by Josh Monda | Sep 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
Sep 02
Posted by Josh
I have always felt that God has called me to be a Youth Pastor in addition I have always been against those that merely use Youth Ministry to aspire to something better meaning a Sr. Pastor role. But what if you feel maybe God is calling you to a Sr. Pastor role. This has entered into my thinking and something I never thought I would think about is dominating my thought process. I really have never desired to be a Sr. Pastor. I guess all of the headaches that come with it I would like to avoid. However there are just as many headaches within Youth Ministry. I however have always liked dealing with teens and have not necessarily liked dealing with many adults. However I have to ask myself has God been preparing me for this, preparing me for something different, even something I never dreamed I would do.
I have always said to my wife if I was going to be a Sr. Pastor I don’t want to do it in a small town. I have just felt the potential for growth is so low. However over the last few weeks I have begun to see that there are many smaller towns that either do not have a good church or they have a church without a Pastor. Many people here in MO are forced to drive several miles if they live in a small town in order to find a good church. In addition I have had several people recently ask me if I would consider being a Sr. Pastor. I just struggle with decision. Am I ready?
Sometimes God calls us to do things that we never though were possible. Sometimes God wants us to think outside of ourselves and to focus on Him. I am not saying I am call to be a Sr. Pastor but I decided today I should at least be open to the idea. If you are reading this I would ask that you pray fro direction in my life.
Life, My Thoughts, Spiritual Application
by Josh Monda | Sep 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
Today The first thing we want to look at in the Preparation of People.
God’s people need example, equipping, and excitement. High standards for volunteers can only be expected when high standards for training are expected. Often we have high standards for our volunteers but we only offer crappy training methods. Everyone needs a job and a role to play. We are responsible for the unchurched in our area.
Well what is a prospect. A working definition for us will be any unsaved or unchurched person within reach of your church for whom you have contact info.
We should have an open enrollment policy.
It should be easy for someone to enter Sunday School but it should be difficult for someone to become a member of our church. In fact membership should expect service.
The church should also have some discovery methods and events to check out the church. The staff and other must be available to the congregation.
The Picture of Participation: Prayer and Pursuit
Here is a sample general structure:
You will have a class structure which will consist of a leadership team, outreach teams, simplified record systems.
Here is a sample Class Structure
You have A Class Prayer Leader (rotates)
They make 5 calls a week. At least 1 of these is to an unchurched person. These calls are coordinated with the outreach team. They will use an already prepared script to make the call easier and they will be assigned who to call on Sunday Morning.
You will also have a leadership team in Sunday School. This will consist of a teacher, secretary, class prayer leader, outreach leaders.
What should be expected of the Sunday School class member.
1. Every prospective and current member should be an active church member.
2. If they are an active member they should be an active member of a small group ministry.
3. If they are an active small group member then they should participate on an outreach team.
4. Pray weekly for community and the church
5. Team members will be given everything they need for the week on Sunday Morning.
6. All members have 7 days to make their contacts.
7. Leaders must return a report even if no one was contacted.
8. Four times a year they will participate in an all church evangelism event.
9. Every member is encouraged to participate in deeper personal evangelism training and opportunities.
Bob Russel said in his book When God Builds a Church “Mediocrity breeds indifference but quality attracts”
Our churches must step out of the realm of mediocrity and into the realm of quality.
by Josh Monda | Sep 28, 2008 | Uncategorized
Yesterday I focussed on some statistics that I had learned. Some of these stats were very discouraging to myself and we were left with the question then “what do we do?” Today I will begin to answer that question.
Thom Rainer in Effective Evangelistic Churches tells us that the most effective methodologies are.
1. Biblical Preaching
2. Intentional Prayer Ministries
3. Evangelistically Oriented Sunday School
The sad part is that many our churches are not doing these. Maybe they have one or two but rarely three. In fact is seems rare to see a church that has and evangelistically oriented sunday school. The truth is most of our sunday schools are failing and out of touch.
If we were to take the first one Biblical Preaching or teaching. Some would think that we have to compromise the teaching to reach the lost but this is simply not true. You can have an outwardly focussed small group or Sunday School without compromising high quality Bible study.
Well this will raise the question how do you do Bible study. The first thing you must do to have a quality Bible study is pray. The second thing you must do is enter into the Observation phase.
I. Observation
You must ask “what does the passage say.”
The more time you spend in observation the more accurate you interpretation will be.
Yogi Berra once said “You can see a lot just by looking”.
When you find your observations take some time to write them down. During your observation phase you must read either the entire passage, chapter, or maybe even book to have it in context. Now you might ask the question what do I observe. Tis is not through six basic quesitons.
1. Who?
2. What?
3. When?
4. Where?
5. Why?
6. How?
You also need to write down in any key terms that you find.
Then you must identify the structure.
Howard Hendricks defines five different kinds of literary structures in Living by the Book. They are
1. Biological structure
2. Geographical structure
3. Historical structure
4. Chronological structure
5. Ideological structure
finally during this observation phase you must identify the literary form.
1. Poetry 5. Prophecy
2. Narrative 6. Idioms
3. Law 7. Parable
4. Proverb 8. Epistles
After all of the observations have been made we must move onto the Interpretation Phase.
II. Interpretation
The key question we must ask here is “What does it mean”
How would have the original recipients understood this passage.
There is a difference between hermeneutics and homiletics. Hermeneutics is that art of Biblical interpretation. Where Homiletics is the art of the delivery.
There is also a difference between exegesis and isegesis. In exegesis you let the scripture speaks for itself where as in isegesis you go to the scripture with an already preconceived idea.
Augustine once said “If you believe what you like in the Gospel and reject what you do not like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself.”
A text can never mean what it never meant.
There are barriers to understanding the text they are as follows.
1. Language 5. Prejudice
2. Time 6. View of Scripture
3. Culture 7. Sin
4. Geography
During Bible study preparation you must search for
1. The immediate context 4. The testamental context
2. The chapter Context 5. The Biblical context
3. The Book context
You must also search for the Historical cultural Background, word meaning, and Grammar.
Now that we have competed the interpretation phase we move on the the organization phase.
III. Organization
The key question we must ask here is how will you present the material you have learned?
You must organize your knowledge. Many times we are guilty of teaching curriculum and are fail to teach the Bible.
Finally you move to application.
IV. Application
The key question you must ask here is What does it mean to me?
Howard Hendricks said “The Bible was not given to make us more intelligent sinners but to change our lives.”
Gypsy Smith said “What makes a difference is not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many time and thoroughly the Bible has been through you.”
Here are the application questions to ask.
1. How should my life change as a result of the truths in this particular passage?
2. What must I do?
3. What must I believe?
4. Is there and example to follow?
5. A sin to avoid?
6. A promise to claim?
7. A prayer to reapeat?
8. A command to obey?
9. A condition to meet?
10. A challenge to face?
Well that is where I am going to stop for today. With this information you can lead more effective Bible Studies and can make sure they are Biblically focussed an still dynamic.. I would challenge you to print this off and use it. Tomorrow we will get to Intention Praying and Open Small groups. Come back everyday to get more information.
by Josh Monda | Sep 27, 2008 | Uncategorized
Well I just returned from my trip to Minnesota. As promised I am going to do my follow up and post about Evangelistically Oriented Small Groups. Once again this information is coming from a training that I recently went through. So here we go.
The first thing we are going to look at tonight is The Most Effective Assimilation Methodology this is coming from Thom Rainer in High Expectations
The most effective assimilation strategy used by churches without a close second is Sunday School.
Bill Hybles gave us a formula and whether you agree with him on things or not this formula is good. It goes like this HP=CP=CC=MI
High Potency+Close Proximity+Clear Communication=Maximum Impact
Sunday School is one powerful Dinosaur. Here are some things to consider.
1. We need both open and closed small groups
2. Sunday School is the largest organization and ministry force
3. Someone is responsible for everyone
4. Bible Study
5. Meets 52 weeks a year.
6. it has a historical record.
7. It is connected to worship service.
8. It has the power of Assimilation (it is 5 times more effective than worship, and 3 times more effective than home groups)
9. Personal Experience (84% of people are likely to drop out within 5 years if not engaged in Sunday School or a similar small group.)
If we want our Sunday Schools to grow there are 12 key questions that we must ask.
1. Is there adequate space for present and future growth?
2. Are new units being created?
3. What is the quality of teaching?
4. Are classes ministry based?
5. Is a Sunday School outreach plan in place?
6. Is fellowship planned and intentional?
7. What priority does the pastor give to Sunday School?
8. What plan is in place to secure and train new teachers?
9. How good is the record keeping?
10. What lines of accountability are in place?
11. Are new members assigned to a specific class?
12. how intentional are the class greeters?
There is a Physical Effect that takes place in Sunday School.
Classroom setup and design effects assimilation. The room set up makes a huge difference the room must be visually pleasing and appealing, the room must be set up to accomplish a purpose.
Assumption of Assimilation
1. All churches believe they are friendly.
2. Terms create powerful images.
3. Hospitality mean love of stranger. (We should never mistreat guests they should always feel like they are important and that they belong there but usually the opposite is true.)
4. Without guests a church cannot grow.
Here are some hard facts about Assimilation
1. many factors contribute to the assimilation crisis.
2. dropping out of church has become an anticipated part of Christian lifestyles.
3. The church has forgotten the youth and thus has frontloaded the dropout machine.
4. Family involvement increases relative closeness to the church.
5. ”Anxiety Anger Complex” is not being addressed for the aging Boomer.
6. The clergy have become more business oriented and less relationally skilled.
7. Pastors have more to do with assimilation that evangelism.
8. Doctrine remains a high concern for the long -term believer.
9. However, people tend to leave more over disagreements than theology.
10. People drop out:
A. The 1st 2 years of church.
B. Between ages 15 and 23
C. At the empty nest stage.
D. After a divorce.
So what are some practical Assimilation strategies that the church can use.
First we must Know the Unchurched this is done through
1, Doctrine being clarified
2. High Expectations
3. An “entry point” class
4. Small groups and Sunday School
5. Clarity of purpose
6. Ministry involvement
There is a Relationship Effect that takes place
We must Give Guests the best
1. Attitude
2. Community
3. Welcome
4. Parking
5. Setting
6. Time
7. Service
If a Guest does come out to our class or Sunday School what should be done. Here are some tips for Effective Follow-up of Guests and New Members
1. Acknowledgement (Call guests within 24 hours. Ask for their opinions. Send a thank you letter within 2 days. Place them on mailing lists. Invite them to come back.)
2. Enhancement (Have weekly outreach teams in place. Deliver a gift to the home. Explain the points of entry.)
3. Appointment (Call and inform of upcoming entry opportunities. Mail information and invite them to an entry point)
4. Commitment (Invite them to attend Newcomers class. Place on A small group responsible list.)
Tomorrow we will conclude this series by giving some practical small group and Assimilation Principles and Strategies.
by Josh Monda | Sep 22, 2008 | Uncategorized
Sep 03
Posted by Josh
I have been a Youth Pastor for 14 years. Trust me I have gone through an onslaught of t-shirt companies trying to pawn there wares off on me. It typically goes something like this we want to send you 50 t-shirts for you to evaluate and what you don’t sell you send back to us. I have to admit that this is a great marketing idea because Youth Pastors are procrastinator’s they let the t-shirts sit around forever and then the next thing you know they have to buy them all. In addition to that alot of these t-shirts are kind of lame. They lack in style and seem just kind of cheesy. You can see I clearly don’t ascribe to the “they will know we are christians by our t-shirts” mentality. However I believe that Christian t-shirts if done tastefully can be a cool thing to wear and can be a conversation point. Enter JESUSBRANDED.
I recently received a link to the site Jesusbranded.com so I decided to go check them out. I was pleasantly surprised as I perused the shirts. They really have some cool stuff that steps out of the ordinary style of christian t-shirts and bring a cool, refreshing, unique style. These are not just some cheesy t-shirts but each shirt has a verse that goes along with it. Perhaps you say big deal. Well let us not forget
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
It is God’s word that is the power of God for salvation. So when I see a company that put this into practice I support it. Why don’t you go take a look and decide for yourself. Are your Jesusbranded? Check them out here.
Life, My Thoughts, Spiritual Application
