Category Archives: Uncategorized

A friend of my up in PA has been working with a group of followers of Jesus to extend the Kingdom to their town and area… I visited him back after Easter and have been following his work for years… In fact, it was JR who suggested I begin blogging (so blame him)… The work they are doing has reached a watershed and he has written about it… I recommend it to you… click here

I got this in an email from one of our friends in Europe. Clearly, this describes well what some of our friends are up to.

“Are we entering a new phase of Christian missions that can best be described as a web of relationships with local churches as part of the mix? I think something new is developing that is changing the face of Christian missions.

I am thinking particularly about the ministry entrepreneurs who have a special sense of calling and act on it. These are individuals or couples who have a calling to a specific type of ministry, the gifts to do it, the passion to sustain their work, and a willingness to devote their lives to make it happen.

My wife and I support some people who are ministry entrepreneurs. In addition to our gifts to the local church, CBF Global Missions, Central Seminary and the Tennessee Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, we send monthly checks to three couples who are doing ministry with specific groups – two in the United States and one overseas. We do this for three reasons: we know the individuals involved, we value their ministry, and we affirm their ability to do it. This is Kingdom work, and we want to be part of it.

Some have suggested that this is a return to the old “society” approach to missions and have charged that this approach leads to splintering of support and rewards those with the most heart-rending stories. In reality, the society approach never really died in Baptist life in the south. Although churches have and do contribute to cooperative mission endeavors, both traditional and newer Baptist groups have supported special offerings for missions (Lottie Moon, Annie Armstrong, Global Missions, state missions), institutions (colleges, seminaries, adult and children’s homes) and organizations (American Bible Society, Gideons, Habitat for Humanity and so on).

What may be new are the methodologies involved. For one thing, all of the couples we support have some connection with a larger agency, but the agencies provide two primary things – administrative assistance and training. The agencies do not give financial support, and they only provide a broad ministry strategy, leaving the persons on the field the opportunity to exercise their gifts in local, tactical ministries.

Another new approach is the way that these couples communicate to their supporters. Reports and prayer requests come not only by snail mail but by digital means. We can know within a few minutes if there is a specific need, success or prayer concern. Supporters can have immediate, personal feedback from the field workers.

Another aspect is the post-denominational aspect of these ministries. Although these couples come out of specific faith communities, their support is found in churches and individuals from a number of faith traditions. These individuals and churches support the ministries because they are committed to Christian witness and not to a particular Christian witness.

Perhaps this also testifies that the locus of authority is moving from organizations to individual relationships. Trusting relationships are important when it comes to people making decisions about their investment of time, money and resources. Institutions are no longer trusted as they once were.

This way of doing missions can be a bit messy and may seem inefficient, but my friends who are doing it can testify to the ways that God is speaking through their work and changing the lives of individuals and communities. Not a bad way to measure success!”

thanks to http://www.ethicsdaily.com

click here for the original post.

I sure hope you guys outside the USA can watch this… (Laci, get a tissue, you’ll need it)

Opening segment: click here

“Music and social comment”

Just now NBC did a story on U2 from Zagreb… click here

Watch the NBC interview, click here

This interview was done after the second Zagreb show.

I got this story from a fwd that came my way last week…

“WHEN SIR ERNEST Shackleton set out to sea in 1914, he did so with the ambitious goal of making the first land crossing of Antarctica…

But his ship, the Endurance, never even reached its base camp.  It became stuck in the icy waters for months and eventually sank.  Shackleton and his twenty-seven-member crew were stranded more than twelve hundred miles from civilization, drifting on ice floes in the terrifying cold with just three rickety lifeboats, a few tents, and limited provisions.

Eventually, they reached a small island and waited while Shackleton and a handful of men took one of the lifeboats eight hundred miles over tumultuous seas to a whaling station.  Shackleton returned with a rescue ship, and every man survived the eighteen-month ordeal.

How did he keep the hopes of his men from fizzling out…?

First, he modeled optimism.  Shackleton, who once described optimism as “true moral courage,” always believed he and his crew would survive, and his optimism was contagious.  He communicated that optimism to everyone around him.

Second, he nurtured his men’s sense of significance.  He kept everyone involved by seeking their opinions and by giving them tasks that made them feel like they were part of the solution.

Third, he encouraged them with humor and promoted a lighthearted atmosphere.  Shackleton recognized that under extreme pressure, the ability to lighten the mood neutralizes fear and enables a team to focus, reenergize, and prevail over daunting obstacles.  People might find it strange that one of the few items that Shackleton rescued from the sinking ship was a crewman’s banjo.  He did it so the group could have music.”[1]

This summer I read this quote: “pessimism kills faith” … these words have stuck with me and make so much sence when considering the promises of God for His people. It is incredible to consider the greatness of God and how God wishes to work through us. The potential of each person is amazing when we consider these words: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:13)

[1] thanks to http://www.forthright.net/kneemail/

I just finished watching James Brown interview (like a principal with a 17 year old boy) Michael Vick. My initial thought is that we needed to see more of this interview. Soon (I guess after 60 minutes airs on the USA west coast), I hope 60 minutes is going to link the whole interview on the website. I hope they will put more of the interview on line.

I spent 16 years in high school work. I have seen the attitudes of young impressionable athletes. I hope EVERY coach will show this to and discuss this with his/her athletes, high school and college.

This interview shows a bit of insight into Vick’s upbringing and how that fed into his decision making. There should be NO sympathy for Vick for what he has done. But I think I saw on my TV screen tonight a man contrite (or perhaps he is simply well coached and CBS is just the first platform).

Sincere or not,  let all young men and women see this and be reminded that what we DO does matter. People are watching and being impacted by what we do, and don’t do… like the two cops who Vick saw as a kid… these two came upon a dog fight, saw what was happening and walked away… a HUGE message for a kid. What we let go MATTERS! Let that be heard in hallways, practice fields and principal’s offices. Learn from this! Please, before more student’s lives are ruined through an unwillingness to take action. Hold kids accountable for their actions now so they learn. Don’t enable out of control behavior by inaction.

I’ve been under the weather the last few days and have done only that which must be done. So, no blogging or twittering. This morning I feel on the mend and sit outside for the first time in a few days. I notice how dry thngs have become.
This has been a pretty wet and even sorta cool summer and the grass and flowers and trees grew like crazy. But as I look around the yard this morning, I notice that things are much dryer and not quite as green as they have been. Sweet Anna commented about a week ago that the grass is usually yellow by this time, but it was still green. But now, I see the yellow coming in parts of the lawn.
I’m not one to water a lawn because I have convictions about water usage. So if the yard dries up, the yard dries up. There is, after all a limit to the amount of fresh water on the planet.
In the yard there are these two planters of flowers that we do water. It is interesting to see the perk up when watered. For this purpose we have a watering can.
Followers of Jesus sometimes wilt. We sometimes dry up. When we dry up, we forget some basic things about our life of following Him. Sometimes drought (sp.) overcomes us. We make mistakes.
Because we do not use the watering can.
Let us bathe in the water of God’s word, enjoying a fresh understanding of His forgiveness, grace, and the resulting peace. God is not in the business of judging our faithlessness; He is in the business of loving and forgiving us. All we have to do is fill up the watering can and pour… fresh green leaves will be the result.