Thursday, April 30, 2015

Apologies

I have no idea what is causing extraneous text from a previous post to appear in the most recently posted recap of Churchnet's annual meeting.  I've deleted and re-posted it multiple times without being able to resolve the issue.

I'm going to continue to work on the issue, but apologize for the appearance and the difficulty in reading that this has occasioned.

Annual Meeting Recap



Churchnet's annual gathering at FBC Jefferson City last weekend was a wonderful experience.  We kicked the event off as we do each year with our missions banquet.  Forestal Lawton and I shared about the trip to Cuba last October, including pictures of countryside, modes of transportation, churches we visited, etc.  I also gave a briefer description of the most recent Guatemala training trip for pastors and leaders Brian Kaylor and I led this past January.  Each year during the banquet, we receive an offering that helps fund our missions partnerships and this year's response to the offering was very generous.  Between money received and pledges made, the total was right at $7500 toward our goal of $10,000.  I expect we will reach and surpass that goal in the coming weeks as others contribute who were unable to attend the meeting.

FBC Jeff City's choir and orchestra led us in a beautiful time of worship on Friday evening, followed by a challenging and prophetic message from my colleague, Brian Kaylor.  Brian addressed the theme of the gathering which focused on sharing hope by building a community of peace and reconciliation.  It was a timely message in light of the ongoing racial unrest in our nation.  Brian made several references to the pioneering work of Clarence Jordan in the area of racial reconciliation with the establishment back in the 1940s of the Koinonia Farm in Georgia.  Those who lived there (both blacks and whites) were targeted by violent protests as many opposed any efforts toward racial equality and mutual understanding.  Jordan is perhaps best known as the author of the Cotton Patch Gospel, a paraphrase that sets the message of the New Testament in the language and context of the South.

Saturday morning we had a brief business meeting after breakfast to elect officers and approve the adoption of the new Vision 2020 strategic plan that has been hammered out over a 9 month period or so beginning last year.  Here is a video introducing the plan and outlining its main components.

Following the business session, 7 different breakout sessions were offered.  I had comments that several of these were outstanding.  I was unable to attend any other than the two which I led that centered on preparing one's church for a cross-cultural missions experience.  The 5 of us present in the first session had a lively discussion about issues to consider in planning and carrying out a missions trip overseas or in a cultural context other than our own.  In the second session, Jeff Buscher (who serves as a chaplain and professor at William Jewell) and I had a chance to converse about mission philosophy and what Jewell is doing with their students in Honduras, working in a couple of villages there to do community development.  It was a very profitable time of sharing.

Finally, we wrapped up Saturday morning with a beautiful time of worship led by Second Baptist Church in Jefferson City.  The music of their choir and the message by their pastor were both outstanding.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Mary's Shame Reversed

Scot McKnight's blog, Jesus Creed, often features posts and articles by a young pastor named Jonathan Storment that I've really enjoyed.  Today he hits a home run with a piece about the shame that Mary endured until Jesus' resurrection reversed everything.  I hope you'll take time to read this article.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Churchnet's Annual Meeting

I'm looking forward to the annual gathering of Churchnet this Friday and Saturday at First Baptist Church Jefferson City.  As is our custom, we'll begin the time together with a missions banquet, eating some good food together, but more importantly, celebrating what the Lord has done through our missions efforts.  This year we will highlight the trip several of us took last October to Cuba as well as our ongoing partnership with Guatemalan Baptists.

This year's theme for the gathering is a timely one in light of all the recent incidents of racial tension and violence in our nation.  The theme is Share Hope: Building a Community of Peace and Reconciliation.  In addition to our plenary gatherings for worship and inspiration, a number of breakout sessions will focus on the theme of sharing hope as well.  The following breakout sessions will be offered twice each on Saturday morning:

Worship that Advances Peace & Reconciliation – Brian Kaylor
Understanding Racial Issues from a Historical Perspective – Molly Fleming-Pierre
Mission JC – Melissa Hatfield
An Introduction to a Conversation on Race – W. T. Edmonson
Disaster Relief Ministry with Chain Saws – Gary Hurst
Beneath the Skin (Documentary & Discussion) – Jim Hill
Leadership the Ozarks Way – Bob Perry
Preparing for a Cross-Cultural Mission Trip – Gary Snowden

If you are in driving distance of Jefferson City this weekend, we'd love to have you come and join us for this annual meeting.  You can register at Churchnet's website:  http://www.churchnet.org/ or simply show up and register there. 


 

Thursday, April 02, 2015

Shane Claiborne on "Holy Week in an Unholy World"

I've been sharing several different blog posts this week from different authors as they reflect on the significance of the cross and Holy Week or Semana Santa as it's known in Latin America.  Today I read this post by Shane Claiborne on the Red Letter Christians blog.  One story he tells was especially gripping.  I'll quote him here:

One of the most powerful Good Friday services we’ve ever had was a few years ago. We carried the cross into the streets and planted it outside the gunshop in our neighborhood. We had our services there. We read the story of Jesus’s death… and heard about the women weeping at the foot of the cross. And then we listened to the women in our neighborhood weep as they shared about losing their kids to gun violence.

Calvary met Kensington.

Afterwords, one woman said to me: “I get it! I get it!” I asked her what she meant. And then she said something more profound than anything I ever learned in seminary: “God understands my pain. God knows how I feel. God watched his Son die too.” Then I realized she was the mother of a nineteen-year-old who had just been murdered on our block.

God understands our pain. That is good theology for Good Friday. And that kind of theology only happens when we connect the Bible to the world we live in. It happens when worship and activism meet. We don’t have to choose between faith and action. In fact we cannot have one without the other.

Let’s get out of the sanctuaries and into the streets.
- See more at: http://www.redletterchristians.org/holy-week-in-an-unholy-world/#sthash.H4TES42l.dpuf
 "One of the most powerful Good Friday services we ever had was a few years ago.  We carried the cross into the streets and planted it outside the gunshop in our neighborhood.  We had our services there.  We read the story of Jesus' death ... and heard about the women weeping at the foot of the cross.  And then we listened to the women in our neighborhood weep as they shared about losing their kids to gun violence.

Calvary met Kensington.

Afterwards, one women said to me: "I get it!  I get it!"  I asked her what she meant.  And then she said something more profound than anything I ever learned in seminary: "God understands my pain.  God knows how I feel.  God watched his Son die too."  Then I realized that she was the mother of a nineteen-year-old who had just been murdered on our block. 

God understands our pain.  That is good theology for Good Friday.  And that kind of theology only happens when we connect the Bible to the world we live in.  It happens when worship and activism meet.  We don't have to choose between faith and action.  In fact we cannot have one without the other.

Let's get out of the sanctuaries and into the streets."
One of the most powerful Good Friday services we’ve ever had was a few years ago. We carried the cross into the streets and planted it outside the gunshop in our neighborhood. We had our services there. We read the story of Jesus’s death… and heard about the women weeping at the foot of the cross. And then we listened to the women in our neighborhood weep as they shared about losing their kids to gun violence.

Calvary met Kensington.

Afterwords, one woman said to me: “I get it! I get it!” I asked her what she meant. And then she said something more profound than anything I ever learned in seminary: “God understands my pain. God knows how I feel. God watched his Son die too.” Then I realized she was the mother of a nineteen-year-old who had just been murdered on our block.

God understands our pain. That is good theology for Good Friday. And that kind of theology only happens when we connect the Bible to the world we live in. It happens when worship and activism meet. We don’t have to choose between faith and action. In fact we cannot have one without the other.

Let’s get out of the sanctuaries and into the streets.
- See more at: http://www.redletterchristians.org/holy-week-in-an-unholy-world/#sthash.H4TES42l.dpuf
One of the most powerful Good Friday services we’ve ever had was a few years ago. We carried the cross into the streets and planted it outside the gunshop in our neighborhood. We had our services there. We read the story of Jesus’s death… and heard about the women weeping at the foot of the cross. And then we listened to the women in our neighborhood weep as they shared about losing their kids to gun violence.

Calvary met Kensington.

Afterwords, one woman said to me: “I get it! I get it!” I asked her what she meant. And then she said something more profound than anything I ever learned in seminary: “God understands my pain. God knows how I feel. God watched his Son die too.” Then I realized she was the mother of a nineteen-year-old who had just been murdered on our block.

God understands our pain. That is good theology for Good Friday. And that kind of theology only happens when we connect the Bible to the world we live in. It happens when worship and activism meet. We don’t have to choose between faith and action. In fact we cannot have one without the other.
- See more at: http://www.redletterchristians.org/holy-week-in-an-unholy-world/#sthash.H4TES42l.dpuf
One of the most powerful Good Friday services we’ve ever had was a few years ago. We carried the cross into the streets and planted it outside the gunshop in our neighborhood. We had our services there. We read the story of Jesus’s death… and heard about the women weeping at the foot of the cross. And then we listened to the women in our neighborhood weep as they shared about losing their kids to gun violence.

Calvary met Kensington.

Afterwords, one woman said to me: “I get it! I get it!” I asked her what she meant. And then she said something more profound than anything I ever learned in seminary: “God understands my pain. God knows how I feel. God watched his Son die too.” Then I realized she was the mother of a nineteen-year-old who had just been murdered on our block.

God understands our pain. That is good theology for Good Friday. And that kind of theology only happens when we connect the Bible to the world we live in. It happens when worship and activism meet. We don’t have to choose between faith and action. In fact we cannot have one without the other.
- See more at: http://www.redletterchristians.org/holy-week-in-an-unholy-world/#sthash.H4TES42l.dpuf

Wednesday, April 01, 2015

Latest Edition of Churchnet's Monthly E-Magazine

The latest issue of Churchnet's monthly digital E-magazine is available for your reading pleasure and information.  March's issue focuses primarily on the upcoming annual meeting at FBC Jefferson City scheduled for Apr. 24-25.  Highlights of the annual meeting always include our missions banquet that will share information about our international partnership efforts in places like Guatemala, Cuba, and the Ukraine; great speakers and worship; several informative breakout sessions; and the unveiling of the new strategic plan for 2015-2020.  I hope you'll read the magazine but also strongly encourage you to consider attending the annual gathering itself.