by Josh Monda | Apr 9, 2016 | Church
Disturbing trends. I was thinking of this yesterday, that I notice some disturbing trends when it comes to writing concerning church leadership and church growth. I pastor a smaller church, if we hit 70 that is a good Sunday for us. I do not believe there is anything necessarily wrong with a small church. However, I do believe there is a lot wrong with a small church that fails to attempt to reach the lost. That is for another post.
Here is the trend that I see cropping up in writings today. Identifying a problem or problems without a solution. I scour though blog posts, read books, talk to people, etc. and it seems like we are very good at identifying the problem. We can find things like 5 reasons you church sucks, but there are very little solutions to these problems. Is this what I really want to fill my mind with all the reasons why my church won’t grow, can’t grow, what is wrong with my church etc. without ever getting a solution? NO! This is not what I want to read yet this is what seems to be popular these days. Well thank you captain obvious. Furthermore, those that seem to give a solution want to somehow either compromise the gospel, or somehow pretend like man is the ultimate decider of salvation so we must have some sort of atmosphere to manipulate man to make a decision for Christ. I am sure you have read these kinds of things. We need the lighting just right, and the parking lot just right, and the color of the walls of the sanctuary just right. Not that I am opposed to ding things with excellence you can ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you that I want things done well.
We should never manipulate someone into making a decision for Christ. Let me rephrase that we should never manipulate someone into making a “true” decision for Christ. What about the pastor that wants to lead his church to share the gospel with the lost in his community. Where are the solutions. Just stop with all of the blog posts, books, and other garbage that fills our minds with problems and never gives a solution.
This leads me to a secondary trend. This trend deals with church planting. I am not a church planter nor do I know all of the ins and outs of church planting, however I have read through the ultimate church planting guide, which is the life of the Apostle Paul. It seems the strategy of today for planting a church is a “better church”. Is that really what we need a “better church”? Come to “better church” because ours is better than yours. Oh sure we may not have that slogan but that indeed is the mentality. If we look at the life of Paul is this how the church grew or did it grow because depraved sinners came to Christ. If I plant a church that is running 200 in 5 years then the church should have close to 200 decisions for salvation. However this is not the case in many circumstances. Church plants should grow because they are winning the lost to Christ not because they have a “better Church” or they just know how to do church better. We have made church a business, a store that tries as hard as it can to gain customers. Those may be new customers to our store but they are not new customers if you know what I mean. All of this is to say lets reach the lost. I don’t need more problems we need to reach the lost. We don’t need a church plant that is not reaching the lost we need to reach the lost. How about some solutions on how to modify our people to take the gospel to those in our community. Why can’t we take our cities by storm. our states, our nation, and other nations by storm with the gospel. Well because we are so focussed on the problem we don’t even see a solution. Just the rambling of some small church pastor.
by Josh Monda | Aug 11, 2015 | Uncategorized
Before downloading my resume why not go here and learn how to write a resume that will stand out from the hundreds of others that a church receives in their Pastor Search.
Recently I have sensed Gods’ leading me to the possibility of becoming a Sr. Pastor. So I have decided to go ahead and post my resume on this site. This resume is very similar to my youth pastor resume which can also be found on my site.
If you would like to see my resume just to see how it is constructed or perhaps you need some help with yours feel free to download it. I am no expert that is for sure and realize I am looking for a ministry to serve in as well so there is a slim possibility that we would send resumes to the same church.
If you are interested in contacting me for a position in your church or would like to speak to me then download my resume at the link below and contact me. God Bless.
To download right click and select save as and save it to your hard drive. Just remember where you saved it. Pastor-Resume.pdf If you have enjoyed being able to download a sample resume why not make a donation it will help cover my hosting fees. It is easy to do just click below
by Josh Monda | Aug 11, 2015 | Uncategorized
I have debated on whether to right this or not as I know that some will take it and twist what I am about to say into something that it is not. However, right now I need some quiet from all of the noise and to do this often times I find the best outlet is writing. For me often it is preparing a Sermon.
Over the course of these last few days I have found myself asking How would Jesus respond to this? Honestly, in the aftermath of the tornado when I stepped into a neighborhood that looked like a bomb had went off I was not thinking how would Jesus respond. When I helped pull a lady and her husband from their basement as there had a wall laying on them I did not think how would Jesus respond. As I knelt down and held a woman covered in blood whose face was all cut up and as I asked her if I could pray with her I did not ask my self how would Jesus respond. As I went to one of my church embers hospital room and looked at her head cut open and her clavicle broken and as she wept because she has lost her husband and now her home, and as she said I have nothing left, forgive me for being weak pastor, I did not ask myself how would Jesus respond? I held her and cried with her. Because in those moment I believe that is how Jesus would respond.
However, I sit here with quiet for the first time in days thinking of a daughter who nearly died on Saturday, and a tornado that ripped through my town taking four of my church embers homes on Sunday and I ask myself that question, how would Jesus respond. I ask myself that question because I am the leader of my church, I ask self that question because I believe it is vital to how we respond.
We may be surprised to know that natural Jesus was actually faced with natural disaster in his time. In liked 13:1-5 we read
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1-5, ESV)
So when we ask ourselves how would Jesus respond we have his response above. This is how he responded to the disaster of his time.
First notice that Jesus clearly lets them know that tragedy, suffering, and sin are not necessarily linked together. This is not the first time that Jesus had to make a similar connection either see John 9:2. These people really believed the reason that Galileans were murdered by Herod was because they were great sinners. In other words it was because of their sin that brought on their suffering. Notice they did not say this but they were thinking it which is why Jesus addressed the question. From here Jesus makes the reference to another news story of the day where a tower fell on 18 people killing them. He does this to illustrate his point even further that suffering is not necessarily due to sin. If this were the case then no one would be breathing, and we would all be dead. We know this because we are all sinful, and we all would be worthy of the most horrible of sufferings, death. So for us to somehow equate any natural disaster including the tornado in Washington, Il with the sin of the people is folly.
However this does bring me to my next point which may be sometimes difficult to hear. However, notice that even though Jesus clearly seemed to let the people know that suffering, and sin are not necessarily tied to one another he was also quick to point out that sin does have its penalty. Often our question tends to be focus on why would God allow such a thing to happen to certain people when perhaps the question should be “why not me?” It is very easy during these times to somehow question God as if he really owes us an explanation however our question should really by why am I allowed to take my next breath? The answer to that question is because God is full of Mercy. Is this not what Jesus is saying when he tells them “unless you repent you will all likewise parish.” When something like a tornado passes through our town it should indeed remind us that we are all sinners, and every one of us deserves the penally that sin brings which is death.
Which brings me to the next point. We should be reminded that we all need repentance. Look at the words of Jesus. He did not try to explain why it happened, or how it happened, or who to blame he simply reminded the people of their need for repentance. The most important question that anyone could ask deals with the eternal destiny of their soul. Twice Jesus reiterates the necessity of repentance. God is desires to show us mercy and is full of grace, he forgives, and can restore us but repentance is necessary. When a tornado rips through you town and when Jesus is confronted with a natural disaster we should be reminded of our need for repentance.
Finally and I do not want anyone to miss this because often this is what we do not realize. A tornado or natural disaster like this should make us realize the necessity of spreading the gospel. Honestly this is what started me on the quest of finding out how Jesus would respond. As I look around and see people that are hurting I see a far greater need that is spiritual and my heart breaks. Right before the Tornado hit my community I shared in Sunday school that humanitarian effort without the gospel is simply humanitarian effort and does not make an eternal difference. Little did I know that within a few minutes of making that statement a tornado would rip through my town taking out 4 of my embers homes. This tornado should make us come to the realization that people are hurting, but they are hurting spiritually far greater than they are hurting any other way. We must look around at the pain and suffering that people are going through and know that there is a far greater spiritual suffering that darkens the soul of people. This should drive us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ knowing that the alternative is perishing for eternity. How dare us sit by and do nothing when people are perishing, we must proclaim the gospel with urgency. So when a tornado is Washington Illinois occurs it should drive us to realize the necessity of sharing the gospel.
May we realize that indeed if we fail to share the gospel of Jesus Christ during this time perhaps we are missing the point and missing a great opportunity that has been laid before us. May we not just talk about the gospel but may we be gospel driven to the point that it permeates everything we do. I pray that the Lord use me to lead others to the recognition that when a Tornado hits that we should recognize the need to share the Gospel.
by Josh Monda | Aug 10, 2015 | Uncategorized
You have made my day Even in stormy weather I’m dancing in all the rain
Cause you make bad days…
Great is the way When you come to mind I am smiling ear to ear Sweet thoughts of you I’m always in the mood To twirl around with you While it’s raining
Even if it’s a dream
Great is the way That I am unafraid When I see you
All my fear goes away
Bad days are coming Rainy days are always around But if I can see you One glance upon you
The sun comes out
I’m dancing in all the rain
Cause you make bad days better
by Josh Monda | Aug 9, 2015 | Uncategorized
One of my good friends used to tell me that if he did not know me he would think I made up all of my stories. If you know me then you know I have gone through many different experiences in life. Some of which have greatly tested my faith and others that are sometimes just silly. These last few day really have not been any different.
For me it started on 11/14/2013 a Thursday night. In conversation with by 13 and soon to be 14 year old daughter, she told me she was not feeling well. This really was not out of the ordinary for her as she would get a stomach bug off and on and just sometimes say she did not feel well. So we sent her to bed and she came out later saying she had vomited. Again no big deal just seemed to be a bug. So we got her fluids and thought we would see how the next day would go. Friday morning was like any other morning my daughter said she still was not feeling well and so because I knew she was ill I just told her to stay home from School as Friday is my day off anyway and figured I could keep an eye on her. Then she changed her mind and decided to go to school which was fine as well.
Around 10AM on Friday I received a call from the school saying my daughter was ill. Again not that unusual so I had her mom go and pick her up from school and she came home and went to her room to rest. She was in her room the entire day on Friday and came out Friday night and watched some television with us and later took a bath. This lead us to believe she would be feeling much better come Saturday. Well Saturday came and she still was not doing well. She was still nauseous and throwing up so we were somewhat concerned now. As my wife went to do a job she sent me a text message and said make sure I check our daughter. SO I did and quickly found my precious girl in a state that looked like severe dehydration. I let my wife know that we needed to get her to the ER. My wife hurried home and when we went to clean her up she passed out. We then called 911. As I lay in the hallway with my daughter waiting on an ambulance those sobering words rang out that she would say to me, “Daddy I don’t want to die”. Upon arrival the EMT’s could not get any vital signs. She was awake but kept wanting to go to sleep. No blood pressure, no pulse, no nothing. They loaded her in the ambulance and off they went.
I loaded my boys and headed to the ER. They had finally got an IV in her but she was still in trouble. She had very little blood when they pricked her finger they could not get any blood. After working on her for awhile the doctor came out and said she felt that she had Toxic Shock Syndrome. We are fortunate that she is still with us. Later the doctor would tell my wife if I had not gone in when I did we may have lost her. Now I sit in the ICU with my daughter still with no real answers to the cause and only knowing that my daughter has some bacteria that they still do not have the answers for.
But the story does not end there. Because this morning right before I walked into my church for Sunday services I received a tornado watch on my phone. Then right after the introduction to my sermon the tornado warning came through I moved our congregation to the basement and the sirens sounded. I decide to step outside to look things over and sure enough the tornado was forming. The tornado passed about a quarter mile from my church taking out at least 4 of our members homes. So like I said this is one crazy ride.
Please pray for us pray for my daughter, my community, my church. Interestingly enough today’s message was entitled the prayer of faith. Here is some footage I took Washington Illinois Tornado Devastation From Washington, Illinois Torando
