Developing Our College-and-Career Ministry

Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

This Sunday morning, you’ll get a chance to meet Courtney Carlson and her husband, Benji. This Sunday night, you’ll get a chance to vote for her as our new College-and-Career Minister.

Those who serve on the deacon body, the Personnel Committee, Finance Committee, and Missions Committee have all discussed this opportunity. They back the recommendation to add her to our staff. Now’s your chance to vote on this recommendation.

Hillcrest is in a good position to reach the “college and career” cohort. In terms of our location, we’re one exit ramp away from one of the largest off-campus sites for college students (the Far West area). In terms of our program, the Bold Service and Common Ground Café have given us some “tools” to reach this age group. In fact, since putting these things in place, we have attracted a good number of 18-to-25 year olds even though we haven’t provided any trained leadership for the group.

We think it’s time to put a “match” to that “kindling,” and we believe Courtney is that match. Courtney is thirty-year-old newlywed who has a degree from Fuller Seminary. She has just completed two years as an intern at UT’s “Baptist Student Ministry.” While there, she grew the Wednesday noon lunch program from an attendance of 20 to 100, with a major focus on outreach to unchurched students.

Our recommendation is to bring her on staff in a part-time capacity with the challenge to help us reach young adults 18 to 25 years of age.

A large part this age range includes college students, but this age range also includes young adults already in the workforce, recent college graduates, and even students in postgraduate programs. The common denominator: every young adult in this age range is learning how to “do life” on their own. They are asking, “How do I find true love?” “How do I manage money?” “What do I want to do with my life?” “Will I adopt or reject the values I was raised with?” As a church, we need to be able to offer them biblical answers to these important questions. An intentional, targeted ministry to 18-to-25 year olds will help.

Meet Courtney this week, and be in prayer about the recommendation of our church’s leaders. We will vote in a special called business meeting this Sunday evening, 6:30pm.

Adventures with Tom

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 750 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here. Central Texas is blessed with a lot of great spots for “day trips” out of Austin, and we’ve planned four of them for the Hillcrest Family this summer. You’re invited on all four trips, but make a special effort to join us on the trip that’s hosted by those in your age range.

Destination One: Join the 65+ age group at the Enchanted Springs Ranch in Borerne on Friday, July 13. The church bus leaves at 3pm and returns at 10:30pm. We’ll tour the wild animal park, visit Old West Town, and have a fine BBQ brisket dinner while watching the play “Last Words – A Western Yarn.” You have until July 9 to pay your registration fee of $35 for adults and $25 for kids 3-12. Contact Marylou Draughon at 452-3851 or loubelld@sbcglobal.net for more information.

Destination Two: Join the 20-34 age group at Pioneer Town in Wimberly on Saturday, July 21. The church bus leaves at 9am and returns at 4pm. Enjoy a BBQ lunch, volleyball, ping pong, pool, and swimming in the Blanco River. There are two playgrounds for the kids. You have until July 11 to pay your registration fee of $10 per person. Contact Patty Waldo at 836-2054 or patty@waldos.net for more information.

Destination Three: Join the 35-50 age group on Large Marge the Party Barge on Sunday, July 29, from 5:45-10:00pm! Tour Lake Travis in style, swim, and enjoy a meal onboard! Tell us what special dishes you’re bringing to our pot luck meal! You have until July 22 to pay your registration fee of $10 per person. Contact Melinda Johnson at 310-0590 or melindaj@flash.net for more information by Evite.

Destination Four: Join the 50-65 age group at the Rock Box Theater in Fredericksburg on Saturday, August 11. The church bus leaves at 11am and returns at 9pm. We’ll enjoy lunch and shopping, and stay for the only professionally-cast, live music show in the Texas Hill Country! You have until July 8 to pay your registration fee of $28 for the evening show. Contact Sheila Eveslage at 343-1318 or teveslage@earthlink.net for more information.

Sounds like fun, huh? Don’t miss these four summertime chances to mix-n-mingle with your church! And if you’ve been trying to introduce your THEMs to your Hillcrest Family, sign ‘em up for an “Adventure with Tom!”

My thanks to the four Adventure Coordinators as well as Jami Dismukes and Karen Raulie for organizing and promoting these events!

Links to Your World--Tuesday June 26

"C.S. Lewis described a kid named Eustace Clarence Scrubs. When he first gets to Narnia he is completely overmatched because he has read all the wrong books. He had read about grain elevators and fat kids doing exercises, but he didn't read books about heroism and courage, the timeless transcendental things. And that's what we look for literature-wise." Micheal Flaherty, Walden Media’s president and co-founder, on what he looks for in books to adapt to film.

One of my favorite church leaders, Tim Keller, explains why churches need to be “missional.”

Movies, Morality, and Ratings: A Hard Look at Our Opinion of Films.

According to John Stackhouse, there are "four different understandings of creation held by Bible-believing, church-going Christians."

According to a report of a recent Gallup poll, confidence is waning for organized religion, with only 46 percent of respondents said they had either a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the church. But the numbers are even bleaker for other American institutions. Just 25 percent expressed confidence in the presidency, while a mere 14 percent say they trust Congress.

The next time you hear someone say that religious conviction diminishes scientific inquiry, remind them of John Newton’s religious side.

Test your memory with Beliefnet's matching game.

Why join a church?

In “Jesus and the Eyewitnesses,” Richard Bauckham argues that the Gospels are based on eyewitness testimony, not "anonymous community traditions” as liberal skeptics have said. Read an interview with him here.

Josiah Road is a new website to help young adults address ethical and public policy issues(article, website). It's sponsored by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("The Uncloudy Day" by Don Henley), a funny video of Bob Newhart offering sage advice, four biblical reasons to fast, and a summary and link to an important speech by Ed Stetzer at the Southern Baptist Convention. Also, check out three posts of e-mail exchanges I had last week: is there salvation apart from Christ, why invite people to church, and a Common Ground "fasting project." To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

"Fast Club"

I can't wait to hear the results of a summertime "fasting project" that one of our fellowship groups has begun. It was in response to last Sunday's message about the spiritual discipline of fasting (see the summary here or listen to the sermon online or at iTunes). Here's the e-mail I received from one of the group leaders, informing me about their project:

I just wanted to share something that our Common Ground group will be doing throughout the month of July.

We had a really good conversation on the subject of fasting and questioned why this has not been commonly taught in the church as something we should still be doing. Most of us have never fasted on a personal level although some had participated in a church sponsored fasting of some sort. At first some of our group thought that this was an Old Testament practice that was not necessary anymore but as we dug deeper we realized that there was a real and continued need for fasting in the different areas that you addressed.

We talked about some different reasons that we might fast and decided that it would be a good idea to put it into practice. We came up with a plan that each one of us would begin some type of fast throughout the month of July and then come together in August (in a social with lots of food) to talk about what God had revealed to us during that time.

Our group is pretty excited to see what God will be doing in our lives over the next month. We'll keep you posted!

I've asked them to give me a write-up of their experience when they complete their collective fast in August. Stay tuned!

Song of the Week: Don Henley's "The Unclouded Day"

Don Henley says his grandmother taught him this song when he was a boy. From the 1982 album I Can't Stand Still (Amazon) here's hoping--

O they tell me of a home far beyond the skies
O they tell me of a home far away
O they tell me of a place where no storm clouds rise
O they tell me of an uncloudy day

O they tell me of a place where my friends have gone
O they tell me of that land far away
Where the tree of life in eternal bloom
Sheds its fragrance on an uncloudy day

O the land of cloudless day
O the land of an uncloudy sky
O they tell me of a place where no storm clouds rise
O they tell me of uncloudy day

O they tell me that he smiles on his children there
And his smile drives their sorrows away
And they tell me that no tears ever come again
In that lovely land of uncloudy day

O the land of cloudless day
O the land of the uncloudy skies
O they tell me of a place where no storm clouds rise
O they tell me of an uncloudy day
O they tell me of an uncloudy day
O they tell me of an uncloudy day
O they tell me of an uncloudy day

Church: Why Bother?

Here's another e-mail from another friend and church member. She was replying to an earlier post that got her to thinking about the all the appeals we make to get people to come to church with us. I have her permission to share the note and the reply.

Here's the note:

Hi, Tom. As Baptists, we're ingrained with a "bring them to the church house" mentality. But you know one thing I can't ever find Jesus doing in scripture? Dragging people to church, let alone inviting them. Nope, he went to where they were, lived with them and talked with them. Until we leave the "how many people can we squeeze into the building" mentality, I think we'll always have this issue: People feel that bringing someone to church helps the person they brought, and relieves the bringer of the responsibility of actually wittnessing. It's a win/win... except that it doesn't work, and it's not what Jesus told us to do. Okay, I'll climb down off my soapbox. :-)

And my reply:

Hey, glad to have you at your keyboard again. As for what Christ expected, I'm reluctant to put him in an either-or category: "either love church stuff or love being with people in the world." Seems to me church was his idea all along ("Upon this rock I will build my church"). Those he chose to teach in his name had even more exalted things to say about the church ("pillar and foundation of the truth," and "through the church all the manifold wisdom of God will be made known" and so on). So, the idea that he wasn't really big on the idea of "church" just can't be found in scripture; just the opposite.

Here's where we've gotten into trouble in our day and age, though--two things:

First, we've got this idea that "church" is a building or a program. "Church" has become a building at the corner of Steck and Greenslope or it's become the thing we do on Sunday mornings (we "go to church"). But "church" is made up of believers not bricks. So, did he tell us to "go to church"? No, but we are to be the church. And that takes "not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some" (Hebrews 10:25). It's just real hard to ignore all that "assembling together" that the believers did in The Acts of the Apostles. They must have known something that some of us have forgotten: That in order to fulfill all the "one anothers" of the Bible (pray for one another, serve one another, bear with one another, etc), you kinda have to be together for that. And to observe Baptism and Communion, commanded by Jesus, you have to have a time and place for that.

Do you have to have a church building for that? No, but you do have to have a church. Whether you're inviting someone to join you at Steck and Greenslope for someone's baptism, or you're inviting them to the Round Rock for an outdoor baptism (which I will have a role in next Saturday)--well, either way, you're inviting them to "come to church." Just can't get away from that.

Here's the second way we've gotten into trouble in our day and age: We've gotten this silly idea that only believers would really care about what we do as a church. But if we have a church where people are doing all the stuff that a real church ought to be doing--praying for each other, serving each other, forbearing each other, worshipping God, challenging each other with the good stuff in his Word--do we really have to feel like we're "dragging" someone into that kind of environment? Wouldn't that be absolutely the best environment for them to see the life-changing difference Christ makes?

Of course we should be "in the world," but we're not "doing church" right if those who identify with our church don't spontaneously and naturally want to bring someone with them to experience our congregation's life and study and worship. At Hillcrest, we're "finding and following Jesus together" (which is our slogan).

Does Jesus want us "out there" with people or does he want us bringing people into the Christian community where we share life together?

Yes.

Additional resources: There's more about this subject in The Anchor Course in the section on "I Believe in the Church." And I did an 8-week series on this weblog about our slogan: "Finding and Following Jesus Together."

Righteousness: Demanded and Provided

I received the following note from a friend and class leader. My reply is below the note. This is such an incredibly important question that I asked permission to share the question and my reply.

Here's the note:

Tom, I have a question concerning a discussion that arose in Sunday School concerning the meaning of the word "righteousness". I know of many references in the Bible that refer to unsaved persons as being righteous or doing what is right. The verse I used in Sunday School to support my position is Acts 10:35 where Peter notes that Cornelius (a gentile) fears God and is righteous (KJV) or does what is right (NIV). This reference was prior to his knowledge of the gospel and later acceptance of Christ as his saviour. Other references come to mind that link righteousness to unsaved peope. Acts 10:35 has been quoted by some to support salvation for those who never had access to the gospel but feared God and lived an upright life.

The question raised by verse 35, for some, is whether "whoever fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to Him" means that Cornelius was saved before he had the gospel shared with him by Peter. My thinking is he was lost despite his "fear of God and right living" until the moment he accepted Christ as his savior later in chapter 10. Do you think Acts 10 gives any comfort to those who argue that the heathern (e.g., Indians in Americas prior to 1492) who feared God in the light they were given and lived a righteous life were saved? These are simple questions for you but trouble me so I appreciate any help you can provide and I will share your insights with the Sunday School class.

Here's my reply:

Thanks for your note. There are two ways that “righteousness” is used in the Bible: there is the righteousness that God demands, and the righteousness that God provides. The kind he demands is found in the law and on our conscience. The kind he provides is found at the cross. These two kinds of righteousness are intertwined in this way: as we try to live the righteousness God demands, it drives us in guilt to the righteousness God provides; as we marvel at the righteousness God provides, it compels us in gratitude to the righteousness God demands.

It’s true that the Bible has several stories of unsaved people who are called righteous. But, as you correctly say, it’s a misinterpretation of these stories to imply that such people didn’t need the righteousness provided through Jesus. Cornelius, for example, was told about Jesus (verses 34 and following). So, clearly, Luke (the author of Acts) still considered this righteous man in need of the story of the atoning work of Jesus.

Regarding the argument that people can be made right with God by “living by the light they have,” the problem is that in Romans 1-2, Paul has already torpedoed that sentiment. In those chapters, he talks about the fact that, whether we know God’s demands by conscience (Gentiles) or by law (Jews), we’ve simply failed to follow it. That’s why Paul concludes his argument in Romans 3 by saying, "But now, a righteousness from God . . . has been made known. . . . This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe" (verses 21-22).

Paul promises us in Rom. 10:13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” and then he begins to list off the devastating questions: “How can they call on the one they have not believed in? [The obvious answer is “They can’t”] And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? [The obvious answer is “They can’t”] And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? [The obvious answer is “They can’t”] And how can they preach unless they are sent? [The obvious answer is “They can’t”].”

This is a tough, tough subject for people to grasp, but we dishonor God and dismantle the cross if we come up with any solution to hell other than the gospel.

It’s clear from your comments that you feel this way, too. Blessings on your influence with those who are struggling with these biblical realities. For more information, I recommend Lee Strobel’s The Case for Faith. He has a chapter on this matter.

Contend, Contextualize, Cooperate

Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

“Isn’t it a great irony that one of the greatest missionary examples in history--whose work is celebrated each year at Christmas--is not our model?”

In Baptist churches, according to Ed Stetzer, Lottie Moon is loved but not emulated. Lottie Moon, for whom our annual Christmas offering is named, was a missionary sent by Southern Baptists in the 1800s to China. She adopted the Chinese culture, dressed in Chinese clothes, and ate Chinese food. But, Stetzer says, Southern Baptists are unwilling to apply her missional methods in their own local settings.

You really should take 28 minutes and watch the video of Dr. Stetzer “bringing it” at last week’s Southern Baptist Convention in San Antonio. Clearly, the convention organizers saved the best for last. I have links to the speech at the end of this article.

Spontaneous applause interrupted Stetzer’s address several times as he preached from Acts 16:7-10. Stetzer said that Paul immediately responded to the vision he had seen where a man was standing in Macedonia begging for Paul to “come to Macedonia and help us,” adding that Paul immediately crossed over into that culture. “Our Macedonias are calling us and we have not crossed over to help,” Stetzer said.

He said that we falsely divide the work of international missions from our own local church work when, in fact, we should do our local church work in the same way that missionaries do their work in other fields. We should live as missionaries in our own context.

Using the same three words he’s used in many other speeches, Stetzer insisted that our churches must contend for the faith, contextualize the gospel, and cooperate together.

Contend: “No group without a firmly held theology reaches people for Christ,” he said, “Rallying around missions while ignoring doctrine does not work. Missions without doctrine leads to compromise. Compromise leads to a lack of commitment to biblical truth. Soon, we no longer see the need for evangelism because we have flawed and weak doctrine.”

Contextualize: “There are things we [as Southern Baptists] find essential for the Gospel and some things we find convictional as Baptists. We cannot reach this continent by compromising those, but we do need to live them out in different contexts.”

Complaining that “a trip into many of our churches is a step back into another time period of culture,” Stetzer referenced Romans 9:3-4, saying the Apostle Paul was willing to sacrifice his very salvation so that the Hebrews might be saved. Unfortunately, he said, Southern Baptists often cannot “give up [their] Sunday morning preferences” that have become an impediment to reaching the culture around their churches.

“From this very SBC pulpit,” Stetzer said, referring to the various speakers during the SBC annual meeting in San Antonio, “we have preached against models and ministries that are reaching more people for Christ than we ever have.”

Cooperation: “Is it debate that enlivens us, controversy that excites us or is it God’s mission?” Stetzer asked the audience. Accomplishing the Great Commission requires our combined efforts.

To watch his 28-minute challenge, click here and scroll down to “Challenge: Ed Stetzer” (fourth item from the bottom). And if you want to hear more from this remarkable SBC leader, this blogger has collected a bunch of Stetzer mp3 files onto one page.

Why Fast?

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 750 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.



Fasting: Jesus practiced it. So did the Apostle Paul. The first-century church often joined it with their fervent prayers. Those of us in the twenty-first century church need to restore this biblical discipline to our spiritual lives.

Why fast? This Sunday I’m going to explain four reasons that people fasted in biblical times. We’ll use my acrostic F-A-S-T to remember the reasons.

First, we should fast whenever there is need of forgiveness. In the Bible, people fasted because they were heart-broken over their own sins (Joel 2:12-13), and also when they grieved over the condition of people they loved (Nehemiah 1:3).

Second, adoration leads to fasting. We often think of fasting only in the context of grief or dire need or earnest, urgent prayer. But fasting can also be a way of celebrating our relationship with God (Luke 2:36-38). Fasting can be a way of saying, “God, spending time with you is even more important than food!”

Third, people fasted in the Bible days when they needed God to supply something they lacked (Esther 4:3; Judges 20; 2 Chronicles 20; Ezra 8:21-23). Andrew Murray said: “Fasting helps to express, to deepen, and to confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, to sacrifice ourselves to attain what we seek for the kingdom of God.”

Finally, we should fast as a way to train ourselves in the real priorities of life. Fasting is a way of reminding us that there are things more important than food. The worship of God (Acts 13:2), the work of God (John 4:34); and the word of God (Matthew 4:2-4) are all more important than food.

Forgiveness, Adoration, Supply, and Training. Do you have any of those same needs? Do you need to lay out some broken-ness before the Lord and ask his forgiveness? Do you need to spend time in adoration? Do you need something--rescue, guidance, healing? Do you need to train yourself to put the worship of God, the work of God, and the word of God above everything else? If you have these same needs, the same resource to meet these needs still exists. Fasting is a discipline we should restore in our day and in our church.

So, join us for this special study this Sunday, June 24, at our 9:30am "Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service, or listen online Monday (iTunes; website). Guest musician Adam Paul Williams will sing in both services.

Counseling at Hillcrest

The ministers endorse this approach to counseling at Hillcrest (you may need to click the arrow twice in Internet Explorer for the video to play):

glumbert.com

HT: SBC Voices

Links to Your World--Tuesday June 19

The Missionary Travels of Paul, Nintendo Style.

Finally: a dress a dad can make for his daughter: Duct tape prom dresses .

A new iMix of praise music is here! Listen to "Hillcrest Bold Gold (Volume 2)."

Find guidance on gender issues at the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

What’s happened to Sabbath-keeping? The WSJ answers.

We’re going to the Holy Land! Download our PDF brochure here.

Buy a whole hill country town for $2.5 million. Details here.

Calvary Austin baptism featured in the Statesman. Neat pics.

Southern Baptists speak on global warming (here).

Here is a cool story about an Indian named Rabi Maharaj who left the comforts of being worshipped within his Hindu religion for something better in Jesus. (HT: Amy at The A-Team)

“The trouble with the $27 million Creation Museum . . . is that it undermines the credibility of all Christians, especially those who are researching alternatives to Darwinian evolution using the tools of the scientific method.” Michael Patrick Leahy in the LA Times. Agree? Disagree?

A real-time 3-D computer reconstruction allows visitors to navigate the ancient city of Rome as if it were 320 A.D. again (article, with video).

At The Post-Rapture Post, atheists offer to send your post-rapture letter to an unbelieving friend or relative who gets “left behind.” U-m-m . . .

"The logical complementarity of the human sexes has been so recognized in our culture that it has entered our vocabulary in the form of naming various pipe fittings either the male fitting or the female fitting depending upon which interlocks within the other," he wrote. "When the complementarity of the sexes is breached, injuries and diseases may occur." James Holsinger, M.D., the White House nominee for Surgeon General, talking sense and taking heat.

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("With Arms Wide Open" by Creed), commentary on the state of American weddings, the power of your influence, Part Three of our churchwide renovation, and advice from Woodrow Wilson on sermon prep time. To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

Down the Ailse and Out of Control

As a pastor for 27 years, I've presided over my share of weddings. I've conducted ceremonies in backyards, front porches, and living rooms. I've led nuptials on Caribbean beaches and at restaurants, in beautiful church auditoriums and in my office. I've even conducted a ceremony underwater wearing scuba gear (yes, ask me sometime).

From that perspective, I can tell you that Rebecca Mead is on to something with her critique of the out-of-control phenomenon we call the modern American wedding (One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding).

Our Austin American-Statesman ran a New York Times review of Mead's book this past Sunday (here). She says that while engagement rings, lavish receptions and even honeymoons were largely unheard of in the United States before the 1940s, the national average for a wedding today runs close to $30,000. That's a 100 percent increase since 1990, with the wedding industry raking in $161 billion annually. Mead writes:

If a bride has been told, repeatedly, that it costs nearly $28,000 to have a wedding, then she starts to think that spending nearly $28,000 on a wedding is just one of those things a person has to do, like writing a rent check every month or paying health insurance premiums. (Or she prides herself on being a budget bride and spending a mere $15,000 on the event.) She is less likely to reflect upon the fact that $28,000 would have more than covered a 10 percent down payment on the median purchase price of a house in 2005 and would cover the average cost to a family of a health insurance policy, at 2005 rates, for a decade. The bride who has been persuaded that $28,000 is a reasonable amount of money to spend on her wedding day is less likely to measure that total against the nation's median household income — $42,389 in 2004 — and reflect upon whether it is, in fact, reasonable for her or for anyone to spend the equivalent of seven and a half months of the average American's salary on one day's celebration.

I'm not posting about this in reaction to any recent or upcoming weddings (he hastily adds). And with the age of my sons, I expect I'll be dealing with my own family wedding bills soon enough. But as a pastor, frankly I'm glad Mead has given us all something to talk about.

For further information, Albert Mohler interviewed Mead on his radio program (listen here).

Song of the Week: Creed's "With Arms Wide Open"

The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

For Father's Day, here's Creed's Grammy-winning song, "With Arms Wide Open" from Human Clay (iTunes; Amazon) written by lead man Scott Stapp about the birth of his son, Jagger. Yeah, yeah, Stapp's un-sta-ble. It's still a good song though. When the song came out in 1999, my boys were 12 and 9, and as a dad I could identify with his words:

Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is going to change
I close my eyes, begin to pray
Then tears of joy stream down my face

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open

Well I don't know if I'm ready
To be the man I have to be
I'll take a breath,
I'll take her by my side
We stand in awe, we've created life

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open
I'll show you everything ...oh yeah
With arms wide open..wide open

[Guitar Break]

If I had just one wish
Only one demand
I hope he's not like me
I hope he understands
That he can take this life
And hold it by the hand
And he can greet the world
With arms wide open...

With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Now everything has changed
I'll show you love
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
With arms wide open
I'll show you everything..oh yeah
With arms wide open....wide open

Wanted--Influencers

Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Whatever role you play at Hillcrest, you’re influencing someone. Hopefully your influence goes the direction of the salesman I read about.

At Alan Smith’s Thought for the Day, there’s the story of a country boy who was hired for a salesman’s job at a city department store. It was one of those massive stores that has every department imaginable. In fact it was the biggest store in the world -- you could get anything there.

The boss said, “You can start tomorrow, Friday morning, and I’ll come and see you when we close up.”

When the boss saw the young man the next day at closing time, he saw him shaking hands with a beaming customer. After they parted, he walked over and asked, “Well, that looked good! How many sales did you make today?”

“That was the only one,” said the young salesman.

“Only one?” blurted the boss. “Most of my staff make 20 or 30 sales a day. You’ll have to do better than that! Well, how much was the sale worth?”

“$227,340 and change,” said the young man.

The boss paused for a moment, blinking a few times. “H . . . H . . . How did you manage that?”

“Well, when he came in this morning I sold him a small fish hook. Then, I sold him a medium hook, and then a really large hook. Then I sold him a small fishing line, a medium one, and then a big one. I then sold him a spear gun, a wetsuit, scuba gear, nets, chum, and coolers. I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down the coast. We decided he would probably need a new boat, so I took him down to the boat department and sold him that twenty-foot schooner with the twin engines. Then, he said that his Volkswagen probably wouldn’t be able to pull it, so I took him to the car department and sold him the new Deluxe Cruiser, with a winch, storage rack, rust proofing, and a built-in refrigerator. Oh, and floor mats.”

The boss took two steps back and asked in astonishment, “You sold all that to a guy who came in for a fish hook?”

“No,” answered the salesman. “He came in to buy a blanket.”

“A blanket?”

“Yeah, an extra blanket for the couch. He just had a fight with his wife. I said to him, ‘Well, your weekend’s ruined, so you may as well go fishing . . . .’”

Whatever role you play at Hillcrest, you’re influencing someone. You may not think of yourself as a salesperson, but you are. In large ways and small ways, you’re persuading other people at Hillcrest for better or for worse. You do it by the words you say, the level of interest you show, and the kind of example you set.

Because of you, people have decided to trust God instead of giving up. Because of you, people have decided to quit complaining and join the cause. Because of you, people have signed up as volunteers. Because of you, guests have become convinced that Hillcrest should be their church home.

Don’t underestimate the power of your influence. Wield some today!

Three Renovations: Our Space

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 750 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

“The sermon starts in the parking lot.”

That’s how church leader Andy Stanley puts it. Long before the pastor begins to speak, guests draw conclusions about the church. They make their assessment from the moment they park, to the upkeep of the grounds they walk past, to finding the right door to enter, to the nursery where they leave their baby, to the seating and lighting and sound quality of the auditorium they sit in, to the quality of the printed material they read before the service begins, and on and on.

We have fantastic space in a fantastic location, but our space needs some updating and upgrading. That’s one of the three renovations I believe God called me to lead. In my last two Beacon articles, I’ve talked about the renovation of our heart and the renovation of our program. The third area for renovation is our space. As Jennifer Schuchmann wrote:

The condition of the building, the landscaping, and the signs can make a difference between a church that welcomes visitors and one that is ignored. Curb appeal is not about tricks; it's about removing barriers that discourage people from coming inside your church where they can experience your ministry.

Did you know that God actually withholds his blessing from those who pay more attention to their own house and business than they do to the place where he is worshipped? In Haggai 1:1-9, he actually says we should pay attention to the building where he is worshipped “so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored.”

To help me with this work of renovating our space, I have some advisors that I call my “First Impressions Team.” Recently I gave them disposable cameras and told them to take photos of things about our facility that should be addressed. I’ve also asked them to take photos of interesting features at other facilities. As the team looks at these photos in a couple of weeks, we’ll start talking about changes to recommend to our church family. Take your own photos of these things, too! I’ll need them in 2 weeks.

This church knows how to build. Within the last 10 years you renovated the multipurpose center and you built a three-story education building. You were already at work updating and upgrading our campus before I got here. I’m glad I’m here to join you in that ongoing work!

Join us this Sunday at Hillcrest (9:30am or 10:45am) if you're in the Austin area, or listen online (iTunes; website), posted every Monday.

Sermon Study Time

A cabinet member once praised Woodrow Wilson for his short speeches and asked him how long it took to prepare them. "It depends," answered Wilson. "If I am to speak 10 minutes, I need a week for preparation; if 15 minutes, three days; if half an hour, two days; if an hour, I am ready now."

Find more humorous stories of presidential speeches here. Some apply to preaching, too.

Links to Your World--Tuesday June 12

According to a report covered by The Daily Texan, young adults who do not go to college are more likely to drop out of church involvement than those who do--by a dropout rate of 76% to 59%. Though this is a counterintuitive finding, either way it's not good news. Pray that Hillcrest can help reverse this trend.

Greeters Play Key Role At Churches.

At this church, Herb Ingram could open his weekly announcements with, "What's New, Pussycat?" Yikes. (HT: Eileen Flynn’s “Of Sacred and Secular”)

Teen finds 2.93-carat diamond along path (here).

Randy Alcorn answers some questions you may have about heaven here.

How to Invite God to Your Summer BBQ.

“They do want to go back to a more conventional sexuality, morality, whatever. But they do not want to go back to an era of repression. So a kind of muddled, middle position is where it seems to me that most Americans are these days.” Sociologist Alan Wolfe, in a Times article about the trend toward a greater sense of propriety about sex in recent books and films.

According to this Washington Post article, missionaries from developing countries are making progress in Europe. If you're someone who believes missionary work is an invasion of someone else's culture, what do you do with a story like this?

What’s the greatest innovation in history? Experts reply.

What your pew says about you (here).

Your Mouth: When to Shut It.

JP Morgan’s guaranteed route to success: every day (1) make a list of what you're going to do and then (2) do it. Ah, if only we could all practice it. Then again, it really depends on what’s on that list, right?

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("Get Right with God" by Lucinda Williams), reaching people at the preconversion stage, and Part Two of a review of our church's three renovations. To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

Song of the Week: Lucinda Williams' "Get Right With God"

The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

Sometime Lone Star Lucinda Williams, released a Zydeco-flavored number called "Get Right With God." The song expresses the heart of someone who wants to close the relational gap between herself and God, and she's willing to do a hundred hard things to make that happen. There's desperation in the variety and boldness of the things she lists off, as if she knows the solution hasn't been found yet. From her 2001 project, Essence (iTunes; Amazon), here's "Get Right With God"--

I would risk the serpent's bite
I would dance around with seven
I would kiss the diamond back
If I knew it would get me to heaven

I would burn the soles of my feet
Burn the palms of both my hands
If I could learn and be complete
If I could walk righteously again

'Cause I want to get right with God
Yes, you know you got to get right with God

I would sleep on a bed of nails
'Till my back was torn and bleeding
In the deep darkness of Hell
The Damascus of my meeting

'Cause I want to get right with God
Yes, you know you got to get right with God

I asked God about his plan
To save us all from Satan's slaughter
If I give up one of my lambs
Will you take me as one of your daughters?

'Cause I want to get right with God
Yes, you know you got to get right with God

How Are We Doing With People at the Preconversion Phase?

Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Our church community can be a place where people find and follow Jesus together. I’ve been focusing our attention on that--okay, hammering on that--for several weeks now. You can find an 8-day devotional about that vision here.

That’s why an article by Doug Murren and Mike Meeks caught my eye. It’s called “Preparing Your Church to Evangelize.”

Murren once baptized a woman who had crossed into faith two weeks earlier after attending the church for two years. After the service, he caught up with her:

“You have to tell me. Were you here every week for two years, or once a year, or what?”

“I came almost every week.”

“And you just received Christ last week?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t want to make you feel bad,” I said, “but why did you wait so long?”

“My family started out Christian and kind of broke up. I’ve had three abortions and drug problems. I attended one of the church musicals with a friend, and she brought me to the worship services. I had heard this was a place where I would be loved for who I am. But it took me a while to believe it.”

Murren said that this conversation illustrates something he’s discovered about reaching unchurched people today. They usually go through a long “preconversion phase” that may last a year to two and be marked by sporadic attendance. He says,

When unchurched people walk into our building, they’re at a different starting point than the unchurched of fifty years ago. . . . They need a safe and often long preconversion stage, in which they build confidence in the church, establish the authority of Scripture, and cement relationships. We have to honor that phase. Unchurched people today distrust the church, and they need to come and just watch for a while.

He adds: “The biggest difference between a church successful in outreach and one that is not is willingness to begin with people, and patience with them during the preconversion phase.”

Drawing on his experience, his article covers two of the things his church has done to work with people in this preconversion phase:

Get Members to Focus on Their Relationships. He writes, “A church will fail if it tries to assimilate today’s unchurched person only through events and programs. The effective glue is relationships—friends bringing friends and including them in church life. Research has shown that of ten people who visit a church and stay, nine were brought by a friend.” So, the leadership spends a great deal of time equipping church members to bring and to include new people. In fact, Murren’s church is so committed to this strategy that the leadership not only follows up with the newcomer after their visit: the church member who brought the newcomer get three phone calls. They ask the church member, “Are there specific issues we can help you with as you’re working on your friend?”

Even more: If someone brings a friend to the Lord, he or she gets to baptize that friend. Murren wrote about what happened when they added this feature to their outreach strategy:

Immediately we saw an explosion in the number baptized. Big burly guys would step into the baptistery tank and start crying. Joe the mechanic would tell how his buddy Bob came to one of our musicals and three months later received the Lord.

Get Leaders to Create a “Safe Place." Bill Hybels at Willow Creek Church tells his people that their church is supposed to be “a safe place to hear a dangerous message.” If unchurched people don’t feel “at home” when they’re around church people, they will not stay around long enough to hear the truth. Murren says that a church that feels safe to the unchurched is a church where you . . .

. . . explain what you mean. “When we ask the unchurched why they don’t come to church, the number one complaint is they can’t understand what’s going on or what preachers are saying. We try to make no assumptions about what visitors will understand, and we work hard to talk the language of those unfamiliar with church.” That’s applicable to group leaders and Bible study teachers, not just preachers.

. . . explain why. “Postmoderns resist directive-type communication. A sermon that starts off with an authoritative statement about how people ought to behave turns them off. I’ve found it works better to speak persuasively, sometimes taking twice as long to explain a point. ‘If you believe this, so-and-so occurs; if you believe that, such-and-such happens.’” Sometimes the “pound-the-pulpit-and-tell-it-like-it-is” is what saved people want to hear, but that style doesn’t do a thing for the friends they ought to bring with them.

. . . don’t rush people. Our job is to love, and the Holy Spirit’s work is to convince.

. . don’t get surprised by their problems. Murren writes, “Unchurched people assume churches don’t want people with sin problems. They assume those who come to church are perfect--or hypocritical enough to act like they are. When your jaw doesn’t drop at their sins, they feel safe. When the pastor is transparent in sermons, it gives seekers permission to have problems.”

To become a church where people find and follow Jesus together, we simply need to keep Murren’s two principles in mind. First, we need to be sure our people are building relationships with their THEMs, bringing them and including them in church activities. And, second, those of us who are leaders need to make sure we are creating the kind of community that helps people feel “at home” the moment they come into contact with us.

Three Renovations: Our Program

Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 750 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

I believe God put me here to lead Hillcrest to look afresh at our priorities, our activities, and our facilities. So, in these past four years since my arrival, we’ve been doing exactly that. I’ve often described it as a renovation project—a renovation of the heart (our priorities), the program (our activities) and the look (our facilities).

Last week we reviewed the renovation of the heart. But the renovation of the heart does not make the other two renovations unnecessary; it makes them possible!When I speak of our “program,” I’m talking about what we do, how we do it, and when we do it--I’m talking about our activities, our ministries, our worship, and our schedule. Across the last four years, we’ve made a number of “renovations” in this area. We’ve added “Discover Hillcrest” as a required membership class. We’ve committed our Sunday evenings to discipleship classes. We’ve added a second morning service (the “Bold Blend”). We’ve started the Common Ground Café. We’ve re-worked the morning kids program to give more options for parents. In our services, we’ve made more use of multimedia. We’ve added “Hillcrest Hoops” to our Upward basketball ministry.

Anyone who has gone through a major home renovation can tell you how stressful it is. It’s true when a church goes through program renovations, too. But Hillcrest is a resilient family, and in these past four years you’ve set a great example of love and support and flexibility! Thank you!

Now we’ve started turning our attention to the third area for renovation: our facilities. It’s not that we’re completely finished with the other two areas. In truth, the renovation of our heart is a lifelong process, and we have to be willing to constantly evaluate our program and make adjustments as necessary. But we also need to make improvements to our space, and I’ll tell you more about that in next week’s newsletter.

These three renovations didn’t begin with my arrival. Four years ago, I became God’s foreman for a project that had already begun. I hope you’ll continue to pray and work with me as we make a faith-full examination of our priorities, activities, and our facilities.

It’s an exciting time to be part of Hillcrest! Come to the 9:30am “Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service, or listen online Monday (iTunes; website).

Consider joining our team this summer! This Sunday, June 10, I teach a membership class called “Discover Hillcrest.” Look for more information in The Beacon and plan to come!

Links to Your World--Tuesday, June 5

Why--and how--you should build your savings while you’re young (here).

Vote for Herb in the KVET jingle contest! Click here and click on the "Sam and Bob Jingle Contest."

A new iMix of praise music is here! Listen to "Hillcrest Bold Gold (Volume 2)."

David Jeremiah gives three reasons why you need to be connected to a local church,

In last week's sermon I mentioned a German website you can use to rent protestors for your next rally. Find it here.

See a slideshow of hymnals from around the world here.

In "Theology in a Minor Key," Stephen J. Nichols discusses how blues music harmonises "the Curse and the Cross." Good stuff.

Have you ever wanted to create your own church sign message? Now you can, at the Church Sign Generator.

The New York Times asks, "Time Wasted? Perhaps It’s Well Spent." Of course, some church members may think that's all their pastor does according to this humorous website: "What Clergy Do All Week."

This week's fortunate find: "Goodwill Employee Gets To Keep $5,000 Found In Pajamas."

Read an executive summary here of “Faith Beyond Feelings,” a contemporary version of an old classic by Jonathan Edwards. Learn how to distinguish genuine spiritual renewal from the false.

At the Elder Wisdom Circle, 600 senior adults ages 65-105 answer questions from young adults about relationships, money, careers and other matters. The Circle has answered more than 60,000 emails. One of the advantages that young adults have at Hillcrest is the chance to fellowship with those who have this "elder wisdom."

“The Conservative Resurgence . . . was not about renewing churches, but making sure that theological conservatives were teaching future ministers, training future missionaries, administering Cooperative Program funds, and accurately representing the moral convictions of most Southern Baptists in the public square." (SBC Witness.com)

Danny Akin answers the question, "How Should Southern Baptists Respond to the Issue of Calvinism?"

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("Heavenly Day" by Patty Griffin), prayer as a church leader's main labor, and Part One of a review of our church's three renovations. To keep up with the journal, sign up for e-mail updates or assign the feed to your news reader or Google Personalized Home Page.

Song of the Week: Patty Griffin's "Heavenly Day"

The player for the featured "Song of the Week" can be found on the upper right corner of the weblog for one week.

The King of Siam was once asked if he could quote a proverb applicable to all occasions.

His answer: "This too shall pass."

One of the things I like about Austin's Patty Griffin is her perspective on both joy and sorrow. In most of her songs, above heartbreak there's a tinge of hope, and within happiness there's the knowledge that problems will return. Here's "Heavenly Day" from her latest album, Children Running Through (iTunes; Amazon).

Oh Heavenly day
All the clouds blew away
Got no trouble today
With anyone

The smile on your face I live only to see
It's enough for me baby
It's enough for me
Oh heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day

Tomorrow may rain with sorrow
Here's a little time we can borrow
Forget all our troubles in these moments so few
All we've got right now,
the only thing that all we really have to do
Is have ourselves a heavenly day
Lay here and watch the trees sway
Oh can't see no other way
No way
No way
Heavenly day heavenly day heavenly day

No one on my shoulder
Bringing me fears
Got no clouds up above me
Bringing me tears
Got nothing to tell you
I got nothing much to say
Only I'm glad to be here with you
On this heavenly heavenly heavenly heavenly heavenly day

Oh all the troubles gone away
Oh for awhile anyway
For awhile anyway
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Heavenly day
Oh heavenly day