What are we Doing with Kids?

Over the past few months I've been able to observe, talk with leaders, research, pray over, and evaluate our kids ministry. Solid Rock has had a long history of good kids ministry. What I found were loving, faithful leaders who give of their time and energy to teach and care for kids. I found a commitment to teaching the kids about God and his love for us and a desire for kids to have fun! Needless to say, I was generally pleased with what I found. But, as we move forward, I felt it was time to clarify exactly what we are trying to accomplish with the elementary children--not only for ourselves, but for parents and the rest of the church too. So we came up with a list.  A list of goals or marks or checkpoints for our ministry. They are divided into two parts: what we will do and what we won't do. I though I would share them with you...

In the Kids Ministry at Solid Rock

We will…

Teach the kids who God is and what He’s done for us through Jesus

Teach the kids how they should respond to who God is and what He’s done for us through Jesus

Teach the kids what the Gospel is and how it affects their life

Use the Bible as our main source of teaching content

Ensure kids feel loved and safe

Create an atmosphere of fun and excitment so kids desire to return

Set an example for the kids to follow by our life and testimony

Support, encourage, and equip parents to be the spiritual guides at home

Be good stewards of the gifts God has given and prepare well for our ministry responsibilities

Glorify God in all we do

We won't…

Expose kids to sin or worldliness

Jeopardize the emotional, physical, or spiritual health/safety of the kids.

Stop short and only teach the kids principles or rules to follow.

It's still a work in progress, but I am excited for what the future will bring as we focus on these.

Book Recommendation: What is the Gospel, by Greg Gilbert

Book Recommendation: What is the Gospel, by Greg Gilbert

About six months ago I led the men of Solid Rock to read and discuss this small (120 pages) book by Greg Gilbert. For 7 weeks we read a chapter, highlighted parts and came together to discuss what we were learning.  Even though the group was made up of mostly long-time believers in Jesus, this book proved to have a great impact on our understanding of who God is and what He has done for us thought Jesus.

In my years of ministry I, like the author, have heard many different attempts to explain God's means of salvation of man, or the Gospel.

...many Christians would answer with something far short of what the Bible holds out as "the gospel of Jesus Christ." Maybe they'd answer, "the gospel is that God will forgive your sins if you believe in him." Or they'd say something like, "The good news is that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." Or, "The gospel is that you are a child of God, and God wants his children to be abundantly successful in every way." Some would know that it's important to say something about Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection, but then again, how does all that fit in?

An Important Question...

The Gospel is not just for unbelievers or for children or baby Christians, but it is foundational. "It's what we intend to found our lives upon and build churches around" Getting it right is of crucial importance. So how does Gilbert answer the question he poses?  The way the Bible answers it.

Gilbert outlines four vital components of the Gospel. To explain the Gospel leaving out one or more of these is to not communicate the Gospel.

God: God is not Santa Clause or our personal genie in a bottle obeying our prayer commands. Nor is He the old senile Grandpa type who is kind and will give us an inheritance one day.  God is our Creator.  He gave us life and breath.  Creation answers to Creator... we answer to God.  In that relationship God is our Judge.

Man: We don't like that.  We like to talk about rights, freedom, and liberty.  We don't want to answer to anyone, we want autonomy!  Perhaps we desire those because we know that we have rejected God.  We have walked away from His design, His intention, His law and done it Our way. This is not just a breaking of moral rules, it is a rejection of God Himself. This act of divine treason comes with no small price. Death--physical and spiritual.

Christ: "The Bible is the story of God's counteroffensive against sin" God saw us on our rebellious state, enslaved by sin, and following after it's unsatisfying pleasures...and He did something about it. That's right, the King set out to rescue the rebels. God entered into humanity (the same way you and I did), he was born as the God-man Jesus Christ. Being human he lived our life, but without rebellion.  Being God, he was perfect. On a cross and at the hands of his own creation He died a human death in our place.  As God He paid the debt of treason--He became the perfect sacrifice for sins finally. This is the Good News...

Response: ...but only if you and I can get in on it. Is the payment for sins available to me? Can Jesus' payment be applied to my account? If so, how?  God requires a response of faith.  Genuine faith that saves us from judgment and wrath is a turning to Jesus, away from sin, and trusting that Jesus is the only means of escaping the penalty of sin.

God. Man. Christ. Response.

Gilbert takes a complex subject and simplifies it while retaining all of the the power and influence that the Gospel contains.  I highly recommend this book for anyone. Whether you are searching or have been walking with Jesus for many years, this will be of great encouragement and benefit.

Doctrine Matters

Why spend 11 weeks preaching about doctrine? People are coming to church, not a seminary class!

We are in our eighth week in our series DOCTRINE: What the Bible Teaches, What We Believe.  So far, we have covered God's Revelation to us, God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), Spiritual gifts, the Church, Man and Sin.  This week we will study Salvation.  I am very pleased with how it is going. It has given me the opportunity to summarize my study of scripture and theology into several succinct "We believe..." statements. These statements will eventually become the doctrinal agreement for all members of Solid Rock. 

Furthermore, it has given me the opportunity to really dive deep into these areas of doctrine and show how they all fit together into the greater Gospel Story. Also, it has given me a chance to answer questions from the people of Solid Rock.  On our final Sunday of the DOCTRINE series I will be answering questions that have been submitted.  Here is just a sample of what I've received so far...

• Do Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship and serve the same God?

• Does God have our lives all planned out?

• How could a loving God send people to hell?

• Is the method of Baptism really important (immersion vs. sprinkling vs. pouring)?

I am excited to answer these and other questions on that day. But more that all those reasons I am excited and committed to teaching sound doctrine, because I believe doctrine matters.

Knowing Doctrine Keeps you Grounded

Ephesians 4:14 instructs us to grow in our knowledge so we will "no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching [doctrine] and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming." having an understanding of what the Bible teaches about doctrine or theology equips the Christian to distinguish between truth and error. We are constantly bombarded with philosophies and ideologies [doctrine] from movies, TV, publications, ads, conversations, even our own sin natures. The Christian with a firm understanding of true, sound, Biblical doctrine will be able to quickly reject the false teaching and reinforce the truth in their heart.

Sloppy Theology Leads to Sloppy Living

Our behavior and the choices we make are a direct outgrowth from what we believe. If we believe that God is good and trustworthy, we will trust Him. If not, we will doubt and choose our own way. If we believe that through Jesus we are completely forgiven and set free from sin, we will walk in freedom, confidence, and peace. If not, we will walk in guilt, shame, and doubt. Doctrine matters because it has a direct impact on how we live and the choices we make.

I hope that you have been able to join us for the Doctrine series. If not you can catch up what you missed by going to www.solidrockbc.com and clicking on the "Listen Online" icon toward the bottom.

Are You the Boss of This Church?

"Daddy, are you the boss of this church?"

The question came innocently from my 4 year old son. My boys know I'm a pastor, and they know that I work at the church, but they are still figuring out just what it is that I do as a pastor. Hence, the question...

It was a good question. A question that I have to ask myself. As a new solo pastor of a relatively small church, I had found myself over the past few months making several executive decisions, and seeing many changes take place.  People looked to me for direction, answers, permission, and approval. Does that make me the boss?

"No, Jesus is... and I work for Him",  I replied.

The answer seemed to satisfy my son, but does it satisfy us?  What does it really mean that Jesus is the boss of this (and the) church?  Scripture says clearly:

Colossians 1:18 "And he [Jesus] is the head of the body, the church..."

Matthew 16:18 "...I [Jesus] will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

But what does that look like nearly 2000 years later? Here are some thoughts.

Keep the Word at the Forefront of the Ministry

To acknowledge Jesus as the Head (or "boss") of the church is to faithfully present His Word. John 1:1 & 14 reveals that Jesus is the Word incarnate. Keeping the Word at the forefront of the ministry puts Jesus in His rightful spot at Head. Following the Word in our governance and operations submits to Jesus as Head. Looking to the Word for wisdom and guidance acknowledges Jesus as boss. When we think that we have a better solution, a more relevant approach, or a less offensive method we diminish Jesus' Headship in our church. 

Give them Jesus

Too often people who come to church walk away with something other than (and less than) Jesus. They might leave with a slick four-step plan to better their life, or a sense of awe in the pastor's ability to communicate, or how smart he is. They might leave uplifted by the music... but without Jesus it is all empty.  Jesus makes the difference in people's lives. We don't need to  try to make Jesus look better. We don't need to accessorize Jesus with popular psychology. We don't need to hook people with current entertainment trends and slip in a little "Jesus" when their not expecting it. Any such attempt would be to deny his Headship and strip Him of His authority over and in the church.  We need to give them Jesus, straight up.

"No, I'm not the boss of this church, Jesus is, and I work for Him"