Archive for October, 2015
Guest Post | What a Balanced Global Missions Ministry Will Do For Your Church by Doug Sarver
Today, RonnieFloyd.com welcomes guest writer, Doug Sarver. Doug is the Minister of Global Missions at Cross Church.
Many Pastors in today’s church struggle with balance in some areas of ministry and life. Family time, staff issues, church leadership, and budget issues all cry out for our attention and require balance in order to be healthy. Have you ever considered balance within your Global Missions Ministry?
From 28 years of leading Missions Ministries in local churches, I have learned the value of balance in Global Missions. It seems that church and mission leaders tend to lean toward their own strengths and desires rather than a biblical approach to Global Missions. I prefer to lead God’s people to a biblical model that allows them and the church to maximize their strengths and abilities. This model also allows you, the Pastor or Missions Leader, to lead with confidence and conviction rather than lead by consensus!
So, what is the model I have used for all these years? It comes straight out of Acts 1:8 and 1 Corinthians 3:6…wow that was simple. Let me explain what a balanced Global Missions Ministry will do for your church.
Balance keeps your church focused on lostness…the Acts 1:8 model
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
Jesus taught us to bring the gospel message to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. I call this Geographical Balance. There are a few of truths to consider within this model.
1. Geographical balance allows my church to always have opportunities in places for first-time mission goers and those who are “hard core”, or what I call humorously, “repeat offenders”. Places like Mexico, Central America, Brazil may be technically “reached” by missiological definition but are still incredible places for a person to “cut their teeth” on missions. If we only go to the Middle East countries & the 10/40 Window, we will potentially limit our involvement, especially for the first-time participant. Ensure balance for all levels of mission participants.
2. Geographical balance demands that I have a strong effort in my own “Jerusalem” first! You will often hear me say, “At Cross Church we will not sacrifice Northwest Arkansas on the altar of the world.” What I mean is we earn the right to go abroad. If we will not be faithful to bring the gospel to those in our own cities and neighborhoods, why would we have the privilege to go around the world? This is a simple gospel stewardship issue. At Cross Church, we presently reach about 1,500 people outside our campuses each week in community missions. We are partnered across America through church planting in 16 different SEND cities with the NAMB strategy. We also have active, ongoing partnerships in 14 nations around the globe from Mexico to the Middle East…that is Geographical Balance.
3. Geographical balance should always focus your church toward lostness. Whether it is in your own city or a city like Dubai, the focus on all our efforts should be lostness. I don’t believe in using missions as a “spiritual vacation” or only a social ministry platform. Everything we do on our church’s Mission Journeys locally and internationally should include a clear presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a challenge to trust Him alone for forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
Balance allows your church to include everyone…the 1 Corinthians 3:6 model
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” 1 Corinthians 3:6
Paul taught us that as we are bringing the gospel message to the world geographically, each person has a role. I call this Balanced Evangelism. This is how Balanced Evangelism will help your church.
1. Balanced Evangelism helps us to understand the various pieces of evangelism. Many understand evangelism to be when they share the Four Spiritual Laws and someone trusts Jesus immediately. Well, we must always remember in order for fruit to appear, someone sowed a seed, and someone watered and cultivated that seed. But ultimately God caused that seed to become fruit. There are three elements to Balanced Evangelism. They are sowing, watering, and reaping.
2. Balanced Evangelism gives every member an opportunity to use their gifting in Global Missions. Pastor, always ensure there are opportunities in your mission efforts for people to sow the seed of the Word, water the seed that has been sown, and harvest the fruit from seed that has been sown and watered. Our ministries give people opportunities to simply sow seed in ways like prayer walking, Bible distribution, and simply inviting people to an event. We also water the seed by doing VBS in existing churches, leading Bible discussions under Mango trees in Malawi Africa with Muslims who want to know more about Jesus, and leading Pastors’ Conferences. Also, we go to places that are ripe for the harvest of souls and call for the masses to respond to the Gospel message. This approach allows for the church member to see where their talents and gifts can best be used and opens opportunities for mass participation. Pastor, please don’t get in a rut of simply doing the same thing and only one thing year after year…give balance to your evangelism.
For the Pastor and Missions Leader, balance is the key to most of our lives and ministries. Balance is also the key to your church’s Global Missions Strategy. Both Geographical Balance and Balanced Evangelism will keep your church focused on lostness and involve as many of God’s people as possible. If Cross Church or I can assist you in bringing balance to your church’s Global Missions Strategy, please feel free to ask. Contact me at dougs@crosschurch.com or @missionman2818 on Twitter & Instagram.
Doug Sarver
Minister of Global Missions, Cross Church
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
We Need All Generations Involved in Southern Baptist Life
When a younger Southern Baptist dispels an older Southern Baptist, this is immature and unhealthy. When an older Southern Baptist refuses to understand the value of the younger generation, this is also immature and unhealthy. We need all generations involved in Southern Baptist life.
A Biblical Perspective
2 Timothy 2:2 states, “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” This biblical charge from Paul is powerful. Think about these words as generations:
Generation 1: Paul deposits God’s Truth to other believers
Generation 2: These believers deposit God’s Truth into other faithful men
Generation 3: These faithful men explain God’s Truth to others
Therefore, the charge is to know the responsibility we have to one another and the connectedness we share cross-generationally. This text exudes the burden to bring others along in the faith as disciples of Jesus Christ.
A Generational Reality
Each person is different. Each group of people or generation of people is different. This is reality. Someone who is thirty years of age or below does not think like someone who is eighty years of age and above.
Yet, as born again Christians and members of the same family, the church of Jesus Christ and even more specifically, our Southern Baptist Family, it is imperative for all of us to desire and learn to not just get along, but get along together joyfully.
It is a sad reality for one generation to dispel another. It is sinful and wrong. All across leadership in America today, leaders limit their influence by being targeted to one generation alone. As I state in my newest book, Forward, leaders who seize the future are leaders who do not just influence the generation around them, but the generation ahead of them and the generation behind them. This is big leadership.
In the race for the highest office in the land, the President of the United States, I want you to notice something with me. Including both parties, as of today, there are around twenty people running for President. Look at these current challengers:
*Three are in their mid-to-late forties
*Four are in their fifties
*Nine are their sixties
*Four are in their seventies
Of these, the top two candidates in the polls presently in both parties are in their sixties and seventies.
If America can value those older generationally and the value they bring to leadership, surely our churches and our Southern Baptist Convention should do so even more. Moses was not even lifted up to leading the people of God until he was eighty years old. All generations add value. We need big leaders and all generations in the Southern Baptist Convention.
A Future Together
I have read the Bible through no less than twenty-five times and the New Testament many more times. I have never noted, found, or discovered anything written about the New Testament church that preferred any generation or looked down upon another generation. In fact, what I have noted, found, and discovered is that a New Testament church is cross-generational. This is where joy is experienced and influence is enhanced.
This is also true for the Southern Baptist Convention and also for each of our 51,094 churches and congregations by our recently released Annual Church Profile.
5 Words All Generations Need to Elevate in Our Future Together
1. Value
We need to learn to value one another cross-generationally. As a leader in our Southern Baptist Convention, I can tell you that I truly and genuinely value all generations more so today than ever before.
2. Honor
When I was a young Southern Baptist, I truly honored the leaders of our convention. While there may have been moments when I did not understand something, there was never a moment I dishonored them and the value they brought to our denomination. I honored them growing up and now as a man in my fifties, I honor them today more than ever before.
A few days ago, I called two former Southern Baptist leaders who are in their late eighties, to check on them and let them know their value to us and to me personally. Simultaneously, I honor my generation and those behind my generation. How can we do this?
3. Communicate
We need to communicate with one another. When we talk to each other, we will not talk about each other. When forums are created like last week’s Symposium on the Southern Baptist Convention in the 21st Century at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, we can understand and appreciate one another so much more. I would encourage you to listen to or watch these presentations where ideas were exchanged and burdens were shared.
4. Appreciate
We need to learn to appreciate one another more than we do now. We need to say it and show it. We need to believe it genuinely. We need to honor one another and give honor where honor is due.
5. Thank You
“Thank you” is one of the most powerful phrases in the English language. Thanks needs to be expressed to one another genuinely. When we say “thank you” to someone else, it should not be disingenuous, but should be overflowing with transparency.
In Summary
When we learn to value one another, bring honor to one another, communicate with each other, demonstrate appreciation for one another, and say thank you to one another, we will enter into joy and influence that God has waiting for us. We need all generations in the Southern Baptist Convention.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
President, Southern Baptist Convention
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Dr. Ronnie Floyd is currently serving as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s largest Protestant denomination with more than 15.7 million members in over 51,094 churches and congregations nationwide.
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Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.