Invested Time is not Wasted Time

You should really thank Miss Brinkman, She's spent so much extra time,
It's like she sees the diamond underneath, and she's polishing you till you shine...

-Brad Paisley, in Letter to Me 

Photo: Alexander T. Carroll

Throughout the course of my life, I have been blessed with people who invested extra time and energy into me. From the youth director at my childhood church who actually spent time with me outside of class, to the high school teacher who also invested non-school hours into my personal growth and development. Both of these individuals invested hours and in some cases, days into helping me grow to be the person that I am today. Neither were able to see immediate results in my personal growth and development, but they spent that extra time on me anyway.

As I look at our immediate-results-driven culture, I wonder if we are missing the value of investing time. In politics, few will invest time toward building a long-term trend in their direction. Few show the patience Ronald Reagan showed in his political career. In his Goldwater speech in 1964, Ronald Reagan set forth the principles that would propel him into the White House some 16 years later. Having laid out his thesis for America, Reagan spent the next 16 years working to influence his political party into adopting his ideals, until in 1980, he finally won the party's nomination for President, and then the Presidency itself. 1964 was a bad year for Republicans. They lost the Presidential election, and lost most other races so badly that NBC's "Meet the Press" even wondered if Republicans were becoming extinct. Still, Reagan invested the time to communicate and advance his principles, until he was finally able to successfully influence the entire country.

This year has been a bad year for Christianity in the culture war. American society is rapidly accepting same-sex marriage as normal, is becoming more accepting of abortion, and is making the decision that it does not like Christianity. 2013 will go down in history as Conservative Christianity's 1964. Many of our prominent leaders and voices will fade away, discouraged that the country has rejected their message... our message.

However, our message is still true. Our hearts and arms are still open, and our truth is still reality. As long as God still has us on this Earth, we are still responsible for proclaiming that truth. In the coming months and years, we will still need to proclaim that truth, even though we will see more ferocious opposition. We must become comfortable in speaking our views, which are not going to be popular. We need to learn to take criticism, insults, and even hate. Still, we need to speak. The time is worth the investment.

Why is it important to continue to invest the time in proclaiming the truth, even as society fights against us? Because there are still people to be reached with the Gospel, and people to be reached with God's Word. That brings me to my next point...

Time is well invested in church work. Despite the cultural trends in our society, we still have good, strong churches ministering in their communities, changing lives, and reaching people with the Gospel. Those strong churches did not pop up overnight. Years went into their forming, growth, and influence. Adrian Rogers did not just wake up one morning and pull Bellevue Baptist Church out of his hat. Bellevue had been established, and had been growing and developing years before Rogers became their pastor. When Rogers became the pastor in 1972, Bellevue was already 9,000 members strong. It grew to 29,000, under Rogers' three-decade tenure as their pastor.

Recently, Jonathan Falwell spoke to the First Baptist Church in San Saba, some 45 minutes from where I live. When asked if he would follow in his father's (the late Jerry Falwell's) footsteps as a culture warrior, Falwell said that level of influence is not something that can be inherited. He noted his father's 55-year ministry in the building of his cultural influence. Jerry Falwell had invested time.

Many churches today seek immediate results in a culture that is unwilling to respond to them. If attendance drops, change everything. If this idea doesn't result in a sudden rise in attendance, discard it and try something else. In reality, all churches really need to do is be committed to their mission, and invest time into reaching people with the Gospel. This time is invested not only in personal evangelism, church volunteer work, or visitation ministry. This time is invested in the members of the church forging authentic relationships. Further, the longer a church is active, and the more time a church invests in its mission, the more influence that church will have in its community. Invested time is not wasted time.

This process also applies to missions. The American Baptist Association recently passed a new mission policy that, to my understanding, reduces the association's support to a salaried missionary by 5 percent every year after his 5th year. While the policy is not entirely bad (at some point, the newly planted church should take on responsibility for its own expenses, including pastor's salary), a lot of the debate stems from a frustration that it takes so long for newly planted churches (or missions) to become self-supporting. I understand the frustration. I wish the process moved more quickly as well.

In a true missions setting, where a missionary has moved to a place where he knew no one, and had no connections, and had to start from scratch to evangelize the lost and start a congregation, it takes a significant investment of time (years) for that missionary to build the inroads, and gain the trust and influence it takes to be able to build a solid congregation. This time needs to be invested, and that invested time is not wasted time. While I recognize that the Apostle Paul was able to plant churches in as little as four weeks, it should be noted that Paul was often dealing with Christians who had already been converted and baptized on the day of Pentecost.

Basically, whatever you have been called to do, whether it is preach the Gospel, stand up for what is right in your culture, or volunteer in your local church,  realize that if you are to see any significant progress, you will have to be willing to invest time. Invested time is not wasted time.

Fighting the War on a Budget

Robert McNamara may have earned the position as the most controversial secretary of defense in U.S. history. His decisions to consolidate U.S. military bases angered congressmen and the citizens of those districts, the opposition to the war in Vietnam demonized him, and he has been widely criticized for his involvement in the acquisition of the F-4 Phantoms for the U.S. Air Force. The jets were made without machine guns, because McNamara believed the pilot could fire a missile on the enemy from 75 miles away. That would have worked, if the Sparrow didn't have an 89% failure rate in Vietnam. (The tropical conditions hindered the missile).

There are many things you can criticize about McNamara, but in some ways he was a man ahead of his time. He wanted to develop combat aircraft that could both serve as bombers and air-to-air combat jets. Though that development failed during his tenure, the military later achieved that goal with the F/A-18s and the F-16s.

McNamara made many mistakes, but his decisions were driven by a core belief that the U.S. could not afford to be wasteful when spending money on defense. He believed that the U.S. could afford whatever was necessary for national defense, but that it shouldn't just write the defense department a blank check. McNamara understood that the U.S. could bankrupt itself on defense spending, a lesson that the former Soviet Union learned the hard way in the late 1980s.

Few things will cause hurt feelings and lost fellowship quicker than financial issues. Looking at the associational mission funds of the American Baptist Association and the Missionary Baptist Association of Texas, I can tell you that financial issues are in our future. That is, unless the level of support these funds receive from the churches is greatly increased. Looking across our association at the state of our churches (not being critical, but many churches are struggling right now), the idea that more support is coming is not very realistic. Therefore, missionaries, the messengers that vote to support missionaries, their sponsoring and supporting churches will all have to make tough decisions in the years ahead.

At Mission: Brownwood, we have tried to be as cost-efficient as possible. Our biggest expenditures have been on my salary, building refurbishment and massive outreach campaigns. As time progresses, the new work will undertake more of those expenses on its own, but the work is only growing so fast despite our best efforts. None-the-less, when I look at the financial state of the MBA of Texas mission fund, I face the reality that there are not going to be many years of full salary for myself left. In fact, if something doesn't happen, the fund could be broke by 2012. At the same time, out direct support from sister churches has dropped off in the past couple of years. Two years ago, we averaged $1,800/month in direct support. In May of this year, we took in $1,200 from sister churches.

The fact of the matter is that missionaries are going to have to begin to make tough choices, because the well can run dry. We need to have a plan in place to keep our works going should that day ever come. Gone are the days when a missionary could go on salary and know that he was going to be able to draw that salary until his work organized (usually after the completion of an expensive brand new building). We're going to have to learn to purchase older church structures from protestant groups who have folded. We're going to have to learn to work out of school buildings, civic centers, and apartment community rooms. We are also going to have to learn to organize before land is purchased, buildings are built, and possibly before the pastor can draw a full-time salary from the church. We are going to have to streamline our expenses and learn to do more with less.

At the same time, it wouldn't hurt to see more support going to our associational mission programs. Over the past few years, especially when the fund balance was high (in both the Texas and national associations) men began to stand up and promote the idea of withdrawing support from these funds and directing support elsewhere. Some wanted to expend the reserves to purchase land in large cities. Others wanted to just expend it altogether. Others began to rail against our associational mission programs and call them waste of money. The discourse took its toll, and support began to erode. Now we are in a time when that support is needed, but getting the support back is always much more difficult than losing it.

There was a time when Missionary Baptists were proud of their mission programs. There was a time when having a healthy balance in the fund was a good thing, and the prayer was that more men would engage in true mission work so we could see that fund put to use. There was a time when men liked to see missionaries well-supported. Today, it seems that has all changed.

Satan is on the attack. Seminary enrollment is down, support for our associational mission programs, seminaries, mission development funds and mission efforts in general is down. Discourse on how to get new works started has been replaced with finger-pointing and back-biting. All the while, missionaries struggle on the field and supporting churches struggle back home. Let's all get back on the same page, and remember that our purpose here is to make disciples, baptize them, indoctrinate them and organize them into New Testament churches.

My pledge to you, as a missionary, is that I will do my best to streamline expenses and minimize my need. All I ask from you is that you engage in our associational mission work and help promote the Gospel in Texas, the USA, and around the world.

If only God were more like Starbucks! (Have we lost our minds?)

For the past few years, church growth enthusiast have heralded Starbucks as a model to be followed in regard to church growth and multiplication (for those who haven't internalized the new vocabulary, multiplication is mission work). Starbucks has been heralded as an example for creating repeat customers (repeat visitors), opening new stores (starting new churches) and how to create "community." While I can appreciate a person admiring a company that makes a product they can enjoy, I can only hope that Starbucks closing 900 locations will abate the rise in "let's do it like Starbucks" churches.

My first and foremost problem with comparing church methods to Starbucks and modeling church growth strategies after the coffee giant is the fact that Starbucks is your quintessential liberal corporation. Based in Seattle, the chain has been widely criticized for promoting unGodly causes and lifestyles if by no other means than the "The Way I See It" cups.

The Bible says "I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? (1 Corinthians 6:5)" The context for this verse was the fact that church members were suing other church members in court. Paul was shaming the Corinthian church for seeking wisdom in heathen courts, when they possessed God's wisdom. Comparisons between the church and Starbucks, as far as I am concerned, amount to seeking worldly wisdom from worldly organizations and applying it to God's church. Did not God give us a formula for church growth? We have God's Word, we have His wisdom. Why on earth are we seeking wisdom from an organization like Starbucks?

My second problem with the often made parallel between Churches and Starbucks is the fact that they are not related. Sure, many churches have diminished valuable seating space in their sanctuaries by building coffee bars in the church buildings, but you can no compare true churches to Starbucks, neither will the marketing approach of Starbucks really benefit the churches.

First of all, Starbucks markets a product that, despite the downturn in business and the closing of 900 locations, people desire to purchase. People like Starbucks coffee, hence they are willing to pay $6 for 24 ounces of it. Contrast that with the churches. The churches, true churches, propagate the Gospel (the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins according to the scriptures.) People don't need Starbucks coffee, but they want it. People need the Gospel, but they don't want it. Disagree with me? First check Barna statistics, then check your Bible. John 3:19-21 clearly teaches that most people turn away from the Gospel because they don't want to have to own up to their sin.

You see, I could open up a coffee shop, spend $1,000 to advertise it, and be covered over in business. On the other hand, I can "start" a church, I can rent a building, put up a sign, spend $2,000 to advertise the new church, and not one soul will show up. Why? Because men liked darkness rather than light, because they didn't want their deeds to be reproved.

Seriously, I have personally designed effective marketing campaigns for clothing retailers, restaurants, cattle exchanges, horse sales, car dealerships, computer stores and repair shops, garage sales, boot repair shops, and pharmacies. These campaigns were very successful. To date, I have never designed and implemented an effective marketing campaign for a church. Why? Because people don't want the product.

So the idea that if we just adopted an image like Starbucks and marketed ourselves accordingly, we'd have first time and repeat visitors is flawed.

My third problem with the concept of modeling churches after Starbucks is closely related to the second. Starting a coffee shop is remarkably simpler than starting a church. To start a coffee shop, all you need is a name, equipment to make the coffee, knowledge of how to make the coffee, and a location. If you have the budget, you are in. Obtaining funding is the hardest part.

Starting a church is not so simple. First, just having knowledge, supplies and location is not enough. You must also have (1) the leadership of the Holy Spirit and (2) the desire, determination and perseverance to continue to share the Gospel one-to-one with lots of rejection. You see, unlike starting a coffee shop, starting a church requires you to convert people to an unpopular Gospel. Starting a coffee shop involves just letting people know you have a popular product. Many differences there.

My fourth problem is that I don't see what is so attractive about the Starbucks model of expansion. The Starbucks business model, at least up until 2009, included opening many locations in a small area, operate them at a loss to drive all competitors out of business, then jack up the prices. If a competitor opens up, buy out his lease!

What part of the model of "let's put other churches out of business" do we want to follow? (Sure, I am all for shutting down cults and false churches, but that's not what we are talking about.)

My fifth problem with the Starbucks model is that, like the video above, it is often used to criticize other churches. Notice in the video above, the producers took all that is stereotypically wrong with churches and applied them in a Starbucks setting. The video also poked fun at visitor cards, Christian bumper stickers, and outreach training methods. I saw no indication that the video's maker admitted that his church wasn't perfect. Nope. Just, "here's what's wrong with the way other churches do it. We're different. We're culturally relevant."

The Bible says "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. (Romans 14:4)" Who are you to go so far as to make a video to question methods other than yours?

My sixth problem with the Starbucks model is that it assumes that Starbucks has it all together in making new customers feel right at home. They don't. I've been there on more than a few occasions. I didn't know what to order, ordered a Mocha Latte (Thank you Kramer), drank my drink, and moved on. If I were to apply my experience to a church setting, it would be as if I were a first-time visitor who came in, sat on the back seat, sat for the duration of service, then left without any interaction with the church members. These scenarios happen in church. First time customers also get alienated at Starbucks. Quit idolizing them.

My last problem with Starbucks is that they are not nearly the jaggernaut that everyone believes them to be. At the outset of the recession in 2008-2009, they were one of the first companies to announce closings. More than 900 locations closed almost instantaneously. Can you imagine the panic if more than 900 Missionary Baptist Churches closed in 2009? Of course, the advantage the churches have in this regard is that they don't have to worry about their value on the stock exchange.

Of course, with the way things are going, it wouldn't shock me to hear someone laud Starbucks' closings as economic genius, and then promote the idea of closing all of our rural churches, selling the property, and using the money to open up new churches in metropolitan areas. Stranger things have happened.

God's churches were founded by God, are preserved and prospered by God, are led by God, and have been blessed and instructed by God. The church is an institution higher than any other on the face of this earth, and no organization is worthy to be compared to the church, nor is any organization worthy to become a model for the church. Get your wisdom from the Word, not Wall Street. Come on, people.

Why State Missions is just as Important as Foreign Missions

When God first called me to Brownwood, Texas, to start a new church, I felt silly explaining my call to others. I didn't call myself a missionary, because I didn't feel worthy to have the same title as the men who went to foreign countries to preach the Gospel, some in the face of persecution. Explaining my calling to those who are not members of a local New Testament church was equally odd, because, after all, doesn't Brownwood have enough churches? (At one time, Brownwood had more churches per capita than any other city in Texas).

In some circles, state missions is seen as a second-tier priority, because they believe that people in America have had ample access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have a friend in another Baptist association who once told me that "The sun never sets on our mission programs" (meaning the association had missionaries worldwide), but "We're not that good at state missions."

So, why should we give state missions and state missionaries the same consideration we give foreign missionaries? Here's why.

In my two years I have been in Brownwood (it'll be two years come June), I have observed that despite the large number of churches (and buildings with "church" on the sign), there is a large percentage of the population that (a) has not heard the true Gospel (the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins according to the scriptures), (b) have not been reached out to with the Gospel, and (c) many do not have ready access to solid teaching of the whole counsel of God. This is in Brownwood, Texas, a hub for various Baptist groups, and home to many Charismatic churches and organizations as well.

I'm not going to criticize these groups because I have no knowledge of what they teach or how they endeavor to spread the Gospel. What I am saying is that despite the presence of these churches, and a theological school at Howard Payne University, many in Brownwood still live without having heard or without knowing or understanding the Gospel.

Over Spring Break, Jessica and I were priviledged to travel to Corpus Christi (pictured above). We passed through cities like Llano, Fredericksburg, Boerne, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Aransas Pass and Port Aransas, as well as Ingleside, Goliad, Gonzales, Austin, Leander, Lampassas and Goldthwaite. What kept pressing on my heart were the multitudes of people in these towns that still had not been reached with the Gospel.

I understand that many will not receive the Gospel, I recognize that most will reject Christ. Still, we must be busy reaching people with the Gospel because (a) we were commanded and (b) some will receive.

Corpus Christi alone has more than 200,000 residents, all without the lighthouse of an ABA church. McArdle Road MBC was there at one point, but a series of unfortunate incidents led to the church's disbanding a few years ago. If we can find those who still need to be reached in Brownwood, Texas (population 24,000), think of how many need to be reached in Corpus? Yet it seems difficult to get anyone to go there with the Gospel.

It's not just Corpus. Aransas Pass and Ingleside both have populations at approximately 10,000 people, plus a few thousand more in nearby Port Aransas. All three of these cities are within a 10-mile radius of each other. Look at all the growth around Austin. Thousands live there unreached.

There is a great need for state missionaries in Texas, and missionaries all over the U.S. There is a great need for missionaries worldwide. Don't discount the value of a mission work based on its location. Evaluate it based on what the Spirit is leading you to do in regard to supporting it, or even going to the field yourself.

UnGodly Holiness Pt. 6 - Missionary 'Accountability'

The following is based on my observations of certain mission projects conducted throughout the U.S.A., and is in no way tied to my personal experience in Brownwood. Mission: Brownwood is well supported financially, prayerfully and emotionally. Rocky Springs has been a very good sponsoring church and I have no complaints.

The year is 1966. A naval aviator (fighter pilot) has found himself in a dogfight with a VC Mig 23. The Mig 23 is smaller, more agile and faster than the American's jet, and the American pilot soon finds himself under the relentless pursuit of a VC fighter who smells the pending victory over a Naval officer.

The American pilot, desperate to evade the VC fighter inadvertently sends his jet into a spin. He loses total control of the aircraft. The VC pilot, confident that he has secured the demise of the American pilot, flies right by. Then, a miracle happens. The American regains control of his aircraft, and the hunted suddenly becomes the hunter. He locks onto his target, fires his missile, but it misfires and twirls toward the sea below. The only course of action now is to return to the aircraft carrier.

The American pilot was at a severe disadvantage during this confrontation with a North Vietnamese Mig 23. His aircraft was bulkier and slower than the Mig 23. It was actually hard to land on an aircraft carrier, and required special procedures to launch, because it was not designed for carrier use. It was an air force jet... forced upon the Navy as part of the Department of Defense's consolidation program.

Not only did the size and belabored maneuverability of his aircraft put the American at a disadvantage, his jet also lacked machine guns. That's right, many American fighter jets in the Vietnam war lacked machine guns... a must-have for dog-fighting situations. Why? Good question.

It all goes back to the Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. McNamara had a vision of streamlining the process of equipping the U.S. Military, shifting from a doctrine of massive retaliation to one of "limited warfare," and conducting national defense while reducing military expenditures.

Under this system, the emphasis would be shifted from small fighter jets to bombers. The goal would be to equip the military with bombers that would have limited dog-fighting capabilities. All branches of the armed forces would get the same aircraft. Why waste money buying specialized aircraft when all can buy the same aircraft in bulk. Plus, many of the expensive features, like machine guns, can be eliminated as the technology has surpassed aerial combat techniques of yesteryear. Hence, the fighter jet with no guns. McNamara believed the American pilot could fire the sidewinder missile from 70 miles away and pick a Mig 23 out of the sky before aerial combat maneuvers were necessary.

The problem was the sidewinder missile frequently misfired, and the VC figured out that if they could get their Migs so close to the Americans that they couldn't use missiles, the Americans would be sitting ducks. Hence the ratio of enemy planes to American planes being shot down fell to 3-1. While this grim statistic led to machine guns being placed on the planes, better aircraft being purchased, the Top Gun academy being founded at the Miramar base in San Diego, and a really exciting movie being made in 1986, the damage to American lives and troop morale had been done, all with the swipe of a pen by a bureaucrat who had never flown a combat mission. Sure, McNamara served in the Army Air Forces in World War II, but he served in a capacity that analyzed bomber effectiveness.

You see, McNamara, and most of those in the cabinets of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, felt they were smart enough to wage war from Washington, with little or no regard given to the needs expressed by the generals on the ground in Vietnam.

Many pastors regard missions and missionaries the same way. There are some sponsoring pastors, and supporting pastors, who feel that they have a better understanding of the mission and its needs than the missionary on the field. These pastors require that all decisions made on the mission field must first cross the pastor's desk, and then be approved by the sponsoring church. Many times, critical needs are denied... all under the guise of "missionary accountability."

To some degree, missionaries need to be held accountable. If a missionary is receiving support from his sponsoring church and supporting churches, and possibly the association, those entities deserve to know that the money they send in is being used for the purposes for which it is sent. They need to know that the missionary is spending his time on the field doing mission work. They deserve reports, and they deserve respect from the missionary. Furthermore, any decision that is going to have a direct impact on the finances or security of the sponsoring church, or one that could possibly create responsibility or liability for the sponsoring church, must be put before the congregation of the sponsoring church.

However, many times the "accountability" term is applied to situations which actually fall under the heading of "lording over." Here are a few examples:

1. A foreign missionary uses an all-terrain vehicle to travel from village to village where he preaches the Gospel, baptizes, establishes churches, and then revisits the churches that have been established. One day, the vehicle breaks down. He has it taken into a nearby town, where repair costs are estimated at $2,500. The funds are available in the mission fund at his sponsoring church. He calls his sponsoring pastor, asking that the funds be sent to him so he can repair his vehicle. The sponsoring pastor replies, "We'll have to bring this before the church in its business meeting."

Here's the problem. The supporting churches have sent that money to the mission fund at the sponsoring church for the purpose of funding that missionary's ministry. Any attempt by the sponsoring church to withhold, delay, or regulate that fund is "lording over," not accountability. Suppose it takes two weeks to get the item before the church in the business meeting, and then it takes two to three days to get the check to the missionary (provided the treasurer was prompt in mailing the check out). The vehicle will then be in the shop possibly for a week, maybe longer, depending on which country he is in. The work has just suffered a one-month set back, and time is the most valuable commodity for many missionaries.

2. A missionary in New York City successfully evangelizes and baptizes a handful of Wall Street investors. These investors become faithful in their study of the Word, their support of the mission in NYC, their attendance, and they become active in the mission work. These mission members get some money together and desire to rent a loft space in Manhattan. The sponsoring pastor says "No. We must wait and take this before the sponsoring church."

The missionary has been faithful in teaching this mission about the "local, visible" church, and against the "universal" church, but now this congregation finds themselves at the will of another ecclesiastical body. Sound confusing? I'll never understand what makes one person or body of believers believe that they can tell another body of believers what to do with the money they've raised. If a mission can fund its own needs, let them, and hinder them not.

3. A sponsoring church votes to send out a missionary, but then forbids him from finding secular employment, while at the same time refusing to guarantee him support. They insist that he step out on faith, but they refuse to step out on faith by making sure his rent is paid and his kids are fed. I shouldn't even have to explain what's wrong with this picture.

4. A pastor stands up at an associational meeting and demands that every associational missionary give a total of the number of doors they've knocked on, the number of people they've witnessed to, the number of sermons they've preached, how much time they spend on visitation and in sermon preparation, the number of visitors and an explanation of why their missions haven't grown more. Actually, this can be a reasonable request, so long as that pastor would not be offended should his church ask the same thing of him the following Sunday.

You see, I'm all for giving an account of myself and my work. I believe that any missionary worth his salt should be willing to give an account of himself and his work. However, when you move from an attitude of reviewing the work to one of "I've got to get this missionary or mission under control," it ceases to be an accountability issue and more one of lordship.

Peter wrote, "Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock." Too many people want to be lords over God's heritage. If we would repent of that attitude, maybe more missions would get started and more missionaries would be successful.

Let's pray for our missionaries, let's help our missionaries, and let's support our missionaries financially... not as lords over their work, but as fellowlaborers. May God's work prosper in the years ahead.

Detroit in Ruins

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.

It's about Missions

When was the last time you heard someone say, "I can't wait until the state meeting. I really look forward to the CyberSpace report." Well, maybe the guy giving the report, but other than that, the state association meeting is popular for two reasons. (1) Fellowship and (2) Missions.

The fellowship is going to happen. Anytime 300 or so preachers get together, there will be fellowship.

Missions is the top-priority agenda item on the list. We open the meeting on Tuesday evening to a moderator's address, a message, and proposed changes to the mission policy or requests to set the policy aside. Then, the first item of business Wednesday morning (after the songs, music specials and devotional) is approving missionaries, and any subsequent policy change. Everything after that is all reporting and information sharing, from which we hope that the brethren are encouraged, enlightened, and motivated.

I bring this up for a reason. Over the past few years, there has been a movement toward rushing the missionary approval process. I understand the reasons. (1) If the association is ready to approve or reject a request, why belabor it with ongoing debate? (2) The quicker the missions part is over, the less likelihood for disharmony. (3) Many people leave after lunch.

I'm actually fine with this too. I just don't want to see a bad decision made, or a debate that gets ended before all sides are heard just for the sake of getting finished in time for lunch. We all deserve better than that type of situation.

All that being said, I think we have a good group of missionaries coming up for support this year. After we finish the missions business, we can enjoy some great reports. I'm actually looking forward to the CyberSpace report. With all the new things coming out and going mainstream, there's no telling what we might be able to discuss.

Why I support the proposed mission policy for the MBA of Texas

The proposed mission policy of the MBA of Texas holds superiority to the current policy in that it allows decisions to be made by sponsoring churches and missionaries without fear of interference of policy-driven debate. The proposed policy defines what a missionary is, and what state mission work is. It affirms the authority of the sponsoring church, the autonomy of local churches, yet protects the finances of the association.

Under the new policy, eligible mission work will be new church starts, work with struggling churches to prevent their demise, and works that assist churches with the Great Commission (this is where TMD, Berean Ministries, etc could qualify.) The policy allows for mission projects (such as building funds) and missionary salary.

Instead of paying salary, the mission money would be given to the sponsoring church in the form of "support" that could then be paid by the sponsoring church to the missionary as salary.

Protections for the association come in the form that the messengers are given the authority to set the amount of support to be paid to the missionary.

So far, I have only heard two complaints about the proposed mission policy.

(1) There needs to be a provision that the policy is not a set of laws, but guidelines. This article is in the current policy and introduces a lot of controversy. In my mind, the requirements of the sponsoring church and missionary in the proposed policy are minimal... if one can't live up to the expectations in the proposed policy, one has no business in missions.

(2) There needs to be more missionary accountability. Actually, I'm kind of tired of hearing about missionary accountability. All the association can really expect from the missionary is that he stay on the field and continue the work, and report on that work. What more should be expected?

Hopefully, the policy will be put up for a vote in November. If so, I'll be voting yes.

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 - Waco, TX

Waco, Texas, (pronounced WAY-co not WACK-oh) sits in the center of the Texas population. A short drive to the north will land one in the DFW Metroplex, a short drive to the south lands one in Austin and San Antonio. Just a few hours to the southeast is College Station, Houston and Galveston. To the west, Brownwood.

The Waco metro area is home to more than 228,000 people, and is rapidly growing. Cities like Woodway, Bellmeade, and even McGregor are springing up and developing places where previously there were corn or cotton fields.

The rapid rise in population is due partly to the favorable Texas economic climate as well as the proximity to Fort Hood. Expect that trend to continue as the Federal Government continues to consolidate military installations. Fort Hood will gain soldiers, who bring family with them. Often, merchants also set up shop nearby hoping to make a fortune selling wares to American Soldiers. Face it, U.S. Military and economic prosperity go hand in hand. Look at the prosperity that surrounds our bases in Colorado Springs, San Diego, Irvine (CA), and even overseas. Yes, the presence of the military brings prosperity to areas in the Middle East (just look at Saudi Arabia and the nations surrounding Afghanistan.) So, the presence of the military, the favorable economic climate (Texas has fewer taxes and employer fees than many states in the union), and low cost of living will continue to fuel growth in Waco.

Waco and the surrounding areas are well populated by people, but are home to relatively few ABA churches. While the area is home to Baylor University (another driving force for economic development), we can not just sit back and assume the Southern Baptist Convention will handle all the evangelism, discipleship and mission work in Central Texas.

So, with all that in mind, will you consider Waco, Texas as a state/interstate mission field?

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.

Major Barbara

Did you ever see Major Barbara, the 1941 film based on the George Bernard Shaw play? I did. I watched it during a college English class at Jacksonville College.

Shaw was a socialist, and he satired not only capitalism, but just about every facet of every day life, from business, to marriage, family, and so on. In fact, many of these very things were satirized in the Major Barbara play. Imagine, a Major in the Salvation Army who was a woman, Major Barbara. Or how about a man named Dolly (Major Barbara's love interest?) Or a wealthy weapons manufacturer looking for an heir to his empire (he didn't want to pass it down to his kids because he didn't want his kids to take over a business they didn't understand.) One comical line came during the movie when said weapons manufacturer was asking his son what line of work he'd like to enter into. Upon exhausting a list of possible skills, all of which the son said he didn't have, the weapons manufacturer replied "I suppose then the only thing left for you then is politics."

I don't share Shaw's views, but his plays (Major Barbara, The Chocolate Soldier, and others) were good reads.

One thing that came out in Major Barbara, that I believe is infiltrating the churches of the Lord today is the price of salvation. After Major Barbara compromised her principles in order to receive a large financial gift from a wealthy donor, one of the transients at the Salvation Army began to ask, "What's the price of Salvation now?" He continued to ask this question over and over again.

Over the past few years, I have noticed this question is becoming relevant in today's churches. Business meetings, missions meetings, and associational meetings are dominated, not by the validity of the missionary's work, but rather, if the body wants to commit the funds to it. How much will it cost, what's our obligation, how long will this mission project continue to need financial support, hasn't this work been financially supported long enough, and can't we do something more efficient with this money, are all questions that arise on the floor in any given Missionary Baptist meeting.

Now I agree that we need to be good stewards of the funds God has given us, and I also agree that missionaries should be held accountable for what they do with funds sent to support them. I also agree that we need to have a general idea of what the purposes of the general fund and the missions funds are.

However, while we deliberate the direction of our missions programs, let's not forget the reason we labor, give, request, and report for the Lord. It is the millions of souls in Texas, and worldwide who currently do not know the Lord as their Savior. It is the millions of people who will die in their sins and go to Hell.

Our goal is to win these souls to the Lord, baptize them and disciple them... help them grow in their faith and watch, help and enable their Spiritual growth. The result of this is new churches that are solidly planted in God's truth.

So while we debate questions as to what the definition of missions is, how much a missionary should be paid, how long he should be paid, and how much money he should receive for the mission/church he is working to see planted, let's keep in mind the value of the human souls reached... or to put it another way, "How much is the cost of salvation now?"