They are Leaving and May Not be Coming Back!

Two thirds of Americans born between 1980 and 1991 identify themselves as Christians, but most do not regularly pray, read the Bible or attend church, according to findings of a new LifeWay Research study.  See the following link:

http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/5092/53/

Wow!  This is a big deal.  I’ve read in other places that usually a generation returns in their 20s as they settle down after college (especially when families begin).  I realize people are ‘settling down’ and having families later in life.  Still this new generation is not coming back.  Just think about this recent survey.  65 percent of people who profess to be Christian admit they don’t go, don’t practice, and don’t pray.  Wow.  This is not a survey of folks who don’t claim to believe.  That makes this quite startling.

So what does this mean for the future?  Some say this is yet another warning that some denominations may not survive and many, many churches are facing an end in the years to come.  In the next few decades as the dedicated go to be with God and with fewer coming some churches will not be able to survive.

What hope is there?  What can we do?

*Reach the unchurched. If 65 percent claim to know Christ and do not come we should not give up on them but we should focus on the many, many who have not had any connection and are not believers.   Evangelism becomes crucial.  We have to do a better job at reaching those who are not yet hardened by bad experiences, etc.

*Strong children and youth ministries are needed. The old image of youth and children ministries is often that of pizza and games.  This image must change.  We need to do serious theological, biblical, and discipleship studies with our youth/students.  Our younger children need to have a strong start in faith.  This is vital.

*Begin talking and dealing with this problem among young adults. The dechurched/previously churched young adults who are not coming need to be treated with love and respect.  We need to develop conversations with that age group and talk about what they would like to see their churches do and what would help them.

*An overall church health exam needs to be done in every church. Are we doing the ‘stuff’ the church needs to do- worship, evangelism, missions, stewardship, Bible teaching, caring for the people, and living holy lives.  Are we going deeper or are things ‘shallow.’  Are we playing it safe or taking risks.  Are we challenging our folks?  Are we about ministry or taking care of the institution?  Are we into cheap grace or costly grace?

This report is a wake up call. What about the generation after this one?  We don’t know yet but we have time to work hard and perhaps see better results.

Blessings,

Derik

Remembering Dr. Cecil Sherman

In 1997 I took “The Life and Work of the Pastor” with Dr. Cecil Sherman at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.  That experience changed my life.  I also had the pleasure to take “Baptist Heritage” with Dr. Sherman and those two classes shaped me in ways that I find hard to describe.  Dr. Sherman became more than a professor to me but a hero and a role model.   Through the years I enjoyed when I had a chance to say hello to my former professor.  I enjoyed reading his autobiography when he came out and it was like reliving those days again.  Last spring I gathered with three of my friends (all former students of Dr. Sherman) and spent the day at his apartment talking about preaching and ministry.  We were recently working on having him spend some more time with us when we heard the word about his heart attack and then days later his death.

The reality is that Dr. Cecil Sherman will go down in the Baptist history books as a shaper of Baptist history.  Dr. Sherman served the local church for decades as a pastor and in that time served as a model to many other pastors about the role a minister needs to fill in God’s work.  During that time he saw the fundamentalist take over shaping up in the Southern Baptist Convention and he worked hard to stop the devastation that would follow.  And when the SBC was lost and left her heritage it was Dr. Sherman who worked hard to help launch the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) and create a place for Baptists to do mission and ministry outside of the SBC.  He served as the first coordinator and worked hard to share the CBF story and grow the CBF.  He also championed Baptist principles and defended what it really means to be a Baptist.  Then when most folks would have retired he spend the next dozen years teaching at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond and focused primarily on teaching Baptist Heritage and his famous “Life and the Work of the Pastor” class.  On top of this he spent years writing the commentary material for Smyth and Helwys Sunday School literature.  The past few years S and H released five volumes of his commentary and his autobiography.  He spent the past few years working on turning his “Life and Work of the Pastor” class into a book.  When he was sick with cancer he prayed he might finish his one last project and five days before his heart attack he emailed his final chapter.  And above all this Dr. Sherman was a devoted husband and father.  He was there for his wife and cared for her during years of health issues as she suffered from Alzemiers.

To me I will always remember this tall lanky man who walked into the classroom and just spoke the truth with a wit and humor that had to be experienced to be believed.  He talked about serious matters and basic issues of ministry that might sound trivial but if you are a preacher you know make all the difference in the world.  He didn’t pull punches.  He didn’t shy from controversy.  He said what he thought.  He didn’t ask for you to agree but he did want you to think.  Despite his national image and his role in Baptist history he would probably best want to be known as a loving husband, father and pastor.    Many preachers have lost their love for the church.  There are many who are bitter at the state of church life and how things can go in congregations.  Not Dr. Sherman.  He was a pastor who loved being a pastor.  He was a pastor who loved the church.  His desire was for us to be the best pastors we could be and the best Baptists we could be.

I learned so much from Dr. Sherman.  I have kept my class notes close to me for thirteen years.  I have used his Baptist class materials in my own ministry and teaching for years.  I keep his “Life and Work of the Pastor” notes by my desk and refer to them on various issues.  I often ask, “WWCD?” (What would Cecil Do?)  When I have gone before a search committee I read his notes on how to do that.  When I face budget, staff, or other issues I turn to his notes.  When I am thinking about how tough decisions I imagine my mentor and hero and think about what he would tell me.  Dr. Sherman was one of the biggest shapers of my ministry.  There have been others.  My time at BTSR was rich and wonderful.  I had the fortune to study under Dr. Graves, Dr. Hinson, and so many others.  I’ve had some great academic teachers but Dr. Sherman was able to weave academics and practical ministry together in a way that I simply stand in awe.

I have grieved this past week as if I have lost a family member.  After seminary I didn’t get to speak to him often but every time I ran into him it was like we had just spoken.  He was glad to see me and he wanted to know how ministry was going.  His commentary series and notes have been useful companions to me through the years.  And as I think about the role in played in the bigger Baptist world I realize that without folks like Dr. Sherman there would have been no where for non-fundamentalists to go when the SBC fell.  As the SBC abandoned the legacy of Thomas Helwys, Roger Williams, John Leland, Lottie Moon, George Truett, Wayne Oates, Herschel Hobbes, and so many others I realize that it was folks like my old professor who created a path out of the wilderness of despair and loss to a new and brighter future for Baptists in North America who long to hold to the cherished principles and yet who long to do new and exciting things in the name of Christ.

And so Dr. Sherman thank you!  You have run the race!  You have finished well.  Your last sermon has been preached.   Your final lesson has been taught.   And now your final book has been completed.  Thank you for teaching me to be a free and faithful Baptist.  May all of us who learned from you and who benefit from your efforts continue on and may we not drop the ball.  May we pick up the baton and carry on in this race until we gather on the other side.  May you join the great cloud of witnesses and cheer us on.   We give thanks!

Blessings,

Derik

Musings about Avatar

I finally saw “Avatar.”  My wife and I were able to get a date night and headed to the local dollar theater to watch the much discussed James Cameron movie.  I wish I had been able to watch it in 3D but don’t regret saving the money.  I”m a big fan of the buck theater.  It’s actually three bucks at night for two to go but it sure feels better than twenty bucks plus six dollars for the 3D charges. 

This blog site is a religious one so you may be wondering why I’m talking about my movie date!  I am responding because I had heard some grumbling in religious circles about the movie and felt I should respond.  Southern Baptist leaders like Al Mohler blast the movie for being “New Age” and promoting goddess worship, teaching pantheism and other issues.  In fact Mohler hosted a panel discussion at his theological seminary about the movie!  One of his professors blasted it for being anti-military on a podcast.  I realize the claims of movies such as “The Da Vinci Code” almost beg for a religious reponse, but did this one?

I think sometimes there are folks who are looking for a fight everywhere.  

Avatar was a wonderful movie that not only told a great story but had the most amazing special effects I’ve seen in awhile.  Since so many movies are remakes it was nice to see an original story for a change.

As I saw the movie I thought about the complaints I had heard.  I have to say that this movie reminds me of “Dances with Wolves.”  The aliens are basically blue skin Native Americans from our own history.  The idea of a greedy cooperation hiring a military force (they aren’t even officialy the US military but hired former soldiers) to take land away from natives for something valuable in the land is not that far fetched!  We’ve seen this story in our history books (just not in space).  I’m not sure why Christians have to be mad about a movie that longs for peace among nations!

As for the religious elements I have to say that this movie is fiction.  Fiction means it is not real.  If I were creating a new world with aliens who act like tribal people on earth then I’d create a religion to go with them.  Nature worship seems to be a believable worship for them.  Yes the movie shows them connecting literally to the planet and all being connected and I imagine that the writer of this movie did draw from religious ideas similar to that on our world.  Still it’s fiction.  When you watch it you don’t think, “Now I”m going to start a church based on this belief system!”  I don’t think we’ll be flying on lizards and plugging our pony tails into trees (see the movie to get this comment) any time soon.  I remember how Battle Star Galatica drew from Mormonism (yes you have to know about Mormonism to catch this).  They weren’t promoting Mormonism but they created a religious system that blended Greek mythology and Mormon type beliefs and this was done because it worked for the movie.  When you create a fictional world you create fictional politics and religious beliefs.  And there is nothing original so you draw from what is around you if you are writing such a world. 

Some argue that movies and stories like this have a secret motive to entice you to give up your faith and accept a non-Christian religon.  If someone does this after watching a movie then their faith isn’t very strong.  I honestly believe most movie makers motivations are more financial than anything else.  They want to tell a story that you enjoy so you’ll spend your money on it!

Yet I would say that churches need to develop thinking Christians who can watch movies and read books and think and discern as they do.  Draw ideas that are helpful but don’t accept views that might not be! 

On that note why not think about what a movie like Avatar could teach us?  I would say that it teaches that peace is better than war.  It teaches that we should talk and connect with others.  The movie deals with racism, hatred, genocide, violence, and justice.  All of these are concept Christians should want to discuss!  And while I am not a pantheist nor do I worship a goddess I do agree that all of nature is a gift of God, and what came before does matter, and all of life while not being God is from God.  When the characters hunted animals they would take the beasts lives but give thanks for the gift and sacrifice given.  I give thanks to God every time I eat.  I do not abuse or misuse the world and creations God gave me. 

I watched Avatar and had a great time.  I enjoyed the story as a great story. I loved the technology.  Then I thought about the messages.  And as a thinking Christian I am able to discern and if challenged I can disagree with things I might see/hear that do not agree with my faith.  I am not afraid to do this and find it helps me grow. I also look for that which might help me grow in faith.  Many times movies that had no intentional religious message have spoken to me in many ways.

To those who get so bent out of shape go see Alvin and the Chipmunks- the Squeakel!  I’m not sure there is much in that one that threatens anyone- except bad singing.

Blessings,

Derik

Holy Week Musings

It is Holy Week.  I’ve been slow in my blogs so far this year and hope to do better but I did not want this week to pass me by without a word about the importance of the week.  I just posted my final articles regarding the roles of a pastor and wanted to also publish these comments about this week.

Today is Good Friday.  Some say why is it Good Friday?  In Germany it might originally have been called Mourning Friday.  Some say the original name might have been God’s Friday and become Good Friday.  For Christians it is ‘good’ only because of what Sunday happens.  If Jesus had died and that was the end of the story then this day would be Bad Friday.  But it is good not for Jesus’ but for us!  And because this day brings Sunday which brings Resurrection and not just for Jesus but us.

Tonight I’ll be preaching, “Let’s talk about what we don’t want to talk about.”  I’m going to talk about suffering, pain, torture, and death.  Excited yet?  I realize Palm Sunday (last week) and this Sunday (Easter) get’s more attendance because of the joy of those days.  Yet we skip Friday at our own loss.  This day brings the two together.  There is a huge vacuum without it.  I hope you will attend a Good Friday service tonight.  Some of you attended a Maundy Thursday service in your congregations last night.  That night is a night to remember the Lord’s Supper (the term means a New Commandment).  We did not do one this year (but have in the past).  Baptists are from the free church tradition and do Holy Week how the local church feels lead and so we’ve experimented in various ways.

Sunday is Easter and I hope you’ll attend your church!  This Sunday I’m preaching on 1 Corinthians 15 and focusing on, “What’s all this fuss about anyway?”  Paul talks about what this resurrection means and why it matters.  This Easter is one of those times when the churches in the West and East comes together (we don’t always celebrate on the same due to the way we set the dates in the East and West).  So when you gather this Sunday be excited that believers from all stripes and all over the world in all types of way will be praising God.

May God bless you this Easter weekend.  I’m challenging my church to make Easter 2010 a decision day.  Make that day a day to make a fresh start and decide to do what God is calling you to do.   If you have yet to accept Christ then do so!  If you have yet to be baptized then do so!  If you are ready to commit to our (or your church) as a member- then do so (in today’s culture many folks go to church for years without becoming a member of their church).  If you need to recommit yourself and reconnect your faith then do so.

Blessings,

Derik

Leader

This is the final article in a series I began awhile back on the roles a minister must play in a church.  The minister is a preacher, pastor, prophet, teacher, and finally a leader.  All that we do is to serve as a leader in the local church and sometimes beyond.  This is a serious role and one that means we have a very big job indeed!

This does not mean the minister is a ‘boss’, ‘king’, or ‘dictator!’  Some ministers believe they are the CEOs or the heads of the church.   During the struggles in my own heritage (the Southern Baptist Convention struggle) the fundamentalists who took over the denomination claimed the pastor was to be the head of the church and this group often promotes the authority of the pastor.  In some churches it is that way.  The pastor calls all the shots!  In other churches it is a group of people- elders or deacons who ‘run’ the church.  I find this all very sad.  The head of the church is Christ.  Deacons are to be servants in the church.  The one who runs the church should be God.  Power struggles have destroyed so many congregations.  The senior pastor is also a servant but I would use the term Servant Leader.

Bottom line– any organization needs leadership.  Pastors are called by the church and entrusted with such leadership.  In a Baptist congregation we use a congregational process where every member has a vote and voice.  The church I serve uses committees to serve in various ministries.  The deacons work with the pastor to provide pastoral care and service to the church.  And I believe as pastor I am to provide spiritual leadership.

I do this through all the jobs I serve.  As a preacher, teacher, prophet, and pastor I am leading!  I am equipping and enabling the flock to do ministry!  We are serving together but a smart pastor is leading the way to model what this service looks like.  A good pastor leads by encouraging others and by promoting conversation and helping guide the church.  A good pastor leads by listening to others.  I may have an idea that I believe is best but after listening to others I realize my idea isn’t the best!  Above all I am to listen to the Holy Spirit and to guide the entire church to listen to the HS together!

In a top down approach things might move faster.  If I were the ‘boss’ I bet things would happen faster.  Still folks would be doing what they are told and ownership is not there.  But if the people ‘buy into’ or become  a part of the the process then the decision comes from the body and is not given to the body.  This sometimes is slower but it provides ownership and has more success.

This doesn’t mean I have no role in the direction.  As pastor I am the leading vision caster but as I provide vision and direction I am smarter when I am doing so as I work with the people and in community and not isolation.  And if I’m listening my vision may expand, transform, or become much greater than by myself.  And sometimes the leading vision comes from someone who then inspires me!  But my job as leader is to help that leading vision (wherever it comes from) to grow and flourish as I encourage and enable others to join together to fulfill God’s plan.

Through the work I do I am also bringing God’s word before the people.  As we preach and study the Bible together then transformation for all of us happens.  There is not a sermon I give that does not first preach to me!

I realize not everyone sees leadership in the same way but it is clear that one of the hats I put on as pastor is that of a leader.  Without a leader a church will go in circles, fight, and fall apart.

Blessings,

Derik

Teacher

I’ve been writing about the various roles a pastor fills (preacher, pastor, prophet, teacher, and leader).  This image of teacher is a crucial one.  The minister has the role of a teacher who educates and leads in spiritual formation.   Think about it!  A church member turns to his/her pastor for knowledge and learning on so many issues.  I get questions about church history, the Old Testament, New Testament, theology, ethics, world religions, and on and on the list goes.  I do not believe the minister has to have all the answers! But the minister should be able to address those type of issues.  This is why it is very important that a minister not just attend seminary but stay a life long learner.  I went to college, then seminary and then got another seminary degree and have just scratched the surface of all that I desire to learn.  A wise minister will continue to attend ongoing educational experiences, spiritual formation experiences, and become a big reader.

Sound difficult?  You bet it is.  It is rewarding though because I am able to learn with the people and to equip and enable others to become life long learners as well.  I was once told that the original goal of seminary was for the person to leave the local church, go and learn and then bring back to the church what they have learned.

I am a strong supporter of an educated clergy.  Some denominations have not been in favor of this at various points in history.  Even today there are those who feel called to preach and believe that is good enough.  Would one go to a doctor who simply felt led to practice medicine and just read some medical journals?  We require school teachers, police officers, medical professionals, lawyers, and others to have training and preparation.  If a person tells me that he or she is called to pastor I am excited but with a calling comes a responsibility.  Part of that is to seek proper training and education.  One warning though to those of us who have been educated in ministry.  A diploma alone does not make one a successful pastor and the degree doesn’t mean we have arrived and know it all!

When and how do we teach?  In everything we do!  We teach through our sermons, Bible studies, meetings, training sessions, and every day conversations.  Everything we do is a teaching experience!  And we are doing more than just teaching facts but our goal is to lead in spiritual formation.  Learning intellectually is great but that must lead to life transformation.  Our goal as ministers is head and heart growth!  I really want the church to be a thinking and doing church!

In the church where I pastor I take this role seriously.  I have attempted to lead the church to offer places of learning and growth in various ways.  We work to provide a strong Sunday School for all ages.  We also work to provide other learning experiences outside of Sunday School.  SS is great but the time is limited and you can only go so far.  So we offer ongoing Bible studies during our mid week service throughout the year.  During the school year I have led in other special studies for adults while the youth and children attend classes.  I also try to approach everything I do as a ‘teacher.’

One of the concerns that I am hearing in religious life in the USA today is that we have a huge Biblical ignorance in the pews.  I don’t mean that in a cruel way.  I’m saying that Biblical literacy is at a all time low.  Folks do not know the Bible or theology.    We can complain or we can do something about it.  Churches need to step up and do something about it!

So ministers need to become teachers and to train and equip those in the churches to teach and help make the church a place that transforms lives!

Blessings,

Derik