Podcast can be found at

Transformational Quest podcast available on the following links

Spotify

Breaker

https://www.breaker.audio/transformational-quest-with-dan-shipton

Pocketcast

Radio Public

Come to the Feast (Mt. 22)

Matthew 22

We have been looking at some of Jesus’s Parables recently in church.  Here is a look at The Parable of the Wedding Feast from Matthew 22.  Hope you enjoy.  I may add more later this week.

 

Considering a Church Restart 2: Some Comparison with Church Planting

When in church restart process there are some similarities with church planting. However, nine months into our revitalization, which has become a full restart, I can see differences too.

When I began ministry my wife and I worked in a church plant. This helps me see both the similarities and the differences, as we go through the process.

Some Similarities

• Reaching the Lost With Hope Of Jesus is the Biggest Goal.
  • The main reason for starting a church is to reach the lost.
  • The same is true for a church in revitalization or restart. These Churches have realized that while they may know Scripture and even huger for spiritual growth, they have forgotten Great Commission and Great Commandment living. In such churches a new hunger and Passion to serve and seek people outside the church. There is a move from inside focus to outside.
• Focus is on Care for Others more Than Self. Both Church Plants and restarts know That to live out the Great Commandments call to love God and lave others means we have to take action to show true care care for others.
• Learning Their Mission field.
  • Church Plants may be new to an area and need to know needs and concerns of a community.  Some plants may look for a target audience, while others may look for the greater needs of a community in order to reach where others are not already reaching.
  • In a Restart the church is refocusing vision. To do this they too must study the community with fresh eyes and meet with community leaders, schools, businesses, and organizations to better understand the mission field.  In restarting they likely recognize that they have lost touch with the community they are in, and need to find new and more meaningful ways to reconnect.

Some Differences

• Initial Goal: Church Plants are focused on gaining and new people right away. Church restarts are focused on Waiting on God and changing DNA (Being made New).
• Financial & Prayer Support:
  • Church Plants: Often many denominations and planting organizations have plans to offer financial support for 3-4 years. Many times, like missionaries, they may raise support and prayer partners for a year before work begins. People are often more apt to give to a new start, because people like new things.
    • In a church plant it is often only a few people going to the new site, so they are going to need a ton of prayer support.  In fact, like missionaries, it is encouraged that they raise at least 100 prayer partners.
    • Depending on the location and the people that a church plant is ministering to, they could require prayer and financial support for years.  In fact it should be expected a church plant will take a minimum of 3-5 years to become solidly stable.  In some situations it could be longer.
  • Restarts: It may be perceived that restarts have existing property, savings, and established contributors, and some people may see them as strong enough to face the journey ahead on their own.  Others may see a church restart as a failed church, and feel people should simply give up on them.  The truth is that a restart is neither hopeless nor is it likely ready to stand on its own.
    • The need for spiritual strength is also great, since numbers of attendees will fluctuate, and spiritual battles and resistance will grow.
    • The very reason for needed changes are deep and will often result in greater financial need.The results unfortunately for restarts is that financial help is harder to build. Other churches may see you as a fully operational church already, and feel there is no need to help.
    • Often people forget that it may take a few years to reestablish growth and needed support in order to become a self-sustaining church.
    • There is still overhead cost, and like church plants this requires both great prayer support, and financial support to do the ministry of rebuilding a church starting with the DNA of the core.

There are other differences to consider. What I hope I’ve helped you see is the great need for starting new works and for restarting or rebuilding in older mission fields. I hope you can see that both are needed to reach the next generations into the future. I also hope it helps others praying through their own church decisions.

If you’ve been persuaded at all to help us in our own restart in Clifton, Illinois please visit our church web page. There’s a place at the bottom of the screen to become a prayer support. There’s also a place to donate to our GoFundndMe or directly to the church.

Http://www.christcentercommunity.org

Christ Center Community GoFundme Building Fund

 

Thanks for your prayers and be blessed on your own journey today.

 

Considering a Restart to Your Ministry?

‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ‘ 2 Corinthians 5:17

An opening disclaimer. This isn’t a bad look at things, but I want to share honestly for any church that feels led into the process of revitalization or restart. There is great joy in seeing God transform through the process, but it isn’t any easy road.

This is one of the verses that has been a driving strength for our small rural church, as we have been going through a revitalization. Our revitalization is really a new start. On December 30, 2018 we said good bye to our old church facility and to our old church. Many of us could see clearly that the church was in need of serious revitalization. There were many issues from the past that kept resurfacing. The focus of many was on the aging building and even more on our selves instead of seeing the lost and needy world outside the doors of the church.

This was a difficult decision. Even in the early stages of praying through the process some people couldn’t catch the vision or couldn’t let go of the past, and chose to leave us. this is a blow to any church that is already facing small numbers.

However, a small group of us stepped out together to be “made new” in Christ. We continued to meet for a smaller worship and sharing time on Sunday’s and a core team began to refocus our Bible study in search of becoming a spiritually stronger church.

The frame of a new building came into our possession, but architectural and many other costs are slowing the hope of getting a new building finished, so we can do a new ministry.

As I started this article I stated things aren’t really that bad, so I’m not asking you to feel sorry for us. However, nine months into a process that I believe many churches in America will face in the next ten years I’d like to share a few points of what I have learned so far in the process.

1. God does want to renew the hearts of struggling and dying churches: Our reason for changing wasn’t merely for the sake of change. We know that many of us were loosing our way. We had forgotten that were called to be in mission with Christ to reach the world with the hope of Jesus.
2. You need a core who are hungry to have God remake them: The core group may not be very big, but they will help to remake the DNA of where you are going. It will take the change of hearts and souls of this group and the leaders to see the community around you through the eyes of Jesus. It will also take time for God to prepare for what God is calling you to do in your community.
3. Many will not understand: Some left our small group, as we started the process, and a couple more have backed up from doing much. While God calls us to step our in faith and to be remade and refocused I am realizing that many people don’t really understand. Some will say it’s our job to help them, and to some extent that is true. However, some people are so locked into their personal view of how church has always been that it makes it very hard for them to see or understand when God calls for change.
4. Others will understand & be supportive: We do have almost twenty people who are with us. They have been praying through and working through the process with us. One of the more interesting things is how supportive people outside the church in the community and even other churches have been. When I share why we needed to change and the desire of seeking God to be a better church for Him and to reach our community; nearly everyone lights up. I’ve even had some from other churches say they wish their own church would seek God more.
5. Be flexible: Timelines, meeting spaces, times of meetings, and other things may need to adjust and change. We have changed how and where we gather a few times since starting this journey. Moses and the Exodus have been one of our guides along the way. We have reminded ourselves that the Children of Israel did’t know exactly where they were going. They followed God. They moved with Him and when He moved.
6. Most of the Early Months are about changing your own hearts: Being “made new” in Christ as individuals and a church takes time. This has been in some way’s a waiting period, as God refocuses our hearts and lives for the new service we are being called into. We often forget that God calls people to wait and listen at times, before moving. Most recently we have been starting to study the book of Acts. I am reminded the Disciples were told to wait for the Holy Spirit, and they didn’t know how long that would be. We continue to pray and study, and listen to God as we go through the process.
7. Finally, Beware of Jumping to fast: We are not perfect, and I can see we have jumped a bit at times. This is likely because waiting is hard. We tried to put emphasis on worship, because that was familiar. We have had to refocus back to sharing. We also got into a building project, which was a needed element, but we may have had hopes of it being a bit quicker process. Reality for anyone who’s done building and capital raising is that things never go as quick or smoothly as we hope.
8. Build a Prayer Team: This is the greatest element needed. I knew this going into the process, and I quickly retained twenty-five prayer warriors. I continue to add to the team. I realize more and more the power and need of prayer. Keep praying and listening and God will guide you through this desert to the promise for your church.
9. Say Thank you: We must thank God for every soul won, for every small accomplishment, for the growth of ourselves and others along the way. We must also thank the team we are with as we go on the journey. Not only do we need one another’s prayers, but we need to know others are appreciating our efforts and input. If we can’t value one another on the journey we will never value the new people we hope to reach out to.
10. Start making community connections: Many of us in restarts may thing we know our communities and needs. However, in truth if your church has been stuck or inner focused you likely need to get out and make new connections. I have found school officials and counselors open to sharing about what they see as strengths and needs in the community. Meeting with local council members, mayors, and business people will also start to give you a better picture of who your community really is.

I believe God will continue to rebuild many church who are stuck. I pray that you who are called to be remade or into restarting a church will be encouraged that you are not alone. I am grateful to have some strong denominational leaders who pray for me and are there to bounce ideas off of. I hope and pray that if you are on this journey that you too will find the hope and help along the journey.

May God bless you in your ministry journey today.

IS YOUR PLATE TOO FULL

Our churches been going through a time of revitalization. We have changed our name, and moved out of our dated facility. However, we began a study this past week on our roles within the church.

Over the past few years and especially in the months of praying through this revitalization process I have been questioning my role and the role of people in the church.

You are not really a jack-of-all-trades

Somewhere in history the ministers role changed. Many people expect us to be the go to person for nearly everything that comes up. We need to know the best dish soap for the kitchen, how to tweak the sound system, how to fix a copier, and computer programming. Then you should be an expert on marriage, raising kids, and ailments of the elderly when people seek advice.

The truth is we are not called to be everything or everywhere, after all that is God’s role not a ministers role.

OUR ROLE IS EQUIPPING AND PREPARING PEOPLE TO SERVE ONE ANOTHER

In his book”Designed to Lead, Eric Geiger reminds that Ephesians 4:11 tells what the pastor, teacher,and apostle’s main role is.

The main role we serve is in equipping the saints for service.

I wonder how much better and how many more would be served by people simply serving where God intended us.

WE MUST HELP OTHERS FIND AND SERVE THEIR ROLES

We don’t just step away from everything. We must bring others into the process of growing in their own roles. Then the church can be what it is meant to be.

LIVING THROUGH FINANCIAL REGRET: Use Caution in Pursuit of Ministry Education.

I have thought of writing for sometime. I am part of a denomination that doesn’t require a Masters Degree to pastor, in fact up until about 10 years ago the usual people going on for a Masters degree were teachers and some upper leaders or pastors of very large or Mega-churches.

Then we started pushing a seminary, and encouraging more education. I chose to get a jump on the band wagon, and went for a four-year M-DIV. I was warned of the risks financially, but hoped for opportunity to teach part-time at a college or online. I never had aspirations of a larger church or denominational position, since God placed the call of local church ministry on my heart.

Seven years later I honestly feel much of my extra training has proven of little value. When the financial strain of debt and serving in a small local church is considered then the payoff seems far less than helpful.

Here are the good and bad that I see and have experienced.

THE GOOD OF MY SEMINARY DEGREE

• A deeper understanding of the technical terms and biblical languages: Yes, I can say I have a better understanding of language and the Bible. However, with the great Bible programs available the knowledge is available to all of us.
• A bit of growth in my personal devotion life: I did grow in spiritual discipline and growth. I believe there are far less expensive ways to achieve this.
• Some understanding of how the administration of church works: again I may have grown un this area, but a community college might have helped in managment for a far more reasonable price.
• Bringing me into contact with people outside my normal daily contacts: we need to learn to move beyond out of our comfort zones and be comfortable with all people. This is a plus to seminary, but could be accomplished with mission trips or serving local mission groups.

THE BAD OR LESS IMPORTANT

• A huge financial burden: I am no different than others. I’d just paid off my 4 year Bachelors when I returned to pursue a Masters degree. I racked up a burden of $100,000. I pastor, like many in a small rural community, and never should have pursed further education.
• A degree that serves no purpose outside of church realm: An MDIV, or Masters in the Bible are only recognized by churches and church administrators. No one in the world cares that you know Greek, Hebrew, or planning worship. In fact having a Masters Degree will close some doors, because people will not think you will take a job with a high degree.
• A flooded system of seminarians means the job market isn’t easy: I had hoped to supplement income as a part-yine college professor. Here’s the rub, like most jobs,if you don’t know the right people you will not get a second look. Furthermore, with so many others now pursuing higher degree you’ll be lost in the pile of others seeking jobs or supplements to their income. Many tell us there is need of pastors, but you must consider that most places in need are smaller churches. This means lower pay and in most cases the need to be bi-vocational to supplement income.

EXTRA THINGS TO CONSIDER IF YOUR WONDERING IF SEMINARY IS FOR YOU

• Cost: Seminary will cost anywhere from $65,000 – $150,000 depending on where you attend.
• Find seminars or even mission trips to grow your personal life: I realize today that most of the lasting benefits of my extra higher education only built on my Bachelor’s in Bible and religion. Most of those enhanced training could have come from seminars. I’d say over 25 years of ministry I’ve received far more from pastor and leadership retreats than any degree class I’ve taken.
• Realize a piece of paper has little or no serious effect on serving, teaching, or preaching: Training is needed, but a degree doesn’t make good preachers or pastors. A heart of faith and service make a person a minister. Many less trained people preach and teach better then higher trained ministers.
• In a growing bi-vocational ministry world consider what training will truly serve you, your family, and your church outreach in the future: In my experience I would have done better ten years ago pursuing a teaching degree. I am limited to substitute teaching as one of the few jobs in my are to supplement income. I’ve wondered how if I’d have gotten a degree for teaching I might be less financially burdened, and my church freer to put more money toward other ministry. A business degree, counseling degree, or technical training in some cases might actually provide a better place for bi-vicational work and open more doors for witness and ministry in your community.

• Above all, be sure it’s really God’s Plan and not your human hope or desire that drives you: be in deep prayer. It’s easy to think something is right, while missing what God really desires.

I am not saying not to pursue education or that education is evil. I am saying that we should be more open to God’s leading, and be very cautious about pursuing extra higher educational degrees. I also believe most denominations need to reconsider what the need in ministers, and find ways to offer needed training without the financial burden. Such burdens always effect the minister, family, and church. This is s burden for all in the church and we must find better ways to increase knowledge and depth without the destruction of debt.

I wish I had the miraculous answer, but I don’t. All I can do is share my experience and hope others are more cautious than I was.

May Jesus bless your journey.

Ride The Wave God Brings

We have had a tremendous Fall season, and watching God move has been awesome. The Leaders and I took a great leap of faith, guiding our church toward a restart in the new year. We felt it was time to leave our current way of doing things and pursue a stronger focus on God, the Gospel, and Community outreach. We also decided to do this, we would need to step out of our over 100 year-old building.

It isn’t easy to say good bye to what is familar, beautiful, and comfortable. However, moving with God, and riding His wave is always exciting and joyous.

We are two weeks from our last service, where we will celebrate 160 years of ministry. We will begin our new focus in January. Then God blessed us with the outer structure of a building, for a drastic savings. It will be up far earlier than planned, likely by April. Then we will need to finish the inside. We also recieved unexpected donations.

After the leadership accepted the offer one of leaders told me the following.

I have the chills. I really believe that it’s undeniable that God’s hand is in this process. We’ve been trying hard to work within reason with goals and estimated costs and a budget that was non-existent at the beginning of all this. And it’s like he just gently set us aside to watch what he can do, beyond all reason.

That’s riding the wave God send. I’ve told several people along this journey that I don’t have all the answers. However, I step out in faith. I keep thinking of the children of Israel, and the early Church. God invited each group onto an awesome journey. And, yet neither group really knew what the end would be.

I would rather move in faith and see God move, as the Early Church did. The alternative would be dying in a desert, in a lack of faith, as the generation of Moses.

May God bless us all to step out and ride God’s waves when they come. May we see and know it’s His move and move with Him.

– Blessings on the Journey

REPOST: 8 Principles To Consider Before Leaving A Church You (Used To) Love

http://www.christianitytoday.com/karl-vaters/2018/november/8-principles-before-leaving-church-you-used-to-love.html

Change is Never Easy: Even When It’s Needed

Who likes change? On the surface many people think that the younger generations, and some of us in leadership often like change, because it seems that they are the ones often promoting change. The reality is no one likes change. No one likes the work it takes to make change. No one likes to let go of what is familiar and comfortable, and shift to harder work and new ways of thinking. The truth is change is always hard.

However, alternatives to change are not only hard to swallow, they are deadly. We are talking about churches, but think for a moment about health? If someone is told that they must change their lifestyle from overeating, smoking, drinking two-liter’s of soda a day, or they will die people sometimes wake up. Then for others it takes surviving a heart-attack to wake up and change. Then there are the stubborn die hard people who refuse to listen to any of the warnings.

One of my funniest memories was visiting a nursing home where an elderly woman sat coughing. She had an oxygen tube in her nose, was breathing hard, and sitting in a wheelchair. Then I had to keep from laughing, because in her hand was a smoldering cigarette, which she had just taken a puff from. I didn’t laugh, because it was very sad to see. This unfortunately is the case for many people who are faced with needed change in their lives and in the life of their church.

I know I haven’t written in a while, but you will be hearing more from me as we move forward. You see my church has been facing our own need of change for quite some time. This past summer the leadership were able to open up and share their feelings, as we read through Thom Rainer’s book, Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive. This book caused others to see what I was seeing for some time, we were already quickly headed toward death, if we did not change.

Change takes time to adjust to, and we all admitted that we do not like change. However, most of us in the end admitted it would take drastic change and a new direction. We felt that as Scripture says, “you can’t put new wine in old wine skins.” We also could see that we needed to die to who been in order to live, following God’s lead of “Dying to self in order to live for Christ”. The entire DNA of the church had to be changed, and we needed to let go of our own comfort zones, and that would mean letting go of a structure now 110 years old.

I’ll share some of this journey with you in the coming days and weeks. But today I want you to know, from someone who is going through major changes and preparations to become re-birthed in most ways. It is not easy to change. Here are some brief lessons and encouragements to pass on and hold to.

• Listen and move with God, which may mean slowing down or speeding up

  • We have moved a Speed that seems quick on the outside, but as I said God was working in my heart for some years, and as I found in others as well.
  • There have been times when I hoped we could be further down the road, but we needed to allow people time to process information.

• If God has called you he will sustain you through the process

  • Fear and second guessing are very destructive and destructive forces. Satan will try to make you second guess your every thought and decision. However, if you have prayed thoroughly and know it is God’s will. You can rely on God’s promises to always be with us.
  • As, we have made decisions and prepared to take votes on name changes and worked through questions, I’ve been faced with with some times of wondering how it was going to go. Since, we are still in the process of shutting down to begin again in the new year I don’t have all the answers. That’s one of the scariest parts of change, we never will have all the answers. However, we follow and trust the God who does have all the answers. Hours of prayer and devotions have helped me face change and the fears that naturally come with it with confidence and peace.

• Prayer is your most important action through the process

  • I will not tell you a fairy tale, there is work involved on your part for change to occur. No one has ever lost 100 pounds or built a new mission for God without sweat and hard work. However, the most important priority in seasons of change it your personal prayer life. Jesus said, “faith can move mountains”, but in the book of Acts I see that most of the greatest movements, changes in direction, and outreach started in prayer not work. The work of stepping out followed God’s guidance and encouragement, which came through serious times of prayer.
• Not everyone will understand you, and not everyone can go with you
  • It would be great to say that when we get to our new building, our new destination, our new lifestyle everyone we love and are connected to will be there with us. That is simply not how life works.
  • First, some people with you, even at the start of the journey may realize that They simply can’t go with you, because they don’t understand. I can sincerely say it isn’t easy to watch people you know, love, respect, and sincerely care about not go. I think to Moses in the Bible, and realize that the reality was that many of the Israelite never really wanted to go from Egypt. They got out in the desert and couldn’t see for themselves what God was saying to Moses. Then their fear caused years of grumbling and complacency. In the end they caused a whole generation to die in the dessert.
    • It may be hard to let others go their own way, but if they really don’t understand what God is doing in you and those going with you. You must do the loving thing and help them move to where God can keep working in their lives in another place.
    • You may keep their friendship in the end by letting them go.
  • Unfortunately the lesson from the children of Israel also has a deeper consequence for others who may not join you. That is that they are not actually in tune with God at all and may just pull us backward if we left them.
    • I think of so many people over the years that I have prayed for to break their addictions, or poor habits. I’ve watched time and time again, as someone left drugs, alcohol, and even poor dieting. They seem to do well, but then they meet up with someone from their past or think they can help someone from their past. Instead of helping them, they soon find themselves being pulled back into places where they had been. That was the danger of the the Children of Israel, as many wanted to live in the past and not in the promise God planned.

• Be grateful for what God is doing and Celebrate Even the Small Victories

  • This is a good reminder no matter where we are in life or the journey of change. Be thankful and celebrate often. People too often forget to thank those who have helped, even those who may decide they can’t make the journey with you. Send a card, give a call, and recognize what God is doing in the lives of people. Thank God for the victories no matter how small, because it will help you to remember He is the one providing the way. It also, keeps you excited to be watching where God’s working next. Celebrate together too. It’s not just saying thanks but sharing it with others that becomes a strength to one another as you journey with others.
    • Celebrate when God is saving souls. Celebrate when doors open that you were not sure would open so easily. Celebrate, even when you might have to let go of the past.
      • Our church is preparing a Celebration of Remembrance, as we move out of our old facility and begin a new ministry focus. We decided we needed a final memorial service. This is to be a Celebration of Remembrance. In moving onto where God is calling us we are not denying that God has done great work in the past of the church or that the building had not at one time served as an epicenter of faith in the community.
      • In fact, as I am writing a book on the history I am being reminded in the first half of the church’s life it was doing what we are doing now. It was focusing outside itself and seeking to move with God to reach out in the community and live the Missional life God calls churches too. So, I’m sure I’ll share and celebrate some of our history as I prepare the book, and let everyone here get to remember and celebrate some of the victory’s of the past.
      • You see, while we can’t live or dwell in the past. We can celebrate and let it help reignite us into a new future. That is the joy of celebrating, even when it may be hard to say good bye to the past.

Where ever you are being called to change, be renewed, or re-birthed by God. Be encourage to trust Him. It may not always be easy, but know He will be with you. You are never alone.

+ May God Bless You on Your Journey with Jesus Today.

RE-POST: Celebrating 50,000 Baptisms – No Matter How Many Churches It Takes