Today our 10th Pastor, Church, and World class beings, with Mark Swank leading the fun.

I also wanted to finish up sharing how the foundational disciplines of Bible, theology, and church history have ended up in our praxis courses.  The last time I posted, I shared how the Bible threads its way through the curriculum.  Below you will find “the rest of the story,” how theology and church history weave together with the practical.

Theology
Nature of Revelation

• Theology of Scripture (Proclamation)
• Barth: The Impossible Possibility of Preaching (Proclamation)
• Incarnational Ministry (Congregational Formation)

God

• Persuasion or Coercion (Leadership)
• Theology of Worship (Worship)
• Theology of Suffering (Congregational Relationships)

Creation

• Nature versus Grace (Congregational Formation)

Christ

• Prophet, Priest, and King (Missional Church)
• Bible assignments on Christ (see above)

Salvation

• The “Ordo Salutis” (Congregational Formation)
• Prevenient Grace versus Predestination (Missional Church)
• Wesley’s, “Spirit of Bondage and Adoption” (Missional Church)
• Wesley’s, “The Means of Grace” (Change and Transformation)
• Wesley’s, “Duty of Constant Communion” (Worship)
• Theologies of Baptism (Worship)
• Theologies of Communion (Worship)
• Nature versus Grace (Congregational Formation)
• Indigenous Theologies (Missional Church)
• Purity and Leadership (Leadership)
• Theology of Suffering (Congregational Relationships)
• Prayer and Care (Congregational Relationships)
• Corporate Holiness (Congregational Relationships)

The Spirit

• Space and Worship (Worship)
• Prayer and Care (Congregational Relationships)
• Bible assignments relating to Spirit (see above)

The Church

• What is the Church? (Missional Church)
• Models of the Church (Missional Church)
• Prophet, Priest, and King (Missional Church)
• The Power of the Keys (Leadership)
• First Mark: To Preach the Word (Proclamation)
• Second Mark: To Administer the Sacraments (Worship)
• Third Mark: Church Rightly Ordered (Leadership)
• Theology of Worship (Worship)
• Civil Religion (Worship)
• Kingdom without Boundaries (Congregational Relationships)

Church History
Patristic Period

• Athanasius contra mundi (Leadership)
• Prayer in Christian History (Worship)
• Journal of Egeria (Worship)
• Augustine on Sermon Delivery (Proclamation)
• Chrysostom: Preaching and Historical Context (Proclamation)

Middle Ages

• Pros and Cons of Christian Institutions (Missional Church)
• Worship Trajectories (Worship)
• Prayer in Christian History (Worship)
• The Fourfold Use of Scripture (Proclamation)
• Catechumens (Congregational Formation)
• Benedictine Discipline (Congregational Relationships)

Reformation and European Church History

• From Table to Word (Worship)
• Luther: Preaching and Historical Context (Proclamation)
• Wesley on Sermon Delivery (Proclamation)
• Wesley’s Class Meetings (Congregational Formation)
• Wesley on Visitation (Congregational Relationships)
• Historical Church Structures (Leadership)
• Schisms and Splits (Leadership)
• The Protestant Principle (Leadership)
• Worship Trajectories (Worship)
• Prayer in Christian History (Worship)
• Compare/Contrast Barth and Finney (Proclamation)

American Church History

• Edwards: Preaching and Historical Context (Proclamation)
• Moody: Preaching and Historical Context (Proclamation)
• History of the American Sunday School (Congregational Formation)
• Horace Bushnell (Congregational Formation)
• Compare/Contrast Barth and Finney (Proclamation)
• Charles Finney (Proclamation)
• The Social Gospel (Missional Church)
• A fifth of the “Cultural Contexts of Ministry” course (when taken in North America)

Global Church History

• Indigenous Theologies assignment (see above)

I have the privilege of regularly co-teaching a worship course at Wesley Seminary. The best part of teaching this course is coaching students as they develop an integration paper. In fact, I am spending this week reading my latest round of position papers. Every semester so far I have at least three students writing on communion, with at least one of them writing on the question of its frequency. How often should communion be celebrated? They invariably answer, “More often!” However, the practical question of how to increase frequency inevitably arises. Here’s a few stray thoughts on the matter for your consideration.

(1) Clarity of conviction. It seems to me that a pastor ought to have some clarity as to why he or she believes communion should be practiced more frequently. Usually we come to a position before we’ve work out all its kinks. So spending some time in reflection before a knee-jerk reaction is the better part of wisdom.

Wesley’s sermon on the duty of constant communion is as good as any place to start. The insight embedded in the way he structures his argument is to reply to a series of objections to more frequent practice. Although he does not answer every objection, he deals with a lot of the most common ones. It seems to me that if a minister desires to celebrate communion more frequently, he or she would be wise to formulate replies to anticipated objections, in order to be ready to respond calmly yet confidently to those who might resist.

Note well: I find that the more confident I am in my conviction, the more calm I respond to those with whom I disagree. And calmness seems appropriate in this case, for is not communion the sacrament of Christian unity? If so, then increasing its frequency ought not be an occasion for divisiveness.

(2) The priority of practice. Although clarifying one’s own convictions is a often a good personal starting point, I do not think that it is the best place to start in forming a community. The best way to change a community’s “views” is to change their practices. A community’s convictions are nearly always embedded in their common practices. Therefore, one cannot simply talk a different way of approaching the table into existence. But one can often subtly draw a community into a different view by inviting them to into a different sort of practice.

This invitation can take many forms. For instance, one could offer more frequent communion at a distinct venue. Or, one offer more frequent communion at a midweek service. Or, one could celebrate communion in a slightly different way, making it seem less redundant when frequency slowly increases. Or, one could celebrate communion very frequently for a season, perhaps Advent, Lent, Easter, or Pentecost (i.e., summer), treating it like a temporary experiment. You get the idea: there are lots of ways to increase the frequency of communion without having to first convince everyone that it is a good idea.

Note well: I have found that once people experience more frequent communion, especially if it is done well and with intentionality, they don’t want to go back to less frequent practice. So, ironically, the best way to increase demand is to strategically increase the supply.

(3) But teaching has its place too. The above is not meant to imply that one ought never teach on the sacrament of holy communion. Heaven forbid! I simply mean to suggest that we should start with existing practice, then move on to explicit teaching. This way has the distinct advantage of teaching in response to questions.

On the one hand, the minister may begin to ask questions. Did you notice anything different about the way we celebrated communion? Was it more meaningful this time than usual? Why do you think that was the case?

On the other hand, the congregation may begin to ask questions. Why did we do communion that way? What is the meaning of communion? Should I not be taking so often? Am I worthy of so frequent communion? What is really happening when I take holy communion? Whether they come from you or your people or both, questions are a fitting point of entry for reflection on the meaning of communion.

Note well: I have found that questions emerging from practice lead to more interested people and much deeper reflection. Sacramental theory can very quickly get technical, esoteric, and controversial when it is approached in the abstract. But when the meaning of the sacrament of communion is asked in the context of its practice, the theories thaw out and permeate a living conversation.

Well, there’s a few stray thoughts of mine. Any thoughts you’d like to add?

The answer to this question is hidden in the following two actual experiences. See if you can find it…

(Case #1)

Bill and Melody McKay held the hands of their two daughters (age 6 and 9) as they stood in front of the congregation that Sunday morning to become new members of the church. The couple answered the pastor’s several questions, briefly shared their faith story, and hugged the pastor as the congregation applauded and welcomed them into membership. Many of the members smiled and nodded to them as they returned to their seats. The McKays were very happy and looking forward to a long, growing relationship with the people in their new church.

Eleven months later, after those warm words of welcome and reception into membership, Bill, Melody, Kylie and Melissa were inactive. They had not been to church or Sunday School in the last two months, and would probably not attend the church again. There was no falling out with the pastor or people. There was no conflict in theology. The problem was that neither Bill, Melody nor their two girls had ever been assimilated into the life and fellowship of that church. What was worse, few people even knew the family had drifted out the back door. When they joined the church, Bill and Melody had no intention of dropping out. But they did. What happened?

The answer, in retrospect, was painfully simple…

“Do we HAVE to go? I don’t have any friends there,” Kylie said one Saturday night about four months after they had joined. “Me, neither,” echoed Melissa.

“Well, have you tried being friends with anyone in your class,” asked Melody, a little concerned with her children’s comments.

“Yeah. No one sits by me,” Kylie said.

“You know,” Jim said to his wife after overhearing the conversation, “I haven’t been all that overwhelmed with people wanting to connect with me, either.”

That conversation was the first time the sprouts had surfaced. But the seeds had been growing for some time. Not that it had been intentional on the part of any adult or child in the church. But the church members had been “family” for so long that no one seemed to think about adopting anyone new.

The following Sunday morning the family decided to go on a picnic in the park. The next weekend the girls had been invited to a sleep-over with a neighbor family. Before Bill and Melody realized it, it had become easier not to go to church…than to go.

(Case #2)

The two girls could hardly wait for the car to stop before they jumped out and went running across the parking lot. “Watch for cars!” Jenny shouted to her kids, as she gathered her Bible and study notes. “We were really lucky to find this church, huh?” she said to her husband.

“Well, I’m not sure I’d call it ‘luck’,” Mark said with a smile.

As the couple walked toward the building, Jenny thought back to the first time they had crossed that parking lot a little over a year ago. Their family had just moved into town, and Jenny thought a church would be a good place for the girls, and Mark, to make friends. Her, too, for that matter.

She remembered that first Sunday when a young couple about their age had introduced themselves, and Jenny felt an immediate connection. The woman, Jill Sorenson, had since become one of Jenny’s best friends. Jill had offered to take the girls to their class, and Jenny remembered being impressed with how the teacher had taken time to introduce her two girls to others in the class and encourage the classmates to be especially nice to their “new friends.”

That first Sunday Jill and her husband invited her and Mark to sit with them in the service. Afterwards, they introduced them to several other couples their age. Jill asked whether their family had any plans after church and invited them to their favorite fast food restaurant.

“I’ll have to check with the girls,” responded Jenny.

“Mom…Mom…” shouted the girls as Jenny met them in their classroom after church. “Christy asked us if we can go to her birthday party next Saturday. Can we?”

“Well, we’ll have to find out more about it,” responded Jenny with a laugh.

“Hi, Jenny.” Jill’s voice snapped Jenny out of her recollections from a year ago. “Wasn’t that an awesome concert last night?”

Author’s note:  The answer to the question?  Relationships!!

The overuse of the word “authenticity” seems, ironically, inauthentic. The term is in desperate need of definition to preserve its value and to promote its practice. As far as I can tell, those pastors who preach and lead with power are not only anointed; they are authentic. I still haven’t quite figured out whether divine anointing fosters or follows human authenticity. What I can say, with some degree of certainty, is that the most effective pastoral leaders are authentic. Although authenticity is more easily discerned than defined, the virtue surfaces in the following ways:

Authentic pastors laugh at themselves but take their role seriously. Pastors who take themselves too seriously are usually surrounded by people who don’t. The opposite is also true. Christian leaders who don’t take themselves too seriously are typically followed by people who do. Of course, pastors can laugh so much at themselves that it becomes a sign of insecurity instead of security. Also, though authentic pastors may laugh at themselves from time to time, make no mistake- they are serious about faithfully fulfilling their kingdom role. They are, like the Christ they follow, dead serious about their mission but humble about their self.

(Low)       1                      2                      3                      4                      5          (High)

Authentic pastors value people so much it hurts. There is a world of difference between a pastor who values people as pawns for self-glory and those who value people with no strings attached. Authentic pastors, no matter how many times they are disappointed and hurt by people, keep loving and taking risks on people. The inauthentic pastor, likely due to past pain, keeps people at arm’s length unless there is a chance the person can be a pawn in the pastor’s plan for power and prestige. In other words, the authenticity of pastors can be discerned by how well they love and how highly they value people who cannot help them in any conceivable way.

(Low)       1                      2                      3                      4                      5          (High)

Authentic pastors welcome constructive criticism. Criticism stings. However, authentic pastors welcome critique, especially from the people they lovingly lead. Some congregations have had a long line of ultra-defensive, hyper-sensitive pastors which make the flock gun-shy about offering any constructive feedback at all. The authentic pastor will initiate a loop that welcomes constructive critique and safety for the lay people who offer it. This is one of the reasons why the authentic pastor gets better and not bitter over time, while the inauthentic pastor coasts bitterly and, most of the time, fruitlessly toward resignation or retirement.

(Low)       1                      2                      3                      4                      5          (High)

Authentic pastors commend and empower others. One of the occupational hazards that pastors face is the need to be appreciated and affirmed. On most days this hazard is a sleeping dragon that doesn’t awake until someone else on the pastor’s team begins to shine and receives affirmation. Inauthentic pastors feel threatened and become jealous. What is more, they begin to wage a secret war designed to hold others on the team back from fulfilling their potential. Authentic pastors are so consumed by the joyful work of commending and empowering others, they don’t have time to worry about being noticed. Authentic pastors are not threatened by other gifted leaders on the team because they are too focused on valuing, commending, and empowering those leaders.

(Low)       1                      2                      3                      4                      5          (High)

Authentic pastors are acutely self-aware. I have been a pastor for more than 15 years and have had the privilege of developing pastors for nearly a decade. Most of my closest friends are pastors. In my estimation, self-awareness is one of the biggest challenges pastors face. Some of us try to be what we think people want us to be. Or, perhaps we try to be the type of pastor we always hoped to be. The authentic pastor is fully aware of her strengths and weaknesses. No one needs to guide her on a walk from the la-la land of her dream world toward the real world. She is fully aware of her abilities and honest about her deficiencies. This self-awareness prevents her from portraying what she is not and pushes her to embody who she deep down knows herself to be.

(Low)       1                      2                      3                      4                      5          (High)

So, how do you rate yourself on the authenticity scale? Rate yourself on a scale of 1-5 for each of the evidences of authenticity described above. I have yet to meet an inauthentic leader who has developed a healthy, vibrant congregation. Anointed, authentic pastors, on the other hand, tend to cultivate a congregational culture of authenticity that sends transformational ripples into the world. Could it be that the starting point for the pastor who wants to build an authentic Christian community is to first become an authentic person?

Lenny Luchetti

by Colleen Derr

“When the son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8, NIV).
Jesus asks this question during one of His final formal teaching moments. On Jesus’ way to Jerusalem for what will become the beginning of Holy Week, He offers a series of parables on the Kingdom of God. When He addresses the coming Kingdom, Jesus makes the point that His return will come unannounced (Luke 17:20-37) and the people are to wait in persistent prayer (Luke 18:1-8). He concludes the second teaching with the question: “When the son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (v. 8).
In Jesus’ final moment of formal teaching leading into Holy Week, He offers a message of hope – ”when”. At the start of a week that was going to offer tremendous sorrow and the apparent shattering of their most precious dreams, Jesus speaks words of hope. “When the son of man returns”. Those who were present couldn’t even understand the significance of his words when they were spoken. They didn’t realize that these were words that in a week they were going to need to cling to. These were words that in the midst of their loss, betrayal, and disappointment would point to a future of reconciliation, redemption, and joy.

A message of hope – and a message of challenge

“When the son of man returns, will he find faith?” The question is stated in a way that Jesus suggests the answer to his question is “no”. This would have surprised the hearers, people who considered themselves righteous, but people whose faith was based on their practices. They possessed a self-righteousness as opposed to a faith dependent on God. Self-righteousness does not sustain and does not endure. Christ called them and calls us to a faith based on response to God’s grace.
Wesley suggested in his explanatory notes on this verse that in spite of Christ’s work on our behalf, “how few true believers will be found upon earth!” Groome (2011) also referenced this verse and cautioned that contemporary, cultural conditions are not favorable for continued religious faith.
The challenge for us heading into Holy Week is to be diligent to the faith. As we remember Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our behalf, the joy of His resurrection on Easter morning, and the hope of His return.

How can we be diligent so that the answer to Christ’s question can be a resounding, “YES”? We must be faithful:
1. Faithful in our personal devotion: Establish a renewed commitment to your personal relationship with Christ. A relationship that takes intentionality, commitment, and an awareness of your daily need for God’s grace. Will you commit today to seek Him with your whole heart?

“…Learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him: (I Chronicles 28:9, NLT).

2. Faithful in our home: Nurture the faith in your children and support the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The Israelites were told to talk about God and His ways from the moment they woke up until they went to bed, immersing their children in the words of faith and hope. The National Study of Youth and Religion revealed that family conversations about faith have the greatest impact on the endurance of faith in the lives of our children.
What are you talking about? How do your words, actions, lifestyle, attitudes, and conversations nurture faith and support the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of your family?

“We will tell the next generation 
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done” (Psalm 78:4, NIV).

3. Faithful in our parish: You are called to represent well a life of faith to your friends, neighbors, congregation, and acquaintances. Allow the Holy Spirit to empower you to be His emissary to a world desperately in need of a message of hope and a God of love. How does your life speak hope and love? How do your words, attitudes, and actions reflect faithfulness?

In Luke chapter ten, Jesus is asked to define who are our neighbors. His response is the parable of the Good Samaritan, concluding that a neighbor is someone who shows mercy: “Go and do likewise” is Christ’s call (Luke 10:37, NIV).
Will you be faithful to extend mercy, hope, and love in your parish?

“When the son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Jesus offers us a message of hope – “When the son of man comes” and He offers us a challenge – “will he find faith?” How will you respond? In this week of remembrance, there is terrific hope for “He is not here, he is risen!”
Will he find you faithful?

‘I am spiritual, not religious.’

‘I don’t want a religion; I want a relationship.’

‘I love Jesus, but hate the church.’

We’ve all heard phrases like these. And we bristle every time. Those of us who serve the church have little patience for those who would drive a wedge between Christ and his Church.

However, I believe a stance of wholesale rejection of the movement these slogans represent is a grave strategic error. The critique of religion has an impressive pedigree that must be taken seriously. And, like all heresies, its appeal rests in the fact that it is not completely wrong, but rather half-right. A catholic (i.e., holistic, global) response would affirm its genuine insights while simultaneously affirming what it denies in its singular attachment to said insights. A strategy of critical appropriation would serve us better. So when I hear someone throw around these slogans, I seek to find the truth in what they say while pressing them to see the whole truth beyond what they say.

How might we go about such a critical appropriation? Well, I think we could begin with the end. What will the coming kingdom look like? And how much of that can be tasted now?

So, for our topic, that means asking: What role, if any, will “religion” play in the New Jerusalem? And what might that tell us about the Christian life now?

It seems to me that there are two sides to the answer.

On the one hand, I think we must reject the notion that the eschaton will consist solely in worship (narrowly conceived adoration of God-as-object). This is a common assumption, but a false one. According to Revelation, the new heavens and the new earth will be an event of reconciliation not only between God and people but among people themselves. It will be the wondrous event of “the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22:2). It will therefore be the fulfillment of mission — not simply its completion, but its maturation and ongoing enjoyment. God’s mission will be perfected, but it will never cease. The eternal process of perfection includes not only true worship directed towards God-as-object standing over against us, but also true mission directed towards others alongside God-as-subject. The eschaton, therefore, does not consist solely in worship, but rather in the living interplay of worship and mission.

On the other hand, I think we can imagine how worship will be fulfilled in the coming kingdom. It will be fulfilled in that worship will be quite different–worship itself will be perfected. This means that in a certain sense worship will be concluded. It will not simply continue as-is. A strong note of discontinuity must be heard here. Our broken worship in the present will be healed in the end. Our incessant desire to control God—-to make him into a dead idol—-will be finally and fully shattered. And so worship will be different. As John the Revelator says, “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev. 21:22). There is still a temple of sorts, and thus, a kind of worship. We will continue to be religious, contra the sloganeering of the religion-haters. But it will be a living temple—-a temple stripped of its capacity to idolize God.

Both worship and mission will be perfected in the end, i.e., both concluded and continued. This two-pronged anticipation of the end should liberate us in the present to critically appropriate the insights of those who despise religion. We should be freed to ask, without anxiety, what worship might look like that relinquishes an idolatrous grasping of the living God. What might worship look like that does not compete with mission, but it positively related to it? I think we can ask these questions faithfully—-not simply as a critical endeavor but as a parable of the coming reign of God.

So, when the haters come knocking, I do not feel the need to simply reject them. I can affirm and appreciate the critique of a church that is ‘so heavenly minded it is no earthly good.’ I can do so because I have a different picture of heaven in mind: one in which the activities of ‘secular’ life are redeemed and included in the ongoing enjoyment of God’s world. I can do so because I am not threatened by the thought that there is something wrong with our religiosity, and that Christ seeks to redeem it. But as I do so, I do not for a minute begin to think that this means that religion can simply be set aside. For God is in the business of redemption, and he seeks to redeem even our worship of him–transforming it into the image of his son Jesus Christ! The church is the place were our religion is being transformed. So, if you hate religion, join the church! Join us as we partner with God in his transformation of religion into a worshipping missionary community worthy of his name!

With three simple numbers you can forecast your worship attendance one year from today.  It’s quite easy, and surprisingly reliable.

But before we talk about how…let’s consider why.  Is there value in looking into the future?  Or, as Marty McFly discovered, is it just plain trouble to mess with Father Time?

Actually, I am a firm believer in forecasting for the simple reason that if our forecast indicates a potential problem, we can do something about it before reality makes it too late.  For example, suppose your forecast indicated that your worship attendance would be down by 10% in one year.  If you could do something to prevent that situation…wouldn’t you?  I hope so.

So, let’s look at how we can cheat the calendar and peek into the future.  It requires three numbers: your “Visitor Volume” … your “Visitor Retention” … and your “Back Door.”

Visitor Volume—the number of visitors/newcomers at your church services, as a percentage of your total attendance.  To calculate this, add all the first-time visitors who attended a service at your church in the past year, then divide by the total number of persons in attendance (including visitors).  The result will be the average percentage of visitors at your services; which is your Visitor Volume.  (Growing churches, by the way, average 4-5%.)

Visitor Retention—the percentage of your visitors who become involved following their first visit.  To calculate, list each person who has visited your church from the community in the past 6-18 months.  Then determine how many of them are now regular attenders.  Divide the number of involved visitors into your total number of visitors. The result will be your Visitor Retention rate.  (Growing churches average 18-21%.)

Back Door—the percentage of your total constituency who leave.  Simply identify the number of people who stopped attending last year for any reason (transfer, death, inactivity, etc.).  Divide this by your present constituency.  The result will be your Back Door rate.  (Growing churches average 5-8%.)

Once you have these three numbers, take your present attendance and project it for next year.  Multiply your present average attendance by your Visitor Volume to get the average number of visitors you can anticipate.  Multiply that number times your Visitor Retention rate for the number of newcomers who are likely to stay.  Subtract the number of people expected to leave…and the result is your projected attendance one year from today.

A stimulating exercise is to gather your church leaders together and “play with the numbers.”  First show the projections of where present trends will take you.  Then ask, “Is this where we believe God would have us be in one year?”  If the consensus is “No,” ask, “Then what do we need to change?”  The controllable variables are Visitor Volume, Visitor Retention, and the Back Door.  What happens on your spreadsheet if you add one person per week to Visitor Volume?  What if you doubled your Visitor Retention?  Or halved the Back Door rate?

Such a conversation will lead to a thoughtful exploration of the past, a critical evaluation of the present, and a stimulating vision of what future changes might lead to more effective stewardship of the people God has put under your spiritual care.

NOTE:  The 8-week online elective Newcomer Integration (CONG-525) will help students learn how to significantly increase their church’s Visitor Retention and decrease their Back Door rate.  The course begins March 16.  (A limited number of audit spaces are available, even if you’re not in a degree program.  Call: 765-677-1634.)