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.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Thursday, April 11, 2013
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.
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.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
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).
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).
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
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!
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!
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