Reflection of my teaching this moring at NRN - New Finances

Today at NRN we continued in the teaching series:

When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!        2 Corinthians 5:17 (TLB)

 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.

 

Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?

 

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."                                                                      Luke 16:9-13 (NKJV)

 

I am not alone in my teaching of the importance of recognizing money as a spiritual matter.

 

Check this out:

 

Are you faithful to the One who is so faithful to you? 

Preparing for Worship On January 19, 2014

As we approach this coming Sunday at NRN I am looking forward to the time of worship together.  We have an important meeting following the worship as the newly designed FIT ministry has it's launch.  The First Impressions Team is a vital ministry of our church. I encourage everyone who wishes to serve on this team to plan to join us for the lunch following the worship.  You can contact me if you have not registered for the lunch.

 

Before a service even begins, first-time guests usually decide whether they’ll return to the church. Here at NRN our F.I.T. (First Impressions Team) exists to provide the warmest atmosphere possible, for guests and members alike. It has been said first impressions make lasting impressions, and we know this is true. Our goal is to make every person who comes through our doors feel like a part of the family, whether by a handshake, smile, or side hug.

Here is the planned worship set for January 19, 2014

 

=We plan to begin with a welcome and stand to sing our call to worship:

 

 

We continue in expression our worship to God:







We pause to express our adoration to God in prayer and continue with this request:



Now we worship by bringing our financial offerings to the Lord.  We worship by presenting money to God because we need to remember that He holds first place in our life.  God is in control.  We are simply returning to god a portion of that which He has provided for us!

We continue in our teaching series:

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

It moves my heart when I think how my wife Sharron is such an important part of my ministry as she fulfills God's call upon her life.  Recently she was out of town and I was working on my computer and I discovered an note that she had prepared for a person in our church going through a very difficult time right now.  I thought it would be an encouragement to you also:

Shimmering hues of radiance tap gently at your consciousness, seeking entrance.  Though I have all Power in heaven and on earth, I am infinitely tender with you.  The weaker you are, the more gently I approach you.  Let your weakness be a door to My Presence.  Whenever you feel inadequate, remember that I am your ever-present Help.

Hope in Me, and you will be protected from depression and self-pity.  Hope is like a golden cord connecting you to heaven.  The more you cling to this cord, the more I bear the weight of your burdens; thus, you are lightened.  Heaviness is not of My kingdom.  Cling to hope and My rays of Light will reach you through the darkness.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present

            help in trouble.                    Psalm 46:1

 

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

                               Romans 12:12

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.                         Romans 15:13

 I simply add:
 

You Want to Serve at Church, but How?

 

Here are the five questions I ask to help a newcomer (or long-time attender) discover where they are best suited to serve.

There are probably a handful of reasons people resist serving in a particular area of their church, but one of the reasons is because they don’t know where to serve.

Maybe this is you: You aren’t sure what’s available to you, or of the options available, you’re not sure any of them suit you.

You don’t really want to be on stage …

You’re not sure you’re qualified to teach Sunday School …

You can’t picture yourself waving the traffic wand in the parking lot …

You don’t even know how to make coffee …

In the many years of being a pastor, I’ve walked hundreds of people through this process of discovering where they are best suited to contribute—and been a witness as they’ve discovered the true joy of serving their community.

Here are the five questions I ask to help a newcomer (or long-time attender) discover where they are best suited to serve.

1. What is suitable for you?

What best fits your gifts, skills and seasons of life? If you’re apprehensive about working with babies, chances are the nursery isn’t the right place for you. If you have social anxiety, it might not be right for you to become a greeter. If you travel often for work, it might be good for you to find a task that doesn’t require you be at service every weekend.

Finding a task that is suitable for you is important because serving should be a natural contribution of your gifts to your community.

When this is the case, service becomes a joy.

2. What is strengthening?

Although your task should be suitable for your gifts, don’t be afraid to stretch yourself a little bit. Only you can know what this looks like.

If being a greeter feels terrifying, maybe consider other places you could invest your time. But if it simply feels a little nerve-wracking, this could be God’s way of inviting you to try something that will help you grow in Him.

The growth and strength we gain from serving others is part of how serving becomes satisfying. We really do get as much as we give.

3. What is sustainable?

As a church leader, I can attest that there is nothing more frustrating than a volunteer who commits to serve, but abandons responsibility at the last minute—sometimes without any effort to make contact with the coordinator or find someone else to fill their place. This can become a logistical nightmare.

Find a place to serve you know is sustainable—a place where you can commit your time (really commit your time) over the long haul.

4. What is significant?

What you’re doing should feel significant to you and others. It doesn’t have to be extravagant to be significant, but it should feel like it is making an impact. For example, a college-age girl offers to spend one night each week with a group of children so a small group (other than her own) can have free childcare.

It’s just two hours, once a week. It’s not extravagant.

But to the parents in the group, and hopefully for her, it’s incredibly significant.

5. What is satisfying?

The crazy thing is that, when we begin to invest in the cycle of giving and serving, it is incredibly energizing. This is counterintuitive, because you’re giving energy, so how could you end up with more energy at the end?

But one of the signs you’re serving in the right place is that it is satisfying.

A parent comes to pick up his or her child from the nursery, looks you in the eye, and says, sincerely, “thank you.” It is at that moment you realize you weren’t just wiping noses—you were playing a role in the spiritual development of that parent. Investing ourselves where it matters is incredibly satisfying.

Where are you investing yourself?   

by Scott Wilson

Lord, I need you....

Tonight we gather at NRN for corporate prayer beginning at 6:30.  God is answering prayers and proving how great is His faithfulness.  Are we desperate for God?  Lord, we need you...





Bring your request; your petition; your praise; your thanks and join us in prayer this evening.  You I will glad you came to be with us in the presence of the Lord.

How pastoring has changed in the past 30 years

 

 

We are out of clichés about change or the pace of change. Sometimes we forget how much particular vocations have changed in a short time. In fact, in thirty years pastoring has changed in ways we likely would have never predicted or imagined.

 In early 1984, I began serving as a pastor for the first time. I would ultimately serve four churches as a pastor and nine churches as an interim pastor. In 1984 I was a young 28-year-old pastor without a clue. Today I am 58-years-old, and I’m still not sure I have a clue. So much has changed. So much has changed in pastoring in just thirty years. Let’s look at major ways the pastorate has changed in that time.

1.   Thirty years ago, most people in the community held the pastor in high esteem. Today most people don’t know who the pastor is, nor does the pastor hold any position of prominence in most communities.

2.   Thirty years ago, most people in the congregation held the pastor in high esteem. Though I cannot offer precise numbers, there is little doubt that church members as a rule don’t view pastors with the same esteem as they did thirty years ago. That is one major reason serving as a pastor is becoming increasingly difficult.

3.   Leadership skills are required more today than thirty years ago. Thirty years ago, I could preach sermons well and care for the congregation, and I would be deemed at least an adequate pastor. The demands and the expectations of the pastor are much higher today. Many of those demands can only be met with at least decent leadership skills.

4.   Interpersonal skills are required more today than thirty years ago.  Pastors thirty years ago could get away with some personality quirks because they were generally held in such high esteem. No more. Pastors are supposed to relate near perfectly to everyone.

5.   Outreach was accomplished by getting people to come to church services thirty years ago. That is not so today.  I remember some of the classic outreach ministries I led thirty years ago. They were all designed to get people to visit church services as a first step. Today, many barriers must be addressed in order for someone to be receptive to come to our churches.

6.   Thirty years ago, there were very few “nones.” The 2012 Pew Research project that identified 20 percent of all American adults as non-religiously affiliated has become a marker of change. Almost all people claimed some type of religious affiliation thirty years ago whether they were believers or not. It was not culturally accepted to be a “none” thirty years ago; there is no cultural stigma attached today.

7.   The Internet and social media have made pastoring much more challenging than it was thirty years ago. In many ways, it has been healthy that the pastors and their ministries are more transparent. For example, sex abuse of children in churches became a national concern when many priests and pastors were named as sexual predators. But there is no rule that someone must speak truthfully on the Internet and, specifically, in social media. Pastors today must deal with issues about them that travel fast on the Internet, even if a church member or someone else tells a complete lie.

Some things about pastoring, of course, never change. The pastor is still called to preach the Word, equip believers, and provide ministry to congregants and others. But other aspects of pastoral ministry have changed and will continue to change.

 Certainly pastors need training in Bible and theology. But, more and more, pastors need additional preparation in leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and missional realities. Thirty years ago, the church expected the pastor to be a capable preacher and caregiver. Today much more is expected.

 

BY: Thom Rainer

Its a beautiful day!

Another beautiful day in Raleigh, NC.  The weather is awesome with the sun beaming and a warm day in the low 60's. Headed out soon to play golf with a group of friends.  I have a lot to do with my busy schedule so I took time with the Lord this morning and have decided the first of this week I need to step away from the pressures of ministry and give my body a work out.  It has been raining and I am sure the course will say "stay on the cart path".  This means a lot of walking and walking in the wet conditions.

It's a beautiful day.  The Lord the Lord has made and I rejoice in it!