David Tarkington

What the Boy Scout Vote in May Means for Our Troop

It has been widely reported in the media, though in my opinion strongly skewed by most media outlets. It is the story that has moved to the back burner, but soon will be front page headlines once again. On May 22, the national meeting of Boy Scout leaders will be presented with a proposal to change the long accepted membership and participation requirements for local chartered troops.

The policy currently reads that the Boy Scouts do "not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of employees, volunteers or members, but does not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the Boy Scouts of America."

The National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America has proposed a new resolution, which includes the statement that "No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone."

While the majority of parents and Scout leaders nationally have voiced opposition to this change in the policy, it appears very likely that the new policy will be adopted. The three largest "faith-based" groups that charter BSA troops are the Mormon Church, Catholic Church and Southern Baptist Churches. Unfortunately, the Mormon Church has stated their approval of the proposed "compromise" that allows gay boys, but still bars gay leaders. There has been no word from the Catholic Church as far as I know. Southern Baptist Churches, with our autonomy, will most likely have some who oppose and others who affirm the compromise.

As stated in a previous blog entry, our church strongly opposes the proposal.

I met with a great group of Scout leaders this evening. It was a difficult, but needed meeting. These volunteers serve our boys and Scouts and have done so for years. Boy Scout Troop 20 has been chartered by First Baptist Church of Orange Park for 35 years. Cub Scout Pack 20 has been here for 13. We have experienced a wonderful relationship with the Scouts for years. Numerous Eagle Scouts have emerged from our Troop. Many church members have participated as well. That being said, I want it to be clear that we love Scouting and have wholeheartedly enjoyed our partnership for years.

However, this resolution leads us to some difficult choices.

The bottom line is that if BSA approves the proposed policy change, based on our understanding of the Scriptures and the Truth of God's Word, we will no longer be able to charter Pack 20 and Troop 20 at First Baptist Church.

I met with our Deacon body last night and this issue was discussed at length. The affirmation by this body was clear - we cannot continue as a charter organization if the policy moves forward.

I echo what some Scout leaders have told me personally "We feel like we've been kicked in the gut." I have yet to find a vocal Scout leader or parent in our group that approves of the change. These families placed their boys in Scouting based on the history, heritage and purpose of Boy Scouts. Now, it appears everything is being changed. Scouting may never be the same, regardless what happens at the national vote.

Troop 20s leadership is appalled at the potential policy change. The North Florida Council (BSA) is opposed to it as well, from what I hear. Word is that regardless the vote later this month, there will be local charter organizations (mostly churches of different flavors and faiths) who will discontinue their relationship with BSA. 

I fully understand that many will see this move of discontinuing our charter as nothing more than another "Baptist church hating on gays." While there are some groups that wear the name "Baptist" and do little more than shout all that they are against in the world, this is not the case. This is not about discrimination or being hateful. 

I have stated from the pulpit numerous times that we are a church for all people. That means all are welcome to come. That means we are open to LGBT people attending our church. However, welcoming those seeking Truth, regardless of lifestyle choice does not mean we affirm the LGBT lifestyle or any other lifestyle opposed to the nature of God. Why? Because we believe the Word of God and the pointed verses speaking of the lifestyle. Now, I understand there are those who view the Scriptures differently and would love to debate the veracity of these verses. Nevertheless, we are a body of believers who see the Word of God as infallible, immutable and inerrant. The Gospel is God's love letter to us and His desire is that all of us be rescued from our lives of sin and despair. Yes, we believe openly gay lifestyles are sinful, but no more sinful than any other lifestyle choice that is opposed to God and His Word. That is why we all need a Savior. Therefore, we do not affirm anyone's openly sinful lifestyle. Yet, we love them (you) any way. At least that is our desire.

You may not agree with us on this. You have that right. I wouldn't begin to assert you do not.

However, for our church to continue to charter Troop and Pack 20 with a national BSA policy in place that clearly opposes our biblical mores, would be hypocritical at best.

Some questions about how this fits with a missional theology have arisen. These are questions I have had to wrestle with as well. We own a building (well, almost - the bank owns most of it still.) We have been placed in a community strategically by God to impact it for the sake of the Gospel. We open our facilities for numerous groups at times. Whether a local school band, sixth grade graduation, baccalaureate services, sports team practices, narcotic recovery groups, community gatherings,  music lessons, etc. we still see the use of our facilities as nothing more than a stewardship of God's facilities for the sake of reaching our local world for Christ.

What's the difference in just handing the keys to the rooms to our Troop/Pack and letting them continue? The difference here is that, in a very real sense, we "own" these groups. The name of our church is printed on every Boy Scout's neckerchief. T-shirts for Pack 20 have "First Baptist Church of Orange Park" emblazoned on them. We have been proud to allow and have even encouraged this. Yet, if the policy (which in our view is opposed to biblical teaching) is adopted, we cannot allow this. Oh, and even if the groups remove our name, we would still be the charter organization, so this is deeper than a name silk screened or embroidered on an item of clothing. 

An initial option proposed by the national board as they attempted to push through an agenda affirming openly gay lifestyles,  was to allow the local charter organization the right to choose to allow or disallow openly gay boys and leaders in the Troops. Had that option been moved forward, it would have done nothing but set us up, as well as other charter groups who oppose admitting gay participants, for a lawsuit. There is no doubt in my mind that groups such as the ACLU would be bringing numerous churches to court over the issue. This would be nothing more than a distraction and even if the suit were won, a loss of funding for the mission of God.

That proposal was shelved by the Board after much opposition was experienced.

This new proposal supersedes this and eliminates the option for local Troops/Packs and charter organizations to disallow openly gay boys. It does state that openly gay Scout leaders are prohibited, which, to me and even to gay rights activists seems ridiculous. In other words, it's OK for a boy to be gay up to age 18 and then not.

If this proposal is approved, it is widely known that it is nothing more than a first step. Openly gay scout leaders will be next on the agenda. I would not doubt if, down the line, a situation much like the Girl Scouts were facing a couple of years ago would be next. Boy Scouts would eventually be positioned to allow transgendered participants. 

As one mother stated in tonight's meeting, "It's a slippery slope."

The most frustrating thing about the entire issue is that it pulls Scout leaders, charter groups and Scout parents away from that which Scouting is all about. The meeting tonight should never have had to happen. The BSA is creating a problem and the collateral damage will be the boys, regardless the outcome later this month. I feel the greatest empathy for those close to earning their Eagle Scout.

While I truly hate this, I must stand on the Word of God. In fact, we, the church must stand on the Word of God. If the BSA approves the proposed change on May 22, it ultimately means that Boy Scouts of America has nullified the agreement with First Baptist Church of Orange Park. Sadly, that means that come August 2013, Troop 20 and Pack 20 will no longer be meeting at our church, nor proudly wearing our name. In other words, we are NOT kicking the Scouts out. The BSA has chosen to enact a policy that eliminates our ability to partner with them. So, we wait.

But. . .

The vote hasn't happened, yet. 

Join me in praying for the national leaders of BSA as well as our local Troop, Pack, leaders, parents and boys. My prayer is that come May 23, we will breathe a sigh of relief and continue on in our healthy relationship as charter organization and Scout troop. Regardless what happens, pray for the boys and their families. 

Will Boy Scouts of America die over this? I doubt it, but it will be harmed greatly and may never recover fully.

We, however, must stand firm on God's Word. That is not up for a vote.

 

Related articles

Boy Scouts, the Gay Agenda and the Local Church

Boy Scouts of America Survey: 61% Support Current Policy of Excluding Homosexuals

The One Thing That Is Killing Churches

Earlier today in staff meeting, we continued our ongoing conversation about the journey of living missionally. Of course, we preface any discussion regarding missional by acknowledging that the term has been misused, if not overused in the current church culture.

“The word ‘missional’ over the years has tended to become very fluid and as it was quickly co-opted by those wishing to find new and trendy tags for what they themselves were doing, be they missional or not. It is often used as a substitute for seeker-sensitive, cell-group church, or other church growth concepts, thus obscuring its original meaning.”  – Alan Hirsch

For a pretty good and concise definition of "missional" click here for the Missional Church Network's take on it.

I like what Reggie McNeal said years about about the "missional church" being a redundant term. In fact, there's no such thing as a New Testament church that isn't missional. However, there are numerous gropus gathering around our nation and community weekly claiming to be the church, but are little more than clubs.

But. . .you've heard me talk about this before, no doubt.

The challenge of living missionally as a Christ-follower and being a church that never forfeits the missional DNA is the ever-present push of those who claim to know Christ, enjoy fellowship with others and allow, although most often unwittingly, for the emphasis of ministry to turn inward, rather than outword.

Jen Hatmaker, a writer, blogger, church planter/pastor's wife, and speaker shared about "How to Kill a Missional Community" at the Verge Network Conference in 2012. I led training for area church planters last Saturday and shared the clip below. We also watched it today in our staff meeting. These are wise words and there's value in hearing what is said.

 

Some good points to ponder:

• Consumerism is a cancer to missional community.
• Attempting to build an outward-facing faith community with believers who are intent on just getting their owns needs met is simply unsustainable.
• If we develop a church bent on serving the saved, then the already blessed people will come wanting more blessings.
• You will draw the type of people who crave what you're offering.
• Only Christians want forty Christian programs to choose from.
• If we're positioned to reach Christians, then Christians we will reach.
• The (local) church has a very limited amount of resources. If we consume them all for programs for saved people, then we cannot expect our folks to live on mission elsewhere.
• If we're drowning in a sea of Christian consumers, we'd better take a hard look at the scaffolding we have built.

I asked the staff to respond. The resounding answer was "OUCH!"

Yep, it hurts, because we know it to be true. Yet, this is a continual shift for many. This disavows the default in our lifestyles and our belief systems. The reality is that we (humanity) easily default to self-centeredness and wanting things how we want them. That's why the Great Commandment to love the Lord our God with all we have and our neighbors as ourselves is so radical. It pushes against the default setting in our hearts.

What does this mean? Where do we go from here?

We know what is broken. We often just don't know how to fix it.

I've come to the realization that we cannot fix it. Definitely not on our own. What would do? Create a program to lead people away from reliance on programs?

As was stated in the clip and affirmed by many others - programs, in and of themselves, are not bad. They're tools of ministry. They are avenues of service. It's just that our consumeristic defaults crave more "stuff" and many churches, since we're full of self-centric human beings (not throwing stones, including myself here,) do the best they can and still, in their own power, create more inwardly focused programs and events.

Thus, missional doesn't happen.

That is called sin.

The truly "missional movement" of churches and believers today is a reclamation of deep doctrine, heretofore left on the back burner. Which means, with this movement, these are indeed incredible times for the Kingdom of God.

To grow as fully-devoted followers of Christ (i.e. disciples) means more than adding the adjective "missional" to programs, tasks, events, etc. Yes, we're called to live missionally, but to do so means we must be surrendered to Christ at such a deep level that we're living incarnationally in a world that needs the Gospel!

We are His ambassadors. This is not "new news."

Even here in the "buckle of the Bible belt" our city, Jacksonville, is increasingly becoming more and more "post-Christian." Hey, we're number 77 on Barna's latest list. What this means, practically, is that to continue doing church with an inward focus will result in nothing but higher and higher numbers of those in our communities who see the church as irrelevant and unneeded.

This is much to consider. There is much to do and yet, we have come far. At least we are recognizing the issues more clearly now.

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Boy Scouts, the Gay Agenda and the Local Church

I knew this document would come. It arrived last week. As the charter representative, I filled it out, signed it and signified that it is our organization's (First Baptist Church) opinion that we are STRONGLY OPPOSED to the proposed national resolution.

This has to do with the Boy Scouts of America.

For decades, First Baptist Church has proudly been the charter organization for Troop 20 of the Boys Scouts of America and the North Florida Council. Over recent months, leadership at the BSA executive board (national level, not North Florida) has promoted and pushed an agenda that many thought was dealt with years ago.

In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, by a vote of 5 to 4 that the BSAs policy of not allowing openly gay Scouts or Scout Leaders was legal and within the rights of the organization based upon its core values. By reading reviews and stories of this case even now, the terminology of the result shows that many in the media and blogosphere differ with the Court's opinion. The phrase "Scouts could legally discriminate against gays" as stated in one such blog on the New Yorker's website is an example. It's a common position, yet still not a majority one.

The shift in proposed policy, as led by the executive board has caught many by surprise.

Initially, the news media reported that the executive board desired to allow openly gay Scout leaders and boys to participate in troops. When that met with pushback, the group adusted its position to state that it would leave the decision to the local charter organizations. While that sounds like a compromise, it basically leaves the local charter organizations open for civil rights (i.e. gay rights) lawsuits. Oh, by the way, we are a local charter organization. Yeah, this news caught my attention.

In private conversations with Scout leaders and parents, the consensus is one of frustration and concern. I have yet to encounter a sense of "hate" or "anger" when it comes to those who publicly profess to be homosexual. There is, however, a sense of frustration with the executive board in having an openly gay agenda pushed upon them, or at least the perception of such. Rather, I have discovered that many involved in the organization deem the previously held positions (as affirmed in the 2000 Supreme Court victory) as sufficient.

What may have seemed like an easy win for gay rights advocates and those on the executive board soon was realized as a difficult mountain to climb. Rather than vote on the resolution as a board, a wise decision was made to push the decision to the voting members of the national convention, held next month. I am a propoent of allowing the full organization vote on such an issue. I believe that those who strongly support as well as those who strongly oppose such a resolution should be given the opportunity to vote on the issue. I applaud the board in making this decision.

Now, the latest turn has been an adjustment in the proposal. The executive board is now proposing that boys in Scouting can "come out" and be openly gay without fear of being removed from the troop. Openly gay boys will be allowed to join Scouts as well. However, gay leaders will not be allowed to participate and serve.

This is the most confusing stance. Those on both sides of the issue are confounded.

New Yorker writer, attorney, political strategist, writer and long-time gay rights advocate Richard Socarides writes of this on his blog. He calls it a mixed message where one type of "discrimination" is allowed while another is forbidden. You can read his full post here.

Tony Perkins, president of the Washington D.C.-based lobbying organization Family Research Council, has also stated the mixed message is confusing. He called the new proposal "incoherent." Perkins stated, "The proposal says, in essence, that homosexuality is morally acceptable until a boy turns 18 - then, when he comes of age, he's removed from the Scouts."

Consequently, while some see the BSAs move to "inclusion" as progress, the vast majority of members and charter organizations apparently do not.

It's a confusing move on numerous levels. The BSA has been surveying its scouting family recently and on Friday, April 19, released its findings. "Current Policy" refers to not allowing openly gay leaders or Scouts.

Among the findings as shared in a Baptist Press article dated April 19 are:

• 61 percent of adult Scout members favor the current policy, while 34 percent oppose it.
• 61 percent of Boy Scout parents support the current policy, while 50 percent of Cub Scout parents back it (45 percent of Cub Scout parents oppose it.)
• 51 percent of major donors support the current policy while 33 percent oppose it. However, a majority of Fortune 500 companies want to see the policy changed.
• A majority of teens age 16-18 in the Boy Scouts program oppose the current policy. A percentage was not given, but in my opinion, this is no surprise based on cultural shifts among the millenial generation related to this issue.
• BSA stated that parents, teens and the Scouting community "a local option" as proposed in February. The "local option" is what I mentioned earlier regarding the local charter organization deciding.

Click here to read the BSAs Membership Standards Resolution proposal.

A vote will take place in May at the national convention. Regardless the result of that vote, the issue will not die. Scouting will be affected. It is my contention that the effect will not be positive. If the convention votes "no" on the new proposal, the anti-gay rhetoric will intensify as the organization and charter groups will be demonized at an even deeper level. In truth, I'm okay with that. It's a stand on a biblical and moral truth that is not to be compromised. However, the collateral damage (i.e. the boys in Scouting) may be deep.

If the convention votes "yes" on the proposal, then many charter organizations will have to revisit their partnership with the BSA. This is, in my opinion, a tragedy.

My opposition to the new resolution will immediately categorize me, in some people's view, as a discriminator, a hater, and a fulfillment of a negative stereotype. However, I deem that my opposition to the new resolution affirms my support for the Gospel and the definition of biblical manhood and womanhood, not to mention the right of an organization such as the Boy Scouts of America to remain committed to the mores agreed upon at its founding and affirmed over the decades.

I know God is not surprised by this situation. Therefore, I'm praying for His guidance, peace and will be done. I'm praying that those who deeply love Scouting and all that it stands for will "be prepared" regardless the outcome of the vote.

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What a Difference a Day Makes

Yesterday morning we woke up to some amazing news regarding the Boston Marathon bombers. As the day unfolded, more and more details and parts of the story became known:

• The bombers had been identified.
• There was a carjacking.
• An MIT police officer named Sean Collier was killed.
• A Mass Transit police officer, Richard Donahue was shot.
• There was a car chase.
• There was a shootout.
• Pipe bombs were thrown out of the car toward police.
• The older bomber was killed.
• The younger bomber escaped on foot.
• Watertown, Massachusetts was put on lock down.
• Federal, state and local police, as well as National Guard units worked in tandem to find the whereabouts of the second bomber.

Even though everyone outside the Boston area attempted to go about life as normal, the news of the day was magnetic. It was virtually impossible to peel oneself away from the news. All the media outlets were sharing the same information, but I found myself switching channels and looking online just in case there was something new. 

Prayers for those in the city and those tasked with finding the remaining bomber were being said.

Then, the news broke. They found him.

In less than twenty-four hours, the emotional pendulum swung from fear to relief. 

Of course, the story is not fully known. There are lingering questions. Questions about a potential terrorism cell. Questions that lead with "Why?" and "How?" and "When?" regarding the Chechnyan bombers, their family, friends and possible connections. We pray for answers to these questions, but in the midst of uncertainty, we can celebrate.

Terrorism is here. We live in a Post-9/11 America and world. We (meaning typical Americans) may have slid into a false sense of safety in an unsafe world. Things have changed. The days of innocence seem to be gone. Perhaps they were never here. We live in a fallen world and the "Father of Terror" continues to run rampant.

Nevertheless, as followers of Christ, we have been given the supernatural capacity for peace. It is a peace that passes understanding. It is a peace and joy of knowing that God is still in control.

Much has transpired in the last 24 hours.

We can celebrate. It is good to do so. Seeing the citizens of Watertown and Boston spontaneously celebrating in the streets last night was good. Hearing the fans at the Boston Bruins game sing the national anthem loudly as a statement of unity and freedom was exciting. Even watching Neil Diamond lead the Red Sox fans in their traditional anthem of "Sweet Caroline" made me smile. 

What a difference a day makes.

We should still be praying for those in the Boston area and especially those recovering from injuries and the ones grieving the loss of loved ones.  Pray for those tasked with protecting, serving and rescuing the hurt and endangered.

Remember God is good. . .all the time. All the time. . . God is good. (It's more than a reigious cliche'.)

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Now What?

For the three weeks prior to Easter, we were challenged to invite friends, co-workers, neighbors, baristas, etc. to worship with us on Easter Sunday. The statistics we have found state that 8 out of 10 people invited to attend an Easter service will.

So, we invited.

And they came.

Sure, it was Easter and attendance is normally higher on this day (for just about all chruches in the west,) but this Easter was incredible.

Our 9:15am service doubled in attendance.

We were well over 85% full in the worship center for 10:45am. 

Now what?

Here's a novel idea - "Invite them again." Engage in real conversation with those you talked with prior (and others.) If they attended on Easter, you have a conversation starter built in - "Thanks for coming on Easter. What did you think?" Be ready for some honest responses.

While the statistics tell us that 8 out of 10 come on Easter if invited, the reality is that 5 out of 10 come on any other Sunday.

The personal invite is key.

There's no program, no pastor, no ministry, post card, Facebook advertisement, e-mail, etc. that is more effective than the personal invite.

So, invite again. And again.

It's a timeless principle. People inviting other people to worship and do life together. . .works. It's not about growing your small group or even growing the church. It's about making disciples.

Some things to remember. . .

• If you invite someone to worship with you, make sure you show up, too.
• Guests tend to arrive early. Make sure you're here to greet them. They'll be looking for you.
• Tell your friends where to meet you. Be clear. I would say the best place to meet a guest is in the front of the Worship Center. Even if you're worshipping in the Family Ministry Center or going to small group, the glass doors in front of the Worship Center are easiest to find and where most guests go first. So. . .meet them there, then take them (don't send them) to where you will be.
• Be clear with your friends regarding dress. Many think that they have to dress formally to come to church. If they come in the front glass doors and you're not there, they will meet our ushers first and most of them are in suits and ties. The reality is that about 1 percent of the men who attend our church wear suits and ties (most of them are serving as ushers at the time) and if your guest is not dressed in like manner, he may leave before meeting you. "Come just as you are" is more than a song, it's the truth. If your friend only has jeans and tennis shoes, tell him/her to wear them and then. . .and this will be a stretch for some of you. . .wear your jeans and tennis shoes, too. 
• Stay with your guest throughout the morning as best you can. If you sing in the choir, explain this to her. Help her find a seat and let her know that once you finish singing, you will join her in the congregation. Don't leave them unless they are comfortable and perhaps have met others they know. Being alone in a crowd is a frightening thing.
• Lunch after church is a good idea as well. Since most people eat, ask your friend to join you. The conversation over lunch is a great place to dissect the services and to perhaps discover if your friend has any questions. Even if you do not have the answers, listen and tell your friend you will discover the answers and get back with him/her. This leads to continued spiritual talk.
• Remember, you are the church so don't sound like a salesperson trying to sell a membership to a club. Focus on Christ. Be intentional.

 

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Leadership Is Overglorified

If you want to write a book that sells, either position it as a "self-help" book or one on "leadership." Other than teen fiction about vampires, these two genres consistently sell well.

In pastoral circles, there are constant talks about leadership and team building.

Derek Sivers, entrepreneur, blogger and regular speaker at TED shared this back in 2010. His title was "How to Start a Movement." The full transcript of this talk is available here.

Here are some of the highlights:

• A leader needs the guts to stand alone and look ridiculous.
• The first follower transforms a lone nut into a leader.
• A movement must be public.
• Leadership is over-glorified.
• There is no movement without the first follower.
• We're told we all need to be leaders, but that would be really ineffective.
• The best way to make a movement, if you really care, is to courageously follow and show others how to follow.

Watch the talk below:

 

The Dirty Steeple

In case you haven't noticed, the steeple on our church is filthy. If you haven't noticed, you will now. You're welcome.

Some facts about the steeple:

• I remember in 1994 when the truck arrived with the steeple on the back. It was quite the spectacle. People came to the church parking lot to take pictures of a giant steeple on the back of a truck. Seriously! Apparently, the excitement level of people's lives in Orange Park back in 1994 was at an all time low.
• The steeple is mostly fiberglass.
• It does not house a church bell, though that would be great. Then, people who have no idea where our church building is could at least hear an annoying bell each morning.
• The steeple has never really fit well on the top of our Worship Center. Apparently, it's a design flaw. (That's why we have leaks when a big rain hits.)
• It's a ridiculously challenging effort to clean. It's been cleaned once since 1994. At that time a guy with a rope climbed upon the Worship Center with a pressure washer and sprayed the mildew off.
• The steeple serves no practical purpose.

Apparently, our dirty steeple concerns people in our community. We had one gentleman come by the church office a few months ago to complain about the dirty steeple. He is not a member, nor an attender here, but he was irate. I'm not sure he attends church anywhere. If so, pray for that church.

Nevertheless, he ranted for a while and then threatened to call the governor. Hmmm, I'm no political pundit, but I'm pretty sure Governor Scott has other things to worry about other than a dirty steeple on a Baptist church building in Orange Park.

We then had a phone call from a private pilot who ventured over our building. He wanted to let us know that from above the steeple was dirty. Uh. . .thanks, I guess.

So, this leads to the big question, "Why don't we get that steeple cleaned?"

We will, but first we have to find someone crazy enough to climb on top of that roof with a pressure washer. Then, we need to secure the funds for the cleaning.

I've tried to convince the Orange Park Fire Department to bring their ladder truck over on a "training excercise" to see if they could clean it. Apparently, that's not allowed. If they did that, then every church in the town limits would be calling them over for steeple cleaning.

The cleaning will happen. . .eventually. Hopefully, this year.

Is this a Kingdom issue? I don't think so, but apparently, there are quite a few people talking about it, perhaps even the governor, so I thought I'd better address it.

Now for something totally different:

• Easter services here and at the sunrise event at Moosehaven were incredible.
• Thanks to Shelvin Lamb and the worship leaders for serving at the sunrise service, 8am and 10:45am.
• Thanks to Jordan O'Brien and the 9|15 Band for leading us in worship at 9:15am. 
• Thanks to all our preschool & children's small group leaders. You folks are wonderful!
• Thanks to our parking crew (we need more on this team, so let us know if you're willing) for helping ensure everyone had a place to park and could get to the buildings easily.
• Thanks Von Swiger for making sure our 9|15 baptistery was full and warm. 
• Attendance was an all-time high - counting the crowd at Moosehaven, we had over 1,900 in attendance (630+ at Moosehaven, 160+ at 8am, 285+ at 9:15am, 900+ at 10:45am.)
• We are already working on next year's services. We're considering adding a Saturday evening service - contemporary style featuring the 9|15 Band, additional signage, greeters and asking regular 10:45am attenders to move to 8am to provide room for more guests.

 

 

 

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

The Paschal greeting has been used by various Christian groups for centuries on Easter morning. Rather than saying "hello," one greets another believer with "Christ is Risen!" The response is "He is Risen Indeed!"

For my brothers and sisters celebrating throughout the world:

ICELANDIC: Kristur er upprisinn! Hann er sannarlega upprisinn!

FRENCH: Christ est ressuscité! Il est vraiment ressuscité!

SPANISH: ¡Cristo ha resucitado! ¡En verdad ha resucitado!

OLD IRISH: Asréracht Críst! Asréracht Hé-som co dearb!

IRISH: Tá Críost éirithe! Go deimhin, tá sé éirithe!

MANX: Taw Creest Ereen! Taw Shay Ereen Guhdyne!

SCOTTISH: Tha Crìosd air èiridh! Gu dearbh, tha e air èiridh!

BRETON: Dassoret eo Krist! E wirionez dassoret eo!

CORNISH: Thew Creest dassorez! En weer thewa dassorez!

WELSH: Atgyfododd Crist! Yn wir atgyfododd!

HAWAIIAN: Ua ala aʻe nei ʻo Kristo! Ua ala ʻiʻo nō ʻo Ia!

KOREAN: 그리스도께서 부활하셨네! 참으로 부활하셨네!

HEBREW: המשיח קם! באמת קם!

MANDARIN: 基督復活了 他確實復活了

KLINGON: Hu'ta' QISt! Hu'bejta'!

 

Celebrating the Darkest Day in History

It's Good Friday. The darkest day in history is called "good." It is the day that Jesus Christ - the Son of God - God the Son - second person of the Trinity, died a horrible, gruesome death apparently at the hands of legalistic religious leaders and an occupying government.

However, if you know the story, you understand that this was the plan from the very beginning. Jesus came and lived a life of purpose - all to bring glory to the Father. He died as payment for the sins of the world. This act, just like His words, was inspired and fully true. This was no accident. This was no afterthought. This was all part of the plan.

It often seems that God really loves paradoxes. You know - to be rich, you must be poor, to have you must give away, to be mature, you must be like a little child, a "Good Friday" is in celebration of a horrendous event,  and to live. . .you must die.

Christ died to bring glory to the Father and to pay for the sins of us all. Because He died (and rose again in defeat of death) you and I can live. 

Today, milliions of people know it's Good Friday, but fewer understand the meaning or the significance of it. May we, as Christ-followers, never forget the sacrifice given for us and may we live intentionally and strategically today and every day so that many more may come to have life through the One who is the Way, Truth and the Life.

 

A Generation Hungry for "Friends"

I have noticed a trend in recent years with this generation of BFFs and "friends." The concept of friendship has morphed. Perhaps this is due to the growth of social media and the dumbing down of the term "friend."

The reality is that "friend" has become a verb, and a weak one at that. People are "friended" on Facebook. No longer is there a deep relationship of love and concern attributed to the term. The Bible states that Abraham was considered to be a "friend of God" (James 2:23). Not too long ago, the reading of this passage evoked feelings of kinship and closeness that since have become little more than an affirmation of acknowledgement.

Unfortunately, many now "friend" God like they do others on Facebook. There's no relationship, just a click of a button.

It is most evident among adolescents. As a child moves through puberty and matures physically, emotinoally, spiritually and mentally, the desire for deep seated friendships arise. This is due to relational maturation.

Psychologist Erik Erickson postulated that human beings have eight stages of life development. His stage for adolescense is based on the ages 12-18. During this stage, a teenager's primary goal is to learn who they are an dwhat they want to be as a person and in a profession. They also seek to understand how to be themselves and how to share themselves with others. This is a crucial time of development and transition into adulthood.

Christ following parents struggle with this as their children move through this stage. It is a fearful and wonderful time, and often leads to increased prayer time for moms and dads.

Friends come and go and during the times of discovery and transition, they have intense influence. Life-long friendships can be developed during this time, but more often than not, these friendships wane over time. That's what leads to people going to their high school reunions and needing to wear nametags.

I recently reduced the number of my "friends" on Facebook. I went from over 2,200 to just over 40. This was intentional, and time consuming since there is no way to "unfriend" (interesting that "unfriend" is a word now. It wasn't just a few years ago) en masse.

Michael Hyatt, author and former Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, blogs about his unfriending of many on his personal Facebook page here. He references the dumbing down of the term friend via Facebook and what became his defining factors of who would remain a Facebook friend here:

• Friends: These are the people I know in real life. They are people I have met face-to-face, enjoy being around, and interact with in real life. (These three elements are key.) Frankly, a few of these relatinoships started off online through Twitter. Over time, they grew and developed. Regardless, I have a few deep and significant friendships. But if I am honest, I don't have many. I only have so much time available.

It's an interesting, intentional move with social media.

When it comes to the younger generation (older children to young adults) the concept of friendship is muddy. People still need friends, but you will see many who Tweet and post pictures of their "best friends" and these "best" change daily, if not hourly.

I asked one student how it was possible to have numerous best friends. The student looked perplexed and stared at me as if I had three heads. Was this such a hard question? How can there be numerous "best friends?"

Just the name "best" means unique and singular. Therefore, in my apparently old fashioned mind, it appears to be impossible to have more than one "best friend." What if these numerous "best friends" gathered together. Would a fight erupt? Would they battle to determine who was the "bestest" friend?

Maybe I am old fashioned. It just appears to me that words matter.

Even Jesus modeled the concept of intimacy and closeness with his followers. He had thousands of followers, dozens of disciples, twelve apostles and three very close friends within the group. Then, there's John who is self-described as the "disciple whom Jesus loved" intimating at a very close friendship.

Nevertheless, in a generation that so needs friends, the ever-changing Wikipedia definition of what a friend is seems to be prevailing.

Christ-followers would be wise to remember what the Word of God has to say about close friendships. This verse is often used to describe the marriage relationship, but it's broader than that. It speaks to those relationships with other human beings. It refers to the "best friends" that are sought and at times found.

"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14 (ESV)