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June 15, 2007

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Today's Mission Moments shares a "golden oldie," a 2004 article by Ken Behnken with lasting value.
Working for Excellence
by Ken Behnken

In Colossians 3:23, the apostle Paul wrote "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

It is so easy to get caught up in trying to please people rather than God. The demands, commands, directions, and suggestions drip on our heads like water from a leaky roof. Everyone has a different idea of what can make this church better.

As pastors and congregational leaders, we must constantly be in prayer, seeking God's direction and His will for our ministry. At the same time, it is good to look around and ask, "What are the needs of the people I am called to serve?" What do the Scriptures say about "serving" rather than "running" a congregation? It is also helpful to see what other congregations, ones who are effectively reaching God's people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, are doing.

The U.S. Congregational Life Survey, the largest and most representative profile of worshipers and their congregations ever developed in the United States, includes the LCMS and 50 other denominations. Their findings are published in a book entitled Beyond the Ordinary: 10 Strengths of U.S. Congregations. They found these 10 strengths in congregations that excel and go beyond the ordinary.

  1. Growing Spirituality - They help their worshipers grow in their faith.
  2. Meaningful Worship - They provide worship services that meet the needs of their worshipers.
  3. Participation - These congregations are places where worshipers are involved in many of the activities of the congregation.
  4. Having a Sense of Belonging - They provide people with a sense of fellowship with others.
  5. Caring for Young People - They ensure that the children and youth in the congregation are nurtured in the faith.
  6. Focusing on the Community - They reach out to and serve those outside their doors.
  7. Sharing their Faith - They help their worshipers feel comfortable sharing their faith with others.
  8. Welcoming New People - They ensure that new people become a part of their faith community.
  9. Empowering Leadership - They help worshipers to share in the leadership of the congregation.
  10. Looking to the Future - They focus on a positive future.
These are good measuring sticks for congregation ministry. In all we do, we should seek to be "beyond the ordinary." Our God has given us a solid doctrinal foundation on which to stand. He also gives us creative minds, visionary desires, exceptional spiritual gifts, and quality lay people who have the gifts we lack. To be in ministry is to always do our best and to always seek better and more effective ways to reach the unchurched with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember, we are working for the Lord, not for ourselves or for men. Our Lord has given us the tools to go "beyond the ordinary" to be the church He wants us to be. To God be the glory-great things he has done and is doing!
 
Questions for Reflection

A. How would you rate the 10 strengths in your congregation? Use 4 for the highest and 1 for the lowest.


4
3
2
1
1. Growing Spirituality:
2. Meaningful Worship:
3. Participation:
4. Having a Sense of Belonging:
5. Caring for Young People:
6. Focusing on the Community:
7. Sharing their Faith:
8. Welcoming New People:
9. Empowering Leadership:
10. Looking to the Future:

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B. Choose one of the items above that you rated less than 4 that you would enjoy growing forward in your church. What will you do to grow this item forward?
Quote

"It's not what leaders know that is important; it's what leaders know is not important."


Books

Beyond the Ordinary: Ten Strengths of U.S. Congregations
by Cynthia Woolever and Deborah Bruce


Small, Strong Congregations: Creating Strengths and Health for Your Congregation
by Kennon L. Callahan
News from the Center
 
Designing Worship to Engage the Culture is a new seminar added to the Center's July On The Edge: Training for Missional Leaders week. Offered Friday, July 27, 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Irvine, California, it can be taken as a stand-along seminar for $95 per person ($250 for up to 5 people from the same congregation). It is also available FREE to registrants of Advanced Mission Planter Training, Mission Coach Certification  Training and Behavioral Interviewing Training.

About Designing Worship to Engage the Culture: We clearly have some choices when it comes to culture. We can retreat from it, ignore it, judge it, preserve it or engage it. Luther clearly engaged the culture of his day in worship with music, messages, language, art and expressions designed to connect with average persons in very relevant ways. Dare we do anything less today when heaven and hell are in the balance in our crazy culture? Live, downloadable, web-based resources will be shown that even a small church can utilize with minimal cost. Presenter: Rev. Michael Zehnder. Complete information. Register. Pay.

On-time registration ends July 2nd. More info on all the On The Edge: Training for Missional Leaders seminars:
Mission Moments is a biweekly electronic newsletter sent by the Center for U.S. Missions to bring information and encouragement to all who desire to share God's great love in Jesus Christ with others. The Center for U.S. Missions provides research and training for mission work among unevangelized people in the United States. A partnership of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod (LCMS) World Missions, Concordia University in Irvine, California, and the North America Mission Executives of the LCMS, the Center serves all Christian denominations.

Center for U.S. Missions
949-854-8002 x1780;
Mike Ruhl, Executive Director,
Glenn Lucas, Director of Training;
Mike Zehnder, National Missional Worship Consultant;
Michelle Connor, Coordinator;
Karen Kogler, Mission Moments editor;

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