Pastor Ken Kelly

PASTORAL TRANSITIONS

2008-07-31T13:18:00.003-04:00

During my first couple of years as pastor of Chapin Baptist, I set a goal of visiting in the home of every church member. As the church grew, it didn't take long to realize that there would be no way I could manage that goal and invest the time needed for study and leading other aspects of church life.

That observation represents one of the many things I've learned about ministry. To lead a church with 200 attending requires a different skill set than it takes to lead a church with 600 attending. Overseeing a budget of $300,000 is much different than overseeing a budget of $1.5 million.

Needless to say, as the church has grown through the years, so has my need to keep learning. As the church has journeyed through various stages of growth, I have had to acquire new skills. The most obvious is the need to expand my leadership capabililties. This really hit home back in the early 90's when I attended my first John Maxwell conference. That was a pivotal time for me. For the first time I recognized that I must not just be a pastor of people but also a leader of people.

As a church grows, it becomes imperative that the pastor be an equipper of people. Actually, from a purely biblical perspective, equipping believers is the primary job description of any pastor regardless of the size of the church (Eph. 4:11-12). Helping people discover their gifts and then helping them find meaningful ways to use those gifts for the kingdom is one of the most fulfilling parts of ministry. But to equip others requires skills that most seminaries don't teach.

As the church continues to grow, so must my ability to lead grow. The skills and gifts that got us to where we are today will not be the same skills and gifts that will lead us to new horizons. I must always be willing for God to stretch me and equip me with what it takes to move to new levels of growth. I'm ready and I'm eager for whatever God has in store.

JOURNEY THROUGH 2 CHRONICLES (PART 2)

2008-07-23T14:11:00.004-04:00

This wraps up my recent read through 2 Chronicles from The Message Bible.

19. Be careful, be bold, be diligent--great instructions for any leader.

20. This story about Jehoshophat reminds us that the battles we face are God's battles.

21. How sad when a nation's/church's leader dies and no one sheds a tear.

22. How sad when a mother trains her son in evil ways.

23. Praise God for leaders who courageously make the tough decisions in order to implement godly reforms.

24. We all need spiritual mentors in our lives. When Jehoiada, King Joash's priest, died, things in the country fell apart.

25. I wonder if archaeologists will ever discover the various historical record books mentioned throughout Kings-Chronicles.

26. King Uzziah had difficulty in the one area that almost every effective leader battles--pride.

27. King Jotham is an example of a godly leader who obeyed God; but his people did not follow his godly ways.

28. Talk about unwise moves for a king--Ahaz sacrificed children on pagan altars and he boarded up the doors of the Temple.

29. Thank the Lord for leaders like Hezekiah. They are difference makers for the kingdom.

30. Worship ought to be a huge celebration every Sunday.

31. I'm not a big fan of job descriptions. But the priests and Levites had them in the area of worship renewal under Hezekiah. Two listed duties were: oversee the offerings and make sure thanks and praise were included in the worship.

32. Great leaders are able to build morale when people are discouraged.

33. Manasseh reminds us that no matter how wicked we may be, God still receives a repentant heart.

34. Josiah led the nation to follow God "believingly and obediently"--two great adverbs.

35. What will be said of you after you die? Josiah's life was described as exemplary and devout.

36. This massive historical section comes to an end, squeezing major historical events into a few verses: destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, Babylonian exile, Persia overtaking Babylon, and Jews urged by Persia to return to their homeland.

JOURNEY THROUGH 2 CHRONICLES

2008-07-23T13:50:00.002-04:00

Here is part one of my learnings from 2 Chronicles (by chapter).

Leading God's people is a staggering task.
Something else staggering is the size of the workforce building the Temple. Add the numbers from verse 2 = 153,600. Wonder if they had workman's comp.
I also wonder if anyone has figured out how much Solomon's Temple would cost to construct and furnish in today's dollars. Gold nails weighing a little over a pound each?
Even the tongs, lamps, bowls, ladles, and wick trimmers were made of gold.
Man, I would have loved to have been a part of this worship experience. There is nothing greater than to experience times of worship when it is evident that God has shown up.
Solomon knew how to pray--a pertinent reminder how leaders must make sure prayer is a prominent part of worship in God's house.
As glorious a celebration as the Temple dedication was, it was tempered with stern warnings about what would happen if they turned away from God.
Verse 6--a forewarning of Solomon's downfall. He built impulsively and extravagantly.
With today's value of gold ($870/oz when I first wrote this), the Queen of Sheba's gift to Solomon (9 tons of gold) would have a street value of more than $125 million. Just 1% of that would cover the $1 million we were targeting for the REACH campaign.
Verse 7--although the elders' advice was not followed, their wisdom was right on target. If you want people to follow, be a servant, consider their needs, be compassionate, and work things out.
We need more Shemaiahs in our churches, holy men who are in tune with God and willing to speak up for God.
God honors repentance but repentance doesn't necessarily eliminate the consequences of God's judgment.
Plotting and fighting against God is not a wise thing to do.
Chronicles and Kings tell many of the same stories. One difference is that Chronicles describes the kings of Judah in a more favorable way.
Asa is to be commended for leading people to a renewed covenant with God. However, to kill those not willing to get right with God? I think that may have been Asa's doing more than God's.
God is always looking for people fully committed to Him.
Amasiah was a "volunteer for God." May every volunteer at CBC see himself/herself as a "volunteer for God."
Like Micaiah, am I willing to speak what I believe God is saying even if I'm the only one speaking out?

"For our email subscribers, please visit Ken's full blog page at http://www.pastorkenkelly.com to view previous blogs and many other helpful links."

JOURNEY THROUGH 1 THESSALONIANS

2008-07-22T15:27:00.002-04:00

I may have a reputation for remembering people's names. But I confess I can't remember movie titles. Anita pointed out to me that the movie I recommended in the last blog was "The Bucket List" not "The List Bucket." Oh, well. I still recommend it regardless of what you call it.

I'm still way behind blogging about my reading through The Message Bible. Here are some takeaways from 1 Thessalonians.

If our sense of the future is weak, we live with no hope.
If our future is dominated by belief in the second coming, there is no need for the present to be filled with anxieties.
1:2--Every time someone comes across your mind, pray for that person.
1:5--If someone imitates your life, would they be imitating the Master?
1:7-10--My longing for Chapin Baptist--that the news of our faith would be widespread around the world
2:1-2--I pray that I will always have the courage of Paul--not to let criticism and attacks slow me down. The key--Paul was sure of himself in God.
2:7--Great question for me (and for any pastor): Do I care for my members like a mother cares for her children?
2:16--Paul talks about pagans who have "made a career of opposing God." Unfortunately, there are many Christians who have made a career of criticizing their church.
3:8--What keeps me going is transformed lives.
3:11-13--great example of praying the Scriptures for someone
4:10--We should strive to get better and better at loving one another.
5:1--Beware of those who have figured out when Jesus is coming back. Jesus Himself said He didn't know. Paul reminds us that God will not call ahead of time; so we better be ready.
5:6--Do you know someone who is "sleepwalking" through life?
5:16-18--Some of my favorite verses. Short and to the point commands. My favorite: "Pray all the time."
5:24--God called me into the ministry. He is completely dependable in fulfilling His promises to me.

MY RECENT STAYCATION

2008-07-20T17:04:00.002-04:00

One of the new buzzwords floating around these days is staycation. With the economy making it difficult to travel, staycation means taking vacation days and spending them close to home versus going to the beach or taking a cruise. Anita and I took last week off; and we enjoyed our staycation. We've had a number of them in the past; we just didn't know what they were called.

We made this decision some months back. We're trying to pay off a couple of weddings and other debts; so we decided to stay close to home. Who wouldn't rather be at the beach or on a cruise ship? We were tempted to change our minds. But we stayed true to our plans.

We did travel up on Tuesday to Clemson where we spent some time with Kevin and Erin and had our first overnighter in their home. On Wednesday we spent several hours with my mom and sister in Anderson.

So, what else do you do on a staycation? Watch movies, do yard work, do house work, sleep late, and just hang out together as a family. When you have a wife like I do, staycations and vacations are very enjoyable. I love hanging out with Anita.

Oh--one other thing we did--you've heard me mention that I'm selling books on Amazon to raise some extra cash to help our pledge to the REACH campaign and to help pay off debts. I never thought I'd see the day that Anita and I would hit every Thrift store around hunting for re-sellable books. I even hit a few garage sales (and met some very interesting people along the way).

As far as movies we saw (DVD, not the big screen. Remember, we're saving money!), the only one of the bunch that I'd highly recommend is "The List Bucket." I gave it four stars (Anita, 3.5). I thought Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman were super. They're both dying of cancer and decide to fulfill all the things on their list bucket--the things they want to do before they die. Actually, if I were to see it again, I'd have my pen and paper handy because the movie was filled with good sermon material. Check it out!

I still vote for vacations. And, I know, those days will come again. But staycations aren't that bad. In fact, it was a very enjoyable week.

COMING BACK TO "COMEBACK CHURCHES"

2008-07-09T10:10:00.002-04:00

When I read a good book that will help me spiritually/professionally, I mark it up big time for future reference. However, most of the time I never pick up the book again. Not good. On the other hand, I did pick up Comeback Churches by Ed Stetzer and read through some of my notes. Here are some standout quotes.

The wrong question is whether your church is "traditional" or "contemporary" and which is better. The real issue is whether your church is biblically faithful, acting as the presence of Christ in the community at large, able to relate Christ to people in culture, and is on mission. In short, is your church "missional"?
Missional churches are deeply entrenched in their communities. They are not focused on their facilities, but on living, demonstrating, and offering biblical community to a lost world.
Many churches never experience a comeback because they want the community to change while they remain the same. But comeback churches are different. They realize that no one remains the same when they've experienced a fresh touch from God.
Churches that were once outwardly focused eventually become worried about the wrong things. They become more concerned about a well-used policy manual than a well-used baptistry.
Loving Christ and not loving the church is like telling a friend you love him, but you couldn't care less about his wife.
Most American churches today are well suited for mnistry in a different era. All churches are culturally relevant; the question is whether they are relevant to a culture that currently exists in their community or to one that disappeared generations ago.
Almost all comeback churches identified their mood of worship as celebrative and orderly with a significant emphasis on being informal, contemporary, and expressive.
Comeback churches know that the whole church has to embrace the mandate for evangelism. Everyone can be involved as a prayer, bringer, and/or teller, and should be trained and mobilized in one or more of these areas.
New Christians are likely to leave the church within the first six months if they don't develop at least seven significant relationships in the congregation during that time.

The underlying theme with all these quotes and the underlying message in Stetzer's book is that comeback churches mobilizes its members to get outside the walls of the church.

IN A PIT WITH A LION...(PART 2)

2008-07-03T09:24:00.003-04:00

Here are some more great quotes taken from Mark Batterson's In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.

Hell begins the day God grants you the vision to see all that you could have done, should have done, and would have done, but did not do. (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
We need to stop cursing the darkness and start lighting some candles (old aphorism)
One courageous choice may be the only thing between you and your dream becoming reality.
Think of every opportunity as a gift from God. What you do with that opportunity is your gift to God.
One of our greatest spiritual shortcomings is low expectations. We don't expect much from God because we aren't asking for much.
I honestly wonder if we've totally missed what it means to follow in the footsteps of Christ. I'm afraid our version of Christlikeness is way too civilized and sanitized.
Part of spiritual maturity is caring less and less about what people think about you and more and more about what God thinks about you.
Christ followers ought to be the most passionate people on the planet. To be like Jesus is to be consumed with passion.
As long as I pursue God's calling on my life, then God is ultimately responsible for getting me where He wants me to go.

IN A PIT WITH A LION...

2008-07-02T14:19:00.002-04:00

I just finished reading "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church in D.C. It's a great devotional read, based on the story of Benaiah in 2 Samuel 23. The whole book is geared toward the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity even though risks might be high. It was a timely read for me and I recommend it highly. I feel a couple of sermons coming soon based on my learnings.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book.

The most important choice you make every day is your attitude. Your internal attitudes are far more important than your external circumstances. Joy is mind over matter.
There are basically two types of people in the world: compainers and worshipers....Complainers will always find something to complain about. Worshipers will always find something to praise God about. They simply have different default settings.
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. (Mark Twain)
Lion chasers are risk takers. They have learned that playing it safe is risky. They recognize that the best you can do if you run away from a lion is break even. You might save your skin, but you won't have a lion skin hanging on your wall either. No risk equals no reward.
I'm convinced that the only thing between you and your destiny is one small act of courage. One courageous choice may be the only thing between you and your dream becoming reality.
Lion chasers have the courage to overcome inaction inertia. Their fear of missing out is greater than their fear of messing up.
Generally speaking, you are probably never going to be more than 80 percent certain. Waiting for greater certainty may cause you to miss an opportunity. (Andy Stanley)
Most of us want absolute certainty before we step out in faith...But the problem with that is this: It takes faith out of the equation. There is no such thing as risk-free faith. And you can't experience success without risking failure.
I think there are two kinds of people in the world: creators and criticizers. There are people who get out of the boat and walk on water. And there are people who sit in the boat and criticize water walkers.

I can't help it. This stuff is so good, I'll have to do a part two on it next time.

JOURNEY THROUGH 1 CHRONICLES (CONT'D)

2008-07-01T15:41:00.002-04:00

Here are the rest of my takeaways from 1 Chronicles.

15. "Worship wars" is not a new phenomenon.

16. If you want a great example of a prayer of praise, check out chapter 16.

17. No matter how far one may run from God or how deep one may fall into sin, God never removes His gracious love.

18. It is important to give all the credit to God when victories come.

19. We give wedgies today. Back then they cut robes "halfway up their buttocks."

20. David faced more giants than Goliath--one had 24 fingers and toes (6 on each limb).

21. David was in the numbers game for all the wrong reasons. He substitued statistics for trust.

22. I love David's charge to Solomon regarding the building of the Temple: "Courage! Take charge! Don't be timid; don't hold back."

23. Verse 31 has a phrase that "jumped out" at me. The Levites were on "regular duty to serve God." This should be true for all of us.

24. Evidently the role of the worship leader was prominent in Old Testament days.

25. Names and more names of those who served in the worship department.

26. It looks like the Old Testament church had greeters teams and budget/stewardship teams.

27. Maybe one of the reasons David had so many family problems is that he hired others to rear his children (verse 32).

28. David was not an effective father; but he did give great words of wisdom to his son Solomon as he handed him the throne--"Get to know well your father's God."

29. Great chapter--filled with applications. Maybe the best passage in the Bible on sacrificial giving and generosity.

JOURNEY THROUGH 1 CHRONICLES

2008-06-30T17:15:00.002-04:00

Here are some takeaways from my recent read through 1 Chronicles (each number relates to that particular chapter). Chronicles actually tells the same story as Samuel-Kings. It is told 100+ years later and from a different perspective. One of the major things I noticed is that the book reminds us of the primary place worship should hold in our lives.

The list of names reminds us of the importance of individual people in the community of faith.
Names and more names
Little wonder David's family was always in a mess. While living in Hebron for 7 1/2 years, he had six sons. Each of the six had a different mother.
Lately, I've heard preachers make fun of the "Prayer of Jabez" craze. I see nothing wrong with making the prayer my personal prayer if I so choose. The verses DO standout in the midst of long lists of names.
Another gem tucked away amongst the scores of names: "God answered their prayers because they trusted Him." (5:20)
Worship leaders and ministers of music are not a modern phenomenon. Roots go back at least to King David.
How would you like to be named Beriah which means "unlucky"?
The Bible has teachings throughout on divorce, but I don't recall reading of specific names of people who divorced. But here it is. In 8:8, Shaharaim divorced his wives Hushin and Baara.
Verse 1 states the reason the people of God were sent into exile--unbelief and disobedience.
How do I want to finish my life? King Saul provides a negative example. He died in disobedience to God.
Mark Batterson, pastor in D.C., has written a popular book based on 11:22--In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. I'm reading it right now--great read!
I love the words of Amasai who was moved by the Holy Spirit--words that any leader loves to hear: "We're on your side....we're committed."
The falling ark is a classic story that sometimes the best of motives will backfire on us.
When believers obey God, non-believers begin to fear God.

(part 2 of 1 Chronicles next time)

VBS--A HUGE SUCCESS!!

2008-06-28T21:56:00.002-04:00

God answered a ton of prayers this week with Vacation Bible School. What an awesome week it was. Here are some stats:

282 students registered
168 total volunteers
25 average attendance for the adult Bible study
347 average nightly attendance
475 total registered students and volunteers
Most important of all--29 boys and girls made decisions to invite Jesus into their hearts. Heaven is rejoicing. And so am I.

Here are a few other comments and observations:

Virginia shared with the staff a couple of weeks ago that her children's staff are as pumped as she has ever seen. Morale is high. When morale is high, God does amazing things.
Look what happens when that many volunteers come together to work on a single assignment.
You should have seen the stage set as well as the room set-ups. Our volunteers are extremely creative.
We are all grateful for the food service volunteers. The fact that some contribute the money for all the meals and then prepare, serve, and clean-up each night--what does that tell you?
I think it is fantabulous that the children look to Virginia, Troy, and Crystal as their pastors. They are the ones pouring their lives into these children. Pastor Ken? Who is that?
Many of those who accepted Jesus were not previously connected with Chapin Baptist.
It is still a thrill that I look forward to every summer to sit down one-on-one with some of the boys and girls and lead them to a decision to follow Christ.
To set the stage for the week, one young man gave his heart to Jesus on the very first night.
I was able to meet a whole bunch of new families and invite them to church.
One final note--Troy Crump challenged the children to give $1500 in the offering this week (all of which goes to the We Care Center). If they met the goal, he would become a human banana split. Unfortunately, when the final totals were announced, we were $258 short. But, praise God, someone wrote a check on the spot for $258. Troy will become a human banana split on Sunday, 6/29, at 9:45.

God is at work. Let's keep the "mo" growing.

JOURNEY THROUGH COLOSSIANS

2008-06-25T16:21:00.002-04:00

I'm still trying to catch up on my journey posts. Here are some takeaways from my recent read through Colossians.

Colossians makes it convincingly clear that Jesus is in a completely different camp from Moses, Socrates, Buddha, Mohammed, etc.
Every believer, just like Paul, is on a special assignment from God.
Our churches are filled with people, just like Epaphras, not welll-known, but reliable servants of Christ.
Great question to ponder: Is God proud of me for my work for the kingdom?
Do you have any doubts that Jesus is God? Meditate on 1:15-20.
Jesus actually died for me.
A great way to measure the value of any sermon: does it preach Christ?
I wonder how many accept Jesus as Savior and then don't live for Him?
Eugene Peterson strikes agains in 2:7--"School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it."
Praise God that my sins are forgiven, the slate wiped clean--all because of the cross.
We need to wear the wardrobe God has picked out: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline.
Chapin Baptist is my employer; but the ultimate Master I serve is Jesus Christ.
How do I want people to pray for me? That God will open many doors for proclaiming Christ to lost people.

"For our email subscribers, please visit Ken's full blog page at http://www.pastorkenkelly.com/ to view previous blogs and many other helpful links."

FIVE KINDS OF CHRISTIANS

2008-06-24T14:48:00.002-04:00

Christianity Today and Zondervan Publishers linked up with a research firm to determine the attitude and behaviors of U.S. Christians. More than 1,000 Christians over age 18 were surveyed. The results revealed five significant differences among the religious beliefs and practices among Americans who call themselves Christians.

First, Active Christians (19%)

Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ
Committed church goers
Bible readers
Accept leadership positions
Invest in personal faith development through the church
Feel obligated to share faith (79% do so)

Second, Professing Christians (20%)

Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ
Focus on personal relationship with God and Jesus
Simimlar beliefs to Active Christians, different actions
Less involved in church, both attending and serving
Less commitment to Bible reading or sharing faith

Third, Ligurgical Christians (16%)

Predominantly Catholic and Lutheran
Regular churchgoers
High level of spiritual activity, mostly expressed by serving in church and/or community
Recognize authority of the church

Fourth, Private Christians (24%)

Largest and youngest segment
Believe in God and doing good things
Own a Bible, but don't read it
Spiritual interest, but not within chuch context
Only about a third attend church at all
Almost none are church leaders

Fifth, Cultural Christians (21%)

Little outward religious behavior or attitudes
God aware, but little personal involvement with God
Do not view Jesus as essential to salvation
Affirm many ways to God
Favor universality theology (my note--all go to heaven)

Wouldn't it be interesting to know what the breakdown of the CBC membership would be? Which kind of Christian are you? Particularly alarming is the Private Christian. All the more reason we must pour energies and money into children and student ministries.

JOURNEY THROUGH 2 KINGS (CONT'D)

2008-06-12T09:08:00.002-04:00

Starting with chapter 14, here are some gleanings from my journey through 2 Kings.

14. These were probably the darkest days in the history of Israel and Judah. All were bent on fighting and promoting immorality and false religion.

15. Some kings implemented reforms but held on to the sex-religion practices. Are there any parallels today to the luring appeal of sex and how it destroys even Christians?

16. Ahaz, another wicked king, compromised by doing away with many of the religious symbols of the Temple in order to appease a foreign king.

17. This chapter is a humbing account of God's judgment on a people who consistently disobeyed Him.

18. Finally, a good king--Hezekiah. In God's opinion he was a "good" king. Am I a good pastor? Are you a "good" teacher, salesman, lawyer, business owner? Whose opinion really matters? (By the way, you've got to read 2 Kings 18:27 in the Message Bible. I couldn't believe it when I read it.)

19. We can learn a lot from Hezekiah who poured out his heart to God in prayer.

20. Hezekiah lived to please God, but he made a foolish error when he gave Babylonian guests a tour that showed them where EVERYTHING was (including weapons). Later Babylon destroyed Judah.

21. Manasseh's legacy. He turned Judah into a nation of sinners.

22. It is still beyond me that a high priest "discovered" the Word of God in the Temple. For years/generations people and even the priests did not know that there was a Word of God.

23. Thank God for leaders like Josiah who are passionate about obeying God and ridding the land of everything ungodly.

24. A sober reminder that wickedness does not go unpunished. God's judgment is never by accident.

25. The lengthy historical accounts in 1-2 Kings ends with the people of God defeated and scattered--orphans. But, remember, God always has a remnant.

JOURNEY THROUGH 2 KINGS

2008-06-11T11:53:00.002-04:00

Writing down my thoughts after reading the Scriptures has been a good discipline for me to do day-by-day. Here are some of my gleanings from 2 Kings (by chapters).

Beware of getting counsel from others to the neglect of seeking guidance from the True Counselor.
Elisha's request was that he wanted to be holy just like his mentor Elijah. Could anyone say that he or she wants to be holy just like you?
A common thread in 2 Kings--some kings did some good things; BUT they held on to the wicked ways of their fathers. God expects a clean break. Only total obedience and holiness please Him.
We all know the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. Did you know that Elisha performed a similar miracle with bread and apples?
Naaman, like many people today, thought his money and prestige would be enough to heal him.
The king's anger toward God is typical of many today, especially when disaster strikes. God gets blamed. When bad times come, we have a choice--become bitter or better.
The true prophet of God--his prophecies are completely accurate.
The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah (Israel) are mentioned over and over. These are lost books. Wouldn't it be great to get a hold of these books to learn more of the history of these times? I wonder how much one of those books would go for on Ebay.
Jehu was one cold-blooded dude. He trampled Jezebel under his horse's hooves. Immediately afterwards he went inside and ate lunch.
Jehu had a divided heart. He followed God in some areas but not all areas.
Joash was a fairly decent king. This gives credence to the positive values of being raised in church. He was literally raised in the Temple for six years.
The had counting committees even back then. This committee of honest men was formed because priests were absconding with the money designated for refurbishing the Temple.
Jehoahaz--what an awful life description--"He lived an evil life before God."

I'll do the next half of 2 Kings in the next blog. What are you reading in the Bible these days? What is God saying to you?

3 WAYS TO RESTORE EVANGELISTIC FOCUS

2008-06-10T10:39:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday, from the story of Zaccheus I preached my one prayer sermon. If I could pray one prayer for Chapin Baptist Church and for churches across America, it would be, "Lord, make us focused." Focused on reaching people for Christ and helping believers become fully devoted followers of Christ.

How can we restore that focus. Ed Stetzer in his widely-read book Comeback Churches notes that every member of the church should be involved in three ways. All should be involved in all three. But if everyone just did one of the three, that's a great place to start.

Every member should be a pray-er. Everyone can pray. You can pray for the lost to be saved. You can pray for the growth of the church. You can pray for key outreach events like Vacation Bible School. So, before you read further, close your eyes and pray for a couple of minutes.
Every member should be a bring-er. Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was a bringer. He loved bringing people to Jesus. When is the last time you brought someone to church with you? When is the last time you invited someone to church? It doesn't have to be a worship service that you invite people to. It could be VBS. It could be a small group fellowship. It could be a ministry project your group is doing. In fact, I read recently that this strategy has become an extremely effective way of helping the unchurched to connect. The next time your class does an "outside the walls" project, invite a friend to join you.
Every member should be a tell-er. Chapin Baptist certainly has some tell-ers. But we need to become a church of tell-ers, a church where every members confidently and earnestly tells others about Jesus.

Lord, make us focused. The church that is focused on reaching people is the church that is filled with members who are focused. And, yes, I must lead the way.

WEDDING BELLS AGAIN

2008-06-01T22:22:00.004-04:00

The answers are "no" and "no". First, no, we aren't pros at this wedding planning stuff. Even though two of our three sons got married within an eight-week period, we are far from pros. Pros at wedding planning can't let emotions interfere. So I prefer to stay an amateur and let the emotions do their thing. I wasn't an emotional mush like I was in early April. Actually, I thought I had it all together until the first words of the ceremony came out of my mouth. I came close to losing it. Thankfully, as always, the Lord rallied to my side.

The second "no" is no, we aren't planning a wedding for the third one yet. Praying for his future mate? You bet. But we're counting on a fairly long reprieve from the wedding planning business.

This weekend was another super-special occasion. Kevin and Erin make a great couple. Can't you tell? Here is the grand entrance into The Pointe, which served as the location for the reception. A special part of both weddings was that the grooms escorted their mom out for the recessional. Something tells me that Anita's heart was swelling with joy and pride.

After their honeymoon to St. John's in the Virgin Islands, Kevin and Erin will move into a rental home in Clemson. They plan to move back to the Chapin area in January after Erin graduates with her nursing degree. Kevin's employer wants him to set up an office in Chapin. I'm not going to argue with that at all.

They won't be settled long before they will have the joy of seeing Jade, their German Short-Haired Pointer, have puppies. Welcome to marriage.

Anita and I count our blessings daily that our three boys all love Jesus and desire to serve Him. And now we have the extra blessings of two daughters-in-law who both love Jesus as well.

MIKE'S THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP (CONT'D)

2008-05-26T22:40:00.002-04:00

(In the last blog, worship pastor Mike Cathey left us hanging with what a 90-minute worship experience would look like. Take your time and read it through very carefully.)

Some people have asked me, "What will we do with a whole hour-and-a-half?" This is a legitimate question for someone who is used to a service that lasts an hour. As Pastor Ken mentioned in an earlier blog, the average worship time for the 25 fastest growing churches in America is somewhere between 75 and 90 minutes. Can we assume there is a correlation between the time allotted for worship and the church's growth? As someone who has led and experienced services of more than an hour for most of my life, I can say that I would believe that to be a huge factor. While each church operates slightly differently, let me share a break-down of what happens in these longer services and why it is so vital to the health and growth of our church that we learn to begin spending longer amounts of time in God's presence.

A typical hour-and-a-half service consists of 30 minutes of singing (mixed with announcements and greetings), 5 minutes for the offering, 35 minutes for the message, 5 minutes for a testimony and 15 minutes of prayer (sometimes mixed with the Lord's Supper and the time of commitment). I don't know about you, but when I see it this way, 90 minutes begins to seem pretty short! In fact, in the previous churches I've ministered in, the question has never been "How will we fill the time," but rather "Where can we find more time?" - No doubt a question we will be asking here at Chapin Baptist in the very near future!!

But what does it mean to truly worship, and how much time is enough? We must first realize that our very lives, each and every moment, are to be an act of worship. As I once heard another pastor say, we need a theology to play ball or to eat a Hershey Bar. If we cannot do either of those things for God’s glory then we shouldn't do them. But we can do both for God’s glory. We give Him thanks for the ability to play ball or for the awesome taste of chocolate. We compete not for our own sense of pride but to put God’s glory on display because He has given us the ability to play. We enjoy that Hershey Bar with God in mind and contemplate the multi-faceted gifts He has given us as well the multi-dimensional beauty or satisfaction we find in so many things. It’s all about Him! Psalm 100:3 says, “It is He who has made us and not we ourselves.” As the Westminster Shorter Catechism puts it, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”

When we consider that all of life is worship, that all of life is essentially the church, then how do we put a time constraint on it? For most of us, it is the constant pressures and expectations on our lives. Our children's schedules, our habits and hobbies, our lack of enthusiasm for God, our desire to do more: these are all things that are important to deal with, but when compared to spending time with our Savior, they become idols. If I can't trust Him to work these things out so that I can spend more time with Him, what else can I not trust Him with?

I love what I Corinthians 10 has to say on this subject of trusting God. Paul was writing a letter to His beloved church because he heard through the grapevine that they were becoming quite content with their lives and were balking at what God was trying to do in their midst. He reminds them that the Israelites were cared for in the desert and yet still complained, and God killed 23,000 of them in one day because of their discontent and talk of dissension. There is a clear explanation here that God demands a sacrifice, but we should be careful that it is for God and not for ourselves. "Do you see the difference? Sacrifices offered to idols are offered to nothing, for what's the idol but a nothing? Or worse than nothing, a minus, a demon! I don't want you to become part of something that reduces you to less than yourself. And you can't have it both ways, banqueting with the Master one day and slumming with demons the next. Besides, the Master won't put up with it. He wants us—all or nothing. Do you think you can get off with anything less?" (I Corinthians 10:19-22 The Message)

Do we really want to be the people of God who give only as much as necessary in order to be called Christians? The Word mentions God's jealousy of His people over twenty times, and each time it is said in the context of some idol that is taking their attention away from the Lord. There is this overwhelming reality that God will not put up with anything less than our all. If this is true, we must seriously consider everything we do as a church, least of all how long we worship together on Sunday mornings.

Can we accomplish all we need to in an hour on Sunday mornings? In all honesty,iIt's possible we could do it in 15 minutes. The real question, however, should be "Are we allowing God enough time to transform us from the inside out?" May the Holy Spirit guide us as we strive to answer that question...

God, give us a heart of worship. Renew in us a simple love for you, a thirst and hunger to know you and to walk in holiness and righteousness. May our hearts break for what breaks Yours. We want to see you and touch the hem of your robe. Bring us closer to your throne. Come and change our hearts again.

Be Blessed!

Mike

MIKE'S THOUGHTS ON WORSHIP

2008-05-24T22:19:00.002-04:00

[I’ve asked our worship pastor Michael Cathey to do a couple of blogs on the theme of encountering Christ in worship. I believe this guy can preach. Each of the two blogs is a little longer than usual, but well worth the read. So if you’re in a big hurry, come back to this one when you have time to soak it in.

We all have one... that person we love spending time with. Whether it's going out to dinner, meeting them in Harbison to do some window-shopping, inviting them over for a pig-picking or simply watching a Sunday afternoon game in the living room, we all have that person that we can always "hang" with. Our conversations pick up right where they left off, and sometimes we know what they are thinking before they even say it. More often than not, we'll drop everything (or at least change our plans) so that we can spend time with that person who makes us feel wanted.

We also get a lot out of the time we spend with this person. We feel like we belong and are a part of a special relationship. And we know that if we ever need anything, they will most likely be the first person to give us a call and offer assistance, and they know they can expect the same from us.

One of the unique things about us humans is that we unconsciously say a lot about whom we hold dear by the amount of time we spend with that person. If we have a grouchy and inconsiderate boss, we don't tend to ask them to dinner or to the family barbeque. On the flip-side, we will go out of our way to make time for our friends - we'll change tee-times, take vacation days, get a sitter for the kids and even drive out of our way and spend more on gas to make sure we can spend quality time with those we care about.

As we are looking to the future changes in our schedule this August, I have been asking myself who I devote the majority of my time to. Of course Karin and Carson are high on the list, as are some of the great friends we have made here in Chapin since last September. I know that they can gauge my love and devotion for them by the amount of time I spend with them.

One of the convictions that I have received from the Lord is that Karin and I need to be spending more time together as a couple. One of the books we read as we were anticipating the arrival of Carson emphasized the fact that a new baby needs to understand that when he enters the world, he is a part of the family, not the center of it! Mom and dad had a family before he came It actually helps him to become a more respectful and secure child if he experiences a mom and dad who spend time together without him.

What would it mean to Karin if I was constantly telling her that I loved her, bought her flowers weekly and even gave her a nice diamond necklace each year on our anniversary, but could never really spend time with her? She would appreciate my gestures of love and affection, but what she would really desire is my attention. "I'd love to stay and hear about your day, but I've got a dinner meeting tonight." "You know I love you, but I'm fishing today and can't keep the guys waiting." "We can talk as long as I can still play my video games at the same time." These things I'm wanting to do aren't bad, and I should do them on occasion. However, these excuses would get pretty old if I used them every week! Part of loving someone is showing them that love with our time. Without sacrificing our time, our words of love can become empty. Bottom line: We show the importance of things in our lives based on how much time we devote to them.

Another way to think about quality time is to think of how we wash our cars. We can choose to do a 5 minute once over, or even decide to take our vehicle to the $20 full-service car wash and get it decently clean. But the truth is that if we take our time to do it right, we'll come out with a much cleaner car. No doubt we will end up spending more time doing the work, but in the process we will reveal stains and debris that would not have been caught and dealt with if we had paid someone else to do it quickly. It takes time to do thoroughly, but we end up with a result greater than we had even expected.

It is most likely obvious that you see where I am heading with this. When our time is one of the most precious gifts we can give to anyone or anything, what does it say to our Creator when we reserve a simple hour each week to celebrating him with our spiritual family? And when we do get together to give praise to our God, are we constantly checking our watch or slipping out early to get a good spot in line at La Fogata? When we worship corporately, are we giving enough time each week?

The only way to truthfully answer this question is to look at exactly what we are supposed to do when we come together to worship. I Corinthians 14: 26 - 33 gives us the outline for an appropriate, orderly worship service. Singing, a lesson or sermon, a testimony or story, reading of the Word, a prayer, and an insight or prophesy. These are the physical pieces to a service. (Side note: notice how they didn't take an offering - this was collected daily without needing to ask for it... another article for another time...) Can these things be accomplished in an hour? Certainly. Should they be?

(Ken’s note: Great question that deserves a thoughtful answer. Mike will answer this question in the next blog.)

JOURNEY THROUGH PHILIPPIANS

2008-05-22T09:24:00.002-04:00

Philippians is my favorite book in the whole Bible. It is the only book I have memorized. Believe it or not, I think I can still recite it.
Paul doesn't tell us that we can have joy or how to have joy. He is simply joyful, and we learn from his joy.
Paul often prayed for his Christian friends.
God will finish what He starts in us.
His primary prayer for them: that their love would flourish.
Everywhere I go, no matter the circumstances, is a pulpit.
As long as I'm alive, God has work for me to do.
Always live in such a way that you are a credit to God's message.
I should be more concerned with helping others get ahead versus me getting ahead.
Christians should always be a breath of fresh air in our sin-polluted world.
Another classic paraphrase from Eugene Peterson in The Message Bible. In 3:8, Paul considered all his religious credentials as "dog dung."
We must keep our eyes on the goal of becoming all that God has for us.
Everyday, all day, I should celebrate God.
Prayer displaces worry.
No matter what my circumstances are, I can make it through Christ.

STARTLING STATS

2008-05-13T16:34:00.002-04:00

Today I met with about 250 pastors and church leaders at Columbia's Convention Center and heard well-known consultant and author Aubrey Malphurs teach on the subject of leading churches through change. For me, the morning session was the most enlightening, but also the most disturbing.

Malphurs stated five reasons why churches much change:

American churches are struggling.
The number of churched people is declining.
The number of cults and non-Christian groups is growing.
The church landscape is rapidly changing.
Church people resist change.

He shared some alarming stats, many of which I had already read--but to hear them again challenges me more and more to do my best to lead CBC off our plateau.

4 out of 5 churches are plateaued or declining.
A 2005 study showed that 17.5 percent of Americans attend church on any given weekend. The state of SC is a little better--22.7 percent (nothing to brag about, huh?)
1999 study by Barna--The builder generation (born pre-1946)--51% attended church in last 6 months; Boomers (1946-64)--41%; Busters (1965-76)--34%; Bridgers (1977-94)--29%.
Only 4% of teen bridgers understand the gospel and have accepted Christ even if they attend church.
The US is the fourth largest non-Christian nation (235 million).
The fastest growing cult? Wiccans

My three most important takeaways:

An affirmation that the changes we are making are on target. We must develop new paradigms of doing church.
We must move beyond expecting the church to "take care of me" to a missional vision of reaching as many as we can with the good news of Christ.
We must pour as much energy and resources as possible into children's and student ministries.

"For our email subscribers, please visit Ken's full blog page at http://www.pastorkenkelly.com to view previous blogs and many other helpful links."

STUCK IN TIME

2008-05-01T21:44:00.004-04:00

To help us understand the schedule changes for fall, I've asked some of my fellow staff pastors to provide input. In this blog Steve Little helps us understand the small group dynamic.

How does a person really grow? A psychologist once told me that when post traumatic syndrome occurs, the person who goes through a severe traumatic event sort of gets stuck in time. They continually repeat that event over and over again in their mind. It is only through processing that event effectively that they can put it in the past and move forward.
I believe this is true for real growth and development to occur in all of us. It is only when we have the opportunity to process the events and issues of life with other people that lasting transformation happens. It is when we take the truths of the Bible and process what God is telling us with other people that spiritual transformation occurs.
The ultimate goal of small groups for the Christian community is spiritual transformation, believers becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. To realize this goal, people need time to share and mentally process the difficult situations of life. They need to celebrate how God is working through and in their lives. The group must provide a safe place to build relationships, trust and pray for one another. The group also needs to provide a place for people to discover the truths of the Bible and to wrestle with how to live those truths out in daily life.
To create this kind of environment takes intentionality and time. How much time? If you were going to have a small group meeting in your home and the focus of the group was to accomplish the spiritual transformation mentioned above, how long would your group sessions last? I gave a group of our leaders who had the assignment to answer this question one Wednesday night and they all came back with a unanimous answer, 90 minutes. To provide this kind of environment takes more time than the typical Sunday morning Sunday School class. It all comes down to an unquenchable passion to see the lives of people really change. Join me in praying God will allow us the joy of seeing the Holy Spirit move among us.

"For our email subscribers, please visit Ken's full blog page at http://www.pastorkenkelly.com/ to view previous blogs and many other helpful links."

JOURNEY THROUGH 1 KINGS (PART 2)

2008-04-29T16:40:00.003-04:00

12. Jereboam recognized the unifying power of genuine worship.

13. True prophets must discern and be cautious against competing voices.

14. God will not tolerate disobedience.

15. Observation: The kings of Judah--a few were godly and effective. The kings of Israel--all were wicked.

16. What an awful legacy King Omri left. He set new records for evil. His was "such an empty-headed, empty-hearted life."

17. The woman had to bring the last of her food to Elijah (symbolic of presenting everything to God) before God multiplied the flour and water.

18. Two details often overlooked in the story of Elijah and Mt. Carmel: the role of Obadiah who had walked with God since a child; and the purpose of the showdown on the mountain was to give the people of Israel a chance to repent.

19. God speaks mostly through the quiet moments.

20. Things were going well for Israel until Ahab took matters in his own hands. Leaders must seek the wisdom of God in everything.

21. Ahab was the most wicked king ever. Yet God responded favorably to his repentance.

22. I love the prophet Micaaiah's words when urged to give a crowd-pleasing response: "As surely as God lives, what God says, I'll say."

JOURNEY THROUGH 1 KINGS

2008-04-27T19:28:00.003-04:00

Yes, I've been reading my Bible each day. But I've fallen behind on sharing some of my quiet time nuggets. Before I get into the chapter by chapter mode, as you read this book, it is important to remember that having a king was not God's idea. It was the people's. But He allowed it. God did not delegate His sovereignty to the kings. They were to represent His sovereignty. That plan didn't work wll at all. Even the bright spots (David, Hezekiah, Josiah) were not very bright. 1 and 2 Kings is one story of failure after another. In spite of all the messes, God still used the kings to accomplish His purposes. Here are some thoughts from each chapter in 1 Kings (part 1).

David, on his deathbed, worshiped and prayed.

A father's deathbed charge to his son: follow the ways of God.

Solomon's request is a prayer I frequently pray. "Give me an understanding heart to I can lead your people."

I think Solomon would have done quite well on the SAT (even the new verision).

Solomon's wisdom carrried over into his business decisions and foreign policy.

God let Solomon know that more important than building the temple was to live a life of obedience to HIm.

Thank the Lord for all the Hirams in our churches--craftsmen who use their gifts for God's kingdom

The glory of God filled the Temple of God" (v. 11). My prayer is that God's glory will fill our place of worship every Sunday.

We need Hirams (ch. 7) in our churches but not with the attitude he displayed in chapter 9. Or was he justified? Did Solomon short-change him?

A chapter describing the extravagance of wealth Solomon displayed. It is easy to take our eyes off God with such lavish living (as evidenced in ch. 11).

Wealth brings sexual temptations. And it is difficult for wealthy people to stay focused on God. Solomon succumbed in both cases.

SOME THOUGHTS ON GIVING

2008-04-24T16:42:00.003-04:00

The other day Tyler asked me a question that probably every believer has wondered about. He knew his income tax refund would be coming soon. So, he asked, "Am I supposed to tithe that check?" The rationale is, "If I already tithed my salary, then realistically that refund has already been tithed."

I really appreciated his question because it gave me an opportunity to teach him some important lessons on giving. His question really is no different from the ever-present "gross or net" question. If you think about it, at the root of these questions the thought process goes something like this: "How little can I give and it still count in God's eyes?" I know that may come across tough, but be honest. Isn't that what we're trying to do when we ask those questions?

Instead, we should always be looking for ways to give more. The Proverbs writers says, "A generous man will himself be blessed." Trying to figure out the bottom threshold of giving does not constitute generosity. Income tax refunds are an excellent way to give more. The incentive almost every American will receive in another month or so ($600, $1200 for a couple)--isn't that a great way to demonstrate generosity? I know George W. wants you to go buy stuff with it. But I say look for opportunities to give first and then spend.

As gasoline approaches $4 a gallon, every family is scrambling trying to figure out what adjustments need to be implemented to make ends meet. Unfortunately, many see the tithe as discretionary; so they decide to cut back on giving. From God's perspective, he never qualified options on when we should reduce our giving. The tithe is valid even if gas hits $10 a gallon.

The wrong question is: Lord, how much do I have to give? The right approach is: Lord, show me more ways I can give. That's the heart of the generous person. And that's the one who truly will live a blessed life.

"For our email subscribers, please visit Ken's full blog page at http://www.pastorkenkelly.com to view previous blogs and many other helpful links."