself on the field that first day saying, "Where do I start?" then give this method a try. It worked well for me.

Community

I'm starting a new series on Community this week at Grace Pointe. The aim will be to teach the group what they have in common and why it is important to be an active member in the church. The goal is to lead us to the point that we'll be prepared to do outreach emphasis in April, plus bring us one more step toward organization.

There are some misconceptions about organization. I know about these misconceptions because I once had them. The basis for organizing a church is not on whether it can support itself financially, or on how many people attend on Sunday morning. The basis for organizing a church should be whether the membership understands the concept of their covenanted relationship, plus the doctrinal stability of the group. Granted, I think a church should be able to support themselves, or at least, come close to it, before organization... but I don't think having the building note paid off should be the goal before organization. Furthermore, I don't think all support should cease at organization.

Just my thoughts. What are yours?

Family Stresses of Church Planting

One of the stresses of church planting is the notion that every sermon, every worship service, every outreach effort has to be your best. The perception is that one off day could potentially cripple the work. Add to that the increasing pressure to bring new works up to a self-supporting status in a shorter timespan (patience is running out on works that have existed for more than 10 years without organizing or being self-supporting), and you see that church planters are running with more hectic schedules to finish their work in record time. Or, at least I am. The others may have more common sense.

This creates a hectic week, not only for the church planter, but also for the family. Over the past couple of weeks, I have noticed the effects of stress showing up in my wife and kids... so this weekend, I'm scheduling some playtime... just the five of us.

I can not be successful in life if I am not successful with my family. This takes first priority.

Spin-Off Churches, Chapter 1 Review

The author (Rodney Harrington) chronicles how church planting was on the back-burner of ministerial vocations up until approximately 20 years ago. So, Chapter One is titled, "Recovering a Practical Theology of Church Planting."

In this chapter, Harrington notes how theologians of centuries past focused on their theological passions, so there are no ancient texts outside of Acts that focus on the study of church planting... although he did refer back to the Nicene Creed and noted the word "apostolic church" could mean a church that is a sending church. I was uncomfortable with his referral to the Nicene Creed, but he does have to sell books to non-Baptists, afterall.

Harrington also noted that the church growth movement taught that the Great Commission was obeyed by building large, mega-churches. He also noted during that time, the number of churches and church members declined per capita when compared to the growing North American population. He went on to say that church planting is a way to obey the Great Commission.

My opinion on all this is that God sent us into the world to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20), to Baptize them and to teach them the doctrines Christ taught us. If we are obedient in that we are doing this all over the world, and in our pwn back yards, new churches will emerge.

The first six chapters of this book deal with church planting fundamentals and attitudes. This may get pretty interesting.

Spin-Off Churches

I'm normally not one to purchase books, but I saw this one at Family Christian Bookstore in Abilene. I picked it up, skimmed through it and liked what I saw.

Spin-Off Churches chronicles what pastors, denominational leaders and church planters are saying about mission work. It also discusses indigenous church planting and mission work in adverse environments, like crime-ridden intercity areas. It discusses the phenomenon of multi-site church plants and "Set-Free Churches."

More than just a "check out the new trends" and a "how-to" church planting manual, this book seeks to motivate churches to become sending churches. It is put out by the North American Missions Board, the same board that brought you Church Planting Village. The North American Missions Board is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.

I'll be posting reviews on this book in the days ahead.

Surprises on the field

Preparing to go onto the mission field in Brownwood, I prepared myself for a number of spiritual battles. There are the battles of temptation, the battles of getting up the courage to regularly evangelize, witness and share my faith with complete strangers, the financial struggles, the adjusting to a new environment, discouragement, etc. I expected to move to Brownwood and for no one to care that I was there, or for everyone to disdain my presence because "Why would we need another Baptist church?" (Actually, the only people to ask that question were the station manager at the Christian station and a local Baptist pastor's wife).

Things I was not prepared for were:

• Isolation- If you've never gone to church faithfully, you never miss church. However, if you have ever been a faithful church member, then were suddenly placed in a situation where you had no church family, you feel isolated and alone. I never realized how much strength I drew from being in the presence of other Missionary Baptists. Even at Denson Springs when things were going badly, members of the congregation still prayed for me, and a couple even took time to lift me up. I had one church member, that, even though we were at odds at times, he would still let me know he loved me and was praying for me and wanted the best for me. Things are getting better as we begin to see the beginning of the core group emerge in Brownwood, but the absence of regular Sunday worship drains a person.
• Newfound "friendships"- I have been approached by other groups wanting me to join their movement. It's not a problem, I am properly handling the requests, it just surprised me.
• The Enormity of the Mission- It is not easy to start a church with nothing. At Mission: Brownwood, we did not have the luxury of moving onto the field with a "launch team." (I'm not knocking missionaries who did, it's a great thing, when it's available). We did not have displaced Missionary Baptists on the field looking for an ABA church. We don't even have a meeting place, outside of my living room (which we are close to outgrowing). Nope. No buildings, signs, advertisements, history in the community, community ties, heritage or launch team members to rely on. We have to build the core group from scratch. Now, before I get a barrage of messages saying "God builds the church, not you, dummy!", let me say that the progress that has been made has been by God's grace. I think it was God who provided for us living in the neighborhood that we are in... which is next door to our best core group prospects. It was God who prodded the teenager who was on the brink of salvation to come to VBS so we could share the Gospel with her. Still, something from nothing is a tall order. With God's help, we'll fill the order. Let me just say that anyone who says "It's easier to start a new church than to put up with the traditions of an old one" is an idiot if they truly believe it, or, they've never planted a church. It may be easier to split a church and form a new congregation, but it is not easier to start a new one from scratch as opposed to pastoring. It's even harder to plant a church with a launch team and a meeting facility than it is to pastor one that has heritage and a history in the community. As much as I have been through in the pastoral ministry, that was easier than this. I just thought I'd throw that in there.

Things are going well at Mission: Brownwood. Y'all continue to pray for us. We saw God do a lot of good things in August at the apartment complex (VBS every Saturday), with two professions of faith and friendships being built with residents along the way. We just hope to be able to continue that momentum and ride it into a self-supporting church in the near future.

God bless you, thank you for your prayers and support.

Leland

Planting Fast Growing Churches review

Earlier, I told you about a book Bro. Marion Reed sent me, titled "Planting Fast Growing Churches" by Stephen Gray.

I found the book to be helpful in reminding us that mission work is a high calling of God, and we are to approach it seriously, remembering why we are there and working hard to reach as many people as possible.

The book gave valuable pointers, such as recommending that missionaries be trained, well funded, not over-funded, and be able to serve on the field full-time.

While I reject the notion that a church must launch with 100 members in order to be a viable fast-growing church, I do believe a lot of planning and effort needs to go into the first services for a church, and those services need to be flanked by ministries that meet the needs of the community.

I have already been working toward the direction mentioned in the book, but will consider adjusting my plan to allow for a better-planned launch service. Prayerfully, God will bless these efforts.

Planting fast growing churches

This book was sent to me by Bro. Marion Reed, secretary-treasurer of the Missionary Baptist Association of Texas. I have read four chapters so far. In what I read, the author gives his testimony with his first church plant, and compares data from fast-growing church plants and stagnant church plants.

His premise is that church plants should launch with 100 members (the "Launch Team" should consist of 100 people) and if a church plant does not reach 200 attendees in three years, it never will. He did say that his data and goals applied to towns with populations of 30,000 or more, so Mission: Brownwood is off the hook. However, it is our prayer and plan to work hard so that the Lord will bless us with a fast growing church. Hopefully, I'll be able to use some of the tactics from this book to help reach that goal.

I'm a missionary

There seems to be a lot of discussion about missionaries vs. church planters vs. missions vs. church plants.

Church planters are quick to point out that the word, "mission" is not found in the Bible. To that, I reply, neither is church planting. We go, make disciples, and churches are organized as a result of that effort... or as Bro. Crocker said, "Paul wrote, 'I have planted, Apollos watered.' The seed that was planted was the Gospel."

Now, before I go any further, I do not have any objection to the church planting method. To be honest, I don't really have a problem at all. I just don't want to see us wasting time and energy on arguments over word choice that will ultimately turn up to be meaningless.

Those who want to replace the term missionary with church planter usually want to do so as a backlash against the tendency of missions to stay at mission status for 10-20 years before organizing into a church... all for the sake of paying off a building. I understand the frustration. If it had taken Paul 20 years to organize a church in Salamis, we probably would not have the Gospel in America today.

So, as a result, brethren in our associated work are researching and trying ways to get churches organized faster. As we move boldly forward into this new frontier, may we not be guilty of throwing the proverbial baby out with the bath water. There is still room for missionaries and missions.

Missionary - A person sent on a religious mission, especially to promote Christianity.

Mission - An important assignment carried out for ... religious ... purposes. (Online dictionary)

I am a missionary. I am sent by Rocky Springs MBC of Jacksonville, TX to carry out the Great Commission (Discipling, Baptizing and Teaching) in Brownwood, TX and the surrounding areas. My mission is to organize at least one New Testament church there. Those who are first reached become part of that mission... to organize at least one New Testament church. When the membership is there, the church will be organized.

We have several missionaries in our work who are working on a similar mission. We have church planters who are doing the same. If your technique is different than mine, so be it. That does not bother me.

You want to be called a church planter? I'll honor and respect that and pray for you, because I believe God has called you to a great work. Do you want to be known as a missionary? I'll honor that all the same.

Let's not get so bogged down in a war of words that we fail to spread the Word.