by Pastor David Ferranti
Senior Pastor, Bay Valley Christian Church

As pastors, we need to evaluate the preaching of the Word in our churches. Looking at Paul’s four instructions to Timothy, he says “But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you” (2 Timothy 4:5 NLT). Let’s focus on the last instruction Paul gave Timothy: Fully carry out the ministry God has given you. Across the centuries, a consensus has emerged among theologians that all the vital duties of the pastor(s) of a local church can be reduced to three items: Word, Sacrament, and Discipline. As we focus on the Word, keep in mind a faithful pastor will present God’s Word three ways: explanation, revelation, and the prophetic.

The Explained Word

The first time in scripture that we see a man stand behind a pulpit to read and discuss the Word of God is in Nehemiah 8:1-3. “Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.” This is amazing to me. Ezra stood from morning until midday reading the Bible and that whole time the people were attentive. Not only that, but the leaders had to send the people away. They didn’t even desire to go! Why? Because the Word was being given with explanation and the people were listening intently. As Dr. Ken Chant author of Building the Church God Wants and pastor in Sydney, Australia says, “The poorest speaker can be lifted to eloquence if he is faced by an enthusiastic and attentive audience. We preachers need to teach our people how to be devout hearers of the Word of God, rather than listening to clever sermons. It is substantially our own fault that the people have “itching ears”, and only want to hear “good” preachers. We have exalted the preacher above the pulpit; the messenger above the message; the worker above the Word. The people must learn, not just to hear a sermon, but to listen for the voice of God.”

The Revealed Word

The second part of the pastor’s duty lies in bringing his people the revealed Word of God. In Ephesians, Paul is praying for the people in the churches he’s founded. He prays “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” (Ephesians 1:17-19). Paul wanted the people’s spiritual eyes to be opened so that they would not merely have knowledge of God and His Word, but also revelation of them. When we go beyond knowledge of the scriptures into a revelation of them, we understand the power we can operate in and the great calling we have through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Prophetic Word

The last way a faithful pastor presents God’s Word is through the prophetic. In other words, we need to seek God for the strategy He has for our church. One thing is true about the Lord, He seldom repeats a strategy. Therefore what may work for one church may not be the same for another. We must seek God for His fresh strategy for our church. And over time, the strategy may change. Take Israel for example. As they marched through the wilderness toward the Promised Land, they had many battles to fight in order to capture the territory. Before going into each battle, they sought the Lord for His strategy. And when they sought the Lord and followed His plan, they had the victory.  It is the same for us. If we will seek the Lord for His plan, we will see the victory in our church and in our community.

In conclusion, I encourage us as the Church to take the Word of God seriously. We need to be a people who are attentive to His word and attentive to His voice.

Reference: Building the Church God Wants by Dr. Ken Chant

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.

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

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.

March 15 -18, 2009

Main Speakers:

Duane Vander Klok
Brian Zahnd
Chris Hodges
James Garlow

Costs:
$105.00 for a single on or before March 2nd. $155.00 a single after March 2nd.
$180.00 for a couple on or before March 2nd. $230.00 a couple after March 2nd.

REGISTER NOW AT LEADERSHIP2009.ORG

Basic Schedule:

Sunday, March 15

• 5 – 6 p.m.    A Night of Worship with RLCI Affiliate Worship Leaders
• 6 p.m. – ?    Leadership Conference Connection

Monday, March 16

• 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.   Registration – Ground Floor Lobby & Complimentary Breakfast
• 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Session One/Duane Vander Klok – Worship Center
• 10:30 – 11 a.m.    Refreshments
• 11 – 11:50 a.m.    Session Two/Brian Zahnd – Worship Center
• 12 – 1 p.m.           Lunch Options:

- Luncheon/Brian Zahnd – Ground Floor | Ticket required; limited seating
- Worship Luncheon/Ken Reynolds – Hospitality Suite | Ticket required; limited seating
- Olive Tree Café or local restaurants available

• 1:15 – 2:15 p.m.   Electives
• 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.   Electives
• 7– 8:30 p.m.         Session Three/Brian Zahnd– Worship Center
• 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. Conference Connection-Ground Floor

Tuesday, March 17

• 8 – 8:45 a.m.            RLCI Info Meeting & Leaders For Christ Resource Introduction – Chapel
• 8:30  – 8:50 a.m.      Praise & Worship – Worship Center
• 8:50 – 9:40 a.m.       Session Four/Brian Zahnd – Worship Center
• 9:40-10:10 a.m.       Refreshments
• 10:10 – 11 a.m.        Session Five/Chris Hodges – Worship Center
• 11 – 11:25 a.m.        Refreshments
• 11:25 – 12:15 p.m.   Session Six/Pastor Duane Vander Klok – Worship Center
• 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.     Lunch Options:

- Luncheon/Chris Hodges – Ground Floor | Ticket required; limited seating
- Worship Luncheon/Guest – Hospitality Suite | Ticket required; limited seating
- Olive Tree Café or local restaurants available

• 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.        Electives
• 3 – 4 p.m.                  Electives
• 7– 8:30 p.m.              Session Seven/Chris Hodges – Worship Center
• 8:30 – 10:30 p.m.      Conference Connection – Ground Floor

Wednesday, March 18

• 8:30 – 8:50 a.m.          Praise & Worship – Worship Center
• 8:50 – 9:40 a.m.          Session Eight/James Garlow – Worship Center
• 9:40-10:10 a.m.          Refreshments
• 10:10 – 11 a.m.           Session Nine/Chris Hodges – Worship Center
• 11 – 11:25 a.m.           Refreshments
• 11:25 – 12:15 p.m.      Session Ten/James Garlow – Worship Center
• 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.        Lunch Options:

- Luncheon/James Garlow – Ground Floor | Ticket required; limited seating
- Olive Tree Café or local restaurants available

• 1:30 – 7 p.m.               Break
• 7 – 8:30 p.m.               Session Eleven/James Garlow – Worship Center

By Pastor Pat Binish
Resurrection Life Church, Grandville

What effect does a nursery have in a church and in families?

There are two very equal yet opposite view points of children in church.   One says children should worship with their parents as a family unit through the entire service experience.  The other view point says that children should have their own ‘children’s church’ where they can learn and grow in an environment geared around their age and learning ability.  Both these view points are correct and should be respected as the parental belief and desire.  These two view points have many variations in between such as having the children attend the Praise and Worship, and then are taken to their children’s rooms when the preaching begins.

So what is correct?   I have been honored in observing and assisting thousands of nursery and preschool aged children advance in their understanding with God over the past 15 years.   Like any other adult, I have formed a preference in which style is most effective for developing strong young teens and adults in later years, while fully respecting others styles and practices.  But what does the Bible lead us to?

There is a passage found in Matthew 21:14-16 which says, “Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.  But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”  And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?” NKJV

Jesus  quoted to them Psalm 8:2 which says  “Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength,  because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.” NKJV The words ‘ordained strength’ or ‘praise’ used here is defined as “Loud outward singing and shouting praises onto God”.  Jesus’ response lets us know they were indignant with the children’s actions and words.   

A church’s nursery and preschool areas are to be a ministry and not a daycare facility.  Children in these early years are formidable and sponges to take in the Word of God.  There is another scripture which does a beautiful job at describing how children should learn.   Isa 28:9-10 and13 “Who does Isaiah think he is,” the people say, “to speak to us like this! Are we little children, barely old enough to talk?  He tells us everything over and over again, a line at a time and in such simple words!”   …   “So the Lord will spell it out for them again, repeating it over and over in simple words whenever he can;”  TLB

Isaiah’s words, applied to our churches nurseries, will bring God’s Living Word into children’s lives early and effectively.   Bring forth the elementary teachings to children to build a foundation in them.  Do it with repetition, simplicity and consistency.  A nursery ministry fulfills Gods plan to bring His Word into the babes and nursing infants, and prepares them for a lifetime of serving Him.

1. Have a message worth sharing–Ok, I know I’m talking to pastors here so this should be an easy one. Yes, your message is worth sharing, but take this a step further. Having a message worth sharing means you should look at what you are trying to get across and boil it down to the heart of the message. Think how your message would read if it was a front page story. The headline and the first paragraph would have the most important information, then the rest of the story builds on that. Giving all the facts is not nearly as effective as giving the most important ones and then reinforcing them with the details.

2. Give them a “next step”–I’ve heard pastors give great sermons, but fail to provide a next step for people to take. That doesn’t just mean an altar call, though that’s important to provide. It also means thinking about what questions people might have. For example: If you’re teaching your staff about the importance of integrity. Don’t just say, “You’ve got to have it.” Answer the question, “How do I get integrity?” by giving some examples of how you or someone else built a lifestyle of integrity. That’s giving them a “next step.”

3. Tell them again–It’s the principal we learned for writing school papers. Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Then, tell them. Then, tell them what you told them. Reiterating the value and the heart of what’s important. This helps them retain what is so important about what you are telling them.

4. Genuinely care–We are in the church, so you’d think we’d have this down. Didn’t Paul say that if we don’t have love we’re like a noisy gong? Well, the principle applies to communications too. You can have the most fabulous message, presented in the most dynamic way, but if you don’t genuinely care about the people you are communicating with, then that’s what you’ll communicate the most. A great message from someone who doesn’t care is like giving someone a drink of their favorite hot tea without a cup. They might get the message, but they weren’t able to receive it as nearly as well as they would have if you’d included it in a cup of genuine love.