The Family Channel

by Pastor David Ferranti
Senior Pastor, Bay Valley Christian Church

“How do we raise a ‘G’ rated family in an ‘R’ rated world?” I believe it is very do-able, but certain principles and practices must be put into place in order to develop a happy, holy, and humble home.

Think back with me for a moment to how media has changed the scope of the family through television. In the 50’s, we had “I Love Lucy” and “Leave it to Beaver.” In the 60’s and 70’s, we had “The Brady Bunch” and “Happy Days.” In the 80’s, we had “The Cosby Show” and “Full House.” By the 90’s, we had shows like “Married with Children,” “The Simpson’s,” and “Roseanne.” And today, television gives us the “Family Guy” and “Two and a Half Men.”

Now, if you noticed – clear up through the 1980’s there was always at least a remnant of shows that shared family values we could model our homes after. But by the time we got to the 90’s, it became more difficult to watch TV with our families and find a “good role model.” And now today, most every show has a skewed perspective on the family. In fact, the “Family Guy” has taken to advertising itself as a “G-Rated” show. The “G” they say, stands for “Grown Up.” In reality, of course, the show is less about being “Grown up” than it is about being infantile and offensive.

Because media is displaying the dysfunctional family as normal and healthy, many families are growing accustomed to thinking this is normal. However, God did not intend for the family unit to be disconnected, argumentative, and dysfunctional. As Christians, our objective is to become more and more like Jesus because we are part of the family of God. When people look at us…they should see a family resemblance.

Let me ask you a few questions. Do you take communion in your home? Do you pray together as a family? Do you testify and speak the Word in your house? Have you consecrated your home to the Lord?

Remember, this world is not our home and ultimately, it has nothing to offer us. Jesus put it fairly harshly: “For what shall it profit a man (or his children, or his grandchildren, or great grandchildren, or his nephews and nieces), if (they) shall gain the whole world, and lose (their) souls?” Mark 8:36

A healthy home is a home centered on Jesus Christ. If Jesus is not the Lord of you and your family’s lives, than all is for naught.

I encourage you today; make serving the Lord your top priority. Set the spiritual temperature of your home; don’t allow the world to influence it.

Reference: Raising A G-Rated Family In An R-Rated World by Jeff Strite

Unforgettable Children’s Church Sermons

by Pastor Clarke Clemens
Children’s Pastor, RLC Grandville

People often feel that when teaching kids, creativity and content can’t coexist.  Either you have to go all-out in being fun, energetic and creative, at the expense of really teaching good content, or you have to hammer home Biblical points in a way that sacrifices creativity and inevitably leads to a room full of bored kids.

In RezKidz, we feel that you need to do both.  We encourage our children’s church volunteers to teach solid, Biblical lessons, and to do so in as creative a manner as possible.  In fact, we often state that it is the sin of children’s ministry to not use props, stories or other means by which to make the Biblical truths you’re teaching unforgettable.

Below are some ideas that can help your lessons come alive:

1. Props – Most of the props you can use are free!  Bring items from home to illustrate points – from the garage, your basement, kitchen, whatever – kids love to see you holding stuff while teaching.  It focuses their attention on an important point you want to make, plus it gives you something tangible to hold as you teach and seek to make a point memorable.
2. Family Photos – Bring photos of yourself – especially when you were a kid – your family, pets, vacations, etc.  These are especially useful when telling a story about yourself that you’re applying to a Biblical truth.
3. Google Images – Whether you have an overhead projector or a more expensive mounted projector – use free photos from Google Images to illustrate your points.  You can download photos of Biblical sites or simple items like animals, vehicles or people.  Whatever topic you’re teaching on – simply type that in the Google Images search window and see what turns up.  As you teach, put those photos up on the screen behind you.  (Whenever I’ve taught in rooms without a projector, I’ve simply printed the photos and held them up in my hands for the kids to see.)
4. Google Earth – Check-out this resource and load it on your laptop to allow kids to see that cities, rivers, oceans and nations in the Bible are actual, real-life places.  Kids and adults who haven’t seen this before will be amazed to see a ‘map’ come alive in front of their eyes.  And it’s free!
5. Stories – Kids love stories, especially about yourself when you were their age.  Even if you don’t consider yourself a storyteller, jump in and try out something and see how effective it can be.  When telling a story, try to mix the different points of the story with your teaching points.  End a ‘phase’ of your story right at a moment of suspense – then talk about a lesson point you want the kids to learn.  Then, when you feel they are getting restless, go back to your story and you will have the kids attention immediately!  Continue stopping at moments where the kids really want to know what’s going to happen – talk about another point from the teaching – then jump back to where you left off.  You will be amazed at how well you’ll be able to hold the kids attention – even those not known for listening quietly.
6. Video Clips – One of the best things I taught myself to do a couple years ago was to learn the Windows Movie Maker software that comes pre-loaded with most PCs.  All you need is a basic camcorder from home and your PC to make basic – yet creatively powerful – videos of your own!  Windows Movie Maker is about as basic as you can get with editing software – though some patience will be needed as you learn how to use this.  But the rewards will be great and you’ll soon find yourself eagerly desiring to make more videos.  Typically, I’ll make a 3 – 5 minute video to illustrate a point – sometimes by making it at home, outside, around church, in your car, wherever – just get creative. Kids will stay engaged and it gives you a few minutes in your teaching to get a breather, look at your notes, then jump back in.  You’ll get hooked on this teaching resource in no time!

These are just a few examples we’ve used to good effect over the years.  We’ve discovered that by making a children’s church lesson that is both chock full of good content, and creative and exciting, you will get and keep the kids attention, while helping them grow closer to Christ.  You will also expand the vision of your volunteer team of what they can do to bring the message the Lord has given them to new heights of effectiveness and fun!

For many more ideas, plus alot of other information about children’s ministry, I highly recommend the book The Fabulous Reinvention of Sunday School by Aaron Reynolds.

Dare to be Different

by Pastor David Ferranti
Senior Pastor, Bay Valley Christian Church

In the world we live today, the standards that Christians have set in place for their lives are becoming bleaker and bleaker. Slowly, the difference between believer and unbeliever is becoming unnoticeable.

Take a look at a few of these observations:

What Is the Difference . . .

• Between the atheist who would not dream of financially supporting the church and the Christian who will not financially support the Lord’s church?

• Between the skeptic who does not believe the Bible and the negligent Christian who never reads it?

• Between those who do not believe in Bible classes and those who choose never to attend a class?

• Between the atheist who does nothing to build up the Lord’s church and the Christian who finds fault with others but does nothing himself?

• Between a man of the world and a person in the church who lives like a man of the world?

These are tough questions for Christians who live in a tough world.  The fact is that Christians make no difference until they are different.

The word “Christian” actually means “little Christ or Christ-like.” So if we are calling ourselves followers of Christ, shouldn’t we model our lives after His and not after the world? If we’ve truly surrendered our life to Him, then there should be evidence of that through the change in us. Christians are meant to be different. Our character, our actions, our words, and our attitudes should be different.

Ephesians 5:8-9 says, “For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.”

In addition, the Lord tells us that even though we are in the world, we are not to be of the world. John 15:18-19 reads, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”

I want to encourage you to live your life after the One who truly stood out from the rest. Jesus dared to be different. I encourage you today to follow His example.

Read Me My Rights!

By Todd Staal
Associate Pastor Men’s Ministry, Resurrection Life Church

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights?

Hopefully not too many that read this will have had this statement recited to them by a man or woman in a uniform of authority.  Nevertheless men and women battle to be certain their rights are protected in homes all across this nation.  Allow me to clarify.

One of the largest complaints my wife, Cheryl, and I hear in our time spent with countless troubled or broken couples, married or preparing to do so, is that they believe their rights to proper treatment by the other has been compromised.  Inevitably they come to a point where this violation has led to a complete silence in communication, breaking off of physical interaction, and loss of any hope of a satisfying life together.  Perhaps as you are reading this article it is describing your exact situation.  Your rights have been stomped on, disrespected, and you are sick and tired of it!  I encourage you, read on.

There is something intriguing about our 21^st century Americanized sense of entitlement.  You needn’t look far to see headlines about union strikes, constitutional boundaries, or special interest groups waving a flag regarding their outlined rights.  So after hundreds of years of indoctrinations of this manner it is no surprise that it would bleed into our personal relationships.  It arrives under the camouflage of lifestyle expectations, service mandates, and even prenuptial agreements.  So then, how did an institution created by a loving, merciful, self sacrificing God, become occupied by such a self preserving attitude?  A one word definition works…focus.

Only one time in history have I seen God show partiality in the relationship between a man and woman.  It is found in Genesis 2 when He said, “It is not good that man should be alone”.  Ever since then He has expressed an extreme desire for unity through preferential love and unconditional service towards one another.

Men you are admonished to “love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Eph 5:25),  “dwell with them with understanding” (1 Peter 3:7), and “not be bitter toward them” (Col 3:19).  Likewise women you are instructed to “be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives” (1 Peter 3:1), and “let the wife see that she respects her husband” (Eph 5:33).  I would say these job descriptions are quite plain to understand, and if combined with proper motives and heart conditions, could make for a beautiful marriage.  In my last sentence lies the key to making or breaking the deal.

If; a conditional word that leaves success or failure hanging in the balance.  You have heard it before; if I invest a dollar a day, I will be…If I only had…If My people who are called by my name…  The God who framed the world with words is not one that accepts “ifs” as a condition to obedience to His instructions.  This is where the plan broke down.  We decided somewhere that we could no longer trust God to vindicate us as David did and we would have to create an escape route to our job description.  Thus enters statements like, “If she can’t respect me, then she can get out!”, “If he won’t pay attention to me, I’ll find someone who will!”, and they all arrive at one conclusion…what about my rights?

If you are still with me, here is the heart of God’s plan that He wants us to see.  He loves each of so much, He desires our hearts to be knit so closely with His that we see through His eyes and trust Him completely.  His original marriage agreement never included prenuptial agreements or a bill of rights, but only a hope that in giving an outline of instructions and the ultimate example through Jesus Christ, we would love Him enough to keep our end of the deal till death separates us.  It’s not easy to return love for disrespect or honor for ill treatment and in 18 years I have violated those instructions plenty.  But one day I came to understand that my wife’s gentle and quiet spirit is very precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 3:4) and He would not tolerate me ignoring that forever and that all my prayers were silent in my disobedience.  That, my friends, broke my heart when I understood that it broke God’s.  Then there was no room for me any longer.

Take the “me” out of your marriage today.  Allow God to see your obedience to His instruction as husbands and wives.  Cry out “how long?” if you must but don’t waver.  Things will change…oh yes, things will change

Help! I Don’t Know What I’m Doing!

By Chris Moon
Lead Pastor, Resurrection Life Church – Northern Michigan

Five years ago, I was called from the corporate world into full-time ministry with little training as to what being a senior pastor of a church entailed.

I want to share the wisdom that I have obtained through my journey with the Lord as He used me to help build His Kingdom in Northern Michigan.

1. Get people around you that do know what they are doing
Seek wisdom from those that have gone before you.  Look at other thriving churches and ask questions.  Find out what works and what doesn’t work for other people’s ministry.  Ideas that work for some churches may not work for yours.  Look for things that other ministries are doing well.  Don’t recreate the wheel.  You have to know your people and culture and what will reach them.

2. Read, Read, Read – Growth Happens in You
Fill yourself with as much knowledge as possible.  A few great resources that have given me a lot of insight are:

Purpose Drive Church by Rick Warren

Developing the Leader within You by John Maxwell

How to Stop the Pain by James Richards

Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus

Wild at Heart by John Eldridge

17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork by John Maxwell

3. Take One Day at a Time
Remember it took God seven days to create the universe, so it is going to take time to build your ministry.  Seek God daily and see what He would have you to do today.  Growth happens one person and one family at a time.

4. Wait for Your Leaders
Start off building your ministry before you begin several different ministries.  Don’t start a youth ministry before you find a leader.  Know that you are called to be a senior pastor, you have a responsibility to minister to the youth and children and for a season you will have to be their pastor.

5. Start Looking for Faithful People to Raise Up
You have to watch/shepherd your people.  Find those people that are faithful with what God has given them in their lives.  It has been my experience that those that are faithful in the small are those that have the greatest potential to raise up.  Look for the people that will go the extra mile.  Stay away from the people who just want more of your time.

6. Teach on Tithing
Many churches stay away from teaching on tithing.  People have to learn that it’s not about you, the church or God wanting their money.  As a senior pastor you have a responsibility to teach people how to get God’s blessings on their life.

These are the ideas that I have found to be effective in our ministry in Northern Michigan.

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