On our way home yesterday Sherry and I were talking about how quickly the past year has gone and that Christmas is just around the corner followed by a new year…2025. Wow! Well, yesterday we essentially started 2025 as a church family. With the fiscal year starting in November and the approval of new team chairs for the coming year, 2025 is on. What are the hopes and desires of you sitting in the pews on Sunday for our church? What do we want 2025 to look like for MABC?
Let me ask you a more telling question. What do we want MABC to look like in 10 years? For those of you who are here now, what do you want your legacy to be? In our business meeting yesterday, you heard that we are going to be celebrating our 100th year anniversary. Will there be a 105th? A 110th? You heard me say yesterday that the Lord doesn’t like anything that hinders the witness of the church as we talked about dishonesty, hypocrisy and self-serving in the account of Ananias and Sapphira. What is our witness right now?
We emphasized the necessity and importance of being honest with each other and with God. If we are being honest, the average age in our church is up there pretty high. With the current make up of our church, without an infusion of a younger people, is there another 10 or 15 years in MABC’s future? Hard words to hear. Lee Kircher, author of the book “For a New Generation,” says that we must have a mind shift in our churches today. Here is what he says:
Thinking of our churches as being potentially one generation away from extinction is not being overly dramatic. Someone has said that we are either living out the birth of a new vision or the death of an old one. The members of the church must decide which it will be.
We need to think carefully about all the things that we do. It has been said that we need to think of church as a hot-air balloon. The things that we do in church are like the sandbags that hold the balloon in place on the ground. Think about everything in church from music, décor, programs, social media, even down to the images we put on the screen as sandbags. If we wanted to soar as a church, which of those things need to change or be jettisoned all together to allow that to happen? You all went through “Simple Church” with Pastor Dick and one of the great quotes in that book is that “if the goal of the church is just to keep things going (status quo), then the church is in trouble.” Everything that we do should be geared toward finding the lost and giving them hope and life that is only found in Jesus.
I will have a couple of more thoughts on this topic next week but may have given you more to think about than you like right now and to be honest, you may not like anything I just said. I get that! Part of my role as a pastor, just as it was as a college head coach, is to do an end of the year review and look at everything being done. What needs to change in order to be better and more effective either on the football field or in the community is the goal for doing that. And that includes me! I listen to some of my sermons and think “Man, I gotta kick it up a notch! I need to do better!” I don’t want to have to answer to Jesus for not presenting His bride in the most favorable light for the Kingdom. How about you?
Hey MABC family! Thank you for the weekend away to visit family and friends. We were blessed to watch our two granddaughters perform in their fall recital. Our youngest performed for the first time and was extremely nervous. She said her “ankles were shaking” and she felt like she was going to pass out. Thankfully it was a duet with her older sister who is becoming a veteran on the stage.
We have one week in the books since the election of 2024. Our new president has been selected and he begins to put the next administration together. This was a crazy election as many people I talked to wondered if this was the best that this country could put up to run for the top leadership position. No matter how it turned out, we are called to pray for our leaders (1 Tim 2:1-2) whether they are “red” or “blue.” With that, here is a prayer I have been formulating in my mind that I can pray faithfully for our country.
Heavenly Father, we lift up those who lead our country. We pray that you would grant them wisdom and discernment and that they would understand that “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10).” We ask, Lord, that you would place Christ followers in their path to help them revere and respect the Lord. Lord, we pray that these leaders would humble themselves before you (Luke 14:11). I know that humility is not seeing self as better than others but putting others before self. Lord, help our leaders seek to elevate others over self and serve others as Jesus did even at the Last Supper (John 13:1-17) even though they would betray him, desert him and deny him. Father, help our leaders to unite the people and not seek retribution for the wrongs they perceive have been done by others in the political arena. Jesus, in his most vulnerable human moment on the cross, asked his Father to forgive those who had wronged him (Luke 23:34). Finally Lord, I ask that those in leadership who profess to be followers of your son Jesus not forget their real citizenship (Phil. 3:20-21) and do things that elevate their earthly home at the expense of Kingdom work. Amen.
This would have been my prayer no matter who won the elections this year. Romans 13 says that ALL leaders have been placed in their position of authority by God himself. In my feeble human brain, I sometimes don’t understand why but I also know that scripture says I never will because “his thoughts are not my thoughts and his ways not my way (Isa. 55:8-9). All I know is that he has a plan for me (Jer. 29:11) and it is for “good not for disaster, to give me a future and a hope.” However, we need to make sure we read verses 12 and 13 in Jeremiah 19 which say if we pray he will listen and if we seek him with our whole heart, we will find him.
That’s my prayer for you all. Would you pray and seek him with all your heart?
The rains continue and thankfully without any severe weather. While the rain has been good, for the Wichita metro area much more is needed to restore Cheney Lake. It looks like we will get a short break for a day or two and then the rain chances increase again later in the week. I have seen a forecast that predicts above normal precipitation for our area this winter which is good news. We are thankful for the rain!
Last night in my small group the conversation turned to the “big topic” of the week – tomorrow’s election. We were all discussing the pros and cons, ramifications, what are the possible reactions depending on who wins and our responsibility to vote. In the midst of all our discussion, which had turned to a little bit doom and gloom, the one man who has really only been following after Jesus for about 2 years now interrupted the conversation. He said, “I know we are all worried about the election but there is one thing we are forgetting. We still have so much to be thankful for.” Wow! It was a mic drop moment for the group because he has been hesitant to share his thoughts with the group. He feels like he doesn’t have the knowledge or faith background to offer anything of value. These are the moments that Sherry and I live for, when someone we have been investing in finally turns the corner and “gets it.”
We also had another great moment in our group last night. One of our men has been battling kidney cancer for quite a while now. I think he has finished chemo session #10 now and it is wiping him out. Last week he got a “kick in the gut” as he called it and 3 spots of cancer have shown up on his prostrate. He will meet with his oncologist later this week and hear the recommended course of action. Right now they seem to be leaning towards radiation every day and hormone treatment. He broke down and said he is just tired and not sure he wants to keep fighting any more. Of course, his wife was not having any of that!
I tell you this because yesterday’s message took issue with people not wanting to be a part of a faith- based community and/or a church family. Yes, organized religion gets a bad rap but when you see community like this coming together, I don’t know why you wouldn’t be a part of it. Like any relationship dealing with humans there are good and bad moments but for us, the good far outweighs the bad and is worth enduring. If you don’t have a small group that you are intimate with, I urge you to find one. Maybe it means you stepping out of your comfort zone and getting the ball rolling. You don’t have to be a theologian or a pastor to do that, just willing.
Sherry and I will most likely step out of this group when we move to Andover in a couple of months but the group will continue and probably add another couple or two. That’s a good thing because small groups were meant to multiply. Sherry and I will get to know our neighbors and will begin to form a new group in Andover hoping to have a mix of faith experiences in it. It be a little “weird” at first but if we can find another “young in the faith” or “new to the faith” couple that we can help walk through this life as they “get it,” it will all be worth it.
This week, if you are not in a small group doing life together, please pray about finding one or starting one. Be a blessing. And, pray and then get out get out and vote!
Good windy morning to you all! Hoping the wind dies down a little so that we can fully enjoy our AWANA/Youth gathering party outside tonight. Some games, hopefully smores and fun. Don’t need to be a “kid” to come! As I said yesterday, I may be the biggest kid in the church and I will be there.
We finished up “Shaken” yesterday and in the message, I talked briefly about Micah Tyler’s song “Praise the Lord.” The song was about praising the Lord in good times and in bad because he is ALWAYS good. Here is what he had to say about the song and the reasoning behind it. Awesome take.
“My new song ‘Praise the Lord’ may seem a little bit simple, but at the end of the day, it’s got a little depth to it. If you look back at the text in Judges chapter 20, whenever Israel would go into battle, the tribe of Judah would lead the way. Why? Because Judah means praise. Praise is how we begin our battles. We fight our battles by loving Jesus and knowing that we can trust Him no matter what. In this world, there will be trouble, but we take heart because He has overcome the world. For that, we can praise the Lord.”
Micah Tyler
I just shared this with a brother in Christ who is going through a tough battle with cancer and then to top it off he was just diagnosed with prostrate cancer as well. A faithful brother who always had my back at previous church, he is going through a tough time emotionally and spiritually right now. I asked you yesterday if you have ever doubted your faith during a crisis and some of you were brave enough to raise your hand. My friend confessed to me last night he was really struggling. It is okay to struggle with your faith but make sure you have “your people’ you can turn to who will lift you up if needed, kick you in the butt if needed or just sit and be with you if that is what is required.
Here is the link to the song on YouTube. It is light-hearted and somewhat humorous but in tough times, you need to have a little relief and humor does that.
We are quickly heading towards the Advent season. According to a Barna Research survey, the churchless people they interviewed were most open to a friend inviting them to attend a local church. One in five said they had a strong interest in going with that friend while almost half said they would be willing to consider attending with that friend. Barna says an invitation from a friend is the top-rated way churches can establish connections with the unchurched. A Lifeway Research project said that almost half of the unchurched say they would be likely to attend worship if invited by someone they know, and more than a third would attend a small group for people curious about God. The chances are even better for those who a nominal Christians – those who profess to be followers of Christ but bear little evidence of that faith. Plus, it’s Christmas…it will be all around them anyway!
Who are the unchurched you encounter during your day? At your doctor or dentist visit, what about those sitting around you? Your barber or beautician? The person checking you out at the grocery store? Your neighbor? Our waitress or waiter? They are all around us. You just have to be intentional seek to build relationships with them. We are creatures of habit and likely visit the same places often. I will have some tools for you this weekend and then some new tools for Advent. Be praying for God to open your eyes and heart to those around you who need “good news” in this shaken world.
Thanks to our American Baptist Women for their worship service yesterday morning. The highlighting of their mission and ministry was great as was Rev. Jane’s message. Be strong and be courageous! Why? Because, if you are a follower of Christ, no matter where you are going or what you are going through, we have this promise…I will be with you. You may need to intentionally look for the evidence of his presence but it will be there. We love Jeremiah 29 where God promises us only good in terms of our future and hope but he also says we will find his goodness when we seek him wholeheartedly. Seek after him wholeheartedly.
I want to thank those who ventured out to Lawrence Elementary School for the Fall Fest last Thursday. They reported a good time was had by all, good connections were made and lots of candy and faith-based trinkets were handed out to the kids. They also passed out Awana/Youth info as well as our church brochure. Putting faces to the Meridian Avenue name is always good when we are striving to be a neighborhood church. I will be working with the administration and the organization known as Love Schools to find more opportunities for us to connect with the families with kids at LES.
I was listening to the WAY FM, radio station 90.7 in the Wichita area, and they said the most horrifying thing. They said Christmas was only about 10 weeks away! Unbelievable! I am still looking forward to Halloween and Thanksgiving. However, now is the time to start thinking about how we can reach out to our community for the Advent season and to share with them the good news of the birth of the Savior. I want you to know that there are two seasons in the year when most non-church attenders are willing to go to church. Those two seasons are Christmas and Easter. I think the last number I saw was that about 80% of people will be happy to attend church if they get a PERSONAL INVITATION to go. Make a list of those around you who don’t regularly attend church and pray about how you might encourage them to join you. Pray regularly for the courage to ask and for them to give you a “Yes, I will.”
We have one more message in our “Shaken” series to finish it up and then we will return to the Book of ACTSion for a few weeks. I am still trying to sort out Advent as to whether it will be three or four messages but if it is four we will most likely start the Sunday before Thanksgiving.
Have a great week you all. There is a chance of rain this afternoon and evening so be praying for that!
Hope you are enjoying this brisk morning. Sherry and I got up early this morning to work out and because we both had places to be early we didn’t get to enjoy our morning coffee on the back porch but we would have needed a blanket that’s for sure.
Today is not really a “rewind” but more of a “forecast.” We are headed towards the annual business meeting in November as our church “business” calendar runs November to October. We will soon begin a new year and it will be the first “year” that I will be with you from the start! Sherry and I came in January and you were already two months into your church year.
I want to thank you all for the gift card yesterday as part of pastor appreciation month. I have a surprise for you all next Sunday as part of my appreciation for the church! You all have been open to new things and new ideas for which I am thankful. When I was a head coach in football or even track, at the end of the year we would do an evaluation of the things we accomplished, what we didn’t get done and if we needed to change our processes or our goals. With that in mind I want to share with you some markers that are widely recognized for “healthy churches.”
Healthy churches are those that are those that have the greatest staying power and don’t have to fear aging out or closing. According to research, these are keys to the revitalization of the church as we move forward:
1. The number of children and students in a healthy church. Of overall attendance, 1 in 5 should be children and 1 in 10 should be students (HS/MS). It is said that in a healthy church, one-third should be under 18 years of age.
2. Small groups and discipleship. It is said a healthy church has 60-80% of its overall attendance in small groups. The Southern Baptists, where Christian Ed is a priority, have always held that 70% is healthy.
3. The conversion ratio in a healthy church, There should be 1 conversion for every 20 people for average attendance on Sundays.
4. Year-over-year growth. Most churches took a great hit in the COVID year but since then has the church grown? From 2020 to 2023 has the church grown?
5. One area we excel in is per capita giving. The median average amount for giving in a healthy church is approximately $33/attendee. Off the top of my head figuring on our annual projected giving, with 60 people in attendance, we are averaging in the neighborhood of $50/attendee per week.
After reading that, you might expect me to push even a little more next year in terms of outreach! Surprise, huh! Remember, when we gave our lives to Christ, our lives became his and his mission which was to “seek and save the lost.” It is no longer about “I” or “me.”
Next week, I want to look at the expectations of a member in healthy growing churches. Some of those thoughts might not sit well with you but if we want to see MABC grow and thrive not just now but so that our legacy is a church that is alive and well in 10 years…20 years…30 years…then we will need to at least have some hard discussions!
