28 Jun How Big is Your County?

I performed an informal assessment with a church. I asked them what (if any) threats there were that would keep the church from moving forward. One man responded that he thought the larger churches in their area were a “threat.”

First, I acknowledged that it is true that larger churches can provide some services and ministries that a smaller church is not at the point of doing. For example, in my first church, we had families come that had teenagers. We were a small church plant whose oldest children were in fourth grade at the time. We concluded that we were not going to be able to reach or retain families with teens until our children grew to be teens. I helped those families that visited us who had teens to get into a good church down the street. In this way, that church was a partner, not a threat. We kept those folks for the Kingdom, just not in our building.

But I also asked the group the question, “How many people are there in your county?”

The answer for that group was over 350,000. Studies suggest that over 50% of them probably do not have a meaningful relationship to Jesus Christ. That means that there are perhaps 180,000 people near this church who are pre-Christian and need the Gospel. It is also true that there are likely a significant number of people out of that 180,000 who are similar to the people currently in the church (stage of life, age, background, etc) and would be drawn to become part of their church, if it was clear they could meet the Lord in that place. Therefore, you could fill all the large or mega-churches in that area numerous times and still have tens of thousands of people yet to be reached. Other churches are our teammates, not our competition.

How many people are in YOUR county? Perhaps not as many as in that one, but enough that you have an ample group to reach. The greater question is whether or not your church is a place where the presence of the Lord is evident. A second question: What is your church intentionally doing to reach those who are already connected to you through relationships at work, home, etc.?

27 Jun Blessing Not Condemnation

I am currently in San Francisco at a conference. We attended church at First Baptist Church of San Francisco, which is located directly across the street from the Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Community Center. It also strategically sits on the confluence of five different San Francisco neighborhoods or districts.

I thought of the Revelation where the Lord says to the church at Pergamum:

I know where you live–where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city–where Satan lives (Rev. 2:13, 14).

Ministry in this city is tough.

My heart was deeply stirred by the pastor, Phil Busbee. His has been a difficult road since being in the city. But he has chosen before God to be committed to the vision of speaking blessing to the people in the city and not cursing.

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22 Jun Are you Tired? Consider This

1 Kings 19:3–Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep.

I’m sure many of you have preached this before. Threat, high-energy encounter, physical exhaustion–together, they add up to depression or even worse, despair. Perhaps a better summary is this: Ministry today is hard. And the further we travel toward the end of time it will increase in its challenges.

I hear this sometimes in the voices of our pastors. Cluster meetings turn into gripe sessions–no joy, no victory, no God-sightings. Gossip, critical spirits, and defensiveness seem to reign. Where is God in this? Where is a sovereign view that says that even if everything is falling down around me, yet I will praise Him (Habakkuk 3:16-19)? Where is the rejoicing when the way is rough because of the spiritual character that is produced at such times (James 1)? Where is the focus on the “audience of one” concept that says even if everyone in my church is against me, I will take my stand because I know the Lord will cause me to stand (Ephesians 6:10ff; Ezekiel)?

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21 Jun Deer Are Doing Fine on the Ranch!

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
I have just returned from a brief vacation. My wife EJ and I flew to San Antonio, Texas with our daughter and her family. We spent about a day and a half touring the Alamo and the River Walk. We ate in some fine establishments and I was able to locate several excellent ice cream shops, which is always a priority for me.
We then rented a car and drove northwest of San Antonio to Whitetail Junction Ranch. We spent several days with my nephew, niece, their spouses, plus two great-nieces and one great-nephew and their spouses. We had a nice little family reunion.
Now the reason I’m telling you all of this is to say that the deer are doing wonderfully on the ranch. After purchasing a ranch populated with sickly deer, my nephew intentionally bred strong young bucks to improve the DNA of the herd. Last year one of them topped out at about 280 pounds. I don’t know exactly what the B & C score was, but it was high. So the DNA change is working. As I drove my little four-wheel cart around to look at the animals, I was again amazed at how much has been accomplished in such a short time.
If you are wondering what I am talking about, I talked about “the DNA of the herd” in my post on March 29:

We are in need of locating a few, really sharp young pastors who can help us change our leadership DNA. Do you know any student that is currently in a seminary anywhere? Could you give me the person’s name and where he is attending school? I really want to begin building a list of strong potential “young bucks” to change the genetic DNA of our herd. You can send directly to me by email.

Or you can listen to the Podcast of my talk to the youth pastors earlier this year from Daytona Beach, Fla. Many have already heard me tell the story of the ranch and changing the DNA of the herd.
The moral of the story is this: I believe that just like a sickly herd of deer is changed by bringing in new bucks, in the same way we must change the DNA of our leadership. Many of you have heard me say this before. Nothing new. But I wanted you to be aware that after my latest trip to the ranch, I am as firmly dedicated to this task as ever.
Will there be opposition? I would be greatly surprised if there wasn’t. Will many desire that we just let well enough alone? I imagine that will be true. But my question is, are we “good enough”? When it comes to our leadership, I’d say no! Now don’t get me wrong. We have some excellent leaders who are doing an effective job leading. My point is that we just need more of them. I want to find more new leaders while at the same time try to create a desire in many of our churches for something more, something better when it comes to ministry, so that when we find the “bucks with new DNA” we will have situations in which they can reproduce.
I would imagine that we have some churches that really don’t want to change, or don’t want to see growth if it means change. Maybe only a few will really have the “stomach” to make the necessary changes to become effective again. I say “again” because most churches at one time in their history were probably somewhat effective. Some may want to be effective again and some may not. But I will say this to our churches: if there are any out there who really want to become effective in their ministry and are willing to make the necessary changes, call me!
“Effectiveness” can mean different things to different people. What it means to me is a church that will do whatever is necessary to fulfill the Great Commission by seeing everyone become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. I suppose a church could be “effective” doing a lot of different things. But if people aren’t becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, then all the effectiveness is just so much busyness. If people aren’t becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ, we almost forfeit the right to have the name “Church” on our sign. Without that happening, whatever else we do is just a social club of good works.
So, the deer are still growing on the ranch in Texas, and my dream for a new DNA within the “ranch” of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ is still burning hot in my soul.

11 Jun What Does Jesus See?

Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries
I’ve been working hard at perceiving things as Jesus would. The disciples saw a sinful woman at the well. Jesus saw a person reaching out for help. Jesus observed how hard the Pharisees worked to get their “converts”, even going overseas to make like-minded legalists. But He told His disicples to open their eyes to see the multitude of people around them who were ripe for the picking, wanted to be a part of an eternal harvest. He told of a man who worked hard to build barns that benefitted himself, but was not concerned about eternal things.
A study is currently being done as a part of a doctoral thesis. It will give us insights into the statistics we have reported over the past ten years. What will we do with what we find?
Pam and I visited with the final three members of a church that voted to close. We will sell the building and reinvest the funds in other ways. While I shared their grief over the finality of it all, I also grieved over the reality that the Great Commission played no part in the later years of this church.
In contrast to this, I received news this week that a church that has been in decline reached and assimilated over a dozen people in the last months. Another church that had several people leave and faced some financial struggles had a greater than average attendance and third largest offering of the year. A newly assigned pastor is trusting the Lord for great healing and growth in his church. Several of our churches have shown good health in NCD surveys. These are blessings.
So when Jesus looks across the landscape we call the UB church, what does He see?

02 Jun Godspell: a Great Opportunity

Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries
I was recently asked by the Admissions and Theater departments of Huntington University to sit in on a dress rehearsal of their 2006 Summer Tour production of Godspell. You could probably join me in reciting the words to many of the songs that were popularized by this musical when it was first produced in the ’70’s. (Day by Day, Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord, et. al).
Once again I was struck with the remarkable way this story presents the philosophical, social and relational trends of sinful human beings through the centuries . Then it highlights Jesus speaking truth into those trends through the Sermon on the Mount and familiar parables. The play’s dialog and songs are firmly based in Scripture. What makes this even more striking is to realize that the creator of Godspell is not a believer.
This is a high energy, fun theatrical presentation of the powerful Gospel of our Lord. Dance, lighting, varied musical instruments, humor, sarcasm, and simple props force us as the audience to see and hear ourselves and our condition. We are then hit with the high calling and demand of Jesus to live above it all through Him.
Director Dave Shamburger, his wife Kristi (Choreographer) and Mike Burnett (chairman of the Department and in charge of Lighting and Scenic Design) have done a marvelous job preparing this talented troupe to make this a quality production. You will not be disappointed iif you invite your unsaved friends to it.
This is a great opportunity to reach into the lives of our pre-Christian, unbelieving friends with a high-quality, Scripturally sound presentation of the Gospel. It gives a foundation for further dialog with your friends about the Gospel, and just may serve as the bridge to see them come to faith in Christ.
I recommend it to you. And if you are not yet on the schedule, call Jeremy Rufener at the University (260-224-3290) and see if they could possibly squeeze you in at this late date.

30 May Churches and Cats

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
I had the privilege of attending a commitment Sunday service on May 21 at Main Street Church (Walbridge, Ohio), where I served for 12 years prior to this assignment. During this service, the congregation made commitments to a stewardship campaign. The church will probably break ground for a new campus 1.5 miles south of the present building. The plan is to keep the current building for various ministries as well. They hope to break ground in August of this year.
It was an exciting service to attend…great worship and challenge!
It was the first time I’ve attended a service there since I left in the middle of August. EJ and I really looked forward to greeting many of our friends there. The most often asked question of me was, “Well, how are you enjoying being the bishop now after about nine months?” I’ve been asked that before by others across the church. But I’ve never felt comfortable answering that question. You see, sometimes I feel great about serving the church in this capacity. Then there are other times I’d just as soon be doing something else…anything else. Sometimes I feel I’m making a real contribution to the Kingdom. Other times I wonder what I’m doing here. So, the question is not a simple one to answer. I suppose it is like pastoring 200+ churches at the same time.
So in that regard, much of the time I feel like I’m trying to herd cats. Ever tried that? Really hard to do; impossible is more like it. Now, I am a cat person. By just admitting to that, I realize I will probably lose somebody’s respect, maybe “many-bodies.” I don’t have a cat now. Puddin’ died a few years ago after reaching 17 years. She was such a wonderful pet that EJ and I have put off getting another because we don’t think we’d get as good of pet as she was. Plus, we are on the go too much now anyway.
We never had a moment of trouble with her. We got Puddin’ when she was six weeks old. She never cried at night, she began using her litter box from the first day we had her, and she continued using it for as long as she lived.
But she was a cat. A Siamese at that. Moody at times, temperamental at times, aloof at times, friendly at times–but there was no time that she didn’t think she owned us. Oh yes, she did give me some trouble. Whenever I took Puddin’ to the vet, she turned into a tiger…I mean a real tiger. One time as the vet tried to turn her on the table, she bit my finger and wouldn’t let go. The vet was pregnant and didn’t want to risk being bitten or exposed to my blood, and there was a lot of it. So an assistant came and pried the cat’s teeth apart so I could get my finger back. Then they had to “doctor” me. Every time we took her to the vet after that it, was a struggle. Other than that, she was a pussycat.
She was probably a typical cat. She went where she wanted, when she wanted, and how she wanted. You could not herd her any way, shape, or form. But I really enjoyed having her around.
I guess that was good training for this present assignment. I have found that I can’t herd pastors or churches, either. Not that I have much of an urge to do so. But yet, “cat” churches can sometimes be a real challenge.
Mostly, I spend my time trying to help solve problems and casting a vision that I believe God has placed in my heart, not just for this position but in my heart, period. It is the same vision that should be in all our hearts if we are indeed Christians: to make disciples. Isn’t that it? Isn’t that the vision Jesus left us with? Isn’t that to be the main agenda of our personal life as well as the life of the church?
Making disciples is a process. A process that includes evangelism, consolidation (which is the initial new believer follow-up that gets them established in their new-found faith), discipleship (the more in-depth training), and leadership. You see, I want to be involved in this process. I think this is the real task of the church.
One thing I have noticed is how little we talk about making disciples, holding one another accountable for making disciples, strategizing how to make disciples, or reporting on our disciple-making efforts. But then, I guess it is easier just to be a “cat” church sometimes and do what we want, when we want, how we want, and where we want, and not worry about anyone else!

12 Apr What If Church is Really About the Lost?

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
“The problem with denominations is that they want to shape the mission around their polity, rather than shape the polity around the mission. The latter view is the spirit of all the founding fathers and mothers of every denomination, while the former is the sorry state of every denomination today. The lack of mission urgency in North America means that denominational leaders think they still have time to develop modest, incremental strategic plans to tinker with polity, and time afterwards to then go about mission. The truth is just the opposite. The eternal destinies of individuals do not allow such laxness” (Paul D. Borden, “Hit the Bullseye”).
Stop and think about that paragraph for awhile. The history of this denomination would vouch for its truthfulness. Otterbein and Boehm didn’t seem too concerned about polity. They were driven by an insatiable desire to see lost people find Christ. Now we have conferences to change discipline and polity without even being greatly disturbed at the ineffectiveness of many of our churches in fulfilling a mission to the lost. As a result of being in this office a short time, I have been left reflecting on what it would take to bring us back to have a missional focus again. Do we really see the Great Commission as our mission? Was God a missionary God? If so, then isn’t the one mission of the church clear?
This Sunday we will gather in churches to celebrate the resurrection, ascension, and glorification of the Lord of the Church. Maybe, just maybe, “He expects the church in dependence upon him to accomplish great things” (Borden, “Hit the Bullsey”). And to be urgent in fulfilling our mission. Does it make any eternal difference whether persons place their faith in Jesus Christ? If the eternal destinies of individuals are determined by whether they have placed saving faith in Jesus, then maybe we ought to ratchet up our urgency of communicating the Gospel. I think probably most of our congregations believe it makes a difference, but many surely don’t act like it.
What if church wasn’t for us? What if church is really about reaching the lost? I know, we all want fellowship, being with our Christian friends, worshipping God…but we will have an eternity to do all that. Maybe church isn’t really about us. Maybe it really is about the mission! Reaching people, making disciples for Jesus Christ.
How different would our church and churches look if we really acted like we believed our task is missional? I think it would change how we talk about and to one another. I think it would change our priorities. I think it would change what it took to upset us.
Steve Dennie passed this quote on to me, I share it with you. It is from C.H. Spurgeon:
“If sinners be damned, at leasty let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
WOW!

10 Apr Interim Pastors

Ron Ramsey, Bishop

A study I read said that filling a church pastoral vacancy now takes 18 months on the average. With that in mind, I have been pondering whether it is time for us to develop an Interim Pastoral system. Being an effective interim pastor requires a set of skills that are a bit different that those for a long-term pastorate.

Just wondering what your thoughts might be on the subject and whether you have had any expereince being an interim pastor or being in a church that has had an interim pastor.