11 Innovations in the Local Church by Towns, Stetzer, and Bird

Towns, Elmer L., Ed Stetzer, and Warren Bird. 11 Innovations in the Local Church: How Today's Leaders Can Learn, Discern and Move into the Future. Ventura, Cali: Regal Books, 2007.


Too often, what one thinks is happening on the cutting edge of the local church (if there really is such a thing) is tinted by the colors reflected off the churches in close proximity to us.  Or our perceptions could be influenced by those methods and efforts attracting the attention of media, bloggers, conferences, or critics.  It can become rather difficult for the average pastor or lay leader to keep abreast of innovations surfacing among local churches. However, Elmer Towns, Ed Stetzer, and Warren Bird—men in a position to be more aware of what is happening in the Church around the world make an effort to spread the word. It may have been rare for churches to broadcast their sermons online in a podcast format when Mars Hill in Seattle was doing so, but as the word spread, many churches were also able to take advantage of this innovation. These three men understand the importance of sharing information on innovation and want to share what they see. In an effort to help busy pastors and leaders, Towns, Stetzer, and Bird, offer us there their book, 11 Innovations in the Local Church: How today’s leaders can learn, discern and move into the Future.

11 Innovations in the Local Church is really what it claims to be, with an introduction and conclusion serving as bookends to eleven chapters dealing with specific innovations these three men feel are on the cutting edge. The first and most obvious questions many will ask of this book is, “Why is a book about church innovations necessary; isn’t the gospel message enough?” The authors respond saying, “Most churches need to change because they’re showing little or no statistical growth (numerical, spiritual or otherwise) and minimal impact on the surrounding culture. Too many are struggling just to keep their doors open, and yet they tend to keep replaying what they did ‘last year’” (14).  Many churches, faithfully teaching and preaching the gospel, seem to be left behind because they have failed to see the need to be innovative in the way they reach their communities.

 Stetzer opens with a story about a slightly older church that was dying. He sent them out to see what other churches were doing and their response was, “Preacher, the church changed, and nobody told us!” (13). The church must, in some areas change too—although this is not to suggest that they change the message, just how the gospel message is delivered. We must look at our methods. “When methods no longer work,” they write, “don’t blame the harvest as being unreachable; instead ask God if it’s time to change your methods!” (16). The challenge then becomes understanding how to innovate, what needs to be changes, and where the right balance might be found. Towns, Stetzer, and Bird warn, “We need to constantly ask, ‘Will God be pleased with our innovations?’ Life isn’t about what we can do—it’s about obeying what God wants us to do. We must make sure our actions are right in His eyes” (17). After outlining why change may be necessary the authors move to explaining what they have found to be the 11 biggest (or most interesting) innovations in the North American Church. And while they could look at innovations from all around the world, they keep their focus on North America pointing out, “Today, the only continent where Christianity is not growing is North America” (15).

In the chapters that follow, Towns, Stetzer, and Bird address churches identified as organic house, recovery, multi-site, ancient-future, city-reaching, community transformation, cyber-enhanced, Nickelodeon-style children-focused, intentionally multicultural, decision-journey, and attractional. Each of these identified innovations receives a chapter. Towns, Stetzer, and Bird first describe the innovation for the benefit of the reader who has no knowledge of the specific innovation. Then they offer examples and a discussion from their insights; often, these insights also provide a caution as well as what the typical church can learn and adapt from the specific innovation.

As they conclude their book on innovation, they argue the importance of critically examining how we do church. They write, “After 50 years of sprucing up our churches and spicing up our worship, the culture is less reaches and those who go to churches are less committed” (237). Therefore, we must examine what we are doing and how we, as church leaders might also be able to use these innovations to advance the kingdom in North America. This does not simply mean however, that we adopt the innovation. Towns, Stetzer, and Bird warn, “Always keep your focus on the gospel message. Don’t change it, and don’t let anyone else change it for you. But when they sing the gospel message by a different instrument, if you don’t like it, at least pray for those who sing it, and grow in Christ because of it” (245). This they say, is what we, the readers, should learn from 11 Innovations of in the Local Church.

It is good to take some time to be aware of what is happening within the Church. It could be viewed that the epistles to other churches helped keep the various First Century churches abreast of what was happening. It is also helpful to have Towns, Stetzer, and Bird visit and examine churches practicing newer innovations and then summarize the innovations. A pastor or church leader really does not have the time or resources to visit and examine churches all over the country, but if he sees something that may be good for his local context, he can look into it more and then maybe make a visit. The challenge however with a book like 11 innovations in the Local Church is that these three men selected the innovations. There could be other things on the cutting edge that they are not aware of or it may be that the book could be called 21 Innovations. One must remain open to the reality that this book only deals with what the authors selected to deal with (and it should be appreciated that the authors shared these 11 innovations). The temptation is to assume that these 11 innovations are the only innovations on the cutting edge or that there is not already 11 other innovations making their way to the forward edge.

Another challenge with a book such as this one is how timely it is. For a short time, this book may be extremely valuable, but as these innovations become more mainstream and others are surfacing, the value of the book diminishes. In chapter 7, Cyber-Enhanced Churches, the authors point out how far behind local churches are on the Internet compared to other businesses and organizations. As time passes, people will read this book and decide to get on board with what they think is an innovation, when in reality, they are still behind. Many in the church think they are on the cutting edge when they read books like this one, even if they really are behind as the book claims. This book might better serve the church if it were a regular magazine column, publishing every month without end. Many businesses keep abreast of industry changes via magazines rather than books. Just as many local churches are lagging behind when it comes to the use of the Internet, many pastors may be lagging behind when it comes to advancing the Kingdom in communities of changing culture. This may well be why one congregation proclaimed, “Preacher, they church changed, and nobody told us!” (13).

Placing the issues of timeliness aside, the value of a book like 11 Innovations in the Local Church is how much it promotes passion and creative thinking in our methods to promote the gospel. The advantage in having Elmer Towns, Ed Stetzer, and Warren Bird write it is all the years of experience these men bring to the discussion. We should not reinvent the wheel, but when some points out some good wheels, we should at least stop to take a look.


*I have no material connection to this book.  This review was originally written as a partial fulfillment toward an M.Div at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.  It has been redacted from its original form. 

Translating the Bible, NIV11, ESV, and HCSB

As God revealed himself to his creation, things were written down.  These writings are history, poetry, prophecy, letters, and the like.  We call these duel-authored writings the Canon, Scripture, or the Bible.  (More on the duel nature of Scripture may be read here.) This revelation from God was to a real culture in a specific time period and in an actual location.  Its authorship spans over 1,600 years and about 40 authors. Therefore, the languages in which the Bible was originally written were Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.  Most of us however, do not read Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek; and even of those who do, many  are not fluent enough read the Bible well in its original languages.

Enter translation.

English readers need to be able to read the Bible in English.  This requires that the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek be translated into English and that demands a great deal of work, study, discussion, and decision.  Different languages often function differently.  Dictionaries between languages never seem to parallel exactly.  So before a translation may be made, the translator (or translation team) must choose a translational theory.

Will each word be translated into its best English equivalent with no regard to sentence construction?  This is called inter-linear translational theory and these sentences become extremely difficult to read because of the awkward word order or missing words which are often required to smooth out a sentence or thought when translated into English.  In addition, a choice must still be made about which English word best represents the original language word.  Sometimes this is easy but often it is not.

Or how about translating  each word (or near word combination) as closely as possible with only minimum adjustments to sentence construction to meet English grammar requirements? If so, this is called formal equivalence.  If the strictest formal equivalence is used, the translation reads fairly clunky but is still grammatically correct in English.  Examples are the RSV, NASB and KJV.  The ESV also falls within this category but is slightly less strict to formal equivalence theory and therefore is less clunky as say, the NASB.  Bibles that use this translational theory make a good selection for a Bible used for study.   Where the original is ambiguous, these translations tend to remain ambiguous.  The idea is to get to the closest to word-for-word (although an interlinear is closer to a word-for-word translation).  The disadvantage of these translations is found in how difficult it can become to read large amounts of text for devotional reading.  Another disadvantage may be found in how these Bibles communicate a complete idea or thought to the average reader today.  Often, these Bibles take a little more work on the part of the reader to get to the meaning of the passage.  

Could it be possible that we translate thoughts expressed by the original audience into well communicated thoughts in English?  How about a thought-for-thought or an idea-for-idea translation.  This translation theory is often called dynamic or functional equivalence.  The theory is to translate the entire idea or thought as a complete unit.  The strictest of translations that uses this translational theory are sometimes called mediating translations.  The 1984 NIV falls into this category, as does the HCSB and at times the ESV.  The idea of phrases are translated into phrases, however great care is still given to the meaning of each word (most of the time).  Mediating translations are good for devotional reading.  They also make good translations to preach from.  Less work is necessary to get the idea.  A problem that surfaces at times is when gaps are filled in.  A specific word may intentionality leave some ambiguity but is smoothed over as an entire thought is translated.  The translators are well meaning, but when they start to fill in the gaps they are making even more choices for us as they translate (although any translation requires some choices and these choices are often biases by theology).

The loosest use of functional equivalence is sometimes called a paraphrase.  Paraphrases tend to translate paragraph-to-paragraph, less attention is given to the meaning of individual words, and often the intention is to communicate by the same means as most English readers read and speakers.  The Message is a good example of a paraphrase.  The NLT resides somewhere between the mediating translation and the paraphrase, leaving us simply to call it a functional translation.

As scholars come together in their best efforts to translate the Bible, decisions must be made.  Sometimes translational choices are driven by a theological outlook, bias, or by the understanding of changing English words.  The translation theory itself also drives the decisions.

The video below demonstrates the process of translation on the ESV team when difficult words or ideas are being translated.  In trying to determine the best word choice for the English Standard Bible (ESV), a team including Peter Williams, Gordon Wenham, Jack Collins, Wayne Grudem, and Paul House discuss and debate the differences between the words "slave," "servant," and "bond-servant."  According to Dr. Grudem, the discussion took nearly 4 hours.  The BBC boiled it down to 4 minutes.

In 2011, Liberty University hosted a biblical studies symposium asking the question, "Which Bible translation should I use?"  Dr. Douglas Moo represented the NIV11 (a revision to the TNIV, which was a rejected revision to the NIV 1984).  Dr. Wayne Grudem represented the ESV.  And Dr. Ray Clendenen represented the HCSB.  Each speaker was a part of the translation team of the Bible that he defended at the symposium and had about 40 minutes to argue for his translation over the other 2 represented at the symposium.  Following the 3 speakers, a rebuttal and question and answer session concluded the evening.

Listening to each of these speakers will offer you a better understanding of what it is to translate the Bible.  We should all be thankful for the hard work and dedication of these scholars to bring us the Bible in English.  And we should recognized how blessed we are to have so many English options.

Video 1: Dr. Ray Clendenen and the Holman Christian Standard Bible

Video 2: Dr. Wayne Grudem and the English Standard Version

Video 3: Dr. Doug Moo and the New International Version

Video 4: Responses and Q and A

After reading this post and watching these videos, can you answer the question, "Which Bible translation should I use?"  I might suggest that you use any translation that teaches and proclaims Christ in a way that brings about salvation and a transformed life in you.  I might also recommend using using a different translation for your study and devotional reading.  This may offer you some perspective that would go missed by strictly remaining with one translation.

Recently Discovered New Testament Manuscripts

The gospels and letters that make up the New Testament were authored in the latter half of the First Century, between roughly AD42-98.  Finding manuscripts like P52, a papyri fragment of the book of John containing chapter 18:31-33, is a really big deal.  It was discovered in 1920 and greatly changed the way scholars think about the book of John and the New Testament. P52 (pictured to the right), is a Second Century manuscript dated roughly to AD125-150 and  is presently considered the oldest known fragment of the New Testament--but that may be soon to change.  Dr. Dan Wallace claims to have discovered a manuscript of the book of Mark that he and others say dates to the First Century! 

Conservative biblical scholars date the authorship to Mark between the mid-AD40 and 60.  This would mean that at most, this newly discovered manuscript is no more than 60 years older than the autograph, but it may be less.  The Institute for New Testament Textual Research (INTF) located in Münster, Germany has cataloged over 5,750 New Testament manuscripts.  Some of these are very close to the autographs (originals, which have yet to be found), but none as close as what Wallace is claiming of his team's discovery.

Apparently, the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) was granted access to a national archive in Albania to photograph 13 manuscripts.  The country has previously denied western scholars access to these documents.  When the CSNTM team arrived, they learned that there were more manuscripts at the archive and some of them are remarkable!

Besides the manuscripts they expected to photograph, they discovered seven more manuscripts never-before seen or cataloged by western scholars.  Most notable is the Mark papyri as well as an early Second Century Luke fragment and four manuscripts from Paul (and the author of Hebrews) that date to late Second Century or early Third Century.  Details are slowly being released as the scholars are exercising caution in how they present this new find.

In the video below, Dr. Mike Licona introduces Dr. Dan Wallace who discusses this fascinating discovery in a more detail:

Buzz about these manuscripts is present, but you have to look for it.  They will have a significant impact on scholarship but it's highly unlikely that these manuscripts will change our understanding of the gospel message.  Even when more details are published, most people will hear little about this discovery (if anything) and that's okay.  For us theology geeks, it's exciting to add 7 more manuscripts to the INTF catalog, especially the really early ones.  It's also thrilling to think about the possibility of finding even earlier manuscripts and getting closer to the originals; but in the bigger picture, the gospel as we have understood it for 2,000 years will continue marching forward as we faithfully serve God toward the advancement of his Kingdom.  Indeed we must remember, the manuscript collection does not bring saving transformation--the message contained within the manuscripts is what must really excite us.


*Photo of the Rylands Papyri, also know as P52, is in the public domain. 

Breaking the Missional Code by Ed Stetzer and David Putnam

Stetzer, Ed, and David Putman. Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community. Nashville, Tenn: Broadman & Holman, 2006.

In their book, Breaking the Missional Code: Your church can become a missionary in your Community, Ed Stetzer and David Putman ask the question, “Why are some churches and pastors so effective and others are not?” (1). By effective, they seem to mean churches that are “experiencing explosive growth because they are learning to connect with their communities” and seeing people responding to “biblically faithful and culturally relevant outreach” (1). Those pastors and churches that are reaching into their communities and finding success are code breakers according to Stetzer and Putnam. They argue, “the way you do things does impact your ability to reach your community effectively;” and therefore, they claim, “This book will assist you in being able to think through your context, apply universal principles in your mission setting, and then identify and apply strategies that will make you more effective in your context” (1-2). While it is extremely difficult to determine if they have achieved their stated goal without actually seeing effectiveness in the communities where pastors and churches put to practice the concepts discussed in this book, Stetzer and Putnam do find success in providing greater thought and understanding in the areas of context, missional principles, and various approaches for doing church.

“You cannot grow a biblically faithful church,” write Stetzer and Putnam, “without loving people and preaching the gospel. But loving people means understanding and communicating with them” (15). In an effort to help their readers find ways to communicate and understand people, Stetzer and Putnam open with a chapter on the major changes occurring throughout the world. They caution the reader however, about taking the characteristics of one community and blindly applying them to another. In one of many “Breaking the code. . . ” statements, they write, “Breaking the code is the recognition that there are visible and invisible characteristics within a community that will make its people resistant to or responsive to the church and its gospel message” (5). The key for code breakers is first learning how to exegete a community. One must understand the various things that influence the community, and as the argument goes, the code breaker needs to get in the world, even though he is not of the world. He needs to deeply understand the community long before ever determining what church model to use or what methods to deploy. The code breaker must also understand the biblical mandate for reaching the world with the gospel as well as his calling and special talents and giftings. This calling to a specific people in a specific context may mean code breakers are not in their preferred community, but they are where they will be effective. “Our churches often struggle,” states Stetzer and Putnam, “because we put our preferences over our call—our preferences over our mission” (36). Therefore, code breakers must not allow preferences to be idols—they must be put their preferences to death. “Before anything that is truly of God can be born, your own preferences have to die” (215).
After examining a number of common traits held by pastors who Stetzer and Putnam have identified as code breakers, they shift to developing a greater missional understanding and creating a thoughtful way to think about a number of code breaking strategies. This makes up the latter half of the book, with Chapter 15 serving as something of a culmination of all the previously presented material in one systematic action-planning tool. The outline of this chapter mirrors the two primary foci of the entire book—understanding self and understanding community.

The excellence of Breaking the Missional Code is found in its appeal not to take any specific ideas promoted within the book and apply them with no time invested in thought or a lack of exegesis of the community. Instead, Stetzer and Putnam write, “The key to breaking the code of a community is to have the heart of the Father for that community. The only way to do that is by spending serious amounts of time with the one who loved Jerusalem deeply enough to weep over it” (22). Unlike many books on the topic of reaching communities or planting churches, this one sees something beyond a formula, system, or turnkey plan that should work in all places for all people. This book makes a strong effort to teach a principal of reading the community and then engaging wisely through effectively designing the most appropriate strategy for that specific community.

Another strength is the style and tone of authors. It is as if they are saying, “You can do it, you just need a little coaching and a pat on the shoulder.” The book is loaded with examples, many coming from their own observations. The tone seems to exude authority on the subject, which should not be a shock considering that both of these men have a reputation of church planting work and a strong dedication to the advancement of the gospel.

A difficult aspect of Stetzer and Putnam’s approach has to do with the churches they view as code breaking examples and the criteria of how they measure code breaking aspects of reaching a community. These example churches tend to be large mega-churches with popular author-pastors. Mark Driscoll serves as one example; however, before Driscoll’s church was as large as it is at the time of this post, he was selling books and speaking at emergent/emerging church conferences. No discussion appears in the book regarding the author life of the code breaker. The same is true of Rick Warnen, another example of a code breaker author. While selling books might not be critical of being a code breaker, many of the examples do come with a seasoning of flavorful publishing popularity and conference speaking.

Also, larger congregations do matter it seems when looking for examples of code breakers. Examples from this book, suggest it's really about size.  Yet, while we all desire to see large numbers, there may be more ways to see and measure the success of a code breaker. It is one thing if the large church is spiritually healthy, but it is quite another if the code breaker simply knows how to draw a crowd. What is better, a church of 2,500 with 10% of its people actively serving and spiritually growing or a church of 400 with 80% of its people in a healthy place with Jesus? But even this question is subjective. It might be fruitful if a determination of what is good and what is not is provided along with a definition of the measurement standard. In addition, a code breaker today may be building and equipping a church that has a much deeper reach into the next two generations over the church that has a large attendance but will fall by the wayside when the charismatic code breaker is no longer the super star pastor.  Sometimes the success is due to years of prayer and laboring to lay the right foundation, long before the fruit of numbers is ever seen (and we should be able to call this period success too).

Despite the negative aspects of the examples of code breakers, Breaking the Missional Code is a valuable work. Stetzer and Putnam address a number of issues that have typically gone unmentioned by other authors on the same topic. They seem to recognize that there is no single perfect model so the successfully attempt to present the book on how to develop the model for a specific area, in a specific time, reached by a specific pastor. For this reason, this book should be read by all those in a position to influence how a church functions as well as those called to plant churches.

Thinking of Enrolling in Seminary?

It's hard to believe that I've completed the season of my life that will forever be remembered as the "while I was in seminary" years.  I started in the Spring semester of 2009.  Working a secular full-time job as well as being a husband and father meant that for the next three years (and Summers too) I would have no life, free-time, or sleep.  I started working on a lesser Master's degree but eventually decided to switch to the full Masters of Divinity program.  Since then, I've completed 103 credits to complete an M.Div, found a full-time ministry position, and adopted another son.  It was a wild ride but completely worth it!

I am extremely thankful for having had such an amazing opportunity to receive this education and sit under the instruction and guidance of amazing and faithful men at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.  I highly recommend seminary to those God has call to go. 

If you're considering seminary, I would encourage that you seek out and learn from a seminary that loves Jesus and teaches the Bible.  I also thought I would share a previous post and a video on the topic of seminary.  I'm also happy to answer any questions you many have.  A place to start (after you watch the video below) might be to read a post titled "Choosing a Seminary." 

The video below was the very first "Salty Believer Unscripted" podcast. Jared Jenkins and I did this video to kick it off, although most are audio only.  The topic of conversation for this session of Salty Believer Unscripted:  Seminary.

* This video, others like it, and many other resources are available here.

Jared is a regular participant of the Salty Believer Unscripted podcast and he writes at Entrusted With The Gospel.

I hope you'll join us by subscribing to the audio (and video) podcast feeds.

Subscribe to the Salty Believer iTunes Podcasts: Video | Audio
(Non iTunes: Video | Audio)
* While there may be some overlap, the content of the Video and Audio Podcasts are not the same. 

If you're feeling called to ministry and considering seminary, please don't hesitate to contact me with your questions.

It's a Story About Jesus

It seems we sometimes isolate our thinking about the Old and New Testaments; but in the truth, it's all one story.   Luke 24:27 suggests that the entirety of the Bible is about Jesus.  Yes, I realize there are some who would say that Jesus only identified the small handful of Old Testament Scriptures that clearly point to himself, but I just don't buy that.  Here's why: The Bible is one story about the redemption of man to God, only achieved through the salvific work of Jesus, the long awaited Christ.  Tim Keller and some others folks at the Gospel Coalition put together this short video in an effort to present how the Old Testament shows us Jesus.  Check it out.

Are you seeing Jesus when you read the Old Testament?  If not, why not?

A New Kind of Church by Abrey Malphurs

Malphurs, Aubrey. A New Kind of Church: Understanding Models of Ministry for the 21st Century. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007.

Aubrey Malphurs has provided A New Kind of Church: Understanding Models of Ministry for the 21st Century as a discussion of both new and old model churches and how effectively these models may (or may not) reach lost and unchurched people. More specifically, Malphurs argues, “[This book] will help lead pastors who are church planters and revitalizers and their teams [to] think through what they are doing as they wrestle with and develop their church models” (10). Interestingly, Malphurs spends little to no ink writing words that deal with specific models; but rather, his focus is on the paradigms that shape how churches function in their efforts to reach the communities to which they have been called, and he addresses the epistemology behind church model creation and development. In order to start the conversation, Malphurs opens Part 1 by discussing the changing times. Part 2 deals with the changing church.

“Churches are changing,” writes Malphurs, “but not necessarily for the better” (17). While one might think this would be the way the author opens Part 2 of this book, it is actually in the opening of Part 1—the Changing Times. The issue at hand is that churches must change as the times change, and that is really the reason for this book. Many long existing churches, however, are not changing. Instead, they are moving through the church life cycle of birth, growth, plateau, decline, and death (18-19.) Without some kind of church change in the changing times of cultural thinking, decline and death comes more rapidly.

Like most books on evangelism and church planting written for an American or Western audience, Malphurs deals with the disheartening numbers. In the 24-year span between 1975 and 1999, the number of young people in ministry has dropped from 24% to only 7% (19). Something close to 30,000 congregations in America ceased to exist in the 1980’s (19). The number of unchurched people is on the rise. The numbers differ slightly among region, but they are still not encouraging figures. Different generations show different levels of unchurched people with only a slight slowing and change recently; nonetheless, the figures are bleak. Cults and other faith systems are on the rise while Christianity in America is struggling (22-26). More and more people are walking away from the Church or never entering it in the first place. People are thinking differently today than they did only one generation ago and church models that saw great success with previous generations are seeing little progress today. “While there is nothing wrong with being an older congregation,” argues Malphurs, “far too many think and act as if they are still living before World War II” (30). America is becoming a multi-cultural world like never before. In addition, the advancement of cable television, travel, and the Internet has created a way for people to see and experience many different ways of thinking, introducing new and changing worldviews (30-31). Even more complex is the growing idea that faith is no longer tied to a church or community of people. “Why?” Malphurs rhetorically asks. Because the Church is not answering the questions people are asking, or at least not in a way that communicates the message well to the people. He writes, “It’s imperative that today’s churches give good answers to the younger generation’s question, not just, What’s good enough for us is good enough for you! or We’ve always done it that way!” (32).

Also, like other books on evangelism and church planting, Malphurs deals with the lack of evangelism as well as gifted, trained leaders among American Christians. Using the Bible, he spends an entire chapter reminding his readers of the Biblical mission and mandate of disciple making. He tackles belief, evangelism, teaching and safeguarding the gospel message, and living a lifestyle dictated by Christ. It is also here that the author lays the groundwork for how believers are to constructively evaluate what other church models are attempting to do. Once this foundation is firmly in place, Malphurs moves to Part 2—the Changing Church.

Five of the seven chapters contained in the second part of Malphurs book are a teaching of what the Bible has to say about the Church. He deals with how we are to read the Bible, understand the Church, the local church, culture, and servant hood. He even deals with what he calls the ‘Theology of Change.’ “A church’s view of change will have a major impact on its ability to minister,” Malphurs argues, “Those that remain resistant to change will not likely survive” (75). It is here that he identifies the non-negotiable principles of the gospel that should not change as well as the methods and practices that should be open to change because they are not biblically mandated in orthopraxy. “We must not assume, however, that the churches in the first century and throughout history didn’t have to deal with change,” Malphurs states in an effort to build his theology of change; “Read the book of Acts and church history and you’ll discover that this is not the case” (76). The Church must hold to a doctrine or theology of change according to Malphurs, with exception to those unchanging, non-negotiable, and timeless principles of the Bible.

Finally, Malphurs—resting in the teaching of the previous five chapters and assuming that the reader has come to see the same implications—deals with how to think about differing new church models. Again, he addresses the essentials and non-essentials of the faith and implores those critiquing new models to start with an examination of how the model approaches these items. Are they within the essentials? Next, he presents his ideas of the most important functions of the church and some defense of those who might disagree with his views. Is Scripture being proclaimed? What is the focus of the church gatherings? What is the motivation of the model? Is the model legitimately reaching the lost and making disciples? And finally, what are the goals of the new model? He concludes with a discussion of how to develop a model that centers on the same questions used to critique the model. In the end however, he has not deviated from his original purpose to examine the epistemology of church models.

CRITIQUE

Malphus suggests that his book is for pastors trying to examine new or different ways to do church, but more so, it is for congregations. “It can help them understand what is happening;” states Maplhus,” Consequently, this book is must reading for those congregations that are going through church renewal or church planting” (11). At one point, he even suggests pastors should provide a copy of this book for their congregations so the pastors do not have to spend as much time explaining the new direction of their churches (11). This statement seems almost to counter his further discussion on organization and leadership in an effort to sell more books, in that the leader should be able to lead and guide his congregation rather than simply allowing Maphurs’ book to do the work. If, however, those individuals not in the planning and leading of a new-model church are indeed the target audience, than maybe this book is an informative contribution. In addition, Maplhus states that this book is for “seminarians and others who are preparing for ministry” (11). The reason he feels those headed into ministry should read this book is so “they know why they are doing what they’re doing and can and the very least articulate the reasons they minister in the context of a particular model, whether it is contemporary” (11-12). The assumption here is that these readers do not have an idea what they are doing and are struggling in articulate their bumbling efforts. On the surface, it seems this book would be more helpful for those only trying to discover the direction they are headed instead of those already in the ‘doing’ phase of their model; however, Malphurs likely knows his audience better than this reviewer. Therefore, in light of Malphurs’ stated audience and his stated approach, Malphurs may have achieved his goal of thinking about the epistemology of new church models. On the other hand, he fell grossly short the subtitle goal of, “Understanding Models of Ministry for the 21st Century.”

A New Kind of Church could be a book simply about church models, in nearly any time of church decline, and any area of the world where the church is declining. While Malphurs identified the specific problem of the declining Church in American, Christians ignoring their mission, and a changing culture, he did nothing to address methods of reaching these specific problems, in this specific location and culture, in this specific time. He simply demonstrated ways to take the temperature of the local church in a changing world. Malphurs’ few instructions did include such things are remaining relevant to the culture (111-112), contextualizing the gospel (105-107), and recognize that not all churches will reach all people (110-111); however, there is nothing specific to the 21st Century in these ideas. He exegeted the biblical mandates and made a strong argument for the needs of the people only then to ignore specifics for this generation or the next in America.

Malphurs work may have been more helpful if he had dedicated a chapter to define new and old models with examples. How is one to know what is a new model or an old model if not to simply draw upon his or her experience and assumptions? Could it be that what one reader has in mind for an older model is actually a newer model in the view of Malphurs? For example, Malphurs (in 2007) saw Willow Creek Community Church and its seeker model as a newer model for ministry while younger readers in 2012 (who may not have experienced church outside of the seeker model) may view it as an old model. This reader may view the seeker model with a high focus on the purpose driven church differently than Malphurs because he or she may be viewing the seeker model through the lens a house church model now gaining some popularity. At the same time, for some readers, the seeker model may still be seen as extremely new (even in 2012). And still others, who may come from a much older, more formal church model are still seeing the church model movements of the 1970s as the new model and are all but unaware of Willow Creek Community Church and the seeker model. Without a greater explanation of what Malphurs understands as new or old, the discussion must depend upon assumptions if we are to see his argument in light of the 21st Century.

That being said, this book does provide some helpful information. Examining how one views church models in general is indeed extremely helpful. Understanding the life-cycle of the church helps a pastor continually evaluate where his church may be and seek ways to revitalize the church if necessary. Being reminded of the essentials and non-essentials should help the reader be less critical of different models in different communities. Understanding how to take the temperature of a specific culture teaches the reader how to use culture to contextualize the timeless message of the gospel. And finally, the section on developing new church models (although too short considering the purpose of the book) provides a good starting point for hopeful 21st Century church planters.

*I have no material connection to this book, monetarily or otherwise. 
** This review was taken from part of a paper submitted in partial fulfillment toward an MDiv at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.

When Dudes are Bros

There is something hanging in the air that seems to encourage men to run alone.  Many of us think it's more manly to be a lone wolf, the cowboy gunslinger who trusts only his ability with a 6-shooter.  We look at the big challenges in life and feel like we must be the single gladiator in the ring facing the deadly monsters.  We tell ourselves, "I must face this one on my own, this is my battle."  But this thing that tells us this, whatever it is, is a great lie that will eventually destroy us.

If we look to the New Testament, we find men working in teams.  "Well," you may say, "Jesus faced Satan alone when he went out to the desert to be tested."  Read that story again.  The Holy Spirit let Jesus into the desert.  And remember that he had a perfect communion with the Father.  And when he was finished successfully facing the tempter, angels administered to his needs.  Then, as he began his public ministry, he put some disciples around him, but this was not only for their benefit because we see that he had three guys that served on his A-team.  Look at who he takes into the garden with him on that night before going to the cross.  And really, we may be well suited to examine guys like John, Peter,  and Paul.  Take a look at Acts.  These guys are serving and praying together.  They are a team, not lone rangers.  Read the letters they sent out to others and notice how much they encourage the brothers.  The needed each other and they didn't hide behind a bizarre pride by which many man are weighed down. 

Andy Conroy and Jared Jenkins, are among a group of guys who get together for coffee (and artisan breads) each week to make an intentional effort to encourage and pray for one another.  It's significant and important so we sat down and recorded a conversation about men's ministry and why it's important for this week's episode of "Salty Believer Unscripted."

I'd like to invite you to check it out.  Have a listen here.  Also, I'd love to hear from you.  Please feel free to contact me here.
 

Subscribe to the Salty Believer iTunes Podcasts: Video | Audio
(Non iTunes: Video | Audio)
* While there may be some overlap, the content of the Video and Audio Podcasts are not the same.   


* Photo by flickr.com user Ecstaticist, is registered under a creative commons license and used with permission. 

The Jesus Storybook Bible

I've spoke of The Jesus Storybook Bible here before, but now I can show you.

The above video is only a small sample, but it provides a great example of this children's Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones and illustrated by Jago. (I believe the audio recording in the above video clip is by David Suchet who does the audio narration for the CD version of this children's Bible.)

My wife and I have been reading it to my boys and they get the story, and at many points they can re-tell it with ease.  The illustrations are fun and memorable.  The perspective is really good.  But most important is that this Bible tells one story.  It's God's Story with the theme of redemption just as the Bible should be read.  In other words, rather than being simply a collection of stories with a moral point, The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the story of Christ from start to finish.

I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of this Bible for your kids.  Or if you're an adult who has never read the entire Bible in chronological order and sometimes has trouble seeing the big picture, get this Bible and read it.  I've even recommend it to new believers and the response has been extremely positive.  The Jesus Storybook Bible is a great resource to have on your bookshelf, regardless of your age or longevity as a believer.

Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper

It's normally my habit to provide book reviews which are more academic in nature.  They include quotes from the material and citations.   This review of Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper will be slightly different.  Think of it more as a reflection.

The reason for the change for this particular review is due to how I read, or rather, listened to Don't Waste Your Life.  My wonderful wife gave me the audiobook version of this work for Christmas.  I listened to it each week on my day off as I drove to the ski resort and returned home.  Listening to an audiobook makes it rather difficult to return to highlighted lines and notes in the margins in order to write a review.  Quoting directly becomes extremely difficult; and ultimately, I feel as if I need to keep the entire book in my head at once as I write a reflection of my thoughts of this book. On the other hand, there is something great about listening to books while I drive, especially this one.

John Piper is the preaching pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church and the author of more than 40 books.  (His sermons and materials are quoted often and may be found at www.desiringGod.org.)  So it is no surprise that Don't Waste Your Life is written much like an extended sermon series.  Piper is passionate about the material he discusses and writes as if he deeply believes the words he has penned.   They seem to have first shaped his own life before he ever decided to write this book, rather than having shaped his life while writing the book.  The value in this is the reality that Piper's credibility is extremely high and his life appears to be one of the best examples of his thesis.

The easiest explanation of Piper's purpose for this book, as for much of his life it seems, is that he is calling his readers to find true joy by making much of Christ.  He tells a story of an article he read about a retired American couple who now spend the latter part of their days living in a large beach house and collecting shells.  In his imaginative way, Piper paints a picture of this couple standing before God and saying, "Look at our shells God, aren't they great."  This, he argues, is a wasted life.

The book is conversational but does not lack for convicting words and powerful chapters that drive home significant points.  As I would make my way to the ski slopes, two chapters would accompany me on my drive.  Scripture fills each page and Piper argues his points well.  After shutting off the car and suiting up, I would find myself lost in reflection.  Every ride up the lift would allow my mind to circle around and around in the material presented by Piper, always followed by an serious examination of my own life.  But this was not simply the byproduct of a day in the sunshine on the mountain.  Two more chapters would join me for the drive home.  Once home, I would again find myself reflecting on Piper's words, Scripture, and a critique of my own life.  I could not escape it; in fact, I welcomed it.

It is difficult to read this book and not feel as if something should be done about the wasteful parts of life.  We all typically want to look back on our life and know that we used it well and Piper gives a charge of how to do that and do it for the Kingdom.  After listening to specific chapters, there was a few times when I discovered that a life course correction was needed.  Pastor Jared Jenkins, a friend, explained that it was after reading this book and discussing it with another pastor that he felt he should go to seminary!  This is the kind of book that can't be read without some kind of conviction.  Reading it will bring the risk of change but it's well worth the risk.

I realize that I have done little to explain the contents of the book.  The reality however, is that this is not an easy book to explain.  It is a continual explanation of Scripture, nearly always resulting in a picture of finding our joy by making much of Christ.  There are two chapters that provide the reader with a glimpse into Piper's pre-pastoral life and calling.  Even though these early chapters were rather different than the rest of the book, they were extremely enjoyable.  The story-telling fashion and sermonized writing kept this book both informative, challenging, and accessible. The remainder of the chapters were compelling.  Piper supported his thesis extremely well, but that is typically for Piper.  The book is well written and I should say the audio version was nicely produced and read well too. 

In the end, all I can do is encourage you to read it.  You won't be disappointed.

*I have no material connection to John Piper or this book.

Good Friday: Oh, The Suffering Servant!

Good Friday.  The day Christians all over the world celebrate the crucifixion of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  "But why should this be a celebration?" many may ask; "It sounds like an awful and horrific slaughter."  They're right, it was a slaughter--the final, sufficient, and perfect sacrifice to reunite God with his sinful creation that could only be achieved by Jesus.  This we celebrate; however, this is not the totality of our remembrance, gratitude, and celebration.  For if we only had Friday, today would be a mournful funeral-like day of silence. But we have Sunday!  On Sunday, Easter, we will celebrate Jesus' victory over death as he walked out of the tomb, alive!  He is the first of the resurrection that we hope and long for.

Nearly 700 years before Jesus went to the cross, a prophet named Isaiah wrote of this event.  He declared that the Messiah would bring victory over the oppression of death.  The Messiah, standing as the perfect and final passover lamb, was to be a suffering servant.  His book proclaimed something amazing that the world had never seen before nor would ever see again.  Jesus, as the Gospels proclaim, is the Messiah, the Savior that Isaiah was longing for and the fulfillment of the claims made by his book.  

Only hours before going to the cross, Jesus provided his closest disciples with a picture of servanthood.  As they were arguing over who was the greatest among them, Jesus shed his garments and dawned the attire of a lowly servant.  Taking a bowl of water, he then shocked his disciples by washing their dirty feet.  They were flabbergasted!  Peter, initially would have no part of it.  It seems that none of them could bare the thought that Jesus, the King of Kings and Creator of the Universe, would do such a thing.  We still react the exact same way today.

Nearly 2,000 years after Jesus went to the cross, we find Christians engaging in foot-washing services.  They do this in a symbolic effort to understand and demonstrate servanthood and there's really nothing wrong with it.  But if we are to really see this in its proper context we should have house cleaning services where we put on a maid's apron and clean people's homes.  Or maybe we should pick up trash along the highways.  Or make fast-food french fries.  Or pump out overflowing porta-toilets after the state fair.  Who has ever seen a pastor cleaning the hospital bedpan of one of his flock?  Too often, these are the servant jobs we choose not to see. 

Take for example a common experience for many Americans--the office trash can.  We are more than content to believe that our trash magically disappears rather than thinking that a person comes in at night and empties our trash can.  We are fine assuming that once an item has made it into the can, we need not think of it or the many servants who will deal with it again.  Therefore, we are okay filling our garbage cans with half full coffee cups and sodas which drip everywhere when the liner is emptied.  Or we clean out our file cabinets and book shelves, leaving 60 or more pounds of paper in the can which the janitorial servant can hardly lift as she watches the liner rip apart.  Maybe we clean out the break room, filling the 50 gallon can to the brim with outdated mustard and canned goods and two-week old fish tacos and who knows what else, only to create an immovable block of rotten, smelly food and nastiness.  How about stacking all the outdated phone books twice as high as the can itself?  Have you ever tossed something into a liner-less bathroom trash bin that you knew should have had a liner?   Did you give any thought to the guy who would have to pick all of your trash out by hand before he could resupply the missing liner?

If Jesus were to show up and pump out your septic tank, or bus your table, or drive your cab, you (and I), like the disciples having their feet washed, would be flabbergasted.  Yet, Jesus did so much more than these, and his great service required humility beyond words.  Ironically, in his perfect and humble servanthood, he did something we are totally incapable of doing for ourselves--Jesus bore the sins of our transgressions. 

Jesus, the ultimate servant, said that to have salvation we must repent and believe.  He alone dealt with our sin and he did it on the cross.  He served us and yet it seems that too often we don't think about his service with the gratitude that it truly demands--gratitude that goes far beyond words, gratitude that calls us to completely surrender our own lives to him.  This gratitude should compel us to worship the King and Creator who serves his people!

When we fail to embrace Christ's work on the cross for what is it, we go one of three incorrect directions.  First, there are people who simply reject the servant-Jesus all together.  That is, they either reject that Jesus is who he claimed to be or they refuse to see that he is the perfect example of servanthood.  And when they miss the reality that Jesus humbled himself as a servant, they fail to operate in the way that Christ calls his servants.  They become finger-pointers and self-righteous zealots.  The second direction some people go is to the false elevation of service and Jesus' servanthood.  They will either mistakenly see Christ-like service as a way to salvation instead of an act out of the outpouring Christ's life in us, or they will argue that the Christian need not serve his neighbor at all because Jesus is only a servant and in the name of grace we can demand his services.  So they make service their god or they neglect it all together.  And finally, there are those who will willingly alter their view of Jesus' service on the cross in an effort to hide what they view as shameful or embarrassing--their savior humbling himself even unto death.  For example, one twisted view is to argue that the atonement for sin was complete in the Garden of Gethsemane.  The cross meant very little if anything, which greatly overlooks what the Bible has to say about it.  And in altering their view, the cross and Jesus' sacrifice upon it becomes a symbol that offends them rather than compelling them.  They refuse to see it for what it is.  It is like the son who lies to his friends about what his mother does for a living because she is a housekeeper and he is embarrassed.  The question however, is how does this boy view the roof over his head, his snack food, and his video games--all provided by the very thing that embarrasses him? 

So I would like to encourage you this Good Friday to read the Gospel accounts of Christ's crucifixion.  Think about the Suffering Servant.  Dig deep to find words that reflect your gratitude, if you can.  Attend a Good Friday service and worship Jesus with other Christians.  Pray.  Celebrate Jesus.  Honor Jesus.  Be grateful.  Praise your Savior! 

Then on Easter Sunday, celebrate that death was not the end.  No, not at all.  Jesus holds the keys of death so death no longer has a hold on those who belong to Christ Jesus! 


*The painting, "Mary Magdalene weeping" by Pethrus is used by permission and is licensed under a Creative Commons License.  

The Story and Jared Jenkins' Website

For the past 7 weeks, Jared Jenkins and I have been discussing the entirety of the Bible as one story. This has been a great conversation and we've been recording it.  This audio recording is for a podcast called Salty Believer Unscripted, with each weekly session running between 15 and 20 minutes. We've simply grabbed our conversation in a digital format with a cell phone and converted it with Garage Band, so we're hoping the content will trump the quality.  You be the judge! (Let us know what you think, either by reviewing it on iTunes or contacting us.  Also, please feel free to ask us questions or provide some suggestions and we may address them on the podcast.)  

Subscribe to the Salty Believer iTunes Podcasts: Video | Audio
(Non iTunes: Video | Audio)
* While there may be some overlap, the content of the Video and Audio Podcasts are not the same. 

The experience has been extremely enjoyable and now Jared is taking it to the next level!  Jared Jenkins has started a website called EntrustedWithTheGospel.com.  Like SaltyBeliever.com, he'll be posting some of his seminary papers (he's a grad from Southern), but also his thoughts and reflections, studies, and much more.  I'm kind of hoping we can churn up a debate or two and post our positions on our respective websites.  We work well together in ministry and I'm excited  to see what God has in store for us, these websites, and the podcast.  I pray these things are fruitful in your life.


Pastor Jared is a brilliant guy and I highly encourage you to checkout his website and follow it.  I also want to encourage you to listen to our conversation on Salty Believer Unscripted.  You can subscribe to the podcast or find the audio files in the Resources area on this website. 


Thanks for listening and reading!



*Photo by flickr.com user "umjanedoan" and us used by permission.

HBLT and MWGYW Teaching and Preaching Methods

INTRODUCTION

Not all classes are equal; not all sermons are the same.

Even if the biblical text is identical and the exegetical work done with equally careful execution, and even if the speakers are identically gifted in elocution, there is something that sets apart one sermon from others, one class above all the rest. That one thing is not the amount of preparation, although preparation is important. It is not the seminary where the pastor trained. It is not even the amount of years one has been preaching or teaching—in fact—a first time preacher may actually succeed above a pastor of twenty or thirty years, but not if this one thing is not right. That one thing is the Holy Spirit and his involvement within the sermon or class. He may use the best or the worst sermon to bring about remarkable transformation by the very Word of God. This however, does not mean that a preacher or teacher should not prepare well. In addition, preachers and teachers should layout their discussion well.

Apart from the Holy Spirit, the approach may be the next key to success in the actual preaching and teaching once the preparation is complete. The pastor or teacher must select a good outline or model from which to use to navigate the audience through the material. Among many approaches, two outstanding models are the Hook, Book, Look, Took (HBLT) model offered by Lawrence O. Richards and Gary J. Bredfeldt and the Me, We, God, You, We (MWGYM) model argued for by Andy Stanley and Lane Jones. While there are many approaches, the remainder of this post will examine the strengths and weaknesses of these teaching models and conclude with a personal reflection having used both.

HBLT

Richards and Bredfeldt suggest that the Apostle Paul taught with an approach similar to HBLT, if not exactly the same. First, they say, Paul would interact in the world of his audience in such a way as to get them interested in his topic. He would hook them. Then he would engage in exploring the truth together with is listeners. Once a solid understanding of God and God’s Word was established, Paul would encourage application in the lives of his audience and then he would conclude with a decision point of reflection (Richards and Bredfelt 153-154). This, in essence is HBLT. In more practical terms, Hook represents the creative opening that gets the class or audience interested in learning more. Richards and Bredfeldt suggest using a movie clip or something from the common culture of the audience. Book represents a turn to God’s Word, the Bible. This is where the primary teaching starts. Look is the word used to represent the personal application. This is where the Biblical material is applied to the personal life in theory. Then, Took is where the lesson is lived out in reality, this is where the faith is worked out. Took is the required life response. Looking at HBLT in another way, the Hook applies to the present, Book to the past, Look is a return to the present, and Took is about the future (Ibid., 160).

The strength of HBTL is also its weakness. HBLT is easy to use and is a format that many people are accustomed to in church; however, it is not very personal. There is little need for a connection between the teacher or preacher and the learners. The material is out in front and the instructor stands behind it. The advantage of this model is when the audience is not known, like in guest preaching or teaching situation. There is little risk when a personal connection is not important. The material is everything. Another advantage is that different teachers can teach the same lesson with little need for adaptation. In fact, it seems that many teaching guides and Bible study programs written for the Church use the HBLT approach. This however, is also the major disadvantage of HBLT. With the HBLT model, the personal connection can be lost in the material. It may not always be the case, the model does not have a very high level of personal connection built into it. While this may be okay for the one-time preacher or teacher, often teachers and preachers desire to build a stronger rapport with their class or audience. The HLBT model may not be the fasted or most effective way to build this relationship.

MWGYW

Stanley and Jones offer an alternative to the HBLT model they call MWGYW. This model takes a single primary idea and builds everything around it in such a way that it demands personal reflection and a connection between the teacher and the class. MWGYW starts with an opener that is personal to the speaker. Me essentially puts the speaker in a position to be vulnerable because he or she is the hook. On the surface, this may not seem very engaging, but it seems when a preacher starts to tell a story about himself, people perk up and listen. Therefore, if the preacher can open with an engaging though he has had, he may be able to get the audience to ask the same question—a question that has to be answered. The We is all about getting the audience engaged and desiring to move to the actual instruction portion. In addition, getting the audience involved personally tends to keep their attention. Once everybody is connected, the teaching really begins and the goal is to answer that one big question. At the conclusion of the teaching, Stanley and Jones argue that the audience needs to be compelled to look at their own life; but then they are not alone, because the conclusion encourages the entire group, including the teacher or preacher to look at the future if this personal application has a positive outcome (Stanley and Jones 48-49).

There are two primary advantages of the MWGYW model. The first is that the model encourages that the lesson or sermon focus on only one major idea. If this were the big idea, there would be little reason to fill a sermon with other forgettable material. When everything works with one idea, each section of the lesson or sermon is fairly focused and easy to remember. The second advantage is that in the personal sections (M, W, Y, and W), a preacher or teacher can speak from memory easily because the stories, questions, and conviction pushes are conversational. These conversational stories, spoken from memory, often leave the audience feeling connected with the speaker. As the section on God begins, that is, the teaching from the Word, it is easier to memorize the road map and then lead the audience through the learning journey because there is primarily only one major idea.

The disadvantage of the MWGYW model is the higher risk in making the lesson too personal or all about the teacher rather than all about the biblical material. Another disadvantage is that if the audience cannot relate to the speaker in the Me section, they will not be with the speaker in the We, and subsequently not with the lesson or sermon at all. A story is shared in Stanley and Jone’s book Communicating for a Change where the speaker had some technical difficulties with his microphone and he ended up rushing through his Me section and all but dropped the We section. As it turns out, everything else fell flat (Ibid., 122-123). A great disadvantage of the MWGYW (which is also a part of the advantage) is so much is dependant upon the personal connection.

COMPARISON

Often the most memorable classes and sermons are the ones where the speaker is able to engage the class or congregation on a personal level. When the audience is drawn in personally as individuals and as a group with the speaker or teacher into the material, they seem to remain more engaged and the material seems to have more significance. It is for this reason that the MWGYW appears to have the greater advantage over the HBLT. However, this is only an advantage if the preacher or speaker utilizes MWGYW well. The great difficulty with the MWGYW comes when it is not utilized well. This is not as much of a problem for the HBLT method. Even when the H of the HBLT is only fair, the model may still go forward and find success. Not so with MWGYW.

In addition, the HBLT seems easier to learn for the new teacher or preacher while the MWGYW seems easier to deliver. HBLT is simple and allows the material to drive the lesson while the MWGYW requires a personal touch. The MWGYW needs more thoughtful preparation but it is easier to memorize the material and deliver it in an extremely personal style. One method should not be selected over the other in a permanent sense, however. The effective teacher or preacher should view each of these teaching and preaching methods as a tool, each to be used when most appropriate for the situation. Both the HBLT and the MWGYW have tremendous potential for preaching and teaching and neither should be cast to the dusty back part of the shelf.

PERSONAL REFLECTION

This author has recently had the opportunity to use both the HBLT and the MWGYW methods in classes and in preaching. In a class I teach regularly, we are journeying through the synoptic gospels. From week to week we open our Bibles and work through a small section of the text. The class typically uses a handout with questions. The class often simply expects to open the Bible and jump right in; however, a Hook or Me is often needed to compel the students to desire to answer pressing questions they had not yet thought through prior to entering the classroom. With some material recently, it seems that learning the material and forming a sound base with the biblical information was extremely important. In this case the HBLT was a great approach. The material lead the discussion and lesson with little need to drive the individual into the material until the end when the Look and Took of the application was necessary. The following week however, the MWGYW approach was used. I waded out into the water and then invited the class in prior to starting with the biblical material. I allowed myself as the teacher to be more vulnerable in order to connect with the class a little more than the Hook typically allows. As I did this, the class naturally waded out into the water with me. As we journeyed into the biblical content, it was clear that we were journeying in from the start; therefore, at the point of application (You and We), it was the most natural place the class was headed. In this instance, the conversation easily flowed into personal reflection so much more so than the previous class with the HBLT method. Both worked well together and both were necessary given the need of the material and my desire for the direction of the class.

In preaching however, I have found that the MWGYW approach is a better fit for my preaching style. The Book and the God section of each approach tends to be the same, but the Me, We, You, and We sections are so much more conversational and personal. I have found it easier to drive the Word of God into my own life and then into the lives of the congregation with the MWGYW approach because this approach so naturally lends itself to personal application. As I preached on a part of the conversation of the last Supper in John, I could easily paint of picture of the meal conversation and then place myself and the congregation there. I could ask how we might respond, or even how the listener might respond. And I preached the forty minute sermon with no notes. (You may listen to this particular sermon here.)  Personally, I enjoy the MWGYW method more in preaching, but just as in teaching, I will continue to keep both methods in my pastor’s tool box.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Richards, Larry, and Gary J. Bredfeldt. Creative Bible Teaching. Chicago, Mich: Moody Press,
1998.


Stanley, Andy, and Lane Jones. Communicating for a Change. Sisters, Oreg: Multnomah
Publishers, 2006.

Pastoral Ministry by John MacArthur

In his book, Pastoral Ministry: How to Shepherd Biblically, John MacArthur and The Master’s Seminary faculty set out to train Christian leaders. “In keeping with the purposes of The Master’s Seminary,” writes MacArthur, “the goal of this volume is to encourage and instruct this and the next generation of pastors, missionaries, and teachers to provide the kind of shepherd leadership for the church that God’s Word requires” (vii). An additional claim of the work states, “Pastoral Ministry targets both seasoned pastors and young men preparing for or just beginning ministry,” while conceding, “[it has] left out many particulars such as church growth, church discipline, church membership, church polity, and the details of specialized ministries (such as, youth ministry, adult ministry) to be dealt with in other forms. Further, no single chapter exhausts its subject but rather furnishes a suggestive general treatment” (vii). In attempting to achieve this goal, MacArthur and his team of faculty open the book by working to build a biblical foundation of what a pastor is and what a pastor does. This is a fairly broad view. In Part Two, they move in a little closer to address the issues of who a pastor is, that is, the character, call, and ordination of the individual. Next, they tackle where the pastor is in life, which includes the home life, prayer life, lifetime learner, and compassionate social life with those he serves. The final section of the book gets down in the dirt and deals with the daily actions and responsibly of the pastor, to include topics like preaching, discipling, worshiping, and leading.

The format offers a number of voices. A different individual writes each chapter, although MacArthur does have credit more than one chapter. This however, does not offer a variety of perspectives because all of the contributors appear to be in unity regarding the content presented. The value in the book is most seen in the fact that while all of the contributors hold advanced masters degrees or doctorates, they all appear to write from experience. It seems rather obvious that many of the contributors, if not all, have served in the capacity they write about, in churches and ministries, with real people and real issues. This is not always the case with books set on instructing pastors.

While the book achieved its stated goal of encouraging new pastors, and it did provide some instruction, MacArthur has spread the content too thinly. Despite the caveat in the preface and the ignored subjects, the implication of the book is that this volume is a complete ‘how-to’ textbook for pastoral ministry. At one point, MacArthur even writes, “In a highly condensed form, this volume provides much of the pastoral theology curriculum of The Master’s Seminary, the goal of which is to prepare men for pastoring the church, giving pastoral leadership on the mission field, and assuming pastoral functions in institutional teaching responsibilities” (vii). In light of the magnitude of what is actually required of a seminary student and the library of books needed for preparation to enter the pastorate well, Pastoral Ministry falls short of its implied goal. However, could one expect any other outcome from a single volume? If the answer is yes, then seminaries around the world and shelves of books are completely unnecessary.

Many of the chapters only seem to address one approach or viewpoint within orthodox Christianity and they often only speak to a narrow audience. If the book were written to the lone pastor who serves the small church, this book would work well. However, many of the topics are challenging for church pastors who are called but share the workload. For example, in his chapter on preaching, MacArthur is very clear that pastors are preachers. He leaves little room for any other kind of pastoring or shepherding. The problem however, is that in many churches there are fantastic preachers working side-by-side with fantastic and gifted discipling pastors, counseling pastors, evangelists, and teachers. The body is gifted with many different gifts and God’s tool box has many different kinds of tools for the advancement of the Kingdom; yet, MacArthur completely neglects this diversity of skills and talents. Surely, looking around the globe, there are some different opinions that may still fall within biblical pastoral ministry. MacArthur not only completely neglects these other ideas or methods, he appears to assume that there could be only one approach. This is not to say that every chapter deals with this problem considering that some aspects of the pastorate are universal, such as character and the necessity for prayer.

Although the book does not achieve its lofty implied goal, it does offer some instruction and encouragement in specific areas. Of some of the best material, the chapter titled “The Call to Pastoral Ministry” is a gem within the pages of this book. So many pastors neglect this extremely important aspect of ministry, as do many books written for pastors on the topic of the pastorate. Opening the chapter, James M. George—the contributor of this specific chapter—writes, “This chapter will explain what is involved with the call and will seek to alleviate the misunderstandings surrounding this unique experience” (81). This statement could not be more correct. The chapter sought to address this issue well and that is what was achieved. Various aspects of the call were discussed, to include what the call is, the confirmation, giftedness and potential, and why it is important, and the pitfalls of working in the pastorate without a call from God. The structure of this chapter is such that it encourages those with a call, should warn those without a call, and it instructs other pastors how to see the call in prospective, potential leaders. Had this been the structure of the entire book, Pastoral Ministry may have come much closer to reaching its stated goals.

___
MacArthur, John. Pastoral Ministry: How to shepherd Biblically. Nashville, Tenn: Thomas Nelson, 2005.

Isaiah 7:14 and the Immanuel Sign

As one reads Isaiah 7:14 in isolation of the New Testament, questions may surface about the identity of the boy named Immanuel, but it would seem less significant than the circumstances surrounding this passage. King Ahaz has not placed his trust in the Lord. Isaiah indicates that Ahaz was instructed to ask God for a sign, likely regarding the future of his kingdom in the face of heated politics and a looming invasion. But Ahaz, indignant, will not ask for a sign, but God says he will provide one anyway, maybe now a different sign in light of Ahaz’s rejection. The sign is that a young woman will give birth and name her child Immanuel, which means God is with us. This, on its face does not seem too unusual considering that surrounding this passage Isaiah has already been instructed to give two other symbolic names to his children. Before the boy Immanuel knows the difference between good and evil, Ahaz’s frightful enemies will be no more. That's it. That's the sign.

Only there's something more in this Isaiah text. The boy’s mother (who is left unidentified) is either young, young and unmarried, soon to be married, and likely a virgin. Or maybe she is a combination of these possibilities. If this is where the story ended, the vast amount of word studies, articles, and books on this passage would seem rather unusual, but this is not where it ends. Centuries later, Matthew writes of Jesus and Mary, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoke by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’” (Matt 1:22-23, ESV). Matthew is quoting the Isaiah text. Matthew claims Immanuel in the Isaiah passage is pointing to Jesus.  Jesus is the sign and Jesus is the fulfillment.

But if Jesus is the sign and fulfillment of the Isaiah text, how did Ahaz understand the sign that was given to him? How did readers of Isaiah before the Matthew Gospel understand the sign? How did they understand the identity of Immanuel? Who is he?

This presents a number of problems. Is Matthew wrong?  If he is, how are his readers to believe the rest of his Gospel? If Matthew is right, how are readers to view the Isaiah text? Is there a possibility that there was a duel meaning in this text—that is, could there have been two events that fulfill this sign prophecy? If there is indeed a near and a far view of this passage, were both mothers virgins and was there two boys to fulfill the product of a virgin conception prophecy?

Before we go any further, I should say that I believe that Matthew is correct; therefore, any understanding of the Isaiah passage must include Matthew’s statement. Matthew’s text means that Jesus fulfills the sign prophecy given to Ahaz and the Isaiah text was indeed talking about Jesus, at a minimum. But could the Isaiah text have a duel meaning? Some would argue that a text can only have a single meaning, but Matthew seems to find a duel meaning in other passages too. Hebert Wolf, in his article, “A Solution to The Immanuel Prophecy in Isaiah 7:14-8:22” calls these duel meanings “secondary interpretations” (Wolf, 456). Matthew uses Hosea 11:1, which spoke of the Exodus from Egypt, as a prophecy of Jesus coming back from his flight to Egypt.   Jeremiah 31:15, where Rachael is weeping for Ramah, is tied to Herod’s mass killing of the young boys in an effort to kill the Messiah. “In an analogous manner,” writes Wolf, “Matthew selected Isa 7:14 to describe the birth of Jesus. The language was perfectly suited to Matthew's purpose; and where he went beyond the normal interpretation, he clearly explained the circumstances” (Wolf 456).

Given that at a minimum, the sign was indeed a prophecy of Jesus, how was Ahaz to understand it? And how is a modern reader to see the Isaiah passage? John Oswalt’s approach seems to shed some light on this matter. “I believe,” states Oswalt, “that the sign originally given had a single meaning but a double significance” (Oswalt, 140). This approach does much to resolve what appears to be conflict. “Its meaning is that God is with us and we need not fear what other human beings may do to us” (Oswalt, 140). To Ahaz, Oswalt argues, the statement would provide significance regarding Assyria. He need not worry because God is with Judah. In this case, a specific child may have been indicated and the significance seen in the physical reality of the sign through the birth of a child named Immanuel. Oswalt even argues, “The fact that ‘almah has the definite article suggests that Isaiah is identifying a particular woman” (Oswalt, 140). The second significance is found in the birth of Jesus. The meaning is the same: God is with us. Even considering that Mary named the boy Jesus, the meaning in Isaiah remains the same. Some may suggest that this sign is too simple because God originally directed Ahaz to ask for a deep and high sign, that is, one that is amazing and miraculous; however, the reality that God is with his creation should been seen with this kind of miraculous wonder. Indeed, God entering flesh is so amazing that for many, they cannot even accept it. Given the larger context of Immanuel in Isaiah, Oswalt’s argument seems valid.

There is still a problem however. Two virgins? The word in Isaiah identifying the woman is the Hebrew word ‘almah. This particular word is a difficult word because it neither definitively points a woman who has never had sexual relations or a young woman. It seems both could be correct. Richard Niessen writes 15 pages and 72 footnotes on the word only to conclude, “The evidence supports both the traditional translation of ‘virgin’ and the modern translation of ‘young woman,’ but each must be qualified. The English term ‘virgin’ does not suggest age limitations while the English phrase ‘young woman’ does not suggest virginity. The word [‘almah] demands both, and so a more accurate translation would be ‘young virgin’” (Niessen, 1470).

It does not become less complicated when we see that the LXX translated the word as parthenos, a word that points more toward a young unmarried woman and mainly by implication is one who has not had sexual intercourse.

At any rate,  it appears that Isaiah is referring to a young, unmarried, virgin who will at some point in the future have a son. There is little in this statement that would demand that she is still a virgin, unmarried, or even young at the time of Immanuel’s birth. Matthew on the other hand, uses the term in the context that Mary had not ever been with a man at any point before the birth of Christ (see Matt 1:25). There is nothing in Isaiah that would dictate that the near and far view of this prophecy are physically the same. The meaning remains.

For the present-day student of the Bible however, we have the far view in our sights and it is much more significant for us today. Seeing Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of the Isaiah passage speaks a much more meaningful message to us at this point in time than does a sign to Ahaz that God was with Judah. We should spend more of our time looking to Jesus when we read this text.


___
Niessen, Richard. “The virginity of the `almah in Isaiah 7:14.” Bibliotheca Sacra 137 (1980): 133-50.
Oswalt, John. Isaiah: The NIV Application Commentary: from Biblical Text- to Contemporary Life. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2003.
Wolf, Herbert M., “Solution to the Immanuel Prophecy in Isaiah 7:14-8:22,” Journal of Biblical Literature 91 (1972): 449-56.

* Photo by Flickr user, Lawrence OP, and is used by permission. 

Revival

Jonathan Edwards said, "A revival of religion [is] a blessed outpouring of the Spirit of God, in awakening and converting sinners, and in enlightening, quickening and building up saints in faith, holiness and comfort." [1]  Elwell provides a class definition, calling revival "a period of unusual and heightened spiritual activity in a section of the church, brought about by a renewing and empowering work of the Holy Spirit, bringing a new sense of the presence of God, especially in his holiness, resulting in a deeper awareness of sin in the lives of believers, followed by new joy as sin is confessed and forgiven." [2]

In the above video, Pastor Robert Marshall discuss revival at a worship night at Risen Life Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. Here, he outlines what it is and gives a brief history of revival in the in the U.S.

My personal history contains no "revival meetings" in the traditional aspect that some may know them.  It seems that every quarter or maybe every year some churches will host a planned "revival" where there's lots of worship and preaching.  But while we can call these meetings revival meetings, aren't they really just a worship service unless God brings revival or awaking?  Rather than planning these revival meetings, wouldn't the time be better spent praying that God brings about revival?  And then we can have worship meetings until revival comes?

Are you praying for revival and awakening in your area?  If not, why not?

_____
1.  Walter Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2001) 1025. 
2. Ibid. 

Unscripted Evolving

Salty Believer Unscripted, a conversational podcast is evolving.  Pastors Jared Jenkins and Sean Patrick have joined in the conversation, and at time when this post originally published, Jared and I are in a series called "The Story."  It's a discussion about the meta-narrative or big picture of the Bible.  It's one story, not a bunch of disconnected smaller ones. (Part three is available now!) 

The idea of Salty Believer Unscripted is to capture conversations about biblical, theological, or ministry related topics.  We simply record conversations using my Android phone and a MP3 recorder app.  The value of using such a simple tool is that as it seems these conversations are kicking up, I can simply grab my phone and say, "lets hit record on this one."  We can record nearly anywhere, anytime.  It's really easy.  In the past, the quality was set to the lowest setting, but I am planning on upping the bit-rate to improve the sound quality.

I have enjoyed the Story series so much that I've recorded an opening and closing clip.  I want to step up the quality of these podcasts and I am hoping to get other guests to join in, maybe even over Skype or TeamViewer so they can be at a distance.  I have a pastor friend coming to visit in June and I'm hoping he and I will have a chance to sit down and record an unscripted conversation.  Content will make all the difference so I am often thinking about ideas for this podcast.

I wasn't sure if Salty Believer Unscripted would take off or do well, so I simply put the podcast in the same audio iTune (and non-iTunes) feed as the other material from SaltyBeliever.com.  Now I am wondering if it wouldn't be better for SaltyBeliever Unscripted to have its own podcast feed.  Occasionally other audio material will publish on Tuesday and Unscripted posts on Thursdays.  Maybe this will be confusing or maybe it's okay?  I guess we'll see.

The podcasts are also available for download on the Resource page.  

In the meantime, we're going to keep recording unscripted conversations.  It is my prayer that they are fruitful and I hope you are enjoying them.  We'd love to see your review on iTunes or hear your feed back.  Please don't hesitate to contact me.


Subscribe to the Salty Believer iTunes Podcasts: Video | Audio
(Non iTunes: Video | Audio)
* While there may be some overlap, the content of the Video and Audio Podcasts are not the same.   


* Photo by flikr user Robot Brainz is registered under a creative common license.

Loving Like Jesus Loves: John 15:12-17

I am blessed to be on the preaching schedule at Risen Life Church.  Recently, I preached on John 15:12-17 as a continuation in our series, "Final Instructions."

John 15:12-17 says, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another"  (ESV). 

What does it look like to love like Jesus loves?  And why would we need to love like this? These questions are addressed in the sermon I preached on February 19, 2012.   You can listen to this sermon here, or subscribe to the the audio Salty Believer podcast.

Subscribe to the Salty Believer iTunes Podcasts: Video | Audio
(Non iTunes: Video | Audio)
* While there may be some overlap, the content of the Video and Audio Podcasts are not the same.   

 If you would like to discuss this sermon with me of if you have questions about what it is to be a Christian, please don't hesitate to contact me.

UnScripted: More on The Story

Pastor Jared Jenkins and I are now in the deep end of the pool with Salty Believer Unscripted, a podcast of unscripted conversations on theological, biblical, or ministry related topics.  When this post is published, our second discussion of the series will be up and available on iTunes.

We have been discussing the meta-narrative of the Bible and its importance.  The series is called The Story and it's available on the audio version of the Salty Believer Podcast. 

Subscribe to the Salty Believer iTunes Podcasts: Video | Audio
(Non iTunes: Video | Audio)
* While there may be some overlap, the content of the Video and Audio Podcasts are not the same.  
 
Shortly after ending a systematic theology class due to low attendance, I started thinking about the busy lives of Americans.  I realized that people are not simply excited about attending classes or learning more on these kinds of topics--they need, it seems, an appetizer.  Therefore, I started making short videos and recording podcasts.  Whether it serves to excite people to physically sit in class or not, the series on The Story has already prompted responses and Jared and I are greatly enjoying the processes of recording these conversations. That are becoming a highlight of my week.

If you have been listening, we'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback.  You can contact us through this website, or please, rate and review the podcast on iTunes.  We are thankful for your participation and appreciate that you listen.  If you haven't been listening, I'd like to invite you to subscribe and join in on this conversation.  If you would like to hear a sample before subscribing, these recordings are available in the Resources section of this website.

Team Ministry

I'm presently serving in a church the is heavily involved in and encourages team ministry.  While team ministry is not always easy, it is good for the work we are doing.

The Bible provides many pictures of team ministry, so it is surprising that more pastors don't share the workload, but ego aside, and strive to labor in a partnership-style team when it comes to ministry.  Of course, this is in regard to the ministry at the church, not the ministry in the home. Hopefully, the ministry in the home is already a great team ministry. 

* The above video was made to be used as part of a community group leadership process on The City.  This video, others like it, and many other resources are available here.

Subscribe to the Salty Believer iTunes Podcasts: Video | Audio
(Non iTunes: Video | Audio)
* While there may be some overlap, the content of the Video and Audio Podcasts are not the same.