08 Feb Ashamed of the Gospel?

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
When was the last time you personally saw an old honest to goodness scalawag sinner come to faith in Christ as a result of your church’s ministry? I ask that question in nearly every church I visit. I get some strange looks! Like, “What is he talking about?”
In Romans 1:16, Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel.” If you do not see the gospel message pull pagan sinners to Christ, you can lose your confidence in the power of the gospel to do that. You become timid about sharing the gospel, because you fear, “What if God doesn’t or can’t do it this time?”
Could it be that we United Brethren have become closet universalists? That somewhere in the depths of our being, we think it doesn’t really matter if someone accepts Christ, because we’ve lost touch with the idea that there is an eternity of separation from God?
I know what it is like to see someone under conviction so badly that they simply fall to their knees like a sack of potatoes. Brothers and sisters, it is something to behold when God changes a person by the power of the gospel. At Main Street I saw this happen to drug adicts, alcoholics, Hindus, new agers…when Jesus just got hold of individuals and changed their lives. Trinity UB in Fostoria, Ohio, told me recently of a man who was addicted to cocaine and who was instantly and dramatically transformed by God’s Power…and he is now standing firm in Christ!
Do you not only believe that God can do that, but have the confidence that He can do that? When was the last time you saw a scalawag sinner changed into a dynamic follower of Jesus? Are you seeing this happen as a result of your ministry? (If you’ve seen this happen recently, I’d love to hear the story.)
Have you lost your confidence in the power of the gospel? Just thought I’d ask!

01 Feb Prayer & Fasting

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
We talk a lot about it, but do we do it? Really, do we really even believe it? Yeah, I’m talking about prayer and fasting. I wonder what could happen if a number of our churches would seriously consider seeking God for a Spiritual Renewal and Harvest by setting aside time for prayer & fasting between now and, say, Easter.
Would you join me in this discipline just one day a week? I’m not a legalist! You can fast one meal or three, you can fast something other than a meal, like TV or ??? You can choose the day and time. But would you join me in this discipline just until Easter? Let’s agree together for a great Spiritual Harvest by Easter.
It has already begun for Trinity UB in Fostoria, Ohio. During 2005, they have seen 46 seekers at their altar and in homes. Not bad for a church of under 100. They won’t be under 100 for long!
By the way, at the office the staff are reading Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost For His Highest daily devotional each day and then we pray for you. That book has been around for a long time, but it is powerful! If you need a good devotional for 2006, you can’t go wrong with this one. Could be a good resource to prayer and fasting…What do you think?

31 Jan Fall Election

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
I know none of us are anxious to have another church-wide election, but one will be necessary this fall. The purpose of this election will be to vote to change the constitution, thus completing the transition of our denomination that was started at the 2005 National Conference. You will be receiving lots of information about this election later in the year, but I just wanted to apprise you that it is coming.

30 Jan Spiritual Formation…More than a buzzword

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
It’s interesting how we take things that are biblical and make them a buzzword for a while. Today, spiritual formation is in danger of becoming a buzzword in our church cluture.
When I talk about spiritual formation, I think of Paul’s words about being conformed to the image of God’s son. In My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers asks, when you look in a mirror, do you see a reflection of Christ?
In our churches, we need people to take on the image of Christ. People who talk like Christ, walk like Christ, live like Christ — and are, in fact, little Christs. (That term “little Christs” is from Martin Luther.) When you hear me talk about spiritual renewal or spiritual tranformation in the church, that’s what I’m talking about. I want to convince people that we need to begin to look like Jesus. The Holy Spirit is in the business of transforming us into the image of Christ…So I ask, how much more do I look like Christ today than I did yesterday? Gets convicting real quick!

30 Jan Working as a Team

Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries
If it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Romans 12 speaks about the grace of God given to us as His body so we mutually benefit each other. That is why we must work as a team for the common good. And here is a praise that illustrates that.
The Willshire, OH, church, now called Praise Point, opened their new building on New Year’s Day. In December, at their old facility, they had 90-100 people average. This past Sunday, if a group of youth and their leaders who were out on retreat were counted in, they had over 200. They are making sudden leaps that they are scrambling to keep up with.
In comes the team. They never functioned as a church of 200 before. They need help. We are working at assigning a coach to them who can help them figure out the decisions that have to be made, the processes that have to change, the steps to take to transition the congregation from a small to medium sized church, and the pitfalls to avoid. What a great problem!
Please pray for them as they address these challenges and seek to have the Lord continue the new work He has begun there.

27 Jan Schedules

Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries

Thanks again to all who participated in our first cluster leader training. Just having you rub shoulders in the same room for a day and a half was a blessing to watch. YOU are key to making a difference in the lives of those you lead.

Please email me your cluster schedules as soon as possible. Pam and I would like to travel to be with you a time or two this year.
Some links you may find helpful:

If you want to do some demographic studies of your area, our Nazarene friends have a helpful tool at http://map.nazarene.org. Click on your state and if a Nazarene church is close by you can navigate around the site to get stats for your town.

Also, if you preach a message on the effects of pornography or have someone you are counseling who needs help, the following are some sites that have helpful info:

www.xxxchurch.com
www.pureonline.com
www.pureintimacy.org

As you lead, remember that the operative word is KINGDOM and everything we do has to be assessed on how it is positively contributing to the building of that Kingdom, His Kingdom and not ours.

Supporting you in prayer always!