Your Church Can Grow

One of the most exciting initiatives to come out of our General Church is the Lay Missionary Planter Network. The idea is to train up laity to start new churches and reach new constituencies for Christ. We in Greater New Jersey are fortunate to be one of five Annual Conferences chosen to partner with the Path One team to identify, train and deploy laity for the purpose of starting new churches or new ministries. Not all of those trained will start a new church. Some will help by being part of a “Launch Team” for a new church plant. Read more about the LMPN . . .

The highlight of today’s “Lay Speaker Graduation” ceremony in East Brunswick, New Jersey was the class of young people. Ten younger people all under 25 graduated as lay speakers. The question for those of us older people is whether we will encourage their service. Will we ask them to preach? Will we encourage them to engage in new ministries? Will we support them when they come up with their own ideas?

Adam Hamilton made three presentations at the 2009 Greater New Jersey Annual Conference. I took away two important learnings: 1) The importance of the personal touch. Through the first four years of his new church start, Adam Hamilton visited each first-time visitor and once they had visited for a third time to worship, visited them in their homes. 399 of 400 he visited in homes became members of the church. 2) The five elements of preaching: a) Teaching–every listener should learn one thing new each sermon; b) Tell inspiring stories; c) Give practical advice for life; d) Make a call to action; e) Be creative, interesting, intriguing.

What did you take away? Please respond.

Many people have asked me why my book, Roadmap to Renewal, was not available for sale at the Cokesbury display at Annual Conference. Unfortunately, the shipment of my book and several others never arrived to Valley Forge. In addition to my book, Marjorie Kimbrough’s books did not arrive. You can still get the 25% discount if you order a copy today at the Cokesbury display today. Otherwise, order it online at Cokesbury.com.

Adam Hamilton’s latest book, Enough: Discovering Joy Through Simplicity and Generosity, draws upon common sense wisdom to help individuals find their way to a greater measure of contentment in the area of personal finance. Hamilton draws upon the same teachings that Dave Ramsey gives in his “Financial Peace University” program. Adam’s book is short, concise and to the point. I highly recommend it.

VITAL CONGREGATIONS By Doug Ruffle
(to appear in the May RELAY) Coordinator of Congregational Development, GNJAC
God Does Not Foreclose

Afraid
of loss,
of what could be,
what might happen,
the uncertain future
of deepening disappointment;
Afraid for family.
Like the psalmist who asks
if help comes from the mountains,
he asks from whence comes
strength and assurance
in these times
in these days.
And the words he hears:
Our God is the God
who
does not foreclose.

Ashamed
upon the loss of a job,
of being downsized,
of sinking below the waters;
Now drowning
in a sea of debt,
now out of balance,
ashamed even
of being ashamed,
like the psalmist, she seeks
refuge from the slings and arrows
of enemies all around.
From whence comes the peace
to calm her anxiety?
And the whisper she hears says:
Our God is a God
who
does not foreclose.

To foreclose is to shut
and exclude,
a padlock with no key
no tomorrow
no hope,
no strength, no peace,
orphaned,
cast away,
without home.
Like the psalmist
He longs for …
She longs for …
the embrace
of the One who
Imputes no iniquity,
Who wipes the slate
clean of trespasses,
who knows every need
more deeply than one could imagine
The comfort and grace of the God
who
does not foreclose

How do we know this God is near?
Where do we see him?
When do we hear her words of comfort?
Is it not in community?
In the solidarity of brother and sister,
In the foretaste of glory divine
that comes with
deep-seeded communion
of saints, of sinners
together
loving
caring
listening
providing
Being the Church
of the God
who
does not foreclose.

Dr. Lovett Weems, head of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership, sent an update today on how new church planting has made a significant difference for mainline churches. Among the insightful findings: “After years of declining new church starts, in the last ten years the number of new churches has reached the same high level as the 1950s . . . More than 70 percent of new congregations formed in the past ten years are comprised primarily of people of color, reversing the pattern of ethnicity found in churches started during the first ten years of the study period . . . Decline in membership and finances in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s can be seen as a result of the failure to begin new churches . . . Despite recent high numbers of new church starts, there will need to be higher levels of such starts to show growth.” (from Update, a monthly report to subscribers of Leading Ideas on the work of the Lewis Center for Church Leadership. To read Weems complete article click here.

Roadmap to Renewal: Rediscovering the Church’s Mission was published yesterday, March 31, 2009, by the General Board of Global Ministries. It is available online at the Cokesbury website. I thank all of the well-wishers who have sent me notes via email and Facebook. In the book “Acknowledgments” I thank those who were so kind to read the manuscript prior to publication and gave insightful feedback. I want to thank Bishop Devadhar for his review of the book and his endorsement that appears on the back cover as well as the helpful comments made by the Rev. Varlyna Wright and others. My prayer is that this resource will help our local churches in their ministry of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

I am so thankful for the many churches that helped me develop the content included in my book, Roadmap to Renewal, which is scheduled for publication in April 2009 by the General Board of Global Ministries. It will be the second book in the series called “Academy of Mission Renewal.” John Nuessle wrote the first book, Faithful Witnesses. I thank John especially for his guidance and help in seeing the book to publication.

It was good to be with the folks of the Raritan Valley District on their day of learning today. Laity and clergy alike gave great input in the workshops on “I Refuse to lead a dying church” and “Roadmap to Renewal.” It heartens me to see how conscientious these folk are in the effort to make disciples.