For me, personally, I love sermons that:
• are based on a Bible story
• provide a little historical perspective
• have a personal angle (to me or to the speaker)
• provide a reality check
• surprise me a little
• teach me a lesson
• make me nod my head in agreement
• make me shake my head in amazement
• result in several of us discussing the point of the sermon during the fellowship hour
• get me thinking outside the box
Of course no one sermon has to include all those factors, but a few each week can hold my attention

As a lay person, I have no idea how a pastor comes up with a good sermon every week. But kudos to our church leaders who consistently convey a message to their congregations week after week. It can’t be easy to awe and amaze every Sunday. Granted there may be occasional misses – but truthfully, pastoral leadership is to be commended.

What is the best sermon you’ve ever heard? What was the topic and what point was made? Wouldn’t that be a wonderful – and informative – discussion some Sunday after church? I bet everyone of you reading this is thinking “oh, gosh – I remember when the pastor talked about thus and such.”

Now I’m not going to venture too deeply into my favorite sermons (although I have several). A topic that entrances me might be the exact opposite of what you believe. Dangerous waters.

But – oh, well – let me thrown this one out. For some reason – as a child, I thought you had to bargain with God. You want a new puppy? Then you have to promise God that you will eat all your veggies on your plate at dinner. Or to take it to a more adult level: You promise that if God helps you land that new job, you’ll give up chocolate cake for a year. Silly isn’t it? What do I know? Maybe that is how it works, but I sort of doubt it.

A sermon I heard when I was in my twenties nixing this whole bargain with God concept was an epiphany for me. Now maybe you believe that if you do A, then God will do B. And that’s fine – more power to you. But for me – I now eat my veggies by choice (and truthfully I don’t want a puppy) and if I am after a particular job, I trust that God will give me the strength and courage to hone my skills to be the best candidate for the position (and I skip the chocolate cake anyways because of all those calories.)

So what’s the best sermon? Happily  just about every sermon I’ve ever heard has had a kernel of truth for me. It’s rare for me to leave church on a Sunday and not feel I’ve learned something. And some sermons have been outstanding – absolutely stupendous – and have positively changed my life and perspective.

Thank you to our church leaders. You need to know, your words can and do make a difference to that sea of faces looking up at you each Sunday.

Some of these bad behaviors/habits come from tradition. While there was a time when ladies wore hats to church on a regular basis. Thankfully, this is no longer the case. Just two weeks ago, I went to a wedding the bulk of which I missed because the woman in front of me was wearing a gigantic hat. Everytime I got myself settled so I could see the couple around her hat, the woman would shake her head or readjust in her seat so my view was once again entirely blocked. Now, please don’t misunderstand me, I happen to love hats, but if you are going to wear them to church (or to the theatre for that matter), please either choose a classic close fitting bonnet or be prepared to remove your hat when you sit down.

Some bad church attendance habits are relatively new, too. It still astonishes me that in a world where you must turn off your cell phone in every music event and doctor’s office where you might find yourself, why is it so difficult for us to remember to silence our phones during worship?

Then there are the “sniffers.” The folks who spend every silent moment of the service sniffing. Do they like the smell of candles and old bibles? Are they chronic allergy sufferers? Do they resist the idea of Kleenex on some religious grounds? I’m not certain what the explanation is, but the sniffing has to stop! It’s really annoying!

One of my favorites is the whisper fighters. The couple who comes in to worship, clearly unhappy with one another, and proceed to sit next together during church fuming at each other in loud whispers while the rest of us are trying to worship. These folks are right up there with the fellow who has to make an under-his-breath remark about everything the pastor says. Look, if you’ve got an issue with your spouse or your kids, for that matter, resolve it before entering the church or leave it outside the door to pick up later. If you have an issue with the pastor, make an appointment for another time and address it with them directly. For many of us, that hour on Sunday morning is the only true peace and quiet we get all week. You muttering close by kind of puts a damper on my peace and quiet.

This brings me back to kids in church. Kids who feel welcome in the sanctuary during worship seem to me to behave better than those in congregations who clearly think children should not be seen or heard during that sacred hour. One of my fondest memories of going to church with my parents when I was a child was a man named Jack Tucker. Jack was probably 50 or 60 when I was a kid in that congregation. He had no children himself. And yet, as the head usher, he never failed to say good morning specifically to me, using my name and bending down to look me straight in the eye. This was long before children’s bulletins or worship bags were given out to keep the tykes quiet. This was before children’s sermons. Jack always made sure I had my own worship bulletin, and it was never an afterthought. He would speak to me and give me my bulletin before my parents ever got theirs. That small act made me feel more welcome and more special than I felt anytime the rest of that week. Because I was treated with affection and respect, I wanted to behave well during church. But you know what? Whenever, I would become bored and squirmy and start looking around, I would inevitably notice Mr. Tucker standing in a doorway smiling directly at me. Then, suddenly, he’d wink with a knowing nod and I could settle down for a bit longer. Jack Tucker made kids feel welcome at my home church for over fifty years, and I never remember a kid acting up in the middle of a service at that church!

The thing is that children know when they are not wanted. They see you rolling your eyes when they kick the back of your pew, even by accident. They can feel you scowling at them when they try to stand up on the pew so they can share the hymnal and the singing with Mom or Dad. Kids know when people don’t wish to have them around. But if that’s the image of God’s love we leave children with as they grow up in church, what is it that will bring them back to church as teenagers, adults, parents and grandparents? Nothing.

The key idea here is that a congregation is a place where we should be loving and respecting God’s people, no matter what. So please, take off your hat, silence your cell and take a minute to smile kindly at the kids in the next pew. Do your part to make worship respectful, peaceful and loving for all.

• kick the back of your chair throughout the service
• cry, shout, talk, whine and scream
• leave a dozen times to go the bathroom
• turn the program into paper airplanes
• poke, stab, punch, tickle or otherwise irritate their siblings
• climb under their chairs
• scribble in the hymnals or Bibles
• get a weird sticky substance on your best outfit
• are so noisy you can’t hear the sermon
• totally destroy the service for you

BTW – we’re not talking just toddlers, some pre teens and teens can be just as disruptive.

There was once a commercial for Life Saver candy in which a boisterous child in church was given a hard candy – and sat quietly for the rest of the service. It should be so simple.

I had children in church – and now grandchildren. Hey – I’ve been there and done that. I know it’s not easy. My gang certainly did not qualify for any halos. I know the mortification of having an older person in the next pew turn and glare at me – or loudly “shush” my child. Not to digress, but honestly, sometimes the person who is saying “shush” can be more disruptive than the noisy child. But we won’t go there.

So what does a church family do when the “family” part of worship service is acting out and ruining the service for others?

Well I don’t profess to be any kind of expert on this, but here are some random suggestions.

• First of all – do not elect to skip church or leave the child home, while you go to church. Children should have the worship experience and opting out is not a solution.
• At my church, many years ago, they instituted the “puzzle pamphlet” for the kids. It was a four page booklet with games, word searches and so on. I remember being somewhat horrified thinking that inappropriate church behavior was being rewarded with a game book. But, in fact, it worked pretty well. The kids were entertained – and quiet, yet they were there.
A little side story to this is that following one service in which the children were doing puzzles, I asked one of the kids if he knew what the minister had said. And – by gosh – he quoted back to me the sermon lesson of the day! His focus was on the piece of paper, but he was actually listening!
• I’m a strong believer that if children are being disruptive, they should be removed from the service – for a short period of time. Not a big scene – nothing embarrassing. But as a courtesy to those who are there for a religious experience, it’s only fair to take the child out for a few minutes. A change of environment for a child – a redirection – can make a huge difference. But always come back. Don’t reward bad behavior by taking the child to a Sunday School room and letting him play.
• Every church has a different Worship Service versus Sunday School set up. At my church, the children are in worship until the passing of the peace (about a quarter of the way into the time) and then go to Sunday School This is good because they get to participate in some group worship – then go to their own classes. However, that doesn’t work for all denominations.
• And finally, I believe it’s up to the parent to talk to the child before the service and explain what it’s all about. What is church, why are people there, why is that man or woman standing at the front talking, what is the music about. Hey, I know – that conversation provides no guarantee about behavior, but a least it gives your child a context for what is happening.

And if all else fails, there’s always that roll of Life Savers.

That church did everything from worship and Sunday School to ham and bean suppers to Christmas pageants and yard sales. Everybody in town came to our church. No, not necessarily for worship, but we were the church with so much happening – and our events were open to the public – and they were wonderful.

There was a huge membership then (more than 250 families) with enthusiasm and participation.  The annual Rummage Sale? Sure – lots of donations, lots of volunteers and lots of fun.  A Christmas pageant? Omigosh – more than 50 children were involved, we would even borrowed a real donkey and a sheep and have two performances. The ladies put on suppers for the men’s group.  The men could be counted on to move the heavy tables, hang banners, do small building repairs.  It was a community of church people – and it welcomed everyone.

Sadly, those days are long gone.

We didn’t have a Christmas Fair this past year at my church – for the first time in more than 100 years. A tough decision?  Not really.

What happened to the Christmas Fair?  What’s so difficult about putting out some baked goods and crafts and playing some holiday music?  And – even more disquieting – why does no one really care?

In the last 60 years my beloved church has diminished.  Those 250 families have dropped to about 25 families.  Many of those fellowship activities are long gone.  There are countless reasons for this change:  an aging church population, the younger parents being pulled in other directions, a national shift in church attendance.  Experts far wiser than I can provide a litany of carefully researched information on what’s happened to mainline churches in the U.S. today.

In my unsophisticated opinion, a core issue is that many main line churches have not changed with the times and they do not know what works anymore.  The church social functions of my youth – although of great value at the time – are simply archaic now.

These events are a lot of work – with very small return (aside from the fellowship and camaraderie of the organizers).  You want an apron (rare these days), skip the fair and go to Bed Bath and Beyond.  You want a knit hat and scarf? Try Kohls.  You want cookies and cakes and pies?  Really? Then you must be one of the few people in this country not watching your calories.  That ham and bean supper?  Hmm, frankly, the kids would prefer pizza.

And then there’s the energy level of the volunteers. If you’ve ever done a yard sale or rummage sale you know it is back breaking and exhausting work.  Not only is it spending days receiving, sorting, pricing and selling (often other people’s junk), but it’s also the exhausting task of cleaning up everything that didn’t sell.  And this significant work effort brings in very little money.

Bottom line:  Today’s buying public is not breaking down the doors of churches – money in hand – saying “do you have a handmade potholder I can buy?” or “I’ve been waiting all year for your annual spaghetti with Prego sauce supper.”

I realize I’m painting this picture with too broad a brush.  I have no doubt that there are churches all over this country who have fabulous functions, bring in lots of money for the general fund – and have to turn away volunteers.

But I would argue that there are many churches still trying to do the same activities as their grandparents – and then they are saddened and discouraged when the public doesn’t show up.

Times have changed – interests have changed.  Perhaps it’s time that those gray haired ladies (that would be me) in the church and the young families who simply don’’t have the ability to support their church with unlimited time  – to put their heads together – and consider some new approaches to fundraising and fellowship.

A church that is struggling to survive – or simply concerned with a diminishing number of filled pews – can sometimes project a neediness that is off putting.

Church success should not be all about the numbers (there’s nothing wrong with being small), but still…it can be a bitter pill to go from the BIG church to the LITTLE Church or the STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE church.

There are many reasons for a shrinking church (that’s another whole blog in itself), but one reason can be the congregation and how they embrace visitors.

When visitors arrive at your church on Sunday morning, how are they welcomed? Oh, sure, you may have pleasant ushers or even people assigned to meet and greet. But what about the rest of the church family? When there is a stranger(s) in your congregation’s midst, does the following sometimes happen:

• Someone says loudly “Who’s that?”
• The person is stared at suspiciously.
• Church members are so busy talking to each other, they ignore a visitor.
• Members assume someone else will extend the needed welcome to a guest so no one does.
• The person sits alone within a zone of empty seats.
• The minister singles the visitor out during the service and puts him or her on the spot.
• During the passing of the peace, the visitor is interrogated.
• During coffee hour, the person stands alone.
• The person is monopolized by a single overbearing individual.

Does your church appear desperate?

For example, a visitor arrives on a Sunday morning and members are:
• Too cloying: “We are so grateful that you’re here with us today. So grateful!”
• Too over the top: “Please, please come back and visit us again.”
• Too self serving: “We are the best church; we do so much. You would love it here.”
• Too transparent: “You’re an accountant? Terrific, we need a new church treasurer.”
• Too pushy: “Your children will love our Sunday School. Of course, since you will have kids in the SS, you will
be expected to be a teacher.”
or
• There is Information overload: The visitor is loaded down with materials about the church, including a gift
basket.
• There is stalking: The visitor gets an inordinate number of calls the following week from the minister or a
deacon.

Sadly, it only takes one overbearing or thoughtless church member to make a visitor uncomfortable and happy to leave – never to return.

When I showed this blog to Gretchen, she made a good point: “ My cry about this has always been that visitors can always innately tell if the congregation is happy to have them because it’s an opportunity to share the love of God or if the congregation is just relieved to have another seat filled and potentially some more money in the offering plate.”

Properly welcoming visitors to your church requires politeness and empathy on the part of EVERY member of the congregation. It’s not easy to make the decision to walk into an unfamiliar place and stand out among a group of people who are already friends.

I would venture almost every church says to itself: “We’re very welcoming and friendly.” But I would argue “Not necessarily true.” Church members need to look at themselves and each other and decide whether they truly are projecting a warm and loving image. If you have visitors who do not return, it may be time to look in the mirror and decide what image your church truly projects. And it may also be time to schedule a few congregational classes on How to be Welcoming 101.

Gretchen also adds: “I have always thought that church members should be encouraged to take a Sunday off from their home church and go to all different churches, then come back, de-brief and have the welcoming training you suggest! I remember reading once about a minister who canceled church for one Sunday and instructed his parishioners to visit different churches that day. They met back at their church for lunch together afterward and that was the kick-off for the training. What’s cool about that is it makes it an all-church effort and everyone’s accountable for coming back and having some helpful observations to share!”

What about your church? Is your church welcoming? Or do you sometimes get a niggle that your church falls short on that front. Have you ever visited another church and loved it – or been turned off? We would like to hear from you. Please drop us a line and tell us your welcoming story – either within this blog page or at info@finishingwithgrace.com

Tom recommends that we see obstacles for what they are.   I agree.   There are two large categories of  obstacles in churches:  The easiest obstacles to identify are “external obstacles”, which are the blocks put in place outside of the local congregation.  Two primary examples are the community around the church and the denomination of which the church is a part.  At Grace church, we were slow to  realize  that the wider community itself was fighting us at every turn.  We were barraged with new building codes which were financially impossible for us to meet,  and strangely, these  codes were not being enforced in other churches.  Then the powers that be blocked our building a new facility which would have suited the size and needs of the congregation much better than our huge cathedral-like edifice.  We  also ran into a lot of unspoken resistance because we sold our original building to a Brazilian church.  The predominantly white  town of Framingham was reeling from the influx of Brazilian immigrants who had changed the taste and feel of downtown Framingham in just a short time.  Some saw the sale of our major downtown building to “them”  as one more harsh change to swallow.  They blamed us.    There is no question in my mind that if we had seen these obstacles earlier in the process,   we could have  assuaged some of the negative feelings outside our congregation.

Much harder to see and name are   internal obstacles, such as resistance to change and struggles for power.  The  problem is, when the obstacles are people, we often try to “work around” them, rather than facing them head-on. The truth is that most church members who are resistant to change are terrified of losing their place  in the faith community–  We must accept that there will always be these people in congregations.  What do you do?   You get imaginative –You create for them a new place, a new task, a new way to receive attention that is less destructive.  People who don’t want to lose power can be given new more positive roles that satify them and fill timely needs in the congregation.

4.  See Emerging Leaders

As you move leaders who present obstacles, you must have leaders to  take over those tasks.  these will often be individuals who see new ways of doing old things, and envision actual new things to do.  You church should have an ongoing conversation about who potential new leaders are,  what skills they will need, and how your community of faith will support them.  New leaders do not simply show up out of a vacuum.  They are nurtured and trained and encouraged by a congregation who sees gifts in them that will enhance the life of the whole congregation.  Who are those people in your church?  Are they ready to lead now?  in a year? in five years?  What will you need to do to prepare them to lead and the congregation to respond well to their leadership?

5.  Imagine Eight Alternatives

I LOVE THIS IDEA!   EVERY CHURCH SHOULD TRY IT!  It’s bold and it’s brave and it should bring a congregation out of its “stuckness.”  Don’t keep trying new things one at a time and hoping they will work. Tom suggests identifying eight new “initiatives” and doing them all at the same time.  This is most certainly counter-intuitive for us old time church folk.  We like slowly, carefully trying new things one at a time, if we try new things at all.  Tom is suggesting we throw the paint at the canvas eight colors at a time to see which ones we like.  Plan on six to fail.  Even when they do, you have two that show promise and you are putting time and energy into things that you already know do work.    Tom is right when he says that a congregation who uses this method should put two things in place:  a place/group where new ideas are generated, and a way to measure outcomes.   This means the original idea should be presented accompanied by  a specific plan with  measurable goals for evaluating its success.  This plan should not be stuck in a drawer and forgotten, but should be on display and checked/tracked  regularly.

When Linda and I worked with Grace Church  as they dealt with diminishing funds and lessening attendance, that congregation had  begun to see  the “writing on the wall”   at least 10-12 years before.  The Trustees and treasurer had been sounding the alarm  at annual meetings for years, telling the church that money would be running out, and the costs of maintaining a huge (30,000 square feet) cathedral-like facility were becoming untenable.  Leadership suggested taking steps before the situation became a crisis, but  members clung to the hope that the Christmas Bazaar would suddenly gain a profit 100 times what it usually earned or that it would be a warm winter so the heating bill would be low.  While there is certainly nothing wrong with hope, it can often keep us from seeing the reality of our situation and facing it.  Tom is right — that kind of denial is the enemy.  It is the enemy because it paralyzes us and prevents us from doing what needs to be done to keep our communities of faith alive.

2. See Opportunities:
For a faith community, opportunities arise from human needs. What needs are emerging in your larger community? Unemployment, for example, or growing unrest along the fault lines of tolerance. Issues of aging and health, or deteriorating health services for women.
Put aside long-standing desires and left-over agendas. Study what your neighbors are experiencing right now. See the opportunities for ministry and mission that those needs suggest.

Wow!  This is a tough one!  I want to hang onto my image of my church.  I want to believe that the whole community looks to our church for leadership and inspiration, even though the community has not really looked at us that way for thirty, forty or fifty years.  I don’t want to see how the community around the church has changed.  However, if we are going to keep our ministry meaningful and relevant in the setting in which we find ourselves, we are going to have to look clearly and carefully at what that setting is now – not ten years ago, not forty years ago, not one hundred years ago, but NOW.  Tom says rightly that “opportunities arise from human needs.”  Realistically, what are the needs of the human beings in the community around you?
Who is getting lost in the shuffle?  What invisible need is lurking among the folks who live and work in your town?  If you don’t know by looking, then your congregation should begin interviewing professionals in your community — call on a physician at the local hospital or better yet, free clinic.  Speak with lawyers or judges who are working in the area.  What needs do they see bubbling up in your neighborhood and larger community now and as the future comes to pass?
In order to embrace the possibilities of new ministries, all church members must let go of personal agendas, and old visions and desires which no longer speak to the current situation in which your congregation finds itself.  Then and only then, can you move forward creatively to respond to the needs you have identified.

By Tom Ehrich, Morning Walk Media.com

When I led a “Turnaround Strategies” workshop in the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky last weekend, I was mightily impressed by their “can do” spirit.
Yes, their numbers have been shrinking, as have those in mainline congregations around the country, as well as many evangelical and traditional churches. Yes, some congregations are slipping below the threshold of viability.But when shown eight strategies for moving forward and asked if they could imagine deploying those strategies, they almost shouted, “Yes, we can!”This wasn’t just bravado. The 100+ people attending this workshop seemed to embrace the changes and bold actions that will be required. The moment seems right for moving forward.

If you are ready to move forward, here are five first steps for “seizing the day.”

See Reality:
Denial is always our enemy. Gather honest metrics about your current situation, look at trends of the past five and ten years, and develop a detailed profile of your congregation and of its larger community. Don’t get discouraged if the trends are down. Just be boldly honest about your baseline.

See Opportunities:
For a faith community, opportunities arise from human needs. What needs are emerging in your larger community? Unemployment, for example, or growing unrest along the fault lines of tolerance. Issues of aging and health, or deteriorating health services for women.
Put aside long-standing desires and left-over agendas. Study what your neighbors are experiencing right now. See the opportunities for ministry and mission that those needs suggest.

See Obstacles:
Every good idea will face resistance. Lack of money, lack of energy, lack of consensus, certain individuals who tend to block change, hostile neighbors, unhelpful judicatories. You aren’t labeling them as bad. You are just being realistic about what obstacles you will need to surmount as you move forward.
Next, assess what it would take to deal with these obstacles. No magical thinking.

See Emerging Leaders:
At any given moment, older leaders are stepping aside and new, usually younger leaders are stepping up. This is healthy. Think through how you will identify those emerging leaders, how you will engage them in taking the reins, how you will support them, and what skills they might require.
Don’t worry about inculcating them in church traditions. Their role is to move forward from those traditions. Their role is to embrace change. If you bury them in yesterday, you will stifle their spirits.

Imagine Eight Initiatives:
In our worries about control, failure and offending longtimers, we tend to talk ideas to death. Better, especially now, to “test and measure.” Test a slew of new initiatives, and see which work. Don’t take the linear approach of doing one at a time. Do eight at once. Expect six to fail. Stop doing them, and plan to learn from failure. Expect two to succeed. Make them stronger.
This approach means you will need to develop two critical capabilities: an incubator for new ideas, and metrics for measuring outcomes. Some people are gifted at innovation. Put them to work imagining the new. Some people know how to track outcomes. Put them to work, too.

“Finishing With Grace” click here To Purchase

What is the matter with you church leaders? What will it take for you to recognize – and acknowledge – that many of the churches that we know and love today are going to be history in our lifetimes!

Your parish leaders and the people in the pews sense this change. People on the street even know this. Every time we tell people that we’ve written a book on church closings – EVERY TIME – we hear, “Oh, there’s a nice church across town that is having troubles and may close.”

In America, 3500 — 4000 churches close their doors each year. from the Barna Study — www.barna.org

Churches lose an estimated 2,765,000 people each year to nominalism and secularism. from the Barna Study — www.barna.org
Only 21% of Americans attend religious services every week.
www.religioustolerence.org

What can we do about this? Gretchen and I have tried the “banging our heads against a wall” (i.e., door of the different denominations) but that only increases our headaches over the lack of response to this issue.

We have sent Finishing with Grace to every major denominational leadership group on the United States (about 25 copies in the mail). One kindly acknowledged receipt. We have even spoken to some denominational leaders – and felt ignored.

To be realistic, we’re willing to accept that our book is probably not the be all and end all on church closing. Well, actually, we do believe that it is – but for the sake of argument…. All we’re suggesting is that – even if denominational leadership doesn’t want to acknowledge the importance of a book like Finishing with Grace, why don’t they at least acknowledge that main line churches are in trouble?

To be fair – some denominations are recognizing what’s happening. However – as far as we can see – they aren’t doing enough about it. There are a few closure support programs out there (in even fewer denominations) that give lip service to this problem. But – sorry to say – they are not well organized. Part of that disorganization is because this is virgin territory for all those involved. Many churches don’t recognize and acknowledge that they are on the slippery slope to closure until it’s too late. The church doors are about to be locked forever before they shout “Help!”

A call to denominational leaders: Do something about this! Please! Acknowledge the program – reach out to your floundering churches – offer support. Let them know you understand and care. And if you happen to want to order a few copies of Finishing with Grace – that would be nice.

EXCEPT – let’s Gretchen and I be honest: We’re less concerned about book sales than we are with seeing churches in transition get the help they need – in any form. We have first hand experience on the pain and sadness associated with a church closure. Don’t let that happen to your churches – be there for them.

“Finishing With Grace” click here To Purchase

Click here to email  Linda

SEVEN PATHS TO NOWHERE

-IDOLIZING THE BUILDING. Do you spend an excessive portion of your time and money on creating the campus, developing its attachments or maintaining your inherited monument? It’s the people who are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

-MISREPRESENTING THE TITHE. The tithe should not be compulsory. All offerings should be voluntary and freely given if one wishes and is also able. The first 700 years of Christianity saw no mandatory scheme for determining offerings. We learn from the Bible that gifts of any size are of spiritual value

-IGNORING THE POOR. God’s heart is open to the poor and the outcast. We are expected to also bless and love the poor among us. Matthew 25 tells us that the sheep will be divided from the goats on the basis of how they cared for the poor they encountered in life.

-GLORIFYING THE PASTOR. The Pastor was not the head of the church in the New Testament. The epistles were not addressed to a pastor but to the people themselves. The temple, the priesthood and the sacrifice are all important to the worship of God. In the New Testament the people themselves are the temple, the priesthood and the daily sacrifice.

-YEARNING FOR POLITICAL POWER. New Testament Christians found themselves surrounded by a hostile pagan government. They did not form coalitions. They did not resort to or condone violence. They did not force legislation through lobbying. Instead, they turned the world upside down by imitating their Lord Jesus Christ.

-BEING BUSINESS MINDED. In the New Testament, the Church is called a Bride, a Family and a Spiritual House but never a business judged by business standards.

-DISCIPLE MAKING OR CONVERT PRODUCING? Counting hands at expensive pageants and plays may produce a list of new converts but where is the attention to the real work of turning converts into disciples? Conversion isn’t a touchdown. It’s the whistle that starts the game.

To Purchase “Finishing With Grace” click here

Click here to email  Gretchen