Links to Your World--Tuesday May 8

For your Mother’s Day, here’s poet laureate Billy Collins’ piece, “The Lanyard.” From "Writers on Writing," here’s Billy Collins reading it:

The Lanyard

By the way, find animations of Billy Collins poetry here.

Fifty-three percent of a sample of 1,200 college and university faculty members said they have “unfavorable” feelings toward evangelical Christians. Professors expressed positive feelings toward Jews, Buddhists, Roman Catholics and most other religious groups, but not evangelicals. Is there disdain for evangelicals in the classroom? Washington Post explores the answer here.

You may have heard of sleeping like a log, but how about sleeping like a pin cushion?

Hugh Ross talks about facing up to Big Bang challenges

A little perspective on the presidents' job-approval ratings.

University of Minnesota researchers find ceiling height can affect how a person thinks, feels and acts. (HT: Evangelical Outpost)

In “An Upside-Down World,” Christopher Wright tells us distinguishing between home and mission field no longer makes sense.

Ways to Grandparent Older Grandchildren

"Today, one of the most powerful religions in the Western World is environmentalism.” (Michael Crichton, “Environmentalism as Religion”)

“Here are five principles for growing in discernment that have implications for our daily lives: imitate God, distrust your heart, think biblically, involve others, and decide to worship.”

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("The Wedding Photo Song" by Jim Cole/Clint Black), Hillcrest at Cannes, coverage of the Biola arts conference, why sonograms would reduce abortions, as well as continuing coverage of our church's vision. 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: The Wedding Photos Song

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

Update: You can see the wedding photos slideshow here.

We've slowed the transition speed so you can

get a good look at all those photos!

Since this Sunday's sermon was on the permanence of the marriage vows (iTunes; website), I featured a montage of wedding photos from our congregation. Our office manager stitched them together from the most recently married to the couple married the longest--a couple in their 90s who just celebrated 71 years! I wanted her to set the photos to Clint Black's song, "When I Said 'I Do'," but we needed a little more than the 4-1/2 minutes of that song to get through the 150 photos that our congregation turned in. So, we added Jim Cole's instrumental "Effie" to Clint Black's song, creating "The Wedding Photos Song." Here are Black's lyrics:

These times are troubled and these times are good
And they're always gonna be, they rise and they fall
We take 'em all the way that we should
Together you and me forsaking them all
Deep in the night and by the light of day
It always looks the same, true love always does
And here by your side, or a million miles away
Nothin's ever gonna change the way that I feel,
The way it is, is the way that it was

When I said I do, I meant that I will 'til the end of all time
Be faithful and true, devoted to you
That's what I had in mind when I said I do

Well this old world keeps changin', and the world stays the same
For all who came before, and it goes hand and hand
Only you and I can undo all that we became
That makes us so much more, than a woman and a man
And after everything that comes and goes around
Has only passed us by, here alone in our dreams
I know there's a lonely heart in every lost and found
But forever you and I will be the ones
Who found out what forever means

When I said I do, I meant that I will 'til the end of all time
Be faithful and true, devoted to you
That's what I had in mind when I said I do

Truer than true, you know that I'll always be there for you
That's what I had in mind,
That's what I had in mind
When I said I do

Hillcrest and the Cannes Film Festival!

Some Hillcrest members will be on the screen at the Cannes Film Festival this year!

That's the exciting news from Daniel and Tiffany Kilcoyne, serving with the International Mission Board in France! While Daniel and Tiffany were members at our church, we worked with them on a film that Tiffany wrote and directed. Here's an excerpt from a recent note to Hillcrest:

Thank you for all the hard work you put in to help us produce the short film The Pelican Box. Some of you may remember that a little over a year ago, on a Saturday afternoon, Hillcrest Baptist Church became a film set, and many of you became cast and/or crew.

I am pleased to tell you that we still have contact with many [of the actors and crew] because of your efforts to play as extras in the scenes, to make food (lots of food!), and to sit down and talk with the people on the set. Thank you.

We have some more great news about the film. The Pelican Box will be a part of The Short Film Corner portion of the Cannes Film Festival in France. People from all over the world come to this festival, and our film will be there!

AND, because we registered a film, our team leader (Mentanna Campbell) and Tiffany will actually get to go to Cannes for the festival. We will be there!! It appears that film will be an important strategy for our ministry in Marseille; Mentanna and Tiffany will be able to make contacts with members of the industry from all over France and all over the world.

Please pray for this awesome opportunity. We will be actually at the festival from May 16 to May 19. The Short Film Corner will last until May 26.

Thank you for being such a big part of this project.

Here is our prayer:

Please pray that we "may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" and that HE will "do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."

Amen!

In Art, Show Them The Wound as Well as The Grace

What do Christians entering the arts need to learn? Lisa Swain, Interim Chair of Biola's Mass Communication Department reflected on some of her students' shortcomings at faith-fueled art:

We get so caught up in wanting people to see Christ, we forget that they also have to see us. And by seeing our struggles, then they will see Christ. You don't show Christ by showing them grace first. You have to show them the wound first.

Wow, a great comment in Jeffrey Overstreet's coverage of the recent conference at Biola University regarding the new Hollywood interest in the “Christian market” for films. Christians in the film industry acknowledge a struggle between typical prime-time stereotypes of Christians (and especially Christian leaders) as "child molesters and lunatics" on the one hand, and explicitly Christian media as “mediocre, sentimental propaganda” on the other hand. But, as Mark Joseph said:

I think Christians have this basement full of amazing stories. But because we were raised in a generation that was told that [filmmaking] is not an acceptable way to tell stories, we're just backlogged with amazing stories to tell.

Intriguing commentary at the intersection of faith and culture.

"The Fetus is Squirming, and So Are We"

William Saletan has an article at Slate (here) about how the ultrasound is changing the abortion debate. Some state legislatures are dealing with bills that require an ultrasound before a woman proceeds with an abortion. He writes:

Pro-lifers are often caricatured as stupid creationists who just want to put women back in their place. Science and free inquiry are supposed to help them get over their "love affair with the fetus." But science hasn't cooperated. Ultrasound has exposed the life in the womb to those of us who didn't want to see what abortion kills. The fetus is squirming, and so are we.

. . .

Critics complain that these bills seek to "bias," "coerce," and "guilt-trip" women. Come on. Women aren't too weak to face the truth. If you don't want to look at the video, you don't have to. But you should look at it, and so should the guy who got you pregnant, because the decision you're about to make is as grave as it gets.

Now, Saletan is no prolifer himself. He writes: "The clash between ultrasound and the partial-birth ban is ultimately a choice between information and prohibition. To trust the ultrasound, you have to trust the woman.” In other words, he's all all for requiring an ultrasound before a woman can go through with an abortion because it assists with the ‘informed’ side of ‘informed consent,’ but she should be permitted to consent to the killing.

By the way, did anyone think one of his closing lines odd? He suggested some tongue-in-cheek amendments to the bill, including, “the woman should also be offered a six-hour videotape of a screaming 1-year-old.” An attempt at humor? Probably. But a comparison that makes the skin crawl. Apparently, he was saying, "Yes, show the mother the ultrasound and let her see that it is a human life she's thinking about aborting, but also show her how mind-numbing the next few years of her life will be if she decides to have this kid. Then she'll have all the facts she needs to make this decision." (Shudder)

HT: Albert Mohler, who also pointed out that this Slate article appeared again in the Washington Post, but with a significant change: the designation “pro-lifers” was changed to “abortion opponents.” It's an annoyance that most media outlets allow abortion advocates their prefered designation--"prochoice." But abortion opponents are denied their prefered title: "prolife."

Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage Four

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.

I see Hillcrest becoming a church where northwest Austin can find a follow Jesus together. Across the last six editions of LeaderLines, we’ve been looking at this vision--and your part in fulfilling it as a leader. You can find links to the previous articles at the bottom of this LeaderLines.

Today we’ll look at how to lead people into “stage four” in finding and following Jesus together. Hillcrest leaders must recognize that people are at one of four stages when it comes to the “life purposes” all humans must fulfill. God made us to honor him, invite others to him, love each other, and live his Word--at our church we call that our “H.I.L.L.” to climb. When we fulfill those purposes, we are fulfilled as human beings. At Hillcrest, we should expect to have people at four stages when it comes to these life purposes:

Stage One: “I am exposed to the life purposes.”
Stage Two: “I agree with the life purposes.”
Stage Three: “I practice the life purposes.”
Stage Four: “I advance the life purposes in others.”

Someone at Stage One is being exposed to the H.I.L.L. we’re meant to climb: She catches a vision of the way life could be as she spends time with believers--in structured Hillcrest activities as well as informal social occasions. By the grace of God, she reaches Stage Two where she agrees with the life purposes: She accepts Christ’s offer of forgiveness, commits to the path he wants her to walk, and she formally connects with the Hillcrest community through membership. Then, at Stage Three, she grows in her ability to honor God, invite her world to the new life she’s found, love others, and live the Word. She’s climbing the H.I.L.L.

What’s next for her? As Hillcrest leaders, we need to notice that she’s climbing the H.I.L.L. and move her into a position of influence or leadership where she can advance the life purposes in others. That’s our work with people at Stage Four.

Notice a few things about that last paragraph:

First: I’ve described people at Stage Four as those in positions of “influence or leadership.” Positions of leadership involve official roles such as teacher or committee chairman or deacon, and so on. However, there are more positions of influence than there are positions of leadership. Positions of influence include such informal tasks as giving a testimony in a service, being the “go to” person for advice, or being the “E.F. Hutton” for a particular circle of relationships (you remember the old commercial: “When E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen). Every leader is an influencer, but you don’t have to be a leader to be an influencer.

Second: I believe the only people who should lead and influence a congregation are “Stage Four” people. These are people who agree with the life purposes (Stage Two), are actually practicing the purposes (Stage Three), and are therefore leading others to accept and practice the purposes (Stage Four). Sadly, this is not the case for every church. Too many of us have served in too many church settings where the leaders and influencers were not passionate Christ-followers and did not have a priority to make others passionate Christ-followers. For example, I’ve served with decision-making teams before (deacon boards and church councils) where I was the only one who was practicing the “I” of the H.I.L.L.

Bill Hull said something about this in one of his books:

In many cases leaders who do not walk with God tell pastors how to spend their time and do their job. Such laymen don't pray, meditate on, study, or memorize Scripture. Many have never introduced a single person to Christ. How anyone could lead an organization that purposes to save the world and never lead one person to Christ is the enigma of the church. This kind of duplicity cannot exist even in the business community.*

Amen and amen. If a church is supposed to be a body of people who are learning how to put the life-purposes into practice, there’s simply no reason for anyone who is not personally practicing the life-purposes to lead that kind of organization! Thankfully, at Hillcrest most of those in influence and leadership are climbing the H.I.L.L. But if we find a leader or influencer who has no personal interest in practicing the life-purposes, we either have to inspire them to that calling or replace them with someone else.

Third: It’s the job of leadership to build leadership. The Apostle Paul said something about this: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2). Now, he was speaking specifically about the role of pastors, but the principle applies to other leadership positions: multiply yourself! Enlist and equip others! If you’re a leader, part of your job is to watch for those who “get it” and put them into positions where they can lead and influence others. The other side of that coin is relevant, too: make sure you guard the positions of influence and leadership in our church. Don’t occupy those positions with people who aren’t climbing the H.I.L.L. and who don’t have a drive to help others up the H.I.L.L.

Now, there’s one more thing to discuss in this LeaderLines series. As a leader, you need to be able to actually name the people you’re influencing at each stage. We’ll wrap up this LeaderLines series next week with that topic.
_______________________________

*Quote from Bill Hull, The Disciple-Making Pastor, page 32.

This edition of LeaderLines is part of a series:

Week One; Finding and Following Jesus Together
Week Two: Can People Find and Follow Jesus Together?
Week Three: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.
Week Four: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage One
Week Five: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage Two
Week Six: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage Three

What "I Do" Really Means

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.

Glynn Wolfe was married 29 times. According to Jesus, that’s 28 times too many.

Wolfe held the title as the Most Married Man in the Guinness Book of World Records. Wolfe’s shortest marriage lasted only thirty-eight days, while his longest marriage lasted five years. He kept two wedding dresses, in different sizes, in his closet at all times. He has been married on Valentine’s Day, Fourth of July, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, and Washington’s Birthday.

Twenty-nine times he was asked, “Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife . . . . Forsaking all others do you pledge yourself only to her, so long as you both shall live?” And 29 times “Scotty” Wolfe said, “I do.”

He was once asked why he bothered to get married when he could just live with a woman. Wolfe replied, “I don’t like to live in sin.” He went on to say, “Some people play marbles for fun, but I play for keeps.”

A few years ago, I read that Glynn Wolfe died alone in Los Angeles at the age of 88. He left behind children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, a number of living ex-wives, and innumerable ex-in-laws. Still, he died alone. No one came to claim his body; the city paid to have him buried in an unmarked grave.

In all his hopping around, Wolfe never found what he was looking for. Maybe that’s because what he was looking for can never be found by hopping around. Jesus said of marriage, “Let no one split apart what God has joined together” (Matthew 19:6, NLT).

In our Sunday morning study series, “Extreme Makeover,” we’re looking at some of Christ’s toughest words, found in Matthew 5. In the TV show by the same name, a carpenter named Ty Pennington leads his crew to remodel a house for a deserving family. In our series, we’re asking a carpenter named Jesus to remake our lives.

This Sunday, we’ll show a musical montage of wedding photos from our congregation, and we’ll look at what Jesus said about marriage. Wow! You really came through on those wedding photos! We will celebrate with about 150 couples during this montage! I believe singles will be inspired to wait for the right partner, married couples will recommit to their vows, and divorcees will find the redemptive power of Christ’s forgiveness. Join us this Sunday at Hillcrest (9:30am or 10:45am) if you're in the Austin area, or listen online Monday (iTunes; website).

Links to Your World--Tuesday May 1

What do teenagers fear most? It's not global warming. A newly-released survey from New America Media suggests that American teenagers see the breakdown of the family as the most severe threat to their generation.

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” (Alvin Toffler, quoted at JollyBlogger).

New Exercise Regimen: Pontius Pilates.

In “No Accounting for Chaste,” Dawn Eden responds to news reports on a study showing that abstinence-only sex education apparently hasn’t changed teen sexual behavior.

“Its unique sound, dense and almost eerily spiritual, contains unusually melodic harmonies, and can be described as Gregorian chant meets bluegrass.” That’s what the New York Times had to say about Sacred Harp music (also called “shaped notes” singing).

Find a top-ten list of books about the Holy Trinity here.

Bruce Ware gave three lectures at the Resurgence Conference: Session 1 was entitled, “Uncertain Hands of God and Men: Providence in Process Thought and Open Theism.” Session Two was called “Independent Hands of God and Men: Providence in Classic Arminianism.” And Session Three was called, “Coordinated Hands of God and Men: Providence in the Reformed Tradition.”

“Prediction #2: The American . . . will live fifty years instead of thirty-five as at present.” Predictions of the Year 2000 from The Ladies Home Journal of December 1900 (HT: Evangelical Outpost).

The universe has a designer, speakers say.

Jeffrey Overstreet covers the recent conference at Biola University regarding the new Hollywood interest in the “Christian market” for films.

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("Meant to Live" by Switchfoot) and continuing coverage of our church's vision. 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.

On-Mission Mondays: Purpose-Driven

Every Monday I post about being “on mission” with Christ. I’ll spend a couple of months asking you to think with me about the principles in Milfred Minatrea’s book, Shaped By God's Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches. Find previous posts on this subject here.

"Those who intend to be missional know they cannot be everything and do everything. They are focused on the purpose for which they have been sent and they are not taking their eyes off that purpose."

That's what Milfred Minatrea calls "Missional Purpose Number Seven"--order actions according to one's purpose.

"A mission statement has to focus on what the institution really tries to do," said corporate management expert, Peter Drucker, "and then do it so that everybody in the organization can say, 'This is my contribution to the goal.'"

Regardless of a mission statement on a wall plaque, a church's real purpose is determined by how it allocates its time and resources. Missional churches intentionally organize their calendars and budgets to reflect what they intend to accomplish. Likewise, Minatrea says, missional churches courageously stop doing things that do not fulfill their purpose.

At Hillcrest, our purpose is to be a place where northwest Austin can find and follow Jesus together. Every Thursday I've been posting about this mission statement. Thankfully, there's very little at Hillcrest that doesn't fit that mission, so there's nothing I can think of that we have to courageously stop doing. But we have to consciously change some of our assumptions about the way we're doing what we're doing.

The biggest change is to expect lost people to show up at every activity we hold. Not just the "crusades" or the special talks aimed at conversion. Instead, from our class socials to our weekly worship services to our Sunday night gospel-music service to our H.I.L.L. classes, do we expect lost people to be there so that we are collectively finding and following Jesus together? If that's our expectation, how does it change our promotions and advertising? How does it change our presentation of the material? How does it change our announcements? What a difference it would make if we approached everything we do with the purpose of being a church where northwest Austin can find and follow Jesus together?

Song of the Week: Switchfoot's "Meant to Live"

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

Switchfoot, according to this article, “is one of the few acts today that remains secular-friendly while being grounded firmly in the faith.” They headlined a free concert at Baylor last Saturday that Diane and I attended with our youngest, Stephen. A shot of Pat Neff Hall in the background (from a Flickr member)--



It was attended by 6,000 to 7,000 people and hosted by Beta Upsilon Kai ("Brothers Under Christ"). My eldest, Michael, is a member of the fraternity, and worked the video for the concert. During one song, John Foreman, frontman for the band, walked into the crowd singing, and jumped up on the platform where Michael was manning a camera. Great fun--


For this week's "Song of the Week," here's "Meant to Live"--

Fumbling his confidence
And wondering why the world has passed him by
Hoping that he's bid for more than arguments
And failed attempts to fly, fly

We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Somewhere we live inside
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside

Dreaming about Providence
And whether mice or men have second tries
Maybe we've been livin with our eyes half open
Maybe we're bent and broken, broken

We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside
Somewhere we live inside
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
Somewhere we live inside

We want more than this world's got to offer
We want more than this world's got to offer
We want more than the wars of our fathers
And everything inside screams for second life, yeah
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live for so much more
Have we lost ourselves?
We were meant to live
We were meant to live

Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage Three

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.

My vision for our church is that we be a place where northwest Austin can find and follow Jesus together. Think of it:

. . . People in our Sunday worship services
finding and following Jesus together.
. . . Youth on mission trips
finding and following Jesus together.
. . . Boomers in a Second-Half Ministry social
finding and following Jesus together.
. . . Participants in a Common Ground group
finding and following Jesus together.
. . . Members of an Anchor Course study
finding and following Jesus together.

Now, leaders at a church where people find and follow Jesus together will recognize that people are at one of four stages in relation to these life purposes:

Stage One: “I am exposed to the life purposes.”
Stage Two: “I agree with the life purposes.”
Stage Three: “I practice the life purposes.”
Stage Four: “I advance the life purposes in others.”

What are these “life purposes”? God made us to honor him, invite others to him, love each other, and live his Word--at our church we call that our “H.I.L.L.” to climb. When we fulfill those purposes, we are fulfilled as human beings.

Someone at Stage One is being exposed to the H.I.L.L. we’re meant to climb: She catches a vision of the way life could be as she spends time with believers--in structured Hillcrest activities as well as informal social occasions. By the grace of God, she reaches Stage Two where she agrees with the life purposes: She accepts Christ’s offer of forgiveness, commits to the path he wants her to walk, and she formally connects with the Hillcrest community through membership.

As Hillcrest leaders, we need to make sure that those who express a commitment to climb the H.I.L.L. get all the help and encouragement they need to make the upward trek. That’s our work with people at Stage Three. Here are four ways to do this:

Set the Example. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” As a Hillcrest leader, can you say that yet? More important, does it bother you if you can’t? Whatever your position--deacon, staff member, Common Ground host, Sunday School teacher--you set an example whether you want to or not. So, be sure to set an example worth following.

Pray. When Paul wrote the Colossian Christians, he commented on one of their leaders who was visiting him in prison: “Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured” (Colossians 4:12). When was the last time you “wrestled in prayer” for those you lead? In my 20s, just starting out in ministry, I found all the pastoral prayers in the New Testament, wrote them on index cards, and memorized them. What a difference it would make if all of us as leaders prayed for those at Hillcrest like Paul prayed for his people! Listen to his heart in Philippians 1:9-11, for example--

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God.

Evaluate the Program. We should use the H.I.L.L. acrostic to regularly evaluate the kind of program we provide at Hillcrest. Are we consciously, deliberately providing activities, studies, and opportunities for people to learn how to

. . . honor God with their worship, prayers, and stewardship?
. . . invite their world into a better life?
. . . love each other more and more?
. . . live the Bible in all it’s practical goodness?

Exercise Church Discipline. As church leaders, we need put Galatians 6:1 into practice: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently.” From time to time, our staff has had to quietly go to some people and remove them from leadership and service for a season. It’s not pleasant, but it’s essential for the spiritual health of the individual and the area he/she serves in. If you are in a position of influence, you may have to do the unpleasant work of reprimanding someone. Don’t neglect this essential, biblical work of church leadership.

While working with people at the first three stages, another part of leadership is identifying growing Christians with the aim of pulling them into positions of leadership and influence. We’ll look at how to get people to Stage Four next week.

Tom

This edition of LeaderLines is part of a series:

Week One; Finding and Following Jesus Together
Week Two: Can People Find and Follow Jesus Together?
Week Three: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.
Week Four: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage One
Week Five: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage Two

Good Buzz

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.

Thanks for your part in making Hillcrest a great place to be on Sunday mornings! You’re generating “good buzz”!

Wedding Photos! Thanks to so many of you for turning in your wedding photos! The deadline is this Sunday! We need two photos: one from your wedding day (or a photo from when you first met) and we need one recent photo as well. We also need your date of marriage. All printed photos will be returned. Bring photos to Jami or Karen at the office for scanning or submit a digital shot to: jami@hbcaustin.org or karen@hbcaustin.org. Jami and Karen are helping me create a photo montage for my sermon on marriage in May. The montage will be set to a 4-1/2 minute song. Don’t be left out!

Our New Series. People are spreading the word about our new sermon series, Extreme Makeover. On the hit TV show by the same name, Ty Pennington and his crew choose a family that needs a new home, and in one week they remodel or even rebuild an amazing new place for the family to live. At the end of each Extreme Makeover show, as Pennington walks the family through all the rooms of their new home, TV viewers can’t help but say, “Wow, did you see that! Look at that kitchen! I want a bedroom like that! Did you see what they did with the garage!” That’s the way people will start reacting to the changes Jesus makes in your life. Jesus was a carpenter, too, and as he renovates your life, people will say of you, “Wow, you’re different!” Join us this Sunday at 9:30am or 10:45am or listen online (iTunes; website).

Greeting Newcomers. Thank you so much for greeting the people around you each Sunday! I got a nice note from Tom and Sheila Evaslage Sunday afternoon about their chat with a young woman who sat near them during the second service. Also, last week, my neighbors were visiting in the first service and were wowed by the friendly invitation of Meta Pugh to join her Common Ground group. And these warm greetings happen even before our visitors exit through the lobby where Fred and Joanne Chappell and their team of greeters thank them for coming and give them a gift bag. Keep up the great work!

Bringing Newcomers. In addition to greeting newcomers, several of you are bringing newcomers. This week I met a young adult son of one of our members who came for the second time with a friend of his. I met a member’s sister. I met the new boyfriend of one of our college students. And I met a member’s friend who has just moved his family here from California and they’re looking for a church home.

INVITE Workshop. When it comes to our six-step INVITE Evangelism Strategy, you need either an introduction or a reminder. So, join us in the gym this Sunday night, April 29, at 5:30pm and discover how to make a profound spiritual influence on others!

Keep up the good buzz! It’s a great time to be part of Hillcrest!

Links to Your World--Tuesday April 24

Ravi Zacharias will be in town next week. On Monday night, April 30, he will be at the First Evangelical Free Church to critique Islam. Register online for $20 or pay $25 at the door. Learn more here. On Tuesday morning, May 1, he will speak at Austin’s Prayer Breakfast, one of the National Day of Prayer events in our area. Cost is $30 a ticket, or you can sponsor a table for $300 and invite guests to join you. Sign up here. Ravi is an internationally recognized speaker with many books to his name.

Here we go again. The Austin police department is investigating officers suspected of viewing porn on duty. A month ago it was the EMS department that had to investigate the same issue with their employees. The words of Jesus that we’ll study at Hillcrest this Sunday, April 29, can transform our community.

The Southern Baptist Texan did a special report on the subject of pornography in a recent issue. They covered internet porn addiction, and how a wife should respond to her husband’s addiction.

“Seeing women primarily as potential sex partners changes the way men view women,” says author Gary Thomas in the article, Blinded By the Sight . “It affects what we value about them; it distorts the way we relate to them.”

The men of your Ministry Staff have x3watch on our computers, and we recommend it to you.

If you’re a church leader, spend some time with Andy Stanley. All six of his “Drive” conference sessions are online here. (HT: Connexion)

If you’re tired of paying the bills for your kids cell phone texting addiction, enter them in this contest and get some money back.

You’re never too old to win Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Good reading: Abstract of Systematic Theology by JP Boyce

“The Christian Church has had a love-hate relationship with the arts.” (Faith Imitates Art)

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("Heart of Hearts" by the late Mark Heard) and continuing coverage of our church's vision. Also, make sure you read "The Ignored Master." 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: Mark Heard's "Heart of Hearts"

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

As promised last week, this week's "Song of the Week" comes from Mark Heard. Mark passed away in August 1992 at the age of 40, on the verge of some well-deserved exposure. It's surprising how often his music has been covered since his death, considering that he got very little appreciation from the music industry during his lifetime. As I mentioned last week, Austin's Monte Montgomery covered his song, "In the Gaze of the Spotlight's Eye" (Youtube). Also, Rich Mullins covered "How to Grow Up Big and Strong" on the 1993 album A Liturgy, A Legacy, A Ragamuffin Band (iTunes; Amazon). (The song was also covered by Olivia Newton-John on a tribute album. Interesting.) Leslie Phillips (now known as "Sam" Phillips) covered his song "Heart of Hearts." The Canadian musician Bruce Cockburn said he regarded Heard as his favorite songwriter and even wrote "Closer to the Light" in response to the news of his death (Dart to the Heart on iTunes; Amazon). Julie Miller's song "All My Tears" was dedicated to Heard. And her husband, Buddy Miller, covered his song "Worry Too Much" (Youtube) on the album Universal United House of Prayer (iTunes; Amazon). To learn more about Mark Heard, go to the tribute website or pick up the book, Hammers & Nails: The Life and Music of Mark Heard.

From his 1982 project, Victims of the Age, here's "Heart of Hearts." The recording is from a well-worn record of mine (yes, record--as in the flat, black vinyl disk that ancient peoples once played using needles on turntables). The iTunes version is crisper if you want to sample it there. Lyrics:

Tears in the city
But nobody's really surprised, you know
My heart's taking a beating
Existence is bleeding me dry, you know

But way down in my heart of hearts
Way down in my soul of souls
Way down I know that I am a fortunate man
To have known divine love

The world is in shambles
I'm just a young man
but it's been gettinga little bit old to me
I'm already aching
The years have been taking
a little bit of a toll on me

But way down in my heart of hearts
Way down in my soul of souls
Way down I know that I am a fortunate man
To have known Divine love

Two in the morning
The siren is a warning that
everything is not quite alright
The city is sleeping
I'm down on my knees in the night
tonight

But way down in my heart of hearts
Way down in my soul of souls
Way down I know that I am a fortunate man
To have known Divine love

Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage Two

Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter designed for church leaders. (I'm a day late this week.) If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

God made us to honor him, invite others to him, love each other, and live his Word--at our church we call that our “H.I.L.L.” to climb. When we fulfill those purposes, we are fulfilled as human beings.

Now, leaders at a church where people find and follow Jesus together will recognize that people are at one of four stages in relation to these life purposes:

Stage One: “I am exposed to the life purposes.”
Stage Two: “I agree with the life purposes.”
Stage Three: “I practice the life purposes.”
Stage Four: “I advance the life purposes in others.”

Last week we looked at what to do with those at Stage One. But those who are exposed to the life purposes must be encouraged to own them. That’s Stage Two.

At this stage, the person says “Jesus is my Lord and Hillcrest is my church.” She accepts Christ’s offer of forgiveness, commits to the path he wants her to walk, and she formally connects with the Hillcrest community through membership.

Think of the second stage as a wedding. A wedding is the completion of the courtship and the beginning of the marriage. In the same way, Stage Two is the completion of something and the beginning of something.

On the one hand, Stage Two is the completion of a person’s spiritual search. A wedding isn’t the union of two strangers, because in courtship the two get to know each other and consider whether they could spend a lifetime building a home with each other. In Stage One, people are given the time and the freedom to ask their questions about Christ and see in others what a life as a Christ follower looks like. They feel more and more a part of the Hillcrest family and they become more and more persuaded to commit to Christ and his church. But courtship leads to something. Just like a wedding date, there comes a point at which someone considering these things commits to these things. The “Discover Hillcrest” class is completed, and the new member is baptized and/or presented for membership.

On the other hand, Stage Two is the beginning of a person’s spiritual growth. Again, I compare it to the wedding that begins a marriage. Don’t look for a couple in a black tuxedo and white wedding dress if you’re looking for a couple that has weathered the storms of life, learned how to forgive, figured out the cost of mutual sacrifice, knows intuitively how best to serve each other, and can predict each other’s moods. If you’re looking for a couple like that, go find a 50th wedding anniversary party! The half-hour wedding is a place to express commitment; it’s the lifelong marriage where a couple grows and develops.

Likewise, as leaders of a church where people find and follow Jesus together, we should rejoice when people reach Stage Two, but we should understand that it’s only a start. A newly-minted Christian isn’t like a believer who has had decades of spiritual growth. There are still old habits and old ways of thinking that have to be overcome.

Most church leaders say they want to be part of a “New Testament church.” Have you actually read what a church in the New Testament was like? Most of Paul’s letters were written to congregations filled with baby Christians, and the letters cover such basic issues and problems! So, if you really want Hillcrest to be a church like those in the New Testament,

. . . expect to deal with doctrinal confusion like you find Paul addressing in the Galatian church,

. . . expect to deal with relationship issues like you find Paul addressing in the Philippian church,

. . . and expect to deal with the shocking ethical issues like you find Paul addressing in the Corinthian church.

Why? Because Stage Two is the beginning of spiritual growth, just as a wedding is just the beginning of a marriage. As Hillcrest leaders, then, we have to rejoice at someone’s expression of commitment (Stage Two), and lead them into a lifetime of spiritual growth (Stage Three). We’ll look at that stage next week.

This edition of LeaderLines is part of a series:

Week One; Finding and Following Jesus Together
Week Two: Can People Find and Follow Jesus Together?
Week Three: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.
Week Four: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage One

Anger Management

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.


Few United States governors will ever be as immortalized in popular culture as the late Alabama populist, George C. Wallace. The rock band Lynyrd Skynrd praised him in Sweet Home Alabama (“In Birmingham they love the guv-nah!”). Then Forest Gump introduced new generations to his infamous stand at the school house door, attempting to block blacks from admission to the University of Alabama in 1963. In fact, the Forest Gump news footage is the only picture most people have of the Governor today--a defiant obstructionist with jutted jaw and curled lip, shouting “Segregation forever!”

But there’s another picture of Wallace. While campaigning for president in 1972, Wallace survived an assassination attempt, but the bullet fired into him left him paralyzed in the legs. His brush with death got him to thinking about eternity, and he gave his life to Christ in 1983. As the heavenly Ruler began to influence him, the earthly ruler began to change. One day, Wallace appeared unannounced at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. This is the church Martin Luther King, Jr., was pastoring when he launched the civil rights movement in the 50s. Mr. Wallace wheeled his way to the front of the church where three hundred black ministers were concluding a day-long conference. A hush fell over the crowd. “I never had hate in my heart for any person,” he said, “But I regret my support of segregation and the pain it caused the black people of our state and nation.” Amid cries of “amen” and “yes, Lord,” he continued, “Segregation was wrong, and I am sorry.” Two images of George Wallace. Hopefully the enduring image will not be the segregationist but the humbled, wheelchair-bound penitent, saying “I was wrong and I am sorry.”

Jesus said, “Settle matters quickly with your adversary. Do it while you are still with him on the way [to judgment]” (Matthew 5:25). The last and lasting image you want to bring before the throne of God is that of a humbled penitent saying to the one you hurt, “I was wrong and I am sorry.”

This Sunday at Hillcrest, we’ll look closely at Christ’s command regarding anger and contempt of others. It’s part of the “Extreme Makeover” he wants for our lives. In you're in the Austin area, join us at the 9:30am “Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service, or listen online Monday (iTunes; website).

Links to Your World--Tuesday April 17

Excellent article! In “The Morning I Heard God's Voice,” John Piper talks about how God still speaks today.

There's an interview with Richard Land here. He's the Executive Director of our convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and the author of the recent book, The Divided States of America. “God," says Land, "may very well have more to do with America than liberals may think and less than [conservative] Christians often assume.”

Here's some help for the single guys: Handbook of Christian Pick-up Lines. If those don’t work, you can always try text messaging a number from your dreams to marry the girl of your dreams.

What did the cross achieve? Theologian J.I. Packer answers the question here.

Canoodling lowers stress and cures depression.

What to do about tithing when your spouse objects.

Hugh Ross has written a new book called Creation As Science: A Testable Model Approach to End the Creation/evolution Wars. Ross explains his approach to faith and science in a video presentation here.

In "Friends Outside the Faith," four women talk about the challenges of reaching out with compassion while living lives of holiness.

The Masters winner points people to the Master.

Learn about how to have a “Spiritual Family Retreat” at this website.

In this New York Times article, people are discovering that they need to make some deliberate plans for the second half of life. I'm so grateful for our church's new "Second Half Ministries"! The gang just recently spent a day repairing the facilities at the Down Home Ranch. There more in the third paragraph of Gene's article here.

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("Wishing Well" by Austin's Monte Montgomery), one student's reaction to the Virginia Tech shooting, a new Bible study at Hooters (leave a comment!), and information about the Hillcrest policy for missions support. Also, make sure you read "The Ignored Master." 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.

The Ignored Master

"It was 7:51 a.m. on Friday, January 12, the middle of the morning rush hour. In the next 43 minutes, as the violinist performed six classical pieces, 1,097 people passed by."

It's not unusual for downtown pedestrians to pass streetcorner musicians playing for pocket change. But one morning in January, the musician that commuters rushed past in Washington, D.C.'s Metro station was an internationally acclaimed virtuoso playing on a 294-year-old Stradivari violin valued at $3.5 million.

Washington Post staff writer Gene Weingarten wanted to know if ordinary people would recognize genius and true beauty, so he persuaded Joshua Bell to join him in an experiment. Standing in front of an open violin case with a few dollars and pocket change in it, and dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and baseball cap, Bell played pieces that people normally paid a hundred dollars and more to hear:

Three days before he appeared at the Metro station, Bell had filled the house at Boston's stately Symphony Hall, where merely pretty good seats went for $100. Two weeks later, at the Music Center at Strathmore, in North Bethesda, he would play to a standing-room-only audience so respectful of his artistry that they stifled their coughs until the silence between movements. But on that Friday in January, Joshua Bell was just another mendicant, competing for the attention of busy people on their way to work.

Nearly 1100 people passed by the musician that morning. Seven stopped what they were doing to hang around and briefly take in the performance. Twenty-seven gave money, for a total of $32 and change.

It was fascinating to read about the people who stopped. One was John David Mortensen, early 30s:

He's heading up the escalator. It's a long ride -- 1 minute and 15 seconds if you don't walk. So, like most everyone who passes Bell this day, Mortensen gets a good earful of music before he has his first look at the musician. Like most of them, he notes that it sounds pretty good. But like very few of them, when he gets to the top, he doesn't race past as though Bell were some nuisance to be avoided. Mortensen is that first person to stop. It's not that he has nothing else to do. He's a project manager for an international program at the Department of Energy; on this day, Mortensen has to participate in a monthly budget exercise, not the most exciting part of his job: "You review the past month's expenditures," he says, "forecast spending for the next month, if you have X dollars, where will it go, that sort of thing."

On the video, you can see Mortensen get off the escalator and look around. He locates the violinist, stops, walks away but then is drawn back. He checks the time on his cellphone -- he's three minutes early for work -- then settles against a wall to listen.

Mortensen doesn't know classical music at all; classic rock is as close as he comes. But there's something about what he's hearing that he really likes.

As it happens, he's arrived at the moment that Bell slides into the second section of "Chaconne." ("It's the point," Bell says, "where it moves from a darker, minor key into a major key. There's a religious, exalted feeling to it.") The violinist's bow begins to dance; the music becomes upbeat, playful, theatrical, big.

Mortensen doesn't know about major or minor keys: "Whatever it was," he says, "it made me feel at peace."

Weingarten shared the stories of a few others who stopped. But of those whose attention turned to the violinist, he said that there was one common denominator:

There was no ethnic or demographic pattern to distinguish the people who stayed to watch Bell, or the ones who gave money, from that vast majority who hurried on past, unheeding. Whites, blacks and Asians, young and old, men and women, were represented in all three groups. But the behavior of one demographic remained absolutely consistent. Every single time a child walked past, he or she tried to stop and watch. And every single time, a parent scooted the kid away.

The reporter asked, "If we can't take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that -- then what else are we missing?"

Fascinating article. It reminded me of another ignored master I've read about. Children seem to be drawn by his song, but most adults rush by. Calvin Miller wrote about him in his narrative, The Singer:

The Father and his Troubadour sat down
Upon the outer rim of space.
"And here,
My Singer," said Earth maker,
"is the crown
Of all my endless skies --the
green, brown sphere
Of all my hopes." He reached
and took the round
New planet down, and held it
to his ear.

"They're crying, Troubadour,"
he said. "They cry
So helplessly." He gave the
little ball
Unto his Son, who also held
it by
His ear. "Year after weary
year they all
Keep crying. They seem born to
weep then die.
Our new man taught them crying
in the Fall.

Earthmaker sent Earth spinning
on its way
And said, "Give me your vast
infinity
My son; I'll wrap it in a bit
of clay.
Then enter Terra microscopically
To love the little souls who
weep away
Their lives." "I will," I said,
"set Terra free."

And then I fell asleep and all
awareness fled.
I felt my very being shrinking down.
My vastness ebbed away. In dwindling dread,
All size decayed. The universe
around
Drew back. I woke upon a tiny
bed
Of straw in one of Terra's
smaller towns.

And now the great reduction
has begun:
Earthmaker and his Troubadour
are one.
And here's the new redeeming
Melody --
The only song that can set
Terra free.

The Shrine of older days
must be laid by.
Mankind must see Earthmaker
left the sky,
And he is with us. They must
concede that
I am he. They must believe the
Song or die.

Jason at Virginia Tech

The death toll from the Virginia Tech shooting spree is at 33 tonight. A young man at Virginia Tech spent a year at Hillcrest while he was on assignment at IBM. His name is Jason, and this was his "away" message today:

"Hi all,David, Jason, and Jared are fine. We have friends that got hurt by jumping out of building to avoid gunfire, please pray for safety. Shock. Its a word we use when we can't understand why things have occurred. Shock hits when you sit on your bed and read your instant message with a close friend sharing that a fellow engineer jumped out of a building moments before his professor was shot in the same room. Moments later the screen rolls that Jack got shot 3 times. Shock sinks in as you see faculty that you respect walking on CNN with tears holding their bleeding arm. Shock turns to fear as your calling your friends getting voicemails and not voices when the power in your house is going off and on with 50 mile per hour winds howling at the windows. Fear turns to anger as you yell at the shooter, cursing his blind hate. Anger at why things could not have been prevented before most college students wake up for that 10:05 class. Anger turns to sadness as you realize that class started as so many of yours have and you always take for granted that it will end. Tears flow as you realize that some students will never see their next 10:05 class, and you will live to see yours. Heading to the den to dry the tears and get away from the pain you turn your head suddenly to see and hear the gunshots that killed your engineers who will never have the chance to help the world with their inventions."

On-Mission Mondays: Expect to Change the World

Every Monday I post about being “on mission” with Christ. I’ll spend a couple of months asking you to think with me about the principles in Milfred Minatrea’s book, Shaped By God's Heart: The Passion and Practices of Missional Churches. Find previous posts on this subject here.

"What would it look like for a church to turn the world upside down today?"

Churches that look for an answer to that question are involved with what Milfred Minatrea calls "Missional Practice Number Six": They expect to change the world. Minatrea says:

Missions conform to spheres of influence. This means that missional responsibility begins among those with whom one has the closest relationships. It continues with intentional establishment of new relationships among those who do not know Christ. Ultimately, it extends to all the nations of the world.

I agree. As I have taught missions education, I point out that missions should be "foreign" to our location but not "foreign" to our way of thinking. Missions is about making sure that what we do in our own location is being started and supported in other locations.

As Minatrea puts it, "Mission is not first about geography, but philosophy. Wherever believers are, those among whom they live and work constitute the mission field." Of course, being missional means sending and supporting workers in other mission fields, too. John wrote, "You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name. . . . Therefore, we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow-workers with the truth" (3 John 6-8).

At Hillcrest, our Missions Committee has just completed their policies manual. It was designed to provide consistent guidance in our decisions regarding support for mission work beyond our own mission field. It begins with this definition of missions:

Definition of Missions: We will help others fulfill in their settings the Great Commission that Hillcrest must fulfill in our setting.

What we call “missions work” should be “foreign” to our location, but it should not be “foreign” to our thinking. “Missions work” is the act of extending to other settings the work Hillcrest does in our own setting. That means that an understanding of “missions” in other settings begins with an understanding of what God has called Hillcrest to do in our setting. In our setting, we help people find Jesus and follow him up the discipleship H.I.L.L. “Missions support” simply means supporting work in other settings designed to help people find Jesus and follow him.

Meeting human need is a big part of this assignment. You cannot “Invite Your World to Life” and “Love the Fellowship for Life” without offering help to those in need. In our setting, we know that people in and around our church would benefit from things such as family counseling, money management, and recovery programs that target addiction. In other settings, we know people would benefit from things such as hygiene kits, school supplies, and fresh water wells.

The manual proceeds to define the "scope" of missions, guidance on our funding decisions, and the four-part "assignment" that our Missions Committee must fulfill. If you're interested in the manual, drop me an e-mail.

Song of the Week: Monte Montgomery's "Wishing Well"

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

I ran across Austin's Monte Montgomery last summer. A write-up in the Statesman made me think I'd probably like him, so I listened to clips on iTunes and downloaded a few songs.

When I checked his website, I noticed in the discography that he had a song called "In the Gaze of the Spotlight's Eye" (YouTube). I knew that song from listening to Mark Heard albums about 20 years back. Heard died of a heart attack at 40 about 10 years ago or so, but I was a big fan back in my seminary days. I'll put a Heard song on the "Song of the Week" feature next week.

I first saw Monte at the Saxon Pub, a small venue, and he was standing by our table before he went on. I introduced myself and told him it was our first night to hear him. I asked him about "In the Gaze," and how he knew about Heard. About 4 songs into the show he started in on "Moonflower," another Mark Heard tune from the same album (Eye of the Storm). He looked my way afterward and said, "Well, I tried; it's been a while." I let him know he did great with it! And the rest of his show was fantastic, too. Be sure to hear this local artist whenever you can!

Here's "Wishing Well" from "Monte Montgomery at WorkPlay" (iTunes; Amazon).

In the corner of a box marked lost and found
I find myself again
Lining the bottom of a wishing well
with other dreams that might have been
Flattened by the pressure of what's comin' down
I'm relying on faith second hand

I used to be an average man with bigger than average plans
Somehow I got lost along the way and now I'm here

Don't you know you could be the one to set me free
I've waited all my life to be someone somebody could see
You can find me still in the corner of a box marked lost and found
at the bottom of a wishing well

Burdened by the weight of a wrecking ball
I'm defining my own sense of worth
I want to bathe my soul in the light
as religion finds me immersed
Destitution knows me by name
while the trick is to sit where you stand

I used to be an average man with bigger than average plans
Somehow I got lost along the way and now I'm here

Don't you know you could be the one to set me free
I've waited all my life to be someone somebody could see
You can find me still in the corner of a box marked lost and found
at the bottom of a wishing well

I'm caught shuddering by myself each wish in the shape of a coin
Legal tender for wishes thrown as the water reflects the unknown
The tide rips through the surface of time
But I can't think of when it began

I used to be an average man with bigger than average plans
Somehow I got lost along the way and now I'm here

Don't you know you could be the one to set me free
I've waited all my life to be someone somebody could see
You can find me still in the corner of a box marked lost and found
at the bottom of a wishing well.

Hooter's Bible Study?

So, there's a new Bible study group staring starting at Hooter's. A minister worked it out with one of his church members who owns the restaurant famous for hot wings and scantily-clad waitresses. "The idea is to take the gospel to the marketplace, where the people are," said the minister.

Missional or too far? What say ye?

Stages Up the H.I.L.L.--Stage One

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.

“Hillcrest is to be a place where northwest Austin can find and follow Jesus together.”

That’s our mission, our calling, our vision, our task—I’m not sure what the current management jargon is, but that statement summarizes what we’re supposed to do together as a congregation.

Imagine that:

Your worship services are attended by people who are finding and following Jesus together. Seekers watch believers authentically worship God, and worship leaders ensure that every part of the service is relatable to new people whom God is drawing to himself.

Your Sunday School class or Common Ground group has people who are considering Christ as well as people who are committed to Christ. Seekers grow as they learn biblical guidance, and believers grow as they try to answer the questions from their seeking friends.

Your Hillcrest Institute class has people who could win a Bible drill competition as well as people who have just begun to crack open a Bible.

Is that really how Hillcrest looks right now? Not always. But that’s why it’s called a vision!

If we are going to make that vision a reality, we have to realize that people are at different stages in responding to God’s call upon their life. What’s God’s call? God made us to HONOR him, INVITE others to him, LOVE each other, and LIVE his Word--at our church we call that the “H.I.L.L.” we’re meant to climb. When we fulfill those purposes, we are fulfilled as human beings. When it comes to fulfilling those life purposes, people are at one of these stages:

Stage One: “I am exposed to the life purposes.”
Stage Two: “I agree with the life purposes.”
Stage Three: “I practice the life purposes.”
Stage Four: “I advance the life purposes in others.”

Let’s look at Stage One. As we build relationships with lost and unchurched persons, we expose them to the life purposes. They get introduced to a better way of living as they simply watch us honor God, invite people to the Jesus way, love others, and live the precepts of the Word. This happens in your neighborhood as you and other parents watch the kids at the neighborhood pool or cheer for the kids on the soccer sidelines. This happens in your workplace as you complete assignments and as you socialize.

Eventually, some of the people from your neighborhood or workplace accept your invitation to Hillcrest, and they get even wider exposure to the H.I.L.L. They see other believers working on the life purposes. They hear the challenges from the sermons and small-group lessons, they sing along with songs that encourage us to practice the life purposes. Soon, they are asking questions, offering to help with a room setup, joining us as we put a roof on a house, or volunteering to take dinner to a new friend in their small group who’s been hospitalized. By this point they are deep in the process of finding Jesus among those who are following him.

How can we be a church filled with people who are finding Jesus among those who are following him?

Build relationships with your THEMs. There is no church advertising campaign or visitation program that can substitute for this. Jesus commissioned us to, “Go and make THEM my disciples,” so you have to identify who the THEMs are in your own life. To learn more about this, on Sunday evening, April 29, 5:30-7:00pm, join Herb and Jim and me for our annual INVITE Strategy Seminar.

Be what you are! You laugh at good jokes and cry at funerals. You’re competitive on the golf course and you’re ambitious at work. You are a growing disciple who has successes and setbacks, firm convictions and honest questions. That’s what seekers need to see. Handing them a tract won’t do it; sitting in a Bible study group with people too afraid to be real won’t do it. They need to be exposed to the life purposes by spending time with people who are trying to live the life purposes (Honor, Invite, Love, and Live).

Consciously connect. Whatever you lead or organize at church needs to be designed with everyone in mind: those who are finding Jesus as well as those who are following him. Whether it’s a worship service you’re leading or a Bible study group, mission trip, or banquet you’re planning, make sure that you envision it through the eyes of those who are brand new to this church thing.

Be patient with them. It will take a while for people at Stage One to become regular attenders at your event. There may be habits and lifestyle choice they aren’t ready to lay down. The answers to some of the questions they raise may be painfully self-evident to you, and yet they keep struggling with them. If we’re really going to be a church where people find and follow Jesus together, patience is required.

Challenge them. Real friends challenge each other to deal with things that need to be addressed. You have to have patience, yes, but you also have to encourage them to take the next step with Jesus.

What’s the next step? Those who are exposed to the life purposes must be encouraged to embrace them. We’ll look at Stage Two next week.

This edition of LeaderLines is part of a series:

Week One; Finding and Following Jesus Together
Week Two: Can People Find and Follow Jesus Together?
Week Three: Stages Up the H.I.L.L.

Freedom

"The single most important thing I ever learned was that I am going to die. For once you accept your own death, all of a sudden you are free. You no longer care except so far as your life can be used tactically to promote a cause you believe in."

--Saul Alinsky (20th century labor organizer) (HT: Gordon MacDonald)

Bragging Rights

A dad has bragging rights. Here are a couple of photos of my youngest son, Stephen, on McNeil's JV lacrosse team. They beat a local rival in this game:




And here's a video created by my eldest, Michael, who's completing his first year at Baylor. He plans to major in film, and here's an early effort from 2 years ago. Jim, his youth pastor, asked him to create some simple announcement videos to promote upcoming events of the Hillcrest youth group. Michael took the ball and ran with it. Also starring in the film: Ashley Wiederkehr, mom Diane, and a "guest appearance" by Marshall Simpson (you'll have to look fast):

Time for Your Extreme Makeover

A worn-out house here in Austin got an Extreme Makeover a few months ago. Now it’s your turn.

In February, millions of people nationwide tuned in to watch Ty Pennington lead a crowd of 3,000 Austinites to yell, “Move that bus!” Patrick and Jeanette O’Donnell and their six children gaped in amazement as the bus moved to reveal their new home.

In just one week, workers had razed the family’s former 2,200-square-foot house and built a 4,500-square-foot showplace with seven bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms--and no mortgage.

The house was specially designed for a family with special-needs children. Five of the six kids have been diagnosed with autism. The old home’s condition had grown hazardous, especially as some of the children get older and require ongoing care. In addition to building the new house, $200,000 of donations were raised through a benefit concert at La Zona Rosa and individual gifts. Of that, $140,000 will pay off the mortgage on the old house. The remainder has gone to household expenses.

The generosity overwhelmed the forty-one-year-old father, Patrick. “It renewed my sense of hope in humanity,” he told the Austin-American Statesman. “To have all these people give up their time, their energy, and do stuff for us without even knowing us, then thank us for letting them do it? That's humbling.”

It’s a thrill to see a local family benefit from an Extreme Makeover to their home. Now it’s your turn.

Jesus expected an Extreme Makeover from those who followed him. In Matthew 5:17-48, he said:

“Don’t think it’s enough to simply avoid murder;
I don’t want you to even get angry.”

Don’t think it’s enough to simply avoid adultery;
I want you to deal with your fantasy life.”

"Don’t think it’s enough to have a really good excuse for divorce;
I want your marriage to last a lifetime.”

"Don’t think you just have to tell the truth when you’re under oath;
speak the truth all the time.”

"Don’t think any level of revenge is acceptable;
always forgive.”

“Don’t just love the loveable;
love your enemies.”

With those statements, he demanded an Extreme Makeover of his followers. If you belong to him or if you’re thinking about committing to him, you’ll want to study the Extreme Makeover Jesus expects of his followers. We begin this Sunday at the 9:30am “Bold Blend” service or the 10:45am “Smooth Blend” service. Join us at Hillcrest or listen online Monday (iTunes; website).

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.

Links to Your World--Tuesday April 10

The Dan Richardson note that I quoted in last Sunday's Easter sermon is here.

What if you’re married to a "Non-Promise-Keeper"? John Piper has some guidance here.

The International Mission Board has launched “podTask,” a podcast taking students on missions adventures around the world. With its weekly updates on iTunes and thetask.org, the podTask is full of information for students to get involved with international missions by hearing about what others are doing around the world in proclaiming Jesus’ name. Learn more here.

In "Wreck the Roof," Mark Buchanan tells churches to be willing to risk as they serve Christ in their communities.

Discover God's Minimum Financial Standards for Couples

Millions of Americans are Maxed Out. I have the documentary on my Netflix cue.

What are the media that have most reinforced conservative views? You’d be surprised.

The number-one issue I deal with when discussing faith with seekers is doubt about the reliability of the Bible. Lee Strobel shares some thoughts on this concern here.

Did you watch the Christian couple win The Amazing Race last season? Learn more about them and their new ministry here.

Have you read the previous posts this week? They include the "Song of the Week" ("Easter Song" by Keith Green), some important comments about fulfilling our church's vision, and how one woman in China survived her fall from a 6-story window (yuk!). 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.