Easter opener at Eagle Brook Church

Cool opening piece from Eagle Brook Church from Easter 2011. The opening is from SM Lockridge.


Sunday's Coming from Eagle Brook Church on Vimeo.
Eagle Brook Church 2011 Easter Opener

And for the record my favorite bassist on the planet is the Lino Lakes campus bassist shown in this video. He's fun to watch as he integrates his worship with his bass playing.

Eagle Brook Church - Woodbury campus opening Fall 2011

Eagle Brook Church has been talking for a while about building a campus site in Woodbury, and it appears they'll start meeting prior to the building being completed (see below).  Their temporary location is about a mile from the new campus for Crossroads Church (where we used to attend and serve prior to my current church).  Both are exceptional churches reaching people for Jesus.  The great thing is that Pastor Bob Merritt of Eagle Brook Church and Pastor Phil Print are long-time good friends.  So while I suspect there are some "unknowns" for Crossroads - I'm nearly positive Pastor Phil Print has welcomed Eagle Brook with wide open Kingdom vision arms.  There are some similarities between the churches, both being relevant with outstanding preaching, but the are both definitely their own type of church as well.

This campus will take off quickly with both Jason Anderson and Steve Duede leading the way.  By selecting these two as the point people Eagle Brook Church has made it clear that they have big expectations for the Woodbury Campus and are investing with some of their best resources up front.


From the Not Without You blog - post by Scott Anderson, Executive Pastor of Eagle Brook Church(s)

A Woodbury Campus: Opening Fall 2011

By Scott Anderson, Executive Pastor

Our plans to launch a church in Woodbury are quickly coming together!

Since purchasing 40 acres of property in Woodbury, our desire has always been to begin construction as soon as we were able. And yet an even bigger goal has been to get started as soon as possible, because we’re simply running out of room at our current campuses.

An opportunity to launch within East Ridge High School in Woodbury appears imminent, meaning we will have our first weekend services there sometime this fall.

Before the Throne of God Above

We're opening our Easter Worship with this song today.

Before the Throne of God Above

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
 
Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

Tithing Not "Required" for Christians?

A recent survey conducted by the National Association of Evangelicals shows that a majority (58%) of evangelical leaders do not believe that giving 10 percent of one's income to the church is "required" by scripture. The research, which polled the members of the NAE board of directors, also included comments which related to the topic of tithing. For example:

• "It is about how we give our whole selves to God, which includes money of course, but also our time and gifts," said Dr. Kurt Fredrickson, director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, Calif.
• "A stewardship worldview would include a sense of gratitude toward God as the source of our goods. If we are trying to express our gratitude toward God, I don't think our words are enough," said Dr. John Walton, professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. "Still, the 10 percent standard in the Old Testament can serve as a 'benchmark'," said Walton.
• "Anything less [than 10%] seems like an ungenerous response to God," wrote David Neff, editor-in-chief of Christianity Today.

According to research from the Barna Group in April of 2008, just 5 percent of American adults give 10 percent or more of their income, and among Christians who are born again, 9 percent reported giving 10 percent or more. And, the research organization Empty Tomb, reports that evangelicals give an average of 4 percent of their income to the church, and among all Christians, the average is only 2.43 percent.
Interestingly, 95 percent of those responding to the NAE survey said they personally give at least 10 percent of their income to the church.
The NAE conducts a monthly Evangelical Leaders Survey among its board of directors, which include the CEOs of denominations, missions organizations, universities, publishers and churches. For further details about the study, click here.

So what do you think?  What does your church teach?

Pharmacists' Rights of Conscience

In Illinois a circuit judge has ruled that pharmacists should not be forced to violate their religious beliefs by dispensing the oral contraceptive morning-after pill, sold as Plan B — which is designed to prevent pregnancy when taken within 72 hours of having sex and may cause an early abortion. In Missouri, the state House has given initial approval to legislation that would protect pharmacists from being forced to sell Plan B. The bill needs another House vote before it can move to the Senate. [CitizenLink.com]

First Congregational Church of Waseca: Sermon - Luke 23:32-33 & 39-43 - RLD5 - Be With Me In Paradise

First Congregational Church of Waseca: Sermon - Luke 23:32-33 & 39-43 - RLD5 - Be With Me In Paradise

Religious Trends Shaping U.S. Politics

According to the April, 2011 edition of Newsmax, religion in the United States is evolving almost as rapidly as America itself. Listed below are seven top religious trends that are changing the nation's spiritual and political landscape:

1. Social Networking — As a cohesive community, religious conservatives are positioned to take advantage of the rise of social networking, in an era when a single tweet or Facebook post can monopolize a political agenda.
2. Political Ecumenism — Religious conservatives, facing a culture that appears indifferent or hostile to their values, are more willing to set their theological differences aside to defend common interests.
3. Rise of Nondenominational Churches — The Baylor Survey on Religion reports that nondenominational congregations represent the fastest-growing segment of Protestant churches in America.
4. Spreading Secularism — The percentage of Americans who claim no religious affiliation has nearly doubled in the past two decades (from 8 to 15%), according to the American Religious Identification Survey.
5. Rise of Mixed-Faith Families — Growing research indicates that families identify increasingly with more than one faith. The Pew Forum found that 44 percent of U.S. adults have left the faith or denomination they grew up in.
6. "Bliss" of U.S. Religious Ignorance — Religious leaders are rethinking their teaching methods following the latest Pew Forum poll, which revealed a startling degree of religious illiteracy.
7. Strong Christian Tea Party Identity — Nearly half of tea party members are also part of the Christian conservative movement, according to a Public Religion Research Institute poll last fall.

(from FotF's Pastor's Weekly Briefing)

Secular music in a worship setting - debated by Mark Driscoll and Perry Noble

The following is another segment from the Elephant Room conference I attended in late March.  And while I titled it as a debate by Mark Driscoll and Perry Noble, it was really largely a rant by James MacDonald for the most part.



Highway to Hell - Part 1 from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.

Matt Chandler and Steven Furtick at Elephant Room

Chandler and Furtick from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.

This is the first segment released from the conference I attended last Thursday. Some great discussions were had!

The Gospel in five minutes by Propaganda

G.O.S.P.E.L. from Humble Beast Records on Vimeo.
Presented by our good friends at www.Dare2Share.org.
You can purchase/download at https://www.dare2share.org/store/content/life-6-words-gospel-0

Download Propaganda's New Album
"Art Ambidextrous" for FREE at
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Calvinism and what I believe

At a conference last week I had the opportunity to talk with some Wesleyan men from Onalaska, WI and within that discussion I made mention of the fact that "I am not necessarily a full-on Calvinist" just as my good friend Brenton Balvin got back to the table, and therefore he kidded me about doubting our friendship (I know he wasn't serious) since he didn't have the context of what we were talking about. 

But after thinking about further the past few days, I still arrive at that same conclusion.  Do I consider myself more wise and learned in Biblical theology than John Calvin - by no means.  I don't doubt Calvin's conclusions that have been built on by many great people of faith.  But being a Calvinist isn't my aim.  My goal is to be Biblical, and if/where that overlaps with being a Calvinist, then so be it.  This is in large part because I think the label being a Calvinist is often more detrimental to faith discussions than it is helpful.  I want my theology to start and end with the Bible.  I appreciate that others have brought clarity to me through their teachings of the things found in the Bible, and I truly do try to glean all that I can, but in the end I must return to Scripture to compare what they are teaching to what it says.  I must weight carefully with diligence and discernment, and be willing to discard things that I find in conflict or contrary to the teachings I find in God's Word.

I think that especially in theological circles that labels all too quickly quash healthy discussion and cause people to be unnecessarily distrusting and defensive.  And in those situations they don't grow and I don't grow and it makes it more difficult to walk together in faith with those who I have differing views, but those who I'd certainly include within the boundaries of orthodoxy.


My friend Bret Capranica put words to this very idea a while ago on his blog, and rather than rehashing many of the fantastic points he's already made, I'd rather point you there.  He has stated his views quite well, and while there may be some nuances that we would disagree on, I'm OK with how he has presented his case.  Where might I vary?  Probably within the realm of man's freewill within the context of God's sovereignty, but only a little bit.  Perhaps elsewhere, but that is less the point than the larger idea Bret clearly, appropriately and aptly presents that we need to go to the Bible and return the the Bible for all of our theology.

CODE OF ETHICS FOR MINISTERS

In My Own Life
I will always devote time to seeking the will of God through reading the Scriptures and prayer.
I will endeavor to keep myself physically and emotionally fit.
I will seek in all ways to be Christ like in my attitude and conduct.
I will seek mutual accountability and spiritual friendship with fellow Christians for personal encouragement and nurture in order to ensure faithfulness to my calling as a steadfast follower and competent servant of my Lord Jesus Christ.

In Relationship to My Family
I will consider each member of my immediate family as precious gifts from God, and will carefully, lovingly and responsibly meet their needs as a sacred obligation before Him.
I will give spiritual leadership in my home.
I will be faithful and loyal to my family members, loving them as Jesus Christ loves His Church.

In Relationship to the Church
I will remember that I am called to lead, but also to serve.
I will never violate a confidence given to me.
I will be diligent in my duties as pastor, never lazy, but with God as my judge and my Shepherd.
I will be Biblical in my preaching, presenting the whole counsel of God, speaking the truth in love.
I will strive to introduce people to Christ, and to build His Church.
I will consider my call to the church a sacred responsibility and stand by my commitment to the church and leaders.
I will seek the unity of the church and resist any attempts to divide the congregation, either by supporting factions within the congregation or by my own initiative.

In Relationship to Other Ministers
I will be a brother in Christ to my fellow ministers.
I will not seek to build the church I serve at the expense of another church, nor my ego at the expense of another minister.
I will not speak uncharitably of either my predecessor or my successor.
I will refrain from pastoral contacts with former parishioners except with the knowledge of the present pastor.

In Relationship to the Community
I will seek to be responsible in my personal finances.
I will seek to build a positive relationship with the community without sacrificing my ministry to the church.

Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed?

Today in church we sang a song that clearly (sadly) few knew well.  This hymn was written by the great hymn writer Issac Watts.  It was this very hymn that led fellow hymn writer Fanny Crosby to fully live her life for Christ. Crosby writes about that November day in 1850 -

"And when they reached the third line of the fourth stan­za,

"Here Lord, I give myself away,"

my ve­ry soul was flood­ed with a ce­les­tial light. I sprang to my feet, shout­ing "hal­le­lu­jah," and then for the first time I real­ized that I had been try­ing to hold the world in one hand and the Lord in the other.

 Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed?

Crucifixion, by Simon Vouet

Alas! and did my Savior bleed
And did my Sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?
[originally, For such a worm as I?]

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died,
For man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.


There is  an additional verse and refrain to this song that we don't normally sing in my church - you can find those here.

I'm certain we'll sing this song again.  It is so appropriate at a time of communion.

Elephant Room Conference - March 2011

This past Thursday I was blessed to be part of the Elephant Room Conference (along with good friend Brenton Balvin).  It was an interesting experience, and one that I think I will be processing for a while.  I brought my laptop to take notes, but as the conference started it became clear that I wouldn't take a lot of notes, but rather would just sit and enjoy the dialog.  Most of the notes I took were witty quips and one-liners.  Below is a an intro clip for the event as well as the questions that were being debated, along with just a very few of my own notes interspersed.  The debaters/pastors were James MacDonald, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, Greg Laurie, Steven Furtick, Perry Noble, and David Platt.



The Elephant Room from Harvest Bible Chapel on Vimeo.

Missouri House Safeguards Religious Liberties

Legislation designed to safeguard the religious liberties of Missouri residents passed the state House with a 126-30 vote. HJR 2, sponsored by Republican Rep. Mike McGhee, would amend the state Constitution to clarify the rights of Missourians to pray and acknowledge God in public and private settings. The bill includes a key provision stating that public school students have the right to pray and acknowledge God in school. Students also would be assured of the right to express their religious beliefs in written and oral assignments.

Missouri Legislation Toughens Penalties for Sex Traffickers

The Missouri House also passed legislation to expand the definition of sex trafficking and increase fines and prison time for offenders by a 155-0 vote. The vote came just a few days before a state inmate and a Kansas City woman were indicted on federal sex-trafficking charges. The measure also requires offenders to pay restitution to victims, which could include the cost of mental and physical rehabilitation. It also would provide law enforcement officers with training on how to recognize a victim. [CitizenLink.com]


If you'd like to know more how you can help in the fight against modern day slavery (not the kind Adrian Peterson of the Vikings was talking about, the real kind) visit International Justice Mission - IJM.org.

The Church in Action in Japan

If you are looking for a recommendation for an organization to donate towards relief in Japan, I recommend CRASH that is listed below.

While the devastation caused by last week's earthquake and tsunami in Japan becomes more and more apparent, Christian relief agencies and church groups in Japan and around the world have begun the hard work of bringing aid to those in need. Here is a small sampling of some of the ways that Christians are attempting to show the love of Christ in very tangible ways.

• The Salvation Army in Japan has three emergency service relief teams operating in areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami. One team is assisting people displaced from areas where there is potential danger because of damage to nuclear power stations.
• A Samaritan's Purse disaster relief team has arrived in Japan and is preparing to provide relief supplies to those affected by the disaster. Japanese church partners have obtained permission and secured trucks to distribute supplies to the areas most in need.
• The N.C. Baptist Men's search and rescue team is in Japan assessing needs and distributing food.
• The United Methodist Committee on Relief and the General Board of Global Ministries are working through relief and church partners in Japan to provide immediate and long-term assistance.
• The group Christian Relief, Assistance, Support and Hope (CRASH) is setting up a base in Sendai, Japan to coordinate relief efforts. "We just confirmed that trucks of goods will start moving there today," said CRASH spokesman, Paul Nethercott on Wednesday.
• The Japan Evangelical Alliance and its member churches and organizations, such as the Salvation Army of Japan, the Japan Alliance Christ Church, World Vision Japan, the Japan Evangelical Church Association, Jesus Christ Church in Japan, are also engaged with relief operations.
• On March 15, the Russian Orthodox Church announced that it started fundraising to help the Orthodox communities in Japan and the earthquake victims.
• The Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church is working on relief operations with its two congregations in Sendai, a city particularly hard-hit, as well as with other denominations. The Anglican-Episcopal Church in Japan has set up relief headquarters at its office in Tokyo.
• The Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod, is giving an initial $200,000 to two Lutheran church bodies in Japan to provide disaster relief — the Japan Lutheran Church and the West Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church.

A Hail Mary for dieing churches

The following is a great post from Bill Easum.  Many churches would be well served to heed some/all of this advice.

By Bill Easum
The average church in the U.S. is under a hundred in worship. Churches with less than 50 people in worship make up 40% of all churches in the U.S. The average age in these churches with less than 50 people in worship is over 65. Add to that less than 2% of these churches are growing and you have a formula for major disaster over the next fifteen years for 40% of all the churches in the U.S.

If there is to be any hope for the vast majority of these churches radical action must be undertaken within the next few years or most of them will go out of existence. So, I am suggesting a “Hail Mary Strategy” for these churches.  You get the image. It’s the last five seconds of the football game; your team is down by six points; and you are on your own 45 yard line.  Only a touchdown will allow you to win the game. So you call the play and launch the ball as high and as far as you can hoping beyond hope the ball will come to rest in the arms of your receiver somewhere over the goal line.

So the question is this – “Will the leaders of your church wake up to the fact that the church is in serious trouble and the only way to move it from survival to thriving is by starting over?”
Starting over means the following based on the “Hail Mary Strategy.”

• Find a way to have a full time pastor/planter who will commit for three years . I know you can’t afford this at the moment but you must find a way or you will continue to decline. A part time pastor does not have the time to do all that is necessary to restart a church.

• Suspend all of the present ways/policies/hidden agendas/system stories regarding decision making and day to day running the church and allow the pastor and a launch team to give direction to the church during the three years. This also means disbanding all of the existing committees and the Administrative Council.

• Do away with the present mission statement and come up with one that a six year old can remember as well as short enough to be written on a t-shirt.

• Allow the pastor to bring together and disciple/equip a re-launch team of a seven people and give them full authority to make all of the decisions for the next three years.  These people need to have four faith characteristics: one, a renewed belief in Jesus Christ and the mission of the church; two, a servant’s heart; three a deep compassion for the lost; and four, a more focused prayer effort.

• The pastor should be personally responsible for spending 80% of his or her time in the community, dreaming up ways to reach the unchurched, and responding to the visitors to worship. I’ve never seen a church this size grow without the pastor being the direct cause of the growth. Just think how it would change the church if the pastor personally brought in fifty new members over the next eighteen months?

• Begin an indigenous worship service designed specifically for people 25-50 which means rock music and tons of visuals.

• The pastor must find a musician who believes in the mission and is willing to give his or her time to developing the music and musicians for this service. I know you don’t have a clue how to do this but you get what you look for and if part of the 80% of the time the pastor is spending on the unchurched is devoted to finding this person the pastor will find them.  These people are out there waiting to be asked to play in worship rather in the bar scene.

• Send out six off-the-wall direct mail pieces to all the households with five miles of the church announcing the start of the new worship service.  These mail out pieces will focus on two things- a new service and a new sermon series designed to catch the imagination of the people under 50 years of age. It must not look churchy.

• Develop one or two signature ministries.  Churches with less than 300 in worship can only do one or two key ministries. I suggest one of these be a children’s ministry fashioned after Promise Land from Willow Creek. You will not be able to afford  to purchase it, but you can easily put your own program together once you understand the basics.

• Keep the present worship service intack for the present members. These folks have kept the church open all these years and need to be honored for their commitment. What I am suggesting in no way diminishes their past or future contributions to the God’s Kingdom.

• Have a capital fund drive to raise enough money to accomplish the above. One of the roles of the present members will be to “pray and pay” for what needs to be done to reach young adults for Christ and cause your church to thrive once again. With a solid plan in place you can probably borrow more from your bank.  This should be more than enough money to do what is necessary.  Now you see why I call this a “Hail Mary” strategy. But it works if you have the right planter/restart/pastor.

The one thing you know for sure; if you keep doing what you’ve been doing you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting. Surely you’re not satisfied with that.  So roll the dice; spend everything you have; and see what happens. If it doesn’t work, it just means you’ll close the doors a few years sooner and with a lot less grief.

www.churchconsultations.com
easum@aol.com
www.BillEasum.com

Pain-Based Abortion Ban

Yea Minnesota!

On this past Monday, Minnesota legislators introduced a bill in the state Senate and House of Representatives that would prohibit the killing of preborn children at 20 weeks and older due to intense pain felt by the baby during an abortion. Scott Fischbach, executive director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, said overwhelming anatomical, behavioral and physiological evidence confirms that the developing preborn child is capable of experiencing tremendous pain by 20 weeks post-fertilization. [LifeNews.com]

Supreme Court Rules For Religious Liberty

In the past week, the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of religious liberty on two occasions. In the case of Badger Catholic v. Walsh, the Court declined to hear the University of Wisconsin's appeal of the 7th Circuit Court ruling which favored a Catholic student group at the campus. The university violated the First Amendment by refusing to fund certain events of Badger Catholic, a registered student group whose events contained religious expression, while providing funding for the events of other student organizations. In a second decision, the Supreme Court declined to hear a Michael Newdow case challenging the use of the National Motto, "In God We Trust," on U.S. currency. Newdow believes that any mention of "God" by a governmental entity is an unconstitutional "establishment of religion" in violation of the First Amendment. [CitizenLink.com]