image credit: CreationSwap user Gabriel Smith

There’s a great danger in attending seminary. In fact, seminary has robbed many people of a great ministry.

There, I said it. I feel much better.

The danger I’m referring to is an intellectualism that can drive students to value truth over people. That finds more value in being theologically “right” than in loving people. Seminary can leave students with an unbalanced view of ministry and theology and life.

Life, as the seminary student will find out, does not operate like a seminary classroom. The once black-and-white difficult doctrines either fall on deaf ears in most congregations…or appear somehow like a shade of gray not hinted at previously.

In the classroom & outside

That said, I see the benefits of seminary for ministry. I was able, during my last 4 semesters of seminary, to work in a local church, fleshing out the information I was being fed in the classroom. And for me, that intimate connection with a local church helped me turn the corner. It helped me value knowledge, but never walk away from people in the process. It helped me work through living, breathing shades of doctrinal gray.

At Grace, we’ve been looking for a way to raise up and develop future leaders. We’ve had short-term interns, but those tend to be centered around doing tasks than actual development for ministry. We wanted something that was more robust, that gave people real hands-on ministry experience, and that also connected the dots theologically as young leaders were cutting their teeth. Even in areas of ministry like small groups.

I think we’ve found a way to accomplish this.

Residency in Ministry Program

We’re calling it, for now, our Residency in Ministry program. Similar to a medical residency, we view this as a post-college “residency” where those in the program will be doing real ministry alongside pastors who are a little further down the road. They’ll be entrusted not with making copies (though, as we all know, that is a small slice of ministry, too) but with life-changing ministry. They’ll be viewed as full-on staff members, held to the expectations of the rest of our staff team. They’ll also receive a small stipend and have their housing covered.

In addition to doing the work of ministry, one major benefit of the program is that seminary tuition will be included. Clarksville is ~45 minutes from the new Nashville campus of Southern Seminary. We’ve already had staff members (myself included) who have worked full-time at Grace and attended classes concurrently. And as I said above, I believe that this is a great way to learn and do ministry: in the classroom and in the “lab.”

We’re receiving applications now, looking to have residents in place by August, 2012.

If you’re interested, just head right HERE and start the application process. If you know someone who would fit the bill, send this info along. If you have any questions, we’ve tried to answer the most frequently asked HERE.

We’re stoked about this program, and are convinced it will be a great benefit to a great number of young leaders.

If you were at the right stage in life, would this program entice you?

 

image credit: CreationSwap user Douglas Shelton

If you’re anything like me, witnessing comes super-easily. It seems I can winsomely turn every conversation I have back to the foundations of the gospel, have people laughing, nodding their head in agreement, crying, and saying, “Amen!” within just a few minutes. I quote a verse, and people cry out, “Please, more truth, Ben!” I sing a hymn while walking down the sidewalk, and people never look at me like I’m a freak … nay, they begin singing along, raising their hands in worship. I just have to encourage them not to close their eyes while they’re walking!

I carry tracts in my pocket, because every time I meet an unbeliever and give them one, they ask me if I’ll baptize them on the spot. I say, “It seems you need to hear about Jesus …” and they immediately respond, saying, “Yes, I’ve been waiting all my life! Please tell me more…” I always have the perfect word to say, the perfect prayer to pray, the perfect timing, and the perfect closing.

Don’t you?

No?!? Yeah, me neither. To me, witnessing is tough. It often feels stilted, forced, and unnatural. I never seem to have the right timing. And trying to perfectly remember each point about the gospel, combined with the fact that I’m nervous — that I feel like the other person hates me for bringing it up, that I feel woefully inadequate to share, that I feel like I have no idea what I’m talking about, that I just know that the other person has to be somewhere else and do something else — makes sharing my faith one of the most difficult activities I ever do.

I think we make it too difficult, though. I know I do.

When it comes to sharing the gospel, let me offer you three steps to think through.

3 Steps to Sharing the Gospel

Follow

Follow Christ. That’s what He calls each of you to do, right? You, living the life God has called you to live and being the person God has uniquely gifted you to be — that’s a great testimony to God. Each of us is a walking billboard for the goodness of God and a testimony that God can redeem, right, and set straight a person’s life. You don’t have to be perfect. Nobody expects you to be flawless. (Gasp!) And if you try to portray that to people, you’ll come across as arrogant and fake. You don’t have to have a perfect testimony, but you do have to follow a perfect Savior. That’s essential.

Share

Share your story. Your story is compelling. Riveting. Life-changing (assuming you actually have been changed). And sharing your faith involves sharing your story. Be honest, transparent, and vulnerable. People will connect with your brokenness more quickly and fully than they ever will your “awesomeness.” Share the junk God’s redeeming you from, the junk you’re done with, the bigger picture He’s inviting you into, and the ways His grace is sufficient and His love is captivating.

Invite

Invite other people into your story. Build relationships with people. And not just so that you can “get them saved.” Genuinely love people. Invest in them. Be their

friend. Listen to their story. Value them as God’s crowning creation. Look for ways to serve them, expecting nothing in return and with no strings attached. In so doing, you’re inviting them into the story that God’s writing through you. I’m convinced that people want to plug into something that’s bigger than themselves. Inviting people into your story, showing how your story fits into the broader story of God’s redemption of His people, does just that.

“THAT’S ALL?”

That’s it. Sharing your faith is much less complicated than we (church leaders) often make it. But it’s also much more difficult. Much more engaging. Much more demanding of your time and effort. Much more challenging of your life.

The goal of evangelism isn’t for the person to walk away with the “right” doctrine. Though doctrine is important, it’s not an end in itself.

Right doctrine should

• drive us to love others more, not less.
• move us toward people, not away from them.
• move us to condemn less, and love more. It should propel us toward kindness and patience, breaking our hearts for those far from Christ.
• drive us to serve others, looking for nothing in return.

“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people” (Romans 10:21, ESV). All. Day. Long. God’s hands are full of hope, love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, and blessing. He sent His Son to earth to have a relationship with us. Let’s not reduce the beauty and power of that to mere words. To do so rips the truth of its love, grace, and mercy.

Follow Christ. Share your story. Invite people in. It’s that simple.

Without love, truth is …

Obnoxious.

Offensive.

Impersonal.

Insignificant.

Empty

Relationships matter.

Question: 

Have you ever given someone a tract, and seen the heavens instantly open up?

* I originally had this article published in the Fall 2011 edition of Collegiate Magazine (with a couple of minor tweaks here to fit it in as a blog post. To read more, pick up the magazine HERE. 

** Image credit: CreationSwap user Douglas Shelton

 

image credit: creation swap user Ron Loveday

I’m reading through the whole Bible this year, on the chronological plan via YouVersion. I might have started a little later than you did, but this plan is a great way to read through the entirety of Scripture.

But can I be honest with you?

Sometimes when I read, my eyes gloss over, I finish reading, and I have no idea what I’ve read.

I know, I know…not very holy, right? Not what you’d expect of a pastor. A pastor should 100% internalize every passage…nay, every word. Pastors should read a passage, and instantly be able to explain it using alliteration starting with the letter K. A pastor should read a passage and pretty much have it memorized, able to recall it at just the right time in just the right situation.

I guess I’m not a normal pastor.

Just trying to be honest.

This problem often happens when I read a familiar passage. It feels like I’m not really reading it, my eyes scanning the page like I’d scan a newspaper article I’ve been forced to read. A couple of key words jump out, but the passage feels very little like God’s authoritative, life-giving Word. My scanning eyes wander across the page, but my mind will wanders to other, less important tasks.

The Jedi Mind Trick

So I have decided to trick my mind by introducing the unfamiliar. Instead of reading one of the Bible translations I have read for years (English Standard Version, New Living Translation, New International Version), I’ve started reading the Holman Christian Standard Bible for my daily reading. It’s different enough that I can’t just scan a passage and instantly know what it’s going to say, my scanning habits having to slow down because my mind doesn’t recognize the cadence of the familiar.

Will this work?

Maybe. It’s working so far.

As I read through the book of Genesis, a book I’ve read countless times, it feels fresh again, alive with a renewed sense of beauty. It’s refreshing, my heart and mind approaching each passage as if I’m reading it for the first time. It’s what I needed to do.

Maybe it’s time for you to consider switching translations for your daily reading. Maybe it’s time to trick your mind into doing what you want it to do. Thinking what you want it to think. Meditating on what you want it to meditate on.

Question: What’s your preferred translation?

*image credit: creation swap user Ron Loveday

 

image via iStock Photo user: Maurits Vink

I’ve written a few times about my love of Evernote. I’m a big fan.

I use it in so many ways, and it’s become my go-to app for writing, idea generation, travel plans, meeting notes, and collaboration. I wanted to share a couple of new ways I’m using it. Last week, I led a missions team to Costa Rica. Evernote helped in big ways.

Next time you travel, I think it will help you, too.

Using Evernote for traveling

1. In coordination with IdeaPaint

I shared last time that I had a white board sticker that I put on my wall. The only problem with the sticker was that it kept falling down, which is not very professional during a meeting. So I decided to use IdeaPaint, a paint that is used like a whiteboard. I can write and erase on it, and it leaves no ghost marks or faint colors behind. As I was planning things out for our trip, I could write them on my wall, snap a pic when I’m done, and save the pics to Evernote.

2. Scanning in important info

As part of being a team leader of our trip to Costa Rica, I had to gather lots of info from each team member. And lots of info for the organization we were going through. And lots of information for Grace. And I needed to have all of that info with me. I had passports, emergency contact info, insurance information, etc. I had hundreds of pieces of paper I needed to travel with. So I scanned every one of them in to Evernote, and they were instantly searchable. So, for instance, if I needed to search for Justin’s drug allergies, I didn’t have to dig for the right paper…I just typed it into Evernote and voila!

3. Collaboration with key documents

I’m the small groups pastor at Grace, not the missions pastor. So I don’t personally need to keep a record of everything from our travels to Costa Rica. That’s the responsibility of Lindsey Frey. So I “shared” the “Costa Rica” notebook with Lindsey, and she’s able to file away every document I put together. And when I make changes to the notebook, those changes are reflected in her notebook, too. Which means I don’t have to make a second copy of everything, or update her every time a change is made.

4. Keeping up with travel arrangements

I saved all of our itineraries to Evernote. Most of our team were traveling on the exact same schedule. Two team members, however, were traveling back home 3 days later. So things could easily get a little sticky. But with Evernote, I was able to keep the itineraries separate, and quickly and easily pull up the various airline information for each team member. Which was nice, because I was able to share those itineraries in a flash with our team, and with anyone in the States who needed the info.

5. Writing blogs

I wrote blog posts every day updating our progress. When I was at The Abraham Project, I didn’t have access to internet. But even without access to internet, Evernote works. So I’d jot down my blog post ideas throughout the day, then when I got back to the bed-and-breakfast where we were staying, Evernote would sync up, and I’d have access to the notes on my computer. Rather than just trying to remember my thoughts throughout the day, I had downloaded them when they came to mind. Which made the writing process much quicker and easier.

Next time you’re leading a missions team, or taking a trip of any kind, consider using Evernote. It’ll make your life much easier.

Have you converted to using Evernote? Are you “sold” on it?

* image via iStock Photo user: Maurits Vink

 

Can I tell you something about yourself?

You know a complainer.

The guy that, no matter what happens, no matter how good or bad a situation, he’s going to find a way to be upset about something. The girl that is constantly down on whatever you, or anyone else, does.

image credit: CreationSwap user Alan Belcher

They’re good at tearing people down, discouraging an entire team, and slowing growth.

Here’s the reality: there is always something to complain about.

Life is often exceedingly difficult. Organizations are often in decline. Things seemingly couldn’t get worse.

If we’re honest with ourselves, “complainers” put words to the thoughts racing through our heads. But there’s a difference in having a thought and acting on it. A difference in having a thought and fleshing that out for everyone to join in with you. A difference in keeping a thought to yourself and recruiting others to moan with you. *

No matter where you are in life, you’ll find complainers.

• At family gatherings.
• At church.
• At the water cooler at work.
• At conferences.
• On vacation.
• On Facebook.
• By text message
• By email
• By phone calls
• By twitter updates.

Brothers don’t shake hands

Complainers need a hug. They need to be told that it’s going to be okay. They need to be reminded that God is in control, and that he’s a good, loving, kind God.

But they don’t need to be put in the role of director, no matter the size or structure of your organization. In fact, it’s incredibly dangerous for your organization if these people are put into director roles.

5 Dangers of a Complaining Team Member

1. They’ll drag the whole team down with them.

Before you know it, your organization will be full of doubting, complaining naysayers who see nothing but doom and gloom. Complainers are great recruiters.

2. They compromise your vision.

They ratchet up the negative aspect of the vision God’s placed in your heart, and if you’re not careful, you are pulled into the vortex of their negativity, and your once-clear vision becomes muddied.

3. They’ll not perform their job well.

They’ll be focused on the difficult parts of their job, and be distracted from the good, positive aspects.

4. They’ll not help your organization move forward.

Stuck on past failures and current challenges, they’ll not be challenged to press forward and find new, innovative solutions.

5. They’re never satisfied.

As soon as something goes their way, they’ve found another situation to complain about. They’re toxic even in the best of times. Nothing you can do will satiate their desire for more complaints. Everything you do fuels their fire.

Nip complaining in the bud. It’s a heart issue, reflective of a heart that doesn’t rest soundly in the goodness and power of God. And it’ll rot your team from the inside out.

Don’t let complainers be directors.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” – Philippians 2:14-15

* I’m not naive. I can be honest when personal, and organizational, change needs to happen. I’m not contending that you should mask all problems with a smile. I’m making the argument that constant complainers are toxic.

* image credit: CreationSwap user Alan Belcher

 

image credit: Creation swap user Branden Shape

I started my 1-year Bible reading plan today.

16 days after the start of the new year.

Which is neither trendy nor inspiring.

Nobody wants to show up late to a party. Or be the last one to leave. Or catch on to the cool things after everyone else.

I was reading my Bible, but wasn’t in a specific plan, because quite frankly, I forgot to start one. (I was reading my Bible daily…just not as a part of a specific plan) With my trip to Costa Rica, I simply forgot to get cranking on the new plan.

Why does this matter?

Why does it matter that I’m starting my Bible reading plan 16 days after the rest of the world has started their plan, their diet, and their life changes?

Because there are changes that you haven’t made yet, either. There are things you know you need to do, but for whatever reason, you haven’t. And looking at the calendar could leave you paralyzed, because you had good intentions of making those changes over 2 weeks ago.

Maybe you forgot. Maybe you didn’t realize you needed to start. Maybe you intentionally chose to put things off.

Start now! No more procrastinating!

Whether what you’ve been wanting to do is start a Bible reading plan (I’m reading the chronological plan on YouVersion), start a blog, or quit smoking.

It’s time you forgave that person who wronged you.

It’s time to write that book.

It’s time to reach out to your neighbor.

It’s time to break that addiction.

It’s January 17th. It’s not the trendy time to make life changes. But who needs trendy times, anyway?

Instead of standing still, paralyzed by the mountain of changes that need to happen to move you where you need to be, do something. Take a step in the right direction, and God will reward that step.

Don’t wait until everyone else is making changes. Change now!

January 17th is my fresh start.

Care to join me?

What changes are you going to work on?

* image credit: Creation swap user Branden Shape

 

This week, I’m leading a missions team to Costa Rica to support The Abraham Project, and two full-time missionaries that we (Grace Community Church) sent here to Costa Rica, Jason and Kerby Harpst. I’ll be blogging daily about our progress here.

God made dirt…

My once gray shoes are now a dull shade of brown, their soles are peeling back from the toes to the heel.

My shorts have the same dusty look and feel.

My favorite UT hat has lost its orange luster.

My face is a mix of burned red/brown, and my legs hurt like they’ve never hurt before.

But it’s the best kind of dirty/hot/sore/tired kind of feeling possible.

Today was our last day of work on the field, and it was by far the hottest. Wiping sweat and sunscreen from our weary eyes, we trudged to grade a bit more. It was all I could do to swing the pickaxe for a few hours to break up that dry, packed dirt. And I’m pretty sure that the dirt that we wheelbarrowed out weighed more today than yesterday. That’s possible, right?

The girls got manicures/pedicures this morning…but not so that they could sit around and be pampered. One of the families that’s a part of The Abraham Project does nails on the side, and our girls’ business today was a big blessing for her. It gave her family a little boost in income for the day/week.

The orphans

This afternoon, we had a chance to play with the children one last time. While playing soccer, I got the ball kicked right where it counts…but afterwards, I wowed them with my lame, amateurish magic trick. Had them thinking I was pulling a rubber ball out of their ear. Got ‘em every time.

It’s hard to believe that anyone would want to leave their child behind and cease to take care of him/her. These orphans are the sweetest children you’ll ever meet.

Leaving them to get on the bus was much more difficult than anyone on our team anticipated.

On to our last day here.

¡hasta luega

the field we worked on all week

All of the guys that we worked with.

me and my buddy, Victor, the 2nd man in charge on site

wow-wing with a little magic

 

This week, I’m leading a missions team to Costa Rica to support The Abraham Project, and two full-time missionaries that we (Grace Community Church) sent here to Costa Rica, Jason and Kerby Harpst. I’ll be blogging daily about our progress here.

But you know it’s going to be a long day when a team member gets excited right out of the gate because there’s a piece of broken concrete where only dirt clods should reside.

As our day progressed and we continued connecting with the workers, one of them asked me, “Do you like country music?” Not wanting to sound pretentious with my nuanced love of New-grass music, I said, “Yes.” I tried explaining that country music started in Nashville, close to where I live. I asked if he knew Garth Brooks. Nope. Then they asked if I liked music videos. Again, a simple, “Yes” was easiest. Castillo wondered if I’d seen a music video with a guy that had long hair, a pony tail, wore a kilt and played a harmonica. That wasn’t ringing a bell with me, as I’m sure it’s not with you.

Then he sang the chorus. Instantly, it was “Karma Chameleon” by Boy George.

It’s a shame that, of all American music, a Boy George song would stand the test of time. Even Boy George fans would say that’s a shame.

Today, in addition to the same schedule as yesterday (some of us digging, some of us teaching children the Bible), we got to hear from Pastor Jorge, the founder of The Abraham Project. Over a decade ago, Jorge came to speak at a local church here in Costa Rica. There were 7 people present, and they planned on soon shutting the doors forever. After the service, through praying with some of the members, the Lord spoke to Jorge. He began to see the potential that was here for building a children’s home that would house orphans, but he only had $20 in his pocket.

He said

Abraham took a step of faith even though he didn’t know where he was going.

God had planted a big vision into the heart of Jorge, but it was a vision bigger than Jorge could do on his own.

He went on to say:

Before you get to the promised land, there will be many battles, but if He’s called you there you’ll get there.

Now, his $20 has multiplied into The Abraham Project, an organization worth over $2,000,000.

He challenged our team with this:

Take the $20 in your project and start a project that will grow to over $2 million.

Pastor Jorge addressing our group

After lunch, we took a tour of the new piece of property that The Abraham Project owns, a 2.5 acre plot valued at $750,000 (but bought for ~$250,000). Their future plans including building 4 more children’s homes and a parking lot (the current building has very little space for parking). A river snakes around the edge of the property…it’s going to be beautiful once complete.

Currently, the land is full of coffee trees and banana trees. I got to try my first ever coffee cherry. The green coffee bean resides in the center of the cherry. If the cherry’s ripe, it’ll be red. It was as delightful as I expected.

Unpicked green (unripe) and red (ripe) coffee cherries.

This man graciously shared some of his picked coffee cherries with us.

 

This week, I’m leading a missions team to Costa Rica to support The Abraham Project, and two full-time missionaries that we (Grace Community Church) sent here to Costa Rica, Jason and Kerby Harpst. I’ll be blogging daily about our progress here.

Buenos Dias

I seem to wake up earlier and earlier every day.

Maybe it’s because of eager anticipation.

Maybe it’s because God has big plans and wants me up extra early.

Or maybe it’s because of that crazy bird just outside of my window that I hear squawking directly in my ear. I digress.

Today was another tough work day, but was broken up by one of the founding members of The Abraham Project, Steve Thomas. Steve helped us understand more of what The Abraham Project is all about, and the massive amount of children they’ve taken in. He shared countless tear-enducing stories of children that had been treated worse than any human being should ever be treated. Steve had our group at rapt attention, then he dropped this nugget of wisdom on us:

I can tell you more and more about where they have come from. But I’m more excited about where they’re going. Steve told us about how so many of their children had been adopted by loving, God-honoring families.

our team, listening to Steve, with the church building in the background

He went on to say that he sees The Abraham project as an organization sending out future missionaries and preachers to the ends of the earth. They are playing a pivotal role on these young men and women’s journey to sharing the Gospel with people of all nations.

To those of you who think your work this week is meaningless…it’s not.

Today and tomorrow, our team is splitting up during part of our day, with half of us leading a Bible study with the children at The Abraham Project day care. The other half are shoveling dirt, making snail’s progress on the field, building relationships with the workers, and getting so dirty that our white towels still look brown after a shower.

Oh, and I broke my once-every-two-decades self-imposed rule: I played soccer again.

And I told an old lady that I loved her. My Spanish is admittedly weak. And apparently hilarious to a group of women.

And being 11 degrees from the equator means that the sun is hotter. Which, for a gringo like me, means a sunburn. Even if you slather it on twice in 6 hours. Being closer to the sun really matters. (there’s probably a cheesy Christian bumper sticker somewhere in that last sentence, something like: “Stay close to the Son and you’ll get a tan”)

Here’s to the power of sunscreen.

Buenas noches.

 

This week, I’m leading a missions team to Costa Rica to support The Abraham Project, and two full-time missionaries that we (Grace Community Church) sent here to Costa Rica, Jason and Kerby Harpst. I’ll be blogging daily about our progress here.

So I played soccer for the first time in 15 years.

I also played soccer for the last time I’ll play in 15 years.

I got roasted. I did score the most goals for all the ‘gringos,’ but I think I’ve had my fill.

Where's Waldo?

said field, see below for details

Today was our first work day. We’re clearing a field that’s been used as an outdoor soccer field for decades. We’re prepping it for concrete. The whole project, concrete and all, will be done by March. Which may sound crazy, except that it’s all being done by hand. What would take a day and a half with a Bobcat will take months by hand. Back home, I built a patio in my backyard by hand, doing the exact same prep work that I’m doing here. Except that my backyard patio is 10′x16′. This field is at least 100′x100′.

Working alongside the Costa Ricans has been great. Working through a combination of broken English/Spanish must be humorous for the Costa Ricans, but makes me want to learn Spanish.

The foreman on site, Oruca, has an amazing story of faith, having fallen over 200 feet while working at the Abraham Project to what should have been his death. He was rushed to the hospital, woke up, and asked his friend, who drove him, “Am I in heaven?” Turns out that his fall, which included crashing through two roofs, left him with only a few bruises. Which meant that the next day, he was expected back at the worksite.

Oruca runs a tight ship. But he’s a great man of God, with a deep faith. He’s consistently ministering to people who are deeply entrenched in gangs and drug trafficking. In fact, one of the guys he’s been ministering to came to church on Sunday. He heard the sermon I prepared, and “las cadenas se desprendió” (translation: “the chains came off.”) I tell you this not to brag, because I didn’t preach my sermon. It must have been God working.

I prepared the sermon. Byron Wolfe delivered it. Joseph translated it. And God was working through the whole thing. Pretty amazing, if you ask me.

Well, it’s on to supper. We’re throwing Jason and Kerby Harpst a baby shower tonight. They don’t know it’s coming. And believe me…they deserve a surprise. They’re working their tails off here, and are absolute super stars, ministering hope and life to children that the world has said don’t deserve anything. And last time I checked, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

¡hasta mañana

top left: Jason and Kerby Harpst, Laura (my wife), me, Oruka, John Lachowicz, Jo Blease // bottom left: Kris and Byron Wolfe, Shelly Goodman, Justin Winn