Merry Christmas from the McDaniel family! May your Christmas this year be focused on the One that left all the benefits of heaven to make God understandable to us and then to die as a substitute in our place.
Twice each year our ACMC staff gathers at Pioneers headquarters in Orlando for several days of interaction. Last week was one of these gatherings. It is always an encouragement and benefit to be with my colleagues from across the U.S.
We had the opportunity to interact with Pioneers’ U.S. president, Steve Richardson. It was helpful hearing his perspective on what is happening around the world among unreached peoples where Pioneers missionaries labor to initiate church planting movements. And we interacted with Steve Shadrach, mobilization director for the U.S. Center for World Missions. Steve is keenly aware of the heartbeat of young adults in this country and how to effectively engage them in the task of world evangelism. We also devoted a session to interacting around David Platt’s excellent new book, Radical (my best read of 2010).
ACMC is about to begin its 36th year of service to local church mission leaders. We are distinct from most missions mobilization organizations in that our focus is on engaging local churches, not individuals. The local church in the U.S. has changed radically since our formation in 1975. The birth of the mega-church. The spread of seeker focused churches. The rapid expansion of charismatic churches. The decline of mainline churches. The birth of the house church movement in this country. And the recent missional church movement. Among many other noteworthy changes. Because of these changes, ACMC has changed as well. And we will continue to change going into the future.
Under the leadership of Pioneers new VP for church resources, Denny Spitters, ACMC will make a priority in 2011 of seeking God regarding our future as an organization. Our sense at the front end of this process is that our mission will remain unchanged -- “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization”. However, we will be developing a new vision statement. We will re-examine our core values. We will likely sharpen the focus and scope of our mission. And we will consider what methodologies will best serve us in accomplishing our new vision moving forward.
Please pray for our task force which will be grappling with these issues in early 2011. We will be enlisting the involvement of an outside facilitator, Matthew Ellison with 16:15, to assist us in this process. Our hope is to be able to sign off on this work at our next staff gathering in late June. And then begin the important work of realigning what we do in each of our areas of service around what God reveals through this process.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
from December 5, 2010 prayer update
The tensions in life are often presented as a choice between A and B. I am convinced that many of these tensions are better viewed as both A and B, rather than either A or B. Demonstration of the gospel vs. proclamation of the gospel is one such tension.
For 150 years in the Western world, there has been a polarization between the theologically liberal (social gospel) vs. the theologically conservative (verbal gospel proclamation) when it comes to the responsibility of the Church with the lost. When I study the models of evangelism presented in the four gospels, the book of Acts, and the epistles, I see both prominently present. People come to faith in Christ in response to the clear verbal proclamation of the gospel (Romans 10:14-15). However, cultivation of the soil and the resulting openness to the gospel message usually comes as the direct result of selfless acts of service that demonstrate the reality of the gospel.
Perhaps a helpful illustration would be an arrow, with demonstration of the gospel representing the shaft of the arrow and proclamation of the gospel representing the arrow’s point. There is no penetration and impact without the force and momentum of the shaft behind the razor tipped arrow point. Both are absolutely essential.
For the past decade a focus on justice for the vulnerable and exploited, and benevolence toward the poor and needy, have increasingly been the calling card of the emerging generation (18-35 crowd) of evangelical Christ followers. May this new generation avoid the social gospel only error of their grandparents and great grandparents. May they recognize that as important as justice and benevolence are, they are of limited kingdom value if pursued in isolation. They must be coupled well with a clear verbal proclamation of the gospel. And may the evangelical boomers and busters that have preceded them embrace the power and increased effectiveness that this new emphasis on justice and benevolence can bring when strategically joined with intentional and culturally relevant evangelism.
May we powerfully demonstrate the reality of the gospel through our tireless service among the lost. And may we also boldly verbally proclaim the life transforming good news of Jesus Christ in our natural spheres of influence (where we live, work, and play) and among the least reached around the globe. What better opportunity to do so than during our culture’s Christmas celebrations.
For 150 years in the Western world, there has been a polarization between the theologically liberal (social gospel) vs. the theologically conservative (verbal gospel proclamation) when it comes to the responsibility of the Church with the lost. When I study the models of evangelism presented in the four gospels, the book of Acts, and the epistles, I see both prominently present. People come to faith in Christ in response to the clear verbal proclamation of the gospel (Romans 10:14-15). However, cultivation of the soil and the resulting openness to the gospel message usually comes as the direct result of selfless acts of service that demonstrate the reality of the gospel.
Perhaps a helpful illustration would be an arrow, with demonstration of the gospel representing the shaft of the arrow and proclamation of the gospel representing the arrow’s point. There is no penetration and impact without the force and momentum of the shaft behind the razor tipped arrow point. Both are absolutely essential.
For the past decade a focus on justice for the vulnerable and exploited, and benevolence toward the poor and needy, have increasingly been the calling card of the emerging generation (18-35 crowd) of evangelical Christ followers. May this new generation avoid the social gospel only error of their grandparents and great grandparents. May they recognize that as important as justice and benevolence are, they are of limited kingdom value if pursued in isolation. They must be coupled well with a clear verbal proclamation of the gospel. And may the evangelical boomers and busters that have preceded them embrace the power and increased effectiveness that this new emphasis on justice and benevolence can bring when strategically joined with intentional and culturally relevant evangelism.
May we powerfully demonstrate the reality of the gospel through our tireless service among the lost. And may we also boldly verbally proclaim the life transforming good news of Jesus Christ in our natural spheres of influence (where we live, work, and play) and among the least reached around the globe. What better opportunity to do so than during our culture’s Christmas celebrations.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
from November 21, 2010 prayer update
“Come and see” (attractional model) and “go and tell” (missional model) methodologies for evangelism represent a growing tension in the evangelical church in the U.S. A study of the New Testament will provide ample evidence for both models in the first century Church. However, the priority of the 5 great commission passages and the book of Acts is clear. It is “go and tell”.
Sadly the majority of churches in the U.S. are inwardly focused and are not meaningfully engaged in either attractional or missional evangelism. And the majority of larger churches are involved almost exclusively in well honed “come and see” evangelism events and programs (the most prominent being Sunday morning worship).
Research indicates that about 35% of the lost in the U.S. are reachable through attractional methodologies. Although that percentage is dropping, and it is weighted heavily toward a suburban demographic. That means that 65% of the lost in the U.S. can be reached only through a “go and tell” methodology.
What are the implications of all this? Let me suggest five among many.
1) There is a huge need to awaken the sleeping giant (inwardly focused churches) to their responsibility to focus both inwardly and outwardly. There are a many excellent books, DVDs, conferences, consultants, networks, and para-churches organizations that could positively impact these churches. Educate and exhort these churches to take advantage of the available resources.
2) The suburban mega-church needs to ask itself some hard questions, if it is vested primarily in a “come and see” approach to evangelism.
• Are they content to see the audience they are targeting continue to shrink year after year?
• Can they, with a clear conscience, continue down this road knowing that they are automatically excluding 65% of the lost in their community by doing so?
• Are they subtly communicating to their congregation that their only personal responsibility with evangelism is to invite friends to Sunday morning worship or to an outreach oriented event?
3) Churches that are inwardly focused and churches that are vested primarily in attractional evangelism need to take several important steps:
• regularly teach and cast vision for what the New Testament says about missional evangelism
• provide practical training for individuals in “go and tell” evangelism (entry level and more advanced)
• primarily hire staff with a “go and tell” heart and gifting, not “come and see” heart and gifting
• regular hold up as positive examples lay members of your congregation who are living missionally
• affirm and release, rather than seeking to control and manage, those with apostolic and evangelism gifting in your congregation
4) The creation and multiplication of missional communities may be the most effective long-term strategy to see a church morph into a missionally focused church. These are highly intentional small groups who are living life and growing in Christ together, as they engage a shared evangelism target, and integrate the fruit of their efforts into their community.
5) Start planting new churches that are missionally focused from day one (especially among underreached demographics of a community).
Sadly the majority of churches in the U.S. are inwardly focused and are not meaningfully engaged in either attractional or missional evangelism. And the majority of larger churches are involved almost exclusively in well honed “come and see” evangelism events and programs (the most prominent being Sunday morning worship).
Research indicates that about 35% of the lost in the U.S. are reachable through attractional methodologies. Although that percentage is dropping, and it is weighted heavily toward a suburban demographic. That means that 65% of the lost in the U.S. can be reached only through a “go and tell” methodology.
What are the implications of all this? Let me suggest five among many.
1) There is a huge need to awaken the sleeping giant (inwardly focused churches) to their responsibility to focus both inwardly and outwardly. There are a many excellent books, DVDs, conferences, consultants, networks, and para-churches organizations that could positively impact these churches. Educate and exhort these churches to take advantage of the available resources.
2) The suburban mega-church needs to ask itself some hard questions, if it is vested primarily in a “come and see” approach to evangelism.
• Are they content to see the audience they are targeting continue to shrink year after year?
• Can they, with a clear conscience, continue down this road knowing that they are automatically excluding 65% of the lost in their community by doing so?
• Are they subtly communicating to their congregation that their only personal responsibility with evangelism is to invite friends to Sunday morning worship or to an outreach oriented event?
3) Churches that are inwardly focused and churches that are vested primarily in attractional evangelism need to take several important steps:
• regularly teach and cast vision for what the New Testament says about missional evangelism
• provide practical training for individuals in “go and tell” evangelism (entry level and more advanced)
• primarily hire staff with a “go and tell” heart and gifting, not “come and see” heart and gifting
• regular hold up as positive examples lay members of your congregation who are living missionally
• affirm and release, rather than seeking to control and manage, those with apostolic and evangelism gifting in your congregation
4) The creation and multiplication of missional communities may be the most effective long-term strategy to see a church morph into a missionally focused church. These are highly intentional small groups who are living life and growing in Christ together, as they engage a shared evangelism target, and integrate the fruit of their efforts into their community.
5) Start planting new churches that are missionally focused from day one (especially among underreached demographics of a community).
Saturday, November 13, 2010
from November 7, 2010 prayer update
How much do you know about the world we live in? You won’t learn much from a Christian perspective from your favorite news website, newspaper, magazine, or TV newscast. But there are excellent resources available.
The seventh edition of Operation World is now available. The last edition was published in 2001. The world has changed significantly in the past nine years. This is a book that every serious Christ follower should own.
Used by thousands as a daily prayer guide for the nations, and Operation World provides current background and statistical information on every country on the planet. I use this book as a resource for reliable missions facts more than any other missions resource available. Great stuff!
From “Ask a Missionary”: “This book is the definitive global prayer handbook. With over a million copies of past versions being sold, this all new 7th edition has been completely updated and revised by Jason Mandryk and covers every country in the world, from the largest to the smallest. Whether you are an intercessor praying behind the scenes for world change, a sender, or an aspiring missionary, Operation World will give you the information necessary to be a vital part in fulfilling God’s passion for the nations.”
Paperback and hardback versions are available as are excellent supplemental CDs and DVDs.
Interested in other great missions related books and resources? Check out the resources available through William Carey Library and Pioneers.
The seventh edition of Operation World is now available. The last edition was published in 2001. The world has changed significantly in the past nine years. This is a book that every serious Christ follower should own.
Used by thousands as a daily prayer guide for the nations, and Operation World provides current background and statistical information on every country on the planet. I use this book as a resource for reliable missions facts more than any other missions resource available. Great stuff!
From “Ask a Missionary”: “This book is the definitive global prayer handbook. With over a million copies of past versions being sold, this all new 7th edition has been completely updated and revised by Jason Mandryk and covers every country in the world, from the largest to the smallest. Whether you are an intercessor praying behind the scenes for world change, a sender, or an aspiring missionary, Operation World will give you the information necessary to be a vital part in fulfilling God’s passion for the nations.”
Paperback and hardback versions are available as are excellent supplemental CDs and DVDs.
Interested in other great missions related books and resources? Check out the resources available through William Carey Library and Pioneers.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
from October 17, 2010 prayer email
Below is an article I wrote recently for plantR, Austin’s local church planters’ web site, titled “BIFOCAL VISION”.
We find the primary marching orders of the local church in the 5 New Testament Great Commission passages. Center stage in each of these passages is the responsibility of all Christ followers, as sent ones, to incarnationally engage in evangelism and disciple making, individually and corporately. This is the foundation of any effective church planting model.
What we understand theologically, we tend to practically dismiss and rationalize away. A key element in four of these Great Commission passages is the priority of the unreached globally – “of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), “Go into all the world … to all creation” (Mark 16:15), “to all nations” (Luke 24:47), “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). It is not enough, if we profess to follow Christ, to focus exclusively on local opportunities for demonstrating and proclaiming the gospel (where 10-20% are already believers), and then discipling and banding into reproducing communities those that come to know Christ. We must have a bifocal vision – on our local community and on the nations where Christ is not yet widely known (especially where less than 1% are already believers).
As a former bi-vocational church planter, I know how hard it can be to attempt to keep all the plates spinning in the first few years of a new church plant. This is especially true if your model is not simple and your mature colleagues are few. However, it is vital that the key principles and practices that you hope to see your new church practicing 10-20 years down the road be engrained from day one. It is extremely difficult to seek to broaden or change your church’s DNA 3-5 years down the road.
New churches that seriously embrace a bifocal vision from day one consistently discover that local engagement feeds international engagement, and vice versa. Missions (intentional local and international cross-cultural outreach) is not just one more activity to squeeze into an already overflowing agenda. You can cultivate a focus on living missionally where you live, work, and play. And simultaneously recruit and equip those in your new church to go, send, welcome, and mobilize others, while engaging in one or two prayerfully and strategically selected opportunities among the least reached outside the U.S.
We find the primary marching orders of the local church in the 5 New Testament Great Commission passages. Center stage in each of these passages is the responsibility of all Christ followers, as sent ones, to incarnationally engage in evangelism and disciple making, individually and corporately. This is the foundation of any effective church planting model.
What we understand theologically, we tend to practically dismiss and rationalize away. A key element in four of these Great Commission passages is the priority of the unreached globally – “of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), “Go into all the world … to all creation” (Mark 16:15), “to all nations” (Luke 24:47), “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). It is not enough, if we profess to follow Christ, to focus exclusively on local opportunities for demonstrating and proclaiming the gospel (where 10-20% are already believers), and then discipling and banding into reproducing communities those that come to know Christ. We must have a bifocal vision – on our local community and on the nations where Christ is not yet widely known (especially where less than 1% are already believers).
As a former bi-vocational church planter, I know how hard it can be to attempt to keep all the plates spinning in the first few years of a new church plant. This is especially true if your model is not simple and your mature colleagues are few. However, it is vital that the key principles and practices that you hope to see your new church practicing 10-20 years down the road be engrained from day one. It is extremely difficult to seek to broaden or change your church’s DNA 3-5 years down the road.
New churches that seriously embrace a bifocal vision from day one consistently discover that local engagement feeds international engagement, and vice versa. Missions (intentional local and international cross-cultural outreach) is not just one more activity to squeeze into an already overflowing agenda. You can cultivate a focus on living missionally where you live, work, and play. And simultaneously recruit and equip those in your new church to go, send, welcome, and mobilize others, while engaging in one or two prayerfully and strategically selected opportunities among the least reached outside the U.S.
Monday, October 4, 2010
from October 3, 2010 prayer email
ACMC is a 35 year old missions mobilization organization. We came under Pioneers umbrella in 2007. This is the last in a series of five reflections designed to better familiarize you with the 16 areas in which ACMC provides practical services for local church mission leaders. Please contact me if we can be of service to your church!
Our mission statement reads “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” Our motto provides insight into a vital part of our methodology: “churches helping churches with missions.”
ACMC provides practical services in 16 areas organized under four broad headings:
1. learning
2. leading
3. sending
4. engaging culture
This reflections will briefly describe the four areas included under the fourth heading – ENGAGING CULTURE.
MISSIONAL CULTURE: The Great Commission is at the very center of God’s mission in the world. Seeing your local church place this at the center of their mission should be a top priority – moving toward the goal of seeing each member of your congregation actively demonstrating and proclaiming the gospel. ACMC can help your church develop the DNA to be outreach focused, both locally and globally.
INCARNATIONAL MINISTRY: “The Word (Jesus Christ) became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) We too must put flesh on the gospel message and live attractive and compelling lives among those we are seeking to reach and disciple. ACMC can help you learn to relevantly and relationally present Christ on the turf of the lost, not relying primarily on attractional programs and events to bring the lost to your church’s campus.
LOCAL OUTREACH: With each passing year our cities are becoming more and more diverse. Hispanics, African Americans, Asians are rapidly becoming the majority populations in many of our urban centers. The poor, the disenfranchised, and the forgotten desperately need outreach efforts relevantly focused toward them. ACMC can help you impact in your Samaria, the cross-cultural opportunities in your midst.
SHORT TERM: 1.5 million Americans go on a short-term mission trip every year. 1/3 of all missions spending in the U.S. goes toward these trips. There is an upside and a downside to this explosion with short-term work in the past 15 years. ACMC can help you look at what you are doing short-term with a critical eye -- increasing effectiveness, becoming more strategic, and giving appropriate concern for the stewardship issues involved with this big piece of the missions puzzle.
Our assistance to church mission leaders is made available through:
• conferences / training events
• local mission leader networks
• consulting / coaching
• developing practical mission resources
• partnership with other mission mobilization organizations.
Our mission statement reads “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” Our motto provides insight into a vital part of our methodology: “churches helping churches with missions.”
ACMC provides practical services in 16 areas organized under four broad headings:
1. learning
2. leading
3. sending
4. engaging culture
This reflections will briefly describe the four areas included under the fourth heading – ENGAGING CULTURE.
MISSIONAL CULTURE: The Great Commission is at the very center of God’s mission in the world. Seeing your local church place this at the center of their mission should be a top priority – moving toward the goal of seeing each member of your congregation actively demonstrating and proclaiming the gospel. ACMC can help your church develop the DNA to be outreach focused, both locally and globally.
INCARNATIONAL MINISTRY: “The Word (Jesus Christ) became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” (John 1:14) We too must put flesh on the gospel message and live attractive and compelling lives among those we are seeking to reach and disciple. ACMC can help you learn to relevantly and relationally present Christ on the turf of the lost, not relying primarily on attractional programs and events to bring the lost to your church’s campus.
LOCAL OUTREACH: With each passing year our cities are becoming more and more diverse. Hispanics, African Americans, Asians are rapidly becoming the majority populations in many of our urban centers. The poor, the disenfranchised, and the forgotten desperately need outreach efforts relevantly focused toward them. ACMC can help you impact in your Samaria, the cross-cultural opportunities in your midst.
SHORT TERM: 1.5 million Americans go on a short-term mission trip every year. 1/3 of all missions spending in the U.S. goes toward these trips. There is an upside and a downside to this explosion with short-term work in the past 15 years. ACMC can help you look at what you are doing short-term with a critical eye -- increasing effectiveness, becoming more strategic, and giving appropriate concern for the stewardship issues involved with this big piece of the missions puzzle.
Our assistance to church mission leaders is made available through:
• conferences / training events
• local mission leader networks
• consulting / coaching
• developing practical mission resources
• partnership with other mission mobilization organizations.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
from September 19, 2010 prayer email
ACMC is a 35 year old missions mobilization organization. We came under Pioneers umbrella in 2007. This is the fourth in a series of five reflections designed to better familiarize you with the 16 areas in which ACMC provides practical services for local church mission leaders. Please contact me if we can be of service to your church!
Our mission statement reads “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” Our motto provides insight into a vital part of our methodology: “churches helping churches with missions.”
ACMC provides practical services in 16 areas organized under four broad headings:
1. learning
2. leading
3. sending
4. engaging culture
This reflections will briefly describe the four areas included under the third heading -- SENDING.
PRAYER: Missions is a spiritual work. Effective spiritual warfare with the forces of darkness must be fought using spiritual weapons. Intercession is the foundation, lifeblood, and power source for missions. ACMC can help mobilize your congregation to pray more strategically, passionately, and consistently for your work among the nations.
GIVING: Generosity reveals the heart and provides the practical resources necessary to move missions forward in your church. Regardless of what your funding model may be, ACMC can help your church increase the financial resources devoted to the missionary task and be more effective in how they are used.
MISSIONARY CARE / ADVOCACY: Missionaries do not have a big “S” on their chest. They are human beings with all the frailties and needs we all possess. They have real spiritual, relational, and practical needs that your church can help meet. ACMC can help you develop advocacy teams to better support your missionaries as they engage on the front lines.
MISSIONARY PREPARATION / TRAINING: Sadly less than 1 in 10 U.S. churches are sending churches. Preparation and training for the missionary task is a shared responsibility between local churches, educational institutions, and mission sending agencies. ACMC can help you to proactively identify, recruit, and train well prepared, long-term workers for the harvest fields of the world.
Our assistance to church mission leaders is made available through:
• conferences / training events
• local mission leader networks
• consulting / coaching
• developing practical mission resources
• partnership with other mission mobilization organizations.
Our mission statement reads “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” Our motto provides insight into a vital part of our methodology: “churches helping churches with missions.”
ACMC provides practical services in 16 areas organized under four broad headings:
1. learning
2. leading
3. sending
4. engaging culture
This reflections will briefly describe the four areas included under the third heading -- SENDING.
PRAYER: Missions is a spiritual work. Effective spiritual warfare with the forces of darkness must be fought using spiritual weapons. Intercession is the foundation, lifeblood, and power source for missions. ACMC can help mobilize your congregation to pray more strategically, passionately, and consistently for your work among the nations.
GIVING: Generosity reveals the heart and provides the practical resources necessary to move missions forward in your church. Regardless of what your funding model may be, ACMC can help your church increase the financial resources devoted to the missionary task and be more effective in how they are used.
MISSIONARY CARE / ADVOCACY: Missionaries do not have a big “S” on their chest. They are human beings with all the frailties and needs we all possess. They have real spiritual, relational, and practical needs that your church can help meet. ACMC can help you develop advocacy teams to better support your missionaries as they engage on the front lines.
MISSIONARY PREPARATION / TRAINING: Sadly less than 1 in 10 U.S. churches are sending churches. Preparation and training for the missionary task is a shared responsibility between local churches, educational institutions, and mission sending agencies. ACMC can help you to proactively identify, recruit, and train well prepared, long-term workers for the harvest fields of the world.
Our assistance to church mission leaders is made available through:
• conferences / training events
• local mission leader networks
• consulting / coaching
• developing practical mission resources
• partnership with other mission mobilization organizations.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
from September 5, 2010 prayer email
ACMC is a 35 year old missions mobilization organization. We came under Pioneers umbrella in 2007. This is the third in a series of five reflections designed to better familiarize you with the 16 areas in which ACMC provides practical services for local church mission leaders. Please contact me if we can be of service to your church!
Our mission statement reads “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” Our motto provides insight into a vital part of our methodology: “churches helping churches with missions.”
ACMC provides practical services in 16 areas organized under four broad headings:
1. learning
2. leading
3. sending
4. engaging culture
This reflections will briefly describe the four areas included under the second heading -- LEADING.
MISSIONAL LEADERSHIP: Helping church mission leaders better understand, model, cast vision, train, mobilize, and support individuals in their congregation to live missionally. Helping church leaders plan and structure around mission.
VISION CASTING: Helping church mission leaders effectively paint a compelling picture for their congregation regarding their engagement with the lost among the nations (both local cross-cultural engagement and among the least reached internationally).
STRATEGY / POLICY: Once a church discerns and can articulate the unique contribution to God’s mission among the nations that they can best make, they need a clear strategy (roadmap and key partners) on how to get there and policies that provide guidelines for decision making and how they will operate. ACMC can help you develop both.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: Good structure will not make your church effective with missions, but poor structure will create major roadblocks. ACMC can help you develop an appropriate structure for global outreach initiatives in your church that will foster the accomplishment of your mission, vision, and strategy on the field and in church mobilization.
Our assistance to church mission leaders is made available through:
• conferences / training events
• local mission leader networks
• consulting / coaching
• developing practical mission resources
• partnership with other mission mobilization organizations.
Our mission statement reads “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” Our motto provides insight into a vital part of our methodology: “churches helping churches with missions.”
ACMC provides practical services in 16 areas organized under four broad headings:
1. learning
2. leading
3. sending
4. engaging culture
This reflections will briefly describe the four areas included under the second heading -- LEADING.
MISSIONAL LEADERSHIP: Helping church mission leaders better understand, model, cast vision, train, mobilize, and support individuals in their congregation to live missionally. Helping church leaders plan and structure around mission.
VISION CASTING: Helping church mission leaders effectively paint a compelling picture for their congregation regarding their engagement with the lost among the nations (both local cross-cultural engagement and among the least reached internationally).
STRATEGY / POLICY: Once a church discerns and can articulate the unique contribution to God’s mission among the nations that they can best make, they need a clear strategy (roadmap and key partners) on how to get there and policies that provide guidelines for decision making and how they will operate. ACMC can help you develop both.
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: Good structure will not make your church effective with missions, but poor structure will create major roadblocks. ACMC can help you develop an appropriate structure for global outreach initiatives in your church that will foster the accomplishment of your mission, vision, and strategy on the field and in church mobilization.
Our assistance to church mission leaders is made available through:
• conferences / training events
• local mission leader networks
• consulting / coaching
• developing practical mission resources
• partnership with other mission mobilization organizations.
Monday, August 16, 2010
from August 16, 2010 prayer email
ACMC is a 35 year old missions mobilization organization. We came under Pioneers umbrella in 2007. This is the second in a series of five reflections designed to better familiarize you with the 16 areas in which ACMC provides practical services for local church mission leaders. Please contact me if we can be of service to your church!
Our mission statement reads “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” Our motto provides insight into a vital part of our methodology: “churches helping churches with missions.”
ACMC provides practical services in 16 areas organized under four broad headings:
1. learning
2. leading
3. sending
4. engaging culture
This reflections will briefly describe the four areas included under the first heading -- LEARNING.
BIBLICAL: The ultimate source of authoritative information about missions has always been the Scriptures. Missions is clearly a significant theme that runs thru all of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. Some would contend that missions is the theme of the Bible. ACMC provides pastors, children / youth / adult Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, and outreach events coordinators with excellent, age-appropriate Biblical resources which they can use to better educate their congregations regarding the cross-cultural component of the Great Commission.
HISTORY / TRENDS / MODELS: Understanding the past (history) and present (models), and the linkage between past / present / future (trends) are vital for understanding what God is doing in the world we live in. ACMC helps church mission leaders stay current and cutting edge with what God is doing in the world in the 21st century.
WORLD VIEWS: Christianity (evangelical and nominal) is the world view of 1/3 of the world’s population. Five major non-Christian world views dominate the other 2/3s of the world: Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, tribal / animistic, unreligious / humanistic. Understanding and uniquely tailoring our missionary methodologies to each world view is absolutely essential for reaching people who interpret reality and life thru a grid that is radically different than what Jesus lived and taught.
LEAST REACHED: 28% of the world’s people live in a people group with little or no access to the gospel or a culturally relevant church. ACMC seeks to educate church missions leaders regarding the priority of engaging in the challenging pioneer missionary work of bringing Christ to peoples who currently have no access.
Our assistance to church mission leaders is made available through:
• conferences / training events
• local mission leader networks
• consulting / coaching
• developing practical mission resources
• partnership with other mission mobilization organizations.
Our mission statement reads “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” Our motto provides insight into a vital part of our methodology: “churches helping churches with missions.”
ACMC provides practical services in 16 areas organized under four broad headings:
1. learning
2. leading
3. sending
4. engaging culture
This reflections will briefly describe the four areas included under the first heading -- LEARNING.
BIBLICAL: The ultimate source of authoritative information about missions has always been the Scriptures. Missions is clearly a significant theme that runs thru all of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. Some would contend that missions is the theme of the Bible. ACMC provides pastors, children / youth / adult Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, and outreach events coordinators with excellent, age-appropriate Biblical resources which they can use to better educate their congregations regarding the cross-cultural component of the Great Commission.
HISTORY / TRENDS / MODELS: Understanding the past (history) and present (models), and the linkage between past / present / future (trends) are vital for understanding what God is doing in the world we live in. ACMC helps church mission leaders stay current and cutting edge with what God is doing in the world in the 21st century.
WORLD VIEWS: Christianity (evangelical and nominal) is the world view of 1/3 of the world’s population. Five major non-Christian world views dominate the other 2/3s of the world: Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, tribal / animistic, unreligious / humanistic. Understanding and uniquely tailoring our missionary methodologies to each world view is absolutely essential for reaching people who interpret reality and life thru a grid that is radically different than what Jesus lived and taught.
LEAST REACHED: 28% of the world’s people live in a people group with little or no access to the gospel or a culturally relevant church. ACMC seeks to educate church missions leaders regarding the priority of engaging in the challenging pioneer missionary work of bringing Christ to peoples who currently have no access.
Our assistance to church mission leaders is made available through:
• conferences / training events
• local mission leader networks
• consulting / coaching
• developing practical mission resources
• partnership with other mission mobilization organizations.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
from August 1, 2010 prayer email
ACMC is a 35 year old missions mobilization organization. We came under Pioneers umbrella in 2007. This is the 1st in a series of reflections designed to better familiarize you with the 16 areas in which ACMC provides practical services for local church mission leaders. Please contact me if we can be of service to your church!
Our mission statement reads “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” Our motto provides insight into a vital part of our methodology: “churches helping churches with missions.”
ACMC provides practical services in 16 areas organized under four broad headings:
1. learning
2. leading
3. sending
4. engaging culture
LEARNING. ACMC provides training and resources for church mission leaders so they can better educate their congregations about the missionary task: Biblical, history / trends / models, world views, least reached.
LEADING. We help church mission leaders become more effective in leading their church’s mission efforts through assistance with issues related to: missional leadership, vision casting, strategy / policy, organizational structure.
SENDING. ACMC helps churches better send and support individuals long-term from their congregation to the mission field through: prayer, giving, missionary care / advocacy, missionary preparation / training.
ENGAGING CULTURE: To advance and support the emerging missional church movement, ACMC provides churches with services to better engage their entire congregation with the Great Commission: missional culture, incarnational ministry, local outreach, short-term.
Our services are not limited to these 16 areas, but we do focus on these areas. During the past four decades, we have engaged many thousands of Protestant churches in the U.S., representing a broad spectrum of denominations, sizes, demographics, worship styles, and outreach objectives. These 16 areas are the issues that surface day-in and day-out as the ones in which local church mission leaders indicate they welcome practical assistance. Our assistance is made available through:
• conferences / training events
• local mission leader networks
• consulting / coaching
• developing practical mission resources
• partnership with other mission mobilization organizations.
Our mission statement reads “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” Our motto provides insight into a vital part of our methodology: “churches helping churches with missions.”
ACMC provides practical services in 16 areas organized under four broad headings:
1. learning
2. leading
3. sending
4. engaging culture
LEARNING. ACMC provides training and resources for church mission leaders so they can better educate their congregations about the missionary task: Biblical, history / trends / models, world views, least reached.
LEADING. We help church mission leaders become more effective in leading their church’s mission efforts through assistance with issues related to: missional leadership, vision casting, strategy / policy, organizational structure.
SENDING. ACMC helps churches better send and support individuals long-term from their congregation to the mission field through: prayer, giving, missionary care / advocacy, missionary preparation / training.
ENGAGING CULTURE: To advance and support the emerging missional church movement, ACMC provides churches with services to better engage their entire congregation with the Great Commission: missional culture, incarnational ministry, local outreach, short-term.
Our services are not limited to these 16 areas, but we do focus on these areas. During the past four decades, we have engaged many thousands of Protestant churches in the U.S., representing a broad spectrum of denominations, sizes, demographics, worship styles, and outreach objectives. These 16 areas are the issues that surface day-in and day-out as the ones in which local church mission leaders indicate they welcome practical assistance. Our assistance is made available through:
• conferences / training events
• local mission leader networks
• consulting / coaching
• developing practical mission resources
• partnership with other mission mobilization organizations.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
from July 18, 2010 prayer email
ACMC is a 35 year old missions mobilization organization. We were an independent organization until we came under Pioneers umbrella three years ago. This is the 5th and final reflection designed to better familiarize you with Pioneers.
Our mission statement reads “Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.”
Pioneers eight core values are:
1. passion for God
2. unreached peoples
3. church planting movements
4. ethos of grace
5. the local church
6. team centered
7. innovation and flexibility
8. participatory servant leadership
In this reflections I will focus on our seventh and eighth core values: “innovation and flexibility” and “participatory servant leadership”.
INNOVATION AND FLEXIBILITY. These are values that I aspire to, but they don’t come naturally for me. I prefer well defined processes and structures. However, in the rapidly changing world we live in, innovation and flexibility are important values for any organization that seeks to stay on the cutting edge. There is such remarkable diversity encountered in any cross culture work, making these practices essential to being effective. Additionally these values are highly regarded by many from the emerging generations in our own culture.
PARTICIPATORY SERVANT LEADERSHIP. This is one of the striking distinctives of Pioneers and a big part of what won my heart over to this organization back in 2007. Our leaders are humble, servant hearted men, who are truly men of God. Their leadership style is participatory, not autocratic. Every person on our team has a meaningful voice at the table. This creates participation in and ownership of important decisions. I find this value to be a rarity in both secular and Christian organizations. It is in stark contrast to many of our larger local churches who have chosen to embrace a pastor as CEO model of leadership. It is a leadership style that I highly value and thrive under, and it is a leadership style that I seek to practice.
Our mission statement reads “Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.”
Pioneers eight core values are:
1. passion for God
2. unreached peoples
3. church planting movements
4. ethos of grace
5. the local church
6. team centered
7. innovation and flexibility
8. participatory servant leadership
In this reflections I will focus on our seventh and eighth core values: “innovation and flexibility” and “participatory servant leadership”.
INNOVATION AND FLEXIBILITY. These are values that I aspire to, but they don’t come naturally for me. I prefer well defined processes and structures. However, in the rapidly changing world we live in, innovation and flexibility are important values for any organization that seeks to stay on the cutting edge. There is such remarkable diversity encountered in any cross culture work, making these practices essential to being effective. Additionally these values are highly regarded by many from the emerging generations in our own culture.
PARTICIPATORY SERVANT LEADERSHIP. This is one of the striking distinctives of Pioneers and a big part of what won my heart over to this organization back in 2007. Our leaders are humble, servant hearted men, who are truly men of God. Their leadership style is participatory, not autocratic. Every person on our team has a meaningful voice at the table. This creates participation in and ownership of important decisions. I find this value to be a rarity in both secular and Christian organizations. It is in stark contrast to many of our larger local churches who have chosen to embrace a pastor as CEO model of leadership. It is a leadership style that I highly value and thrive under, and it is a leadership style that I seek to practice.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
from July 4, 2010 prayer email
Our ACMC staff met in Orlando on 6/27-30. We do so twice a year to help stay connected with our colleagues spread across the U.S.
We devoted a major chunk of our time together to interacting around the topic of “incarnational ministry”, one of the 16 areas in which we provide practical help to local churches as they engage in their mission efforts. One of our staff taught a 3 part series tracing the theological underpinnings for incarnational ministry from both Old and New Testaments. Another staff member facilitated 3 interactive sessions around Robert Lewis’ book, The Church of Irresistible Influence (which we had all read prior to our gathering).
One of the significant take aways from this gathering was a commitment to begin work on four new practical mission resources for local churches on missions strategy, short-term missions, prayer, and missions leadership team. I will be serving as the point on the new resource on developing an effective missions leadership team. I am passing the baton to another staff member in my role as point for our web site, and will take on a new role as point for new resource development.
On our last day together our staff met with Steve Richardson and Ted Esler, Pioneer’s U.S. president and executive VP. We interacted around a number of strategic and current issues impacting Pioneers. At the top of the list was the upcoming departure of Pioneers’ VP for church resources, Kelly McClelland. Kelly has led ACMC since we became a part of Pioneers in March 2007. To the person we will greatly miss Kelly’s godly and effective leadership of our staff team. We pray for God’s best and great fruitfulness as he follows a new course that he senses God leading him to pursue outside of Pioneers.
For the past year plus I have been interacting with Dr. Kevin Bradford about the possibility of our partnering together in the central U.S. region. Kevin was able join with us for this gathering. Lord willing, Kevin will relocate next summer to Norman, OK after 20 years of high impact leadership development and missions mobilization work among Latins near Sao Paulo, Brazil. I am delighted by God’s wonderful answer to my prayers for a strong partner and colleague in this region.
We devoted a major chunk of our time together to interacting around the topic of “incarnational ministry”, one of the 16 areas in which we provide practical help to local churches as they engage in their mission efforts. One of our staff taught a 3 part series tracing the theological underpinnings for incarnational ministry from both Old and New Testaments. Another staff member facilitated 3 interactive sessions around Robert Lewis’ book, The Church of Irresistible Influence (which we had all read prior to our gathering).
front row (Kelly & Connie McClelland, Pat Noble, Joe Steinitz)
middle row Dave Shive, Danny & Judy Armstrong, Kevin Bradford, Blake McDaniel, Frank Emrick)
back row (Sandy Good, Devon Mackey, Lee Christenson, William Griffin, Ken Baldarrama, Larry Walker)
One of the significant take aways from this gathering was a commitment to begin work on four new practical mission resources for local churches on missions strategy, short-term missions, prayer, and missions leadership team. I will be serving as the point on the new resource on developing an effective missions leadership team. I am passing the baton to another staff member in my role as point for our web site, and will take on a new role as point for new resource development.
On our last day together our staff met with Steve Richardson and Ted Esler, Pioneer’s U.S. president and executive VP. We interacted around a number of strategic and current issues impacting Pioneers. At the top of the list was the upcoming departure of Pioneers’ VP for church resources, Kelly McClelland. Kelly has led ACMC since we became a part of Pioneers in March 2007. To the person we will greatly miss Kelly’s godly and effective leadership of our staff team. We pray for God’s best and great fruitfulness as he follows a new course that he senses God leading him to pursue outside of Pioneers.
For the past year plus I have been interacting with Dr. Kevin Bradford about the possibility of our partnering together in the central U.S. region. Kevin was able join with us for this gathering. Lord willing, Kevin will relocate next summer to Norman, OK after 20 years of high impact leadership development and missions mobilization work among Latins near Sao Paulo, Brazil. I am delighted by God’s wonderful answer to my prayers for a strong partner and colleague in this region.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
from June 19, 2010 prayer email
ACMC is a 35 year old missions mobilization organization. We were an independent organization until we came under Pioneers umbrella three years ago. This reflection is part 4 in an effort to better familiarize you with Pioneers.
Our mission statement reads “Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.”
Pioneers eight core values are:
1. passion for God
2. unreached peoples
3. church planting movements
4. ethos of grace
5. the local church
6. team centered
7. innovation and flexibility
8. participatory servant leadership
In this reflections I will focus on the fifth and sixth core values: the local church and team centered.
THE LOCAL CHURCH. Pioneers holds a high view of the local church. We are not only a church planting organization, we see the local church as an essential partner in the work of world evangelization. My work through ACMC is an excellent example of Pioneers commitment to partnership with the local church. “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” By serving the mission leaders in local churches with the practical issues they grapple with, ACMC helps local churches meaningfully involve their congregations with the least reached around the globe.
TEAM CENTERED. In an age in which so many churches and organizations have become enamored with corporate models, Pioneers has not. We are not a top down organization, with a command center in Orlando from which everything is controlled and managed. Pioneers has a decentralized leadership structure built around empowered teams. Those higher up on the organizational chart on the field and in Orlando see themselves as servants to those who are laboring at a grass roots level. Our field teams operate with high levels of autonomy, guided by the mission and core values of Pioneers. Everyone in Pioneers is part of a team, with no lone rangers.
Our mission statement reads “Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.”
Pioneers eight core values are:
1. passion for God
2. unreached peoples
3. church planting movements
4. ethos of grace
5. the local church
6. team centered
7. innovation and flexibility
8. participatory servant leadership
In this reflections I will focus on the fifth and sixth core values: the local church and team centered.
THE LOCAL CHURCH. Pioneers holds a high view of the local church. We are not only a church planting organization, we see the local church as an essential partner in the work of world evangelization. My work through ACMC is an excellent example of Pioneers commitment to partnership with the local church. “ACMC helps churches mobilize their resources for effective involvement in world evangelization.” By serving the mission leaders in local churches with the practical issues they grapple with, ACMC helps local churches meaningfully involve their congregations with the least reached around the globe.
TEAM CENTERED. In an age in which so many churches and organizations have become enamored with corporate models, Pioneers has not. We are not a top down organization, with a command center in Orlando from which everything is controlled and managed. Pioneers has a decentralized leadership structure built around empowered teams. Those higher up on the organizational chart on the field and in Orlando see themselves as servants to those who are laboring at a grass roots level. Our field teams operate with high levels of autonomy, guided by the mission and core values of Pioneers. Everyone in Pioneers is part of a team, with no lone rangers.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
from June 6, 2010 prayer email
ACMC is a 35 year old missions mobilization organization. We were an independent organization until three years ago when we came under Pioneers umbrella. This reflection is part 3 in an effort to better familiarize you with Pioneers.
Our mission statement reads “Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.”
Pioneers eight core values are:
1. passion for God
2. unreached peoples
3. church planting movements
4. ethos of grace
5. the local church
6. team centered
7. innovation and flexibility
8. participatory servant leadership
In this reflections I will focus on the third and fourth core values: church planting movements and ethos of grace.
CHURCH PLANTING MOVEMENTS. Many evangelical leaders are convinced that church planting is the single most effective vehicle for engagement in the Great Commission (evangelism and discipleship). “… on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19). Church planting movements trace their roots back to the work of the apostle Paul in the book of Acts, but they have received renewed and needed attention in recent decades. Not simply planting individual churches, but employing Biblical principles and methodologies that lend themselves well to the rapid reproduction of simple, missionally focused, Biblically based local churches.
ETHOS OF GRACE. Paul’s exhortation to his young protégé Timothy, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (II Timothy 2:1). Regularly practicing an ethos of grace is an aspirational value for me. Although accountability is a good and needed thing, I am often out of balance. My natural tendency is to hold myself and others to a very high standard. And my life in years past was often characterized by a performance orientation, which sadly is a mark of many evangelical leaders today. We do not have anything we need to prove to God or to others. This core value of Pioneers has been a much needed breath of fresh air for me and for ACMC. I am learning to embrace the fact that God loves each of His children fully and accepts us unconditionally in Christ, with all our warts and wrinkles. And that my response to this truth should be to extend this same grace (unmerited favor) to others, even when I may feel they don’t deserve it.
Our mission statement reads “Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.”
Pioneers eight core values are:
1. passion for God
2. unreached peoples
3. church planting movements
4. ethos of grace
5. the local church
6. team centered
7. innovation and flexibility
8. participatory servant leadership
In this reflections I will focus on the third and fourth core values: church planting movements and ethos of grace.
CHURCH PLANTING MOVEMENTS. Many evangelical leaders are convinced that church planting is the single most effective vehicle for engagement in the Great Commission (evangelism and discipleship). “… on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19). Church planting movements trace their roots back to the work of the apostle Paul in the book of Acts, but they have received renewed and needed attention in recent decades. Not simply planting individual churches, but employing Biblical principles and methodologies that lend themselves well to the rapid reproduction of simple, missionally focused, Biblically based local churches.
ETHOS OF GRACE. Paul’s exhortation to his young protégé Timothy, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (II Timothy 2:1). Regularly practicing an ethos of grace is an aspirational value for me. Although accountability is a good and needed thing, I am often out of balance. My natural tendency is to hold myself and others to a very high standard. And my life in years past was often characterized by a performance orientation, which sadly is a mark of many evangelical leaders today. We do not have anything we need to prove to God or to others. This core value of Pioneers has been a much needed breath of fresh air for me and for ACMC. I am learning to embrace the fact that God loves each of His children fully and accepts us unconditionally in Christ, with all our warts and wrinkles. And that my response to this truth should be to extend this same grace (unmerited favor) to others, even when I may feel they don’t deserve it.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
from May 16, 2010 prayer email
ACMC is a 35 year old missions mobilization organization. We were an independent organization until three years ago when we came under Pioneers umbrella. This reflection is part 2 in an effort to better familiarize you with Pioneers.
Our mission statement reads “Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.”
In my last reflections, I listed Pioneers eight core values. Today I will focus in on the first two: passion for God and unreached peoples.
PASSION FOR GOD. This should be the foundation for all Christian service. Sadly, I regularly meet good people who have a passion for ministry, but lack a passion for God. Unfortunately, this was my personal experience for many years. These individuals’ service is sincere, but self energized, hollow, and lacking power. It is only as the life of Jesus Christ is lived out through us that we are supernaturally empowered to truly serve His Church and the lost of this world. As consumed as the apostle Paul was with his missionary work, he had a greater passion. That passion was to know Christ. “I consider everything a lost compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ … I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.” (Philippians 3:8, 10). I seek to keep this as the consuming passion of my life as well.
UNREACHED PEOPLES. Missiologists define an unreached people group as a people group that is less than 2% evangelical Christian (in many cases a fraction of 1%). Years of missionary work have repeatedly demonstrated this to be a threshold that must be broken through before the Church of Jesus Christ within that people group has the capacity to complete the job of evangelizing the rest of the group without dependence on outside missionary involvement. This is the work of frontier missions. The apostle Paul was deeply committed to missionary work among unreached peoples. “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.” (Romans 20:15). 97% of the world’s unreached people groups lie within a geographic area called the 10-40 window (north Africa, Middle East, central / south / east Asia). Joshua project has identified 639 unreached people groups of 100,000 plus people. From a strategic vantage point, these people groups should be the top priority of our missionary efforts today.
Our mission statement reads “Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.”
In my last reflections, I listed Pioneers eight core values. Today I will focus in on the first two: passion for God and unreached peoples.
PASSION FOR GOD. This should be the foundation for all Christian service. Sadly, I regularly meet good people who have a passion for ministry, but lack a passion for God. Unfortunately, this was my personal experience for many years. These individuals’ service is sincere, but self energized, hollow, and lacking power. It is only as the life of Jesus Christ is lived out through us that we are supernaturally empowered to truly serve His Church and the lost of this world. As consumed as the apostle Paul was with his missionary work, he had a greater passion. That passion was to know Christ. “I consider everything a lost compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ … I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.” (Philippians 3:8, 10). I seek to keep this as the consuming passion of my life as well.
UNREACHED PEOPLES. Missiologists define an unreached people group as a people group that is less than 2% evangelical Christian (in many cases a fraction of 1%). Years of missionary work have repeatedly demonstrated this to be a threshold that must be broken through before the Church of Jesus Christ within that people group has the capacity to complete the job of evangelizing the rest of the group without dependence on outside missionary involvement. This is the work of frontier missions. The apostle Paul was deeply committed to missionary work among unreached peoples. “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.” (Romans 20:15). 97% of the world’s unreached people groups lie within a geographic area called the 10-40 window (north Africa, Middle East, central / south / east Asia). Joshua project has identified 639 unreached people groups of 100,000 plus people. From a strategic vantage point, these people groups should be the top priority of our missionary efforts today.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
from May 3, 2010 prayer email
Although ACMC is a 35 year old missions mobilization organization, we were an independent organization until three years ago when we came under Pioneers umbrella. I intend to devote several of my upcoming twice-a-month updates to helping you get more familiar with Pioneers.
Our mission statement reads “Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.” I resonate with every word of Pioneers’ mission statement.
Pioneers has eight core values that direct much of the organization’s day-to-day behavior and decision making.
1. passion for God
2. unreached peoples
3. church planting movements
4. ethos of grace
5. the local church
6. team centered
7. innovation and flexibility
8. participatory servant leadership
As I have looked at the core values of different churches and organizations, I have encountered two kinds of core values (aspirational values and actual values). All eight of Pioneers core values are actual. And you may notice that four of our eight core values overlap with key phrases in our mission statement – teams, unreached peoples, church planting movements, local church.
The mission statement, core values, and the quality of the U.S. leadership of Pioneers are the things that drew me to the organization when I came on board three years ago. And they are what keep me with Pioneers today.
Pioneers recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. We work exclusively among unreached peoples (less than 2% evangelical Christian) in six regions of the world (East Asia, Eurasia & Americas, Mid Asia, North Africa & Middle East, Southeast Asia & Pacific, and Sub-Saharan Africa). We have 1958 workers on 191 church planting teams in 84 countries serving 130 people groups in 65 languages. Our U.S. headquarters is in Orlando, FL, with 62% of our world-wide workers coming from the U.S. There are 7 other mobilization bases around the globe (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ghana, Great Britain, New Zealand, and Singapore).
Our mission statement reads “Pioneers mobilizes teams to glorify God among unreached peoples by initiating church planting movements in partnership with local churches.” I resonate with every word of Pioneers’ mission statement.
Pioneers has eight core values that direct much of the organization’s day-to-day behavior and decision making.
1. passion for God
2. unreached peoples
3. church planting movements
4. ethos of grace
5. the local church
6. team centered
7. innovation and flexibility
8. participatory servant leadership
As I have looked at the core values of different churches and organizations, I have encountered two kinds of core values (aspirational values and actual values). All eight of Pioneers core values are actual. And you may notice that four of our eight core values overlap with key phrases in our mission statement – teams, unreached peoples, church planting movements, local church.
The mission statement, core values, and the quality of the U.S. leadership of Pioneers are the things that drew me to the organization when I came on board three years ago. And they are what keep me with Pioneers today.
Pioneers recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. We work exclusively among unreached peoples (less than 2% evangelical Christian) in six regions of the world (East Asia, Eurasia & Americas, Mid Asia, North Africa & Middle East, Southeast Asia & Pacific, and Sub-Saharan Africa). We have 1958 workers on 191 church planting teams in 84 countries serving 130 people groups in 65 languages. Our U.S. headquarters is in Orlando, FL, with 62% of our world-wide workers coming from the U.S. There are 7 other mobilization bases around the globe (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ghana, Great Britain, New Zealand, and Singapore).
Monday, April 19, 2010
from April 18, 2010 prayer email
Grace Community Church is a small non-denominational church in NW Austin, located a couple of miles from where we live. GCC has a significant, decades long commitment to a traditional involvement (prayer and financial partnership) in missions. Today I had the opportunity to preach in their Sunday morning worship service on “two defining questions”.
Question one: “who is God?” My response: “our God is a missionary (sending) God”.
Question two: “who am I?” My response: “I am sent in the same way as Christ”, based on John 20:21.
My primary challenge to the congregation was to live missionally where they live, work, and play, recognizing that God has called most of us to reach the lost in our natural spheres of influence.
We briefly considered a top 10 list for missional living:
1. proximity
2. priority of the least reached
3. presence
4. partnership
5. practice missionary methodology
6. prayer
7. practical service
8. practice hospitality
9. probing questions
10. proclamation
How about you, do you see yourself as sent in the same way as Christ? Are you demonstrating and proclaiming the gospel well where you live, work, and play?
Question one: “who is God?” My response: “our God is a missionary (sending) God”.
Question two: “who am I?” My response: “I am sent in the same way as Christ”, based on John 20:21.
My primary challenge to the congregation was to live missionally where they live, work, and play, recognizing that God has called most of us to reach the lost in our natural spheres of influence.
We briefly considered a top 10 list for missional living:
1. proximity
2. priority of the least reached
3. presence
4. partnership
5. practice missionary methodology
6. prayer
7. practical service
8. practice hospitality
9. probing questions
10. proclamation
How about you, do you see yourself as sent in the same way as Christ? Are you demonstrating and proclaiming the gospel well where you live, work, and play?
Sunday, April 4, 2010
from April 4, 2010 prayer email
Although Christmas has a much higher profile in American culture, Good Friday / Easter is the Christian holiday that best represents the essential core of the Christian message. “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures …” (I Corinthians 15:3-4).
Good Friday is all about forgiveness and restoration of a broken relationship with a deeply offended God through Christ’s death in our place. Easter is all about new life, spiritual power, and future hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the grave.
It has been more than 37 years since Christ radically changed my life as a freshman in college. I am so grateful. Who knows what my life would look like today apart from His presence and transforming touch.
Each of us who has placed our faith in Jesus has experienced the reality of Good Friday and Easter in our lives. All of our sins (past, present, and future) have been nailed to the cross. We are forgiven, declared not guilty. We are no longer enemies of God, but beloved sons and daughters. We have been made new creatures in Jesus Christ. We have living permanently within us the powerful Holy Spirit, who enables us to live a life that pleases God and that advances His Kingdom. And we have a future hope beyond our wildest imaginations awaiting us when we move from this life to the next.
With all of this why are we continually tempted to go back to a system of living built around self reliance and performance measures. “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Galatians 3:3). Let us this Easter be reminded once again of the need to live a dependent and supernatural life. A life dependent solely on the once-for-all substitutionary work of Jesus Christ and made supernatural by the moment-by-moment empowerment of the Spirit of God.
Good Friday is all about forgiveness and restoration of a broken relationship with a deeply offended God through Christ’s death in our place. Easter is all about new life, spiritual power, and future hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the grave.
It has been more than 37 years since Christ radically changed my life as a freshman in college. I am so grateful. Who knows what my life would look like today apart from His presence and transforming touch.
Each of us who has placed our faith in Jesus has experienced the reality of Good Friday and Easter in our lives. All of our sins (past, present, and future) have been nailed to the cross. We are forgiven, declared not guilty. We are no longer enemies of God, but beloved sons and daughters. We have been made new creatures in Jesus Christ. We have living permanently within us the powerful Holy Spirit, who enables us to live a life that pleases God and that advances His Kingdom. And we have a future hope beyond our wildest imaginations awaiting us when we move from this life to the next.
With all of this why are we continually tempted to go back to a system of living built around self reliance and performance measures. “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Galatians 3:3). Let us this Easter be reminded once again of the need to live a dependent and supernatural life. A life dependent solely on the once-for-all substitutionary work of Jesus Christ and made supernatural by the moment-by-moment empowerment of the Spirit of God.
Monday, March 22, 2010
from March 21, 2010 prayer email
Every March, Dallas Theological Seminary cancels classes for a week to host their world evangelization conference. As a member of the DTS class of 1984, it is always a joy to be back on campus and participate in this significant annual event.
I had the privilege of representing ACMC as one of the more than 40 mission agency exhibitors who were part of the conference held March 8-12. This event provided opportunities for lots of good interactions with other sending agency reps, future pastors, and future missionaries. I also led one of two dozen brown bag lunch discussions during the week. My topic was “mobilizing your church for effective engagement in missions in the 21st century.”
The conference speaker for the week was Dr. Michael Frost. Author of The Shaping of Things to Come and Exiles. Frost spoke passionately each day on missional living and the missional church. Great stuff.
My biggest take away – identify a definable group of people that God has clearly called me to seek to reach for Christ and identify a partner to work closely with me in that effort. How about you? Who has God clearly called you to reach? If you don’t know, isn’t it about time to start asking God for that clear calling?
I had the privilege of representing ACMC as one of the more than 40 mission agency exhibitors who were part of the conference held March 8-12. This event provided opportunities for lots of good interactions with other sending agency reps, future pastors, and future missionaries. I also led one of two dozen brown bag lunch discussions during the week. My topic was “mobilizing your church for effective engagement in missions in the 21st century.”
The conference speaker for the week was Dr. Michael Frost. Author of The Shaping of Things to Come and Exiles. Frost spoke passionately each day on missional living and the missional church. Great stuff.
My biggest take away – identify a definable group of people that God has clearly called me to seek to reach for Christ and identify a partner to work closely with me in that effort. How about you? Who has God clearly called you to reach? If you don’t know, isn’t it about time to start asking God for that clear calling?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
from March 7, 2010 prayer email
Grace Baptist Church is a nearly 70 year old independent Baptist church of 800 in a college town of 50 thousand, with Kansas State University at its core.
On Saturday evening I consulted with three members of GBC’s missions leadership team as they grapple with issues related to sharpening the focus of their global outreach efforts. The MLT recognizes the need to transition from having only a financial involvement with their 30 missionary partners to a paradigm where they will engage more deeply in a few strategically selected works.
I preached three times on Sunday morning in corporate worship services. This was the fourth of four Sunday mornings devoted to their month-long missions focus. Previous speakers had addressed issues related to the role of music, orality, and Bible translation in the missionary task. My message was titled: “God’s Word: powerful and transforming” out of Matthew 13. I spoke on the responsibility of every believer to embrace in a missional lifestyle, proclaiming Christ in their personal spheres of influence and among the least reached globally. I used the parable of the sower to illustrate that we will encounter four very different responses as we engage in sharing the gospel.
Sunday evening was GBC’s closing missions banquet. I had the opportunity to speak on “the task remaining”. We rejoiced in the tremendous progress made with the gospel through the past 20 centuries, with unprecedented progress globally in recent decades. And I challenged folks to confront the 7 greatest hurdles remaining to bring closure to the Great Commission mandate.
During this missions month, the congregation has been repeatedly challenged to pledge $180 thousand to 2010 missions engagement through their faith promise process.
On Saturday evening I consulted with three members of GBC’s missions leadership team as they grapple with issues related to sharpening the focus of their global outreach efforts. The MLT recognizes the need to transition from having only a financial involvement with their 30 missionary partners to a paradigm where they will engage more deeply in a few strategically selected works.
I preached three times on Sunday morning in corporate worship services. This was the fourth of four Sunday mornings devoted to their month-long missions focus. Previous speakers had addressed issues related to the role of music, orality, and Bible translation in the missionary task. My message was titled: “God’s Word: powerful and transforming” out of Matthew 13. I spoke on the responsibility of every believer to embrace in a missional lifestyle, proclaiming Christ in their personal spheres of influence and among the least reached globally. I used the parable of the sower to illustrate that we will encounter four very different responses as we engage in sharing the gospel.
Sunday evening was GBC’s closing missions banquet. I had the opportunity to speak on “the task remaining”. We rejoiced in the tremendous progress made with the gospel through the past 20 centuries, with unprecedented progress globally in recent decades. And I challenged folks to confront the 7 greatest hurdles remaining to bring closure to the Great Commission mandate.
During this missions month, the congregation has been repeatedly challenged to pledge $180 thousand to 2010 missions engagement through their faith promise process.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
from February 7, 2010 prayer email
I participated in the Verge missional communities conference here in Austin this week. Many of the big names (including Burke, Carter, Chan, Cole, Ferguson, Garrison, Gibbons, Halter, Hirsch, Patterson, Stetzer, Vanderstelt, Watson) associated with the missional church movement were involved. Some fantastic vision casting, motivational speaking, worship, and networking. Austin Stone Community Church planned and promoted the conference and my home church hosted the event. It was packed out with over 2000 involved for three days on location and more than that participating from a distance online.
I was initially concerned that the “cool” factor was going to dominate the conference. A high value with the many 20 somethings that attended the event (but something that I no longer value and tend to view with skepticism). I was grateful that there was a lot of substance mixed in with the cool.
I came away with much to process and think through regarding my personal engagement with the lost, who I should partner with in that engagement, how these things could play out in my own home church, and how these things could play out in the churches I serve through ACMC.
All of the large group and breakout sessions are available online. Check a few out.
Several things that impacted me personally:
• going back to the Scriptures (especially the example of Christ) with fresh eyes for my understanding of the mission and forms for the church (instead of relying on books, tradition, or the example of “model” churches)
• emphasizing obedience in my teaching and discipleship -- doing (not simply knowing)
• obeying what the Scriptures teach, even when it takes me way out of my comfort zone and into territory where I have never gone
• coming to terms with how few of the people in our U.S. churches are living Biblically and how infrequently good models are provided for them of how to live Biblically
• coming to terms with how unbiblical much of what is called evangelism and church is in the U.S.
• working at keeping things simple and focused
• the priority of hospitality, constant relational engagement, and clear proclamation of the gospel with the lost
• the importance of focusing on the receptive and their personal spheres of influence
• the importance of seeking to reach those different than me, especially the poor
• the overuse of staff in most churches, the unbiblical distinctions made between clergy and laity, and how unchallenged and unempowered most laymen are
• the importance of reproduction (rapidly if possible) in most of what I do
Little of this is new, but it is a lot to get reminded of and challenged with in a small window of time. Where to start?
I was initially concerned that the “cool” factor was going to dominate the conference. A high value with the many 20 somethings that attended the event (but something that I no longer value and tend to view with skepticism). I was grateful that there was a lot of substance mixed in with the cool.
I came away with much to process and think through regarding my personal engagement with the lost, who I should partner with in that engagement, how these things could play out in my own home church, and how these things could play out in the churches I serve through ACMC.
All of the large group and breakout sessions are available online. Check a few out.
Several things that impacted me personally:
• going back to the Scriptures (especially the example of Christ) with fresh eyes for my understanding of the mission and forms for the church (instead of relying on books, tradition, or the example of “model” churches)
• emphasizing obedience in my teaching and discipleship -- doing (not simply knowing)
• obeying what the Scriptures teach, even when it takes me way out of my comfort zone and into territory where I have never gone
• coming to terms with how few of the people in our U.S. churches are living Biblically and how infrequently good models are provided for them of how to live Biblically
• coming to terms with how unbiblical much of what is called evangelism and church is in the U.S.
• working at keeping things simple and focused
• the priority of hospitality, constant relational engagement, and clear proclamation of the gospel with the lost
• the importance of focusing on the receptive and their personal spheres of influence
• the importance of seeking to reach those different than me, especially the poor
• the overuse of staff in most churches, the unbiblical distinctions made between clergy and laity, and how unchallenged and unempowered most laymen are
• the importance of reproduction (rapidly if possible) in most of what I do
Little of this is new, but it is a lot to get reminded of and challenged with in a small window of time. Where to start?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
from January 24, 2010 prayer email
I had the privilege of spending last weekend with the missions leadership team (see photos below) at Fellowship Bible Church in Tulsa (a family focused, evangelical, non-denominational, 30 year old church of 1100). We met for 48 hours in a 19th century barn (that had been converted into a home) in a beautiful rural setting NW of Tulsa.
The missions leadership team had been struggling for some time with a “tyranny of the urgent” mentality. And many team members were discouraged and nearing burn out.
We spent all of Friday evening in a guided time of worship and prayer (a great way to start any retreat or extended meeting time).
All day (and night) Saturday were devoted to grappling with three major issues:
1. ALIGNMENT: How to best align local and global outreach with the vision of the church’s leadership, rather than having the missions leadership team function as a silo.
2. STRUCTURE: How to best structure the team to shift focus from urgent to important issues, how to decentralize responsibility and authority to avoid burnout, and how to empower those given delegated responsibilities.
3. STRATEGY: How to bring focus and intentionality to several dozen mostly unrelated engagements around the globe, shifting focus from the current 35 field workers to a few strategic local and global works.
God provided clarity and consensus as we interacted together. We were able to use our Sunday morning time to identify initial steps to take with the first two major issues. Sunday afternoon was devoted to dealing with a long laundry list of urgent issues that some on the team anticipated would take the entire weekend. But when viewed through a new grid, were handled in less than two hours, allowing us to wrap up our weekend together an hour early.
We anticipate on-going interaction early this year as we work through details of clarifying and aligning better with the vision of FBC’s leaders (senior pastor and elders) and put together a new decentralized structure for the missions leadership team. Once that is in place, we anticipate launching a major effort that will result in identifying a few field focus areas for the church. This will be followed by an effort that will grapple with a spectrum of church mobilization issues as they relate to these new field focuses.
The issues that FBC’s missions leadership team was struggling with are certainly not unique to them. Many MLT’s function as silos, somewhat divorced from the vision and dreams of the church’s leadership. Many MLTs are consumed by countless urgent and administrative issues, with little time to deal with the truly important issues. And they have a structure that insures that this pattern will continue indefinitely into the future. The number one issue I encounter in my work with churches is the issue of focus and strategy. Very few churches are focused in their mission efforts, and as a result see far less happen on the field than what could be.
Please contact me if I can be of service to your church as you seek to identify and grapple with the big issues that may be limiting the Kingdom impact of your church, locally or among the least reached globally. I would be delighted to talk with you.
The missions leadership team had been struggling for some time with a “tyranny of the urgent” mentality. And many team members were discouraged and nearing burn out.
We spent all of Friday evening in a guided time of worship and prayer (a great way to start any retreat or extended meeting time).
All day (and night) Saturday were devoted to grappling with three major issues:
1. ALIGNMENT: How to best align local and global outreach with the vision of the church’s leadership, rather than having the missions leadership team function as a silo.
2. STRUCTURE: How to best structure the team to shift focus from urgent to important issues, how to decentralize responsibility and authority to avoid burnout, and how to empower those given delegated responsibilities.
3. STRATEGY: How to bring focus and intentionality to several dozen mostly unrelated engagements around the globe, shifting focus from the current 35 field workers to a few strategic local and global works.
God provided clarity and consensus as we interacted together. We were able to use our Sunday morning time to identify initial steps to take with the first two major issues. Sunday afternoon was devoted to dealing with a long laundry list of urgent issues that some on the team anticipated would take the entire weekend. But when viewed through a new grid, were handled in less than two hours, allowing us to wrap up our weekend together an hour early.
We anticipate on-going interaction early this year as we work through details of clarifying and aligning better with the vision of FBC’s leaders (senior pastor and elders) and put together a new decentralized structure for the missions leadership team. Once that is in place, we anticipate launching a major effort that will result in identifying a few field focus areas for the church. This will be followed by an effort that will grapple with a spectrum of church mobilization issues as they relate to these new field focuses.
The issues that FBC’s missions leadership team was struggling with are certainly not unique to them. Many MLT’s function as silos, somewhat divorced from the vision and dreams of the church’s leadership. Many MLTs are consumed by countless urgent and administrative issues, with little time to deal with the truly important issues. And they have a structure that insures that this pattern will continue indefinitely into the future. The number one issue I encounter in my work with churches is the issue of focus and strategy. Very few churches are focused in their mission efforts, and as a result see far less happen on the field than what could be.
Please contact me if I can be of service to your church as you seek to identify and grapple with the big issues that may be limiting the Kingdom impact of your church, locally or among the least reached globally. I would be delighted to talk with you.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
from January 3, 2010 prayer email
It is easy in churches that aspire to be missional to begin to believe that “it is all about the lost”. Although this is a huge improvement over “it’s all about me”, the Scriptures are very clear that it is not all about me or the lost. It is all about God and His glory. This emphasis placed on this truth is one of the things I find most compelling about reformed theology.
God’s heartbeat and mission in the world certainly includes bringing prodigal mankind back under His Lordship, one people group at a time. But it is much broader than that.
The worldview represented by “it’s all about me” cannot understand or even acknowledge God’s purposes in suffering, adversity, or persecution. The prosperity gospel has its roots in this worldview. The Christian embracing this way of thinking has underlined hundreds of promises in his Bible related to God blessing them. But they tend to ignore or minimize passages that speak of human responsibility and those that speak of the character and purposes of God. These believers view God as their servant (helping them to achieve their personal goals and advance their agendas), little more than a cosmic Santa Claus. The entire Jan-Feb 2010 issue of Mission Frontiers magazine is devoted to exploring the theme of God purposes in suffering. Some excellent reading.
The worldview represented by “it’s all about the lost” is embraced by many committed Christ followers. Unfortunately, it represents a narrow understanding of God’s priorities. Let me mention three among many that could be highlighted.
1) God is glorified through what He created. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1).
2) God brings glory to Himself through revealing His justice through harsh judgment (rather than sparing or saving) a people group that has resisted and opposed Him for generations. Think of all mankind in the worldwide flood in Genesis 6-9, Egypt in Exodus, the nations of Canaan in Joshua, Israel when she was sent into captivity, and the final judgment of the lost at the great white throne judgment in Revelation 20.
3) God is glorified through the life of an individual who is fully devoted to Him. Certainly this includes their engagement with the lost, but also includes issues of personal surrender, dependence, obedience, and the transformation of the inner person into one that is more like Christ. “Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be.” (John 12:26a). Following Christ precedes meaningful service (and outreach) for Christ. God receives great glory when these issues are given priority.
Let me suggest two personal responses that would bring glory to God in this new year:
• Make walking with God and allowing Him to transform you from the inside out a higher priority than your involvement in service and outreach this year.
• Conduct an experiment. Devote a month in your devotional reading to looking at Scripture solely through the lens of God’s character, purposes, and glory. Not through the lens of what’s in it for me (or for the lost). You might be surprised to discover how prevalent a theme “the glory of God” is in Scripture.
God’s heartbeat and mission in the world certainly includes bringing prodigal mankind back under His Lordship, one people group at a time. But it is much broader than that.
The worldview represented by “it’s all about me” cannot understand or even acknowledge God’s purposes in suffering, adversity, or persecution. The prosperity gospel has its roots in this worldview. The Christian embracing this way of thinking has underlined hundreds of promises in his Bible related to God blessing them. But they tend to ignore or minimize passages that speak of human responsibility and those that speak of the character and purposes of God. These believers view God as their servant (helping them to achieve their personal goals and advance their agendas), little more than a cosmic Santa Claus. The entire Jan-Feb 2010 issue of Mission Frontiers magazine is devoted to exploring the theme of God purposes in suffering. Some excellent reading.
The worldview represented by “it’s all about the lost” is embraced by many committed Christ followers. Unfortunately, it represents a narrow understanding of God’s priorities. Let me mention three among many that could be highlighted.
1) God is glorified through what He created. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” (Psalm 19:1).
2) God brings glory to Himself through revealing His justice through harsh judgment (rather than sparing or saving) a people group that has resisted and opposed Him for generations. Think of all mankind in the worldwide flood in Genesis 6-9, Egypt in Exodus, the nations of Canaan in Joshua, Israel when she was sent into captivity, and the final judgment of the lost at the great white throne judgment in Revelation 20.
3) God is glorified through the life of an individual who is fully devoted to Him. Certainly this includes their engagement with the lost, but also includes issues of personal surrender, dependence, obedience, and the transformation of the inner person into one that is more like Christ. “Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am, My servant also will be.” (John 12:26a). Following Christ precedes meaningful service (and outreach) for Christ. God receives great glory when these issues are given priority.
Let me suggest two personal responses that would bring glory to God in this new year:
• Make walking with God and allowing Him to transform you from the inside out a higher priority than your involvement in service and outreach this year.
• Conduct an experiment. Devote a month in your devotional reading to looking at Scripture solely through the lens of God’s character, purposes, and glory. Not through the lens of what’s in it for me (or for the lost). You might be surprised to discover how prevalent a theme “the glory of God” is in Scripture.
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