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23 Sep

September 23, 2008 |

Chris Kuntz, Worship Pastor, Union Chapel UB (Fort Wayne, Ind.)

The following originally appeared on Chris’s blog, “Molded to Worship.”kuntz_chris.jpg

Every morning I get up before the rest of the family and get ready for work. With Lisa’s new work schedule, I leave before she gets out of bed. She is usually always either sleeping or going back to sleep as I leave, and I always give her a good-bye kiss before going.

The other morning, I was in a hurry, and as I bent down to kiss her head, my approach was a little quick. I hurriedly kissed her and started walking out the door. She asked if everything was okay, and I said, “Yes, why?”

She said the way I kissed her didn’t seem right and she thought I was mad or something. I assured her everything was okay, that I was just running late.

She drifted back off to sleep and I headed out for work.

As I was driving to work saying my morning prayers, I thought about what she said and it caused me to think about how I approach God.

  • Do I approach God in a hurry so I can get on with life?
  • Or do I approach with the intent of lingering in his presence for awhile?

I thought about how many times I throw up a prayer on the way to work, or right before I go to bed, and I wonder if God ever says, “What’s wrong? The way you approached me didn’t seem right.”

To Lisa, it might have been a fairly insignificant thing, but to me it was a lesson. How we approach those we love tells that person something.

What are you telling God by how you approach him?

22 Sep

September 22, 2008 |

Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries

  • None of them live in that community–they all drive in.
  • None of them speak the dialect spoken in that community (Mandarin, I believe it is).

Many of the adults do not speak fluent English, but all of their children do. They’re trying to figure out the most effective way to train their young people when they don’t by nature speak Chinese–they go to American schools and speak English. They want to reach their community and the next generation, but they don’t speak the language of either.

Right now, they’re looking for some English-speaking people to work with their youth. I appreciated the spirit I saw when I visited them last year.

On Sundays, the Chinese people make a day of it. They come for worship in the morning, usually do lunch together, and have worship later in the day. They have rooms in their building where kids can watch TV, study together, and do activities. A lot of fellowship happens on Sunday. It’s a cultural thing for them. It reminds me of the old days when you had service, stayed for lunch, then had an afternoon or later service.

20 Sep

September 20, 2008 |

We previously mentionedthe upcoming Sticks conference, designed for churches in rural and smalltown settings. They’re only taking 400 people, at $159 per registration. Since it’s being held in Loudonville, Ohio (between Columbus and Cleveland), it’s a reasonable distance from most of our churches.

The conference is being hosted by New Hope Community Church, a multi-site church with three locations in Ohio.

19 Sep

September 19, 2008 |

I’m in Oklahoma City attending the MinistryCOM conference–my third year. It’s designed for local church communications specialists, most of whom come from megachurches. Some churches come with an entire staff of 4-5 people who work only in communications (graphics, video, internet, etc.). Then there are a few folks like me.

Today, I met two persons who do fulltime communications work in churches of less than 1000 attendees. First time I’ve seen that. (I’m not aware of any UB church with a person working fulltime solely in communications. Doesn’t mean there aren’t any. But if they exist, they should definitely attend MinistryCOM.)

Just finished lunch with three people from Houston. The one couple said they planned to attend MinistryCOM before the hurricane, but the hurricane made it even more attractive, because they’re expected to be without electricity for another 3-4 weeks. Bummer for them.

The opening speaker was Mike Foster, founder of XXXChurch.com Some notes from his session:

  • Spend your life in the ocean, not in the tank. Be in the wild. Experience new things. Get out among nonChristians.
  • The average age of videogame players is 33. (I would have guessed much younger.)
  • Our guardian angels are bored. We’re playing it safe, not taking chances.
  • Ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s easy and fun to dream. What’s valuable is a well-executed idea.

19 Sep

September 19, 2008 |

I don’t subscribe to a lot of magazines. I only subscribe to one, Golf Digest, which I read cover to cover, though not all at one sitting. It takes me a month before the next one comes, but by then I’ll have worked my way through it. It’s not that I want to become an expert in golf, but it’s a way my mind can escape into almost a vacation type mode when I think about golf, the land, the greens, and walking the fairways. Golf takes the stress away. To some people, it would add stress. But I don’t play it that well.

19 Sep

September 19, 2008 |

Laurence Smith, father of Stephen Smith, senior pastor of Lake View Church (Camden, Mich.), passed away on Saturday, September 13, 2008. At the time of his death, Mr. Smith was living in Pennsylvania. Memorial services will be held:

  • September 27, 11 a.m., in Winston-Salem, N.C.
  • October 3, 11 a.m., in Midland, Mich.

17 Sep

September 17, 2008 |

One of the blogs I follow is TonyMorganLive.com. Tony Morgan is on staff with Newspring Church in South Carolina, one of the fastest-growing and innovative churches in the country (as was his previous church, Granger Community Church, which he was lured away from two years ago).

Morgan told about a couple in their 60s who found Christ at one of their satellite churches. The curious thing, he said, is that the service isn’t designed for people that age, but for much younger people–loud music, video teaching, coffeehouse atmosphere.

“Here’s what we’ve learned,” he wrote. “If we design our service experiences for a younger audience, we’re more likely to reach that younger person and we’ll also reach older folks. The reverse is not true. If we designed our service experience for an older audience, the younger crowd would not show up.”

There is a lot to talk about here, and most of us have talked about it plenty. How much to cater to the younger set, while seemingly ignoring older folks. The mix of hymns vs. contemporary songs. Etc.

But in the end, there are several inescapable and competing realities:

  • In most churches, the people calling the shots are older folks (baby boomers, like me, tend to be in control nowadays).
  • Young people aren’t necessarily thrilled with the shots they are calling.
  • Older Christians need to say, “The church shouldn’t need to cater to me. I’ll let other people’s tastes and preferences take precedence over my own.”
  • Most older Christians aren’t mature enough to say that.

Do you agree with Tony Morgan?

16 Sep

September 16, 2008 |

Cathy Reich, administrative assistant to Bishop Ron Ramsey, is scheduled to leave on a cruise this weekend. She and several other friends. Here’s the original plan:

  • They fly into Houston.
  • They leave from Galveston.

What’s the chance of that happening?

15 Sep

September 15, 2008 |

When I traveled with Scripture Press, I always took books with me, since I sold books. I tried to read all of the Victor Books, which Scripture Press published.

But I also took a Louis L’Mour book with me wherever I went. A good Louis L’Mour book averaged 250 pages, and I could finish it on a flight from Chicago to L.A. A one-flight book. Some people can do work on a plane, but I can’t.

I don’t read much fiction now. I like Tom Clancy, John Grisham, and Lillian Jackson Braun, who writes the “Cat Who” books about her Siamese cats.

What do you like to read? Any particular authors?

12 Sep

September 12, 2008 |

George Rhodifer (right) learned today that he has bone marrow cancer. A doctor told him he has three months to live. George, a longtime ordained minister in our denomination, is pastor of Olivet UB church in New Lebanon, Ohio. He is also a cluster leader.

George says:

“My blood count has been low for several months and they could not find a reason for it. They sent me to a blood doctor and she wanted to do a test on the bone morrow which makes blood. She read the report to us today in her office. It seems that I have bone morrow cancer–leukemia of the bone morrow. She told my wife and I that I have about three months to live. With low-dose chemotherapy, I could possibly live six months, but that is not a guarantee.

“This came as a complete surprise to us. I have a pinched nerve in my back which has affected my right side. I was getting ready to go on pain management, but the doctor told me I may as well cancel that and just take pain medicine.”

Please remember George in your prayers. You can contact George by email or by writing to:

George Rhodifer
109 Solar Drive
Tipp City, OH 45371