SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #77 ---- 7/5/99
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
As We fight The Good Fight
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER #77 ---- 7/5/99
TITLE: "Characteristics of Effective Churches"
My Dear Friend and Partner in Ministry:
"What a difference a [week] makes!" In spite of an extraordinary work
load this past week, Jo Ann and I both finally feel like we really got
rested up from the Croatia trip. It probably helped that we had cooler
weather and lots of rain last week. My favorite sound from boyhood is
still rain falling on a tin roof; we settled for fiberglass shingle, but
it still sounded great. Who would have thought it would take nearly
three weeks for us to begin feeling back to normal!
I am very excited about my letter today, and the thoughts I feel the Lord
wants me to share.
BEFORE THAT, HOWEVER:
While this is not my normal pattern and I certainly don't want "Shoulder
To Shoulder" to become a placement service, I do want to pass some
information on for your prayer and possible interest.
A friend contacted me this past week asking if I knew of anyone who might
be interested in pastoring a church of about 150 members in central
Michigan. Here are some of his comments:
"Hi Bob,
"The pastor of the church I attend has just announced his retirement and
we are seeking a new shepherd to fill his role. I'm a member of the
council that will select the final candidate.
"My church is 'inter' denominational, so we have no regional organization
to turn to in obtaining a new pastor.
The retiring pastor "has been a terrific blessing, working with the few
he started with to start a brand new church. This is a smallish church,
maybe 150, with a very active youth outreach and a new youth pastor.
"If God puts anyone on your mind or you are in the area with time to
spare, I'd enjoy meeting you or the person on your mind (-:
"I respect you from what I've seen of your heart through your letters. I
also just printed out Shoulder 2 Shoulder #44-46 to pass out at the
council meeting."
>From this brother's letters, I gather the church is at least nineteen
years old, has a contemporary worship style, and has a charismatic or
possibly pentecostal approach to church life.
If you want to communicate any recommendations or your personal interest
to this church, I will be happy to forward that information to my friend.
Just e-mail me, and I'll forward it.
NOW TO THE MATTER AT HAND:
Without apology, I am an idealist ---- a "biblical idealist" that
believes in the depth of my heart that "God meant what He said, and said
what He meant". For that reason, I still believe it is possible for the
Church to be and do all it was created to be and do.
At the same time, I am a realist ---- but a very "optimistic realist" who
also believes that, while it is possible for every local church to attain
that aspiring goal, many will not.
However, rather than concentrate on the many who will not, I'd rather
look at the many who can ---- and will.
But ---- what makes the difference between those who will and those who
won't?
My friend, Jeff Floyd (whom I often quote) wrote a stimulating "Today"
letter about a recent experience. Because I have Jeff's standing
approval to use his material, I want to share edited portions of last
Friday's letter. I found his comments motivating, affirming, confirming
---- and troubling.
Jeff and his wife, Norma, had left May 27 for both some holiday time and
ministry assignments in New Mexico and Colorado. The church in which
they ministered in Colorado is a well known mega church that is probably
doing more Biblical ministry than most churches I know anything about.
After their return home, they immediately got a call from the pastor
asking them to return and minister to a number of the church members and
staff. So, they spent a great deal of time in that church recently, both
ministering and observing.
Here are some of his thoughts, adapted for anonymity:
"Today ---- Observations
"Having spent much of the month of June at [name] Church, I have my own
personal observations as to what makes [it] the dynamic church that it
is.
"1. More than anything else, the church is characterized by prayer.
While I was there, Pastor [name] went up on praise mountain and spent
three days fasting and praying. The staff and people at [name]
constantly [do the same]. I attended a session on Friday night which was
a "soaking" time in worship and the Word.
"Saturday night was a time of informal prayer where people came and
wandered throughout the building praying for the church, the services,
the pastor and the staff. There is much more prayer in that church than
I'm accustomed to seeing anywhere. Their children are taught to fast and
pray from the cradle up.
"2. Great teaching and preaching. Pastor [name] is a masterful and
anointed preacher, being much in demand as a speaker both here in the
states and overseas. He also has staff members who are powerful
expositors of the Word.
Preaching services are characterized by the "rustling of the
leaves"--people following the frequently given scriptural references in
their Bibles.
"3. Powerful worship. The last Sunday that I was there was a very
powerful day. The worship was phenomenal. They are totally contemporary
in their style but ranged from the contemporary to traditional in their
music selections.
"Sunday morning we were taken to the heights in worship. Sunday night
the Spirit was so powerful in the worship that we were driven to our
knees. There was one point where the instrumentalists improvised for
over twenty minutes, during which [time[ practically every inch of open
space had people prostrate before the Lord ---- ranging from older
children to older adults.
"4. Evangelism and missions. Not only are the children taught to fast
and pray from the cradle up but they are taught global missions and
evangelism. The baptismal services at [name] are amazing. In the last
one I attended, they baptized approximately 150 people in a horse trough
set in the front of the worship center. It was quite an experience.
"While I was there this time, they had youth intercessory prayer teams in
Mexico and Nepal, plus a youth choir touring France. These kids prayed
and fasted often in the weeks preceding their trips, preparing themselves
for the ministry they would do.
"5. A family church. They make a huge emphasis on the family--not only
the individual families but the church family, also. The worship center
of the church is called the "living room" or the "family room."
Tremendous preparations are made to develop and enhance an atmosphere
of family living.
"6. A compassionate church. People who have definable needs are
ministered to with great compassion. Whether their needs are physical or
spiritual, they are ministered to by both staff and membership. A very
usual sight before and after services is people praying for one another
both in the worship center and in the hall ways.
"7. Giving. The people and the church are whole hearted in giving to
the Lord and His work. I have been in services where above their regular
offering they have taken offerings that amounted to over $50,000 for
various causes. I would say that the giving of both church and people
could be characterized as sacrificial giving.
"8. Friendliness and fellowship. One would think that he would be lost
in such a huge church but there is the feeling of fellowship in the air.
People are very receiving and loving.
"Underlying it all is a young man and his wife who have paid the price of
commitment to Christ and continue to do so. Pastor [name] and his wife,
[name], are two of God's choice servants. I am constantly amazed as I
observe their relationship with the Lord and with people. They are
totally approachable by their people and are in no hurry when talking
with them. They have great hearts of love which are clearly discernible
in their relationships with their people.
"I have hope for this generation of families and for global evangelism as
long as there are churches [that] are so completely saturated with the
Lord and so completely demonstrate His heart as I have observed there at
[name].
"I'm aware that [name] Church is one of the "mega-churches" of America
but I'm also aware that 14 years ago they were[just] a group of 25 people
meeting in a basement, who sat on lawn chairs, stacked paint buckets for
a pulpit and had only a guitar to accompany their singing.
"God has no favorites. Not every church will grow to be a mega church
but many of the components that have contributed to their greatness can
be incorporated into every church everywhere."
AMEN TO THAT!
As I re-read Jeff's article, I was struck by several thoughts:
1. Some who read it will find some "denominational" excuse for rejecting
his witness.
2. Others will criticize or judge it because the church is a "mega"
church ---- as if there must be some hidden agenda or worldly method that
has made it great.
3. Still others will blame its so-called "growth" as a work of Satan,
using worldly and modern methods.
4. Yet others may just not care ---- they're contented with their own
status being "quo", and are simply satisfied to "endure 'til the end".
5. Some, however ---- and hopefully that includes you ---- will have an
itch deep in their spirits that cannot be satisfied with a scratch by
some human explanation, and they will cry out to God, "Oh, God, let that
kind of church be the kind of which I am a part!"
Which leads to a quick review.
Look at those characteristics again:
+ Above all else ---- a church of prayer. I seriously doubt that there
is another church in America that has a more comprehensive, aggressive,
and world-encompassing prayer ministry than this one. It is absolutely
awesome. On its campus is a World Prayer Center that literally, through
the use of the internet, links every prayer warrior with every corner of
the world.
+ Then a church strong in the Word of God through its preaching and
teaching ministry. And, they don't just teach "information" ---- they
teach Life. It's not "what you know" that is important to them ---- it's
"Who you know" and "what you're going to do about it" that they teach and
preach.
+ Next, it is a church that genuinely worships. Most churches, if they
worship at all, simply worship worship, and not God. In case you think
that's a typo, let me say it again ---- most churches worship worship.
The form, content, and time of worship is what they worship ---- not the
Lord Jesus Christ.
How do I know that? Because if they were truly worshiping Him, the form,
content, and time wouldn't matter ---- they wouldn't care. Since God
doesn't, why should they?
+ Then look at the next one ---- evangelism and missions. Friend, that
is a given ---- it's a "no-brainer". If a church is not doing evangelism
and missions, it has no reason to exist. And, look at the type of
evangelism ---- global! Around the world!
You say you can't do that because you're too small?
I would suggest, rather, that maybe it's your vision and your
willingness to obey that are too small. The Great Commission cannot be
made smaller just to accommodate the smallness of our vision or the
mediocrity of our scope of obedience.
The Great Commission covers the world. Now, that doesn't mean you have
to go all around the world yourself; that's not possible. But you can
pray around the world, you can encompass and bathe the world with your
tears, you can give to causes and needs world-wide.
+ Next ---- a family church. I'd be real curious about details in this
area. I will say, though, that in most churches, even though we say we
are for the family, most of our activities and structures tend to
separate families and pull them apart rather than bring them together.
It's one thing to be a "family church", but it's another to be a "family"
church.
+ Here's another one ---- a compassionate church. If a church should be
anything, it should be this. And yet, we restrict our acts of compassion
based on how much money we may or may not have, whether or not we have a
committee to take care of that need, or whether or not the needy will fit
into our agenda of "scheduled compassion dispensing".
I sometimes wonder if Jesus would be comfortable and feel at home in the
midst of our treatment of "Christ-like Compassion".
Familiar with it? Probably ---- He'd remember it from the temple in
Jerusalem.
Comfortable? Doubtful.
+ A Giving church. This is always a pretty accurate test of the
spiritual life of a church ---- how much it is willing to give and how
much it tries to keep for itself ---- you might call this the "Ananias
and Sapphira" test.
My Dad used to say that the most sensitive nerve in the human body is the
one that runs from a man's brain to his billfold. A giving church cares
little about what is left for itself, knowing that God promised to
provide. It is deeply concerned, however, about the amount it gives away
---- and it never seems to be quite enough that it has given.
+ Finally ---- Friendliness and fellowship. That's an interesting
combination of words Jeff used. Some churches have one or the other, but
few have both.
Friendliness can reach toward the outsider, but he probably won't remain
because there is little fellowship to attract him.
Fellowship can keep the "clique" together, but it soon becomes dead and
stagnant because there is no new life being breathed into it.
A truly friendly church will be a church that enjoys true fellowship ----
otherwise it is a hypocritical friendliness, only out for its own gain.
A truly fellowshiping church will want to do what the four lepers did in
II Kings ---- "the goodies here are so great that we've gotta go tell all
those other folks who are starving to death out there that there's food
here!"
+ But ---- there's one final characteristic ---- the Pastor and his
wife.
Read Jeff's comments again. In them you find a pastoral "team" who have
apparently forsaken all areas of interest and rejected all offers to
fame, simply to allow the vision God gave them to blossom into tangible
reality, and then spend their lives loving, nurturing, challenging, and
leading the people God has entrusted to them.
And, my friend ---- if you "ain't got that, you ain't got nothin'!"
IN CONCLUSION:
Yesterday I preached from Acts 2:42-47. Then, as I began writing to you,
the thought hit me ---- that's where this pastor got the model for the
church he pastors.
Guess it is Biblical, after all ---- isn't it.
More importantly, ---- if it worked in Colorado ---- because it is
scriptural, and a little group of 25 people were willing to embrace it
and pay the price of time, effort, and perseverance ----
Maybe it will work for you, too.
Not that you should want to build a mega church (you've missed the point
if that's all you see), but . . .
That God might presence Himself where you are, as He has in Colorado.
I think He'd like that.
Would you?
Have a wonderful week, friend.
I look forward to writing again next week. There are some follow-up
thoughts I look forward to sharing with you. In the meantime, be
encouraged in the work of the Lord; for you will reap if you don't faint
---- or quit.
In His Great Bond of Love and Grace,
Bob Tolliver ---- (Rom 1:11-12)
Copyright July, 1999. All rights reserved.
JUST COULDN'T PASS THIS UP:
I recently got the following bit of humor I thought you might enjoy.
#1
An elderly man was at home, dying in bed. He smelled the aroma of his
favorite chocolate chip cookies baking. He wanted one last cookie before
he died.
He fell out of bed, crawled to the landing, rolled down the stairs, and
crawled into the kitchen where his wife was busily baking cookies.
With waning strength he crawled to the table and was just barely able to
lift his withered arm to the cookie sheet.
As he grasped a warm, moist, chocolate chip cookie ---- his favorite kind
---- his wife suddenly whacked his hand with a spatula.
"Why?" he whispered. "Why'd you do that?"
"They're for the funeral," she replied.
#2
A terrible oil well fire rages in Texas. Red Adair's world famous oil
well fighting company is already committed on another job. Someone
suggests a local Mexican fire fighting company. When the Mexican fire
fighting
company is called, the owner quotes them only $200 to put out the fire.
In disbelief and desperation, the oil company hires them to put out the
fire. A few minutes later, a broken down, old pickup truck filled with
Mexicans arrives at the oil well fire and immediately drives right into
the middle of the raging fire!
All of the Mexicans immediately get off the truck and beat out the fire
with their serapes. With their truck terribly scorched and their clothes
smoldering, the Mexicans walk up to the oil company manager to be paid.
Still in awe and disbelief, the oil company manager hands the head
Mexican a check for $200, and says, "That was the most amazing, brave
feat I've ever witnessed!" "Just out of curiosity, what are you going to
do
with the $200?
The head Mexican replies, "Get some new brakes for my truck!"
Oh, well ---- still have a great week!
Bob Tolliver ---- Rom 1:11-12
Life Unlimited Ministries
E-mail: [email protected]
Ph: 417-275-4854 Fax: 417-275-4855
Do You Receive "Shoulder To Shoulder"?
If this letter has blessed you and you know of someone else who needs to
be encouraged, feel free to forward it in its entirety to all such people
you know.
If you would like a list of past issues which you could receive upon
request, just let us know.
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Hang in there! I'm with you!
-------.ooooO--------------- Ooooo--------
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