- Develop a prayer team to meet in one of the classrooms during Sunday morning or Wednesday night class.
- Develop a prayer group to meet in the auditorium for an hour, before Bible class begins, to pray for your day.
- When praying spend more time praising Him and thanking Him than pleading with Him. Tell God you know He is the one running the show and thank Him for His skill and provision.
- Study the "One another" passages in the N.T. We scheduled such a class at Memorial...a one time event...when I first moved here. I announced from the pulpit we would have such class a next Friday night at 10:00 believing only the seriously interested would attend that late. Twelve showed...each explaining they would need to leave by 11:00 or 11:30. I just smiled. No one left until 6:00 a.m. We studied all through the night.
- Learn to anticipate the Holy Spirit living among you; within you. My book on Empowering the Ordinary is one guide to the Holy Spirit's activity among us.
- Break the tradition of church assemblies for the benefit of children. Cancel Wednesday night or Sunday night to offer a party for your children and neighborhood children. Have a County Fair in your parking lot for the neighborhood.
- Ask the song leaders to quit talking and lead. The more a congregation can go from song to song without interruptions the more it seems to have a positive worship affect on the spirit of the church.
- Begin a contagion of discussing informally about God moving among you. Be living testimonies of praising God for the wonderful...even seemingly small....things that happen to you. The more you praise Him it seems the more He gives you to praise Him. He works. Say so wherever you are with any in the body...tell of His greatness and those who hear will be inspired.
- Read books about Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God working. Randy Harris' new book, God Work, is a place to start. Henri Nouwen's The Wounded Healer is exceptional. Fill your mind with news about Jesus. This will permeate the congregation.
- Refrain from worrying over a brotherhood you know little about. Take care of the menial tasks and daily grind at home. Fill those knitted next to you with love in grace-filled words. We have enough to do on our own plates without wondering and doubting things of churches miles away.
We have work to do...great work. Jesus said THE WORK that was to be done was to believe in him whom God sent. That's our job...believe Jesus. Charts won't encourage. Plans from the business management perspective won't cut it. Jesus does. Jesus will. Believe him.
3 comments:
Terry, I love this! Thank you for some terrific insights!
You give your ideas but several of them aren't based on the Scriptures. We are warned that what we do is to be according to Christ, not elementary principles of the world, man's traditions or empty deceit (Col. 2:8). That's a little scarey Terry!
this is a great post! I find it sad that Mr. Anonymous would so over look scripture and the principles found there, that they would be blind to the Biblical truths of these challenges. #10 would apply perhaps.
I especially like #3. We are currently in a series called "iPray" and we are looking at "hallowed be your name". I really want to challenge the church to praise more! I wanted to use this post as a reference. I remembered it from when you originally posted it and looked it up to find it again. Thanks for allowing God to work in your life and the lives of so many!!!
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