What We’re Getting Into

In any transition, you never fully realize what you’re getting into until you’re there. This principle is especially true of senior and lead pastors moving from one ministry to another. Leaders face more scrutiny in transitions than others. Spiritual leaders can be placed under a microscope.

I know that I’m going to a great church – I can’t wait to be on the field in Murray. When I worked with church leaders on a pastor-church covenant, I encountered yet another reason to be thankful for my transition to FBC Murray. The covenant pulls language from a variety of sources, but the final product is an excellent example of how to begin a ministry with clear, essential expectations. I’m sure that there will be a fair amount of inspection upon arrival – from the church’s perspective and mine. I’m encouraged that we’ll be looking for the right fundamentals.

Pastor-Church Covenant of Relationship

This covenant between Sam S. Rainer III (pastor) and First Baptist Church (FBC) of Murray, Kentucky, Inc. at 203 South 4th Street, Murray, Kentucky is entered to provide clear and mutual understandings about relationships and responsibilities necessary to bring glory to God through the growth of FBC and the pastor throughout the tenure of his ministry.

First Baptist Church of Murray and Sam Rainer (pastor) are pleased to enter this covenant, effective September 1, 2009. This covenant shall continue as long as both the pastor and the FBC believe it is God’s will.

Led by the Spirit of God, the pastor agrees to the following.

1. To love the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength.

2. To love and care for his family.

3. To love God’s church, and the people God has called him to shepherd.

4. To place the ministry in the local church above outside ministry and professional activities.

5. To lead the church to carry out the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

6. To fulfill the responsibilities of the office of Senior Pastor as provided in the job description.

Led by the Spirit of God, First Baptist Church of Murray agrees to the following.

1. To love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

2. To be loving and gracious to the pastor and his family; to allow the pastor time and freedom to have a personal life apart from church obligations and to expect no more of the pastor’s family than any other family.

3. To support our pastor’s leadership through active prayer, giving, participation and service in the church and its ministries.

4. To provide the resources needed to do the work for which the pastor has been called, including competent and dedicated staff as needed to assist in the mission of the church.

5. To support and encourage our pastor to take part in education, conferences, workshops, writing and other activities that are mutually beneficial to him, our church, and the Kingdom of God.

6. To recognize that ministry is not a job with regular hours and thus to encourage the pastor to adjust his schedule when needed to assure a proper balance of professional and personal time.

A New Season of Ministry

Transitions are bittersweet – this one is no exception. I’m overjoyed to announce that Erin and I have accepted the call to First Baptist Church Murray, KY. I was saddened to announce today my resignation at Sarasota Baptist Church. I will miss the Ranchers in Sarasota, but I can’t wait to be on the field in Murray. I could not have asked for finer ministry partners at the Lakewood Ranch campus – I do not know of a more unified congregation.

I leave one great congregation for another – FBC is a body with an incredible heart for missions. They birthed the idea of the cooperative program (how my denomination funds mission work). They were one of the first to do Amazon River missions. The heartbeat of missions that began in 1847 remains strong today. In short, I can’t wait to join the people in Murray who have joined God in His work.

… for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20

I’ll be the pastor of a new church, but the mission remains the same. I leave one church knowing that they will never stop living gospel-centered lives. I join another church knowing they have the same heart.

How Youth Grow Spiritually Across the Globe

The Search Institute recently released a first-of-its-kind global study on the spiritual development of young people from different countries and across various traditions. From 2006-2008, they studied more than 7,000 youth between the ages of 12 and 25. These youth lived in 17 countries on 6 continents, so this study is a true global snapshot.

They’ve published loads of data, and the entire report can be viewed here. The report is large in scope and diversity, but I’ve listed below a few of the key findings:

The vast majority of youth in this study believe there is a spiritual dimension to life. In most countries where surveys were conducted, an average of only 7% of youth said they didn’t believe life has a spiritual dimension or they didn’t know. Among youth who believe there is a spiritual dimension to life, they are most likely to understand it as “believing there is a purpose to life,” “believing in God,” or “being true to one’s inner self.”

About one-third of youth surveyed see themselves as “very” or “pretty” spiritual. One in three youth in the survey see themselves as “very” or “pretty” spiritual. However, this level varies considerably across countries, from a high of 52% in the United States and 50% in Thailand to a low of 23% in Australia.

Young people view both religion and spirituality positively. A majority of youth in the survey thinks that both being religious and being spiritual as “usually good,” with about one-fourth of respondents saying that being either is neither good nor bad. In focus groups, however, some young people expressed more positive perspectives about spirituality than about religion and religious institutions.

Youth say family and friends help them spiritually, but one in five say no one does. When asked to identify who helps them most in their spiritual life, young people surveyed were most likely to point toward family, with 44% of youth survey selecting this option. Just 14% of youth indicated that their religious institution (church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other religious or spiritual place) helps them the most.

Youth most often nurture spiritual development alone or by helping others. When asked how often they engage in various activities that help them grow spiritually, young people were most likely to say they read books (47%), pray or meditate alone (44%), help others (44%), or attend religious worship or prayer services (40%). Three of the six most common activities involved acts of compassion, service, or generosity.

The report reveals bright spots – youth across the globe believe in and are open to spirituality. And friends and family are key in their spiritual development. Additionally, youth have a desire to grow by serving others. This research also reveals that many of the same problems in North America exist elsewhere – the church (or the religious institution) is not viewed as an outlet for spiritual development. And many youth end up becoming spiritual islands, drifting in their attempts to develop something spiritually on their own.

This research is broad and pluralistic in nature, but it does contain fascinating breakdowns between countries. What are your thoughts? Anything surprise you in the findings?

See You in San Diego at the NOC!

The NOC09 is just around the corner – November 4-6 in sunny San Diego. I’ll be speaking on why young adults leave the church, and how they can be reclaimed.

There’s a ton offered at the conference. Here’s a selection from the NOC website:

• 50 power-packed workshops with the nation’s leading voices on outreach.
• 4 Inspiring General Sessions – with powerful worship, true outreach stories and messages from key note speakers passionate to reach more for Christ.
• 120+ resource providers – ready to share effective tools and the newest resources with you and your team.
• Tons of free resources and giveaways!
• More books and authors than ever! Meet the authors – get the latest from your favorites.
• Discussion groups – more than 15 opportunities to dialogue with powerful outreach champions from churches around the country.
• FREE Night of Comedy
• NEW! Outreach Film Festival!

I’m a contributing editor at Outreach Magazine, and I appreciate all that the organization does. You can check out the conference website, join the Facebook fan page, or follow the NOCTeam on Twitter. Catch you in San Diego!

A Big Draw for First-Time Guests: Ministry to the Poor

LifeWay Research recently published in their newsletter a new study about ministry to the poor. Obviously, the church should serve the poor and reach out to the hurting. What this study reveals is that churches remaining obedient to Christ’s example of serving the poor are also more likely to attract guests.

This research blurb comes from their findings:

Americans indicate that an active ministry to the poor is more likely to draw them to a church than knowing that it is made up of predominantly young families or their neighbors.

That’s the finding of a recent survey by LifeWay Research that asked 1,600 American adults what factors would affect their decision to visit a church for the first time. The survey also found that a congregation predominantly made up of senior adults is among the greatest deterrents to potential visitors.

Thirty-four percent of Americans say that they would visit a church with an active ministry to the poor in their community while 31 percent indicate that they would visit a church where several families in their neighborhood regularly attend. Twenty-five percent say that they would visit a church made up predominantly of young families with children, and just 13 percent would visit a congregation made up predominantly of senior adults.

Ed Stetzer, church research guru and President of LifeWay Research, comments on the findings:

It appears that people are interested in what a church is doing to impact and transform its community. This seems to be an opportunity for churches and Christians to validate the gospel by showing the good news of Christ as they share it.

Even the unchurched in America know that Jesus came healing the sick and serving the poor so they are surprised to see Him represented by a church uninvolved in such activities. Churches would do well to be engaged with, and also to be known for, caring for the poor.

How is your church reaching out to the poor? I’d enjoy hearing some of your success stories. And how did you share these stories so that others know about it? In your experience, are people not connected to your church more interested in attending because of your ministry to the poor?

Faith and Facebook

The September/October edition of Outreach Magazine features several articles on finding and keeping the next generation. It’s a great issue, so you’ll want to pick one up. You can subscribe to the print edition here. Below is my column in the issue on this generation.

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, leading management consultant Gary Hamel dubs young people “Generation F”—the Facebook Generation. Sure, segments of every age group are jumping on the twit-text-book-space bandwagon. But for the younger generation, these points of contact are not additions to existing means of communication; the electronic world is its own social context for them.

Hamel writes that this generation will expect its social environments of work and play to reflect social characteristics of the Internet. For them, the Web is more than a tool. It shapes the way young people think and communicate. On the Web, contribution is valued more than credentials. On the Web, sharing information, not secrecy, brings power. On the Web, authority comes from the bottom up, not top down, Hamel explains.

Facebook will fade at some point, but these social expectations of the younger generation will remain. The Church as a social context is not exempt from these new expectations. With this in mind, how should the local church engage youth? Our ongoing research suggests three starting points.

Reclaim the locus of community. For many in the older generations, the church was the locus, or central focus, of the community. For better or worse, it was where people congregated to share life’s stories. In many ways, the church has lost its place as a community gathering point with the younger generation. They share life’s stories elsewhere, and often it’s not a physical location.

Churches that reach youth understand how to create a sense of community. They grasp the importance of providing a place where people share their lives. Through our research, we have found that more than 70 percent of the students who stuck to the church said it was because their church provided an environment to connect with others in their life stage. More than 60 percent of those students say that appealing small groups for people in their life stage kept them coming. Their church was not an ancillary add-on. It was a hub for life.

Balance the language temperature. As followers of Christ, we are instructed to contend for the faith. Yet 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 says we are to become like others so we can communicate our faith in a way people understand. Our research bears this out: Churches that are effective in reaching youth seem to maintain that balance—they are neither too hot to culture, nor too cold. Too hot and you become too much like the culture. Too cold and you become an island reaching no one.

Invest with older generations. The younger generation not only needs to connect with one another, but also with people in older generations. Churches may provide a popular ministry geared specifically toward youth, but these students are less likely to stay long term unless adult leaders are investing in their lives.

Our research indicates a strong correlation between the number of adults making a significant investment in a youth’s life and the likelihood that student stays in the church. In fact, 89 percent of youth with zero adult involvement drop out of church. Some in the older generations may not be able to connect on a social media-like level, but youth need this investment to view the church as critical to their life story.

The church is a social environment. It is more living organism than religious institution. God’s people are sent into all contexts. And the Facebook Generation needs to hear why an unchanging faith in Jesus is the only answer to life’s changing story.

Volunteering: The Growing Front Door to the Church

There are many bright spots, but in general, local church impact in the community has waned in the past several decades. Some have quantified spiritual success exclusively with numerical growth without regard to local impact. Others have simply ignored obvious numerical declines. God measures obedience.

A great opportunity exists for the church to regain its status as the locus of community. A new study by the Corporation for National and Community Service reveals a strong link between community service and faith-based organizations. USA Today reports:

More than one-third of the country’s almost 62 million volunteers served through religious organizations last year.

“Religious organizations are a key source of potential volunteers for nonprofit organizations,” said Nicola Goren, the corporation’s chief executive officer. “Nonprofits looking to expand their reach and impact may find it beneficial to work more closely with religious organizations in their communities, especially in these tough economic times.”

Young adults, in particular, are fueling the growth in volunteerism:

About 8.24 million young people ages 16-24 volunteered in 2008, over 441,000 more than in 2007. This increase in young adult volunteers makes up almost half of the overall increase in the number of volunteers nationally. The interest among young people in volunteering coincides with their reported increase in the belief that it is essential or very important to help other people in need.

New research by Ed Stetzer and Jason Hayes (published in their book Lost and Found) corroborates these findings:

66 percent of churched young adults rated the opportunity to meet the needs of others (locally and globally) as extremely important in their lives, and 47 percent of unchurched young adults said the same.

Many people are aware that there is something bigger than their personal world. They desire to take part in something that makes a difference. While the church is more than a group of friends impacting a community, volunteering is a growing front door to the church.

It’s counter to the way many churches think – people connect first, then serve later. This research reveals the converse: an invitation to serve may be the best way to invite people to church. Serve first, connect after the church lives the mission.

While a church may not partner with a local charity because of doctrinal reasons or mission inconsistencies, too large a gulf exists between churches and charities. This from the report:

Despite the promising results for religious community service, only about 15% of nonprofit charities report partnerships with faith-based organizations. At the same time, congregations report a need of “a great extent” for volunteer managers.

Do you have any success stories from your church about reaching people while serving with them? What are some potential dangers about volunteerism being the front door to the church?

Faith Changes in the African-American Community

The Barna Group recently released research on the religious beliefs and behaviors of African Americans. Good religious research on minorities is less prevalent, so this study is a welcome one.

Regarding statements about faith, African Americans had the highest responses with eight out of nine statements when compared with whites, Hispanics, and Asians. Below is a comparison of answers between blacks and whites:

• the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches 66% (Black) 46% (White)
• have personal responsibility to tell others your religious beliefs 46% (Black) 32% (White)
• your religious faith is very important in your life 86% (Black) 70% (White)
• Satan/devil is not a living being but is a symbol of evil 46% (Black) 38% (White)
• when He lived on earth, Jesus Christ committed sins 54% (Black) 43% (White)
• single, most important purpose of your life is to love God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul 85% (Black) 63% (White)
• God is the all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect creator of the universe who rules the world today 84% (Black) 69% (White)
• your highest priority in your life these days is your faith 18% (Black) 11% (White)

Other results from the survey gave comparisons of the African-American community with the national average:

Blacks were the group most likely to be born again Christians (59%, compared to a national average of 46%) and were the ethnic segment most likely to consider themselves to be Christian (92% did so, versus 85% nationally). However, they were no more likely than average to qualify as evangelical Christians.

The study also compared the current religious beliefs and behaviors of African Americans to beliefs and behaviors fifteen years ago. Interestingly, substantial changes occurred during this time, including moves toward more conservative biblical teachings:

Six of seven measures of belief had changed significantly. Blacks today are more likely than they were in the early 1990s to believe that the principles taught in the Bible are totally accurate; to say that their religious faith is very important in their life; to have a biblically orthodox understanding of the nature of God; and to be born again. They are also less likely to strongly affirm that Satan is symbolic, not real; and to contend that a good person can earn his/her way into Heaven.

The measure that had not changed was the sense of personal responsibility to discuss their beliefs with others.

You can read the full report here. Any thoughts on this study?

HT: Ed Stetzer