Category: Church

God’s People

Adam Hamilton on Evangelism and the Case for Methodism

In Order to Reach Non-Religious People We Must Answer Three Crucial Questions:

  • Why do people need JESUS CHRIST?
  • Why do people need the CHURCH?
  • Why do people need A UNITED METHODIST CHURCH?

Adam’s answers to the above for the Church of the Resurrection:

  • Jesus is the answer to the deepest longing of every human heart.
  • The church is the physical embodiment of Jesus in the world. The church is a community that loves and accepts me, helps me grow, and then go out in service to the world.
  • Adam turns the final question to us: “What is special about your congregation?”

From Visitor to Member:

  • Saddleback’ s model: Invite – Disciple – Equip – Mission
  • COR’s adaptation: Invite folks to change the world, introduce them to who Jesus is, invite them into deeper discipleship, and equip disciples for service.

The Case for Methodism (United Methodists embrace both):

  • Mind and Heart
  • Evangelical Gospel and Social Gospel
  • Grace and Personal Holiness
  • Conservative and Liberal

You can check out the video at this link: “Evangelism and the Case for Methodism“

Adam Hamilton on Evangelism and the Case for Methodism

In Order to Reach Non-Religious People We Must Answer Three Crucial Questions:

  • Why do people need JESUS CHRIST?
  • Why do people need the CHURCH?
  • Why do people need A UNITED METHODIST CHURCH?

Adam’s answers to the above for the Church of the Resurrection:

  • Jesus is the answer to the deepest longing of every human heart.
  • The church is the physical embodiment of Jesus in the world. The church is a community that loves and accepts me, helps me grow, and then go out in service to the world.
  • Adam turns the final question to us: “What is special about your congregation?”

From Visitor to Member:

  • Saddleback’ s model: Invite – Disciple – Equip – Mission
  • COR’s adaptation: Invite folks to change the world, introduce them to who Jesus is, invite them into deeper discipleship, and equip disciples for service.

The Case for Methodism (United Methodists embrace both):

  • Mind and Heart
  • Evangelical Gospel and Social Gospel
  • Grace and Personal Holiness
  • Conservative and Liberal

You can check out the video at this link: “Evangelism and the Case for Methodism“

Adam Hamilton on Evangelism and the Case for Methodism

In Order to Reach Non-Religious People We Must Answer Three Crucial Questions:

  • Why do people need JESUS CHRIST?
  • Why do people need the CHURCH?
  • Why do people need A UNITED METHODIST CHURCH?

Adam’s answers to the above for the Church of the Resurrection:

  • Jesus is the answer to the deepest longing of every human heart.
  • The church is the physical embodiment of Jesus in the world. The church is a community that loves and accepts me, helps me grow, and then go out in service to the world.
  • Adam turns the final question to us: “What is special about your congregation?”

From Visitor to Member:

  • Saddleback’ s model: Invite – Disciple – Equip – Mission
  • COR’s adaptation: Invite folks to change the world, introduce them to who Jesus is, invite them into deeper discipleship, and equip disciples for service.

The Case for Methodism (United Methodists embrace both):

  • Mind and Heart
  • Evangelical Gospel and Social Gospel
  • Grace and Personal Holiness
  • Conservative and Liberal

You can check out the video at this link: “Evangelism and the Case for Methodism“

Adam Hamilton on Effective Worship and Preaching

Worship is like a “Soul Food Cafe:”

  • The discernment question for the congregation is “are we a 1 or 5 star restaurant? Are we serving a fresh, hot, tasty meal or warmed-over leftovers?”
  • The reality is that a majoirity people do not expect to have an experience of God or have their lives changed in worship.

Ideas for Improving Worship:

  • People must be “led” in worship.
  • Effective worship requires intentional design and effort (half of the hymns are sung about God and half of the hymns are sung to God – which hymn do you need and when?).
  • Five hours a week should be devoted to worship planning (theme, expectation, experience) and ten hours should be devoted to sermon preparation. Pastors need time to meditate on and research the sermon – guard this time at all costs.

The Aim of Preaching:

  • The aim of preaching is to fulfill the mission of the church.
  • You must discern the mission of the church in order to do direct your preaching (DUH).

The Three Components of Preaching That Connects:

  • Preachers must teach people something they did not know before.
  • Preachers must inspire people and touch the heart.
  • Preachers must issue a call to action.

Two Basis Sermon Types:

  • Movement from the BIBLE to EXEGESIS to APPLICATION to ILLUSTRATION.
  • Movement from HUMAN CONDITION to EXEGETE to BIBLE to ILLUSTRATE.
  • Adam alternates between these two patterns usually with the first pattern moving toward Christmas and Easter and the second pattern as a follow-up to Christmas and Easter.

Sermon Planning:

  • Adam spends one week a year planning his sermons for the next two years.
  • Adam asks his congregation before he leaves to plan his sermons this question: “Please tell me what sermon topics would help you grow?”

You can check out the video at this link: “Effective Worship and Preaching“

Adam Hamilton on Effective Worship and Preaching

Worship is like a “Soul Food Cafe:”

  • The discernment question for the congregation is “are we a 1 or 5 star restaurant? Are we serving a fresh, hot, tasty meal or warmed-over leftovers?”
  • The reality is that a majoirity people do not expect to have an experience of God or have their lives changed in worship.

Ideas for Improving Worship:

  • People must be “led” in worship.
  • Effective worship requires intentional design and effort (half of the hymns are sung about God and half of the hymns are sung to God – which hymn do you need and when?).
  • Five hours a week should be devoted to worship planning (theme, expectation, experience) and ten hours should be devoted to sermon preparation. Pastors need time to meditate on and research the sermon – guard this time at all costs.

The Aim of Preaching:

  • The aim of preaching is to fulfill the mission of the church.
  • You must discern the mission of the church in order to do direct your preaching (DUH).

The Three Components of Preaching That Connects:

  • Preachers must teach people something they did not know before.
  • Preachers must inspire people and touch the heart.
  • Preachers must issue a call to action.

Two Basis Sermon Types:

  • Movement from the BIBLE to EXEGESIS to APPLICATION to ILLUSTRATION.
  • Movement from HUMAN CONDITION to EXEGETE to BIBLE to ILLUSTRATE.
  • Adam alternates between these two patterns usually with the first pattern moving toward Christmas and Easter and the second pattern as a follow-up to Christmas and Easter.

Sermon Planning:

  • Adam spends one week a year planning his sermons for the next two years.
  • Adam asks his congregation before he leaves to plan his sermons this question: “Please tell me what sermon topics would help you grow?”

You can check out the video at this link: “Effective Worship and Preaching“

INTERPRETER magazine for May/June of 2009

The Interpreter magazine for May/June of 2009 asks the questions “What if we … Rethink Church?”  I am sure that it will only be a matter of time before our communication team’s marketing strategy, i.e. ReThink Church, becomes our theology for some.  Having said that, the question is on target, late in coming for too many churches, but right on target.  Consider the following articles:

INTERPRETER magazine for May/June of 2009

The Interpreter magazine for May/June of 2009 asks the questions “What if we … Rethink Church?”  I am sure that it will only be a matter of time before our communication team’s marketing strategy, i.e. ReThink Church, becomes our theology for some.  Having said that, the question is on target, late in coming for too many churches, but right on target.  Consider the following articles:

Healthy Congregations Task Force Report to the 2007 NC Annual Confernce

Below are the pieces of the Healthy Congregations Task Force to the 2007 session of the North Carolina Annual Conference. Since I was not able to join this task force’s preliminary work I hesitate to criticize the report. It was a valiant effort by some key leaders to get us focused on the congregational systems and not just clergy leadership. Ideally local congregations will take the healthy church assessment, be challenged by the accompanying bible study, and develop a Ministry Action Plan to implement what is learned by the congregations. The piece that is missing is how the broader church and the congregational leadership (clergy and lay) hold each other accountable to the plan’s implementation.

Find the appropriate resource below:

  1. Healthy Congregations Report
  2. Healthy Congregations Assessment
  3. Healthy Congregations Bible Study
  4. Healthy Congregations Ministry Action Plan

Healthy Congregations Task Force Report to the 2007 NC Annual Confernce

Below are the pieces of the Healthy Congregations Task Force to the 2007 session of the North Carolina Annual Conference. Since I was not able to join this task force’s preliminary work I hesitate to criticize the report. It was a valiant effort by some key leaders to get us focused on the congregational systems and not just clergy leadership. Ideally local congregations will take the healthy church assessment, be challenged by the accompanying bible study, and develop a Ministry Action Plan to implement what is learned by the congregations. The piece that is missing is how the broader church and the congregational leadership (clergy and lay) hold each other accountable to the plan’s implementation.

Find the appropriate resource below:

  1. Healthy Congregations Report
  2. Healthy Congregations Assessment
  3. Healthy Congregations Bible Study
  4. Healthy Congregations Ministry Action Plan

Following Disney into the Future?

In Leadership Journal Skie Jethani, teaching pastor of Blanchard Road Alliance Church in Wheaton, IL, describes the journey of Walt Disney's Tomorrowland.  50 years ago USAmericans were an optomistic bunch, convinced that technology would solve our problems.  Disney said it this way:

"Tomorrowland is a vista into a world of wondrous ideas, signifying
man's achievements…a step into the future, with predictions of
constructive things to come … and the hope for a peaceful and united
world."

It has proven expensive to keep Tomorrowland ahead of our fast-paced culture (any investment in technology does not stay current for long).  The result, Tomorrowland in recent years portrays "a tongue planted firmly in the cheek" version of the future that mirrors our jaded attitudes.  At least one writer laments Disney's loss of their optimistic prophetic voice.

Continue reading “Following Disney into the Future?” →