Santiago Turns 18

Feliz Cumpleaños!

God and Science

Videos of the recent God and Science lecture at Harvard, now available at the Boston Church of Christ campus ministry website.

Some of Our Favorite Things

Campus revival in Columbia, South Carolina:

While the Spirit has been working powerfully here for over three decades, we arrived to a ministry in a time of great transition. There had not been a full time campus minister here for quite some time. Some students were graduating and many were moving on to the singles or marrieds ministries....

Truly, God is doing a new thing. We are now 35 strong and eagerly looking to the future. In these past three years there has been almost 100% turnover to other ministries and yet God has still blessed us with well over 100% growth in the campus ministry!

And a $173,000 special missions contribution...also from Columbia.

This year's contribution was expanded to include specific amounts for the new church planting in Clemson this fall, a new initiative to strengthen churches and raise up leadership in the eastern Caribbean, as well as continuing our support for our adopted churches in Southern Africa.

Opportunities

Opportunities for ministry, internships and other interesting programs:

Campus Ministry Intern, University of Connecticut. (Link)

Lead Evangelist, Wichita, Kansas (Link)

Region Leader and Woman's Ministry Leader, South Central Region of the Boston Church of Christ (Link)

New! Youth Ministry Couple, Part-time, Greater Nashville Church (Link)

Add something to this list by e-mail to kelcy@missionsmemo.org. You can always find it via the "Opportunities" link on the right hand side of this blog.

Sichuan Earthquake: An Action Plan

Chinese disciples propose a four-part plan to help victims of the Sichuan earthquake. Key point for MM readers:

If the Spirit moves you to give to the earthquake relief effort, please ask your Church leaders to contact us, and we will ensure this money is put into the relief effort.

Final 2007 Survey Report

For those readers who collect such things, here's the Final 2007 Survey Report in PDF.

Prophetic 2008 report available, for a limited time, here.

Funding Strategy

Austin chooses the direct method:

Rather than contributing to a “Mission Society” or “World Sector” as we have done in the past, together with the Central Jersey Church, we’ll begin directly supporting the churches in Cyprus, Turkey and Israel.

APEST

Alan Hirsch says we still need all of the "fantastic five" roles:

...when Christianity dominated the culture, the church acquired a fundamentally non-missional posture. Mission beyond the walls of the institution was downplayed because every citizen was deemed at least a nominal Christian already. What was needed were pastoral and teaching ministries to care for and instruct the congregation, and to draw underdeveloped Christians back into the church on Sunday.

So, these two functions were eventually instituted as the leadership offices in the church, and the other three roles listed in Ephesians 4 (apostles, prophets, and evangelists) faded away as largely unnecessary. The system of church leadership we inherited from Christendom heavily favors maintenance and pastoral care, thus neglecting the church's larger mission and ministry.

While happy to leave behind our 1990's over-emphasis on E at the expense of S and T, I still think the greater danger we face is reverting to the S/T-dominated mean. But we don't have to choose, as Hirch points out so well.

Suspect "Stats" and the Facts

Yeah, I'd heard the "80 percent of new churches fail in the first year" number thrown around, too, so was pleased to find this report by Ed Stetzer and Phillip Connor while looking for something else this morning.

We found that the survivability rate of the church plants in our study was 68 percent after four years—and this was similar in all denominations.

Lots more in the full report.

Food as Outreach

A great example, from Seattle:

Darin quickly became know as the “mayor of the neighbourhood” - being the first person to meet and greet every new move-in. A few months after we moved into our home, Darin suggested that we have neighbourhood potlucks every other month. Amazingly, our neighbours wanted to have potlucks every month – one of them even suggested every week!

After a year of monthly potlucks - a different neighbour hosted each time - Darin and I were even more eager to see how God was going to use our potlucks. A few months ago, during one of our dinners, one of our neighbours asked Darin if he would start a neighbourhood bible study.

Heh.

Connection Metro Church of Denver decides to abandon ministry and focus on coffee, which was proving a bigger visitor draw anyway:

"People liked the coffee a lot better than the ministry, according to congregational surveys, so we’re practicing what we preached and focusing on our strengths," says former teaching pastor and now chief marketing officer, Peter Brown.

Many in the congregation seem downright relieved. "The sermons were okay, but the vanilla frappes were dynamite," says one woman who regularly attended the church for two years so she could enjoy the special brews.

Another Newly Appointed Evangelist

This coming Sunday, Marty and Daonna Wilkinson will be appointed as Evangelist and Women's Ministry Leader in San Antonio, Texas.

I'm glad to see them recognized this way, and even happier to see the renewed emphasis by some of our most capable church builders on raising up a new generation of young evangelists.

Because to really start planting a lot of churches again, we're going to need a lot of new evangelists.

Near Possession Point

Sichuan Earthquake Update

As Steve Chin has posted elsewhere, we're at least comforted to know that none of the disciples in our sister churches in the earthquake area, or their families, were hurt.

The Hong Kong Church of Christ collected relief funds yesterday but is looking down the road to the time when the emergency relief is exhausted and the spotlight turns somewhere else. In fact, the amount of immediate assistance in such tragedies is usually sufficient--it's just a matter of getting it there in time.

The really difficult relief work will come months later, when the world's attention has turned elsewhere, but schools still need to be rebuilt, for example. I'll post more on these long-term efforts as I hear about them.

It makes sense that, as Christians, we should commit our resources to such efforts. Governments and the most reluctant of donors will be moved to action while the cameras are rolling, but who will have the perseverance--indeed, the love--to follow through for years afterwards? We can make a more significant contribution this way.

We Interrupt This Program...

Good advice on "what to do when emergencies and outbursts bring your worship service to a halt" from Mike Woodruff.

And it's just a matter of time before something like this happens at your church. Maybe it won't be someone demanding to speak—it might be someone having a heart attack, or the electricity suddenly going out.

Once I was in a church service when a Sunday morning earthquake hit. And, I've seen the mike taken over more than once. It makes sense to be ready with a plan, especially with what not to do.

Speaking of Men

David Murrow has a new book out and a website devoted to the same theme. His newsletter says the book is already having an effect:

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, a gang of crazed women broke into a church sanctuary and tore down the flowered banners and lace curtains after reading the book.

Not really, of course. Directionally, though, not a bad idea.

Isn't This Like, So True?

Taylor Mali:



(H/T to Mark Swanson.)

The Sichuan Earthquake

Many readers, who know this blog is written from Hong Kong, are asking for news from China about the Sichuan earthquake.

Frankly, I'm getting my news from the same sources as everyone else and don't have much to add. Disciples Today posted a brief message from "Jessica" whose family in the shaken area is fine. ICOC Hot News today posts a message from our nearest church, in Chengdu.

Last night, here in Hong Kong at midweek, we prayed for the families of the victims and the rescue workers. We'll take up a collection Sunday, with the donations being made directly to the Hong Kong Red Cross China Relief Fund.

The Church Planting Imperative: "Churches Are His Plan A"

Why plant?

Too few Christ-honoring, Bible-believing, revival-ready, open-hearted, welcoming churches. Is there one city in all this world with too many such churches? I have no assurance that God thinks so.

A truth too often overlooked in our times, especially by those who invent parachurch ministries, is that churches are God's only biblically authorized strategy for world redemption. Churches are his Plan A, and he has revealed no Plan B.

Good stuff. Thanks to a Mission Memo reader for the link. Keep 'em coming. And, let's keep planting new churches.

Campus Roundup

More campus news:

• David and Jody Peach move to Houston to "serve as interns helping to build and fortify the current campus ministry as well as initiating outreach on all the major campuses in the metro area."
• UW triplets!
• IMS gives the "official announcement and okay in funding to plant a ministry in Storrs, Connecticut, at the University of Connecticut in September of 2008....the first planting of a New England ministry in twelve years."

Missions Roundup

Here and there:

• Eurasian Missions releases its 2007-2008 Missions Report. Contributions from churches to the Eurasian Missions fund have increased almost 30% in three years.
• In two days, the Columbia Church of Christ will have a day of prayer and fasting for missions. It's special missions contribution will go towards support of churches in Zimbabwe, Angola and Mozambique, as well as some of the smaller churches in the Eastern Caribbean, plus a new church planting in Clemson, South Carolina.
• The Athens, Georgia church collects $115,000 for missions, three times the previous year's contribution for missions.
• Denver plans a June 8 special contribution to support churches in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.

China Rising

The Beijing Olympics will bring fresh attention to the economic rise of China; Christianity Today is looking at another rise, the gradual transformation of China's underground church culture:

The success of these new churches, which have never been underground, is having a ripple effect on traditional house churches. "The churches are tired of hiding," says John Davis, elder at the Beijing International Christian Fellowship, the city's main church for English-speaking expatriates. "They have been hidden for so long. They are ready to rise up and be seen, to be salt and light in society."

In Wenzhou, a southeastern city known as the Jerusalem of the Orient, urban church buildings are rising up like bamboo shoots.

Myanmar Relief

From Cesar Lopez in Cambodia, on aid for Myanmar:

We have a brother there encouraging the church and coordinating post relief plan with HOPEww....

If you can make an appeal for donations that would help. Because all donations are hand carried into the country we have two points of funding coordination: the Oahu church which annually gives to Myanmar and the Bangkok church. Any amount would go a long way.

Most importantly please ask churches to pray. I'll keep you updated.

Thank you for helping the Burmese disciples.

See Mike's interview with Randy Jordan of HOPE for more on how you can help.

Disciples Today has specifics on the way relief is being delivered from Bangkok, and the bank information for Oahu for wire transfers.

2007 Church Survey Report: Part 5

Beyond Stats

Collecting data from churches is always an interesting project. Besides the normal challenges, there is a spiritual dimension as well. We recognize the dangers of publishing this kind of information—dangers related more than anything to unintended consequences.

These dangers include:

Equating growth with good. What churches do to grow is not always good. Growth that is the result of gimmicks, pressure, or worldly ambition is superficially indistinguishable from healthy growth. Use discernment.

Failing to appreciate planting churches. One of the most selfless things a church can do is start another church. In so doing, the planting church may actually suffer a membership loss.

Failing to appreciate leaders who let go. Several churches in our survey reported membership losses because one or more satellite groups (or regions, or sectors, depending on the church's terminology) reached a point of maturity that allowed it to become a separate congregation.

Using numbers to validate suspect methodology or false doctrine.

Using numbers competitively. Having lived in several countries and a dozen different cities, we know that some fields simply yield a slower harvest than others. Comparing two churches without taking context into consideration is folly.

Thinking faster is always better. Fast growth by God's blessing is always a cause for joy, but all fast growth is unsustainable. Sometimes it's unhealthy. Steady, healthy growth gets less attention, but if it's sustainable, will produce a greater harvest over time.

We recommend not only the measuring of church growth indicators (membership, attendance, baptisms) but also church health indicators.

One church provided, in addition to its membership report, the following surveys it used to measure members’ perceptions of their spiritual life and the effectiveness of the church’s small groups.

We share these surveys, and the results, as an example of a balanced approach to measuring growth and health.

Spiritual Reflection Survey and Report
Small Group Effectiveness and Dynamics Survey and Report

2007 Church Survey Report: Part 4

"Men for God from Every Tribe and Language and People and Nation"

The growth of any single church or group of churches has never, of course, been the goal. Obedience to the Great Commission means caring about the progress of disciple-making beyond our immediate environs. The following chart and lists illustrate the enormity of the task ahead (see note 1).


Canada/U.S.
Membership: 37,154
Population: 332,000,000

Asia/Pacific
Membership: 18,489
Population: 3,618,000,000

Latin America/Caribbean
Membership: 13,748
Population: 566,000,000

Africa
Membership: 10,750
Population: 694,000,000

Eurasia
Membership: 6,797
Population: 277,000,000

Europe
Membership: 2,724
Population: 529,000,000

Middle East
Membership: 468
Population: 499,000,000

WORLD
Membership: 90,130
Population: 6,515,000,000

There is at least one International Church of Christ in 147 countries (note 2).

However, of these 147 countries:

• In only 24 countries (note 3) do we have churches with a combined membership 500 or more.
  
• In 35 countries, combined membership is 100-499.
  
• In 88 countries combined membership of all churches is fewer than 100 members.

There are approximately 48 countries in which we have yet to plant a viable church. These countries and their populations are listed below by region:

Middle East
Iran; 69,000,000
Algeria; 33,000,000
Yemen; 22,000,000
Syria; 19,000,000
Libya; 5,900,000
Mauritania; 3,200,000
Oman; 3,100,000
Western Sahara; 270,000

Europe
Poland; 38,500,000
Portugal; 10,600,000
Serbia; 9,400,000
Slovakia; 5,400,000
Macedonia; 2,100,000
Slovenia; 2,000,000
Montenegro; 600,000
Malta; 400,000
Andorra; 100,000
Greenland; 100,000
Liechtenstein; 34,000
Monaco; 33,000
San Marino; 29,000

Asia/Pacific
North Korea; 23,000,000
Bhutan; 2,300,000
East Timor; 1,100,000
Solomon Islands; 600,000
Brunei; 400,000
Maldives; 400,000
Vanuatu; 200,000
Samoa; 200,000
Tonga; 100,000
Kiribati; 100,000
Marshall Islands; 100,000
American Samoa; 100,000
Palau; 21,000
Nauru; 13,000
Tuvalu; 12,000

Africa
Somalia; 8,900,000
Eritrea; 4,800,000
Comoros; 700,000
Equatorial Guinea; 500,000
Djibouti; 500,000
Cape Verde; 400,000
Sao Tome and Principe; 200,000
Seychelles; 100,000

Latin America/Caribbean
Saint Lucia; 200,000
Antigua and Barbuda; 100,000
Dominica; 100,000
Saint Kitts and Nevis; 39,000

Notes for Part 4

1. We do not, of course, intend this section to reflect a view that we are the only disciples of Jesus in these regions, or that if a nation or city does not have an International Church of Christ it is therefore "unevangelized." We recognize as brothers all disciples of Jesus within or without the ICOC, and have areas of agreement with all who call themselves Christian, without compromising our convictions on "life and doctrine." But this need not in the least bit weaken our ambition to plant more disciple-making churches everywhere.
2. There are some difficulties determining exactly which political entities should be considered countries, but for the sake of this analysis, we have excluded dependent territories.
3. The 24 nations with over 500 members are Brazil, Canada, China, Congo (DRC), Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States.

Next, Part 5: Beyond Stats