The Church Revitalization Checklist by Sam Rainer — Book Review

My husband and I picked this book up at our recent church conference, and if you are a leader in your congregation, it is well worth reading. The author, who is a Baptist pastor, begins with this statement:

“If God can save any person, he can save any church.”

His point? The Good News is both personal and corporate. Although some churches will disband, any congregation of God’s people is worth the effect it takes to revitalize them. His focus is on smaller, community churches, and he lays out a process which includes:

1. Priorities — taking care of what is most urgent
2. Pace — determining how fast the congregation can move
3. Managing expectations
4. Understanding the capacity of the people to move forward
5. Evaluating the facilities
6. Reigniting an outward focus
7. Realistic steps toward revitalization
8. Using a checklist to assess progress

He has good suggestions, and he lays out a process that is simple and doable for most congregations. The primary takeaway is that healthy churches are those that promote an outward focus.

VERDICT: 5 STARS. Highly recommended.

For more about evangelism see these posts:

The Heart of Evangelism by Jerram Barrs–Book Review

resuscitating evangelism by Jordan Easley and Ernest Easley–Book Review

A New and Ancient Evangelism by Judith Paulsen — Book Review

AFLC Fundamental Principle #6

The 6th Fundamental Principle deals with the spiritual gifts of the congregation. It reads, “A free congregation esteems, and cherishes all the spiritual gifts which the Lord gives for its edification and seeks to stimulate and encourage their use.”

A free congregation is the living Body of Christ and all the members of the Body use their God given gifts for the building up of that Body. Georg Sverdrup, the founding theologian of our predecessor body, the Lutheran Free Church, wrote that “the congregation is not organized unless there is work for everyone.” In other words, a free and living congregation is one in which everyone is involved in life both in and beyond worship. Some might ask how some of our more elderly or infirm members could be said to be at work in the congregation. The first thing that comes to mind is prayer. Anyone can pray daily (or more often!) for the people and work of Alsace Lutheran Church. This is indeed giving of yourself and using the spiritual gift God so often gives to those who can no longer do more active things. Another spiritual gift is encouragement which could come from a phone call to someone working in and for the congregation or the sending of a card. At my last church, we had an older lady who could no longer do the kind of work she had been so happy to do for the church in the past, so she took on the task of sending birthday and anniversary cards to everyone listed in our directory.

Of course, all believers are called to make good use of the means of grace (the preaching of the Word, Holy Communion, Baptism) but the use of the gifts of grace which God gives to all of His people is just as important for the Church as the means of grace are for the individual.

Dr. Sverdrup put it like this:

“The congregation lives and exists to work. The congregation is not organized unless there is work for everyone. There is no congregation where the gathering of people ‘hire’ a pastor to do the work for them so they don’t have to.”

As Jesus labored during His time on earth, so are we called to work in the vineyard, not alone but together for the building up of His Holy Kingdom right where we are.

For more about spiritual gifts see these posts:

The Spiritual Gift of Service

Gifts + Passion = Ministry

Quote on Spiritual Gifts

AFLC Fundamental Principal #5

In our continuing look at the Fundamental Principles which guid our AFLC we move now to the 5th of the 12 principles:

The Congregation directs its own affairs subject to the Word and Spirit of God and acknowledges no other ecclesiastical authority or government over itself.

After the first principle (According to the Word of God, the congregation is the right form of the Kingdom of God on earth) this may be the most important of the twelve. The local congregation is free and autonomous, subject only to God. Of course, this does not mean we can do whatever we want, but we are constrained by the inerrant and infallible Word found in Scripture which is itself inspired by the Holy Spirit.

According to the New Testament the local congregation is a free fellowship according to two Biblical truths. In 2 Corinthians we find that “where the Spirit of God is, there is freedom.” The congregation is free by its identity as the bride of Christ. (See Romans 7:1-6 and Galatians 4:21-51which ends with “For freedom Christ has set us free.)

If the congregation is a living congregation it is free in two ways. First, it is free from bondage to sin and worldliness. Second, the congregation is free of human authority and is subject only to God. This does not mean only free from control without itself, but also from control within. There have been many instances where the congregation becomes enslaved to the demands of pastors or lay leaders who demand that they are in charge of all things done there. If this is done by a pastor they have abandoned their role as a servant to the congregation and become instead a dictator. If done by lay leader(s) they have established themselves as an oligarchy. Both situations are contrary to Biblical teaching.

For more information about the AFLC Principles, see these posts:

Fundamental Principles of the AFLC, part 1

AFLC Fundamental Principle #2

AFLC Fundamental Principle #3

Pastors’ Wives Tell All by Stephanie Gilbert, Jessica Taylor and Jenna Allen–Book Review

This book was written by three pastors’ wives who are Millennials. Although I couldn’t always relate to their examples (no, I don’t want a tattoo or nose ring), I do agree with the big take-away — pastors’ wives are unique individuals and cannot be expected (or required) to conform to a particular stereotype.

Another key concept is this — pastors’ wives are just like everyone else! They have marital problems, difficulties with children, trouble making friends, and sometimes suffer from anxiety and depression. They get angry and hurt. They do and say things they shouldn’t. They are not super-human and don’t have all the answers.

Balance is very important. Families in ministry must learn to prioritize and establish reasonable expectations to prevent burn-out. They must also decide when, as a Christian, to moderate their own desires in order to avoid offending others.

The three authors write about their own experiences with the church in a very honest and engaging way and have some good suggestions. Some of the topics addressed:

1. Maintaining healthy boundaries
2. Seeking wise counsel
3. Confessing sin and shortcomings
4. Letting go of unrealistic expectations

You may also enjoy listening to their podcast, https://www.pastorswivestellall.com/podcast. Although written for the wives of pastors, much of the material will also apply to all church leaders.

VERDICT: 4 STARS.

For more about ministry life see these posts:

More about Stephen Ministry

The Minister’s Wife by Karen Stiller — Book Review

Help! I’m Married to My Pastor by Jani Ortlund–Book Review

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Tough by Neta Jackson

Looking for some light, vacation reading? You might want to pick up this 4th book in the Yada Yada Prayer Group series by Neta Jackson.

If you’ve read any of the previous novels, you’ll already know that the Yada Yada sisters are a diverse group of women who met at a Christian conference and decided to continue as a permanent prayer group. Together, these ladies celebrate, support one another and become more mature believers. As their friendship grows, their husbands and children also begin to form a community which is both diverse and beautiful.

In this installment, the group has to “get tough” when a white supremacist hate group targets a local university, where the husband of one of the members is a professor. In addition, they encounter personal problems with children, spouses, jobs, roommates, and more. As always, each struggle is an occasion for prayer and personal growth.

There are suggestions at the end of the book for starting your own prayer group.

VERDICT: 4 STARS.

For more in this series see:

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Real by Neta Jackson — Book Review

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Down by Neta Jackson — Book Review

The yada yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson — Book Review

The Book of Books by Melvyn Bragg — Book Review

I found the author of this book very puzzling. The “Book of Books” is the King James Bible, and Mr. Bragg details the impact it has had on our culture including art, literature, language, politics, morality, education and more. It has given hope, encouraged creativity and promoted compassion and care for others. Although in some cases, the Bible has been used by both sides of an issue (the English and American Civil Wars, for example), in general it has paved the way for positive changes in daily life.

He also accuses Richard Dawkins (well-known atheist) for using anecdotal, insubstantial evidence to attack religion and bypass the many human achievements that owe their origins to the Bible.

So far, so good, right? However, at the same time Mr. Bragg very patronizingly assumes that most modern, educated people don’t believe in the veracity of the Bible anymore. About himself he says:

“Occasionally I go to church when I am in the area. …. I think there’s a gallantry to those who still assemble there. … But … they hang on. … The whole idea — God, Genesis, Christ, Resurrection — is now to me a moving metaphor, a poetic way of attempting to understand what may be forever incomprehensible. When I was six, it was the truth about all life.”

How sad, to know the Bible, to see all the good it has accomplished, and still not accept the truth it contains.

VERDICT: 2 STARS. This is an informative book, and it is easy to read and understand, but the author’s perspective is not the correct one.

For more about the Bible see these posts:

The Message by Eugene Peterson — Bible Review

Plan to Read the Bible

The CSB Worldview Study Bible

Confirmation Essay #3

This is a final confirmation essay, written by one of the confirmands at the church where my husband is currently serving as an interim pastor.

Confirmation Verse

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.” 2 Peter 3:18

When I was younger, I wasn’t always deeply involved in activities related to my religion. So, when my dad asked if I wanted to join the Confirmation class, I felt both scared and excited about reconnecting with the Lutheran community and learning about my faith. Throughout the confirmation classes, I’ve learned significant aspects such as the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostle’s Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Parting of the Red Sea, and more specially during church camp.

For me, being confirmed signifies the strength of my relationship with God. It means I’m committed to taking my faith more seriously, and it’s a personal decision no one can dispute. The term “confirmation” originates from the Latin word, “Confirmare,” meaning “to strengthen. Starting confirmation marked the beginning of incorporating what I learned in the church into my life. The Ten Commandments, in particular, significantly influenced my behavior. If I witnessed someone breaking one at school, I felt a need to say something.

As a Confirmand, I’ve been told that being confirmed will signify my maturity in the church. After Confirmation I intend to read the entire Bible by myself, contribute to charitable causes to help those in need, pray to God regularly, and make it a habit to pray before meals and other occasions.

For more essays by young people see these posts:

Katelyn’s Question #4

Katelyn’s Question #5

Katelyn’s Question #6

Confirmation Essay #2

This is a continuation of my previous post, listing the essays written by the recent confirmands at the church where my husband is serving as an interim pastor.

Confirmation Verse

Lord God, remember me and strengthen me. Judges 18:28

“I learned the meaning behind my baptism, the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed. I have grown by learning and deepening my knowledge of the Lord and His Word. I know that my sins will be forgiven because Jesus died on the cross for me.

Being confirmed to me means that I am making the choice of getting closer with God and building a stronger bond with God Himself or Jesus. I am recognized as an adult within my faith and it makes my family happy.

I will continue to grow in my faith by coming to church. I will pray after and before bedtime or early in the morning. And that I will never to anything to hurt God by saying His name in vain. I will always be nice and kind to others around me and let them have a chance. I will also make sure I will serve church and the youth group. I will continue to bring my friends to church so they too can learn about God.”

For more essays by young people see these posts:

Is There a God? If So, What is God Like?– Or Katelyn’s Question #1

Katelyn’s Question #2

Katelyn’s Question #3

What Confirmation Means to Me #1

Recently the church where my husband is serving as an interim pastor confirmed three young people. This means they have completed a year of study covering the basics of the faith and the Lutheran confessions. It is followed by a public rite in which the students affirm the promises made at the time of their baptism. In some congregations it is also the first time they commune. It is, in effect, the beginning of their faith journey as a mature believer.

As part of the confirmation process, the students each wrote a short essay, “What Confirmation Means to Me.” They also select a Bible verse that they find meaningful. I’ll be posting them over the next three days, and I hope you will be encouraged and inspired to read what each one has to say about the confirmation process as well as their hopes and plans for their future in the church.

Confirmation verse:

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

“During this year of confirmation, I have learned many things, like how to pray, the commandments and the sacraments. This helped me grow as a person and a believer in many ways. For example, I started helping with the soundboard a couple of months ago, learning how to manage everything. This helped me grow as a believer because it helped me to listen to the sermon instead of sitting there bored.

Being confirmed means I will keep my parents’ promise when they baptized me. Being confirmed means getting accepted by the church and taking communion. I will continue to grow my faith by going to church every Sunday. I will pray outside of the church not just in church. I will read the Bible and try to minimize the sins I am making even though they are not on purpose.

After this year of confirmation, I have made new friends and met new people. This year was a different experience from other years because I didn’t know half the stuff we went over before confirmation even after going to church every Sunday. This year has been great, and I am looking forward to my future in my faith in Christ and joining the church.”

To be continued tomorrow…..

For more about confirmation see:

Confirmation Songs

What My Faith Means to Me

What My Faith Means to Me #2

Tim Keller on Vocation

” A job is a vocation only if someone else calls you to do it for them rather than for yourself. And so our work can be a calling only if it has remained a mission of service to something beyond merely our own interests. Thinking of work mainly as a means of self-fulfillment and self-realization slowly crushes a person.”

Tim Keller

For more about Tim Keller see these posts:

Tim Keller on Humility

Forgive by Timothy Keller–Book Review

The Reason for God by Timothy Keller–Book Review