Our bishop, Robert Schnase, wrote a wonderful blog entry about “Seeds with Wings”; those maple seed “helicopters” of our youth that were great playtoys. You could gather up a handful and toss them into the wind, and watch as they silently dispersed themselves in twirling flight over a wide area.

As Christians, we should be reminded, just as Bishop Schnase says, of our “wide area” of evangelism as well. We have a calling to reach others in this world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ; whether it be overseas, or in our own backyard, the “Great Commission” is there in front of us. It is not a suggestion, nor a casual inference…but a strong, inescapable fact: as His followers, it is our spiritual “duty” to make disciples of all nations. We are to begin at home, then work our way outwards. Whether we ever leave our state, or nation, is all up to how far we are willing to “get out of our comfort zone” and be like those little maple seeds…and “helicopter” our way out from underneath the safety of our “tree” and grow where the Spirit takes us.

Yes, we can bloom where we are planted; don’t get me wrong. Yet, we can also flourish where the Spirit of the Lord sends us on our mission experience. So how far are we really willing to take His call?

That, my friends, is our true living witness; to share God’s Love no matter where we are. And, just like those wonderful maple ‘copters, sometimes we must learn to “fly” in order for opportunities to present themselves.

If you’re a frequent visitor here, you may have noticed a few changes to the blog; namely, a new header and tweaked design. Thought it was time for a revamping of the look.

This Sunday is our second part of the “Unbinding the Gospel” sermon series, and we’ll take a look at what visitors and/or new members want in a church home. And are we willing to let go of ourselves and our “set” ways and offer these things to them, no mater how uncomfortable it makes us feel?

Hmmmmm. A very intriguing question.

Come and join us! We are having a wonderful time exploring the many facets of evangelism, and how to get people in the Lord’s house to worship Him.

This past Sunday was such a great blessing; we began our first look at “Unbinding the Gospel” with a message on “Why Do Evangelism?” This coincided with our local high attendance promotion, “I’ll Be There” Sunday, May 4th.

We were excited to have 68 people gather to hear the WHY’s of evangelism:

• Because people NEED Jesus;
• Because we are commanded to do so;
• Because each of us has a story (testimony) to tell;
• Because we should care enough for those we love to not see them spend an eternity separated form God.
  

I really felt the Holy Spirit move through me as I stood in the pulpit; I was totally exhausted after both morning services. Jeannie even said I looked like I was in the zone; she said nothing even bothered me and that she could very visibly see the power of God working in this servant. Wow. God is REALLY good!!

Then, that evening, we hosted a fish fry for the ladies of the parish and the blessings continued with 73 people showing up for fellowship. There was laughter, stories passed around, and GREAT food. Each of our ladies was given a special commemorative lapel pin for the occasion.

The amazing thing about all of this is: just when I think God couldn’t get any better…well, He exceeds all my expectations!  

I have written much on my companion blog, Slice of Home, Slice of Life, about our family’s upcoming trip out west to travel historic Route 66, and to see parts of a bygone era…a time that the world of today has cast aside.

This journey is not only one where I will enjoy the company of my wife and kids, but also a time for rest and recharge. The past year has been a wonderful one, full of ministry challenges, joys, and some heartaches. I thank the Lord for a glorious first year in ministry; yet, I know that He requires His servant to enjoy a sabbatical every now and then…thus, this will be my time to marvel in God’s glorious Creation with such wonders as the Grand Canyon, the National Petrified Forest, and other sights.

As you pray these next few weeks, please ask for traveling mercies as we make the trip to Annual Conference in Springfield from June 6th-9th, and then as we drive “westward-ho!” June 9th-20th.

I pray that our journey will be spiritually refreshing and rejuvenating for this servant’s heart, and that I will come back with an even bigger zeal and zest to share God’s Word to His people.

Evangelism.

That dirty, 10-letter word in Christian circles that oftentimes divides the Body of Christ; and one has to wonder, “Why?”

After all, Jesus called us to “Go into the world and preach the Gospel,” in Matthew as part of the Great Commission. The Lord actively calls us out to reach out to those around us, just as He did during His ministry here on earth. And yet, churches make excuses not to get involved; not to call or invite their neighbors or family or friends. They think that they can “sit back and rock their way to Heaven” since they are saved and sanctified by the Blood of Jesus Christ…and, my friends, they are WRONG!

So that is why God has placed such a burden in my heart for this Evangelism series that will be starting on Sunday, May 4th…there are SO many out in the world today who really need Jesus; who are trying to fill the void in their hearts with booze, or drugs, or sex outside of marriage, or pornography, or…we all could name a thousand things wrong with society; those things which are like a cancer, eating away at the moral fiber of our world. Jesus needs to be spread by His Word, and by deed…and by action.

So, what do we do? Well, we first must LEARN how to be an effective witness for Christ; we must be able to tell our own testimonies and stories to others in such a way that it sounds heartfelt; sincere; and interesting. We must truly feel that what we are doing can, and will, change the life of someone around us and lead them to a saving relationship with the Lord.

That is the burden placed on this servant’s heart for the next four weeks.

Evangelism…why we do it; what people want in a new church; those barriers that we place as obstacles to deny people entrance and the bridges that we can build to ALLOW people in; and finally, how we can stop being silent and start speaking boldly for His Name’s sake.

Please pray that this series will energize; enliven; and engage the people to active service for Christ!

Forgive me for not keeping up to date these past few days; we are in the process of renovating our home to switch bedrooms around and have enough space for a pastor’s study, which was completed late last night.

I now have my own little “fortress of solitude” to escape to when I need to pray, meditate, and delve into the Word of God. It works out so much better than where my desk was before (in part of old old dining room, which is now walled off into two rooms–one is still the dining area, and the other part is a new bedroom).

My wife has done most of the carpentry and paint work; she is such a joy to have as my helpmate! It really gives new meaning to the term “helpmate”. I couldn’t have done ANY of this without her. Thanks, Jeannie! I love you!

I am going to retire to the study this evening to work on the services and sermon for this upcoming Sunday. The theme is “This Is…Athenian Idol!” and it’s taken from Paul’s message to the people of Athens concerning their idol worship. Should have some good fun with that!

If you care to take a gander, my blog has been posted on the links page of Bishop Schnase’s blog on the Five Practices for Fruitful Congregations website. In addition, there is another link off for Missouri Methodist Bloggers from the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Enjoy your reading!

One of the churches that I serve, Bear Branch UMC, has an annual “Ham & Turkey Dinner” every fall; hundreds of people venture out to our neck o’ the woods to enjoy an old fashioned meal with all the fixin’s, gospel music, and an arts and crafts bazaar. And all the proceeds raised go back into the dinner expenses and also help to fund the various mission outreaches of the church.

Last year (our first at this appointment) opened mine and Jeannie’s eyes to the power of God working in the wonderful folks there at Bear Branch. You see, it wasn’t about them, it was all about the love of Jesus being made manifest in their outreach to the surrounding communities. This was a simple and profound way of helping to fill the needs of the people not only through physical food; but spiritual, mental, and emotional nourishment as well. I was so proud of these parishioners who gave fully of their time and effort to make sure not a belly or soul went hungry.

Folks, that’s what Radical Hospitality is all about. The five practices that we are learning about and slowly implementing into the United Methodist Conference have the chance to truly transform the lives of our people through what Jesus Christ taught His Church. It’s time to start thinking outside of the box and come up with new ways to get the Gospel to those who need Jesus the most: the lost, the last, and the least. When we can really look past ourselves and see the needs of others around us, and reach out to them to help fulfill those needs…well, that is exactly what our Lord and Savior gave to us. We should be willing to do the same as He did for our fellow man (or woman).

You know, it’s all about the generosity that we have in our hearts; are we willing to give abundantly as we have been given abundantly?

Just some “food” for thought for this Friday!  

Yes, the Chief Shepherd has kept this servant very busy as of late, with my annual meeting with the dCOM (District Committee on Ordained Ministry) this past week; preparing a sermon series on one of my favorite topics, Evangelism (and using an excellent resource called “Unbinding the Gospel” by Martha Grace Reese); renovating the parsonage (changing around rooms and adding a wall so we can make a pastor’s study/office–woohoo!); helping to lead (with my wonderful wife Jeannie) a Disciple 1 class; and the usual daily life grind of working my secular job, being a foster parent, being a dad, doing my best to be a loving husband…etc. etc. etc.

In all the busyness, sometimes I lose my focus on the task at hand: serving the Lord with my whole heart. And, in those times, I have to really get on my knees and ask our Father for forgiveness. Because, you see, He has really blessed my life in tremendous ways this past year. I serve three loving church congregations who are all an integral part of the Body of Christ and who each have wonderful gifts and graces in which they serve the Lord; I have a great family who supports me 1,000% in this ministry journey; I have a great co-minister in Jeannie who keeps me grounded when I get too flighty or bent out of shape; and most of all, I have a loving, nurturing, compassionate, and ever-faithful Lord named Jesus who is my steadfast Rock in this turbulent and constantly changing world.

So, even though I am busy…I must always take the time to get in that “attitude of gratitude” and give thanks to the Creator and Sustainer of all…Who has placed me on this exciting and crazy path of “going into the world and preaching the Gospel.”

Thanks be to God!