Each One Reach One

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus. - John 1: 40-42 (NIV)

Imagine if we sought to grow our ministries one member at a time.  What if we sat aside the church growth theories that say otherwise for a moment? Think about what the Bible says about reaching others.  Take a look at Andrew's example.  Each believer can reach someone else.

I believe that everyone is not connected to everyone else, but every one of us is connected to someone.  We all know somebody who we could reach for Jesus and share about our personal experience and encounter with Jesus.  That's genuine growth.  It's based on relationships.

Train your members to reach out to other people.  Challenge each member of your congregation or your small group to reach twelve other people.  Make it doable.  Tell them and train them how to reach another person each month and bring them to your Bible study, prayer meeting or Sunday school class.  That's just one person per month.  That's three people per quarter.  Challenge them to do it based on their relationships.  If you have ten people in your ministry, you could potentially have 120 people touched by your ministry within the first year.  Imagine how much more that you could do through your people once they get comfortable doing such a mighty work.

Taking on The Messiah on the Move

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. - Mark 1:1 (NKJV)

 
The Gospel of Mark is an action-filled account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.  It has oftentimes been referred to as the Gospel of Jesus in action or on the move.  It reveals Jesus' comings and goings, His teaching and doings.  The shortest of all four of the New Testament's Gospels, the Gospel of Mark shows Jesus in the midst of serving, performing miracles and preaching messages throughout the land.

 
Take this challenge.  Try reading the Gospel of Mark in one sitting.  If you cannot see yourself doing such a thing, try to get in throughout one single weekend.  It's only 16 chapters.  Even if you read a single chapter each day, you could finish the Gospel of Mark in its entirety in a little over two weeks. 
 
Reading may not be your thing either.  Try listening to the Gospel of Mark.  I often listen to the Bible over the Internet via sites like www.youversion.com.  I prefer the dramatic readings of the Bible.  That's just my preference.  You can even get a copy of the Bible on CD or downloaded to your MP3 or iPod, so that you can listen to it on your drive to work or while you work out or do the dishes.  Today's technology offers you many options.

 

Take in the Gospel of Mark.  Once you have taken it in, take on the Gospel of Mark.  See how you can serve with more sacrifice after experiencing the Gospel of Mark.  Make some changes to your approach to ministry and good works based upon what you read and what the red letters of the Gospel have stated as kingdom priorities.  Take it on and check yourself on how well you do in regards to the carrying out your calling of service in His name.

 

 

Help without Harm

No harm.  No foul.

We learned it in sports.  It was said to us a eager and energetic basketball campers, learning the fundamentals of b-ball from one of John Wooden's UCLA players who became a coach at our local junior college.  He said it nonchalantly.  Yet, his words stuck.

No harm.  No foul.

I hard it as a manager of a pizza delivery service.  The owner had it as his mantra.  He meant it in regards to the interactions with irate customers who wanted to get pizzas delivered in 30 minutes or less.  He shared it whenever said that the driver got lost and now their pizza was cold, their voice screeching curse words between every other understandable word offered.  He said it in a carefree manner, but his words stuck just like my coach's words.

 ¹ Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:1-2 (NIV)

We need to be extra careful with how we approach recovering and reclaiming the lost.  People are fragile.  No, they don't come with it stamped in red across their bodies.  They just are fragile.  Some wear their emotions right on their sleeves.  Others keep them hidden behind masks and facades.

What do you do when a wayward brother or sister makes their way back to church? Do you attack them as they cross the threshold, asking where in God's name they've been all of this time? Do you offer a sweet surrender to to the Holy Spirit, seeking the unction for your every move with care? What do you do with the lost? It can either lead to their development or their damage.  Be extra careful.

Such a ministry as the ministry of reconciliation is not a carefree ministry.  It is at the core of the people business.  It centers on how we deal with and interact with other people. 

How well do we care for other people?

This isn't the type of business where you can go for it with a whole lot of trial and error.  We lose people when we test out and pilot new programs that leave people out of the loop.   We miss the mark when we do not have anyone calling people back or calling on the Lord to intercede based upon what we have encountered with the lost in our community.

No harm? 
No foul?

Let's be helpful without becoming harmful.  Let us help.  Let us do no harm.

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin,

you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently . . .

On the Move

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.- Mark 1:1 (NKJV)

The Gospel of Mark clearly opens with the words that explain that it is about "the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." The book is about Jesus.  In fact, as Jesus embarks on His earthly ministry by the Sea of Galilee, His words echo this opening verse: Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” The Gospel of Mark is about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When we read the Gospel of Mark, we see the Lord on the move and going to and fro as He interacts with mankind.  It is an account of the Almighty touching the flesh and spirits of man.  It offers a view of Jesus in communion with His fellow man, publicans, lepers, the blind, and countless others.

When He started His ministry, He was on the move.
When He called the fishermen to become fishers of men, He was on the move.
When He taught and touched others, He was on the move.
The Gospel of Mark shows us Jesus Christ as a man on the move.

Be sure to check out:

• Mark for Everyone
• The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary
• Mark: Gospel of the Servant King

Summer Celebrations for the Black Church

Typically, I don't get into the concept or mindset of church being a "Black thing." I do believe that there are some celebrations that can cause the African American churches throughout the United States to celebrate its own culture and heritage.  here is a list of a few:

• Juneteenth: This is the celebration that recognizes the freedom of enslaved Africans that has the history and lore of word reaching those in Texas some time around or before June 18th or 19th of what went into effect in January of the same year.  Thus, we have Juneteenth.
• July 4th: This Independence Day celebration has been something where African American churches have usually had fellowships and picnics centered around barbecue and baking contests as well as sack races and other activities like baseball, basketball or the. Electric Slide
• HBCU Day:  Having attended an HBCU, I am convinced that the African American church can spend at least one weekend to celebrate the historical and social importance of Black colleges like Tuskegee, Morehouse, Howard, Wilberforce, Morris Brown, and others.  Host a college fair on Saturday and invite alumni to wear their alma mater on that Sunday.
• Summer Service Days: Host a set of scheduled service days where the congregation goes out into the community and conducts hands-on service such as beach or block clean-ups, food drives, brush removal, senior dance or fitness class, or tutoring for summer school students at a local elementary or middle school.

These are just a few ideas that may help the African American church see itself as something beyond the norm and how to celebrate during what is called the "summer slump."

Simply Positive

Be positive.

It may sound corny or just too simple, but Norman Vincent Peale said so in The Power of Positive Thinking. Imagine if you could just keep things positive.  Simply alter your outlook on things and see if you can remain positive.

Life got you down? Don't stay in the depths of depression.  Work on working off the blues.  Shake that off.

Live a little more.  Love a little bit more.  The Blues Brothers may have been full of buffoonery, but they had a good point when they said that everybody needs someone to love.

You can be positive.  You have to work at it a bit, but it is worth the work.

Discover Your Discovery Zone

You need more than a idea.  You need ideas that go further than the other guys- the competition.  You need enough ideas that can drive traffic to your site and attendees to your trainings and workshops.  You need plenty of ideas.  You need some great ideas that will get you ahead of the competition by leaps and bounds.

You need to discover your own discovery zone.  Find out where you generate the best ideas and where you generate the most ideas.  You need to discover you discovery zone.  Beyond discovery, you need to be sure that you are comfortable as well as secure in that zone.  The discovery zone should be the type of place whee you can "escape" all of the other stuff that seems to get in the way and distract you from doing all of what you can do.

Get more ideas that will get you ahead of the pack.  Get into your own discovery zone.