Plans

As the internship comes to an end (May 31st), many of you have been wondering what we're doing next.  That's an answer we are waiting to see as well!  Please pray for us as we discern the Lord's will during these coming months.  Thankfully, the Lord has provided for our financial needs abundantly during this time and it will sustain us for a few months to come as well.  Max thinks he is most interested in church planting, so we are looking into a possible church plant in a couple of different locations and talking to some people about it as well to figure out the next steps.  He has also applied to a church in PA, but they are still accepting applications through June 20th, so we're not sure when/if we will hear from them.  Thanks so much for your prayers and support during this time.  We give all praise and glory to God from whom all blessings flow, and for the tremendous growth and encouragement we have experienced during this internship. 

Elders

The following is taken from Max's notes from one of the Weekender lectures about elders.

One of the first things to do is figure out what the Bible says elders should do, and then guard that like it's your life.

An elder should be leading spiritually, so they should be spending their time praying, reading scripture, discussing the Bible, taking the lead on teaching the congregational teaching and shepherding and discipline.  There are many things that elders might be tempted to get involved in, but they need to do what they are called to do.

CHBC elders spend much time in prayer and discussion of members, which often times seems like a waste of time, when "trellis work" can be done, but it's what God has called them to do, and therefore it is not a waste of time.

In Ephesians 4, we see that elders are gifts to the church given by God.  The church is given elders by God.  It doesn't make elders or train men to be elders, but it recognizes men who are already shepherding the flock and are then recognized publically in the flock.

II Timothy 2 makes clear that pastors should be carving out time to pour themselves into spending time with young guys whom they can train to be mature spiritually.

Qualifications to be an elder: there is both an internal and external call.  Desire is not enough, but desire should be there.  They shouldn't be a recent convert, and they should be able to teach. 

What does "able to teach" mean?  Titus 1:9 says that he can give instruction in sound doctrine and can rebuke people with the Bible.

Elders should be examples to the flock of how a Christian ought to live (I Peter).

Elders should be solid on core theology, but also have a practical response to the theology.

Elders should also be solid on non-essential polity-type and confessional-type stuff, and they should be passionate about the distinctives of our church and denomination.

Elders should be showing love towards the congregation and care as shepherds of the flock.  Sometimes people can be extremely knowledgeable about scripture but not so loving or caring - they shouldn't be elders.

At CHBC, elders nominate other elders, which is different from the PCA, although they do receive names from the congregation, from which they nominate.

Discipleship

These are the notes Max took at a discipleship seminar. . .

Many churches believe that the only way to do discipleship is through small groups or programs, but what about "organic" discipleship? 

At CHBC they want to create a culture of discipleship, and that means that members naturally disciple one another.

You do this in many ways.  First of all, it begins with the pastor and elders.  What they do either helps or hinders the creation of the culture.  They want every member to understand that it is his/her job to disciple others.  How to create this culture?

1.  Meaningful membership, where we shatter the consumeristic mindset that people enter with.

2.  Try to promote one-on-one vs. small group discipleship.
 Oftentimes, small groups displace and replace the corporate gathering.  They would much rather their members have a discipleship partner than be in a small group.  The pastors at CHBC lead by example and are always out to lunch with men in the church and discipling them.  They also set expectations when people join the church that they want them to get into a discipleship relationship.  They are encouraged to get involved in the lives of others, and they are told that by joining the church, they are signing away isolation.

Some obstacles to discipling are

1. I'm too busy (and a lot of them are, so they are encouraged to drop something in order to grow as a christian.)
 2.  It's not that important
 3.  The desire to "save face" and wear a mask to others in the church
 4.  They don't want to get involved in a mess
 5.  They are too quick to pass off a problem to pastors or counselors

Biblical counseling is one part of the umbrella of discipling in the church.  It deals with the "thorny" problems, such as suicidal thoughts, depression, etc.

The weak and difficult sheep are going to take most of our time, but do we spend most of our time putting out fires?  Instead, we should be pouring into others proactively so that the congregation pours into one another.  In the short term, it won't bear too much fruit, so we will have to train and teach the members to disciple one another and, in the long run, it will bear a lot of fruit, and will make our job a lot easier. 

 

Small Groups

These are the notes Max took at a small group lecture during the weekender. . .

Small groups aren't as central to the structure at CHBC as at other churches, because their intent is that they enhance and build the unity of the whole congregation.


The purpose is not for the small group to be the only group a person gets involved in.  For that reason, they purposefully make small groups difficult in certain areas.  For instance, they make small groups very transient on purpose so that, after five years in the church, people get to know many other people in their congregation, not just their small group.

The primary goals for the small group, then, is not a support group or just acquisition of knowledge, but that the people of the group grow in their knowledge of God together.

Small groups are usually made up of people you wouldn't typically have as friends.  The small group is designed to develop community with the members of the group and the whole church, so that's why they are comprised of different people united by the fact that they are christians.  They are also purposefully open to always adding new people in, and sending people out.

They intend small groups to be a bridge between the whole congregation and one-on-one discipling relationships, which is where they really want people to end up, so that people are caring for the whole family.

The types of groups they have are mens, womens, mixed, and newly married (this group is intended for only the first two years of marriage), but they all try to expand out to other groups.

How do people enter into groups?

People join the church, say they would like to join a group, and CHBC talks to them and places them in a group.  The small group leaders are open to adding new people, and when that person is added, the group leader calls CHBC and tells him he's been added.

Small group structure varies greatly (weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly), but they are all centered around a shared fellowship in Christ.

CHBC doesn't require small group attendance, like other churches do, but they have much greater small group attendance than the churches that require it.  They  have 70% of their members in small groups!

Expectations for leaders and groups

To attend a small group, you must be a member in good standing, and come regularly to both morning and evening worship.  (There is one exception to this rule- the "Christianity Explored" small group is for anyone)

The study content is approved by a pastor (a study should be based on a book, sermon application, or the Bible)

The leader must be willing to create an open culture to add new members

Facilitating one-on-one discipling relationships (this doesn't mean the leader does all the discipleship)

Attend annual training event

Look for and train a co-leader who can leave and start a new group

Be willing to divide the group for the good of the congregation (meaning if the group is becoming too cliquish, they need to be divided to include others and get to know others in the congregation).

Children's Ministry Workshop

 So two weeks ago, Max was helping with the weekender at CHBC (where about one hundred pastors come to observe the church, hear seminars, etc- this was how Max first got connected with the church last May).

One of the seminars they offer during the weekender is a children's ministry workshop.  When I heard that this particular workshop was open to anyone (and free, including a Chick fil a lunch!), I immediately was interested to attend and learn more about it.  At this point, we still have no idea where God is leading us, but regardless of where we end up, I knew this seminar would be very useful to me as a pastor's wife and mother of four.  (A great deal of this post is for myself, so that I can look back on it to easily find the resources they mentioned if/when needed).

The first thing we were asked is if parents at our churches see themselves as the primary spiritual caregivers.  Parents need to be reminded of this fact, but they must also recognize that there is no special formula that  will guarantee our children's salvation because it is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Three ways to support parents

1.  Providing safe childcare at church, using secure search   (great customer service and honest about   pricing).
2.  Sending parents home "filled up" with good preaching and teaching is the best way to train children, since they have their children the majority of the week.  Most of the take home materials or book recommendations they give for parents are from Christian Focus whose main goal is to faithfully represent scripture, church history, and missions.
3.  Well trained and supported teachers and curriculum.

For sunday school, ages 4-4th grade, they used to use Children Desiring God curriculum but recently switched to  Treasuring Christ curriculum  which teaches from Genesis to Revelation for k-4th grade.  This particular curriculum is free for church plants, and then charges established churches based on the size of their youth group.  They fell in love with this curriculum because the lesson prep for the teachers is a week of devotions, so the natural overflow from their quiet time comes out as they teach the material. 
Praise Factory   is a curriculum written by Mark's wife, Connie.  Praise Factory is used for the preschool program, and also for K-3rd grade during the sermon when the kids are dismissed.  There is a "big idea" (ie "the Creator God") which is the same for three weeks, but the story is different each time, including stories from the old and new testaments, church history, and missions. 
The Gospel Project  is one other resource that was mentioned.

Four fundamentals they desire to pass on to the children, which have been taken from Psalm 66.

1.  Live joyfully - teach children how to go through life joyfully, realizing there is a great God leading us to an eternal reward, no matter how good or bad our lives are in the present.  (v.1)
2.  Live to glorify God in all things, regardless of the outcome (v. 2-4)
3.  Teach children the great things God has done (from v. 5-7 referencing the parting of the Red Sea)
4.  Tell the gospel that saved you.  Your life is different because of this gospel, so share it with the kids and get excited about it! (v.8-20)

One of the best things I learned from this workshop is to teach kids to apply "ACTS" (the principle that is often used for remembering how to pray) to any story or passage of scripture. 
Adoration - What is something we can praise God for in this story?
Confession - what can we confess from this story?
Thanksgiving - what can we thank God for?
Supplication - what can we pray for from this story?

This is a great way for anyone to study the Bible!

Pyramid of Shame

The interns are supposed to turn their papers in at 5:30 every day, but occasionally one person will be a little late in turning it in.  In this event, Mark has a ritual called "the pyramid of shame".  Whoever is in his office forms a pyramid and sings this chant as the late intern walks in "shame, shame, shame, your paper's late and that's not great."  Someone filmed it today, so I thought it would be fun to share! 

 Kinda funny that the one time they filmed it is the one time he's EVER wrongly shamed someone!  As you can see, the internship isn't all work and no play!

The Future of Suffering

CHBC has a four year rotation of "core seminars" (aka Sunday school) that cover every aspect of the Christian life, theology and understanding of the old and new testaments, and they make each class applicable to anyone. ( This link shows the overview of how their seminars are set up.)  For instance, the "missions" class, though it includes instruction on how to know if you are called to be a missionary overseas, etc, isn't just for people interested in being a missionary, but for everyone since we are all on the mission field as Christians living in a post modern world.  Today's topic in the missions class was "Is Jesus the Only Way to God?".  

The class we attended today however was on suffering.  It is a thirteen week course, and today's specific topic was on The Future of Suffering - The importance of heaven and hell in the suffering of a Christian

 (Sorry for the long post, but it was such great stuff!. . .most of what I have here is taken directly from a download of the teacher's manuscript, which are available for any church to use on CHBC's website).

Our teacher began with an example of a sports event for which you don't know the outcome.  It's nerve wracking wondering who's going to win, but it's also what makes the game exciting when your team wins, and disappointing when you lose. 

It is completely different watching a game that has been recorded and you accidentally overheard the outcome before actually watching it.  Regardless of how tense the game is originally, you are able to calmly watch, knowing the outcome ahead of time.

The same is true for the Christian life.  God in His kindness has told us how it all ends.  He wins.  Satan, sin and death itself are defeated and there will come an end to suffering!

To suffer as a Christian means to suffer with the End of all things firmly fixed in your view.   But when we suffer with the End in mind, our hope burns brightly because it shows that what we get far surpasses anything we give up.  And in that hope there is glory to God and joy for us, even in the midst of suffering.

Any answer to the problem of suffering that does not mention the end, cannot be called a Christian one.   

 We may believe that there is life after death, but push it to the backburner until the idea of eternity becomes more of an insurance policy just in case[2].  When we lose sight of heaven, tragedy (big or small) can leave us in despair because it robs us of hope. 

Martin Luther understood this reality well and said that he lived as if there were only two days on his calendar: this day and that day.  This day referring to today, the one you find yourself in; that day referring to the end, the day when we will stand before God as Judge.   

So what we’ll do is begin by looking at the end and consider what God is doing with the realities of hell and heaven.  With that in mind, we can move back to this day, today, and see how those realities help us as we suffer.

Hell and the Last Day

Now recently, there has been much debate over the idea of hell.  So, let’s consider what the Bible says about Hell…

When the Bible speaks of hell, it describes it as place with suffering so unbearable it will be filled with “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12).   

It’s described as a furnace of fire, an unquenchable fire where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched (Matt. 13:42, Mk. 9:43, 48).

  Imagine that, a fire so fierce that it never goes out, ever; a place filled with a stench and rottenness so bad the maggots never go away. 

 Those in hell long for an end, but there is no end in sight. 

 Scripture describes it as a place where sins are punished, not for 10 years or 100 years, or 1,000 years, but forever – that’s why Revelation 14 speaks of the smoke of their torment rising for ever and ever.  A torment that never allows for rest day or night.   

Yet the most terrifying aspect of all is the complete separation from God – of being at odds with Him, of facing His wrath, of knowing you will never be able to be reconciled to the God who you were created to worship (2 Thes. 1:9).  

 And where there is separation from God, there is also separation from our friends, family, and loved ones.   

No matter what Hollywood or the recent comic strip tells us, Hell is not a party where people will be reunited.  Those in hell will forever be at odds with each other, constantly torn apart inside by realization of their guilt and shame.  

So what does this tell us about God? What’s he doing?

Can you imagine if God looked at the evil in this world - rape, murder, theft, abuse, discrimination – and did nothing about it – even called evil good?  That would not be a God who is good - that would be an evil tyrant.  But God is not indifferent toward sin, and Hell serves as evidence.  Because he is good and just, He will punish every sin – as God revealed in Exodus 34, He will not leave the guilty unpunished.  Nothing will be swept under the carpet – He will never be the wicked Judge who takes a bribe, shows partiality, or gets the verdict wrong.  

Okay, if that’s what God is doing on That Day, what difference does it make for us for how we live Today?  What difference does it make for us in the midst of suffering?  

Hell and Today

Imagine someone who has been sinned against – someone has undeservingly done them wrong.  Maybe they’ve been cut off in traffic.  Maybe their spouse blamed them for something they didn’t do.  Maybe someone robbed them. Maybe they’ve been abused by a parent or spouse.  Maybe they’ve lost a spouse or child because they professed to be a Christian.  

In any of these scenarios (and you can imagine countless others), what does the victim long for?  Justice!  And that longing is good and right – it’s an expression of being made in the image of God.   

The problem is that vengeance was never meant to be a burden we were designed to carry – it’s too heavy.  When you live as if vengeance is up to you, the desire for justice can consume you.  You can’t forgive the person because if you do, he might get away with it!  And so anger and resentment start to grow inside until you are left bitter.  

To those who find themselves suffering under this burden, God mercifully comes along and offers to take it off their shoulders and carry it for them.  We read in Romans 12, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” 

It is God's job to avenge, not ours.  We can trust God to make right every wrong, to provide justice in every situation.  God is much better at getting vengeance than we are.  Those who have wronged you will answer to God for it and they won’t get away with it.  One day, on That Day, they will stand before God and answer to Him.  If in this life they refused to repent, they will drink the cup of God’s wrath.

So when I see the Biblical picture of hell I can trust God to avenge.  More than that, I can let go of the bitterness, the anger, and resentment.  Instead of being overcome by evil I can now overcome evil by doing good to that person.  When I see Hell for what it is, I don’t want to wish that on my worst enemy. 

Now that Christ has come, God can be absolutely just and still forgive sinners – He can, as Paul writes in Romans 3, be just and be the one who justifies.  How does that work?  When a person refuses to repent of their sin and trust in Christ, they face God’s wrath on their own – that’s how vengeance comes and God’s justice is preserved.  But if that person repents and trusts in Christ, God’s vengeance comes a different way.  As an atoning sacrifice, He substitutes Himself in the place of those who trust in Him.  Either way, God remains just.

In that sense, the reality of hell has another purpose in our suffering.  When we are wronged, we long for justice.  But, when we are guilty of the wrong, what do we long for?  Mercy.  Hell isn’t just what other people deserve (the Hitlers, Stalins, Bin Ladens); it is what we deserve.  “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.[3]”  As a result, what is fair, what is just, is for us to be cast into hell. 

If Hell is not real, we’ve not been saved from much.  But if it is real, Hell serves as a backdrop to show the depth of God’s mercy, to show us what we’ve been saved from!  

In the midst of suffering, it’s easy to feel sorry for ourselves and think God owes me His kindness; to forget what I deserve because of my sin.  And when we become ungrateful, suffering becomes unbearable.  But, the more we appreciate God’s mercy, the more we’re able to get our focus off of self and take the long-view of things.  In that sense, even when I don’t understand everything God is doing, I can rest in the truth that God is good – and that hope is what gets us through.     

That day and Heaven

On That Day, the Day of Judgment, Jesus will separate the sheep from the goats, the righteous from the unrighteous.  So we need to consider not only what the Bible says about Hell, but what it says about heaven.

When the Bible speaks of heaven, it describes it as a place where there is no more suffering.  Thus we read in Revelation 21, ““Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  No longer will there be headaches, cancer, arms that don’t work, eyes that don’t see.  There will be no more sadness, no more pain, no more funerals.  We will be given new bodies that never break down, never wear out, never get sick.  

There will be no more sin to fight; no more guilt and shame from broken pasts.  We will be with our friends and family who have trusted in Christ and our relationships will be without envy, rivalry, or competition.  Instead there will be perfect love – each person caring for the other, able to trust completely. 

And best of all, heaven is described as the place where we will dwell with God and be perfectly happy, satisfied in Him. 

 It is impossible to put to words how wonderful this will be.  Imagine the best pleasure you can imagine in life…God, is infinitely better.  Every good in this life is a sign post to the ultimate good of God Himself.  He is what is amazing about heaven.  If heaven was just about avoiding hell, just about singing songs and sitting on a cloud – all those comforts would eventually become boring.  But we will never plumb the depths of the beauty, majesty, wonder of who God is.  He will take our breath away again, and again, and again. 

So what does heaven teach us about God?  What is He up to?

Well if hell shows us the goodness and justice of God, heaven shows us the grace and mercy of God.  Heaven is not what any of us deserve but it is real and it is enjoyment beyond our imagination. 

So if this is true about God, what difference does it make for us in the midst of suffering?  How should it affect how we live in This Day, Today?

This Day and Heaven

For one, it reminds us there is an end of suffering – it will not go on forever.

Without hope, suffering will crush us with despair. 

Think about the suffering we endure because of our bodies.  Ever since sin entered the picture our bodies have groaned under the weight of aging – breaking down, getting sick.  But the hope we have is that these bodies are only temporary - in the new heavens and new earth, our bodies will be made new.  In Philippians 3:20-21: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”  

Joni Eareckson Tada who has suffered as a quadriplegic since 1967 explains how this crucial this hope has been for her in her suffering.  She writes:

“I still can hardly believe it.  I, with shriveled, bent fingers, atrophied muscles, gnarled knees, and no feeling from the shoulders down, will one day have a new body, light, bright, and clothed in righteousness – powerful and dazzling.  Can you imagine the hope this gives some spinal cord-injured like me?  Or someone who is cerebral palsied, brain-injured, or who has multiple sclerosis?  Imagine the hope this gives someone who is manic-depressive.  No other religion, no other philosophy promises new bodies, hearts, and minds.  Only in the Gospel of Christ do hurting people find such incredible hope.”

Those suffering physically need hope – and the hope of heaven is that our bodies will be made new.  One thing this points to is that our God cares deeply about our pain and suffering.  David writes in Psalm 56:8 “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?”  He is not indifferent toward our pain, He is not cold and removed.  One day, God promises to wipe away every tear, to right every wrong, remove every pain - and heaven is reminds us that that such hope is sure.

Another benefit of the reality of heaven for suffering is that it points us to our greatest hope: to be with God.   

It reminds us that our suffering is never wasted.  In the 18^th century, Jonathan Edwards described heaven as being a place where everyone will be deeply satisfied - who will have a cup and have their cup filled to the brim.  Our cups will be of different sizes – some will have a thimble, others a glass, others a five-gallon bucket, but everyone will have a full cup.  What makes the difference in the size of the cup?  Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Did you notice that?  In Paul’s affliction, his suffering has an effect on the weight of glory he experiences in heaven - it’s preparing for him a weight of glory.  As we endure today with patient faith, suffering has a way of carving out a deeper bowl for us – an expectation and appreciation of heaven when we get there.  In this sense, we are helped in our suffering now, knowing that it is being used by God to give us a greater capacity to enjoy Him both now and in eternity!

Our longing for God may be the most important function of the reality of heaven in our suffering.  If God is our greatest treasure suffering that once seemed like an insurmountable mountain turns into a speed bump.  That’s not to say that it won’t hurt anymore – just that we will not look to our circumstances to satisfy us.  Consider Paul’s words in Philippians 3:8 – “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

Paul had just spent time reflecting on the things that were once valuable to him – his religious heritage, family background, education, and achievements in keeping the law – and now says, all those things are rubbish.  In fact, think about what would be excluded from Paul’s list that he considers rubbish.  Nothing!  So whether his health, his relationships, his reputation – everything goes into the rubbish category, when he compares it to the surpassing value of knowing Christ.  In that sense, His present love for Christ and hope to one day be with Him would be untouchable.  He could be wasting away on the outside, but renewed on the inside.  No one worries about their trash being ruined or stolen.

How can we grow in this?  A few suggestions:

·         Read God’s word

o   Meditate on Revelation 4-5; 21-22

o   Meditate on Psalm 2 – the Lord laughs, scoffs at those seeking to derail his program – our future is certain. 

o   Reflect on 1 Corinthians 15 – promise of a new body that works

·         Pray

o   Pray for heart of wisdom to number days rightly (Ps. 90)

o   Examine your schedule – are you so busy that your focus is always on now?  Need to trim down to

o   Pray for a heart that is deeply satisfied in God (Psalm 73:25-26; Phi. 3:8; 2 Cor. 4:16-18)

·         Good things to read:

o   Jonathan Edwards sermon “Heaven, a World of Love” or “Sinners in the hands of an angry God.”

o    

·         Sing Hymns that help you reflect on heaven:

o   It is well

o   Jerusalem my happy home

o   Lo He comes

o   How sweet and awful is the place

o   Hark I hear the harps eternal

o   There is a happy land

o   The sands of time are sinking

o   I will glory in my Redeemer

---

[1] See 1 Thes. 4:13

[2] We need to pray as Moses in Psalm 90:12 asking God to “Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom.  This after considering the brevity of life: “The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty, if we have the strength; yet the span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away” (Ps. 90:10).

[3] Rom. 3:10-11, 23; Eph. 2:3b

[4] Rev. 21:27

[5] When God Weeps by Joni Eareckson Tada and Steven Estes, pg. 216

[6] Cf. Matt 5:11-12

Missions and Outreach

The following is taken directly from a handout we received in our Membership Matters class on missions and outreach

 

Background

Matthew 28:18-20: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

·         “Make disciples of all nations”

o   Evangelism

o   Discipling

·         Three primary ways this happens in the New Testament: Personal Evangelism, Global Evangelism (missions), Churches Helping Other Churches.

Personal Evangelism

How many of you came to know Christ through someone personally sharing the Gospel with you?

·          most people believe because someone personally shared the good news with them.

·         Personal evangelism is relational.

o   Through relationships with friends, family, etc.

o   That means it’s done primarily by you and not simply by bringing people to church.

o   If the content of Sunday services never extends beyond what  non-Christian can understand, we won’t fulfill the vision Jesus has for us.

·         How does the church get involved?

1.       When your non-Christian friends come visit, they’ll hear  and see  the gospel.

§  Hear: As we sing and preach the gospel.

§  See: Lord’s supper and baptisms; love and unity in the congregation.

§  Kind of silly to share the gospel and not introduce people to one of the primary witnesses to the truth of the gospel—the local church.

2.       Equip you to share the gospel.

§  Core seminars: evangelism, apologetics, Two Ways to Live, Christianity Explained.

3.       Events and ministries to share the gospel and introduce people to the church

§  Lunchtime Talks at local colleges, Henry Forums.

§  ESOL and ISM (international student ministry).

§  Central Union Mission, Juvenile Detention Center Bible studies, Angel Tree.

§  Three things to note about these ministries:

a.       They’re your responsibility.  The church can help, but sharing the gospel and caring for those in need are things you must do.

b.      Care for all suffering—especially eternal suffering.

c.       We have a fairly entrepreneurial approach to ministry development.

§  Campus Outreach (evangelism, discipling, bridge from campus to local church)

1

Global Evangelism / International Missions

·         While personal and local evangelism are important, we also understand that Jesus said we are to “make disciples of all nations.”

o   So in Acts: Paul and Barnabas sent out.

o   3 John 6-8: “send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.  It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.  We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.”

o   “Missions:” proclaiming the gospel across language, cultural, and geographic barriers.

·         Every member should be involved either by sending or going.

·         Sending

o   We make sure that at least 15% of our budget goes to global evangelism, with roughly half going to the IMB

§  The IMB is a bit different than most missions organizations.  While most of these organizations require missionaries to raise financial support, the IMB does not.  (explain how it works)

o   But when it comes to supporting missions, we want to be more involved than just writing checks.

§  Housing for missionaries

§  Try to visit each of our missionaries each year.

§  Our strategy is to focus intense effort on a small group of missionaries (about 30 at present) rather than a small level of support to a lot of missionaries.

§  Focus on Central Asia.  Because it’s so unreached and we have good relationships with Christian workers in this region.

o   Access Partners: consulting firm, staffed by members of this church, that develops for-profit businesses to provide missionaries with legally and culturally-legitimate platforms for gospel ministry in countries where Christian workers are illegal.

·         Going

o   Short-term trips: generally come in two flavors

§  Childcare trips

§  Scripture distribution trips

o   Long-term going.  If you’re thinking of going out as a missionary at any level, you should—as soon as possible—have a conversation with Andy Johnson. We understand from Scripture that missionaries are sent by churches—they don’t just decide to go on their own.  So if you’re interested in going, as many in this church eventually do, we want to help guide and support that decision, and your eventual work overseas, so that you can be sent out by us.

Caring for other churches

·         One common theme running through the New Testament is churches helping other churches.  For instance, think of Acts 15:41 where Paul and Silas are sent out by the church at Antioch to encourage other churches. Or 2 Corinthians 8 where Paul commends the Macedonian churches for giving generously to help churches in need back in Judea.

·         How do we try to do this at CHBC?

o   Sending young men to seminary

·         Any point in time: financially support about a dozen.

·         Also give to directly fund the five SBC seminaries: Southeastern, Southern, New Orleans, Southwestern, Midwestern, Golden Gate.

o   Training pastors here

·         Every six months a new group of interns arrives.

·         We provide housing and a stipend.

·         Read, write, and observe—to learn how God has designed the church and what that looks like in real life.

o   9Marks

·         Helping other local churches flesh out the Biblical model for what it means to be a church.

·         Conferences, pastor counseling, a website loaded with articles, bi-monthly journal, books, and Weekenders.

·         Together for the Gospel: where several church leaders from various backgrounds come together to model how we can disagree on things like church polity and yet work together for the furtherance of the Biblical gospel

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The Southern Baptist Convention

·         A significant part of missions and outreach in our church involves a partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention.  

·         What does it mean to be Southern Baptist?

o   A Southern Baptist church is a local church that has voluntarily chosen to be “in friendly cooperation with, and contributing towards the causes of, the Southern Baptist Convention.”

o   Every SBC church is autonomous under Christ.  They don’t take orders or direction from the SBC.

o   More a big pot of money that different churches contribute to than what most people think of as a “denomination.”  Money funds missionaries and seminaries.

·         Where did the SBC come from?

o   The SBC emerged out of the need to better support and facilitate missions, both here in North America and around the world.

o   1814: Baptist churches from South Carolina to Massachusetts came together to form the first national Baptist organization in America, charged with coordinating the funding of international missionaries.

o   1845: split over two issues

1.       Should a central board send out missionaries or local churches?

2.       Could slaveholders be missionaries?

o   Sadly, most of the Baptists (as well as Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopalian) churches in the south, didn’t believe slavery was morally wrong. However, most northern churches, Baptist and non-Baptist alike, correctly understood that American slavery was an abomination and antithetical to the gospel.

o   At about this time, almost all of the major Protestant denominations split on north/south lines, including Baptists, over the issues of slavery and secessionism, with the southern churches in our case forming the Southern Baptist Convention—also known today as Great Commission Baptists.  And the Northern churches formed what became the more theologically liberal American Baptist Convention[1].

o   Fortunately, the SBC has since publicly repented and apologized for its past position, declaring that church members must, “unwaveringly denounce racism, in all its forms, as deplorable sin” and “repent of racism of which we have been guilty whether consciously or unconsciously.”

o   That was 1 of 2 big crises that’s shaped the SBC.

o   2^nd: theological liberalism (characterized by denial of the authority of the Bible)

·         By 1970s SBC pastors being trained by professors who denied authority of Scripture.

·         1980s: grassroots rebellion in the SBC (not seen in other major US denominations)àseminaries and sending boards reformed.

·         So today we’re excited about how our money is being used.  Another example of churches cooperating together to do more than they could on their own.

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[1] Initially, the Northern Baptist Convention.