John Cougar Mellancamp once said, well sang,   “I was raised in a small town, taught to fear Jesus in a small town. . .”

Small Town ministry often times gets a bad rap.  I believe small towns across the nation are the most ripe harvest fields for missional minded churches.  Here’s a few reasons why:

1.  Small Town folk have a large circle of close friends.  When you are trying to build a church on relationships, small town people have a dependency on friends and family that is not as prevalent in larger town settings.

2.  Small Towns are easier to be involved in.  I know our Mayor, city manager, and several other officials personally.  It is easy to be involved in city council, chamber of commerce, and even access to the schools is easier to come by.

3.  Most small towns do not have a contemporary, missional church in them.  If you live in a small town and want to attend a more progressive church many times you must drive several miles into a larger community.

4.  Small town people are loyal.  Once you have them, for the most part, you have them.  Because of their sense of community, small town people are eager to plug in and help.

5.  Today’s small town is tomorrow’s giant suburb.  Thinking long term, most small towns on the outskirts of a larger city will eventually become a larger suburban area.  By planting a church and gaining influence now, your church could help shape the future look of that community.

I’m sure there are lots of other great reasons to look at small town ministry.  Small town does not, however, mean podunk.  Excellence is expected and required in all aspect of society.

Some things bug me.

Gnats irritate me.  My wife’s dog drives me crazy!  I refuse to pull forward at McDonald’s one more time to wait for my order.  But, more than that, I get very annoyed at the elitist mentality I see in many Ministers of the Gospel.

Not all, mind you.  Some of the most humble people I know are ministers, but so are some of the most conceited.  Not that ministers don’t deserve to be taken care of and respected, they should, but that respect should not be demanded.  Instead it should be earned.

If you want to be called Pastor, spend more time pastoring than you do figuring out how to get people to call you pastor.

If you want to be called Doctor or Doc, first, go to school and earn a PhD. Then serve people until they voluntarily give you a title of respect.

I’ve been called alot of things.  Some good, some bad.  What I desire is to be called is Friend.

Friend of God.

Friend of Sinners.

Recognition while good, should not be our goal.  Though we should strive to be the best, we should watch what we are being best at.

Me, I think my new desire is to be the best unknown servant I can be.

After 2 nights in the hospital with my wife, we are going home today.  God is so good.  The surgery went better than expected and she is recovering nicely.  Thanks to everyone for your prayers!

I ask myself that question alot.  I may be staring at a computer screen, driving, or just walked into the next room, when suddenly I stop and ask myself “What am I doing?”

“I know I came in here for something.”

“Where was I going?”

It could be a lack of concentration, or short term memory loss, but it seems all to often I lose focus on the task at hand.  I’m easily distracted. Random thoughts sometimes bounce in my head like a 25 cent super bounce ball.  If we could somehow harness the energy inside a super bounce ball we could probably. . .(see what I mean!)

Amidst all the distractions of life, it’s easy to lose sight of our ultimate task.  To love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and all your strength.  So ask yourself, “What am I doing?”

This mornings Worship Experience was one of the most powerful services I have ever been a part of.  There was an excitement as soon as the music started, like there was an expectation that this wasn’t going to be just another service.

Then it happened!

 While we were singing “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”  The Holy Spirit became very heavy.  People began to just weep.  I took a minute and told the history of the man who wrote Amazing Grace.  A slave trader.  A man who knew about bondage and chains.

 I know about spiritual bondage and emotional chains.  I get emotional singing about His grace because I know what its like to be set free.  One by one, as we began to sing it again hands were raised as a sign of freedom from the chains.  The front of the church began to fill up with people who needed healings, who needed salvation, relationships were restored, lives were changed.

I’ve never been in a service where the presence of God was so genuinely felt.  It wasn’t just another service.  What a Sunday.

Life is crazy!  It seems like every time you think you have it figured out something changes.  You think things are getting predictable, then all of a sudden something takes you by surprise.

We don’t like surprises.

We try to schedule every minute of our existence to leave no room for surprises.  It doesn’t work.

Things just happen.

Life happens!

Easter reminds us that “Life” has a way of happening.  Even in the seemingly finality of death, Life happens!  A new life mind you but life none the less.  Jesus was crucified, dead and buried.  Then 3 days later, Life Happened!  Maybe the next time life happens to us we won’t see it as a bad thing, but instead as a sobering reminder that we should be thankful that Life Happened in the first place and that it will continue to happen even after this physical life is over.  Because then. . .

Eternal Life Happens!

Many times when you ask about callings you get very specific answers.  “I’m called to preach” or “I’m called to be a Pastor” or “I’m called to Lead Worship,” and though I feel called to all those things, what drives me is my call in it’s simplest form.  The call of Christ on my life to “make disciples of all peoples” or to simply reach people.

 So many times in our passion to follow after our specific calling we can become so absorbed that we lose sight of our simple calling.  We can become so enamored by the vocation of ministry that it slowly takes the place of our personal mission, to reach those around us.  I was encouraged yesterday when I talked to a friend of mine, Rob Bailey,  who serves as the State Youth and Christian Education Director for the Church of God in Texas.

Rob shared with me that he was having trouble finding a way to be missional in the community he was in.  He lives on a Denomination owned camp ground surrounded by other Church of God ministers, and had noticed it was affecting his personal evangelism.  So whats a man to do when he needs a group of people to share Christ with?  That’s right, Try out for a Semi-Pro Football Team.  Rob tried out, made the team, and is the starting right tackle for the Weatherford  Bullets. 

They call him “The Minister” and it sounds like an accurate description.  Rob put it this way, “over the last two months 4 have been saved. 20 (of 45) are showing up for a Bible study before film review. Several have pulled me aside individually to ask for special prayer for various needs. 1 asked the difference between Islam and Christianity and I have done 1 funeral for a family member.”

While working within our calling lets never lose site of the fact that our mission, boiled down to its simplest form is to reach people.  Maybe you can’t play football, but surely you can drink coffee at a coffee house.  Whatever you do, find a way to reach some. 1 Cor. 9:22

Thought you might like to hear a couple of stories I shared with Discover Church about my trip to Tennessee.

I’m so glad to be back.

Apparently the camera guy was dosing off at first.

I’m back in the hotel after the first night of Engage 21.  The Open Mic forum was kind of a cool concept but mics sometimes end up in the wrong hands.  The question posed to the delegates was how to recognize and affirm emerging leaders.  Unfortunately it kind of turned into a whine fest about people not being recognized.  I’m not so much worried about being recognized or affirmed as I am about being equipped.

 If you want to recognize me or affirm me as a leader, equip me.  Give me training, help fund our efforts, or simply acknowledge the fact that there are many styles and methods that are effective for reaching the lost.  I think this conference is a great attempt to reach a group of ministers who feel like they are out on the fringe.  I’m excited about tomorrow and look forward to connecting with other leaders to share ideas and experiences.

 I have already made some great contacts and even if that’s all that comes from this trip, it would be worth it.

I’m not exactly sure why, but I felt compelled to start my own blog.  Maybe it was just because everyone else seemed to have one.  I’m sure I’ll have some important things to write about at some point, but right now I’m still trying to figure out how it all works.