Tim Tebow, Jason Collins, and Barney Fife.

This popular post has generated quite a buzz online and sums up the week greatly:

Tim Tebow: “I’m a Christian.”

Media: “Keep it to yourself.”

Jason Collins: “I’m gay.”

Media: “This man’s a hero!”

On Monday, April 29^th, NBA player Jason Collins came out publicly as the first active player in one of the four major American professional team sports to announce that he is gay. His announcement was followed by waves of support from the likes of NBA commissioner David Stern to a personal phone call from the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama. Obama called to express his support and commend him for his courage to stand up. The media coverage on this “coming out” has literally been remarkable.

Many have jumped to point out the very obvious “double standard” that is prevalent in our society today. For example (as previously stated) when a believer in professional sports such as Tim Tebow “comes out” with their personal beliefs, or stands up for their faith, the media doesn’t want to hear about it. Not only do they not want to hear about it, but they put forth as much effort as possible to look for ways to trash the individual. For example when ESPN writer Chris Broussard was asked what his opinion was on the matter, he replied,

“I'm a Christian. I don't agree with homosexuality," Broussard said. “I think it's a sin, as I think all sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is.

“If you're openly living in unrepentant sin”—speaking again of homosexual practice, not simply being gay—“that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ.”

The result? Many have called for Broussard’s head so to speak, demanding an apology and calling for his firing.

So we have a double standard, this is obvious, but as I was thinking about this morning I had the following thoughts that I would like to share…

1. Why is this a surprise?

Why does this seemingly double standard surprise us? Why does it seem odd to us that Christians are treated differently in the media and in public viewpoints?

Christ said, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake ” (Matthew 10). It doesn’t get more plain that that, but I will admit it is a hard pill to swallow, especially as an American were we traditionally have been treated with such gracious religious freedoms (unlike the majority of the rest of the world).

Hatred, misunderstanding, miss-representation, lies, on and on should NOT come as a surprise to us as believers, especially when we take a stand for what we believe.

“The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. ” -Jesus

2. Guard your heart.

Please don’t miss understand me. I believe we should take a stand for our religious freedoms in America. I believe that we must fight for our liberties and be on guard when we feel like they are being threatened. However as I was pondering on this current episode this week, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, “Don’t take on the ‘us against them’ mentality and allow your heart to become hard.” In the most gentle way, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the words of Paul to Timothy, “ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”

You see our natural tendency in all of this is to take on the “us against them” mentality. Feeling like we are backed in a corner, we then feel the need to come out guns a-blazing ready to furiously fight for what we believe in. However we must be careful to not let our hearts become hard! If we do our message will lose its meaning.

When we face hatred and persecution, may our prayer be, “callous my knees and not my heart”.

If we allow the hatred and double standards we see to harden our hearts and cause us to become resentful towards people that Christ died for, then shame on us.

It’s ok to feel upset and desire to express ones passion, but remember “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

3. The Reality.

As Christians, we now must come to grips with the world we are living in. I have to realize that the world & society that I grew up in (not too long ago) is not the same as the one my 4 children are growing up in today.

I grew up 50 miles from a little town called Mt. Airy, NC, perhaps you know it by it commonly referred to name: “Mayberry”. Andy and Barney were some of my childhood heroes. However those day are long gone, and no matter how much “I miss Mayberry”…it isn’t coming back. Parents used to sweat the “birds and the bees” talk, however now we are faced with so much more.

WE CANNOT KEEP OUR HEAD IN THE SAND.

From the boy-scouts to now basketball the homosexual agenda is upon us, and we have to be prepared (at the right time) to have discussions with our children and prepare them for the realities of the world we live in.

Thank God we don’t have to face these challenges in the world alone!

Posted by: Randy Lawrence Jr.
Randy Lawrence Jr. leads the Communications team of the Pentecostal Church of God

Reaching Our City

By Roy Edwards
When I think of reaching our community, I don’t focus on how we can draw a big crowd, but on how we can make an impact for the glory of God. How can we coordinate a community-wide event, win souls for Christ, and see the tangible results of people becoming disciples?

Drawing a crowd, for most of us, is not difficult. In fact, the saying “If you have food, you will get a crowd” rings true. That, to me, sounds like an opportunity for the church to take those opportunities to serve the city and to begin to speak into the lives of those who might not otherwise darken the door of the church. All God needs is a chance to show up in a real and significant way.

So we, Glad Tidings Church in Casa Grande, AZ, began to strategize, “Ok, God, what can we do in our city to make a difference, draw a crowd, and have You show up? How can we make an impact in Casa Grande and see change happen in the lives of these people we want to reach?” Then it happened; it was simple.

For years we have done an event for our church children and youth. We supplied backpacks filled with school supplies. In 2011 we gave out 32 backpacks and it was a great time. We decided what we would do in 2012 is open it up to the city and give out 200 backpacks and school supplies, and feed the recipients, as well. We knew we needed to make an opportunity for God to show up big! We planned and strategized; we handed out 2,000 flyers, put it on Facebook, placed it on Twitter, ran ads in the newspapers, and shared the vision with our church.

The day the event took place, it was to start at 10 a.m. I drove to the church both nervous and excited, and I prayed, “God, here is an opportunity for You to show up!” I didn’t know if we would have 10 or 500 people show up; I just didn’t know. I got to the church at 7 a.m. to pray and get final preparations

complete; and there was already a line at the front doors! Families had been camped out since 4:30 a.m. that morning. The lines grew and grew. We lost count at 800 people. We were shocked . . . and we only had 200 backpacks. This was God’s opportunity to show up!

My team looked at the crowd, and we didn’t want them to go away empty-handed. So I did what any pastor would do. I requested an offering from the church members, and ran to Wal-Mart and bought all the backpacks I could. Meanwhile, the games and fun continued for all. After the program, I spoke a simple gospel message of hope and love. At the end of the day, we had blessed city residents with 386 backpacks, 500 Bibles, and 152 men, women, and children gave their lives to Jesus! You see, my friend, we just had to create an opportunity to allow Jesus to show up, and He always does! We just need to make an opportunity for Jesus to connect to the unbeliever.

I’ll be honest, that event was easy to do, and we were giving away something free. But the work was just getting ready to begin. We followed up with letters, email, and phone calls with those who had accepted Jesus. We invited them to service the next week, and we volunteered to pick them up in our newly acquired buses. That next week we had over 30 new folks to pick up that had been to our back to school bash! Since then, our children’s ministry has exploded and outgrown the children’s facilities. Many families have come since then and have given their lives to Jesus.

As a result of this event, we birthed a feeding program to the poor and homeless in our city. We have also distributed shoes to the needy children in the area. We have expanded our bus routes and reach into our city. We have also begun a feeding program to the needy children in the city and we serve just fewer than 500 meals a month out of our church, as a direct result of that one back-to-school event. Local businesses have heard what has happened in our church and some now support us financially and also donate thousands of loaves of bread for us to distribute weekly. Understand, what we did was simple. We saw a need in our city and filled it. We spoke a simple message that Jesus loved them and had a great plan for their lives, and God showed up!

We look at outreach differently now. We simply want to serve, and for God to come and minister to our neighbors’ spiritual needs as we supply their physical needs. As we plan our future outreaches for this spring, summer, and fall, our prayer is simple: “God we want to reach our city. That’s Your heart. Help us prepare, plan, and strategize. But we will do it all in vain, unless You show up. Help us to make an impact, fill a need, and provide an opportunity for You to show up, for You are the hope they so desperately need.”

When we look to reach out in our city, we also look at what other houses of faith are doing. We don’t want to duplicate a ministry. If at all possible, we want to partner with them, come alongside of them, and be a blessing to serve with them. Our heart is to do something new, or something not being done, and do that with excellence.

I encourage you to look around in your city and find a need. Maybe in your town you have folks who need food, clothes, or shoes. Maybe God is asking you to find a creative way to reach them by meeting them at their point of need. Maybe your city, like ours, has a homeless problem. Go to them and make a hot lunch and serve them, if possible. Give them an opportunity to accept Jesus as their Savior, and then offer to bring them to church on Sunday.

Reaching your community doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Feeding 800 people and giving backpacks and school supplies to our community cost the church about $2,000. Feeding the homeless costs about $50 each time we serve them. Sometimes we offer barbecue for city-wide events. All that costs is the gas and the barbecue, and it’s a great way to serve the city, and a great way to meet new people and allow God to minister to them through us. It is all about getting to be where the people are, meeting their needs, and allowing God to touch them right where they are. Most of the people at our back-to-school bash would never come to church on their own on a Sunday, but once they experienced our heart to serve them, the walls were broken down. All of a sudden, church wasn’t so bad after all! Find a need in your city, take it to the Lord, give Him an opportunity to show up, and then serve.

Moving a Community Upward

By Eric Scott
One day, while watching their daughter, Kaitlyn, participate in a basketball game at an area church, a dream was birthed in the heart of Pastors Russell and Beverly Hylton of Bethel Family Worship Center in Indianapolis, IN. They each saw an opportunity to connect with families within their community and share the gospel message through the use of an unusual medium: sports. On their way home from the game, Russell and Beverly shared with one another that, should their church ever be blessed with the necessary facilities, they would one day use basketball and sports as a tool to reach their community.

Over the next few years, BFWC would experience much growth. Crowds eventually grew so large that the leadership of the church began exploring the church’s options for new facilities that could accommodate the needs of their growing congregation. After much searching and time spent in prayer, a beautiful church campus was located and purchased only 1.4 miles away from BFWC’s existing property. In the summer of 2008, the congregation of Bethel Family Worship Center moved to its brand new campus at 24 S. Lynhurst Drive in Indianapolis. This new property would come with more than enough space, FOR THE TIME BEING! Plans are already in place for expansion as BFWC continues to reach Indianapolis with the good news of Jesus Christ. To God be the glory!

Once the move and subsequent renovation was completed, God began to remind Pastor Hylton and his wife, Beverly, of the dream that had been planted in their hearts during their daughter’s basketball game many years before. The new BFWC campus would house a full-size gymnasium, which would be the perfect facility from which to base a thriving sports ministry. Pastor and First Lady Hylton began to pray about how God could use their new campus to reach the families of their community through a dynamic sports ministry. Little did they know that while they were praying, God was raising up a leader within the house to lead this ministry.

One day, a gentleman in the congregation named Andy Carpenter asked Pastor Hylton if he could share something about which God had been speaking to him. Andy and his wife, Lisa, had been attending BFWC for quite some time, and had been praying about how they could be more involved in their church. Andy works as a football coach at one of the high schools in the area. He began to share his dream with Pastor Hylton to start and lead an Upward Sports League at BFWC. Upon hearing this, Pastor Hylton’s spirit leaped, knowing that God was at work and prayers were being answered.

Upward Sports is a community outreach program that has grown into the largest Christian-based sports league for children in the world. In the 2012 season, nearly 550,000 children in grades K-6 participated in basketball, soccer, flag-football, or cheerleading through one of over 5,000 leagues and camps. By providing a fun sports experience based on healthy competition, Upward Sports Leagues help kids develop skills for the sports arena and values for life. Upward Sports uses the universal language of sports to connect with kids at a critical age and help them discover and build athletic skills, values, self-confidence, and a life-long love of the game. (Source: www.upward.org)

In the fall of 2008, BFWC launched its first season of Upward basketball and cheerleading. Beginning with a team of only 20 volunteers, they opened the league to only 2nd and 3rd grade children. The idea was to start with that age group so the church could get a feel for how the program operated. When the season began, 60 children were registered for basketball and cheerleading.

Since those humble beginnings in 2008, BFWC has seen its program grow tremendously. The group of people that started as a team of only 20 volunteers has grown into an army of over 100 strong. Furthermore, the league that began with only 60 children in 2nd and 3rd grade has now boomed to over 220 children ages 4 years old to 6th grade. Something that started as a simple dream in the heart of a pastor, watching his daughter play basketball, has now been fulfilled in the form of children playing basketball in the gymnasium at his church. In 2011 the sports ministry at BFWC expanded and now offers a Flag-Football league as well. Using the field on the church’s campus, BFWC has found yet another avenue to use every square inch of their campus for the advancement of the kingdom of God.

When BFWC launched its sports ministry, what really began was a commitment to use the resources with which God had entrusted them as a tool to reach their community. Instead of using their facilities for just the people inside the church, they’ve opened them up for the world outside of the church. In doing so, the church has been exposed to individuals who don’t always possess an understanding for what it means to have a reverence for the house of God. However, according to Pastor Hylton, that’s just fine with him.

During a recent conversation regarding the Upward Sports Ministry at BFWC, Pastor Hylton was asked how the church had adapted to opening its doors to unchurched people, knowing that it could lead to potential wear and tear on their facilities. “We’re the Church; this is just a building,” said Pastor Hylton. “I would rather wear this building out with students and children and families coming through the door who don’t yet know Christ than to have people come to church once a week on a Sunday morning in a clean environment.” Pastor Hylton’s favorite story to illustrate this point is what he often refers to as “the Cigarette Story.”

During one of the first basketball seasons at BFWC, as unchurched people began to attend the games and the practices, one of Bethel’s Upward volunteers, Lisa Carpenter (who is also the wife of Director Andy Carpenter) noticed that people had been smoking outside one of the main entrances to the building. This naturally resulted in there being a collection of cigarette butts by one of the most trafficked entrances to the church. Sis. Lisa was so concerned that someone may get mad or offended at the sight of cigarette butts on the ground at the church, so she frantically began sweeping and cleaning up the mess. Pastor Hylton saw her working feverishly and walked up to her. Before he could even say a word, she immediately began apologizing and expressing her remorse over the fact that people had been smoking on the church property. Pastor Hylton smiled at Lisa and said, “I would rather have cigarette butts on the ground than no people at all walking through the doors. Those cigarettes are just proof that people who need Jesus are here at our church!” This perspective has infiltrated the DNA of Bethel Family Worship Center to the point that cleaning up a mess is no longer viewed as a burden, but rather a privilege, because it’s proof that lost people are walking through the doors.

The heartbeat of the outreach efforts of Bethel Family Worship Center’s Upwards Sports Ministry is to spread the love of Jesus through the simplest of things—a game.

Each Saturday during basketball season, thousands of people pour onto the BFWC Campus to watch their children play or cheer for a game, but something much more significant is going on whether they realize it or not. During halftime of every game, a member of BFWC’s leadership team comes to center court to share a half-time devotion with the audience. This opportunity is used to share a message of hope with everyone in attendance. In that moment, seeds are planted that eventually will result in people coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Family members may arrive with the intention of watching their child play a basketball game, or to hear their daughter cheer, but in reality, they’re really being brought in to hear about Jesus and to be shown the love of God. This is outreach!

The children who participate in Upward are the highlight of the program. They are the reason the program exists. The focus of the game is not on the scoreboard, but on the individual child. The motto of Upward is, “Every child plays, every child learns, and every child wins.” BFWC is putting that philosophy into practice every week. Each child plays the same amount of time in each game, whether they score the most points or not! Each child is treated like they are an NBA superstar when they run through the tunnel and onto the court and have their name announced by the public address announcer. Each child feels important. Each child is important.

Because of the way BFWC’s program has grown, it has required the enlistment of more volunteers. What could be viewed as a challenge has become a new opportunity for BFWC to reach people who don’t currently attend their church. Many of the referees and coaches who volunteer in the league are parents of children who don’t attend BFWC. During the final celebration ceremony of the season in 2012, one of those volunteer coaches came forward to accept Christ for the first time!

Since 2008 well over 50 people have made BFWC their home church as a direct result of the Upward Sports Ministry.

On Super Bowl Sunday of 2012, a single mother and her three children were together after accepting Christ as a direct result of the children playing basketball at Upward! Every Saturday, Vanessa Crow volunteers as a faithful member of BFWC; however, she first came to watch her son Dylan play basketball. Stories like these could continue for hours, all because one church was willing to find an unusual way to use their resources for the gospel’s sake.

Now in its fifth season, the Upward Sports Ministry at Bethel Family Worship Center is now more committed than ever to using this program to make a difference in their community. BFWC has experienced their registration numbers increase in each season, and believe God for an even greater harvest of souls in 2013.

Perhaps you are reading this story of one church’s desire to use their resources to impact their community and have questions of how you could do the same. Bethel Family Worship Center gladly extends to you an invitation to contact them for ways your church can employ a similar strategy in your community. For more information on Bethel Family Worship Center’s Upward Sports Ministry, email them at sportsministry@bfwc.net.

Also, for more information regarding the Upward Program, visit www.upward.org/connect.

Effective Outreaches

By General Secretary Loyd L. Naten
The term “Outreach” means, “The extending of services or assistance beyond current or unusual limits.” The American College Dictionary defines it as “reaching out.” The Great Commission defines it as “going and making.” In the commission given to Adam and Eve in Genesis 1:28, God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.” Each definition of outreach indicates there must be an effort on our part to go forth, to reach out to people who are in need of something they don’t have but need.

Effective outreach happens as we:

FIRST: Recognize that every person is a diamond in the rough.

Every person, according to Psalm 139, was “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and “chosen in Him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), and “called with a holy calling . . . according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Timothy 1:9). You and I and the worst of the worst of sinners all have the potential of being something special—a diamond—but the rough has to be removed by the blood of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit.

I’ve heard it said, “Hate the sin, but love the sinner.” We, however, seldom apply it equally to everyone. The fact is: Christ died for the sinner, even the sinner of whom you and I don’t approve. Perhaps, instead of making statements, passing laws, and boycotting stores, the most effective way to combat “their” sin is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor—yes, the drug addict, liar, child molester, porn addict—as ourselves. Let’s not forget, Christ loved sinners so much that he was willing to be beaten, ridiculed, and nailed to the cross where He died. We’re all diamonds in the rough, but most people just aren’t aware of the power of God’s Word or the Holy Spirit to make them into a new creation, so we must tell them.

SECOND: Pursue the more excellent way.

Jesus said, “Nevertheless I tell you truth; it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter (Holy Spirit) will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you” (John 16:7). I find this striking: “Now, I tell you the truth.” It’s like Christ is saying, “Pay attention, guys; you need to hear this. You will need the Holy Spirit.” In John 14, 15 and 16 He gets to the core of what He wants these men to understand about the purpose and need of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17; 14:25-26; 15:26; 16:7-14).

Paul continues the topic of the Holy Spirit by emphasizing the need of the gifts of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, and being led by the Spirit. Then he says, let me tell you what is really important, and what will change the world and insure the effectiveness of any outreach. He says in 1 Cor. 12:31, “But from your heart you should want the best gifts. Now I will show you even a better way” (NLV). He writes his famous “love chapter,” and in it he reminds us that without LOVE, nothing else matters.

Christ was effective in all He did because He loved people. Without this love, Christ would have been ineffective. “God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5, GWT). Let’s ask our Helper, the Holy Spirit, to do to us whatever is necessary for us to manifest this love. God’s love is a motivator that will enable us to love the sinner and reach out to those in need.

Outreach 2013: Purposing Ourselves to Reach Others for Christ

By Eddie Jones

Outreach.
What does is it mean?
How does it apply to the Church?
Where does the word come from?

The Church, more than any other institution in the world, does not exist solely for the sake of its membership. The Church exists to be the salt of the earth, the light of the world, the redeeming factor in a dying society. Everything we do must be for the purpose of “reaching out” to others for Jesus Christ.

George Barna wrote about the growing church:

“These were people who were passionate about outreach. . . . They saw every event in their lives as having a hand in better enabling them to reach out to others for Christ. They looked upon life as an opportunity to serve God.”

Most church people see Outreach as a “program” that can be operated to reach out to the community two-three times per year. Many times teaching on why our church needs to do Outreach is necessary. In some instances, church attendees’ mindsets have to be retrained to even think about Outreach. Why is this? Jesus spoke clearly to His disciples about their role as followers of Jesus. Since He spoke so clearly, why do we sometimes have to be encouraged, retrained, convinced, or even challenged to reach out?

The following words of Jesus give a complete direction about who we are to be:

“One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

“When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.’

“‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.’ And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking.

“When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, ‘Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.’ For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people.’ And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus” (Luke 5:1-11, NLT).

As His disciples, we are called to be “fishers of men.” More often than not, the followers of Jesus miss out on this discipleship principle. We have become so accustomed to “doing church” and having our needs met by God that we forget our calling.

Human nature has caused us to be concerned about one thing—ME. We attend church seeking for ME. We give input about what the church is doing or not doing for ME. We want the church to meet MY needs and have things I enjoy. When a congregation is in love with itself, consumed with self-preservation, it’s unlikely to count the cost and take steps to reach out to the lost. But when God’s people truly love others, so much that they hurt over their lost condition, they will do whatever it takes for those they love to experience the love of God. As we listen to the voice of Jesus telling us to “Love your neighbor as yourself,” it compels us to look beyond the walls of the church. Love, inspired by the Spirit of God, propels us out of our comfort zones and into the world.

We modern day believers easily become disillusioned and forget what being a follower of Jesus is all about. We become disillusioned to the reason why the Church exists . . . about what we as disciples are supposed to be. This very indifference has caused reaching out to the lost to become a “program” of outreach, rather than a lifestyle of fishing for lost men and women to which Jesus Himself called us.

This disillusionment can easily happen in the church without us even realizing it. This is not a new problem. Although the disciples followed Jesus day by day, they still became disillusioned by what He was doing, who He was talking to, and how He spent His time with people that were not believers. They murmured and questioned Jesus. For example, the children were held at bay by the disciples. Jesus said, “Suffer the children to come to me.” When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, His disciples were thinking, “What in the world is He doing? He knows we don’t speak to Samaritans.”

Becoming disillusioned about what it means to be a follower of Jesus causes the church to become self-centered. We try to correct it by beginning an outreach program. Outreach is not a program. Reaching out to others should be the lifestyle of Jesus followers. Jesus continually displayed and lived out this example to us. He was always touching the lives of people outside the walls of the church. I absolutely love the following story of Jesus “reaching out” to people:

“Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with such scum?’ When Jesus heard this, he said, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.’ Then he added, ‘Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices. For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners’” (Matthew 9: 10-13, NLT).

This is a classic example of Jesus’ lifestyle of reaching out. The Pharisees separated themselves from such people and questioned why Jesus was even associating with such “scum.” They were indifferent to who Jesus was and what His purpose on earth was. Jesus continually modeled a lifestyle of reaching out to people.

Luke 19 tells us, “One day as Jesus was passing through Jericho, He came in contact with Zacchaeus, a crooked tax collector and notorious sinner. The crowd was very displeased because Jesus decided to go to His house.” Reaching out was simply how He lived His life.

When you think of outreach, what comes to mind?

An event, a location, a program, or do you actually think about reaching out. Outreach is such a huge part of being a follower of Jesus. Choose reaching out as your lifestyle, rather than waiting for an event, a location, or a program scheduled by the local church. I continually pray that God will show me people who need to be reached out to. This lifestyle should be in our DNA as followers of Jesus. If you have drifted from that DNA, becoming disillusioned about what it means to be a follower of Jesus, begin today to live your life on purpose by always being ready to reach out. Make it your lifestyle, not just a program.

I have met with leadership teams of several churches and find that many churches can confidently say, “We believe and hold to the Word of God. We believe the gospel, love people, and want to reach out, but when it comes to the idea of change, people seem to hit a brick wall. They want to reach out, but fear the cost of even suggesting change to the congregation. They love people outside of the church, but not enough to risk incurring the wrath of members who like things just the way they are. They believe the Bible is true, but they are not willing to take up their crosses, deny themselves, and follow Jesus into a lost and broken world.

Cultivating a culture of organic outreach in your congregation requires making strategic changes to orient your vision and mission around the Great Commission. Outreach can’t be only the work of a committee or just a yearly weekend emphasis. It’s not enough to give money to missionaries and pray for others to reach the world. Outreach must be woven into the culture of a church, into every aspect of its life and ministry. Outreach must be in the DNA. Only when a church grafts evangelistic passion into every ministry will outreach become more than just another program. This is the only way it will become the DNA of the local church. But this won’t happen if you want things to stay the same.

Outreach demands change.
Change requires sacrifice.
Sacrifice means we must be more like Jesus!

As we consider outreach, we must consider why? What is our motivation? Why do we want to do outreach? For some, outreach has become the new buzzword of the church. It seems to be the latest and greatest thing that is cool for churches to do. It is a must to clarify why we do what we do. The motivation must be LOVE. Jesus continually reached out to people because He loved them. The ultimate question for us should be, why are we doing what we do? Is the real motivation love, or is it something else? Do we expect something in return? If yes, then it is useless. Should we be concerned with the latest buzzword or program that is spotlighting the church? Absolutely not.

The total motivation of why we do what we do is simple: LOVE. Although love is great, it is still not enough. We have a mission. As Christians we call it the “Great ComMission” in Matthew 28:19. Love is not enough; we should also do it out of obedience—obedience to the mission that Jesus gave to us: “Go and make disciples.”

It is sometimes easy to want to help others in need, such as giving to dig a well in a country where there is no clean water, or buy food to help hungry children. All those are great needs that tug on our hearts to reach out to others. We must never forget that we have much more to offer while meeting others’ physical needs. We have experienced a life-change that has forever changed our destiny. The life-changing message of Jesus is the motivation of reaching out to others. In the midst of being caught up in a whirlwind of emotions while meeting the needs of people, we must keep in mind why we do what we do.

The establishment of the New Testament church is very clear in its purpose; therefore, it easily identifies what we should do as followers of Jesus:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8; NLT).

Witness: to share what we have experienced

Have we spent so much time trying to relive the upper room experience that we have denied why the Holy Spirit was given? The Holy Spirit was given not to feel something, but to accomplish the Mission. We know that mission as the Great ComMission. The Book of Acts demonstrates it plainly: it is the power to witness, telling people about Jesus wherever you go—it is reaching out!

The Messenger theme this month is designed to help us take a look at our heart for Outreach. What is the condition of our hearts for reaching those far from God? Do we witness? Do we tell people about Jesus everywhere we go? Can others see Jesus in our lifestyle? Do we ask our churches to have a program of outreach, or do we teach them it should be a lifestyle such as Jesus lived out everyday. If we are followers of Jesus, then we must do the same. Is there a relentless love for the lost of our cities and communities?

There is love for God, but our love for the lost is weak. If this is a picture of your church, be honest and admit it. You might have a map on a wall somewhere with several pins showing where you send money to support missionaries. You might do an event or two each year that “spiritual seekers” are welcome to attend. You might even try to be friendly if a visitor happens to wander into your church on a Sunday morning. But honestly, your passion for outreach is gone. Your church lacks a desperate love for God that will drive you into the world with His good news. You are nice to people who visit your church, but you don’t go out of your way to reach those who are far from God. You send money overseas, but you don’t engage the mission field right next door. If this describes your congregation, you need to fall in love with God all over again.

Change the DNA of the house today. Immediately, begin to make outreach more than a program; make it a lifestyle as followers of Jesus.

Many churches love God and want to be faithful to His love for lost people. They launch outreach program after outreach program and initiative after initiative. Church members grow tired and exhausted as the congregation jumps into the latest evangelistic fads.

Outreach is not “organic” in a church like this. Instead, it feels fabricated and inauthentic. While the motives are right, the practice of outreach is so forced that it fails to bear much fruit. Churches like this often experience frustration when they try lots of programs but never find something that works. They invest lots of money and time, and they genuinely love God, but lost people rarely come to know and embrace Jesus.

These churches need to love God enough to slow down. If they want to establish an organic culture of outreach that permeates the church’s DNA, they need to do less to accomplish more. Better yet, they need to channel their energy, time, and resources into a sustainable approach to church-wide evangelism.

The first and most critical step a church needs to take to move toward a healthy outreach is to develop a growing love for God. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus says to the church of Ephesus, “You have forsaken your first love.” Whenever our love for God ceases to be first place in our hearts, our vision for reaching out grows dim.

Jesus made this clear when he taught his disciples that the first and most important of all the commandments is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” This is not just our calling as individual followers of Christ; it is our calling as a church. If we forget our first love, our collective heart will grow cold, and nothing that we do will have the impact we desire.

Loving God does not begin with our own efforts. Loving God is based on the awareness that God was passionately seeking us long before we ever sought him. In the letter of 1 John, we find a powerful lesson on the love of God. We learn, first and foremost, that God is love. His love for us allows us to become children of God. The depth of the Father’s love was revealed when he sent His only Son to this earth to die in our place, on the Cross, for our sins. As we are grounded in God’s love for us, and as we learn to walk in His love, we will continue to grow in our love for people that are far from God.

Outreach isn’t a program, or method, or something you memorize. Outreach is a natural way of connecting with others spiritually and helping others connect with God through the lifestyle you live every day. Here are three ways that display that our lifestyle is centered on outreach:

1. Reckless Generosity

   We get so excited about the new band or the new restaurant that we find, we tell everyone we know about it. Why is it that we are so quiet talking about things that really matter?
   
   We need to be reckless with our generosity, grace, care, and love for others!
   
   In Luke 8:5, the farmer generously threw seeds all around him. Rather than being stingy or even “strategic” with where he planted the seeds, he threw the seeds in all types of different soils. This was not the norm! We aren’t smart enough or discerning enough to know if someone is spiritually open or closed, we should share the love of God with everyone. People are eager for a spiritual connection. Too often we are too self-absorbed to see them and help them.
   
   

2. Passionate Love Reflecting the Very Heart of God

   When we aren’t sure of what to do, we should pray to God asking Him to help us love Him, love the church, and love people. Connecting deeply with God propels us outwards to love and serve others.
   
   In 1 John 4:11 we read, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” When we are overwhelmed with the love of God and a love for people, we cannot help but SERVE others.

3. A Humble Awareness of Our Partnership with God

   God cares more for the people around us than we do. He is pursuing the people around us with His love and He is allowing us the opportunity to partner with Him in love. “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” 1 Cor. 3:6, NLT).
   
   We should never try to make people change. Instead, we should love and serve people, knowing that when they want to change, God can and will transform them.”
   
   If your church is struggling to invest in reaching your community and the world, ask yourself this question: are we a church that is on fire with a passion for God? If reaching out to others has been pushed to the back burner (or off the stove entirely), it probably won’t help to throw in an outreach or two. You need to start by turning up the heat, a passionate desire for loving God.
   
   Maybe your church has lost its first love. Remember, God so loved the world that he gave His only Son.
   
   Love gives. And when a congregation’s heart pounds hard for God, we give ourselves—our time, resources, and lives—to love others.

Outreach is not a sprint; it’s a marathon.

Outreach is not a fad; it’s the fabric of a healthy church.

Outreach is not a program; it’s the natural fruit of a church that loves God.

Outreach is a lifestyle displayed by our Savior, Jesus.

Be a follower of Jesus!

The Theology of Traffic Jams

By Charles G. Scott
Like a fiery serpent stretched across the landscape the endless line of vehicles stretches as far as the eye can see. It is at the same time bewildering and frustrating: you need to move, you want to move and you wonder what is going on that is not allowing you to move.

It must be horrific. It must be a massive problem. It must be gigantic.

You arrive at the scene of the bottleneck. There is nothing there.

What caused the traffic jam?

For some of you this is a rare if ever occurring situation. You live and commute in an area where traffic jams rarely interfere with your progress. For others it is daily or several times a day and you plan your schedule around the snarls of shuttling sojourners. For all of us working in the realm of the Kingdom of God spiritual setbacks and slowdowns are a constant companion.

A lot can be learned from traffic jams that apply to our spiritual lives.

According to research done by a team of mathematicians, the leading cause of traffic jams is human error. Someone drives too fast or pokes along too slow. The mistake of one driver can cause a ripple effect slowing down traffic for miles and hours of time. The impact of an unexpected event on the road causes a “backward traveling wave” that can slow down traffic as far as thirty miles!

The team developed a mathematical model to show the impact of unexpected events such as a tractor-trailer pulling out of its lane on a dual carriageway (divided highway with median between traffic going in opposite directions). Their model revealed that slowing down below a critical speed when reacting to such an event, a driver would force the car behind to slow down further and the next car back to reduce its speed further still. The result of this is that several miles back, cars would finally grind to a halt, with drivers oblivious to the reason for their delay.

The model predicts that this is a very typical scenario on a busy highway (above 15 vehicles per km). The jam moves backwards through the traffic creating a so-called ‘backward traveling wave’, which drivers may encounter many miles upstream, several minutes after it was triggered. (Science Daily)

Leaders have to deal with “backward traveling waves.” The progress you are desperately trying to achieve can come to a grinding halt by the action, lack of action or reaction of a solitary soul. The result is spiritual stagnation, atrophy and people become frustrated and some even pull off the road you’re trying to lead them and decide to travel another direction.

How do you deal with the spiritual traffic jams in your ministry? The key is found in your prayer life and your personal relationship with Christ.

Traffic jams or leadership/visionary jams occur in every organization at practically every level. Leaders often misperceive that their church, group or organization is facing a “jam” that is peculiar to them. Not true. People are people, organizations are organizations and the problems do not vary. Jams often occur because of these reasons across the board, whether you are driving or leading your organization:

1. Not every one moves at the same pace – It is a hard lesson for leaders to learn but not every one operates at the same speed. When the light turns green some drivers are ready to get across the intersection and move! Others adjust their mirrors, check incoming traffic, turn up the volume on the radio, talk to their passengers, the list is endless. But the point is that not everyone goes at the same pace. When a vision is cast, some people are ready to go! They have been waiting for direction and they are motivated to move! Others are later adopters – the key for leaders to understand is that neither is all right nor is either all wrong. When leaders try to make late adopters feel bad for not moving faster, relationship issues can become bigger than the visionary goal. Leaders must identify the early movers and the late adopters and learn to communicate effectively to both. Early adopters need to make sure they do not run over innocent people in their pursuit of progress. Late adopters need time to adjust their mirrors before they get started. The leader is the key to keep the traffic moving toward the desired end. It doesn’t matter who gets there first. What matters is that we arrive safely and soundly.
2. Something is in the way – The main cause of congestion on the freeway or in the organization is an obstacle of some means. It is amazing how traffic slows when a car has pulled off the driveway with a flat tire! Everyone slows down to look! Leaders know that people in general get sidetracked easily! We all do! Most of us carry a phone, laptop, digital tablet, paper tablet, and other devices into meetings. These tools can become major distractions. Our policy dictates meeting requirements that no email, text messaging or accepting phone calls can be done while in the meeting. We can lose our concentration and get distracted by simple things and cause a major jam in the progress!
3. There is a detour ahead – This is a hard truth for leaders to swallow: sometimes the direction that has been vision cast has to be detoured! We want to believe that we are always perfectly in tune with the need, the direction and the methods necessary to get where we want to go – but sometimes the issue is: we are trying to get where we want to go and NOT where God wants us to go! My favorite chapter is Acts 27. The moral of the stormy story of Acts 27 is simple: it is a redirection of a ship to get Paul to an island that desperately needs the Gospel and a manifestation of the power of God! A stubborn resistance to reroute, redirect and readdress direction can cause severe backups to the plan of God. A rebellion in the leadership took Israel on an extra forty-year journey that delayed an entire nation! Leaders must remain humble and sensitive to the Holy Spirit; this can only occur through extended times of prayer, fasting and accountability to the Word of God. When leaders determine to go their direction it causes snarls to the Body of Christ.

Directing traffic is part of leadership. Moving people into the flow of God’s direction for their lives and the organization means navigating the snarled backflow of jams that occur along the way. It is your duty to God and people to stay on the highway and keep directing traffic! Eventually, the highway will open to the God-directed destiny ordained for you and the people you serve!

Encounter Conference 2013: Hunger

By Josh Rogers

The Encounter Conference for young leaders took place on Friday, January 11 and Saturday, January 12, 2013. Leaders from 12 different states were encouraged to “Hunger” after God in a way they had never hungered before.

The weekend was kicked off with passionate and energetic worship by the SOS (Spirit of St. Louis) Church worship team led by Mike Skiles, followed by a message given by NYD Joe Skiles. He challenged students, ministers, and bishops to hunger and thirst after righteousness according to Matthew 5:6.

Next ILD Director Randy Lawrence Jr. spoke on the importance of remaining hungry, and warned against the dangers of a spirit with no appetite. The afternoon session brought in a panel of leaders to take on the questions of both those in attendance and those “tweeting” in over live stream. Pastors Russell Hylton and Eric Scott of Bethel Family Worship Center in Indianapolis, IN, and National Youth Directors Joe and Teena Skiles gave wisdom to those listening as they answered questions, such as “How can I grow my youth?” and “How can I be a leader as the youngest person in my youth group?”


Keynote speaker Adam McCain brought forth a message about Multi-Generational Ministry. Tom Skiles, pastor of SOS Church, taught on Saturday morning the importance of those who were formerly prodigal sons and daughters reaching out to the LOST prodigal sons and daughters. Then Adam McCain took the stage for the last session teaching on the importance of Faith, Hope, and Love.

While what I stated above is a report of what physically happened over the weekend, the truly incredible things are what spiritually happened. While I can’t speak to the experience of others, I can honestly say that the presence of God came and rested on the Encounter Conference and did not once relent. I watched as people fell to their knees for their Creator with a hunger that sent pangs through the spirit and refused to be satisfied by anything else. I saw a generation, my generation, that refused to be called fatherless, kneel in the presence of a Heavenly Father. I saw a generation that wasn’t lost, but desired, above all, revival. I watched as leaders poured through the doors having driven ten or more hours just to have an encounter with God. I didn’t see a generation that evades responsibility, or that has no respect for their Pentecostal heritage, but a generation with a craving to be used by God, willing to be forged by fire, and desiring to take up the mantle of those that have gone before them.

Encounter Conference was not just a youth conference; it was a glimpse into the bright and vibrant future of the Pentecostal Church of God. There were moments where age didn’t matter, experience didn’t matter, education didn’t matter, because we all stood together as prodigal sons and daughters rejoicing because we once were lost but now we are found.

The real report is about people having an encounter; and that we did. I sat in the video booth and watched with tears rolling down my face as young and old stood together with a desire to shake the pillars of heaven. I saw current pastors empowering future pastors. I saw district bishops crying out to God for the young leaders of this organization. If you didn’t make it to Encounter Conference 2013, then plan for 2014. It’s not another youth service; it’s not another camp meeting; it is an encounter with the Creator, a Creator that loves us.