Field Notes of an Ordinary Pastor
10 links to check out over the weekend…
(Photo: Ryan McGuire)
10 links to check out over the weekend…
(Photo: Ryan McGuire)
017: Churches Collectively Giving Thanks
Spurgeon writes in the February 1865 edition of The Sword and the Trowel that “it is the duty of a Church collectively, to declare what God hath done for ‘their souls’.” So “what God is doing for good in one Church ought therefore to be made known to other Churches, that thanks may be given by many on its behalf and others may be provoked to love and good works.” One way he sought to do this was by sharing information about the Metropolitan Tabernacle, the church he pastored.
The FIEC have sought to facilitate this through their Get to know… videos as a way of helping churches know what God is doing in other churches in the fellowship. At Banstead Community Church we have shown each video that has been produced in our Sunday morning service and spent time praying for the churches featured.
The current COVID crisis has also provided a new opportunity to do this in ZOOM prayer meetings. It has been great to have previous trainee pastors now in different parts of the country join our prayer meeting and share about what God has done in their churches. We’ve been able to have joint prayer meetings with other churches. I’ve also been invited to attend the prayer meeting of another local church and make known how God has blessed the church I paster and hear them give thanks to God.
Is there a leader of a local church you could invite to your church prayer meeting “to declare what God hath done for their souls… that thanks may be given by many”?
(Photo: Julia Joppien)
10 links to check out over the weekend…
(Photo: Ryan McGuire)
10 links to check out over the weekend…
(Photo: Ryan McGuire)
016: Three Pieces of Glass
On the Mortification of Spin podcast there was an interview with Eric Jacobsen about his book Three Pieces of Glass, a book that seeks to address the loneliness crisis and the importance of belonging – the right kind of belonging.
What stood out in the interview was the explanation of the book’s title Three Pieces of Glass. What are these three pieces of glass and how have they each contributed to loneliness?
The three pieces are 1) the car windscreen, 2) the TV, and 3) the smartphone.
The impact of each is that though making life easier they stop human interaction.
The car has meant that people no longer walk to places or take public transport. It actually goes further than this, changing the configuration of living space (houses have garages and driveways), as well as the distance we live from places we work and shop.
The TV has meant that we get to know people (TV friends) who make no demands on us and with whom communication is only one way (from them to us).
The smartphone has meant that those places where the possibility of engaging with others remained like queues in shop, school pick ups, are now occupied by scrolling through social media feeds. The result is that our human interactions have shifted from face to face to virtual, from in-front of you to anywhere in the world.
Listening to the interview a two thoughts came to mind:
First, I think there is a real benefit to local churches having members who actually live in the community the churches is based. Obviously this isn’t always possible, but it does help if possible a local church is a local church.
Second, I need to remember the disadvantages of these screens are still there even though in this COVID season, they have been shown to have benefits. Prayer meetings on Zoom have worked well and have made them accessible to more of the members and congregation. Services live-streamed on YouTube has worked well as a good alternative when live in-person not possible. WhatsApp can be used to send out daily encouragements to a large number in the church.
(Photo: Julia Joppien)
10 links to check out over the weekend…
(Photo: Ryan McGuire)
10 links to check out over the weekend…
(Photo: Ryan McGuire)
008: The Children’s Talk
For as long as I’ve been going into church (all my life), there has been during the morning service, a children’s talk, sermon, address, message (whatever you want to call it). I’ve done hundreds of them over the years (training as a youth and children’s worker has helped with this).
The children’s talk is that 5 minute (plus or minus 2 minutes) slot in the service that is dedicated to communicating to children, often prior to them going off to Sunday school. They seem to have been a feature of services for over 100 years, both in the UK and USA. Alexander Macleod in 1880 suggested that “every morning service, for one ten minutes out of the ninety, let the minister be in direct contact with the souls of the children.” J.G. Merrill two years earlier had published a collection of five minute sermons to children. Henry B. Robins writing in 1918, “The children’s sermon is an established feature in many an order of service, the children under twelve being dismissed at its conclusion, with the hymn just preceding the regular morning sermon.”
For a time I stopped including them in the morning service at Banstead Community Church (they are not an essential element of worship), but now are more convinced of their value, as I have ever been.
Why?
Firstly, it is a way of communicating to children that they are an important part of church life, they are valuable to Jesus, and that they can know and understand God’s Word.
Secondly, it is not just for the children, it is for the whole church to learn together. Maybe the children’s talk is better described as the church family talk or all-age talk. I haven’t come up for a better name for it, yet.
Thirdly, with a number in the congregation at church being elderly and no longer able to focus (or in a few cases stay awake) for the whole 30 minute sermon, the children’s talk has become their sermon.
Fourthly, it can be used to teach topics that may not fit easily into the teaching programme of the church.
Finally, if they are decent, the adults generally will enjoy them and engage with them.
So, I think there are good reasons to include a clear and concise 5 minute slot, aimed at the children but for all the church, in the morning service. But what to do in them?
When writing a kids talk, I have two words in mind: Grab and Hit. I am to grab the children’s attention by asking for answers to questions or giving them something to look at; usually it is both. After this I look to hit them with the truth found in God’s Word, before closing with a short prayer.
Here are some ideas of subjects for kids talks that I’ve done over the years with outlines (more than 300 kids talks) that can easily be adapted to individual contexts.
(Photo: Julia Joppien)
10 links to check out over the weekend…
(Photo: Ryan McGuire)
008: Different Gatherings, Different Focuses
The apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 14:26 that when the church gathers together, everything is to be done for the strengthening of the church. They should promote growth in holiness, in love for God, each other, and those who are currently lost in their sins, as well as in sound doctrine.
When I first read The Deliberate Church by Mark Dever and Paul Alexander, one of the stand out parts of the book was the discussion about the different weekly gatherings and how can they can be used effectively to cultivate health in a local church. They suggested using different weekly gatherings for different purposes. For example, using the Adult Education Hour as the main equipping time, the Sunday Morning Service as the main feeding time, the Sunday Evening Service as the main family time of the church, the Wednesday Evening Service as the main study time, and the Members’ Meetings as the main administrative time.
At Banstead Community Church, we’ve taken their approach and adapted it for our setting with each gathering having a particular role or aim:
The Sunday Morning Service is our key weekly gathering and time of corporate worship. This is the main feeding time of the church where there is an expository sermon preached complemented by Bible readings, hymns and songs, and prayers.
The Sunday Evening Service is our main equipping time. The focus is on teaching that strengthens their convictions, character, or competences.
The Thursday Prayer Meeting is our main family time, where reports of service and evangelistic opportunities are given, ministry prayed for, along with individual needs, other local churches, and national and oversea mission (with regular mission speakers sharing about the work).
The Church Meetings (which take the place of the Thursday Prayer Meeting) are the main administrative time. This is where the vision is shared, plans and membership updates are given, elders are appointed, financial information is discussed, so that the church runs in an orderly way.
These are the primary gatherings of the church and the ones which we want all the members to attend as far as they are able to.
In addition, we also run a number of optional EQUIP groups which are less frequent (fortnightly or monthly) that are small group Bible studies for particular groups like Youth, Men, Women or with a particular focus such as Line by Line Bible Studies. The aim of these small groups is to give opportunity for those who attend to instruct one another, encourage one another, and pray for one another in light of what they’ve studied.
The hope is that these gatherings together will give the church a balanced diet which under God’s grace bring health and maturity.
(Photo: Julia Joppien)
007: Not forgetting the ‘Can’t Comes’
We’ve just begun gathering ‘in person’ again for our morning service at Banstead Community Church. We are continuing to livestream the service as we have done from my shed for the last 7 months because more than half the church can’t come or because of the restrictions in place are choosing not to come.
This category of ‘Can’t Come’ is not a new one.
It has always been there.
The older members who are shut-in’s (in their homes or care homes) and are no longer able to attend services. The members who have serious health conditions. The parents with special needs children who are unable to cope with attending a service. Those whose work shifts clash. Even those who have gone away on holiday and find themselves where there is no church that preaches the gospel. And so on…
Have we been aware of them?
A positive that hopefully will come out of the COVID crisis is churches who are more aware of those who can’t come, when there is no virus to keep them away, and who better care for them.
Johnny Prime has written a great article about how to do this with some great practical suggestions.
First, he suggests prioritising regular contact with those who can’t attend by phoning or better visiting them, whilst encouraging others in the church to make contact with them (Sunday afternoon might be a good time to do this!)
Next, thinking of ways to help them feel included in the live in-person service. This could be done by referring to them in the welcome or having a pre-recorded video of them doing the Scripture reading or praying (or children’s talk or giving testimony).
Then, keeping some activities online such as a prayer meeting on ZOOM.
Finally, by reminding them, that even if it feels like the rest of the church has forgotten them (which hopefully it doesn’t), the Lord has not forgotten them.
My hope is that when everything is ‘back to normal’ at Banstead Community Church we won’t forget that there are still those who can’t come out for all kinds of reasons and we will serve them better. At the very least, we will definitely be looking to continue live-streaming our services and having some prayer meetings on ZOOM.
(Photo: Julia Joppien)