I have been reading “Comeback Churches” by Ed Stetzer.  In one chapter of his book, Ed gives 6 criteria that should exist in all biblical churches.  They are: scriptural authority, biblical leadership, preaching and teaching, ordinances (baptism/communion), covenant community, and mission.

I have been motivated by the last criteria: Biblical churches should be missional.  The question we must ask is whether our church is biblically faithful, acting as the presence of God in the community at large, able to relate God to people in culture, and is on mission. 

In short, is our church “missional”? 

Stetzer says that in its simplest form, the term “missional” is the noun “missionary” modified as an adjective.  Missional churches do what missionaries do, regardless of the context.  Context does not change the baseline activities of a missionary, or a missional person.  A “missional church” functions as a missionary in its community.  It eats, breathes, and lives within its culture, while sowing seeds of love, kindness, grace, redemption, and Good News. 

One distinction of a missional church is that it gives focus to meeting needs inside and outside the church.  It takes care of its own, but it also reaches out for the sake of the gospel.

Do you want to know if we're missional?  Ask: If our church closed its doors today, would anyone but its own members notice?

Characteristics of a Missional Church.  Not all churches look alike.  Stetzer’s study showed they came in all different shapes and sizes.  But there are some common characteristics of missional churches:

• Incarnational.  Missional churches are deeply entrenched in their communities.  They are not focused on their facilities, but on offering biblical community to a lost world. 
• Indigenous.  Missional churches take root in the soil of their society and reflecting, appropriately, their culture.  Being indigenous is harder than it sounds, because almost all declining churches already have a culture.  In most cases, the existing church culture is from a former era that is only meaningful to those in the church, not those in the community. 
• Intentional.  The cultural distance between our churches and communities continues to widen, making it harder to communicate the gospel.  Being missional means moving intentionally  beyond our church preferences, making missional decisions rather than preferential decisions.  The most effective churches will be those that intentionally think like missionaries in their context.  Simply stated, missional churches are biblically faithful and culturally relevant.
• Spiritual.  Spiritual experiences redirect and reenergize the lives of missional churches.

I have been enthused with the work that Ann Boyle and the Missions (Missional) Team is doing.  Local missional opportunities include the work we do at The Gloucester Manor Nursing Home, Literacy Tutor training classes and serving at Cathedral Kitchen in Camden.  New opportunities include helping at the Masonic Home of NJ (Voorhees Campus) and serving at Cedar Lane Missionary Homes in Blackwood.  Week long mission trips include this summer’s trip with NAMB to Appalachia, West Virginia

and the upcoming trip to Romania.

I encourage you to get involved and make a difference this year – be missional!

In Colossians 2:2, Paul says this,  "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in LOVE, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ."  What he was saying is that we must share Christ and we must serve as Christ.  We need to take our mission into the world we live in.

This is the characteristic

I think Discovery Church can 

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God.  He knew it was long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer and he started his journey. 

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons.  The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase.  He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered a Twinkie.  She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.  Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered a root beer.  Once again she smiled at him.  The boy was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.  As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and as he got up to leave he gave the old woman a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face.  She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?”  He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!” 

Meanwhile, the old woman, radiant with joy, returned to her home.  Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." But before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected.”

People need to see God in us.  We must do more than just talk about God. 

Discovery

The following creed comes from Tom Miller, a chaplain in the US Army.  It is easy to apply to our lives as soldiers in a spiritual army.  Replace "American" or "United States" with Christian or Christ Follower and you'll see what I mean.  I especially was convicted about never leaving a fallen comrade...

Soldier’s Creed

I am an American Soldier.

I am a Warrior and member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined,. physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.  I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.

I grew up in the Northeast.  Southern New Jersey, to be exact.  While most people think New Jersey is 95% parking lot, the state is actually full of farms and undeveloped forests (we call them woods).  This is especially true of the bottom part of the state.  Southern New Jersey isn’t the end of the world but you can see it from there!   And there’s a reason we’re called the “Garden State.”   I have family members who still cart their weekly trash to the dump.  If there’s a “varmit” eating the garden – no problem, we just shoot it!  I have friends that grow their own food, others whose 7 yr olds ride ATV’s and motorcycles for miles without touching asphalt. 

So your misconception of us all living in high rises with lifetime memberships in the mob is just wrong.  However, there is one preconception that is right on the money is most cases!  New Jersey people can be blunt.  Cut us off on the turnpike and we’ll tell you a thing or two about you and your family lineage.  Try to take advantage of us in a business deal and you’ll get a piece of our mind and lose a piece of an area of your body much lower.  We can be blunt, open-minded, stubborn and even obnoxious EXCEPT when it comes to expressing our feelings and emotions. 

When we get hurt by the ones we work or live with, we tend to clam up.  Responses become one or two word answers like, “I’m fine!”  In some cases, we limit our retorts to sub-human grunts.  False fronts bigger than the billboards advertising our casinos go up in an effort to protect our emotions.  It reminds me of the wife who, after 50 years of marriage, complained to her husband that he never said I love you.  His response, “I told you the day we were married, how much more do you want?”  Well, I think our fellow friends, family, girlfriends, boyfriends, co-workers, neighbors, spouses and children want me to say more.  At least that’s what Camryn, my 6 yr old daughter tells me.

New Jersey people are just like you when it comes to expressing ourselves – we don’t.  When it comes to saying thanks, sharing appreciation, expressing love and discussing hurts we often take the easy way out.

Silence. 

Camryn is among other things, very vocal.  Her voicebox but it is strong, functioning 24/7, and powered by the nuclear energy bunny – it never stops!  But do you know what I notice most?  Camryn is too young to learn the fine art of jamming her emotions down to the recesses of her heart.  If she has a hurt or a happiness, she shares it.  If I do something to irritate her, I hear it.  If she is appreciative, I get it.  And if she needs to cry, the whole neighborhood knows it.

The lesson here?  Well, as a leader and more importantly, as a member of this race called human, I want to break the bonds of silence and express myself more effectively.  When something is good, I should say so.  When something goes bad, I need to say so as well (in a non-condemning way).  I need to say please and thank you and most of  I need to say, "you are loved."  That's what I'm going to work on this week. 

I'm thinking random thoughts...

The first voice we hear sets the tone of the whole day.  I'm thankful mine today was upbeat and encouraging.  My challenge is to be that influence in someone else's morning.

Second thought...explaining life to a 6 year old is a challenge, living life because of that 6 year old is a priviledge.  What we do now in the lives of our kids and those who we influence will be ingrained deep in their souls.  Hopefully, we will all survive the growing years and when they are adults they will be little copycats of the good things we are.

Third thought...button flys should be illegal.  They are time consuming and maybe even dangerous. 

Fourth thought...live is short - live, laugh and love.  All three are important and I'm learning that when one is missing, life can get tedious.  My new goal is to keep the balance.  I want my pictures to laugh.

Last thought...I gotta stop thinking!  Enjoy the day.  Take a hike, ride a bike (preferably a Harley), hug a friend and be grateful for who God threw into the mix that you call "your life."

Why Does The Devil Have All The Good Music?

I went to Jimmy Buffett’s “We’re Still Here” concert Sunday night and I have to tell you, I was impressed...and I think our churches could learn a thing or two from Jimmy.

Now, just to get off on the right foot, I’ll admit that using Buffett’s

Atlantic City

With that being said, here’s what impressed me Sunday night.

First, there was an almost insane attitude of commitment to the Parrothead way of life (Parrotheads are Buffett fans).  These people were Parrotheads and they didn’t care what someone else thought.  I met a doctor who had to be embarrassed the next morning when the digitals were posted on Facebook.  There were two accountants behind us who went from balancing books to trying to keep two coconuts hats planted on their balding heads.  Nurses wearing grass skirts, somebody’s mom skateboarded past us in an aisle – all this before the show even started.  I spoke to one guy who drove 6 hours to the concert.  Another had taken a day off from work to buy the tickets.  These people were committed to their cause!

Second, people who normally would have no interaction in any other circumstance were suddenly best friends.  They were united in their cause.  Need to find your seat?  No problem, the grandmother singing and bopping to “Brown Eyed Girl” will help you.  Thirsty?  You’ll get more offers to partake in liquids of every color – no selfishness here.  Want to be accepted?  Make a fin with your hands and sway to the left when instructed to do so.  Strangers are now part of the family.  Everyone was accepted!

Third, everyone – and I mean everyone participated.  We yelled out “salt” in all the appropriate places, we made fish and fin signs, we shouted back answers to the musical questions – we got involved and no one, I mean NO ONE sat in their seats while just a few people did all the work.

Fourth, there were plenty of “refreshments” available (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!).

Fifth, there was an obvious dedication to the one who brought all these people together.  One particular guy must have shouted “Jimmy” in my right ear about two thousand times during the show.  These

Key West

Sixth, according to the source of all information that is pertinent – Wikipedia - the Parrot Head Clubs "party with a purpose."  They hold fundraiser events for many different causes including Toys for Tots, blood drives, raffles and other charities. Environmental causes, cancer research, Alzheimer's research and the March of Dimes all have received large donations from Parrothead organizations. In 2005, 2.2 million dollars were raised by these organizations, along with toys, blood, canned goods and many hours of manpower to support various charities in the

US

Last, but not least, even though I don’t get into the heavy consumption of alcohol (that should keep the Southern Baptists happy!) or shout lyrics that are questionable at best, I had fun.  I won’t be wearing a parrot on my head, I’m not about to be strangled by multi-colored leis but I will be at Buffett ’09.  Why?  Because it was simply fun.

I believe leaders see a lesson or motivation in everything that they do.  And I was motivated by Jimmy Buffet.  I want a Parrothead kind of church where people are insanely committed to their cause, everyone is accepted, no one sits in their seats while just a few people did all the work, everyone makes it a priority to be there, they arrive early and the experience is life-changing and when at all possible, fun.  I’ll say it again, we can learn a few lessons from the Parrotheads!

There were four kids in my family.  Two boys and two girls all fighting for the same ice cream cone, the same space in the back of the station wagon and the best seat at the kitchen table – the one with the view of the television.  When we weren’t fighting, we got along and in those brief, peaceful times we would play a game called “Cooties.”  If you were chased down and touched, you had cooties (whatever they were!). 

Cooties became a part of our vocabulary and I remember somewhere between eight and twelve years old, our extended scientific research drove the Smith kids to conclude that old people had cooties – permanent cooties.  Old people made noises when they moved, sat down or got up.  Old people smelled funny.  Old people always wanted to kiss you (ugh!) and old people always dressed funny.  Generally speaking, they had cooties!

Funny thing is, the perception in many of our churches today isn’t much different.  We target, market or outreach (depending on your preference) to a generation that has about $1,200.00 in their retirement fund and thirty years to go before they can use it.  Our music is loud, our lights are bright and our service orders literally vibrate with the energy and creativity of the young generation.  And that is good...

BUT...

We are missing out on something when we ignore the older generation.

I'm just going to go ahead and say it.  I like old people!  When it comes to church, I don’t like their music, I don’t like their formality, and I don’t like some of their traditions but I like the people.  More importantly, I like to learn from them and hear their stories.  Admittedly, we don’t have a ton of old people at Discovery (see the previous section about loud music and bright lights), but talking to those who are there fascinates me.  We have a World War II B-29 pilot, an all-state football player who played with no face mask on his helmet, we have women who cried when they first voted or got jobs, and a couple who went through the Depression and spent Saturday nights listening to the radio for entertainment.

We also have some amazing spiritual history and experience sitting in the seats and in our small groups.  We have missionaries, teachers, preachers and former leaders from several denominations (deacons, trustees, elders, and such).  I’ll bet the few older folk you have in your pews, seats or bean bag chairs have a storied past too.  A past that’s just waiting to help you build a church.

I think we hurt ourselves when we exclude the oldsters.  They have wisdom, they have time, they have energy (for short periods of time!) and for all you pastors, they usually are good stewards!  I’m not advocating that you haphazardly appoint five or six AARP members to your Executive Leadership Team.  Actually, I’d warn you not to do such a thing with any age group.  But I am saying that we need to find ways to marry the wisdom and years of spiritual growth of the old with the energy and adventuresome spirit of the new.  How that’s done is your job to figure out – you’re the leader...lead!

When teaching at the NEXTinitiative.net church planting seminars I often defend our style of doing church by saying, “The methods are different but the message is the same.”  You’ve probably repeated the same mantra.  Well, let’s turn it around and expand it some.  The methods of the older generation won’t reach a thirty-seven year old couple with an eight year old child BUT the message is the same and they have years of maturity and wisdom.  Let’s find creative ways to tap into that knowledge.

In Acts 2:16 we find a spine tingling promise, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”  Let’s find creative ways to harness the dreams of the old men (and women) and use them to motivate the visions of the young!  When we do so I think we’ll find that cooties aren’t so bad after all.

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My favorite Mexican restaurant is a place called La Esperanza in Somerdale, NJ. We're talking real, authentic, "stays with you for days!" type Mexican food. If you ever get there, try the Fat Alex burrito. It's about three pounds of good eating.

Hanging on the wall in La Esperanza is a poster of a Mexican revolutionary named Emiliano Zapata Salazar, known today as simply "Zapata."  Below Zapata's picture was one of his most famous quotes (he has some other quotes attributed to him but I can't repeat them!). Written on the poster in bold lettering were these words, "It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees."

Those words (and the salsa) haunted me the rest of the day so I googled "Zapata" last night between Olympic events and was intrigued by what I read. It seems that Zapata was a leading figure in the 1910 Mexican Revolution. He was born a peasant but, with amazing leadership and a lot of pure guts, formed and commanded an important revolutionary force, the Liberation Army of the South.

It was Emiliano's desire to change the lives of his fellow man. He was consumed by the goals of achieving political and economic emancipation of the peasants in southern Mexico, and leading them out of severe poverty. It was in his capacity as a leader of a revolution that he said, "It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees."

What amazing words. Here was a guy that was willing to try. Dying was better than doing nothing. He wanted to make a difference. Most importantly, he realized that failing at an attempt to do something is far better than being safe doing nothing.

Zapata's words were a reminder to me that we are called to go. We don't have the promise that it will be easy or convenient. We don't have the surety that everyone who jumps on board will stay. BUT we have a rock solid commitment from God that He will be there - rain or shine. If He calls us, my vote is that we go. Who cares if we falter or even fail by our standards? At least we tried. At least we didn't sit around and do nothing while more and more people mess up their lives and their eternity.

Thinking about doing something for God? My advice is pray, prepare and then take the plunge! Give it a shot! "It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees." See you at La Esperanza!