SBC 2010: Official Wrapup

SBC WRAPUP: Taken from sbcannualmeeting.net
Thursday, Jun 17, 2010

By Staff
ORLANDO, Fla. (BP)--After months of debate, Southern Baptist Convention messengers meeting June 15-16 easily adopted an amended version of the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force report and also elected a new president, Bryant Wright.

It was the first time Southern Baptists had gathered in Orlando since 2000, the same year they debated and passed another significant document, the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message.

The 23-member GCR Task Force, formed during the 2009 meeting by then-SBC President Johnny Hunt, released a preliminary report in February and a lengthy final report in May. Discussion on the report in newspapers, Internet blogs and social media led to the largest messenger total at an annual meeting -- just over 11,000 -- since 2006.

In other top annual meeting news:

-- messengers passed a resolution calling divorce a "scandal that has become all too commonplace in our own churches" and an oil spill resolution asserting that "our God-given dominion over the creation is not unlimited, as though we were gods and not creatures."

-- the convention voted in its first presidential runoff since 1982.

-- the Executive Committee elected Frank Page its next president.

But the GCR report dominated messengers' attention. It had seven components, none of which drew more floor discussion during the Tuesday afternoon session than the third component's call for a new category, "Great Commission Giving," that would encompass not only Cooperative Program giving but also designated giving to all SBC causes.

Critics argued the new category would de-emphasize CP giving, and when messenger John Waters (Ga.) offered an amendment striking the new category from the report, a vote via a show of ballots appeared too close to call. Rather than putting the amendment to a ballot vote that possibly would push discussion of the report into the evening, task force members offered two compromise amendments that strengthened the report's CP language. Both were amendments to Component No. 3 and both passed overwhelmingly.

The first amendment said Southern Baptists "continue to honor and affirm the Cooperative Program as the most effective means of mobilizing our churches and extending our outreach." The second amendment -- which was written during a discussion on stage between task force members and Waters -- said Southern Baptists affirm "that designated giving to special causes is to be given as a supplement to the Cooperative Program and not as a substitute for Cooperative Program giving."

Waters, pastor of First Baptist Church in Statesboro, Ga., spoke from the podium and said the compromise amendment was offered by him and task force members "in the spirit of unity and togetherness" so as "to find some common ground on which we can stand for the sake of" the Great Commission.

After the final amendment passed, the report itself passed via a show of ballots by an estimated 3-to-1 margin.

Following the historic vote, task force chairman Ronnie Floyd recalled the statement issued by northern and southern Baptists after the 1845 founding of the Southern Baptist Convention. He told messengers: "Following the pattern of our leaders of old, we also would say to the watching world that the differences between those who support the Great Commission Resurgence report and recommendations and those who do not should not be exaggerated. We are still brothers and sisters in Christ. We differ on no article of faith.

"We are guided by our shared commitment to the Gospel itself and to the articles of faith identified in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000," he added. "The Southern Baptist Convention is a convention of churches that is committed to a missional vision of presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations. We are a Great Commission people."

Task force members said the amendments strengthened the report.

"The bottom line is that in an inelegant way we have a superior recommendation," task force member R. Albert Mohler Jr. said of the amendment process. "I think it's, in one sense, Southern Baptists at their very best -- sometimes a bit clumsy but determined to get to the same place together. And I appreciated the spirit of the messengers."

Said Floyd: "We just thank all of Southern Baptists for believing in the Great Commission. And now we move forward."

Bryant Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga., was elected in a runoff for SBC president, winning 55 percent to 44 percent for Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla. Speaking to reporters shortly after he was elected, Wright emphasized his church's spotlight on missions and said he would like to see more churches and pastors take mission trips.

"The pastor needs to experience what it's like to be out there in another culture, sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ," Wright said.

Wright supported the task force's report.

"The task force leadership has led the convention in taking a very courageous step, but it is really just a beginning," Wright said. "If we're going to be radically serious about reaching this world for Christ, we as individuals and we as churches are going to have to really be prayerfully committed to fulfilling what God has called us to do with the Great Commission."

Wright also talked about how he and his church, frustrated with the amount of Cooperative Program dollars that remain in the United States, lowered their CP giving in order to raise contributions to the International Mission Board.

"We would very much prefer that all those funds go straight through CP," Wright said, "but there needs to be a radical reprioritization of that money."

Asked about a column he wrote urging state conventions to retain only 25 percent to 30 percent of undesignated CP gifts from churches, Wright said, "I'd love to see states move in that direction, knowing it will be a long, long process." Even a goal of splitting receipts 50/50 between state and SBC causes would allow funding for many more missionaries, he said.

Wright said state convention leaders "can be the real heroes in carrying out the Great Commission" since they control budgets and decide how much goes out of state for distribution to Southern Baptist causes.

RESOLUTIONS

The divorce resolution, which passed with what appeared to be a unanimous vote, says the "acceleration in rates of divorce in Southern Baptist churches has not come through a shift in theological conviction about scriptural teaching on divorce but rather through cultural accommodation." It urges churches to "to proclaim the Word of God on the permanence of marriage" and for "Southern Baptists in troubled or faltering marriages to seek godly assistance and, where possible, reconciliation." It further calls on churches "to proclaim God's mercy and grace to all people -- including those who have been divorced without biblical grounds." Resolutions Committee Chairman Russell Moore said it was the convention's first resolution since 1904 directly to address divorce.

The resolution on the Gulf oil spill, which passed nearly unanimously, calls on Southern Baptists to help those in the region who are hurting and to pray for an end to the tragedy. It also acknowledges that "this tragedy should remind us to testify to the love of God in His creation and to the hope through the blood of Christ, of a fully restored creation in which the reign of God is seen 'on earth as it is in heaven' (Matthew 6:10)."

Messengers also passed resolutions:
-- calling for reaffirmation of the centrality of the Gospel of Jesus.

-- supporting family worship.

-- opposing the proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the overturning of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

PAGE ELECTED

Frank Page, vice president of evangelization for the North American Mission Board, was elected the next Executive Committee president during a closed executive session of the EC meeting June 14, the day prior to the annual meeting. He said he hopes to be a unifying voice in the convention.

"There's great division amongst the brethren and to pull us together is going to be a God-ordained task that I shall deal with as best I can," he said. "One of my goals is to be a unifier. We've got to, based on John 17:21. It is imperative for our evangelistic efforts that we be unified."

In other matters:

-- More than 1,500 people accepted Christ during the pre-convention Crossover evangelism emphasis, which had 1,900-plus volunteers.

-- International Mission Board President Jerry Rankin delivered his final report to messengers, applauding Southern Baptists for giving nearly $149 million to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering but saying it still was not enough to send all the Southern Baptists waiting for missionary appointment. "What will we sacrifice?" he asked. "What will we be willing to change in order for the missionaries that God is calling from our churches to go and touch the lost nations and peoples who are dying without Christ? I pray that that question will be implanted in our minds and stir our conscience with conviction."

-- Richard Harris, interim president of the North American Mission Board, told messengers that three out of every four people in North America have no personal relationship with Christ. Yet Harris recounted several reasons for optimism, including a church in Painter, Ala., that saw its Easter attendance double by using the God's Plan for Sharing (GPS) evangelism strategy. Harris also said that 85,000 Haitians have accepted Christ since the earthquake. "I have never been more excited than this day to move forward to penetrate lostness in North America, and the North American Mission Board is going to help you do it," he said.

-- Executive Committee President Morris H. Chapman delivered his final report to messengers. "As you may know, I do differ with the last five recommendations that shall be recommended by the Great Commission Task Force," Chapman said minutes prior to debate on the report. "My heart is heavy because these recommendations do not challenge us spiritually and shall never bring us to our knees, much less take us to the ends of the earth. We can accomplish all of these recommendations without the power of God and the moving of God's Holy Spirit." A resurgence, Chapman said, "must be ignited by the Holy Spirit of God and stoked by faithful people in the pulpits and pews of this land."

-- Messengers elected Tennessee evangelist Ron Herrod as first vice president and Eric Moffett, pastor of First Baptist Church in Sparkman, Ark., as second vice president. Earlier in the convention Moffett's church received the Executive Committee's M.E. Dodd Award for its commitment to the Cooperative Program. Over the past 30 years the 100-member church has given an average of 32 percent to CP. By acclamation, messengers elected John Yeats, director of communications for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, as SBC recording secretary, and Jim Wells, director of missions for the Tri-County Baptist Association in Nixa, Mo., as registration secretary. Messengers also elected David Platt, pastor of the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., to preach the convention sermon at the 2011 annual meeting in Phoenix.

-- The SBC Pastors' Conference spotlighted adoption and used the surplus from the conference offerings to fund a series of $2,000 scholarships for adopting couples. (Information is available at SBCAdoption.com). "Adoption is not God's Plan B ever. Adoption is always God's Plan A, if that's what He's called the family to," Cissy McNickle said during a short video that told her family's adoption story. She and her husband, Buff, received the first scholarship.
--30--

Story based on reporting by Tammi Reed Ledbetter, news editor of the Southern Baptist TEXAN; Michael Foust, an assistant editor of Baptist Press; Mark Kelly, an assistant editor of Baptist Press; Erin Roach, staff writer for Baptist Press; Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press; and Norm Miller, a freelance writer based in Richmond, Va.

Think Ahead

Originally posted on Swerve by Bobby Gruenewald on June 17th, 2010.

Successful people are often great at anticipating.

•If you want to be promoted as an assistant, anticipate how you can better serve your boss.
•If you want to be successful in business, anticipate what the market will do.
•If you want to be successful in church, prayerfully anticipate. What new thing is God going to bless?
I try to think ahead by asking questions like these:

•How are people relating differently? What will relationships and community look like in two years?
•How are people going to communicate in the future?
•What future technology/innovation can help spread the gospel?
•What trends (business, entertainment, philanthropy, etc.) will affect the church?
Think ahead.

Book Review: The Prodigal God by Keller

Timothy Keller’s work, The Prodigal God, focuses on The Parable of the Prodigal Son. Although it is not the most exciting or entertaining book I have ever read, it is very though provoking and stirs one’s mind to think about the life you live – whether or not you live it for God or to get something from Him.

He introduces his ideas in a way I have never heard the story framed, by those hearing it. It seems funny for me to say that as I like to be one who follows proper hermeneutics, but in reality it is true. The primary focus is always on the lost son, and I have never heard any preacher talk about the perspective of the hearers of the story. In reality, that is what makes this book great as it opens up the heart of what Jesus was getting at.

Keller intentionally labels the brothers the younger brother and the older brother… eventually adding another brother to the story – no this is not heresy, it simply is an addition to illuminate what could have or should have been. He concludes his book with a Gospel presentation and challenge. This is a book I would recommend to anyone preaching, teaching, or wanting to get to the heart of The Parable of the Prodigal Son.

(here is a link to the parable)

MENTORING MINISTRY STRATEGY

1. Define success by relational connection

2. Help older believers embrace their responsibility

3. Invest in families (partner with entire families)

4. Value differences in a healthy way

5. Allow younger people to have a voice (we have to listen to what they are saying)

8 THINGS A MENOTR SHOULD DO

1. Start with someone you know (if you are not approached by someone and you desire to mentor)

2. The mentor should be further along in life and the Christian walk

3. Ask Questions

4. Share experience

5. Learn Together (books, resources, Bible study)

6. Look for “real life issue” to capitalize on

7. Keep Growing

8. Connect the mentoree with your family

6 ROLES OF A MENTOR

1. Treat the mentoree like a person, not a project
• Projects, not people, require agendas
• God is working in that person, our job is not to force them in a direction we think we should go
• Think relationship, not and end goal

2. Ask, “What is God already doing here?”

3. Understand the difference between beliefs (biblical) and opinions (personal)

4. Understand the difference between spiritual maturity and maturing
• A person is moving closer to God or further away – relationship with God

5. Trust God to carry the mentoree to completion

6. Participate in experiences together (with your mentoree)

WHY MENTOR?

Starting next Tuesday, I will have 3 posts concentrating on mentoring. My ideas have been generated and/or taken from The Slow Fade by Joiner, Bomar & Smith. For today, the focus will be on getting you to think about the topic and why you should be mentored and/or mentor someone else.

WHY MENTOR?

• To join God in the work He is already doing in someone’s life.
• When we discover who we are in God, we discover our purpose and find meaning.
• Teach them they can never outrun the arm of grace!
• Mutual transformation; God transforms you, not just the mentoree!

My Thoughts on LOST

Lost ended in a way that was characteristic of every other ending the show had ever had in its 6 year history, unanswered questions. These questions though were not specific to the island, the man in black, or who won – those were clearly answered. The island remained, everything you saw was real, Jack killed the man in black, the light (although out briefly out) persevered. Good beat evil, evil was contained, and free will wins out (Hurley chose to protect the island, Jack chose to die, Kate chose to leave).

But… there are lingering questions, 2 main ones to be exact. Were they dead all along? This was one of the main theories throughout the show. That the island was some sort of purgatory mean to hold them and there was a battle (good verse evil) that needed to be fought. In the closing scene Jack sees and embraces his dead father, his father reveals that Jack is like him, dead. The question comes in his father’s answer, “we all die at some point, some before and some long after.” So, when did Jack die? Was he dead from the final scene on the island or was this some sort of Sixth Sense existence we have been watching?

The other main question has to do with how they all ended up in the church. On one of the closing island scenes with Hurley and Benjamin, Ben indicates that Hurley can change the rules from what Jacob had done, adding that the new rules could be “better.” The closing moments heading into the church indicated that Hurley and Ben had been working together for quite some time, as they complemented each other’s work. Thus, the question presents itself; did the two of them orchestrate this reunion in order to help the survivors of the Oceanic flight in order to “help” them? It is an odd question for a great yet odd show.

Whatever the answers are, I don’t care, it does not matter, it was all make belief anyway. I am glad the show is over and that it is an hour of my week I no longer feel compelled to watch Lost. I though, am admittedly not a diehard fan of the show, so it makes it easier for me. I was one who saw the pilot, loved the show and for the first two years barely missed an episode or even part of an episode. Then it just got stupid. Time travel was lost on me, and I hardly watched any of seasons 3-5. I did catch the season 5 finale, and watched all of season 6.

Anyway, the reason for this post is to give it my 5 minutes of thought (compared to jack’s 5 seconds of fear), and then be done with it. The irony for me personally is found in reading a book about the show, a terrible book where my thought was, “this guy (the author) watches way too much television, I hope I never watch this much TV…” My fear is that I watch too much TV!

My Favorite Household Tools

This post is all about my favorite things I use around the house. To my surprise, they are all Black & Decker products. Surprise, because I was not really aware my favorite things were even that brand.

I was responsible for taking care of my family’s yard, and I HATED having to use the electric plug in edgers/weed eaters. When we purchased our home, I immediately bought a gas weed eater too (to show my father) and was excited to use it… but that excitement did not last long.


Getting it started was a pain, maintenance was not enjoyable, and the line/string was also a pain. Once the starter line tore I purchased the Black & Decker 18-Volt Cordless Grasshog Trimmer/Edger, and it changed my yard working life. It’s a great product, easy to use, easy to maintain, NO GAS or CORDS, and did I mention it was easy to use.


It comes with 2 batteries that you simple swap out when one goes dead. The reason I trusted this product is because I originally took a chance on the cordless broom, which in reality is more like a blower (Black & Decker 18 Volt Cordless Broom Hard Surface Sweeper). Keep in mind that my yard is not that big and I am able to get the job done with the batteries I have – 2 per each product (4 total).


I also love my dustbuster (Black & Decker Energy Star 18-V. Cordless Pivoting Hand Vacuum), but this is not like any other dustbuster I have ever used – it holds a charge and last well beyond the typical 15 seconds every other one I used has. My in-laws introduced me to it as I had to clean up a mess from a road trip to visit them last year. Not only did it clean up the snack, it held a charge and had significant power to vacuum up the whole vehicle, with time to spare. Last Christmas it was the only thing I asked for from them (they got me a new one, not theirs), and it has been awesome to use ever since.

Anyway, these are 3 products I love and 3 things you should consider buying!

Book Review: The Slow Fade by Joiner, Bomar & Smith

This is another book I picked up at Drive Conference 2010. My initial thought was that The Slow Fade by Joiner, Bomar & Smith would serve as a good resource in connecting with college students for our Ignite Worship Service geared at reaching young adults. Instead, I discovered that I picked up a guide to mentoring. Although not explicitly stated, this book provided all the resources necessary to starting a mentoring ministry.

Chapter 4, “Mentoring Redefined,” presented a detailed description of the role of a mentor – again there is no list, but I did come up with 6 key roles from this chapter. Chapter 5, “A New Bread of Leader,” described 8 things a mentor should be intentional about doing. Appendix A “A Note To Ministry Leaders,” gave Chuck Bomar’s mentoring ministry strategy.

Overall, this is by far the best book I have read on “How To” mentor. While the premise for this book deals with this subject, the title and subtitle do not, which is the only knock on it. If you work with college students (the intended target of this book) or young adults, you really need to read through this book. I am already excited to equip some of our mentors with the tools learned from reading this book… and not being able to sleep (tonight) finally paid dividends!

iPulpit

Today I had the opportunity to meet with Richard Carver, Owner and Senior Art Director for Little Mountain Productions. While we meeting to discuss design and themes for our new children and preschool areas, he introduced me to something new, something awesome, something I have to have… the iPulpit! Basically, you insert your iPad into the pulpit and preach from it directly. The good news for all the tree huggers is that it will eliminate the need to print on paper. For those who are easily distracted by the flipping of notes, that is gone too. For those who love technology, it allows us to maximize what is out there while having a crystal clear screen to read from.

Book Review: Choosing To Cheat by Andy Stanley

Choosing To Cheat is not what it sounds like initially, it is about “who wins when family and work collide.” Throughout the book, Andy Stanley tackles the number one challenge in my life, which is also the greatest challenge in most men’s life: balancing our work-life and home-life, career and family, professional verse parental/spousal. The beauty of this book is that he does not merely address the issue, he gives easy to follow advice for how to deal with these steps.

While there are many helpful points, some are found is addressing the balance between work and family before it spirals out of control. Chapter Four (Picking Up The Pieces) provides a healthy barometer along with quality questions to ask your children to gauge how you are truly doing with your family.

Section 2 is the practical part of the book that provides a roadmap for how to make family your family your top priority. Through the life and dedication of Daniel, Stanley provides 3 simple steps to follow: Make up your mind, come up with a plan, and set up a trial. For me, chapter seven was the most helpful chapter. One of my favorite quotes came from that chapter on page 86, “Reprioritizing your world around your family is not just a good idea. It is a God idea. As a Christian, I don’t think I have any option when it comes to establishing my priorities.”

My reason for purchasing this book and reading it is a direct result of listening to Andy Stanley give the Pastors’ Q & A at his Drive 2010 Conference last week. He said this book was the most important one he has ever written. After completing it, I think he is correct. The only real critique I have of it is what he addresses as the book’s main problem in the introduction, the book’s title. Once he sets up the idea it does make sense, because every man is going to cheat on his job (for his family) or cheat on his family (for his job).

To be clear, I would recommend every father and husband take a couple hours to read this book, then spend your life altering it to do be the man at home only you can be!

Related Post: Family-Ministry Balance

How To Burnout In 5 Easy Steps

From Serving Strong:

Staying strong is overrated. All this talk about avoiding the wall? Hooey. You were born to burnout. You were meant for serving weak. Want a quick way to burnout in ministry leadership? Here are 5 easy steps:

1. Seek Unforgiveness. Someone hurt you lately? Cool. Here's what you do: Hold a grudge. That's right. Don't give in to the temptation to be the weaker one. Keep steady. Better yet, give them the silent treatment. Yeah! It will teach them a lesson and you'll be well on your way to burning out.

2. Pursue Passionlessness. Ask yourself this question: "What ministry fuels my passion?" Got your answer? Good. Now do something (anything) that is the opposite of your answer. Do the thing that is a total drag for you. Give it your all. Seek the boredom. Revel in the difficulty. It will annoy those around you and you'll be well on your way to burning out.

3. Engage In Prayerlessness. Got prayer concerns? Want to touch the heart of God? Want to seek and sense His will for your life? Forget it. You're looking to burnout, right? Good. Then cut ALL prayer from your routine. Don't pray in the morning. Don't pray when you're stressed or sad. And don't pray when things are going well. Think of the time you'll save. It will grieve the Holy Spirit and you'll be well on your way to burning out.

4. Be An Impostor. Are you introverted by nature? Be extroverted. Are you methodical? Be spontaneous. Are you a people person? Then be a recluse. You have to understand that being yourself is simply going to keep you from burning out. So don't be yourself. Better yet, try to be just like someone else. It will irritate your loved ones and you'll be well on your way to burning out.

5. Over-identify. In your work with others, you will feel their pain. This is good. Dwell on it. Identify it so deeply that you begin to feel responsible for it. This will give you ownership of their pain, as though you were the cause. You will sink in the quicksand of their misery. You won't be able to help them because you'll be so depressed yourself. This will help others become co-dependent and you'll be well on your way to burning out.

So you see, if you are interested in burning out, it's quite simple really. Just follow these 5 easy steps and we'll see you in rehab!

How To Have An Awesome Worship Service

This is from the Drive 2010 Conference I attended this week, which was awesome:

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Book Review: You Were Made For More by Cymbala

You Were Made For More is classic Cymbala. It is not enough for him to tell you a spiritual truth, he uses real stories of the power of God he is describing to illustrate that truth. As I read through this book, I felt as though it was the sequel to “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.” The main reason for that assumption is that he referenced that book and stories from it throughout this work. My two favorite stories in the book were of Fernie (page 56) and Vanessa (page 69).

While it is difficult for me to narrow down one particular best part, I found his Chapter 8, “What’s Up With This,” to be very helpful. The gist of this chapter was that God uses our problems to develop us into what He wants us to be. For those who buy into the “name it claim” or “prosperity gospel” or “word of faith movement,” this chapter will serve as an awakening to how God has worked throughout time in order to draw us closer to Him while making us more like Jesus.

I would advise that people who doubt if God wants to use them to read this book. If you know of someone who sits on the sidelines and fails to serve in their local church family, give them this book. If you have a friend who doubts if God could shine through them to reveal His love and salvation to others, this is the book for them… because You Were Made For More.

Book Review: The Gospel According to Lost

The whole time I read this book (The Gospel According to Lost by Chris Seay) I kept thinking, "this dude watches way too much TV, I hope I never watch this much TV." I blame my accountability partner for picking this book and will not allow him to do so again for quite some time. The whole book is a reach for me personally.

That being said, my guess is that Pastor Chris Seay is quite good at using modern interest to influence people for the cause of Christ... I am just not sure this book was as successful as I have heard he is as a pastor. It was not all bad though, chapter 16 was good (albeit 1 of 17 chapters).

The 2 best quotes of the book were on page 168, "God deserves better than what we have to offer, but he chooses us. And he gladly accepts us. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, God holds us," and on page 174, "Nothing can stand between us and the love of the living God: not our fear or reluctance, not the disapproval of others, nothing. And even then, for as long as it takes for us to accept it, his love will bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure all things. Love never fails."

Albert Pujols' Testimony

I do not like the St. Louis Cardinals, but I do like Albert Pujols. Here is his testimony:

6 Best Coaching Questions

This is from EXPONENTIAL (Book Excerpt)

Got a coach? Need a coach? Here are six great coaching questions from my friend Dave Ferguson...

There are from his new book: Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement (Co-Authored with Dave's brother, Jon!)

1) “How are you?”

Remember at the heart of effecting coaching is a relational investment. It may sound cliché, but it’s still true: “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” We begin every coaching conversation by checking in to see how the person we are coaching is really doing.

2) “What are you celebrating?”

Every meeting at Community begins with some form of this question. Often it’s stated like this: “Where are you/we winning?” Whether it’s a one-on-one meeting, a group meeting, a staff meeting, or a temporary task force, we begin by celebrating how God is at work in our life, ministry, and church. Moving from “How are you?” to “What are you celebrating?” keeps the tone of the meeting very relational and positive. It’s tempting to quickly focus on what’s not working or what is broken. This question keeps the conversation focused on where the leader is feeling successful.

3) "What challenges are you facing?"

You might be thinking, “Finally we get to something productive.” Yes, the previous questions are very relational, but if it helps any, remember that when it comes to coaching the relationship really is the task. This question gives your leader an opportunity to talk openly about the things that aren’t going very well in his group or team.

4) "How will you do about those challenges?"

Once a leader has disclosed some areas where he or she may be experiencing some challenges with his life, group, or team it is tempting to quickly move into “fix-it” mode and tries to solve the problem for him. There are times when a leader will need your insight and wisdom. However, the best way you can serve a leader is to help them tap into the wisdom and insight God has already given them to deal with whatever situation they are facing. It is the coach’s role to draw those answers or solutions out of the leader.

5) "How can I help you?"

Finally, the question we’ve wanted to ask. This is an important question, but if you never get to this question because the leader has already come up with an action plan as you walked through the previous questions, considers yourself an extremely effective coach. There are times when a coach needs to step in and offer whatever assistance is necessary to help a leader in need. One of the three tasks that flow out of the relational investment is “serving”, and one of the ways you can best serve a leader is to help them through a tough situation.

6) "How can I pray for you?"

The best way to wrap up a coaching conversation is to ask the leader how you can be praying for him. It is also a great opportunity for the coach to ask the leader to be praying for her. This is one way a coach can help the leader know that this relationship is mutually beneficial. After the leader has had a chance to express some areas where he is in need of prayer, take a few moments to pray for the leader and reassure him that you will be praying for him regularly.


The dream of God is not for the church to be led by a one-man show, but that it would be a great team led by great coaches. Our role is to equip and empower the people of the church to do the work of ministry. When the game is on the line and the final point needs to be scored, the ball will be in the hands of our leaders and those leaders need to be coached to take the winning shot.

To give full credit, you can also find this article here.

Ed Young's Lifestyle Debacle

Ed Young is in more trouble about his lifestyle and company… ahem, church expenses. WFAA in DFW is reporting about his lavish lifestyle and company expenses. He has issued a response through his public relations firm – no, not a joke – denying any wrongdoing and shifting the blame and focus from himself to WFAA.

If Ed cared about transparency, he would disclose everything. Instead, he is playing the PR game to transfer attention from himself to WFAA. In his public response during a Saturday night church service, he talked about his salary and home as if it was all proper. He never disclosed his salaries (church + $ generated from work for the church + royalties + etc.). His lifestyle is ridiculous and he could/should learn a bunch from Francis Chan about giving to the need. Instead, he lives a lifestyle of extravagance (7,820 sq. ft. home, 1.1 million dollar condo, 8 million dollar leased jet).

Many argue the point, but I agree that his lifestyle is a detrimental issue to his legacy and immediate influence. The problem is that money is a root of all kinds of evil. This situation is sad for The Church, and can undo so much good Fellowship Church has accomplished.

If he is innocent of any wrong doing and is truly above reproach, transparency is his option. If he is guilty, repentance and transparency are his options. Either way, he should man-up and let the truth of the situation set him free… after all, what should a role model for such a huge church have to hide?

The natural response is to ask me if I do the same thing as an associate pastor of a much smaller church; which I do not. However, my family still lives in a starter home, we drive Hondas, and thus avoid question generated from a lifestyle of extravagance. Also, the information about my salary (and any other staff member at my church) is fully and readily available to any church member who requests it.

Here is another post on the subject.

Cole's 2010 Mock Draft

1. Rams – Sam Bradford
2. Lions – Suh
3. Bucs –Gerald McCoy
4. Redskins – Trent Williams
5. Russell Okung
6. Seahawks – CJ Spiller
7. Browns – Eric Berry (if he falls here, it keeps them from making a stupid pick)
8. Raiders – Derrick Morgan (it wouldn’t surprise me if they take Classen, Tebow, or Bryant, I’m hoping reason wins out for this albatross of a franchise)
9. Bills – Bryan Bulaga
10. Jaguars – Rolando McClain (my guess is a TRADE here, if they can get a taker – Cowboys, PLEASE! – if so, Earl Thomas wears a star)
11. Broncos – Earl Thomas (if they draft Dez Bryant after trading Marshall, everyone in the organization should get fired)
12. Dolphins – Dan Williams
13. 49ers – Joe Haden
14. Seahawks – Anthony Davis
15. Giants – Jason Pierre-Paul
16. Titans – Kyle Wilson
17. 49ers – Maurice Pouncey
18. Steelers – Dez Bryant (really? After Holmes and Big Ben? I hope they take Tebow…)
19. Hawks – Brandon Graham
20. Texans – Taylor Mays
21. Bengals – Jermaine Gresham
22. Patriots – Sergio Kindle
23. Packers – Charles Brown
24. Eagles – Everson Griffen
25. Ravens – Terrance Cody
26. Cardinals – Devin McCourty
27. Cowboys – Bryan Bulaga (if they can trade up and get rid of Bennett or Carpenter, it’s a great night!)
28. Chargers – Ryan Matthews
29. Jets – Jerry Hughes
30. Vikings – Jimmy Clausen (my guess is he will be taken about 8-12 picks higher via a trade)
31. Colts – Jared Odrick
32. Saints – Brian Price

• I spent 15 minutes tops on my mock draft, but looked at other mocks more than once (before and during my mock)

• Although I am not a professional, I am sure I will be just as bad as Mel Kiper when the real results come in.

• During the Facebook/MySpace NFL Pro Football Picks challenge I was ranked #2 out of 112,274… which will mean nothing here, but at least I am finally letting the world know how awesome my picks were this year!

4 Constants in Family Bible Study by Mark Driscoll

From Mark Driscoll: I’m not a hugely formal student. I study a lot, read all the time, and in our family, things flex from week to week, season to season, and as the kids age. Upon reflection, though, four things are constant:

1.Lots of Bibles
We have tons of Bibles all over the house. We have Bibles for every age, lots of translations, and lots of formats. To be honest, if a member of my family finds a Bible they like that is faithful, I am not at all legalistic about which one they prefer. Most days, every room of the house has a Bible of some kind in it, ready to read.

2.A love of Bible reading
I love to read the Bible and want my family to love reading in general, and Bible reading in particular. It’s not a forced rule, but a fun part of life. Everyone in our family likes to read the Bible and does so daily. I’ve never made a rule about daily Bible reading, but we all do as a habit that we enjoy by God’s grace. We all read Scripture and pray at night before bed as a sort of wind-down wrap-up to the day and the kids like it a lot.

3.Life integration
Throughout the daily moments of life, the window of opportunity opens up to sit down with Grace and the kids, either one on one or as a group, to open the Bible and apply a particular portion to something happening in their life. As a parent and a spouse, it is a great honor to be on watch, appointed by God to capture these sacred moments of bringing Scripture to bear on a teachable moment.

4.Age-appropriate discussion We eat dinner together and have a Bible at the table that I use to lead discussions. We also keep a notebook of prayers for people and the kids really like seeing prayers answered and checked off. Some nights the family gets down some rabbit trail of conversation that is not overtly theological, and as a dad I don’t force a big theological discussion upon them, but rather follow the Holy Spirit as we just enjoy one another. Other nights we have some big theological discussions that I lead out of the Bible. After church on Sundays, since I’m still working, Grace is faithful to ask the kids what they learned in the service or their class and draw out of them what God revealed to them from Scripture. Anyone wanting to grow in this skill can read Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware, in which he shows how to teach theology to kids in an age-appropriate fashion.
With our children (ages four to twelve), Bible reading really varies, but here is what is going on presently in our home:

Gideon (4) gets read a lot of Bible stories (especially at night) and asked fun Bible questions that I probably need to compile as a free e-book. I’ve done this with all the kids over the years as a sort of Bible Jeopardy for kids. He likes The Jesus Storybook Bible, The Beginner’s Bible, and The First Step Bible.

Alexie (6) is reading well so she reads to her mom and me from an age-appropriate Bible every day. No matter what, this includes snuggle time before bed, which is a big deal to her. She likes The Jesus Storybook Bible, as well as reading on her own from The Beginner’s Bible, and The First Step Bible.

Calvin (8) is reading well and has a good Bible for his age that he reads each day, and we discuss with him what he’s learning. He is enjoying Mighty Acts of God by Starr Meade, which is an age-appropriate book for him to read. Previously he read through The Jesus Storybook Bible on his own multiple times, and now he needs something a bit more suited for his reading level, so we’re trying other additional Bibles to give him some variety.

Zac (10) is reading through the New Testament right now in the New International Reader’s Version (NIrV), an age-appropriate version for him. He also is reading for fun from The Picture Bible, which is set up like a comic book. He also enjoys books such as Ten Boys Who Changed the World and Ten Boys Who Didn’t Give In, which are short biographies.

Ashley (12) read through the entire English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible last year and is reading through the entire ESV Study Bible, including the notes, this year and so far has finished up the Pentateuch (first five books). She is an avid reader who reads a lot of fiction for fun, loves Christian biographies, and also has chosen to read through my new book Doctrine and write a report on it for school, which means the world to me. She keeps joking that one day she will be my research assistant and copy editor, as she’s a very gifted writer and we may have her start blogging for teenage girls and are praying it through.

Momma Grace and I are constantly reading and, it seems nearly every day, discussing what we are learning. Date nights and other extended times together are usually spent talking about people we are ministering to, the kids, and what we are reading and learning. This is pretty much a lifestyle for us that has been in effect for many years. We study very differently and so it works best for us each to study individually and then share together what we’re learning and discuss it. The Bible studies that had the biggest impact on Grace personally were on repentance and regeneration. She also loves the biblical counseling that comes from www.ccef.org, enjoys Carolyn Mahaney and has particularly enjoyed doing her Girl Talk study with Ashley, which is great for moms and daughters.

Lastly, I highly value reading. When I was a little boy, my mom took me to the library very often and helped birth in me a great love of books and learning. So, in our home we each have our own library. Every bedroom has a bookshelf with a small library for each family member. We have a small family reference library downstairs off the reading room, where there is good lighting, comfy seating, and a fireplace, and no technology resides (e.g., TV, computer, stereo). That family reference library has commentaries, Bible dictionaries, concordances, Bible background information, and so on to help anyone get basic Bible study done. My rule about books is that if it’s decent and you’ll read it, I will buy it. My personal library is pushing five thousand volumes in print and many more than that in Logos Software and other digital formats. The other members of my family have maybe a combined thousand or more books. It has taken years to collect them all, and many come from friends who donated them or used book stores, but, bit by bit, you can build a decent library and continue to encourage reading by making it interesting with lots of options and fun